Revelation 12-15
The Unholy Trinity

John sees a “great sign,” a woman clothed with the sun. This is representative of something else (that's what a sign is). The context would point to the nation of Israel. The sun and moon would be indicative of the glory God gave the nation. The crown of twelve stars are most likely the twelve tribes. She is in labor, about to give birth to a male child who will rule all the nations with a rod iron, which can only be Jesus. Psalm 2 makes that explicit, the Father installing the Son as King on the holy hill of Mount Zion (cf Rev 2:27 where Jesus quotes this Psalm as the basis of His power which He shares with overcomers).

John describes a “war” in heaven between Michael the archangel (Jude 9; Dan 12:1) and the good angels against Satan and the demonic angels, who lost, and were evicted from heaven.

Then John hears a voice announcing the arrival of the salvation, dominion and kingdom of God and of Christ. The reason for the announcement is that the accuser of the brethren has been cast down, which implies the salvation is the glorification (Heb 9:28) eagerly awaited by faithful saints. The saints overcame the accuser by the blood of the Lamb (which secured their forgiveness and relationship with God), and the word of their testimony, and their faithfulness to Christ, even though it resulted in death. Satan had no basis for accusation (see verse 17 below).

The heavens rejoice because Satan is cast down, but the earth mourns because of his activity there. He knows his time is short, so he does as much as possible to seek to thwart God's purposes and cause his own (usurpation of God) to be advanced. He persecutes Israel who is given divine protection so she can flee. Foiled again, Satan goes to make war with the rest of her descendants, described as those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony concerning Christ.

John sees the Beast come out of the sea (usual imagery for Gentiles) who is very similar to the dragon (12:3 -Satan) and Daniel's fourth and final beast the Anti-Christ (see comments on Daniel 7:19-25). John will revisit this character in chapter 17. He is ruler over Satan's world dominion, exercising his power through the ten leaders (horns) that many consider a revival of the Roman Empire. The Satanically energized Anti-Christ will receive what looks like a fatal wound, and experience what looks like a resurrection, which will cause all to worship him (and the Dragon who energizes him). As Daniel predicted, he will be given authority to make war against the saints for 42 months (three and a half years). The rest of Daniel's timetable was specifically and exactly fulfilled (once one understands the math; see comments on Daniel's seventieth week in Dan 9), so this looks like a literal period as well. There is no other explanation for the use of the specific numbers except to indicate the last half of the Tribulation. He speaks against God, His people, and His dwelling place (Jerusalem). All who dwell on the earth will worship the Beast except those whose names have been written in the Book of Life (register of the citizens who could vote or participate in the rulership of a city-state -cf Dan 12:1-2). Those who are faithful to the Lamb have their names in His book. The Lamb has been slain from the foundation of the world, meaning it was God's plan to have faithful believers rule with Christ in His kingdom, before creation. See comments on Ephesians 1 for God's master plan of glorifying Himself. Those who take the end of verse 8, “from the foundation of the world” which modifies the slaying of the Lamb, and move it to the middle of the sentence to modify the writing of the names, are totally deceived. They deliberate twist the text to present an idea that might be consistent with their faulty theology, but is at odds with all that we've seen in the Scriptures thus far (and we're almost at the end). Shame on you ESV. Anyone who has ears to hear will recognize verse 9 as a call to faithful and painful discipleship (cf. Lk 9:23). Verse 10 is a promise that God will execute justice.

John sees the third member of the unholy trinity, another beast arise from the earth (in contrast to the sea, possibly indicating a Jew). This is the False Prophet, who has two horns like a lamb, probably symbolic of a religious figure, and speaks lies like the Devil (that about settles it). He will exercise the Dragon's power which had been given to the first Beast (the Anti-Christ) to cause all who dwell on earth to worship the Anti-Christ. The signs and wonders will deceive even the remaining Jews to engage in idolatry. Satan can do miracles, and those who base their spiritual experience on signs, wonders, and miracles, will wind up worshiping demons. Only by knowing the truth of Revelation can one interpret spiritual experience correctly. No one knows that they are deceived (Duh!, that's the whole point of deception). Without the light of God's truth illuminating events and experiences, people stumble in the dark. It should be obvious that if someone's perceptual grid says that anything miraculous is from the Creator God, that exposure to miracles (real or feigned) will cause that person to worship the miraculous, thinking it is from God. It is more likely than not the false god of this world, or one of his demons, rather than the Creator God. Anyone who won't worship the Beast gets an expensive one-way ticket to martyrdom (it costs them their life, but it will be totally worth it).

The Dragon or Satan usurps the life giving role of God the Father, the Beast or Anti-Christ, usurps the Kingship of Christ the Messiah, and the False Prophet usurps the confirming and motivating role of the Holy Spirit. To ferret out those who won't worship the Beast and the Dragon through the false religious system of the False Prophet, the banking and commerce system is made to serve the terrible trio. Everyone is given the mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead, so they can't buy or sell without it. Tribulation saints will have a difficult time keeping body and soul together. The name or number of the beast is 666, and John invites all math buffs to calculate. Bible numerologists say that six is the number of man, and seven is the divine number, so the unholy trinity will fall short of the holy Trinity. When I finish obeying Matthew 28:19-20 I'll dust off my calculator, but by that time the answer will be obvious, and I'll be having too much fun in heaven to do math.

It doesn't look like the world gets to be more and more Christian by the time Christ returns. With the wrath of the Lamb and the reign of the unholy trio, things are more like hell than heaven on earth. Believers will be persecuted and martyred to extinction if Satan has his way. So to provide hope and assurance to believers of all ages that persevering is worth it, particularly to those who become believers during the Tribulation, John is given a positive revelational interlude. He sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, from which He will execute His Millennial rule (which begins in chapter 19). With him are the 144.000 who have His mark or seal on their foreheads (from 7:3-8) rather than that of the Beast. They sing a new song before the throne, that only they can learn/express. In the Psalms a new song was sung to praise God for something He had uniquely done for the worshiper. These Tribulation saints from among the Jews had a unique role and ministry, in being the first-fruits to God. They were redeemed, and undefiled, and follow the Lamb. The “virginity” could be literal, or could refer to lack of participation in sensual pagan worship, or both. They were also blameless, and no falsehood was found on their lips.

A trio of angels announce the gospel of the age, from mid heaven, so everyone on earth can hear. Fearing God (being careful to do what is right in His sight), and giving Him glory (carrying out His will rather than any other, particularly our own, because He alone is worthy), is the wisest course of action in light of upcoming judgment. Fear can't be divorced from judgment, because justice is an essential part of God's character. Worship is a response to revelation (see comments on Genesis 22). The revelation of God's upcoming judgment should produce a response of being careful to do what is right in His sight. For those who fear God and give Him glory by their worshipful service, judgment is good news. A second angel announces the good news that Babylon the great is fallen. Chapters 16 and 17 will mention Babylon, but chapter 18 gives the more complete elaboration. Here the angel mentions that Babylon (either the literal city, or one that functions as Babylon did historically) has made the nations participate in her immorality (probably a reference to false worship), and thus they will share in the wrath of God's judgment. A third angel announces good news to the faithful and bad news to anyone who has received the mark of the Beast. The latter group will experience the fury and pain of God's judgment. The smoke of their “torment” will ascend forever and ever, (literally “to the ages of the ages”).

The recognition that those who oppress them will be overcome themselves, and the fate of those who succumb, give the saints the perseverance or endurance to keep the commands of God and their faith in Jesus, their Messiah. This is reinforced by a voice declaring the blessedness of those who die in union with the Lord. The Spirit also testifies that in contrast to those who worship the Beast, those faithful to Christ will rest from their labors, because their works will follow them in death, and result in reward (see Hebrews 4 comments on rest = inheritance/reward).

John sees Jesus, the Son of Man (Jesus' favorite title for Himself, the one to whom all authority was given -Dan 7:13-14), sitting on a cloud (Shekinah glory) with a sickle (Mk 4:29) to reap the production of the earth. It's possible the first reaping is of believers (Mt 3:12), since there is no mention of their fate, and the second of unbelievers (Mt 13:41), whose fate is death. The blood flowed over a distance of 200 miles, probably splashing up to the bridles of the horses (this vignette could be describing one of the earlier judgments -Rev 6 or 9).

Joel 3:13 “Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow --- For their wickedness is great."

John sees another sign, which serves as a prelude to the final judgments contained in the seventh trumpet, the seven bowl judgments. He sees the seven angels standing by, but also sees a sea of glass (cf 4:6) before the throne. Those who overcame the Beast are standing before the throne. They are the martyrs of the Tribulation. They sang the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. The former is probably from Exodus 15, just after the God of the Israelites overcame the gods of the Egyptians in the Exodus. The latter isn't cited earlier in the Scriptures, but a lot of the phrases can be found in the Psalms and Prophets. God is praised for deeds and the character which gave rise to them. He alone is holy, who does what is righteous. He is the King of the Nations, and therefore all will worship Him. The correct response to this revelation of Himself is to fear Him and glorify His name (14:7).

John sees the temple of the testimony/covenant opened and the seven angels standing ready. The temple contained the covenant or law of God which the earth had ignored, and now payback was coming. One of the four living creatures gives each angel a golden bowl/vial containing a full measure of the wrath of the God who lives/reigns forever. The plagues (described in the next chapter are similar, but not identical to those poured out on Egypt). The temple was filled with the smoke from the glory of God, and no one can enter the temple (for intercession) until the judgments were finished, indicating the certainty of the judgment. In the OT God would relent when people repented. The time for repenting was past (9:20-21; 16:9-11) and now only judgment remained for those who continued to rebel against God.