4/18/19
Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002. Location: Ellis BS 2825.53.O73 2002
III. God in Majesty and Judgment (4:1-16:21) pp. 218-602.
B. Great Conflict between God and the Forces of Evil (12:1-16:21) pp. 451-602
- “Conflict between the Dragon and God as Well as His People (12:1-13:18)” pp. 454-522.
Revelation 12:13-17 continues the narrative of the dragon, now thrown to the earth and angered. Osborne finds this to be an expansion of the story line as left behind in 12:6 (Osborne 2002, 481). The dragon, having realized suddenly that he was no longer fighting with the angel Michael, turns to pursue the woman. The woman, given eagle’s wings, can fly away, a feature of the passage which leads Osborne to consider several biblical references to eagles as God’s servants of protection (Osborne 2002, r482). She flees to the place of God’s protection for a period of three and a half years, which Osborne sees as a reference to Daniel 7:25 and 12:7. The serpent, in Revelation 12:15, sends a flood to try to sweep the woman away. Osborne assumes this to be “a flood of his lies and deceit as well as persecution” (Osborne 2002, 4383) since there are numerous biblical passages which show those as trials from Satan. The woman is saved by the earth swallowing the flood, a motif used in the Bible of God’s judgment which swallows evil (Osborne 2002, 434). The dragon, further angered, turns against the woman’s offspring. Osborne observes that some commentators treat the woman as Israel, some take her to be the Church. The offspring may be the Christ or, given multiple offspring, the Christians in general (Osborne 2002, 485). The offspring, keeping God’s commands and the witness of Jesus, is preserved.