Reflection on Revelation 12

After the seventh trumpet sounded in chapter 11, chapters 12 to 14 provide a pause in the action of judgment and a closer look at the final assault by the devil on the people of God. The seemingly abrupt start of chapter 12 introduces the war that will take place on earth and heaven.

John saw a great and wondrous sign, a woman in glorious fashion, with luminous clothing and a starry crown. The woman is pregnant, crying out in pain, about to give birth. Who is this woman is not crystal clear. But from the way how she is cared about mentioned in this chapter, I think the woman represents the essential unity of God's people in both testaments across all time, including true believing Israel who bears the Messiah and also the Church which gives birth to many people of God.

Then John saw another sign, "an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crown on his head." The dragon uses his tail to sweep a third of the stars out of the sky and fling them to the earth, revealing his destructive might. There is no question about the identity of the dragon. Verse 9 says that he is "that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." This is the same serpent who appeared in the Garden of Eden to tempt Adam and Eve. He was cursed to ongoing enmity with them and their offspring. Sadly, each and every one of their offspring, meaning each of us, is born into this enemy camp and as ally of the most vicious enemy that has ever sought to challenge God. It is only by God's grace, by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; we are saved, redeemed from this enemy's camp. Satan loses our service and hates us more, even though he already hates us to begin with. And we become his target. He is always our hater; in fact, he hates all creations of God. He wants to destroy all of them.

There is one person whom Satan hates the most, who is the baby of the woman, "who will rule all nations with an iron scepter." He is Jesus. Satan "stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born." John emphasizes how desperate Satan wants to harm Jesus, but emphasizes more the dragon's inability to derail God's purpose in His Son, because the child "was snatched up to God and his throne." The Son is in safety.

The dragon also cannot harm the woman. After her delivery, she "fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days." With her child secure on God's throne, the woman finds shelter in the place God prepared. Exactly right now, our Lord Jesus is on God's throne, we as His followers are in our own wilderness, in a situation of lesser comfort but greater dependence on Himself. Our challenge circumstances in this life may be our greatest safety provided by God. The 1,260 days God provided care for the woman is the same duration the two witnesses prophesied in chapter 11. This protection of the woman may indicate God's care in the last days for His people. Christians can be sure of the certainty of God's provision and protection in the battles of this life.

John now shows enormous restraint and merely says “there was war in heaven." The dragon leads an evil supernatural army arrogant enough to battle with the forces of God Himself. "Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back." The devil's militia is not strong enough, "and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down." His angels went with him. "He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" on earth.

From the narrative alone, we might wrongly conclude that the dragon and his angels were defeated by Michael and his angels. But the following interpretive hymn help us to interpret the battle story. The hymn tells us Michael and his angels overcome the dragon and his forces "by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." The hymn here credits Christ's death on the cross as the real reason for the defeat of the devil. The victory was already accomplished by Jesus' death on the cross. John also upholds the testimony of believers who overcame Satan, who broke sin's bondage, in the strength of the Lord. Therefore "they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." These overcomers loved their Lord and were driven by a passion for His gospel, in spite of possible risks. Some of Christ's followers are literally called to die for Him, but all are called to sacrifice, to triumph over evil in the eternal power of Jesus' death and resurrection. Our testimonies are praised in heaven along with the precious blood of Jesus. What a great honor! The greatest honor!

A joyful loud voice in heaven announces," Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ." God moves all history exalting His Son Jesus. Salvation provided for believers' citizenship in God's kingdom, in its spiritual sense now and coming in fullness in the great reign of Christ.

The great news for us is a dreadful message for Satan. Satan acts against God and His people. He is described here as “the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night." He tempts people young and old to sin so he can then accuse them before God. He destroys whatever he can in our lives and hinders us in working for God. Now he has lost his position in heaven and "has been hurled down" "to the earth and sea." He lost his permission to accuse believers because what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus has paid the penalty for His people's sin and leaves no room for Satan to accuse them in front of God.

Having suffered defeat in heaven, the frustrated dragon makes the earth the stage for his hatred of God and His people. He "pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child." But "the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert." When Israel left Egypt, God said, "I carried you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself." God delivered His people from Pharaoh, led them into the Desert of Sinai where He provided and protected them. God will miraculously deliver His people from the clutches of the devil in the final days .

God set limits on Satan. But he is still a powerful spiritual terrorist on the prowl. Satan's extreme anger due to the woman eluding his attack is expressed in a flood of water out of his mouth, intend to engulf and drown the woman. This water can mean anything which could destroy God's people. Satan may suggest doubts, temptations and selfish motivations even to God's people who may feel they are drowning in the thinking and behavior of the world that defies God's Word. The real threat and interference of Satan and evil in this world can be discouraging. Does the world seem hopeless as you see God's Word disdained, sin advancing and false philosophies preferred? Do you experience opposition to God's work in you? But take heart! God's eternal purposes overrule the agenda of Satan. God always wins. In His time, God made "the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth." Again, God came to His people's rescue. This reminds us of the Israelite's exodus from Egypt and that God dried up the red sea, allowing them to pass through on dry ground.

The dragon's rage only grew stronger. He "went off to make war against the rest of her offspring, those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus." Who are the rest of her offspring which haven't been assaulted now? I think they are the future generations of believers. The enmity between the serpent's offspring and the woman's offspring began in the Garden of Eden and will continue until the last moment. Satan is a strong enemy, he would not give up until the last, but he is a defeated foe. All generations of believers can look for God's deliverance, because He accomplished His deliverance of us by the sacrifice of His Son. Satan experiences one defeat after another as believers' lives are renewed by Christ. The believers will hand Satan another round of defeat as they persevere under suffering, often at great cost, in Christ power.