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A mulher e o dragão

12 Então apareceu no céu um grande e misterioso sinal. Era uma mulher. O seu vestido era o sol, debaixo dos seus pés estava a lua, e ela usava na cabeça uma coroa que tinha doze estrelas. A mulher estava grávida e gritava com dores de parto.

E apareceu no céu outro sinal: era um enorme dragão vermelho com sete cabeças e dez chifres e com uma coroa em cada cabeça. Com a cauda ele arrastou do céu a terça parte das estrelas e as jogou sobre a terra. Depois parou diante da mulher grávida a fim de comer a criança logo que ela nascesse. Então a mulher deu à luz um filho, que governará todas as nações com uma barra de ferro. Mas a criança foi tirada e levada para perto de Deus e do seu trono. A mulher fugiu para o deserto, onde Deus havia preparado um lugar para ela. Ali ela será sustentada durante mil duzentos e sessenta dias.

Depois houve guerra no céu. Miguel e os seus anjos lutaram contra o dragão, que combateu junto com os seus anjos. Mas o dragão foi vencido, e por isso ele e os seus anjos não puderam mais ficar no céu. O enorme dragão foi lançado fora do céu. Ele é aquela velha cobra, chamada Diabo ou Satanás, que leva todas as pessoas do mundo a pecar. Ele foi jogado sobre a terra, e os seus anjos também foram jogados junto com ele.

10 Então ouvi uma voz forte no céu, que dizia:

— Agora chegou a salvação de Deus! Agora Deus mostrou o seu poder como rei! Agora o Messias que ele escolheu mostrou a sua autoridade! Pois o acusador dos nossos irmãos, que estava diante de Deus para acusá-los dia e noite, foi jogado fora do céu. 11 Os nossos irmãos o derrotaram por meio do sangue do Cordeiro e da mensagem que anunciaram. Eles estavam prontos para dar a sua vida e morrer. 12 Portanto, ó céu e todos vocês que vivem nele, alegrem-se! Mas ai da terra e do mar! Pois o Diabo desceu até vocês e ele está muito furioso porque sabe que tem somente um pouco mais de tempo para agir.

13 Quando o dragão viu que tinha sido jogado sobre a terra, começou a perseguir a mulher que tinha dado à luz o menino. 14 Porém a mulher recebeu as duas asas de uma grande águia para poder voar para o seu lugar no deserto, onde ela será sustentada durante três anos e meio, livre do ataque do dragão. 15 Então o dragão lançou água da sua boca, como se fosse um rio, atrás da mulher, para que ela fosse arrastada pelas águas. 16 Mas a terra ajudou a mulher, pois a própria terra abriu a boca e engoliu a água que tinha saído da boca do dragão. 17 O dragão ficou furioso com a mulher e foi combater contra o resto dos descendentes dela, isto é, aqueles que obedecem aos mandamentos de Deus e são fiéis à verdade revelada por Jesus. 18 E o dragão ficou de pé na praia.

The seventh trumpet: (ii) The sign of the woman

12 1-2 Then a huge sign became visible in the sky—the figure of a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head. She was pregnant, and cried out in her labour and in the pains of bringing forth her child.

The seventh trumpet: (iii) The dragon, the enemy of the woman

3-4 Then another sign became visible in the sky, and I saw that it was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with a diadem upon each of his heads. His tail swept down a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them upon the earth. The dragon took his place in front of the woman who was about to give birth to a child, so that as soon as she did so he might devour it.

5-6 She gave birth to a male child who is to shepherd all the nations “with a rod of iron”. Her child was snatched up to God and to his throne, while the woman fled into the desert where she has a place prepared for her by God’s command. There they will take care of her for twelve hundred and sixty days.

War in Heaven

7-9 The war broke out in Heaven. Michael and his angels battled with the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they did not prevail and they were expelled from Heaven. So the huge dragon, the serpent of ancient times, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was hurled down upon the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

The victory of Heaven proclaimed

10-11 Then I heard a great voice in Heaven cry: “Now the salvation and the power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ have come! For the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down from this place, where he stood before our God accusing them day and night. Now they have conquered him through the blood of the Lamb, and through the Word to which they bore witness. They did not cherish life even in the face of death!

12 “Therefore, rejoice, O Heavens, and all you who live in the Heavens! But alas for the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great fury, knowing that his time is short!”

The dragon’s enmity against the woman

13-14 And when the dragon saw that he had been cast down upon the earth, he began to pursue the woman who had given birth to the male child. But she was given two great eagle’s wings so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where she is kept safe from the serpent for a time and times and half a time.

15-17 Then the serpent ejected water from his mouth, streaming like a river in pursuit of the woman, to drown her in its flood. But the earth came to the woman’s rescue, opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had emitted from his mouth. Then the dragon raged with fury against the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her children—those who keep the commandments of God and bear their witness to Jesus.

The Woman and the Dragon

12 A great sign(A) appeared in heaven:(B) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars(C) on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain(D) as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven:(E) an enormous red dragon(F) with seven heads(G) and ten horns(H) and seven crowns(I) on its heads. Its tail swept a third(J) of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.(K) The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child(L) the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a](M) And her child was snatched up(N) to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.(O)

Then war broke out in heaven. Michael(P) and his angels fought against the dragon,(Q) and the dragon and his angels(R) fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent(S) called the devil,(T) or Satan,(U) who leads the whole world astray.(V) He was hurled to the earth,(W) and his angels with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven(X) say:

“Now have come the salvation(Y) and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,(Z)
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over(AA) him
    by the blood of the Lamb(AB)
    and by the word of their testimony;(AC)
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.(AD)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens(AE)
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe(AF) to the earth and the sea,(AG)
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon(AH) saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.(AI) 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle,(AJ) so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time,(AK) out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent(AL) spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war(AM) against the rest of her offspring(AN)—those who keep God’s commands(AO) and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9