Revelation 12 is a very famous and intricately strange chapter in this book. Here the prose winds in and out of realism to create a dreamily symbolic account of future historical importance. To understand it properly, we first have to establish the characters who will meet and what they represent.
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
Women in the book of Revelation often represent religious systems.
Jezebel - Promoting false teaching (Rev. 2:20)
Great Harlot - False religion (Rev. 17:2)
Bride - Church (Rev. 19:7-8)
In Catholicism, it is believed that this woman is Mary. Christian Scientists believe this is Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. As we take a closer look at this unfolding story, neither of those solutions work. But it does work if we view the woman as a depiction of Israel.
If we look at Genesis 37:9-11, we see a story about Joseph and a dream he had. In this dream we see the sun, the moon and stars. This echoes into this passage. The sun represents Jacob, the star Rachel, and the the twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel (or Joseph and his brothers).
Israel itself is often represented as a woman : Isaiah 54:1-6, Jer 3:20, Ezekiel 16:8-14, Hosea 2:19-20.
The labor pain the woman is in refers to the pain of Israel during the time of Jesus’ birth. Remember, Jesus was born into a world of calamity. He was born into an apostate Israel, the religious order corrupt, the land overseen by Roman tormenters. Israel was looking for a Messiah.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.
The dragon appears with fierceness and power. He has 7 heads and 10 horns (the revived, resumed Roman empire of Daniel 7:7-8). The 7 crowns (diadems) on its heads imply claimed royal authority. The color red refers to war (the red horse in chapter 6 was given the authority to rob peace from the earth through war).
4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
The dragon’s sweeps the stars from the sky. This is a reference to the 1/3 of angels that follow satan to assault the earth. Its mission is clear: to wipe out the one who will stand against it. In Matthew 2:16-18 we read the story of Herod and his failed attempt to kill Jesus before he can come to power and upheld his supposed throne.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
The iron scepter is also referenced in Revelation 19:15, as belonging to Jesus. He is snatched away, protected, to carry out his earthly mission.
6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
This vision has been locked in the past up until now, telling us about God’s plan for Jesus. It also reveals why it cannot be Mary. Mary never fled into the wilderness nor was taken care of for 3 1/2 years. This can only be Israel. Now it is switching to future events. The woman (Israel) is taken care of for 3 1/2 years, the time of the first part of the tribulation.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
John records a war breaking out in heaven. But when does this happen? Halfway through the tribulation (Daniel 12:1). Can satan actually even be in Heaven? Does he have access in some way? Job 1:6-12 seems to think so. But this is where the access is severed. This great war, led by Michael against satan’s horde is pushed back. God first defeats satan here.
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
The dragon is hurled to earth. There is a great victory here, but how did they overcome? Through the blood of the lamb. Through the word of their testimony (Satan’s deception holds no power).Since the preservation of their lives was secondary, satan’s violence held no threat.
The fall of satan is a 4-fold process:
Fall from glorified being (Ezek 28:14-16)
From the earth to bondage (Rev 20)
From pit to the lake of fire (Rev 20)
From access to Heaven (Rev12:8, Job 1:2, Zech 3:1)
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
The dragon, after losing his battle in heaven, decides to set its sight on the woman (Israel). But the woman is given wings (Exodus 9:4), and nourished in the wilderness for 3 1/2 years. The dragon comes after Israel, spewing water (the fury after the abomination). And he comes after those who are descendants of Israel - the very people who follow Jesus.
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
Women in the book of Revelation often represent religious systems.
Jezebel - Promoting false teaching (Rev. 2:20)
Great Harlot - False religion (Rev. 17:2)
Bride - Church (Rev. 19:7-8)
In Catholicism, it is believed that this woman is Mary. Christian Scientists believe this is Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science. As we take a closer look at this unfolding story, neither of those solutions work. But it does work if we view the woman as a depiction of Israel.
If we look at Genesis 37:9-11, we see a story about Joseph and a dream he had. In this dream we see the sun, the moon and stars. This echoes into this passage. The sun represents Jacob, the star Rachel, and the the twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel (or Joseph and his brothers).
Israel itself is often represented as a woman : Isaiah 54:1-6, Jer 3:20, Ezekiel 16:8-14, Hosea 2:19-20.
The labor pain the woman is in refers to the pain of Israel during the time of Jesus’ birth. Remember, Jesus was born into a world of calamity. He was born into an apostate Israel, the religious order corrupt, the land overseen by Roman tormenters. Israel was looking for a Messiah.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.
The dragon appears with fierceness and power. He has 7 heads and 10 horns (the revived, resumed Roman empire of Daniel 7:7-8). The 7 crowns (diadems) on its heads imply claimed royal authority. The color red refers to war (the red horse in chapter 6 was given the authority to rob peace from the earth through war).
4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
The dragon’s sweeps the stars from the sky. This is a reference to the 1/3 of angels that follow satan to assault the earth. Its mission is clear: to wipe out the one who will stand against it. In Matthew 2:16-18 we read the story of Herod and his failed attempt to kill Jesus before he can come to power and upheld his supposed throne.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
The iron scepter is also referenced in Revelation 19:15, as belonging to Jesus. He is snatched away, protected, to carry out his earthly mission.
6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
This vision has been locked in the past up until now, telling us about God’s plan for Jesus. It also reveals why it cannot be Mary. Mary never fled into the wilderness nor was taken care of for 3 1/2 years. This can only be Israel. Now it is switching to future events. The woman (Israel) is taken care of for 3 1/2 years, the time of the first part of the tribulation.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
John records a war breaking out in heaven. But when does this happen? Halfway through the tribulation (Daniel 12:1). Can satan actually even be in Heaven? Does he have access in some way? Job 1:6-12 seems to think so. But this is where the access is severed. This great war, led by Michael against satan’s horde is pushed back. God first defeats satan here.
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11
They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
The dragon is hurled to earth. There is a great victory here, but how did they overcome? Through the blood of the lamb. Through the word of their testimony (Satan’s deception holds no power).Since the preservation of their lives was secondary, satan’s violence held no threat.
The fall of satan is a 4-fold process:
Fall from glorified being (Ezek 28:14-16)
From the earth to bondage (Rev 20)
From pit to the lake of fire (Rev 20)
From access to Heaven (Rev12:8, Job 1:2, Zech 3:1)
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
The dragon, after losing his battle in heaven, decides to set its sight on the woman (Israel). But the woman is given wings (Exodus 9:4), and nourished in the wilderness for 3 1/2 years. The dragon comes after Israel, spewing water (the fury after the abomination). And he comes after those who are descendants of Israel - the very people who follow Jesus.