Revelation 12:4 - Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Bible Comments

And his tail — His falsehood and subtilty. Draweth — As a train. The third part — A very large number. Of the stars of heaven — The Christians and their teachers, who before sat in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. And casteth them to the earth — Utterly deprives them of all those heavenly blessings. This is properly a part of the description of the dragon, who was not yet himself on earth, but in heaven: consequently, this casting them down was between the beginning of the seventh trumpet and the beginning of the third woe; or between the year 847 and the year 947; at which time pestilent doctrines, particularly that of the Manichees in the east, drew abundance of people from the truth. And the dragon stood before the woman, that when she had brought forth, he might devour the child — That he might hinder the kingdom of Christ from spreading abroad, as it does under this trumpet.

Revelation 12:4

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.