Revelation 12:9 - Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

The Woman and the Man-Child. The Dragon

The persecution which the Church had already suffered, and which was about to burst forth again, is the great fact which underlies the whole 'Revelation.' The sufferings of the Church and its members have been referred to again and again, particularly in Revelation 11:1-13. In the 'seals' and the 'trumpets' the Church has been assured, in a broad and general manner, that God's judgments will fall upon the world of wickedness, and that the ungodly will bow before the power of the Lamb. In the remainder of the book (Revelation 12-22), the victory of Christ and His Church is foretold in more definite detail. The great enemies of Christ are brought forward, under the personifications of the Dragon (Revelation 12), the two Beasts (Revelation 13 f.), and the harlot City (Revelation 17). Then we are shown Christ's battle against them, and the complete overthrow both of them and of all evil (Revelation 18-20), after which the book ends with the glorious and everlasting blessedness of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21 f.).

The first great enemy of Christ's Church, the cause of all the hostility against her, is Satan. Christ suffered his enmity, but passed through it triumphantly (Revelation 12:1-6). Satan is already conquered in principle (Revelation 12:7-9), though for a short time the Christian Church experiences his malignity (Revelation 12:10-17).

1-6. The Church, of both the OT. and NT. covenants, is shown under the figure of a woman, clothed with heavenly glory (Revelation 12:1) from whom the Messiah is about to come: cp. Isaiah 66:19; Micah 4:10. She is opposed by the devil (Revelation 12:9), pictured as a dragon, red with the blood of the saints: cp. Revelation 17:3. (Revelation 12:3). His seven heads and ten horns (cp. Daniel 7:7) represent the Roman emperors through whom he exercised his power. The seven crowned heads perhaps signify the seven emperors, from Augustus to Titus, who had really reigned. The ten horns may stand for the same emperors with the addition of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius: cp. Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:10. (see chapter A. Scott, 'Century Bible: Revelation,' p. 53). The dragon waits to attack the Messiah (Revelation 12:4), but when He is born (cp. Psalms 2:8.), the dragon has no power over Him, and He is exalted to God's throne: cp. Philippians 2:9; (Revelation 12:5). The Church escapes from the dragon, as the Church of Israel escaped from Pharaoh into the wilderness, to be kept during a time of trouble: see on Revelation 11:2; (Revelation 12:6). The reference here may be to seasons of rest which the Palestinian Church experienced during the troubles which ended in the destruction of Jerusalem (cp. Acts 9:31), and to the escape of the Christians of Jerusalem to Pella before the siege: cp. Matthew 24:16.

1, 3. Wonder] RV 'sign.'

Revelation 12:1-17

1 And there appeared a great wondera in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonderb in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

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.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into 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 water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.