Troublesome Topic: REVELATION 12 AND THE ORIGIN OF DEMONS
Revelation 12:4
Translation
With its tail
it sweeps a third of
the stars out of heaven
and cast them to the earth.
The DRAGON stands before the woman who is about to give birth so that when she does give birth to her child
Go to footnote numberhe can destroy it.
Paraphrase
His animalistic characteristics sweep a portion of, but not all of
the angels out of heaven
and threw them violently to the earth.
THE GREAT DECEIVER stands ready before the woman who is about to give birth so that when she does give birth to her child, he can destroy it.
Revelation 12:9
Translation
The great DRAGON,
that ANCIENT SERPENT,
Go to footnote numberwho is called
THE DEVIL
and SATAN, the one who is continually deceiving all the inhabitants of the earth, was thrown to the earth and the angels were also thrown out with him.
Paraphrase
The GREAT DECEIVER,
that CRAFTY TEMPTER FROM THE GARDEN,
who is called
the FALSE ACCUSER, and is ALWAYS OPPOSING GOD, the one who is continually deceiving all the
inhabitants of the earth, was thrown out; he was thrown down to the earth and the angels were also thrown out with him.
Revelation 12:4 & 9 is where we learn that a third of the angels were cast out of heaven with Satan because they rebelled along with him (Rev 12:4 & 9). Here the context is the birth of Jesus and how Satan resisted the coming of Jesus. Once again Heiser rejects the standard interpretation because the timing is wrong; one thing happened at the birth of Jesus, the other happened before Adam and Eve fell into sin. However, the part about the dragon sweeping a third of the stars (angels) out of heaven is a short detour, a parenthetical statement. Therefore, the timing of the detour does not need to fit, nor should it be expected to fit, the timing of the rest of the discussion.
Footnotes
1: “child”
This Greek word is neither masculine, nor feminine; it is neuter, and it simply means “child.”
2
“Dragon” and “serpent,” mean basically the same thing. They both point to a crafty, deceitful nature. Above I have distinguished them a little bit so it will not sound odd, and because they have different adjectives describing them, but know that they mean the same thing. Deceit is the primary characteristic of the enemy of our souls.