"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass…he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

-Overview of the Conflict-

The "Woman", God’s people

There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman¹ clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, laboring in birth, and pained to be delivered.

The "Dragon", Satan

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

The "Child", Christ

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.

The "Dragon" Defeated

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

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. …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. Therefore rejoice, you heavens, and you that live 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 knows that he has but a short time. ‘Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it: for the time is at hand.’ "

Heavens’ Greeting

"John to the seven churches which are in Asia: ‘Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.

"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. So be it.’

"Behold, Jesus comes with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,’ says the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

A Book to be Written and Delivered

"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the island that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what you see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

"And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And…I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the middle of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shining in his strength.

"…When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, ‘Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that lives, and was dead; and, see, I am alive forevermore, so be it; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things, which you have seen, and the things, which are, and the things, which shall be hereafter. The…seven stars, which you saw in my right hand, …are the angels of the seven churches…. The…seven candlesticks, which you saw are the seven churches.

Jesus’ Encouragement

" ‘He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. He that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death. To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.

" ‘And he that overcomes, and keeps my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron…even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that overcomes, the same shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

" ‘Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. Him that overcomes will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

" ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will eat with him, and he with me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches.’

The Scene in Heaven

"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must be hereafter’. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were twenty-four seats: and upon the seats I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white…and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightning and thundering and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

"And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. …The first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes…and they rest not day and night, saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come’.

"And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.’

The Book with Seven Seals

"And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals of it?’

"And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look on it. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy…. And one of the elders said unto me, ‘Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals of it.’

The "Lamb", Jesus Christ

"And I watched, and, lo, in the center of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the center of the elders, stood a Lamb as if slain…. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

"And when the Lamb had taken the book, the four beasts and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of saints. And they sang a new song, saying, ‘You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals of it: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation; And have made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.’

"And I watched, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.’

"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, ‘Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’

And the four beasts said, ‘Amen.’ And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped him that lives forever and ever.

Seven Trumpets

"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the seven angels, who had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to sound.

1. Throughout the Old Testament God refers to his people as a "woman", and characterizes his relationship with them in the language of marriage. Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 54:5. Here in Revelation He continues this metaphor.

This woman, standing on the moon and clothed with the sun, symbolic language for a Christ like character of light or purity, Psalm 104:1-2; Malachi 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8, represents God’s pure church, His faithful people, through whom Jesus came.

REFERENCES

Revelation 1:1-2; Revelation 12:1-5, 7-12; Revelation 1: 3-13a, 16-20; Revelation 2:7, 11, 17b, 26b-28; Revelation 3:5, 11-12; 20-22; Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14; Revelation 8:2-4, 6.

CHAPTER 97