Revelation 12:9-18

9 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the Devil and Hasatan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the eretz, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now is come the salvation, the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11 They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death.

12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe for the eretz and for the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time."

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the eretz, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

16 The eretz helped the woman, and the eretz opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's mitzvot and hold Yeshua' testimony.

18 * [No text]

Revelation 12:9-18 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.