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12 Now a great sign was seen in heaven — a woman clothed with the sun, under her feet the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and about to give birth, and she screamed in the agony of labor.

Another sign was seen in heaven there was a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven royal crowns. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of heaven and threw them down to the earth. It stood in front of the woman about to give birth, so that it might devour the child the moment it was born.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, the one who will rule all the nations with a staff of iron.[a] But her child was snatched up to God and his throne; and she fled into the desert, where she has a place prepared by God so that she can be taken care of for 1,260 days.

Next there was a battle in heaven — Mikha’el and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But it was not strong enough to win, so that there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, also known as the Devil and Satan [the Adversary], the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,

“Now have come God’s victory, power and kingship,
and the authority of his Messiah;
because the Accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them day and night before God,
has been thrown out!

11 “They defeated him because of the Lamb’s blood
and because of the message of their witness.
Even when facing death
they did not cling to life.

12 “Therefore, rejoice, heaven and you who live there!
But woe to you, land and sea,
for the Adversary has come down to you,
and he is very angry, because he knows that his time is short!”

13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled down to the earth, he went in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where she is taken care of for a season and two seasons and half a season,[b] away from the serpent’s presence. 15 The serpent spewed water like a river out of its mouth after the woman, in order to sweep her away in the flood; 16 but the land came to her rescue — it opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. 17 The dragon was infuriated over the woman and went off to fight the rest of her children, those who obey God’s commands and bear witness to Yeshua.

18 Then the dragon stood on the seashore;

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:5 Psalm 2:9
  2. Revelation 12:14 Daniel 7:25; 12:7

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

12 ¶ Y una gran señal apareció en el cielo: una mujer vestida del sol, y la luna debajo de sus pies, y sobre su cabeza una corona de doce estrellas.

Y estando encinta, clamaba con dolores de parto, y sufría tormento por dar a luz.

Y apareció otra señal en el cielo: y he aquí un grande dragón bermejo, que tenía siete cabezas y diez cuernos, y en sus cabezas siete diademas.

Y su cola arrastraba la tercera parte de las estrellas del cielo, y las echó en tierra. Y el dragón se paró delante de la mujer que estaba de parto, a fin de devorar a su hijo cuando hubiera nacido.

Y ella dio a luz un hijo varón, el cual había de regir todos los gentiles con vara de hierro; y su hijo fue arrebatado para Dios y para su trono.

Y la mujer huyó al desierto, donde tiene lugar aparejado de Dios, para que allí la mantengan mil doscientos sesenta días.

Y fue hecha una gran batalla en el cielo: Miguel y sus ángeles lidiaban contra el dragón; y lidiaba el dragón y sus ángeles.

Y no prevalecieron, ni su lugar fue más hallado en el cielo.

Y fue lanzado fuera aquel gran dragón, que es la serpiente antigua, que es llamado diablo y el Satanás, el cual engaña al mundo entero; y fue arrojado en tierra, y sus ángeles fueron derribados con él.

10 Y oí una gran voz en el cielo que decía: Ahora es hecha en el cielo salvación, y virtud, y Reino de nuestro Dios, y potencia de su Cristo; porque el acusador de nuestros hermanos es ya derribado, el cual los acusaba delante de nuestro Dios día y noche.

11 Y ellos le han vencido por la sangre del Cordero, y por la Palabra de su testimonio; y no han amado sus vidas hasta la muerte.

12 ¶ Por lo cual alegraos, cielos, y los que moráis en ellos. ¡Ay de los moradores de la tierra y del mar! Porque el diablo ha descendido a vosotros, teniendo gran ira, sabiendo que tiene poco tiempo.

13 Y cuando vio el dragón que él había sido derribado en tierra, persiguió a la mujer que había dado a luz el hijo varón.

14 Y fueron dadas a la mujer dos alas del gran águila, para que de la presencia de la serpiente volara al desierto a su lugar, donde es mantenida por un tiempo, y tiempos, y la mitad de un tiempo.

15 Y la serpiente echó de su boca tras la mujer agua como un río, a fin de hacer que fuera arrebatada del río.

16 Y la tierra ayudó a la mujer; y la tierra abrió su boca, y sorbió el río que había echado el dragón de su boca.

17 Entonces el dragón fue airado contra la mujer; y se fue a hacer guerra contra los otros de la simiente de ella, los cuales guardan los mandamientos de Dios, y tienen el testimonio de Jesucristo.

Chapter 12

The Great Confrontation: Pagan Rome and the Church[a]

Two Signs in Heaven: the Woman and the Dragon.[b] A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was with child and about to give birth, crying aloud in the anguish of her labor.

Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems crowning his heads. His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them to the earth.

The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child as soon as it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child who is destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up directly to God and to his throne. The woman herself fled into the wilderness where she would be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days[c] in a place prepared for her by God.

Next, war broke out in heaven, with Michael[d] and his angels in combat against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, but they were defeated, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon—the ancient serpent who is called the devil, or Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—was hurled down to earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser[e] of our brethren has been cast out,
    the one who accused them day and night before our God.
11 They have conquered him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
even in the face of death
    they did not cling to life.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe to you, earth and sea,
    because the devil has come down to you.
He is filled with rage,
    for he knows that his time is short.”

13 When the dragon realized that he had been hurled down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year, two years, and a half year.[f]

15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed out water like a river after the woman to sweep her away with the flood. 16 However, the earth came to the rescue of the woman: it opened its mouth and swallowed the river spewed from the dragon’s mouth.

17 Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.

18 A Beast Rises from the Sea.[g] Meanwhile, I took my position[h] on the seashore.

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 12:1 The animosity exhibited by the public authorities against Christian communities has become persecution. Now the grand declarations of loyalty toward the power are ended (see Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-17). The time has come, not to organize some armed defense or subversion but to resist every pressure and to stand fast in fidelity to Christ even to the shedding of blood. At this point, the Roman empire comes on the scene as the instrument used by all the forces hostile to Christ, his Kingdom, and his faithful. The Roman empire is a symbol of all earthly empires with their claim to impose their own ideas and purposes as a religion. The struggle will end with the victory of the risen Christ and those who have put their trust in him.


    Here then is the time of the nations or the pagans. In the previous chapters, which envisaged the last times from the viewpoint of Israel’s destiny, its place had already been marked out in anticipation (Rev 10:1—11:13). This is the scene itself. The structure of the chapters that follow is less clear; however, we find once again the same procedure as in the seven visions and the seven bowls.

  2. Revelation 12:1 Two types play a role in this inaugural vision. The ancient prophecy of Genesis (3:15) is fulfilled: a struggle in which there is no truce opposes the posterity of the chosen people and the forces of evil. The woman who gives birth personifies first of all the chosen people, from which the Messiah is to be born; there is certainly a reference to him in v. 5, which cites some classic Messianic texts: Isa 66:7 and Ps 2:9.
    A long-standing Christian tradition also identifies the woman with the Virgin Mary, an exemplar of the chosen people. Modern exegetes rarely support so explicit an interpretation, but do not deny that the role of the one called “woman” in the fourth Gospel (Jn 2:4; 19:26) may have indirectly inspired, at least partially, this description in the Book of Revelation.
    The dragon (see Dan 7; 8:10) has all the characteristics of the power that rises up against God: seven heads, ten horns, behavior capable of destroying the order of the universe (v. 4, citing Dan 8:10). The dragon is Satan, the eternal accuser of human beings before God (see Job 1:6-11; 2:1-10). After this “the rest of her [the woman’s] offspring” (v. 17)—i.e., the faithful followers of Christ—suffer a period of struggles and trials in “the wilderness” (v. 6), i.e., on the earthly journey of the Church. In these trials the Church will not lack the strength given by the manna (see v. 6), an evident reference to the Eucharist.
    Hell can launch against the Church all the forces unleashed by the Roman political authorities. In this scene there is also a struggle between Michael and the dragon (v. 7), which illustrates the victory of Christ; the description draws its inspiration from the Book of Daniel.
  3. Revelation 12:6 Twelve hundred and sixty days: see note on Rev 11:2-3, 11.
  4. Revelation 12:7 Michael: i.e., God’s champion according to Jewish tradition (see Dan 10:12-21; 12:1); his name means “Who can compare with God?”
  5. Revelation 12:10 Accuser: the translation for the Hebrew word “Satan” (see 1 Chr 21:1; Job 1–2; Zec 3:1). In Hebrew scripture, Satan is a type of district attorney who accuses people of their sins at the Last Judgment.
  6. Revelation 12:14 A year, two years, and a half year: see note on Rev 11:2.
  7. Revelation 12:18 This beast that is possessed of extraordinary power (seven heads and ten horns) personifies the Roman empire. Its historical success is a blasphemous parody of the Christian mystery; the emperors have themselves acclaimed with divine titles, while for Christians only God and the Lamb have a right to the title “Lord” (Kyrios). The head that was wounded and then healed probably refers to Nero who was forced to commit suicide (by pushing a sword into his head) and was said to have risen from the dead (again, a blasphemous parody of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection).
  8. Revelation 12:18 I took my position . . .: another translation is: “he took his position . . .”—which would join v. 18 to the preceding paragraph.

12 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

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

15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.