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Revelation 12:7-17
New English Translation

War in Heaven

7 Then[a] war broke out in heaven: Michael[b] and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But[c] the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,[d] so there was no longer any place left[e] in heaven for him and his angels.[f] 9 So[g] 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. 10 Then[h] I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority[i] of his Christ,[j] have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,[k]
the one who accuses them day and night[l] before our God,
has been thrown down.
11 But[m] they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives[n] so much that they were afraid to die.
12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But[o] woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He[p] is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”

13 Now[q] when the dragon realized[r] that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But[s] the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness,[t] to the place God[u] prepared for her, where she is taken care of—away from the presence of the serpent—for a time, times, and half a time.[v] 15 Then[w] the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to[x] sweep her away by a flood, 16 but[y] the earth came to her rescue;[z] the ground opened up[aa] and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So[ab] the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,[ac] those who keep[ad] God’s commandments and hold to[ae] the testimony about Jesus.[af]

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 12:7 sn 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).
  3. Revelation 12:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the implied contrast.
  4. Revelation 12:8 tn The words “to prevail” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  5. Revelation 12:8 tn Grk “found.”
  6. Revelation 12:8 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (the dragon and his angels, v. 7) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Revelation 12:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the war in heaven.
  8. Revelation 12:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  9. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “the right of his Messiah to rule.” See L&N 37.35.
  10. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
  11. Revelation 12:10 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). The translation “fellow believer” would normally apply (L&N 11.23), but since the speaker(s) are not specified in this context, it is not clear if such a translation would be appropriate here. The more generic “brothers and sisters” was chosen to emphasize the fact of a relationship without specifying its type.
  12. Revelation 12:10 tn Or “who accuses them continually.”
  13. Revelation 12:11 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.
  14. Revelation 12:11 sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.
  15. Revelation 12:12 tn The word “But” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied. This is a case of asyndeton (lack of a connective).
  16. Revelation 12:12 tn Grk “and is filled,” a continuation of the previous sentence. Because English tends to use shorter sentences (especially when exclamations are involved), a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  17. Revelation 12:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” because the clause it introduces is clearly resumptive.
  18. Revelation 12:13 tn Grk “saw.”
  19. Revelation 12:14 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
  20. Revelation 12:14 tn Or “desert.”
  21. Revelation 12:14 tn The word “God” is supplied based on the previous statements made concerning “the place prepared for the woman” in 12:6.
  22. Revelation 12:14 tc The reading “and half a time” (καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ, kai hēmisu kairou) is lacking in the significant majuscule C. Its inclusion, however, is supported by P47 א A and the rest of the ms tradition. There is apparently no reason for the scribe of C to intentionally omit the phrase, and the fact that the word “time” (καιρὸν καὶ καιρούς, kairon kai kairous) appears twice before may indicate a scribal oversight.sn The parallel statement in Rev 12:6 suggests that the phrase a time, times, and half a time equals 1,260 days (three and a half years of 360 days each).
  23. Revelation 12:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  24. Revelation 12:15 tn Grk “so that he might make her swept away.”
  25. Revelation 12:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present here.
  26. Revelation 12:16 tn Grk “the earth helped the woman.”
  27. Revelation 12:16 tn Grk “the earth opened its mouth” (a metaphor for the ground splitting open).
  28. Revelation 12:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the woman’s escape.
  29. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “her seed” (an idiom for offspring, children, or descendants).
  30. Revelation 12:17 tn Or “who obey.”
  31. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “and having.”
  32. Revelation 12:17 tn Grk “the testimony of Jesus,” which may involve a subjective genitive (“Jesus’ testimony”) or, more likely, an objective genitive (“testimony about Jesus”).
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Revelation 11
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