The revelation of Satan's activity, which the song of the martyrs (vv. 10-12) interrupted, now resumes.
12:13 Satan will concentrate his vengeance on Israelites during the Great Tribulation, under the sovereign control of God, since He cannot antagonize Christ. The Israelites will flee from Satan in the future as they fled from Pharaoh in the past (cf. Exod. 14:5; Josh. 24:6). Jesus predicted this flight in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:15-28; Mark 13:14-23). The reason Satan will oppose the Jews is that Christ, his archenemy, came from them and is one of them.
12:14 The Israelites will receive divine assistance in fleeing from the dragon (passive "were given"). God bore the Israelites "on eagles wings"when He enabled them to escape from Pharaoh (Exod. 19:4; Deut. 32:11; cf. Isa. 40:31). Therefore we should probably understand the eagle to be metaphorical describing the way God will save them, namely, with strength and safety.407The comparison between an eagle that can fly overhead and an earth-bound serpent implies the superior protection of God.
Evidently many Israelites will flee from Jerusalem into desolate places to escape Satan's persecution (cf. Zech. 14:1-8; Matt. 24:16; Mark 13:14). Some commentators have felt that mountainous Petra in Edom (modern Jordan) is a place where all that God predicted here could take place (cf. Matt. 24:16). However the Jews could flee to any mountainous region of safety. God will nourish these Israelites in their place of refuge, possibly as He fed the Israelites in the wilderness and Elijah by the brook Cherith.
The reference to a time, times, and half a time identifies this activity as taking place during the Great Tribulation (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; cf. Rev. 11:2; 12:6; 13:5). "Times"refers to years as is clear from the Hebrew of Daniel 11:13 that reads "at the end of times, even years."408No one will be able to buy or sell during the Great Tribulation without the mark of the beast (13:17), so perhaps God's provisions will again be miraculous.
The "serpent"is another name for the dragon (v. 9). Even though this period will be a time of intense persecution of Jews, God will preserve many of them, as He explained here (cf. 7:3-8).
12:15 Perhaps Satan will use literal water to try to drown this group of Israelites.409If they take refuge in a place such as Petra this might seem to be a possibility. Another possibility is that he will pursue them with soldiers as a river (cf. Jer. 46:7-8; 47:2-3).410A flood is also a biblical metaphor for overwhelming evil (Ps. 18:4; 124:2-4; Isa. 43:2). Probably this is a picturesque way of describing Satan's attempt to destroy the Jews who will have congregated in Palestine following the Antichrist's covenant with them. Both water and fire (cf. 9:17; 11:5) proceeding from the mouth picture punishment in Scripture.
Note the many parallels between Israel's exodus from Egypt and her past preservation in the wilderness, including rescue from water (the Red Sea; cf. v. 15), and this future flight. The similarities have led some commentators to conclude that the 42 months refer to Israel's 42 camping stations (Num. 33) and that what John described was in the past. Yet it seems clear that John was describing a future exodus.
12:16 Evidently the earth (the physical ground, Gr. ge) will assist the Israelites in escaping from the serpent. In the past the ground swallowed the Egyptians (Exod. 15:12) and later Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (Num. 16:28-33; 26:10; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 106:17). Perhaps God will do similar miracles to preserve the fleeing Jews in the future.
Two-thirds of these Israelites will die (Zech. 13:8) and one-third will escape. Some of those who perish will probably be believers, the martyrs of verse 11.
12:17 Enraged because of his lack of success in completely annihilating all fleeing Jews Satan will proceed to concentrate his attack on those who do not flee. Jews who believe in Jesus Christ become his special target, those who hold fast to the truth that God and Christ revealed. Specifically this group seems to be the 144,000 (7:1-8; 14:1-5).411
"Granting the continuity of 12:1-14:5, one must see the portrayal of the victorious 144,000 in 14:1-5 as a sequel to the battle of the dragon's two emissaries with the rest of her seed' in chapter 13. The extended section is a connected sequence from this point on with the mention of the dragon's animosity toward that seed here, his stationing of himself on the sands of the sea in 12:18, the appearance of the earthly agents he will use to inflict his damage in 13:1, 11, and the proleptic scene of the victorious victims of his persecution after the conflict is over in 14:1-5. This sequence says rather plainly that the rest of her seed' is none other than the 144,000."412
