Revelation 12: The Dragon and the Woman
A great dragon seeks to devour the woman's child, but is cast down and defeated by the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 12 (WEB)
1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.
3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.
4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God, and to his throne.
6 The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.
7 There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.
8 They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven.
9 The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
10 I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
11 They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.
12 Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”
13 When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.
14 Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
16 The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.
17 The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.
Revelation 12 (KJV)
1 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:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 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.
4 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.
5 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.
6 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.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 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.
Revelation 12 (ASV)
1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;
2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.
5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angelsgoing forthto war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child.
14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto 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 after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
Summary
A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, crowned with twelve stars, crying out in labor. Then a second sign, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, sweeps a third of the stars from the sky and stands ready to devour her child the moment it is born. She gives birth to a son destined to rule the nations, and the child is caught up to God and his throne, while the woman flees to a place God prepared in the wilderness. War breaks out in heaven: Michael and his angels fight the dragon, who is defeated and thrown down to the earth—the ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the world, the accuser of God's people. A loud voice declares that salvation and the kingdom and the authority of Christ have come, and that the saints have overcome the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, not loving their lives even unto death. Heaven rejoices, but woe is pronounced on the earth, for the dragon has come down in great fury, knowing his time is short. Enraged, he pursues the woman, but she is protected; thwarted, he goes off to make war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and hold the testimony of Jesus.
Key Figures
- The dragon — The great red dragon, the ancient serpent, the devil and Satan, who seeks to devour the child, accuses the saints, is cast down, and wages war in fury.
- The woman and her child — The woman clothed with the sun who gives birth to the male child destined to rule the nations, the child caught up to God's throne.
- The saints who overcome — God's people who conquer the accuser by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, not loving their lives even to death.
Key Verse
Revelation 12:11 (WEB)
They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.
Lessons Learned
- Behind the church's earthly struggles lies a real spiritual conflict with the dragon.
- Satan is a defeated foe, already cast down from heaven by Christ's victory.
- The accuser's power is broken by the blood of the Lamb and faithful testimony.
- The devil's fury is real but limited; he knows his time is short.
- The accuser is overcome. “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down” (Revelation 12:10, WEB). Satan's case against God's people is silenced by Christ.
- Victory is by the Lamb's blood. “They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11, WEB). The cross, not our strength, defeats the enemy.
- Faithfulness may cost our lives. They “didn’t love their life, even to death” (Revelation 12:11, WEB). Overcoming sometimes looks like willingness to suffer for Christ.
- The devil's time is short. He comes down “knowing that he has but a short time” (Revelation 12:12, WEB). His rage is the fury of a defeated enemy.
- How does this chapter pull back the curtain on the spiritual conflict behind the church's suffering?
- What is significant about the dragon being thrown down from heaven and called the accuser?
- How do the saints overcome the dragon, according to verse 11?
- Why does the devil rage with such fury once he is cast down to the earth?
- How does knowing that Satan is already defeated change the way you face spiritual struggle?
- The vision reveals that the church's trials are part of a cosmic war between the dragon and God's people. Help the group see their struggles in this larger frame, where the decisive battle has already been won by Christ.
- The dragon is unmasked as the ancient serpent, the devil, the accuser cast down from heaven (12:9-10). His chief weapon is accusation, but Christ's victory has stripped him of any standing to condemn God's people.
- The saints conquer not by power but by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, even at the cost of their lives (12:11). Discuss how the church's true weapons are Christ's sacrifice, faithful witness, and surrendered fear of death.
- The dragon rages because he is defeated and his time is short (12:12). His fury is not the confidence of a victor but the desperation of a doomed enemy. This reframes our spiritual battles as skirmishes after the war is decided.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to face temptation and accusation by appealing to the blood of the Lamb rather than their own strength. As leader, remind them that they fight from a place of Christ's accomplished victory.