Lesson One

Chapter 12

Third Interlude: Divine Symbol of The Cosmic Spiritual Battle

a) Introduction

b) Woman/Pregnant Women: Some think this woman to mean the mother of Jesus (Roman Catholics teach this). They see the Mother of Jesus to be a queen over all things. She is the mother of the king of the universe. It is better to see the women through Old Testament lens. She is Israel (Zion) - Is 54:1. She is giving birth in travail to the Messiah. Birth pains speak of the pre-messianic agony of expectation of the coming Messiah.

c) Red Dragon = Satan (with seven heads and ten hours and seven crowns) - also known as Leviathan; red symbolizes murderous character (John 8:44); several heads (Ps 74:14); crown not of victory but of arrogated authority. The Dragon hates the women. Why? It because of the seed she will give birth to. The child will come forth from her to take away his kingdom (Genesis 3). Satan is in pursue to destroy the seed. In the Old Testament, there was Cain killing Abel, the killing of the first born of Israel, the killing of the male child in of Egyptian slaves. In the New Testament, there was the killing of all Jewish boys and Jesus was put to the cross.

d) Ten horns could mean the 10 world empires talked about in Rev 16.

e) Tail swept 1/3 of the stars out of the sky and flung them to earth = speaks about Satan creating a great show and influences a great deal.

f) Dragon taking position to devour the Child = King Herod want baby Jesus murdered because he was prophesied to be the Messiah (Matthew 2); continued throughout his earthly life, culminated in the crucifixion. Child = Son of God in the flesh. The Child is snatched up by God. Jesus ascension foils the evil plans of Satan. Christ will “rule” (poinoino—shepherding) with a rod of “iron” (absolute authority). Jesus is a “gentle warrior.”

g) Women fled into the wilderness = Church in a place of spiritual refuge like Jesus in his wilderness for forty days. Encourage the persecuted with a place of refuge. This place is one of readiness for the time of persecution. We are currently in the evil age. And the Church is waiting her “hour.” This speaks of the tribulation period, where the Church will be persecuted (Rev 13).

h) 1260 days = Time of persecution such as the Tribulation Period.

i) War in Heaven = All out attempt for Satan to regain his position in the presence of God. It does not refer back to the original expulsion of Satan from heaven but a cosmic prelude to the consummation—an end time event and a heavenly counter part to the victory in Christ death and resurrection. Read John 12:31. Triumph in v 5 is expressed in holy war. For John there is no gap between Christ and the End because his resurrection and gift of the spirit are timeless eschatological events. The war is waged between Michael and his angels on one side and the dragon (Satan) and his angels on the other. It is the archangel Michael, no the Messiah, who wars against Satan in this final struggle. Read Daniel 12:1. It shows Michael as the believer from tribulation. Michael is the angelic intercessor, who contended with the devil about Moses body (Jude 9).

j) Satan Fallen from Heaven to Earth = Satan is defeated and must forfeit their place in heaven. No more heaven access as he once did. Read Job 1:6-9; 2:1-6; Zech 3:1). Satan defeat is what is causing his hostility. He knows he’s fighting a losing battle. Satan’s attack on earth is a retaliation of his heavenly battle defeat. He is a deceiver of the whole world. He put it into the heart of Judas to betray Christ (John 13:2) and was out to undermine faith of Peter (Luke 22:31). Paul warns of his evil devices in 2 Cor. 2:11, 11:3; 1 Tim 2:14. He uses false prophets to deceive his elect (Matt 24:24; Rev 13:11-15). Satan is the cause of the opposition to the Church whenever and wherever it occurs. And as the end draws near, the hostility against the church will increase in intensity. But Satan suffers defeat not only by Michael but also by faithful believers as well. Satan got knocked down but he is not out. There was a heavenly victory but an earthly battle still continues. Joint effort between the two is important for complete victory over evil!! The primary cause of victory is the blood of the lamb. What started in the lamb will end with the Church. Their shared conquest comes as they proclaim the message over, even the natural fear of death.

k) Mother with Eagle Wings = Church who shares in her son’s attacks from the hostility of Satan. Read Acts 9:4-5. Christ doesn’t separate himself from our sufferings so we should not separate our self from his sufferings. Read John 15:21.

l) Time, times and half a time = Tribulation Period

m) Serpent spewed water = flood of ungodliness and tribulation (Ps 18:4; Is 43:2). Sea of Chaos

n) Winged woman = divine deliverance (mount up with eagles wings Is 40:31). This speaks of the secret place where God’s people can fly high above the storm to wait upon the Lord in their wilderness.

o) Earth helped the woman = nature

p) Women swallowed the water = nature will swallow up the flood. This points to the final event in human history i.e. The Battle of Armageddon (Numbers 16:30; Joel 1; Ezekiel 38:18-22).

q) Dragon wage war with offspring = individual brothers and sister of Christ

r) Conclusion / Summary:

- Serpent as dragon attacks woman and her seed

- Messiah defeats dragon and casts it to earth

- But then the dragon inspires hatred and persecution of the Messiah’s people

- But they will conquer the dragon by resisting its influence even if it kills them.

- John is trying to show the church that neither Rome nor any other nation or human is the real enemy. There are dark spiritual powers at work and Jesus’ followers will announce Jesus’ victory by being faithful and by loving their enemies, just like the slain lamb.