A 100,000 foot overview of Satan vs. God. While Revelation 12 contains details, they're not as specific as what we've seen in other chapters. The information here is broad, providing us with historical information as well as future events. As is typical of Revelation, this chapter uses symbolism. That can be perplexing but not so much here in chapter 12 since it looks back on events that have already taken place and those are things we know about.
So here's a little challenge for you. Look at verses 1- 5 again (these verses describe past events) and see if you can make sense of them. Try and answer these questions:
1) Who is the woman described in verses 1 and 2?
2) Who does the dragon represent?
3) What past event is being described in verse 4? ("He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.")
4) Who does the baby represent?
5) What event is being described in verse 5 where we're told "her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne."?
Ok, give it a shot. Have some fun with this and don't worry if you can't get them all. We're all learning together. And, if you're up for it, keep working through the chapter. Tami W.
How it dawned on me is that they are speaking of the Birth and the Resurrection of Christ and the 12 tribes of Is Israel.....
Hold fast to the things of God for the times are changing and we want to be ready and not surprised by the coming of Christ Jesus.......
I will take a stab at your questions here Tami:
1.) The woman represents Mary
2.) The dragon represents Satan
3.) This event represents when Herod was trying to hunt down the baby Jesus after His birth
4.) Obviously the baby represents Jesus
5.) The last one is representative of Jesus's ascension to heaven.
Am I close on any of these?
1.) The woman represents Israel
2.) The dragon represents Satan
3.) This event describes Satan attempting to destroy the church through persecution as soon as it was being formed.
4.) For the longest time I believed that the child represented Jesus, but in reading verse 5 I see this as the Church being raptured before the three and a half years of tribulation on the world
5.) The last one is represents the church's rapture to heaven and the remnant of Israel that flees to the wilderness during the 3 and a half years of tribulation at the hands of Satan.
Robert.D
Hi Tami,
I agree with Jarrod's answers although I think the woman described in verses 1 & 2 could also respresent Mary, Israel, the Church & Eve.
I look forward to reading your words on these questions.
Enjoy your day .... Linda
If the rapture is true then why does God spend so much time telling us to watch and prepare for it? And if were not going to be here how is satin going to make war with the saints and have power to overcome them and kill them? Just some questions for thought, I read the bible very often and rapture is a deceptive lie and cannot be found anywhere in the bible. I hope and pray that the Lord will help you with this in understanding. If you have scripture that shows we will be taken away before anything bad happens to us I would sure like to see it. Have you checked over in china lately? Try to preach rapture to those people who are suffering persecution and tribulation right now and see what they say about it.
Thanks to those of you who sent responses on Revelation 12. Since there's a lot going on here and Revelation is so much about interpretation, I thought you might be interested in reading one of the lessons from Dr. Kroll's Revelation Bible Study that covers Revelation 12:1-13:10. It's kind of long, but I found it really helpful in understanding and following what was going on in this passage. Hope you do too. Tami W.
P.S. If you're interested in the Revelation study, you can find out more about it in our online store.
"Revelation: The Glorified Christ" Bible Study
Lesson 7
The Book of Revelation offers us understanding about the future, but it also helps us grasp the past. Spiritual warfare has been raging since the dawn of time. We chose sides through our ancestors in the garden when they listened to the serpent and disobeyed God. Each of us has since endorsed that decision with our own sins.
But God didn't give up on us. He has taken into account the schemes of Satan even as He has worked out the salvation He offers to mankind. In chapter 12 of Revelation, John reports the panorama of history that he was shown in the aftermath of the seventh trumpet.
In the opening scene, John saw a symbolic pregnant woman who represents Israel and reminds us of God's promise to deliver a Savior to the world through her. That promise was fulfilled when Jesus was born. Satan, the dragon in the scene, was determined to devour the child at birth. The way Jesus arrived caught Satan by surprise, and he was always several steps behind God's moves throughout Jesus' life on earth.
From the killing of the children of Bethlehem to the killing of Jesus on the cross, every time Satan thought he had gained the upper hand, he was defeated again. In John's vision, now only was the "child" removed by God (as Jesus was in his ascension), but the woman (Israel) was sheltered from the dragon in the wilderness for the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation.
At verse 12:7, the scene abruptly shifts from earth to heaven, which means "the heavens" or the atmosphere. There a war rages between God's angelic army led by Michael and Satan's army of fallen angels. The defeat of Satan leads to a further fall, and they are "thrown down to the earth" (v. 9). This moment of victory is celebrated with a reminder that any defeat of Satan occurs through the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 12:11 describes the way we ultimately conquer Satan's attacks again us: "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death." Our lives are in His hands.
Action now returns to earth, where Satan reacts to his downfall and coming detainment (Rev. 20) by renewing his efforts to persecute and destroy the woman (Israel) mentioned at the beginning of chapter 12. Her special protection in the wilderness again gets mentioned. Satan turns his full fury on "those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (12:17). Those who become Christ-followers in the Tribulation will suffer greatly.
At the end of chapter 12 the historic overview concludes with a return to action in the middle of the Tribulation. The stage is set for the rise of the Antichrist. We see that just as Satan is the "father of lies" (John 8:44), he is also the father of deceptions. If he can't be God, he will pretend to be.
Revelation 13 introduces us to the false trinity: Satan, the Antichrist and the false prophet. As the false father, the Devil arranges for the rise of a false son, the Antichrist (13:1). He is introduced as the "first beast" (v. 12), with a description that makes him both a kingdom and a king. The deception is complete down to the details of a "wounded head" (v. 3), possibly explained as a "false resurrection" to mimic Jesus.
By the end of the chapter (13:18), we know the Antichrist is a man—indicated by the famous number 666. The third member of the false trinity is introduced by the rise of a second beast (13:11-18), someone who exercises spiritual powers on behalf of the first beast.
The Antichrist (beast one) rules with power throughout the earth. His appearance serves as the catalyst for Satan's brief moment of glory as the world bows before him? "And the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?'" (Rev. 13:3-4).
The Devil's obsession has always been to seek worship—to replace God. The objective in each of his attempts to tempt Jesus in the wilderness (see Matt. 4:1-11) was to get Jesus to "worship" him through obedience (turning stones to bread), independence (taking God's protection for granted) and compromise (gaining the world but forfeiting His soul by bowing before Satan).
No matter how hard Satan tries, he cannot dim the glory of Jesus. People may close their eyes or turn their backs, but neither of those actions reduces Jesus' divine stature. A scan of these chapters may cause us to wonder where the glorified Christ is in all this demonic chaos, but a closer look shows us He is active, present and still redeeming, protecting and receiving all those whose names have been "written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain" (Rev. 13:8). Those who bow to anyone else are ultimately bowing to Satan's plan. Our worship always reveals our deepest allegiance.
Rodney
Based on your statements, you probably have amillinialist beliefs and, therefore believe that the tribulation already took place in 70 AD, so I probably cannot change your beliefs about the rapture or the future tribulation that is to take place in the future.
I would suggest reading over the 4 Gospels and focusing on the love of Jesus and how He loves and cares for His sheep. In addition, read over 2 Thes 2 and focus on the removal of the restrainer (church with the Holy Spirit standing against Satan), 1 Thes 4, and Rev 7.
The saints that satan wages war against during the tribulation are people that place their faith in Jesus after the rapture.
As a Christian that came to Jesus because He first loved me and died for me on the cross I cannot picture a future time when Jesus would allow the whole church to suffer at the hands of Satan during the Great Tribulation, where there will be suffering like there has never been in history.
Remember, as God saved Noah from the flood because he was the only person in the world who loved and devoted himself to Him, He will also deliver all the saints who love and devote themselves to God both now and in the future.
Robert.D
Rodney,
Thank you for your blog and for being part of Powered by 4. Just wanted you to know that I passed your blog on to our Biblical Correspondence Department. Please see below. Tami W.
Rodney, thank you for your questions about the rapture and related end-time issues. We are grateful for your prayers that the Lord will grant us understanding in our Bible teaching. We constantly pray the same for ourselves--that the Lord will give wisdom and discernment as we strive to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He enables us to "rightly divide the Word of truth."
First, yes it is true that the word "rapture" does not occur anywhere in the Bible. Neither can you find the word "Trinity" in the Bible. But we believe both the concepts of the rapture and the Trinity are clearly taught in Scripture. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes this event. ("We who are alive, who are left, will be caught up [raptured] together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.")
Second, the saints that Satan will make war against are those people who come to know Christ as Savior during the Tribulation which is after the rapture. (Rev. 7:13-14)
Finally, it is awful what our Christian brothers and sisters are undergoing in China and other places for the sake of their faith. However, historically Christians have suffered persecution and will continue to do so.
Back to the Bible Biblical Correspondence Department
Hi Tami,
Thanks for sending the lesson from Dr. Kroll. It helped. I was close. I love the lessons Dr. Kroll is currently teaching Revelation about the snap shots of Jesus. Sometimes I think that's the most important thing we can focus on. I missed a few of the lessons, so I'm going to try to get caught up this weekend. Thanks for all your doing. Things are really tough at work right now, and Back to the Bible keeps me focus on Christ throughout the week.
Is the "rapture" a one time event or are Christians being taken up (raptured) on a daily basis throughout a time period?
Linda,
I'd like to comment on your question.
The Rapture is a one-time event which Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 ("For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." The words "caught up" in verse 17 is "rapere" in Latin (to seize or be caught up). Its from this word that we get the term "Rapture."
At this moment, the bodies of those "dead in Christ" will be raised glorified and reunited with their souls which have been in heaven. Those still alive at this time will also be changed (1 Cor. 15:51-52) and together will meet the Lord in the air.
Allen, Biblical Correspondent at Back to the Bible
Thank you for the clarification.