An Analysis of Revelation 12: God's Throne and the Test of Vanishing

I told Maia I would analyze Revelation 12, though I know no one in his right mind would try to analyze Revelation for anyone else. The Book of Revelation is a book of symbols drawn from everywhere else in the Bible, so there never is any real end to what it is saying. Indicative of this reluctance is Dr. J. Sidlow Baxter's Explore the Book (1960 Zondervan), which offers only 15 short pages of discussion for the whole book of Revelation. What Baxter said was helpful to me, and with Dr. Ray Summers' input I think I have a good idea of what Revelation 12 means to us.

The title of Ray Summers' book is Worthy is the Lamb (1951 Nashville: Broadman Press). Worthy is the Lamb. THAT was John's message to Christians suffering Emperor Domitian's persecution. THAT is a referential anchor peg I have driven a mile into the earth. EVERYTHING hangs on that - under our persecution, WORTH! IS! THE! LAMB! For He - whatever the Lamb is - abides upon the Throne of God...for us! The Lamb of the Season of Grace is indicator of what God intends for us. GOD SEES US ALREADY THERE!! We are on the throne. It matters not a whit whether the Lamb was/is a historical man of flesh or is a feature of God-the-field-of-the-Ineffable's-consciousness's nature. The Lamb is God's intent, what God is DOING. THAT is unstoppable.

Revelation 12-13 would seem to be an odd duck. It is a repeat of Revelation 6, but from a different direction. The Wrath (12-19) parallels the Tribulation (6-11). Revelation 6 begins the Great Tribulation - the Devil against God's people. Revelation 12 is the Wrath of God against the Devil for God's people. "That nation (people who bring the tribulation) I will judge." In chapters 12-13, the destroyers get destroyed - what goes around comes around. In chapter 6, there are seven seals of actions on earth. In chapters 12/13, there are seven personages in heaven. I think of them as standards. We are looking at the perspective of heaven versus the perspective of earth.

Revelation 12 is the first chapter of the Wrath of God against the Devil. It starts with God's desire and intent: the Whole-Package-Woman. The Devil in my mind is the Ignorance of God in us. Ignorance is a feature and agency of God, Who is actively working to eliminate it. That is why verses 7 and 8 (see below). Ignorance prevails among us, but cannot win acceptance with God. Ever. God keeps squeezing ignorance out of us, until we finally give up to Him. The pretty lady, His desire, is our destiny. Twelve stars - a perfect government IN us. But oh, how for Him to get us to our destiny?

Revelation to John the Apostle, chapter twelve, per Victor Alexander's translation from the Ancient Aramaic:

1. And a great sign* (miracle) was seen in heaven, a woman adorned* (clothed) with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a wreath with twelve stars.

2. And as she is [with child* (she has in her belly)], she cries out and [undergoes] the throes of childbirth.

3. And another sign is seen in heaven, and behold, a dragon of the great fire, that has seven heads and ten horns, and on its head seven crowns.

4. And its tail dragged one third of the stars of heaven and threw them on earth. And that dragon stood before the woman, who was prepared to give birth, so that when she gave birth, it would eat her child.

5. And she gave birth to a male heir, who was destined to shepherd all the nations by the rod of steel, and her boy was whisked* (plucked, or taken) to be with God, by his throne.

6. And that woman ran to the wilderness where she had a place that was set by God, where she would be taken care of* ([fully] fed) one thousand and two hundred and sixty days.

7. And there was a battle in heaven, and Michael and his angels fought the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought [back.]* (prevail).

8. And they could neither [fight back], and nor could they regain* (find) their place in heaven.

9. (And) cast [out] was that great dragon, that ancient serpent, that is called the outcast [maker] and Satan, that leads the entire world to oblivion--cast [down] over the earth. And his angels together with him were cast [out.]

10. And I heard a great voice in heaven that said, "Now is established* (become) the Salvation and the Power and the Kingdom of our God; and the authority of his Anointed One, for cast [down] is the false accuser of our brothers, who [thus] accused them before our God, day and night.

11. "And those who were victorious, [were so] because of the blood of the Lamb, and through* (because) the manifestation of their testimony, as they did not love themselves to death* (and not love their own breath [of life] until death).

12. "For this, rejoice, [O] heaven and those who inhabit therein. Woe to the earth and sea, for the Destroyer* (thrower, or oblivionator) has descended to you, who has a great anger, as he knows that his season is short."

13. And as the dragon saw that he was cast upon the earth, he ejected the woman who had given birth to the Son.

14. And the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she would fly to the wilderness to her place, where she would be taken care of there for the time and times, and half the time [away] from the face of the serpent* (or: she would be taken care of the duration, except for half the time, when she would be exposed to the serpent).

15. And the serpent poured* (threw) from its mouth waters like a river after that woman, so as to drown her in the river* (so as to her taken by the river he would [make] her disappear).

16. And the earth was merciful* (charitable) to the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that was poured out by the dragon from its mouth.

17. And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to do battle with the rest of her offspring, those that observed the commandments of God, and who possessed the testimony of Jesus.

You are a loser, Satan. Your tribulation makes the harvest that eliminates you! For God performs miracles - we see, we hear, and we heal. We receive every evidence that God really IS. He IS! And in every circumstance, He is Lord. And though He not answer our prayers and circumstance the way we want, we KNOW, we KNOW, His intent is in play. We go His way, for He is growing, sorting Himself out (in and through us). Though we die, we increase; you decrease. Bye.