Revelation 12: 4 Commentary

Verses 3 and 4. “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.”[1] These signs are an allusion to the dynasty of the Umayyads who dominated the Muhammadan religion. Seven heads and seven crowns mean seven countries and dominions over which the Umayyads had power: they were the Roman dominion around Damascus; and the Persian, Arabian and Egyptian dominions, together with the dominion of Africa — that is to say, Tunis, Morocco and Algeria; the dominion of Andalusia, which is now Spain; and the dominion of the Turks of Transoxania. The Umayyads had power over these countries. The ten horns mean the names of the Umayyad rulers — that is, without repetition, there were ten names of rulers, meaning ten names of commanders and chiefs — the first is Abu Sufyan and the last Marvan — but several of them bear the same name. So there are two Muaviya, three Yazid, two Valid, and two Marvan; but if the names were counted without repetition there would be ten. The Umayyads, of whom the first was Abu Sufyan, Amir of Mecca and chief of the dynasty of the Umayyads, and the last was Marvan, destroyed the third part of the holy and saintly people of the lineage of Muhammad who were like the stars of heaven.
[1 Cf. Rev. 12:3-4.]

Verse 4. “And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour the child as soon as it was born.”[1] As we have before explained, this woman is the Law of God. The dragon was standing near the woman to devour her child, and this child was the promised Manifestation, the offspring of the Law of Muhammad. The Umayyads were always waiting to get possession of the Promised One, Who was to come from the line of Muhammad, to destroy and annihilate Him; for they much feared the appearance of the promised Manifestation, and they sought to kill any of Muhammad’s descendants who might be highly esteemed.
[1 Cf. Rev. 12:4.]

(Abdu’l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 68)

By V. James (wrote 132 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 6/3/2011 19:27 pm

Is it not the blow of the tail of the dragon that cast the third of the stars on the earth? How can then we say that it referes to the action of God in the expulsion of the angels? Even the dragon is said to be cast on the earth by God (Verse 9! How would the devil displace his own angles who have their stay in the heaven?

By Jayant Christian (wrote 287 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/28/2011 03:27 am

Some have used this phrase about the dragon’s tail casting down one third of the stars to assert that one-third of the angels followed Lucifer in his rebellion against God and subsequent expulsion from heaven.

By kb (wrote 16 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/20/2011 00:19 am