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Nazarene Commentary 2000©

21^st Century Paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures© –
21^st Century Version of the Christian Scriptures© [NCMM]

A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

CHAPTER TWELVE:
THE GREAT OPPRESSION AND THE WOMAN’S SEED

[“Children and War”]
Key Word: Woman
Theme Verse: 17

Revelation 12:1-2 – A Celestial Woman

RV12:1 And a great sign was seen 456 in the Celestialum: a Woman 457 [Isaiah 54:1] was enwrapped by the sun and the moon was beneath her feet. Upon her head a crown of 12 stars 458 and she was pregnant. 459

456	A great sign was seen: This is the only occurrence of the phrase “Great sign”. The word “seen” here is not the usual EIDON but OPSTHE.

457

Woman: Beginning with Genesis 3:15, compare Isaiah chapters 54-60 with Galatians chapter 4 for studies on this “woman.” Since Jerusalem was always compared to a woman and mother, it seems fair to state this Woman is the Holy City of Celestial Jerusalem. [Revelation 11:2, 3] This indicates we have returned to a second overlay on the subject of the Saint’s Great Oppression. This Woman’s great competitor has always been the Harlot Religion, Babylon the Great.

458	Upon her head a crown of 12 stars: These heavenly bodies echo Genesis 37:9. The Woman is celestial or heavenly and not part of the earth. Some of her children, however, are on earth, as we shall see.

459	She was pregnant: Compare Isaiah 54:1-15.

RV12:2 She is crying out in birth pains, 460 tormented to give birth. [Isaiah 66:8]

460	She is crying out in birth pains: During the Nazarene’s agonies on earth.

Revelation 12:3-4 – A Dragon and a Son

RV12:3 And another sign was seen in the Celestialum: Look! a great fiery-red Dragon. 461 It had 7 heads with 7 diadems, and 10 horns. [Daniel 7:7, 20]

461

A great fiery-red Dragon: This “dragon” is interpreted to be Satan. The 10 “horns” are the same as those Daniel 7:7, 20. The 7 Heads are crowned. Does this mean this is a foreview of the Beast as one corporate entity ad its potential; or, is this the state of the Beast at this moment? These are the Dragon’s 7 Heads and not those of the wild Sea Beast.

RV12:4 The Dragon’s tail was dragging a third of the heavenly stars. 462 The Dragon threw the stars into the earth. [Daniel 8:10] The Dragon stood right before the Woman, the one about to give birth, so that when she did give birth, the Dragon might devour her Child. [Genesis 3:15]

462	Dragging a third of the heavenly stars: Likely those angelic stars the Devil misleads. (Genesis 6:1-3; Job 38:7; Isaiah 14:13; Jude 6) The hurling of the stars to the earth is similar to Daniel 8:9-13.

Revelation 12:5-6 – A Raptured Son

RV12:5 And the Woman gave birth to a Son. 463 [Genesis 3:15] Her Son is about to shepherd all the nations with a staff of iron. 464 [Psalm 2:6-9] And her Child was snatched away towards The God 465 [Daniel 7:13] and toward His Throne. 466 [Daniel 7:13; Psalm 110:1]

463

The Woman gave birth to a Son: This Woman is the heavenly and holy Jerusalem, God’s Woman of celestial beings. The birthing of this Son occurred within the context of Romans 1.4. (Psalm 2:7; Luke 1:32; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5) As “the seed of the woman” the Messiah was to be “bruised” by the Serpent. (Genesis 3:15; Romans 16:20) The Gospels record attempts of Satan to “devour” this Son. The whole phrase is from Psalm 2:7, 9 (Acts 13:33) and Isaiah 66:7, 8.

464	Son is about to shepherd all the nations with a staff of iron: This is from Psalm 2:9. Compare Revelation 2.27; 19:13.

465	Her Child was snatched away towards The God: The Greek rendered “snatched” is HERPASTHE and is related to HARPAGESOMETHA of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Jesus experienced this “snatching” at Acts 1:9-11 as the event of Daniel 7:13.

466	Toward His Throne: That Throne of chapters 4, 5. Compare Revelation 3:21 where Jesus is already at God’s Throne when he writes to the congregations.

RV12:6 And the Woman fled into the desolate land 467 where she has a place prepared by The God so that there they may nourish her 1,260 days. 468 [Daniel 7:25; 12:7]

467	The Woman fled into the desolate land: Compare Revelation 17:3. The figure of speech is drawn from the wilderness in which Israel wandered for 40 years.

468

That there they may nourish her 1,260 days: There is an echo of Israel’s experience in the Sinai wilderness here. Having given birth she is particularly in need of nourishment and strength. She is a mother and has seen her Son and her future sons maltreated and abused. This period of nourishment is 1,260 days. There seems a telescopic leap here to that period just before the Return of Christ. The time period is the same of Revelation 11:2 and Revelation 13:5 drawn from Daniel 7:18-24; 12:7. Allowing Daniel chapter 7 to determine these prophetic events, this nourishing of the Woman in the wilderness for three and a half years must be during the Great Oppression when Satan and his demons are no longer in heaven. There is a temptation by some here to summon 7 years, but judging from Daniel chapter 7 it seems there is only one period of three and a half years.

Revelation 12:7-9 – Enmity between Serpent and Seed

RV12:7 And a war occurred in the Celestialum. [Genesis 3:15] The Michael 469 [Daniel 12:1] and his angels warred with the Dragon and the Dragon and his angels warred. 470

469	Michael: The same of Daniel chapter 10 and Daniel 12:1. (Jude 9; 1 Thessalonians 4:16) Surely Christ. For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000© on Michael in Error of the Trinity.

470	His angels warred with the Dragon and the Dragon and his angels warred: May this war of conflict continue since the return of Christ to heaven just as his Saints on earth have been battling the Devil throughout the past centuries? (Ephesians 6:12)

RV12:8 The Dragon did not prove strong enough and no place was found for them in the Celestialum. RV12:9 The great Dragon was thrown down, the Old Serpent, 471 [Genesis 3:1] the one called The Devil [Matthew 4:1] and The Satan, [1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6] the one making the whole inhabited earth err. 472 The Dragon and his angels were thrown into the earth. 473

471	The Old Serpent: Or, old serpent, an ancient serpent, serpent of primal age. (Genesis 3:1, 15)

472	The one making the whole inhabited earth err: Or, mislead, deceive, seduce. Something Satan cannot do during the Thousand Years. (Revelation 20:3)

473

The Dragon and his angels were thrown into the earth: This event occurs before the Great Oppression as the following verses indicate. (Luke 10:18; John 12:31) Though this telescopic leap from 33 CE to that future moment before the Great Oppression will not set well with some, it would appear this celestial struggle between Michael and Satan has been going on for nearly two millennia, reflected in the struggles of the Church on earth. Though many will point to world conditions in the past 80 years, this may be nothing compared to what is to occur in that future Holocaust described in chapter 13.

Revelation 12:10-12 – Victory and the Final Woe

RV12:10 And I heard a great voice in the Celestialum, saying: “Salvation has occurred! 474 The Power, the Kingdom of our God, the authority of His Messiah! 475 [Psalm 2:1] Because the Accuser of our brothers was thrown down, the one accusing our brothers day and night 476 in the sight of The God.

474

Salvation has occurred: Perhaps a flash back to Revelation 11:12, 18. The ouster of Satan from heaven brings great peace to that celestial realm. This hymn of praise must follow the final victory after the Saints have been victorious during the Great Oppression. (Revelation 13:5, 7, 10; 15:2) The ouster of Satan from heaven marks a great milestone in God’s purpose and it calls for a theme song of praise regarding the Kingdom.

475	His Messiah: An echo again of Psalm 2:1, 6, 7.

476

The one accusing our brothers day and night: Proof that the Saints on earth are considered “brothers” [fellow citizens of heaven] by the angels, all inhabitants as it were of New Jerusalem. (Hebrews 12:24) Satan accused Job. (Job 1:8; 2:1) Evidently the Devil has been accusing the Saints throughout the last nearly two thousand years.

RV12:11 And our brothers conquered the Dragon 477 by the blood of the Lamb, [Isaiah 53:7; 1 Peter 1:19] and by the word of their witness. They loved not their souls until death. 478

477

Our brothers conquered the Dragon: The Saints have conquered indicating we are being taking back to Revelation 11:12 and the final conquest over Satan and his agents. (Revelation 13:10; 15:2) The conquest is complete. This suggests this whole hymnal praise telescopes to the finale upon the First Resurrection and Rapture. (Revelation 11:18) They conquer because of their faith in the blood of Christ. They also offered up their testimony and confession as well as fearlessly speaking with boldness about the Christ. The whole phase is unique to this verse.

478	They loved not their souls until death: Further details were foretold at Revelation 6:11 and indicated in Revelation 11:17; 13:5-13. (John 12:2)

RV12:12 Because of this, rejoice, you in the Celestialum, 479 those tenting in the Celestialum. Woe for the earth and the sea! 480 Because the Devil has descended toward you, having great anger, 481 knowing he has only a little appointed time.” 482

479	You in the Celestialum: Or, heavens. The angels dwelling in the Holy City, heavenly Jerusalem.

480	Woe for the earth and the sea: The beginning of the Third and final Woe. Compare “earth” and “sea” in chapters 8, 16.

481	Having great anger: This anger precipitates the Great Oppression.

482	Knowing he has only a little appointed time: This Satan knows. Judging from the context this “little time” or season must be before the Great Oppression of three and a half years, so it may be assumed this is the length of that short period.

Revelation 12:13-14 – Satanic Persecution

RV12:13 And when the Dragon saw that it was thrown into the earth it persecuted the Woman [Genesis 3:15] who gave birth to the male. 483

483	It persecuted the Woman who gave birth to the male: The Woman is attacked by persecuting her children still on earth, the 144,000 end-time Saints. [Genesis 3:15]

RV12:14 And two wings of the great eagle 484 [Exodus 19:4] were given to the Woman so that she may fly away into the desolate land, 485 to her place where she is to be nourished 486 away from the face of the Serpent for appointed time, appointed times, and half appointed time. 487 [Daniel 7:25; 12:7]

484	Two wings of the great eagle: This may be a flash back to events following the Son’s birth. The phrase echoes Exodus 19:4.

485	Desolate land: This is likely drawn from Exodus 16:32; Psalm 78:19. Compare Isaiah 64:9, 10. Paul quotes Isaiah 64:3 at 1 Corinthians 2:9. This “desolate land” is a celestial place of isolation where the Celestial City remains free of the Devil.

486	Place where she is to be nourished: Like the Israelites in the wilderness. The first time since Eden that the Celestial City has been free of the Devil and his demons.

487

Appointed time, appointed times, and half appointed time: The period of three and a half years of Great Oppression of Daniel 7:25 and Daniel 12:7. (Revelation 13:5-7) The same as the trampling of the Holy City’s “courtyard,” that is, the 144,000 end-time Saints on earth. The Devil cannot get at the Woman so he wars with her children still alive on earth, the end-time Saints [the 144,000 = Large Crowd].

Revelation 12:15-17 – War with the Remnant

RV12:15 And after the Woman the Serpent [Genesis 3:15] spit out of its mouth water like a river. 488

488	Water like a river: There may be something of Isaiah 54:8, “in a flood of anger for a moment,” in the context of God’s Woman. God permits something, possibly that deluge of abuse of Revelation 13:6.

RV12:16 And the earth opened its mouth 489 and swallowed the river.

489	The earth opened its mouth: An illusion to Numbers 16:30, 32. Compare Revelation 4:11. On “mouth” note Revelation 13:5.

RV12:17 The Dragon grew wrathful at the Woman. [Genesis 3:15] And the Dragon went off to make war 490 [Daniel 7:21] with the Remnant of her seed, 491 [Genesis 3:15; Daniel 7:21-25] those who observe the Commandments of The God and have the Confession of Jesus. 492

490	The Dragon went off to make war: Compare the “war” of Daniel 7:21 and Revelation 11:7; 13:4-7. It seems clear there is an overlay with chapter 11.

491	The Remnant of her seed: The Woman flees toward the wilderness where there is a place prepared for 1,260 days and in her flight Satan spews a flood after her, but now he turns his attention to the Saints. The Great Oppression begins. The Woman’s “seed” on earth are the 144,000 end-time Saints.

492	Those who observe the Commandments of The God and have the Confession of Jesus: These “commandments” are likely those of John 14:15; 15:12; 1 John 3:23. Their “witness” is their confession. (Romans 10:9, 10)

Review Questions on Chapter Twelve