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                    THE BOOK OF REVELATION

CHAPTER.12.

THE FOUR KEY PERSONS!

1.  The WOMAN
2.  The DRAGON
3.  The MANCHILD
4.  The ARCHANGEL Michael.

Of all the biblical writers the Apostle John is unique.  In
his Gospel he reaches farther into eternity past than any
other writer when he says, "In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same
was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by Him,
and without Him was not anything made that was made" (John
1:1-3).  In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John reaches
farther into eternity than any other writer.

The truth revealed in Revelation 12 reaches backward to
Abraham and forward to the end of the Tribulation.  The
chapter needs to be where it is in the Book so the reader
might understand the future unfolding events of the
Tribulation.

The opening of the seventh seal marked the middle of the
Tribulation; that is, the end of the first three and a half
years.  The events of the last three and half years, known as
the "Great Tribulation", are now being revealed.  Revelation
12 is a crucial chapter in understanding these events.

By the time we reach the end of Revelation 11, the two
witnesses have finished their testimony, been killed, and
caught up to heaven.  The Antichrist has also broken his
covenant with Israel as prophesied in Daniel 9:27: "And he
shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the
midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the
oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations
he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and
that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."  The war
against the saints by the Antichrist is just ahead, as
recorded in Revelation 13.

A proper understanding of Revelation 12 is not only the key
to a correct interpretation of the whole Book of Revelation,
but also the key to understanding the entire Bible for it
presents the history and future of the nation Israel.

DURING THE TRIBULATION period Israel will be confronted with
the worst wave of anti-semitism the world has ever seen.  Yet
God is faithful as usual!  Four key personages appear in this
chapter.  We shall examine them carefully.

THE SUN - CLOTHED WOMAN
Rev 12:1-2

1.  The Woman Identified.

The word translated `appeared' is from the Greek word horao.
A better translation would be `was seen', since the original
word means to perceive with the eyes.  The expression is used
in reference to bodily sight and applies particularly to the
object looked at.  The Greek word  semeion is translated
`wonder'.  However, this word should be translated `sign'
since the idea communicated in this verse is "There was a
great sign in heaven."  Even though the symbol was seen in
heaven by John, several things prove that that which is
symbolized by the woman is on the earth.  Upon delivery, the
manchild will be caught up to heaven (12:5).  She will flee
into the wilderness, the wilderness being upon the earth
(12:6).  The dragon will be cast to the earth and will
persecute the woman (12:13).  A flood will be cast out of the
dragon's mouth to devour the woman, but the earth will aid
her by swallowing the flood.  All of this could not be true
if she were in heaven (12:15-16).

The woman is clearly a symbol.  This is not an unusual figure
of speech for it is found other times in Revelation.  The
woman "Jezebel" was seen to represent paganism and idolatrous
worship (2:20).  This figure of speech was taken from the
literal woman of 1 Kings 16:30-33.

In Revelation 17 there is the scarlet woman or harlot who
represents the apostate church, which is the ecumenical
religion of that time.

The sun-clad woman of Revelation 12 represents Israel as a
nation.  There are several things within the chapter itself
that indicate this identity.

A.  FIRST, that the woman represents Israel is indicated by
the sign or wonder of her appearance (v.1).  In comparing
her with things his readers would know about, the Apostle
John describes her as "a woman clothed with the sun, and the
moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars" (v.1).

The Bible is its own best interpreter, and the dream of
Joseph as recorded in Genesis 37 provides added insight.  It
is said of Joseph that "he dreamed yet another dream, and
told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a
dream more: and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven
stars made obeisance to me.  And he told it to his father,
and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said
unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed?  Shall I
and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down
ourselves to thee to the earth?  And his brethren envied him:
but his father observed the saying" (v.9-11).  Though
Joseph's dream was limited to the immediate family of Jacob,
the 12 sons of that family were to become the progenitors of
the 12 tribes of Israel.

B.  SECONDLY, Israel is often mentioned in the Old Testament
as a married woman (Isa. 54:1-6; Jer.3:1-14).  The book of
Hosea presents the idea of Israel being married to God, and
pictures her backslidings and immorality as leaving God.
After her subsequent humiliation and brokenness in the
wilderness, she returns to her husband (Hosea 2:14-23; Rom.
11; Acts 15:13-18).  The married woman here symbolizes Israel
during the middle of the Week and on to the coming of Christ.

C.  In the THIRD place, it can be noted that the following
three classes of people are recognized in the Bible: the
Church; the Jews; and the Gentiles (1 Cor. 10:32).  At the
time of this woman's travail in the middle of the Week, the
Church will have been removed from the earth, leaving only
the Jews and the Gentiles.  She would not be the Gentile
world, or the Jews living in the Gentile world.
Consequently, she must be the Jews who have left other
nations and gone to their own land, awaiting the Messiah.

2.  The Woman In Travail.

The woman is in travail.  The Greek word odino is the word
for "travailing", and it is used here as well as in Gal.4:19
& 27; Matt. 24:8; Mark 13:8.  it means to experience pains,
whether literally or figuratively; and, since the woman is a
symbol, here it would translated "pained" means tormented and
is used in Rev. 9:5; 11:10; 20:10.  Israel will suffer pain
and torment during the Tribulation period, that being called
"Jacob's trouble."  It is the same type of punishment that
she has undergone under Gentile rule.

In her past history, Israel has been in bondage many times,
beginning with Israel in Egypt.  Howbeit, this travail and
tribulation will be the worst she has known (Dan.12:1; Matt.
24:15-26), there being a twofold result of this travail of
Israel during the Tribulation Week.

A.  FIRST of all there is the deliverance of the manchild in
the middle of the week ( 12:2-5; Jer.30:6-9; Dan. 12:1;
Isa.66:7-8).  Israel will have made a covenant with the
Antichrist for protection from the great whore and the ten
kingdoms of Revised Rome.  This covenant is broken in the
middle of the Week by the Antichrist, and he determines to
completely destroy her.  But, the Antichrist will be defeated
in his purpose because of problems and "tidings out of the
north and east" (Dan.11:44-45).  Some northern and eastern
European and Asiatic nations will move together against the
Antichrist to put a stop to his conquests.  This will keep
him occupied during the last half of the Week and divert his
attention from Israel.  Then, all the nations which the
Antichrist has conquered, together with other cooperating
nations, will gather against Israel to destroy it as he
intended to do during the middle of the Week, at which time
Christ comes to save Israel ( Zech.14).

Israel's travail during the middle of the Week will result in
the catching up of the manchild.  Then God will
supernaturally protect the woman in the wilderness, and the
remnant in Palestine, by directing the attention of the
Antichrist towards the threatenings of the northern and
eastern nations as just mentioned.

B.  SECONDLY, the woman herself will be delivered at the end
of the Week when the Antichrist, with many nations, tries to
destroy Israel ( Mic. 5:3; Zech. 12:10-12 & 21; Joel 3:1-21).
Israel will be converted as a result of this travail, and the
Antichrist will be defeated by the return of Christ to the
earth with the saints and angels.  Israel will be exalted,
and Christ will set up His own kingdom ( Rom 11:26-27; Rev
19:11-20 & 6; 2 Thess 1:7-10).

THE DRAGON
Rev 12:3-4

The world today does not believe in a literal devil,
accepting merely "an evil principle form without."  But the
Bible teaches of an evil personality from without called the
devil.  This passage alone details several things about him.

Names Used For The Devil

Verse 3 - "a great red dragon."  He is red because he is the
motivation force behind much of the bloodshed in man's
history, beginning with Cain and continuing to the present.
Verse 9 - "that old serpent."  This refers to the first time
   the devil is seen in the Bible, in the Garden of Eden.
        - "the devil."  This is the name used for the devil
   in the gospels.  It means "slanderer" or "accuser."
        - "Satan."  This name means "adversary."  The devil
   is the adversary of all God's children.
Verse 10- "the accuser of our brethren."  This indicates his
   work before the throne of God today, seeking to discredit the
   saints before God.
Isaiah 14:12 "Lucifer", "Son of the morning:

The Dragon's Governmental Operations

The seven heads and the ten horns symbolize the same seven
world kingdoms as the seven heads and the ten horns that are
referred to on the beast out of the sea in Rev. 13:1-4; 17:1-
18.  God will use these nations in His purpose of judging
Israel from the beginning of her history to Christ's coming.
The nations involved are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-
Persia, Greece, Rome, and the ten kingdoms of Revised Rome (
see chapter 17).  The crowns on the heads show that Satan has
reigned, and will reign, over these kingdoms.  He has tried
to destroy Israel under the first six kingdoms.  In the
seventh kingdom, which is Revised Rome (made up of the ten
kingdoms), he will again attempt her destruction, but as on
the other occasions, he will meet defeat by God.

The beast out of the sea will have his ten horns crowned.
Notice though, that it is not the seven heads:  which would
indicate that he is to be new in existence, and that he has
not lived through the length of these seven empires.  He
will, however, come in the future and conquer the ten horns,
or the seventh kingdom, and reign over it to become the last
kingdom before Christ's coming.

The Dragon's Fall

This symbol is also seen in heaven.  It is indicated that
one-third of the stars of heaven were cast to the earth.  The
stars are references to the angels of God, and the casting
down pertains to the one-third that fell with Satan, as
recorded in Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-17; Luke 10:18.  In
verses 7 through 12, these "stars" are called "his angels".
In the New Testament, both men and angels are called stars
(1:20; 9:1; 20:1-3).

The Dragon's Conflict With The Seed Of The Woman

The dragon stands before the woman, which is ready to be
delivered- literally, "is about to bring forth."  The
manchild is delivered in the middle of the Week.  The dragon
will try to destroy the manchild, after which he will turn on
the woman.  To put this in perspective, we may note briefly
that actions of the dragon in Revelation after he is cast
down to the earth.  First, he forms an alliance with the
Antichrist to give him his power, throne, and authority
(13:1-4).  Then both of them turn on the woman, who brings
forth the manchild.  Satan tries to destroy the manchild, but
is unsuccessful, as the manchild is raptured.  He continues
his longstanding enmity toward Israel, causing her to flee
into Edom and Moab, with her pursing armies swallowed up by
the earth as God intervenes.  The Dragon will be provoked by
this and will come back to war with the remnant of her seed;
that is, the remaining Jews that did not flee into the
wilderness.  It is then that God stirs up the enemies to the
north and the east of the kingdoms of the old Roman Empire.
The Antichrist will finally conquer them about the end of the
Week and go against Jerusalem as he intended to do in the
middle of the Week.  He will, however, be defeated by Christ,
who will come at this time to deliver Israel and set up His
earthly kingdom.  Satan will be in league with the
Antichrist, and the nations will be stirred to fight against
Christ (16:13-16).  At Armageddon he will be thrown into the
bottomless pit for a thousand years.  The nations will not be
deceived by Satan again until he is loosed for a little
season after the thousand years.  At this time, he will try
to lead a rebellion against God, but fire will come out of
heaven and destroy Christ's enemies.  Satan will then be cast
into the lake of fire, where he will be tormented forever and
ever (20:1-10).  His activity on earth, as the enemy of God
and man, will end.

3.  THE MANCHILD
Rev..12:5

This is another symbol and must be treated as such.  There
are several theories concerning the manchild.  Some believe
the manchild is Christ, their reason being that he came from
Israel "concerning the flesh" (Rom.9:4-5).  This reason is,
in itself, too general and would not be proof; for any son of
Israel could be taken as the manchild.

Another reason for thinking the manchild to be Christ is that
he is to rule "with a rod of iron" (Chapter 19; Psa.2).  This
expression means authority over the nations, and all the
redeemed and resurrected saints will have authority in
Christ, according to the Scripture.  The Old Testament saints
will reign with Christ ( Psa 149:6-9; Dan 7:18; Matt 8:11-12;
Jer 30:9; Ezek 32:24, 37:24-25; Hos 3:5).  The
Church saints will rule with Christ (Matt.19:28, 20:20-28;
Rom 8:17; 1 Cor 4:8, 6:2; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 1:5-6, 2:26-27).
The Jews making up the 144 000 will reign with Christ
(7:1-8; 12:5; 14:1-5).  According to Rev. 20:4-6, the
Tribulation saints will also reign with Christ.  So, we see
that all saints from all ages will reign with Christ, and we
would conclude that the phrase "rod of iron" in Rev 12:15
does not prove that Christ is the manchild.  All these saints
will rule, but with varying responsibilities and degress of
authority, depending on their faithful earthly service.  That
will be determined at the judgment seat of Christ (Luke
19:11-27; Rom. 14:10; 1 Cor 3:11-15).

The third reason which individuals give for believing that
the manchild is Christ is that he was "caught up to God's
throne" (Eph.1:20).  This, again, is not proof that Christ is
the manchild.  John has seen the historical ascension of
Christ over sixty years prior to this, so what the angel is
showing him is a prophecy that will be fulfilled in the
middle of the Week.

The fourth reason for thinking that Christ is the manchild is
that he is called a "man" ( 1 Tim 2:5).  This is not proper
evidence either, because other are called "men" in the
Scripture.  These arguments are too generic, and this
assumption destroys the plain consecutive order of this book
and ignores the natural divisions.

Others believe that the church is the manchild.  Much of the
problems connected with this theory, or idea, of the manchild
being the true Church, is due to the failure of recognizing
that the rapture takes place before the Tribulation.  The
manchild will be taken out in the middle of the Tribulation.
Some think that the seventh trumpet ( 11:14-13,&18), is the
same as the last trump which is blown at the rapture of the
Church ( 1 Cor 15:51-58; 1 Thess 4:13-18 ).  However, there
are several points of contrast between these two trumpets.

I believe that the manchild symbolizes the 144 000 Jews saved
after the rapture of the Church and the Old Testament saints.
These are the `first fruits' to God from Israel.  In
discussing the woman, it was ascertained that she represents
Israel ( see 12:1).  It follows then that Israel cannot bring
forth a company of Gentiles, but rather has to bring forth
her own nationality, the Jews.  The woman represents a
company.  The `remnant' is a company, so the manchild must
represent the company of Jews in order to fulfill statements
made plain in Rev 12.  This would exclude the theory the
Christ is the manchild.  No other company of Jews is
definitely mentioned in the fulfillment of Rev 4-19 in
Daniel's Seventieth Week besides the 144 000.  It seems clear
that they're the ones to be caught up in the seventh trumpet
as the manchild.

The woman will travail and bring forth a complete manchild
in the middle of the Week.  The dragon will want to devour
`her child' as soon as it is born, but the child will be
`caught up to God and the throne'.  Thus the manchild would
have to be a living company because dead or resurrected
people could not be subject to the threat of the dragon.  The
only remaining company of the redeemed, and the only one
altogether composed of living saints, is the 144 000 Jews who
will be sealed to go through the first six trumpets.  They
will then be caught up under the seventh trumpet as the
manchild.  Since they are seen in heaven throughout the last
three and one half years of the Week, they must have been
raptured in the middle of it (14:1-5).  God will protect the
manchild from the dragon and the Antichrist.  He will catch
them up to His throne during the middle of the Week when the
Antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel.

References to the 144 000 in Chapters 7 and 14 concern the
same group.  That the companies in both chapters are the same
is evidenced by the sealing of their foreheads (7:1-3, 14:1).
this company of 144 00 will appear before the throne in
heaven and `before the four beasts and elders' who are before
the throne.  It states clearly that they are redeemed
`from the earth' and `from among men'.  They will be in
heaven between the seventh trumpet and the first vial, and
this implies that they have been raptured.  Every indication
is that this is fulfilled by the middle of the Week.

The privileges of the 144 000 show them to be a special
company.  They are from the earth, they have been redeemed.
They will form one of the wondrous choirs of heaven and sing
a secret song that no one knows `but the hundred and forty-
four thousand' (14:1-3).  Others will understand the words,
but they will not have the particular experience that it
describes, and in that sense it is not fully understood.  Its
being a new song by a new company and with a new theme give
credence to the theory that this group was saved and
translated as a living company after the rapture of the
Church.  there are a number of indications of a special
relationship in Rev 7:3 and 14:1-5.  They were `not defiled
with women; for they are virgins' (14:4).  This is not a
reverence to celibacy, but to impurities relative to the
great religious system that dominated the nations of Revised
Rome during the first half Tribulation Period.  The 144 000
were not natural virgins, but they abstained from the
fornication of Mystery Babylon, and were recognized as pure
virgins and chaste, as in the sense of 2 Cor 11:2.

I conclude that the manchild and the 144 000 are the same.  A
number of facts apply to both.  They represent a small
company out of Israel, they are caught up to the throne; they
are delivered from the dragon, the dragon attempts vengeance
on them.  They are not mentioned on earth after the seventh
trumpet; and they will help rule the nations.  Many passages
indicate that the manchild will be taken in the middle of the
Week and escape Tribulation ( Dan 12:1, Isa 66:7-8, Rev 7:1-
8, 12:5, 14:1-5).

4.  THE WOMAN IN FLIGHT
Rev 12:6

The woman flees into the wilderness.  A place has been
prepared by God where she is to be protected for three and
one-half years.

5.  MICHAEL AND THE WAR IN HEAVEN
Rev 12:7-12

The conflict between God and Satan began when Lucifer
attempted to exalt his kingdom above the angels of God and
dethrone God.  Satan wants to take over the kingdoms of the
universe.  The war referred to in this passage will be the
last desperate struggle between the spirit beings in the
heavenlies.  When Lucifer first rebelled against God, he was
cast out of heaven and back to the ground, and dethroned
(Isa 14:12-14).  Even though Satan lost his kingdom an lofty
position, he still has power.  This power was his by nature
and gift, and he has it greatly in the heavenlies and over
the earth since it was usurped from Adam (Eph 2:2, 6:12; Jn
12:31, 14:30, 16:11; Matt 4:1-11).  He accuses the saints
before God day and night, as he still has access to heaven
(Job 1 and 2, Rev 12:1-12; Zech 3:1-2).

According to verse 7, this war will be timed in the middle of
the Week and will take place in heaven.  Michael the
archangel will be in command of the angels of God.  This
company will stand against Lucifer and archangel who will
command his angels that fell with him when he sinned and was
dethroned.  The combat will be real.  An angel wrestled with
Jacob.  Angels were able to take hold of Lot and his family to
help them escape the city of Sodom.  Angels are referred to
in Scripture as doing many things, so apparently their bodies
have substance.  Their bodies are, however, incorruptible,
immortal, indestructible, and glorified bodies like Christ
had after the resurrection and like ours will be after they
have been glorified.  In this referred to conflict (12:7),
the devil and his angels will be defeated and thrust down to
the earth and will not have access to heaven again.

Declaration of this victory will be made both to God and to
the saints on earth.  The inhabitants of heaven will rejoice
(v12).  The occupants of the earth will be aware of the woe
that is coming.  Satan will vent his wrath upon the woman,
remnant, and other groups of people during the last three and
one-half years.  His wrath will be extremely great, as he
will realize the short time he has left.

6.  THE WOMAN PERSECUTED AND PROTECTED
Rev 12:13-16

With Satan and his angels defeated, and on earth, severe
persecution will be vented toward the woman which brought
forth the manchild.  His first purpose will be to destroy the
manchild (12:4), but with the manchild being caught up, he
will be unable to do that.  He will then turn to the woman
and bitterly persecute her.  Satan will cause the Antichrist
to break his covenant with Israel, after which time he will
receive power and authority from the dragon, and together
they will make war on Israel.  The Antichrist's persecution
of Israel is referred to by the prophets (Is 10:20-17, 14:1-
27; Jer 30:3-9; Dan 7:12-27, 8:23-24, 9:27, 11:4-45; Mic
5:13-15).  The Jews will flee, as this will be their only
way of escaping the control of the Antichrist ( Matt 24:15-
24, Dan 11:40-45).  Israel will flee into the wilderness and
will be aided by God in her flight.  This flight is
symbolized by `two wings of an eagle'.  The word `might'
indicated that those of Israel who want to flee may do so, but
a remnant will be left (v17).

When the dragon realizes that the woman is fleeing, water
will come out of his mouth as `a flood to swallow her.'
However, the woman will be allowed to escape from the dragon,
as the earth opens up its mouth and swallows the flood.  The
dragon is symbolic of Satan and the woman typifies Israel.
The flood refers to the armies of the dragon and the
Antichrist's pursuit of the Israelites to destroy them.  The
earth will open and the armies will be swallowed in a manner
similar to those referred to in Num 16:29-35.  Armies are
often depicted by floods (Jer 46:7-8, 47:2-3; Dan 9:26-27,
11:21-22 &26).  There are a few symbols in this chapter, but
mostly we see literal persons and actions.

There are several other prophecies in the Bible concerning
this persecution, flight, and protection of the woman.  The
first prophecy is in Isa 16:1-5, which indicated she will
flee to the rock-hewn city of Sela, or Petra, as it was
called by the Romans.  It is in Mt.Seir, near Mt. Hor, in the
land of Edom and Moab.  Petra is in fact located in Edom
proper.

In the next verses, Israel is referred to as `outcasts', and
Moab is commanded to welcome them and cover them from the
`face of the spoiler'.  They  are not to betray the
Israelites to the Antichrist.  Reference is made to Moab as
being the protector of Israel at this time.  This country
forms part of the great wilderness alluded to so often in
Scriptures where Israel wandered for forty years.

Petra was a commercial centre in the days of Soloman (2
Kings 14:7, 2 Chron 25:11-12).  It is mentioned several
times as `the rock' because Sela means `rock' or `stronghold'
(Judges 1:36, Isa 42:11, Jer 48:28, 49:16, Obad 3).  A
picture of Christ coming to earth to destroy the nations of
Armageddon is found in Isa 63:1-5.  In His coming to earth,
Christ will pass over Petra, descending from the east (Matt
24:27); and Jewish fugitives hiding there in the mountains
will see Him coming in the clouds with power and great glory.
The words of Isa 42:11-13 will be fulfilled at the time.  He
shall prevail against His enemies.  These passages, together
with Joel 3, Zech 9:1-14 & 21, 2 Thess 1:7-10, Rev 14:14-20,
19:11-21, picture Armageddon, at which time Christ delivers
Israel from the Antichrist.  Encouraging promises are given
in Psa 60:6-12.  Also, in Ezek 20:33-44 there is another
prophecy of God bringing Israel back from the nations in the
last days.  Prophecy, in Dan 11:36-45, reveals that at the
time of the conquest of the Antichrist, `many countries shall
be overthrown, but these shall escape out of his hand, even
Edom and Moab, and chief of the children of Ammon.'  Since
these places will escape, it will be the obvious place for
the Israelites to flee during the Great Tribulation.  Hos
2:14-23 speaks of Petra, or a place in the wilderness, to
which Israel will flee for protection from the Antichrist.
Jesus predicted in Matthew that the time of the abomination
of desolation would come when the Antichrist breaks up his
seven year covenant with Israel.  He does away with the daily
sacrifices to God in the temple and sets himself up to be
worshipped.  It is then that the Jews `in Judea'  flee to the
mountains and `there shall be tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be' ( Matt 24:15-22, Dan 9:27, 2 Thess 2:1-3, Rev
13:1-18).  Many passages speak of persecution together with
the flight and protection of the woman in the wilderness.
They refer to Israel, not to the Church, Christendom or
Gentiles.

7.  THE REMNANT OF THE WOMAN
Rev 12:17

This remnant is literally those Jews who will be saved after
the rapture of the manchild, and will flee into the
wilderness when the woman, or the main body of Israel, does.
As in previous invasions of Judea and Jersualem, there has
been a remnant left.  This will be true during the middle of
the Week of the Tribulation time when the dragon and the
Antichrist determine to destroy Israel.  The word `remnant'
in scripture is always used in reference to Israel, and not
the Church or Gentiles ( Isa 1:9, 10:20, 11:16; Joel 2:32;
Mic 2:12, 5:3-9; Zech 8:6-12; Rom 11).