In Revelation 12, we’re presented with images of the dragon, the woman, and the child. Before he can do harm to her, the child is caught up into heaven. The woman flees into the wilderness to a place prepared for her for 1,260 days.
A war develops between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels. Satan is defeated and has lost his power to use the government to persecute. The dragon now begins to pursue the woman. She is given two wings of an eagle, so she might escape. Now, angered even more, he turns against the church.
Notice the description of the woman who appeared in heaven. She is clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet, and she has twelve stars on her head, Revelation 12:1.
The sun is our primary source of light, and God is our spiritual source of light. The woman illustrates the relationship between God and His faithful children.
The moon is representative of lesser figures of authority, so it’s being under the feet of the woman places the leaders of the world in subjection to the faithful Israelites.
The twelve stars represent total victory; it’s the victor’s crown. The number twelve represents God’s people; there were twelve tribes, and there were twelve apostles.
But who is the woman? It’s the woman who gives birth to the child; she represents the people of God, Israel. It’s not Mary, as nowhere in the Scriptures does it refer to Christians as the children of Mary.
Most Bible scholars believe that this woman is representative of Old Testament Israel, that is, the faithful remnant of Israel from which the seed, Christ, came, which would later include Christians, Genesis 3:15.
In Genesis 3:15, it was promised that the seed of the woman would deal a death blow to Satan. In Revelation, it’s the seed of a woman who defeats the dragon. Although she wears the victor’s crown, she is clearly in pain as she is about to give birth, Revelation 12:2 / Genesis 3:16 / John 16:21.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following.
‘She must have this baby. Her whole destiny depends on it. The history of God’s people is marked by periods of struggle, of one kind or another.’
Remember, this is not literal; John is having a vision. A dragon is one of the most mythical beasts in all of human history and literature. It can never be tamed, it wreaks havoc on the countryside, it’s powerful, and it’s something to be feared.
That is the image of the dragon. But is God speaking of a literal dragon? No. That’s not what God is trying to get across. It is enormous, signifying its power; it is red, signifying its bloodthirstiness, Revelation 12:3.
Morris, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The colour red is so prominent in the description of the dragon, it was to identify Satan with the beast ridden by the great scarlet whore of Revelation 17:3.’
It has seven heads and ten horns, Revelation 13:1 / Revelation 17:7. Notice also that it has seven crowns on its head. His is not the same as the crowns worn by the righteous, which is the ‘stephanos’ crown of the victor, Revelation 2:10 / Revelation 3:11 / Revelation 6:2.
Satan never wins any permanent victories, and he is going to be utterly defeated in the end, so he only wears a diadem and is never pictured wearing the victory crown.
Who is this dragon? In Revelation 12:9, the dragon is identified very clearly, he is the devil, Satan, who ‘leads the whole world astray.’ In John 8:44, Jesus identified the devil as a liar and a murderer from the beginning.
I am reminded of 1 Peter 5, where we are told that the devil is ‘like a roaring lion, seeking those whom he may devour.’ 1 Peter 5:8. Toward the end of the book, the dragon is identified. In Revelation 20:2, we see God binding Satan, the dragon, for a thousand years.
Notice the power the devil has; his tail is powerful enough to tear down a third of the stars out of the sky and throw them to the earth, Revelation 12:4. The dragon’s tail, drawing a third part of the stars of heaven, points to Satan’s rebellion against God when he led many angels with him and they were cast down and bound in chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment, 2 Peter 2:4 / Jude 6. He is standing before the woman because he wants to kill her, Revelation 12:4 / Exodus 1:15-19 / Matthew 2:13.
Plumber, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Having failed to destroy the mother (Israel), Satan was alert to destroy her child (the Christ); and failing also in that, his continuing hatred is vented against Christ’s servants throughout the ages. ‘This is another example of the personal history of Christ being repeated in the history of the church.’
Notice she gave birth to a son, one who will rule all nations with a rod of iron, Revelation 19:15. This harks back to Psalm 2, where we find a prophecy about Jesus reigning as King of kings and Lord of lords, Psalm 2:1-9 / Revelation 2:26-28 / Revelation 19:15.
It was Israel’s faithful remnant that prepared the way for Jesus, the child, the Son of God, to come. It was prophesied in 2 Samuel 7 that someone from the seed of David would rule and reign forever over God’s kingdom, 2 Samuel 7:12-14.
We learn that this was Jesus, Luke 1:32-33. Thus, it would be out of the faithful remnant of Old Testament Israel, those through whom God was working His purpose, that Jesus would come, Matthew 5:17-20.
Jesus said that He didn’t come to destroy the Law, but instead to fulfil it. He said that not a single jot or title would pass away until everything had been fulfilled. So, Jesus, having been viewed through prophecy in the Old Testament, had finally arrived, and it was through Him that the devil would be defeated, 1 John 3:8.
Her child was snatched up to God and his throne. Jesus has ascended to the Father and is ruling all the nations of the earth from His throne in Heaven, Acts 2:33-35 / Hebrews 10:12-13.
Roberts, in his commentary, says the following.
‘John does not mean precisely the birth of Jesus (passing over the earthly life of Jesus and going directly to his ascension), but rather his death, resurrection and ascension.’
The woman flees to the wilderness and notice to a place prepared for her by God. God’s people were displaced from their homes and driven out into the unknown to seek new places to live. The places they found were actually prepared by God. It was in those places that God provided for them that God would also take care of them.
This is God, His Spirit and Jesus providing the nourishment from heaven, and the food in view here is in the form of both spiritual and providential. And under the care of the Godhood, the church prospered and grew. The 1,260 days or 42 months represent a period of time for persecution but God’s care, Revelation 11:1-3.
We must remember this isn’t a literal war happening here.
McGuiggan, in his commentary, says the following concerning this war.
‘Where would we place this war chronologically? Would it be prior to the cross and resurrection? If so, the devil was whipped prior to the work of Jesus. After the accession? If so, the devil wasn’t defeated by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Does the battle take place between Michael and Satan? If so, it wasn’t the work of Jesus which destroyed the devil’s power, but the might of Michael, after Jesus had done all he could do.’
A battle is described occurring in heaven. Michael and his angels are fighting the dragon and his angels. Michael is not Jesus, as the Jehovah’s Witnesses would have us believe, but he is Jesus’ representative, Daniel 12:1 / Jude 1:9. The dragon and his angels are defeated and thrown down to the earth, Revelation 12:8-9.
Earle, in his commentary, says the following concerning the old serpent, Revelation 12:9.
‘This word carries us back to the garden of Eden, where Satan, under the guise of a serpent, successfully tempted Eve to disobey God’s command.’
Satan and a large host of angels couldn’t overcome God’s throne; the Roman Empire didn’t stand a chance. The work of Christ was completed, John 12:27-33. Jesus has destroyed the power behind the Roman Empire, that is, the devil.
John hears a loud voice in heaven declaring, ‘Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,’ Revelation 12:10 / Matthew 6:10 / Luke 21:31 / Acts 2 / Revelation 11:15.
The loud voice also declares that the authority of the Messiah has also now come, Revelation 12:10 / Acts 2:36 / Revelation 3:7. The kingdom has come. The authority of Christ has come. The accuser has been thrown down. Christ has shown his power. Christ has exercised his authority in his victory on the cross.
Beasley-Murray, in his commentary, says the following concerning Revelation 12:11.
‘This verse proves that the overthrow of Satan, as it regards human salvation, has actually taken place, not through Michael, but through the power of the sacrifice of Christ.’
The great accuser of God’s people has been defeated. He can accuse all he wants, but the Christians must listen to Jesus because there is no condemnation for those in Him, John 8:2-11 / Romans 8:1 / Romans 8:34.
If you’re standing in Jesus Christ and your sins have been forgiven, Satan can accuse all he wants, but your relationship to God hasn’t changed. But we understand something about Satan, he accuses not because he believes he can steal your salvation.
He accuses and condemns because he knows he can steal your joy and your effectiveness as a witness. Satan does have conclusive evidence that we have violated God’s law.
When he accuses us of sin, he is not lying. He’s the father of lies, and he’s good at it, but when it comes to making a case against me as a sinner, he doesn’t need to lie. He’s got evidence, all that he can use. My defence lawyer, the Lord Jesus Christ, does not plead extenuating circumstances; he doesn’t argue for my innocence.
The good news is that Jesus substituted his own sinless life for mine and took upon himself everything my sins deserve, Romans 3:23-25 / Ephesians 1:7. And one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit, when the accusations and condemnations start to come down, is to remind us of what Christ has done and even to speak to our hearts the kinds of words that the Son speaks to the Father, Psalm 103:12 / Hebrews 10:17.
The lesson for us is that if we’re children of God, we can defeat the devil and be a part of God’s eternal scheme to save humankind. We can have access to the blood of Christ, which can cleanse us of our sins. But how do we, through Jesus, overcome the devil? How can we defeat the devil in our lives today?
One of the most practical verses in the Book of Revelation is found in Revelation 12:11. These Christians overcame the devil through Jesus’ sacrifice, Scripture, and their own self-sacrifice. They overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb. What was it that defeated the devil, the one who seemed to have the power of death? Hebrews 2:14.
Jesus, through death, conquered him who had the power of death, who is the devil. Jesus’ sacrifice, ‘the blood of the Lamb,’ was the sacrifice that provided the death blow that had been promised in Genesis 3:15. But these first-century Christians also overcame by the word of their testimony, which is what we have today recorded in Scripture.
It’s God’s inspired Word, and it’s in the Word of God today that we find the power of salvation, Romans 1:16. The Word of God is living and powerful, Hebrews 4:12. James said in James 1:21 that we should ‘humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.’ Peter said that we are born again by the Word of God, 1 Peter 1:23-25.
Thus, first-century Christians overcame the devil through the sacrifice of Jesus when He died on the cross in obedience to His Father’s will. They overcame the devil through Scripture, and they overcame the devil through self-sacrifice.
Even if we recognise the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus, obey the Gospel, and become Christians, if we fail to make self-sacrifice a part of our lives, we will not be saved, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
Our lives as children of God must belong to Christ, and we must be willing to sacrifice ourselves for God, Romans 12:1 / Luke 9:23. We overcome the devil through the sacrifice of Jesus, by obedience to the Scriptures, and by living a life of self-sacrifice.
It’s no wonder heaven and everyone there is told to rejoice, Revelation 12:12 / Philippians 3:20 / Revelation 13:6. While heaven and everyone in it rejoice, those who are on earth need to be aware that the devil is now on the earth.
Satan doesn’t have the power he enjoyed when Jesus lived on earth. Note the following passages which speak about how he operates today: John 8:44 / 2 Corinthians 11:3 / 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 / Ephesians 6:11 / 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 / Revelation 12:9 / Revelation 13:12-14 / Revelation 19:20.
The devil knows the only way he can hurt God now is to hurt those he loved so much, and he can do this by deceiving them and leading them astray away from the shelter of His church.
He isn’t someone with whom we should flirt or play. Satan is a fearful adversary, but we can win over Satan, Hebrews 2:14. This tells us that Jesus, through death, overcame him who had the power of death, the devil.
Yes, Satan is to be feared. He is ‘the serpent of old’, Genesis 3 and the ‘roaring lion’, 1 Peter 5:8. He can present himself as ‘an angel of light’, 2 Corinthians 11:14. He definitely is to be feared.
And yes, Satan can work in human history through human governments to cause Christians to undergo persecution in order to try to cause them to be lost. But if Christians remain faithful, they will always be victorious over the devil, Revelation 12:11. Notice the devil is fuming because he knows his time is short, Revelation 12:12.
McGuiggan in his commentary, says the following.
‘This ‘short time’ stands for the (controlled) opportunity of Satan to assault his enemies.’
In his rage, after realising he has been hurled down to earth, the devil sets his eyes on the woman who gave birth to a male child, Revelation 12:13 / Revelation 12:5.
Remember, the woman represents God’s people. In other words, when Satan realised he could no longer accuse the righteous, he set out to try and destroy the faithful children of God.
Notice that she is given the wings of a great eagle. Why? So that she might escape to a place in the wilderness prepared for her by God, Revelation 12:14 / Revelation 12:6. Eagles’ wings speak of God’s protection, Exodus 19:4 / Deuteronomy 32:11 / Psalm 36:7 / Isaiah 40:31.
Plummer, in his commentary, says the following.
‘There is a plain indication in this passage that the experiences of the church are the antitype of the escape of Israel from Pharaoh, “and her preservation in the wilderness.’
She is protected from the devil and taken care of for a time, times and half a time, representing an indefinite period of time, Revelation 12:14. Notice what the devil did, from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent, Revelation 12:15.
Water as a river is a familiar Old Testament picture of a flood of oppression against God’s people, Isaiah 8:5-8 / Isaiah 43:2 / Psalm 32:6 / Psalm 144:7. The serpent sending a flood from his mouth is a figure for the amount of oppression he will send forth upon the children of God.
While the devil tried to oppress God’s people with a flood, Revelation 12:15, here we are told that God made the earth to help the woman from the oppression and attack on the devil, Revelation 12:16. This is a picture of God removing the flood waters, that is, the oppression, in order to dry the land, Exodus 14:21-31 / Psalm 106:9.
Barclay, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Nature itself is on the side of the man who is faithful to Jesus Christ.’
The devil is once again enraged and sets out to wage war against the rest of God’s people, Revelation 12:17 / Matthew 16:18 / Galatians 3:16 / Galatians 3:29. This part of the vision is prophetic past the final destruction of the Roman Empire.
Satan is still at war with Christians, and those who ‘keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus’ are still fighting the battle between good and evil. It is a worldwide battle, and the stakes are the souls of mankind, both saved and unsaved.