Revelation 12

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Revelation 12
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Apocalypse 19. Michael and the angel. Revelation 12 v 7-9. Scheits. Phillip Medhurst Collection.jpg
Apocalypse 19. Michael and the angel. Revelation 12:7-9. Scheits. Phillip Medhurst Collection
Book Book of Revelation
Category Apocalypse
Christian Bible part New Testament
Order in the Christian part27

Revelation 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book is traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, [1] [2] but the precise identity of the author remains a point of academic debate. [3] This chapter contains the accounts about the woman, the dragon, and the child, followed by the war between Michael and the dragon, then the appearance of the monster from the sea. [4] William Robertson Nicoll, a Scottish Free Church minister, suggests that in this chapter the writer has created a Christianised version of a Jewish source which "described the birth of the Messiah in terms borrowed from ... cosmological myths [such as] that of the conflict between the sun-god and the dragon of darkness and the deep". [5]

Contents

While others have said the passages correspond to Greco-Roman combat legends involving dragons, [6] [7] there are distinctions between the Python myths known during the 1st and 2nd Century CE and Revelations. According to David Barr, the Egyptian conflict of Set-Typhon who pursues the goddess Isis, is said to fit better, as the chaos creature is consistently depicted as a red animal, and attacks heaven casting down various stars and constellations. [8]

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 17 verses. The Vulgate version has 18 verses. [9]

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are among others: [10] [a]

Old Testament references

New Testament references

The "woman" is traditionally believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary whom the Early Church honored as the Queen of Heaven. Prior to the presentation of the woman, John saw a vision of the Ark of the Covenant in heaven. The early Church Fathers saw John's vision of the "woman" right afterward as an indication of Mary as the "Ark of the New Covenant". Mary the Theotokos carried the holy presence of Christ the Word incarnate, the great High Priest, and the bread of life--just as the old Ark of Israel carried the holy presence of God's word (Ten Commandments), Aaron's priestly staff, and the bread from heaven (manna). VirginMaryStainedGlassStJoseph'sBasilica.jpg
The "woman" is traditionally believed to be the Blessed Virgin Mary whom the Early Church honored as the Queen of Heaven. Prior to the presentation of the woman, John saw a vision of the Ark of the Covenant in heaven. The early Church Fathers saw John's vision of the "woman" right afterward as an indication of Mary as the "Ark of the New Covenant". Mary the Theotokos carried the holy presence of Christ the Word incarnate, the great High Priest, and the bread of life––just as the old Ark of Israel carried the holy presence of God's word (Ten Commandments), Aaron's priestly staff, and the bread from heaven (manna).

The Woman, the Dragon and the Child (12:1–6)

Illustration of the woman of the Apocalypse in Hortus deliciarum (redrawing of an illustration dated c. 1180), depicting various events from the narrative in Revelations 12 in a single image. Woman of the Apocalypse (Hortus deliciarum).jpg
Illustration of the woman of the Apocalypse in Hortus deliciarum (redrawing of an illustration dated c. 1180), depicting various events from the narrative in Revelations 12 in a single image.
Inscription quoting Revelation 12:1. Kapucinska stlp03.jpg
Inscription quoting Revelation 12:1.

Verse 1

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. [14]

The King James Version refers to "a great wonder" [15] and the Revised Standard Version refers to "a great portent". [16] The Greek word used is σημεῖον, rendered sign in many other passages in the New Testament. [17] Anglican biblical commentator William Boyd Carpenter writes that "the word sign is preferable to wonder, both in this verse and in Revelation 12:3. It is the same word which is rendered sign in Revelation 15:1. It is a sign which is seen: not a mere wonder, but something which has a meaning; it is not 'a surprise ending with itself', but a signal to arrest attention, and possessing significance; there is 'an idea concealed behind it'." [18]

Verse 3

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. [19]

The word rendered "dragon" - Ancient Greek : δράκων, drakōn - occurs 9 times (and 4 more in derivative forms) [20] in the New Testament, only in the Book of Revelation, where it is uniformly rendered as here: "dragon". [17] The word for diadem (Greek: διάδημα) occurs only three times in the New Testament, always in the Book of Revelation.

Verse 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. [21]

Michael and the Dragon (12:7–12)

Der Engelsturz ("Fall of the rebel angels"), by Peter Paul Rubens, between 1621 and 1622. Rubens-Hollensturz.jpg
Der Engelsturz ("Fall of the rebel angels"), by Peter Paul Rubens, between 1621 and 1622.

Verse 7

And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. [27]

Michael appears in the Book of Daniel as "the special patron or guardian angel of the people of Israel". [28]

Verse 8

and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. [29]

Verse 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. [30]

Verse 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. [31]

The Dragon and the Woman (12:13–17)

Verse 14

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly 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. [33]

Verse 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. [35]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The Book of Revelation is missing from Codex Vaticanus. [11]
  2. ↑ Byzantine, Majority, Textus Receptus: υἱὸν ἄρρενα; Westcott-Hort: υἱὸν ἄρσεν; Tischendorf (8th edition): υἱὸν ἄῤῥην. [22]

References

  1. ↑ Davids, Peter H (1982). I Howard Marshall and W Ward Gasque (ed.). New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Epistle of James (Repr. ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans. ISBN   0802823882.
  2. ↑ Evans, Craig A (2005). Craig A Evans (ed.). Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: John, Hebrews-Revelation. Colorado Springs, Colo.: Victor. ISBN   0781442281.
  3. ↑ F. L. Cross, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 45
  4. ↑ Bauckham 2007, p. 1289.
  5. ↑ Nicoll, W. R. (1897ff), Expositor's Greek Testament on Revelation 12, accessed 5 November 2018
  6. ↑ The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version. 2018-04-01. p. 2168. 12.1–17: The vision of the woman, the child, and the dragon is rich in symbolism drawn from mythological traditions found in ancient Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, as well as in the Hebrew Bible. One well-known version of the story tells of the goddess Leto, pregnant with Apollo, who is menaced by the dragon Python, who pursues her because he knows that Apollo is destined to kill him.
  7. ↑ Beale, Gregory K. (1999). The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. W.B. Eerdmans. p. 624. ISBN   978-0-85364-851-2.
  8. ↑ Barr, David L. (2006). The Reality of Apocalypse: Rhetoric and Politics in the Book of Revelation. Society of Biblical Lit. pp. 183–190. ISBN   978-1-58983-218-3.
  9. ↑ Revelation 12:1–18: Vulgate
  10. ↑ Elliott, J. K. "Revelations from the apparatus criticus of the Book of Revelation: How Textual Criticism Can Help Historians." Union Seminary Quarterly Review 63, no. 3-4 (2012): 1-23.
  11. ↑ Claremont Coptic Encyclopaedia, Codex Vaticanus Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 29 September 2018
  12. 1 2 Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 838. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
  13. ↑ "The New 'Ark'". St. Paul Center. Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2022-09-26.
  14. ↑ Revelation 12:1: NKJV
  15. ↑ Revelation 12:1 KJV
  16. ↑ Revelation 12:1 RSV
  17. 1 2 Barnes, Albert, Barnes' Notes Archived 2018-10-27 at the Wayback Machine on Revelation 12, accessed 8 November 2018
  18. ↑ Boyd Carpenter, W., Commentary on Revelation Archived 2018-10-27 at the Wayback Machine , chapter 12, accessed 7 November 2018
  19. ↑ Revelation 12:3 NKJV
  20. ↑ Strong's Greek 1404. drakón Archived 2019-05-29 at the Wayback Machine . Biblehub.com
  21. ↑ Revelation 12:5 KJV
  22. 1 2 Greek Text Analysis: Revelation 12:5. Biblehub
  23. ↑ Vincent, Marvin R. (1886) Vincent's New Testament Word Studies, "Revelation 12" Archived 2018-10-27 at the Wayback Machine . Hendrickson Publishers. Internet Sacred Texts Archive. Biblehub.
  24. ↑ Bengel, Johann. Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament. Revelation 12. Archived 2019-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Accessed on 24 April 2019.
  25. ↑ Jamieson, Robert; Fausset, Andrew Robert; Brown, David. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary On the Whole Bible , "Revelation 12" Archived 2019-09-24 at the Wayback Machine . 1871.
  26. 1 2 Poole, Matthew, A Commentary on the Holy Bible. "Revelation 12" Archived 2019-09-25 at the Wayback Machine .
  27. ↑ Revelation 12:7 NKJV
  28. 1 2 Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Revelation 12 Archived 2020-08-13 at the Wayback Machine , accessed 28 April 2019
  29. ↑ Revelation 12:8 NASB1995
  30. ↑ Revelation 12:9 KJV
  31. ↑ Revelation 12:11 KJV
  32. ↑ Boyd Carpenter, W., Revelation 12 Archived 2019-09-25 at the Wayback Machine , in Ellicott, C. J. (Ed.) 1905), Ellicott's Bible Commentary for English Readers, London: Cassell and Company, Limited, [1905-1906] Online version: (OCoLC) 929526708 accessed 28 April 2019
  33. ↑ Revelation 12:14 KJV
  34. ↑ Bauckham 2007, p. 1297.
  35. ↑ Revelation 12:16 KJV

Bibliography

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