Revelation 12:1-2

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 12:1

Revelation 12:1.— We come now to a second representation of the same third period of prophesy; that is, a state of the church and world, in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, or while the woman, who fled into her place in the wilderness, was nourished there for a time, and times, and half a time. See Revelation 12:6; Revelation 12:14. As the former representation, Revelation 11:0 in which the witnesses were to prophesy, shewed that true religion should be preserved among a few faithful... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 12:2

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

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 12:1

1. This episode ( :-) describes in detail the persecution of Israel and the elect Church by the beast, which had been summarily noticed, Revelation 11:7-10, and the triumph of the faithful, and torment of the unfaithful. So also the sixteenth through twentieth chapters are the description in detail of the judgment on the beast, c., summarily noticed in Revelation 11:13 Revelation 11:18. The beast in Revelation 11:18- :, c., is shown not to be alone, but to be the instrument in the hand of a... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 12:2

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

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:1

John saw a "sign," something that signified or represented something else (cf. Revelation 12:3; Revelation 13:13-14; Revelation 15:1; Revelation 16:14; 19:29). Usually John used the Greek word semeion ("sign") to describe something miraculous that points to some deeper spiritual significance connected with an event or object (cf. John 2:11; John 2:18, et al.). He called this one a "great sign" (Gr. mega semeion)."In this section [chs. 12-14] there is what might be called a Book of Signs [cf.... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:1-6

The dragon’s hostility toward the male child 12:1-6This pericope furnishes the plot for the drama that unfolds in the rest of the chapter. read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:2

In John’s vision the woman was about to give birth and cried out in labor pains. Evidently this represents Israel’s pain before Jesus Christ’s appearing at His first coming. [Note: Kiddle, p. 220; Walvoord, The Revelation . . ., p. 188; Thomas, Revelation 8-22, p. 121.] read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

The Woman and the Man-Child. The DragonThe persecution which the Church had already suffered, and which was about to burst forth again, is the great fact which underlies the whole ’Revelation.’ The sufferings of the Church and its members have been referred to again and again, particularly in Revelation 11:1-13. In the ’seals’ and the ’trumpets’ the Church has been assured, in a broad and general manner, that God’s judgments will fall upon the world of wickedness, and that the ungodly will bow... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 12:1

(1) And there appeared . . .—Better, And a great sign was seen in the heaven. The word sign is preferable to “wonder,” both in this verse and in Revelation 12:3. It is the same word which is rendered sign in Revelation 15:1. It is a sign which is seen: not a mere wonder, but something which has a meaning; it is not “a surprise ending with itself,” but a signal to arrest attention, and possessing significance; there is “an idea concealed behind it.” (Comp. Note on John 2:11.)A woman clothed with... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 12:2

(2) And she . . .—Better, And being with child, she crieth, travailing, and tormented to bring forth. All life dawns in anguish, according to the ancient fiat (Genesis 3:16); but this is not all. There is an anguish of the Church which Christ laid upon her; it is the law of her life that she must bring forth Christ to the world; it is not simply that she must encounter pain, but that she cannot work deliverance without knowing suffering. Thus the Apostles felt: the love of Christ constrained... read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 12:1

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Revelation 12:2

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 12:1

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Revelation 12:2

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:1

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:1-6

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Revelation 12:2

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 12:1

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Revelation 12:2

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