Bible History
Picture Study Bible with Maps and Background Information
Re 12:1-17. VISION OF THE WOMAN, HER CHILD, AND THE PERSECUTING DRAGON.
1. This episode
(Re 12:1-15:8)
describes in detail the persecution of Israel and the elect
Church by the beast, which had been summarily noticed,
Re 11:7-10,
and the triumph of the faithful, and torment of the unfaithful. So also
the sixteenth through twentieth chapters are the description in detail
of the judgment on the beast, &c., summarily noticed in
Re 11:13, 18.
The beast in
Re 12:3,
&c., is shown not to be alone, but to be the instrument in the hand of
a greater power of darkness, Satan. That this is so, appears from the
time of the eleventh chapter being the period also in which the events
of the twelfth and thirteenth chapters take place, namely, 1260 days
(Re 12:6, 14;
Re 13:5;
compare
Re 11:2, 3).
great--in size and significance.
wonder--Greek, "sign": significant of momentous truths.
in heaven--not merely the sky, but the heaven beyond just
mentioned,
Re 11:19;
compare
Re 12:7-9.
woman clothed with the sun . . . moon under her
feet--the Church, Israel first, and then the Gentile Church;
clothed with Christ, "the Sun of righteousness." "Fair as the moon,
clear as the sun." Clothed with the Sun, the Church is the bearer of
divine supernatural light in the world. So the seven churches (that is,
the Church universal, the woman) are represented as light-bearing
candlesticks
(Re 1:12, 20).
On the other hand, the moon, though standing above the sea and
earth, is altogether connected with them and is an earthly light:
sea, earth, and moon represent the worldly element, in
opposition to the kingdom of God--heaven, the sun. The moon cannot
disperse the darkness and change it into-day: thus she represents the
world religion (heathenism) in relation to the supernatural world. The
Church has the moon, therefore, under her feet; but the stars, as
heavenly lights, on her head. The devil directs his efforts against the
stars, the angels of the churches, about hereafter to shine for ever.
The twelve stars, the crown around her head, are the twelve tribes of
Israel [AUBERLEN]. The allusions to Israel
before accord with this: compare
Re 11:19,
"the temple of God"; "the ark of His testament." The ark lost at the
Babylonian captivity, and never since found, is seen in the "temple of
God opened in heaven," signifying that God now enters again into
covenant with His ancient people. The woman cannot mean, literally, the
virgin mother of Jesus, for she did not flee into the wilderness and
stay there for 1260 days, while the dragon persecuted the remnant of her
seed
(Re 12:13-17)
[DE BURGH]. The sun,
moon, and twelve stars, are emblematical of Jacob, Leah, or
else Rachel, and the twelve patriarchs, that is, the Jewish Church:
secondarily, the Church universal, having under her feet, in due
subordination, the ever changing moon, which shines with a borrowed
light, emblem of the Jewish dispensation, which is now in a
position of inferiority, though supporting the woman, and also of the
changeful things of this world, and having on her head the crown of
twelve stars, the twelve apostles, who, however, are related closely to
Israel's twelve tribes. The Church, in passing over into the Gentile
world, is (1) persecuted; (2) then seduced, as heathenism begins to
react on her. This is the key to the meaning of the symbolic woman,
beast, harlot, and false prophet. Woman and beast form
the same contrast as the Son of man and the beasts in
Daniel. As the Son of man comes from heaven, so the woman is
seen in heaven
(Re 12:1).
The two beasts arise respectively out of the sea (compare
Da 7:3)
and the earth
(Re 13:1, 11):
their origin is not of heaven, but of earth earthy. Daniel beholds the
heavenly Bridegroom coming visibly to reign. John sees the woman, the
Bride, whose calling is heavenly, in the world, before the Lord's
coming again. The characteristic of woman, in contradistinction to man,
is her being subject, the surrendering of herself, her being receptive.
This similarly is man's relation to God, to be subject to, and receive
from, God. All autonomy of the human spirit reverses man's relation to
God. Woman-like receptivity towards God constitutes faith. By it
the individual becomes a child of God; the children
collectively are viewed as "the woman." Humanity, in so far as
it belongs to God, is the woman. Christ, the Son of the woman,
is in
Re 12:5
emphatically called "the MAN-child" (Greek,
"huios arrheen," "male-child"). Though born of a woman, and
under the law for man's sake, He is also the Son of God, and so the
HUSBAND of the Church. As Son of the woman, He is
"'Son of man"; as male-child, He is Son of God, and Husband of
the Church. All who imagine to have life in themselves are severed from
Him, the Source of life, and, standing in their own strength, sink to
the level of senseless beasts. Thus, the woman designates
universally the kingdom of God; the beast, the kingdom of the world.
The woman of whom Jesus was born represents the Old Testament
congregation of God. The woman's travail-pains
(Re 12:2)
represent the Old Testament believers' ardent longings for the promised
Redeemer. Compare the joy at His birth
(Isa 9:6).
As new Jerusalem (called also "the woman," or "wife,"
Re 21:2, 9-12),
with its twelve gates, is the exalted and transfigured Church, so the
woman with the twelve stars is the Church militant.
JFB.
The Book of Revelation
Revelation 1:9-11 - I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Revelation 19:11-16 - And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Revelation 22:18-20 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Revelation in The New Testament - A Brief Overview
Painting of St. John the Evangelist by Reni - 1620
Introduction to The Book of Revelation
Brief Summary. John describes the seven churches in Asia, he records the visions that he received, and in the prophecy Jesus returns as the kinsman redeemer to claim this world as His inheritance. The final battle unfolds in a 7 year period through a series of seal, trumpet, and bowl judgements, He casts the antichrist and false prophet into the lake of fire and sets up the New Jerusalem, the new heaven and new earth for the redeemed. The book of Revelation is in harmony with the prophecies in the Old Testament especially the ones written by Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah.
Summary of The Book of Revelation
Author. John the apostle names himself as the one who wrote down what the Lord said through the angel. The earliest writers in the church like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and the Muritorian all credit John the apostle as author of the book of Revelation.
Date. John indicates that he was on the Island of Patmos when he received the prophecy (Revelation 1:9). According to tradition John wrote during the reign of the Emperor Domitian which would have been around 95 AD. Tradition also states that John was released the next year and was allowed to return to Ephesus. Domitian was perhaps the cruelest Emperor toward the Christians, demanding that he was to worshipped as deity, or be put to death.
Audience. John said that the prophecy was directed to the seven churches in Asia (Revelation 1:4).
Outline of the Book of Revelation
Description and Fate of False Teachers - 1:1-16
Encouragement to Believers in Christ - 1:17-25
The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus"
would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or
consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A).
Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means
"The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".
The Book of Revelation Resources
Map of the Roman Empire (14 A.D.) - This map reveals the Roman Empire during the time shortly after the birth of Jesus, in 14 AD at the time of the death of Augustus. The order which prevailed in this extensive empire, the good military roads, and the use of Koine Greek as the general language of culture throughout the area were among the factors which multiplied the rapid spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Color Map)
Map of Paul's First Missionary Journey (48 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia Minor where Paul visited in his first missionary journey. Around 48 AD, in the springtime, Paul and his companions Barnabas and Mark were sent on a mission from the church in Antioch. This would be the first of Paul's Missionary Journey's. (Color Map)
Map of Paul's Second Missionary Journey (51 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia and Greece where Paul visited in his second missionary journey. Paul re-visits a couple cities in Asia, one of which was Lystra where he was stoned and left for dead a few years earlier. He later has a vision that leads him over to Greece and Paul and his companions travel and minister in various cities in Greece (Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens and Corinth. Later Paul returns to Ephesus and finally to Caesarea and Antioch. (Color Map)
Map of Paul's Third Missionary Journey (54 A.D.) - This map reveals the areas in Asia and Greece where Paul visited in his third missionary journey. On Paul's third missionary journey he returned to the cities he had first visited on his first missionary journey. During this time he decided to remain in Ephesus for about 3 years, and this city was the main focus of his activities and an important Christian community (Acts 19). (Color Map)
Map of the New Testament World - This map reveals the "Nations" within the ancient world during the first century A.D., the time of the New Testament. The map includes the areas of Israel, Asia, Greece, and Italy. (Color Map)
Map of New Testament Greece This map reveals the cities within Greece in the ancient world during the first century A.D.,The map includes the principal cities of Greece like: Athens, Corinth, and Thessalonica, and provinces like Macedonia and Achaia. (Color Map)
Map of New Testament Asia - This map shows the cities within
Asia Minor during the first century A.D., the time of the New
Testament. The map includes the principal cities of Asia
including Tarsus, Ephesus, and Colossae, and provinces like
Galatia and Pamphilia. (Color Map)