REVELATION 12-14

What at first looks like a parenthesis in the events of the last days in fact reveals the cosmic struggle behind all the events. One commentator calls this section the core of the book.

The Structure of Revelation 12-14

I. The dragon (chapter 12)

A. the woman and the dragon (12:1-6)

B. war in heaven (12:7-12)

A'. The woman and the dragon (12:13-17)

II. The two beasts (chapter 13)

A. the beast from the sea (13:1-8)

B. call for endurance (3:9-10)

A'. the beast from the earth (13:11-18)

III. Six angels (chapter 14)

A. introduction (14:1-5)

1. “I looked and lo” (14:1)

2. “I heard a voice” (14:2-5)

B. three angels (14:6-11)

C. Call for endurance (14:12)

A'. introduction (14:13-14)

2. “a voice from heaven” (14:13)

1. “I looked and lo” (14:14)

B'. three angels (14:15-20)

IA and A' repeat same information (compare 12:6, 14) and may be the same event.

The B sections all contain messages to the church. Each event has a spiritual importance to remember and live out.

The three demonic forces in I and II are more than counterbalanced by the six angels in Section III. This same theme of the superiority of God's forces over the powers of darkness is underscored in Section II by its repeated references to “allow” and “authority.”

Revelation 12:1-16 contains a plurality of images.

v. 1 “A portent in heaven” starts this new section, and will similarly initiate the following one in 15:1.

The woman is either (1) Eve whose seed conquers the serpent, (2) Israel, out of which the Messiah came, or (3) Mary, who flees to Egypt with Joseph and Jesus. Others see the woman as the Church (This interpretation fits the twelve stars and the later pursuit of her offspring in verse 17), but it is hard to imagine Christ being born from the Church unless we look at Mary as the first believer, as some commentators do. With similar confusion, the events have been interpreted as referring to Christ's birth or to his death and resurrection. See Revelation 1:5 about Jesus being the first-born from the dead.

vv. 3-10 The dragon (from the sea? = chaos) = the ancient serpent (tempter of mankind) = Devil = Satan (false accuser, slanderer, he who attempts to divide man from God).

12:5 The “snatching up” of Christ to God and His throne occurred during the Resurrection.

12:6 1260 days = “time, times and half a time” (v. 14) = 42 months in 11:2 for trampling the temple, 3 1/2 days in 11:9 for death of the two witnesses, and 42 months in 13:5 for the beast exercising authority. This is also the time of the Antichrist (Daniel 7:25; 12:7) and the time of God withholding rain from Israel under King Ahab (1 Kings 17). The symbolism of 3 ½, as explained in a previous lesson, may lie in the fact that it is half of seven, the symbolic number for completeness. Thus, it may indicate a limited time period only.

12:7-9 The defeat of Satan during this celestial battle takes place during three main events: the Incarnation, the Temptation, and the Crucifixion. This may be the spiritual equivalent of the earthly events in the rest of the chapter.

12:9 “Deceiver of the whole world.” Satan's time as an accuser of believers before God is no longer, even though he can continue in role of tempter. See Revelation 20:3 where he no longer can deceive the nations.

12:12 This is the only place in John's writings where the plural for “heaven” is used. The Hebrew word is probably in the plural here (elsewhere in the NT the singular and plural are interchangeable) since it is a direct quote from the Septuagint (Greek version) of Psalm 96:11.

12:15-16 Water usually represents the primeval chaos, the enemy of God. These verses illustrate the spiritual security of believers. Images of Exodus in this chapter are applied to the church: deluge at the Red Sea with a reversal; time in the wilderness for testing; wings of the eagle to allow the woman to escape (see Exodus 19:4).

Revelation 13:1-10 Usually the beast from the sea is interpreted as the Roman Empire (ten emperors and seven hills), but the symbol goes beyond that. Horns represent power in general, crowns represent political power specifically. A blasphemous name indicates that it usurps and claims the power of God. It goes beyond the Roman Empire since it rules over all nations. One form of government after another rises to power and is defeated (v.3), but people continue to put their trust in the newest form of political power to arise. The images are taken from those of the four beasts from the sea in Daniel 7 and 13.

vv. 1-3 The two beasts (from land and sea) who oppose God are like Behemoth and Leviathan of Job 40 and 41.

v. 3 There was a popular legend at the time that Nero would come back from life. Again, we see a counterfeit of Christ and his death and resurrection.

v. 4 shows the allure of political power, even to Christians.

v. 7 Jacques Ellul: “It holds power over both the material and the spiritual planes; for this state is not only force and power but also seduction and the capacity to make itself adored.” The example of Roman emperor worship is just the first of many throughout history.

v. 8 It is uncertain exactly what this means, but John Stott (The Cross of Christ) uses this verse to stress the centrality of the cross over the span of all time. However, “for all time” may modify the writing of names in the Book of Life instead.

Revelation 13:11-18

The second beast comes in a more benign form, causes obedience by conviction rather than coercion, as did the first beast. This may represent propaganda on behalf of the political state. Nazi Germany is a prime example. He uses the word rather than the sword, but still has the power to condemn those who do not agree.

Stott has a slightly different understanding by which all three creatures (including the harlot) refer to Rome in its capacity as persecutor (power of the state), deceiver (false religion promoter) and seducer (pleasure, economic power, etc.)

v. 11 He looks like a lamb (Christ) but is in actuality aligned with Satan. The Antichrist?

vv.11-13 Two horns and control over fire may be intended to remind us of the two witnesses of God in Chapter 11.

vv.13-15 appear to definitely identify the beast with the Antichrist (see Mark 13:22; II Thessalonians 2:9).

v.17 “The one who does not conform is banned from the society and is no longer able to exercise any function, even the simplest and most indispensable in order to live.”: Ellul.

One from the sea and the other from the land may indicate totality of power over the earth (similar to the way the angel earlier proclaimed with one foot on each).

The early church historian Eusebius (Bk. 5, Ch. 1) writes about the time under the Emperor Antoninus Veras: “The Adversary resorted to every means ...so that we should not only be excluded from houses, and baths, and markets, but everything belonging to us from appearing in any place whatever.”

v. 18 In Greek, “Jesus” has the numerical value of 888 using the Jewish method of gematria. In symbolic terms, he exceeds perfection in every way. On the other hand, a futile attempt to reach perfection (7) by accumulating 6's only points out even more the weaknesses present. Gematria also can be used (sometimes using 616 in place of 666, as found in some manuscripts) to yield Nero-Caesar, Hitler, the Pope, Martin Luther, Napoleon, etc., basically any leader of any time period – all depending on what the interpreter's political views happen to be. “What[ever] political power uses propaganda to bring about unanimity, to inspire adoration, to produce loyalty without fault? Then...it is certainly the beast at this moment.”: Ellul

Others point out that “a human number” cannot stand for anything other than a particular person. But that is not necessarily definitive since humanity as a whole was first created on the sixth day.

Revelation 14

Six angels appear here (again, the series is not completed with a seventh but starts all over again in Chapter 16 with the seven bowls). This announces judgment on the enemies of Christ.

vv. 1-5 The 144,000 are probably the same as the whole church in Chapter 7. The only puzzling descriptions are (1) as men who are virgins and (2) first-fruits. The first phrase is symbolic of purity before marriage (to Christ) and the second phrase can be explained by reference to James 1:18 (also see 2 Thessalonians 2:13).

v.13 Hebrews 4:9-10 is a close parallel.

v.19 This verse, of course, is where we get the lyrics for Battle Hymn of the Republic, and title of the John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath.

v. 20 The number 1,600 (furlongs) is problematic.

a. Perhaps 40x40, with 40 being a traditional number for punishment

b. 4x4 (number of the earth) times 10x10 (number of completeness).

c. As a square number representing destruction, it may be purposely contrasted with the other square number in Revelation, 144 (as a thousand), denoting preservation.

d. This distance (184 miles) is also the length of Palestine from Dan to Beersheba.