Morning Bible Study: Revelation 12:12-18

12  "Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time." 

13  When the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 

14  But she was given two wings like those of a great eagle so she could fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness. There she would be cared for and protected from the dragon for a time, times, and half a time. 

15  Then the dragon tried to drown the woman with a flood of water that flowed from his mouth. 

16  But the earth helped her by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that gushed out from the mouth of the dragon. 

17  And the dragon was angry at the woman and declared war against the rest of her children-all who keep God's commandments and maintain their testimony for Jesus. 

18  Then the dragon took his stand on the shore beside the sea. NLT

Commentary

(the following commentary is from www.easyenglish.bible/bible-commentary/revelation-lbw.htm)

"Verse 12 The war in heaven has ended. Satan has failed. The Lord has sent Satan away. Those who live in heaven can be happy.

The Lord threw the devil down onto the earth. The devil will know that his end is near. He will have a short time when he will continue to work on the earth. He will be angry, fierce and cruel. During this short time, it will be terrible for those who live on the earth.

This short time means the same three and a half years as in verse 6. At the end of that time, Christ will arrest Satan. Chains will bind Satan and he will remain in the great hole for a thousand (1000) years.

Verse 13 The dragon could not kill the child. God threw the dragon (Satan) out of heaven. So, the dragon turned his attention to the woman. He tried to kill her.

The woman means the true Jews. They are the Jews who trust in God. Satan will oppose them. But God will protect them.

Verse 14 God gave to the woman a pair of wings. They were like the wings of a great eagle. The eagle is a very powerful bird. With these wings, the woman escaped from the dragon.

The Lord had prepared a place for the woman. It was in the desert. She flew there and she was safe. The Lord protected her for three and a half years. The dragon had just three and a half years before Christ would arrest him. The woman was safe for the whole of that period.

This means that the Lord protects his own people. So, the Lord will protect until the end the Jews who trust in him.

The dragon tried to reach the woman. But he was not able to hurt her.

Verses 15-16 As the woman flew to the desert, the dragon opened his mouth. He sent a great flood of water after her. If the water had reached her, she would have drowned. But the earth opened up and it swallowed the water. So, the water could not reach the woman. She was safe from the flood.

The devil will pour out all his evil deeds against the Jews. He will do all that he can to kill all of them. But God will not allow him to succeed. God has promised to rescue his people (called Israel) in the last days. And God will do the things that he promised to do. God will save Israel.

Verse 17 The dragon was angry because he could not reach the woman. So, he went to fight her other children.

Christ came from the Jews. He, the Son of God, was by birth a Jew. Those who believed in him did not become Jews. The children of the woman were both Jews and those who were not Jews.

The dragon could not hurt the Jews. So, he attacked God’s people who were not Jews.

God’s people will suffer terrible problems for those three and a half years. Those who believe in Jesus will suffer much. Many of them will die because they believe in Jesus. It will be a terrible time.

Verse 18 The dragon stood by the sea. He would call up another beast from the sea. On behalf of the dragon, this new beast would lead the fight against God’s people."