New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Revelation 12
1
A great and miraculous sign appeared in heaven. It was a woman wearing the sun like clothes. The moon was under her feet. On her head she wore a crown of 12 stars.
Reference
3
Then another sign appeared in heaven. It was a huge red dragon. He had seven heads and ten horns. On his seven heads he wore seven crowns.
Reference
4
His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky. It threw them down to earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to have a baby. He wanted to eat her child the moment it was born.
Reference
5
She gave birth to a son. He will rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was taken up to God and to his throne.
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 12:2
Isaiah 7:14
Revelation 11:12
Matthew 1:25
Micah 5:3
References God
Revelation 19:15
6
The woman escaped into the desert where God had a place prepared for her. There she would be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Reference
7
There was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back.
Reference
9
The great dragon was thrown down to the earth, and his angels with him. The dragon is that old serpent called the devil, or Satan. He leads the whole world down the wrong path.
Reference
10
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven. It said, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God have come. The authority of his Christ has come. Satan, who brings charges against our brothers and sisters, has been thrown down. He brings charges against them before our God day and night.
Reference
Kingdom
Revelation 11:15
Daniel 2:44
1 Chronicles 29:11
Matthew 6:10
Parallel theme
Luke 22:31
Matthew 28:18
Job 1:11
Revelation 2:26
Job 2:5
References God
Job 1:9
11
They overcame him because the Lamb gave his life's blood for them. They overcame him by giving witness about Jesus to others. They were willing to risk their lives, even if it led to death.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 16:33
1 John 5:5
1 Corinthians 15:57
Revelation 2:26
Romans 16:20
Revelation 3:5
1 John 4:4
Revelation 3:21
Witness
Acts 20:24
Word
Revelation 20:4
12
So be joyful, you heavens! Be glad, all you who live there! But how terrible it will be for the earth and the sea! The devil has come down to you. He is very angry. He knows his time is short."
Reference
13
The dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth. So he chased the woman who had given birth to the boy.
Reference
14
The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so that she could fly away. She could fly to the place prepared for her in the desert. There she would be taken care of for three and a half years. She would be out of the serpent's reach.
Reference
15
Then the serpent spit water like a river out of his mouth. He wanted to catch her and sweep her away in the flood.
Reference
16
But the earth helped the woman. It opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had spit out.
17
The dragon was very angry with the woman. He went off to make war against the rest of her children. They obey God's commands and hold firmly to what Jesus has said.
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 3:15
Revelation 13:7
John 8:44
Revelation 17:14
Witness
Revelation 19:10
Revelation 11:7
Word
Revelation 14:12
Revelation 6:9
Revelation 1:2
Revelation 1:9
Chapter Summary
Revelation 12 presents the great spiritual conflict behind the events of history, portraying a woman, a male child who represents Christ, and a great red dragon identified as Satan, whose attempt to destroy God's purposes ultimately fails, while Satan is defeated and cast down, yet continues attacking God's people for a limited time, revealing both the certainty of Christ's victory and the reality of continuing spiritual opposition before the final judgment.
The chapter introduces one of the most important symbolic visions in Revelation.
John sees a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and a crown of twelve stars.
She is pregnant and experiencing the pain of childbirth.
The imagery strongly recalls Old Testament symbolism associated with God's covenant people and the twelve tribes of Israel.
A second sign then appears.
John sees a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns.
The dragon is later explicitly identified as Satan, the Devil and ancient serpent who deceives the whole world.
The dragon waits for the woman's child because he intends to destroy him.
The woman gives birth to a male child who will rule the nations with an iron rod.
This child is commonly understood as representing Jesus Christ, particularly because He is taken up to God and His throne.
The dragon cannot prevent Christ from reaching His appointed position.
The woman then flees into the wilderness, where God provides a place for her and sustains her for a limited period.
The scene then moves to heaven.
Michael and his angels fight against the dragon and his angels.
The dragon is defeated and thrown down to earth.
Revelation explicitly identifies the dragon as Satan, the deceiver and accuser.
A heavenly voice celebrates this defeat because the accuser of God's people has been cast down.
The victory of God's people is connected to the blood of the Lamb and their faithful testimony.
They overcome not through earthly military power but through their loyalty to Christ, even when that loyalty costs them their lives.
However, the chapter also explains why the earth continues to experience evil.
Satan has been thrown down and knows that his time is short.
His remaining activity therefore becomes increasingly hostile.
He pursues the woman and attempts to destroy her.
Again, however, God provides protection.
The woman is given wings and escapes into the wilderness.
The dragon then sends a flood after her, but the earth swallows the flood and prevents the attack from succeeding.
Frustrated, the dragon turns his attention toward the woman's other offspring.
These are identified as people who keep God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
This makes the central conflict clear.
Satan's hostility is ultimately directed against God, Christ, and those who faithfully belong to Christ.
The chapter ends with the dragon standing by the sea, preparing for the arrival of another major enemy.
This leads directly into Revelation 13 and the appearance of the beast from the sea.
The central message of Revelation 12 is that behind the visible conflicts of history lies a spiritual struggle in which Satan opposes God's redemptive purposes and persecutes God's people, yet Christ's victory, Satan's defeat, and God's protection of His people demonstrate that the enemy's power is temporary, his time is limited, and those who remain faithful to Jesus can overcome through the Lamb's sacrifice and their steadfast testimony even in the face of suffering and death.
The chapter introduces one of the most important symbolic visions in Revelation.
John sees a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and a crown of twelve stars.
She is pregnant and experiencing the pain of childbirth.
The imagery strongly recalls Old Testament symbolism associated with God's covenant people and the twelve tribes of Israel.
A second sign then appears.
John sees a great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns.
The dragon is later explicitly identified as Satan, the Devil and ancient serpent who deceives the whole world.
The dragon waits for the woman's child because he intends to destroy him.
The woman gives birth to a male child who will rule the nations with an iron rod.
This child is commonly understood as representing Jesus Christ, particularly because He is taken up to God and His throne.
The dragon cannot prevent Christ from reaching His appointed position.
The woman then flees into the wilderness, where God provides a place for her and sustains her for a limited period.
The scene then moves to heaven.
Michael and his angels fight against the dragon and his angels.
The dragon is defeated and thrown down to earth.
Revelation explicitly identifies the dragon as Satan, the deceiver and accuser.
A heavenly voice celebrates this defeat because the accuser of God's people has been cast down.
The victory of God's people is connected to the blood of the Lamb and their faithful testimony.
They overcome not through earthly military power but through their loyalty to Christ, even when that loyalty costs them their lives.
However, the chapter also explains why the earth continues to experience evil.
Satan has been thrown down and knows that his time is short.
His remaining activity therefore becomes increasingly hostile.
He pursues the woman and attempts to destroy her.
Again, however, God provides protection.
The woman is given wings and escapes into the wilderness.
The dragon then sends a flood after her, but the earth swallows the flood and prevents the attack from succeeding.
Frustrated, the dragon turns his attention toward the woman's other offspring.
These are identified as people who keep God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
This makes the central conflict clear.
Satan's hostility is ultimately directed against God, Christ, and those who faithfully belong to Christ.
The chapter ends with the dragon standing by the sea, preparing for the arrival of another major enemy.
This leads directly into Revelation 13 and the appearance of the beast from the sea.
The central message of Revelation 12 is that behind the visible conflicts of history lies a spiritual struggle in which Satan opposes God's redemptive purposes and persecutes God's people, yet Christ's victory, Satan's defeat, and God's protection of His people demonstrate that the enemy's power is temporary, his time is limited, and those who remain faithful to Jesus can overcome through the Lamb's sacrifice and their steadfast testimony even in the face of suffering and death.