Revelation 12
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
12:1 Then1 a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.2 12:2 She3 was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling4 to give birth. 12:3 Then5 another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns.6 12:4 Now7 the dragon’s8 tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then9 the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 12:5 So10 the woman gave birth to a son, a male child,11 who is going to rule12 over all the nations13 with an iron rod.14 Her15 child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, 12:6 and she16 fled into the wilderness17 where a place had been prepared for her18 by God, so she could be taken care of19 for 1,260 days.
War in Heaven
12:7 Then20 war broke out in heaven: Michael21 and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 12:8 But22 the dragon was not strong enough to prevail,23 so there was no longer any place left24 in heaven for him and his angels.25 12:9 So26 that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. 12:10 Then27 I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority28 of his Christ,29 have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,30
the one who accuses them day and night31 before our God,
has been thrown down.
12:11 But32 they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives33 so much that they were afraid to die.
12:12 Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But34 woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He35 is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”
12:13 Now36 when the dragon realized37 that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 12:14 But38 the woman was given the two wings of a giant eagle so that she could fly out into the wilderness,39 to the place God40 prepared for her, where she is taken care of – away from the presence of the serpent – for a time, times, and half a time.41 12:15 Then42 the serpent spouted water like a river out of his mouth after the woman in an attempt to43 sweep her away by a flood, 12:16 but44 the earth came to her rescue;45 the ground opened up46 and swallowed the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 12:17 So47 the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to make war on the rest of her children,48 those who keep49 God’s commandments and hold to50 the testimony about Jesus.51 12:18 And the dragon52 stood53 on the sand54 of the seashore.55