The Woman Fled -Revelation 12:1-6

Revelation 12:1-6 ESV
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

These verses turn our attention to heaven and there we behold signs representing Christ and Satan. A woman clothed by the sun, the wife of God, comes into view. The crown of twelve stars confirms this woman is Israel. The moon under her feet brings us to Satan, the other sign in the sky. The serpent was cursed in the Garden to be trampled at the feet of Adam.
The dragon is thrown down, taking many with him. Though he is cast out, he is given power according to the purpose of God. He seeks to thwart that purpose as he waits to kill the son of the woman, just as he continues to seek the death of each soul today. He is described as red in color. In the last days the moon turns to "blood", or red. The moon was given to light the night, a light reflected from the sun, back when light was separated from the dark.
The child does die, but is not devoured. God uses the death of Jesus to open the way of life. The child is raised to the throne of God. Satan is left on earth defeated, but still able to give battle for the souls of men.
The woman disappears into the wilderness at the provision of God. The earth swallows the flood from the mouth of the dragon. The 1,260 days points us to the last days of the tribulation. This vision is not anchored in time as we think of it, but gives us a recap and a big picture view of the players in God's plan.


Isaiah 62:3-5
You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.

Isaiah 54:5
For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.

Isaiah 60:1-2
1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.

Micah 5:3-4
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4 And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.

Psalms 2:9-12
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.