The Dragon, the Woman and the Child

Rev 12:1. After the temple of God and the ark of His covenant (Rev 11:19) “a great sign appeared in heaven”. This sign connects to the temple and the ark. The temple and the ark are the center of God’s earthly people Israel. The great sign in heaven refers to Israel. The sign is ‘in heaven’, for it represents God’s plan with Israel according to His counsel (Rom 11:29) and is therefore something that is fixed in His heavenly counsel.

The woman represents in several places in this book a company of people or a system. In this way there is mention of Jezebel (Rev 2:20), which is papacy, the great harlot (Rev 17:1-6), and also professing Christianity which is closely connected to papacy. In that way, there is also mention of the bride (Revelation 19-22), which is the glorified church. Here the woman represents Israel. You can derive that from the characteristics. She is presented as God purposes her to be. In the time of the birth of the Child, which is the subject of the following verses, this was not so, for then Israel was under the yoke of Rome.

Israel is “clothed with the sun”. The sun is a picture of the highest authority on earth (cf. Psa 104:2a). It has always been God’s purpose to make Israel head of all nations (Deu 28:1). That is emphasized by “the moon under her feet”. You can derive from that, that all earthly powers in the millennial kingdom of peace acknowledge the authority of Israel. Also the “crown of twelve stars” she is wearing, testifies to her glory. It is very well possible that the twelve stars represent the twelve tribes as channels through which the blessing of God in the millennial kingdom will flow to all parts of the earth.

Rev 12:2. After this glorious perspective for the future something curious about the woman is noticed: “She was with child.” Moreover, her pregnancy has come to the stage of giving birth: “She cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.”.

This description gives a look back to the past and looks forward to the future. On the one hand you go back in time, namely, to the birth of the Lord Jesus from the people of Israel (Isa 9:6; Mic 5:2). On the other hand you go to the future, for the labor pains, which refer to the time of the great tribulation (Mt 24:15-21), are still to come. Nevertheless, the labor pains announce new life. This new life refers to the coming of the Lord Jesus, His second coming of course. That coming is seen as a new birth.

This is why, for example, it says so remarkably in another place that He will come from – and not: to – Zion (Rom 11:26). It is as if the people have given birth to Him only then. That is the moment that God “again brings the firstborn into the world” (Heb 1:6). He will not come again as a defenseless Babe Who is rejected, but as the Ruler.

To understand this representation of matters well, it is important to see that the intervening age of the church is not taken into account. Here at one time you switch from the past, where so many promises are made, to the future for the fulfillment of those promises. In the past the promises could not be fulfilled because of the unfaithfulness of Israel and the rejection of the Lord Jesus. In the future those promises will all be fulfilled on the basis of the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus. In this chapter you see how that will come to pass.

Rev 12:3. After the sign of Israel you see that “another sign appeared in heaven”. This other sign is the “dragon” or satan. His color is “red”, which represents the color of the blood of his many victims. It indicates the murderous activities of this enemy of God.

He has also “seven heads” with a crown on each head and “ten horns”. You can find the explanation of that later in Revelation 13 and 17 (Rev 13:1; Rev 17:3; 7-12). These chapters deal with the Roman empire. In the description here the emphasis is on the satanic power that is hidden behind this empire. The heads represent both extraordinary intelligence and power. The crowns on the head point to the royal position claimed by the dragon. The horns refer to power and strength.

Rev 12:4. As has already been shown, the tail represent lies and false teachings (Rev 9:10; Isa 9:14). These false teachings are spread by the dragon through the antichrist, the false prophet. “A third of the stars of heaven” that are dragged by his false teachings can refer to those who have a leading position in the Roman empire. They may be light bearers who will bring what is called Christian teaching after the rapture of the church.

After you have seen the dragon in his devouring and deceptive work you see him standing before the woman who is about to give birth. His intention is to devour the Child Whom she will give birth to, as soon as It has been born. Here you see what you read in the Gospel according to Matthew about the attempt of Herod to kill the Lord Jesus when he hears about His birth (Mt 2:13-16).

Rev 12:5. Here the birth of the Lord Jesus is first described and then the purpose of His birth: His government over all nations. But because He is hated and rejected, God takes away His Son, to Himself and to His throne. That has taken place at the ascension.

Rev 12:6. You read nothing in this chapter about the time of the church. The church is not a subject of the prophecy. The Christian period is skipped. We suddenly find ourselves in Rev 12:6 in the time of the great tribulation, which is in the second half of the seventieth week of Daniel 9 (Dan 9:24-27). Therefore, the next action of God is linked to the flight of the woman, lest she fall prey to the dragon. Here the woman represents the people of Israel, but particularly that part of Israel that is connected to God, which is the believing remnant.

God protects the woman against the persecutor by providing her with a hiding place. In that place he nourishes her for one thousand two hundred and sixty days, which is three and a half years (one month has thirty days). The fact that there is mention of “days” indicates the daily care of God for His own. They will pray the prayer “give us this day our daily bread” (Mt 6:11) in the truest sense of the word. It seems much like Moab is the place where they experience His care and sustenance every day (Psa 60:8; Psa 108:9; Isa 16:4).

Now read Revelation 12:1-6 again.

Reflection: What could you learn from this section, regarding your personal faith life?

Satan Thrown Down to the Earth

Rev 12:7. Now the explanation of why the woman has to flee to the wilderness is given. That’s because satan is thrown out of heaven to the earth, which is the result of a war that arises in heaven. It could be the case that satan thinks that he has a chance to seize power in heaven, now that the beast and the antichrist have full control on earth. It may also be a last-ditch effort to prevent the upcoming final judgments.

In the outbreak of the war two superpowers stand against each other, two captains with an army led by them. The one party is Michael with his angels, which are the chosen angels. The other party is the dragon, which is satan with his angels, which are the fallen angels. With heaven, the territory where the war is waged, is meant here the firmament of the heavenly places. It is not the place where God dwells and to which satan has access. There he is unable to unfold his power in opposition, but is completely in the power of God.

Rev 12:8. In this war, the dragon and his angels face Michael and his angels. The fight is fierce, but satan suffers defeat. He and his angels are removed from heaven, where they up to that moment had access. It is important to see that it is not a war between the Lord Jesus and satan. That wouldn’t be a war between two more or less equivalent superpowers, for the Lord Jesus is God Almighty and satan is His creature.

Rev 12:9. It is comprehensively made clear here that the great dragon is satan. The great dragon is “the serpent of old” from Genesis 3 (Gen 3:1). The name ‘serpent of old’ is a reminder of his great power that is in his deception. The name “devil” is derived from the Greek ‘diabolos’ and means ‘accuser’ or ‘slanderer’. His work consists of speaking evil and accusing, distorting the truth. The name “Satan” means ‘adversary’. He is the archenemy of God and His Christ. He is the liar and murderer of men from the beginning (Jn 8:44). He is relentlessly and unchangeably active in deceiving the whole world, all people and in particular to take God’s children, to keep or drag them away from God and Christ.

After his humiliation because of his rebellion against God Who removed him from the holy mountain of God (Eze 28:14-16; Isa 14:12-15), he still had access to God. You see that in Job 1-2 (Job 1:6; Job 2:1). But it is over now. He is thrown down to the earth to be further humiliated later. That happens when he will be locked up in the abyss for a thousand years. When he is released from there for a short time, he will get his deepest and final humiliation when he is thrown into hell forever and ever(Rev 20:3; 10). The Lord Jesus has seen and foretold his fall (Lk 10:18).

Rev 12:10. The great dragon and his angels are removed from heaven and thrown down to the earth. After satan is thrown out from heaven a voice in heaven speaks about “the salvation” that has come. That refers to the millennial kingdom of peace. It is the salvation of the whole creation from the power of satan and the coming of the wonderful time of peace and righteousness over the whole earth. Then the kingdom has come with power.

The voice in heaven John hears, speaks about “the kingdom of our God”. It is the great victory of the God with Whom they have come into relationship by putting their trust in Him in the sacrifice that He has given in His Son for them and their sins. That Son is His Christ to Whose authority they have subjected themselves in faith and Who now will exercise that power over all creation. They know that they are connected to others, “our brethren”, who have also in faith entrusted themselves to God and the power of His Christ.

Their brethren who at that moment are on earth have nothing to fear anymore of a satan in heaven who accuses them before God (Zec 3:1). Satan, “the accuser … has been thrown down”, who relentlessly “accuses” the believers “before our God day and night”. The time of accusing is over. The beginning of the fall of satan is the harbinger of the ultimate victory.

Rev 12:11. The fall of satan will have devastating consequences on earth. But for those who believe in the blood of the Lamb the victory is certain. Their testimony which they gave by their word is also a victory over satan. They have not bowed before him, but defeated him by the word of their testimony, even though it has cost them their life. At the same time they had the assurance that they could not lose life because they believed in the power of the blood of the Lamb. The body can be killed, but not the soul. It seems that these are the martyrs of Revelation 6 (Rev 6:9). “They did not love their life”, but they gave life in death in their persistent witness for the Lamb.

Rev 12:12. Now that the accuser has been removed from heaven there can be joy there. But for “the earth and the sea”, upon which the devil was been thrown down, the consequences are terrible, even though these consequences will not last long. With ‘the earth’ Israel is meant in particular, while by ‘the sea’ we must think primarily of the restored Roman empire.

When satan is thrown down on the earth and the sea the great tribulation will begin, which will last for three and a half years. His great wrath knows no bounds, but his time fortunately does (Mt 24:22; 24). The devil, “knowing that he has [only] a short time”, will make every effort to cause a persecution that is unprecedented in history.

Rev 12:13. You have read in Rev 12:6 about the flight of the woman. In Rev 12:7-12 you saw why that was necessary: it has to do with the throwing down of satan on the earth. Now your attention is drawn again to the flight of the woman and you learn further details related to her fight. The wrath of satan is now directed primarily at the faithful remnant of Israel, represented by “the woman who gave birth to the male [child]”. Out of this people was born the Christ Who will fulfill God’s plans with His people and the world.

Satan is called “the dragon” because he seeks to devour cruelly and without any compassion. Here satan takes off his mask. First he showed a friendly face in the monstrous covenant that he caused to be made between the Roman empire and the apostate Israel (Dan 9:27). That is in the period of the first half of the last year week – a period of seven years – Daniel writes about. The temple service, for example, was still allowed to take place. But that changes when satan will be thrown down on the earth. Then he will do everything possible and will use all the means he has at his disposal to eradicate everything that has to do with God.

Rev 12:14. God provides the woman with “two wings of the great eagle”. The wings enable her to escape from the anger of the dragon (cf. Exo 19:4; Deu 32:11; Isa 40:31). Those wings also enable her to fly “to her place”. God has a place for her where she will be kept safe from the dragon and where He will take care of her during the time the dragon can perform his atrocities on earth (Mt 24:15-16).

With “a time and times and half a time” again the three and a half year of the great tribulation is meant. ‘A time’ is for a year, ‘times’ is for two years and ‘half a time’ is for half a year. In her hiding place “the serpent” with his deceptions cannot reach her.

Rev 12:15. When you think of the serpent being the deceiver, the water coming out of his mouth like a river could be a huge flood of deceptions. The intent of all kinds of deceiving miracles and signs is to take hold of the elect as well. The deception will be phenomenal and part of the great tribulation. When there is an enormous threat, there is a great danger to give in to all kinds of miracles and signs that come out of the mouth of the deceiver (2Thes 2:9-10). If those days had not been cut short, then even the elect would fall prey to it. But they will be cut short precisely for their sake (Mt 24:22).

Rev 12:16. God will supernaturally intervene to make the attempts of the serpent, again called the dragon here, fail. He has His instruments on earth that will help His people in that time of the greatest need. These are probably people who stand up for the persecuted ones and take care of them. God makes sure that His people will not perish. He makes a hedge around them (cf. Job 1:10). He does not yet act openly in the favor of His people, but He protects them in a hidden way against total destruction.

Rev 12:17. When the dragon sees that his attempts to eliminate the remnant as a whole have failed, he looks for other victims to manifest his wrath against them. There is still “the rest of her children”. It seems that these are the believers who stayed behind in Jerusalem (Zep 3:12). Because the dragon was focused on the majority, he did not pay attention to the few believers in Jerusalem. God knows those as the ones who keep His commandments. They are focused on Him. That makes them “hold to the testimony of Jesus”. They are identified with Him.

Now read Revelation 12:7-18 again.

Reflection: What are the consequences when satan is thrown out to the earth?