THE WOMAN, THE CHILD AND THE DRAGON

After the sounding of the seventh trumpet, we once again enter a section that provides foundational understanding of events to come.

Revelation 12:1–2 “And 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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”

This is a vision that will make perfect sense to the Jewish people whose hearts soften and are receptive to the teaching of God’s tribulation witnesses and begin to read the New Testament scriptures.  The key to this vision is found in the Old Testament record of a dream of Joseph.

Genesis 37:5–11 “And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren….and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.”

Jacob is the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.  The woman represents the nation of Israel, the Jews, who suffered much in preparation for the birth of the Messiah, Jesus.  The prophet Isaiah uses the same analogy of the nation of Israel giving birth to a man child.

Isaiah 66:6–8 “A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompence to his enemies. 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.”

Next John sees a great red dragon with seven heads with crowns and ten horns.  With his tail the dragon drags apart a third of the “stars of heaven” and casts them to earth. 

Revelation 12:3–4 “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And 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.”

I believe this is telling us that a third of the angels that were in heaven chose to rebel against God and follow Satan, and that thought is supported in the following verses.  This is the only place in scripture that we are told the number of angels that chose to rebel with Satan.

The dragon does everything he can to prevent the birth of the child, Jesus the Messiah, and prevent Him from accomplishing God’s plan of redemption. 

Revelation 12:5-6 “And 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. And 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.”

Jesus, the Messiah, the promised Deliverer Who would one day rule the nations from the throne of David was born.  Maybe Satan actually thought he had finally won when Jesus was crucified.  When Jesus was resurrected from the grave in victory, however, and caught up to the throne of God, His victory was certain and only awaits God’s perfect timing to take His earthly throne.

Hebrews 10:10–13 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all….But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”

We know that Satan has had access to heaven to accuse those who have placed their faith in God and chosen to follow Him (cf v10). 

Revelation 12:10 “And 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.”

After the sounding of the seventh trumpet, however, Michael and his angels are given the go ahead to throw Satan and his angels out of heaven to the earth—nevermore to be allowed in the presence of God.

Revelation 12:7–9 “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And 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.”

John makes it clear that the identity of the dragon is Satan (that old serpent, the Devil) and that the “stars of heaven” referenced in verse 4 are the fallen angels that chose to follow him.  Note that the most distinguishing characteristic of this being is that of being a deceiver.  The angels that followed him now know that; Adam and Eve know it; and every student of scripture learns that truth.

(to be continued…)