1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Like chapter 11, chapters 12-13 represent a pause in the narrative of the book of Revelation to give us needed background information. Chapter 11 provided background information concerning the mid-Tribulation attack on and subsequent 3½ year occupation of Jerusalem. The chapter also told about the work of God’s two witnesses who will minister during that time. Chapter 11 thus provided background information about circumstances on earth. Chapter 12 will give us needed background information concerning the heavenly, spiritual realm.
The book of Revelation speaks of exactly three “wonders” or “signs” in heaven. The word translated “wonder” in verses 1 and 3 of this chapter is the same as the word translated “sign” in 15:1. These three signs give a concise sketch of the spiritual history of the world. The first sign is a woman who bears a man child that is born to rule (verses 1-2,5). The second sign is a dragon who wishes to destroy the man child and also persecutes the woman (3-4,13). The third sign is a group of seven angels with seven plagues which will complete the outpouring of God’s anger (15:1).
Who is the woman? She is clothed with the sun, has the moon under her feet, and has a crown of twelve stars. In Genesis 37, Joseph, a son of Jacob, had a dream. In Joseph’s dream, the sun, moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to him. When Joseph told his dream to his father Jacob, Jacob quickly understood that the sun, moon, and eleven stars represented Jacob himself, Jacob’s wife Rachel, and Jacob’s other eleven sons. The dream had fulfillment when Joseph became prominent in Egypt in Pharaoh’s government.
In parallel with Joseph’s dream, the woman in Revelation 12 is Israel. She is clothed with the sun, which symbolized Joseph's father Jacob in his dream, because she wears the blessings of God’s promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The moon, which symbolized Joseph's mother Rachel in his dream, is under her feet because she has the right to bear the Messiah. (Though Rachel was not the mother of the line of Christ, she is spoken of as a mother of the people of Israel [Jeremiah 31:15; Matthew 2:18] and was buried near Bethlehem [Genesis 35:19]). The woman in Revelation 12 has a crown of 12 stars symbolizing the twelve sons and thus the twelve tribes of Israel. John saw the woman in travail, about to give bırth. Indeed, the nation Israel experienced great torment under the domination of Rome and other nations before the birth of the Messiah Jesus. The prophet Isaiah, speaking for his people, said, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Thus, the woman is Israel.
3And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
The second sign in heaven spoken of in the book of Revelation is a “great red dragon.” The dragon is clearly identified in verse 9 as Satan. The dragon has seven heads, ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads. The heads, horns, and crowns will be further detailed in the remainder of the book of Revelation.
The presence of the seven crowns on the seven heads of the dragon confirm that these heads of Satan refer to seven kingdoms, probably kingdoms which persecuted the nation Israel. Daniel saw some of these kingdoms starting from his own time: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel, chapters 2,7). But Daniel spoke of two distinct periods in the time of Roman domination (Daniel 2:33,40-41; 7:23-24). Thus, we may speak of Rome I and Rome II. Before Daniel’s time there were two other world powers that persecuted Israel: Egypt and Assyria. They are spoken of together in Isaiah 52:4-5 : For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? Thus, the seven heads and seven crowns of the dragon likely represent Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome I, and Rome II. Rome I is history. Rome II is yet future.
4And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
In Matthew 25:41 Jesus spoke of “the devil and his angels.” Also, verses 7 and 9 of this chapter of Revelation speak of the angels of Satan. The verse above says that the tail of the dragon “drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.” Before the earth was made, Satan rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17). We understand from the verse above that one third of the angels of heaven followed him in his rebellion. Satan and his angels were judged by God at that time but not yet cast out of heaven. Today Satan is “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He has his base of operations in the lower heavens. But Satan and his angels will be cast down to the earth at the middle of the Tribulation (verses 7-9). The statement in verse 4 spans the entire period from Satan’s rebellion before the earth was formed to the result of his rebellion that is yet future.
Satan tried to kill Jesus when He was born. The same New Testament passage which speaks of Rachel as a mother of Israel (see notes above under verses 1-2) tells of Herod’s attempt to murder Christ by killing all of the babies two years old or younger who were born in or around Bethlehem at that time (Matthew 2:16). Satan does not want Jesus to be King. Satan wants the earth for himself and wants this world to worship him.
5And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
The language of verse 5 is similar to that of Isaiah 66:7: Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. (Isaiah 66:7-8). Isaiah spoke of a future day when the nation of Israel will be reborn with great blessing. God Himself, not the travail of Israel, will give the blessing. But Isaiah’s prophecy also gave a clue as to how that blessing would come: by the birth of a specific man child, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:8-9; Revelation 19:15).
The son born to Israel, the Messiah, “was caught up unto God, and to his throne.” Verse 11 of this chapter speaks clearly of “the blood of the Lamb.” Yet no mention is made in verse 5 of the life, death, or resurrection of Jesus. The point in verse 5 is that the One who will rule all nations with a rod of iron was taken out of this world before receiving His kingdom. As God said to Him in prophecy written before He was born in this world, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool (Psalm 110:1).
6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Even as God’s two witnesses will be prophesying in Jerusalem for 1260 days (11:3), Israel will flee to safety and remain in the wilderness for 1260 days. During those last 3½ years which follow the mid-Tribulation attack on Jerusalem (11:1-2), God will protect and provide for those who flee. Jesus spoke of this flight to safety in Matthew 24: When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains… (Matthew 24:15-16). Those who flee to safety may be the ones measured for protection in 11:1.
It is significant that there is a time interval of 2000 years or more between Revelation 12:5 and 12:6. Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after He rose from the dead (Acts 1:3,9), but Israel’s fleeing to safety in the wilderness is yet future. A similar example is found in Zechariah 9:9-10: 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 10And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:9 refers to Christ’s first coming. Zechariah 9:10 refers to Christ’s second coming, which is yet future. There is an interval of 2000 years or more between the two events. The Old Testament is silent about the church age because Israel had not yet rejected Christ at His first coming. For other similar examples, see Isaiah 53:10-12; 61:1-2; and Malachi 3:1-2.
7And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
We read in Daniel 12:1, And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. The time is the midpoint of the seven-year Tribulation period. There will be war in heaven between Michael and his angels and Satan and his angels. Satan will lose. Satan and his angels will be thrown down to the earth. This is the outworking of the result of the sin of the dragon mentioned in verse 4a.
In Luke 10:18, Jesus said, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. This word is like the word He spoke concerning His imminent death at the cross: Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31). Verse 9 above refers to Satan as “that old serpent,” the one who tempted Adam and Eve to sin. When Adam sinned, he died spiritually. In that death, Adam laid down his God-given rod of dominion over the earth. The usurper Satan picked up the fallen rod and became the puppeteer of Adam’s spiritually dead descendants. At the cross, Jesus finished the work of paying for the sins of Adam and his descendants. In Jesus’ finished work at the cross, He put His signature on His declaration that Satan would be cast out. At the middle of the seven-year Tribulation period, the archangel Michael will stand up and perform his duty in implementing this part of the divine decree. At that time, Satan’s access to heaven will end. We will read of continuing judgments on Satan in Revelation 20:2,10.
10And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
The cry of the voice from heaven recognizes and anticipates the outworking of the triumph of Christ’s work at the cross. The time of Satan’s being cast down to the earth is mid-Tribulation. There are still 3½ years left before the return of Christ to establish His kingdom. But the process is in motion and the end is sure.
We read vividly of the treacherous work of Satan in accusing believers before God in the book of Job (Job 1:6-11; 2:1-5). He accuses us day and night. Thankfully, if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (I John 2:1-2). When Satan accuses a believer, the Lord Jesus Christ defends us before the Father based on the payment that He made for our sins.
The voice from heaven is the voice of believers in heaven. They speak of “the accuser of our brethren.” The brethren they refer to are probably specifically the believers on earth at that time during the Tribulation. Those Tribulation believers have to that point overcome and will continue to overcome Satan’s efforts to destroy their faith. They will overcome Satan, not Satan them. Their victory springs out of the finished payment for their sins accomplished by the blood of the Lamb and out of the word of Christ which they embrace and speak. Many of them will die for their faith.
The casting out of Satan from further access to heaven is cause for rejoicing in heaven. But to the earth, both land and sea, it brings woe. In chapter 13, we will read of two beasts. One ascends from the sea and one from the land. They will be human instruments of Satan for evil on earth. Satan will work with great anger. He will be aware that he has only a short time left. The woe that the land and sea experience anticipates the retribution of the third woe (11:14) in the destruction of Babylon in chapter 18.
13And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Verse 13 begins with the words, “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth….” It is as though Satan had not expected to be defeated by Michael and his angels. Yet even after being cast out of heaven, Satan will continue in rebellion against God and in hatred of God’s people. Upon being cast down to the earth, Satan will persecute Israel. This is surely the moment that Jesus spoke of when He said, Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains…(Matthew 24:16 [see notes under verse 6 above]).
Israel will “fly into the wilderness” by the wings of “the great eagle” (the Greek text has the article “the”). Eagles’ wings are a metaphor picturing God’s deliverance, as He said in Exodus 19:4: Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. When Satan begins the final persecution of Israel, God will take Israel to a safe place in the wilderness and provide for them there. Those who escape will be in the wilderness “for a time, and times, and half a time,” the last 3½ years of the seven-year Tribulation period. The same time expression is found in Daniel 7:25 concerning the activity of the Antichrist: And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Many of Israel will escape to safety in the wilderness, but Satan will go after them. The water that issues from his mouth like a flood is likely an army commanded by Satan through his earthly ruler Antichrist. The same metaphor is used by the prophet Isaiah concerning the Assyrian army:
Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks: And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel (Isaiah 8:7-8).
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand (Isaiah 28:2).
As Satan will cast water like a river out of his mouth to drown the woman, the earth will open its mouth to swallow the flood. It will likely be as in the rebellion of Korah when the earth swallowed those who rebelled against God (Numbers 16:30-33). The army sent by Satan to destroy Israel in the wilderness will itself be swallowed alive into the earth.
17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Still Satan will not stop trying to hurt Israel. We know that many of Israel will be killed (Zechariah 13:8-9). But at this point Satan will focus on attacking the believing remnant of Israel, those who obey God rather than Antichrist and speak the words of Jesus Christ.
Who might these people be? Which of the Jewish believers in Christ will not flee to the wilderness? They are probably the 144,000 servants of God who were sealed in chapter 7. They will have a work of witness yet to do.
Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.