About This Chapter: Revelation chapter twelve presents a series of signs seen in heaven. John describes a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars, who is about to give birth. A great red dragon appears and positions itself before the woman to devour her child. The child is born and is taken up to God and to His throne, and the woman flees into the wilderness to a prepared place. A war then takes place in heaven, and the dragon is cast down to the earth. The chapter concludes with the dragon pursuing the woman and turning its attention to others associated with her.
Revelation 12:1–6 — The Woman and the Child
Revelation 12:7–9 — War in Heaven
Revelation 12:10–12 — The Proclamation in Heaven
Revelation 12:13–17 — The Dragon’s Pursuit Continued
Revelation 12:1–6 — The Woman and the Child
Revelation chapter twelve introduces several key figures along with some information that helps us identify them…
“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne” (Revelation 12:1-5).
So these verses present us with a pregnant woman, an enormous red dragon, and a male child. Who are these characters, and how should we understand their individual roles within this narrative?
One way to answer those questions is hiding in plain sight at the beginning of our text: “Now a great sign appeared…” A “sign” is something that indicates, designates, or points to something else. Much like a road sign that points us to another destination, the same is true of these characters from Revelation 12:1-5.
Let’s first consider the woman mentioned here. She wears the sun as a garment, the moon is beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars adorns her head. In addition to what we read in this passage, there is another portion of Scripture where the sun, moon, and stars play a significant role. That text is found in Genesis 37:9-10, and recounts a dream that Joseph, the famous Biblical figure, once experienced…
“Then [Joseph] dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.’ So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?’”
Notice Joseph’s father’s response to his dream: “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” (NIV). This tells us that he associated these elements of Joseph’s dream with the members of his family.
We can tie these elements together when we recall that Joseph’s father’s name was Israel. His sons later became the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel. Thus, we should be on solid interpretive ground if we link this woman and these references to the sun, moon, and stars with the nation of Israel.
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“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems” (Revelation 12:3 ESV).
In speaking of a large, red, seven-headed dragon, Revelation 12:3 offers another sign. Red is traditionally associated with the color of war, while dragons are large, destructive, and dangerous. While the number seven is typically associated with the idea of perfection, this passage does not suggest perfection in a positive sense. Instead, this being is perfectly evil. The crowns are symbolic of power and authority, and as for the horns, we will consider them at greater length when we reach Revelation chapter thirteen.
We can skip ahead in Revelation chapter twelve to gain a clearer picture of this dragon’s true identity: “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9). This leads us to a comparative analysis that offers a great deal of spiritual insight.
When “that serpent of old” first appeared in the first book of the Bible, he seemed to be little more than a talkative and inquisitive serpent. (1) But here in the last book of the Bible, he has grown to become an enormous seven-headed dragon. That comparison thus serves as a fitting analogy for sin. For instance, a seemingly minor indiscretion of thought or deed may eventually grow into something uncontrollable that threatens to consume us. Therefore, we would do well to seek God’s help in avoiding such things before small sins turn into large ones.
Revelation 12:4 continues by saying, “His tail swept down a third of heaven’s stars and threw them to the earth…” (CEB). This passage should catch our attention, for Job 38:6-7 draws a parallel between stars and angelic beings. In fact, the Biblical book of the prophet Isaiah describes Satan himself in that very manner. (2)
This has led some commentators to the understanding that Satan persuaded one-third of the angelic realm to join him in his rebellion against God. We now refer to those beings as “demons.” The act of throwing (or flinging) them to the earth tells us that they no longer serve God in heaven, but work to fulfill the dragon’s agenda on earth.
While such a thought may be terrifying to contemplate, it also means that two-thirds of the angelic realm remain in God’s service and represent “…ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). But more importantly, God is ultimately responsible for the safety and security of His people, for as we’re reminded in the New Testament epistle of 1 John, “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
(1) Or at least he appeared that way to Eve.
(2) While the text of Isaiah 14:1-23 concerns the king of Babylon, the context of verses twelve to fifteen addresses the Satanic power behind his throne.
“His tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth he might devour her child. But she gave birth to a Son–a male who is going to shepherd all nations with an iron scepter–and her child was caught up to God and to His throne” (Revelation 12:4-5 HCSB).
We’ve already identified two of the three figures that appear in the opening verses of Revelation chapter twelve. The woman spoken of here is representative of Israel, while the dragon represents Satan. Who then is the male child who is referenced in this passage? Well, we can associate this child with Jesus Himself.
As a human being, Jesus came forth from the nation of Israel, thus establishing His connection to the woman of Revelation 12:1. In addition, this reference to “an iron scepter” recalls a similar term used earlier in Psalm two where God the Father issues the following invitation to His Son…
“Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Psalm 2:8-9).
We’re also told that “…the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born” (NET). The Biblical Scriptures offer several historic examples that might fit this image. Consider the following excerpt from the book of Exodus…
“… Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, instructed the Hebrew midwives… to kill all Hebrew boys as soon as they were born, but to let the girls live. But the midwives feared God and didn’t obey the king- they let the boys live too… Then Pharaoh commanded all of his people to throw the newborn Hebrew boys into the Nile River. But the girls, he said, could live” (Exodus 1:15-16, 22 TLB).
The Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Samuel also detail several attempts on the life of king David, the ancestor of God’s promised Savior. Then we have the Biblical book of Esther, a work that chronicles the account of a man named Haman and his attempt to exterminate the Jewish people. Finally, we have the New Testament example of king Herod. Shortly after Jesus’ birth, Herod killed every male child aged two and younger in the city of Bethlehem and the surrounding areas in an attempt to eliminate Jesus as a rival king.
From a 21st century perspective, we can associate each of these events with the dragon’s attempts to “devour” Jesus before He had an opportunity to fulfill His role as Savior.
“So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne” (Revelation 12:5 NET).
Having failed in his attempt to eliminate the child mentioned here, the dragon of Revelation chapter twelve suffered a further setback: “Then the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her so that she might be taken care of for 1,260 days” (Revelation 12:6). So, we now move forward from the affairs of the past in verses four and five to a future where the events of Revelation chapter twelve are unfolding.
Just as God protected His people on numerous occasions throughout their long history, our text from Revelation 12:6 tells us that God will step forward to protect His people once again in the future. This place of sanctuary will function as a safe haven for three and one-half years (or 1,260 days based on a 360-day calendar year).
“And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time’” (Revelation 12:7-12).
This is an astonishing development- war in heaven. But who initiated these hostilities? Did the dragon and his legions attempt to mount a “hostile takeover” of heaven? Or did God elect to forcibly remove them from the heavenly realm? Either way, these verses paint a portrait that depicts a titanic struggle between the forces of good and evil in the celestial world.
Revelation 12:7–9 — War in Heaven
“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back” (Revelation 12:7 NIV).
It’s important to note the participants in this conflict: “…Michael and his angels battled with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back” (Phillips). This reminds us that Satan (or “the dragon” as he is referred to in this passage), is not God’s equal. Instead, a more accurate comparison would involve Michael, the archangel, along with the other angels mentioned in this passage.
The Old Testament book of the prophet Daniel may offer some additional insight into this period when it tells us, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then” (Daniels 12:1 NIV). That battle will end with a decisive blow…
“And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon–the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world–was thrown down to the earth with all his angels” (Revelation 12:8-9 NLT).
This passage employs several descriptive phrases with respect to this great spiritual enemy…
- Dragon. One dictionary reference to the word “dragon” includes the following definition: “Something very formidable or dangerous.” (1) This aligns with the warning given to us in 1 Peter 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (NLT).
- Serpent or “snake.” In the context of human relationships, the word “snake” describes a deceitful, underhanded, or treacherous individual. But in this case, these words are not merely descriptive of Satan’s conduct; they form the very basis of his character.
- Devil. The word “devil” refers to a “false accuser,” and finds its origin in a word that means “slanderer.” (2)
- Satan. The name “Satan” means “adversary.” (3)
Finally, these verses add one additional descriptive phrase in speaking of the one “…who deceives the whole world” (NET). So we can include “deception” to this list of negative characteristics as well.
The Biblical book of Job suggests that the devil, even in his fallen state, retained some degree of access to the heavenly realm (see Job 1:6-10 for an example). But that time has come to an end, as chronicled here in verses eight and nine. As we’ll see over the next few verses, this new reality will lead to a period of rejoicing for the inhabitants of heaven. But what was good news for them will mean something very different for the world’s inhabitants.
(1) dragon. (n.d.) American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. (2011). Retrieved February 14 2025 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/dragon
(2) G1228 – diabolos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1228/kjv/tr/0-1/
(3) G4567 – satanas – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (rsv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4567/rsv/mgnt/0-1/
Revelation 12:10–12 — The Proclamation in Heaven
“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time’” (Revelation 12:10-12).
So having lost access to the heavenly realm, the enemy was forcibly removed to the only theater of operation left to him: the earth. Much like a cornered, wounded animal, this passage tells us, “The devil has come down to you with great rage, for he knows that he only has a short time” (CEB). Unfortunately, that type of animal is often the most dangerous, as we’ll see…
“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:13-17).
Most of us have likely seen or encountered someone whose anger was so intense that they unleashed their rage upon others. That experience serves to illustrate the dragon’s wrath toward the woman who had given birth to the male child mentioned earlier in verse five. The instrument of his fury is a great flood that threatened to sweep her away.
It’s unclear if this passage refers to a literal flood, or a flood in the sense of a town that is “flooded” by a massive influx of people. But what is certain is that God will execute a supernatural rescue: “But the earth came to the woman’s rescue, opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had emitted from his mouth” (Revelation 12:16 Phillips).
Revelation 12:13–17 — The Dragon’s Pursuit Continued
“But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea” (Revelation 12:16-17 ESV).
So, the fact that the earth served to protect the woman of Revelation 12:13-16 from the dragon’s destructive flood only served to enrage him more. Nevertheless, this sequence of events is much like God’s miraculous parting of the Red Sea in one sense. For instance, when the people of Old Testament Israel departed from the nation of Egypt, the Biblical book of Exodus tells us, “The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea…” (Exodus 14:9 GNB).
In response, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, “…and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left” (Exodus 14:21-22).
This allows us to draw certain parallels between these narratives. In the Exodus account, God parted the waters to provide His people with a way of escape. Here in the book of Revelation, God parted the earth to offer a similar path to safety. While the method of escape varied, the final result (arrival at a place of safety) remained the same.
However, that served to infuriate the enemy even further: “So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony about Jesus” (Revelation 12:17 NET). The word “furious” or “enraged” comes from a root word that means “any violent emotion, but esp. anger” or, “violent passion… by implication punishment.” (1) Thus, anyone who seeks to follow Christ during this period will be subject to a declaration of war.
So, that brings us to the end of Revelation chapter twelve. However, it also brings us to the emergence of two pivotal characters in the following chapter: the beast of the sea and the beast of the earth.
(1) G3709 – orge – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3709/kjv/tr/0-1/