\\INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 12\\

This chapter contains a vision of two wonders or signs seen in
heaven, a woman and a dragon, and an account of what followed
thereon, war both in heaven and earth. The vision of the woman is in
\\#Re 12:1,2\\, who is described by her being clothed with the sun; by
her having the moon under her feet; by a crown of twelve stars on
her head; and by her pregnancy, travail, pains, and cry. The vision
of the dragon is in \\#Re 12:3,4\\, who is described by his size, a
great one; by his colour, red; by the number of his heads and horns,
and the crowns on the former; by the force and strength of his tail,
drawing and casting: down to the earth the third part of the stars
of heaven; and by his position, standing before the woman, in order
to devour her child when born. Next follows an account of the birth
of her child, and what became of that and her: the child is said to
be a man child, is described as a monarch, and as advanced to great
honour and dignity; but she flies into the wilderness, where a place
is prepared for her of God, and where she is hid for the space of
1260 days, \\#Re 12:5,6\\; upon this ensues a war in heaven; the
combatants on one side were Michael and his angels, and on the other
the dragon and his; the issue of which was, that the latter were
conquered, and cast out into the earth, \\#Re 12:7-9\\, on account of
which victory a triumphant song is sung by the inhabitants of
heaven, because of salvation and strength that were come to them;
and because of the kingdom and power of Christ, which now took
place; and because of the ejection of Satan, the accuser of their
brethren; in which song also notice is taken of the manner in which
Satan was overcome by those he accused, by the blood of the Lamb, by
the word of their testimony, and by their death; and it is concluded
with an apostrophe to those that dwell in heaven, calling on them to
rejoice, and to the inhabitants of the earth denouncing woe to them,
because the devil was among them, whose wrath was great, his time
being short, \\#Re 12:10-12\\. Next follow the dragon's persecution of
the woman, and her flight into the wilderness, and the care took of
her there, as before described, \\#Re 12:13,14\\; then the method the
serpent took to annoy her, the help she received from the earth, and
the wrath of the dragon upon that; which put him upon making war
with the remnant of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and
had the testimony of Jesus, \\#Re 12:15-17\\.