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World
English Bible
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1.
A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon
under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
( shmeion
mega).
The first of the visions to be so described ( Revelation 13:3; Revelation 15:1), and it is introduced
by wpqh as in Revelation 11:19; Revelation 12:3, not by meta
tauto
or by eidon or by eidon kai idou as heretofore. This "sign"
is really a teraß (wonder), as it is so by association in Matthew 24:24; John 4:48; Acts 2:22; Acts 5:12. The
element of wonder is not in the word shmeion as in teraß, but often in the thing itself as in Luke 21:11; John 9:16; Revelation 13:13;
Revelation 15:1;
Revelation 16:14;
Revelation 19:20.
A woman ( gunh). Nominative case in apposition with shmeion. "The first 'sign in heaven' is
a Woman--the earliest appearance of a female figure in the Apocalyptic
vision" (Swete). Arrayed with the sun ( peribeblhmenh ton
hlion).
Perfect passive participle of periballw, with the accusative retained as so often (9
times) in the Apocalypse. Both Charles and Moffatt see mythological ideas
and sources behind the bold imagery here that leave us all at sea. Swete
understands the Woman to be "the church of the Old Testament" as
"the Mother of whom Christ came after the flesh. But here, as
everywhere in the Book, no sharp dividing line is drawn between the Church
of the Old Testament and the Christian Society." Certainly she is not
the Virgin Mary, as verse Revelation 17 makes clear. Beckwith
takes her to be "the heavenly representative of the people of God, the
_ideal Zion, which, so far as it is embodied in concrete realities, is
represented alike by the people of the Old and the New Covenants."
John may have in mind Isaiah
7:14 Matthew
1:23; Luke 1:31)
as well as Micah 4:10;
Isaiah 26:17;
Isaiah 66:7
without a definite picture of Mary. The metaphor of childbirth is common
enough ( John 16:21;
Galatians 4:19).
The figure is a bold one with the moon "under her feet" ( upokatw
twn podwn authß)
and "a crown of twelve stars" ( stepanoß asterwn
dwdeka),
a possible allusion to the twelve tribes ( James 1:1; Revelation 21:12) or to the twelve
apostles ( Revelation
21:14). |
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2.
She was with child. She cried out, laboring and in pain, giving birth.
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( kai
en gastri ecousa).
Perhaps estin to be supplied or the participle used as a finite
verb as in Revelation 10:2.
This is the technical idiom for pregnancy as in Matthew 1:18,23, etc. Travailing in
birth ( wdinousa). Present active participle of wdinw, old verb (from wdin birth-pangs 1 Thessalonians 5:3), in N.T. only
here and Galatians 4:27.
And in pain ( kai basanizomenh). "And tormented" (present passive
participle of basanizw, for which see already Galatians 9:5; Galatians 11:10), only here in N.T. in
sense of childbirth. To be delivered ( tekein). Second aorist active infinitive of tiktw, to give birth, epexegetical use.
Also in verse Galatians 4. |
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3.
Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven
heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
( allo
shmeion).
"A second tableau following close upon the first and inseparable from
it" (Swete). And behold ( kai idou). As often ( Galatians 4:1; Galatians 6:2,5,8, etc.). A great red
dragon ( drakwn megaß purroß). Homer uses this old word (probably from derkomai, to see clearly) for a great monster
with three heads coiled like a serpent that ate poisonous herbs. The word
occurs also in Hesiod, Pindar, Eschylus. The Babylonians feared a
seven-headed hydra and Typhon was the Egyptian dragon who persecuted Osiris.
One wonders if these and the Chinese dragons are not race memories of
conflicts with the diplodocus and like monsters before their disappearance.
Charles notes in the O.T. this monster as the chief enemy of God under such
title as Rahab ( Isaiah 51:9;
Job 26:12),
Behemoth ( Job 40:15-24),
Leviathan ( Isaiah 27:1),
the Serpent ( Amos 9:2).
In Psalms 74:13
we read of "the heads of the dragons." On purroß (red) see Psalms 6:4. Here ( Psalms 12:9) and in Psalms 20:2 the great dragon is
identified with Satan. See Daniel
7:1ff. for many of the items here, like the ten horns ( Daniel 7:7) and hurling
the stars ( Daniel 8:10).
The word occurs in the Apocalypse alone in the N.T. Seven diadems ( epta
diadhmata).
Old word from diadew (to bind around), the blue band marked with white
with which Persian kings used to bind on the tiara, so a royal crown in
contrast with stepanoß (chaplet or wreath like the Latin corona as
in Daniel 2:10),
in N.T. only here, Daniel
13:1; Daniel
19:12. If Christ as Conqueror has "many diadems," it is
not strange that Satan should wear seven (ten in Daniel 13:1). |
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4.
His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.
The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when
she gave birth he might devour her child.
( h
oura autou).
See Daniel 9:10,19.
Draweth ( surei). Present active indicative of surw, old verb, to drag, here alone in the
Apocalypse, but see John
21:8. The third part of the stars ( to
triton twn asterwn).
Like a great comet is this monster. See Daniel 8:10. Perhaps only the third is
meant to soften the picture as in Revelation 8:7. Did cast them ( ebalen
autouß).
Second aorist active indicative. Charles takes this to refer to a war in
heaven between the good angels and Satan, with the fall of some angels ( Jude 1:6). But
John may have in mind the martyrs before Christ ( Hebrews 11:32) and after Christ's
ascension ( Matthew 23:35).
Stood ( esthken). Imperfect active of a late verb, sthkw, from the perfect esthka of isthmi, graphic picture of the dragon's
challenge of the woman who is about to give birth. When she was delivered ( otan
tekh).
Indefinite temporal clause with otan and the second aorist active subjunctive of tiktw, "whenever she gives
birth." That he might devour ( ina katapagh). Purpose clause with ina and the second aorist active
subjunctive of katesqiw, to eat up (down). Cf. Jer 28:34. This is what
Pharaoh did to Israel ( Exodus
1:15-22; Psalms
85:13; Isaiah
27:1; Isaiah
51:9; Ezekiel
29:3). Precisely so the devil tried to destroy the child Jesus
on his birth. |
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5.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a
rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.
( eteken
uion).
Literally, "she bore a son" (second aorist active indicative of tiktw). A man child ( arsen). So A C with the neuter teknon or paidion in mind, as often in O.T. ( eteken
arsen,
Exodus 1:16; Exodus 2:2; Leviticus 12:2,7;
Isaiah 66:7; Jeremiah 20:15,
etc.), but P and some cursives read arsena (masculine accusative), as in verse Jeremiah 13 ( ton
arsena),
while Aleph Q have arrena. The word is old (either arshn or arrhn), as in Matthew 19:4, only in this chapter in
the Apocalypse. It is really redundant after uion (son), as in Tob. 6:12 (Aleph). Who
is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron ( oß
mellei poimainein panta ta eqnh en rabdwi sidhrai). See Matthew 2:27 for these words (from Psalms 2:9) applied
there to victorious Christians also, and in Revelation 19:15 to the triumphant
Christian. His rule will go beyond the Jews ( Matthew 2:6). There is here, of course,
direct reference to the birth of Jesus from Mary, who thus represented in
her person this "ideal woman" (God's people). Was caught unto God
( hrpasqh). First aorist passive indicative of arpazw, old verb for seizing or snatching
away, as in John 10:12,
here alone in the Apocalypse. Reference to the ascension of Christ, with
omission of the ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ because
he is here simply showing that "the Dragon's vigilance was
futile" (Swete). "The Messiah, so far from being destroyed, is
caught up to a share in God's throne" (Beckwith). |
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6.
The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God,
that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.
( epugen
eiß thn erhmon).
Second aorist active indicative of peugw. Here, of course, not Mary, but "the ideal
woman" (God's people) of the preceding verses, who fled under
persecution of the dragon. God's people do not at once share the rapture of
Christ, but the dragon is unable to destroy them completely. The phrases
used here seem to be reminiscent of Deuteronomy 8:2 (wanderings of Israel
in the wilderness), 1 Kings 17:2 and 1 Kings 19:3 (Elijah's flight), I
Macc. 2:29 (flight of the Jews from Antiochus Epiphanes), Matthew 2:13 (flight of Joseph and Mary
to Egypt), Mark 13:14
(the flight of Christians at the destruction of Jerusalem). Where ( opou--ekei). Hebrew redundancy (where--there) as
in Mark 3:8; Mark 8:9,9; Mark 13:8,12; Mark 17:9; Mark 20:8.
Prepared ( htoimasmenon). Perfect passive predicate participle of etoimazw, for which verb see Matthew 20:23; Revelation 8:6; Revelation 9:7,15; Revelation 16:12; Revelation 19:7; Revelation 21:2, and for its use with topoß John 14:2 and for the kind of
fellowship meant by it ( Psalms
31:21; 2 Corinthians 13:13; Colossians 3:3; 1 John 1:3). Of God ( apo
tou qeou).
"From (by) God," marking the source as God ( 1 John 9:18; James 1:13). This anticipatory
symbolism is repeated in Revelation
12:13. That there they may nourish her ( ina
ekei trepwsin authn).
Purpose clause with ina and the present for continued action: active
subjunctive according to A P though C reads trepousin, present active indicative, as is
possible also in Revelation
13:17 and certainly so in 1 John 5:20 (Robertson, Grammar,
p. 984), a solecism in late vernacular Greek. The plural is indefinite
"they" as in 1 John 10:11; 1 John 11:9. One MSS. has trepetai (is nourished). The stereotyped
phrase occurs here, as in 1 John 11:2, for the length of the
dragon's power, repeated in 1 John 12:14 in more general terms
and again in 1 John 13:5. |
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7.
There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The
dragon and his angels made war.
( egeneto
polemoß en twi ouranwi).
"There came to be war in heaven" ( egeneto, not hn). "Another tableau, not a shmeion (vv. 1 John 1,3), but consequent upon the
two shmeia which precede it. The birth and rapture
of the Woman's Son issue in a war which invades the epourania" (Swete). The reference is not to
the original rebellion of Satan, as Andreas held. As the coming of Christ
brought on fresh manifestations of diabolic power ( Mark 1:13; Luke 22:3,31; John 12:31; John 14:30; John 16:11), just so Christ's return to
heaven is pictured as being the occasion of renewed attacks there. We are not
to visualize it too literally, but certainly modern airplanes help us to
grasp the notion of battles in the sky even more than the phalanxes of
storm-clouds (Swete). John even describes this last conflict as in heaven
itself. Cf. Luke 10:18;
1 Kings 22:1; Job 1; Job 2; Zechariah 3:1. Michael and his angels ( o
Micahl kai oi aggeloi autou).
The nominative here may be in apposition with polemoß, but it is an abnormal construction with no verb,
though egeneto (arose) can be understood as repeated. Michael
is the champion of the Jewish people ( Daniel 10:13,21; Daniel 12:1) and is called the archangel
in Jude 9. Going forth to war ( tou
polemhsai).
This genitive articular infinitive is another grammatical problem in this
sentence. If egeneto (arose) is repeated as above, then we have the
infinitive for purpose, a common enough idiom. Otherwise it is anomalous, not
even like Acts 10:25.
With the dragon ( meta tou drakontoß). On the use of meta with polemew see Acts
2:16; Acts 13:4;
Acts 17:14
(nowhere else in N.T.). The devil has angels under his command ( Matthew 25:41) and
preachers also ( 2 Corinthians 11:14). Warred ( epolemhsen). Constative aorist active indicative
of polemew, picturing the whole battle in one
glimpse. |
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8.
They didn`t prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven.
( kai
ouk iscusan).
Here kai equals "and yet" or
"but." A few MSS. read the singular iscusen like epolemhsen, but wrongly so. Neither was their
place found any more ( oude topoß eureqh autwn eti). First aorist passive indicative of euriskw, to find. Probably autwn is the objective genitive (place for
them), just as in 2 Corinthians 20:11 autoiß (dative, for them) is used with topoß
ouc eureqh.
The phrase occurs in Daniel
2:35 Theod. and Zechariah
10:10. The dragon is finally expelled from heaven (cf. Job 1:6), though
to us it seems a difficult conception to think of Satan having had access
to heaven |
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9.
The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the Devil
and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth,
and his angels were thrown down with him.
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( eblhqh). Effective first aorist passive
indicative of ballw, cast down for good and all, a glorious
consummation. This vision of final victory over Satan is given by Jesus in Luke 10:18; John 12:31. It
has not come yet, but it is coming, and the hope of it should be a spur to
missionary activity and zeal. The word megas (great) occurs here with drakwn as in John 12:3, and the whole picture is
repeated in John 20:2.
The dragon in both places is identified with the old serpent ( Genesis 3:1) and
called arcaioß (from arch, beginning), as Jesus said that the devil was a
murderer "from the beginning" ( John 8:44). Both diaboloß (slanderer) and Satan ( Satanaß) are common in N.T. for this great
dragon and old serpent, the chief enemy of mankind. See on Matthew 4:1; Revelation 2:10 for diaboloß and Luke 10:18 for Satanaß. The deceiver of the whole world ( o
planwn thn oikoumenhn olhn).
This is his aim and his occupation, pictured here by the nominative
articular present active participle of planaw, to lead astray. For "the
inhabited world" see Luke
2:1; Revelation
3:10; Revelation
16:14. Satan can almost "lead astray" the very elect
of God ( Matthew 24:24),
so artful is he in his beguilings as he teaches us how to deceive ourselves
( 1 John 1:8). He was cast down to
the earth ( eblhqh eiß thn ghn). Effective aorist repeated from the beginning of
the verse. "The earth was no new sphere of Satan's working"
(Swete). Were cast down ( eblhqhsan). Triple use of the same verb applied to Satan's
minions. The expulsion is complete. |
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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 Christ; for the
accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God
day and night.
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( pwnhn
megalhn legousan).
Accusative after hkousa in this phrase as in 1 John 5:11; 1 John 10:4; 1 John 14:2; 1 John 18:4, but the genitive pwnhß
legoushß
in 1 John 11:12; 1 John 14:13. We are not told
whence this voice or song comes, possibly from one of the twenty-four
elders (Swete) or some other heavenly beings ( 1 John 11:15) who can sympathize
with human beings ( 1 John 19:10), the martyrs in
heaven (Charles). Now is come ( arti egeneto). Arti ( John 13:33) shows how recent the
downfall of Satan here proleptically pictured as behind us in time (aorist
tense egeneto). The salvation ( h swthria). Here "the victory" as in John 7:10; John 19:1. The
power ( h dunamiß). Gods power over the dragon (cf. John 7:12; John 11:17; John 19:1). The
kingdom ( h basileia). "The empire of God" as in John 11:15. The
authority of his Christ ( h exousia tou Cristou autou). Which Christ received from the Father
( Matthew 28:18;
John 17:2).
See Revelation 11:15
( Psalms 2:2) for
"his Anointed." The accuser ( o kathgwr). The regular form, kathgoroß, occurs in John 8:10; Acts 23:30,35; Acts 25:16,18 and in many MSS. here in Revelation 12:10,
but A reads kathgwr, which Westcott and Hort accept. It was once
considered a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew word, but Deissmann ( Light,
etc., p. 93f.) quotes it from a vernacular magical papyrus of the fourth
century A.D. with no sign of Jewish or Christian influence, just as diakwn appears as a vernacular form of diakonoß. Only here is the word applied to
Satan in the N.T. In late Judaism Satan is the accuser, and Michael the
defender, of the faithful. Of our brethren ( twn adelpwn hmwn). The saints still on earth battling
with Satan and his devices. Which accuseth them ( o
kathgorwn autouß).
Articular present active participle of kathgorew, old verb, to accuse, usually with
the genitive of the person ( John
5:45), but here with the accusative. This is the devil's
constant occupation ( Job
1:6). Day and night ( hmeraß kai nuktoß). Genitive of time. "By day and
by night." |
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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
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( autoi
enikhsan).
First aorist active indicative of nikaw, the verb used by Jesus of his own victory ( John 16:33) and
about him ( Revelation 3:21;
Revelation 5:5).
"The victory of the martyrs marks the failure of Satan's
endeavours" (Swete). Because of the blood of the Lamb ( dia
to aima tou arniou).
As in Revelation 1:5;
Revelation 5:6,9;
Revelation 7:14.
The blood of Christ is here presented by dia as the ground for the victory and not
the means, as by en in Revelation
1:5; Revelation
5:9. Both ideas are true, but dia with the accusative gives only the
reason. The blood of Christ does cleanse us from sin ( John 1:29; 1 John 1:7). Christ conquered
Satan, and so makes our victory possible ( Luke 11:21; Hebrews 2:18). "Thus the Lamb is
the true sunhgoroß (like Michael) of the New Israel, its paraklhtoß
proß ton patera
( 1 John 2:1)" (Swete). Because
of the Word of their testimony ( dia ton logon thß marturiaß autwn). The same use of dia, "because of their testimony to
Jesus" as in John's own case in 1 John 1:9. These martyrs have
been true to their part. They loved not their life even unto death ( ouk
hgaphsan ten psuchn autwn acri qanatou). First aorist active indicative of agapaw. They did resist "unto
blood" ( mecriß aimatoß Hebrews
12:4) and did not put their own lives before loyalty to Christ.
There is a direct reference to the words of Jesus in John 12:25 as illustrated also in Mark 8:35; Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33.
Paul's own example is pertinent ( Acts 21:13; Philippians 1:20). Jesus himself had been "obedient
unto death" ( Philippians
2:8). These martyrs seem to be still alive on earth, but their
heroism is proleptically pictured |
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12.
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe for the earth and
for the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath,
knowing that he has but a short time."
( dia
touto).
"For this reason" as in Philippians 7:15; Philippians 18:8 (15 times in John's
Gospel, Charles notes). It points back to verse Philippians 12:10. Rejoice ( euprainesqe). Present middle imperative of euprainw as in Philippians 11:10; Philippians 18:20. O heavens ( oi
ouranoi).
Plural here alone in the Apocalypse, though common elsewhere in the N.T.
Satan is no longer in the heavens. They that dwell therein ( oi
en autoiß skhnounteß).
Present active articular participle of skhnow (see Philippians 7:15; Philippians 13:6) to dwell (tabernacle)
as of Christ in John 1:14
and of God in Revelation
21:3. The inhabitants of heaven (angels and saints) have cause to
rejoice, and earth reason to mourn. Woe for the earth and for the sea ( ouai
thn ghn kai thn qalassan).
The accusative after ouai as in Revelation 8:13, but nominative in Revelation 18:10,16,19 in place of the
usual dative ( Matthew 11:21;
Matthew 18:7,
etc.). Is gone down ( katebh). Second aorist (effective) active indicative of katabainw, "did go down." But a short
time ( oligon
kairon).
Accusative of extent of time, "a little time." The devil's
departure from his warfare in the heavens reveals ( eidwß, knowing, perfect active participle) to
him that his time for doing harm to men is limited, and hence his great wrath
( qumon, boiling rage). |
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13. When the dragon saw that he was thrown down
to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.
( ediwxen). First aorist active participle of diwkw, to pursue, to chase, hostile pursuit
here as in Matthew 5:10;
Matthew 10:23,
etc. John now, after the "voice" in Revelation 12:10-13, returns to the
narrative in verse Revelation 9. The child was caught away
in verse Revelation 5, and now the woman (the
true Israel on earth) is given deadly persecution. Perhaps events since
A.D. 64 (burning of Rome by Nero) amply illustrated this vision, and they
still do so. Which ( htiß). "Which very one."
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14
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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.
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14
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His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His
eyes were like a flame of fire.
( edoqhsan). As in Revelation 8:2; Revelation 9:1,3. The two wings of
the great eagle ( ai duo pterugeß tou aetou tou megalou). Not the eagle
of Revelation 8:13,
but the generic use of the article. Every eagle had two wings. Probably
here, as in Matthew
24:28, the griffon or vulture rather than the true eagle is
pictured. For the eagle in the O.T. see Exodus 19:4; Isaiah 40:31; Job 9:26; Pr 24:54. That she might
fly ( ina pethtai). Purpose clause with ina and present
middle subjunctive of petomai, old verb, to fly, in N.T. only in the Apocalypse
( Job 4:7; Job 8:13; Job 12:14; Job 14:6; Job 19:17).
Resumption of the details in verse Job 12:6 (which see) about the
"wilderness," her "place," the redundant ekei with opou, the "time
and times, and half a time" ( kairon kai kairouß kai hmisu), 1260 days, but
with trepetai (present passive indicative) instead of trepwsin (general plural
of the present active subjunctive), and with the addition of "from
the face of the serpent" ( apo proswpou tou opewß), because the
serpent rules the earth for that period. "To the end of the present
order the Church dwells in the wilderness" (Swete), and yet we must carry
on for Christ.
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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.
( udwr wß potamon). "Water as a river," accusative case after ebalen (cast). The serpent could not follow the woman or stop her
flight and so sought to drown her. That he might cause her to be
carried away by the stream ( ina authn potamoporhton poihsh). Purpose
clause with ina and the first aorist active subjunctive of poiew. For this use of poiew see Job 17:16. This compound verbal potamoporhton in the predicate accusative ( potamoß, river, porhton from porew, to bear) was not coined by John, but occurs
in a papyrus of B.C. 110 and in several others after N.T. times. It
means simply "carried away by the river." |
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16
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The earth
helped the woman, and the earth 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 commandments and hold Jesus` testimony
( wrgisqh). First aorist (ingressive) passive indicative of orgizomai, "became angry." With the woman ( epi th gunaiki). "At the woman,"
"because of the woman." Went away ( aphlqen). "Went off" in his rage to make war with the
scattered followers of the Lamb not in the wilderness, perhaps an
allusion to Genesis
3:15. The devil carries on relentless war with all those
"which keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of
Jesus" ( twn thrountwn taß entolaß tou
qeou kai econtwn thn marturian Ihsou). These two marks excite the
wrath of the devil then and always. Cf. Genesis 1:9; Genesis 6:9; Genesis 14:12; Genesis 19:10;
Genesis 20:4. |
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