!The Woman And The Dragon.canvas
E1: Fourth Septet – Seven Visions (12:1–15:1)
Intro: The Woman And Dragon
Ea: The Bride reflecting the glory of her husband (12:1)
1 A great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Eb: The Child of the woman (12:2)
2 And being pregnant she was crying out in labor, being in great pain to give birth.
Ec: The Dragon tries to devour the Child (12:3-12:5)
3 And another sign appeared in the sky: behold, a dragon, huge, fiery red, having seven heads and ten horns, with seven diadems on his heads. 4 And its tail grabbed a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the land.
And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth in order to devour her Child as soon as she gave birth. 5 And she bore a Son, a male, who was about to shepherd all the nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was snatched up to God, even to His throne.
Ed: The woman flees to the wilderness 12:6
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness to where she has a place prepared by God, so that they may nourish her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Ee: Dragon war in heaven (12:7-12:9)
7 War was declared in heaven; Michael and his angels were to wage war with the dragon; so the dragon and his angels made war, 8 but he was not strong enough; neither was there any place found for him in heaven any more. 9 So the great dragon was expelled, that ancient serpent, who is called Slanderer and Satan, who deceives the whole inhabited world; he was thrown into the land, and his angels were expelled with him.
Ef: Victory of Christ & His people over the dragon (12:10-12:11)
10 And I heard a loud voice in the heaven saying: “Now the salvation and the power have come, even the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accused them before our God day and night. 11 And they conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not cherish their lives, even up to death.
Ee: Dragon war on earth 12:12-12:13
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, yes, you who are dwelling in them! Woe to the land and the sea! Because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has little time.”
13 So when the dragon perceived that he had been thrown into the land, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the Male.
Ed: The woman flees to the wilderness (12:14)
14 And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, so that she might be nourished there for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
Ec: The Dragon's mouth & the earth swallows the serpents flood 12:15-12:16
15 So the serpent expelled water from his mouth after the woman, like a river, so as to cause her to be overwhelmed by the flood. 16 But the land helped the woman; indeed, the land opened its mouth and drank up the river that the dragon expelled from his mouth.
Eb: The rest of the offspring of the woman (12:17a)
17 So the dragon was furious about the woman and off he went to make war with the rest of her offspring,
Ea: The church reflecting the word of Christ (12:17b)
those who keep the commands of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.
The Mystery of the Woman: Zion
Before we finish out the book structure, we are going to break down a single aspect of a sign from Revelation that is very important. After that, we will go back to our structure overview.
Who Is This Woman
1 A great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
- The woman is a --sign--.
Therefore, the woman represents something beyond herself. Let's look at the Old Testament to find out.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” 10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?” 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
- The sun is Jacob, --father-- and husband.
- The moon is the Rachel,--mother-- and wife.
- The stars are the 12 --brothers--, who are their children.
- The woman is clothed with the sun, the moon, and twelve --stars--, matching the exact description of Jacob, his wife, and the twelve tribes.
Lady Zion
The woman represents this. Did you know she has a name?
7 Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David).
- Jerusalem (the city of David) is called --Zion--.
Mount Zion was originally the name of the fortified hill in Jerusalem that David captured from the Jebusites and made the center of his kingdom (2 Samuel 5:6–10). After David brought the Ark of the Covenant there and Jerusalem became the place where God’s presence was associated with the temple, Zion became known as the “holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6; Psalm 48:1–2). Over time, the meaning of Zion expanded beyond the physical hill to represent the city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:3; Isaiah 33:4; Joel 3:5), the land of Judah (Isaiah 51:16), and the people of Israel as a whole (Jeremiah 31:12; Zechariah 9:13). Zion becomes another name for the people of God. Throughout Scripture, Zion is repeatedly described as a woman:
1 Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion; Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For the uncircumcised and the unclean Shall no longer come to you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, arise; Sit down, O Jerusalem! Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion!
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion To a lovely and delicate woman.
11 Indeed the LORD has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’ ”
- Zion is repeatedly called God's --daughter--.
2 Kings 19:21; Ps. 9:14; Is. 1:8; 10:32; 16:1; 26; 37:22; 49–50; 52:2; 54; 62:11; 66; Jer. 3–4; 4:31; 6:2, 23; Lam. 1–2; 4:22; Ezek. 16; Hos. 1–4; Mic. 1:13; 4:8, 10, 13; Zeph. 3:14; Zech. 2:10; 9:9.
So we have this idea that both Zion and the daughter of Zion is Jerusalem. Zion is called God's daughter because God chose, created, and adopted Israel as His covenant people. Like a father caring for his daughter, God protects, disciplines, and restores Zion.
But Scripture reveals an even deeper mystery.
Zion is not only God's daughter.
1 For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. 4 You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the LORD delights in you, And your land shall be married. 5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
5 For your Maker is your husband, The LORD of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth. 6 For the LORD has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused,” Says your God.
14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
- God says that He is also the --husband-- of Zion.
Discussion Question: *Why can this woman be considered a daughter and wife of God?
--Because these images reveal different aspects of the covenant relationship--
Zion Gives Birth
The woman of Revelation 12 is not only a bride; she is also a mother.
5 And she bore a Son, a male, who was about to shepherd all the nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was snatched up to God, even to His throne.
This connects directly to Psalm 2:
7 “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
- This reference to Jesus shows Him as the --Messiah-- born from the woman.
17 So the dragon was furious about the woman and off he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, those who keep the commands of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.
- Her offspring are the --people of God-- who belong to Christ.
15 You have increased the nation, O LORD, You have increased the nation; You are glorified; You have expanded all the borders of the land. 16 LORD, in trouble they have visited You, They poured out a prayer when Your chastening was upon them. 17 As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her pangs, When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O LORD. 18 We have been with child, we have been in pain; We have, as it were, brought forth wind; We have not accomplished any deliverance in the earth, Nor have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pangs have seized you like a woman in labor. 10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, Like a woman in birth pangs. For now you shall go forth from the city, You shall dwell in the field, And to Babylon you shall go. There you shall be delivered; There the LORD will redeem you From the hand of your enemies.
- The nation of Israel is compared to a --Woman-- in birth pains, but with no --deliverance--.
Zion was often represented as a woman in labor pains, giving birth to the promised Deliverer. These birth pangs represent the suffering, persecution, and longing of God's people as they waited for the coming Messiah. However, the birth is not only of the Messiah, but also of the people who would come through Him. Zion is pictured as a mother with "seed", giving rise to both the promised Messiah who comes from Zion and the people of God who become her offspring (Isa. 26:17–18; 54:1–3; 61:9–10; 65:9, 23; 66:7–9, 10, 22; Mic. 4:9–10; 5:3). This connects with verse 17, where the woman gives birth to the Messiah, and her remaining offspring are those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The Bride Clothed In The Sun
While we will dive much deeper into this theme in Lesson 9, Revelation 12 beautifully sets up Zion as the Bride of Christ right from the opening verse:
1 A great sign appeared in the sky: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
To understand why she is clothed this way, we have to look at how Scripture uses the symbols of the Sun and the Moon.
The woman is clothed with the Sun, which represents Jesus Himself. Scripture consistently points to Christ as the ultimate source of light and righteousness:
- Revelation 1 describes Jesus as "the sun shining in its strength." Revelation 21:23 says that the temple of heaven will need no sun because Jesus is its light.
- Malachi 4:2 promises that "the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings."
- Numerous passages point to Jesus as the Sun (2 Sam 23:4; Ps 67:1; 84:11; Prov 4:18; Isa 9:2; 30:26; 49:6; 60:1–3, 19, 20; Hos 6:3; Mal. 4:2; Matt 4:15, 16; Luke 1:78; 2:32; John 1:4, 8, 14; 8:12; 9:4; 12:35, 36, 40; Acts 13:47; 26:18; Eph 5:8–14; 2 Pet 1:19; 1 John 2:8; Rev 2:28; 22:16.)
You will remember in Joseph's dream (Genesis 37) that the father/husband was symbolized by the sun, while the wife was symbolized by the moon. Physically, the moon has no light of its own; it simply reflects the light of the sun. This beautifully mirrors how the Church interacts with Christ.
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
- -Paul says Christians mirror the --Glory-- of the Lord.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
- One Mystery The Gospel Reveals is that the --Church is the the wife of Christ.
This Bride is so intimately close to her Husband that she is entirely enveloped in His light as Isaiah 60 says when it talks of the New Covenant.
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.
- The --Gentiles-- will see Christ's light upon the Zion.
To a first-century Jewish follower, the idea that the Messiah would have a Bride wasn't the shocking part. It was the idea that pagan outsiders could suddenly have equal status as the Bride of the Messiah sounded completely crazy. For centuries, there was a strict wall between Jews and the rest of the world. But the Old Testament looks time and time again for this to change.
1 A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song. His foundation is in the holy mountains. 2 The LORD loves the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God! Selah 4 “I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to those who know Me; Behold, O Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: ‘This one was born there.’ ” 5 And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her.” 6 The LORD will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was born there.” Selah 7 Both the singers and the players on instruments say, “All my springs are in you.”
- Zion would include Gentiles, it will be said that all be --born-- there. Zion would include all nations!
4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
- One Mystery The Gospel Reveals is that the --Gentiles-- get to be part of the church.
Discussion Question: Can you look at the church today and see the same glory God does?
The Woman Represents More Than Mary
The woman is a sign, meaning she points beyond herself. While many readers naturally see her as the Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus, the Old Testament imagery strongly points to a corporate view—representing God’s covenant people (Israel and the Church).
Several details in the text expand the vision beyond an individual historical figure:
- Timeline: The woman exists in heaven before the Messiah is born.
- Symbolism: Her flight into the wilderness for 1,260 doesn't match her stay in Egypt, which itself is not seen as a wilderness in the Bible.
- Legacy: At the chapter's end, her offspring include all Christians.
However, rather than dismissing this connection to Mary, we can see that God loves beautiful repeating patterns. A pattern in which God prepares a faithful woman through whom He brings forth His promised Son and His people.
| Aspect of the Woman | Mary (Personal) | Zion (Corporate ) |
|---|---|---|
| Daughter | Mary is the faithful daughter of Israel who receives God's calling with humility: "Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:30–38). | Called God's daughter because He chose, created, adopted, disciplined and redeemed her from captivity (Isa. 1:2; Jer. 31:4; Hos. 11:1). |
| Bride | Mary is the virgin betrothed to Joseph, chosen by God to receive the heavenly Bridegroom's presence, bringing salvation into the world (Luke 1:27, 34–35). | Zion brings forth the Messiah according to the flesh, yet He is Yahweh in the flesh—her Creator and Husband who comes to restore, save, and marry her forever (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 3:14; Hos. 2:19–20). |
| Mother | Mary literally deliveres the Savior, who would deliver her, the promised Son who rules the nations (Luke 1:31–33; Rev. 12:5). | Zion is portrayed as the mother who gives birth to the Messiah and brings forth God's salvation (Isa. 66:7–9; Mic. 5:3,Rev. 12:1–5). |
| Seed / Offspring | Jesus is the singular Seed who comes from the woman according to the flesh (Gal. 3:16; Rom. 9:5). | Zion's offspring includes both the singular Messiah and the corporate assembly of believers counted as Abraham's seed (Isa. 54:1–3; Gal. 3:29, 4:26). |
| Suffering Before Birth | Mary endures vulnerability, social stigma, and public disgrace associated with her miraculous pregnancy before marriage. She experienced the physical pains of childbirth as she gave birth to the Messiah. | Zion experienced the prophetic birth pains of suffering, persecution, and longing as God's people awaited the Messiah (Isa. 26:17–18; Mic. 4:9–10). |
| Children | The Holy Spirit overshadows Mary to bring forth the Son of God (Luke 1:35). She later stands in unity with the early Church, gathered among God's children (Acts 1:14). | The Holy Spirit regenerates believers, birthing a people who belong to Christ. Her offspring are those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Isa. 54:13; Rev. 12:17). |
| Philippians 3:20 Paul says, "our citizenship is in heaven..." We are part of the kingdom of heaven invading earth,. Zion's identity is with heaven. |
Christ's words in Matthew 12:46-50
This theme of a spiritual family beautifully mirrors Christ’s words in Matthew 12:46–50. When told that His mother and brothers are waiting outside to speak with Him, Jesus asks, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” Pointing to His disciples, He says:
46 While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. 47 Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” 48 But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” 49 And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus isn't dismissing Mary; instead, He is expanding the concept of family from a biological bond to a spiritual one. This perfectly sets up the imagery we see in Revelation 12, where Zion (the people of God) functions as both the mother who brings forth the Messiah and the community of His brothers and sisters. In fact, Christ’s definition of His family directly anticipates Revelation 12:17, which defines the woman's offspring as those who keep God's commandments.
This is why Revelation's woman cannot be reduced to only Mary, only Israel, or only the Church.
- She is Zion, the covenant people of God.
This is also why Mary is such an important part of this mystery. Mary is the personal fulfillment of what Zion represented corporately. She is the faithful daughter of Zion who received God's promise, and through the power of the Holy Spirit she gave birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:35). The Messiah comes from Zion according to His humanity, yet He is also Zion's Lord according to His divinity. Jesus Himself revealed this mystery when He asked the Pharisees:
42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” They said to Him, “The Son of David.” 43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: 44 ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’? 45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?”
Jesus is asking how can the Messiah be David's Son, yet also David's Lord? How can He be born from His people, yet Lord over His people?
The answer is found in the mystery of the incarnation. The eternal Son of God entered His creation and took on human flesh through the people of Zion. He is the Seed of the woman promised from the beginning (Gen. 3:15), the Son born from Israel according to the flesh (Rom. 9:5), and the Lord who came to save His people.
The same woman can therefore be called:
- God's daughter, because He chose and adopted His covenant people.
- God's bride, because He entered into covenant relationship with them.
- The mother of the Messiah, because Christ came from them according to the flesh.
- The mother of believers, because through Christ her offspring are gathered from every nation.
Are you one of her children?
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Everything in Christs kingdom comes from above. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He used a phrase that literally means we must be "born from above." Every time a person is converted, it is a supernatural birth achieved by the heavenly Zion.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
- Paul declares in that "our citizenship is in heaven."
17 So the dragon was furious about the woman and off he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, those who keep the commands of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.
Discussion Question: What are the two defining characteristics of the offspring of Zion.
If you lack these two characteristics, you lack what defines the offspring of Zion. In other words, you are not a true Christian. We have talked before about having the Mark of God on us, lets expand that to see what makes up the Mark.
Part 1: Keeping the Commandments of God
The word for "keep" means obeying, guarding, and carefully holding onto something.
When people claim they don't have to keep God's commandments, they are misunderstanding the very purpose of salvation.
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Jesus fully kept the law of God, and we seek to imitate Him by grace.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Christ did not save us to enable us to sin with a free conscience. As Matthew 1:21 states, His whole purpose was "to save His people from their sins." Since all sin is lawlessness, He came to save us from lawlessness.
Mark 2: Holding to the Testimony of Jesus
The second description of Zion's offspring is that they "hold onto" the testimony of Jesus. This means they never let go of the Gospel and are never ashamed of it. True believers hold steadfastly to both Law and Gospel.
- Our culture often pulls us into two extremes: legalism (law without grace) or lawlessness (grace without law). Without the law, there would be no need for grace; and it is grace alone that enables us to love and keep God's law.
Discussion Question: In a world that often separates God’s law from His grace, how do we show that we are one of Zion Children?