Who Is the Dragon?
Today we read Revelation chapter 12, in which the dragon is introduced.
Some Background
You really need to read yesterday’s post on Revelation 11 and the parable of the two witnesses to get the most out of Revelation 12, but here are a few key points:
the time descriptors of “1,260 days” or “42 months” or “a time, times, and half a time” are all key apocalyptic numbers which refer to the same time period: the period of the church’s persecution and opposition.
Therefore, any time those terms appear you should understand that John is describing some aspect of the church’s persecution.
The message of Revelation (as shown in the parable of the two witnesses—Revelation 11:3-13) is that, though it will appear from an earthly perspective that the church is defeated by the enemies of God, in the heavenly/spiritual perspective the church is actually conquering through its faithful witness, even to the point of death.
The Woman and the Dragon
12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. [Revelation 12:1-6]
What was it that led the Wise Men to Bethlehem? Matthew tells us that it was a star, but he doesn’t give us any other info about what it was exactly that the Wise Men saw. Whatever it was, it was a significant enough movement in the constellations that the pagan magi were able to understand it signified a Jewish king was being born.
In John’s vision, this movement in the constellations is brought alive. Not only is the woman supposed to make us think of Mary, the Mother of Christ, but also Eve from Genesis 3:
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder who the dragon is, because in the next passage John tells us that he is “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
The dragon tries to kill the child, but he is rescued by God—it is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus.
And the woman becomes the church, protected by God for 1,260 days—the key apocalyptic number.
Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, 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 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
The point of John’s vision is to baptize your imagination so you can learn to see clearly the events of history and your life from God’s perspective. So, the wild imagery is to wake you up!
John sees the devil defeated in heaven and thrown down to earth. In other words, Jesus has already won the victory, and now is just its working out here below. In the meantime, the devil is persecuting the church but it’s too late and ineffective anyway, because the church is protected by God.
Remember what Jesus promised to Peter?
“I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it!”
Regardless of how things look, friends, be confident: Jesus has already won, and evil will not last.