An Apocalyptic Christmas Story

REVELATION 12:1-17

Main Idea: God has always been faithful to keep His promises, and through Christ He will bring to completion the final salvation of His people, despite Satan’s opposition.

1. God Sent a Savior Just as He Promised (12:1-6).
   1. Trust God to keep His Word (12:1-2).
   2. Trust God to honor His Son (12:3-5).
   3. Trust God to care for His people (12:6).
2. God Has Accomplished a Salvation That Is Certain (12:7-12).
   1. Remember our enemy is a defeated foe (12:7-9).
   2. Remember our salvation is a settled reality (12:10).
   3. Remember our victory is through the blood of Christ and the gospel (12:11-12).
3. God Will Provide for His Servants in His War Against Satan (12:13-17).
   1. Satan seeks the destruction of God’s people (12:13).
   2. God is a rescuer of those who are His (12:14-17).

Concerning our text, Eugene Peterson says, “This is not the nativity story we grew up with, but it is the nativity story all the same” (Mounce, Revelation, 234n15). Peterson is right. There is no baby in a manger, shepherds rejoicing, or wise men bringing gifts and worshiping. There are angels, but they are not singing. Rather, they are engaged in a heavenly war of eschatological proportions. No, in this Christmas story there is a beautifully clothed woman, a male child (“Son”), and a great fiery red dragon who stands ready to devour, to eat, the Son “who is going to shepherd all nations” (12:5). This is an apocalyptic Christmas story.

REVELATION 12:1-17 tells us, in part and in summary fashion, the grand redemptive story of the Bible. It is something of a panorama of salvation history. It tells us in fantastic imagery and vision the true story of the whole world. It looks to the past, addresses the present, and points to the future. It naturally divides into three sections: (1) Verses 1-6 tell the story of the woman, the male child, and the dragon. (2) Verses 7-12 show a war in heaven and a song of redemption. (3) Verses 13-17 chronicle the satanic attempt to destroy the people of God and its failed project. This is a Christmas story unlike any you have probably ever heard!

God Sent a Savior Just as He Promised

REVELATION 12:1-6

The story of Christmas does not begin in a city called Bethlehem. It begins in a garden called Eden. There, immediately following the fall when Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation of “the ancient serpent” (12:9), God made a promise to send a Savior. In Genesis 3:15 he said to Satan, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike [or crush] your head, and you will strike [or bruise] his heel.” This promise, made in the presence of Adam and Eve, often called the “proto-evangelium” or first gospel, would be further developed in God’s promise to Abraham (i.e., the Abrahamic covenant of Gen 12) and God’s promise to David (the Davidic covenant of 2 Sam 7). The fulfillment of those promises is now explained in our text.

Trust God to Keep His Word (12:1-2)

John says, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head.” This is the first of seven signs that appear in the remainder of the Revelation (see 12:3; 13:13,14: 15:1; 16:14; 19:20). This is also the second of four symbolic women in Revelation. There is the Jezebel in 2:20, the prostitute of chapter 17, and the bride of the Lamb in chapter 19 (MacArthur, Revelation 1–11, 3–4).

The identity of this woman has been variously understood. The Catholic Church has identified her as Mary. Others have said it is Israel, the church, or the “the messianic community, the ideal Israel” (Mounce, Revelation, 231). Her marvelous description draws directly from the dream of the patriarch Joseph in Genesis 37:9-11. There the sun represents Jacob, the moon Rachel, and the stars the tribes of Israel. Perhaps it is best to see her representing the righteous remnant of Israel, the people of God. I believe Romans 11 would lend support to this understanding.

Verse 2 informs us she is “pregnant . . . in labor and agony . . . about to give birth.” Crying out in labor and in pain to give birth is reflective of Old Testament imagery that is often applied to the nation of Israel as a mother giving birth (Isa 26:17-18; 54:1; 66:7-12; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:10; 5:2-3; Matt 24:8). Indeed, the nation agonized and suffered throughout the centuries as she longed for her Messiah to come. “It is out of faithful Israel that Messiah will come” (ibid., 232). God promised us He would send a rescuer, a deliverer, a Savior. We can trust Him to keep His word.

Trust God to Honor His Son (12:3-5)

John now sees a second sign in heaven. It is “a great fiery red dragon.” In verse 9 he is identified as “the ancient serpent . . . the Devil and Satan.” Thirteen times in Revelation Satan is described as a dragon. As a dragon he strikes fear in our hearts. As fiery red his murderous character is revealed. The description of seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems recalls the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and speaks of his great power and authority. We will see this again in chapters 13 and 17.

Verse 4 informs us that the tail of the dragon “swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.” I believe this refers to the primordial war in heaven when Satan rebelled against God and a third of the angelic host chose to follow him in his rebellion (Osborne, Revelation, 461). Isaiah 14:12-15 may typify this tragic event where the prophet says,

Shining morning star, how you have fallen from the heavens! You destroyer of nations, you have been cut down to the ground. You said to yourself: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will set up my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the gods’ assembly, in the remotest parts of the North. I will ascend above the highest clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol into the deepest regions of the Pit.

The dragon takes his stand in front of the woman to devour, consume, eat up her child. This action, on the part of the dragon, is not new. Since God’s declaration in Genesis 3:15, Satan has sought to prevent this male child from coming. He moved Cain to kill Abel (1 John 3:12). He moved Pharaoh to kill Hebrew baby boys (Exod 1–2). He moved Saul to kill David (1 Sam 18:10-11). He moved wicked Athaliah to destroy all the royal heirs of the house of Judah (2 Chron 22:10). He moved Haman to plot genocide against the Jews (Esther). He moved Herod to kill Jesus (Matt 2). But in all of this, he failed! Verse 5 tells us, “But she gave birth to a Son—a male who is going to shepherd all nations with an iron scepter.” David Platt says,

The birth of Christ on that day in Bethlehem inaugurated the death of this ancient serpent, just as it had been promised back in Genesis 3. The birth of Christ declared the death of the ancient serpent; the death of Christ defanged the adversary. (“Fighting,” 2012)

Shepherding the nations reflects the messianic Psalm 2: “In Psalm 2 the messianic Son is to receive the nations as an inheritance and ‘rule . . . with an iron scepter’ (v. 9). As a shepherd defends his flock against wild beasts of prey, so Christ will strike the nations that oppress and persecute his church” (Mounce, Revelation, 234).

Suddenly and unexpectedly, John writes, “And her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” What are we to make of this? Verse 5 summarizes the “first-coming career” of the Lord Jesus Christ. It includes His birth, His destiny to rule all the nations (see Ps 2:9), and His ascension. The reason the ascension is highlighted rather than the crucifixion and resurrection is twofold: First, the crucifixion and resurrection were beautifully expounded in chapter 5. Second, the ascension is the unquestionable proof that Satan was defeated in that he could not prevent Christ from rising from the dead and ascending back to His Father, where He now is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, perhaps the place Satan coveted when he fell. Satan disgraced and dishonored himself with his idolatrous ambition. God exalted and honored His Son in His incarnation and humiliation. The way up really is found in a willingness to go down.

Trust God to Care for His People (12:6)

Verse 6 anticipates the dragon’s rage in verses 13-17. Here the wilderness symbolizes a place and promise of protection and provision, just as God cared for Israel following the exodus. God has specifically prepared a place for the woman, a place where He will feed her for 1,260 days, or 3½ years. The place will be one of spiritual refuge. She may be persecuted and suffer, but she will also be provided for and sustained. Everything the righteous remnant needs to honor her God and experience the victory provided by the male child, the babe of Bethlehem, she will have. God has preserved and taken care of His people in the past. He continues to meet our needs in the present. He will not fail us in the future. We have His word. You can trust Him.

God Has Accomplished a Salvation That Is Certain

REVELATION 12:7-12

The incarnation of the Son (12:5) was nothing less than a declaration of war on Satan and his demonic forces. It was God keeping His promise to “ransom captive Israel” with the coming of Immanuel. It was indeed His promise kept to “fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.” However, heaven was anything but peaceful when the Son was born, lived, died, rose, and was caught up to heaven in ascension and exaltation. Heaven’s “Battle of the Bulge” ensued, but an empty cross and an empty tomb sealed the Devil’s fate!

Remember Our Enemy Is a Defeated Foe (12:7-9)

“War broke out in heaven.” The time is not specified. Some believe it looks back to the time of Satan’s original, primordial fall. Others believe it looks to the time of the crucifixion and his climactic defeat. Still others believe it looks to the future and possibly the midpoint of the great tribulation. Dogmatism is unwarranted. What is certain are the results of the cosmic conflict.

Michael is named in Scripture as the archangel (Dan 10:13,21; 12:1; Jude 9). The name Michael means, “Who is like God?” The rhetorical question stands in stark contrast to Lucifier’s egocentric attack on the Lord, in which he said, “I will be like the Most High” (Isa 14:14). Michael is the guardian and protector of God’s people. He has a particular role with respect to Israel, as Daniel 12:1 makes clear.

Satan and his angels (i.e., demons) fight and are defeated. They are cast out of heaven, and, as verse 13 notes, they are “thrown to the earth.” Satan and his demons were cast out of heaven as their home at the time of their original rebellion. The Bible seems to indicate that they still had some degree of access to heaven for a time (see Job 1:6; 2:1), but now having been beat down in this great battle, they are cast out permanently and denied any access to heaven at all. In other words, they are banished and barred from the presence of God and heaven forever.

Revelation 12:9 contains a mini seminar in Satanology by means of four instructive titles of our archenemy: (1) “The great dragon” emphasizes his ferocity and terror. (2) That “ancient serpent” identifies him with the beguiling snake of Genesis 3 who seduced Adam and Eve into committing sin. (3) “The Devil,” literally diabolos, means “the accuser” or “the slanderer.” And (4) “Satan” is a proper name that means “the adversary” or “the enemy.” He is the “one who deceives the whole world,” the one Jesus says is “a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. . . . he is a liar and the father of liars” (John 8:44). He is defeated, humiliated in this war, along with his angels. The critical and crucial battle is done. The end of the war is soon to follow. Remember: our enemy is a defeated foe.

Remember Our Salvation Is a Settled Reality (12:10)

Verses 10-12 constitute another beautiful hymn in the Apocalypse. John hears a loud and unspecified voice in heaven, declaring the victory of the saints by virtue of the redemptive work of the Lamb. Verse 10 addresses four wonderful realities that have come and now are ours “because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown out; the one who accuses them before our God day and night.” The perpetual spiritual tattletale has been kicked out of the heavenly house. In his place come salvation, power, the kingdom of God, and the authority of Messiah Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, when Satan accuses you of being a grievous sinner, you look him in the eye and say, “You are right I am. But I have a Savior greater than my sin, and He has given me salvation, power, a kingdom, and the authority of my Messiah. I have been delivered, and I am safe from your accusations now and forever.” Yes, our salvation is a signed, sealed, and settled reality!

Remember Our Victory Is Through the Blood of Christ and the Gospel (12:11-12)

Revelation 12:11 provides the basis or ground of our salvation through a beautiful and magnificent declaration. Those who follow the Lamb, the Christ of God, have conquered, become victorious, over the dragon. And how did we overcome? Two grounds for our victory are noted: the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (i.e., our faithfulness to the gospel of King Jesus). The power of the blood of Jesus is indeed sufficient for our sin. It is also sufficient for a martyr’s death. Indeed, the loyalty of the child of God to the Lamb who shed His blood is witnessed by their faithfulness even unto death. This verse beautifully states that their love for the Lamb was greater than their love for their own life. Amazingly, the blood of the martyrs shows not the triumph of Satan but rather the triumph of the saints as their acceptance of Jesus and His work on the cross provides victory over sin as well as Satan. Because our sins have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God, no accusation by the Devil can stand against us. We have not been forgiven because of who we are; we have been forgiven because of who He is and what He has done for us. He washed our sins away in His precious blood. For such a great salvation, we gladly and willingly put our lives on the line. He is worth it.

In verse 12 those in heaven and those on the earth who know the Lamb are called to rejoice. In contrast, there is a woe pronounced on the inhabitants of the earth—unbelieving humanity that stands in opposition to God. The basis for the woe is the fact that the Devil has come down and he has great wrath. He knows he has a short time. Indeed, he has no more than three and one-half years before he will find his new home for a thousand years in the abyss (Rev 20:1-6). Satan has raged against humanity ever since we were placed in the garden of Eden. He is not letting up one wit in our day. As his time draws to a close, his fury will increase to proportions beyond our wildest imagination. Truly hell will come to earth during these horrible final days of the tribulation. Sinners can only expect destruction, disaster, and death at the hands of the great fiery red dragon. But it does not have to be that way. God has accomplished a certain salvation that is available and offered to all who will trust in the Lamb, in His Son.

God Will Provide for His Servants in His War Against Satan

REVELATION 12:13-17

Christmas was indeed a declaration of the war that was promised in Genesis 3:15. Calvary was the decisive battle where the final outcome of this war was settled and made clear. There is no question as to how it is going to end. However, our enemy, the dragon, Satan, fights on. And “because he knows he has a short time” (he does know his Bible), his hostility and rage is only going to intensify as the end draws near. His rage against the people of God will be a special focus of his attention. But as he failed to destroy the male child, he will fail in destroying His children too!

Satan Seeks the Destruction of God’s People (12:13)

In verse 6 the woman, the righteous remnant, fled into the wilderness to be cared for by God. verses 13-17 further develop that verse and reveal the wrath of the dragon who has “been thrown to the earth.” Indeed, he “persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.” Clearly the woman was righteous Israel in verses 1-2. Here she is not only that remnant but the eschatological remnant, the church, the true vine of Jew and Gentile as Paul makes clear in Romans 11. Mounce is helpful when he writes,

It is out of faithful Israel that the Messiah will come [ultimately embodied in a particular woman named Mary]. It should cause no trouble that within the same chapter the woman comes to signify the church (v. 17). The people of God are one throughout redemptive history. The early church did not view itself as discontinuous with faithful Israel. (Revelation, 232)

The Devil rages against this woman. He always has and he always will. The rage will only grow more intense as the end approaches.

God Is a Rescuer of Those Who Are His (12:14-17)

Exodus imagery and typology dominate these final verses of chapter 12. The dragon seeks the destruction of the Son’s children, but God comes to the rescue: “The woman was given two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was fed for a time, times, and half a time” (i.e., 3½ years).

The phrase “two wings of a great eagle” should not be taken literally. Neither should this be viewed as some type of Boeing 747! It is simply a picture of God’s providential protection of His people. Wings often appear in the Bible as a sign of God’s protection (see Exod 19:4; Deut 32:9-12; Pss 17:8; 18:10; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 63:7; 91:4; Isa 40:31). Indeed, Exodus 19:4 says, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” The length of her time in the wilderness is again specified as 3½ years. Furthermore, she is said to be in a place that is separated from the presence of the serpent. Some have identified this wilderness place as Petra. Others believe it simply indicates a scattering of the people of God throughout the nations for protection. One cannot specify with any certainty exactly where this place will be. What we do know is that God will make a way for His people during this great wave of persecution. That anti-Semitism may be a component of this persecution should not be ruled out. I believe it is almost certain.

In verse 16 the serpent spews water out of his mouth like a flood. It is an indication of his desire to destroy the woman. Some believe this refers to an army because often an army is pictured as a great flood of water (see Jer 46:8; 47:2). Others believe the flood from his mouth refers to his arrogant and blasphemous words (see the activity of the beast in Rev 13:5). However that Satan comes at the woman, his efforts will utterly fail.

Verse 16 also indicates that the earth will help the woman, opening its mouth and swallowing up the flood that comes from the dragon. If this is a reference to a literal physical miracle, we can think back to when the Lord had the earth open up to swallow Korah (Num 16:31-32). It is possible that even one of the great earthquakes that visit the earth during the great tribulation will be the avenue whereby God will provide a physical miracle to spare His people. The dragon-inspired Egyptians of old were swallowed up by the earth. Exodus 15:12 reminds us, “You stretched out your hand, and the earth swallowed them.”

Having failed to destroy the woman, the fury of the dragon is fanned to even greater heat. Not being able to defeat her, he chooses now to go off to make war with the “rest of her offspring.” This is probably simply a reference to all the other followers of the Lamb that he can find throughout the earth, Jew and Gentile alike. The rest of her offspring are clearly believers, for they are referred to as those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony or witness of Jesus. The phrase “to wage war” is the same expression used of the beast’s attack on the two witnesses in 11:7 and also his attack against the saints in 13:7.

Although the Devil will be unable to totally exterminate Israel, Zechariah 13:8 sorrowfully informs us that two-thirds of the Jewish population will be killed during the tribulation. Satan will not utterly succeed in wiping God’s people from the face of the earth, but he will succeed in plunging many to their death. Satan indeed hates the righteous remnant of God.

Conclusion

Penned by the wonderful Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley, the following hymn provides the appropriate conclusion to this passage. It is only two simple verses. However, they powerfully capture the drama that has unfolded in our “Apocalyptic Christmas Story.”

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,

Born to set Thy people free;

From our fears and sins release us;

Let us find our rest in Thee.

Israel’s strength and consolation,

Hope of all the earth Thou art;

Dear desire of ev’ry nation,

Joy of ev’ry longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,

Born a child, and yet a King,

Born to reign in us forever,

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone;

By Thine all sufficient merit,

Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does Revelation 12 provide a summary of the grand narrative of the Bible?
2. Read the covenants God makes with Adam (Gen 3), Abraham (Gen 12), and David (2 Sam 7). What are the similarities? What are the differences? Are there other similar promises God makes to His people?
3. This passage shows that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. What word of promise from God do you need to trust today?
4. Satan was cast down because he coveted a place of authority and honor. How are you tempted to covet places of honor, and how can you work to humble yourself in those areas?
5. Consider each of the descriptors for Satan in 12:9. What do these tell us about his character and his goals for humanity?
6. This passage shows that our salvation is secure and our enemy is defeated. How do Christians sometimes fail to rest in these realities? How can we learn to rest in them?
7. What does it mean to have victory as described in Revelation 12:11-12? How can believers walk in this victory?
8. Why does Satan want to destroy the people of God?
9. This passage shows God’s provision of means for the woman’s escape. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and discuss how these passages relate to one another.
10. What parallels does this passage have to the traditional Christmas story found in the Gospels?