Chapter 12 gives us a brief but all-important summary of the whole course
of events, viewed, not in their instruments on earth or the judgment of
these, but the divine view of all the principles at work, the state of
things as revealed of God. The first symbolical person, subject of the
prophecy and result of all God's ways in it, is a woman clothed with the
sun, having a crown of twelve stars, and the moon under her feet. It is
Israel, or Jerusalem as its centre as in the purpose of God (compare Is 9:6
and Ps 87:6). She is clothed with supreme authority, invested with the
glory of perfect administration in man, and all the original reflected
glory of this under the old covenant, under her feet. She was travailing in
childbirth, distressed, and in pain to be delivered: on the other hand
Satan's power in the form of the Roman Empire, complete in forms of power,
seven heads, but incomplete in administrative supremacy-ten, not twelve
horns. But Satan, as the open infidel enemy of God and God's power in
Christ, sought to devour the child as soon as born, who was to have the
rule of the earth from God. But the child, Christ, and the assembly with
Christ, is caught away to God and His throne - does not receive the power
yet, but is placed in the very source of it from which it flows. It is not
the rapture as regards joy; for it goes back to Christ Himself, but the
placing Him and the assembly in and with Him, in the seat from which power
flows for the establishment of the kingdom. There is no time for this:
Christ and the assembly are all one. But the woman-the Jews, after this fly
into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place for them, for the
half-week.
The assembly, or heavenly saints, (as Christ, note,) go up to heaven to be
out of the way. The Jews, or earthly ones, are protected by providential
care upon earth. This gives the whole state of things, and those in view in
this scene, and their respective places. She that is to have glory and hold
power in the earth is cast out. The child that is to have power, in and
from heaven, is previously taken up there. This makes the position very
clear.
The historical course of events is now pursued, the child being supposed to
be already caught up. There is war in heaven; and the devil and his angels
are cast out, and have no more place there. This brings out yet more
clearly the distinction of the heavenly saints and the Jewish remnant. The
heavenly ones had overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb, and the
word of their testimony; the woman's seed have the commandments of God and
the testimony of Jesus Christ, that is, the Spirit of prophecy. What they
have of God in the word is according to the Old Testament.
But, to follow up the latter part of the chapter, a loud voice proclaims in
heaven that the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ is come-the
testimony still of the second Psalm; only as yet it was only proclaimed
from heaven, where the power of the kingdom was already made good by the
casting down of Satan. Satan's anti-priestly power was over forever. King
and prophet he might yet put on; but his heavenly place was past. The
saints of the heavenlies had overcome him by that which made their
conscience and their title to heaven good-the blood of the Lamb, and the
word of their mouth, God's sword by the Spirit-and gave up their lives to
the death. The heavens and the dwellers there could now rejoice; but it was
woe to the inhabiters of earth and sea; for the devil had come down,
knowing he had but a little time left. I think verse 11 implies that there
are saints killed after the rapture, who yet belong to heaven. If there
were such killed because of their faithfulness, were they not taken up,
they would lose earth and heaven, though more devoted than those who had
earth. We see them moreover in chapter 20 in the first resurrection. The
souls under the altar also had to wait for others-their brethren who had to
be killed, as they were; and we are to note here that those celebrated as
happy are the slain ones, none others. Yet it is before the last three
years and a half.
So that we have these three parties in view: the voice of those in heaven;
(our) their brethren who had overcome; and those who would be in the three
years and a half of Satan's rage, which had not yet begun. Now, if the
man-child in heaven be, as we have considered it, Christ and the raptured
saints, the voice would be that of those already there, [see note #14]
and all self evident: the raptured saints associated with Him celebrate the
casting down of the accuser and the deliverance of those who belonged to
heaven, calling them "our brethren" -the brethren whose conflict with the
accuser was over, as he was now cast down, but who had had to resist him as
a heavenly potentate, an anti-priest, all which part is mystery for
John-and those who now would be in trial, when he would act with rage on
earth, as king and prophet. For the dragon, cast to the earth and unable to
accuse in heaven or oppose saints having a heavenly calling (and the
priesthood refers to such, not to union), persecutes the Jews, and seeks to
destroy their testimony; but God gave, not power of resistance-the Lord
must come to deliver-but power to flee and escape and find refuge where she
was nourished the whole half-week out of the serpent's reach. He seeks to
pursue; wings he has none: but he uses a river, the movements of people
under the influence of special motive and guidance, to overwhelm the woman.
But the earth, this organized system in which men live, swallowed the
waters up. This influence was in vain -was not met by an army, a
counter-power, but was nullified. There was such a disposition or course of
the earth as neutralized the effort wholly. So God ordered in His
providence; and the dragon turned to persecute individually the faithful
remnant of the seed-the Jews who held fast by the word.
