Study Focus: Revelation 12 covers the entire sweep of Christian history, with glimpses of the universal war that lies behind the conflicts of earth.
Introduction: Revelation 12 portrays the history of both Old and New Testament Israel in four stages: (1) the period before the birth of Christ, with a glimpse of Israel represented by a woman (Rev. 12:1, 2) and the original expulsion of Satan from heaven (Rev. 12:3, 4); (2) the birth, ascension, and enthronement of Christ, with a flashback to the war in heaven, as seen in the light of the Cross (Rev. 12:5, Rev. 7–11); (3) the history of the Christian church between the two advents of Jesus, with a particular focus on the persecution of the church during the Middle Ages (Rev. 12:6, 13–16); and (4) the experience of the end-time remnant in the final days of earth’s history (Rev. 12:17).
Lesson Themes: The lesson and the focus passage introduce the following themes:
I. What Happens When New Characters Appear in Revelation?
II. The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict
III. Application of the Year-Day Principle
IV. The Biblical Concept of the Remnant
V. The Testimony of Jesus
Life Application:
How does awareness of the cosmic conflict affect the way we look at the world and the way we find meaning and purpose in it?
What is the significance of the cosmic conflict on our understanding of the character of God?
Part II: Commentary
Revelation 12 portrays the history and experience of the church from the birth of Christ (Rev. 12:5) to the final crisis of earth’s history (Rev. 12:17). As such, it sets the stage for Revelation’s primary focus on end-time events from chapter 13 on (see next week’s lesson for details on Revelation 13).
Main Themes of Lesson 8 Elaborated:
I. What Happens When New Characters Appear in Revelation?
There is an important literary pattern in the book of Revelation. Whenever a new character appears in the story, the author pauses the narrative and offers a visual description of that character and a bit of his or her previous history. This “freeze-frame” device often helps the reader identify the character. After this introduction, the character plays a role in the larger story.
In chapter 1, Jesus appears as a character in the vision for the first time (Rev. 1:12–18 [He is named earlier: Rev. 1:5, 9]). There is a visual description (Rev. 1:12–16) and a bit of His previous history (Rev. 1:17, 18), followed by His actions in the subsequent vision (Revelation 2 and 3). In chapter 11, the two witnesses are introduced similarly (Rev. 11:3–6), followed by their actions in the context of the vision (Rev. 11:7–13).
Two new characters appear at the beginning of Revelation 12 (Rev. 12:1–4). First, there is a visual description of a woman (Rev. 12:1) and a bit of her previous history (Rev. 12:2). Then a dragon appears and is similarly introduced (Rev. 12:3, 4). Only then do both characters begin to act in the context of the vision itself (Rev. 12:5–9). The male child of verse 5, on the other hand, is not introduced with a visual description, probably because He has already been introduced earlier in a different form (Rev. 1:12–18).
II. The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict
The war in heaven is described in military language. There is the language of “war” (Rev. 12:7 [Greek: polemos]) and “fighting” (Greek: polemêsai, epolemêsen). These Greek words normally describe armed conflict. But they can be used in figurative ways, as well, to heighten the drama of quarrels and verbal disagreements (James 4:1). Upon closer examination, the war in heaven is more a war of words than a military event. There are four main evidences for this in chapter 12.
First, the dragon sweeps a third of the stars down from heaven with his tail (Greek: oura). The tail is an Old Testament symbol for a prophet who teaches lies (Isa. 9:15). Second, the dragon is defined in Revelation 12:9 as “that ancient serpent” (NIV), a clear reference to the lies about God spoken to Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:1–6). Third, the dragon/Satan is cast out of heaven as the “accuser of our brothers” (ESV) in Revelation 12:10. It is his accusing words, rather than physical weapons, that result in his being cast out. And finally, the dragon/Satan is overcome by “the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11, NKJV). So the war of Revelation 12 is not a military battle; it is a war of words and ideas.
III. Application of the Year-Day Principle
The year-day principle is crucial for the correct interpretation of apocalyptic prophecy. It goes something like this: “In apocalyptic prophecy, periods of time are symbolic, so that its fulfillment should be counted in years.” This principle is not stated as such in Scripture. But the Bible gives us the pattern by highlighting day-for-a-year equivalencies. In Numbers 14:34, Israel’s 40 days that led to rebellion correspond to a predicted 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. In Ezekiel 4:5, 6, the prophet is to lie down one day for each year of Israel and Judah’s disobedience. In Leviticus 25, the concept of a week with its Sabbath is extended from days to years. People would farm the land for six years and let the land “rest” during the seventh, or sabbatical, year. Daniel 9 contains 70 “weeks,” or 490 years. So the sabbatical concept also highlights year-day thinking in biblical times.
But when should one apply prophetic days as years? There are several guiding principles to consider. (1) Because apocalyptic prophecies, such as are found in Daniel and Revelation, are full of symbols, a symbolic meaning for any numbers in the prophecy should be considered. (2) Year-day numbers tend to be the kind one would not use in normal speech. No parent, for example, would say that his or her child is 1,260 days old, 42 months old, or, even less, say that the child is as old as 2,300 evenings and mornings! (3) In a sequence of prophetic events, if the prophecy makes more sense when counting the days as years, one should do so. For example, in Daniel 7, each of the four beasts rules for multiple decades, even hundreds of years. But when the chief opponent of God appears, it rules for only three and a half “times,” or years (Dan. 7:25). From the perspective of the end of history, it becomes evident that this unusual prophetic time period of Daniel 7 should be interpreted using the day-year principle.
IV. The Biblical Concept of the Remnant
The people of God in the final conflict are called the “remnant” (Greek: loipôn) in Revelation 12:17. The original meaning of “remnant” is “survivors of a disaster.” Because of flood, earthquake, or conquest, a tribe or people could be totally destroyed. The survival of a remnant brought hope that the tribe or people could be restored to greatness in the future (see Isa. 1:9). Within the Old Testament, a moral or spiritual meaning also came to be attached to “remnant.” The remnant was a “believing minority”—through whom God could ultimately save the human race from extinction in spite of the presence of sin and evil in the world (Gen. 7:23).
As a result, “remnant” was used in three different ways in the Old Testament. (1) Historical Remnant. This is the group that has survived a great judgment of God in the past, such as the Jews who went into exile to Babylon or remained in the land. Such a group is visible, nameable, and countable. (2) Faithful Remnant. This term refers to those among a given historical remnant who remain faithful to God’s message and mission of that historical time. These are those whom God knows are faithful to Him (2 Tim. 2:19). They are not always as visible as the historical remnant (1 Kings 19:14–18). (3) Eschatological Remnant. The eschatological remnant is made up of all who are faithful during the end time (Joel 2:31, 32). This eschatological remnant comprises those who “will be able to stand” (Rev. 6:17) and who “endure to the end” (Matt. 24:13).
The book of Revelation clearly refers to at least two types of the remnant. The faithful remnant in Thyatira are those who survive the apostasy of that period (Rev. 2:24). An eschatological, or end-time, remnant emerges just before the close of probation (Rev. 11:13; Rev. 12:17). It is God’s purpose that this final remnant faithfully prepare the way for the second coming of Jesus, as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ’s first advent.
V. The Testimony of Jesus
One of the marks of the remnant in Revelation 12:17 is that they are those who “have” (Greek: echontôn) the “testimony of Jesus” (Greek: tên marturion Iêsou). This means that John foresaw an end-time revival of the kind of visionary, prophetic gift he himself was given (Rev. 1:2). This meaning for “testimony of Jesus” is confirmed by a careful comparison of Revelation 19:10 and Revelation 22:8, 9. Those who hold to the testimony of Jesus in Revelation 19:10 are called “the prophets” in Revelation 22:9. Seventh-day Adventists see this gift fulfilled in the ministry of Ellen G. White.
Part III: Life Application
How do you see the world differently because of the cosmic conflict? What would it be like to live without that knowledge? The cosmic conflict powerfully answers the three great questions of philosophy: (1) Where did I come from? (2) Where am I going? and (3) Why am I here? Knowledge of the cosmic conflict provides meaning and purpose to all that we do, connects us to something bigger than ourselves, and enables us to be relaxed about the future, knowing it is safely in God’s hands.
What is the significance of the heavenly war on our picture of what God is like? God’s side in the cosmic conflict places priority on love and self-sacrifice, respects the freedom of God’s creatures, and does not coerce but, rather, is patient, seeking to provide persuasive evidence. On the other hand, Satan seeks to win by persecution (force) and deception (telling lies). The casting out of Satan in Revelation 12:9, 10 means that the hosts of heaven no longer take his lies seriously: his arguments have lost credibility, and he is not wanted there anymore.
Our picture of God, to a large degree, determines how we live and behave. If we think of God as severe and judgmental, we become more like that. If we think of God as gracious and self-sacrificing, we become more like that. We become like the God we worship.
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Key Text: Revelation 12:11
Study Focus: Revelation 12 covers the entire sweep of Christian history, with glimpses of the universal war that lies behind the conflicts of earth.
Introduction: Revelation 12 portrays the history of both Old and New Testament Israel in four stages: (1) the period before the birth of Christ, with a glimpse of Israel represented by a woman (Rev. 12:1, 2) and the original expulsion of Satan from heaven (Rev. 12:3, 4); (2) the birth, ascension, and enthronement of Christ, with a flashback to the war in heaven, as seen in the light of the Cross (Rev. 12:5, Rev. 7–11); (3) the history of the Christian church between the two advents of Jesus, with a particular focus on the persecution of the church during the Middle Ages (Rev. 12:6, 13–16); and (4) the experience of the end-time remnant in the final days of earth’s history (Rev. 12:17).
Lesson Themes: The lesson and the focus passage introduce the following themes:
I. What Happens When New Characters Appear in Revelation?
II. The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict
III. Application of the Year-Day Principle
IV. The Biblical Concept of the Remnant
V. The Testimony of Jesus
Life Application:
Part II: Commentary
Revelation 12 portrays the history and experience of the church from the birth of Christ (Rev. 12:5) to the final crisis of earth’s history (Rev. 12:17). As such, it sets the stage for Revelation’s primary focus on end-time events from chapter 13 on (see next week’s lesson for details on Revelation 13).
Main Themes of Lesson 8 Elaborated:
I. What Happens When New Characters Appear in Revelation?
There is an important literary pattern in the book of Revelation. Whenever a new character appears in the story, the author pauses the narrative and offers a visual description of that character and a bit of his or her previous history. This “freeze-frame” device often helps the reader identify the character. After this introduction, the character plays a role in the larger story.
In chapter 1, Jesus appears as a character in the vision for the first time (Rev. 1:12–18 [He is named earlier: Rev. 1:5, 9]). There is a visual description (Rev. 1:12–16) and a bit of His previous history (Rev. 1:17, 18), followed by His actions in the subsequent vision (Revelation 2 and 3). In chapter 11, the two witnesses are introduced similarly (Rev. 11:3–6), followed by their actions in the context of the vision (Rev. 11:7–13).
Two new characters appear at the beginning of Revelation 12 (Rev. 12:1–4). First, there is a visual description of a woman (Rev. 12:1) and a bit of her previous history (Rev. 12:2). Then a dragon appears and is similarly introduced (Rev. 12:3, 4). Only then do both characters begin to act in the context of the vision itself (Rev. 12:5–9). The male child of verse 5, on the other hand, is not introduced with a visual description, probably because He has already been introduced earlier in a different form (Rev. 1:12–18).
II. The Nature of the Cosmic Conflict
The war in heaven is described in military language. There is the language of “war” (Rev. 12:7 [Greek: polemos]) and “fighting” (Greek: polemêsai, epolemêsen). These Greek words normally describe armed conflict. But they can be used in figurative ways, as well, to heighten the drama of quarrels and verbal disagreements (James 4:1). Upon closer examination, the war in heaven is more a war of words than a military event. There are four main evidences for this in chapter 12.
First, the dragon sweeps a third of the stars down from heaven with his tail (Greek: oura). The tail is an Old Testament symbol for a prophet who teaches lies (Isa. 9:15). Second, the dragon is defined in Revelation 12:9 as “that ancient serpent” (NIV), a clear reference to the lies about God spoken to Adam and Eve in the garden (Gen. 3:1–6). Third, the dragon/Satan is cast out of heaven as the “accuser of our brothers” (ESV) in Revelation 12:10. It is his accusing words, rather than physical weapons, that result in his being cast out. And finally, the dragon/Satan is overcome by “the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11, NKJV). So the war of Revelation 12 is not a military battle; it is a war of words and ideas.
III. Application of the Year-Day Principle The year-day principle is crucial for the correct interpretation of apocalyptic prophecy. It goes something like this: “In apocalyptic prophecy, periods of time are symbolic, so that its fulfillment should be counted in years.” This principle is not stated as such in Scripture. But the Bible gives us the pattern by highlighting day-for-a-year equivalencies. In Numbers 14:34, Israel’s 40 days that led to rebellion correspond to a predicted 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. In Ezekiel 4:5, 6, the prophet is to lie down one day for each year of Israel and Judah’s disobedience. In Leviticus 25, the concept of a week with its Sabbath is extended from days to years. People would farm the land for six years and let the land “rest” during the seventh, or sabbatical, year. Daniel 9 contains 70 “weeks,” or 490 years. So the sabbatical concept also highlights year-day thinking in biblical times.
But when should one apply prophetic days as years? There are several guiding principles to consider. (1) Because apocalyptic prophecies, such as are found in Daniel and Revelation, are full of symbols, a symbolic meaning for any numbers in the prophecy should be considered. (2) Year-day numbers tend to be the kind one would not use in normal speech. No parent, for example, would say that his or her child is 1,260 days old, 42 months old, or, even less, say that the child is as old as 2,300 evenings and mornings! (3) In a sequence of prophetic events, if the prophecy makes more sense when counting the days as years, one should do so. For example, in Daniel 7, each of the four beasts rules for multiple decades, even hundreds of years. But when the chief opponent of God appears, it rules for only three and a half “times,” or years (Dan. 7:25). From the perspective of the end of history, it becomes evident that this unusual prophetic time period of Daniel 7 should be interpreted using the day-year principle.
IV. The Biblical Concept of the Remnant
The people of God in the final conflict are called the “remnant” (Greek: loipôn) in Revelation 12:17. The original meaning of “remnant” is “survivors of a disaster.” Because of flood, earthquake, or conquest, a tribe or people could be totally destroyed. The survival of a remnant brought hope that the tribe or people could be restored to greatness in the future (see Isa. 1:9). Within the Old Testament, a moral or spiritual meaning also came to be attached to “remnant.” The remnant was a “believing minority”—through whom God could ultimately save the human race from extinction in spite of the presence of sin and evil in the world (Gen. 7:23).
As a result, “remnant” was used in three different ways in the Old Testament. (1) Historical Remnant. This is the group that has survived a great judgment of God in the past, such as the Jews who went into exile to Babylon or remained in the land. Such a group is visible, nameable, and countable. (2) Faithful Remnant. This term refers to those among a given historical remnant who remain faithful to God’s message and mission of that historical time. These are those whom God knows are faithful to Him (2 Tim. 2:19). They are not always as visible as the historical remnant (1 Kings 19:14–18). (3) Eschatological Remnant. The eschatological remnant is made up of all who are faithful during the end time (Joel 2:31, 32). This eschatological remnant comprises those who “will be able to stand” (Rev. 6:17) and who “endure to the end” (Matt. 24:13).
The book of Revelation clearly refers to at least two types of the remnant. The faithful remnant in Thyatira are those who survive the apostasy of that period (Rev. 2:24). An eschatological, or end-time, remnant emerges just before the close of probation (Rev. 11:13; Rev. 12:17). It is God’s purpose that this final remnant faithfully prepare the way for the second coming of Jesus, as John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ’s first advent.
V. The Testimony of Jesus
One of the marks of the remnant in Revelation 12:17 is that they are those who “have” (Greek: echontôn) the “testimony of Jesus” (Greek: tên marturion Iêsou). This means that John foresaw an end-time revival of the kind of visionary, prophetic gift he himself was given (Rev. 1:2). This meaning for “testimony of Jesus” is confirmed by a careful comparison of Revelation 19:10 and Revelation 22:8, 9. Those who hold to the testimony of Jesus in Revelation 19:10 are called “the prophets” in Revelation 22:9. Seventh-day Adventists see this gift fulfilled in the ministry of Ellen G. White.
Part III: Life Application
Our picture of God, to a large degree, determines how we live and behave. If we think of God as severe and judgmental, we become more like that. If we think of God as gracious and self-sacrificing, we become more like that. We become like the God we worship.