another. App-124 . behold. App-133 . dragon. Greek. drakon. First of thirteen occurances in Rev. only. ( App-10 and App-197 ) See Revelation 12:9 . seven heads . . . heads. "Signs" of universality of earthly power. crowns. Greek. diadema. Only here, Revelation 13:1 ; Revelation 19:12 . read more
And his, &c. Refers to Satan's first rebellion and to those who followed him. drew = draggeth. See John 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 Revelation 10:9 , Revelation 10:10 (eat up); Revelation 20:9 . From Genesis 3:15 till now Satan stands ready to devour the promised "seed", child. App-108 . read more
and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.And she was with child ... This verse is not merely incidental. The hatred and opposition from Satan to both the woman and her child already existed before the child was born. Therefore, the satanic hatred could not have been the result of the Christ (the child) at some later date winning a victory over Satan. This is important to understanding later verses in the chapter.Travailing in birth ... This is... read more
And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.Behold, a great red dragon ... There is no doubt of who is symbolized by this. It is Satan (Revelation 12:9). The word "dragon" is in the dictionaries of every nation under the sun; and none can question the choice of such a word to symbolize the devil. In this vision, the dragon was presented in a form and appearance absolutely unlike any mythological... read more
And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven ... Pieters and many other present-day commentators decline to find any meaning here except that of emphasizing the dragon's size;[23] but, "ancient interpreters took the passage as referring to the fall of Satan, who took... read more
Revelation 12:2. And she being with child cried, &c.— And she crieth in sorrow and travail, having a child to bring forth. The metaphor of a mother blessed with a fair posterity, is very proper to represent the public happiness, by an increase both of numbers and strength. It is an easy figure to consider the church as a mother, and the converts to truth and righteousness, the true worshippers of God, as her children. See on Revelation 12:6. read more
2. pained—Greek, "tormented" (basanizomene). DE BURGH explains this of the bringing in of the first-begotten into the world AGAIN, when Israel shall at last welcome Him, and when "the man-child shall rule all nations with the rod of iron." But there is a plain contrast between the painful travailing of the woman here, and Christ's second coming to the Jewish Church, the believing remnant of Israel, "Before she travailed she brought forth . . . a MAN-CHILD," that is, almost without... read more
3. appeared—"was seen." wonder—Greek, "semeion," "sign." red—So A and Vulgate read. But B, C, and Coptic read, "of fire." In either case, the color of the dragon implies his fiery rage as a murderer from the beginning. His representative, the beast, corresponds, having seven heads and ten horns (the number of horns on the fourth beast of Daniel 7:7; Revelation 13:1). But there, ten crowns are on the ten horns (for before the end, the fourth empire is divided into ten kingdoms); here, seven... read more
4. drew—Greek, present tense, "draweth," "drags down." His dragging down the stars with his tail (lashed back and forward in his fury) implies his persuading to apostatize, like himself, and to become earthy, those angels and also once eminent human teachers who had formerly been heavenly (compare Revelation 12:1; Revelation 1:20; Isaiah 14:12). stood—"stands" [ALFORD]: perfect tense, Greek, "hesteken." ready to be delivered—"about to bring forth." for to devour, &c.—"that when she brought... read more
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E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Revelation 12:2
cried = crieth out. travailing, &c. Greek. odino. Only here and Galatians 1:4 , Galatians 1:19 , Gal 1:27 . See Micah 5:3 . pained. Literally tormented. See Revelation 9:5 . read more