vey that meaning in this connection is evident from the statement that the Child is "caught up to God" (v: 5), that is, caught up from the earth. It does not here even denote a place, but rather a condition, an attitude. What John means is, this is a spiritual sign; that is, he saw in spirit, it is a vision. To be "in the spirit" and to be in "heaven" are the same.

The "woman" represents the Church of the time in which this event takes place, and for the sake of clearness we may speak of this as the Old Testament Church. Her identity is given in the sixth verse where the "thousand two hundred and sixty days" have the same meaning as the three and a half years' ministry of the "two witnesses." She is "clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." The Seer doubtless has in mind the dream of Joseph in which the sun and moon represent his father and mother and the eleven stars his brothers. (See Gen. xxxix: 9, 10.) And as Jacob and Rachel are the traditional ancestors of the Israelites, it is not difficult to see the meaning here. The "woman" and her adornments represent respectively the earthly and heavenly aspects of the Old Testament Church.

The Dragon:-The apostle saw "another sign" at this time; "a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems." This is a representation of Satan, the heads and horns denoting his universal activity and power (v: 9). "The third part of the stars of heaven" refers to the angels whom Satan drew down with himself to perdition. (See Jude 6.) No definite number, but a large portion is meant.

The Supreme Crisis:-When the "woman" brought forth her Child, the "dragon" stood prepared to devour it. But this "man-child" Who is to shepherd all

nations is caught up to God. This transaction marks the supreme crisis in this age-long struggle, and the issue of it shortens the rule of Satan. Cf. Gen. iv: 1, where Eve when she "bore Cain" supposed that she had "gotten a man from the Lord""a man-child" who was to bruise the serpent's head.

The attitude of the "dragon" toward the "woman" expresses the seer's idea of the demon world in Christ's day. There is no way to account for so much demoniacal possession as recorded in the Gospels and Acts, except on the ground symbolically set forth here. A great advance is made in the Kingdom of God by the Advent of Christ, and Satan strives to counteract it ("And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth, he might devour her child," v: 4), and this increased activity in the kingdom of evil expressed the demonic consciousness of the gravity of the situation. It proved to be the beginning of the end of Satan's rule.

The "woman" fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, "that they may nourish her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days." There is no attempt on the part of the seer to dogmatize. Let us bear in mind that this is picture-language with all the appurtenances peculiar to the Oriental mind. He is picturing the most critical stage in the struggle between Righteousness and Evil for the mastery of the world. The "wilderness" is the scene of her temptation as it was of Christ's. She flees to the place of her conflict "prepared of God," and where she is nourished. (Cf. "angels ministered unto Him," Matt. iv: 11.) Deut. viii: 2-5 and Hos. ii: 14 recall the flight of the ancient Church when persecuted by the Dragon through Pharaoh. The "harlot" is afterward found in a wilderness (xvii: 3), but not in "a place

prepared of God." The "wilderness" is in prophetic language the type of Israel's exile. (Isa. xli: 17-19; Jer. ii: 2; Ezek. xx: 13; Hos. ii: 14, 15.) The "flight" suggests the passage of the Gospel to the Gentiles as announced in Matt. viii: 11, 12; xxi: 43; Acts xiii: 46, 47; xxviii: 28. The "woman" is the Church of that time, which of course stands for Righteousness. The "Child," who is Christ, is represented as the product of Righteousness, and comes forth as its Champion in the conflict. There is not a word here about the work of Christ on the earth. This is not the seer's object. He merely wishes to show how Satan is foiled, that the Child Who is to shepherd all nations is caught up to God. The whole vision may be regarded as a spectacular description of the Birth of Christ and its accompanying incidents. The action of "the dragon" as depicted here was doubtless suggested by the attempt of Herod to get possession of the Child Jesus, while in the escape of the "woman" to the wilderness we see a reflection of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt.

The Issue:-The issue of this crisis is shown in the expulsion of Satan and his host from "heaven." Care must be taken not to literalize here. It is the seer's way of expressing the result of the struggle.

Through the victory of Christ and His followers, Satan's days are numbered, "the Devil is gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a little season." (v: 12.)

This is not an anachronism; it is not meant that this is the introduction of evil into the world. But the seer transfers the contest from the first Adam to the second Adam, and shows how the latter bruised the serpent's head. (Gen. iii: 15.) This was Satan's real downfall, and the spectacular expulsion from heaven follows as a logical consequence. The men

tion in this connection of the expulsion of the "dragon" from heaven by Michael, in a war which had for its object the dispossession of God, leaves us to infer that the triumph of Christ was the fundamental victory over evil. The seer reverts to the earlier incident that we may know the antecedent history of the Dragon, and that he may explain the circumstances under which he was led to persecute the Woman. This history is traced down in verse 14 to the same point as in verse 6, i. e., to the escape of the Woman into the wilderness. Stripped of its graphic verbiage, the language here teaches that the old conflict of Satan with the powers of heaven was renewed at the Incarnation, and with the same result. The Devil and his angels not only failed to conquer,_but they could not maintain their place in heaven. This is the "destroying the works of the devil" (I John iii: 8), which was the consequence of the triumphant life, and death, and ascension of Christ. Here, indeed, is described in its fullest significance that which Christ with prophetic eye beheld. (Luke x: 18.) Cf. also, "Now shall the Prince of this world be cast out." (John xii: 31.)

Opposing Factors: "For this cause rejoice ye heavens and ye who dwell in them." "Woe to the earth and sea." The "heavens" are contrasted with the "earth and the sea." Joy to the one; to the others, woe! It is not the places that are thought of so much as what these places represent-the religious and the irreligious. All three figuratively describe the opposing factors in this spiritual conflict. The "heavens" stand for the forces of righteousness and the place of the Church's security, whence the warfare is directed on her behalf. While the "saints" are, in reality, on the earth they are not regarded in the visions of this Book as dwelling here. They "tabernacle" with God

in "heaven" (xiii: 6). This much at least is implied here. The term, however, has larger meanings, which must be determined by their immediate connections. In most cases reference is made to the sky in the popular sense, while in others the term is expressive of the Seer's spiritual perception, being analogous to "in the Spirit." (Cf. i: 10; iv: 1; and xii: 1.) The "earth" and the "sea" denote the forces of evil and the abode of those who oppose God's true people. An amplification of the meaning of these terms must, however, be reserved for the next chapter in connection with the history of the two Beasts that arise out of these elements.

The Persecuted Church:-The defeat of the "dragon" is followed by his persecution of the "woman." He "cast out of his mouth a flood of water to engulf her, but the earth swallowed it up," after which he makes war on "the rest of her seed." Here John doubtless recognizes the new Church and the persecution that followed the success of the apostles' preaching. The statement concerning the further activity of the "dragon" must not be lost sight of in the exposition of the succeeding chapters. Every opponent of God and His people described in the progress of the remaining chapters is an agent of Satan. This will be clearly seen. when we reach Chapter XX. But this much by way of anticipation.

This completes the second great cycle in the apostle's portrayal of the spiritual conflict. We have now considered the Universal and National, or Redemptive aspects; the third cycle having to do with the immediate conditions surrounding John and his fellow-religionists.