THE FOURTH VISION. THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN AND THE BEASTS. The Woman Clothed With the Sun and the Great Red Monster (Revelation 12:1 to Revelation 13:1 a). ‘And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve star... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And she was with child and cries out, travailing in birth and in pain to be delivered.' This description of Israel in birth pains comes from Isaiah 66:8; Micah 4:9. God has destined his people to suffer in carrying forward the history of salvation. He has chosen them as His means of salvation, but... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there was another sign in heaven, and behold, a great red monster having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.' This is the second sign in heaven. ‘A great red monster'. In ancient myths monsters were often seen as fighting with gods in a way that was thought to influence... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And his tail draws the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.' In Daniel 8:10 it was said of Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruler of Syria in 2nd century BC, that ‘some of the host of heaven and of the stars he cast down to the ground and trampled on them' which represented ‘destroy... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her for one thousand, two hundred and sixty days.' This verse is put in as a quick note to explain the final effect for the woman of what happens to her son. It is amplified in more detail in... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels going forth to war with the monster, and the monster warred, and his angels. And they did not prevail neither was their place found any more in heaven.' This occurs before the flight into the wilderness (Revelation 12:13). Michael is the angelic P... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the great monster was cast down, the old Serpent, he who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was cast down to the earth and his angels were cast down with him.' As a result of the exaltation of the male child as the slain Lamb, the Devil and his angels have no fu... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And I heard a great voice in Heaven saying, “Now is come the salvation and the power and the kingship of our God, and the authority of his Christ, for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Therefore rejoice, Oh heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea, for the Devil has gone down to you having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.' The heavens and the Heaven dwellers can rejoice at the Devil's defeat. These Heaven dwellers include those who h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And when the monster saw that he was cast down to the earth he persecuted the woman who brought forth the male child, and there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time f... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream, and the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the monster cast out of his mouth.' The water like a river coming from the dragon's mouth... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the monster waxed wroth with the woman and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus, and he stood on the sand of the sea.' The mention of ‘the commandments of God' may be intended to connect this situation with the Exodus... [ Continue Reading ]