11 They triumphed over 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.
The phrase “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb”, points back to Exodus 12.
- Vs. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
- Vs. 22-23 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
The houses with the blood of a lamb on it were pointing to Jesus’ death on the cross that by faith in Him we would receive His blood to cover us and protect us from the wrath of God being poured out on the wicked.
1 Peter 1:2
who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”
After Satan’s defeat in heaven, he will come down to earth with the resolve to destroy those who worship Jesus Christ.
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
The first one on his list to destroy will be Israel. The reason is given in the verse itself. Israel produced the Savior of the world.
14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.
The phrase “The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle” refers to being rescued swiftly and taken to a country that will protect the Jews that God has prepared from the Antichrist’s army in the last part of the tribulation.
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
“Water like a river” refers to a great multitude (see Revelation 17:15) or a big army to would overtake and destroy the Jewish people while they are fleeing.
16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
Most likely God caused an earthquake to take place to swallow up the army who were pursuing His people.
17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
The dragon and the Antichrist were powerless to do anything to the Jewish people so they turned their focus to the number two on their list, Christians.
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