seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read. Please.... go to the link and read it for yourself. This is pretty heavy stuff.
Now a great sign appeared: This is the first of seven signs that John relates, and is described as a great sign (mega semeion). In Revelation chapters 12, 13, and 14 the main figures of the Great Tribulation are described, and this great sign introduces the first of the seven:
- The woman, representing Israel.
- The dragon, representing Satan.
- The man-child, referring to Jesus.
- The angel Michael, head of the angelic host.
- The offspring of the woman, representing Gentiles who come to faith in the Tribulation.
- The beast out of the sea, representing the antichrist.
- The beast out of the earth, representing the false prophet who promotes the antichrist.
A woman clothed with the sun: Because John plainly said this is a sign, we don’t expect this woman to appear literally on the earth. God will use this sign to communicate something to John and to us. Women often represent religious systems in Revelation.
Being with child: Later in the chapter, it is clear that this child born of Israel is Jesus (She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, Revelation 12:5).
She cried out in labor and in pain to give birth: The pain described refers to the travail of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth (under Roman occupation and oppression).
Another sign appeared in heaven: Again, we are reminded that this is a sign. The creature here was not literally a great, fiery red dragon, but the dragon represented his nature and character.
Seven diadems on his heads: This dragon had great power (seven heads and ten horns) and claimed royal authority (seven diadems). The crowns represent his presumptive claims of royal authority against the true King. He wants to be considered a king.
“From the similar description given in 13:1 and the parallel references in Daniel 7:7-8, 2, it is clear that the revived Roman Empire is in view… The seven heads and ten horns refer to the original ten kingdoms of which three were subdued by the little horn of Daniel 7:8, who is to be identified with the world ruler of the great tribulation who reigns over the revived Roman Empire.” (Walvoord)
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven: Many believe this describes one-third of the angelic host in league with Satan (his angels of Revelation 12:9). This army of angelic beings in league with Satan makes up the world of demonic spirits.
A male Child: This is obviously Jesus. This means that the woman of Revelation 12:1 cannot be the church, because Jesus “gives birth” to the church, not the other way around. The woman must therefore either be Mary or Israel, the only two “women” who could have “given birth” to Jesus. The rest of Revelation 12 will demonstrate that this woman is Israel, not Mary.
Then the woman fled into the wilderness: Persecuted by the dragon, the woman is protected by God in a prepared place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
One thousand two hundred and sixty days: This reference to a three and one-half year period connects these events with the final seven years of the Daniel 9 prophecy. Since Revelation 12:5 describes the ascension of Jesus, and Revelation 12:6 describes yet-to-occur events in the 70th week of Daniel, between these two verses lies hundreds of years (our current period). This obvious “near-far” break in time is typical of prophecy. Daniel’s seventy week prophecy has such a break (Daniel 9:24-27).
Into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God: Some believe this place in the wilderness is the rock city of Petra, south of the Dead Sea. Reportedly, Christian businessmen have stocked the place with food and evangelistic tracts written in Hebrew.
Prepared in the wilderness: Prepared uses the same ancient Greek word Jesus used in I go to prepare a place for you (John 14:2-3). This demonstrates that God’s careful planning works on earth as well as in heaven.
War broke out in heaven: At the mid-point of the great tribulation, God will turn the tide against Satan — first in heaven, then on earth. A battle will take place that will deny Satan access to heaven.
Michael and his angels: Some individuals and groups (such as the Seventh Day Adventists and Jehovah’s Witnesses) insist on saying that Michael is actually Jesus. This is wrong on every count.
Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought: This is a dramatic scene of battle between good angels and bad angels.; faithful angels and fallen angels.
Nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer: This shows us that up until this happens (at the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week), Satan does have access to heaven, where he accuses God’s people before the throne (Job 1:6-12, Revelation 12:10).
So the great dragon was cast out: This single verse uses many different titles for our spiritual enemy, including Dragon, serpent of old, the Devil, Satan, and he who deceives the whole world. These titles describe Satan as vicious, an accuser, an adversary, and a deceiver.
His angels were cast out with him: This indicates that demonic spirits are indeed fallen angels, those who joined with Satan in His rebellion against God. These are “his angels.”
These angels are also the same as the third of the stars of heaven described in Revelation 12:4. Since Satan only drew a third of the stars of heaven, it means that two-thirds of the angels remained faithful to God. It’s comforting to know that faithful angels outnumber fallen angels two to one.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death: This tells us three keys to the saint’s victory over Satan.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Heaven rejoices at the eviction of Satan. But heaven’s gain is the earth’s loss: Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea!
He knows that he has a short time: Satan’s power is real and terrifying, but not because he is triumphant, but because he knows he is beaten and has a short time left. He is like a wounded, cornered animal that fights ferociously.
He persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child: Some teach that the woman is a symbol representing all the people of God, including faithful Israel and the church. They use this to advance the idea that the church is here during the tribulation period. But if the woman represents all the people of God (the church and faithful Israel), then who are the rest of her offspring described in Revelation 12:17? It is better to see her as Israel in general or Messianic Jews in particular.
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place: Eagle’s Wings are an emblem from the Exodus deliverance (Exodus 19:4), another way of connecting these people with Israel.
The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring: This may refers to Israel (the woman) and Gentiles who come to faith in Jesus during the Great Tribulation (the rest of her offspring). These two groups are particular targets of Satan and his antichrist’s persecution in the last days.
He went to make war with the rest of her offspring: This either begins or continues the fierce persecution of all those who would not submit to and worship this great Satanic dictator. The martyrs of this period were shown in Revelation 6:9-11 and Revelation 7:9-17.
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Like I said. You really should go read the commentary for yourself. I left a whole lot out!!!!
Tomorrow is Mother's Day. How appropriate is it that we should hit this chapter the day before the "good moms" get their flowers in church tomorrow. Will the children be called to the front to sing a song for the moms? Will mom be taken out to brunch after the service?
I'm a horrible mother. I gave my infant son to my mom and dad to raise because I could not allow the natural father to have any say in my son's life. My ex turned out to be a fag who befriended pedophiles. I had to keep my son from him. My mom and dad would raise him in the church. Back then we thought it was environmental. My son has grown into a great husband and father of five. I am a horrible mom.... My mother told me that she would raise my son if I would agree to stay away. She would protect him but she said it would confuse him. Then she taught him that I hated him. That was a lie... but she said "it makes it easier for the boy".
I guess I should also insert that my ex-husband did not want my son. He wanted me to have an abortion. He was so set on me getting rid of the baby that he tried to throw me out of a car on the highway. Before that, he belted me in the belly and left a bruise so big my doctor made me "get counseling". He did not want that baby. The only reason I stayed was because I had nowhere to go, with two children, I worked in a Waffle House on the graveyard shift because he wouldn't work because I wouldn't get an abortion. I couldn't afford to leave. But according to my ex, I had to "get rid of it". "We could not afford it"... period. But... I am a horrible mother and I accept it. I still love all three of my children and my adopted child as well.
When I read the part about the dragon trying to grab the baby from the womb in these verses, I thought of "partial birth abortion". It fits so nicely into these verses. The doctor [the dragon in these verses] waits for the head to be delivered, then the doctor [the dragon] flips the baby over and harvests stem cells from the baby. It kills the baby. The baby is pronounced "still born". [This is what is called "abortion after birth" in some circles] The humans... stupid stubborn nasty humans... think this is absolutely necessary for those afflicted with leukemia, among other diseases. They get the baby stem cells and the body gets fooled and repairs all the cancer cells with stem cells. Too bad it all started by murdering a baby.
People think it's a good thing to kill babies. People will say "oh they don't use babies... they grow the cells in a dish". Where do people think the original donor cells came from? They murdered babies!!!!
This woman has been given an escape. The dragon is after her. The baby, to me, represents a blessing from God.
I'm a horrible woman because I won't have an abortion or allow a fag to raise my son.
I'm a horrible mother. Happy Mother's Day!
The woman, the baby, and the dragon....
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