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About this chapterJohn sees a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars, about to give birth, while a huge red dragon with seven heads waits to devour her child. The child is snatched up to God and the woman flees into the wilderness, where she is cared for for 1,260 days. War breaks out in heaven and Michael and his angels defeat the dragon, identified as the ancient serpent, the devil or Satan, who is thrown down to earth. A loud voice declares that believers overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Furious, the dragon pursues the woman and makes war on her other children. Interpreters see the woman as Israel, the church or Mary, or a combination.

John sees a great sign in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars, about to give birth, while a huge red dragon with seven heads waits to devour her child. The child is snatched up to God and the woman flees into the wilderness, where she is cared for for 1,260 days. War breaks out in heaven and Michael and his angels defeat the dragon, identified as the ancient serpent, the devil or Satan, who is thrown down to earth. A loud voice declares that believers overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. Furious, the dragon pursues the woman and makes war on her other children. Interpreters see the woman as Israel, the church or Mary, or a combination.

Themes

  • Woman and dragon
  • War in heaven
  • Victory by the Lamb's blood

Key verses

Audio Bible · Revelation 12

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Revelation 12

Berean Standard Bible17 verses · 2 min read

1And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, hurling them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth. 5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days. 7Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. 9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down— he who accuses them day and night before our God. 11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death. 12Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.” 13And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent. 16But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. 17And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
Verses in Revelation 12

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