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Heavenly Father, let our minds truly see You for who You are as spoken in Your Word. Let our spirits connect with You in this time of peaceful reading and reflection. Teach us to use our whole selves to serve You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
The Woman and the Dragon
12 1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads.
4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. NLT
Commentary
(the following commentary is from www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/revelation-lbw.htm)
"Verses 1-2 The events that follow the seventh (7th) trumpet include the 7 last troubles. These are in chapters 15 and 16. In chapters 12 to 14, John wrote about events that happen before those troubles.
John saw a great sign in the sky. In other words, he saw a series of strange pictures. And these pictures had a meaning.
The action was in the sky and on the earth. It was not in heaven where God lives. John saw a woman who was ready to give birth to a son. John described her in a strange way. He wrote that her dress was the sun. The moon was beneath her feet. She wore a crown. And there were 12 stars in her crown.
Joseph had a dream (Genesis 37:9-11). In that dream, he saw the sun, the moon and 11 stars. The sun meant Jacob who was also called Israel. The moon meant Jacob’s wife. The stars meant Joseph’s brothers. The 12 tribes of Israel came from Joseph and his brothers. So, the woman whom John saw meant the nation called Israel.
The woman cried out because of the pains of birth. The Christ would be born into the nation called Israel.
Verse 3 The next sign that John saw was a great red dragon. The dragon had 7 heads and 10 horns. Each head had a crown on it. This is a description of the last great world government. It will be a kingdom that unites 10 separate kingdoms (Daniel 7:7-8; Daniel 7:24). At the same time, the dragon means someone in particular. The person who gives power to that kingdom is Satan. So, the great red dragon means Satan.
Verse 4 John saw the tail of the dragon sweep the sky. A third of the stars seemed to fall out of the sky. These stars seem to mean angels. When Satan became God’s enemy, many angels supported Satan. These evil angels had to leave heaven.
The dragon waited to kill the child as soon as it was born. When Jesus was born, Herod tried to kill him. This dragon also failed.
Verse 5 The baby boy was born to the woman. That boy was Jesus. He was born to Mary who belonged to the nation called Israel. But the woman whom John saw was not Mary. The woman in John’s prophecy meant the Jews who believed in the Lord.
The Lord Jesus Christ will rule on earth as the king over all the nations. He will be a strong ruler. All people will have to obey him. He will be strict with any who do not obey him.
God sent Jesus with his parents to Egypt. So, Herod failed to kill him. Later Jesus died but God raised him from death. Then, after Jesus rose from death, he went up in a cloud into heaven. He went up to God and to his throne.
The evil plan of Satan failed. Jesus defeated Satan. And Jesus went up to God’s throne in heaven.
Verse 6 During the last three and a half years, Satan will try to kill all the Jews. But God will protect those Jews who believe in him. He has prepared for them a place of safety."
Lord, hear the private prayers of our hearts today. Guide us, comfort us, strengthen us, and bless us so that we may carry Your love into the world. We give You all our praise and thanks. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done. In Jesus' name, Amen and amen.
Remember, He is for you! Carry His peace with you and have a blessed day.
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