Revelation 12:4-14

4 and his tayle drue the thyrde parte of the starres and cast them to the erth. And the dragon stode before the woman which was reddy to be delyvred: for to devoure her chylde as sone as it were borne.

5 And she brought forth a man chylde which shulde rule all nacions with a rode of yron And her sonne was taken vp vnto God and to his seate.

6 And the woman fleed into wyldernes where she had a place prepared of god that they shulde fede her there a M.ii.C and lx. dayes.

7 And ther was grett battayll in heven Michael and his angells fowght with the dragon and the dragon fowght and his angelles

8 and prevaylled not: nether was their place founde eny more in heven.

9 And the grett dragon that olde serpent called the devyll and Sathanas was cast out. Which desceaveth all the worlde. And he was cast into the erth and his angelles were cast out also.

10 And I harde a lowde voyce sayinge: in heve is nowe made salvacio and strengthe and ye kyngdome of oure God and the power of his Christ For he is cast doune which accused them before god daye and nyght.

11 And they overcame him by the bloude of the lambe and by the worde of their testimony and they loved not their lyves vnto the deeth.

12 Therfore reioyce hevens and ye that dwell in them. Woo to the inhabiters of the erth and of the see: for ye devyll is come doune vnto you which hath greet wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short tyme.

13 And when the dragon sawe that he was caste vnto the erth he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man chylde.

14 And to the woman were geven two wynges of a great egle that she myght flye into the wyldrenes into her place where she is norysshed for a tyme tymes and halffe a tyme from the presence of the sarpent.

Revelation 12:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 12

This chapter contains a vision of two wonders or signs seen in heaven, a woman and a dragon, and an account of what followed thereon, war both in heaven and earth. The vision of the woman is in Re 12:1,2, who is described by her being clothed with the sun; by her having the moon under her feet; by a crown of twelve stars on her head; and by her pregnancy, travail, pains, and cry. The vision of the dragon is in Re 12:3,4, who is described by his size, a great one; by his colour, red; by the number of his heads and horns, and the crowns on the former; by the force and strength of his tail, drawing and casting: down to the earth the third part of the stars of heaven; and by his position, standing before the woman, in order to devour her child when born. Next follows an account of the birth of her child, and what became of that and her: the child is said to be a man child, is described as a monarch, and as advanced to great honour and dignity; but she flies into the wilderness, where a place is prepared for her of God, and where she is hid for the space of 1260 days, Re 12:5,6; upon this ensues a war in heaven; the combatants on one side were Michael and his angels, and on the other the dragon and his; the issue of which was, that the latter were conquered, and cast out into the earth, Re 12:7-9, on account of which victory a triumphant song is sung by the inhabitants of heaven, because of salvation and strength that were come to them; and because of the kingdom and power of Christ, which now took place; and because of the ejection of Satan, the accuser of their brethren; in which song also notice is taken of the manner in which Satan was overcome by those he accused, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by their death; and it is concluded with an apostrophe to those that dwell in heaven, calling on them to rejoice, and to the inhabitants of the earth denouncing woe to them, because the devil was among them, whose wrath was great, his time being short, Re 12:10-12. Next follow the dragon's persecution of the woman, and her flight into the wilderness, and the care took of her there, as before described, Re 12:13,14; then the method the serpent took to annoy her, the help she received from the earth, and the wrath of the dragon upon that; which put him upon making war with the remnant of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and had the testimony of Jesus, Re 12:15-17.