Rev 12 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Rev 12:1-14:20: 12:1–14:20 The people of God, portrayed as a woman who brings forth the Messiah, are under attack by the devil even though he has already been defeated (12:1-17 ). With his two minions, the beast and the false prophet, Satan attempts to continue controlling the world (13:1-18 ) before the final confrontation with the Lord (14:1-20 ). Summary for Rev 12:1-17: 12:1-17 Satan (pictured as a dragon) plots to challenge God’s purposes but is thwarted. Having failed in direct confrontation with God and Christ, he attempts to attack God’s people. Three brief scenes present an overview of the story (12:1-6 ), followed by elaborations of the war in heaven (12:7-9 ) and the war on earth (12:13-17 ). 12:1 The number twelve suggests that the woman represents God’s people (cp. 12:15-17 ; see Jer 2:32 ; 2 Cor 11:2 ; Eph 5:32 ), from whom came the Messiah. This woman is marked by God’s glory in contrast with the prostitute (see Rev 17:1-6 ), who is destined for destruction.

Summary for Rev 12:1-14:20: 12:1–14:20 ^a The people of God, portrayed as a woman who brings forth the Messiah, are under attack by the devil even though he has already been defeated (12:1-17 ^b). With his two minions, the beast and the false prophet, Satan attempts to continue controlling the world (13:1-18 ^c) before the final confrontation with the Lord (14:1-20 ^d).
Summary for Rev 12:1-17: 12:1-17 ^e Satan (pictured as a dragon) plots to challenge God’s purposes but is thwarted. Having failed in direct confrontation with God and Christ, he attempts to attack God’s people. Three brief scenes present an overview of the story (12:1-6 ^f), followed by elaborations of the war in heaven (12:7-9 ^g) and the war on earth (12:13-17 ^h). 12:1 ⁱ The number twelve suggests that the woman represents God’s people (cp. 12:15-17 ^j; see Jer 2:32 ^k; 2 Cor 11:2 ^l; Eph 5:32 ^m), from whom came the Messiah. This woman is marked by God’s glory in contrast with the prostitute (see Rev 17:1-6 ⁿ), who is destined for destruction.
12:2 ^o The symbolic woman going through the agony of labor portrays Christ’s birth, reflecting the biblical theme of Israel’s trauma while waiting to be delivered (see Isa 26:16-18 ^p; Jer 4:31 ^q; Mic 4:9-10 ^r; John 16:21 ^s).
Summary for Rev 12:3-4: 12:3-4 ^t The large red dragon represents Satan (see 12:9 ^u).

• seven heads and ten horns: The numbers represent a mixture of divine and created powers (see 17:7-14 ^v).

• The historic battle between evil and the people of God is staged in cosmic dimensions (see Gen 3:1-7 ^w, 14-15 ^x; Job 1:9-12 ^y).

• Herod’s desire to kill Jesus embodied Satan’s attempt to devour her baby after it was born (see Matt 2:7-8 ^z, 16 ^aa).
12:5 ^ab Jesus was the son who was to rule all nations (see Luke 1:31-33 ^ac; 2:30-32 ^ad; cp. Ps 2:6-12 ^ae).

• Although Jesus was killed by agents of the devil, he was snatched away from the dragon and raised from the dead (Matt 28:6 ^af; Mark 10:33-34 ^ag; 16:6 ^ah; 1 Cor 15:3-4 ^ai). Jesus’ entire life on earth, from his birth to his death and resurrection, is compressed into this scene.

• caught up to God and to his throne: See Acts 1:9-11 ^aj.
12:6 ^ak Like the people of Israel who were spiritually refined in the wilderness (see Hos 2:14-15 ^al; Acts 7:38-45 ^am) and in exile (see Isa 5:13 ^an; Ezek 12:1-3 ^ao), the Christian church must face its own wilderness. Revelation presents messages of endurance and perseverance in the face of trouble and shows that God provides places of refuge and avenues of escape for his people (cp. 1 Cor 10:13 ^ap). 1,260 days: See study note on Rev 11:2-3.
Summary for Rev 12:7-9: 12:7-9 ^aq This scene clarifies the dragon’s identity and power.

• God dispatches Michael, the warrior archangel (see Dan 12:1 ^ar; Jude 1:9 ^as), to confront the dragon and his angels. God does not have to engage in the battle himself (see Matt 26:53 ^at), and Satan is defeated.
Summary for Rev 12:10-11: 12:10-11 ^au Satan’s defeat is encouraging for Christians who, like the recipients of Revelation, are not afraid to die (see John 12:24-26 ^av).
12:13 ^aw When the dragon realized: The scene picks up from 12:9 ^ax.
12:14 ^ay two wings ... of a great eagle (see Exod 19:4-6 ^az; Deut 32:10-11 ^ba; Isa 40:29-31 ^bb): God strengthens his people; he does not promise that they will escape persecution or death.

• a time, times, and half a time: Usually understood as three and a half years (see Rev 11:2-3 ^bc).
Summary for Rev 12:15-16: 12:15-16 ^bd John pictures Satan as Leviathan (cp. Job 41:1 ^be) trying to destroy God’s people (the woman; see study note on Rev 12:1). The protective earth responds and the waters of chaos are contained, as at creation (cp. Gen 1:2 ^bf, 6-7 ^bg, 9-10 ^bh).
12:17 ^bi The dragon turns his hostility against the woman’s children (believers) who keep God’s commandments and continue in their testimony for Jesus.
Summary for Rev 12:18-13:18: 12:18–13:18 ^bj John portrays the dragon conducting its war (12:17 ^bk) through two beasts who with Satan form an evil trinity. 12:18 ^bl on the shore beside the sea: By contrast, the Lamb stands on the rock of Zion (14:1 ^bm).