John saw a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. Some say this woman was Mary, the Man child Jesus, the moon, the Jewish law. Then the dragon must have been Herod, and the heaven to which the child was caught up must have been Egypt. But none of this will fit the rod (God's word that was given to measure with). Mary was never clothed with the sun. She never had a crown of twelve stars on her head. Herod had but one head and no horns, while the dragon had seven heads and ten horns. Egypt would be a poor representative of heaven. If this is the case, who are the other children of verse 17?
Here I present a much more consistent representation:
- The “woman” represents the church.
- “Her head” represents Christ (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; Col. 1:18).
- “Clothed with the sun” represents the church clothed with the Gospel or Christ's glory (Mal. 4:2).
- “Crown of twelve stars” represents the 12 Apostles that Jesus chose.
- “Moon” represents the Old dispensation, which like the moon shines only from borrowed light.
- “The woman brought forth a man child” represents The Church giving birth to the citizens of heaven. Cf. Isa 66:7-10. The nation of Israel was referred to as a man-child born of a woman. It is no great thing therefore if we refer to the Church giving birth to Children, that is, having an increase in its membership.
- The Dragon represents a government that acted like a beast. It has seven heads and ten horns. The Western Roman government passed through seven forms of rule and was divided into ten parts.
The dragon's tail drew down stars; or eminent men of the church were carnalized and they scandalized the church. The dragon that persecuted the church, Pagan Rome, was not akin to her but her mortal enemy. This despotic government, both in its pagan and papal form, was the bitter and relentless foe of civil and religious liberty. For the entire period of the dark ages she was the foe of every true believer.
The church would preach the "blood of the Lamb" and by their testimony and living sacrifice would destroy the dragon from government. We should note that the papacy assumed the Lordship and Priesthood of the church. It is the same church during the same period contending chiefly against the same power in chapter 12; but the contention is over another sort of ruler-ship. In this chapter the civil rule or temporal lordship is in question.
The dragon represents Rome. Rome was the empire used of Satan to try to destroy the Savior. The Dragon had "ten horns." A horn grows out of the head of an animal. A horn, you remember, is a king. When the Roman Empire collapsed, ten divisions resulted. Barbarian tribes hammered at the Roman empire for many years until it fell apart and the ten divisions were ruled by ten kings! They were:
- The Alemani (Germany)
- The Franks (French)
- Burgundians (Switzerland)
- The Suevi (Portugal)
- The Anglo-Saxons (Britain)
- The Visigoths (Spain)
- The Lombards (Italy)
- The Vandals
- Ostrogoths
- Heruli
The Pope of Rome destroyed the last three because they refused to become Christian. The last of these, the Ostrogoths, were thrust out of the city of Rome by the armies of Emperor Justinian and have become extinct. Then in 538 A.D. the pope took possession of the city. These ten divisions of Rome are the ten horns of the "dragon."
The Apostolic Church's Struggle Against the Red Dragon
Revelation 12:1
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
A woman refers to the Church. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior (Eph 5:23). I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him (2 Cor 11:2).
The Lord has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him (Isa 62:11). Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman (Gal 4:31). But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother (Gal. 4:26). I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband (Rev 21:2).
The sun is a symbol of a light giver. Therefore, the church is clothed with the New Testament which gives light to its followers. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalms 119:105). The moon is a reflection of the sun. The woman is seen standing on the moon. Therefore, she is standing on the Old Testament and dressed with the New Testament.
The twelve stars must refer to the 12 Apostles at the head of the Church. There were 12 stars of the Old Testament and there are 12 stars of the New Testament.
Revelation 12:2
She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
If the Woman is the Church then this must have reference to an increase in her family. Isaiah 66:7-10 shows that the nation of Israel was referred to as A MAN CHILD BORN OF A WOMAN. It is no great thing therefore if we refer to the Church giving birth to Children, that is, having an increase in its membership.
Revelation 12:3
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
The remaining part of the book will talk extensively about this red dragon. It is therefore necessary that we identify who or what he is. The Dragon was the standard of Pagan Rome in the third century. The best way to explain the meaning of the Dragon with seven heads and ten horns is to let the Prophet Daniel tell us the meaning (Dan 7:7, 7:19, 7:23).
The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. In Daniel chapter two he speaks of four Kingdoms and identifies them as Babylon, Media Persia, Greece and the fourth as the Roman Empire. It is stated in both Daniel and the Revelation that this Empire would have seven heads. As we examine the Empire we notice that it passed through seven Heads:
- It was ruled over by seven kings for about 200 years.
- Consuls
- Tribunes
- Decemvirs
- Dictators
- 65 Emperors ruled in Rome for 5 centuries.
- Exarchs of Ravenna ruled for more than a century.
This 7 headed beast has 10 horns, or ten kings (kingdoms) over which she ruled for 1260 years. We here identify them as the ten kingdoms of Europe.
Revelation 12:4
His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
The elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail (Isa 9:15). The lies of the dragon drew a third part of the stars (prominent men, Bishops etc.) of the church and caused them to fall back into earthly and political realms. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. When the dragon saw that he was doomed to an overthrow he persecuted the church (Woman) and was violently enraged against the church on earth. The child is safe; that is the ultimate progress and extension of the church is certain.
Revelation 12:5
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
Notice that the rest of her children are identified as her offspring, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Well, that is what is taught in Daniel 7:27: "Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High."
"And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne." This figure of speech surely means that there is a glorious elevation. Paul tells us that when we are saved by grace we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
Revelation 12:6
The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
When the woman (church) fled into the desert (Wilderness K.J.) God nourished her for 1260 long years during the Dark Ages. They hid from Julian the Apostate, the Vandals, the Goths, and Nero. They hid from the Pope's war against the Albigenses and during the Inquisition. The list is endless.
Revelation 12:7
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
This is not in the eternal realm. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood... but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 6:11-13). I have quoted the above passage so that you may be able to see that when Christians on earth stand up against things that are wrong and battle for the right, that is likened to warfare.
Revelation 12:8-9
But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Please notice that it was the 7-headed 10-horned beast that lost the battle. We have in previous verses identified him as IMPERIAL ROME. Rome failed in the war against Christianity. Christianity won—it obtained a lasting victory. Paganism was overcome by the blood of the Lamb, by the Word and by Martyrdom.
Revelation 12:12-13
Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea... When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
When this 7-headed, 10-horned beast went down in defeat at the hands of Constantine and the Holy Roman Empire rose upon its ruins, the Devil regrouped and again started to attack the Woman (Church) and her membership. Constantine finally took control, and the defenders of Paganism knew they were facing ruin. The ruin of the Pagan religion is described by Gibbon “as a dreadful and amazing prodigy, which covered the earth with darkness, and restored the ancient dominion of chaos and night.”
Revelation 12:14
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
The woman (church) hid in the wilderness for a time (360), times (720), and half time (180). This is a total 1260 prophetic days. This long period of time is known as the Dark Ages. She hid in the wilderness, in the deserts, in the Catacombs of Rome, and caverns of the earth.
Revelation 12:15-16
Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river... But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river...
A bold figure showing that the Devil will use every possible means to destroy the woman. The figures of a flood pouring out simply meant that a torrent of words and statements would come from the Devil like a downpour of rain. In this passage, the earth is seen absorbing the water like a sponge. It was in this world that the Christians took refuge during the terrible storms of persecutions.
Revelation 12:17
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring–those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The dragon which we identified as Pagan powers, now seeing that he cannot win against the church, goes and opens up a new front. He is always attacking the Woman (Church or visible Body) and he is also attacking individual Christians (her offspring). Some interpreters say that the Woman was the Virgin Mary and that the Man Child was Jesus. But are the rest of her offspring the literal brothers of Jesus?