Revelation Chapter 12 The Church in the Meridian of Time and the Great Apostasy

Chapter eleven moved through the second woe and introduced the third. But it only introduced the third. There is no description of the final onslaught, no explanation of how God will wrest control of the world, no judgment. Instead, it focused on the praise and glory of God as he begins to reign and prepares for the destruction of the wicked. Certainly, there must be more to come. Indeed, the Revelator does give a preview that justice is about to be meted out. A crescendo of disaster, greater than that shown, is about to usher in the great and terrible day of the Lord.

However, that must wait while John rounds out the picture with additional information. So, John breaks the narrative just at the point where God begins his reign. With chapter twelve, John starts anew, and this time he uses a different point of view to disclose additional details of the same scenes. In doing so, he more clearly portrays the foundation, beginning, development, and final end of the antagonism between good and evil.

Some may be concerned because the day of the Lord is filled with destruction. But it has its purpose. Nothing unclean, that is, unjustified, can enter into the Lord’s presence and survive (see Nahum 1:2-8; Moses 6:57). The glory of God is about to sweep the earth so that the Holy City can be established. Therefore, evil must come to an end.

Note that by the time the Lord comes, very little evil will be left to put to an end. Throughout Revelation we have seen the self-destructive nature of wickedness. But God cannot allow such self-destruction to act as an impersonal nemesis, an independent selfoperating moral law sweeping away all in its path. To do so would allow the powers of evil to carry all the inhabitants of the earth down with them to utter ruin. God would be left with a hollow, Pyrrhic victory that resembled defeat far more than victory. A Pyrrhic victory is a victory gained at too high a cost. Since God’s victory must also be man’s victory, it must be won through righteous human agents exercising faith in God. Evil must be allowed to combine its nefarious forces against the Savior’s people and then be forced back in utter defeat through the faith, trust, and loyalty of the Lord’s disciples.

This is what the second woe is all about. As the third comes, the saints ride with their Christ on the clouds and move against the remnant of evil in total faith toward victory. Those whose souls have lain beneath the altar will find that they are not only vindicated but also that they are the vindicators. As it states in Joseph Smith-History 1:37, “The day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly shall burn as stubble; for they that come shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts.”

With the angelic rejoicing caused by the blast of the seventh trumpet, the vision of the seven seals closes. But the revelation does not end. Immediately in chapter 12 another series of visions begins. These, however, do not take up where the old series left off. Chapter twelve breaks the flow of the vision and introduces new elements and explanations. Flashing back to John’s day, it develops the whole story again, this time continuing on to the end of time.

The second half of Revelation has far fewer scriptural guides than the first half. Doctrine and Covenants 77, very helpful up to this point, contains no information on material after the eleventh chapter of Revelation. The JST, however, remains useful. In it we see that Joseph Smith made more changes in chapter twelve than in any other portion of Revelation with the possible exception of chapter one. However, a careful examination of these changes shows that the amount of actual material added is small. Most of the changes constitute little more than switching verses. The result, unfortunately, is not very helpful.

Joseph Smith, breaking from total silence on the subject, gave three discourses on the beasts of Revelation, two on 2 April 1843 and one on 8 April 1843. The speeches were recorded in brief in Joseph Smith’s diary by his scribe Willard Richards and more extensively by William Clayton. Franklin D. Richards made a few notes on points of interest to him. Unfortunately, all these accounts are so abbreviated that a great deal of ambiguity exists. These speeches do provide some assistance and will be used in reconstructing John’s message in this and the following chapter.

The kingdom of God (the child) is born through the instrumentality of the Church (the woman). Once the kingdom is born, Satan (the dragon) and his followers make war against it, seeking to destroy it. To protect them from the attacks of Satan, the Lord removes both the Church and the kingdom of God from the earth.

This great battle was begun in premortality and was continued in the Garden of Eden: There the woman faced the serpent, learned that she would bring forth in anguish, and was told that her child would be attacked by Satan (Genesis 3:1, 15-16). The battle was renewed in the time of Christ and his apostles, when Satan attacked the Church with great vigor (1 Nephi 11:32-35). The battle continues to this day as our adversary, in his wrath, makes war with all those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (1 Nephi 12:17).

Revelation 12 may be divided into three parts. First, verses 1 through 5 appear to depict the establishment of the Church in the meridian of time and the beginning of the Great Apostasy. Second, verses 6 through 11 show us the war in heaven between Satan and his followers and the Lord and his followers. This war gives heightened understanding of the war between Satan and the righteous on the earth – and the outcome of the heavenly war gives us confidence that the saints will prevail. Third, verses 12 through 17 return to the theme of the persecution of the meridian Church and the Great Apostasy that followed.

In Revelation 12 through 14, the Lord seems to be setting the stage for the great tribulations and final triumph described in the final chapters of the book. He introduces the primary players in those last events – the Church and kingdom of God, Satan, the wicked earthly kingdoms, the powerful followers of Satan, and the Lord and his angels. And he introduces the theme that will be portrayed: Satan, having been cast down from heaven to earth, will rule in terror; Satan’s kingdom will eventually fail; and the Lord and his kingdom will triumph.

One commentator has written perceptively that Revelation 12 reveals “to the believing community the ultimate cause for the increased opposition and hostility they will meet in the last days. Beyond that the visions in chapter 12 form the theological heart of the entire book. In Christ, God engaged Satan in the ultimate battle of the Holy War. The redemptive triumph of Christ in his death and resurrection was the crucial defeat of Satan and the forces of evil. Yet for a time the dragon vigorously pursues the people of God. Hence there is great suffering in the final days (which extend from Pentecost to the return of Christ)” (Mounce, Book of Revelation, 230).

verses 1-5 Flashback to John’s day; disclosure of Satan’s active persecution of the Church.

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

verse 1 “there appeared a great wonder in heaven” Here “wonder” would be better translated as “sign” (Greek smeion). A wonder is a surprise of great magnitude, but a sign is replete with meaning and points to a definite subject or object. The word denotes an optical impression through which one gains confirmations. John’s use of the word is consistent. It foreshadows a coming event and thus serves as a prophetic or anticipatory omen (Revelation 12:3; 15:1). It appears in heaven because that is where John sees his vision – in the temple in heaven, the celestial kingdom of God. The sign is “in the likeness of things on the earth” (JST- Revelation 12:1) in that it portrays a pregnant woman who is experiencing labor, something commonly seen on the earth.

The adjective “great” is used six times in this chapter, suggesting the importance of the themes covered.

“a woman clothed with the sun” Joseph Smith’s translation of Revelation 12:7 makes clear that the woman represents the true Church of God, which is not just an organization but many righteous individuals joined together by covenant. In being clothed with the sun, the woman represents the destiny of those who join themselves to her and follow the Lord with pure hearts: they will be privileged to enter the celestial kingdom, “whose glory is like that of the sun” (D&C 76:70). In being clothed with the sun, the true Church becomes like unto God himself, who is clothed “with light as with a garment” (Psalm 104:2).

Celestial glory surrounds the woman as a garment, showing that the power of God is upon her. The Greek word used here, peribebmen, “having been clothed,” suggests that the woman wears the glory as a garment but that it does not belong to her. It is reflected by her. Thus, she manifests the light of Christ but is not the source of that light. There is also a secondary meaning of the Greek verb periball, translated “clothed,” that is very likely at play here. The word means “to throw up a rampart around” (cf. Luke 19:43). John’s imagery could, therefore, represent the glory of God acting as a bulwark to protect the Church.

“the moon under her feet” The moon represents a lesser glory than that of the sun (1 Corinthians 15:40-41). The glory of the moon, which is terrestrial, is lesser than, or inferior to, the glory enjoyed by the Church and its faithful adherents. This expression could also mean that the woman has power or dominance over the moon; in other words, it may suggest that those of the Church who attain a celestial glory will have stewardship and ascendancy over those who attain a lesser glory.

“a crown of twelve stars” The head of the Church is the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, who direct the Church in righteousness, under Christ (1 Nephi 1:10). This system of Church government continues to our day – the presiding officer of the Church is the senior apostle. The crown signifies the preeminent position of the apostles; stars often symbolize individual human beings (Genesis 37:9; Job 38:7; see commentary on 1:16, 20). The crown of twelve stars may also represent the twelve tribes of Israel, through whom we are able to partake of the Abrahamic covenant.

“And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

verse 2 “And she being with child” The woman, representing the true Church, bears within her the seed of the kingdom of God (JST 12:7). The Church is the ecclesiastical arm of the Lord’s work. The child represents the political kingdom of God on earth, which will come to full fruition in the Millennium.

“travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered” According to this symbolism, it was not an easy thing for the Church to bring forth the kingdom of God but required both sacrifice and pain. Similarly, Old Testament prophets depicted ancient Israel as a travailing woman seeking to give birth to Zion (Isaiah 66:7-8; Jeremiah 4:31; Micah 4:10). It is uncertain what the travail and pain represent in actual history – perhaps they are related to persecution from without and apathy and apostasy from within the Church.

The child, then, according to the JST, does not represent Zion per se but a particular aspect of God’s work in establishing Zion. The child, “who was to rule all nations with the rod of iron” (verse 3), is “the kingdom of our God and his Christ” (verse 7). Insights from modern prophets make it clear that John’s “man child” represented a real political kingdom that was to be established by God to govern the whole earth. Brigham Young taught that this political power actually grows out of the Church. Speaking of the latter-day event, he explained, “The Church of Jesus Christ will produce this government, and cause it to grow and spread, and it will shield round about the church. And under the influence and power of the Kingdom of God, the church will rest secure and dwell in safety, without taking the trouble of governing and controlling the whole earth.” Elder Joseph Fielding Smith stated:

After Christ comes, all the peoples of the earth will be subject to him, but there will be multitudes of people on the face of the earth who will not be members of the Church; yet all will have to be obedient to the laws of the kingdom of God, for it will have dominion upon the whole face of the earth. These people will be subject to the political government, even though they are not members of the ecclesiastical kingdom which is the Church.

This government which embraces all peoples of the earth, both in and out of the Church, is also sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of God, because the people are subject to the kingdom of God which Christ will set up (Doctrines of Salvation, 1:229; italics in original).

John’s account suggests that the early Church endeavored to establish the political kingdom in the meridian of time. The attempt proved unsuccessful. Such an institution would have shaken the very powers of hell as it overmastered the world and protected the Church. Little wonder that the manifestation of the woman and the child is followed by another portent showing Satan’s opposition to the kingdom.

“And the woman being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

verses 3-4 “another wonder in heaven” This sign or wonder is a portent of things to come in the vision.

“a great red dragon” The dragon represents the devil, or Satan (Revelation 12:8). This dragon is not the winged and fire-breathing creature of fairy tales, though just as ferocious and evil. The Greek word (drakn) signifies a serpent or sea monster, but it is best understood as the personification of seething chaos, often represented as the dark primeval waters, which oppose not only God but all that is holy. It is no minor power. Indeed, in the Old Testament it represents that force which only God can subdue. The distinguishing feature of the beast is its insatiable cruelty. It is demonic in its genesis and intent and, as such, is the perfect type of Satan at his worst. The red here is the color of fire, symbolizing the indiscriminate destruction of the dragon–like fire, the dragon destroys all in its path. Red is also the color of sin, murder, and bloodshed (Revelation 6:4; Isaiah 1:18).

John sets this symbol against that of the woman, who represents poise, harmony, beauty, and life-giving creation. In this context, the significance of the dragon’s color is heightened. It is fiery red, the color of what engulfs and consumes. The color seems to suggest the despiteful, violent, and murderous means by which Satan, the dragon, brings about his ends. Jesus said of his adversaries, “Ye are of your father the devil. . . He was a murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44).

“seven heads and ten horns / seven crowns upon his heads” Satan is found in many places, and he rules over many nations, represented by the seven crowns on seven heads (see also Daniel 7:7). Horns are a symbol of power. The number ten suggests that Satan has great power, but it is neither perfect nor complete; such complete power, represented by twelve horns, resides in the Lamb (JST Revelation 5:6). Yet the seven crowns indicate that Satan has perfect and complete power on earth, at least for a time. This description of the dragon is repeated in relation to one of his followers, a beast from the sea (see commentary on Revelation 13:1).

John may have intended a dual meaning. The dragon is Satan, and herein is implied the satanic nature of Rome in John’s day. The dragon is characterized as having “seven heads and ten horns” which is John’s way of referring to Rome with its seven emperors (prior to Domitian) and three military leaders ─ totaling in all, ten leaders. As J. R. Dummelow explained, “[Satan’s] seven heads and ten horns . . . represent the Roman emperors through whom he exercised his power. The seven crowned heads perhaps signify the seven emperors, from Augustus to Titus, who had really reigned. The ten horns may stand for the same emperors with the addition of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius” (Commentary on the Holy Bible, 1082). These last three were pretenders to the Roman throne in AD 68 and 69. Some historians, however, include them in the count of the Roman emperors. This argument is basically flawed, however: The dragon’s power began long before the Roman empire and has continued long since.

“his tail [draws a] the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth” Satan does not work alone here on earth. This passage refers to the third of the hosts of heaven who were cast out with Satan after the war in heaven. Job also refers to the premortal spirit children of God as “stars” (Job 38:4-7). This idea is repeated in Revelation 12:8 (Daniel 8:10; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6). The tense John chooses, contrary to that shown in the KJV, is present. The Greek form is the present indicative active third person singular form of the verb (Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals: The Visions of John the Revelator, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991). By this means John shows that the dragon draws his lackeys with him by clutching them in the coils of his tail.

John has the dragon rise against God’s earthly authority by attempting to destroy God’s agent the moment he is born into the world. This hostile act symbolizes Satan’s attempt to become king of the earth. Once again, John emphasizes the issue of sovereignty and authority. The Church during the meridian of time briefly challenged Lucifer’s domain by bringing forth the kingdom of God. The old dragon had to act with all his fury, bringing the entire legion of demons with him, to stop this threat to his kingdom.

“the dragon stood before the woman . . . [ready] to devour her child” This passage reminds us of the serpent’s presenting himself, face to face, to the first woman of our earth, Eve, in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6). Satan traditionally places himself in the best position to do us harm (1 Peter 5:8). Here, he stands before the Church, ready to prevent her from bearing the fruit that is the kingdom of God. Should that kingdom be born, Satan’s plan will be defeated as the Lord’s influence on earth spreads.

Though Satan failed in his attempt to destroy the man child, he was partially successful. He did prevent the kingdom of God from being permanently established. According to the JST, “the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born” (verse 4), but the “child was caught up unto God and his throne” (verse 3). Thus, it appears that God took the fledgling kingdom – that is, the political keys and authority given to the apostles and other leaders – to heaven, where it was safe from the dragon, until the restoration in the in the latter days. Frustrated because he could not destroy the child, the dragon turns on the woman herself, but she escapes by fleeing into the wilderness (see verse 6).

“And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born.” This is verse 4 in JST Revelation 12. It obviously is a combination of verses 3 and 4 in the KJV.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

verse 5 “she brought forth a man child” After her travail and pain, the Church did indeed bring forth the political kingdom of God. The birth occurred in the time of the original Twelve Apostles, but because of Satan’s oppressions, that kingdom (which stems from the establishment of Zion) was driven from the earth before it could grow. See the discussion of the political kingdom of God in the commentary for verse 2 above.

“rule all nations with a rod of iron” It was the destiny of the kingdom of God to rule all nations, but, as John saw, because of Satan’s opposition, the kingdom was not able to assume that role at the time of its birth. The rod of iron is “the word of God,” as seen by Lehi and Nephi (1 Nephi 11:25). To rule by the word of God is to rule by the principles of divine truth, under the direction of the Spirit. Such rule implies priesthood direction. It is part of the oath and covenant of the priesthood to “live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (D&C 84:44). Those who so live shall also so rule (Psalm 2:9; Revelation 2:27; 19:15).

“her child was caught up unto God” Because of Satan’s threat, the infant political kingdom of God was not allowed to remain on the earth. When all who held the keys and authorities of the kingdom were killed, those keys were returned to God by being lost to those on the earth.

“his throne” The Eternal Father rules from a throne in the heavens (Revelation 3:21; 4:2-6).

“And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.” This verse in the JST is 12:3.

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.

verse 6 “the woman fled into the wilderness” The Lord’s people, when persecuted, have often fled into the wilderness (Exodus 2:15; 1 Kings 17:2-3; 19:3; 1 Nephi 2:2), meaning the uninhabited desert. While the child (kingdom of God) was returned to the presence of God (Revelation 12:3); the woman (the Church) is also taken away from the inhabited earth. During the time of the Great Apostasy, which followed the death of Christ and his apostles, the Church was removed from the earth. See commentary on Revelation 12:14.

“she [had] a place prepared of God” The Lord had foreseen that Satan would persecute the Church and was prepared to withdraw the keys and authority from the earth, to keep them with himself until the Restoration.

“they should feed her there” In place of feed, other versions use taken care of (GNB, NIV, LB), nourished (RSV), or sustained (NEB). The sense of the passage is that the Lord will not allow the Church to die but will keep it in his care until it is time to restore the gospel to the earth.

“a thousand two hundred and threescore [years]” The clarification of years in the Joseph Smith Translation rather than the King James Version days is an important one, for the number suggests the length of time the Church will be gone from the earth during the Great Apostasy – 1,260 years. If we consider that the Apostasy ended in 1820 (when the silence of the heavens was broken during Joseph Smith’s First Vision) or in 1830 (when the Church was formally organized), then the 1,260-year period began in AD 570 or 560. But we know that the world had plunged deep into apostasy centuries before that time.

Perhaps John saw the Renaissance and the later Reformation as part of the restoration of the gospel; latter-day prophets have taught that events of these periods did indeed pave the way for the Restoration (See, for example, Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 31; Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:176-77; McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 90, 92-93). The Renaissance began to bring light to the Dark Ages in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A key date in the Renaissance was Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in about 1451. Less than a century later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, sparking the beginning of the Reformation.

If we count 1,260 years before Luther’s protest, we get a date of AD 257. If we count backwards from Gutenberg, the resulting date is AD 191. We could likely find other dates from which to measure the end of John’s 1,260 years, but all such efforts are no more than speculative. The important point is that John saw an extended period of widespread apostasy, followed by the immeasurable blessing of the restoration of the gospel (Revelation 14:6). That is probably the basic and most important understanding we can come to here: the Apostasy would last a very long time.

In Revelation 12:14, the 1,260 years is given differently, as “a time, and times, and half a time” – which may mean “one year [time], plus two years [times], plus half a year [half a time], which equals three and one-half years, or, again, 1,260 days. Perhaps in “prophet’s time” (D&C 130:4), a prophetic day sometimes equals a mortal year. Compare the similar time period – “forty and two months” (Revelation 11:2), or “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” (Revelation 11:3), or three and one-half years – during which Jerusalem would be besieged and the two prophets would testify in power. In the latter instances those time periods seem to be literal, rather than symbolic, months and days.

The ancient prophet Daniel dealt with similar time periods. After seeing a vision of the last days, Daniel asked, “How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?” And the answer: “It shall be for a time, times, and an half.” Daniel did not understand, asked again, and was told, “From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days” (Daniel 12:6- 12). Daniel’s time periods are slightly different, but the application may be similar.

The specific meaning of these time periods has not been revealed, though some may come to a private understanding through personal revelation. As an angel told Daniel, “None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore years.” This is verse 5 in JST-Revelation 12.

verses 7-12 At this point, John chooses to do a flashback to the war in heaven, probably to show that the conflict between the Church and the dragon had its genesis in the premortal world. Apparently, the events in chapter 12 do not follow an orderly temporal sequence in that we usually regard the war in heaven as a premortal event. Richard D. Draper has raised the question as to whether or not the war in heaven might have not been a premortal event, but rather an event that occurred following the apostasy of Christ’s Church:

I am cautious on when this battle occurred. Depending on how it is read, the JST may suggest that the war in heaven was not the premortal conflict. The JST notes that the devil did not win the battle “against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman, which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ” (verse 7). Further, it notes how Lucifer was overcome: “For they [the righteous] overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death” (verse 11). Placing these two passages in a premortal context is difficult for two reasons: first, the battle takes place after the man child is taken into heaven, and second, those who overcame Satan did so by giving their lives. Since righteous immortals do not die any form of death, the context suggests mortal martyrs (Richard D. Draper, Opening the Seven Seals: The Visions of John the Revelator, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1991, 134).

It would be easy to see the changes in the JST reordering the events recorded in the KJV in such a way that those in chapter twelve continue the story in chapter eleven. This would give chapter twelve a nineteenth-century context. The woman would be the Church, which went into the wilderness; the child would be the kingdom of God, which the early brethren tried to establish but could not, the keys of which are presently dormant; and the battle, a representation of the spiritual conflict between the forces of good and evil continuing from that time forth. The problem with this view is that the JST places the woman in the wilderness for an extended period (1,260 years, verse 5), which does not fit a contemporary setting; furthermore, the dragon is cast out of heaven (see verses 8, 11), an event associated directly with the war in heaven. Because of the ambiguity in our modern work, I have elected to follow the ancient Greek text.

John reveals that the central figure in the premortal battle was Michael, who led the angels of God against Satan and his minions. There, victory resulted in banishment of the Devil from heaven but not from the world: the old dragon “was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (verse 9). On the earth the battle was renewed, and the Church in John’s day felt the brunt of it.

John’s account gives insight into the nature of the heavenly war. He states that Lucifer, the accuser (Hebrew, satan), “accused [the brethren] before God day and night” (verse 10). One wonders what the nature of those accusations were. Perhaps that the gospel would fail, that the Savior would back away from the wracking pain of the atonement, or that the priesthood would crumble under the pressure of mortality. The vision emphasizes the powers that overcame Satan: faith and testimony – faith that the Redeemer would make the atonement, and willingness to proclaim it to all who would hear. Courageously, these saints of the spirit world put their eternal lives on the line. Their witness won many souls and assisted in overthrowing the great enemy.

With the defeat of the dragon, John hears a voice proclaim, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ” (verse 10). The exclamation suggests that much was at risk during the great war. Satan sought to introduce modifications in God’s plan of salvation through which Satan himself would take the honor, or power, of God (see Moses 4:1-3; D&C 29:36). Apparently, Lucifer’s intent was to replace Elohim. The victory secured God’s authority over the rest of the children and firmly established his kingdom in heaven. Further, it confirmed the power of the Savior.

But heaven’s win was earth’s loss. Thus, the angel laments, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (verse 12). Satan has lost. However, the prison prepared for him and his angels, Gehenna, yet stands empty. Gehenna comes from the Hebrew through the Greek and represents the place of misery for rebellious souls. The term is often used as a synonym for hell but is more expressive of perdition. It is briefly described in Doctrine and Covenants 76:44-48. Satan has a little season in which to operate before God freezes him into eternal impotence, but this fact only serves to anger him. He is not out to win.

He can’t, and no one knows it better than he. But driven by his insane wrath, he seeks the misery of God’s children for as long as he can (see 2 Nephi 2:27).

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

verse 7 “war in heaven” “What kind of war? The same kind that prevails on earth; the only kind Satan and spirit beings can wage – a war of words, a tumult of opinions, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error, between light and darkness, between the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its saving power, and the false religions of the world, which have a form of godliness but are devoid of saving grace. And the battle lines are still drawn. It is now on earth as it was then in heaven; every man must choose which general he will follow” (McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:518).

Latter-day Saints traditionally speak of the war in heaven that occurred before Satan was cast out (see Revelation 12:8), but in verses 7 and 8, John may be seeing a renewal of that war in the days of the meridian church – and beyond. Two clues support this idea: first, the Church and kingdom of God are both present during the war (Revelation 12:7), and second, some of the righteous who fight in the war are killed (Revelation 12:11), which cannot happen with premortal spirits.

“Michael and his angels fought against the dragon” Michael, leading the hosts of the Lord, fought Satan and his followers (Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 1:9). The battle begun in premortality continued when Michael came to earth as Adam, the first man, and it continues to this day among Adam’s descendants. The great battle between Michael and Satan, with their angels, will be fought anew at the end of the world (D&C 88:112-15).

“And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael;” This is verse 6 in the JST- Revelation 12.

#8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

verse 8 “[the dragon] prevailed not [against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman]” Powerful as he is, Satan is not as powerful as God. Though he may gain temporary victories, ultimately Satan fails in his evil plans against Michael and his righteous descendants, against the child (the kingdom of God), and against the woman (the true Church of God).

“And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” This is JST Revelation 12:7.

“brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ” Through her pains, the Church brought forth the kingdom, which is ruled over by both God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. This phrase is an important addition to the King James Version found in the Joseph Smith Translation.

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

verse 9 The JST of this verse (which is actually JST Revelation 12:8): “Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.”

“Neither was there place found . . . in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out.” This passage seems to flash back to the time in premortality when Satan was cast out of heaven. “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven,” the mortal Jesus said (Luke 10:18).

“Devil / Satan” Not used in the Old Testament, devil is a word found in the New Testament, which was translated from Greek rather than Hebrew. The word means “false accuser” or “slanderer,” which is one of Satan’s primary tactics against God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the followers of Christ. We learn from modern revelation that Satan was “a liar from the beginning” (D&C 93:25). The word satan means “adversary” – he stands in opposition to God, to good, and to all who embrace the Lord and his goodness.

“deceiveth the whole world” The adversary’s work of deception on earth is well documented in the scriptures (John 8:44; JST 2 Thessalonians 2:7-9; Revelation 16:14; 20:7; Mosiah 16:3; Moroni 7:17; D&C 84:49).

“cast out into the earth” As a result of the war in heaven, the devil was cast from the presence of God down to the earth. As Isaiah exclaimed, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12).

“his angels were cast out with him” Through his deceptions, Satan drew a full third of the Lord’s premortal children after him – and they suffered the same consequences he did: they were cast from heaven to earth (D&C 29:37).

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

verse 10 “I heard a loud voice saying in heaven” John here seems to be differentiating between the voice in the vision and the normal voice of the Spirit” The voice in the vision is not a still small voice but a loud voice proclaiming to all the goodness of God. The loud voice may be the voice of an angel (Revelation 8:13; 14:6-7; 19:17; D&C 88:92).

“Now is come salvation / strength” With Satan cast from heaven, the Lord’s plan can now begin to be effected among his children. Satan opposed the salvation that God would send through his Only Begotten Son. Now Satan is banished from heaven, and the plan can move forward, bringing redemption and spiritual blessing to all who will receive them. Other versions clarify the meaning of strength here. The New English Bible says, “This is the hour of victory for our God, the hour of his sovereignty and power” (Exodus 15:2; Psalm 27:1; 37:39; 118:14; Isaiah 12:2; 1 Nephi 15:15).

“the kingdom of our God / the power of his Christ” With the great opponent of God’s kingdom cast down, that kingdom is now ready to be established. Christ will now go forth with power to perform the atonement and bless all mankind (Omni 1:26; Moroni 7:41).

“the accuser of our brethren” Satan calls good evil and evil good (2 Nephi 15:20). He accuses those who are righteous (“our brethren”) of being evil. Often his accusations will be made through the mouths of his followers on earth (Daniel 6:24; Matthew 27:12; D&C 122:6). Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Satan means “to accuse.” Accuser here has a broader meaning. It seems to connote “a betrayer,” “a denouncer,” or one who “speaks evil of another.”

“accused them before our God day and night” Satan never ceases from his evil work. He seeks constantly, both day and night, to undermine the righteous. And, as in the story of Job, he makes false accusation directly to the face of God (Job 1:6-12; 2:1).

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.

verse 11 “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb” Ultimately, we conquer Satan not by our own righteousness nor by the valiant efforts of Michael, who leads the heavenly armies. We overcome as we partake of the blessings of the atonement of Christ, which atonement was wrought by the shedding of his blood (Revelation 7:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 1 Nephi 12:10-11; 2 Nephi 9:6-26; Alma 34:36).

“by the word of their testimony” We also conquer Satan in our own lives by standing firm in our testimonies and being willing to proclaim them even in the face of opposition.

“they loved not their [own] lives, [but kept the testimony even unto death]” Those who overcome the enticements and powers of Satan include the martyrs for truth, who love the Lord and their testimony of his word more than they love their own lives (Revelation 6:9; 20:4- 6).

“For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.”

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

verse 12 “Therefore, rejoice, ye heavens” Those in heaven have cause to rejoice (Psalm 96:11; Isaiah 49:13): Satan has been cast out; the plan can go forward; salvation has come. The rejoicing in heaven contrasts with the state of those on earth, who must deal with Satan and his deceptions. “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth” (12:12).

“Woe to the inhabiters of the earth” The book of Revelation has other woes pronounced on the inhabitants of the earth – plagues and judgments that will cause much loss of life and destruction. But this woe is the greatest – that Satan will dwell unseen among the

Father’s children on earth and will use his lies and deceptions to bring spiritual death to many (3 Nephi 9:2; Moses 7:25-26). This judgment will result in the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (Isaiah 24:5-6; D&C 5:5). The woe seems to have begun when Satan first entered the Garden of Eden and tempted Eve; it will not end until Satan has been bound with chains and cast into the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3).

“the devil is come down unto you” Satan dwells on the same planet on which we dwell.

“having great wrath” The devil is angry by nature, and he is further incensed by the fate he suffered in being cast out of heaven. In his wrath, he seeks to bring us to a misery like unto his own (2 Nephi 2:27; see also Revelation 14:8).

“he knoweth that he hath but a short time” Satan is fully aware that he will be able to tempt us for only a brief moment of the eternities, and then he will be cast out forever (Matthew 8:29).

“And after these things I heard another voice saying, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

“after these things” This phrase is an addition found in the Joseph Smith Translation. Its inclusion does more than suggest a sequence in the vision, which is implied anyway. The words seem to create a separation between rejoicing in heaven in Revelation 12:11 and the woe on earth in Revelation 12:12.

“I heard another voice” Apparently, the voice that proclaims rejoicing in heaven is different from the voice that proclaims the woe on earth. This is another addition found in the Joseph Smith Translation.

“[they who dwell upon the islands] of the sea” Even those in the far-flung areas of the earth will be subject to the evil work of the devil (Ezekiel 26:17).

verses 13-17 Flash forward to John’s day, showing the forces of apostasy working against the Church.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

verse 13 “he persecuted the woman” Persecution of the Church (the woman), meaning the righteous members as well as the organization itself, has always been Satan’s first order of business. He seeks to deceive the whole world, but he seems to save his persecutions for those who resist his deceptions. Jesus taught us that we should expect persecutions – and yet remain steadfast to the end (Matthew 5:11-12; John 15:21).

“For when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”

14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

verse 14 “to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle” Satan exercised his energy first on the organization of the kingdom. Once he had chased off that threat to his earthly sovereignty – the greater threat – he turned on the woman. However, she received divine assistance and escaped into the wilderness. “The two great wings of an eagle” (alternate translation) symbolize this assistance. The insertion of the definite article, omitted in the KJV, underscores the explicitness of the action.

The wings have a double meaning: rapid motion or flight and divine deliverance. The idea of divine protection grows out of the reference to eagles’ wings in Jehovah’s past care of his people and deliverance from impending danger. Note Deuteronomy 32:10-11, where the care of God for Jacob is compared to a mother eagle fluttering over her young, where she “spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings” (cf. Exodus 19:4). In Isaiah 40:31 the prophet promises that those who wait upon the Lord “shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

“[flee] into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished” As the children of Israel found deliverance from Egypt, symbolizing the wicked world, by fleeing into the wilderness, so will the Lord’s true Church be protected “in the wilderness” when Satan attacks in the meridian of time. In this case, the wilderness is a place of safety prepared for it and isolated from mortals, namely, a place in the care of God (Revelation 12:5). During the period that the Church is gone from the earth, she will be “nourished” by God, which probably means he will make certain that all is in readiness when the time comes for the restoration, which began in the days of Joseph Smith.

“for a time, and times, and half a time” Note the fun John has with numbers as he reiterates the duration of the apostasy. He states that the woman will “fly into the wilderness . . . a time [360 years], and times [two times equals 720 years], and a half a time [180 years].” This totals 1,260 years. The number 1,260 years, of course, cannot be considered to be the exact time or duration of the apostasy, but rather is a number which represents the apostasy.

“from the face of the serpent” The woman (meaning the Church) will be taken to a place where the serpent (meaning the devil) will no longer be able to harm her – it is, the protective presence of God.

“Therefore, to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

verse 15 “the serpent [casteth] out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman” Before the woman (or the Church) actually departed into the wilderness (meaning the safety of heaven), the serpent (the devil) tried to destroy her with a flood. The flood from Satan’s mouth could have been a torrent of lies against the Church; the flow of evil that he sent forth, seeking to overwhelm the Church; ceaseless persecution and tribulation; or the attacks of a wicked nation (Rome) – or each of these in turn. (For scriptural examples of such applications of flood waters, see Psalm 18:4, 14-15; Isaiah 17:12-14; 43:2; Jeremiah 46:7-8; 51:55.) The real point, of course, is that Satan made great efforts to destroy the Church, and that the true power and authority of the Church survived in God’s care.

“And the serpent casteth out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.”

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

verse 16 “the earth [helpeth] the [woman / [swalloweth] up the flood” John’s meaning here seems unclear, but nature often seems to cooperate with the God of nature to protect the Church long enough for God’s purposes to be fulfilled (compare Numbers 16:30; 26:10; Deuteronomy 11:6). As Mormon testified, even the dust of the earth is obedient to the command of God (Helaman 12:7-19). And as we learn from Enoch, the earth itself has a spirit that loves righteousness and is pained by wickedness (Moses 7:48). Satan’s river of destruction (Revelation 12:15) stands in contrast to the river of life that flows from God (Revelation 22:1).

“And the earth helpeth the woman, and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth up the flood which the dragon casteth out of his mouth.”

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

verse 17 “the dragon was wroth with the woman” Satan’s anger against the Church as an institution, as well as the righteous members of the Church, continues.

“make war with the remnant of her seed” Satan particularly attacks those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” And his efforts are neither feeble nor sporadic. The war in heaven continues as Satan constantly brings the battle to the righteous on the earth. This verse applies not only to the gradually dwindling numbers of the righteous in Christ’s Church in the meridian of time but also to the increasing numbers of righteous in the restored Church of Jesus Christ in our day.

“Therefore, the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

John seems to have written the book of Revelation during the period portrayed in chapter twelve. The external church was on the defensive, and John warned her of what would happen if she failed to resist the floods of evil and persecution that Satan was loosing (pouring out) upon her. But to those who were true and faithful, the Lord held out hope. Indeed, the inner church, during the period of John’s writing, was already escaping – sometimes through the assistance of Roman persecution – to a place prepared by God where it would be secure until God needed the keys to begin the work again.