The Woman and the Dragon - Part 3
I wasn’t born yet, but the celebrations that followed the end of World War II appeared to be epic, especially the celebration after V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). The surrender documents were signed in France on May 7, 1945, and then again the next day in Berlin. For most countries, May 8, 1945, is V-E Day. Massive crowds assembled in London, New York, and many other places to celebrate the end of the war. After V-E Day, the hostilities ended in Europe, and after V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day), the hostilities ended in the Pacific. However, sometimes wars end, but the animosity between the combatants does not end. In this article, the final one on Revelation 12, we will see that the child’s victory over the dragon did not cause the dragon to slink away, but to turn his anger towards the woman. The dragon’s hostility towards his enemy turned towards his enemy’s people.
In Part 1, we saw the introduction of the conflict between the woman and the dragon (Revelation 12:1–6). The woman represents the people of God. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel consisted of God’s people, but now the people of God are found in the church, redeemed Jews and Gentiles together as one in Christ. In Part 2, which covered Revelation 12:7–12, we saw the victory in the spiritual realm of the woman’s child (Christ) over the dragon (Satan). Because of this victory, Satan can no longer accuse before the Father those who belong to Jesus. This is cause for great rejoicing in the heavens, but means trouble for those on the earth (Revelation 12:12). Now defeated in the spiritual realm, Satan turns his attention to the woman—the church on earth.
This leads us to the final section of Revelation 12, which elaborates on the dragon’s hatred of the church. In the last part of Revelation 12, the dragon persecutes the woman because of the woman’s child. Satan has no access to the Lord, so he goes after the Lord’s people. Revelation 12:13–17 describes the persecution and protection of God’s people.
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. (ESV)
Because the dragon was thrown down to the earth, he pursues the woman, but the Lord provides a way of escape. The woman is given two wings of the great eagle to fly to the wilderness where she will be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. This reminds us of verse 6, which speaks of 1260 days. A time, and times, and half a time, and 1260 days, are the same time period, three and one-half years. This is not a literal three and a half years, but a realization of the final three and a half years of Daniel’s seventy weeks. It is the time between the first and second comings of Christ. Notice that verses 6 and 14 both say the woman is nourished in the wilderness during this time. As I mentioned in the previous article, this reminds us of Elijah. He proclaimed a famine on Israel, then fled to the wilderness, where he was fed by ravens, and then was miraculously provided food when he stayed with a widow.
Now, I know the eagle reference reminds many of us of The Return of the King when Sam and Frodo escape from Mordor on the backs of great eagles, but I assure you, there is a biblical reference—notice Exodus 19:4.
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. (ESV)
Did God actually bring the Israelites out of Egypt on eagles’ wings? Of course not, but the idea is that, because no harm came to them, it was as if God just flew them over the Egyptians out of the Egyptian’s reach, and, of course, that is true; the Egyptians couldn’t touch them once they left. Consider also Isaiah 40:28–31.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint. (ESV)
Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. Psalm 33:20–22 also speaks of waiting for the Lord.
Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you. (ESV)
Our strength in the wilderness is our hope in the Lord. Our strength in this life is not found in anything or anyone other than the Lord. Was that not Jesus’s strength in the wilderness? He would rather be obedient to the Father than anything the devil offered.
We see in verses 15–16 that the serpent pursues the woman. Note that John uses serpent instead of dragon. This, of course, reminds us of the fall in the garden. What is this water that comes out of the serpent’s mouth? What is the mouth used for? Speaking. This water represents lies. Jesus said of the devil in John 8:44,
. . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (ESV)
Note that this water becomes a flood of lies. This reminds us of the flood in Genesis. The people were completely flooded with wickedness and were judged with a flood of water. However, in Revelation 12:16, the earth helps the woman by swallowing the water. How does that help the church? The earth swallows up the lies of the serpent, which are absolutely opposed to God’s truth. The world believes and lives out the lies of the serpent. This helps God’s people because we can be assured that we don’t find God’s truth in the world. Our only source of saving and sanctifying truth is the Bible, God’s word to us. When we look at the world, we don’t have to wonder if it has something of eternal value to offer. It is all temporary. However, because we reject the lies swallowed by the world, the dragon is enraged. Notice that John again uses the word dragon. We have moved from lies (serpent) back to persecution (dragon). The dragon makes war on the offspring of the woman, which is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The offspring of the woman are described as those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. In the real world, true faith is accompanied by true living. As James 1:26 says, “Faith apart from works is dead.”
Here, though, at the end of this chapter, we see the devil’s two strategies. Verse 17 ends with “And he [the dragon] stood on the sand of the sea,” which flows into chapter 13, where Satan seeks to deceive, and he seeks to destroy. Deception and persecution are the two tools of the devil. Revelation 13 explains the two beasts that the dragon uses. Chapter 13 begins with a beast coming out of the sea. This beast represents world governments that persecute God’s people. At the end of the explanation of the first beast, we read in Revelation 13:10,
If anyone is to be taken captive,
to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. (ESV)
This dragon’s helper persecutes, and we are called to endurance and faith.
The second beast comes out of the earth, which has swallowed the lies of the serpent (Revelation 12:16). It looks like a lamb, but it speaks like the dragon. Again, we are dealing with speech, which means lies. This is the false prophet. How do we deal with the false prophet? Revelation 13:18 says,
This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. (ESV)
We need wisdom to realize when we are dealing with this beast. Don’t let the number 666 pull you off into speculation. Notice that 666 is the number of a man. The false prophet glorifies man. Man was created on the sixth day and is one less than seven, which is God’s number. We need wisdom to know when man is being glorified instead of God.
So, what do we learn from this final section of Revelation 12?
First, the dragon pursues us. First Peter 5:8 says,
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (ESV)
Second, the Lord sustains us. We are in the wilderness. We are exiles, but we belong to the Lord. Peter told the elect exiles in 1 Peter 1:3–9,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (ESV)
What does time in the wilderness do for God’s people? Three things.
It shows us that we are completely dependent on the Lord for material and spiritual sustenance.
It is where God trains us for worship and service.
It reminds God’s people that our time here is temporary. Wilderness stays were always temporary.
Finally, the Lord gives us the truth. The world, the flesh, and the devil only lie. This does not mean we don’t learn anything apart from Scripture. What it means is that Scripture must test everything we learn. Our source of wisdom is the Lord by the Word and his Spirit. When the world says gay marriage is good and biblical, we don’t hesitate to say nonsense. Now, we must speak the truth in love, but to speak the truth in love, we must speak the truth. Because the Lord is the source of truth, let’s stop looking for truth in the world. I don’t need to consult social media, Google, or ChatGPT to learn how to be a good husband or wife, how to be a good parent, or how to deal with difficult people. As 2 Peter 1:3 says,
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (ESV)
So, if we’re concerned with life and godliness, then we have all we need. We are to be washed in the water of the Word instead of the serpent’s water of lies.
If you are not in Christ, you are swallowing the lies of the devil. That may not cause you any concern. If so, I would ask, how do you know what is true? How do you know you’re not believing lies? Where, who, or what is your standard of truth? If that standard is found in you, then how do you know you are right? Please listen to what the Bible says, because it will still be here long after you and I are dead. My standard and your standard will die and be of no use to anyone, but God’s truth remains forever.
The conflict between the woman and the dragon is a long-standing conflict, but the war was won on the cross, and those of us in Christ live in that victory. One day, the dragon will be cast into the lake of fire because it was prepared for him and his angels (Revelation 20:10). I pray that none of you will join him.
Photo by Thomas Shockey from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/stunning-bald-eagle-in-flight-over-illinois-36089855/