Revelation 12:1-17 KJV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:1-11

Here we see that early prophecy eminently fulfilled in which God said he would put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen. 3:15. You will observe, I. The attempts of Satan and his agents to prevent the increase of the church, by devouring her offspring as soon as it was born; of this we have a very lively description in the most proper images. 1. We see how the church is represented in this vision. (1.) As a woman, the weaker part of the world, but the spouse of... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:12-17

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, 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... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

It is necessary to read this chapter as a whole before we examine it in detail. 12:1-17 A great sign appeared in the sky--a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon beneath her feet, and with a crown of twelve stars on her head; and she was with child, and she cried aloud in her labour and in her agony to bear the child. And another sign appeared in heaven--lo! a great flame-coloured dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and with seven royal diadems upon its heads. Its tail... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:1

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven ,.... This vision begins a new account of things, and represents the church in the apostles' times, and purer ages of Christianity, and under the Heathen and Arian persecutions; after which an account is given of the beast, mentioned in Revelation 11:7 , of his rise, power, and reign, and then of the victories of the saints over him and of the vials of God's wrath upon him, and of his utter ruin and destruction; when comes on the marriage of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:2

And she being big with child ,.... Which may be expressive of the fruitfulness of the church in bearing and bringing forth many souls to Christ, and which were very numerous in this period of time, when it was said of Zion that this and that man was born in her; and particularly of her pregnancy with the kingdom of Christ, to be brought forth, and set up in the Roman empire, under the influence of a Roman emperor: and this being her case, she cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:3

And there appeared another wonder in heaven ,.... Or "sign"; which represents the woman, or the church's adversary, Satan; not that he was in heaven, in the third heaven, the place of glory and happiness, for out of that he had been cast long ago; but in his great power and authority here on, earth, particularly in the Roman empire, where the church was labouring to bring forth her man child: and behold a great red dragon ; the devil, as it is explained in Revelation 12:9 ; though not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:4

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth ,.... So Solinus F5 Polyhist. c. 43. 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 F6 Valer. Maxim. l. 1. c. 8. ; which serpent, Pliny F7 ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:5

And she brought forth a man child ,.... Not Christ, literally and personally considered, or Christ in his human nature, as made of a woman, and born of a virgin, which was a fact that had been years ago; but Christ mystically, or Christ in his members, who are called by his name, because he is formed in them, and they are the seed of the woman, the church; and many of these were brought forth to Christ by the church in the primitive times, who were a manly birth, hale, strong, and robust... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness ,.... Not as soon as she was delivered of her child, which is not reasonable to suppose, and would have been improper if not impracticable; nor indeed was this flight until after the war was over, mentioned in Revelation 12:13 ; nor until the dragon and his angels were conquered and cast out; nor until a fresh persecution was raised by the dragon against the woman, as appears from Revelation 12:14 ; where this account stands in its proper place, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:7

And there was war in heaven ,.... Not in the third heaven, the habitation of God, the seat of the angels and glorified saints, there is no discord, jars, and contentions there, nothing but peace, love, and joy; but in the church below, which is militant, and has in it as it were a company of two armies; or rather in the Roman empire, which was the heaven of Satan, the god of this world, and of his angels; and this war refers not to the dispute between Michael the archangel and the devil... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:1-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 12:12-17

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 12:1-17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 12:7

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