Rev 12 as a theology of history

Abstract

The Biblical writers notice history as the space of God’s rule. He is the director, who comes into contact with human being through signs – events and words, and also He is the history’s perpetuum mobile. Rev 12 specifically reflect nowadays and the previous in the context of the whole world’s vision and mix the reference to facts (lack of the temple, ark, faithful people, horrible experiences, the death danger), places (the temple, a desert), persons (the Child-Ruler, Michael) with the Old Testament figurative exposing, a typical one for such a book (the Woman with Child, the heaven, the dragon), enriched with a lot of symbols (a crown, a horn, the moon under feet). God’s interference into World history is presented through lightning, voices, thunder, an earthquake and great hail, that stress His power and supremacy. The biblical writer refers to events, which make place whole the time in the natural- and supernatural space, like: the war between God and evil, persecutions, hiding, God’s care of men. 

The specific literary structure of Rev 12, contrary to the other parts of that book, seem to help to put an accent for the fundamental truths for transcendental theology of history of which the most important is the eternal rule of God and only accidental, finished in the time perspective of Satan’s position.