THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XII

 

Nota Bene: Before proceeding, the reader is advised to review our post titled, PREFATORY TO THE TRANSCRIPTION OF THE APOCALYPSE OF JOHN THE APOSTLE as well as our post titled, THE ARGVMENT OF THE APOCALYPSE OF S. IOHN. The reader is also advised that the source text of THE APOCALYPSE OF IOHN THE APOSTLE — CHAPTER XII transcribed herewith can be accessed online by referring to pp. 719–721 of the original Rheims New Testament through the following link: THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.



THE APOCALYPSE
OF IOHN THE APOSTLE

Chap. XII.

4 The great dragon (the Diuel) vvatching the vvoman that brought forth a man childe, to deuoure it. God tooke avvay the childe to him ſelf, and fed the vvoman in the deſert. 7 Michael fighting vvith the dragon ouercõmeth him. 13 Vvho being throvven dovvne to the earth, perſecuteth the vvomã & her ſeede.

The Dragons incredulous & perſecuting multitude, and Antichriſt the cheefe head thereof.
1. And a great ſigne appeared in heauen: ⸬ a vvoman clothed vvith the ſunne, and the moon vnder her feete, & on her head a crovvne of tvvelue ſtarres: ⸬ This is properly & principally ſpoken of the Church: and by alluſion, of our B. Lady alſo. † 2. & being with childe, ſhe cried alſo traueling, and is in anguiſh to be deliuered. † 3. And there vvas ſeen an other ſigne in heauen, and hehold c a great red dragon hauing ſeuẽ heades, & ten hornes: and on his heades ſeuen diademes, c The great Diuel Lucifer. † 4. & his taile drevv ⸬ the third part of the ſtarres of heauen, and caſt them to earth ⸬ The ſpirites that fall from their firſt ſtate into Apoſtaſie vvith him and by his meanes., and the dragon ſtoode before the vvoman which vvas ready to be deliuered : that vvhen ſhe ſhould be deliuered, he might c deuoure her ſonne. c The Diuels endeuour agaĩſt the Churches children, and ſpecially our B. Ladies onely ſonne the head of the reſt.† 5. And ſhe brought forth a man childe, vvho vvas *to gouerne al nations in an yron rodde:& her ſonne vvas taken vp to God and to his throne. Pſ. 2, 9. Apoc. 2, 27. † 6. & ″ the vvoman fled1 into the vvilderneſſe where ſhe had a place prepared of God, that there they might feede her a thouſand tvvo hundred ſixtie daies.

    † 7. And there vvas made ″ a great battel2 in heauen, Michael and his Angels fought vvith the dragon, and the dragon fought and his Angels: † 8. and they preuailed not, neither vvas their place found any more in heauen. † 9. And that great dragon vvas caſt forth, the old ſerpent, vvhich is called the Deuil and Satan, vvhich ſeduceth the vvhole vvorld: and he vvas caſt into the earth, & his Angels vvere throvven downe vvith him. † 10. And I heard a great voice in heauen ſaying: Novv is there made ſaluation and force, and the kingdom of our God, and the povver of his Chriſt: becauſe the accuſer of our brethren is caſt forth, vvho accuſed them before the ſight of our God day and night. † 11. And ⸬ they ouercame him by the bloud of the Lambe, and by the vvord of their tesſtimonie, and they loued not their liues even vnto death. ⸬ Vvhen the Angels or vve haue the victorie, vve muſt knovv it is by the bloud of Chriſt, and ſo al is referred alvvaies to him. † 12. Therfore reioyce ô heauens, and you that dvvel therein. Vvo to the earth and to the ſea, becauſe the Diuel is deſcẽded to you, hauing great vvrath, knovving that he hath a litle time.

    † 13. And after the dragon ſavv that he vvas throvven into the earth, he perſecuted the vvomã vvhich brought forth the man-childe: † 14. and there vvere giuen to the vvoman tvvo vvinges of a great egle, that ſhee might flie into the deſert vnto her place, vvhere ſhe is nouriſhed for a ⸬ time & times, & half a time, from the face of the ſerpent. ⸬ This often inſinuatiõ that Antichriſts reigne ſhal be but three yeres & a halfe (Dan. 7, 25. Apoc. 11, 2. 3. & in this chap. v.6. c.13, 5.) proueth that the heretikes be excedingly blinded vvith malice, that hold the Pope to be Antichriſt, who hath ruled ſo many ages. † 15. And the ſerpent caſt out of his mouth after the vvoman, vvater as it vvere a floud : that he might make her ″ to be caried avvay3 vvith the floud. † 16. And the earth holpe the vvoman, and the earth opened her mouth, and ſvvallovved vp the floud vvhich the dragon caſt out of his mouth. † 17. And the dragon vvas angrie againſt the vvoman : and vvent to make battel vvith the reſt of her ſeede, vvhich keepe the commaundements of God, and haue the teſtimonie of Iesvs Chriſt. † 18. And he ſtood vpon the ſand of the ſea.

ANNOTATIONS
Chap. XII.

  1. 6. The vvoman fled.] The Church ſhal flee as to a deſert in Antichriſts time, but not decay or be unknowen, no not for ſo ſhort a time. This great perſecution that the Church ſhal flee from, is in the time of Antichriſt, and ſhal endure but three yeres and a halfe, as is noted v. 14 in the margent. In vvhich time for al that, ſhe ſhal not vvant our Lordes protection, nor true Paſtors, nor be ſo ſecrete, but al faithful men ſhal knovv and folovv her:much leſſe ſhal ſhe decay, erre in faith, or degenerate and folovv Antichriſt, as Heretikes do vvickedly feine. As the Church Catholike novv in England in this time of perſecution, becauſe it hath no publike ſtate of regiment nor open free exerciſe of holy functions, may be ſaid to be fled into the deſert, yet it is neither vnkovven to the faithful that folovv it, nor the enemies that perſecute it : as the hidde company that the proteſtants talke of, vvas for ſome vvorldes together, neither knovven to their frendes nor foes, becauſe there vvas in deede none ſuch for many ages together. And this is true, if vve take this flight for a very corporal retiring into vvildernes. Vvhere in deede it may be, and is of moſt expounded, to be a ſpiritual flight, by ſorſaking the ioyes and ſolaces of the vvorld, and giuing herſelf to contemplation and penance during the time of perſecution vnder Antichriſt. And by enlarging the ſenſe, it may alſo very vvel ſignifie the deſolation and affliction that the Church ſuffereth and hath ſuffered from time to time in this vvildernes of the vvorld, by al the forerunners and miniſters of Antichriſt, Tyrants, and Heretikes.↩️


  2. 7. A great battel.] S. Michael fighting vvith the dragon. In the Church there is a perpetual combat betvvixt S. Michael (protector of the Church militant as he vvas ſometime of the Ievves Synagogue Dan.10,21) and his Angels, and the Deuil and his miniſters. the perfect victorie ouer vvhom ſhal be at the iudgement. Marke here alſo the cause vvhy S. Michael is commonly painted fighting vvith a dragon.↩️


  3. 15. To be caried avvay.] Antichriſts attẽpts to draw from the true faith. By great perſecution he vvould dravv her, that is her children from the true faith: but euery one of the faithful elect, gladly bearing their part thereof, ouercome his tyrannie. At vvhoſe conſtancie he being the more offended, vvorketh malicious attempts in aſſaulting the frailes ſort, vvho are here ſignified by the reſt of her ſeede that keepe the commaundements, but are not ſo perfect as the former.↩️


 
Edwin Wright