Sea Monster - Rumor notes 102

 Revelation 13

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 One of his heads looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast.

This chapter describes surrogate powers that operate as agents on behalf of the dragon who remains largely invisible/behind the scenes as we saw foretold in 12:17. These operate according to Satan's version of God and rely on emotional and physical coercion to maintain power over others.

Verses 1-4 parallel verses 5-10.

Verses 1-10 are written in past tense and parallel verses 11-18 which are written in present or future tense.

I/he stood on the sand of the sea

In the Greek there is no entity named here as standing on the sand of the sea. However, since there is no chapter break or punctuation in the original, this could be a strategic transitioning of the dragon's activity from the previous verse. Positioned between the land and sea means viewing events in the middle between the origins of the following two beasts. The first from from the sea closely resembles the dragon's description in 12:3, and the second comes from the land. They are surrogates of the dragon as they reflect and carry out his objectives, methods, disposition and kind of power. They conspire with the dragon to compel worship that ultimately is to the dragon. Yet people think they are worshiping God because they imagine God to be like the dragon portrays Him to be.

Other translations make this idea more clear, keeping the dragon as the focal point.

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. (Revelation 12:17 - 13:1 NASB)

Additionally, the seashore of sand indicates the boundary between the two kinds of surface seen on this planet. This strategically positions the dragon to access and seek to control everyone on earth regardless of their location or occupation. In Job, God's metaphorical depictions of Satan are found located on both land (Behemoth) and as a sea beast (Leviathan). Here the dragon/Satan maintains a strategic position so as to manipulate his surrogate agents to carry out his own agenda.

The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time out of the sky, and said, "I have sworn by myself, says Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." (Genesis 22:15-18)

He [Jacob] dreamed. Behold, a stairway set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. Behold, the angels of God ascending and descending on it. Behold, Yahweh stood above it, and said, "I am Yahweh, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon you lie, to you will I give it, and to your seed. Your seed will be as the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you, and will keep you, wherever you go, and will bring you again into this land. For I will not leave you, until I have done that which I have spoken of to you." (Genesis 28:12-15)

Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,' I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and strike me, and the mothers with the children. You said, 'I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which can't be numbered because there are so many.'" (Genesis 32:9-12)

We tend to think of this metaphor as God's promises to Abraham and his descendants. Yet there is more than one version of these promises, and the sands of humanity all have free choice as to how they relate to the One who gave the promises.

The angel of Yahweh said to her [Hagar], "I will greatly multiply your seed, that they will not be numbered for multitude." The angel of Yahweh said to her, "Behold, you are with child, and will bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because Yahweh has heard your affliction. He will be like a wild donkey among men. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him. He will live opposite all of his brothers." (Genesis 16:10-12)

It happened, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph, and to the kings who were on the north, in the hill country, and in the Arabah south of Chinneroth, and in the lowland, and in the heights of Dor on the west, to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the hill country, and the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah. They went out, they and all their armies with them, much people, even as the sand that is on the seashore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many. All these kings met together; and they came and encamped together at the waters of Merom, to fight with Israel. (Joshua 11:1-5)

The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is on the seashore for multitude. (Judges 7:12)

The Philistines assembled themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude: and they came up, and encamped in Michmash, eastward of Beth Aven. (1 Samuel 13:5)

Then Job answered, "Oh that my anguish were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas, therefore have my words been rash. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. My spirit drinks up their poison. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me. (Job 6:1-4)

You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and tell Tyre, you who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: You, Tyre, have said, I am perfect in beauty. Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty. (Ezekiel 27:2-4)

Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way that you should go. Oh that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea: your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of it: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me. (Isaiah 48:17-19)

Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn't do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. (Matthew 7:26)

Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don't see; who have ears, and don't hear: Don't you fear me? says Yahweh: won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? and though the waves of it toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.

But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Yahweh our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest. Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and grew rich. They are grew fat, they shine: yes, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they don't plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy they don't judge. Shall I not visit for these things? says Yahweh; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is happen in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end of it? (Jeremiah 5:21-31)

Notice what seems to be strongly implied here between the first part of this passage and what comes after the word but a few sentences down. God points out how the natural seas, no matter how wild they may become or hard hard the waves pound the shoreline, cannot pass over and ignore the perpetual bounds put in place to distinguish between the land and the sea.

What God describes in the rest of this passage is His description of how the people called by His name do what even the great oceans cannot do. They have revolted with a rebellious heart and are gone. They no longer fear Yahweh in their heart. In other words, they ignore completely the natural boundaries put in place by God that defines the borders outlining what it looks like to reflect God's image as faithful human beings.

For though your people, Israel, are like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness. (Isaiah 10:22)

"It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'" Isaiah cries concerning Israel, "If the number of the children of Israel are as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant who will be saved; for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because the LORD will make a short work upon the earth." (Romans 9:26-28)

a beast coming up out of the sea

When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them, and kill them. (Revelation 11:7)

The angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the beast was, and is not, and shall be present. (Revelation 17:7-8)

I used to assume that the sea and the abyss were unrelated. But these passages clearly link these closely, meaning that they in fact may be one and the same thing. In researching the root words behind these, it starts to emerge what the connection is between the two words. The word translated here as sea comes from the meaning of salt water, while the word translated abyss refers to something perceived as bottomless. But that word also has compelling roots meaning both sea as well as mystery. Thus this beast is not merely coming up out of metaphorical salt water (think James 3:8-12) but is shrouded in mystery – exactly what the dragon relies on to achieve power over the minds of billions of people, all who dwell on the earth.

But nobody can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth comes forth blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water? (James 3:8-11)

The analogy James uses here links salt water with cursing. That is how this whole war came about and continues. This is the continual accusing of the reflectors of God on earth being done by the dragon we just studied recently. Cursing means to bad-mouth, discredit, gossip, slander, defame. By accusing the reflectors of God (our brethren) Satan casts shadows over God's reputation as the origin of those reflections. This is how he maintains such effective control over nearly all of the world, by keeping everyone in the dark about God's true goodness and reinforcing the doubts that keep us unable to trust God fully.

The ocean could certainly be perceived as a bottomless abyss by many. The mysterious nature of it affects anyone who tries to understand it, even those expert in this study. Mystery is one of the main methods Satan uses to entice as well as deceive, and it involved great numbers of people, and even more so as the world becomes chaotic in approach to the final showdown. Thus all of these elements can be found as the origins out of which the beasts arise who rely on these attributes to gain increased power over all who dwell on the earth.

I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is far off and to him who is near, says Yahweh; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can't rest, and its waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, to the wicked. (Isaiah 57:18-21)

After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!" (Revelation 7:1-3)

The second angel sounded, and something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea. One third of the sea became blood, and one third of the living creatures which were in the sea died. One third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters. The name of the star is called "Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (Revelation 8:8-11)

The angel who I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, (Revelation 10:5-6)

Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time. (Revelation 12:12)

He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!" (Revelation 14:7)

I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. (Revelation 15:2)

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man. Every living thing in the sea died. (Revelation 16:3)

He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. (Revelation 17:15)

They cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!' For in one hour is she made desolate. "Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her." A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all. (Revelation 18:19-21)

Chapter 18 is the counterpart of a passage in Ezekiel that symbolically outlines the rise of the reign of Satan, labeled there as the king of Tyre. Chapter 37 extensively describes his activity of widespread trading on the seas, the very first invention of Lucifer's brilliant mind as he sought to make improvements on God's design of government. The dragon is very familiar with the sea, so it is no surprise that the first surrogate to show up on the scene here emerges out of that sea.

Here is a sampling of this amazing prophecy that is little known or appreciated about the operations invented and carried out by Lucifer turned Satan.

You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre; and tell Tyre, you who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: You, Tyre, have said, I am perfect in beauty. Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty. (Ezekiel 27:2-4)

Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traffickers; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for your merchandise. (Ezekiel 27:12-13)

The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise: and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas. Your rowers have brought you into great waters: the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas. Your riches, and your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, and your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, and the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war, who are in you, with all your company which is in the midst of you, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin. (Ezekiel 27:25-27)

When your wares went forth out of the seas, you filled many peoples; you did enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise. In the time that you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company did fall in the midst of you. (Ezekiel 27:33-34)

Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God-- behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you; by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten you riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures; by your great wisdom and by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches... (Ezekiel 28:2-5)

Four great animals came up from the sea, diverse one from another. (Daniel 7:3)

The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. (Revelation 20:13)

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more. (Revelation 21:1)

Ah, the uproar of many peoples, who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters! (Isaiah 17:12)

In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)

ten horns and seven heads

Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. (Revelation 12:3)

On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names

We discussed this some time ago when we studied verse 3. Again we note the distinction between the location of the crowns. Previously they were on the heads while here they are on the horns. This is likely very significant. Instead of crowns on his heads as previously, now there are blasphemous names on them. This reveals progression and change for the worse.

Additionally the previous reference only had seven crowns while here there are ten crowns.

Ten is generally associated in prophecy with secular power different than the number seven.

Seven generally is associated in prophecy with spiritual power.

Some suggest this may be referring to individual countries vs. empires as the seats of power, while the smaller entities lend their power collectively to provide strength to larger entities. What does seem clear is that there are three distinct symbols here: heads, horns and crowns. Much has been taught about the meaning of these symbols, and I am open to more evidence clarifying what they might mean.

Blasphemy generally means to intentionally misrepresent or slander the reputation of God. Thus slandering His reputation while claiming to exalt it would be very much like how the dragon got his reputation.

A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven. (Revelation 13:5-6)

He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. (Revelation 17:3)

Is it the woman or the 7-headed beast that has the blasphemous names?

Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet you are man, and not God, though you did set your heart as the heart of God-- behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that is hidden from you; by your wisdom and by your understanding you have gotten you riches, and have gotten gold and silver into your treasures; by your great wisdom and by your traffic have you increased your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches-- (Ezekiel 28:2-5)

I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:8)

He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:25)

The king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods; and he shall prosper until the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done. (Daniel 11:36)

Let no one deceive you in any way. For it will not be, unless the departure comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of destruction, he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.

(2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

From a different perspective on this chapter, the dragon might be seen as a counterfeit of the Father God in a substitute trinity; the beast from the sea could be a counterfeit Son and the next beast found in verse 11 could counterfeit the Holy Spirit. Whatever is going on here, it appears to be a regrouping with new strategies as the dragon relies on surrogates to counteract the new reality brought about by the appearance of the Male Child.

This could well be because of what happened at the ascension of Christ. It was at this point in the narrative that Satan was displaced by the Son as representative of this world, leaving the dragon exposed as a fraud and without official permission to enter the courts of heaven. Yet he never gives up his claim as representative over humanity, especially since the vast majority of those who dwell on the earth still continue to get their identity and directions from him and follow his ways of governing. Yet because he lost his official credentials to govern, he shifts tactics and assembles a consortium of allies who are all too eager to further his agenda on earth, which in effect still allows him to receive worship of the masses.

Many have correctly noted that this war is primarily over worship, and this seems clear throughout this book. When we come to appreciate the true nature of worship, that is involves where we get our sense of worth and who we allow to define our identity and how to act like ourselves, it is far easier to see how this is true. This chapter highlights how the majority of the world wonder after the beast who reflects the attributes of the dragon and receives its power from the dragon. People are addicted to power, meaning they worship the kind of power that Satan promotes over the power of love that the Lamb represents. This is the perspective we need to maintain in order to make sense out of the intensifying strength of the opposition as the dragon pulls out all the stops to legitimize his claim of sovereignty over this world. Indeed, he opposes all that is like the true God and exalts himself in place of the original God as he takes his seat in the temple of God – the hearts, minds and allegiance of people who dwell on the earth – and sets himself up on earth in place of God. He does this not just as a individual entity but now through a surrogate triune god designed to gain full control of every aspect of thought and activity on planet earth.

Another War - Rumor notes 101

 Revelation 12

15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.

serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch, and it fell on one third of the rivers, and on the springs of the waters. The name of the star is called "Wormwood." One third of the waters became wormwood. Many people died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11)

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, (Revelation 17:1)

He said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages." (Revelation 17:15)

The cords of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid. (Psalms 18:4)

Many waters can't quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned. (Song of Solomon 8:7)

So shall they fear The name of the LORD from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19 NKJV)

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on the brink of the river on this side, and the other on the brink of the river on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:5-7)

Contrast the kind of river the serpent generates with the kind God designed for us.

A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads. (Genesis 2:10)

They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of your house. You will make them drink of the river of your pleasures. For with you is the spring of life. In your light shall we see light. (Psalms 36:8-9)

There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad, the holy place of the tents of the Most High. God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn. (Psalms 46:4-5)

He opened the rock, and waters gushed out. They ran as a river in the dry places. (Psalms 105:41)

But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty, a place of broad rivers and streams, in which no galley with oars will go, neither will any gallant ship pass by there. For Yahweh is our judge. Yahweh is our lawgiver. Yahweh is our king. He will save us. Your rigging is untied. They couldn't strengthen the foot of their mast. They couldn't spread the sail. Then the prey of a great spoil was divided. The lame took the prey. The inhabitant won't say, "I am sick." The people who dwell therein will be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah 33:21-24)

Rejoice you with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her: rejoice for joy with her, all you who mourn over her; that you may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that you may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory. For thus says Yahweh, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream: and you shall suck of it; you shall be borne on the side, and shall be dandled on the knees. As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

You shall see it, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like the tender grass: and the hand of Yahweh shall be known toward his servants; and he will have indignation against his enemies. (Isaiah 66:10-14)

Oh that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea: your seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your body like the grains of it: his name would not be cut off nor destroyed from before me. (Isaiah 48:18-19)

Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water." But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn't yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)

might cause her to be carried away by the stream

His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. (Revelation 12:4)

It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their right hands, or on their foreheads; (Revelation 13:15-16)

The enemy said, 'I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the spoil. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.' You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. (Exodus 15:9-10)

Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my neck! I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God. (Psalms 69:1-3)

Don't let the flood waters overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don't let the pit shut its mouth on me. (Psalms 69:15)

I want to briefly share a parallel to this that seems to indicate several important aspects of these prophecies, both previous ones as well as concerning this woman who later shows up in the wilderness in a drunken condition of domination over all the kings of the earth.

Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fertile valley of those who are overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one. Like a storm of hail, a destroying storm, and like a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he will cast them down to the earth with his hand. The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot. (Isaiah 28:1-3)

Therefore hear the word of Yahweh, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem: "Because you have said, 'We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge passes through, it won't come to us; for we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves under falsehood.'"

Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not act hastily. I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place. Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by it. (Isaiah 28:14-18)

The earth helped the woman, and...opened its mouth and swallowed up the river

Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)

It will happen, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow will be in the cloud. I will look at it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." (Genesis 9:14-16)

Moses said, Hereby you shall know that Yahweh has sent me to do all these works; for I have not done them of my own mind. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then Yahweh hasn't sent me. But if Yahweh make a new thing, and the ground open its mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain to them, and they go down alive into Sheol; then you shall understand that these men have despised Yahweh. It happened, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground split apart that was under them; and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who appertained to Korah, and all their goods. So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into Sheol: and the earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. All Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them; for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up. (Numbers 16:28-34)

For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him. (Psalms 32:6)

This prophecy has typically been applied to the history of the true believers after Jesus ascended to heaven and took possession of the leadership role of representing humanity before God. As the gospel spread and infiltrated the kingdoms of this world, threatening the powers depending on darkness and fear and undermining their ability to stay in control of the masses, Satan turned to counter this threat by undermining the power of the gospel with new deceptions. What we see in the few hundred years after the Christ child was caught up to heaven was a progressive deterioration of the purity of the love the early believers thrived on until finally the religion of Christ was morphed into an institution of superstition, mind-control and subjugation through fear of an angry God. Those who clung to the original teachings and spirit of the early believers were compelled to literally flee into less inhabited places for relative safety, while church leaders sent armies to hunt them down and use violence to silence their witness.

This prophecy is a condensed summary of the broad view of the history of the war particularly centered on the time when the Son of God came as a human to be the Son of Man and then recapture the seat of power in heaven to displace Satan as our representative. We can see in the history of Christianity these symbols played out very accurately, which is one of the main purposes for prophecy – to see how clearly God sees the future as easily as He sees the past and to inspire confidence that He can be trusted to handle anything because nothing surprises Him.

The main point of this passage is that the devil's anger exposes the fact that he is obsessed with staying in control through his system of top-down hierarchy by which he seeks to dictate everything from his vantage point of superiority. Keep in view that this war is a war of motives and methods, not who has great ability to control others. Satan would have us imagine that God needs to pit His power against that of Satan, but in truth the war is over what methods are superior to achieve harmony, order and balance in society so people can live together in peace. Satan insists that compulsion, force and manipulation are tactics necessary for subduing crime and maintaining order, while Jesus insists that love and love alone is the answer to restore humanity back to their original condition of pristine joy and freedom to be transparent and vulnerable without any fear. The decision we must make is who will we believe and trust as having what it takes to overcome evil and establish a kingdom that can last forever.

In the next verse it becomes very clear how the dragon thinks things should be done. He repeats what he did in heaven by reacting violently to the confronting of the light of truth brought by his nemesis who exposed and confronted him long ago in heaven in the first round of the war. The devil launches another frontal attack against the Lamb that he had already slaughtered violently on the cross but who came back to life in the power of love to gain even greater advantage over the kingdom of darkness. This is not just interesting history but involves every single person on this planet along with every single intelligent being watching with intense interest all throughout the universe what is transpiring here at the heart of the battle. The alert to every individual is always the same – who will we choose to side with and serve with our trust, our energy and the resources loaned to us by our Creator?

 

dragon grew angry with the woman

The king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, and the multitude shall be given into his hand. (Daniel 11:11)

For ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved, and shall return, and have indignation against the holy covenant, and shall do his pleasure: he shall even return, and have regard to those who forsake the holy covenant. (Daniel 11:30)

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you. (John 15:18)

I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (John 17:14)

went away to make war with the rest/remnant of her seed

The word translated here as went away literally means to go off or behind, to disappear from plain sight. This dragon is not fully in view again until chapter 20, yet emerges partially in 17:3 where we see the woman sitting on it. The dragon here goes out of sight to more effectively infiltrate and corrupt those making up the woman's seed by operating through various entities with new methods and lies. This was Satan's tactic in order to counteract the stunning revelation of truth that was brought into the open by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The same disposition is seen among those in league with him who share his agenda to gain worship and power and control.

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. (Revelation 12:7-8)

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to save you alive by a great deliverance. (Genesis 45:7)

This is the original woman and God's promise involving the remnant of who identify with her Seed.

The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward. For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape: the zeal of Yahweh shall perform this. (2 Kings 19:30-31)

I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies; (2 Kings 21:14)

Beware lest we imagine that identifying as the remnant of the woman's seed means we are immune to discipline or even abandonment. It takes two sides to remain in a covenant, and what we see even in Revelation is how compromise with the enemy who is out to get us can morph into becoming complicit with and even become like the very enemy, thinking we are no longer in danger from him.

Unless Yahweh of Armies had left to us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have been like Gomorrah. Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! "What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?," says Yahweh. "I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed animals. I don't delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of male goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts? Bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can't bear with evil assemblies. My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They are a burden to me. I am weary of bearing them. (Isaiah 1:9-14)

Here we see how God defines being like Sodom and Gomorrah lest we become just as smugly sure of our relation to God as did people back then. Righteousness is not the exactness of our religious rituals or the accuracy of our doctrines. A great seduction for those claiming to be God's chosen people has often been the externalization of their relation to God in place of a genuine heart relationship producing the fruit of true righteousness naturally.

Why does the war end up only with the remnant of the woman's seed? Notice that the war is not on the woman who went into the wilderness, but only with the rest of her offspring. This is because the woman herself reappears later in chapter 17 as a harlot in the wilderness in collusion with the dragon.

who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony

It is key to note here that this provides positive ID to discern what part of the woman's offspring will be the target of the dragon's fury. The overwhelming percentage of her offspring will not be the focus of his wrath, for they fall into the same trap that she falls into as they all succumb to the thirst for power. This is what we will find in later chapters. Only those who remain faithful to the pure witness of the Lamb – the One who alone represents God faithfully – and are aligned with His principles in their character, clinging to the truth about God according to the testimony of Jesus, are the focus of the dragon's war at the end.

Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)

and he said, "If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)

Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, 'Most certainly you shall keep my Sabbaths: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that you may know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies you.' (Exodus 31:13)

Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am Yahweh. (Leviticus 22:31)

As we read through this sampling of passages about God's commandments, keep aware of the perspective of seeing them as principles rather than demands and notice the difference it makes.

You shall keep my Sabbaths, and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am Yahweh. If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:2-4)

You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you. (Deuteronomy 4:2)

You shall keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command you this day, that it may go well with you, and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land, which Yahweh your God gives you, forever. (Deuteronomy 4:40)

Oh that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever! (Deuteronomy 5:29)

Know therefore that Yahweh your God, he is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations, (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God require of you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the commandments of Yahweh, and his statutes, which I command you this day for your good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

You have declared Yahweh this day to be your God, and that you would walk in his ways, and keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his ordinances, and listen to his voice: and Yahweh has declared you this day to be a people for his own possession, as he has promised you, and that you should keep all his commandments; (Deuteronomy 26:17-18)

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8 NIV)

Oh that you had listened to my commandments! then had your peace been as a river, and your righteousness as the waves of the sea: (Isaiah 48:18)

Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am Yahweh who sanctifies them. But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they didn't walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keep, he shall live in them; and my Sabbaths they greatly profaned. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them. (Ezekiel 20:12-13)

I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances; neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. (Daniel 9:4-6)

He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3)

Behold, one came to him and said, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

He said to him, "Which ones?"

Jesus said, "'You shall not murder.' 'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal.' 'You shall not offer false testimony.' 'Honor your father and mother.' And, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to him, "All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad, for he was one who had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22)

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)

"For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things." He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mark 7:8-9)

If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

One who has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him."

Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, what has happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?"

Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. He who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words. The word which you hear isn't mine, but the Father's who sent me. (John 14:21-24)

If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and remain in his love. (John 15:10)

This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. One who says, "I know him," and doesn't keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn't in him. But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him: (1 John 2:3-5)

The commandments clearly are not the cause of this love but the natural fruit of being in love.

and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us. (1 John 3:22-24)

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Whoever loves the father also loves the child who is born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. (1 John 5:1-4)

This is love, that we should walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. (2 John 1:6)

Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)

Again, this kind of commandment keeping is not how we earn salvation or the 'right' to enter that city and eat that kind of fruit. Rather the commandment keeping reveals the heart connection that has transformed those people so that they delight in and thrive in the principles of love and are free of all resistance to the intensity of the passionate love that is described as consuming fire, rivers of fire and even lakes of fire.

Keeping the commandments of God is impossible without being motivated by God's love. Love reflects the character of our Creator which the commandments describe. By recalling that we are created to reflect, not originate, all these things fall into their proper place more readily as we see the real issues of contention rather than the arguments that keep us distracted and discouraged. We love Him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) Freely you received, so freely give. (Matthew 10:8)

and hold Jesus' testimony

And I went on my face before his feet to give him worship. And he said to me, See you do it not: I am a brother-servant with you and with your brothers who keep the witness of Jesus: give worship to God: for the witness of Jesus is the spirit of the prophet's word. (Revelation 19:10 BBE)

This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, who testified to God's word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw. (Revelation 1:1-2)

The testimony of Jesus is the truth about the character of our Father and is most vividly displayed through the evidence of His willingly shed blood. This pairing of Word and Testimony parallels Blood and Testimony in Revelation 12:11. The testimony of Jesus is also the truth about our real identity in Christ. He has given His testimony of how God views us, but His testimony must be affirmed by our agreeing confession of its validity so that this identity is permitted to shape our condition to align with the truth of our design as reflected in God's commands, bringing us into a condition of fitness to thrive in God's fiery presence of pure, passionate love.

He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the Earth belongs to the Earth, and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:31-36)

The Pharisees therefore said to him, "You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid." Jesus answered them, "Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you don't know where I came from, or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh. I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. (John 8:13-16)

I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate testified the good confession, that you keep the commandment without spot, blameless, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ; which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16)

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God's testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn't believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life. (1 John 5:9-12)

Sexual Harassment - Rumor notes 100

 Revelation 12

13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.

saw that he was thrown down to the earth

The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)

We discussed this extensively previously when we covered this previous verse. I just want to note the issue of the dragon now seeing this new reality. This is a point of sudden awareness of the implications of new circumstances unforeseen and unexpected by Satan. This was not at all the scenario he had planned out for his new venture to establish a replacement government to the one God operates that was represented by Michael. The dragon along with all the angels who sided with him, who invested their energies and reputations into his venture, lost their place in heaven and ended up on earth. I believe this happened previous to Genesis 1 and 2, meaning that the darkness covering the deep was more than merely absence of physical light, but represented the darkness resulting from the misrepresentation of God's character that was the basis for Lucifer's revolt.

Yet that was only the first throwing down, and I believe this verse includes the second throwing down from heaven of the dragon. This is the fall mentioned by Jesus that was a consequence of being exposed as the fraud that he is through the life, death and resurrection of the human Son of Man/Son of God. Jesus was God's response to the usurping of the dominion of this planet from Adam by Satan, the great accuser who accuses God's children day and night before God. We see this in the story of Job where he was acting in the position of representing humanity in the assembly of the sons of God in heaven. This was a dark time for this world, given that God's greatest enemy had hijacked the role of representing God's reflectors while causing them to give off false reflections in their twisted thinking, malfunctioning behavior and selfish ways of relating.

Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." (John 12:31-32)

The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" He said to them, "I saw Satan having fallen like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. Nevertheless, don't rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:17-20)

This was a time of transition of authority as Jesus came as a human to challenge and displace Satan as our representative. He did this as the man-child born to 'the woman' and was subsequently caught up to heaven where He ousted Satan from his place in the court of representatives, and to be coronated to take over that position forever as our permanent high priest of all humanity.

I believe this is what this verse alludes to, bringing about the moment when it finally dawned on the dragon that he would no longer have access to the courts of heaven because he had been stripped of his credentials as they were superseded by the legitimate Son of Man who took Adam's place as the head of humanity.

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

he persecuted the woman who gave birth

It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. (Revelation 13:7)

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)

For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:14-16 NKJV)

The wicked plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright in the way. (Psalms 37:12-14)

Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, who struck the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, who ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained. (Isaiah 14:5-6)

I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman

'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to myself. (Exodus 19:4)

As an eagle that stirs up her nest, that flutters over her young, he spread abroad his wings, he took them, he bore them on his feathers. Yahweh alone led him. There was no foreign god with him. (Deuteronomy 32:11-12)

In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bore them, and carried them all the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)

Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits; who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; who satisfies your desire with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Yahweh executes righteous acts, and justice for all who are oppressed. (Psalms 103:1-6)

The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the poles of it above. (1 Kings 8:6-7)

In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!" (Isaiah 6:1-3)

Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't faint. He isn't weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

While not all of these references involve an eagle directly, I believe we can glean helpful clues from them as we meditate on the deeper meanings of this passage. Two wings may provide implications when it comes to insights for clues about facing persecution. Petitions and praise comes to mind.

As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle. Their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of each one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. Each one went straight forward: where the spirit was to go, they went; they didn't turn when they went. (Ezekiel 1:10-12)

Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above. Under the expanse were their wings straight, the one toward the other: each one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side, their bodies. When they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings. (Ezekiel 1:22-24)

she might fly

Flying is not a natural function for a woman. The eagle's wings had to be an added feature to her normal capacities, meaning that she had to become dependent on supernatural abilities beyond her own design by creation. This alludes strongly to living a life of true faith.

"Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (Mark 9:22-23)

Jesus, looking at them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27)

into the wilderness to her place

The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days. (Revelation 12:6)

Again, this is in sharp relief to the recent highlighting of the fact that the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven. This issue of having a place for us is central to this war as we discussed at length in verse 8.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual immorality." He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered with great amazement. (Revelation 17:1-3, 6)

This was never the condition God had in mind for the woman to become when she first fled into the wilderness, and certainly this was not the kind of nourishment He had in mind for her to drink either.

so that she might be nourished

The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days. (Revelation 12:6)

So he went and did according to the word of Yahweh; for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. (1 Kings 17:5-6)

for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. (1 Kings 18:4)

from the face of the serpent

The previous verses fit this phrase very well too. Here is another one.

Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. Strong scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that they can't be pulled apart. His sneezing flashes out light. His eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils a smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth. There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him. The flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him. They can't be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone, yes, firm as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing.

He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride." (Job 41:14-25, 34)

In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and leviathan the twisted serpent; and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea. In that day, sing to her, "A pleasant vineyard! I, Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment. Lest anyone damage it, I will keep it night and day. Wrath is not in me, but if I should find briers and thorns, I would do battle! I would march on them and I would burn them together. Or else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me. Let him make peace with me." (Isaiah 27:1-5)

for a time, and times, and half a time

This clearly parallels the other side of the chiasm that defines the layout of this chapter. This is another way of expressing the same period of time as what was presented in verse 6. We have already spent considerable study on this, and for the sake of time we will defer to the studies already presented on this time period unless further discussion is desired.

I will add however that the following passage in Daniel has a clear connection to this given that they share more than one symbol.

Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two, the one on the brink of the river on this side, and the other on the brink of the river on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:5-7)