The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 279

woman by Sa.tan. It is 001111ed, apparently, angeu of the dragon al'8 the stars of YeJ', 4, by a desire t.o aooount in 80Dle degree for which he drew with him to the earth, and the relentless hostility of the devil towards possibly the reference to this event in Ter. God and bis ChUl'Ch. Two explanations of 4 gives rise to the e.coount in vem. 7-18. the paasage may be referred to. (I) Vers. Some commentators interpret the war here 7-13 telate t.o the period anterior t.o the described as that between the Church and Oree.tion,ooncerning which we have a slight the world. Michael is thus made to be hint in Jude 6. Thie, on the whole, seems symbolical of Christ, and some have no to agree best with the general sense of the difficulty in indicating a particnla.r man ahapter, and to present fewest difficulties. (such 88 Licinius) as the antitype of the Th'IUI: (a) It accounts for the insertion of the dragon. And the dragon fought and his pauage(see above). (b) The w&l'isdireotly angels, and prevailed not ; neither was their betit'een the devil and Michael, not between ple.ce found any more in heaven. The Greek the devil and Christ, as at the Incarn11.tion is atronger, not e11en their plaCtJ, etc. OMJ and Resurrection. (o) Vers. 8 and 9 seem is read in ~. A, B, C, Andre!lll, Arethaa; to require a more literal interpretation than olln is found in P, 1, 17, and others. So that which makes them refer to the effects complete was the defeat of Satan that he of Ohl'ist'e resurrection. (d) It was not at wa~ no longer permitted to remain in heaven the period of the Incarnation that the scene in any capacity. ef Satan'• opJ)Ol!ition was transferred to the Ver. 9.-And the great dragon waa can earth.as described in ver. 12. (e) The song· out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and of the heavenly voice may be intended to Satan, which deoeiveth the whole world ; end with the word "Christ" (ver. 10), and the caat down (Revised Version); the u,hola following passages may be the words of the inhabited earth (Revised Version, margin). writer of the Apocalypse, and may refer to "The dragon:" so ealled, because he is the the earthly martyrs (see on ver. 10). (j) destroyer (see on ver. 3). "'fhe anciet1t This attempt of the devil in heaven may be serpent," as he was revealed in Gen iii. alluded t.o in John i. 5, " The darkness So in John viii. 44 he is "the destroyer from overcame it not" (see also John xiL 35). the beginning." "The devil " ( t>.,&./3011.0i) ia (2) The passage may refer to the incarna- the Greek rendering of the Hebrew Satan. tion and resui-rection of Christ, and the K)~, "the accuser, the adversary;" reference victory then won over the devil. This in- is made in ver. 10 to the signification of terpretation renders the whole passage much the name, "The Deceiver." Wordsworth more figurative. (a) Michael is the type says," The deceits by which Satan cheated of mankind, which in the Person of Jesus Uie world iu oracles, sorcery, soothsaying, Ohrillt vanquishes the devil. (b) Subsequent magic, and Gther frauds, are here specially to the Reaurrection Satan is no more allowed noticed. These were put to flight by the to acouse men before God in heaven, as he power of Christ and of the Holy Ghost, in has' done previously (see Job i.; ii.; Zech. the preaching of the gospel by the apostle• liL 1; 1 Kings xxii. 19-22); he is time the and others in the first ages of Christianity. aconser cast down (ver. 10), and his place Our Lord himself: speaking of the conse- is no more found in heaven (ver. 8). (e) quence of the preaching of the seventy The earth and sea represent the worldly disciples, reveals the spiritual struggle and lllld tumultuous nations. Perhaps the the victory: 'I was behoitling Satan as ~geat argument in favour of the second lightning fall from heaven' (Luke x. 17, view is found in Luke x. 18 and John xii. 18)." He was cast out into the earth, and 81. Jlioha.el and his angels fought against his angels were cast out with him ; cast the dragon; Michael and Iii• cingela [goiny doW'll to tlui mrth, etc. (Revised Version). ftwth] to u,ar 11/ilh tM dragoa (Revised "To the earth" in a twofold sense: (l) Version). Alford explains the infinitive the phrase is a description of the loss of phnae lie compounded of the genitive .-ov dignity and power on the part of Satan, in and depending upon l-ylvE.-o. Michael being cast to earth e.s oppo.ed to heaven; ~ ) signifies, "Who is like to God?" (2) earth is the scene of his future opara- We may compare this with the cry of the tions, where he may still in some degree worldly in eh. xiii. 4, " Who is like unt.o sustain the struggle against God. the beast ? " In Daniel, Michael is the Ver. 10.-And I hea.rd a loud voice saying prince who stands up for the people of in heaven. The " great voice " is character- lsnel (Dau. xii. l; x. 13, 21). Michael, istic of all the heavenly utterances (of. oh, "the lll'Ohangel," ia alluded to in J nde 9 as v. 2; vi. 1, 10; xvL 17, etc.). The tile great opposer of Satan. St. John, per- personality of the speaker is not indicated. hape bnnowing the nil.me from Daniel, puts From the following chorus the voice would fonranl Michael u the chief of those who seem to proced from many inhabitants of 1-ematned faithful to the canse of God in heaven. Now is come salvation, and atrengtll, the fehellion of Sata,!l and hiq angel,. The and tbe ~om of oiu: God, ~ ~ power CJ[, xn. 1-17.] THE REVELATION OIi' B'l'. 'JOHN THE bIVtNE. sis