Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Revelation
Book: Revelation
Chapter: 12
Overview:
A description of the
Church of
Christ and of
Satan, under the
figures of a
Woman and of a great red
Dragon.
(1-6) Michael and
his angels fight against the
Devil and his angels, who are
defeated.
(7-12) The
Dragon persecutes the
Church.
(13,14) His
vain endeavours to destroy her, He renews his
War against her
seed.
(14-17)
1-6 The
Church, under the emblem of a
Woman, the mother of
believers, was seen
By the
Apostle in
Vision, in
Heaven. She was
clothed with the
Sun, justified, sanctified, and shining
By
union with
Christ, the
Sun of
Righteousness. The
Moon was under
her feet; she was superior to the reflected and feebler
Light of
the
Revelation made
By Moses. Having
On her head a
Crown of
twelve
Stars; the doctrine of the
Gospel, preached
By the twelve
apostles, is a
Crown of
Glory to all true believers. As in pain
to bring forth a holy family; desirous that the conviction of
sinners might
End in their
Conversion. A
Dragon is a known
emblem of
Satan, and his chief agents, or those who govern for
him
On Earth, at that time the pagan empire of
Rome, the
City
built upon
Seven hills. As having ten horns, divided into ten
kingdoms. Having
Seven crowns, representing
Seven forms of
government. As drawing with his tail a third part of the
Stars
in
Heaven, and casting them down to the
Earth; persecuting and
seducing the ministers and teachers. As watchful to crush the
Christian religion; but in spite of the opposition of enemies,
the
Church brought forth a manly issue of true and
Faithful
professors, in whom
Christ was truly formed anew; even the
Mystery of
Christ, that
Son of God who should rule the nations,
and in whose right his members partake the same
Glory. This
blessed offspring was protected of
God.
7-11 The attempts of the
Dragon proved unsuccessful against the
Church, and fatal to his own interests. The seat of this
War was
in
Heaven; in the
Church of
Christ, the kingdom of
Heaven On
Earth. The parties were
Christ, the great
Angel of the
Covenant,
and his
Faithful followers; and
Satan and his instruments. The
strength of the
Church is in having the
Lord Jesus for the
Captain of their
Salvation. Pagan
Idolatry, which was the
Worship of devils, was cast out of the empire
By the spreading
of Christianity. The
Salvation and strength of the
Church, are
only to be ascribed to the
King and Head of the
Church. The
conquered enemy hates the presence of
God, yet he is willing to
appear there, to accuse the people of
God. Let us take heed that
we give him
No cause to accuse us; and that, when we have
sinned, we go before the
Lord, condemn ourselves, and commit our
cause to
Christ as our
Advocate. The servants of
God overcame
Satan By the
Blood of the
Lamb, as the cause.
By the
Word of
their
Testimony: the powerful preaching of the
Gospel is mighty,
through
God, to pull down strong holds.
By their courage and
patience in sufferings: they loved not their lives
So Well but
they could lay them down in
Christ's cause. These were the
warriors and the weapons
By which Christianity overthrew the
power of pagan
Idolatry; and if Christians had continued to
fight with these weapons, and such as these, their victories
would have been more numerous and glorious, and the effects more
lasting. The redeemed overcame
By a simple reliance
On the
Blood
of
Christ, as the only ground of their hopes. In this we must be
like them. We must not blend any thing else with this.
12-17 The
Church and all her friends might
Well be called to
praise
God for deliverance from pagan
Persecution, though other
troubles awaited her. The
Wilderness is a desolate place, and
full of serpents and
Scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of
provisions; yet a place of safety, as
Well as where one might be
alone. But being thus retired could not protect the
Woman. The
Flood of water is explained
By many to mean the invasions of
barbarians,
By which the western empire was overwhelmed; for the
Heathen encouraged their attacks, in the
Hope of destroying
Christianity. But ungodly men, for their worldly interests,
protected the
Church amidst these tumults, and the overthrow of
the empire did not help the cause of
Idolatry. Or, this may be
meant of a
Flood of error,
By which the
Church of
God was in
danger of being overwhelmed and carried away. The
Devil,
defeated in his designs upon the
Church, turns his rage against
persons and places. Being
Faithful to
God and
Christ, in
doctrine,
Worship, and practice, exposes to the rage of
Satan;
and will do
So till the last enemy shall be destroyed.