Episode #250. Today we’ll read Revelation chapter 12 together: John tells us of a woman, a child, a dragon, and a beast.
Transcript
Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #250. Today we’ll read Revelation chapter 12 together: John tells us of a woman, a child, a dragon, and a beast.
Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast. I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together. Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should. It’s just easier to do it with a friend. So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud. I’m so glad you’re here!
Welcome
Wow! You know what I just realized? We’re about ten days out from accomplishing our goal! That’s crazy, huh? There’s lots to say about that but what I want to talk to you about today – on this 250th time we’ve met together – is 2021.
I have every intention – Lord willing – to read the Bible cover-to-cover next year with you. And to be perfectly frank, I think I’m sitting here behind this microphone because He’s called me to this. I remember at first thinking that this could be a little business, etcetera, etcetera…but that is not how this has played out. I never expected to be so vigilant in following thru and I never expected Mitch to be so supportive and to give so much time and effort in making it happen. This is definitely a ministry; a calling; a total-God thing.
I’ll tell you something else. I feel no calling – at least at this point – to go beyond 2021. But I am hearing very clearly to continue the podcast next year. We all need to be in the Word every day. And if I can help you do that, well, praise God for His faithfulness and provision. Psalm 139:16 has been on my heart for over a week now and it seems appropriate to share it here.
Your eyes saw me when I was formless;
all my days were written in your book and planned
before a single one of them began.
Don’t you think that’s incredible? Before any of us were born, God ordained us to be meeting together in 2020 and 2021 to read His Word. I find that mind-boggling and more than a little comforting.
Format in 2021
So, let’s talk about what the structure of the podcast is going to look like in. As I said, we’re going to read the Bible cover-to-cover in one year, in canon order. Let’s stick with the Christian Standard Bible translation. We’ll be using the Blue Letter Bible plan found on the Bible-reading app YouVersion. This is a free app and if you haven’t downloaded it, I encourage you to do so. It has many, many resources that you can take right along with you wherever you go.
Our format will change in 2021 too. The podcast, with few exceptions will be strictly reading the text. I may comment at the end periodically, but for the most part, any extended comments will be shared on my website blog page. That way, we’ll keep our time together to about the same fifteen minutes or so that we’re used to.
It is my prayer that you will join me this coming year to read the entire Bible, especially if you have never done it before. I’m so happy that you have the foundation of the New Testament under your belt. It makes reading the Old Testament a very exciting journey indeed. I can’t wait to see your comments at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Revelation Chapter 12
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven:
There was a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven crowns. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child. She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule all nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, to be nourished there for 1,260 days.
The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven
Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail, and there was no place for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was thrown out — the ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the one who deceives the whole world. He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,
The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury,
because he knows his time is short.
The Woman Persecuted
When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who had given birth to the male child. The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time. From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring — those who keep the commands of God and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.
The Beast from the Sea
The dragon stood on the sand of the sea.
Closing Thoughts
Revelation 12 is a chapter rich in symbolism, to the point where a few minutes of discussion by me could hardly do it justice. I have never pretended to be a Bible scholar. Instead, I am just a girl who loves Jesus and loves reading God’s Word. And I’ve been fortunate to have some really great teachers.
So, this is one of those times where a good commentary comes in handy. There are many free commentaries available on-line, so I hope you take the time to look up this chapter and see what the religious scholars have to say. One I’ve never mentioned to you before is David Guzick at Enduring Word Ministries. I’ve put a link in the both the Show Notes and the Transcript for this episode.
There are 3 main characters in this chapter: the woman, the child and the dragon. Some scholars suggest the woman is Mary the mother of Jesus; some say that she is the church; most suggest that she is Israel. The child is most certainly Jesus. And the dragon, of course, is Satan.
This chapter depicts a battle between Satan and his angels and the Archangel Michael and his angels. This is a last-ditch effort by Satan to thwart the plans of God. We are not told if this is a real, physical battle, or one that takes place in the spiritual realm. Our battles with Satan are certainly spiritual in nature. But, as we’ll discover when we read the book of Daniel together, Michael is a very powerful angel and his battles seem very physical indeed.
Satan Defeated…Again
Of course, Satan is defeated and forever cast out of Heaven. It is important to note here that Satan has already been defeated. He was defeated by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross some 2,000 years ago. He refuses to accept his defeat and will continue to be defiant until he is finally cast into the lake of fire for all time.
After Satan is cast down to the earth, he continues to wage war against Israel and the church, but God intervenes and protects His people from the worst ravages of Satan. The chapter ends with the sentence, The dragon stood on the sand of the sea. The sentence just hangs there, as it really introduces the first paragraph of Revelation 13. Remember, the separation of the Bible into chapters and verses is a relatively modern invention, and sometimes I think we got it wrong…this is one of those times. Let’s pray.
Prayer
Lord, sometimes I struggle with Your word. I want to know and understand everything, but sometimes I fail. But I rest my faith on the knowledge that You have already won, that Satan was defeated when you shed your blood on the cross at Calvary. You paid for my sins and the sins of the world through your sacrifice, and I can never thank you enough for this great gift of mercy and grace. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Thank you for joining me here today. I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here. In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort. Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us. If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review. Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you right here tomorrow. Be well!
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
Show Notes
- Awesome Video of Solomon’s Temple
- These will help! Overview videos of all books of the Bible
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Bible Study Resources
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- The Bible Project– Free!
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