Revelation 12
This chapter 12 is continuation of chapter 11 when 7th angle
blew the 7th trumpet these instants are started. In rev 11:19 John saw
heaven was open. In chapter 12 john saw a great sign in heaven. We can divide
this chapter in to three parts
1.
The woman, the child and the dragon
2.
Satan thrown out of heaven
3.
The woman persecuted
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
1 Now a great sign
appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet,
and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
2 Then being with
child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth.
Now
a great sign appeared: This is the first of seven signs that
Jahn 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:
There are many
perspective will be there about the woman what Apostle John mentioning in this
verse. We will see one by one. We will come to conclusion based on scripture.
First perspective
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.
· The Bride
is associated with the church (Revelation 19:7-8)
Second Perspective
A
woman clothed with the sun: This woman has been associated with
many different religious ideas. Roman Catholics claim this woman is Mary,
pictured as the "Queen of Heaven." Mary Baker Eddy (the founder of
Christian Science) said she was this woman.
i.
It is common in Roman Catholic art to
represent Mary as standing on a crescent moon with twelve stars around
her head.
ii.
Now see the comparisons
Third Perspective
d.
A woman clothed with the sun
Scripturally,
this woman clothed with the sun
should be identified with Israel, according to Joseph's dream (Genesis
37:9-11). In that dream, the sun represented Jacob, the moon represented
Joseph's mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were the
Sons
of Israel which bowed down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve
stars, Joseph is now among the other tribes of Israel.
Here Apostle John’s
vision and the first perspective woman not the same because John clearly
mention that woman was having labour pain that means she was conceived. Church mentioned as bride that means she
should be virgin lady (Rev. 19:7)
The second
perspective is also not true because for this perspective is Roman Catholic
doctrine. There is no evidence from scripture this is mother Mary
Third perspective we can accept
because John mentioned the sun, moon and twelve stars all the symbols also
mentioned in the Joseph’s dreams
Rev. 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven:
behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
diadems on his heads.
And another sign appeared
in heaven:
Again John saw the
another great sign in heaven
Behold, a great,
Now John was alerted because he is not
saw an ordinary sign but he saw a great sign. It is noted as a very trilled
vision.
fiery red dragon
We saw many biblical
meaning for red (Rev 6:4, Rev 9:17 and Rev 12:3)
Revelation 6
4 Another horse, fiery red,
went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the
earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a
great sword.
Revelation 9
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision:
those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth
blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of
lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.
Revelation 12
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery
red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his
heads.
In all three references this fiery red mention for the evil thing. Hear
also John mentioning the color to dragon. The word dragon used 13 time in the
book of revelation. Generally number 13 is pointing evil. We know that what this dragon is? In this
same chapter(12) verse 9 John clearly explained who is this dragon.
Rev 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the
whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
The color red refer here the anger. Anger of satan. Satan shows his anger to God’s
people from the beginning.
having seven heads
Here
John mentioning he about dragon’s head. It having seven heads. What is these
heads represents? These seven heads represents the seven governments. These
governments are not related to the Israelite governments. These govt. are
gentle govt. which ruled the Israelite
as a slave.
1. The first government was Egypt. This one
ruled the Israelite around 430 years from the time of Joseph to Moses.
2. The second government was Assyria. This
government was ruled 95 years the northern Israel people. It is a common historical observation that the Israelite nations,
both the United Kingdom and later the two Kingdoms of Israel (North) and Judah
(South).
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was
conquered by the Neo-Assyrian monarchs, Tiglath-Pileser III (Pul) and Shalmaneser
V. The later Assyrian rulers Sargon II and his son and successor, Sennacherib,
were responsible for finishing the twenty-year demise of Israel's northern
ten-tribe kingdom, not any of the southern, though. Jerusalem was besieged, but
not taken. The tribes exiled by Assyria later became known as the Tenr Lost Tribes.
The captivities began in approximately 740 BC (for more evidence please visit the site “http://www.cresourcei.org/othassyrian.html”) Assyrian Dominance continues from 745 BC-640 BC.
3. The third kingdom was Babylon Kingdom. According to Jeremiah 25:9-12 said that Judah would serve Babylon for 70 years. This time the southern part of the Israelis that means the tribe of Judah conquered by the Babylonian king Nebukkathnazer for 70 years from 609 B.C. to 539 B.C.
Jeremiah 29:10 makes it clear that Babylon's domination of Judah would include a captivity during which Jews would be taken as captives to Babylon.
4. The forth kingdom was Persia Kingdom. (550-486 B.C.)
Babylon's rule lasted 70 years, from 609 BC when the last Assyrian
king, Ashur-uballit II, was defeated in Harran, until 539 BC when the
Medo-Persians conquered Babylon.
5. The fifth kingdom was
Greek Kingdom (333 BC – 64 BC(about
2300 years ago)
Greeks begin rule over land of Israel. The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat
Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the fall of the Medo-Persian
Empire and the rise of the Grecian Empire.
6. The sixth kingdom was
Roman Kingdom ( 64 BC – 324 AD)
After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire of the Greeks is
divided up and becomes weaker. During this time, the Roman Empire becomes
increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey seizes control over the
land of Israel.
7. The seventh kingdom revived Rome
This future kingdom is pictured in Daniel
chapter 7, as the final kingdom, which is the
vehicle used by the Antichrist in the first half of the tribulation, and
then used by Satan in the last half of the tribulation.
7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and
behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge
iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue
with its feet. It was different from all
the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I was considering the horns, and there was
another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the
first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes
like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the
fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful,
withits teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces,
and trampled the residue with its feet;
20 and the ten horns that were on its head,
and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn
which had eyes and a mouth which
spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater
than his fellows.
21 I was watching; and the same horn was
making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a
judgment was made in favorof the saints of the Most High, and the time came for
the saints to possess the kingdom.
23 “Thus he said: ‘The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all
otherkingdoms, And shall devour the
whole earth,
Trample
it and break it in pieces.
24 The ten horns areten kings Whoshall arise
from this kingdom. And another shall
rise after them; He shall be different
from the first ones, And shall subdue
three kings.
25 He shall speak pompous words against the
Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to
change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time
and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:7-8,19-25)
After the Roman Kingdom divided into two part
one is political part and another one is the religion part. In political part
Roman kingdom was not strong. But till know the religion part is strong till
now. In the world the Roman Catholic division is the biggest in the world the
head of the Roman Catholic Papacy is politically at the same time religiously
very strong. Recently also in CNN TV announced the top power full people in the
world. In that top five one of the person was Pope Francis. (more information
about political power visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope#Politics_of_the_Holy_See)
Nut shell of 7 heads
and ten horns
According
to bible in the last days again the Roman Kingdom will come to power with help
of another 10 powerful kingdom. This ten horns are ten kingdoms. In book of
Denial king Nebuthcarnazer dreamed big human statue, it leg contains 10 toes.
This 10 toes also referred the same this 10 kingdom only. We will see the
detail study in the later sessions ( chapter 13 and 17).
and seven
diadems on his heads
this
diadems or crowns are stating that 7 ruler of the 7 kingdoms.
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