Bible Commentaries
Revelation 12

Verses 1-17

Temple Section-The Male Son the same historical events from two sides, Kings from the human, Chronicles from the divine, so this section reviews the period which has already been presented in its relation to the throne. These two sections correspond to the two great missions of the chosen nation ( Exo_19:6 ). They were to be a royal priesthood ( 1Pe_2:9 ). The Throne Section gives them the sovereignty of the nations. This section recovers their priestly functions. In that they will rule the nations for Jehovah: in this they bring them to Jehovah. The theme is no longer the political redemption of the earth. The dragon, the wild beast and the false prophet demand divine honors. They want worship . This is refused by the faithful in Israel. The apostates, especially those in Babylon, with all the rest of mankind, join the great confederation to blot out the worship of Jehovah from the face of the earth.

1 This woman is in contrast with the false woman, the city of Babylon (18), hence is a sign of the faithful city of Jerusalem. Clothed with the sun indicates the possession of authority to rule in the day of Jehovah. The law, which reflects God's glory and controls her walk, is under her feet. The twelve stars signify the twelve apostles, who will administer the kingdom. Her condition is like that of the nation in Isa_26:17 . Unparalleled persecution will be her portion. This is directed especially against a select company out of her, which seems to correspond to the 144,000 who were sealed in the previous section ( Rev_7:3 ). They seem to have a safe asylum in the temple ( Rev_11:1 ) on Mount Zion ( Rev_14:1 ) while the woman flees into the wilderness. They are celibates ( Rev_14:4 ), hence are called male sons.

3 The dragon is explained as Satan. It is a composite figure, like the Lambkin ( Rev_5:6 ), the seven heads and ten horns denoting subordinate powers which are apart of its organization. They are the real powers behind the great empire of the end, for, when the beast arises, it, too, has seven heads and ten horns, the counterpart of the dragon.

6 The times of God's saints are measured by the sun- twelve hundred sixty days. The same period, when concerned with the wild beast is measured by the moon- forty-two months .

7 When the dragon attacks Jerusalem it comes into conflict with Michael, one of the chief princes ( Dan_10:13 ), who is Israel's prince ( Dan_10:21 ) in God's government, Prince Michael and his messengers eject the dragon and its messengers out of heaven.

9 Satan is now in heaven ( Job_1:6 ; Eph_6:12 ) and will not be ejected until about the middle of Daniel's seventieth week.

9 Satan is Hebrew, meaning adversary . This is a common term applied to the angels of Jehovah ( Num_22:22 ; Num_22:32 ), David ( 1Sa_29:4 ), the sons of Zeruiah ( 2Sa_19:22 ), etc. Later, when used in its untranslated form in Greek, it always seems to refer to the personality whose appellations are gathered together in this passage.

10 Michael's victory over the dragon secures the final overthrow of its power, though it continues for a short period, concentrated on the earth. Those still on the earth are warned that the fury of the Adversary will be bitter because brief.

13 Compare Mat_24:16 . Our Lord counsels them to flee into the mountains of Judea, which are a wilderness, when they see the abomination of desolation ( Dan_9:27 ) standing in the holy place. This fixes the time as the middle of the last heptad. The season and seasons and half a season (counted by harvests, as their sustenance is in question) corresponds to the last half of the seventieth heptad.

14 The great griffon vulture of Palestine has enormous strength and swiftness of wing. Unlike the eagle, it is bald ( Mic_1:16 ), and it congregates in flocks. It was held in highest esteem by the ancients. Assyria and Persia and Rome adopted it for their ensign. This has been followed by some modern nations. The aptness of this figure lies in the fact that these vultures inhabit the inaccessible cliffs ( Jer_49:16 ) where no human hand can touch them. Thus the inhabitants of the city of Jerusalem will find an asylum in the impenetrable fastnesses which abound in the vast mountainous wilderness not many miles from the city. There they will be sheltered and sustained until their Messiah is manifested in power.