(*All Bible verses are from the NIV unless otherwise noted)
Chapter 12
1 A great 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 its heads.
4 Its 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 it might devour her child the moment he was born.
Rev 12:1
A great 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:
Note the verses that help identify this “woman”:
verse 1: She’s clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and she wears a crown of twelve stars;
verse 2: She’s Pregnant, about to give birth;
verse 5: She Bears a son who would rule the nations and was snatched up to God;
verses 6, 14: The woman is given wings and flees into the wilderness and is cared for by God for 1260 days – a time, times, and half a time (3 1/2)
verse 17: Her offspring are those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Some scholars maintain that the “woman” represents Mary, the mother of Jesus. But the image John sees may be deeper than that. God’s relationship with his people has often been illustrated as that of a husband with his bride.
Isa 26:17 [ESV] Like a pregnant woman who writhes and cries out in her pangs when she is near to giving birth, so were we because of you, O LORD;
Isa 49:18 [ESV] Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the LORD, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does.
Isa 54:5 [ESV] For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the LORD has called you like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God.
Ezek 16:9-13 I bathed you with water and washed the blood from you and put ointments on you. 10 I clothed you with an embroidered dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen and covered you with costly garments. 11 I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck, 12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. 13 So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.
John 3:29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
(also, Jer. chapters 3-4; and Matt 25:1-6)
In this broader sense, the woman may represent the community of God’s faithful people throughout the ages, who ultimately provided the setting for Jesus’ birth, ministry, atoning death, and establishment of his Church.
Rev 12:1
Clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet:
To be “clothed with the sun and moon” is a life lived in the light of God’s Spirit. The Lord’s faithful believers have always, and will always, walk in this light.
Isa 30:26 The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.
Rev 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Ps 18:28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.
Rev 12:1
And a crown of twelve stars on her head:
The number twelve appears throughout the Testaments symbolizing God’s perfect government and the completeness of His plans for humankind. For example:
- Twelve sons of Jacob become the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen 35);
- Twelve of Jesus’ disciples become his special witnesses to the world (Luke 6:13);
- Twelve thousand from each tribe represent the redeemed of the world (Rev 7:4);
- Christ’s prophetic bride, the church, wears a crown containing 12 stars (Rev 12:1);
- The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, is illustrated as having 12 gates and 12 foundations built on the 12 Apostles of Christ (Rev 21).
The image of a crown (Rev 3) represents royalty, and the image of stars as angels figuratively represents ministers and leaders of the Church (Rev 1:20).
Rev 12:2
She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth:
A mother suffers birth pains but is rewarded with inexplicable joy as she holds her new baby. Jesus stated plainly that to stand courageously for God’s truth will often bring suffering and pain but would be rewarded with the joy of spiritual renewal, redemption, and eternal life.
Matt 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. (also, Matt 24:9, John 15:18-25)
The woman John sees seems to represent the faithful community of God’s people through the ages who provided the foundation of belief that welcomed the Messiah. From the prophets who suffered and sacrificed for God’s word to the shepherds in the hills who heard the angel’s proclamation. The community of believers eagerly awaited the Messiah and welcomed him with shouts of joy upon his arrival, all prepared for his coming through their suffering, faith, and perseverance.
Mic 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
Rev 12:3
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon:
Verse 9 identifies this “dragon” as “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan.” Old Testament writers were very familiar with the Deceiver and Accuser:
Job 1:6-7 6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”
Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
The Hebrew term, satan (saw-tawn’) means an opponent, adversary, the accuser, the arch-enemy of God.1 The name appears as the identity of God’s enemy as well as the actions he performs:
Num 22:22 But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose [satan] him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him.
1 Sam 29:4 But the Philistine commanders were angry with Achish and said, “Send the man back, that he may return to the place you assigned him. He must not go with us into battle, or he will turn against us [satan] during the fighting. How better could he regain his master’s favor than by taking the heads of our own men?
1 Kings 5:4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary [satan] or disaster.
Zechariah combines both usages, seeing Satan as the opponent of God and the “accuser” of God’s people:
Zech 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse [satan] him.
The Enemy accuses mankind and demands suffering for their sins, while God through Christ says “No!” I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. !” (John 10:28)
Luke 1:68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
Rev 12:3
With seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads:
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a troubling dream and Daniel prayed for the interpretation (Dan. 7:3-27). The king had seen four beasts come out of the sea. The fourth beast had four heads, making seven heads in all. It also had ten horns.
It was not God’s intention to mystify Daniel with indecipherable images so, in verses 15-27, Daniel is given the interpretation:
- The four great beasts are four kings or kingdoms;
- The horns are ten kings arising from those kingdoms;
- The fourth beast was different and more terrifying, crushing and devouring the others;
Looking through the lens of history, scholars suggest that Daniel’s “beasts” symbolized the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek empires that each, in turn, subjugated Israel. These were followed by the Roman Empire that “devoured” them all. While these prophecies played out in real historical events, the images Daniel and John saw represent an eternal principle. Compare the following verses:
| Dan 2:44 [ESV]And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever… |
| Rev 11:17 [ESV]“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” |
| Rev 5:9 [ESV]And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.” |
Horns are a symbol of power, and crowns represent authority. Seven symbolizes completeness and perfect order. The seven heads and ten horns picture Satan’s great power, authority, and ability to deceive the world.
Efforts have been made to assign the heads, horns, and crowns specific names and places in history. But Daniel and John were being shown a more crucial truth that goes beyond the mere naming of kingdoms and kings. It’s the timeless principle that no matter how fiercely nations and peoples may oppose God, His kingdom has already been established in Christ and will never be destroyed! Christ reigns, Christ conquers all, and believers will be with him for eternity!
In Chapter 13, John will see a “beast” coming out of the sea. This beast will also have seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns. Then, in Chapter 17, he sees a “great prostitute” riding a “scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns.” John is told that the seven heads represent seven hills upon which the great prostitute sits. The similarity between these illustrations is apparent:
Chapter 12
Enormous red dragon – Seven heads, Ten horns, Seven crowns
Chapter 13
A beast from the sea – Seven heads, Ten horns, Ten crowns
Chapter 17
Scarlet beast – Seven heads, Ten horns
As we’ve seen, the images John sees are frequently used in the Old Testament:
Heads: the seat of thought and intention, whether good or evil;
Prov 10:6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
Ps 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
Horns: symbolize the power of opposing forces, and when associated with the Temple altar, illustrate God’s atoning mercy:
Ezek 34:21 Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away,
Ezek 43:20 You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the upper ledge and all around the rim, and so purify the altar and make atonement for it.
Crowns: rulers and authorities:
Jer 13:18 Say to the king and to the queen mother, “Come down from your thrones, for your glorious crowns will fall from your heads.”
These beasts, dragons, horns, and crowns illustrate Satan’s move through kings and kingdoms, typified by Babylon and Rome, to crush God’s people. But they are never completely successful:
Matt 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
Rev 12:4
Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth:
Several verses in Scripture form the allegory of Satan being cast from heaven with a third of the angels. For example, Isaiah prophesied the fall of the Babylonian Empire and its great king. The context of the passage is primarily about a human king. However, in the eternal nature of prophecy, his words seem to form a larger picture, using Babylon, the symbol of rebellion against God, to declare the fall of everything that is evil.
In the same way, Ezekiel prophesies against the king of Tyre, calling him someone who was once a “seal of perfection”, but, because of his corrupt nature, he was thrown to the earth. Jesus, Peter, and Jude continue the analogy, declaring the fall of everything that rebels against God. All of these verses combine to create the traditional allegory of Satan’s fall:
Isa 14:4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended!
Isa 14:11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. 12 How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” 15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
Ezek 28:11 The word of the LORD came to me: 12 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: “ ‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared. 14 You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. 15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. 16 Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. 17 Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings.
Luke 10:18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
2Pet 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
Rev 9:1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.
Rev 12:7-9 completes the analogy:
Rev 12:7 Then war broke out 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.
Rev 12:4
So that it might devour her child the moment he was born:
H. B. Swete wrote that there is an eternal symbolism in the images John is seeing. In the life drama of man, seen through Christian eyes, there will always be two characters. There is man, fallen, always under the attack of the powers of evil but always struggling towards the birth of a higher life. And there is the power of evil, ever watching for its opportunity to frustrate man’s upward reach2.
Footnotes
- Satan: Strong’s H7854. ↩︎
- H.B. Swete, The Apocalypse of Saint John, Kregel Publications, third edition, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1977. ↩︎
*All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
