1 Καὶ σημεῖον μέγα PART IV. SECTION II. The Woman and the Dragon. ὤφθη ἐν τῷ ὐρανῷ γυνὴ περιβεβλημέ νη τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἡ σελήνη ὑποκάτω.. τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς σέφανΘ, ἀστ 2 τέρων δώδεκα. Καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχεσα 8 κεῖν. Καὶ ὤφθη άλλο σημεῖον ἐν τῷ ἐρανῷ, καὶ ἰδὲ δράκων μέγας πουῤῥύς, ἔχων κεφαλὰς ἔπλα καὶ κατ garx δέκα· καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτ τα διαδήματα ἁπλὰ. 4. Καὶ ἡ ἐρὰ αὐτῷ σύξει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀγέρων τὸ ἐραν, καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτὲς εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ ὁ δράκων ἔφηκεν ἐνώ πιον τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μελλέσης τε κεῖν, ἵνα ὅταν τέκῃ, τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς CHAPTER Xii. 1 And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman clothed around with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And, being with child, she cries out, suffering the pangs of childbirth, and painfully labouring to bring forth. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven; and, behold, a great fire coloured dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads 4 seven diadems. And his tail draweth along the third part of the stars of heaven; and he cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was about to bring forth, that when she should bring forth, he might devour 5 her child. And she 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: 2 And she being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered, s And there appeared another wonder in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon, baving 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 which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it 5 was born. And she brought forth a manchild, who was to rule all nations with a rod woman τὴν ἔρημον, ὅπο ἔχει ἐκεῖ τόπον ἡτοιμασμένον ἀπὸ τὰ Θεῦ, ἵνα ἐκεῖ τρέφωσιν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακο7 σίας εξήκοντα. Καὶ ἐγένετο πόλεμΘ ἐν τῷ ἐραιῶν ὁ Μια χαὴλ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτὸ τὸ πολεμῆσαι μετὰ τῇ δράκοντα· καὶ ὁ δράκων ἐπολέμησε καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι 8 αὐτῷ, Καὶ ἐκ ἴσ χυσαν, ὅτε τόπα εὑρέθη αὐτῶν ἔτι ἐν Ο τῶ ἐξανῷ. Καὶ ἐβλήθη ὁ δράκων ὁ μέγας, ὁ ὄφις ο ἀρχαῖς, ὁ καλάμενα διάβολο, καὶ ὁ σαλανᾶς, ὁ πλανῶν τὴν εἰκωμένην ὅλην, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γίνε και οι άγγελοι αὐτὰ μὲν αὐτὸ 10 ἐβλήθησαν. Καὶ ήκεσα φωνὴν μεγά λην ἐν τῷ ἐρανώ, λέγεσαν "Αρτι ἐγέν brought forth a malechild, who is about to rule as a shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has there a of iron and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne, 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 three place prepared of God, | 7 score days. And there that they should there two hundred and sixty war in heaven; Mi- gon fought and his I heard a loud voice was war in heaven ; Michael and his angels fought against the dra gon, and the dragon fought and his angels : 8 And prevailed not, nei ther was their place found any more in 9 heaven. 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 10 him. 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 11 and night. And they τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, ὁ κατηγορῶν αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον T8 Θε ἡμῶν ἡμέρας καὶ 11 νυκτός. Καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνίκησαν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ αἷμα τῶ ἀρνία, καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον της μαρτυρίας αυ τῶν· καὶ ἐκ ἠγάπη σαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἄχρι θα 12 νάτε. Δια τέτο εὐφραίνεσθε οἱ ἐξανοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνᾶνίες. Οὐαὶ τῇ γῇ καὶ τῇ θαλάσση, ὅτι καλέβη ὁ διά βολα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἔχων θυμὸν μέγαν, εἰδὼς, ὅτι ὀλίγον 13 καιρὸν ἔχει. Καὶ ὅτε εἶδεν ὁ δράκων, ὅτι ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἐδίωξε τὴν για ναῖκα, ἥτις ἔτεκε 14 τὸν ἄῤῥενα. Καὶ ἐδόθησαν τῇ γυναικὶ δύο πολέςυγες το από το μεγάλο, ἵνα πέτηλαι εἰς τὴν ἔρημον εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς, ὅπε τρέφεται ἐκεῖ καιρὸν καὶ καιρός, και ἥμισυ καιρᾶς, ἀπὸ "overcame him by the "blood of the Lamb, "and by the word of "their testimony; and “ they loved not their "life even unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, Ο "ye heavens, and ye "that dwell therein. : Woe to the earth, "and to the sea; be "cause the Devil is come down to you, "having great wrath, 'knowing that he hath 13" ashort season.” And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he pursued the woman who brought forth the male14 child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she night filee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished there, a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the ser15 pent. And the serpent | cast out of his mouth, overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 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 coine down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a 13 short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man14 child. 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 15 the serpent. 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 16 food. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed προσώπει το όφεως, 15 Καὶ ἔβαλεν ὁ ὄφις ἐκ τῶ ςόμαίΘ. αὐτῷ ὀπίσω τῆς γυναικὸς ἰδὼρ ὡς πολαμόν ἵνα ταύτην αυτα μορόζηλον ποιήση 16 Καὶ ἐβοήθησενή γη છે ξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ ςόμα αὐτῆς, καὶ καλέπιε τὸν ποταμὸν ὃν ἔβα λεν ὁ δράκων ἐκ τῆ 17 ςόμαλο, αὑτῶν. Καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ δράκων ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικὶ, και ἀπῆλθε ποιῆσαι πό λεμον μετὰ τῶν λοι πῶν τῶ σπέρματο αὐτῆς, τῶν τηρένιων τὰς ἐντολὰς τῇ Θεό, καὶ ἐχόντων τὴν μαςτυρίαν Ἰησᾶ. might cause her to be carried away by the 16 river. And the earth helped the woman: and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his 17 mouth. And the dragon was enraged against the woman, and went away, to make war with the remnant of her offspring; those who keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus. up the flood which the dragon cast out of his 17 mouth. And the dra gon 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, Ver. 1. A great sign-in heaven.] The word anION is used here to signify a type, a symbol, or figurative representation; and occurs in the same sense in other parts of Scripture. The verb naive, as used in ch. i. 1. includes the same meaning. The scene of this representation continues yet in heaven. We are prepared to expect under this Trumpet the description of that conflict and victory, by which the Christian Church will be placed in security from her enemies. And in order to exhibit this in all its parts, the Holy Spirit begins the representation from the earliest times. To enable us to understand things future, Matt. xii. 38. xvi. 1-4. Rom. iv. 11, past past events are first represented under the same kind of allegory. Ibid. A Woman.] A woman, in figurative language, is used to signify a city, a state, a body politic. Such is the daughter of Tyre, of Babylon, of Jerusalem; the latter of whom, when virtuous, is honoured with the high appellation of the espoused of Godt; when wicked and idolatrous, she is styled the harlot, the adulteress . the adulteress . This method, of representing nations and cities under the symbol of women, was copied from the eastern by the western world. Rome is represented upon the ancient medals under the form of a woman. Britannia appears under the same emblem. There is, among the Roman coins, one of Vespasian, upon the reverse of which is a captive woman, hanging her mournful head, and the inscription is Judæa. She is there depictured, as by the mas◄ ter-hand, in Lament. i. 1-4, and in the 137th Psalm, where the daughter of Babylon and the captive daughter of Jerusalem, are contrasted. But the woman, the city now represented, is of heavenly origin, "whose builder "and maker is God," of which "Christ is the corner "stone; the New, the heavenly Jerusalem, the mother "of us all §." She is, in short, the Church of Christ ||, * Psalms xlv. 12; cxxxvii. 8. 2 Kings xix. 21. + Isaiah liv. 1. 5. lxvi. 6-14. Jer. xxxi. 4. 2 Cor. xi. 2. See notes, ch. ii, 20. xvii. 1. § Matt. xvi. 18. Gal. iv. 26, 27. 1 Cor. iii. 9, &c. 2 Cor. v. 1—3; vi. 16. Eph. ii. 21; iii. 9; iv. 12. 16. Col. ii. 7. 1 Tim. iii. 15. 1 Pet. ji. 3-7-10. Heb. iii. 6. xi. 10; xii. 22; xiii. 14. Rev. iii. 12; xxi. 2. Methodius, one of the most ancient commentators on the Apo. calypse, who wrote about the year 290, applies this symbol to the Christian Church. (See the commentary of And. Cæs. in loc.) In the Shepherd of Hermas, and in the apocryphal Esdras, a woman repre senta the Church. and |