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Rev_12:12. Διὰ τοῦτο . We cannot regard the ground of joy for the heavens, and those dwelling therein ( οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς ακηνοῦντες are only those whose actual place of abode is the heavens, and who there, as the expression σκηνοῦν indicates, have glorious rest disturbed by no woe or conflict,[3154] but not also believers on earth, as Hengstenb., by a false comparison with Php_3:20, Eph_2:6, explains), to be both the casting of the dragon out of heaven (Rev_12:9), and the victory of believers (Rev_12:11),[3155] but only the former;[3156] for although Rev_12:11, in connection with Rev_12:10, proleptically celebrates the victory of earthly believers over the dragon, based upon the heavenly victory over the same, the affair is displayed here as it is in reality; to the heavenly beings alone belongs the pure joy, while woe is proclaimed to the whole earth and all its inhabitants, even to believers on earth; for just these have now to struggle even unto blood with the enraged dragon.
οὐαὶ τὴν γῆν , κ . τ . λ . The accus., which in Greek[3157] as well as in Latin occurs regularly in exclamations, is unusual here only so far as it stands with οὐαί , which is otherwise usually combined with the dat.
τῆν γὴν καὶ τὴν θὰλ . In opposition to the heavenly world,[3158] the entirety of the earthly world is designated, in connection with which there is no reference to the relation of the two particular parts as such; much less is any allegorical interpretation admissible.[3159]
ὅτι κατέβη , κ . τ . λ . Reason for the cry of woe: the earth and sea are to be the theatre for the activity of the devil, now allotted to this sphere, who will give vent to his great wrath the more as he knows that he has only a brief time. Instead of the ἐβλήθη , a κατέβη naturally occurs here, because, as a dreadful activity of the enraged enemy is portrayed, it is more appropriate that it should not be expressly marked that the descent of the enemy is involuntary.
ἔχων θυμὸν μέγαν . The great wrath belonging to the dragon because of his antichristic nature, he has shown already (Rev_12:4). By the overthrow described in Rev_12:7 sqq., this wrath can only be inflamed anew. To this is added the fact, that the dragon knows that only a short time is allowed him. To identify this ὀλίγον καιρόν with the 3½ days mentioned in Rev_17:11 “as the time of antichrist,”[3160] is as arbitrary as the reckoning of Bengel, who takes “the short time,” as somewhat longer than the 3½ times (Rev_12:14), i.e., equal to four times, or four times 222 2/9 years, and regards the period from the year 947 to the year 1836. But in the meaning of the Apoc., the shortness of the time given Satan for his antichristian work on earth, depends simply upon the fact that “the time is at hand,” or that the Lord is soon coming to judge Satan together with his instruments.[3161]
[3154] Cf. Rev_13:6, Rev_7:15, Rev_21:3. Beng., Ew., De Wette.
[3155] Beng.
[3156] De Wette.
[3157] Cf. Matth., Ausführl. Gramm., sec. 427.
[3158] Cf. Rev_7:2 sq., Rev_5:13.
[3159] Against Beng., who understands here by “earth and sea,” Asia and Europe. Cf. Hengstenb., who regards the sea as the sea of nations.
[3160] Ebrard.
[3161] Cf., in general, Rev_1:3, Rev_22:20; especially Rev_17:11, Rev_20:1 sqq.