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The Woman and Child

THE WOMAN AND CHILD

Revelation 12

When you study the book of Revelation it is extremely difficult and perhaps impossible to know for sure what the imagery found in the book is speaking about.

But it is not difficult to understand the overall meaning of what John sees…and what happens in that vision.

So, let’s begin…verse 1. Now, keep in mind what takes place here is still part of the 7th trumpet found in chapter 11:15.

Start in verse 1:

And a 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; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.

 Now, there are some clues here in this verse as well as this chapter that give us some indication as to who this woman is.

Second, she has on her head a “crown” of 12 stars.

So the woman here is the “whole” of God’s people…not just Christians because she is in existence before the child comes….and not just O.T people because she is persecuted after the child is born.

Now, verse 2 says that she was with child…more than likely this is Jesus.

So what you have here is the woman, “God’s people through out time”…giving birth to a child…or to the Christ.

So here you have the image of God’s people through out time….and the Christ child.

Now, verse 3:

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth.

Now, let me tell you something here quickly.

They fail to remember that this is a vision…and you cannot take everything written in this book literally.

Now, notice in verse 3…”Another sign appeared in heaven: and behold a great dragon…”

Now, notice the dragon…notice the descriptive terms…it was a “great red dragon…and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.”

And I want you to notice down in verse 9…in verse 9 there are 5 terms used for this dragon: dragon, Satan, serpent, Devil, and Deceiver.

So, there is no doubt who the dragon is.

And notice also…the dragon had 7 heads, 10 horns, and on his head were 7 diadems.

So now, look at what this dragon does in verse 4: Rev 12:4-5

And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

  1. Sounds a lot like what happened in Exodus 1 when Pharaoh tried to kill Moses.
  2. And also in Matthew 3 when Herod tries to kill the baby Jesus.
  3. Both times Satan failed.

 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.

  6 And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

Rev 12:7-8  And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And 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.

 Now, this is not a literal war.

What about after Christ’s ascension?

Also, notice who the devil’s war was with…Michael and his angels.

This is not speaking of a literal war….this is a vision which embodies truth.

The point, the devil is a loser….in fact, he is a three time loser…he lost on earth…he lost in heaven…and he loses again on earth.

And notice verse 9 again. Verse 9 indicates that the devils defeat is decisive.

The warning here in these verses…if you are on the devil’s side…you are following a loser and you too will lose.

Now, verse 10…and remember, this is a vision which embodies a truth.

And 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 brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

Now, verse 11…this verse will tell you when the battle was fought…and notice the weapons.

11 “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb(here is the reason they won. The devil had no claim on them because of His blood)

“And 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 to death.

Just like these people we have a story to tell about Christ…and we need to tell it.

This passage tells us not to be afraid to preach about Christ because the devil has already been defeated.

Rev 12:12-17

12 “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them ( this would be God’s people. Even though we are here on earth…this is ultimately where we live).

12 “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

 13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

 14 And the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, in order that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.

  15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood.

 Here the serpent is trying to imitate God…but the serpent is not God.

 

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth.

 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.