Revelation 12:The Dragon, Woman and Child
1 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: 2 And
she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be
delivered. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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.
Identify the main characters in the chapter.
The dragon, the woman, the child and Michael
What do the symbols associated with the Woman mean?
Clothed with the Sun, the Moon under her feet, a crown of 12
stars all remind us of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-10. These all identify
the woman and show the ultimate authority of the woman over God’s creation.
Who is the red dragon according to the passage?
In verse 9, he is called Satan and the Devil
What might the 7 heads and 10 horns represent?
Seven is the number of completeness and 10 of power it may
just point to the complete power of the beast.
It may refer to the Gentile kingdoms which have and will
rule over Israel.
Read Daniel 2:31-33, 37-44
four kingdoms, four in the past, one in the future of ten kings.
What could the phrase “And his tail drew the third part of
the stars of heaven and did cast them to the earth” refer to?
This may reveal the number of angels who rebelled with
Satan. One third of all the heavenly host following Lucifer into rebellion
against God.
Why should we interpret this portion figuratively rather
than literally?
Vs. 9 itself tells us the interpretation of the dragon is
symbolic, a figure for Satan.
Who then do the woman and the man-child represent?
See the vision in Genesis 37:9-10 also Psalms 2:6-9
Israel is the woman and Jesus is the man-child.
When does this vision move from history to prophecy?
After the man-child is caught up to heaven and the woman is
protected for 1260 days.
What portion of the tribulation will this be?
The second half, after the anti-christ break the treaty with
Israel (the woman).
War in Heaven
7 And there was war
in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon
fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place
found any more in heaven. 9 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. 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. 11 And
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.
12 Therefore 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.
When will this war be fought?
If the fleeing of the woman take place in the last half of
the tribulation this angelic battle may take place then as well.
What does this tell us about Satan's access to heaven until
this time?
Satan has been able to have some access to heaven. Look at vs.
10 also Job 1:6-7
At what point in the Tribulation is Satan finally cast down
to the earth?
At the midpoint. 3
1/2 years before the end of the 7 year tribulation.
War on earth against the woman.
13 And when the
dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which
brought forth the man child. 14 And 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. 15 And 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. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth
opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his
mouth. 17 And 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.
What is the wilderness that the woman flies into?
If literal it could be the desert around Israel, if symbol
it could represent peoples and tribes of other countries.
See Matthew 24:15-21
What could the flood from the dragon represent?
Armies, war or power.
See Isaiah 59:19, Rev 12:17
How is the woman saved?
The earth opens up and swallows the flood. If the wilderness is literal then this is as
well. If symbolic it could mean that
other nations do not allow the armies to find or take the woman.
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