they are caught up out of his way, to Him who was above his power; and the trial and persecution falls on those left here—upon the woman: the details of this are entered into, in what follows in the chapter. After the child is caught up, the woman flees. In this there are no details. It is a description of the position of the parties, and that with all possible clearness, as with Divine power and precision. There is one of these of which, as yet, I have said but little—this other wonder (who was opposed to the woman, this purpose of God in His people)—the great red dragon. His object was to destroy the man-child to be brought forth by the woman, whose pains of labour he perceived, and hating all that belonged to it; for the purpose of God and its fruits were his destruction. He failed in this, and turned his anger against that which, in a certain sense, was left in his power.
That the dragon is the hostile power of the adversary there is no question. We have the authority of this book, I suppose no one will deny, (chap. xx.) for saying that.
If we look to the source of power, it is there; only without the description which gives it its formal character. It was here seen.in heaven, i.e. not in its providential forms and consequences by the
