1. A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
2. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
3. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
4. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
5. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
6. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7. And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
8. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.
9. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
11. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
12. Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."
13. When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
14. The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
15. Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent.
16. But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
17. Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
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Reflection |
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The Promised Messiah (12:1–6)
The description of the woman symbolizes Israel and is similar to the depiction of the sun and moon in Joseph’s dream (Gen. 37:9). The dragon’s aim to devour the woman’s child also recalls Genesis 3:15, which predicts that the woman’s offspring will crush the serpent’s head as the serpent strikes his heel. But the “male child”—the promised Messiah who “will rule all the nations”—is not destroyed by the dragon; He is lifted up to God’s throne. The child’s mother flees “into the wilderness,” where, like Israel, she is nourished by God’s provision (Exod. 16:13–18). Her flight may also indicate that, during the great tribulation, believers will be persecuted by the antichrist and flee into the wilderness. We see here a vivid illustration of the spiritual conflict between the Church and Satan that is going on even today.
The Defeat of Satan’s League (12:7–17)
In these verses, we see a fierce battle break out in heaven. Satan and his demonic forces are no match for God’s army, and they are hurled down to earth. There will then be an increase in demonic activity on earth during the great tribulation, “because he knows that his time is short.” In these days, the enemy will wage war against faithful believers, but we should hold fast to the Word that says that Jesus has disarmed all evil forces by means of the cross and has made them a public disgrace (Col. 2:14–15). Jesus has the final victory and will one day cut off Satan forever.
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Application |
- Are you aware of the spiritual battle between the church and Satan’s forces? Ask God to lead you to pray with power—for protection against demonic forces for yourself, your family, your church, and your nation.
- Satan and his cohorts are real and actively at work in our world. When you are tempted to despair and give in to discouragement, remind yourself of the glorious victory of Christ.
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A Letter to
God |
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Father, grant us revival in the church in these hard times when there is so much war and so little peace in this world. Help us to pray and win this spiritual battle on our knees. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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