mh_parser/vol_split/66 - Revelation/Chapter 12.xml

<div2 id="Rev.xiii" n="xiii" next="Rev.xiv" prev="Rev.xii" progress="97.67%" title="Chapter XII">
<h2 id="Rev.xiii-p0.1">R E V E L A T I O N.</h2>
<h3 id="Rev.xiii-p0.2">CHAP. XII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Rev.xiii-p1">It is generally agreed by the most learned
expositors that the narrative we have in this and the two following
chapters, from the sounding of the seventh trumpet to the opening
of the vials, is not a prediction of things to come, but rather a
recapitulation and representation of things past, which, as God
would have the apostle to foresee while future, he would have him
to review now that they were past, that he might have a more
perfect idea of them in his mind, and might observe the agreement
between the prophecy and that Providence that is always fulfilling
the scriptures. In this chapter we have an account of the contest
between the church and antichrist, the seed of the woman and the
seed of the serpent. I. As it was begun in heaven, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.1-Rev.12.11" parsed="|Rev|12|1|12|11" passage="Re 12:1-11">ver. 1-11</scripRef>. II. As it was carried on
in the wilderness, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.12-Rev.12.17" parsed="|Rev|12|12|12|17" passage="Re 12:12-17">ver.
12</scripRef>, &amp;c.</p>
<scripCom id="Rev.xiii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12" parsed="|Rev|12|0|0|0" passage="Re 12" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Rev.xiii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.1-Rev.12.11" parsed="|Rev|12|1|12|11" passage="Re 12:1-11" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.12.1-Rev.12.11">
<h4 id="Rev.xiii-p1.5">The Woman and the Dragon. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xiii-p1.6">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xiii-p2">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:   2 And she being with child
cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.   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.   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.   5 And she brought forth a man child,
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was
caught up unto God, and <i>to</i> his throne.   6 And the
woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of
God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred
<i>and</i> threescore days.   7 And there was war in heaven:
Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels,   8 And prevailed not; neither was
their place found any more in heaven.   9 And the great dragon
was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his
angels were cast out with him.   10 And I heard a loud voice
saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of
our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day
and night.   11 And they overcame him by the blood of the
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their
lives unto the death.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p3">Here we see that early prophecy eminently
fulfilled in which God said he would <i>put enmity between the seed
of the woman and the seed of the serpent,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Gen.3.15" parsed="|Gen|3|15|0|0" passage="Ge 3:15">Gen. iii. 15</scripRef>. You will observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p4">I. The attempts of Satan and his agents to
prevent the increase of the church, by devouring her offspring
<i>as soon as it was born;</i> of this we have a very lively
description in the most proper images.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p5">1. We see how the church is represented in
this vision. (1.) As a <i>woman,</i> the weaker part of the world,
but the spouse of Christ, and the mother of the saints. (2.) As
<i>clothed with the sun,</i> the imputed righteousness of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Having put on Christ, who is <i>the Sun of
righteousness,</i> she, by her relation to Christ, is invested with
honourable rights and privileges, and shines in his rays. (3.) As
having <i>the moon under her feet</i> (that is, the world); she
stands upon it, but lives above it; her heart and hope are not set
upon sublunary things, but on the things that are in heaven, where
her head is. (4.) As having on her head <i>a crown of twelve
stars,</i> that is, the doctrine of the gospel preached by the
twelve apostles, which is a crown of glory to all true believers.
(5.) As in travail, crying out, and <i>pained to be delivered.</i>
She was pregnant, and now in pain to bring forth a holy progeny to
Christ, desirous that what was begun in the conviction of sinners
might end in their conversion, that when the children were brought
to the birth there might be strength to bring forth, and that she
might see of the travail of her soul.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p6">2. How the grand enemy of the church is
represented. (1.) As a <i>great red dragon</i>—a dragon for
strength and terror—a red dragon for fierceness and cruelty. (2.)
As <i>having seven heads,</i> that is, placed on seven hills, as
Rome was; and therefore it is probable that pagan Rome is here
meant. (3.) As having <i>ten horns,</i> divided into ten provinces,
as the Roman empire was by Augustus Cæsar. (4.) As having <i>seven
crowns upon his head,</i> which is afterwards expounded to be seven
kings, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.17.10" parsed="|Rev|17|10|0|0" passage="Re 17:10"><i>ch.</i> xvii. 10</scripRef>.
(5.) As drawing with his tail a <i>third part of the stars in
heaven,</i> and <i>casting them down to the earth,</i> turning the
ministers and professors of the Christian religion out of their
places and privileges and making them as weak and useless as he
could. (6.) As standing <i>before the woman, to devour her child as
soon as it should be born,</i> very vigilant to crush the Christian
religion in its birth and entirely to prevent the growth and
continuance of it in the world.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p7">II. The unsuccessfulness of these attempts
against the church; for, 1. She was safely delivered of a
<i>man-child</i> (<scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.5" parsed="|Rev|12|5|0|0" passage="Re 12:5"><i>v.</i>
5</scripRef>), by which some understand Christ, others Constantine,
but others, with greater propriety, a race of true believers,
strong and united, resembling Christ, and designed, under him,
<i>to rule the nations with a rod of iron;</i> that is, to judge
the world by their doctrine and lives now, and as assessors with
Christ at the great day. 2. Care was taken of this child: it <i>was
caught up to God, and to his throne;</i> that is, taken into his
special, powerful, and immediate protection. The Christian religion
has been from its infancy the special care of <i>the great God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ.</i> 3. Care was taken of the mother as
well as of the child, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.6" parsed="|Rev|12|6|0|0" passage="Re 12:6"><i>v.</i>
6</scripRef>. She <i>fled into the wilderness, a place prepared</i>
both for her safety and her sustenance. The church was in an
obscure state, dispersed; and this proved her security, through the
care of divine Providence. This her obscure and private state was
for a limited time, not to continue always.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p8">III. The attempts of the dragon not only
proved unsuccessful against the church, but fatal to his own
interests; for, upon his endeavour to devour the man-child, he
engaged all the powers of heaven against him (<scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.7" parsed="|Rev|12|7|0|0" passage="Re 12:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>): <i>There was war in heaven.
Heaven</i> will espouse the quarrel of the church. Here
observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p9">1. The seat of this war—<i>in heaven,</i>
in the church, which is <i>the kingdom of heaven</i> on earth,
under the care of heaven and in the same interest.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p10">2. The parties—<i>Michael and his
angels</i> on one side, and <i>the dragon and his angels</i> on the
other: Christ, the great Angel of the covenant, and his faithful
followers; and Satan and all his instruments. This latter party
would be much superior in number and outward strength to the other;
but the strength of the church lies in having the Lord Jesus for
the captain of their salvation.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p11">3. The success of the battle: <i>The dragon
and his angels fought and prevailed not;</i> there was a great
struggle on both sides, but the victory fell to Christ and his
church, and the dragon and his angels were not only conquered, but
cast out; the pagan idolatry, which was a worshipping of devils,
was extirpated out of the empire in the time of Constantine.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p12">4. The triumphant song that was composed
and used on this occasion, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.10-Rev.12.11" parsed="|Rev|12|10|12|11" passage="Re 12:10,11"><i>v.</i> 10, 11</scripRef>. Here observe, (1.) How
the conqueror is adored: <i>Now have come salvation, strength, and
the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ.</i> Now God
has shown himself to be a mighty God; now Christ has shown himself
to be a strong and mighty Saviour; his own arm has brought
salvation, and now his kingdom will be greatly enlarged and
established. The salvation and strength of the church are all to be
ascribed to the king and head of the church. (2.) How the conquered
enemy is described. [1.] By his malice; he was <i>the accuser of
the brethren,</i> and <i>accused them before their God night and
day;</i> he appeared before God as an adversary to the church,
continually bringing in indictments and accusations against them,
whether true or false; thus he accused Job, and thus he accused
Joshua the high priest, <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Zech.3.1" parsed="|Zech|3|1|0|0" passage="Zec 3:1">Zech. iii.
1</scripRef>. Though he hates the presence of God, yet he is
willing to appear there to accuse the people of God. Let us
therefore take heed that we give him no cause of accusation against
us; and that, when we have sinned, we presently go in before the
Lord, and accuse and condemn ourselves, and commit our cause to
Christ as our Advocate. [2.] By his disappointment and defeat: he
and all his accusations are cast out, the indictments quashed, and
the accuser turned out of the court with just indignation. (3.) How
the victory was gained. The servants of God overcame Satan, [1.]
<i>By the blood of the Lamb,</i> as the meritorious cause. Christ
by dying <i>destroyed him that hath the power of death, that is,
the devil.</i> [2.] <i>By the word of their testimony,</i> as the
great instrument of war, <i>the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God,</i>—by a resolute powerful preaching of the
everlasting gospel, <i>which is mighty, through God, to pull down
strongholds,</i>—and by their courage and patience in sufferings;
<i>they loved not their lives unto the death,</i> when the love of
life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ; they loved
not their lives so well but they could give them up <i>to
death,</i> could lay them down in Christ's cause; their love to
their own lives was overcome by stronger affections of another
nature; and this their courage and zeal helped to confound their
enemies, to convince many of the spectators, to confirm the souls
of the faithful, and so contributed greatly to this victory.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Rev.xiii-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.12-Rev.12.17" parsed="|Rev|12|12|12|17" passage="Re 12:12-17" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.12.12-Rev.12.17">
<h4 id="Rev.xiii-p12.4">The Woman and the Dragon. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xiii-p12.5">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xiii-p13">12 Therefore rejoice, <i>ye</i> heavens, and ye
that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the
sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.   13 And
when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted
the woman which brought forth the man <i>child.</i>   14 And
to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might
fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for
a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
  15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood
after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the
flood.   16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth
opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast
out of his mouth.   17 And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which
keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p14">We have here an account of this war, so
happily finished in heaven, or in the church, as it was again
renewed and carried on in the wilderness, the place to which the
church had fled, and where she had been for some time secured by
the special care of her God and Saviour. Observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p15">I. The warning given of the distress and
calamity that should fall upon the inhabitants of the world in
general, through the wrath and rage of the devil. For, though his
malice is chiefly bent against the servants of God, yet he is an
enemy and hater of mankind as such; and, being defeated in his
designs against the church, he is resolved to give all the
disturbance he can to the world in general: <i>Woe to the
inhabitants of the earth, and the sea,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.12" parsed="|Rev|12|12|0|0" passage="Re 12:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>. The rage of Satan grows so much
the greater as he is limited both in place and time; when he was
confined to the wilderness, and had but a short time to reign
there, he comes with the greater wrath.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xiii-p16">II. His second attempt upon the church now
in the wilderness: <i>He persecuted the woman who brought forth the
man-child,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.13" parsed="|Rev|12|13|0|0" passage="Re 12:13"><i>v.</i>
13</scripRef>. Observe, 1. The care that God had taken of his
church. He had conveyed her as on eagles' wings, into a place of
safety provided for her, where she was to continue for a certain
space of time, couched in prophetic characters, taken from
<scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p16.2" osisRef="Bible:Dan.7.25" parsed="|Dan|7|25|0|0" passage="Da 7:25">Dan. vii. 25</scripRef>. 2. The
continual malice of the dragon against the church. Her obscurity
could not altogether protect her; the old subtle serpent, which at
first lurked in paradise, now follows the church into the
wilderness, and <i>casts out a flood of water after her, to carry
her away.</i> This is thought to be meant of a flood of error and
heresy, which was breathed by Arius, Nestorius, Pelagius, and many
more, by which the church of God was in danger of being overwhelmed
and carried away. The church of God is in more danger from heretics
than from persecutors; and heresies are as certainly from the devil
as open force and violence. 3. The seasonable help provided for the
church in this dangerous juncture: <i>The earth helped the woman,
and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xiii-p16.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.12.16" parsed="|Rev|12|16|0|0" passage="Re 12:16"><i>v.</i> 16</scripRef>. Some think we are to
understand the swarms of Goths and Vandals that invaded the Roman
empire, and found work for the Arian rulers, who otherwise would
have been as furious persecutors as the pagan had been, and had
exercised great cruelties already; but God opened a breach of war,
and the flood was in a manner swallowed up thereby, and the church
enjoyed some respite. God often sends the sword to avenge the
quarrel of his covenant; and, when men choose new gods, then there
is danger of war in the gates; intestine broils and contentions
often end in the invasions of a common enemy. 4. The devil, being
thus defeated in his designs upon the universal church, now turns
his rage against particular persons and places; his malice against
the woman pushes him on to <i>make war with the remnant of her
seed.</i> Some think hereby are meant the Albigenses, who were
first by Dioclesian driven up into barren and mountainous places,
and afterwards cruelly murdered by popish rage and power, for
several generations; and for no other reason than because <i>they
kept the commandments of God</i> and <i>held the testimony of Jesus
Christ.</i> Their fidelity to God and Christ, in doctrine, worship,
and practice, was that which exposed them to the rage of Satan and
his instruments; and such fidelity will expose men still, less or
more, to the end of the world, when <i>the last enemy shall be
destroyed.</i></p>
</div></div2>