What if the Christmas story has a dragon in it? In Revelation 12:1-5, John sees a great sign appear in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a garland of twelve stars on her head, crying out in labor to give birth – and another sign, a great, fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns who stands before the woman to devour her Child as soon as it is born.
In this message from our series Revelation: Jesus Revealed – The View Behind The Veil, we look at three signs: the sign of the woman, who is identified as Israel rather than a cult, Mary, or the church; the sign of the dragon, Satan, whose hatred of God’s people runs from Cain and the decree in Esther’s day to destroy the Jews all the way to the nativity and the angry crowd in the synagogue who tried to throw Jesus off a cliff; and the sign of the Child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and was caught up to God and His throne.
Along the way we trace the promise of Genesis 3:15 that the woman’s Seed would bruise the serpent’s head, the word that the God of peace will crush Satan under our feet shortly, and Hebrews 2:14, where Jesus shared in flesh and blood so that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil. Because our adversary still walks about like a roaring lion, we are called to be sober and vigilant – and to rest in the Dragonslayer who has already won the victory.
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Revelation 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with
the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to
give birth.
Revelation 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
Revelation 12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to
the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth,
to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
The star led wise men traveled far to see
Who might this newborn Dragonslayer be
1. THE SIGN OF THE WOMAN.
Revelation 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with
the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
J. Vernon McGee (Quote)
“If you tell me your interpretation of the woman in the twelfth chapter of
Revelation, then I’ll tell you your interpretation of prophecy.
I believe that the identification of this woman is the key to the understanding
of the book of Revelation.”
1) Some cults see themselves as the woman.
2) Some believe the woman is Mary.
3) Some believe the woman is the church.
THE WOMAN IS ISRAEL
Revelation 37:9 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.”
Revelation 12:2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to
give birth.
Micah 4:10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman
in birth pangs …”
Isaiah 26:17 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.
Isaiah 26:18 We have been with child, we have been in pain;
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given;
2. THE SIGN OF THE DRAGON.
Revelation 12:3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
1 John 3:12 “… Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.
Esther 3:13 And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces,
to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children
and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the
month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
Revelation 12:3 “… Behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and
ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
Revelation 12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to
the earth …”
Isaiah 14:12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!
Revelation 12:4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to
the earth …”
Revelation 12:4 “… And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to
give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Luke 2:6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her
her to be delivered in the inn.
Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son …”
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Luke 4:28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were
filled with wrath,
Luke 4:29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow
of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.
Luke 4:30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
3. THE SIGN OF THE CHILD.
Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child …”
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between
your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (ERV) I will make you and the woman enemies to each other.
Your children and her children will be enemies. You will bite her child’s foot,
but he will crush your head.”
Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
Revelation 12:5 “… And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod
of iron.
Psalm 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to
pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”
Hebrews 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
