The Woman, Child, and Angry Dragon

The Birth of the Child (1-6)

As John heard the seventh trumpet, he saw an event in Heaven he realized was important. A woman was clothed with the sun and moon and covered with stars; she was pregnant and in agony, giving birth (1-2). John then saw something else he realized was also quite important: a red dragon appeared, in Heaven, with seven heads, 10 horns, and seven crowns on his tail. His tail wiped out a massive number of stars, throwing them to Earth, while at the same time, the dragon was face to face with the woman ready to give birth, intending to devour the baby once it was born (3-4). She gave birth to her Son who was to rule the nations, but immediately her Son was snatched away from danger and caught up to God and His throne. As soon as her Son was taken to the throne, the woman fled into the wilderness where God had prepared a place for her for three and a half years (5-6).

And so the essential issue of the story was revealed: Israel was likely the woman, the nation, and more celestial than earthly on purpose. She was destined by God to bring salvation to the world, and she would do so through her Son. 

The woman gave birth to Christ at the same time a demonic power was poised to destroy Him. But in an incredible turn of events, Christ was raised from the dead and caught up to the throne at God's right hand. The woman, still in danger, fled to a special place prepared by God for her care during times of difficulty and trial. This is all reminiscent of the Exodus story as Israel had once before scurried out of Egypt to a wilderness. 

The woman being carried into the wilderness was Israel expanded to include those Gentiles grafted in by faith. John wanted to make known that the true Israel was not forgotten by God; Israel would come to have a huge part to play in the destruction of the destroyer. 

Michael’s Battle (7-9)

John now saw what happened after the resurrection and ascension of Christ: a war broke out. Michael and his angels fought the dragon and his angels (7), and Michael triumphed and forced the dragon and his army out of Heaven (8). John then defined the symbol of the dragon: he was satan, the deceiver, and he had been thrown to the earth (9).

Praise in the Heavens (10-12)

John then heard the praise of Heaven as they witnessed the demise of the dragon, for the Kingdom and authority of Christ had finally arrived just as God had promised. The accuser had lost his power in the heavens (10) and the whole of Heaven recognized the victory was the direct result of the Church and not of Michael, whom John had actually seen do the fighting. 

Satan was tossed out by the power of the Church’s witness. John realized that the witness or testimony of the Church had put the angelic forces in the right place to win the victory, much like a coach would call a play for a team. John saw clearly that the death of Jesus, the testimony those faithful witnesses gave to His death and resurrection, a faithful testimony given by those who loved and honored the testimony more than their own lives, was what ultimately caused Michael and His angels to win (11). The praise continued; the heavens rejoiced and the earth was warned, for the devil was thrown to Earth, and he was angry (12).  

The Angry Dragon (13-18)

The dragon seemed to awaken to the fact he had lost his place in Heaven and gave his attention to the woman (13). Like in the Exodus (Exodus 19:4) from Egypt, the woman was given the wings of a great eagle to fly for safety. There she found care and protection from the dragon, for his persecution of the Church never had a complete effect (14). The dragon sought to drown the woman with accusation (15), but even God used the earth and its providence to swallow up all the evil froth (16). The dragon then declared war against the woman’s children, who were defined as those who kept God’s commandments and maintained their witness in Christ (17-18).