A Compelling Cast of Characters-Revelation 12:1-6

Last Sunday a popular show aired its much-anticipated finale—Game of Thrones. Though I haven’t watched a single episode (nor would I recommend it to anyone given its lewdness and much of its graphic content), this show was such a big cultural phenomenon that I could not help but hear about it from time to time from multiple sources. So big was this show and the lead up to its end that even sports talk radio (a source of a kind of escapism for me)—couldn’t help but waist time talking about it. I say this because this is how I learned about the collective response to the show’s final episode. Many, according to the sports commentators I listen to from time to time, were disappointed with how things resolved. Thankfully, I know a narrative that is always compelling, never disappoints, and resolves perfectly. When it comes to epics, compared to the Bible, all others are inferior! This is especially the case with the book of Revelation. As with every good epic, Revelation contains lead characters that perform many of the activities in the plot. In Revelation 12-14, we are introduced to several important characters that serve significant roles throughout the Apocalypse. The first three of these will be introduced today as we look at Revelation 12:1-6.

A. The Woman-12:1-2

Following the blowing of the seventh trumpet, John enters another long literary interlude (or pause) that breaks up the unfolding action of Revelation. As a result, the reader must wait to see the pouring of the bowls until chapters 15 and 16. In this interlude, John introduces us to some of the major players that are at work during the coming tribulation period. The apostle registers these characters by means of a “great sign” –“a great sign appeared in heaven” (12:1a). This next “sign” along with all of the other visions, auditions, and other sensory phenomena highlight the special apocalyptic character of the book.  Remember, the book of Revelation is introduced as “the Apocalypse (unveiling) of Jesus Christ.” Even this title celebrates the visual nature of the work. The signs in Revelation refer either to divinely sent symbols or dramatic presentations that depict heavenly realities. In this particular sign, the reader will be introduced to major characters on either side of the major struggle taking place between God’s people and the forces of evil. It is important to also mention that one of the unique quirks about these “signs” and literary pauses is that unlike John’s description of the unfolding action (seals, trumpets, and bowls, etc.) the apostle is not limited to time or space. In this sign especially, John is going to jump around history (past, present, and future) to describe these characters and what they will be up to in the final age of history.

Think of it like a fisheye lens. A fisheye lens allows viewers a very wide perspective of what is in focus along with things before it, after it, and all around it. Now that John is outside of time and space, he can look at and describe these familiar characters by means of who they were, are, and will be, with great efficiency.

The first character introduced in this sign is “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars,…” (12:1b). Though some have argued that the “woman” in this sign represents the virgin Mary or God Himself, the overwhelming evidence both contextually (given the passages surrounding this verse) and canonically (given what is found elsewhere in the Scriptures) points to Israel as the best possible choice. After all, immediately before this passage John saw “the temple of God…opened; and the ark of His covenant” (11:19)—two very important Israeli themes. Also, in verse 2, the reader will soon learn that this woman is in the travails of childbirth. This is similar to how Israel is described in and among the Old Testament prophets (Isa. 26:17-18; 66:7; Jer. 4:31; 13:21; Mic. 4:10; 5:3). However, the best evidence that supports the idea that this woman represents Israel is found all the way back in Genesis 37:1-9. There, Joseph, son of Jacob, has several peculiar dreams that all pertain to his family. In his second dream, Joseph reveals the following: “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And “He related it to his father and to his brothers” (Gen. 37:9-10a). “It is generally agreed that the ‘sun and moon’ refer to Joseph’s parents, Jacob and Rachel, while the [12] stars are his brothers” (i.e. the twelve tribes of Israel) (Osborne, Revelation, 456). Therefore, as this woman is characterized by all of these celestial bodies connected to Jacob and his family (later named Israel), it is most probable that she represents the nation of Israel (see also Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 120-21).

John reveals next that “she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth,…” (12:2). Again, the analogy of Israel as a woman in childbirth is pervasive within the Old Testament prophets (Isa. 13:8; 21:3; 26:17-18; 61:7-8; 66:7ff; Jer. 4:31; 13:21; 22:23; Hos. 13:13; Mic. 4:10; 5:2-3). The idea conveyed here, especially in what will soon be learned about the boy mentioned in verse 5-6, is that as a woman experiences pain in the delivery of her child, so too did the nation of Israel in preparation for the coming of Christ. These “labor pains” associated with what precluded the incarnation of Christ may include slavery in Egypt, drama during the days of the judges, scandal among the kings of Israel, the splitting of the kingdom, exile, Roman rule, etc. So far, our understanding of this woman has been helped along by who she was when she first began (in the nation of Israel’s infancy in the house of Jacob) and how she suffered leading up to the advent of Jesus (prior to his birth). However, in verse 6, John will jump all the way to the future tribulation and discloses what this woman (the nation of Israel) will be up to during the worst of this coming era.

B. The Red Dragon-12:3-4

The second character introduced in this passage emerges as “another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems,…” (12:3). Readers are not left to wonder who/what this dragon is as in both 12:9 and in 20:2, John reveals his identity in no uncertain terms.

Revelation 12:9-“And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world…”

Revelation 20:2-“And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan…”

The description of the dragon is equal parts scary and fascinating. First, the dragon is called “great” and “red” indicating that he is both large and either “flame-colored” (highlighting his destructive powers) or “blood-red” (murderous) (Thomas, Revelation 8-22, 122). Both accentuate gruesome connotations surrounding his agenda and something of his appetite for devouring the things of God. This theme of the scary and insatiable appetite of the dragon is carried along by the number of heads and the number of horns he possesses. Though more will be discussed and interpretations offered for what these appendages (and their number) represent later, needless to say, this is a powerful and awful creature to behold. The seven heads and seven diadems seem to point to the relative sovereignty the dragon has over the earthly realm as seven often insinuates completion and “heads” and “diadems” symbolize authority. However, this authority is bequeathed or allowed by an even greater authority and is only temporarily enjoyed. The ten horns probably allude to Daniel 7:7-8, 20, 24 and implicate ten world rulers under the dragon’s control. Ten, though greater than seven, often indicates imitation and/or the kind of decadence that swallows those who give themselves over to it.

The dramatic presentation continues in verse 4—“and his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.” Again (think about the fisheye lens), John is not limited to time and space in this vision. In this moment, the apostle is witnessing the original war in heaven in which Lucifer and his followers (a third of the heavenly host) rebelled against God (see Ezek. 28:13ff; Isa. 14:12-15). In that time, a prideful Lucifer desired God’s place and as a result is subjugated to the earthly realm along with many other angels who follow after him. Having convinced many hosts to join his rebellion against God, Satan has been about the destruction of the world to which he was sent ever since.

Principle among these programs of destruction involves everything pertaining to Christ—the God man. Inasmuch as Jesus is both man (God’s greatest creation which Satan can’t stand) and God (the primary foe of the Devil), Christ represents everything that the dragon cannot stand. This is why the dragon is witnessed in verse 4 standing “before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child” (12:4b). Evidence that this child is Christ is provided in passages that depict Jesus as coming from Israel.

Micah 5:2-“ But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”

Isaiah 11:1-“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 23:5-“The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land.”

The emergence of Jesus from the line of Israel spells disaster for Satan. No one knows this better than Lucifer himself. After all, remember how God cursed him all the way back in the Garden of Eden.  

Genesis 3:15-“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Ever since this prophecy of the ultimate demise of Satan was uttered, the Devil has stopped at nothing to frustrate the plans and people of God. However, ultimately, these efforts will prove futile.

C. The Boy-12:5-6

The futility of the program of the dragon can be seen in the emergence of the boy mentioned next in verses 5-6. John reveals that the woman already described (Israel) “gave birth to a son, a male child” (12:5a). This child is none other than Jesus Christ and this event refers to his birth to a virgin named Mary in Bethlehem.

Though born to a young girl and raised by a humble carpenter, Jesus is the one “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (12:5b). John skips Jesus’ earthly life and ministry and jumps all of the way to his final victory. This doesn’t sound as though Satan will ultimately be gaining any ground against this boy. The rule that Jesus will have is described by means of a reference to Psalm 2:9.

Psalm 2:9-“You shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall shatter them like earthenware.”

This reference in Revelation 12:5 (and earlier in 2:27) depicts Jesus as a shepherd dashing the nations to pieces like pottery with his staff (see Revelation 19:15) (Osborne, Revelation, 463). This will take place in Revelation 19:15 at the final battle and subsequent victory at Armageddon.

After moving from his birth to his final victory, John next describes the snatching up of Jesus at his ascension (I  keep telling you that John jumps around a lot) 😊—“and her child was caught up to God and to His throne” (12:5c). Jesus is waiting this ultimate end of Satan from his prominent place at God’s right hand—a position that he has occupied ever since ascending to heaven some days following his resurrection. He is untouchable and awaiting the green light to finally and once and for all vanquish the enemies of God and his people.

Because the Dragon cannot (and will not) touch Jesus, he directs his wicked energy toward God’s people on the earth. Though this is the case in any day and age, this will be even more acute in the tribulation period under the program of the Antichrist. However, even there, the Dragon’s plans are frustrated--“Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days,…” (12:6). Though the tribulation will include seven years (see Dan. 9:24ff), it is during the second half (second 3.5 years) in which the abomination of desolation (the Antichrist) will reveal his true colors and extreme persecution against the nation of Israel and those converted during the tribulation period will take place. 1260 days is equal to 3.5 years according to the Jewish calendar (which has only 360 days in a year) and probably refers to the “great tribulation” or second half of the tribulation period (see also Dan. 7:25; 12:7).

During this period, the dragon (Satan) will pursue the woman (Israel) and she will flee to a place that God has prepared beforehand as a source of refuge and nourishment (perhaps spiritual, perhaps physical, perhaps both). The idea of God preparing a place beforehand for his people betrays his sovereign provision for his people (Osborne, Revelation, 464). Though the exact location of this hideaway is unknown, it will be somewhere “in the wilderness.”

God’s provision for his people in the desert helps reinforce the interpretive choice made earlier for the woman as a representation of the nation of Israel. Throughout her history, God’s people have been preserved in the wilderness as a result of the Lord’s provision (following captivity in Egypt and while in exile). So too will this be the case again in a future period of great pressure and persecution against the people of God.

So What?

As we are introduced to these characters and their role in the coming tribulation period there are several timeless truths that ought to encourage God’s people today in this chapter of God’s grand story. First, God is the author of the greatest story ever told and as its author, he is in total control of what happens and how it all unfolds. This ought to inspire believers today when they grow discouraged by what they see or frustrated by the inferior narratives being sold by the world and the enemies of God today. Even at the very end, as depicted in Revelation, hints of God’s sovereign hand can be traced all the way back to the beginning and everywhere in between. Praise the Lord!

Second, three axioms will always hold true: God’s people will receive God’s provision; God’s people suffer frustration at the hands of the devil; God’s people will know ultimate victory through Jesus Christ.

The question we must ask of ourselves and of others is this: are we counted among God’s people today? Is our life’s story a part of the greater story that God has been writing since the beginning of time? Ultimately, it is the only story with a good and enduring ending—all inferior narratives will die. Just ask Satan!