The Bible — World English Bible

Revelation 12

In brief

Revelation 12 presents two signs in heaven: a woman about to give birth and a great red dragon who wants to devour the child. The child is caught up to God and the woman flees into the wilderness. A war then breaks out in heaven: Michael and his angels drive out the dragon, identified as the devil and Satan, and a voice proclaims that the salvation and the kingdom of God have come. Furious, the dragon pursues the woman and then turns on those who keep God's commandments. Christians read here the spiritual battle and the victory of Christ.

The chapter in 3 parts

  1. v. 1-6The woman, the dragon and the child caught up to God
  2. v. 7-12War in heaven: the dragon is thrown down
  3. v. 13-17The dragon pursues the woman and her offspring

1A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

2She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

3Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.

4His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.

6The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

8They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven.

9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

12Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

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

14Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

15The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

16The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

17The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

Key verses

Verse 9
The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

The dragon is named: the ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. The text thus links the scene to the story of the garden of Eden.

Verse 10
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

A voice announces that the salvation, the power and the kingdom of God have come, because the accuser of the brothers has been thrown down. Satan is pictured as a prosecutor who accuses day and night before God.

Verse 11
They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

Believers overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, not loving their lives even to the point of death. The victory comes from the cross, not from human strength.

Verse 12
Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

Joy in heaven, woe to the earth: the devil knows he has only a short time, which explains his rage. The verse calls for vigilance without taking away the assurance of Christ's victory.

Bible verses to meditate on

Characters in this chapter

What the sermons say

Frequently asked questions about Revelation 12

Who is the woman in Revelation 12?

Believers do not all understand her in the same way. Some see Israel, others the Church, others Mary or God's people throughout history. All agree on the general meaning: the woman represents the people whom God protects while the dragon seeks to destroy the child, who is Christ.

Who is the dragon in Revelation 12?

Verse 9 answers directly: he is the great dragon, the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He is also called the accuser of our brothers in verse 10. His defeat is announced: he is thrown down and has no more place in heaven.

What does it mean to overcome by the blood of the Lamb in Revelation 12:11?

The blood of the Lamb refers to the death of Jesus on the cross, which removes condemnation. Believers overcome the accuser because their forgiveness rests on that work, and they hold firm through their testimony, even at the cost of their lives. The victory is Christ's, shared with those who belong to him.

What do the 1,260 days and a time, times and half a time mean?

These periods refer to three and a half years. They appear in Daniel and elsewhere in Revelation. Some connect them to the second half of a seven-year period still to come, while others see a symbolic length of time for the whole era in which the Church goes through trial before the Lord's return.

Articles quoting Revelation 12

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World English Bible translation — public domain.