National Israel, Satan, and Jesus in Revelation

With the blasting of the seventh trumpet, we saw that the kingdom of Christ was at hand, and all authority was given to Jesus in His incarnation. He began to rule as the federal head of creation in His incarnation, a reality which necessarily begins His millennial reign over the earth in the First Century AD. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!

Now, We arrive at John’s third interlude in his second vision. In the first interlude (Chapter 7), John described the conquering work of Jesus Christ prior to His work of judgment. In the second interlude (10:1-11:14), John described the full revelation of God in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In this interlude, John describes the coming of the gospel and reign of Christ over the nations.

Revelation 12:1-6

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Israel (v. 1-2)

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

There is another great sign in heaven—John’s heavenly vision presents him another image which signifies something—John continues to tell us that his vision is symbolic. In the interlude’s opening verse, we are introduced to a new character in John’s Revelation—a woman clothed with the sun using the moon as her footstool. She is pregnant and wears a crown of twelves stars. The sun has so far represented Christ (cf. 1:16; 7:2). The sun and moon imagery take us back to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9. Joseph would be the deliverance of his brothers, and the nation of Israel would be established because of God’s work through Him (Genesis 37-Exodus). So, this woman is clothed with Christ and represents Israel. The moon under her feet is a less obvious symbol that might represent the timing of months in the covenant relationship God has with Israel (cf. 1 Chronicles 23:31; 2 Chronicles 2:4; 8:13; Ezra 3:5; Psalm 81:3). Previously, stars have referred to nations (cf. v. 9:1). If the woman is Israel, then the twelve stars represent the tribes of Israel. The woman’s pregnancy represents the promise of a messiah who would come through national Israel. Since Israel’s inception, she was being prepared for the incarnation of her Lord. In John’s vision, Israel cries out because she has gone into labor.

So, we can discern that John is depicting yet another symbolic image of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

Satan (v. 3-4)

Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

Another sign appears, another symbol, and we are introduced to another new character in the Revelation—a red dragon. This dragon has seven (the number of completion) heads and ten (the number of fullness) horns. The dragon also wears a crown—one diadem on each head. Historically, the dragon has been identified as Satan, and it seems to be. The giant red serpentine monster (cf. Genesis 3) is complete and full in his depravity and wretchedness—having no hope for redemption. His diadems are a cheap substitute for the crown that the woman wears, which has as its diadems stars. While the woman represents the nation through which God actually has ruled on the earth throughout the years following Genesis and prior to advent, the dragon pretends to rule and sets himself up as the first person of the unholy trinity (dragon, sea beast, and earth beast).  

And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

Satan sweeps away ⅓ of the stars of heaven and throws them to the earth. While many interpret these stars to be fallen angels, it is difficult to render that meaning from the text since John has consistently used stars as a symbol for human people or nations (cf. 1:20; 9:1). Falling stars referred to fallen nations so far in Revelation. I have no qualms against the claim that Satan took ⅓ of the angels with him when he was exiled from heaven. However, I do not think we can get to that interpretation of the text if we practice a healthy hermeneutic—which is one difficulty of Revelation since I brought that understanding to this text. The difficulty of reading the Bible is often getting past what we already assume in order to see what the text actually says. The stars are most likely nations that Satan has devoured. The dragon is depicted as a being with the nasty habit of devouring the nations and leading them away from God up to the reign of the messiah—a devil who goes to and fro seeking whom he may devour. This devil has succeeded for centuries, casting nations down from their spiritual high places with God. ⅓, again, refers to the reprobate. So, Satan has only been permitted to sweep the unholy nations away from honoring God. His kingdom is a pretend kingdom unlike God’s reign through national Israel.

Because he is interested in devouring the nations and causing them to fall from God, Satan lies in wait to devour the davidic king who will be born through national Israel. Satan wants not a king other than himself on the earth even though his kingdom is a farce.

Jesus (v. 5-6)

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

A male child, Jesus Christ, is born to the woman. From the moment of His incarnation, Jesus is to rule all the nations of the earth with a rod of iron. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ! John, here, also depicts Christ’s ascension (cf. Matthew 28). Christ will rule the nations from His throne at the side of the Father. John, again, identifies the beginning of Christ’s federal reign at His incarnation—eliminating any possibility of a premillennial reading of Revelation. Satan is unable to devour the messiah. When Jesus begins to reign, the kingdom purpose of Israel is fulfilled. The woman’s crown is given to Jesus. He reigns, now. He is true Israel.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

At the advent of the messiah, Israel symbolically flees into the wilderness where God prepared a place for her. God is preserving His chosen national people for 1,260 days—the same period of apocalyptic time the two witnesses, the church, bring testimony against worldly nations. Thus, the advent of Christ is shown to have marked the beginning of this 42 months. An expository, lectio-continua presentation of Revelation proves our interpretation of the two witnesses discourse. Such is a benefit of expository, lectio-continua teaching; it will either affirm our interpretation or prove it wrong. Here, it is affirmed. Christ’s kingdom is advanced through His witnesses on the earth during the current church age—which began at advent.

We see, here, that national Israel is not being replaced but preserved, which is a matter of some debate in reformed theological circles. God is preserving national Israel during the church age. Christ does not have two separate eschatological kingdoms like dispensationalists argue. Yet, His national covenant with national Israel shall never be extinguished or transferred. The elect Israeli remnant is being preserved such that Satan is bound from devouring her during the church age. Again, we see the binding of Satan and his pretend kingdom at play. John describes all these truths before assigning the number “1,000” to the reign of Christ in Chapter 20—another strength of expository, lectio-continua teaching, we won’t misinterpret the 1,000 years when we get there because we are already seeing how John describes the kingdom and reign of Christ.