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This chapter
deals with two wonders which appeared in heaven-one a woman clothed
with the sun, the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of
twelve stars and ready to be delivered of a child; the other a great
red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and a tail which drew
the third part of the stars of heaven-and also with the war in
heaven.
Now, there are some things mentioned here which make it very clear
that the "heaven" referred to here is not the heaven which is the
eternal abode of God, and that it has no reference to the devil
being cast out of this heaven.
In the first place, this dragon was in the same place where the
woman was; for it is said that he stood before the woman to devour
her child as soon as it was born-verse 4. This woman was in
pain-verse 2. Do we suppose we shall be enduring hardships, trials,
persecutions, and suffering pain in heaven? I do not.
Then it says in verse 5 that she brought forth a child and her child
was caught up to God and to His throne. Could she be in heaven where
God is, and still her child be caught UP to God and His throne? Is
God still on up above heaven somewhere so that the child would be
caught UP above heaven to Him? I say, No!
Verse 6 says the woman fled into the wilderness. Is there any
wilderness in heaven where God is? The Bible does not describe it
that way, but rather as a place of exquisite beauty, richness,
grandeur, glory, light, etc.
Verse 11 says, "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by
the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto
death."
This makes it perfectly clear what kind of a war it was (spiritual)
and where it was by the weapons which were used. They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb. But the blood of the Lamb (Christ) was not
shed in heaven. It was shed on the earth. Again it was the blood of
the Lamb through which they overcame, therefore this could not
possibly refer to the devil being cast out of God's heaven because
the blood of the Lamb was not shed for thousands of years after the
devil is known to have been working in this earth. Therefore, if we
were to concede that the devil were ever in heaven and cast out, we
would have to exclude this Scripture as any proof of it because they
could not have used the blood of the Lamb as a weapon against him
way back there when it had not been shed.
It is also said that they overcame him by the word of their
testimony. But it is here in this world that God's people testify to
the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Then it is said that they loved not their lives unto death. Heaven
is a spirit world. God is a spirit. John 4:24. "And of the angels he
saith, Who maketh his angels spirits." Heb. 1:7. We see then that
God is a spirit and His angels who dwell with Him in heaven are
spirits and we know that spirits cannot die. But this is talking
about people who could die, and, in fact, many of them did die.
Verse 13 says, "And when the dragon saw that he was cast out unto
the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man
child." Now, there is nothing at all mentioned in the entire chapter
about the woman being cast out of heaven to the earth. Then how
could the dragon persecute her after he was cast out into the earth
if she were still in heaven? Remember, the dragon was in the same
heaven where the woman was. Then if he could be cast out of heaven
to the earth and still have access to the woman to persecute her and
her still in heaven, we would be making heaven a very uncomfortable
place to be. Let us hope that God is able to provide a better
defense and security for His children than that.
The fact is, all of this took place right here in the earth and the
term "heaven" refers to the ecclesiastical, spiritual, or religious
heaven, which is among the people right here on earth.
Further, to substantiate any such argument that this chapter refers
to the devil being cast out of heaven, one would have to prove that
the devil had such a physical form as a great red dragon with seven
heads and ten horns and a tail long enough to draw stars out of
heaven. This cannot be done, because we have no knowledge of the
devil having any kind of physical form any more than we do of God
having a physical form, but we do have knowledge that both of them
are spirits.
Again in Rev. 13:2 we see that the dragon gave his power and seat
and authority over to another, a beast which arose up out of the
sea, having seven heads and ten horns, etc. Now, if this dragon is
the devil himself, I would like to know when and where the devil
ever gave his power and seat over to another and to whom. The fact
is that this dragon was not the devil himself, but both the dragon
of Rev. 12 and the beast of Rev. 13 were agents, instruments, or
systems (religious systems) through which the devil operated and
carried on his work.
But some may object that the Scripture says it was the devil (Rev.
12:9). This verse says, "And the great DRAGON was cast out, that old
serpent CALLED the devil, and Satan. . ." It says here the dragon
was CALLED the devil and Satan.
It could properly be called the devil because it was the principal
system through which the devil was operating at that time. It was a
devil-dominated system of religion. Paul says in 1 Cor. 10 :20, "But
I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice
to devils. . ." We see then that the devil actually had a system of
religion and at least some worshippers who sacrificed to him.
Therefore he is spoken of here, or rather his religious system
through which he was operating, is spoken of as being in heaven
(ecclesiastical or religious heaven) because that in the hearts of
the Gentile idol worshippers whom he had deceived he was exalted to
the place of God and worshipped and sacrificed to instead of the
true God.
Now we have brought forth several clear points here showing what
this is not. But we would not be fair to the inquirer after truth to
just tell him what it was not and leave him hanging out in mid-air,
not knowing just what is meant by these things. So we shall now
bring forth the truth that is taught in the 12th chapter of
Revelation in connection with other Scriptures.
Now, if we just forget the first wonder that appeared in heaven in
the first verse of this chapter (the woman clothed with the sun,
etc.) and only consider the second wonder which is spoken of in
verse 3 (the great red dragon) we shall, no doubt, be thrown off the
proper course of thought and stray from the truth. But we find that
this woman is mentioned throughout the entire chapter as the object
of the dragon's wrath and persecution. Therefore we cannot leave her
out of the picture at all, and to carry her along in connection with
the activities of the dragon will help us to understand just what is
being taught here and where and when it all took place.
The language here is highly symbolical as it is throughout the
entire book of Revelation.
With these thoughts in mind, we will first establish the identity of
the woman referred to in the first verse.
"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."
This woman was in a very exalted place, and the brightest luminaries
of heaven were assembled around her. This is a picture of the New
Testament church which was built by Christ Himself (Matt. 16:18) in
all of her pristine glory and splendor.
But perhaps you may require other Scriptures in connection with this
to justify this interpretation of this Scripture. We shall give
them.
Rev. 19:7, 8, says, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to
him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made
herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in
fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness
of saints." Here we see the Lamb (Christ) has a wife and that her
splendid apparel is the righteousness of SAINTS, which compose the
church on earth.
Rev. 21 :9, 10 makes it even clearer. "And there came unto me one of
the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last
plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee
the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to
a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." The following verses
then proceed to give a detailed description of this city in highly
symbolical language. This Scripture does not only tell us that the
Lamb has a wife, but also tells us who she is-"That great city, the
holy Jerusalem."
Turning to Hebrews 12:22, 23 we find a further identification of
this city. "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of
the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, to the general assembly and CHURCH of the
Firstborn. . ." This definitely identifies the city of God (heavenly
Jerusalem) as the CHURCH of the Firstborn. There it is definitely
established from these Scriptures that the wife of the Lamb (Christ)
is His church and therefore she is symbolized by a woman in this
exalted position.
This is further taught in the Scriptures by plain comparison in Eph.
5:25-32. And again in 2 Cor. 11:2 Paul is speaking to the CHURCH at
Corinth and says, "I have espoused you to one husband, that I may
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." This refers to the bond
and spiritual relationship between saved people and Christ, the
heavenly bride groom of their souls.
Rom. 7:4 is another Scripture along this line. "Wherefore, my
brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;
that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from
the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."
But so much for that. We could go on multiplying texts at
considerable length along this line, but it is not necessary. Surely
it must be clear to every one that the New Testament church which
Jesus built is His bride and is properly represented by a pure woman
such as is pictured in Revelation 12.
The sun is the brightest luminary of heaven. Then it would properly
symbolize the brightest luminary of the spiritual heaven, which is
the SUN of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. This
woman is said to be clothed with the sun, and surely the divine
virtues and graces of the Son of God is the apparel and adornment of
the Church of God in the earth.
She puts on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 13 :14. She puts on the new
man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that
created him. Col. 3:10. She is arrayed in fine linen, the
righteousness of saints. Rev. 19:8. She is changed into the same
image or likeness of Christ by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18.
Oh, what is the glorious and high situation of those who are
redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, which compose His church in the
earth! |
