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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 12

1 Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.⁠ 2 She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.⁠ 4 Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.⁠ Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod.⁠ Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.⁠ 7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.⁠ 8 But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. 9 So that huge dragon—the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world—was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. 11 But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.⁠ 12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!” 13 Now when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness, to the place God prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time.⁠ 15 Then the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to sweep her away by a flood, 16 but the earth came to her rescue; the ground opened up and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus. (12:18) And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

Texts in conversation

Compare LXX Psalms 2:9 and Revelation 12:5

Septuagint · New Testament

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Summary

Revelation’s image of a child destined to rule with an iron rod is based on Psalm 2, where a royal figure receives authority to conquer the nations. In Psalm 2, the image portrays a king’s divine appointment and power over his enemies.

Passages

LXX Psalms 2:9

Septuagint
7 declaring the ordinance of the Lord: the Lord said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will give you the pagan nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. 9 You shall rule them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces as a potter's vessel. 10 Now therefore understand, you kings: be instructed, all you that judge the earth. 11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling.
100–1 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in LXX Psalms

Revelation 12:5

New Testament
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. 4 Now the dragon’s tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

References

"... The dragon is not passive. but he is patiently waiting for the arrival of the third major character (Revelation 12:4b). Verse 5 gives a brief statement about this person, he is 'a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron ...' This allusion to Psalm 2 makes the readers/hearers think of Messiah. This concept is expanded in Revelation 12:5b. where it is stated that the child 'was caught up to God and to his throne.' Here is the enthronement of God's promised Messiah. It apparently happens so fast that the dragon does not even have a chance to respond ..."
Leo R. Percer, “The War in Heaven: Michael and Messiah in Revelation 12” (PhD diss., Baylor University, 1999), 72.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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LXX Psalms 2:9 and Revelation 12:5

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