Chapter 12:1-5.
WE here have another vision. It is very extensive in its range, though the subject is especially Israel. Perhaps it takes us back further than any part of the Apocalypse, even to the birth of Jesus, and carries us on to the remnant in affliction, just before the Lord himself appears as their deliverer. The woman spoken of in the first verse is described as “clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” In referring to the book of Genesis, we find that one of Joseph’s dreams was, that “the sun and the moon and the twelve stars made obeisance to him;” and when he told it to his father. Jacob understood that the dream referred to himself, and the mother and brethren of Joseph; therefore he 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 on the earth.” (Genesis 37:9, 10.) From this we may gather, that the woman, in the opening of our chapter, refers to the house of Israel, from which, according to the flesh, our Lord came; for He was “the son of Abraham,” and was “made of the seed of David, according to the flesh;” (Matthew 1:1; Romans 1:3;) thus connected with all the promises to Abraham, and all the royalties through David. Therefore we read in the next verse, “And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”
There was, however, another wonder in heaven, which we are told, in the ninth verse, was that old serpent which is called the Devil, and Satan. This terrible being is presented to us as a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads, and drawing a third part of the stars of heaven with his tail, and casting them on the earth. Thus we see one mighty in person, terrible and fierce as a great devourer in appearance, and followed in the train by those whose proper element was heaven, but who, by his drawing, are cast into a lower region.; which may be those who have wandered from their exalted sphere, and become apostates in league with Satan, and to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
The attitude this awful dragon takes, is that of watching for Messiah’s birth, and to swallow Him up, if possible. “The dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” (verse 4.) Now, who can have attentively read the second chapter of Matthew, without seeing how literally this was accomplished! There we see, that directly the birth of Jesus was announced, that “Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled,” and that the king, as if imbued fully with the subtlety of the great deceiver, though he professed a desire to “worship” Jesus, only had an earnest longing “to destroy Him,” (Matthew 2:8,18,) and afterward in great wrath issued a command to put to death all the young children from two years old and under, hoping in this way to include the Son of God—the man child, who should yet have the heathen for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession. As we might expect, the entrance of Jesus into this world would be connected with a mighty opposing energy of Satan; so in no period of the Divine record do we find such hosts of Satanic powers working on the earth, and especially in the land of Israel, as during the days of our Lord in His flesh. We know, too, that though Herod’s murderous scheme only turned out to his utter confusion― to the complete failure of the roaring lion, yet we see him afterward as the wily serpent, tempting the blessed Lord with, “If thou be the Son of God,” &c. When again, as at all other times, the great red dragon was so utterly confounded, that the “devil left Him, and angels came and ministered unto Him.” From these records in the gospel, it is clear that Satan was especially set upon devouring this man child.
We are further told, “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne.” This shows us that, however the hatred of Satan and man might rage, yet the God of resurrection could raise up Jesus from the dead, and seat Him at His own right hand in the heavenlies. And what child was ever born of a woman, that will sway the universal scepter but Jesus? Who else shall rule the nations with a rod of iron, or break them to shivers as a potter’s vessel but Jesus? His death on the Cross, instead of checking the onward course of this man child, only manifested God’s love, and man’s wickedness; and was so infinitely meritorious to God, that we are told “He humbled himself, and was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross; wherefore God Hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,” &c. So we read, “the child was caught up to God, and His throne.” It is ascension that is here brought out; and while the church must always be included when the resurrection and ascension of Christ is brought out, nevertheless, the subject of this chapter is not the church, but the history of those (of Israel especially) who suffer under Satan and his great minister, the man of sin, during the Apocalyptic week. Though at present the people of Israel are virtually cut off, yet they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes; and though the ten tribes are scattered to the four winds, God is able to gather them again from the four winds; and, even before that, His eye will be upon a remnant of them for good and bring them through the fire of unparalleled tribulation and anguish, into their long promised blessing, when there shall be the days of heaven on the earth. (Deuteronomy 11:21.)