Revelation 12:1-9

The Woman, Israel

1 A great 1sign appeared 2in heaven: 3a woman 4clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
2 and she was with child *; and she 5cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

The Red Dragon, Satan

3 Then 6another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red 7dragon having 8seven heads and 9ten horns, and on his heads were 10seven diadems.
4 And his tail swept away a 11third of the stars of heaven and 12threw them to the earth. And the 13dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth 14he might devour her child.

The Male Child, Christ

5 And 15she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to 16rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was 17caught up to God and to His throne.
6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for 18one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The Angel, Michael

7 And there was war in heaven, 19Michael and his angels waging war with the 20dragon. The dragon and 21his angels waged war,
8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
9 And the great 22dragon was thrown down, the 23serpent of old who is called the devil and 24Satan, who 25deceives the whole world; he was 26thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Revelation 12:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO REVALATION 12

This chapter contains a vision of two wonders or signs seen in heaven, a woman and a dragon, and an account of what followed thereon, war both in heaven and earth. The vision of the woman is in Re 12:1,2, who is described by her being clothed with the sun; by her having the moon under her feet; by a crown of twelve stars on her head; and by her pregnancy, travail, pains, and cry. The vision of the dragon is in Re 12:3,4, who is described by his size, a great one; by his colour, red; by the number of his heads and horns, and the crowns on the former; by the force and strength of his tail, drawing and casting: down to the earth the third part of the stars of heaven; and by his position, standing before the woman, in order to devour her child when born. Next follows an account of the birth of her child, and what became of that and her: the child is said to be a man child, is described as a monarch, and as advanced to great honour and dignity; but she flies into the wilderness, where a place is prepared for her of God, and where she is hid for the space of 1260 days, Re 12:5,6; upon this ensues a war in heaven; the combatants on one side were Michael and his angels, and on the other the dragon and his; the issue of which was, that the latter were conquered, and cast out into the earth, Re 12:7-9, on account of which victory a triumphant song is sung by the inhabitants of heaven, because of salvation and strength that were come to them; and because of the kingdom and power of Christ, which now took place; and because of the ejection of Satan, the accuser of their brethren; in which song also notice is taken of the manner in which Satan was overcome by those he accused, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and by their death; and it is concluded with an apostrophe to those that dwell in heaven, calling on them to rejoice, and to the inhabitants of the earth denouncing woe to them, because the devil was among them, whose wrath was great, his time being short, Re 12:10-12. Next follow the dragon's persecution of the woman, and her flight into the wilderness, and the care took of her there, as before described, Re 12:13,14; then the method the serpent took to annoy her, the help she received from the earth, and the wrath of the dragon upon that; which put him upon making war with the remnant of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and had the testimony of Jesus, Re 12:15-17.

Cross References 26

  • 1. Matthew 24:30; Revelation 12:3
  • 2. Revelation 11:19
  • 3. Galatians 4:26
  • 4. Psalms 104:2; Song of Songs 6:10
  • 5. Isaiah 26:17; Isaiah 66:6-9; Micah 4:9
  • 6. Revelation 12:1; Revelation 15:1
  • 7. Isaiah 27:1; Revelation 12:4, 7, 9, 13, 16; Revelation 13:2, 4, 11; Revelation 16:13; Revelation 20:2
  • 8. Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:3, 7, 9f
  • 9. Dan 7:7, 20, 24; Revelation 13:1; Revelation 17:12, 16
  • 10. Revelation 13:1; Revelation 19:12
  • 11. Revelation 8:7, 12
  • 12. Daniel 8:10
  • 13. Isaiah 27:1; Revelation 12:3, 7, 9, 13, 16; Revelation 13:2, 4, 11; Revelation 16:13; Revelation 20:2
  • 14. Matthew 2:16
  • 15. Isaiah 66:7
  • 16. Psalms 2:9; Revelation 2:27
  • 17. 2 Corinthians 12:2f
  • 18. Revelation 11:3; Revelation 13:5
  • 19. Daniel 10:13, 21; Daniel 12:1; Jude 9
  • 20. Revelation 12:3
  • 21. Matthew 25:41
  • 22. Revelation 12:3
  • 23. Genesis 3:1; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 12:15; Revelation 20:2
  • 24. Matthew 4:10; Matthew 25:41
  • 25. Revelation 13:14; Revelation 20:3, 8, 10
  • 26. Luke 10:18; John 12:31

Footnotes 4

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