(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 12
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Rev 12:5
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations:
In verse 1, we explored the symbolism of the woman as representing the community of God’s faithful people throughout the ages. If the woman symbolizes the community of believers who, from Genesis to the Gospels, formed the foundation for the advent of the Messiah, then Jesus’ birth was the culmination of that hope!
Zech 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you,righteous and victorious,lowly and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraimand the warhorses from Jerusalem,and the battle bow will be broken.He will proclaim peace to the nations.His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
2 Sam 7:12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
Isa 9:7 Of the greatness of his government and peace,there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Psa 45:6 Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever;a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;therefore, God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
Dan 2:44 “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.
Rev 12:5
With an iron scepter:
The Greek term rhabodos and Hebrew shebet both translate as a stick, wand, cane, or baton of royalty (scepter)1.
Psalms 2:9 You will break them with a rod of iron;you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Psalms 67:4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.
Rev 12:5
Her child was snatched up to God and to his throne:
Jesus’ death and resurrection not only “snatched” Messiah from the grasp of Satan, but it also ensured that all who follow Christ are forever out of Satan’s reach:
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Isa 53:12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,and he will divide the spoils with the strong,because he poured out his life unto death,and was numbered with the transgressors.For he bore the sin of many,and made intercession for the transgressors.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
Rev 12:6
The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God:
Deut 32:9 For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. 10 In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded him and cared for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye…
The Biblical depiction of the wilderness is one of a barren wasteland where little grows, and life is harsh and sometimes deadly2. Consider the paradox: Israel was ultimately saved by being led into the wilderness, where she was nurtured, grew, and matured. Now, John perceives this wilderness as a haven for the woman who symbolizes God’s covenant community of believers. Despite the challenges thrown at her by Satan’s world, God will protect and nurture His people.
Gen 12:3 I will bless those who bless you,and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.”
Isa 60:1-3 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you, and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Zech 2:11 “Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.
Col 3:1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Rom 5:10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
2 Cor 5:14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
Rev 12:6
Where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days:
The unbelieving world was trampling the outward and visible church (Rev. 11:2), yet the spiritual church, visible to the eyes of faith, was kept safe in God’s plan.
As illustrated in Chapter 11, 1,260 days are equivalent to “time, times and half a time” (3 ½ years; 42 months), representing a limited period during which evil seems to be gaining victory. But God’s promises are sure:
Deut 20:4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
Isa 40:31 …but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles;they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.
Psa 27:1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
Psa 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Matt 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Footnotes
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
