The Woman and the Dragon

THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON

Revelation Chapter 12

 

(Revelation 12:1-2 KJV)

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: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

John sees a wonder or a sign in heaven.  This will establish the woman as a symbolic metaphor and not a literal woman.  This wonder is quite similar to a dream of Joseph located in Genesis 37:9-10.

And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.  (Genesis 37:9 KJV)

The twelve stars are the original 12 tribes of Israel.  The sun would be Jacob as the one who covers the original 12 tribes.  The moon would be Rachel as Jacobs first wife and the mother of Judah.  The woman is later revealed to be giving birth.  In verses 4 and 5 it is stated that the woman gives birth to Jesus Christ which would make her the nation of Israel or Judea. Other suggestions given for the identity of the woman are:  The church; Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science who is no longer alive, but claimed to be the woman.

The nation of Israel has several Old Testament comparisons to a mother giving birth.  (Isaiah 26:17-18; 54:1; 66:7-12)

Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O LORD.   (Isaiah 26:17 KJV)

 

(Revelation 12:3-4 KJV)

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. 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.

Another wonder or sign in heaven signifies another symbolic character.  This one is Satan, characterized as a great red dragon.  It is a composite dragon indicating the earthly kingdoms of Satan who have attempted to prevent the Christ from appearing in the world.  The word translated as “dragon” is the Greek term drakon as defined by the Word Study Dictionary:  drákōn; gen. drákontos, masc. noun from dérkomai (n.f.), to look at, behold. A dragon, a huge serpent.  Other commentators have supplied adjectives to the dragon such as:  bloodthirsty; cruel; murderer; ferocious; and vicious.

having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads

The dragon’s appearance with 7 heads, 10 horns, and 7 crowns on the heads is generally the same as the presentation of the beast in 13:1.  The difference being the 10 horns have crowns on the beast and the 7 heads have crowns on the dragon.  This heads, horns, crowns relationship will be discussed with more detail in the presentation of chapter 13.

The dragon’s tail drew 1/3 of the stars, or angels, from heaven to the earth.

Zodhiates’ New Testament Greek  Dictionary defines the word translated “drew” as:

 súrō; fut. surṓ. To draw, drag, whether of things (Joh 21:8; Rev 12:4; Sept.: 2Sam 17:13) or persons (Acts 8:3; Acts 14:19; Acts 17:6). It involves the notion of violence.

Strong’s defines the word translated as “casts” as: 

A primary verb; to throw (in various applications, more or less violent or intense): – arise, cast (out), X dung, lay, lie, pour, put (up), send, strike, throw (down), thrust.

Both of the words “drew” and “cast” appear to connote violence or the notion of intense action.  It doesn’t appear that this particular group of angels were willing participants but were forced out of heaven and thrown down to earth.  There is an interesting, similar statement in Daniel that that speaks of the little horn (antichrist) casting down angels.

And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.  And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.  (Dan 8:9-10)

Traditional commentators teach the above verses as describing the fall of Satan and his rebel cohorts, prior to creation.  This rebellion supposedly occurred during the “Gap Period”.  According to this theory:  God created the world in Genesis 1:2; Satan and his seditious horde corrupted creation; God destroyed the Satan corrupted world; millions or billions of years passed; God recreated the world in Genesis 1:2.  I totally disagree with the Gap Theory and the idea that Revelation 12 is speaking of the fall of Satan and his minions in the far past.

Satan currently has access to heaven and to the throne of God.  He deceived Eve and then Adam to sin thus attaining the title of “the prince of this world,” and his job description is one of accusing and deceiving.  The nature of the stars or angels, apparently forced from heaven, is unknown, unless Satan destroys them as intimated by Daniel 8:10 in the above scripture.

Immediately after the drawing and casting of a third of the angels the dragon is shown standing before the woman ready to devour her child.  Satan was unable to prevent the birth of Jesus but then attempted to kill Him during childhood through the command of Herod.  When that failed his next move was to stir the hatred of the Pharisees and Saducees to kill or crucify the Lord, but of course that was also a huge failure for Satan but the salvation for believers at His resurrection.

 If the woman is Israel and the child is Jesus then these events would have occurred around 3 BC or somewhat later.  (Not attempting to start a controversy about the birth date of Jesus).

 

(Revelation 12:5-6 KJV)

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.  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.

Jesus is the man child who will rule the world with a rod of iron as verified in Psalms 2:9 and Revelation 19:15.

I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.   (Psalms 2:7-9 KJV)

And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.   (Revelation 19:15 KJV)

Jesus was crucified, buried in a borrowed tomb; resurrected; and ascended to heaven “unto God, and to His throne.”

The next scene is the woman (Israelites) fleeing into the wilderness, where she is protected by God for 3 ½ years.  This will start at the mid-point of the 70^th week.  This Israelite remnant will be somehow supernaturally fed as was Elijah fed by a raven (1Kings 17:1-7), then by a woman (17:10-16), and later by an angel (19:3-4).

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:16 KJV)

 

(Revelation 12:7-9 KJV)

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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.

This episode of the dragon focuses on the individual Satan unlike the composite dragon of nations as in verse 3.  Satan and his angel troops are thrown out of heaven by Michael and his soldiers.  There will be a war but Satan will not prevail.  There is now no purpose for Satan in heaven.  According to revelationcommentary.com, the Greek syntax supports the conclusion that Michael initiates this battle in heaven.  It is not the result of the dragon chasing the man child (Jesus) to heaven.

Satan is known by other names such as old serpent, from the garden of Eden fame, and the Devil, or accuser (slanderer) as when he wrongly accused Job, but note that he is never called Lucifer which may mean that it is not one of his names as some misunderstand Isaiah 14:12.

Satan deceives the whole world and will ultimately deceive most of the world, except true, elected saints, and the Israelite remnant  when he brings forth the beast (antichrist).  At some point during the 70^th week of Daniel, he will be denied access to heaven, and his only sphere of activity will be the earth.  He understands that his time is short as stated later in verse 12. 

 

(Revelation 12:10-12 KJV)

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. 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. 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.

With the exit of Satan, there is joy in heaven.  The kingdom of God is one step closer.  This represents the first step of the physical reign of Jesus Christ on earth.  Heaven will no longer listen to the slanderings of Satan.  The remaining saints on the planet will overcome the ruthlessness of Satan by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimonies, and by the choice of death over denial and renouncement.

Satan is now filled with wrath because the end of his time as “prince of the earth” has been declared with Michael casting him out of heaven.  The word “woe” indicates an ominous situation for the earth inhabitants.

 

(Revelation 12:13-17 KJV)

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.  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. 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. 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. 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.

Once again, it will be stated that the woman of Revelation 12 is a remnant of Israelites or Judeans.  When the abomination of desolation is put in place, they are instructed to run to the wilderness.  Revelationcommentary.org states that the word “to persecute (dioko)” is better translated as “to pursue after”.  Satan and/or the beast will definitely persecute but will also chase the remnant.  The direction of flight will most likely be east toward the Mount of Olives and into south Jordan for 3 ½ years.  The areas of Moab, Ammon, and Edom will escape the antichrist’s clutches during his early campaigns.

He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.   (Daniel 11:41 KJV)

The “wings of an eagle” is a metaphorical phrase describing miraculous deliverance.  God will deliver the remnant in a manner similar to His deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt, “on the wings of an eagle.”

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.  (Exodus 19:4 KJV)

The phrase, “a time, and times, and half a time” or 3 ½ years is only used in the books of Daniel and the Revelation and appears to only refer to the Israelites and their association with the beast (or Satan).

The flood of water could actually be water, but is most likely an army of soldiers.  The beast will attempt to destroy all believers, or anyone not worshipping his image, and will send military to kill or capture a group of people attempting to escape Israel or Jerusalem from the abomination of desolation.  The opening of the mouth of the earth could be an earthquake or another type of divine protection.

remnant of her seed

The remnant of her seed is identified by Paul in Galatians 3:16 as those belonging to Christ who keep the commandments of God and who cling to the testimony of Jesus.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.   (Galatians 3:16 KJV)