Just asking opinions.
1. Who is the woman? How do you conclude your response?
The woman is Israel
Revelation 12:1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with
the sun, with
the moon under her feet and a crown of
twelve stars on her head.
Genesis 37:9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time
the sun and
moon and
eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
The woman is Israel
Revelation 12:5
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”
a And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne
John 4:22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know,
for salvation is from the Jews.
2. Who is the dragon making war with? Is it the church, or someone else and why do you think so.
Rev 12
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.
the offspring of the woman, the church
3. When in Revelation does the dragon get cast to the earth? Is it Revelation 1, Revelation 10, Revelation 16 etc.
The Dragon is not mentioned as specifically being "cast to earth" in any chapter of revelation outside of revelation 12. However, there are similarities between Revelation 12 and Revelation 20.
The Dragon is bound for 1000 years/cast out of heaven
Revelation 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down—
that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray
Revelation 20:1-2 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years
When the Dragon is bound for 1000 years/cast out of heaven, Christ's kingdom comes
Revelation 12:10-11 “
NOW HAVE COME the salvation and the power and the KINGDOM of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Revelation 20:4 Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.
They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years
After the 1000 years of satan being bound/After Satan is cast our of heaven, his time is short
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you,
knowing he has only a short time.”
Revelation 20:3 After
that he must be released for a little while.
After Satan is bound for 1000 years/After Satan is cast our of Heaven, he goes off to make war with the saints
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and
went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Revelation 20:7-9 When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison,
8and
will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore. And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven
a and consumed them
When is the dragon cast out?
When Jesus ascends:
John 12:31-32 Now judgment is upon this world; now the prince of this world will be cast out.
32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself
When does the dragon come?
When Jesus goes to the Father
John 14:28-30 If you loved Me, you would
rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I.
29And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it does happen, you will believe. I will not speak with you much longer,
for the prince of this world is coming, and he has no claim on Me
4. Does the dragon make war with the woman before the tribulation, in the middle of the tribulation or after the tribulation?
The dragon "attempts" to pursue/persecute the woman, BUT the woman escapes from the dragon's presence and is nourished for 3.5 years.
Revelation 12:13-14 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
When the Dragon fails to persecute the woman for 3.5 years, the Dragon becomes enraged and goes off to make war against her offspring.
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman,
and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
What are your opinions on these verses?
Revelation 12 tells the story of the birth of Christ, coming from Israel (the woman), and his ascension to the right hand of the Father (caught up to the throne). Upon Christ's ascension, Satan is cast out. Satan attempts to the persecute the woman (Israel) for 1260 days/time, times, half a time (3.5 years), but is unsuccessful as the woman (Israel) is nourished away from his presence. This 3.5 years is the time from Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension until the stoning of Stephen. After this 3.5 year period, the gospel goes to the surrounding nations and satan goes off to make war against the offspring (the church).
Acts 8:1,4
And Saul approved of their killing him (Stephen).
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem,
and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went
