Chapter 12 steps back to show the spiritual conflict behind Revelation. A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars. She cries out in labor. Another sign appears, a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. The dragon stands ready to devour the child. But the woman gives birth to a son who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, a phrase from Psalm 2. Christians have read this as the birth and victory of Jesus the Messiah, and the woman as God’s faithful people. The child is caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman flees into the wilderness, where God nourishes her for 1,260 days.
Next, John sees war in heaven. Michael and his angels fight against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels are defeated. No place is found for them in heaven any longer. The great dragon is thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole inhabited earth. The old serpent recalls the tempter in Genesis. Now the one who deceived from the beginning is defeated.
A loud voice explains the meaning. Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come. The accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before God day and night, has been thrown down. They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. Therefore rejoice, you heavens. The voice also warns that the devil has gone down to the earth with great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time. He pursues the woman, but she is given wings of the great eagle, and the earth swallows the flood from the serpent’s mouth. Frustrated, the dragon goes off to make war with those who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.