Revelation 12:7

War in Heaven

12:7 Then¹ war broke out in heaven: Michael² and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.

Revelation 12:3

12:3 Then³ 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

Revelation 12:8

12:8 But⁵ the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,⁶ so there was no longer any place left⁷ in heaven for him and his angels.⁸

Revelation 12:13

12:13 Now⁹ when the dragon realized¹⁰ that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

Revelation 12:16

12:16 but¹¹ the earth came to her rescue;¹² the ground opened up¹³ and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth.

Revelation 13:11

13:11 Then¹⁴ I saw another beast¹⁵ coming up from the earth. He¹⁶ had two horns like a lamb,¹⁷ but¹⁸ was speaking like a dragon.

Revelation 20:2

20:2 He¹⁹ seized the dragon – the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan – and tied him up for a thousand years.

Revelation 12:4

12:4 Now²⁰ the dragon’s²¹ tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then²² 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.

Revelation 12:17

12:17 So²³ the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,²⁴ those who keep²⁵ God’s commandments and hold to²⁶ the testimony about Jesus.²⁷ (12:18) And the dragon²⁸ stood²⁹ on the sand³⁰ of the seashore.³¹

Revelation 12:9

12:9 So³² 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.

Revelation 13:4

13:4 they worshiped the dragon because he had given ruling authority³³ to the beast, and they worshiped the beast too, saying: “Who is like the beast?” and “Who is able to make war against him?”³⁴

Revelation 16:13

16:13 Then³⁵ I saw three unclean spirits³⁶ that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Revelation 13:2

13:2 Now³⁷ the beast that I saw was like a leopard, but its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. The³⁸ dragon gave the beast³⁹ his power, his throne, and great authority to rule.⁴⁰

¹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

²sn The archangel Michael had a special role in protecting the nation of Israel in the OT (Dan 10:13, 21; 12:1; see also Jude 9).

³tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

⁴tn For the translation of διάδημα (diadhma) as “diadem crown” see L&N 6.196.

sn Diadem crowns were a type of crown used as a symbol of the highest ruling authority in a given area, and thus often associated with kingship.

⁵tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.

⁶tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

⁷tn Grk “found.”

⁸tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” because the clause it introduces is clearly resumptive.

¹⁰tn Grk “saw.”

¹¹tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.

¹²tn Grk “the earth helped the woman.”

¹³tn Grk “the earth opened its mouth” (a metaphor for the ground splitting open).

¹⁴tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹⁵sn This second beast is identified in Rev 16:13 as “the false prophet.”

¹⁶tn Grk “and it had,” a continuation of the preceding sentence. On the use of the pronoun “he” to refer to the second beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

¹⁷tn Or perhaps, “like a ram.” Here L&N 4.25 states, “In the one context in the NT, namely, Re 13:11, in which ἀρνίον refers literally to a sheep, it is used in a phrase referring to the horns of an ἀρνίον. In such a context the reference is undoubtedly to a ‘ram,’ that is to say, the adult male of sheep.” In spite of this most translations render the word “lamb” here to maintain the connection between this false lamb and the true Lamb of the Book of Revelation, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

¹⁹tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²⁰tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate that this remark is virtually parenthetical.

²¹tn Grk “its”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²²tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

²³tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the woman’s escape.

²⁴tn Grk “her seed” (an idiom for offspring, children, or descendants).

²⁵tn Or “who obey.”

²⁶tn Grk “and having.”

²⁷tn Grk “the testimony of Jesus,” which may involve a subjective genitive (“Jesus’ testimony”) or, more likely, an objective genitive (“testimony about Jesus”).

²⁸tn Grk “he”; the referent (the dragon) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁹tc Grk ἐστάθη (estaqh, “he stood”). The reading followed by the translation is attested by the better mss (Ì⁴⁷ א A C 1854 2344 2351 pc lat sy^h) while the majority of mss (051 Ï vg^mss sy^ph co) have the reading ἐστάθην (estaqhn, “I stood”). Thus, the majority of mss make the narrator, rather than the dragon of 12:17, the subject of the verb. The first person reading is most likely an assimilation to the following verb in 13:1, “I saw.” The reading “I stood” was introduced either by accident or to produce a smoother flow, giving the narrator a vantage point on the sea’s edge from which to observe the beast rising out of the sea in 13:1. But almost everywhere else in the book, the phrase καὶ εἶδον (kai eidon, “and I saw”) marks a transition to a new vision, without reference to the narrator’s activity. On both external and internal grounds, it is best to adopt the third person reading, “he stood.”

³⁰tn Or “sandy beach” (L&N 1.64).

³¹sn The standard critical texts of the Greek NT, NA²⁷ and UBS⁴, both include this sentence as 12:18, as do the RSV and NRSV. Other modern translations like the NASB and NIV include the sentence at the beginning of 13:1; in these versions chap. 12 has only 17 verses.

³²tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.

³³tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.

³⁴tn On the use of the masculine pronoun to refer to the beast, see the note on the word “It” in 13:1.

³⁵tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

³⁶sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.

³⁷tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the parenthetical nature of the following description of the beast.

³⁸tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

³⁹tn Grk “gave it”; the referent (the beast) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁴⁰tn For the translation “authority to rule” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.