Season 5 Podcast 129 Book of Revelation Chapter 12 “Opening of the Seven Seals, H, “The Seventh Seal, The War in Heaven.”

Season 5 Podcast 129 Book of Revelation Chapter 12 “Opening of the Seven Seals, H, “The Seventh Seal, The War in Heaven.”

John is a prophet of the future. In the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation, John sees the resurrected Lord. In addition, he writes seven letters to seven different churches. Each letter is unique as each church is unique. In Revelation 1 we read.

Revelation 1:11 

“Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”

We may assume that each church received a separate letter. However, the number seven suggests completeness. No church or letter is complete without all seven letters. Christians would have read it that way two thousand years ago and we are meant to read it that way today. It gives us some insight into how John writes and how he thinks. What is true then is also true today.

And that is also how we need to approach Chapter Twelve of the Book of Revelation. John is speaking of the church in his day, and he is also speaking of the church in our day.

Revelation 12:1

“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 woman is the church. The fact that she is clothed with the sun suggests unmistakenly that the head of the church is Christ. The twelve stars would be the twelve apostles.  In describing the resurrected Christ John said.

Revelation 1:13-16

“And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

“Clothed with the sun” suggests that Christ, whose “countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength,” is the head of the church. The image of “the moon under her feet” completes the image of Christ looking down on his church on earth in the latter days. The crown of twelve stars refers to the Twelve Apostles, both in ancient times and modern times. 

Revelation 12:3

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”

The child is Christ. “Pained to be delivered” which obviously alludes to the birth of the baby Jesus in humble circumstances, but it also alludes to the church he established and suggests the great persecution of the church. The next image refers to the great counterfeit, Satan.

Revelation 12:3

“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.”

It is interesting that Satan is referred to as “another wonder in heaven.” The “seven heads” symbolize the completeness of his kingdom whose entire purpose is to destroy the church established by Christ. “Ten horns, and seven crowns” also suggests earthly kingdoms who fight against Christ under the power of Satan. But the battle with Satan didn’t begin on earth. It began in heaven before the earth was created.

Revelation 12:4

“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.”