Note: Be it known that this article is still a work in progress. Also, please bear with the poor English of the author.
Contents
1. The Woman
2. The Red Dragon
3. The Heaven and the Stars
4. The Tail of the Dragon
5. The Birth of the Child Who Will Rule…
6. The Woman and the 1260 Days
7. The War in Heaven
—7.1. Michael the Great Prince
—7.2.The Coming of Salvation
—7.3. The Great Wrath of the Devil
—7.4. Timeline Map (Every Year)
8. Time, Times and Half a Time
9. The Flood from the Dragon
10. The Dragon and the Other Seed of the Woman
1. The Woman
(Rev 12:1 KJV) And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
The imagery of the Woman here together with the sun, moon, and stars represents the Covenant People. These are the descendants of Jacob or Israel through his 12 sons. The following verses support this:
Gen 37:9-11 KJV
(9) And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.
(10) And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
(11) And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.
This is the dream of Joseph and it is understood that Jacob is the sun, Rachel the moon, and Joseph’s brothers the 11 stars. Let’s go back to Revelation 12.
(Rev 12:2 KJV) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
(Rev 12:5 KJV) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
The Woman portrayed here is pregnant and in labor. Looking forward to verse 5, we will see that she is pregnant with our King, the Lord Yeshua. (This does not mean that the Woman is the Virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord. The Lord Yeshua became flesh and blood through the Tribe of Judah, one of the 12 Tribes of Israel.) Read the following verses:
Jer 6:22-25 ESV
(22) Thus says the LORD: “Behold, a people is coming from the north country, a great nation is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth.
(23) They lay hold on bow and javelin; they are cruel and have no mercy; the sound of them is like the roaring sea; they ride on horses, set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion!”
(24) We have heard the report of it; our hands fall helpless; anguish has taken hold of us, pain as of a woman in labor.
(25) Go not out into the field, nor walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword; terror is on every side.
(Psa 48:6 ESV) Trembling took hold of them there, anguish as of a woman in labor.
We will see above that when a nation or people is symbolically compared to a pregnant woman in labor, it denotes hardships, anguish, oppression, etc. It also denotes another thing:
Mic 4:9-10 ESV
(9) Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor?
(10) Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the LORD will redeem you from the hand of your enemies.
So, Revelation 12:2 could be telling us the time setting of verse 2 by the following things:
1) At that time, the fleshly birth of our Messiah is near (not man’s reckoning of time).
2) At that time, the Covenant People are in anguish and are oppressed.
3) At that time, they could be without a king and/or counselor.
The only time in the history of the Covenant People (both Houses of Judah and Israel) that these three “situations” had occurred to them at the same time was the time between King Zedekiah’s capture and the actual birth of the Lord Yeshua. This time frame seems to be what Micah 4:9 up to the 1st half of Micah 5:3 is telling about. Note that the “she” in the 1st half of Micah 5:3 who is in labor is very likely to be the Woman of Revelation 12. During this time frame, both Houses are without kings.
2. The Red Dragon
Rev 12:3-4 KJV
(3) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
(4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Here is the Devil, symbolized as a Red Dragon. This passage is located between the “Portent of a Woman” in verses 1-2 and the vision of the same Woman who is ready to bear a child in the last half of verse 4. So, these things chronologically mean that the time of the sweeping down and throwing off of a third of the stars in heaven to earth is during the time when the Woman is pregnant and in labor. That is the time when the Covenant People had no king(s).
3. The Heaven and the Stars
Some people supposed that the “stars” in verse 4 that were swept down and thrown to the earth were the former angels that became demons. This is not what these verses are saying. The rebellion of Lucifer and of the other angels happened before Adam was created. Remember the Serpent who deceived and persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in Eden?
In verse 16 of this same chapter, it is stated that the “earth” helped the Woman by swallowing the flood. It is clear that this is not literal. The “earth” represents a people or peoples and their land. Back in verse 4, there’s a word “heaven” mentioned which can also be found in verses 1 and 3. From this heaven, a third of the stars were swept down and thrown to the earth by the tail of the Red Dragon. This heaven is also not literal. In verses 1, 3, and 4, it symbolizes the place where the Woman or the Covenant People are living. Symbolic heaven represents the place and/or the people of God living in that place. The people of God are the “stars” of the symbolic heaven.
(Dan 12:3 KJV) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever.
4. The Tail of the Dragon
The seven heads of the Dragon represent kingdoms or empires. Its tail, having swept down a third of the “stars” in heaven, must be also emblematizing something that is powerful. At that time, the most prominent figure who became the enemy of the Covenant People was Antiochus Epiphanes. Read Daniel 11:29-32 about this man. Also, visit the following link for more information:
5. The Birth of the Child Who Will Rule…
This verse is self explanatory. It is understood that the “man-child” here is the Lord Yeshua.
6. The Woman and the 1260 Days
(Rev 12:6 KJV) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
The Woman fled and this could be scripturally in accordance with the Lord Yeshua’s instruction to flee when the desolating sacrilege can already be seen standing up.
Mat 24:15-18 KJV
(15) When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
(16) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
(17) Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
(18) Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
According to Daniel 12:11, there will be 1290 days from the taking away of the DAILY up to the setting up of the abomination that makes desolate. The taking away of the DAILY occurred on 604 BC and ended in 687 AD. (See Daniel’s 1290 and 1335 Days) The abomination that makes desolate is the setting up of the Dome of the Rock in the Temple Mount. Actually, this structure was built between 685 AD and 691 AD according to the New World Encyclopedia.
(Maybe, it can already be seen standing up during 687 AD.) According to the Lord, those who have seen it standing up or being set up should URGENTLY flee, so, the fleeing should be reckoned on that same year – 687 AD!
What about the 1260 days of nourishment?
At that time, journeying into other lands takes weeks or a number of months, depending on many factors including the delay the winter season can do on travelers. So, from 687 AD, the nourishment is most likely to have begun on the following year – 688 AD to give way for the fleeing. From this year (688 AD), let’s add 1260 years and we will arrive at 1948 AD – the year of the birth of the modern-day nation of Israel!
The Woman that fled represents all the 12 tribes of Israel (12 stars) not just the Jews or the House of Judah. But it doesn’t mean that those who fled comprised all the members of the 12 tribes. Not a few of them remained in their land and did not flee and some of them could have already been in the “wilderness” when the Woman fled into it.
The Woman fled into the wilderness to be NOURISHED for 1260 days. What and where is the wilderness they went into? Here is the Greek word for “wilderness” in this verse:
G2048 ἔρημος erēmos
Thayer Definition:
1) solitary, lonely, desolate, uninhabited
1a) used of places
1a1) a desert, wilderness
1a2) deserted places, lonely regions
1a3) an uncultivated region fit for pasturage
1b) used of persons
1b1) deserted by others
1b2) deprived of the aid and protection of others, especially of friends, acquaintances, kindred
1b3) bereft
1b3a) of a flock deserted by the shepherd
1b3b) of a woman neglected by her husband, from whom the husband withholds himself
Part of Speech: adjective
As sheep and flock, the people represented by the Woman will be nourished in this place. Interestingly, there’s a Hebrew word “wilderness” that also has the meaning “pasture land”:
H4057 מדבּר midbâr mid-bawr’
From H1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (that is, open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication a desert; also speech (including its organs): – desert, south, speech, wilderness.
The Woman needs to be nourished (spiritually, politically, and economically). At that time, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans; and the members of the House of Israel that were in the Middle East had no land or country of their own. (It is said that the people in Samaria, at that time, were not Israelites. They were gentiles planted by the Assyrians.) And also, the spreading of the Gospel of the Lord Yeshua had just begun. The spiritual healing of the people represented by the Woman is not an instant process.
A mother who has gone through labor pains in delivering her child will need rest and nourishment while her baby is taken care of by someone who is trusted and under the authority of the father of the child. This is the natural course of action, isn’t it? At this moment, the mother doesn’t look well and she is (very) weak. This analogy is very similar to the symbolism used by God in some parts of Revelation 12 in providing us information about the history of the Covenant People, past and future at the time of John. Now, when the mother who has just born a child and is weak and not looking well is given rest and nourishment, she gradually becomes looking well and gradually becomes strong. Likewise, because the Woman in Revelation 12 fled to be nourished for 1260 days, we can expect also in the following verses that the Covenant People will gradually become well-looking or beautiful (prosperous) and strong (politically and militarily).
7. The War in Heaven
Rev 12:7-9 KJV
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Perhaps not a few students of the Bible interpret this vision literally. The supernatural powers of Michael and his angels versus the supernatural powers of the Dragon and his angels in the literal heaven, sky, or outer space. But notice the Devil fought in this war as the dragon – the Red Dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns. Aren’t heads and horns symbols of empires and kings? Remember Antiochus IV Epiphanes – the tail of the Dragon which swept down a third of the symbolic stars from the symbolic heaven? Now, doesn’t the “heaven” in verses 7-12 refers also to the place where the symbolic stars can be found? There are many verses/passages in the Bible where their contexts refer to this symbolic heaven. Maybe, some of the readers will say – but the Woman was already in “heaven” when she fled into the wilderness. As for me, wherever the Woman fled, that place can be called “heaven” and THIS IS WHERE THE WAR TAKES PLACE.
7.1. Michael the Great Prince
In the whole Bible, there are only 5 passages where the name of Michael the Great Prince was mentioned: Three in Daniel, one in Jude and one here in Revelation. Here are they:
(Dan 10:13 KJV) But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
(Dan 10:20 KJV) Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.
(Dan 10:21 KJV) But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.
(Dan 12:1 KJV) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
(Jud 1:9 KJV) Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
(Rev 12:7-9 KJV)
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
It can be observed that in the context of each of these passages, there’s a word or clause that conveys the idea of a fight, battle, or war. Two of these passages (Jude 1:9 and Revelation 12:7) directly tell whom Michael contends or fights against – Satan. According to the first two passages, Michael, the Great Prince, fights against the princes mentioned. He and the one who is talking to Daniel are the only ones who fight against the said princes and their likes. (The one who’s talking and giving understanding to Daniel is more probable than not to be the Arch Angel Gabriel. See Daniel 8:15-16 and Daniel 9:20-27.)
It is supposed by some or a few people that the Prince of the kingdom of Persia is Cyrus and that he (Cyrus) is just arguing with the one who is talking to Daniel in verse 13. But in verse 20, the one who is talking to Daniel will return and fight against this prince and the Hebrew word for “fight” in this verse is:
H3898 לחם lâcham law-kham’
A primitive root; to feed on; figuratively to consume; by implication to battle (as destruction): – devour, eat, X ever, fight (-ing), overcome, prevail, (make) war (-ring).
With these definitions, will they be just arguing with each other? This word means to fight, battle or war and not argument whether directly or indirectly. The angel Gabriel will not have a fight with Cyrus because Cyrus was anointed and commissioned by God.
(Isa 45:1 KJV) Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
(Isa 45:13 ASV) I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
If Cyrus is not the Prince of the kingdom of Persia then who is it? No one could stand and oppose the Arch Angel Gabriel except a prince or princes from the Spirit World where Michael is a Chief Prince. But the prince or princes that Michael and Gabriel fight belong to the evil forces who also have the power to influence the minds and affairs of humans.
(Joh 12:31 KJV) Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
(Eph 2:2 KJV) Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 6:10-12 KJV
(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
(11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
(12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(1Th 2:18 KJV) Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
Note that the verses which speak of the Princes of the kingdoms of Persia and Greece (Dan 10:13, 20-21) and of Michael, the Great PRINCE (Dan 12:1), belong to a single vision – the last vision of Daniel. Michael is called a Great PRINCE in Daniel 12:1! These facts are suggesting that the princes of Persia and Greece are also not humans but spirits in the Spirit World where Michael is a/the Chief Prince. Also, it will make more sense if we will consider that against these Princes of Darkness or against peoples led by these princes will Michael stand up in Daniel 12:1, not against humans alone. Read Ephesians 2:2 again, it is implying that the Prince of the Power of the Air can influence the minds of humans.
Maybe, the fight between the one who is talking to Daniel and the Prince of Persia in Daniel chapter 10 has something to do with the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and the resistance to it that has arisen. See Ezra chapters 3 and 4.
Let us now go back to Revelation 12.
Immediately preceding the War in Heaven is the fleeing of the Woman. This is the instruction of the Lord Yeshua when the desolating sacrilege can be seen being set up or standing up in Matthew 24:15-18. At that time, the Islamic conquest had already covered vast areas. Here is the timeline map of early Islamic conquests from Wikipedia:
The very next event after the fleeing is the War in Heaven.
(Rev 12:7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
It can be seen here that the place of the battle is in “heaven.” This is the place where the Woman fled and this place is called “wilderness” (pasture) in verse 6. This “heaven” can’t be referring to their former place – the land of Judea and Samaria – because most of them had already left those places. Symbolically, this verse indicates that the Dragon and his angels were already in this heaven when Michael and his angels fought them. In actual events, this means that the people represented by one of the heads of the Dragon (Umayyad) must already be in the location of the Covenant People when the battle or maybe series of battles symbolized by “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” had occurred.
Now, what specific battle or battles does the War in Heaven symbolizes?
In 711 AD, the armies of the Umayyad Caliphate invaded the Iberian Peninsula. From that year up to 718, they almost conquered all of the Christian Visigoth kingdoms. They set up the Emirate of Al Andalus (Cordova, its capital) and sought to expand it through conquests in other parts of Western Europe. They crossed the Pyrenes which was part of then Southern Gaul but were halted at the Battle of Tours (also called the Battle of Poiters) in 732 AD. Here is what Wikipedia says about this battle:
The Franks were victorious. ‘Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi was killed, and Charles subsequently extended his authority in the south. Ninth-century chroniclers, who interpreted the outcome of the battle as divine judgment in his favour, gave Charles the nickname Martellus (“The Hammer”), possibly recalling Judas Maccabeus (“The Hammerer”) of the Maccabean revolt.[33][34] Details of the battle, including its exact location and the exact number of combatants, cannot be determined from accounts that have survived. Notably, the Frankish troops won the battle without cavalry.[35]
Later Christian chroniclers and pre-20th century historians praised Charles Martel as the champion of Christianity, characterizing the battle as the decisive turning point in the struggle against Islam, a struggle which preserved Christianity as the religion of Europe; according to modern military historian Victor Davis Hanson, “most of the 18th and 19th century historians, like Gibbon, saw Poitiers (Tours), as a landmark battle that marked the high tide of the Muslim advance into Europe.”[36] Leopold von Ranke felt that “Poitiers was the turning point of one of the most important epochs in the history of the world.”[37]
This specific battle qualifies to be part or beginning of the War in Heaven. It happened almost at the heartland of Christianity (“Heaven”) at that time.
After this battle, Charles Martel and his descendants after him (Pepin and Charlemagne) cleared Southern Gaul of Islamic forces and pushed them back into the confines of Hispania. Charlemagne, grandson of Charles Martel, not just drove them out of Gaul but even sent military expeditions who made conquest in Northern Hispania which were under Muslim rule. In my view, these events including the Battle of Tours are what ”Michael and his angels fought…, ” in Revelation 12:7 symbolizes.
The 1290 and 1335 days of Daniel support the year in which the War in Heaven had begun:
(Dan 12:11) And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
(Dan 12:12) Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
This is the passage about the prophetic 1290 and 1335 days. Yes, these “days” have something to say when the “War in Heaven” would occur. This passage, if understood correctly will prove to us that the Battle of Tours which took place in 732 AD is a sign that the “War in Heaven” had begun. Here’s a link to an article about this thing:
Also, Daniel 12:1 supports the Battle of Tours as the beginning of the War in Heaven:
(Dan 12:1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
We’ve learned already from this verse that Michael stands for the children of Israel but we have not yet discussed “And at that time shall Michael stand up.” This is a definite event. Now the question is: could the actual events symbolized by the ”standing up of Michael” in Daniel 12:1 be the same actual events represented by ”Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon” in Revelation 12:7? As for me, it is a big YES! In the Olivet Prophecy, the next event after the setting up of the desolating sacrilege is the Great Tribulation. In Daniel 12:1, the event that precedes the Great Tribulation is the standing up of Michael. Let’s have this chart of events:
How about the chronology of Daniel 12:1 in relation to the preceding verses (chapter 11:40-45)?
If anyone reads this verse with the context of the last verses of the previous chapter in mind, it will give the reader the impression that the time of Michael’s standing up and of the great tribulation is when the king of the north attacks the king of the south and invades many countries including the beautiful land.
Daniel 12:1 belongs to the long and last vision of the book of Daniel. The vision spans chapters 10 up to 12. Now search this whole vision (except the verse in question – Daniel 12: 1) of every occurrences of the phrase “at that time” or “in those times” or any phrase with the same meaning. Examine the context of the preceding verses of the verses you find with the phrase we are searching. Notice in every instance, the verses with the phrase we are searching are not chronological with that of their corresponding preceding verses. There are events that happened earlier than their preceding verses.
Now, let us go back to Daniel 12:1. What time frame does the phrase “at that time” points to? As for me, it points to:
(Dan 11:40 KJV) And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
This is the time frame where Daniel 12:1 belongs to – The Time of the End. Both Daniel 12:1 and the events of Daniel 11:40-45 belong to the ‘time of the end. But chronologically speaking, the standing up of Michael in Daniel 12:1 could possibly occur before the events of Daniel 11:40-45.
The reader might find that what is said here is in conflict with his/her belief regarding the start of the ”time of the end.” He/She might think that the Battle of Tours and the subsequent ones are too early to be inside the time frame of ”the end.” The ”time of the end” is another mystery of the Bible. The two articles below can help concerning this thing:
The Olivet Prophecy: Arrow of the Lord
Let’s continue with the ”War in Heaven.” After Charles Martel, his son (Pepin), and grandson (Charlemagne) had driven the Muslim forces out of Gaul, the ”War in Heaven” continued but not in Gaul… but in the Iberian Peninsula. It was in this place maybe that most of the events of ”the Dragon fought and his angels” (verse 7) had occurred. These events could include the following:
– The attempt of Abd-ar-Rahman III to take the remaining Christian kingdoms in Iberia.
– The attacks of the Almoravid and Almohad Muslims on many occasions.
During this long war in Iberian Peninsula between the Christian and Muslim forces, there were also infightings among themselves. There were times that a Christian group would be in alliance with a Muslim group against another Christian group or against another Muslim group. But these things did not disqualify the war in the Iberia to be part of the ‘‘War in Heaven.” The Christian kingdoms slowly reconquered back their lands from the Muslims. And finally, in 1491-1492 AD, Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Iberia fell to the Christians. After that, no Muslim kingdom can be found in Northern, Western, and Central Europe – the ”heaven?”
(Rev 12:8 KJV) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Here is the timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberia from Wikipedia:
Timeline of the Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula
7.2. The Coming of Salvation
(Rev 12:10 KJV) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
It is apparent in this verse that the coming of the salvation, the power, the kingdom of God, and the authority of His anointed take place after the ”War in Heaven” and after the Dragon and his angels were cast down. Now, is it logical for these things to come AFTER the War in Heaven and after the Dragon and his angels were cast down? Could not the POWER of GOD come because the Dragon and his angels were not yet thrown down? Let us view the passage Revelation 12:10-12 in a big picture:
Rev 12:7-13 KJV
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
(9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
(11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
(12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
(13) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
The vision of the ”War in Heaven” SEEN by John within this passage started at verse 7 and it seems to have ended at verse 9. But the 1st clause of verse 13 which John also SAW was still depicting the last part of the ”War in Heaven” – the throwing down of the Dragon. It is in verse 13 that the vision of this war really ends. Verses 10-12 which John HEARD is an INSET giving additional information about this war. How is that?
Remember the Battle of Tours – the battle that became the turning point in the struggle against Islam which preserved Christianity as the religion of Europe? Isn’t this battle and the series of battles that followed up to the fall of Muslim Kingdom of Granada in 1492 the STANDING UP of Michael, the Great Prince, and also the “salvation” mentioned in Rev 12:10? The word “salvation” in this verse is defined as:
Strong’s Definition:
G4991 σωτηρία sōtēria so-tay-ree’-ah
Feminine of a derivative of G4990 as (properly abstract) noun; rescue or safety (physically or morally): – deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (CAL) Definition:
$wzb noun sg. emphatic
šwzb, šwzbˀ (šūzāḇ, šūzāḇā) v.n.Q rescue
1 rescue Syr.
The people of God living in these places were saved or rescued because of the coming of the power, the Kingdom of our God, and of the authority of His Messiah. As a result, the Devil and his angels were thrown down and there was no longer any place for them in Heaven. Logically, this is the correct flow of events, isn’t it? The War in Heaven happened because of the coming of the salvation, power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Anointed to rescue and save God’s people who are living in symbolic Heaven. The “salvation” in verse 10 is not referring to “spiritual salvation” because the “spiritual salvation” had already started much earlier – when our Lord Yeshua dwelt with men and died at the cross.
Let us now look at verse 10 from a parsed Greek NT Bible:
Click or tap the image to enlarge.
It can be seen here that the tenses of the Greek words numbered G1096 (became) and G2598 (was-cast-down) are both aorists and are both rendered in the English as past tense. Young’s Literal Version also rendered these two verbs in their past forms. (In most English NT translations, the 1st verb is in its present form while the 2nd is in the past.) However, even if these two verbs are in their past forms, the context of the verse is still telling that the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Messiah came after the Accuser was thrown down and this is because of the word “that” (G3754) in the Interlinear Bible translated as “because” or “for” in other English Bibles. Here is the definition of this Greek word:
G3754 ὅτι hoti hot’-ee
Neuter of G3748 as conjugation; demonstrative that (sometimes redundant); causatively because: – as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.
Let’s now analyze the same verse (Rev 12:10) from the Aramaic BFBS/UBS Bible, here is its Analysis Table:
| Revelation 12:10 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID | Category | Meaning | Person | Gender | Number | Tense | Form | |
| 2:21741 | Verb | hear, obey, hear | First | Common | Singular | Perfect | PEAL | |
| 2:18632 | Noun | voice | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:19207 | Adjective | great, chief, master | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:12182 | Particle | from | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2:21653 | Noun | heaven, sky | – | Common | Plural | – | – | |
| 2:1264 | Verb | say, speak, announce, affirm | Third | Masculine | Singular | Perfect | PEAL | |
| 2:4941 | Particle | lo!, behold! | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2:5086 | Verb | be, was, turn | Third | Masculine | Singular | Perfect | PEAL | |
| 2:20962 | Noun | deliverance | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:7036 | Noun | power, mighty work, strength, virtue, force | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:11992 | Noun | kingdom, realm, reign | – | Feminine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:919 | Noun | God, god | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:20032 | Verb | put, place, cast | Third | Masculine | Singular | Perfect | ETHPEAL | |
| 2:12271 | Noun | delator, accuser | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:416 | Noun | brother | – | Masculine | Plural | – | – | |
| 2:5044 | Pronoun | that, those, who | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:12273 | Verb | accuse, despise | Third | Masculine | Singular | Active Participle | PEAL | |
| 2:5144 | Verb | be, was, turn | Third | Masculine | Singular | Perfect | PEAL | |
| 2:10844 | Particle | to, for | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2:11209 | Noun | night | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:655 | Noun | daytime | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
| 2:18101 | Particle | before | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 2:911 | Noun | God, god | – | Masculine | Singular | – | – | |
The Aramaic conjunction that corresponds to the word “that” (G3754) in the Interlinear Bible is prefixed to the verb “put, place, cast” (ID:2:20032). Click or tap the ID number. At the top of the framed definition page, you will see “d_ c = d_ c –> dy c” which are the etymological forms of the prefix for the word being defined below it. The conjunction form “dy” has the definitions:
1 who, which (indeclinable relative) Com.
2 the one(s) who (determinative) Com. –(a) after demonstratives : the fact that, as for :see s.v. hhyˀ pron. etc. Syr.
3 introducing object clauses Com. –(a) w. verbs of perception, desire, fear, request Com. –(b) before direct speech Qum, Syr, JBA, JBAg. (b.1) how it is that? Syr.
4 w. preformative verbal form : so that, in order to Com.
5 because Com.
6 in compound conjunctions w. preps. : see s.v. first element Com.
– https://cal.huc.edu/oneentry.php?lemma=dy%20c&cits=all
The conjunction “that” (or “which”) used in the ISA Greek Interlinear Bible and the conjunction “because” used in most English Bibles in rendering Rev 12:10 are both included here. It can be seen that also included in the meanings of this conjunction is “so that” – the 4th one. In Mark 4:32, this same conjunction with resultative meaning is also prefixed to the noun “shadow, shade” (ID- 2:8175).
http://www.dukhrana.com/lexicon/word.php?adr=2:8175&font=Estrangelo+Edessa&source=khabouris
(Etheridge) and when it is sown, it springeth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and maketh great branches; so that in its shadow the fowl can dwell.
Also, in Luke 5:7, this same conjunction is prefixed to the adjective “hand, near, neighbour” (ID-2:19038).
http://www.dukhrana.com/lexicon/word.php?adr=2:19038&font=Estrangelo+Edessa&source=khabouris
(Murdock) And they made signs to their associates, in the other ship, to come and help them. And when they came, they filled both the ships, so that they were near to sinking.
The resultative meaning “so that” of this conjunction which is prefixed to the verb “put, place, cast’ (ID-2:20032) in Rev 12:10 can reverse the context and the illogical chronology of what is said in this verse in the Greek texts and in the English Bibles translated from it.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven that said, behold! came the salvation, the strength, and the kingdom of our God, [and the power of His Christ] so-that-was-cast-down the accuser of our brethren who was accusing them day and night before our God.
In this translation, the salvation, the strength, and the kingdom of our God, [and the power of His Christ] came and because of this the accuser of our brethren was thrown down. As an inset, it is a natural thing for this verse to be telling something about the ”War in Heaven” in which it was ”inserted,” isn’t it? While he was seeing the vision of the war, he was also hearing a voice explaining it.
Note that the verb “be, was, turn” (ID-2:5086) which corresponds to “come” in the Greek-based English Bibles and the verb “put, place, cast” (ID-2:20032) are both in their perfect tenses (completed action). Also, the verb “say, speak, announce, affirm” (ID-2:1264) is in its perfect form.
Now, let the particle “lo!, behold” (ID-2:4941) in the Aramaic BFBS/UBS Bible Analysis Table of Rev 12:10 and the particle “because of this” in Rev 12:12 help us further in what we are studying. Here is the definition of “lo!, behold”:
CAL Definition:
- h) I01
hˀ (hā) interj. here! look!
Sam. הא٠ אה ; in JLA, LJLA הא אנה also written האנה andהנה
1 here, look! (presentative particle) Com. –(a) now then Com. (a.1) as an indicator of the imminent future Com. –(b) האנא = הא אנא JLAtg, LJLA.
2 here (adv.) Com. –(a) up until now Com. –(b) ܠܐ ܗܐ : is it not? Syr.
According to CAL’s definition, this word can be a presentative particle and it can also be an indicator of the imminent future. When applied to Rev 12:10, it clearly presents and HIGHLIGHTS the recent coming of the salvation, the strength, and the kingdom of our God but it does not indicate the coming of these things in a future sense because their “coming” (ID-2:5086) is in the perfect tense. Here now is the last part of what the loud voice in Heaven has said:
(Revelation 12:12 LITV) Because of this, be glad, the heavens and those tabernacling in them. Woe to the ones dwelling on the earth, and in the sea, because the devil came down to you having great anger, knowing that he has a little time!
The pronoun “this” after the phrase “Because of” points to a singular event. http://biblehub.com/interlinear/revelation/12-12.htm
In the Aramaic BFBS/UBS Bible, the pronoun “this” is suffixed to the preposition “Because of” which also points to a singular event. http://www.dukhrana.com/lexicon/word.php?adr=2:5270&font=Estrangelo+Edessa&source=ubs
The question now is: which event does the pronoun “this” points to? Here is the list of events from what the voice in Heaven has said:
1) The coming of the salvation/rescue, the power, and the kingdom of our God, [and the power of His Christ].
2) The throwing down of the Accuser of our brethren.
3) The prevailing of our brethren against the Accuser.
All these events can cause happiness. As for me, the 1st event is what “this” is pointing to because the coming of the salvation/rescue, the power, and the kingdom of our God, [and the power of His Christ] is the event that is HIGHLIGHTED by “lo!, behold” (ID-2:4941) in v10. Also, it is the root event from which the 2nd event resulted. The 3rd event is just an expounding of the last clause of the 2nd event.
Rev 12:12 On account of this (1st event), rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the earth, and to the sea; for the Accuser descends to you, having great wrath because he knows that his time is short.
The (symbolic) Heavens and they that dwell in them are to rejoice on account of the 1st event. This “rejoicing” can be linked to the “happiness” mentioned in Dan 12:12:
Daniel 12:11-12 KJV
(11) And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
(12) Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
The word “Blessed” in verse 12 has this definition:
H835 אשׁר ‘esher eh’-sher
From H833; happiness; only in masculine plural construction as interjection, how happy!: – blessed, happy.
As was explained in the article “Daniel’s 1290 and 1335 Days,” The 1290 days/years ended in 687 AD. The 1335 days/years ended in 732 AD – the year that the Battle of Tours occurred which is the start of the “War in Heaven.” This war occurred because Michael the Great Prince who stands for the children of Israel took his stand to rescue the Covenant People from the Muslim armies. The “War in Heaven” is itself the coming of the salvation/rescue, the power, and the kingdom of our God, [and the power of His Christ]. And for this, this people should be happy.
Let’s now go to the 2nd part of Revelation 12:12:
7.3. The Great Wrath of the Devil
(Rev 12:12 KJV) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
It is believe by some people including the writer of this article that the Great Wrath of the Devil is the Great Tribulation, or the former included in the days of the latter. In the verse above, the Devil is having great wrath, aware that he has but a short time. He has a short time maybe because of:
Mat 24:21-22 KJV
(21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
(22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
In Dan 12:1, the Great Tribulation is next to the Standing up of Michael which is the salvation/rescue of the children of Israel. In the Olivet Prophecy (Matthew and Mark), the Great Tribulation comes after the setting up of the desolating sacrilege which was earlier said to occur on or on the completion of the 1290th day/year (Daniel’s 1290 and 1335 Days). On or on the completion of the 1335th day/year, the salvation/rescue, the power, the kingdom of God, and the authority of His anointed arrive. The coming of these things occurs between the setting up of the abomination that desolates and the Great Tribulation.
In the Greek-based English Bibles, the Great Wrath of the Devil apparently comes after the War in Heaven had ended (Revelation 12). The Devil seems to have descended towards the earth and the sea because he was thrown down. But is that so? Let’s look at the Aramaic BFBS/UBS Peshitta Bible.
Here’s a detailed list of all occurrences of “cast down” (of the Devil) within the passage – from verse 7 to 13;
Rev 12:9 Occurred 2 times – ID-2:20048 Analysis Page
| WORD | ROOT | MEANING | TENSE | FORM |
| w)trmy – ܘܐܬܪܡܝ | rm) – ܪܡܐ | put, place, cast | Perfect | Ethpeal |
.
Rev 12:10 Occurred 1 time – ID-2:20032 Analysis Page
Rev 12:13 Occurred 1 time – ID-2:20032 Analysis Page
| WORD | ROOT | MEANING | TENSE | FORM |
| d)trmy – ܕܐܬܪܡܝ | rm) – ܪܡܐ | put, place, cast | Perfect | Ethpeal |
.
We can see from the tables above that there are two Aramaic variations of “cast down”, ID-2:20048 and ID-2:20032. Both have the same root words but differed in their prefixes. Their TENSEs are both Perfect. Their FORMs are both Ethpeal or Ethpeel.
Here now is the details of “descend” or “come down” in Rev 12:12 ID-2:12915: Analysis Page
| WORD | ROOT | MEANING | TENSE | FORM |
| dnHt – ܕܢܚܬ | nHt – ܢܚܬ | descend | Active Participle | Peal |
.
This verb has a Tense of Active Participle (click the Analysis Page). The root of this verb is not the same or not even related to that of any “cast down” in the list above. The Form of this word is PEAL while all “cast down” are ETHPEAL. According to Syriac grammar books, Peal indicates that the verb is in the Active form and the corresponding Passive form of this conjugation is called Ethpeel or Ethpeal.
All the instances of the verb “cast down” refer to one and the same event. The Devil was cast down not by his own will but by Michael the Great Prince – Ethpeel (passive). The verb “descend” in verse 12 is not the result of the casting down of the Devil by Michael. The Devil descends according to his own will – Peal (active). The verbs “cast down” and “descend” in this passage (verses 7 to 13) are speaking of two different events or actions.
It can be said that before the War in Heaven came to a close, the time of the Devil’s Great Wrath had already begun. This is indicated by the last clause of v12 and the 1st clause of v13.
The 2nd part of v12 allows for the thought that the Devil descends to symbolic earth and sea while he is yet fighting the war in heaven. His presence in figurative heavens, earth, and sea at the same time is possible because all are in symbolic form. As the Red Dragon, he represents kingdoms/empires which can encompass (parts of) the symbolic heavens, earth, and sea.
It can be inferred from history that the Great Tribulation (Devil’s great wrath) had started even before the War in Heaven had ended in 1492 AD (fall of Muslim Granada):
– The wars of conquests by Islamic armies AFTER their early expansion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_Qpy0mXg8Y#t=11m35s
– The terrors and killings that resulted from refusal to convert to Islam. At first, only the polytheistic peoples were forced to convert but there were times before 1492 AD that “People of the Book” were also forced to convert.
http://markhumphrys.com/islam.killings.html
– The war of conquests by Genghis Khan in the 13th century AD and of the other Mongolian leaders after him.
The Mongol conquests of the 13th century resulted in widespread and well-documented destruction. The Mongol army conquered hundreds of cities and villages and killed millions of people. One estimate is that about 11% of the world’s population was killed either during or immediately after the Mongol invasions, around 37.75–60 million people in Eurasia.[1] These events are regarded as some of the most deadly acts of mass killing in human history.
Oliver Chancellor’s research found that the Mongol invasions induced population displacement “on a scale never seen before”, particularly in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, and that “the impending arrival of the Mongol hordes spread terror and panic”.[2]
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_under_the_Mongol_Empire
– The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) of the 14th century. A quote from Wikipedia:
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 million people and peaking in Europe in the years 1346–53.
7.4. Timeline Map (Every Year)
Watch the spread of Islam which started at Arabia in 630’s AD.
In 711 AD, the Muslims invaded the Iberian Peninsula. They crossed the Pyrenes which was part of then Southern Gaul but were halted at the Battle of Tours in 732 AD. This was the start of the War in (symbolic) Heaven – the standing up of Michael – the coming of the salvation (rescue), the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Messiah.
While the war is going on in heaven, the Devil descends unto the symbolic earth and sea. (The sea is where the four beasts of Daniel 7 came out – NOT necessarily the territories they conquered.) Now, look at the timeline map at the early 13th century AD. Note the territories gained by the war of conquests by Genghis Khan and the other Mongolian leaders after him. A big part of the symbolic sea was clearly invaded and occupied. The rest of the lands conquered (now called China and Russia) are understood to be of the earth because they are neither of the sea nor of the heavens. Those who were not conquered were of the heavens (Western, Northern, and Central? Europe).
Historically, the War in Heaven ended in 1492 AD. Watch it in the Timeline Map – the year of the fall of Granada, the last Muslim kingdom in Iberia. Watch it in the Timeline Map. After the fall, no Muslim kingdom can be found in Northern, Western, and Central Europe – the ”heaven?”
Rev 12:7-8 KJV
(7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
(8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast down …
(Rev 12:9 KJV) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
(Rev 12:13 KJV) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
Where on earth was the dragon cast down? Before the war in heaven ended, many Mongol occupiers in parts of earth converted to Islam
“The Ilkhanate, Golden Horde, and the Chagatai Khanate – three of the four principal khanates (except for the Yuan dynasty) – embraced Islam,[5] as the Mongol elite favored Islam to strengthen their rule over the Muslim majority populace.”
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_Mongol_Empire#Islam
Go to 1280 AD in the Timeline Map and there you will see where he was metaphorically cast down. At the time he was thrown down (1492), these areas had other khanate names but still under Muslim rule or influence.
8. Time, Times and Half a Time
(14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
The time expression “time, times and half a time” needs to have its own article. Here is the link:
Time, Times, and a Half (3 ½ or 2 ½ )
The Americas was discovered in 1492 AD and European nations, especially, Spain and Britain greatly benefited from it in so many ways. The explosion of global trade brought by the discovery gave the Woman not just wealth but also advancement in science and technology and also military power/strength (wings) but it’s very important to look at the wings as part of the Woman! She was able to defend and stand against the onslaught of the Ottoman Empire, considered a superpower at that time. After the two wings were given, almost all, if not all, of the attempts of the Dragon to pursue/persecute the Woman failed. And many of the lands conquered by the Ottomans before the 2nd wing were reverted back to the Europeans.
Please read the educational short article below to see how Rev 12:13b to Rev 12:14 was fulfilled:
How did the Ottoman Empire react to the discovery of the American continent?
9. The Flood from the Dragon
Rev 12:15-16 KJV
(15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
(16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
The flood that came out of the mouth of the Dragon could very well be the armies of Nazi Germany and its ally countries in Europe during World War 2. They almost swept off all of Europe at that time. When only Britain was left fighting the Germans, Hitler turned his attention to the east – the Soviet Union. He disregarded his country’s non-aggression pact with the Soviets and invaded their country. The vastness of the land of the Soviet Union swallowed up much of the invading countries’ armies easing up the pressure on Great Britain, and perhaps, that prevented Hitler to invade other European Christian countries (with resident Jews or refugees) that were neutral or not yet conquered. This is how the Woman of Revelation 12 was helped by the symbolic earth in verse 16, another verse that points where the symbolic earth of the phrase “heavens, earth, and sea” is
10. The Dragon and the Other Seed of the Woman
(Rev 12:17 KJV) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
After much of the armies of the Axis Powers in Europe was swallowed up by the land of the Soviet Union and while both sides were fighting each other, the Dragon was wroth with the Woman. He went away and made war with the other seed or children of the Woman. The other area of the globe that a “major” war had broken out after the invasion of the Soviet Union was in the Asia – Pacific region. On December 7, 1941, more than six months after the Soviet Union was invaded, Japan attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, and the Dragon’s war on God’s other people started. By this war, we can know the modern-day identity of the other seed of the Woman.
At this time of verse 15 to 17, the beast is nonexistent. There is no empire government that holds the nations and peoples that the beast which John saw in Rev 17 points to. But at this time frame, the 6th head exists (Rev 17:10). That is why the 6th head as (one of) “kings” which is included in the graphical representation of the Dragon has a crown (Rev 12:3). Even though the beast is not existing at this time, there are terrorist attacks committed by the Muslim radicals and this could be indications that the 6th head is active.
The reader may want to read: The Red Dragon, Composite Beast, and Scarlet Beast of Revelation
Student of the Light 