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.
4. And his tail drew ] The great serpent crawls along the vault of the sky, and the wrigglings of his tail remove the stars from their places. “ Drew ” is literally draweth.
stood ] Perhaps more accurately standeth.
for to devour her child ] Symbolises the enmity of the serpent against the seed of the woman, beginning with the intended treachery of Herod, and massacre of the Innocents; but including also the malice that pursued Him through life, the temptation, and at last the Cross.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven – The word rendered drew – suro – means to draw, drag, haul. Prof. Stuart renders it drew along; and explains it as meaning that the danger is represented as being in the upper region of the air, so that his tail may be supposed to interfere with and sweep down the stars, which, as viewed by the ancients, were all set in the visible expanse or welkin. So Dan 8:10, speaking of the little horn, says that it waxed great, even to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground. See the notes on that passage. The main idea here undoubtedly is that of power, and the object of John is to show that the power of the dragon was as if it extended to the stars, and as if it dragged down a third part of them to the earth, or swept them away with its tail, leaving two-thirds unaffected.
A power that would sweep them all away would be universal; a power that would sweep away one-third only would represent a dominion of that extent only. The dragon is represented as floating in the air – a monster extended along the sky – and one-third of the whole expanse was subject to his control. Suppose, then, that the dragon here was designed to represent the Roman pagan power; suppose that it referred to that power about to engage in the work of persecution, and at a time when the church was about to be greatly enlarged, and to fill the world; suppose that it referred to a time when but one-third part of the Roman world was subject to pagan influence, and the remaining two-thirds were, for some cause, safe from this influence – all the conditions here referred to would be fulfilled. Now it so happens that at a time when the dragon had become a common standard in the Roman armies, and had in some measure superseded the eagle, a state of things did exist which well corresponds with this representation.
There were times under the emperors when, in a considerable part of the empire, after the establishment of Christianity, the church enjoyed protection, and the Christian religion was tolerated, while in other parts paganism still prevailed, and waged a bitter warfare with the church. Twice, at least, before the Roman empire became, divided permanently into the two parts, the Eastern and the Western, there was a tripartite division of the empire. The first occurred 311 a.d., when it was divided between Constantine, Licinius, and Maximin; the other 337 a.d., on the death of Constantine, when it was divided between his three sons, Constantine, Constans, and Constantius. In two-thirds of the empire, embracing its whole European and African territory, Christians enjoyed toleration; in the other, or Asiatic portion, they were still, after a brief and uncertain respite, exposed to persecution, in all its bitterness and cruelty as before (Elliott). I do not deem it absolutely essential, however, in order to a fair exposition of this passage, that we should be able to refer to minute historical facts with names and dates. A sufficient fulfillment is found if there was a period when the church, bright, glorious, and prosperous, was apparently about to become greatly enlarged, but when the monstrous pagan power still held its sway over a considerable part of the world, exposing the church to persecution. Even after the establishment of the church in the empire, and the favor shown to it by the Roman government, it was long before the pagan power ceased to rage, and before the church could be regarded as safe.
And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child – To prevent the increase and spread of the church in the world.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
NOTES ON CHAP. XII., BY J. E. C.
Verse 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven] It is not unusual in Scripture, as Dr. Mitchell observes, to call the hindmost of an enemy the tail, as in Jos 10:19: Ye shall cut off the hindmost of them, which is literally in Hebrew, “Ye shall cut off their tail.” See also De 25:18. It is also observable that the word , in this verse, has been used by the Greeks in the same sense with the Hebrew word already referred to. Thus , which we would translate the rear of an army, is literally the tail of an army. See the Thesaurus of Stephens, in loc. The tail of the dragon is therefore the heathen Roman power in its seventh or last form of government, viz., the imperial power; and is not, as Dr. Mitchell supposes, to be restricted to the last heathen Roman emperors. The heathen imperial power is said to draw the third part of the stars of heaven, by which has generally been understood that the Roman empire subjected the third part of the princes and potentates of the earth. But that this is not a correct statement of the fact is evident from the testimony of ancient history. The Roman empire was always considered and called the empire of the world by ancient writers. See Dionys. Halicar., Antiq. Rom. lib. i., prope principium; Pitisci Lexicon Antiq. Roman., sub voc. imperium; Ovidii Fast., lib. ii. l. 683; Vegetius de Re Militari, lib. i. c. 1., c., c. And it is even so named in Scripture, for St. Luke, in the second chapter of his gospel, informs us that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that THE WHOLE WORLD should be taxed, by which is evidently meant the Roman empire. The whole mystery of this passage consists in the misapprehension of its symbolical language. In order therefore to understand it, the symbols here used must be examined. By heaven is meant the most eminent or ruling part of any nation. This is evident from the very nature of the symbol, for “heaven is God’s throne” they therefore who are advanced to the supreme authority in any state are very properly said to be taken up into heaven, because they are raised to this eminence by the favour of the Lord, and are ministers of his to do his pleasure. And the calamity which fell upon Nebuchadnezzar was to instruct him in this important truth, that the heavens do rule that is, that all monarchs possess their kingdoms by Divine appointment, and that no man is raised to power by what is usually termed the chances of war, but that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” The meaning of heaven being thus ascertained, it cannot be difficult to comprehend the meaning of earth, this being evidently its opposite, that is, every thing in subjection to the heaven or ruling part. Stars have already been shown to denote ministers of religion; and this is more fully evident from Re 1:16 of this book, where the seven stars which the Son of God holds in his right hand are explained to signify the seven angels (or messengers) of the seven Churches, by whom must be meant the seven pastors or ministers of these Churches. The resemblance of ministers to stars is very striking; for as the stars give light upon the earth, so are ministers the lights of the cause they advocate; and their position in heaven, the symbol of domination, very fitly betokens the spiritual authority of priests or ministers over their flocks. Hence, as the woman, or Christian Church, has upon her head a crown of twelve stars, which signifies that she is under the guidance of the twelve apostles, who are the twelve principal lights of the Christian world, so has the dragon also his stars or ministers. The stars therefore which the dragon draws with his tail must represent the whole body of pagan priests, who were the stars or lights of the heathen world. But in what sense can it be said that the heathen Roman empire, which ruled over the whole known world, only draws a third part of the stars of heaven? The answer is: The religious world in the time of St. John was divided into three grand branches, viz., the Christian world, the Jewish world, and the heathen and pagan world: consequently, as a dragon, a fabulous animal, is an emblem of a civil power supporting a religion founded in fable; it necessarily follows that the stars or ministers of the Jews and Christians cannot be numbered among those which he draws with his tail, as they were not the advocates of his idolatry, but were ministers of a religion founded by the God of heaven, and consequently formed no part of the pagan world, though they were in subjection in secular matters to the pagan Roman empire. The tail of the dragon therefore draweth after him the whole heathen world.
And did cast then to the earth] That is, reduced all the pagan priests under the Roman yoke. The words of the prophecy are very remarkable. It is said the tail of the dragon draweth, (for so should be translated,) but it is added, and HATH CAST then upon the earth, to show that at the time the Apocalypse was written the world was divided into the three grand religious divisions already referred to; but that the tail of the dragon, or the pagan Roman power under its last form of government, had brought the whole heathen world (which was a third part of the religious world in the apostolic age) into subjection previously to the communication of the Revelation to St. John. It is the dragon’s tail that draws the third part of the stars of heaven, therefore it was during the dominion of his last form of government that Christianity was introduced into the world; for in the time of the six preceding draconic forms of government, the world was divided religiously into only two grand branches, Jews and Gentiles. That the sense in which the third part is here taken is the one intended in the prophecy is put beyond all controversy, when it is considered that this very division is made in the first and third verses, in which mention is made of the woman clothed with the sun-the Christian Church, the moon under her feet, or Jewish Church, and the dragon, or heathen power. Thus the heathen IMPERIAL government is doubly represented, first, by one of the seven draconic heads, to show that it was one of those seven heathen forms of government which have been successively at the head of the Roman state; and secondly, by the dragon’s tail, because it was the last of those seven. For a justification of this method of interpretation, see on the angel’s double explanation of the heads of the beast, Rev 17:9; Rev 17:10; Rev 17:16.
And the dragon stood before the woman, c.] Constantius Chlorus, the father of Constantine, abandoned the absurdities of paganism, and treated the Christians with great respect. This alarmed the pagan priests, whose interests were so closely connected with the continuance of the ancient superstitions, and who apprehended that to their great detriment the Christian religion would become daily more universal and triumphant throughout the empire. Under these anxious fears they moved Diocletian to persecute the Christians. Hence began what is termed the tenth and last general persecution, which was the most severe of all, and continued nearly ten years (see Mosheim’s Ecclesiastical History of the Third Century;) and as it was the Divine pleasure that, at this time, a great deliverer should be raised up in behalf of his suffering people, the woman, or Christian Church, is very appropriately represented as overtaken with the pangs of labour, and ready to be delivered. Before the death of Constantius, the heathen party, aware that Constantine would follow the example of his father, who so much favoured the Christians, beheld him with a watchful and malignant eye. Many were the snares that, according to Eusebius, were laid for him by Maximin and Galerius: he relates the frequent and dangerous enterprises to which they urged him, with the design that he might lose his life. When Galerius heard of the death of Constantius, and that he had appointed Constantine his successor, he was filled with the most ungovernable rage and indignation, notwithstanding he did not dare to take any steps contrary to the interest of Constantine. The dread of the armies of the west, which were mostly composed of Christians, was a sufficient check to all attempts of that kind. Thus the dragon, or heathen power, stood before the woman, or Christian Church, to devour her son, or deliverer, as soon as he was born. See Dr. Mitchell’s Exposition of the Revelation, in loc.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The tail of the red dragon signifies his followers, his civil and military officers, whosoever were by him employed to execute his commands. By the stars, here, are either meant the ministers of the Christian church, or the professors of it.
And did cast them to the earth; turning them out of their places and stations, making them as useless as he could.
And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born; that is, before the church that was ready to propagate itself, watching upon her increase to devour them. I take this to be a much more probable sense than theirs who understand it of Constantine; for I know not, with reference to him, who should be understood by the red dragon. Mr. Mede hath ingeniously observed, that Pharaoh was a type of this red dragon. He is resembled by a dragon, Psa 74:13,14; Isa 51:9; Eze 29:3, and watched upon Gods ancient church to destroy it, as the pagan emperors did upon the Christian church.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. drewGreek, presenttense, “draweth,” “drags down.” His draggingdown the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward inhis fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and tobecome earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers whohad formerly been heavenly (compare Rev 12:1;Rev 1:20; Isa 14:12).
stood“stands”[ALFORD]: perfect tense,Greek, “hesteken.”
ready to be delivered“aboutto bring forth.”
for to devour, &c.”thatwhen she brought forth, he might devour her child.” So thedragon, represented by his agent Pharaoh (a name common to all theEgyptian kings, and meaning, according to some, crocodile, areptile like the dragon, and made an Egyptian idol), was ready todevour Israel’s males at the birth of the nation.Antitypically the true Israel, Jesus, when born, was sought fordestruction by Herod, who slew all the males in and aroundBethlehem.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth,…. So Solinus e speaks of dragons that have power not only in their teeth, but in their tails, and do more hurt by striking than by biting; and the great serpent, which Attilius Regulus and his army fought with, not only destroyed many of his soldiers with its vast mouth, but dashed many to pieces with its tail f; which serpent, Pliny g says, was a hundred and twenty foot long: this is said in allusion to Antiochus Epiphanes, in Da 8:10; and designs either the subduing of the third part of the principalities, states, and kingdoms of the known world, to the Roman empire, through its great power and strength; which lay in its tail, in its train of armies which attended it, whereby such a number of nations were drawn into subjection to it, insomuch that the empire was called all the world, Lu 2:1; or else the influence the dragon should have upon the ministers of the word, who are compared to stars, Re 1:20; by causing them to relinquish their ministry, and drop their heavenly employment, and fall from that high and honourable state in which they were, into a carnal, earthly, and worldly religion; and that either through policy, cunning, and flattery, or through sorcery, magic art, lying oracles, and prophecy; see Isa 9:15; or through the violence of persecution they had not power to withstand; of which falling stars there are many instances, as the ecclesiastical histories of those times show:
and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born; just as the dragon Pharaoh lay in the midst of his rivers, in the river Nile, Eze 29:3; to slay the male children of Israel as soon as born; and as the dragon Herod sought to take away the life of Jesus quickly after his birth; and as Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, so the Pagan empire, or the Pagan emperors, took every opportunity to stifle the kingdom of Christ in embryo, and to prevent the bringing forth of any illustrious person; and sought to destroy him as soon as he appeared, who might be thought, or suspected to be an instrument of encouraging and establishing the kingdom of Christ in the empire: the instances Brightman produces are appropriate, and to the purpose; as of Maximinus destroying Alexander the son of Mammea, who he saw was inclined to the Christians; and of Decius taking off the two Philips, father and son, who were favourable to their cause; but especially the watchfulness of the dragon to destroy the man child was very manifest in the Roman emperors towards Constantine; Dioclesian and Galerius, observing his virtuous disposition in his youth, left nothing unattempted to cut him off privately; he was sent against the Sarmatians, a cruel and savage people, in hopes he would have been destroyed by them; and was set to fight with a lion in the theatre, under a pretence of exercising and showing his valour; and many other methods were used to take away his life, but none succeeded.
e Polyhist. c. 43. f Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 8. g Nat. Hist. l. 8. c. 14.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
His tail ( ). See Rev 9:10; Rev 9:19.
Draweth (). Present active indicative of , old verb, to drag, here alone in the Apocalypse, but see Joh 21:8.
The third part of the stars ( ). Like a great comet is this monster. See Da 8:10. Perhaps only the third is meant to soften the picture as in Re 8:7f.
Did cast them ( ). Second aorist active indicative. Charles takes this to refer to a war in heaven between the good angels and Satan, with the fall of some angels (Jude 1:6). But John may have in mind the martyrs before Christ (Heb 11:32f.) and after Christ’s ascension (Mt 23:35).
Stood (). Imperfect active of a late verb, , from the perfect of , graphic picture of the dragon’s challenge of the woman who is about to give birth.
When she was delivered ( ). Indefinite temporal clause with and the second aorist active subjunctive of , “whenever she gives birth.”
That he might devour ( ). Purpose clause with and the second aorist active subjunctive of , to eat up (down). Cf. Jer 28:34. This is what Pharaoh did to Israel (Exod 1:15-22; Ps 85:13; Isa 27:1; Isa 51:9; Ezek 29:3). Precisely so the devil tried to destroy the child Jesus on his birth.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
:Rev12_4 Rev 12:4Of the stars of heaven. Some expositors find an allusion to the fallen angels (Jude 1:6).
Did cast them to the earth. Compare Dan 8:10.
To devour her child as soon as it was born [ ] . Rev., more literally, that when she was delivered he might devour her child. Professor Milligan says : “In these words we have the dragon doing what Pharaoh did to Israel (Exo 1:15 – 22), and again and again, in the Psalms and the Prophets, Pharaoh is spoken of as the dragon (Psa 74:13; Isa 27:1; Isa 51:9; Eze 29:3). Nor is it without interest to remember that Pharaoh ‘s crown was wreathed with a dragon (the asp or serpent of Egypt), and that just as the eagle was the ensign of Rome, so the dragon was that of Egypt. Hence the significance of Moses ‘ rod being turned into a serpent.”
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And his tail drew,” (kai he oura autou surei) “and his tail draws,” like a magnet from his (the dragon) tail, tailing or following him with allegiance in his “crown, diadem, rule of rebellion.” This seems to refer to the origin of Satan, the Dragon, and demon spirits, fallen angels that followed him to his rebellion, first personified as the king of Tyrus, Eze 28:14-19; Isa 14:12-15; Luk 10:18; Jud 1:6.
2) “The third part of the stars of heaven,” (to triton ton asteron tou ouranou) “the third (part) of the stars of heaven,” the bright ones, who forgot to obey God, presumed to rebel against him, Mat 25:41; Psa 9:17; Jud 1:6; Dan 8:10.
3) “And did cast them to the earth,” (kai ebalen autous eis ten gen) “and cast them (down) into the earth.” This happened when Satan was cast down to the earth, Isa 14:12-15; Luk 10:18; Jud 1:6.
4) “And the dragon stood before the woman,” (kai ho drakon hesteken enopion tes gunaikos) “and The dragon stood before (confronted) the woman,” the woman Israel; John beholds an heavenly panoramic view of Satan’s effort to destroy the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Deliverer.
5) “Which was ready to be delivered,” (tes mellouses tekein) “who is being about to bear, to give birth.” Satan stood before Israel to pose asa willing servant to aid her in locating the newborn Deliverer in Bethlehem.
6) “For to devour her child as soon as it was born,” (hina hotan teke to teknon autes kataphage) “in order that as soon as she gave birth to the child he might devour it,” as soon as possible. This seems to have been personified in the wicked king Herod’s desire and conniving to kill the child, Jesus, Mat 2:1-15; Mat 2:19-23; Hos 11:1.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(4) And his tail . . .Translate, And his tail drags (or, sweeps) away the third part of the stars of the heaven, and casts them to the earth. The stars are the light- bearers, the illustrious of earth, who were given by God high place that they might be burning and shining lights for Him. A large proportion of these are drawn away in the train of evil; they are cast down from their high position of noble opportunities of good work and great work; they are dragged down from the height of the grandest possibilities of good to the low level of a life enslaved to evil.
And the dragon.Translate, And the dragon stands (not stood) before the woman who is about to bring forth, that whenever she has brought forth he may devour her child. The spirit of evil is represented as ever on the watch to destroy the first tokens of better things. Our minds go back to the hatred and fear of Pharaoh, setting a watch for the offspring of Israel and ordering their destruction; and even more are we reminded of the jealous hatred of Herod seeking the life of the infant Christ. It seems clear that it is on this last incident that the present vision is primarily built up; but its meaning is much wider than this. It shows us that evermore, as Herod waited to destroy Christ, the devil, the old spirit whose malignity wrought through the fears of Pharaoh and of Herod, is on the watch to destroy every token of good and every resemblance to Christ in the world. The mission of the Church is to bring forth in her members this life of Christ before men: the aim of the wicked spirit is to destroy that life. The same hostility which was shown to the infant Christ is active against His children: If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Third part of the stars Allusively based on the history of the fallen angels, and given here to magnify the dragon’s power.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And his tail draws the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth.’
In Dan 8:10 it was said of Antiochus Epiphanes, a ruler of Syria in 2nd century BC, that ‘some of the host of heaven and of the stars he cast down to the ground and trampled on them’ which represented ‘destroying the mighty ones’ (Dan 8:24). This was a vivid way of describing his treatment of the religions of other nations and their god-kings.
But Satan is revealed as the great destroyer to an even greater extent (compare Rev 9:11), and in his case the stars cast down are angels (Rev 12:9) who fell when he fell. A third part represents a large minority.
For other fallen angels see 2 Peter where Peter speaks of God not sparing ‘the angels who sinned’, casting them down to Tartarus ( a place of suffering) to be reserved for judgment (2Pe 2:4), while Jude speaks of ‘the angels who did not keep their own sphere of activity, but left their proper habitation’. They are ‘kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day’ (Jud 1:6). But these were exceptionally the angels who had tried to muscle in physically on human affairs in the time of Noah, crossing the forbidden boundary between physical and spiritual.
Apart from this we know nothing reliable about why the angels fell, except that they chose to rebel against God’s authority. We must be careful here. The use by some of certain picturesque Old Testament passages, which speak of the boasting claims of great kings and their consequences (e.g. Isaiah 14; Ezekiel 28), may have a superficial attraction, but ignores their stated meaning and reads into them what is not there as revelation. They may however suggest the awareness of the human race of the fact that sin is found in both earth and among heavenly beings.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
‘And the monster stood before the woman who was about to be delivered so that when she was delivered he might devour her child. And she was delivered of a son, a male child who is to rule (act as shepherd to) all the nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and to his throne.’
This vivid picture of Satan waiting to devour the woman’s son, brings out his fear of the woman and her seed. Though great in power he is not permitted to destroy the woman. He must therefore destroy her seed.
The fact that the monster cannot devour the woman is another example of God’s preserving power. God says, ‘thus far you may go and no further’. We can compare the restrictions God put on Satan with regard to Job (Job 1:12), and how for three and a half years He preserved the two witnesses (chapter 11).
The picture that follows does not pretend to be a detailed explanation of the life of Jesus, but to illustrate the important fact of His triumph in as few words as possible so as not to divert attention away from the woman, and to centre attention on the battle in the heavens. (John knew his book would be read to people who would never have the chance to read it for themselves. In the reading he did not want their attention to be turned aside from the main point, the woman’s career).
‘That — he might devour her child’. As soon as Jesus was born Satan did make his first attempt to ‘devour’ Him, for Herod sought the young child to kill Him (Mat 2:16). But he failed. That attempt is looked on as summarising all Satan’s later activities, his constant attempts to destroy Jesus, which ended in the cross. There he thought he had finally succeeded, but his total failure is clearly summed up in the fact that Jesus was carried up to His Father’s throne, a proof of His triumph and of the fact that He now reigns in Heaven.
But who was the son, the male child of whom Israel cried to be delivered? (Rev 12:2). There can only be one answer, the promised seed. The primary one who is to be born of faithful Israel is the Messiah, the seed of the woman who would break the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15); the lion of the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:9-10); the star of Jacob and Sceptre of Israel (Num 24:17); the son (male child) born of a woman who will be called ‘God is with us’ (Isa 7:14); the male child to be born and the son to be ‘given’ on whose shoulders will rest governing power, who will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, whose kingdom would know no end (Isa 9:6-7); the shoot from the stock of Jesse who would be endued with the Spirit of the Lord (Isa 11:1); the one who will come forth from Bethlehem to be ruler of Israel whose going out has been from everlasting (Mic 5:2). He is the one who ‘will judge the nations with a rod of iron’ (Rev 19:15; Psa 2:9). Most of all he is the one who is caught up to God and to His throne, and no one shares the Father’s throne except the Son (Rev 3:21).
Some have questioned this identification on the grounds that the description of the male child’s career is expressed too briefly and does not outline the facts of Jesus’ life and end. But the concentration at this point is not on the male child but on the woman’s fate. We are not dealing here with theological niceties but with vivid symbolism, dealt with as succintly as possible. The monster waiting to devour the man-child did finally fail in his purpose. He thought he would succeed, but he was wrong. At the very moment when he thought he had achieved his aim he was made aware of his mistake. The Son was taken up to the throne of His Father. So did Jesus in His manhood escape from his evil purposes to His final triumph.
Furthermore it is Jesus Christ who is depicted as the One ‘Who will break the nations with a rod of iron’. In Psalms 2 this idea is expressed of the Messiah and there in the context of ‘yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion’. This latter was fulfilled when Jesus was caught up into heaven and to His Father’s throne in the heavenly Jerusalem. Thus this is what John depicts. This last in itself confirms that He had defeated the power of evil and made a show of them, for His place on the throne demonstrated that He had taken authority and had begun to reign over all things. It also demonstrates that in the first analysis only He could be the male child.
But the early church and the epistles saw a further glorious truth. When Christ died, His people died with Him, when Christ rose, His people rose with Him, when Christ ascended into Heaven, His people ascended with Him. When Christ was seated on His throne far above all, His people sat with Him (Eph 1:19 to Eph 2:7 compare Col 3:1; Col 2:12-13). This important teaching must not be overlooked. To the early church it was part of their experience and belief. (Compare on Rev 20:3 onwards). So in this passage we see the triumph of the people of God already made certain in Christ. Because of this they are untouchable.
Thus the man child is also secondarily the people of God, for the overcomer is promised that he too will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Rev 2:27). This compares with the Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 42; Isaiah 45; Isaiah 50; Isaiah 53) who is primarily Christ, as Luke especially makes clear, but is secondarily also His church (Act 13:47). Satan will seek to destroy the church as well (Rev 12:17), but he cannot for they are safe in Christ. The church too will later be caught up to God at the rapture when Christ comes. But that is simply the final fulfilment of God’s purposes in physical form. In a real sense this has already taken place for they were caught up when Christ was caught up. They were raised with Him far above all and share His triumph (Eph 2:6).
An attempt is sometimes made to relate the male child directly to the church and not to Christ at all. But no overcomer is to be borne up to God’s throne directly. Rather he shares Christ’s throne with Him and the difference in the two is made crystal clear elsewhere in Revelation (Rev 3:21). The overcomer has this promise to ‘rule’ the nations precisely because he is in Christ and shares His throne, and not by any intrinsic right of his own. His authority is secondary. It is Jesus Christ who has the primary authority because He shares His Father’s throne. The promise in Rev 2:27 is an assurance that the overcomer will be set above those who have previously persecuted him, but it does not make him the primary ruler of the nations. That is only true of Jesus Christ.
But why does John not fill out the picture a little more? Almost certainly, because he does not want to take the readers attention away from the woman. It is her career that is his interest at this point. Thus he puts as succintly as possible the triumph of Jesus. The atonement has already been sufficiently presented (Rev 5:6; Rev 7:14). The Lamb and what He has accomplished has been clearly revealed there. He therefore limits his description to the final fact that the man-child, who will rule the nations with a rod of iron, has been raised to God’s throne for this very purpose. His readers automatically know that this One Who is borne up to God has been depicted as the slain Lamb.
The picture is very vivid. The monster waiting to devour the child, making his attempts knowing that all depends on it, and failing, for the child is taken from his empty grasp before his eyes and ascends to the throne, followed by his determination to destroy the woman and prevent the fulfilment of God’s purposes. Thwarted and defeated by the cross and the resurrection he determines to cause as much damage as possible.
‘Was caught up’. The verb can mean simply ‘borne away unresistingly’. Thus it is used in Act 8:39 of Philip being taken away by the Spirit having spoken with the Ethiopian eunuch and in 2Co 12:2 of Paul being taken up to the third heaven. It carries no special significance of urgency. It simply describes what happens as being the action of God from the throne.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
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.
Ver. 4. And his tail drew ] A monstrous tail for length and strength. One interprets it as his dog-like flattering tail, whence the proverb grew, Cauda blandiri, to be flattered by a tail, . Julian the Apostate drew many from the faith by flatteries and fair promises. Luther was offered a cardinalship to be quiet. (Bp Carlton’s Thankf. Remem.) The pope offered Queen Elizabeth to confirm the English Liturgy by his authority, granting also the use of the sacraments under both kinds, so that she would join herself to the Roman Church. And how the pope clawed our king when he was in Spain, A. D. 1623, is better known than that I need here to relate. (Jac. Revius, vit. Pontif.)
And the dragon stood before the woman ] This implieth, 1. His readiness and nearness; 2. His instance and diligence.
For to devour her child ] As that dragon Pharaoh (so he is called, Isa 51:9 ) sought to make away the newly born babes of Israel, Exo 1:22 . Thus the dragon Maximinus devoured Alexander the son of Mammaea; and thus Decius devoured the two Philips, because they seemed somewhat to favour the Christians. Thus Philip, king of Spain, suffered his eldest son Charles to be murdered by the cruel Inquisition, because he was any whit inclinable to the reformed religion. Constantine the Great had like to have lost his life for the like cause, but that God strangely preserved him for a better purpose.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Rev 12:4 . The symbolism is a reminiscence of an tiological myth in astrology ( cf. the cauda of the constellation Scorpio) and of the primitive view which regarded the dark cloud as a snake enfolding the luminaries of heaven in its hostile coils (Job 3:8 ; Job 26:13 , with A. B. Davidson’s notes). Thus the Iranians ( S. B. E. iv. p. lxxiii., Darmesteter) described the fiend as a serpent or dragon not on the score of craftiness but “because the storm fiend envelops the goddess of light with the coils of the cloud as with a snake’s fold”. The same play of imagination would interpret eclipses and falling stars, and, when the pious were compared to stars (as in Egyptian theology, Plut. de Iside , 21), it was but a step to the idea of Dan 8 . ( cf. Sib. Or. ver. 512 f., the battle of the stars), where Antiochus Epiphanes does violence to some devout Israelites who are characterised as stars flung rudely down to earth ( i.e. , martyred, 1 Maccabees 1.) Originally, this description of the dragon lashing his tail angrily and sweeping down a third of the stars probably referred to the seduction of angels from their heavenly rank (so 8 9) to serve his will (Weiss). But John, in recasting the tradition, may have thought of the Danielic application, i.e. , of the devil succeeding in crushing by martyrdom a certain number of God’s people. In this event, they would include at least, if they are not to be identified with, the pre-Christian martyrs of Judaism ( cf. Heb 11:32 f. Mat 23:35 ). , a conventional posture of the ancient dragon cf. e.g. , Pliny, H. N. viii. 3, “nec flexu multiplici ut reliquae serpentes corpus impellit, sed celsus et erectus in medio incedens”; ibid. viii. 14, for serpents devouring children. The mother of Zoroaster had also a vision of wild beasts waiting to devour her child at its birth. This international myth of the divine child menaced at birth readily lent itself to moralisation, or afforded terms for historical applications, e.g. , the abortive attack on Moses, the prototype of messiah (Baldensperger, 141, 142) at his birth (Act 7:20 f.) and the vain efforts of Herod against the messiah. The animosity of Pytho for Leto was due to a prophecy that the latter’s son would vanquish him.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
And his, &c. Refers to Satan’s first rebellion and to those who followed him.
drew = draggeth. See Joh 21:8.
did. Read “he”.
earth. App-129.
stood = is standing. Perf. tense, indicating abiding action.
was . . . delivered = is about to bring forth.
for = in order. Greek. hina.
devour. Same word as Rev 10:9, Rev 10:10 (eat up); Rev 20:9. From Gen 3:15 till now Satan stands ready to devour the promised “seed”,
child. App-108.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Rev 12:4. , to devour) The notion formerly prevailed with many persons, that serpents were accustomed eagerly to desire the flesh of new-born infants.-Pricus.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
his tail: Rev 9:10, Rev 9:19, Dan 8:9-12
of the: Rev 17:18
the dragon: Rev 12:2, Exo 1:16, Mat 2:3-16, Joh 8:44, 1Pe 5:8
Reciprocal: Deu 32:11 – General Psa 22:9 – make me hope Eze 29:3 – the great Dan 7:21 – General Dan 8:10 – to the host Mat 2:13 – for Joh 8:40 – now Act 7:19 – General 2Ti 3:12 – shall Rev 6:8 – over Rev 8:10 – a great Rev 12:3 – a great Rev 12:6 – the woman Rev 12:7 – the dragon Rev 12:13 – General Rev 13:2 – dragon Rev 13:11 – and he spake Rev 16:13 – come out of
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Rev 12:4. Third part of the stars means the men in positions of importance. The reason why only a portion of them was drawn is the same as other similar passages, namely, God has never suffered the enemy to annihilate completely that which he attacks. This dragon is standing by expecting to destroy the child as soon as it is born.
Comments by Foy E. Wallace
Verse 4.
5. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven –Rev 12:4. The tail of the dragon was in the imagery of the sweeping power of the antagonist of the church and the destruction behind him in the wake of persecution, described in the symbol of pulling the stars from their orbits with the angry lash of his enormous tail. It was the vision of the presumptive power of the persecutors of the church.
6. And did cast them to the earth–Rev 12:4. The reference to casting down to the earth a third of the stars of heaven appears to have had application to the part of the political world that was subject to these destructions–Jerusalem, Judaism and the Jewish state. The application to geographical or political divisions could have had no meaning.
The same expression in chapter eight referred to the three woes of destruction, one part each, as noted in the comments on that section. Here the imagery was that of a symbolic portion of the luminaries of heaven being dragged down by the dragon’s tail. It signified his potent weapon in the power to harm in the pending events of the destruction of the Jewish world, represented by the destruction of Jerusalem, the downfall of Judaism and the end of the Jewish state.
(2) The object of the dragon’s rage–Rev 12:4-5.
1. And the dragon stood before the woman . . . for to devour her child–Rev 12:4. This statement indicated that the object of the dragon’s deadly rage was the woman, which symbolized the church; and her child, which meant the martyred saints to which the woman would give birth in the pain of persecution and martyrdom. The woman’s child was here employed not in a singular sense but in the collective use of the word.
2. To devour her child. The dragon was represented as standing before the woman in childbirth ready to destroy her child as soon as it was born–like Pharaoh in Egypt (Exo 1:16-22), watching to destroy every male Israelite; and Herod (Mat 2:13), ordering the slaying of every Jewish male. This dragon-persecutor was waiting for the opportunity to send the Christians to their martyrdom.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Rev 12:4. His tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. The second particular thus mentioned of the dragon has relation to what he does, and is in contrast with what had been said of the woman when we were told that she was with child. The present tense of the first half of the sentence shows that the words describe a characteristic of the dragon, an element of his nature, and not something that happened at the moment. The woman was pregnant with life, the dragon can do nothing but destroy. Mention has been so frequently made of a third part of things (chaps. Rev 8:7-12, Rev 9:15; Rev 9:18) that we cannot be surprised at meeting it again, and all that it seems possible to say is that the proportion is not to be too literally interpreted. Enough that it designates great influence for evil, yet influence restrained by a power mightier than its own. The second half of the sentence is founded upon Dan 8:10, and the allusion in the mention of stars is to powers originally heavenly. Against men who are made to shine as stars in the heavenly firmament the dragon can do nothing. They have rather trampled him beneath their feet and gained over him an everlasting victory. The stars of heaven spoken of can only be those angels of whom it is elsewhere said that they kept not their first estate (Jude, Rev 12:6). In this particular the work of the dragon is again presented to us as the exact counterpart of that of the woman
She raises mortals to the skies,
He draws the angels down.
And the dragon stood before the woman which was about to be delivered that, when she is delivered, he may devour her child. In these words we have the dragon doing what Pharaoh did to Israel (Exo 1:15-22), and again and again in the Psalms and Prophets Pharaoh is spoken of as the dragon (Psa 74:13; Isa 27:1; Isa 51:9; Eze 29:3). Nor is it without interest in this connection to remember that Pharaohs crown was wreathed with a dragon (the asp or serpent of Egypt), and that just as the eagle was the ensign of Rome so the dragon was that of Egypt. Hence the significance of Moses rod being turned into a serpent. It is worth while to notice, too, how entirely the imagery agrees with the record of the infancy of our Lord in St Matthews Gospel (comp. especially Mat 2:13; Mat 2:15). The motive alike of Pharaoh and of Herod was envy, Satans motive. In this verse also the dragon is in direct contrast with the woman. She is to bear a living child: he would destroy it as soon as it was born.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
That is, “Herod watched to destroy Christ as soon as he was born, Mat 2:1-12 so while the church was endeavouring to propagate Christianity and make converts to Christ, the dragon watched, intending to devour them.” The devil’s great design is to crush every good thing in the beginning, to nip grace in the bud, to kill the infant church in the cradle; he is therefore said to stand before the woman, to prevent all possibility of her child’s escape. Behold his bloody cruelty! but though he stood before her, he had no power to hurt or touch either, mother or child: behold his powerful restraint!
Observe farther, The child’s birth, preservation, and preferment.
1. Its birth, she brought forth a child, not children: to show the paucity of the church’s members, and also their unity, they are all but one man child, make up all but one body, and the dragon’s purpose was to devour all in one, and all at once.
2.Its preservation, the child is caught up to God, and to his throne; that is, heaven took it immediately into its care and protection, out of the dragon’s reach, to his shameful disappointment.
3. Its preferment, it was to rule all nation’s with a rod of iron; that is, with such severity, mixed with lenity, as was needful; the church shall prevail against all opposers.
Observe lastly, After the woman’s delivery, her flight into the wilderness is set down, and her continuance for a long time, together with God’s protection over her; a plain allusion to Elijah’s flying into the wilderness from the rage of idolatrous and bloody Jezebel, and God’s feeding him extraordinarily at the brook of Cherith.
From the woman’s that is, the church’s flying into the wilderness for a while, we learn, That the visibility of the church is not always conspicuous, to her enemies especially.
2. That it is sometimes lawful to fly in time of hot and bitter persecution: the woman fled into the wilderness.
3. In that the woman had a place, and food prepared for her, we learn God’s provident care for his church in the day and hour of her greatest extremities; when she lurks and hides herself in obscurity. During the time of antichrist’s reign, God will take care that some shall feed her with wholesome food, the doctrine of the gospel, that sincere milk of the word, to the intent that she may grow thereby.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
12:4 (7) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon (8) stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for {9} to devour her child as soon as it was born.
(7) After the description of Satan follows this action, that is, his battle with the Church partly to that which is visible, in which the wheat is mingled with the chaff, and the good fish with that which is evil: its good part, though in appearance it shined as the stars shine in heaven, he is said to thrust down out of heaven, and to pervert: for if it were possible he would pervert even the elect Mat 24:24 and partly to the elect members of the holy catholic church in the second part of this verse. Many therefore of the members of this visible Church (says John) he overthrew and triumphed on them.
(8) He withstood that elect Church of the Jews which was now ready to bring forth the Christian Church and watched for her to give birth. For the whole Church, and whole body is compared to a woman: and a part of the Church to that which is brought forth, as we have noted in So 7:6 .
(9) Christ mystical (as they call him) that is, the whole Church, consists of the person of Christ as the head and of the body united to it by the Spirit, so is the name of Christ taken on 1Co 12:12 .
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The "stars" probably represent the angels Satan led in rebellion against God (cf. Rev 12:8-9; Rev 9:1; Dan 8:10; Jud 1:6; 2Pe 2:4). [Note: Lenski, p. 356; Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 124.] Satan has extensive authority, which this description reflects. God cast Satan and these angels out of heaven to earth. [Note: Govett, 2:21-23; William H. Simcox, The Revelation of St. John the Divine, p. 126; Charles, 1:320.] That is, they no longer had access to God’s presence, though they presently do. Satan proceeded to take out his vengeance by trying to prevent the appearance of Messiah (cf. Exo 1:15-22; 1Sa 18:10-11; 2Ch 22:10; Mat 2:16). The birth referred to is evidently that of Jesus Christ at His first advent (Rev 12:5; cf. Mat 2:13).
"All Satanic activities are carried on under the double motive of ambition to rule and be worshipped, and, hatred toward the One whom God has chosen to take the kingdom Satan has usurped." [Note: Newell, p. 174.]