REVELATION CHAPTER 12 Revelation 12:1,2 A woman clothed with the sun travaileth, Revelation 12:3,4 A great red dragon standeth ready to devottr her child, Revelation 12:5,6 She is delivered, and fleeth into the wilderness, Revelation 12:7-9 Michael and his angels fight with the dragon, who is cast out of heaven with his angels. Revelation 12:10-12 The victory proclaimed in heaven. Revelation 12:13-17 The dragon, cast down to the earth, persecuteth the woman. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: I see no reason to doubt, but that John was all this while in heaven, whither he was taken up, Revelation 4:2, where he saw in a vision a great wonder, or a most remarkable thing. A woman clothed with the sun; I find all valuable interpreters agreeing, that this woman represented the church, well enough compared to a woman;
1. As she is the spouse of Christ (though here expressed as his mother).
2. As the woman is the weaker sex, and the church hath always been the weakest part of the world. (I look upon the interpretation of it by popish authors, with reference to the virgin Mary, as very idle; for when did she flee into the wilderness? When was she with child, and pained to be delivered?) Interpreters also are as well agreed, that by the sun, with which she is said to be clothed, is meant Christ, called the Sun of righteousness, Zechariah 4:2, and he who giveth light, Ephesians 5:14; and believers (of whom the church consists) are said to have put on Christ, Romans 13:14 Galatians 3:27. And the moon under her feet: by the moon, most understand the world, by reason of its mutability and uncertainty, which the church of Christ despiseth, and hath under her feet, minding heaven and heavenly things. But Mr. Mede rather understands it of the Jewish worship, which, as to its times, was much directed by the moon; which hand-writing which was against us (the apostle tells us, Colossians 2:14) Christ took away, nailing it to his cross; so as the gospel church hath it under her feet. The apostle calls them carnal ordinances, Hebrews 9:10, and the rudiments of the world, Colossians 2:20, yea, beggarly elements, Galatians 4:9. And upon her head a crown of twelve stars; the ministry of the gospel, preaching and building upon the true foundation, the doctrine of the prophets, and twelve apostles, which is the honour of any church.