Chapter 11 – Revelation 12

Great Sign of Woman Clothed with Sun

PREVIOUS CHAPTER

Revelation 11 describes 2 Witnesses (Israel) in sackcloth for 1,260 days.

Revelation 12 describes A Woman clothed with all the lights of heaven for 1,260 days.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 

 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with 7 heads and 10 horns, and on his heads 7 crowns.  His tail swept down 1/3 of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.  She gave birth to a male child, who will rule all nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,  and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. Revelation 12:1-6

The vision begins with Mary – clothed with all the lights of heaven, who gives birth to Jesus –

“She gave birth to a male child, who will rule all nations with a rod of iron”

The vision continues with Herod the Great – the Dragon who tries to kill Jesus –

“The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.”

Mary morphs into the Church –

Those who “KEEP the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Rev. 12:17

Herod morphs into the Jews who rejected their Messiah and lost their place in ‘heaven’

      “No longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels.” Rev. 12:8

The Jews lost their place as custodians of the word. The spirit of deception had pervaded the Land.

“The great Dragon was hurled down – that Ancient Serpent called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.”  Rev. 12:9

Notice that the ‘Dragon’ is called ‘that ancient serpent’. It’s the story of The Woman, The Seed & The Serpent foretold in Genesis 3.

Revelation 12 concerns

The 2^nd Eve (Mary)  ‘Mother of the Spiritually Living’

The 2^nd Adam (Jesus) who  triumphed over sin

The Serpent (Dragon) – the spirit which filled Herod and the Jews to persecute Christ and the Church.

 Mary and Jesus succeeded where Adam and Eve had failed –

Eve had been deceived by the serpent and turned to her husband instead of turning to God – that was her fatal mistake.

In contrast, Mary got it right. Her desire was for God even when she was engaged to Joseph –

“I am the handmaid of the Lord”. Luke 1:38

It was God that Mary turned to. No wonder she is portrayed as having a crown of 12 stars (Mother of Spiritual Israel) and clothed with the sun. Eve was the ‘mother of all living’, but Mary was the mother of the Spiritually Living. At the cross, Mary became the Mother of The Beloved Disciple – “Behold your mother” (See Under the Banner of Love). At the Tomb God was called their Father (John 20:17 “I go to my Father and your Father”). New parents for those who are ‘born again’.

7 HEADS, 10 HORNS, CROWNS

The Dragon which confronts ‘The Woman’ has 7 heads, 10 horns and 7 crowns on its heads –

“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with 7 heads and 10 horns, and on his heads 7 crowns”

This is symbolic language for the days of Herod the Great who ruled the land of 7 nations given to Israel:

 “When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you … 7 nations larger and stronger than you.” Deut. 7:1

The 10 horns are the nations round about – the ‘pricking briars’ of Ezekiel 28:24 and Psalm 83 – See Land of 7 & 10

The CROWNS on the HEADS indicate that Herod was ruling the land of 7 nations given to Israel. When the crowns are on the HORNS in the next chapter, it indicates that the nations around Israel have their own kingdoms – a different time period – See next chapter

Next Chapter – Revelation 13 – Counting the Number of the Beast

RETURN TO START OF BOOK