Revelation 12:1 "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."
Israel in the Tribulation
12:1 - The woman is Israel (Genesis 37:9-10, Hosea 2:14-15, Deut. 32:9-11).
12:2 - The man child could be Jesus (Hebrews 2:16, Galatians 3:16, Romans 1:3). If so, one would need to have time period separations between verses 5 and 6. The man child could also be the 144,000 Jews in the Tribulation (Lamentations 4:20, Genesis 17:10).
12:3 - The Dragon is the Devil (Revelation 12:9, Job 41:1, Psalms 74:14, Isaiah 27:1). Red symbolizes blood and death. (Seven heads: 1. Nimrod-Babylon 2. Pharaoh-Egypt 3. Sennacherib-Assyria 4. Nebuchadnezzar-Babylon 5. Darius-Persia 6. Unnamed 7. Rome) The seven heads represent seven kings or kingdoms used by Satan to control the earth. Ten is the Gentile nations.
12:4 - The stars are fallen angels. Cross reference: Isaiah 9:15
12:5 - Cross references: Psalms 2:9, Revelation 2:27, 19:15
12:6 - The man child may have not been Jesus Christ, but someone in the Tribulation that is not identified (Genesis 17:9-14, 1 Samuel 1:11, Job 3:3, Isaiah 66:7). Cross reference: Revelation 12:14
12:7 - This is a future war in heaven.
12:8-9 - Satan loses and gets cast down to the earth along with his angels during the Tribulation.
Revelation 12:10 "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."
Satan's dominion is restricted to the earth
12:10 - Satan is called the accuser of the saved. Job 1-2
12:11 - Notice "the death" which is certain type of death in the Tribulation.
12:12 - The Devil comes to the earth during the Tribulation for 3 1/2 years at the end of Tribulation.
Revelation 12:13 "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."
Satanic Anti-Semitism
12:13-14 - Cross references: Psalms 55:6, Micah 7:14, Job 38:23
12:15 - Cross reference: Jeremiah 47:2, Daniel 9:26
12:16-17 - Mosaic law is in effect during the Tribulation meaning salvation then will be by faith and works (Micah 4:2, Revelation 14:12, 15:3, 22:14).
