Should This Matter?

As we go about our busy lives, we focus on the day to day activities, the checklists, the needs, and the wants. We are fortunate to live in a time when truly difficult circumstances do not affect the majority of us in this country. War and fighting are the furthest things from our minds. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

As Christians, we are told to stand ready to battle, to put on armor, and to fight until the end. We are to live our lives everyday as if we are fighting for our souls, because we are!

Revelation 12 is a fascinating chapter because it provides a glimpse into a war that is occurring all around us whether we realize it or not. It is not a battle that we can easily witness, as it is spiritual, but it is there nonetheless.

The language of this chapter is difficult to decipher but the overall gist is that Satan is fighting to stop God’s plan at all costs. His pride that caused his fall from his angelic post (Ezekiel 28:16, Isaiah 14:13-14) explains why Satan goes to the lengths that he does to fight against God. I have often wondered why Satan doesn’t just toss in his hat and give up, but his pride is so great, that he won’t. He will fight until the end. We see this same tendency within ourselves. In the end, Satan’s determination will turn into desperation.

This war is real and our souls are at stake! The chapter reveals that Satan’s determination and desperation results in a final attempt to usurp God’s throne using a human being that is called the antichrist in the Bible. When we understand that the power behind the antichrist is Satan, we can appreciate the evil scope that this man will have. He will be cunning, manipulative, charismatic, powerful, proud, and evil. The Bible is clear on this!

By the end of this article, I hope to show that the events listed in this chapter 1) fit in well with the end-time timeline provided elsewhere in scripture, 2) the events of the vision align with real events, and 3) Satan’s final major battle is yet to come. Thankfully, Scripture also provides the ending to this battle. Spoiler alert! God wins!

The easiest way to grasp the deep contents of Revelation chapter 12 is to disassemble the chapter into its components, analyze them, and then put the pieces back together.

The 3 Main Characters

The first step in understanding chapter 12 is to analyze the 3 main characters: the woman, the dragon, and the child. The woman and the dragon are the focus, of course. Once we have done that, we can place them in the context of the story told in the chapter.

The Woman

The first sign to appear before John is the woman. Her description is relatively detailed, seemingly, purposely so.

Revelation 12:1-2

…a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

The obvious question is: who does this woman represent? Exactly who the woman represents may be debatable, but most agree that she represents Israel. I agree. There are three good reasons that this woman represents Israel:

1. She has 12 stars on her crown. It is incredibly hard to ignore the connection to Israel. There are 12 tribes to Israel. They are established through the12 sons of Jacob who is coincidentally renamed Israel and called a prince in Genesis 32:28.

Genesis 32:28

And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

The sons of Jacob and 12 tribes are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (Manasseh & Ephraim), Benjamin. Revelation confirms this list (except for Manasseh in Dan’s place likely due to Dan’s idolatry ) in Revelation 7 in regards tothe 144,000 of Israel sealed as servants of God.

Joseph’s dream adds further evidence to the meaning of the sun, moon, and stars. In Genesis 37, we see that Joseph has 2 dreams which symbolically reveal that Joseph will be revered by his family In the future. The latter of the 2 dreams involved 12 stars and the sun and the moon. The stars represented himself and his brothers and the sun and moon represented his parents. So now, it is clear that God has used stars to represent the 12 sons of Jacob before and with the addition of the sun and moon in Joseph’s dream, it would seem that the sun and moon would also fit Israel here in Revelation 12.

2. Israel was often portrayed as the wife of God in the Old Testament (Hosea, Ezekiel 16, among many others).

3. She is pictured giving birth to the “man child” which is obviously the Messiah as discussed above. There is no denying that Scripture has indicated that the Messiah would come from Israel. I don’t have time to go through every verse that states this but a simple google search will provide many passages to review.

But what’s more, the SAME picture of Israel travailing as a woman in labor, is used in Isaiah.

Isaiah 66:5-9

Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the Lord that rendered recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? Saith the Lord: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the women? Saith thy God.

This astonishing passage is speaking of the deliverance that is to come to the believing remnant of Israel, the true Israel. God is reminding his people that when a woman gives birth, she must first go through birthing pains. As any good woman would agree, the child is well worth the pain (John 16:21). The same can be said of the coming man child of Israel. God will be faithful to His word and deliverance will come and the pain that Israel faces and will face will be worth the wait.

In this passage, God is clearly likening Israel to a pregnant woman in labor. We know that this passage is speaking of the Messiah (Jesus Christ) not only because of the very specific mention of “man child” in verse 7, but because this deliverance brings 1) peace and 2) conversion of the gentiles (Isaiah 66:12).

Micah also provides another passage illustrating the relationship of Israel and the Messiah as a woman in labor.

Micah 5:2-3

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

Which Israel?

While the number 12 is important to racial Israel, we also see that the number 12 is important to New Israel – the Jewish remnant and believing gentiles who are members of the New Covenant (Galatians 3:29). There are 12 apostles, for example. In truth, God’s initial promises were never just to racial Israel, they were to the true Israel (the true Jewish believers) who were circumcised of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4). Jesus reminds the Jewish leaders of this fact in Matthew 3:9. True Israel would encompass both the true Jewish believers of racial Israel and also the gentile and Jewish believers of the New Covenant.

It is important to keep in mind that this woman likely represents TRUE ISRAEL, spiritual Israel. These are the true believers in God (both Jewish and gentile and Jew).

The Man Child

The man child is clearly the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is from Israel (Revelation 12:2). As discussed above, the Messiah was prophesied to come from Israel and sure enough, Jesus is of the line of David. In addition, we see that this man child will “rule all the nations with a rod of iron:” (Revelation 12:5). Psalm 2:9, Psalm 89:32, Revelation 2:27 and 19:15, and Isaiah 11:14 all promise that the Messiah shall come and rule with a “rod of iron.” Finally, he is “caught up unto God, and to his throne” (Revelation 12:5). After his death of resurrection, Jesus ascends to heaven (Acts 1:11, Luke 24:51, Mark 16:19, John 20:17, John 16:28) to sit at the right hand of God’s throne (Mark 16:19).

The Dragon

The dragon is directly associated with Satan later on in verse 9, so there is no debate as to who the dragon represents. His description is certainly interesting and is certainly reminiscent of the beast who appears in chapter 13. For more information on the dragon’s characterization here, see my article titled “The Beast of Revelation” which goes into exhaustive detail on the potential meaning of the heads, crowns, horns, etc.

The Story

John is privy to a story that is really a history of some sort. I contend that there are 2 main divisions we can apply to this story: verses 1-5 and verses 6-17.

Part 1: Revelation 12:1-5

The story is basically this in verses 1-6:

A woman appears on the scene (which we have already discovered is most likely Israel). She is pregnant and going through labor pains preparing to give birth. Next, the dragon (Satan) shows up. He “drew the third part of the stars of heaven” and cast them to earth and then he stands in front of the woman to destroy the child (Messiah/Christ) whom she is to deliver. The dragon is unsuccessful and the child ascends safely to heaven. After this, the woman flees into the wilderness where she is protected by God for 1260 days.

As dictated in the first verse of the chapter, the vision that John is describing is a “wonder” or sign. It is a representation of reality. What reality it represents is the question. The woman, dragon, and child are pretty easily distinguished as representations of Israel, Satan, and Christ. The event or events detail are not, however.

Satan’s Fall from Heaven

Many link this passage with the fall of Satan from his angelic status in heaven. Yet, there is no evidence of that in the passage. I have 3 reasons for my stance that this does not describe Satan’s fall.

1. The dragon comes onto the scene as a dragon. This point seems obvious, but there is no indication that the dragon was anything else at any time such as an angelic being or a star. This tells me that Satan has already fallen from his angelic position at this point and is already a dragon.

2. The dragon appears on the scene at the same time as the woman. If we are to assume that the woman is Israel which seems to make the most sense in the context, then this event takes place when Israel is in existence which is certainly AFTER the fall.

3. Many suppose that the “stars” of verse 4 are angels because of the assumption that this passage refers to the fall which would mean that Satan took 1/3 of the angels with him when he left his place in heaven. When we look at the passage without any predisposition as to the fall of Satan, the identity of the stars comes into question and the “stars” no longer provide proof that the passage is speaking of the fall of Satan. Even if the reference is to angels, this passage may be speaking of Satan as a general of an army directing his demons to leave one area and move to earth to help accomplish his goal. But, in this same vision, those who claim these stars must represent angels also claim the stars on the woman’s crown represent people or people groups (the 12 tribes of Israel).

So which is it? Are the “stars” angels or people?

In the Bible, angels are referred to as “heavenly hosts” or “host of heaven” (1 Kings 22:19, Luke 2:6, Ephesians 6:12) or even stars (Job 38:7 and Isaiah 14:12 and Revelation 1:20). But people are linked to stars as well. Several times God tells Abraham that his seed will be as the “stars of heaven” (Genesis 15:5, 22:17, 26:4). God confirms this analogy in Exodus 32:13, Deuteronomy 1:10, Deuteronomy 10:22, Deuteronomy 28:62, 1 Chronicles 27:23, and Nehemiah 9:23. Note that Abraham’s seed included God’s chosen people as well as many other nations. The children of the promise are through the seed of Jacob only (Romans 9:8). Also, as discussed above, the stars in Joseph’s dream represent people (specifically the 12 sons of Jacob). Jesus himself is referred to as a “star” in Numbers 24:16-19.

Either way, I think that it makes more sense to use a consistent interpretation within the same vision. Which means that this logic can apply both ways. All the stars in the vision could represent people or groups of people or all the stars could represent angels. It is possible that the 12 stars of the crown represent the angelic influence behind the 12 tribes and therefore the stars in verse 4 would represent angels. This interpretation can be bolstered by Revelation 1:20 which reveals that there are 7 angels behind the 7 churches. In the end, if the stars are angels or people, the presence of the stars or their casting down does prove that this passage is describing Satan’s fall. In fact, based on all of the information, the is passage cannot be speaking on Satan’s fall.

So that leaves us with the question still on the table: what event or events can this passage be describing?

Satan’s Attempt to Kill Christ Through Herod

This possibility is drummed up over the phrase “stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” in verse 4. It is hard to not envision the story of Christ’s birth and king Herod’s failed attempt to kill the child. The story is told in Matthew 2. Through the arrival of the wise men, Herod finds out that there is a very special child born, one who will be king. Herod feigns that he wants to pay reverence to this future king and asks the wise men to tell him when they locate the child. Warned by God not to return to Herod, the wise men do not comply. Herod, in his anger, killed all of the children of Bethlehem. But, Jesus escaped when Joseph and Mary take him to Egypt. Jesus grows, completes His ministry, dies and resurrects, and then ascends to heaven.

While the description in chapter 12 of Revelation can certainly apply to Matthew 2, could there be a better option?

Satan’s Attempt Over the Course of Thousands of Years to Thwart God’s Plan of Salvation

I personally believe that this is the likely scenario represented in this vision. The chapter does not provide enough specifics to know exactly when the event(s) of these verses take place. But, we can narrow down the timeframe to after Israel’s origination and before the birth of Christ. If we are to assume that the woman is Israel, then this means that the event occurs AFTER Israel is established. This would mean that the event is after Jacob and his 12 sons. The 12 sons are first designated as the 12 tribes of Israel by their father during his final blessing on his deathbed (Genesis 49). Since the man child is Christ, we know that Satan cast down the stars and then stood by the woman waiting for the child to be delivered which means that this event took place BEFORE Christ is born.

How long after Israel comes into existence or how long before Christ is born is this event(s)? The gap between Jacob and Christ is very long. Chapter 12 could cover a long span of time and it is not unusual for Biblical prophecy to address events that are hundreds and thousands of years apart in adjacent verses. In truth, the entire Old Testament describes Satan’s many attempts to destroy Israel. In the New Testament, we see a similar endeavor when Herod orders the death of all the young male children in hopes of killing the true King (this same scenario occurs in the story of Moses while Israel was captive in Egypt). Verse 3 may be picturing Satan’s constant desire to destroy Israel’s future salvation.

What we do know is that in this vision, Satan’s ultimate goal is to devour the “man child” (Christ). Satan likely knew the importance of the Messiah as Old Testament prophecy clearly indicates that the Messiah would issue in salvation for all. He of course is not successful and the child ascends to heaven. If Satan knows Old Testament prophecy, then he would know God’s salvation would come from Israel which explains why he knew to wait by Israel in an attempt to usurp God’s plan. Incidentally, in Numbers 24:17, the Messiah is referred to as a STAR that is to come. This is one example of the prophecy of the Messiah in the Old Testament.

Numbers‬ ‭24:16-19‬ ‭‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

He hath said, which heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the most High, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

Even from as early as Genesis 3:15, just after Adam ate of the fruit, God indicates that the Savior would “bruise [Satan’s] head” while Satan would only “bruise [the Messiah’s] heel.” There are far too many prophecies to include here, but from the great number of them in the Old Testament, Satan should be able to deduce that there would be a man from Israel who would come to save the world from the damage that Satan had done to it. Satan had to just wait and watch. In fact, when we read the temptation of Christ in the wilderness in the New Testament, one can almost see Satan testing Jesus to determine if indeed this man is the prophesied one when he continually says “if thou be the Son of God…” to Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). Satan seems receive his answer and leaves.

If Satan were smart, which he likely is just by reason of thousands of years of experience, he would simply wait for chance to destroy Israel or the Messiah who is to come from Israel. In so doing, it is likely that he would either 1) order his demons (1/3 of them) to attack Israel/Christ or 2) influence men to try and stop Israel/Christ (1/3 of them). Once the Messiah is successful in His mission and returns to God’s throne, Satan would have to change tactics – he will attack the woman so that she must flee. And that leads us to verses 6-17.

Part 2: Revelation 12:6-17

The next event to occur in chapter 12 is in verse 6. The woman, whom we determined is likely Israel, flees into the wilderness. She hides in a place that God has prepared for her for a VERY SPECIFIC amount of time: 1260 days.

Revelation 12:6

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Before I delve into the individual elements of this verse and the rest of the chapter, I want to address a potential source of confusion. A superficial read of chapter 12 can give the impression that the woman flees twice. But this is not the case. It is not uncommon in Scripture for God to provide information in a summarized form and then reiterate the point with additional details. The story in Genesis 1 and 2 is a classic example of this method of conveying information. Genesis 1 provides an overview of creation focusing on the days of creation. Genesis 2 drills into the specifics of the creation namely the creation of man. Someone reading through these chapters for the first time may find what appears to be a contradiction, but a second glance through the material as well as a better understanding of how the Bible presents information will illuminate the truth.

In Revelation 12, verse 6 provides a summary. Then verses 7-17, adds details into the summary. Basically, verses 7-17 elaborate upon verse 6. In verses 1-5, we see Satan’s attempt to destroy Christ. In verse 6, we see that Israel (the woman) must flee into the wilderness. The rest of the chapter describes verse 6 in more detail adding in for example why the woman must flee as well as where and how she flees. If we were to not understand that verses 7-17 are describing the details of verse 6, there may appear to be two separate but similar events.

How do I know that the rest of the chapter elaborates on verse 6? There are two reasons:

1. Verse 14 describes the same specific timeframe: “for a time, and times, and half a time”

To understand this phrase, we must go back to Daniel, where it is used initially in Daniel 7:25, “and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of times.” The Aramaic word used for “time” here is ‘iddan which technically means “a set period of time” which may refer to a year. Since the Aramaic word doesn’t provide the exact timeframe, the best thing to do is to see if Daniel uses this word elsewhere in a way that does indicate a timeframe. Daniel 4:25 & 32 uses this same exact word again, this time, he does provide context in order to determine the set period that the word “time” means.

Daniel 4:25

That they shall drive thee from men and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven and seven times shall pass over thee till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

This verse is speaking on Nebuchadnezzar’s punishment by God where he is turned into a beast for 7 YEARS. We know that the word must refer to a year because in Daniel 4:33 the time period is long enough for Nebuchadnezzar’s hair and nails to grow out significantly but is short enough that Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel are still alive when Nebuchadnezzar returns from his insanity (Daniel 4:34-37, Daniel 5:12-13). Also, Daniel 4:25 indicates that the season with dew will come and pass 7 times, again, evidence that a year is meant by the term “time.” This fact may not confirm beyond all doubt that “time” in Daniel 7:25 defines a year just as it does in Daniel 4:25, but I find the evidence compelling.

A similar use of the word “time” shows up in Genesis 18:10 and 2 Kings 4:16 in the phrase “according to the time of life.” The Hebrew word is ‘eth here which is different than ‘iddan used in Daniel but chapter 4 of Daniel is written in Aramaic, not Hebrew. What I find interesting in regards to the use of the word “time” in these passages is the context. Both passages deal with the announcement of a miracle pregnancy. In Genesis, the Lord tells Sarah she will have a baby and that He will return “according to the time of life” and she will have her baby. In 2 Kings, Elisha says essentially the same thing to a woman. The phrase may be referring to the time period of gestation or a year (i.e. by next years time). If these passages are using time to refer to a year (a full season of life), then it may make sense that over time the use the phrase becomes shortened so that “time” becomes shorthand for a year. I cannot prove this one way or another as the text does not give us the answer, but it certainly may help in this discussion.

If “time” in Revelation 12 refers to the same set period as Daniel 7:25, which is extremely likely as John’s use of the same phrase as Daniel clearly indicates a connection between the two passages, then time + times + 1/2 time = 1 year + 1 year + 1/2 year = 3 1/2 years. Coincidentally, 3 1/2 years is 1260 days when we take into account the lunar calendar used by the Bible which has a year set to around 360 days (I don’t have the space to go into the Biblical lunar calendar here, check out the reason for this using google).

We also see the period of 1260 days over and over again in reference to the end-times specifically the antichrist. Daniel 12:7 refers to the period as 3 1/2 times. Revelation 11:2 and 13:5 refers to the period as 42 months (which is 3 1/2 year or 1260 days, 30 day lunar month). Revelation 11:3 and our current passage, Revelation 12:6, refers to the period as 1260 days. All of these passages uses the 3 1/2 year time in reference to the same thing: Israel fleeing and/or the antichrist’s reign. Therefore, it is likely that this phrase in Revelation 12:14 is defining the same time period.

2. Verse 6 and verse 7-17 deal with the woman (likely Israel) fleeing to a place provided by God. These two passages are speaking about the same scenario even using almost the same exact descriptors. In verse 6, Israel is brought to a “place prepared by God.” In verse 14, we see that the woman (likely Israel) is flown to her “place, where she is nourished.”

Now that we know that verses 7-17 expand upon the summary provided in verse 6, we can jump ahead to deciphering the remained of chapter 12.

The story told in verses 7-17 is a fascinating one. This passage describes a war in heaven between Michael and his angels and Satan and his demons. Michael prevails and, this time, Satan and his demons are cast down to earth to stay which enrages Satan so much so that he puts all of his energy into destroying Israel. But Israel is rescued by God (she is given “two wings of a great eagle”) where she is taken to a place of protection for 1260 days (3 1/2 years). Satan attempts to come after her by “cast[ing] out of his mouth water as a flood” but the earth “swallow[s] up” the flood.” Once Satan realizes that he cannot destroy Israel, he will attempt to destroy “her seed which keep the commandments of god and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

What event or events are being described now?

The short answer is that there is no way to tell for sure. But what we do know is that the war in heaven between Michael and Satan takes place AFTER Christ’s ascension to heaven and before Israel must flee to the wilderness. In fact, it appears that this war is what triggers the woman’s flight. Once Satan is cast down to earth, he is angry and makes war with the woman.

We are provided with a specific timeframe for Israel’s protection: 1260 days. It is from this specific number, that we can come up with a possible answer as to when the event takes place. With more information about this very specific time frame, we can hopefully determine when the war in heaven occurs since the war in heaven is what causes the flight to the wilderness.

1260 days

As mentioned above, the period of 1260 days (a.k.a. 42 months and 3 1/2 years) is mentioned several other times in Scripture. Let’s look at each passage to gather details.

Revelation 11:3

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

This verse tells us that the 2 witness that are to come during the end times will prophesy 1260 days. More information is provided on these witnesses in chapter 11. These witnesses will have power to send fire out of their mouths, cause droughts and plagues, and turn water into blood. They live at the time of the beast (described in Revelation 13 and 17, see my article titled “The Beast of Revelation 13” for additional details on the beast), the antichrist, who kills them. Many will celebrate their deaths, but after 3 1/2 days, the prophets will return to life and then ascend to heaven for all to see. Coincidentally, the beast (antichrist) is described as reigning 42 months in Revelation 13:5.

Conclusion: The 2 witnesses will prophesy for 1260 days. They will be killed by the antichrist and then ascend into heaven.

Revelation 11:2

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city challenge they tread under foot forty and two months.

This verse tells us that for 42 months (1260 days), the temple and Jerusalem will be controlled by the Gentiles. Note that the very next verse speaks of the 2 witnesses. As for the Gentiles entering and controlling the temple and Jerusalem, other passages speak on this subject particularly in connection with the antichrist. The antichrist will eventually place his throne in the temple in Jerusalem in a major event called the “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 11:31, 45, Daniel 9:26-27, 2 Thessalonians 2:4, Matthew 24:15).

Conclusion: The temple will be controlled by the Gentiles for 1260 days likely at the same time as the 2 witnesses prophesy.

Revelation 13:5

And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

This verse tells us that the antichrist (beast) will have power from Satan for 42 months (1260 days). During this time, he will speak blasphemy against God, persecute the saints, and cause people to worship him.

Conclusion: The antichrist will have power from Satan for 1260 days.

Daniel 7:25

And he shall speak great words against the most High, an shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: an they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Here, Daniel is speaking on the antichrist and his evil reign. He will persecute the saints and attempt to usurp God’s plan. But after the time allotted to him, he will be judged.

Conclusion: The antichrist will have power for 1260 days. He will persecute believers.

Daniel 12:7

And I heard a man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that live the for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half: and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Daniel witnesses an angel or saint ask how long that the wonders described would last (Daniel 12:6). Again the period of what is likely 1260 days is provided. What “wonders” is the man in linens asking about? Just before the question is the description of the antichrist’s placement of his palace on the “holy mountain” and the time of trouble for God’s people that is worse than ever before along with the promise that those who follow God will be rewarded.

Conclusion: The time between Michael standing up for the people, the persecution, and salvation is 1260 days.

Daniel 9:27

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This verse is speaking of the antichrist who will sign some sort of agreement or treaty with a group of people/nations for 1 week. I don’t have the space to go into this now, but the hebrew word for “week” is actually “7”. It could be 7 anything – days, weeks, years, etc. Based on other scriptural evidence, the likely interpretation of a week in this chapter is a set of 7 years. Check on google on this subject and a ton of articles will surface showing how most come to this conclusion. If the “week” mentioned is 7 years, than the midst of the period would be 3 1/2 years, a.k.a 1260 days. We see that the 3 1/2 year final period is marked by the abomination of desolation where the antichrist stops the daily sacrifice and all the abominations that he will spread.

Conclusion: The antichrist will complete the abomination of desolation 3 1/2 years before the end of the 7 year period.

When we put together all of this information, we can gather that the period of 1260 days spoken of must correlate with the final rule of the beast (antichrist – see the article titled “The Beast of Revelation”). In fact, it is directly after chapter 12 and the details this war in heaven between Satan and Michael that we see the beast (antichrist) arise out of the sea to rule the 8th and final kingdom. These final 3 1/2 years consists of persecution, worship of the beast (antichrist), the severing of the daily sacrifice, the throne of the antichrist being set up on the temple. I believe that that chapter 12:7-17 is speaking of the last 1260 days (3 1/2 years) before Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom when “the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child” (Revelation 12:13).

Other passages speak to the persecution of believers by the antichrist and likely this exact same timeframe just without the mention of the 1260 day period. Here are a few examples.

Daniel 12:1: This verse mentions a battle with Michael who must “stand up…for the children of thy people [Jews]”. And at that time, there will be a time of “trouble, such as never was” but “thy people” (which would be Daniel’s people: the Jews) would be saved. This description sounds just like 1) the war in heaven between Satan and Michael and 2) the 1260 days when the Jews must flee but will be delivered by God.

Daniel 8:9-12: This passage describes how the antichrist (“little horn”) would become great and “cast down some of the of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamp upon them.” The passage continues by describing how the antichrist will stop the daily sacrifice and take down the temple. The “host” and “stars” could be speaking on angels, but this may also refer to God’s people.

Matthew 24:15-31: Here, Christ is providing the disciples with some information on “the sign of [His] coming, and of the end of the world” (Matthew 24:3). Jesus is very clear that once the “abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matthew 24:15) takes place, believers will need to flee like never before. It is immediately after that time that Jesus will return.

1260 Days vs 1260 Years

There are some people who seem to think that the 1260 days could actually mean 1260 years. I strongly disagree. The main scriptural evidence that they provide is in Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6 where God uses days to represent years. However, a careful study of these verses show that the day/year is merely symbolizing past iniquity. In regards to the Numbers passage, the 40 years in the wilderness was a punishment placed upon Israel for their sin. The number 40 came from the 40 days that Israel spied out the land (Numbers 13:25) using 12 spies, 10 of which returned a bad report and only 2 a good report. The 40 years of wandering was a symbolic representation of the 40 days of unbelief of the 10 spies and all the rest of Israel (Numbers 14:1-2). In addition, if God was to have the current generation die out and the new generation come to adulthood before entering the promised land, He would use years instead of days as this could not be accomplished in 40 days but could be completed in 40 years. Ezekiel had to enact the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem which was the result of the sin of Israel. In so doing, he was told to lay down for 390 and 40 days which was to symbolize the previous 390 years of Israel’s sin and previous 40 years of Judah’s sin. God had Ezekiel lie down for days instead of years because it wasn’t physically possible to lie down for 390 and 40 years! Both of these verses in no way indicate that God generally uses the term day to equal a year. God merely uses days to symbolize years of past sin and vice versa. The scriptural references to 1260 days in no way indicate this same type of symbolism used in Numbers and Ezekiel. This confusion is why taking the verses we read in context is important!

Conclusion

While Revelation chapter 12 doesn’t provide enough specifics to guarantee an answer as to exactly what events the vision is representing, with careful Bible study, we can narrow down the possibilities and come up with a reasonable conclusion. This conclusion fits in very well with the basic end-time timeline that the Bible describes.

Ever since his fall, Satan has desired to usurp God’s plan for mankind. He was successful with deceiving Eve into eating the forbidden fruit who gave it to Adam. This incident issued in death for all mankind. But even way back then, God promised that salvation would come. Hundreds of years later, God establishes His covenant with Abraham who is the father of God’s chosen people: Israel. We find out that it is from this nation that salvation will come in the form of the Messiah. He would defeat sin and set up His kingdom. Satan, once again, must interrupt God’s plan. Satan attempts to accomplish this by standing by Israel seeking to destroy her. Satan would sometimes come close to succeeding, but a remnant always remained and the Messiah comes just as promised by God.

He attempts to kill the Messiah as a baby but fails. He finally succeeds in killing him as a man, but, what Satan doesn’t know, is that the Messiah had to die to defeat death. The Messiah rises, completes His ministry, and ascends back to God’s throne establishing His kingdom. His kingdom grows as the gospel spreads. But Satan has another attack to come.

Eventually, Satan will form a world empire that is like none before it. This empire will have a ruler who is ruthless, deceitful, cruel, and powerful: the antichrist. Satan fights on two fronts: earth and heaven. Eventually, Satan is cast fully out of heaven (he had some previous ability to go there) down to earth which becomes his battleground. It is at this time that he puts all of his power behind his world leader, the antichrist. Through the antichrist, he will pursue God’s people to destroy them, and while he will be successful for a time, the time is limited to 1260 days. During that period, God will protect His children until His return.

The narrative above fits very well with chapter 12 and the basic end-time timeline given to us in scripture. Here is a basic timeline marked with the major end-time events listed in the Bible.

Now, when we insert the details from chapter 12, we can see how well they fit into the overall end-time timeline provided to us in the Bible.

While my insertions are my theory, I do believe that they fit quite well. The Bible is clear that at some point, the antichrist’s rule elevates to a level that is unlike anything before.

How is that possible? Chapter 13 gives us the answer: the “dragon [will give] him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2), creating the beast, the final king of the final empire before Christ’s return. It is under the antichrist (beast) that we see persecution and a world order so great that “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elects’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). It will be a “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time” (Daniel 12:1). What is the precipitating event to this final kingdom? The antichrist “shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain” (Daniel 11:45) which is “when [we] therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place” (Matthew 24:15) when “in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate” (Daniel 9:27).

The event that proceeds the persecution attributed to the beast (the antichrist, the final king) is the war in heaven when Satan is cast down to earth described in chapter 12. He is angry and now all of his demonic army is on earth striving to destroy God’s salvation as much as possible which would require him to destroy God’s people. I believe that it is likely that once Satan is earthbound, he or some of his demons (possibly 7) posses the man who is the antichrist. It is then that we see the “beast rise up out of the sea” (Revelation 13:1) who has the power from the dragon and is the 8th and final earthly king (Revelation17:11).

Despite the sad topic of persecution discussed in Revelation chapter 12, we do have hope. In the midst of the most difficult time in all of history, many will stand by God even to their death.

Revelation 13:11

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

You see, just like Satan couldn’t defeat Christ by killing Him, he cannot defeat God’s people by killing them either. In fact, later we see this beautiful passage:

Revelation 14:13

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their worlds do follow them.

While the martyrs rest in God’s perfect peace, the wicked will get their comeuppance.

Revelation 14:9-11

And the third angel followed them saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the only angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receive the the mark of his name.

We can choose who we follow. Satan will lose. He will try to fight God, but he will lose. God will win. AMEN!