Rev 12 The Woman and the Dragon: Part 1

In this episode, Rob and Vinnie begin a study of Rev 12 and the Woman and the Dragon. This is an excellent chapter to understand for several reasons. First, it is a clear example of how apocalypses function. Second, the chapter aims to provide a context for "the war"--that is, the one the Beast wages against the Two Witnesses--the people of God/us included--Rev 11:7. Therefore, we are reminded by means of stark imagery of a Dragon pursuing a Woman, first her and then her child, and then, as we will discuss on the next episode, the offspring of the Woman. And, thus, it serves to remind us that the Devil is waging war against us (see Eph 6:11-18; 1 Pet 5:8-9. 

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Show notes

Revelation 12 places the story of the people of God in the context of the cosmic struggle between Satan and God: The devil is a Dragon who stands opposed to the people of God in order to defeat them.

Genesis 37:9

Woman is Israel—the people of God: Mary; or the nation of Israel/Jewish people

The identity of the child becomes clear, “And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is going to rule all the nations with an iron rod” (12:5).

The reference to the “rod of iron” is most certainly an allusion to Psalm 2:7, 9.

The Dragon (12:3) stands in contrast to the Woman (12:1)

• both include the use of “sign,” “appeared,” “in heaven,” and “great.”

Dragon represents an untamable sea-going, creature.

Pharaoh is the serpent in Ezek 29:3

John leaves us with no doubt as to the identity of the Dragon (12:9).

the Dragon’s tail “swept down a third of the stars of heaven and he threw them to the earth” (12:4).

Interestingly, John glosses over Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

“The Woman fled into the wilderness” (12:6).

The wilderness was a place of divine protection and a refuge in times of trouble.

• Jesus went into the wilderness after He was baptized (Matt 4; Luke 4; Mark 1) Moses fled from Egypt and found refuge.
• The Israelites later fled to the wilderness where God sovereignly provided for and nourished His people.

The wilderness also functions as a place of trial and temptation.

The wilderness conjures up positive images

• It was the place of God’s presence among the Israelites.

In terms of the narrative, the flight of the Woman into the wilderness also suggests that this is the present location of the people of God

• where they are both divinely protected and pursued by the Dragon!

“And there was war in heaven” (12:7).

• We should not restrict it to the heavens.

John makes the identity of the Dragon clear for us. He is the “great Dragon” (12:9)

the Dragon is called by two names.

First, he is the Devil (diabolos), which means “slanderous; or the slanderer.”

Secondly, He is called “the Satan,” which means “the adversary” or “the accuser.”

In 12:10, a heavenly voice rejoices “because the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down.”

The heavenly voice iterates that the Dragon is “the one who accuses them day and night before our God” (12:10).

12:11-12: a three-part hymn.

First proclamation: the kingdom of God has come

Second proclamation: they overcame him

Third proclamation: rejoice

The second part of the hymn appears to describe how the battle was won:

• first, they overcame “by the blood of the Lamb”;
• second, they overcame “by the word of their testimony”; and
• Third, they overcame because “they did not love their life until death” (12:11).