College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 12:13-17
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 37
Text Revelation 12:13-17(18)
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished, for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
Initial Questions Revelation 12:13-17
1.
What change has taken place between Revelation 12:1 and Revelation 12:13 with regards to the location of Satan's influence?
2.
How does nature help the woman in Revelation 12:13? Does this show God's ultimate control over all things?
3.
The dragon prepared to make war with whom in Revelation 12:17?
The dragon momentarily rallied from his defeat, and immediately began pursuing the woman who bore the masculine child. Though it is too difficult to consider here in our brief commentary, the woman probably symbolizes both the mother of our Virgin born Lord and Spiritual Israel - The Church. If we were producing a technical commentary this is the interpretation the present author would attempt to defend, or at least make feasible. Note that the action is again on the earth.
Satan relentlessly attacks the masculine child in order to destroy him, but God's providential protection sustains in the hours of greatest threat. The identification of the time element here (as a time and times and half a time) with the 1260 days of Revelation 12:6 is most helpful. In both verses, the scope of time covered the period of the woman's nourishment.
Satan seeks to destroy the woman by way of a great amount of water (hôs or as - like a river - John is not declaring that it was a river). It is clear from this verse that Satan has great powers.
Nature is here utilized by God to protect the woman. Satan and his angels have great unnatural powers, because the dragon cast out of his mouth a river (see Revelation 12:15 - hôs like or as a river). This clearly implies that the working of mighty deeds do not always find their source of power in God - often the source is Satan. Today we have many who preach things which are contrary to the scriptures and at the same time claim that God is blessing their ministry by enabling them to perform mighty deeds. The claim is easy enough to make, but it is impossible to prove that the deeds are of God!
Satan could not destroy The woman, as the woman stands for both the mother of Christ and Spiritual Israel or The Church. Christ said that the gates of hades will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18), so he (Satan) redirected his forces to attack the Church. John calls The Church the ones keeping (present participle - continually keeping) the commandments of God, and the ones having (present participle - continually having) the witness of Jesus. This description could only fit The Church of Jesus Christ giving faithful testimony. The two marks of a New Testament Christian are always (1) keeping the commandments; and (2) bearing testimony to Christ as Lord.
Rev. 12:18
The 1901 translation places this last verse with chapter 13 and makes it verse one of that chapter instead of Rev. 12:18 of chapter 12. Why? We cannot here enter textual criticism, nor the problem of verse and chapter divisions (neither of which were in the original or oldest extant Greek texts), but the text reads and he stood (estathç - 1st aor. passive voice - 3rd person sing. - instead of estathçn - 1st aor. passive 1st person singular) on the sand of the sea. The antecedent of he connects grammatically with Revelation 12:17, but if the text reads I, then it would connect best chapter Revelation 13:1. There are texts which have both readings (not the same text), but the best attested reading is he stood.
Note: For advanced students the following works will be imperative. H. Gunkel, Schöpfung und chaos in Urzeit und Endzeit (Creation and Chaos in Beginning Time and End Time - this work is a comparative critique of Genesis chp 1 and Revelation chp. 12. This work takes a negative attitude toward God's Word via its form-analysis; and Pierre Prigent, Histoirie de l-'exégèse, J. C. B. Mohr, Tubingen, 1959 - (this is a history of the exegesis of Revelation, chp. 12 - excellent.)
Review Questions - Chapter 12
1.
Read Genesis 3:15 and then discuss the significance of the victory of the masculine child over Satan.
2.
Discuss Satan's attempts to destroy Christ as recorded in the Gospel record.
3.
Who prepared the hiding place of the woman - Revelation 12:6?
4.
Who do the Jehovah's Witnesses say that Michael is - Revelation 12:7?
5.
How can we harmonize Christ's victory over evil and the empirical fact that evil persists to this day - Revelation 12:8?
6.
What enabled the saints to attain final victory - Revelation 12:11?
7.
Is the vicarious atonement of Christ alone enough for our salvation - Revelation 12:11?
8.
How does Satan's knowledge of his limited time affect his efforts to destroy the work of God - Revelation 12:12?
9.
Does Satan have supernatural power - Revelation 12:15?
10.
Discuss Satan's power in light of the contemporary claims to be able to perform miracles.
11.
What are two marks of a Christian - Revelation 12:17?
12.
Discuss why the present author places Rev. 12:18 with chp. 12 instead of placing it as Revelation 12:1 - chp. 13. The 1901 gives the reading he stood, yet still places the verse in chp. 13. What is the antecedent of he in this case?
AN OUTLINE TO THE BIBLICAL DOCTRINE OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH
INTRODUCTION: The early twentieth century modernist-fundamentalist controversy; controversy renewed since publication of R.S.V. (1954) and the change of virgin (of K.J. Version, 1901) in Isaiah 7:14 to young woman. See also the new Jewish translation.
I.
VOCABULARY: ETYMOLOGICAL (OR ROOT) SIGNIFICANCE AND BIBLICAL USE:
A.
Oth - sign(not the regular word for miracle).
1.
Numbers 14:22; Deuteronomy 11:3; Isaiah 7:14.
B.
Mopheth - wonder, sign, miracle(regular word for miracle).
C.
almah
1.
Genesis 24:43; Exodus 2:8; Psalms 68:25; Proverbs 30:19; Song of Solomon 1:13; Song of Solomon 6:8; Isaiah 7:14.
D.
bethulah - (metaphorically used of Israel as married to God)
1.
Joel 1:8; Jeremiah 18:13; Jeremiah 31:4; Jeremiah 31:21.
c.f. Very important: Rebekah is called bethulah in Genesis 24:16 and almah in Genesis 24:43.
II.
OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
Isaiah 7:14 f: Study of Background:
1.
Situation under which Isaiah made the assertion.
2.
The significance of the statement for 18th century B.C. Israel and for the Christian today.
III.
SEPTUAGINT VERSION (Gr. version of the Hebrew Old Testament)
Parthenos (virgin): translates bethulah, narah, almah. L.X.X. use of parthenos to refer to young girl no longer virgin - Genesis 34:13.
IV.
NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES
A.
Matthew 1:23 - parthenos.
B.
The virgin birth and the Biblical Doctrine of Christ (nature of).
V.
THE VIRGIN BIRTH AND MARYOLATRY
A.
Matthew 1:25 - Knew her not till.
B.
Luke 1:26-38highly favored (passive participle - the having been favored one).
C.
Latin translation - Ave gratia plena (Hail, full of grace) (implies that Mary can and does dispence grace to sinners).
D.
K.J. Luke 1:28Blessed art thou among women; Textually this phrase does not belong in Scriptures.
E.
Jesus-' brothers (adelphoi) Matthew 13:55-56; Luke 11:27-28.
F.
Jesus refused special reverence to be accorded her (Matthew 12:46-50).
G.
Marian Congress at Ottawa in 1947 provided Mary with the status of co-redemptrix (queen of heaven - as co-redeemer).
1.
Pope Pius XII issued the bull, Ineffabilis Deus - Dogma of Immaculate Conception.
2.
Munificentissimus Deus - dogma of the bodily assumption of Mary.
H.
Mary's supposed Immaculate Conception and the Non-biblical doctrine of original sin.
VI.
THE VIRGIN BIRTH IN PATRISTIC LITERATURE (APOSTOLIC FATHERS)
A.
2nd Century attack and answers (attack on V.B. is not new).
B.
Justin Martyr - DIALOGUE OF TRYPHO
VII.
SCIENCE AND THE VIRGIN BIRTH
A.
Modern scientific logic and the virgin birth.
B.
Miracle and the Biblical world view.
Note: Revelation, chapter 12, 1ff. Reference to Virgin Birth - the masculine child - problem of Virgin Birth in light of Revised Standard Version and new edition of Jewish Bible.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bratcher, Robert G., Study of Isaiah 7:14, The Bible Translator, Vol. 9, no. 3, July 1958; Good, but not exhaustive bibliography.
Christianity Today - Volume IV, No. 5, December 7, 1959.
McRay, John, The Virgin Birth - provides many valuable bibliographical items - vol. 3, no. 2, 2nd q., 1959, The Restoration Quarterly - the only competent quarterly produced by men committed to Restoration Principle - non-instrumental brethren.
Strauss, James D., Miracle of His Coming, The Christian Standard, Cincinnati, Ohio, December 24, 1960