Revelation 12:12

οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνοῦντες. C has κατασκηνοῦντες; א and Vulg. have οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτοῖς.

οὐαί. Text. Rec[421] adds τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν with 1 and And[422]

[421] Rec. Textus Receptus as printed by Scrivener.

[422] Andreas Archbishop of Caesarea.

τὴν γῆν … τὴν θάλασσαν. B2 has τῇ γῇ … τῇ θαλάσσῃ.

12. διὰ τοῦτο. Because the Accuser is cast down from Heaven, which is at once the proof of the coming of “the salvation and the might and the kingdom” and the earnest of the victory of the brethren.

οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνοῦντες. The order here and in Revelation 13:6; Revelation 13:12 is common in ordinary Greek, rare in this book.

οὐαὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν. See crit. notes, and for accusative cf. Revelation 8:13. The sense, is clear though the construction is peculiar to this book. When and in what sense the Devil’s power was, or will be, at once lessened and brought into more terrible neighbourhood to earth, we can hardly venture to say precisely. Perhaps texts like St John 9:39; John 15:22 illustrate this. Every manifestation of Christ deepens the guilt of sin which persists in spite of it. Yet it cannot be said that since the Incarnation Satan has had increased power to afflict unbelievers or backsliders; on the contrary, earthly life has upon the whole been steadily growing safer, easier and more comfortable, both for the good and for the evil, since Christ has been ruler in the midst of His enemies, for whom He is still receiving gifts. It is probable therefore that the principal fulfilment of this Scripture is still to come.

ὀλίγου καιρὸν ἔχει. This short season corresponds with the reign of Antichrist, the Beast, whom the Dragon enthrones on earth when he himself is cast down from heaven. Consequently it cannot be identified with the “little season” of Revelation 20:3, which comes after the overthrow of Antichrist and the binding of Satan.