[§211] Rev 12:13: Satan Persecutes the Ancient Earthly Church

This podcast explains and interprets Revelation 12:13 which states: “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.” (Rev 12:13) The Dragon symbolizes Lucifer (Satan) who was cast down to this earth at the time of the physical creation of the earth. However, in this verse, Satan was cast to the earth in the sense that he fell spiritually to defeat at the time of Jesus Christ's crucifixion and successful atonement. Christ’s victory brought Satan down to defeat or low in the dust metaphorically speaking. This verse also indicates that after the crucifixion, Satan persecuted “the woman which brought forth the man child." The woman represents the ancient earthly church of Jesus Christ as of the time of Christ's crucifixion. John previously identified the man child in Revelation 12:5. The reference to the man child in verse 13 alludes back to the premortal birth of the man child in verse 5. The man child is not born in verse 13. He is simply mentioned by John as a point of reference to indicate that the woman representing the ancient church is the same woman John previously saw in premortality as the Church of God. (JST Rev 12:7) The church and kingdom of God in premortality evolved into and became the same church and kingdom of God on earth. The persecution mentioned in verse 13 occurred in the ancient earthly church after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and during the apostolic period that formally ended with the death of the apostles and the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.