July 14, 2026
Revelation 12
New King James Version
The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
12 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. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
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. 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. 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. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they [a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [b]them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. 11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”
The Woman Persecuted
13 Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus [c]Christ.
Footnotes
- Revelation 12:8 were not strong enough
- Revelation 12:8 M him
- Revelation 12:17 NU, M omit Christ
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” (BibleGateway.com)
“12:1, 2. Chapters 12—14 are explanatory prophecies that describe some of the major personages and movements of the latter half of the Tribulation period. The woman represents Israel, and her child is Christ, the Messiah (cf. 12:5; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 66:7, 8; Mic. 5:2; Rom. 9:4, 5). The woman is not the church, since the church did not bring forth Christ, but rather He brought forth the church. Her identification as the persecuted Jewish saints clearly proves that the church is not on earth during the Tribulation period. The sun depicts her as God’s chosen nation. The moon under her feet alludes to God’s promise of dominion, and the crown of twelve stars pictures royalty and relates to the 12 tribes of Israel. The birth pains refer to the period before the birth of Christ when Israel was waiting for redemption by the Messiah (cf. Rom. 8:22, 23).’
’12:3, 4. The dragon is identified as Satan in verse 9. His red color shows his murderous character (cf. John 8:44). His seven heads and seven crowns depict the completeness and universality of his power and influence (but cf. Ps. 74:14). His ten horns show Satan’s connection with the fourth beast of Daniel 7 (vv. 7, 24) and with the Beast from the sea in chapter 13 of Revelation. The third part of the stars of heaven are probably the fallen angels who followed Satan in his original rebellion against God (cf. Is. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:12-16; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). At the time of the birth of Christ, Satan was ready to kill Him (cf. Matt. 2:13-18).’
’12:5, 6. The man child is Christ, destined to rule all nations as the Messiah (cf. 19:15; Ps. 2:7-9). He was caught up unto God, and to his throne at His ascension into heaven (cf. Acts 1:9; 7:55). The wilderness represents anywhere outside Palestine. During the last half of the Tribulation period (1,260 days = three-and-a-half years). Israel will take refuge among the Gentile nations, where God will care for her (perhaps through Gentile believers—cf. Matt. 25:40). Chronologically, verse 6 occurs after verses 7—12, and is equivalent to verse 14.’
’12:7-9. The vision of war in heaven anticipates Satan’s exclusion from “heaven” and his restriction to the earth during the last half of the Tribulation. Michael the archangel is the leader of God’s holy angels (cf. Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9). Satan is the chief of the fallen angels. At the middle of the Tribulation period, God will empower Michael and his forces to cast Satan and his forces out of access to heaven, so that Satan must thereafter confine his activities to the earthly sphere. He is given four designations: (1) dragon pictures his monstrous character as the enemy of God; (2) serpent connects him with the clever deception of Eve in Genesis 3; (3) Devil means “slanderer” (cf. v. 10); (4) Satan means “Adversary” (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8). He also deceiveth the whole world (cf. 20:8).’
’12:10-12. The words salvation, strength (Gr. dunamis, “power”), kingdom, and power (Gr. exousia, “authority”) all refer to the coming of the millennial kingdom of Christ. With reference to believers, Satan is most commonly a tempter and the accuser of the brethren before God (cf. Job 1:6—12; 2:1—5; Rom. 8:33, 34). Believers can and will overcome him through the blood of Christ and their witness (testimony) about Christ. The last half of the Tribulation will be a time of terrible trouble on earth (cf. Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Zeph. 1:15; Matt. 24:15-22). It will be Satan’s final attempt to prevent the return and the reign of Christ. He has only a short time to try to prevent the establishment of Christ’s kingdom. Therefore he has great wrath and intensifies his persecution of Israel, God’s chosen nation (vv. 13—17), while setting up his own counterfeit kingdom through the Beast, the false messiah (13:1—17).’
’12:13, 14. Satan’s persecution of Israel is apparently an attempt to exterminate God’s chosen people, thereby preventing the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham and David in the messianic kingdom. But God protects Israel (cf. v. 6). The wings of a great eagle represent swift escape from persecution. The wilderness symbolizes the Gentile nations of the world (cf. Matt. 24:16-20, 31), where believers will help to hide Jews from the Antichrist’s persecution. According to Zechariah 13:7-9, however, two-thirds of the Israelites will die first. The time, and times, and half a time equals three-and-a-half times, which refers to the last three-and-a-half-years of the Tribulation period (cf. Dan. 7:25; 12:7), the time of “great tribulation” (Matt. 24:21).’
’12:15-17. The flood symbolizes overwhelming evil and persecution (cf. Ps. 18:4; Is. 43:2). Satan, through the Antichrist and his forces, will persecute the Jews throughout the earth, but the Gentile believers of the earth will receive them and hide them. The remnant may be a reference either to (1) Jewish believers, who have refused to worship Satan and his Beast (cf. 13:4, 7, 15); or to (2) Gentile believers, who are the seed of Abraham through Christ (cf. Gal. 3:26, 29). The last half of the Tribulation period will see a worldwide persecution of those who genuinely believe in Jesus Christ (13:7).” (THE KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE) (KING JAMES VERSION) (THOMAS NELSON) (Since 1798)
(12:1, 2)
“The woman represents Israel, and her child is Christ, the Messiah (cf. 12:5; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 66:7, 8; Mic. 5:2; Rom. 9:4, 5)”
“Is. 7:14; 9:6; 66:7-8; Mic. 5:2; Rom. 9:4-5”
(Is. 66:7-8)
‘. . . “Isaiah 66:7-8
Amplified Bible
7
“Before she (Zion) was in labor, she gave birth;
Before her labor pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
8
“Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land [a]be born in one day?
Or can a nation be brought forth in a moment?
As soon as Zion was in labor, she also brought forth her sons.
Footnotes
- Isaiah 66:8 Never in the history of the world had such a thing happened before—but God keeps His word. As foretold here and in Ezek 37:21, 22, Israel became a recognized nation, actually “born in one day.” After being away from their homeland for almost 2,000 years, the Jews were given a national homeland in Palestine by the Balfour Declaration in November 1917. In 1922, the League of Nations gave Great Britain the mandate over Palestine. On May 14, 1948, Great Britain withdrew her mandate, and immediately Israel was declared a sovereign state, and her growth and importance among nations was astonishing.
Amplified Bible (AMP)” (BibleGateway.com)
“Ezekiel 37:21-22
Amplified Bible
21 Say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am going to take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will [a]gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; 22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one [b]king will be king over all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 37:21 See note 36:24.
- Ezekiel 37:22 A reference to the coming Messianic ruler, who would achieve for Israel what David had, but with perfection. See also note 34:23.
Amplified Bible (AMP)” (BibleGateway.com)
“Ezekiel 36:24
Amplified Bible
24 For I will [a]take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 36:24 This prophecy has been in the process of fulfillment since World War II. The Jews have for centuries been dispersed among all the nations with only a few remaining in the homeland. But by a.d. 1960 one-sixth of the Jewish population of the world was in Israel. Already they had been made “one nation” (37:22a)—between sunrise of one day and sunset of the next—“a nation born in one day” (Is 66:8). But the greatest event of all is yet to come (Ezek 37:22b-25). This prophecy will be fulfilled in its entirety.
Ezekiel 36:24 in all English translations” (BibleGateway.com)
“Ezekiel 37:22-25
Amplified Bible
22 and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one [a]king will be king over all of them; and they will no longer be two nations, and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all their transgressions in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them. So they will be My people, and I will be their God.
The Davidic Kingdom
24 “[b]My servant David will be king over them, and they all will have one shepherd. They will also walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. 25 They will live in the land where your fathers lived, [the land] that I gave to My servant Jacob, and they will live there, they and their children and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David will be their leader forever.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 37:22 A reference to the coming Messianic ruler, who would achieve for Israel what David had, but with perfection. See also note 34:23.
- Ezekiel 37:24 See note 34:23.
Amplified Bible (AMP)” (BibleGateway.com)
“Ezekiel 34:23
Amplified Bible
23 “Then I will appoint over them one shepherd and he will feed them, [a ruler like] My servant [a]David; he will feed them and be their shepherd.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 34:23 The name of David is used here as in Ezek 34:24; 37:24, 25; Jer 30:9; Hos 3:5, to represent the Messiah, not the man, David king of Israel. It is believed that this Messianic prophecy would have been understood by Ezekiel’s audience.
Ezekiel 34:23 in all English translations
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.” (BibleGateway.com)
Let him who has an ear, hear what The Holy Spirit says to His church. Amen.
“Adversity is the test of faith; prosperity is the test of integrity.”
(THE JEREMIAH STUDY BIBLE—DR. DAVID JEREMIAH—NEW KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE—WORTHY)”
“The Absence of Adversity, is the test of faith in YESHUA CHRIST JESUS;
The Temporary Lack of Prosperity, is the test of integrity-from YESHUA CHRIST JESUS.” (Holy Spirit)— (Minister Timothy M. Shephard.)
Have a blessed Tuesday beloved of YESHUA JESUS CHRIST. Amen.
With much precious love, grace, and mercy, from our heavenly Savior-Abba-Father-GOD, our Redeemer and LORD-YESHUA CHRIST JESUS, and our Holy Spirit, to Israel and to you and I; Sincerely: Minister Timothy M. Shephard. Amen.