God’s Word Translation
Revelation 12:7
7Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought.
Revelation 12:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
- New International Version (NIV)Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
- New King James Version (NKJV)And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
Context of Revelation 12:7
5She gave birth to a son, a boy, who is to rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne. 6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Then a war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels had to fight a war with the serpent. The serpent and its angels fought. 8But it was not strong enough, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9The huge serpent was thrown down. That ancient snake, named Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was thrown down to earth. Its angels were thrown down with it.
Read all of Revelation 12Revelation 12:7 word by word
Καὶ ἐγένετο πόλεμος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ· ὁ Μιχαὴλ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ τοῦ πολεμῆσαι μετὰ τοῦ δράκοντος. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἐπολέμησεν καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- there wasγίνομαιginomai · to beG1096
- warπόλεμοςpolēmos · warG4171
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- heavenοὐρανόςouranos · heavenG3772
- MichaelΜιχαήλMichaēl · MichaelG3413
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- angelsἄγγελοςaggelos · angelG32
- foughtπολεμέωpolemeō · to fightG4170
- againstκατάkata · according toG2596
- the dragonδράκωνdrakōn · dragonG1404
Cross-references for Revelation 12:7
- Revelation 13:7It was allowed to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. It was also given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.
- Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
- Isaiah 34:5When my sword is covered ⌞with blood⌟ in the heavens, it will fall on Edom and on the people I’ve claimed for destruction.
- Ephesians 6:12This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.
- Isaiah 55:4I made him a witness to people, a leader and a commander for people.
- Daniel 10:13The commander of the Persian kingdom opposed me for 21 days. But then Michael, one of the chief commanders, came to help me because I was left alone with the kings of Persia.
- Daniel 12:1⌞The person who looked like a human continued,⌟ “At that time Michael, the great commander, will stand up on behalf of the descendants of your people. It will be a time of trouble unlike any that has existed from the time there have been nations until that time. But at that time your people, everyone written in the book, will be rescued.
- Hebrews 2:10God is the one for whom and through whom everything exists. Therefore, while God was bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was the right time to bring Jesus, the source of their salvation, to the end of his work through suffering.
- Jude 1:9When the archangel Michael argued with the devil, they were arguing over the body of Moses. But Michael didn’t dare to hand down a judgment against the devil. Instead, Michael said, “May the Lord reprimand you!”
- Matthew 13:41The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil.
- Matthew 16:27The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory. Then he will pay back each person based on what that person has done.
- Matthew 24:31He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and from every direction under the sky, they will gather those whom God has chosen.
- Matthew 26:53Don’t you think that I could call on my Father to send more than twelve legions of angels to help me now?
- 2 Thessalonians 1:7It is also right for God to give all of us relief from our suffering. He will do this when the Lord Jesus is revealed, ⌞coming⌟ from heaven with his mighty angels in a blazing fire.
- Revelation 12:3Another sign appeared in the sky: a huge fiery red serpent with seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on its heads.
- Revelation 20:2He overpowered the serpent, that ancient snake, named Devil and Satan. The angel chained up the serpent for 1,000 years.
Commentaries on Revelation 12:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Revelation 12:7; per Adam Clarke There was war in heaven - In the same treatise, fol. 87, 2, on Exodus 14:7, Pharaoh took six hundred chariots, we have these words: "There was war among those above and among those below, בשמים חזקה היתה והמלחמה vehammilchamaĥ hayethah chazakah bashshamayim, and there was great war in heaven." Of Michael the rabbins are full. See much in Schoettgen, and see the note on Judges 1:9. The dragon - and his angels - The same as…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 7And there was war in heaven - There was a state of things existing in regard to the woman and the child - the church in the condition in which it would then be - which would be well represented by a war in heaven; that is, by a conflict between the powers of good and evil, of light and darkness. Of course it is not necessary to understand this literally, anymore than the other symbolical representations in the book. All that is meant is, that a vision…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-11Verses 7-11 The attempts of the dragon proved unsuccessful against the church, and fatal to his own interests. The seat of this war was in heaven; in the church of Christ, the kingdom of heaven on earth. The parties were Christ, the great Angel of the covenant, and his faithful followers; and Satan and his instruments. The strength of the church is in having the Lord Jesus for the Captain of their salvation. Pagan idolatry, which was the worship of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-9This scene reveals the dragon’s identity and power. God sends Michael, the warrior archangel (see Daniel 12:1; Jude 1:9), to face the dragon and his angels. God does not need to fight the battle himself (see Matthew 26:53), and Satan is defeated.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. In Job 1:6-11; 2:1-6, Satan appears among the sons of God, presenting himself before God in heaven, as the accuser of the saints: again in Zec 3:1, 2. But at Christ's coming as our Redeemer, he fell from heaven, especially when Christ suffered, rose again, and ascended to heaven. When Christ appeared before God as our Advocate, Satan, the accusing adversary, could no longer appear before God against us, but was cast out judicially (Ro 8:33, 34). He and…Read the comment
Topics related to Revelation 12:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Revelation 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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