Revelation12
New American Standard
1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
2and she was pregnant and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
3Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns.
4And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her Child.
5And she gave birth to a Son, a male, who is going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne.
6Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for 1,260 days.
7And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war,
8and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.
9And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
11And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
12For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
13And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.
14But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent.
15And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.
16But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth.
17So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Revelation 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: A description of the church of Christ and of Satan, under the figures of a woman and of a great red dragon. (1–6). Michael and his angels fight against the devil and his angels, who are defeated. (7–12). The dragon persecutes the church. (13, 14). His vain endeavours to destroy her, He renews his war against her seed. (14–17).
vv1-6
The church, under the emblem of a woman, the mother of believers, was seen by the apostle in vision, in heaven. She was clothed with the sun, justified, sanctified, and shining by union with Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. The moon was under her feet; she was superior to the reflected and feebler light of the revelation made by Moses. Having on her head a crown of twelve stars; the doctrine of the gospel, preached by the twelve apostles, is a crown of glory to all true believers. As in pain to bring forth a holy family; desirous that the conviction of sinners might end in their conversion. A dragon is a known emblem of Satan, and his chief agents, or those who govern for him on earth, at that time the pagan empire of Rome, the city built upon seven hills. As having ten horns, divided into ten kingdoms. Having seven crowns, representing seven forms of government. As drawing with his tail a third part of the stars in heaven, and casting them down to the earth; persecuting and seducing the ministers and teachers. As watchful to crush the Christian religion; but in spite of the opposition of enemies, the church brought forth a manly issue of true and faithful professors, in whom Christ was truly formed anew; even the mystery of Christ, that Son of God who should rule the nations, and in whose right his members partake the same glory. This blessed offspring was protected of God.
vv7-11
The attempts of the dragon proved unsuccessful against the church, and fatal to his own interests. The seat of this war was in heaven; in the church of Christ, the kingdom of heaven on earth. The parties were Christ, the great Angel of the covenant, and his faithful followers; and Satan and his instruments. The strength of the church is in having the Lord Jesus for the Captain of their salvation. Pagan idolatry, which was the worship of devils, was cast out of the empire by the spreading of Christianity. The salvation and strength of the church, are only to be ascribed to the King and Head of the church. The conquered enemy hates the presence of God, yet he is willing to appear there, to accuse the people of God. Let us take heed that we give him no cause to accuse us; and that, when we have sinned, we go before the Lord, condemn ourselves, and commit our cause to Christ as our Advocate. The servants of God overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb, as the cause. By the word of their testimony: the powerful preaching of the gospel is mighty, through God, to pull down strong holds. By their courage and patience in sufferings: they loved not their lives so well but they could lay them down in Christ's cause. These were the warriors and the weapons by which Christianity overthrew the power of pagan idolatry; and if Christians had continued to fight with these weapons, and such as these, their victories would have been more numerous and glorious, and the effects more lasting. The redeemed overcame by a simple reliance on the blood of Christ, as the only ground of their hopes. In this we must be like them. We must not blend any thing else with this.
vv12-17
The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians, by which the western empire was overwhelmed; for the heathen encouraged their attacks, in the hope of destroying Christianity. But ungodly men, for their worldly interests, protected the church amidst these tumults, and the overthrow of the empire did not help the cause of idolatry. Or, this may be meant of a flood of error, by which the church of God was in danger of being overwhelmed and carried away. The devil, defeated in his designs upon the church, turns his rage against persons and places. Being faithful to God and Christ, in doctrine, worship, and practice, exposes to the rage of Satan; and will do so till the last enemy shall be destroyed.
Key Words
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
μέγας (mégas): big (literally or figuratively, in a very wide application)
σημεῖον (sēmeîon): an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally
ὀπτάνομαι (optánomai): to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable; and thus differing from G991 (βλέπω), which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from G1492 (εἴδω), which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while G2300 (θεάομαι), and still more emphatically its intensive G2334 (θεωρέω), signifies an earnest but more continued inspection; and G4648 (σκοπέω) a watching from a distance)
ἐν (en): "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
οὐρανός (ouranós): the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity)
γυνή (gynḗ): a woman; specially, a wife
περιβάλλω (peribállō): to throw all around, i.e. invest (with a palisade or with clothing)
ἥλιος (hḗlios): perhaps akin to the alternate of G138 (αἱρέομαι)); the sun; by implication, light
σελήνη (selḗnē): probably akin to the alternate of G138 (αἱρέομαι), through the idea of attractiveness); the moon
Cross References
Revelation 12Directly quoted to describe the man-child ruling the nations with a rod of iron.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The Sun of Righteousness illuminates the figure of the woman clothed with the sun.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The foundational prophecy of conflict between the serpent and the woman's seed.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicitly identifies the dragon as that old serpent, the Devil, and Satan.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Depicts Satan standing as the accuser of God's people, matching his title here.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Metaphor of travailing in birth until Christ is formed in the believers.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Pharaoh as the great dragon, representing persecuting worldly powers acting under Satanic influence.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic description of stars of heaven being cast down to the ground by a prideful horn.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The prophetic duration of 'a time, and times, and half a time' matching the 1260 days.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallels the prophetic period of time, times, and a half for the scattering of power.
Supported by Matthew Poole
God bearing His people on eagles' wings into the wilderness for safety and deliverance.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Theological parallel of believers 'putting on' Christ, as the woman is clothed with the sun.
Supported by Matthew Poole
To be baptized into Christ is to put on Christ, mirroring the woman's solar clothing.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophecy of Israel/the Church travailing until she which travaileth has brought forth.
Supported by JFB
Addresses the Lord wounding the dragon, representing ancient Egypt as a type of the enemy.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Jesus beholding Satan fall as lightning from heaven, prefiguring his casting out.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Classic historical example of Satan acting as the accuser of God's righteous servants.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole