| In-Depth Study of The Book of Revelation Chapter 12 By Rabbi Esther Boucher |
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Verse 1-3
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain
to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven
heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
The woman represents G-d's faithful people Israel who have been waiting for the messiah. The crown
of 12 stars represents the 12 tribes of Israel. G-d set apart the Jews for himself and that nation gave
birth to the messiah. The male child is Jesus born to Mary. King Herod immediately tried to destroy
the infant Jesus because he felt a threat to his throne, this was motivated by Satan the red dragon who
wanted to kill the world's Savior. Revelation 12 shows that Christ's quiet birth in the town of Bethlehem
has cosmic significance. The woman, Israel was the first wonder and here the Dragon is the second.
The world wonder is a semeion which means sign. Satan is pictured as a dragon because he is
powerful and vicious. He is red because he is dripping with the blood of the martyrs who have been
slain by his human workers. The 10 horns correspond to Daniels ten toes in Dan. 2:42, 44. They are
the rulers of the Revived Roman Empire, a ten-nation empire that will be in power during the
Tribulation Period. Today we are seeing many European countries seeking to combine their economic
efforts. Their goal - Europe United.
We have seen the term new world order being used by leading political people of our world. Mikhail
Gorbacheu has made the term famous and Pope John Paul II has referred to it repeatedly. President
George Bush in the Chicago Tribune September 1990 said "Iraq is the first test for the new world
order." The United Nations troops are continually referred to as the multi-national force. The decision
has been made to establish an interdependent community of nations that will rule the world under
United Nations authority. The Bible says that this will lead us into a great world government. The UN
Secretary General Boutros - Gahali suggested that a new world police force by created whose
deployment would be at the discretion of the secretary general, his special representative, and the
Force Commander acting under the authority of the Security Council. This new force would be known
as UNOSOM II. Intervention in the internal affairs of a nation has been considered off limits to the UN
until recently. Through the Somalian and Yugoslavian crises, the right to intervene internally has been
established with barely a whimper from the global thinkers.
Verse 4
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before
the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
His tail drew the 3rd part of the stars. This seems to be an allusion to the fall of Satan and his
subsequent leading of a third of the angelic beings into their fall into sin. Satan's original name was
Lucifer, the light Bearer or The Brilliant One. He was created by G-d. In Ezekiel 28 we are told that he
was the height of wisdom and beauty, the wisest of all G-d's created beings and the administrator of
the affairs of the Angelic realm. Lucifer's glory was a reflected glory from G-d. His pride would not let
him admit his righteousness was nothing. And in Isa. 14:12-15 we read the 5 I will statements of
Lucifer, who is now Satan 1.) I will ascend into heaven. 2.) I will exalt my throne above the stars. 3.)
I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North. He wanted to administer the
affairs of earth and universe. 4.) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 5.) I will be like the
most high. In his rebellion we are told the 3rd part of the stars of heaven (angels) followed him. Since
Satan is not omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) his angels (demons) work 24 hours a day to
do his evil bidding. The dragon stood to devour her child as soon as it was born. Here we learn that
again it was Satan who was the master strategist who so directed events so as to cause Herod the
Great to seek to slay the Christ child newly born in Bethlehem.
Verse 5
She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up
to God and His throne.
Christ is the man child and He will rule all nations in the millennial age with a rod of iron. He will strike
those who rebel and break into pieces all who oppose Him. Caught up unto G-d refers to his
ascension into heaven.
Verse 6 (promise)
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should
feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Israel will be persecuted for 3 1/2 years. This is during the last half of the Tribulation. Many scholars
think the wilderness in this verse refers to Israel fleeing to the natural rock fortification south of Israel
called Petra.
Verse 7-9 (8 & 9 Judgements)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his
angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So
the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
John then saw a war in heaven. A battle between good angels under the leadership of the archangel
Michael and evil angels under Satan. The devil and his followers are defeated and hurled down to
earth. This brings about rejoicing in heaven and a warning to earth dwellers that they are in for a
terrible time because the devil is furious and knows he has but a short time left to vent his wrath. This
prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. True Satan was banished from heaven when he first sinned (Ezek
28:11-19 & Isa. 14:12-15) but Job 1 tells us he still had access to heaven, Hebrews 2:24-15 states he
was destroyed by Christ through His atoning death and triumphant resurrection, but G-d still permits
him to deceive (2 Cor. 11:14) and devour (I Peter 5-8). He still has access to heaven as the accuser
but at some point after the church is raptured he will be defeated by Michael's army and lose this
access. He will persecute Israel with great fury, but he will not be able to annihilate the nation.
Verse 10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Again we see that Satan had access to G-d in heaven to accuse and slander the people of G-d.
Verse 11 (promise)
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did
not love their lives to the death.
There are going to be many martyrs. They love G-d more than life. They overcome by the blood of
the lamb, that is, by Christ's atoning for their sins on the cross and by His giving them eternal life.
Thus they testify to this salvation and to the righteousness of G-d. They show outwardly by the giving
of their lives the reality of the inner work of the Spirit.
Verse 12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and
the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a
short time.”
Satan knows his end approaches. Now with the end coming fast he is a cornered animal and begins
to persecute those in Israel and those of the Gentiles who are turning to Christ. The greatest
persecution of the history of the world yet lies ahead and yet this bitter truth is not clearly taught. In
1981 there were approximately 6 million Jews in the U.S. Jewish persecution will be rampant. If 6 out
of every 10 Jews were killed in Europe during the days of Hitler, and if the persecution in the last days
will be greater the death of 3 million or more Jews in America is within the realm of possibility. Riots,
lawlessness, and guerrilla - type sneak bombings are creating more havoc in the U.W. then ever
before. Control is becoming increasingly difficult.
Verse 13-14 (14 promise)
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave
birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from
the presence of the serpent.
Satan's persecution of Israel lasts 3 1/2 years. And to the woman were given two wings of a great
eagle that she might fly into the wilderness. Israel has been brought down to the depths of
degradation. Her enemies are gloating in their victory. The U.S. symbol is the American Eagle. Could
it be that the U.S. will help airlift Israel to safety in Petra or somewhere in the Sinai peninsula?
Verse 15
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her
to be carried away by the flood.
The persecution is pictured as a flood of water.
Verse 16 (promise)
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
Perhaps this denotes that there will be such a state of confusion and chaos among the nations at this
time that the systematic persecution of the godly is made difficult. Does not one who seeks to escape
often run into a crowd? There he can slide away amid the confusion. G-d produces chaos amid the
nations, wars, population movements, countless refugees so that the fleeing ones can survive the
Antichrist's reign of terror.
Verse 17
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her
offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan's target is the remnant of the faithful few. We have seen how the two witnesses will preach in
Jerusalem for 3 1/2 years. And this must have great impact upon the Jews even those who still do not
believe. They will be impressed by what they see. Suddenly Israel turns against the united world
governments realizing that in this action terrible trials will befall her. Now they must look to G-d. Do
you remember verse 11: they loved not their lives unto the death. Those Israelites devoted to Christ
determined to remain true, even if such devotion means death. Look at our church today. How many
in our congregation would be this faithful to Christ faced with the same situation. Are we more
concerned with self, rather than service, with pleasures more than prayer. We as the members of the
Bridge of Messiah need to be in present in church every time the doors are open. We need to equip
ourselves through Sunday school Sunday services and Bible Study for discipleship to Christ. Then we
need to become prayer warriors, because the Scripture tells us the prayers of a righteous man/woman
availeth much. Time is growing short and Jesus' return is eminent. Are you going to be ready, there
will be no second chances for the rapture. If you are left behind you will have to face a life/death
decision.
Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain
to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven
heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
The woman represents G-d's faithful people Israel who have been waiting for the messiah. The crown
of 12 stars represents the 12 tribes of Israel. G-d set apart the Jews for himself and that nation gave
birth to the messiah. The male child is Jesus born to Mary. King Herod immediately tried to destroy
the infant Jesus because he felt a threat to his throne, this was motivated by Satan the red dragon who
wanted to kill the world's Savior. Revelation 12 shows that Christ's quiet birth in the town of Bethlehem
has cosmic significance. The woman, Israel was the first wonder and here the Dragon is the second.
The world wonder is a semeion which means sign. Satan is pictured as a dragon because he is
powerful and vicious. He is red because he is dripping with the blood of the martyrs who have been
slain by his human workers. The 10 horns correspond to Daniels ten toes in Dan. 2:42, 44. They are
the rulers of the Revived Roman Empire, a ten-nation empire that will be in power during the
Tribulation Period. Today we are seeing many European countries seeking to combine their economic
efforts. Their goal - Europe United.
We have seen the term new world order being used by leading political people of our world. Mikhail
Gorbacheu has made the term famous and Pope John Paul II has referred to it repeatedly. President
George Bush in the Chicago Tribune September 1990 said "Iraq is the first test for the new world
order." The United Nations troops are continually referred to as the multi-national force. The decision
has been made to establish an interdependent community of nations that will rule the world under
United Nations authority. The Bible says that this will lead us into a great world government. The UN
Secretary General Boutros - Gahali suggested that a new world police force by created whose
deployment would be at the discretion of the secretary general, his special representative, and the
Force Commander acting under the authority of the Security Council. This new force would be known
as UNOSOM II. Intervention in the internal affairs of a nation has been considered off limits to the UN
until recently. Through the Somalian and Yugoslavian crises, the right to intervene internally has been
established with barely a whimper from the global thinkers.
Verse 4
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before
the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
His tail drew the 3rd part of the stars. This seems to be an allusion to the fall of Satan and his
subsequent leading of a third of the angelic beings into their fall into sin. Satan's original name was
Lucifer, the light Bearer or The Brilliant One. He was created by G-d. In Ezekiel 28 we are told that he
was the height of wisdom and beauty, the wisest of all G-d's created beings and the administrator of
the affairs of the Angelic realm. Lucifer's glory was a reflected glory from G-d. His pride would not let
him admit his righteousness was nothing. And in Isa. 14:12-15 we read the 5 I will statements of
Lucifer, who is now Satan 1.) I will ascend into heaven. 2.) I will exalt my throne above the stars. 3.)
I will sit upon the mount of the congregation in the sides of the North. He wanted to administer the
affairs of earth and universe. 4.) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. 5.) I will be like the
most high. In his rebellion we are told the 3rd part of the stars of heaven (angels) followed him. Since
Satan is not omnipresent (everywhere at the same time) his angels (demons) work 24 hours a day to
do his evil bidding. The dragon stood to devour her child as soon as it was born. Here we learn that
again it was Satan who was the master strategist who so directed events so as to cause Herod the
Great to seek to slay the Christ child newly born in Bethlehem.
Verse 5
She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up
to God and His throne.
Christ is the man child and He will rule all nations in the millennial age with a rod of iron. He will strike
those who rebel and break into pieces all who oppose Him. Caught up unto G-d refers to his
ascension into heaven.
Verse 6 (promise)
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should
feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Israel will be persecuted for 3 1/2 years. This is during the last half of the Tribulation. Many scholars
think the wilderness in this verse refers to Israel fleeing to the natural rock fortification south of Israel
called Petra.
Verse 7-9 (8 & 9 Judgements)
And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his
angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So
the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
John then saw a war in heaven. A battle between good angels under the leadership of the archangel
Michael and evil angels under Satan. The devil and his followers are defeated and hurled down to
earth. This brings about rejoicing in heaven and a warning to earth dwellers that they are in for a
terrible time because the devil is furious and knows he has but a short time left to vent his wrath. This
prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. True Satan was banished from heaven when he first sinned (Ezek
28:11-19 & Isa. 14:12-15) but Job 1 tells us he still had access to heaven, Hebrews 2:24-15 states he
was destroyed by Christ through His atoning death and triumphant resurrection, but G-d still permits
him to deceive (2 Cor. 11:14) and devour (I Peter 5-8). He still has access to heaven as the accuser
but at some point after the church is raptured he will be defeated by Michael's army and lose this
access. He will persecute Israel with great fury, but he will not be able to annihilate the nation.
Verse 10
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our
God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them
before our God day and night, has been cast down.
Again we see that Satan had access to G-d in heaven to accuse and slander the people of G-d.
Verse 11 (promise)
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did
not love their lives to the death.
There are going to be many martyrs. They love G-d more than life. They overcome by the blood of
the lamb, that is, by Christ's atoning for their sins on the cross and by His giving them eternal life.
Thus they testify to this salvation and to the righteousness of G-d. They show outwardly by the giving
of their lives the reality of the inner work of the Spirit.
Verse 12
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and
the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a
short time.”
Satan knows his end approaches. Now with the end coming fast he is a cornered animal and begins
to persecute those in Israel and those of the Gentiles who are turning to Christ. The greatest
persecution of the history of the world yet lies ahead and yet this bitter truth is not clearly taught. In
1981 there were approximately 6 million Jews in the U.S. Jewish persecution will be rampant. If 6 out
of every 10 Jews were killed in Europe during the days of Hitler, and if the persecution in the last days
will be greater the death of 3 million or more Jews in America is within the realm of possibility. Riots,
lawlessness, and guerrilla - type sneak bombings are creating more havoc in the U.W. then ever
before. Control is becoming increasingly difficult.
Verse 13-14 (14 promise)
Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave
birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from
the presence of the serpent.
Satan's persecution of Israel lasts 3 1/2 years. And to the woman were given two wings of a great
eagle that she might fly into the wilderness. Israel has been brought down to the depths of
degradation. Her enemies are gloating in their victory. The U.S. symbol is the American Eagle. Could
it be that the U.S. will help airlift Israel to safety in Petra or somewhere in the Sinai peninsula?
Verse 15
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her
to be carried away by the flood.
The persecution is pictured as a flood of water.
Verse 16 (promise)
But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
Perhaps this denotes that there will be such a state of confusion and chaos among the nations at this
time that the systematic persecution of the godly is made difficult. Does not one who seeks to escape
often run into a crowd? There he can slide away amid the confusion. G-d produces chaos amid the
nations, wars, population movements, countless refugees so that the fleeing ones can survive the
Antichrist's reign of terror.
Verse 17
And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her
offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan's target is the remnant of the faithful few. We have seen how the two witnesses will preach in
Jerusalem for 3 1/2 years. And this must have great impact upon the Jews even those who still do not
believe. They will be impressed by what they see. Suddenly Israel turns against the united world
governments realizing that in this action terrible trials will befall her. Now they must look to G-d. Do
you remember verse 11: they loved not their lives unto the death. Those Israelites devoted to Christ
determined to remain true, even if such devotion means death. Look at our church today. How many
in our congregation would be this faithful to Christ faced with the same situation. Are we more
concerned with self, rather than service, with pleasures more than prayer. We as the members of the
Bridge of Messiah need to be in present in church every time the doors are open. We need to equip
ourselves through Sunday school Sunday services and Bible Study for discipleship to Christ. Then we
need to become prayer warriors, because the Scripture tells us the prayers of a righteous man/woman
availeth much. Time is growing short and Jesus' return is eminent. Are you going to be ready, there
will be no second chances for the rapture. If you are left behind you will have to face a life/death
decision.
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