“And a great sign appeared in heaven… a woman clothed with the sun… she was with child… a great red dragon…” (Revelation 12:1-6, NASB)

The book of Revelation shows once and for all that Jesus Christ is the central figure of the story. The book describes many mysterious creatures, events, and phenomena, but its main focus is the birth and eternal reign of King Jesus. It says in today’s reading,

“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; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 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. And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 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. 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.”

There are many strange things happening in the book of Revelation, and it is debatable whether they are real or symbolic. However, if John writes that he saw a “sign,” we can assume God was showing him symbols rather than real people and events. John saw two signs. First, he saw “a great sign” of a woman who was “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars,” and was pregnant with a “child.” Second, he saw “another sign” of a “great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.”

Almost every biblical scholar agrees that the woman here represents Israel and the child she was about to give birth to as Christ. To interpret otherwise, you would have to do great mental gymnastics to do it. The dragon here obviously represents Satan himself or his kingdom, as a couple of verses later identify him as such. Revelation 12:9 says, “And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” Although the conflict between Christ and Satan has been ongoing since the Garden of Eden, this passage depicts it during the Great Tribulation. We know this because it says that the woman was hid for “one thousand two hundred and sixty days,” which refers to the latter three and a half years of the Tribulation Period. As a result, the proper way to interpret chapters 12 and beyond is symbolically, and not chronologically, as part of the long conflict between Christ and Satan. In other words, as much as we would like to think that human beings are the central focus of earthly history, we are not. Jesus Christ is the central focus of the story. From the stories of creation and fall to the stories of the Great Tribulation and the final judgment, the star of the story is Jesus the Christ.

Satan is the main antagonist of the story. John’s vision of Satan on earth was that of a “great red dragon,” and he had “seven heads and ten horns, and on his head were seven diadems.” According to the book itself, the “seven heads” represent seven historical kingdoms, and the “ten horns” represent ten kings who will rule with the Antichrist in the last of those seven kingdoms (Rev.17:9-14). It also says that the dragon’s tail “swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth,” indicating that he has a third of fallen angels following after him. During the Tribulation Period, Satan will form an alliance of earthly kingdoms influenced by demonic powers, which he will use to attack and persecute Israel and anyone who follows Christ and seeks to “devour” them (1 Pet.5:8-9). Like other mystery books, this one has plenty of mystery, suspense, and conflict, but if you look to the end of the book, you will see that Christ wins. Christ will win, and those who follow him will win also. Christ will “rule all the nations with a rod of iron,” and we will serve him forever and ever. This is the story of the Revelation and of the Bible.

• What do you think? Are the characters and events in Revelation 12 literal people and events or symbolic representations?
• Why do you think Satan hates Christ and those who follow him, and how does it show his feelings towards you?