Revelation 12

Revelation 12:1

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

Hitherto hath the estate of the Church been represented in Two several Visions: now, it pleased God to shew the same unto me, more at large, in a Third Vision: beginning at the primitive times thereof, and continuing till the end of all things. The primitive Church was therefore represented unto me, as a woman resplendent and glorious; though of herself, in respect of her nature and sex, weak and feeble, yet made pure and majestical, by the perfect beams of Christ’s righteousness shining upon her: the moon was under her feet, to signify her treading upon all the transitory and changeable things of this life, now in the times of her first simplicity: and upon her head was a crown, not of gold, but of heavenly matter, even of stars, to signify, that she is honoured as a queen in heaven; of twelve stars, to signify the heavenly doctrine of the twelve Apostles, the maintenance whereof is the only glory of her:

Revelation 12:2

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And she, that had been formerly barren, was now fruitful, and great with child; ready to be delivered of her happy burden; longing to bring forth children unto God.

Revelation 12:3

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, haring seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; for there was represented to me a fearful image of that opposition, which should be made to the Church; viz. that the Devil, which was resembled by a great red dragon cruel and bloody, whose chief seat and city standeth upon seven hills, being crowned with the command and government of the world, and having under it many confederated kingdoms wherein the strength thereof consisteth, should stir up the tyrants of the Roman Empire, to set themselves against it in all violent courses.

Revelation 12:4

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And the issue of this tyrannical persecution, raised by Satan, was such, as that, by this means, very many, who were and might have been lights to others, were miscarried from their Christian profession, and drawn back to Pagan Idolatry: and these bloody persecutors, agents for the then Roman Empire, stood ready to watch for any that would or durst profess the Name of Christ; and, so soon as any man did but offer to stand out for the maintenance of the Christian Faith, were ready to seize upon him, and to proceed cruelly against him.

Revelation 12:5

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.

But, in spite of all the malice and opposition of enemies, the Church brought forth, through the power of the Gospel, a masculine issue of true and faithful professors; in whom Christ was truly formed anew; even Christ Mystical, that Son of God who should rule over the nations, and in whose right his members partake of the same glory: and this blessed issue of hers

Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And the Church, viz. the faithful professors of Christ’s Name, being, after this, persecuted, were glad to retire themselves into deserts and solitary places; where the Providence of God had prepared maintenance and safe protection for them; where they continued during the heat of that persecution.

Revelation 12:7

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And the Devil, the arch-enemy of man’s salvation, raised up war against Christ and his Church: and there was a very great and sore conflict, betwixt Christ and his faithful servants on the one part, and Satan and his complices on the other,

Revelation 12:8

And prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in heaven.

But Satan, notwithstanding all his power and malice, prevailed not against the Church; neither was permitted to atchieve any thing against the salvation of God’s elect.

Revelation 12:9

And the great dragon was cast out, that old Serpent called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And the Great Dragon, the Devil, and Satan, even that Old Serpent, which bore a deadly and perpetual enmity to Christ and his holy seed, and who is the Great Deceiver and Tempter of the sons of men, was utterly defeated of all power to prevail against God’s Church; and was put over, and limited to the exercise of his tyranny, upon those earthly and carnal men, whom he prevails over.

Revelation 12:10

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And I heard a loud voice of Saints and Angels, triumphing in heaven, at this victory of Christ, and defeat of Satan, saying, Now, is salvation without all impeachment prepared for God’s chosen; and the strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of Christ his Son, is enlarged: for Satan, who is the great Tempter and Accuser of God’s children, urging their sins against them, and pleading for revenge of their misdeeds, and raising calumnies and slanders against them, before God and men, is foiled and dejected.

Revelation 12:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,

and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. And these elect children of God have overcome him; not by any power of their own, but by the blood of Christ, that Immaculate Lamb, applied to them by a lively Faith; and by the power of that mighty word of truth, which they have given their confession unto; and by their resolute and patient suffering, and yielding up their lives to a most bitter death, for the maintenance of the Gospel.

Revelation 12:12

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Therefore rejoice, O ye Heavens, and ye blessed Angels and Saints that dwell therein, for this your happy victory in Christ your Redeemer. But, woe be to you, earthly and carnal-minded men, whose affections are wholly set upon worldly things! for, since Satan cannot have his will of God’s faithful ones, he will be sure to tyrannize over you; and, for that purpose, is he labouring, in his extreme rage against mankind, to execute his wrath upon you; wherein he is so much the more eager and vehement, because he knows his kingdom draweth near to an end.

Revelation 12:13

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And, when this malicious Dragon saw, that he was defeated of his purposes, of hindering the salvation of God’s Saints, he turned all his rage against the Church Militant on earth; raising up, by his wicked instruments, all manner of persecutions against her, who had brought forth that masculine issue of faithful professors.

Revelation 12:14

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

But unto the Church were given, by the wise and gracious Providence of the Almighty, many both forcible and speedy means of her delivery; that she might retire and betake herself to a place of more obscure safety; where he took order for her preservation and nourishment, during all the time of her persecution.

Revelation 12:15

And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

And the Serpent, when he saw that the speed of her rescue was such, as that he could not overtake and surprise her; he cast forth, after her, whole floods of lies, slanders, and re-

Revelation 12:16

And the earth helped the woman, and the earth

opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. But this attempt of his was also in vain; for the Providence of God so ordered it, as that all these false reproaches and attempts of infection prevailed not, but vanished away, even as a flood of land-water is swallowed up of the earth, and is seen no more.

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and

went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. And the Devil was so much the more exasperated against the Church, for that he saw himself disappointed in all his projects; and, therefore, he ceased not to stir up war against those children of the Church, which professed the truth of the Gospel, and endeavoured to keep sincerely the commandments of God, and the only true religion of Jesus Christ.