‏ Revelation of John 12

Summary for Rev 12:1-14:20: 12:1–14:20  ^a The people of God, portrayed as a woman who brings forth the Messiah, are under attack by the devil even though he has already been defeated (12:1-17  ^b). With his two minions, the beast and the false prophet, Satan attempts to continue controlling the world (13:1-18  ^c) before the final confrontation with the Lord (14:1-20  ^d).
Summary for Rev 12:1-17: 12:1-17  ^e Satan (pictured as a dragon) plots to challenge God’s purposes but is thwarted. Having failed in direct confrontation with God and Christ, he attempts to attack God’s people. Three brief scenes present an overview of the story (12:1-6  ^f), followed by elaborations of the war in heaven (12:7-9  ^g) and the war on earth (12:13-17  ^h). 12:1  ⁱ The number twelve suggests that the woman represents God’s people (cp. 12:15-17  ^j; see Jer 2:32  ^k; 2 Cor 11:2  ^l; Eph 5:32  ^m), from whom came the Messiah. This woman is marked by God’s glory in contrast with the prostitute (see Rev 17:1-6  ⁿ), who is destined for destruction.
12:2  ^o The symbolic woman going through the agony of labor portrays Christ’s birth, reflecting the biblical theme of Israel’s trauma while waiting to be delivered (see Isa 26:16-18  ^p; Jer 4:31  ^q; Mic 4:9-10  ^r; John 16:21  ^s).
Summary for Rev 12:3-4: 12:3-4  ^t The large red dragon represents Satan (see 12:9  ^u).

• seven heads and ten horns: The numbers represent a mixture of divine and created powers (see 17:7-14  ^v).

• The historic battle between evil and the people of God is staged in cosmic dimensions (see Gen 3:1-7  ^w, 14-15  ^x; Job 1:9-12  ^y).

• Herod’s desire to kill Jesus embodied Satan’s attempt to devour her baby after it was born (see Matt 2:7-8  ^z, 16  ^aa).
12:5  ^ab Jesus was the son who was to rule all nations (see Luke 1:31-33  ^ac; 2:30-32  ^ad; cp. Ps 2:6-12  ^ae).

• Although Jesus was killed by agents of the devil, he was snatched away from the dragon and raised from the dead (Matt 28:6  ^af; Mark 10:33-34  ^ag; 16:6  ^ah; 1 Cor 15:3-4  ^ai). Jesus’ entire life on earth, from his birth to his death and resurrection, is compressed into this scene.

• caught up to God and to his throne: See Acts 1:9-11  ^aj.
12:6  ^ak Like the people of Israel who were spiritually refined in the wilderness (see Hos 2:14-15  ^al; Acts 7:38-45  ^am) and in exile (see Isa 5:13  ^an; Ezek 12:1-3  ^ao), the Christian church must face its own wilderness. Revelation presents messages of endurance and perseverance in the face of trouble and shows that God provides places of refuge and avenues of escape for his people (cp. 1 Cor 10:13  ^ap). 1,260 days: See study note on Rev 11:2-3.
Summary for Rev 12:7-9: 12:7-9  ^aq This scene clarifies the dragon’s identity and power.

• God dispatches Michael, the warrior archangel (see Dan 12:1  ^ar; Jude 1:9  ^as), to confront the dragon and his angels. God does not have to engage in the battle himself (see Matt 26:53  ^at), and Satan is defeated.
Summary for Rev 12:10-11: 12:10-11  ^au Satan’s defeat is encouraging for Christians who, like the recipients of Revelation, are not afraid to die (see John 12:24-26  ^av).
12:13  ^aw When the dragon realized: The scene picks up from 12:9  ^ax.
12:14  ^ay two wings ... of a great eagle (see Exod 19:4-6  ^az; Deut 32:10-11  ^ba; Isa 40:29-31  ^bb): God strengthens his people; he does not promise that they will escape persecution or death.

• a time, times, and half a time: Usually understood as three and a half years (see Rev 11:2-3  ^bc).
Summary for Rev 12:15-16: 12:15-16  ^bd John pictures Satan as Leviathan (cp. Job 41:1  ^be) trying to destroy God’s people (the woman; see study note on Rev 12:1). The protective earth responds and the waters of chaos are contained, as at creation (cp. Gen 1:2  ^bf, 6-7  ^bg, 9-10  ^bh).
12:17  ^bi The dragon turns his hostility against the woman’s children (believers) who keep God’s commandments and continue in their testimony for Jesus.
Summary for Rev 12:18-13:18: 12:18–13:18  ^bj John portrays the dragon conducting its war (12:17  ^bk) through two beasts who with Satan form an evil trinity. 12:18  ^bl on the shore beside the sea: By contrast, the Lamb stands on the rock of Zion (14:1  ^bm).

‏ Revelation of John 13

Summary for Rev 13:1-10: 13:1-10  ^bn The first beast is the second member of the evil trinity (see study note on 12:18–13:18) and should probably be identified with Roman power (see thematic note for Four World Empires at end of chapter). 13:1  ^bo The beast emerges from the sea (symbolizing evil). Like the dragon, it has seven heads and ten horns (see 12:3  ^bp). The crowns represent its political and military power (cp. 17:3  ^bq, 7-11  ^br; Dan 7:7  ^bs, 19-20  ^bt) and indicate that Satan is the head of this beast’s empire.
13:2  ^bu Satan makes the beast a pseudo-deity by giving it his power, throne, and authority. In the first century, Roman emperors increasingly claimed divinity.
13:3  ^bv Satan often imitates God. Here the beast mimics the death and resurrection of Jesus.

• That one of the heads had been fatally wounded but was healed has led to its identification with Nero. A tradition emerged that the emperor Nero (AD 54–68) was so evil that he either did not really die or would be reincarnated as another tyrant like Domitian (AD 81–96). In 17:9-10  ^bw, the beast’s seven heads are linked both to seven hills (Rome) and to seven kings.
Summary for Rev 13:5-8: 13:5-8  ^bx The four characteristics of the beast are that he (1) blasphemes God, (2) has authority for a limited time, (3) makes war against God’s people, and (4) rules the world. But God is in control. 13:5  ^by The forty-two months are the three and a half years of persecution and evil domination (see study note on 11:2-3).
13:7  ^bz The beast’s authority extends over all the people of the world.
13:8  ^ca Those who worshiped the beast receive its mark (13:15-17  ^cb) and are not listed in the Book of Life (see 20:12  ^cc).
Summary for Rev 13:9-10: 13:9-10  ^cd The scene (13:1-10  ^ce) ends with a dramatic conclusion patterned on Jer 15:2  ^cf; 43:11  ^cg. Anyone with ears to hear must pay attention, because judgment is coming (cp. Rev 2:7  ^ch, 11  ^ci, 17  ^cj).
13:10  ^ck God’s holy people are summoned to endure and remain faithful while experiencing temporary persecution.
Summary for Rev 13:11-18: 13:11-18  ^cl another beast: This second beast, the third member of the evil trinity (see study note on 12:18–13:18), is later called the “false prophet” (16:13  ^cm). As a high priest of false religion, he leads the world into worshiping the first beast and the dragon (see also 16:13-14  ^cn). 13:11  ^co The beast is portrayed as a lamb, the same symbol used to represent Christ (see 5:6-13  ^cp; 7:9-17  ^cq; 14:1-4  ^cr), but this lamb spoke like a dragon. The image is of a fraudulent messiah.

• The two horns might stand for two emperors, perhaps Nero and Domitian.
Summary for Rev 13:12-15: 13:12-15  ^cs The second beast derives its power from the first beast, which in turn answers to the dragon (13:4  ^ct). 13:12  ^cu he required ... people to worship the first beast: Imperial Rome demanded worship of the emperor Domitian.

• whose fatal wound had been healed: This description might refer to Domitian, who was viewed as the reincarnation of Nero (see study note on 13:3). The image is a picture of the constant reemergence of evil, particularly in the latter days (see study note on 17:8).
Summary for Rev 13:13-15: 13:13-15  ^cv In New Testament times, false prophets astounded people with reports of divine visitations and of idols speaking for the gods they represented (see Acts 16:16-18  ^cw; 1 Cor 12:2-3  ^cx). Such practices involved worship of demons (see 1 Cor 10:20-21  ^cy) and were epitomized in the Roman emperor cult. Those who refused to conform were put to death.
Summary for Rev 13:14-15: 13:14-15  ^cz he was allowed. ... He was then permitted: God never relinquishes ultimate authority. These creatures of evil have been allowed to rebel against God, but they are not in control.
Summary for Rev 13:16-17: 13:16-17  ^da small and great, rich and poor, free and slave: All humanity is required to accept the beast’s evil mark of ownership (see 14:9  ^db, 11  ^dc; 19:20  ^dd; 20:4  ^de), a precondition for all commerce (the right to buy or sell). The text does not explicitly tell us what the mark is or looks like.

• On the right hand or on the forehead suggests the branding of slaves—the beast owns them.

• the number representing his name: In both Hebrew and Greek, letters of the alphabet represent numbers, which gave names a numerical value (13:18  ^df).
13:18  ^dg Wisdom is needed: John is giving a clue to help his readers solve the meaning of the beast’s number.

• of a man: John hides the man’s identity, perhaps because revealing the name would place him and his readers in danger (cp. use of Babylon as a symbol for Rome, 17:9  ^dh).

• The number 666 represents supernatural evil (see thematic note for Symbolic Numbers at end of chapter). John might have used the transliteration Caesar Neron (a Hebrew spelling of the name) to arrive at the number 666. Later scribes, who spoke Greek but not Hebrew, corrected the number to 616 in some manuscripts, probably to match the name’s numerical value in Greek.

Thematic note: Four World Empires
Two panoramic visions in Daniel present God’s sovereignty over history. Nebuchadnezzar had the first vision (ch 2  ^di), and Daniel had another like it (ch 7  ^dj). In each of these visions, four of the kingdoms of the world are presented.
There have always been questions about the identities of the four empires, but historically there has also been considerable consensus. Hippolytus (AD 170–236), one of the early church fathers, identified the four kingdoms as Babylonia, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The church father and historian Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 260–340) initially identified the first kingdom as Assyria (which once also controlled Babylon), but he later agreed with Hippolytus, as did most of the church fathers. Later, Jerome and Augustine accepted this same understanding, and conservative interpreters largely still agree.
In antiquity and in our era, some interpreters have argued that Greece is the fourth empire, treating Media and Persia as separate kingdoms. This interpretation is due in part to denying the possibility of prediction, assuming the book was written before the Roman Empire had arisen. But Media and Persia are usually regarded as one empire, and the Median kingdom had been mostly assimilated by the Persians by the time Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 BC.
Rome is then seen as the fourth kingdom, but the bestial, demonic, and inhumane characteristics of the vision extend beyond the historical Rome. The visions also represent a panorama of the whole world and its governments; all will be destroyed and replaced by the Kingdom of God, the “rock . . . cut from a mountain” (2:34  ^dk). The metals of the statue become progressively less valuable in chapter 2  ^dl, while the animal imagery of chapter 7  ^dm becomes more menacingly fierce, violent, and inhumane. These features represent a deterioration of human civilization across the centuries, even as the Kingdom of God grows in power and stature (2:35  ^dn).


Passages for Further Study
Dan 2:1-49  ^do; 7:1-28  ^dp

Thematic note: Symbolic Numbers
Numbers used in Scripture have often inspired wild speculation. An understanding of the symbolism of numbers in the ancient world can help ground our interpretation. Such symbolism, however, is not rigid or exact, so great care must be exercised when numbers are used in interpretation, so as not to push fanciful predictions about future events.
The number one can refer to God’s oneness (Deut 6:4  ^dq; Gal 3:20  ^dr; Jas 2:19  ^ds). Two is the minimum number required to give a legitimate witness (Deut 17:6  ^dt; Rev 11:3  ^du), and three can imply divine representation (Gen 18:1-2  ^dv; 2 Cor 13:14  ^dw; Rev 1:4-5  ^dx). Four can stand for the known world, represented in Revelation by living creatures, horsemen, winds, and angels (Rev 4:6-8  ^dy; 6:1-8  ^dz; 7:1  ^ea) and in Genesis  ^eb by four rivers (Gen 2:10-14  ^ec). When three and four are added to make seven, they represent perfection or divine fulfillment, indicating that God and the world are in harmony. The multiplication of three by four yields twelve, the number associated with God’s people (Gen 35:22-26  ^ed; Exod 24:4  ^ee; 28:21  ^ef; Num 17:2  ^eg; Josh 4:3-8  ^eh; 1 Kgs 18:31  ^ei; Matt 10:1-4  ^ej; 19:28  ^ek; Jas 1:1  ^el; Rev 12:1  ^em; 21:12–22:2  ^en. The number five and its multiples, such as ten, represent human completeness (e.g., five fingers per hand); and six carries a negative sense or implication of evil, being neither humanly complete (five) nor divinely complete (seven).
Multiples of ten (e.g., forty) are a symbolic way to indicate many, whereas three sixes (666) imply supreme evil (Rev 13:18  ^eo). One thousand is regarded as the foundational large number; 12,000 indicates a large number of God’s people (Rev 7:5-8  ^ep); and 144,000 represents the complete people of God (Rev 7:4  ^eq; 14:1  ^er). The number 10,000 and its multiples are probably best transliterated from Greek as myriads, since they really mean “a huge number” rather than a precise count.
While some of the numbers in the Bible have symbolic meanings, using numbers to speculate on the time of Christ’s return or of the end of the world is highly dubious—only God possesses that knowledge (Mark 13:32  ^es). God did not intend for the symbolic numbers in Revelation to help us predict the future; rather, their symbolic meanings help to explain the significance of the visions. Because the numbers are symbolic, sometimes when we translate them into contemporary sizes, distances, and numbers for our ease of reading, it can result in the loss of theological significance. The use of these symbolic numbers can illuminate a vision’s relationship to the world or to the people of God.


Passages for Further Study
Gen 2:2-3  ^et; 4:15  ^eu; 15:13  ^ev; 41:53-54  ^ew; Exod 20:6  ^ex; 25:31-37  ^ey; 32:15  ^ez; Lev 16:14  ^fa; 23:16  ^fb; 2 Sam 24:13  ^fc; 1 Kgs 4:26  ^fd; 17:21  ^fe; 18:31  ^ff, 43-44  ^fg; Job 1:2  ^fh; Ps 90:4  ^fi; Jer 15:3  ^fj; 49:36  ^fk; Ezek 14:21  ^fl; Dan 4:16  ^fm, 23-25  ^fn; 7:3  ^fo, 17  ^fp, 24  ^fq; Zech 4:2  ^fr; 6:1  ^fs; Matt 10:1-5  ^ft; 12:40  ^fu; 18:21-22  ^fv; Mark 6:7  ^fw; Luke 15:8  ^fx; Acts 6:3  ^fy; 10:16  ^fz; 1 Cor 8:6  ^ga; Eph 4:4-6  ^gb; 2 Pet 3:8  ^gc; Rev 1:16  ^gd; 2:10  ^ge; 4:4  ^gf; 6:1  ^gg; 7:1  ^gh, 4-8  ^gi; 12:1  ^gj, 3  ^gk; 13:1  ^gl; 17:3-14  ^gm; 20:2-7  ^gn; 21:12-21  ^go

‏ Revelation of John 14

Summary for Rev 14:1-5: 14:1-5  ^gp The true Lamb and his followers starkly contrast with the evil trinity. 14:1  ^gq standing: See 5:6  ^gr; study note on 12:18.

• 144,000: God’s righteous remnant (see study note on 7:4-8).

• The brand on their foreheads (contrast 13:16-17  ^gs) is the name of both the Lamb and his Father, reflecting the union of Jesus and the Father (see John 5:20-23  ^gt; 14:5-10  ^gu; 17:22  ^gv).
Summary for Rev 14:2-3: 14:2-3  ^gw This great choir sang a . . . new song that only those who had been redeemed from the earth could learn. These people had died and were already with the Lord, which might explain why John did not include the content of their refrain for readers still in the battle of life (cp. 2 Cor 12:4  ^gx).
Summary for Rev 14:4-5: 14:4-5  ^gy These warriors were ritually pure (unpolluted) and morally without blame.

• They have kept themselves as pure as virgins: Referring to men as virgins is a metaphor for the faithfulness of God’s people. The image might refer to the church as the virgin bride of Christ (see 2 Cor 11:2  ^gz; Eph 5:25-27  ^ha); it also suggests that the church constitutes soldiers in a holy war that are required to keep themselves chaste (see Deut 23:9-10  ^hb; 1 Sam 21:5  ^hc).

• These faithful people are a special offering (literally firstfruits; see Exod 13:14-16  ^hd; 23:19  ^he; Lev 23:9-14  ^hf; Num 3:40-51  ^hg; 18:15-20  ^hh; Luke 2:22-24  ^hi) who have been purchased for God.

• They have told no lies: John teaches that liars will never enter heaven (Rev 21:8  ^hj, 27  ^hk; 22:15  ^hl; see also John 8:44  ^hm). The followers of Jesus speak and live the truth (see also John 8:32  ^hn; 14:6  ^ho).
Summary for Rev 14:6-13: 14:6-13  ^hp Three angels are flying through the sky with messages from God.
Summary for Rev 14:6-7: 14:6-7  ^hq The first angel proclaims the eternal Good News, which includes the message that God will sit as judge—the end is near, so this message provides a last-chance summons to repentance.
14:8  ^hr Babylon is probably a cryptic designation for Rome (see 16:19  ^hs; 17:5-9  ^ht); it represents earthly power and corruption. The coming of God as judge (14:7  ^hu) includes the end of earthly powers.
Summary for Rev 14:9-11: 14:9-11  ^hv The third angel announces God’s judgment (14:7  ^hw) on the counterfeit worship of the beast and his statue (see 13:12-18  ^hx; 19:20  ^hy; 20:4  ^hz). God’s response to the rebellion against his reign is anger or wrath, pictured as a cup of bitter wine (see ch 16  ^ia; 19:15  ^ib).

• fire and burning sulfur ... smoke: This description of judgment (see also 19:20  ^ic; 20:10  ^id, 14-15  ^ie) echoes God’s judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:16–19:28  ^if).

• Those condemned to a fiery end will suffer in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb (cp. Luke 16:22-24  ^ig).
14:12  ^ih The threat of persecution and death was very real to the Christians first reading this letter, so John calls God’s people to obedience and faithfulness (see 2:10  ⁱⁱ; 3:10  ^ij; 12:17  ^ik; 13:10  ^il).
14:13  ^im A dramatic voice from heaven once again instructs John to write (see 1:11  ⁱⁿ, 19  ^io; 21:5  ^ip; cp. 10:4  ^iq).

• Blessed are those who die in the Lord: God desires that those who endure persecution be with him and enjoy his blessings and rest.

• The mention of hard work and good deeds in connection with eternal reward foreshadows the assigning of rewards based on works (20:12  ^ir).
Summary for Rev 14:14-20: 14:14-20  ^is Two brief scenes portray God’s judgment. 14:14  ^it the Son of Man: Or like a son of man; see study note on 1:13.

• A gold crown is a symbol of status or power, clearly distinguishing Jesus from the angels (see 4:4  ^iu; 6:2  ^iv; 9:7  ^iw; 12:3  ^ix; 13:1  ^iy).

• The sharp sickle is symbolic of God’s harvest of judgment (see 14:17-18  ^iz; see also Jer 51:33  ^ja; Hos 6:11  ^jb; Mic 4:12-13  ^jc).
Summary for Rev 14:15-18: 14:15-18  ^jd The Temple and the altar represent God’s presence (see 9:13  ^je; 11:19  ^jf; 16:7  ^jg).
Summary for Rev 14:18-20: 14:18-20  ^jh The ripe ... grapes (see Amos 8:2  ^ji) that are trampled in the winepress emphasize God’s power to judge (see Rev 19:15  ^jj; Joel 3:13  ^jk).

• Winepresses were built outside cities and towns; here, the city is Jerusalem. The bloody river of death stretched about 180 miles. God’s enemies stand no chance when the Son of Man comes in judgment. The carnage here is closely linked with the final battle in Rev 19:17-21  ^jl; God is just and fair in giving people exactly what they deserve (see 16:5-7  ^jm).