A SURVEY OF REVELATION 12, PART A

INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides “deep background” for the material that follows and also for much of the Bible, especially the New Testament.  It depicts the “dragon”—or devil—as hostile toward God and His people and especially against Jesus.  It sets the stage for the horrific hostility of the last days.  It also creates questions that are not easily answered.

VERSE 12:1

Analysis:  In 12:1, John sees a sign.  His vision is powerful in itself, but it serves to point to a greater and deeper truth.  He sees a woman “in heaven.”  Later, this woman is on earth, so that raises the question of why she first appears in heaven.  I think that perhaps the sign appears in heaven to emphasize the greatness and crucial importance of the woman and her child.  It as though her giving birth (verse 12:5) has heavenly—as well as earthly—importance.  The woman is “clothed with the sun.”  She has the moon at her feet and twelve stars in her crown.  In Genesis 37:9-10, Joseph had a dream in which the sun and moon and eleven stars bowed before him.  Jacob interpreted Joseph’s dream to mean that he (Jacob) and Joseph’s mother (Rachael) and the eleven other brothers would bow before Joseph.  The vision of the woman would seem to echo, but not quite mimic, Joseph’s dream.  Being clothed with the sun would seem to me to be a symbol that this woman is in the light (see I John 1:5-7), which represents God’s person, which is filled with light.  The moon is under the woman’s feet.  One explanation would be that this accentuates the vision as heavenly.  From these few words—“clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet”—we have a startling image of a woman high in the sky, standing on the moon and a robe of shimmering sunlight wrapped around her.  Another possibility is that the moon represents the night.  The woman stands victorious over the darkness of the night.  She is wearing a crown (stephanos) with twelve stars in it.  The twelve stars might represent the twelve tribes of Israel or the twelve apostles.  Although the “stephanos” crown is often symbolic of victory, the victory of this woman is not evident at this point.  However, victory is achieved in this chapter, so the use of “stephanos” here (compared to diadems later on the dragon) may be significant.

Commentators:

Rist:  understands the material that starts at 12:1 to begin a depiction of a period that precedes the reign of God—3 1/2 years—during which “Satan and his minions are to be allowed…to rule.” (Rist, 452).  He understands that period is depicted in chapters 12 and 13, and that it is divided into “seven episodes” or visions, which he calls “Seven Visions of the Dragon’s Kingdom.” (Rist 452ff)  It is interesting that Rist sees this seven-fold division in these two chapters, whereas Morris sees “seven significant signs” that are described in three chapters, 12-14.  (Morris, 155ff)  I do not point this out in order to belittle these two intelligent commentators.  These chapters in Revelation present a puzzle for interpreters because they do not follow the seven-fold pattern that was followed in chapters 6-11 and that is taken up again in chapter 15.  So, it is natural to look for such a seven-fold arrangement in chapters 12-14.  

Rist considers that the first vision is described in 12:1-6, and he calls this the vision of the “Heavenly Mother and Birth of Heavenly Messiah (12:1-6).”  He considers it “one of the most puzzling episodes in Revelation.”  He does not believe that this vision is based on Jewish sources, but is based on a “widespread myth of the divine child whose destruction is sought by those whose power he threatens.”  (Rist, 452)  He describes specifically the story of the birth of Apollo, who kills Python the dragon.  He also describes and Egyptian myth of Osiris, Isis, and their son Horus, who vanquishes the red crocodile, Set-Typhon.  These all have corresponding constellations, and so Rist believes they correspond closer to the “astral motif” of the woman and the dragon.  Rist describes “astral thinking” as believing that “everything occurring on earth has previously happened in heaven…” therefore John’s account “relates the birth of the heavenly Messiah to a celestial mother before creation began.” (Rist, 452-453)  “The woman is not only the mother of the Messiah, but she is also, by one of those characteristic shifts in symbolism, the church…” (Rist, 453)  He also cites what he believes are evidences of the “astral motif” in Matthew’s account of the Magi and in the writings of Iganatius. (Rist, 453)  

The “sign” of the woman means (for Rist) that she communicates to Christians undergoing persecution.  He considers that this “astral” scene depicts what John believed happened in the past—“possibly before creation.”  However, he depicts it as happening in the present.  The woman is not of the earth, but is a “celestial being, a veritable Queen of Heaven.”  He compares her to Isis.  Rist interprets the 12 stars in her crown to be the 12 zodiac signs.  (Rist, 453)  

In reacting to Rist’s comments, I note that he approaches the passage in patterns similar to all of higher criticism.  He first looks for “sources.”  He rejects any Jewish sources (though the Joseph story has similarities; see my comments above).  Instead he cites various pagan stories that do have some similarities to chapter 12.  However, he seems to ignore the role of the woman as representing the nation of Israel.  This is despite the fact that the 12 stars could refer to the 12 tribes and the fact that Jesus was born a descendant of the Patriarchs, an Israelite.  He does note the woman’s relationship to the persecuted church in the short run.  However, I think he misses the fact that this is a way of communicating a “big picture” view.  By making the woman a celestial figure, in the same realm as the dragon, the angels, and Michael, this vision proclaims the truth of the age-old enmity between the righteous remnant of the human race and the devil.

Morris, as Rist does, sees a series of “seven” starting in chapter 12.  However, as I pointed out, his list varies from Rist’s.  Rist’s “seven” are found in chapters 12 and 13. Morris lists “Seven Significant Signs” in chapters 12-14.  (Morris, 155ff)  This has the advantage of carrying the reader from the end of the seven trumpets to the beginning of the seven bowls.   

Morris acknowledges that there are parallels in chapter 12 (and beyond) to various pagan myths.  However, he emphasizes, first, that the imagery in Revelation is unique and is consistent with the contents and message of the book.  For example, the heavenly woman may have some parallels to the Greek goddess Leto.  However, it is more significant that she contrasts sharply with another woman of Revelation—the great whore Babylon.  (Morris, 155-156)  Moreover, Morris asserts (and I totally agree) as follows:  “John is an artist in words with a divinely-given message.  We must not degrade him to the level of a copyist of ill-digested pagan myths.  Moreover, it is plain from his whole book that he abominated paganism.  It is thus most unlikely that he would borrow significantly from that source, or that pagan religion will give us the key to his ideas.  We must let his own usage be our guide.” (Morris, 156)  Well said, Leon Morris!

Morris believes that the “sign” in verse 1 refers to the person more than an event.  (Whereas “signs” in John’s gospel refer to miraculous events.)  Morris (in contrast to Rist) understands the action that is described takes place on earth, “but he sees the actors in the sky first of all.”  He understands the description of the woman to communicate “Israel, the chosen people of God.”  He quotes Torrance, who understands the woman’s standing on the moon to represent the reflected light of the Old Testament and her being clothed with the sun to represent the New Testament revelation that shines as the sun.  Morris understands the 12 stars to be the 12 patriarchs and the 12 tribes of Israel.  He refers to Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9.  He says, “In view of this Old Testament symbolism, it is unnecessary to see a reference to pagan mythology.”  (Morris, 156)

In Ladd’s organization of Revelation, the material in chapters 12-14 is considered an interlude between the seven trumpets and the seven bowls.  He does not attempt to see a set of “seven” in this material.  (Ladd, 15-17)  Chapter 12 is preliminary to the description of the Beast/Antichrist in chapter 13.  Chapter 12 “parts the curtain” so that we see the spiritual warfare:  “The experience of the church in suffering tribulation on earth is the manifestation in history of a spiritual battle.  Behind the beast is the dragon—the devil, Satan—whose aim it is to frustrate the rule of God through his Messiah and destroy God’s people.  Chapter 12 describes in mythological terms this heavenly warfare.”  He believes that the woman represents the “ideal people of God—the church.”  Ladd does not consider the vision of chapter 12 to be a depiction of a particular event, but rather a depiction of the heavenly warfare and “its counterpart in history in the conflict between the church and demonic evil.”  Therefore, the vision “completely transcends the usual categories of time and space.”  The events of chapter 12 are the “background for the final eschatological persecution of the church by the Antichrist…the Tribulation…”  (Ladd, 166)

Ladd notes that the woman is the mother of the Messiah and of the church (verse 12:17).  Thus, she is not exactly Mary or Israel.  Rather, he considers her to be the “ideal Zion, the heavenly representative of the people of God…”  He refers to Galatians 4:26, which mentions the heavenly Jerusalem, our “mother.”  As Ladd proceeds, he actually comes close to the “astral thinking” that Rist describes (see elsewhere in this article).  Whereas Rist is in the role of the disinterested critic who is describing John’s belief system, Ladd actually seems to buy into a form of this thinking, as he states the following:  “It is not at all clear that the birth of the Messiah (vs. 2) is meant to represent the birth of the historical Jesus, or that his catching up to heaven is his ascension.  The picture seems to be altogether symbolic of a great spiritual struggle in heaven which in turn has consequences for the earthly experience of the church.”  (Ladd, 167) Quite frankly, I am shocked by this assertion from a commentator whose thinking I admire greatly.  The problem with this is that it bifurcates the physical/historical from the spiritual in a way that can have serious theological consequences.  We can never get away from the reality of the incarnate Jesus and the historical cross and resurrection.  The book of I John hammers at the idea that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (I John 4:1-3).  To go beyond historical events and to begin to understand a set of spiritual events that are behind the physical events is a form of gnosticism. 

Ladd comments on the woman’s appearance.  He understands the references to the sun and the moon simply as a way of describing her glory.  He surmises that the 12 stars in her crown might represent the 12 patriarchs and the 12 tribes of Israel. (Ladd 168)

Metzger considers that, beginning at chapter 12, Revelation “begins all over again.”  That is, chapter 11 is an appropriate end to the book, but there is more to be revealed, so there is the need to begin again.  Chapter 12 is a “flashback” to the birth of Jesus and the opposition of Herod and so forth.  He states that “striking parallels [to the narrative in chapter 12] have been found in Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, and Greek mythology, and in astrological lore.”  (Metzger, 72) However, he believes that what is important is how John uses this material.  He believes that the woman is a “personification of the ideal community of God’s people, first in its Jewish form, in which Mary gave birth to Jesus…and then in its Christian form…”  (Metzger, 74) 

VERSE 12:2

Analysis:  The woman is pregnant and crying out in her birth pains.  The dramatic style is quite evident in the ordering of events in these few opening verses.  This statement gives us important background for the action that takes place in 12:4b-5.

Commentators:

Morris understands the woman in the travail of childbirth to represent Israel “about to give birth to the Messiah.” (Morris, 157)  He refers to Isaiah 26:17-18 as an example of Israel represented as a woman in childbirth, which is a theme that is found several times in the Old Testament.  (Morris 156-157)

VERSE 12:3

Analysis:  Now our attention is turned to another person.  This person is also deemed a sign.  The person is a dragon.  The dragon is referred to in the masculine.  He is colored red.  The visual image is made more vivid than otherwise with such a color.  The word can connote “fiery red.”  What is translated “dragon” in the Old Testament sometimes could mean a “sea serpent.”  The dragon has 7 heads, which might suggest the Hydra of Greek mythology.  The dragon has seven crowns on his heads—so each head had a crown.  Each of these crowns is a “diadem.”  Generally, the diadem is a symbol of royalty or high rank, whereas “stephanos” is a symbol of reward, though this distinction may not always hold (Arndt and Gingrich).  The dragon also has 10 horns.  Obviously, this arrangement leaves us scratching our heads.  Do some of the heads have 2 horns and others only one?  Generally, 7 and 10 are perfect numbers.  It seems strange that the dragon would have these symbols of perfection.  However, notice that we are repelled by the mental image of a dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns, because the image is of something hideous, unnatural, and frightening.  In this respect, this dragon is “perfectly” hideous, unnatural, and frightening. 

Commentators:  

Rist’s comments on verse 12:3 are limited to two themes.  First, he lists a number of ancient peoples who had similar images for an arch-villain.  These include the Greeks, who had Python and Hydra; the Egyptians, who had a giant red crocodile; the Persians, who had a three-headed monster; the Canaanites, who had a seven-headed serpent; and the Accadians, who also had a seven-headed serpent (this image is from 2500 years before Christ).  Second, he acknowledges that the dragon is “of course” Satan. (Rist, 453-454)

Morris refers to the Old Testament as precedent for this dragon.  Pharaoh is called a dragon in Ezekiel 29:3 (NIV has “monster”).  There are references to Leviathan, another representation of evil.  Morris explains that the ten horns convey the idea of enormous strength and that the crowns are crowns of royalty or sovereignty.  This is the foe of the people of God.  (Morris, 157-158)

Ladd gives a number of Old Testament references to various kinds of monsters each of which is the “mythological embodiment of evil.”  These references are Psalms 74:14, 89:10; Isaiah 27:1, 51:9; Job 40:15, 7:12; Ezekiel 32:2; Amos 9:3.  These references are to Leviathan, Rahab, Behemoth, and the serpent. (Ladd, 168)  Ladd explains that the seven heads, seven crowns, and seven horns are not meant to confuse us in trying to envision such a monster, but are meant to communicate the dragon’s power and authority as the “god of this age.” (Ladd, 168-169) (II Corinthians 4:4)  The picture of the demon also prepares us for the description of the Antichrist/Beast in chapter 13.

VERSE 12:4a

Analysis:  The tail of the dragon sweeps a third of the stars from heaven and casts them to the earth.  Stars represent all sorts of things.  They are representative of the “angels” of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20).  They are part of the images of disasters that come about when the third and fifth trumpets were blown (Revelation 8:10, 9:1).  In the case of the fifth trumpet, the star that fell turns into an angel-like person (Revelation 9:1).  Jesus associated many stars falling with His Second Coming (Matthew 24:29, see Isaiah 13:10, where the darkening of the stars is associated with the Day of the Lord).  In verse 12:7 the dragon is said to have “his angels.”  Although in 12:4, the stars are thrown to earth and in 12:7 the angels of the dragon fight in heaven, it is probably reasonable to assume that the stars of 12:4 represent the angels who are associated with the dragon in 12:7.

Commentators:

Rist compares the stars being swept down to a passage in Daniel 8 (though his reference is inaccurately to Daniel 7) in which a “little horn” pulls down some of the stars to the ground and tramples on them.  The interpretation of this passage, if one follows the interpretative section in Daniel 8:15ff, is that this little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes.  Rist understands the “stars” to be the persecution of the righteous Jews of that time.  He speculates that the dragon’s sweeping down the stars in Revelation 12:4a is either a depiction of persecution of the righteous or depiction of fallen angels in league with Satan.  (Rist, 454)

Morris devotes little time to the dragon’s sweeping down the stars.  He only comments that “the activities of the evil one in other spheres yet have their repercussions here on earth.” (Morris, 158)

Ladd believes that there is “no need to see in these words anything more than the fearful appearance of this monster.  There “is no hint…of a primeval war in heaven…”  He believes the message is that the ultimate purpose of Satan is “to frustrate the work of Christ…”  (Ladd, 169)

Metzger considers that bringing a third of the stars down with “a flick of his tail” is a means of describing the dragon’s huge size. (Metzger, 73)

VERSE 12:4b

Analysis:  The second part of verse 12:4 is, I believe, a very significant statement:  “And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.”  Here we see the deep motivation of all the machinations of the devil.  (I skip ahead in identifying the dragon with the devil.)  This intent of the dragon—to destroy the offspring of the woman—creates the backdrop for much of the rest of the book.  At this point we should step back and consider the time element in chapter 12.  One way of saying it is that there is no time element.  To say it somewhat more precisely than that, this chapter is not constrained by chronology or time.  So, when did the dragon sweep a third of the “stars” to earth?  When is the woman in the wilderness (12:14)?  Although we can make identifications between some of the events of chapter 12 with events in last-day chronology, we recognize that this chapter is more about cosmological principles (such as the motivations of the dragon) than about chronology.  I think this principle is helpful in interpreting the woman as well as what the dragon is all about.  I write this with caution, because the issues of interpretation in this chapter are precarious.

Commentators:

Morris considers the dragon’s sweep of the stars only “a preliminary flexing of his muscles.”  His chief interest is in devouring the woman’s child.  Morris says that Satan “was hostile to Jesus from the very beginning (cf. Herod’s attempt to slay the Christ child…).”  He considers the question of why the dragon did not simply devour the woman.  His answer:  “…John is setting forth spiritual truth in pictorial form, not giving us a chapter in the natural history of the dragon.”  (Morris, 158-159)

Metzger notes that the other two characters—besides the woman—are easily identified:  the dragon is Satan, and the child is Christ.  The hatred of Satan for Christ “explains the violent opposition that Jesus met during his earthly ministry.” (Metzger, 73)

VERSE 12:5

Analysis:  The events are rushing on with quick explanations that open up subjects that are deep and broad.  The woman has a male child.  He is described in a cryptic—yet obvious—manner:  he has a destiny, to rule the nations with an iron “rod” (ESV) or “scepter” (NIV).  Although “scepter” is an acceptable translation, “rod” is better because this clause is based on Psalm 2:9:  “You [the Lord’s son, the Messiah] shall break them [the nations] with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”  The ESV introduces the next clause with a “but,” which is a possible translation; however, the word is the very common “and.”  Obviously, ESV has in mind the threat of the dragon to devour the child.  That threat is frustrated by the fact that the child is “caught up” (NIV has “snatched up”) to God.  “Caught up” is the same word that is used in I Thessalonians 4:17:  “Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”  One might want to make “Pre-Tribulation Rapture Theory hay” out of this.  Compare also II Corinthians 12:2 and 4, where Paul’s experience of entering the “third heaven” is described using this verb.  However, the verb is used in other contexts also.  For example, Philip was taken away from the presence of the Ethiopian eunuch. (Acts 8:39)  Also, Paul was taken away from the mob in the Temple area by the Roman soldiers in Acts 23:10.  Thus, the main thrust of the word is that of taking something out the middle of its present surroundings.  So we will be “caught up” out of our present surroundings and join with the righteous dead who are being resurrected to meet Jesus in the air.  In the present context, the male child was taken up out of His earthly surrounding to be with God and sit on God’s throne.  Certainly, this event will remove Him from the threat of being devoured by the dragon.  

At this point, a person with rudimentary knowledge of the Scriptures will probably come to the conclusion that the male child of the woman is Jesus Christ. That is made clear by the reference to Psalm 2:9.  This leads to the conclusion that the description of being caught up to God and to His throne is equivalent to the ascension.  The surprise in this verse is the contraction of the narrative of Christ—moving from His birth directly to His ascension.  If one thinks about the entire narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry, this brief statement does not seem to do justice to the issue of the opposition of the devil to Christ.  On the surface, it implies that Jesus is rescued from the devil by the ascension.  However, that inference, I believe, is not to be made.  Rather, one must keep in mind that the ascension of Jesus is really the culmination of the Passion narrative or, in broader terms, the entire career of Christ.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus is in conflict with the devil.  When Jesus finally comes to His “hour”—the time for Him to offer Himself up to God for the sins of the world, He takes on the devil in full force.  The outcome is that Jesus refuses to turn aside from His mission and, to the consternation of the devil, He goes to the cross.  The third day He rises from the dead.  He can never be touched again by sin or death.  After 40 days, He ascends back to the Father.  Many people misunderstand John 14:1-4.  In those verses, Jesus is not talking about going to heaven—at least directly.  He is talking about going, first, to the cross, then, to the grave, and then, into resurrection life, and, then, to the Father.  The “place” that Jesus told the disciples He was going to prepare was prepared through His powerful work of redemption.  So, when Revelation 12:5 says that He was “caught up to God and to His throne,” it is saying that He completed His great work of redemption and, in the process, defeated the devil, and then assumed His place upon the throne at the right hand of the Father.  (Psalm 110)  So, with a great economy of words, this verse summarizes the powerful work of the male child of the woman.

Commentators:

Rist has a very different understanding of verses 12:4b-5.  He understands the depiction of the woman in the heavens to convey the idea that these are events taking place in heaven.  Thus, he states that “The term caught up is not a prediction of the ascension of Jesus into heaven, as some have thought, since the birth itself took place in heaven and the child was already there.  Instead, he was taken from one place in heaven to the presence of God and was there enthroned…”  This is a depiction of “the pre-existent heavenly Messiah.  This scene is the archetype of the earthly history of Christ…”  Keep in mind that Rist betrays himself consistently to be a moderately skeptical critic.  So, his interpretation is a statement of what John is conveying, not a statement of what he (Rist) believes to be true.  

It is ironic that Rist takes this passage more literally than I do.  He grabs onto the “astral” depiction of the woman and decides that John wants to describe events in heaven.  So, he decides that John is displaying “astral thinking” (Rist, 452), which considers that earthly events have been preceded by heavenly events.  First of all, John was a Jew, and the Jews had been warned throughout their history against participating in astrology (the “astral thinking” that Rist refers to is a form of astrology).  See Deuteronomy 4:19.  Second, the chapter ends with events definitely on earth.  Third, the depiction of the child’s being caught up (12:5b) to God is difficult to rectify with a movement from one side of heaven to another.  Finally, we should consider why this woman is depicted as a “great sign.”  I think it is because the spotlight is being turned upon the people of God.  The close alliance between the people of God and the Messiah is shown.  I shall develop a fuller understanding of this concept later in this article.  I think Rist’s critical instincts have denigrated this passage and its importance.

Morris notes that the method of how the Son is caught up is not described; rather, the fact that the sovereign God protects the woman’s son is the point.  He considers the fact that nothing about the life of the child from birth to ascension is mentioned.  He notes that some commentators believe this is evidence that John is simply following a pagan myth.  Morris, however, believes that John’s style is to focus on one thing at a time.  For example, he does not mention the Lamb in his description of heaven in chapter 4, but the Lamb is central to chapter 5.  In chapter 12, the emphasis, Morris believes, is the church.  The central fact of the first 5 verses is that the dragon is unable to destroy the woman’s child because of God’s protection, just as God will protect the church from destruction by the dragon.  So, the career of Christ would be extraneous material.  (Morris, 159)

Ladd makes clear that the information that identifies the woman’s child is specific to Jesus Christ.  He cites Scriptures that are reflected in the description of one who will rule with a rod of iron.  These Scriptures are Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 2:27 and 19:15.  Then Ladd declares that we “are not to seek some specific event in the birth of the child.”  The verse, he says, is not referring to Jesus’ being born of Mary.  Nor, he says, is this verse about the pre-existent Christ.  Rather, “all is symbolism portraying the hostility of Satan to God’s anointed one.”  He insists that the scene is not “intended to represent actual history.”  To defend his statement, he makes the point that it should have included the crucifixion, an event in which Satan appeared to have won. (Ladd, 169)  Ladd further denies that the description of the child being caught up to God is a reference to the ascension, since the woman is not on earth.  Further, Ladd maintains that the “rapture” (his word) of the Lord (meaning His ascension) “did not have the purpose of escaping Satan’s hostility.”  Instead, Ladd maintains that the description of verse 5 “is John’s vivid way of asserting the victory of God’s anointed over every satanic effort to destroy him.”  (Ladd, 169-170) 

It strikes me that one can recognize the symbolism without denying the narrative that is the mechanism of the symbolism.  Thus, the narrative of the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus is represented in a highly compressed manner.  Any reader who has a basic knowledge about Jesus will recognize the narrative.  The fact is that the dragon sought to destroy the child, but the woman’s son gained the victory over the dragon through His redemptive work that culminated in His ascension.  Certainly the few words of verse 5 refer to the entire career of Christ and His victory.  The implied contrast between verse 12.4b and 12:5b need not be a contrast between threat and escape.  In fact, it is a contrast between threat and victory.  The ascension of Christ and His enthronement is His victory and these verses do not contradict that understanding. 

Metzger considers that this verse is “the gospel story surprisingly condensed, but enough is said to accomplish John’s purpose.” (Metzger, 73) The verse is a statement of   the “deadly enmity of the Adversary, his defeat, and the exaltation of Christ to the place of supreme and universal power.” (Metzger, 73)  I think Metzger has recognized the import of this verse.  As I wrote in the previous paragraph, the victory of Christ over the dragon is what is communicated, rather than escape.  The child is snatched up to God and to His throne. 

VERSE 12:6

Analysis:  The next verse brings the woman back into the center of the narrative for a brief moment.  Notice the structure of the narrative of the chapter in the following table:

VERSE(S)          THE WOMAN &           CONFLICT WITH          THE DRAGON: HIS
                            HER OFFSPRING         THE DRAGON               POSITION & POWER

12:1-2                 Her appearance,
                           pregnancy, birth pains
12:3-4a                                                                                                 His appearance and power
                                                                                                             over 1/3 of the angels
12:4b                                                           His threat to devour
                                                                     the child
12:5                    Her child--His birth
                           & triumph
12:6                    Her flight to the desert
12:7-12                                                                                                 His defeat and ejection
                                                                                                             from heaven
12:13-16                                                      The dragon's war on
                                                                     the woman
12:17                                                            His war on her offspring                                              

Once her son’s career on earth is completed, the woman flees into the wilderness to a place God has for her.  There she is to be “nourished” (ESV).  NIV translates the word as “taken care of.”  Generally, the word means “to feed,” but it also may have the more general meaning of “sustain” or “support.” (Newman)  She is to be sustained there for 1,260 days.  If we skip ahead in the chapter, we find that verse 12:14 has almost exactly the same information with some expansion.  In fact verse 12:13 refers back to the birth of the male child of verse 12:5 and adds the information that the dragon began to pursue (the word can mean “persecute”) the woman.  The intervening material, verses 12:7-12, describes the heavenly defeat of the dragon.  

Surveying the whole chapter and its layout, we accumulate considerable information and insight into what is being conveyed.  

The woman is defined by her pregnancy and the birth of her son.  The son, obviously is Jesus Christ.  One could jump to the conclusion that the woman is Mary.  However, the woman is depicted as a cosmic figure, much as the pagans would describe their gods.  The 12 stars in her crown remind us of the 12 tribes of Israel.  This leads us to a tentative conclusion that is a partial answer, but I think that she represents something more.  I believe we should understand her to represent the people of God.  I draw that conclusion on the basis of verse 12:17, which mentions “the rest of her offspring.”  

Notice the dramatic representation of this woman.  She is pregnant and feels the sharp birth pains.  Standing before her is the dragon, ready to devour her child. When her son is born, He escapes the dragon through His obedience to death on the cross and the subsequent death and resurrection and ascension to reign on the throne of God.  The woman then escapes to the wilderness.  In this drama the threat of the dragon ever lurks.  We see that this is a “great” dragon—great in size and power and ambition.  He sweeps a third of the stars from the sky.  He is definitely a threat to be reckoned with.  However, he is ever frustrated.  He is frustrated because the woman’s son is destined to reign and assumes His heavenly throne, no longer in danger.  The woman escapes to the wilderness to be cared for during the 1,260 days.  Nothing can touch her because her place was prepared by God.  In the middle part of the chapter (12:7-12), we gain more information about the dragon and his conflicts.  This forms the backdrop for the final assault of the dragon on the woman and the “rest of her offspring.”  

Let us again consider the identity of the woman.  In this drama, she is contrasted with the dragon.  Eventually, she becomes the one who is pursued by the dragon.  However, the centerpiece of the drama is the dragon’s opposition to her child, Jesus Christ.  If then we consider this woman to represent the people of God, we see that the dragon has ever opposed them and their chief representatives.  He killed Abel, whose blood still cries out to God, but Seth was born to take his place.  In the midst of the hum-drum narrative of the earliest people, Enoch is found to have triumphed through God to such a degree that he is translated to heaven.  Satan wrecked the human race to the point that they were all destroyed by the flood, except for Noah.  He again seduced humanity at Babel.  In that same region, in Ur, was born Abraham—raised among pagans.  Yet somehow God encountered him and called him out of the mass of humanity.  And thus Abraham experienced God’s grace.  His descendants would ultimately be the people of God.  Yet, they were beaten down and subjugated in Egypt.  Eventually, genocide was attempted against them, but in the midst of that genocide, Moses was born and rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter.  He eventually led the Israelites through the Red Sea into the wilderness, away from the Egyptians and their gods which were inspired by the dragon.  At Sinai, they became a unique nation on the face of the earth, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  

Again and again, the dragon sought to destroy that nation.  He raised up empire after empire.  He also worked his tempting power to destroy them from within.  Eventually, this combination worked:  their city and Temple were destroyed and they were taken into captivity.  However, even this devastation did not wholly destroy them.  A remnant survived and eventually the captivity was ended.  Although they now would live in a world dominated by the dragon’s successive empires, they were assured by the prophet Daniel that eventually God’s Kingdom will fill the whole earth.  

Two of the kingdoms and empires that dominated the scene for the people of God were, first, the Syrians and, then, the Romans.  Both of these had been prophesied in Daniel to have characteristics inspired by the dragon and to prefigure the ultimate draconian empire—the kingdom of the Beast/Antichrist.  The Syrian Antiochus Epiphanes displayed the spiritual characteristics of the Beast, and the Romans displayed the political and military characteristics.  

The people of God always had representatives throughout history, a remnant that could never be destroyed by the dragon.  So it was that a teenage peasant girl, engaged to craftsman of humble means, was visited by an archangel.  She would take up the cause of the people of God by bearing within her virgin body the Savior of the world.  And of course the dragon lurked.  His minion this time was the evil King Herod, who did his best to kill the baby, but without success.  The child grew to manhood and, as He began His ministry, He lived in an environment dominated by Jewish leaders who were corrupted by the dragon.  Thus, the dragon’s strategy of destroy from within was evident once again.  Again and again, Jesus escaped their attempts to kill Him.  His death would be at the right time and not before.  

In a sense, Jesus was now the chief representative of the people of God.  The spotlight of God was focused upon Him, for  He was to be God’s means of defeating the dragon and saving the human race.  (Compare the Servant in Isaiah, which at times refers to Israel and at times refers to the Messiah, who is idealized Israel.)  The dragon had waited, but failed to devour the Son.  When the Son died, He died under the will of God and for the salvation of humanity.  His death was not the dragon’s victory, though he was the inspiration behind the enemies who carried out the crucifixion.  Rather, the dragon was “cast out” (John 12:31).  So, Jesus was raised from the dead, triumphant, and ascended to the right hand of the Father.  

Now, the people of God carried on.  We see them in Acts as they developed into the church.  That church begins as a sect of the Jews but eventually becomes largely Gentile in origin.  Nevertheless, these Gentiles continue the role of the people of God, “a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Revelation 1:6).  It is important to state that I am not advocating what some call “replacement” of Israel by the church.  I believe that the Bible teaches a unity of the people of God.  So, this woman is certainly Israel, but she is also the church—still serving God and still opposed by the dragon (both from without and from within).  

The center of the history of the people of God is the birth of the woman’s Son and His ascension (and all that that implies).  The great red dragon has opposed, persecuted, slandered, and corrupted the people of God from the earliest history recorded in the Bible.  But God has preserved them and ultimately they will share fully in the victory of the Son.

The flight of the woman into the wilderness is repeated in verse 12:14 in language that is parallel to 12:6b.  The 1,260 days corresponds to the “time, times, and dividing of times” (interpreted by most as 3 1/2 years).  Note that this time frame is also given in 11:2 (42 months) and 11:3 (1,260 days).  I shall discuss the fact of the woman’s shelter in the wilderness and the war on the other offspring of the woman (12:17) in another article.  

The implication of verses 12:5-6 is that the dragon’s opposition to the woman and her Son have been and will be totally frustrated.  The Son ascends to heaven and the woman finds shelter in the wilderness.

Commentators:

Rist notes “one of those quick shifts in symbolism” in which the woman in verse 12:6 now is the “heavenly personification of the church.”  He cites other references to the church as a woman in II Esdras and Hermas.  He also refers to Galatians 4:26, which considers the heavenly Jerusalem as our mother.  Rist then refers to Revelation 12:17, where Christians are the offspring of the woman.  This, he says, supports the idea that “the heavenly mother of the pre-existent Messiah is also the heavenly mother of the Christians, i.e., she is the pre-existent church…”  (Rist, 455)  He rejects other interpretations of verse 12:6, such as allusions to the wilderness wanderings of Israel or the escape of Christians to Pella from the siege of Jerusalem.  He rejects these ideas because “none of these takes into consideration the very evident astral theology which is so conspicuous in this chapter.”  

I believe that Rist intertwines two interpretative frameworks in his remarks on this verse.  He refers to the “symbolism” of the woman being changed to the personification of the church (see above) and also to the “metaphor” of the church as the bride of Christ.  Yet, he declares that he is guided by an understanding that “astral theology” is behind chapter 12.  His description of astral theology is not a matter of symbolism.  It is a belief system—closely akin to traditional astrology—that “everything occurring on earth has previously happened in heaven…” (Rist, 452)  He is adamant that the woman’s giving birth is “not an allegorical depiction of the earthly birth of Jesus to Mary.”  (Rist, 452)  Yet, he is willing to note the fluid change of symbolism (which commentators note throughout Revelation) as the woman becomes the church.  But then he back pedals and calls her the mother of the church.  (Rist, 455)  The fact is that Rist’s observant eye has noted some shifts in the role of the woman.  In fact this shift, I believe is another reason to reject the “astral theology” idea that Rist tries to impose on this passage.  I also believe that careful reading should reveal that the woman never quite becomes the New Testament church, strictly speaking.  I believe it is more accurate to call her by a more general term, the “people of God.”  I believe this applies to her in her role of giving birth as well as in her later flight into the desert.  

Morris notes that other commentators refer to the flight of the Christians to Pella during the siege of Jerusalem.  He regards that incident as an example of God’s protection, but believes this verse has a “much wider application.”  (Morris, 159-160)  The point of the verse, for Morris, is that, just as the Son was protected by God from the dragon, so the woman will be protected, though in a different way.  He notes that the period of 1,260 days is given in exactly the same way as it is in verse 11:3, which states the period of the ministry of the two witnesses.  Therefore, “It is not unlikely that we should link the two.  God protects his church during the time of her witness.”  (Morris, 159-160)

Ladd has committed himself down a blind alley, and he continues that journey in his commentary on 12:6.  “The scene is still heaven…” he maintains.  He understands the whole narrative as a symbolic story without reference to historical events.  The purpose of the narrative is to depict hostility of the dragon—first to the woman’s child (whom Ladd calls the “Messiah”) and then to the woman.  He denies that there is any reference to the escape to Pella.  His basis for this denial is that this narrative has no reference to any historical events, including the escape to Pella.  The narrative does convey the idea that God protected and preserved the woman as He had her Son.  So, the narrative is symbolic and intended to convey protection from Satan.  The period of 1,260 days is symbolic of the “period of evil during which Satan tries to frustrate the purposes of God, but particularly the last days of this period…”  Ladd had commented in  that the woman represents the nation of Israel.  I think similar fashion on the mention in verse 11:3 of the same time period.  The preservation of the woman is a promise of the preservation of the church even during the worst period of Satanic harassment. (Ladd, 170)  I note that Ladd’s observation of a specific time frame (the last days) contradicts his avoidance of a specific reference.  That is, the protection of the woman is promised during the last days—the Tribulation period.  I think that 12:6 is a preview of the events at the end of the chapter and I shall deal with that material in another article.

Metzger describes the woman as representing the Jewish people of God as well as the Christian people of God.  The latter were “persecuted by a political power as evil as the dragon (12:6).”  (Metzger, 74)  Metzger’s understanding is that the political power is Rome. (Metzger, 75ff)  Metzger’s insights into 12:1-6 are helpful in two ways.  First, he is able to receive the symbolic images of a woman and dragon in the skies without getting distracted by the fact that they are in the skies.  This one feature seems to throw both Rist and Ladd (two commentators with very different perspectives) into speculating about either “astral thinking” (Rist) (a form of astrology) or a sort of gnosticism (Ladd).  Second, Metzger recognizes that the condensation of the earthly career of Jesus in verse 12:5 is intended to convey the victory of Jesus over the dragon through His redemptive work and His subsequent ascension to the throne of God.  A significant omission by Metzger is the time period of 1,260 days.  Of the four commentators only Ladd “gets it” concerning this time period, since he understands the connection of this period to the Tribulation.

SUMMARY OF VERSES 12:1-6

Revelation 12 provides the background for the events that will follow in chapter 13.  Various commentators organize the material that begins in chapter 12 in different ways.  Some see a new series of seven, but they differ in how to organize the material into such a series.  Metzger understands that chapter 12 is the beginning of a restart of the book and that chapter 12 represents a reach back to beginnings to provide background.  

The woman of verse 12:1 is seen in the sky, “larger than life.”  I understand that this is dramatic imagery that underscores the importance of the woman and the people she symbolizes.  It draws on Joseph’s dream and possibly some pagan imagery.  Some commentators have exaggerated the dependence on pagan imagery as well as the fact that the woman is depicted as a sign in the sky.  Rist understands this passage to represent a form of astrology that he calls “astral thinking.”  Ladd considers the depiction of heavenly events to be a parallel spiritual history that has earthly consequences.  I consider his line of thinking to border on gnosticism.  Morris points out, first, that the woman is an important symbol that contrasts with the great whore, Babylon.  Thus, the depiction of the woman is consistent within the context of the book.  Second, he points out that the book is thoroughly anti-pagan and that heavy dependence on pagan myths is unlikely.  

In verse 12:2 the woman is pregnant and crying out in her birth pains.  This statement gives us important background for the action that takes place in 12:4b-5

Morris understands the woman in the travail of childbirth to represent Israel “about to give birth to the Messiah.”

The dragon of verse 3 is frightening because of his size—which his fiery red color accentuates—and his bizarre, unnatural appearance—with seven heads and ten horns.  The horns are emblems of his strength.  On each of his heads there is a diadem, the crown of royalty.  These crowns represent his authority.  His features—heads, crowns, and horns—are described with perfect numbers (seven and ten) to remind us that this horrifying being has perfected evil and the hideous.  Rist refers to the myths of the ancient world that described similar arch villains, including Hydra of the Greeks and the giant red crocodile of the Egyptians.  Morris and Ladd refer to the Old Testament monsters, such as Leviathan, Rahab, and the serpent.  Ladd explains that the multiple heads, crowns, and horns communicate the power and authority of the “god of this age” and prepare us for the description of the Antichrist/Beast.

In verse 4a the dragon sweeps a third of the stars from heaven with his tail.  I believe that this represents the fall of angels from their original loyalty to God to become associated with the dragon.  This is related to description of the warfare in verses 12:7ff.

Rist relates this event to the description of the persecution of the Jews by Antiochus Epiphanes in Daniel 8.  Thus, the pulling down of the stars is, he believes, either a depiction of persecution or of fallen angels in league with Satan.  Ladd and Metzger believe that this sweep of a third of the stars out of heaven is simply an expression of the enormous power of the dragon.

The dragon, in verse 4b, stands before the woman, ready to devour her baby as soon as he is born.  This scene describes the central motivation of the dragon—to destroy Christ and to undermine His redemptive mission.  This motivation explains much that happens in Revelation.  Morris considers that this depiction of the hostility of the dragon reminds us that Satan was hostile toward Christ from the beginning.  Metzger states that this hatred explains the opposition to Jesus throughout His ministry.

The woman gives birth to a male child in verse 12:5.  He is described as the One who is to rule the nations.  This description discloses that He is Jesus Christ.  He is immediately taken up to the throne of God.  This very contracted description of Jesus’ career can be misunderstood as simply depicting His escape from the dragon.  On the contrary, I believe it is a statement of Christ’s triumphant defeat of the dragon through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the throne of God.  He does not merely escape the dragon; He defeats him.  The commentators vary considerably in their interpretations of this verse and what precedes it.  Rist consistently understands that this passage betrays “astral thinking.”  Therefore, the verse is, for him, not referring to the earthly life of Jesus, but to a heavenly Messiah, who is born among the stars and transported from one part of heaven to another to escape the dragon.  Morris explains the peculiar contraction of the events of Christ’s life as John’s way of keeping the focus on the church, which he believes is the central issue.  Thus, the fact that the woman’s Son is protected is evidence that God will also protect the church from the dragon.  Ladd denies that the events of 12:4-5 are reflections or symbols of the actual events of Christ’s life.  Rather, they are simply symbolic depictions of Christ’s triumph over Satan.  Incidentally, this contradicts other statements by Ladd concerning the passage.  Metzger’s analysis is very close to my own:  he believes that 12:5 condenses the narrative of the triumph of Christ over Satan.

In 12:6, the woman fled into the wilderness to be taken care of.  Just as the Son triumphed over the dragon, the woman escaped his reach.  The time frame is 1,260 days, which is a time frame that is mentioned several times throughout Revelation and which refers to passages in Daniel.  This period, with its characteristic length that is given in days, months, or years, is to be identified with the last days.  The escape of the woman is anticipatory of the narrative at the end of the chapter in verses 12:13-17.  

When I consider the hints to the identity of the woman throughout the chapter, I conclude that this woman represents the People of God in an ideal sense.  The People of God have representatives throughout the Old Testament, including Abel, Seth, Enoch, and Noah.  They were especially identified as the nation of Israel, the descendants of Abraham.  It was to these people that Jesus Christ was born—symbolized by the birth of the male child to the woman.  However, even after the triumph of Christ and His elevation to the throne of God, the woman remains in focus in chapter 12.  This focus carries through to verse 17, where her other offspring are described in Christian terms.  Because the people of God are not limited to the Hebrew race in this chapter, it seems reasonable to broaden the concept to include all the people of God, including the church.  This is not a “replacement theology,” but a concept of the unity of the people of God.  Rist’s interpretation of the woman, as she is depicted in 12:6 and in 12:13-17, is a confused mixture of his insistence that “astral thinking” is guiding John plus sound observation of the woman’s role as Israel, as the mother of the church, and as the church itself.  The latter movement of identity is due to what he calls “fluid” symbolism.  Morris believes that verse 12:6 is a statement of God’s protection of the church.  He refers to other commentators who believe that the escape is a reference to the escape of Christians to Pella during the siege of Jerusalem in AD 70.  However, he believes that the verse is referring to the general principle of God’s protection of the church.  He connects the 1,260 days of this verse to the same terminology in 11:3, and he concludes that this time frame terminology is symbolic of the church’s witness.  Therefore, God protects the church in her time of witness.  Ladd is reluctant to tie the narrative of 12:6 to any specific historical (or future historical) event, including the escape to Pella.  Instead the escape of the woman is symbolic of the hostility of the dragon.  The 1,260 days represents the very worst period of Satan’s hostility.  So, the church can be assured of God’s protection from Satan during the Tribulation period.  Ladd’s aversion to interpreting the narrative in chapter 12 to specifics, either in the past or the future, lead him into interpretative traps.    

The commentators’ remarks on these verses display a variety of interpretations.  Rist understands this passage to come out of “astral thinking,” which is a form of astrology that believes things happen in heaven before they happen on earth.  Although he uses the term “astral” in his commentary on the verses, he uses “astrology” in his introduction. (Rist, 358)  Morris approaches these verses in a way that is consistent with his approach to the whole book.  He recognizes the various approaches to Revelation that have been used through the centuries and acknowledges that elements of more than one viewpoint is needed.  He believes that one must always keep in mind the churches to which the book is addressed.  (Morris, 18)  In general, he recognizes that this is a book inspired by the Holy Spirit that relates actual visions that John experienced.  Ladd departs somewhat from his usual careful exegesis in his comments on this passage.  His interpretation is similar to that of Rist without labeling it “astral” or “astrological.”  Nevertheless, he understands this heavenly drama is a “representation of the struggle in the spiritual world which lies behind history.” (Ladd,166) I do not totally disagree with him—the passage that follows, verses 12:7-12, does describe spiritual warfare.  My concern is that one can be carried away with this approach to the point of neglecting the real-world events that, I believe, are being referred to in verses 12:1-6.  Metzger considers that the “heavenly tableau” of these verses is a “flashback” that John employs as he “begins [the book] all over again.”  He does this in order to introduce additional material beyond what is in the first eleven chapters.  Metzger recognizes that John may have used sources from various pagan mythologies and astrologies, but has used them for his own purpose to communicate to the church of his day. (Metzger, 72)

The first six verses of Revelation 12 describe two “great signs.”  One is a woman who is about to give birth.  She is, I believe, a symbol of the people of God—both in their Old Testament and New Testament manifestations, especially Israel and the church.  The other sign is a great red dragon who is obviously Satan.  Satan stands ready to devour the woman’s child.  The child is born and rises triumphantly to the throne of God.  This is a very compact description of the career of Jesus Christ, who was victorious over Satan through His death on the cross and now reigns supreme on the heavenly throne of His Father.  The woman flees into the desert to be cared for and protected from Satan.  This final narrative anticipates the action of the end of the chapter.  The entire passage describes the hatred and bitter opposition of Satan to the people of God and to their chief leader and Lord, Jesus Christ.  Despite his efforts, Satan is ever frustrated in his attempts to destroy Christ and the people of God.

REFERENCES:

Crossway Bibles (2009-04-09). ESV Study Bible. Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Ladd, George Eldon.  A Commentary on the Revelation of John.  Grand Rapids:  William B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1972.

Metzger, Bruce M.  Breaking the Code.  Understanding the Book of Revelation.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1993.

Morris, Leon.  The Revelation of St. John.  Tyndale New Testament Commentaries.  Vol. 20.  R. V. G. Tasker, Gen. Ed.                      

       Grand Rapids:  William B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1980.

Newman, Barclay M., Jr.  A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament. Stuttgart:  United Bible Societies, 

       1971.

Rist, Martin.  “The Revelation of St. John the Divine” Exegesis.  The Interpreter’s Bible.  Vol. XII. Nolan B. Harmon, Ed.  

        New York:  Abingdon Press, 1957.   

Zondervan NIV Study Bible.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publ., 2002

A SURVEY OF REVELATION 11, PART D

To my faithful readers:  My apologies for taking so long to produce a new post.  I have been hampered by sickness and by computer problems.  

Abbreviation:  NIVSB:  New International Version Study Bible

INTRODUCTION

The following analysis is of Revelation 11:15-19.  This is a description of the events of the last, or seventh trumpet.  The trumpets begin in 8:6.  After the events of the sixth trumpet, there is an interlude that begins in 10:1 and continues to 11:13.  Verse 11:14 makes a brief comment that two woes have passed and the third is coming.  These woes were announced in 8:13 just before the fifth trumpet.  So, the implication is that the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets are also the three woes. 

Ladd points out that no woe comes with the 7th trumpet.  That woe “really consists of the seven bowls of 16:1-21.”  He points out the literary parallelism in the book.  There are six seals (with specific content) followed by an interlude.  Then there follows the 7th seal which has no content.  Next there are six trumpets with specific content, then the seventh trumpet with no content.  Thus, the seventh seal is fulfilled in the first six trumpets, and the seventh trumpet is fulfilled in the seven bowls.  (For another viewpoint, contrast this with the “seven last signs” of Morris.) (160) 

VERSE-BY-VERSE ANALYSIS

11:15. This verse is the basis for the “Hallelujah Chorus,” one of the most familiar of all the songs from Handel’s Messiah.  It is one of those “goose bumps” moments to hear the magnificent music supporting the magnificent words.  I don’t want to go through a Christmas season without hearing it at least once.  Think of what John heard!  Voices shouting:  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”  Think of an apostle of the first century.  I’m guessing his annual income corresponded to a lower middle-class income of today.  His clothes were ordinary.  He had no office, no secretary (oh, maybe a volunteer who served as an “amanuensis”).  Wherever he looked there were Roman soldiers.  Now he was banished to a little island because he preached the message of Jesus.  Some people he knew had been killed for the gospel, including Peter, about 25 years before, as well as his own brother.  The church had spread around the Mediterranean, but its people amounted to a tiny fraction of the Roman Empire.  He knew that God, the creator of the universe, was the author of redemption through Jesus.  He knew that the man he had spent three and a half years with had risen from the dead.  He knew these things, but a lot of people did not know them.  For them Caesar was lord and god, and he had the army to back him up.  Now, John sees the seventh angel and hears him blast his trumpet.  He hears the voices declaring that all the world is now subject to God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  

Rist believes that 11:15-19 is a duplication with variations of 4:8-11. (450)  This is a stretch.  Both contain praises and both mention the 24 elders.  There is very little else that is duplicated in the two passages. 

The Greek does not include the second “kingdom.”  A literal translation of the sentence would be:  “The kingdom of the world has become that of our Lord and His Christ.”  All the versions I consulted supply the second “kingdom.”  The original makes us think more seriously about what is being said.

• The “kingdom of the world” is led by Satan.  (Matthew 4:8-9, I John 5:19)  It is a kingdom filled with darkness. (Ephesians 6:12) It is motivated by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride in the means of making a living (often stated as “pride of life.”) (I John 2:15-17)   It is inhabited by people who are sold under sin, living in accordance with the flesh and unable to please God. (Romans 8:5-8)  This world and its desires pass away. (I John 2:17)
• Rist believes that John understood the “kingdom of world” is “the rule of Satan, exemplified by the Roman Empire.” (450)
• This kingdom has been transferred to God and Jesus.  
• Under new ownership and management, it will now reflect the character of the owner and manager.  All that Jesus said about the Kingdom of God—its ethics, its power, its hope, its joy—are now found in what was the “kingdom of the world.”
• Morris points out that the “kingdom of the world” is singular—“a secular power.”  Ladd states that behind all the kingdoms there is a “singular source of authority.” This will be manifested by the Antichrist in the last days. (161)
• Morris states that the past tense is used to indicate the event is certain. (153)

He will reign forever.  Rist calls this announcement “the main outline of Revelation…the apocalyptic hope of the author…”  He points out the similarity to Daniel 7:27, which predicts that all kingdoms will be handed over to God’s people and that God will rule over an everlasting kingdom. (Rist, 450)  Ladd agrees that “central theme” of Revelation is “the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.”  He elaborates by saying that the process “involves the wresting of authority from all hostile powers” and the God and His Christ exercising their power.  He says the establishment of the Kingdom does not “distinguish between the millennial reign of Christ and God’s reign in the age to come.”  He says Paul gives two periods:  “[1] the messianic reign of the exalted Lord between His resurrection-ascension and the end…and [2] the consummation when He turns the Kingdom over to God the Father. (I Cor. 15:24-28)” (161)  He calls this announcement of the Kingdom “proleptic” [anticipatory].  “The same proleptic announcement of the establishing of God’s reign occurs again in 12:10; 19:6, 16.” (162)

  The reference to “He” (the One who reigns forever) is probably to “our Lord” (that is, God the Father), but it could be to “His Christ.”  In Revelation 21:22-23:5, there are 6 references to God or the Lamb, or both.  In four of those mentions, God and the Lamb are mentioned together as having the same office and function.  They are both the Temple of the city; they are both the light of the city; they both occupy the throne (two mentions).  In two additional cases, they are mentioned separately.  The Book of Life is mentioned as belonging to the Lamb.  And God is mentioned as the light source without mentioning the Lamb.  My point is that it obvious that the Lamb and God are working hand-in-hand in this picture of (what I believe is) eternity.  Thus, it is not of crucial significance who “He” refers to in 11:15.  In I Corinthians 15:28 we have a description of the final situation:

When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

Here it is stated that the Son will take a subordinate place in the eternal Kingdom.  However, this does not mean that the Son will disappear from the scene.  Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 give us vivid statements of the deity of Jesus:

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…(Colossians 1:19)

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily…(Colossians 2:9)

Note that verse 1:19 is in the aorist indicative, a past tense, and verse 2:9 is in the present, a continuous present tense.  The first describes the redemptive work of Christ, which began with His incarnation.  The second describes the present condition of Christ, who is the treasury of wisdom (verse 2:3), not the human wisdom that sought to deceive the Colossians.  So, Christ, who was with God at the beginning (John 1:1-5), will be forever the fullness of God, reigning with the Father.  I think that I Corinthians 15:28 is telling us that there will be a shift in emphasis, if you will.  In the present order and in the cataclysmic last days, Jesus the Christ will be pre-eminent.  In the final order of things, the Father will be pre-eminent.  However, the Lamb will ever have His place.  So, it is likely we should take the “He” of Revelation 11:15 as God the Father, who shall reign forever and ever.  The announcement of the transfer of the kingdom of the world into God’s hands is made by “loud voices.”  One would assume that an angel or angels makes the announcement.  Morris states that the voices are “plainly” “the heavenly host.” (152-153)

11:16. Now, the twenty-four elders respond.  These elders were first mentioned in 4:4.  There is debate about the nature of the elders.  I have discussed that issue elsewhere.  I believe that they are angelic beings.  Whatever their nature might be, they are persons of high position, occupying thrones in the very presence of God.  At the announcement of the transfer of the kingdom of the world, the elders immediately worship God in a body position (on their faces) of humility, obedience, adoration, and subordination. 

Metzger:  It “startles us” that there are no dire events, but, instead, rejoicing.  See Ladd’s comments in the introduction above.

11:17. I observe that in passages that depict worship in heaven the worship has verbal content that is deep and rich.  (See, for example, Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, and 5:12.)  In the present passage, although I have labeled it as “worship,” it is a thanksgiving.  The body position of the elders denotes worship, but they give thanks.  It seems to me that thanks and praise—or worship—are very similar.  Worship evaluates God and praise describes His glory.  Thanksgiving announces God’s accomplishments with gratitude.

It might be argued that humans would be more likely to give thanks to God for His actions than angels, for humans are the direct recipients of the benefits of those actions.  This would be an argument for the human nature of the elders.  However, the angels are depicted consistently as being in harmony with God’s redemptive purposes.  For example, see Isaiah 6, in which Isaiah had a vision of the Lord and the angels attending Him.  The angels praise God’s holiness and the fact that the earth is filled with God’s glory (Isaiah 6:3).  They also participate in the cleansing and atoning of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:6-7) and are present as God calls Isaiah into a prophetic ministry (entire chapter of Isaiah 6).  See also John’s conversation with an angel in Revelation 22:8-9.  The angel describes himself as “a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book.”  The angels are not recipients of God’s redemptive work, but they joyfully serve God in His redemptive work.  (See Luke 2:8-14.)  So, the praise and thanksgiving that is expressed by the elders do not preclude their being angelic beings.

One translation of the first part of the verse would be:  “We thank you Lord, the almighty God…”  “Almighty” is an adjective in the “attributive” position—that position which most adjectives are in.  In the phrase “the good boy,” “good” is an attributive adjective modifying “boy.”  So, “almighty” is not a name for God (though it can be), but is a descriptor.  

The next set of clauses give information about God’s past and present.  The “is” is the present participle of the verb “to be.”  The present tense is continuous, so God is ever “being” in the present.  He also “was.”  The “was” is the imperfect tense, which is past continuous:  He “was being in the past.”  So, the timeline of God’s existence is continuous.

The information to this point is descriptive of God:  He is the Lord, the Almighty God, who has continuously existed.  But now the reason for the thanksgiving is expressed.  The elders thank God because He has exercised His power.  The verbs are in two tenses.  He “has taken” His power.  This is perfect, which expresses a past action that results in a present state or condition.  That is, at some time in the past, God took His power and that created results that affected the past and are still affecting the present (from the viewpoint of the scene).  The second verb (“reigned,” in aorist) is a consequence of the first verb.  So, God has taken His great power and this allowed Him to reign.  Morris states that “God has decisively dethroned evil and entered on His reign.” (153)  In a sense, this description begins a “flashback” to explain verse 15, in which the transfer of the kingdom of the world to God is announced.  That began when God began to exercise His power.  This enabled Him to reign.  The consequences of that are described in verse 11:18.

In commenting on verses 11:16-17, Ladd observes that, though authority belongs to God, He has allowed Satan and those he inspires to have power and authority.  God, at the consummation, has taken back His authority as He enters His triumphant reign.  Jesus has sat on the throne since His ascension, but this is an “intermediary reign.”  The 24 elders are celebrating the “visible establishment of God’s reign over all hostile powers.”  This is possible because of the “present heavenly reign of Christ.” (162)

11:18. Notice that the scene of action is the earth.  Though the trumpet is blown in heaven and the elders have thrones in heaven and though God sits on the throne in heaven, the concern is with the earth.  The kingdom of the world has been transferred to God (verse 11:15).  Now, the focus is on the nations of the world.  We can infer that God’s taking His power and beginning to reign (verse 11:17) is something that takes place on earth.  No longer is God the One who sits on the throne, but God is actively intruding into the affairs of people.

“The nations raged.”  There are three Psalms that one thinks of as one reads this verse:  Psalm 2, 46, and 110. The translations vary in use of words such as “rage.”  But generally, the message is that the nations are angry, rebellious, and in foment.  The following is a brief summary of each of these Psalms:

Psalm 2:  The nations are described as in rebellion against God.  God’s response is to set His king in position in Zion (Jerusalem).  The kings of the earth are warned to serve this king or the Lord will destroy them.  The King on Zion is blended with the Son:  the kings are urged to “kiss the Son.”

Psalm 46:  God is described as the refuge from the worst of disasters.  The city of God is a place where God dwells and a place that He protects.  The nations may rage, but the people of God are secure.  God’s works include desolations and also the end of war.  We are to be still and know that He is God and that He will be exalted among the nations.

Psalm 110:  There are two Lords in this Psalm.  The first says to the second:  “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”  Though the second Lord (Messiah) has enemies, His people will be loyal to Him.  The Lord declares the Messiah, who is a conquering King, also is to be a priest after the order of Melchizedek.  The Lord will be victorious on “day of his wrath.”  He will devastate His enemies and judge the earth.

So, in Revelation 11:18, the “nations raged” and the Lord God responded with wrath.  (See Psalm 110.)  Morris declares that God’s wrath is the “fitting reaction to the conduct of the nations.” (153) When God’s wrath came, it brought about the “time” for three actions of God:

• The judgment of the dead:  The nations raged, but God is the judge of all the earth.  God will have the final say in individuals’ lives, whether they be common people or kings.  But more than this is being said.  In direct response to the rage of the nations, God will put an end to the present order of existence and wrap things up.  This mention of the judgment is a signal that the consummation of all things is at hand.
• The rewarding of His servants:  Not only is there judgment, but there is also reward.  God not only responds negatively to the sins of people.  God also recognizes people for their faith in Jesus and for their faithful walk.  
• The destruction of the destroyers of the earth:  This is somewhat a duplication of what is implied in the “wrath” of God.  Specifically, there is a response to the “destroyers.”  No doubt environmentalists would be gratified by this statement.  However, though the sins of being careless toward the environment—destruction of the quality of air, water, soil, and living things, such as the rain forests—may be implied by this phrase, I think it is referring to those who destroy the quality of human life.  We could name not only those who destroy the material environment, but also those who destroy the social environment.  This would include those who exploit women in sex slavery, who prey on the physically weak with violence, who create fear through terrorism, who perpetrate wars, who prey on poor people with harsh working conditions, who disrupt the economy through their own greed, and who through thousands of other acts make life on earth miserable for so many.  The response of God is to destroy them.

Ladd summarizes these actions by stating that God’s wrath, in response to the raging nations, is necessary to establish His “gracious rule. (162) The coming of the Kingdom brings about the raising of the dead and judgment to determine who will enter the eternal Kingdom. (163)  Rist relates “the nations raged” to 20:8-9, “their final onslaught.”  They could not “withstand God’s wrath.”  All that is described in these verses “is a preview…”  The author of Revelation believes the events are so certain and near that he uses the past tense.  Revelation is an “amplification” of the “two liturgical songs” in 11:15-18. (450-451)

11:19. The next event is that the Temple of God in heaven is opened.  The chapter opens with the measuring of the “Temple” (11:1).  The implication is that the Temple of verse 11:1 is on earth, whereas the Temple of 11:19 is in heaven.  Cosmology, geography, and geometry in Revelation can be pretty confusing.  Some of the questions that I would ask of this mention of the Temple are the following:

• What is the relationship of this Temple to the vision of heaven in chapters 4 and 5?  In that vision, John saw a throne and the One who sits on that throne.  He saw the various angelic beings who worship before that throne.  He also saw the Lamb, who also is on the throne.  Is this Temple at some distance from this throne?  
• This Temple was opened, implying that it had been a closed building.  This adds to the first question:  how does this building relate to the rest of heaven?
• We think of the Temple of the Old Testament as the place where God meets with people.  Yet this Temple is in heaven, so it does not seem to be a place where God meets with people.  
• There are mentions of an altar in heaven—in Revelation 6:9, 8:3-5, 9:13, 11:1, 14:18, and 16:7.  Is this altar in front of the Temple in heaven (as the altar of sacrifice was in front of the earthly Temple)?  Or is it within the Temple as the altar of incense was within the earthly Temple?

We can reflect on Old Testament passages concerning the Temple and the Tabernacle.  Moses was instructed by God in how to make the Tabernacle and all of its furnishings (Exodus 25).  God gave Moses patterns to follow (Exodus 25:9 and 40; Hebrews 8:5).  In fact this Tabernacle and the later Temple are said to be copies of what is in heaven (Hebrews 8:5).  Then it seems that we can infer that the Temple or sanctuary in heaven that was opened is that Temple that served as a pattern for Moses to follow in building the Tabernacle.  (See commentators statements below regarding the heavenly Ark as the pattern for the earthly Ark.)  

In Hebrews 9:11-12 we learn that Christ, as the Great High Priest, “through the greater and more perfect tent [tabernacle] (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation)… entered once for all into the holy places…by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”  This achievement of Christ is contrasted with the discussion of the Old Testament Tabernacle and its rites.  This discussion is in Hebrews 9:1-10.  The following are highlights:

• The two sections of the Tabernacle, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies) are described in Hebrews 9:1-5.  Though ESV translates these as “sections,” they are called “tents” in Greek.  Thus, the two rooms were thought of as separate tents.
• The activity in the Holy Place takes place “regularly.” (9:6) However, the high priest only enters the Most Holy Place once a year and “not without taking blood.” (9:7)
• “By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section [literally, “tent”] is still standing” (9:8). 

With this background, then, the announcement is made, as it is quoted above from Hebrews 9:11-12.  Considering then that in verse 9:11-12, Christ is said to have gone “through” the heavenly tent to the “holy places.”  The “tent” would compare to the “first tent” or Holy Place of the Old Testament Tabernacle.  The “holy places” corresponds to the “second tent” or Most Holy Place.    

Returning to Revelation 11:19, we understand that the Temple of this verse is the “holy places” of Hebrews 9:12.  We cannot be too concerned about how this corresponds to the rest of heaven.  We should keep in mind that Revelation is not concerned to give us an exact picture of heaven, but, rather, to give us a picture of God’s relationship to people.  When Christ entered into the “holy places,” He entered into the very presence of God.  The Temple is opened to reveal the Ark of the Covenant.  This is the heavenly Ark.  We need to reflect on both the earthly, Old Testament Ark and heavenly Ark.  

Rist and other commentators refer to the Jewish belief that the Ark had been hidden and that it would be revealed someday. (451)  Morris notes that the last record of it is when Josiah told the Levites to put it into the Temple. (II Chronicles 35:3) (154) (NIVSB thinks that it had been removed to hide it from the evil kings Manasseh and Amon.)  Jeremiah looked to the Messianic age (3:15-16) when the Ark will be obsolete.  In light of this obsolescence, Morris says it is “curious” that a legend grew up that Jeremiah hid the Ark.  “But the legend betokens an interest in the ark which we see also in the present passage.” (Morris, 154)  Ladd states that the OT Ark was either taken by Shishak of Egypt (I Kings 14:25) or destroyed along with the Temple by the Babylonians.  He refers to a legend that Jeremiah hid it on Mount Sinai and to a tradition that it would be restored when Messiah comes. (164)    

  So, what is this Ark of the Covenant?  Is it simply the exact same as the Old Testament Ark of the Covenant?  I infer that the heavenly Ark is the reality of which the ark of the wilderness tabernacle was a copy and a shadow (Hebrews 8:5).  So, Rist says this Ark is “the heavenly archetype”  (See also Morris, 154.).  It symbolized God’s protection.  He calls this vision a “theophany.” (451)  (It does not quite fit the usual understanding of a theophany.)  

Morris believes the vision of the heavenly Ark indicates the way into God’s presence “is open wide…”  He cites Hebrew 10:19.  “The covenant is eternal.  God has worked out His purpose throughout history and now at the climax the symbol of His covenant faithfulness is publicly disclosed.” (154)  Note that Morris does not distinguish Old and New Covenants. 

Ladd mentions the rending of the Temple veil and explains its meaning to be “that now because of the fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial rites in the death of Jesus, the presence of God was no longer limited to Israel but is open to all men (see Heb. 9:8; 10:20).”  I do not quite agree with that assessment.  I think the rending of the veil is a declaration of the “new and living way” into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:20) without reference to Israel or Gentiles.  The fact is that the curtain or veil walled off Israel from God’s presence as much as it did Gentiles.  Ladd goes on to observe that the new way to God is “a spiritual fact, not yet a visible reality.”  Thus, the description in Revelation 11:19 is given as a “symbolic representation of the opening up of the presence of God in the eschatological consummation.”  He refers to Revelation 21:3 (where it is stated that God dwells with people in the consummation) as the fulfillment of this.  He maintains that 11:19 is a “proleptic vision.”  His proof is that, in the vision of 11:19, the Temple is still in heaven.  In the consummation there will be no need of a Temple. (163) He understands the vision of the Ark to symbolize that God will fulfill all of the covenant promises in the consummation. (164)

In fact, we are taught throughout the New Testament that a New Covenant is in place. See the following:  Luke 22:20, I Corinthians 11:25, II Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:8, 8:13, 9:15, 12:24.  All of these are based on the prediction of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31ff.  Is it reasonable to believe that this Ark in Revelation is a symbol of that New Covenant?  I believe so.  It strikes me that the commentators’ attention to the opening of the Temple may be misplaced.  The Temple is opened in order to see the Ark.  The emphasis is really on the Ark.  I think this vision is a statement of the completion of the New Covenant by the Second Coming.    

When the Temple of Heaven is opened and the Ark is revealed, there is a set of dramatic and cataclysmic natural phenomena—lightning, voices (ESV:  “rumblings”), thunder, an earthquake, and hail.  When the Lord met the people at Mount Sinai, there were similar phenomena.  It terrified the people.  (See Exodus 19-20.)  

This set of phenomena is a regular occurrence in Revelation.  The following are the occurrences:

• 4:5—John sees the throne of God and the phenomena come out of the throne.
• 8:5—The seventh seal is broken, and an angel throws coals from the altar onto the earth.  This brings about the phenomena on earth.
• 11:19—The seventh trumpet sounds.  The announcement of the coming of the Kingdom is made.  The Temple is opened, and the Ark is revealed.  Then, the phenomena take place.
• 16:18—The seventh bowl of wrath is poured out into the air (each of the bowls is poured upon a particular thing).  A voice announces “It is done!”  Then the phenomena take place.

To me, what is implied in these passages is the awesome presence of God.  Rist calls these events the “usual phenomena” and says they were a sign of God’s coming display of power. (451)  Morris declares that the revelation of the Ark as a symbol of God’s faithfulness, so the  celestial phenomena are not surprising. (154) Ladd believes these phenomena express the “majesty and power” of the “divine presence.” (164) We are so used to going to church and “getting through” a service and no one gets hurt.  In fact, if anyone gets too excited or if preaching gets too powerful or worship becomes too close to the real thing, then there is going to be trouble in that church.  We have become so acclimated to a tame God and a tame religion that we cannot handle the reality of the living God.  If we were to see the reality of the New Covenant—a new and living way into the very presence of God, mediated by the reality of the Holy Spirit—we would surely faint.  It strikes me that these phenomena signal certain things:

• They first come from the throne.  We are reminded of God’s great rule over all things.
• The connection between heaven and earth is observed:  coals are poured out on the earth, the Ark of the Covenant between God and people is seen, etc.
• The Kingdom is announced, and the phenomena reverberate.
• The completion of God’s wrath is announced.

Although the phenomena begin in heaven, they come to earth.  They are the signal that God is entering into the affairs of people and is going to bring about full redemption.

CONSIDERATION OF CHRONOLOGY  

Revelation 11:15-19 completes the series of seven trumpets.  There are two possible assumptions about how this passage fits into the chronology of Revelation.  One is that all of the book is in chronological order.  This means that chapter 12 and 13 will describe events that follow the events of chapter 11.  This necessitates that the announcement of the transfer of the Kingdom is “proleptic,” anticipatory of later events.  (Other interpretations might be possible, but this seems the most reasonable.)  

Ladd agrees with this understanding.  He points out that no woe came with the 7th trumpet.  That woe “really consists of the seven bowls of 16:1-21.”  He points out the literary parallelism in the book.  There are six seals (with specific content) followed by an interlude.  Then there follows the 7th seal with no content.  Next there are six trumpets with specific content, then the seventh trumpet with no content.  Thus, the seventh seal is fulfilled in the six trumpets, and the seventh trumpet is fulfilled in the seven bowls. (160)  Morris draws a similar conclusion.  He says we expected the “climactic judgment” with the 7th seal, but there was silence and then the 7 trumpets.  We still “kept in suspense” with 7th trumpet.  Just as the 7 seals led to 7 trumpets, the 7th trumpet leads into “the seven significant signs” (in chapters 12-14). (152)

The other assumption would be that this passage concludes the set of events that lead to the transfer of the Kingdom.  Metzler observes that this passage has “all the appearance of the end of the age…” (71) However, one must deal the fact that we are only half way through the book.  One explanation is that much of the second half of the book covers the same time period but from a different perspective.  Metzler explains that the  “author will now go back to an earlier stage and repeat some of the teachings that he had previously set before the reader.”  The sequence in Revelation “does not allow us to turn the book…into an almanac or time chart of the last days.” (71) In the parlance of prophecy students, we could say that chapter 11 concludes a description of the Tribulation period—the seven year period before the Second Coming of Christ.  This means that the events of the following chapters will cover the same time period, but from a different perspective.  This is the viewpoint of Pentecost (187-188). 

A more complete statement of Pentecost’s view is that the seven seals describe the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation period and the seven trumpets describe the second 3 1/2 years.  I have stated my agreement with that view in previous articles, but I am coming to a different conclusion.  I believe that the book of Revelation goes over similar time periods several times.  I propose the following:

• The seven seals (6:1-8:5) parallel somewhat the outline of Jesus’ predictions in Matthew 24.  They cover the entire church age up the Second Coming, which is anticipated in the sixth seal (6:12-17) and the interlude (7:1-17) and represented symbolically by the phenomena in the seventh seal (8:1-5).
• The seven trumpets (8:6-11:19) cover at least part of the Tribulation period, perhaps the latter part, and end with the Second Coming.  The interlude describes conditions and events of the Tribulation period (10:1-14).
• Chapter 12 covers a wide range of time from the rebellion of Satan, through the birth of Christ, possibly to the beginning of the Tribulation period (13:1).
• Chapter 13 describes some of the events of the Tribulation period.
• Chapter 14 includes material relevant to the Tribulation period (14:6-13) and anticipates the Second Coming (14:14-20).
• The seven bowls (15:1-21) cover events of the Tribulation period, possibly at the end of that period.  The sixth bowl anticipates Armageddon and the Second Coming (16:12-16).  The seventh bowl probably represents the Second Coming (16:17-21).
• Chapters 17-18 and the first part of chapter 19 cover the destruction of Babylon, but first back up in time to describe Babylon’s role in the Tribulation period (chapter 17).  
• The latter part of chapter 19 (19:11-21) describes the Second Coming explicitly.
• The material that starts with 20:1 seems to follow a sequence that culminates in the eternal Kingdom of God.

So, it seems that the “run up” to the Second Coming is covered again and again in various series, such as the seals and trumpets and bowls, and other material that is not arranged as neatly.  One needs to keep in mind that the Second Coming is the end point in all the material from chapter 6 through chapter 19, but that end point is approached several times.  In addition, one should keep in mind the Tribulation period, or Seventieth Week of Daniel as a framework for at least some of the material.  It is a mistake to try to impose a chronological sequence from chapter 6 through 19.  One should look for clues as to where any particular passage is in the chronology of the Tribulation period as the Second Coming is approached.  

A couple of examples will illustrate this principle of interpretation.  

• The fifth seal (6:9-11) seems to anticipate the Tribulation period, or least the latter part of it, since additional martyrs are anticipated (6:11).  The sixth seal (6:12-17) seems to be very close to the end of the Tribulation period, since the “great day” of the wrath of God is anticipated (6:17).
• The two witnesses (11:3-12) seem to minister within the Tribulation period, since they are killed by the Antichrist/Beast (11:7).
• The two harvests (14:14-20) seem to describe the Second Coming.  The first harvest is the harvest of the righteous, perhaps through the Resurrection/Rapture, and the second harvest is the harvest of wrath through the destruction of Christ’s enemies as detailed in 19:11-21.
• It is obvious that the description of the role of Babylon in the Tribulation period (chapter 17) parallels material in chapter 13.  Chapter 13 focuses on the Antichrist/Beast and the false prophet, whereas chapter 17 focuses on Babylon.  

If one simply assumes a chronological depiction of events through all of these chapters, I think a very confused interpretation will be the outcome.  As I have said, the various passages provide clues, in most cases, about where on the timeline one can place the events being described.   

With this in mind, I believe that the announcement of the coming of the Kingdom in 11:15 is a conclusion of the Tribulation period that has been at least partially described in the first six trumpets.  The third woe is implied by the announcement of the coming of the wrath of God in 11:18 and perhaps also by the mention of the phenomena in 11:19.  It is true that many details are yet to be fleshed out in the succeeding chapters.  The significance of this conclusion has more to do with how one understands the chronological position of the material before 11:15.  Thus, I think one should understand the events of the sixth trumpet judgment, in 9:13-21, to be late in the Tribulation period.  One should also understand the death of the two witnesses (11:7) to be very close to the end of the Tribulation period.  Then, with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the Second Coming takes place.

Now, chapter 12 will begin a section that fills in many details and gives much background that helps us understand the last days more clearly.

REFERENCES

Crossway Bibles (2009-04-09). ESV Study Bible. Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Ladd, George Eldon.  A Commentary on the Revelation of John.  Grand Rapids:  

William B. Eerdmans Publ. Co., 1972.

Metzger, Bruce M.  Breaking the Code.  Understanding the Book of Revelation.     

Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1993.

Morris, Leon.  The Revelation of St. John.  Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. 

Vol. 20.  R. V. G. Tasker, Gen. Ed.  Grand Rapids:  William B. Eerdmans Publ. 

Co., 1980.

Pentecost, J. Dwight.  Things to Come.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publ. House, 1958.

Rist, Martin.  “The Revelation of St. John the Divine” Exegesis.  The Interpreter’s Bible. 

        Vol. XII.  Nolan B. Harmon, Ed.  New York:  Abingdon Press, 1957.

Zondervan NIV Study Bible.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publ., 2002.