INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 12 This chapter contains a vision of two wonders or signs seen in heaven, a woman and a dragon, and an account of what followed thereon, war both in heaven and earth. The vision of the woman is in Revelation 12:1, who is described by her being clothed with the sun; by he... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE APPEARED A GREAT WONDER IN HEAVEN,.... This vision begins a new account of things, and represents the church in the apostles' times, and purer ages of Christianity, and under the Heathen and Arian persecutions; after which an account is given of the beast, mentioned in Revelation 11:7, of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE BEING BIG WITH CHILD,.... Which may be expressive of the fruitfulness of the church in bearing and bringing forth many souls to Christ, and which were very numerous in this period of time, when it was said of Zion that this and that man was born in her; and particularly of her pregnancy with... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE APPEARED ANOTHER WONDER IN HEAVEN,.... Or "sign"; which represents the woman, or the church's adversary, Satan; not that he was in heaven, in the third heaven, the place of glory and happiness, for out of that he had been cast long ago; but in his great power and authority here on, earth,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HIS TAIL DREW THE THIRD PART OF THE STARS OF HEAVEN, AND DID CAST THEM TO THE EARTH,.... So Solinus e speaks of dragons that have power not only in their teeth, but in their tails, and do more hurt by striking than by biting; and the great serpent, which Attilius Regulus and his army fought with... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SHE BROUGHT FORTH A MAN CHILD,.... Not Christ, literally and personally considered, or Christ in his human nature, as made of a woman, and born of a virgin, which was a fact that had been years ago; but Christ mystically, or Christ in his members, who are called by his name, because he is formed... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE WOMAN FLED INTO THE WILDERNESS,.... Not as soon as she was delivered of her child, which is not reasonable to suppose, and would have been improper if not impracticable; nor indeed was this flight until after the war was over, mentioned in Revelation 12:13; nor until the dragon and his angel... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE WAS WAR IN HEAVEN,.... Not in the third heaven, the habitation of God, the seat of the angels and glorified saints, there is no discord, jars, and contentions there, nothing but peace, love, and joy; but in the church below, which is militant, and has in it as it were a company of two armi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PREVAILED NOT,.... That is, the dragon, or the devil, and his angels, prevailed not against Michael and his angels; but, on the other hand, were conquered by them, as the above tyrants were by Constantine and Theodosius: some copies read in the singular number, "and he prevailed not", as the Ale... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GREAT DRAGON WAS CAST OUT,.... From heaven, or from power and authority in the Roman empire, namely, the devil, where he had long presided; it is observable that Constantine himself speaks of "the dragon" being removed from the government of the commonwealth by the providence of God, and by... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD A LOUD VOICE SAYING IN HEAVEN,.... Which was a song of praise on account of the victory obtained by Michael and his angels over the dragon and his, or for the overthrow and downfall of Paganism in the Roman empire; for by "heaven" is meant the empire, now become Christian, or the Christi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY OVERCAME HIM BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB,.... The Lord Jesus Christ, by whose blood they were redeemed and ransomed out of the hands of Satan, that was stronger than they; and by which they were justified from all sin, and so all charges and condemnation were of no avail against them, whether... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE REJOICE, [YE] HEAVENS, AND YE THAT DWELL IN THEM,.... So in the prophetic language, at times, and upon occasions of rejoicing, the heavens are called upon to join, and bear a part therein, Psalms 96:10; and by these may be meant here the angels of heaven, who rejoice at every advance of Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE DRAGON SAW THAT HE WAS CAST UNTO THE EARTH,.... When the devil perceived he had not the power in the Roman empire he formerly had; and that his influence was only over the common and meaner sort of people, or over the earthly part of the church, and the barbarous nations in the world:... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO THE WOMAN WERE GIVEN TWO WINGS OF A GREAT EAGLE,.... By which are meant, not the two testaments, by which she was supported under afflictions, trials, and persecutions, and against Satan and all his efforts; nor the two graces of faith and hope, by which she rose, and dwelt on high, in the vi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SERPENT CAST OUT OF HIS MOUTH WATER AS A FLOOD,.... Which cannot design any persecution before the fall of Paganism, either of the Jews, or of the Romans; nor indeed the Arian persecution, since the casting out of this flood is distinguished from the above persecution, and was after the chur... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE EARTH HELPED THE WOMAN,.... By opening itself, and taking in what the serpent cast out, so that it could not reach the woman, and annoy her, as follows: AND THE EARTH OPENED HER MOUTH; as it did when it swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, Numbers 16:30; to which history this may have so... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE DRAGON WAS WROTH WITH THE WOMAN,.... The devil was very angry with the church, because he could not destroy her by the Arian persecution he had raised; and because he could not carry her away with the flood, either of errors and heresies, or of the barbarous nations; and because he could not... [ Continue Reading ]