Hi Steve, the book of Revelations is a very symbolic writing. It's presented like a Greek play. Here's my take on Rev 12. The tenses of the verbs indicate most of this has already happened.
1) V 1 The woman - see Gen 37:9-11, symbolic - Jacob(sun), mother(moon), brothers(stars). This represents national Israel who brought forth the male child Jesus.
2) V 3 Great red dragon - Roman empire, killed some of Jacobs decendents(stars); devour her child, Jesus - Herod;
3) V 4b,5 Birth - male child Jesus; rule all nations, God's promise to Abram(Gen. 12); iron, love- strongest thing know to get human response
4) V 5b Caught up to God - death, burial, resurrection of Jesus
5) V 6 Woman fled - protected by God for 3 1/2 years( 1/2 of 7 ???)
6) V 7 War in heaven - where the glorified, resurrected Christ resides there is no place for evil. Satan cast to earth(God of this world, Prince of air) deceiving the whole world. Antichrist working(1 John 1:18,22); God's victory over Satan; redeemption
7) V 12b Having great wrath- He's already here, observe worldly conditions
8)V 15 Serpent poured water - sybolic of armies, Hitler persecuting the woman(Jews)
9)V 17 Enraged with woman - couldn't kill woman(wipe out the Jews) so He moved to kill her children, the Christians(testimony of Jesus).
Synopsis - God chose Jacob(Jews) to bring forth the Christ who has defeated the power of Satan. Worldy conditions will deteriorate to the point that antichrist deceives the whole world. The Gospel spreads to whole world, then great apostasy.
Personally, I believe He will work thru a Christian(so called) church. That's the way He works, deceitfully. His nature to be that way.
God's love, David |
