Revelation 12: the Woman and the Dragon explained

This article will probably challenge your beliefs around “satan” and the book of Revelation in general. Please consider what I’m saying in light of the scriptures and first century historical records. 

Revelation 12

1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron…

Here we see a pregnant woman clothed with the sun, standing on the moon with 12 stars in her crown.

We also see a dragon ready and waiting to devour her “man child” as soon as he is born.

Both these images tie in perfectly with the Gospel of Matthew.

In Matthew chapter one we have the genealogy of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ descended from Abraham, through Isaac, Jacob (who’s name was changed to Israel), his son Judah, eventually king David, all the way through to Joseph who married Mary. 

The pregnant woman in Revelation 12 is faithful Israel, through whom descended Jesus Christ. He is the “man child” the woman gave birth to.

In Matthew chapter two we’re introduced to Herod the Great, king of Judea.

Matthew 2

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and…

4 …demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea…

16 Then Herod…was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under…

The dragon in Revelation 12 represents Herod the Great…but not just him, for the dragon had SEVEN heads.

I propose that it represents the entire Herodian dynasty from Herod the Great through to Herod Agrippa II.

Herod the Great was born in Idumea, also called Edom.

The Edomites were descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau.

Esau was a red, hairy hunter. 

His name literally means RED, which is interesting considering the dragon in Revelation 12 is RED in colour.

Esau, when famished from a day of hunting, sold his birth rite to Jacob for a pot of stew. 

Jacob then deceived his father, Isaac, into giving him Esau’s blessing.

When Esau found out, he was furious and so began a very long feud between the descendants of Esau and the descendants of Jacob (Israel).

During the intertestamental period (between Malachi and Matthew), also called the 400 years of silence, a lot happened.

Alexander the Great conquered much of the known world, including the “promised land”. 

Then the Maccabean Revolt took place in which the Jews gained independence from Greece and the Hasmonian dynasty began to rule. 

During the rule of the Hasmonian dynasty the Idumeans were forcibly converted to Judaism.

Herod’s father Antipater was an Idumean advisor to one of the Hasmonian rulers but when Rome took control of the “promised land”, Julias Caesar made Antipater a high ranking military officer.

In 46BC Herod, son of Antipater, was appointed as Governor of Galilee, then in 37BC he was appointed king of Judea.

This is how power was transferred from the Hasmonian dynasty to the Herodian dynasty.

If you want to know more about these things check out the link below.

https://www.jewishhistory.org/review-of-the-hasmonean-era/

Herod the Great was a “client king” meaning he was put in power by Rome.

In Revelation 12 the red, seven headed dragon had ten horns. 

These ten horns may represent ten Roman Caesars from Julius Caesar to Emperor Vespasian who ruled during the last part of the Roman-Jewish war.

The dragon appears to be a composite creature.

By the time Jesus began his ministry, an Idumean “client king” was in charge of Judea and her sacred city Jerusalem.

How the tables had turned.

Revelation 12

9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth…

In this verse we see that the “great dragon” is also called “satan”.

What or who do you think Satan is? A lot of Christians believe Satan is a fallen angel.

Scriptures used to support this idea are Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.

Isaiah 14

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

However if we begin reading from the start of the chapter, we find it was about Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

Isaiah 14

4…thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon…

The book of Daniel explains how Nebuchadnezzar was so lifted up with pride he had to be brought down to the level of a beast until he recognised who God was (Dan. 4:30-32).

Ezek. 28

14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth…

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

Again if we read from the start of Ezekiel 28, we find it was about the “Prince of Tyrus” (vs 2) not a fallen angel named Satan.

The Greek word 4567. Σατανᾶς Satanás, translated Satan in most bible versions, means adversary.

The Youngs Literal translation never translates it as Satan, always adversary.

Adversary is an adjective, a describing word.

However most versions turn Satanás into a proper noun.

Hence “Satan” becomes the name of a supernatural being, considered by many to be a “fallen angel”.

As you can imagine, this is bound to cause confusion when trying to understanding Revelation 12.

How could the Herodian dynasty or the Romans be “satan”?

What does make sense however, is that they were acting as adversaries towards God and his people.

Similar to how Jesus called Peter Satanás when he tried to stop him from going to the cross. 

Peter was acting as an adversary in that moment.

According to first century historian Josephus, the final king of the Herodain dynasty Agrippa the II, was driven out of Jerusalem (WOJ 2.17.1) and his palace burnt down by Jewish Zealots in 66AD (WOJ 2.17.6)

In fact every Roman influence was overcome and and driven out of the city around that time.

Roman soldiers stationed at Masada and the Tower of Antonia were killed (WOJ 2.17.2 WOJ 2.17.7)

Furthermore, in around September/October of 66AD Syrian Governor Cestius and his Roman army attacked Jerusalem (WOJ 2.17.4-6) only to be chased down and defeated by Jewish rebels in the valley of Beth Horon (WOJ 2.19.7&8)

All these events in 66AD marked the point at which the Dragon was cast from heaven to earth.

Now let’s come back to the woman in Revelation 12.

Revelation 12

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

The woman fled into the wilderness where she was protected and fed by God for three and a half years.

Can we connect this to the gospel of Matthew? We certainly can.

In Matthew 24 when Jesus prophesied that the temple would be “thrown down” his disciples asked him “when shall these things be, what shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:2&3)

Jesus replied, “when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet…let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains…for then shall be great tribulation…” (Matt. 24:15,16&21)

What was the abomination Daniel spoke of?

Daniel 12

11 And from the time that the DAILY SACRIFICE shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

It was when “Eleazar (ben Ananias)…governor of the temple, persuaded those that officiated in the divine service to receive no gift or sacrifice from any foreigner” (WOJ 2.17.2)

This, according to first century historian Josephus, happened in around August of 66AD and was a declaration of war upon Rome.

You may notice in Revelation 12 that the dragon’s tail took out a third part of the stars.

Revelation 12

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth…

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, stars represent Jacob’s descendants (Gen. 37:9&10) particularly those in positions of rulership (Gen. 1:16).

Since the dragon is a composite creature, it’s tail taking out a third part of the stars could be a reference to how Eleazar ben Ananias “persuaded those that officiated in the divine service” to go against normal procedure and to do something that would spark a war.

Could the fallen stars represent Levitical priests corrupted by Eleazar?

Besides the cessation of the daily sacrifice, the abomination of desolation could refer to when Cestius and his army compassed Jerusalem, as per Luke 21.

Luke 21

20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

21 Then let them which are in JUDEA flee to the mountains…

Jesus warned his disciples that when they saw these things happen it would be a SIGN that they should FLEE to the mountains.

It makes sense to me that when Cestius failed to destroy Jerusalem in around October/September 66AD this gave the Christians a chance to heed Jesus’s warning and flee, not just the city but ALL of JUDEA.

How could we possibly relate this to our current times or even the future? Do we live in Judea? No. 

In Conclusion, the powerful imagery of Revelation 12 transports us from Genesis through to the beginning of the Roman-Jewish war in 66AD. 

Through careful study of the scriptures and trustworthy historical records, the meaning of the woman and the dragon become clear. 

Why is it important for us to understand the book of Revelation? Because it helps us to understand the kingdom of God, a spiritual reality that we can be part of and experience today (Rev 22:17).

God bless as you study to show yourself approved.

The two witnesses, beast and seventh trumpet mystery

In this article we will examine Revelation 9, 10 and 11 to determine who or what the two witnesses are. Who or what is the “beast” that killed them. Also why, when the seventh trumpet sounded, was the mystery finished. What is the “mystery” and how was it finished.

Let’s begin in Revelation 10

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven… his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

2 And…he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

The angel in these verses had his right foot on the sea, his left foot on the earth.

What is this a picture of? 

The temple in Jerusalem.

First century historian Flavius Josephus wrote that the tabernacle was “an imitation of the system of the world”. The outer court represented the SEA, the holy place EARTH and the holy of holies “an heaven peculiar to God” (Antiquities of the Jews chapter 6)

If we take a peek into Revelation 11, we find confirmation of this.

Revelation 11

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God…

So Revelation 10 describes the temple. In verse one the angel’s feet were as “pillars of fire”.

Let’s compare that to how Josephus described the look of the temple before it was destroyed in 70AD.

WOJ 5.5.6

6. Now the outward face of the temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprize either mens minds, or their eyes. For it was covered all over with plates of gold, of great weight: and at the first rising of the sun reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it, to turn their eyes away: just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays. 

The angel’s feet resembled the gold plated pillars of the temple that reflected the “fiery splendor” of the morning sun.

If we dip back into Revelation 11 we find further confirmation that we’re looking at the temple in Jerusalem.

Revelation 11

8…the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Where was Jesus crucified? Outside Jerusalem.

There’s no mistaking it, the book of Revelation is largely about first century Jerusalem and it’s magnificent temple.

Many believe Revelation was penned around 95AD during the reign of Domitian. If that were so, why would it mention the temple that was destroyed in 70AD?

It makes sense to me that the last book of the bible was penned just prior to the Jewish revolt, that began in 66AD. 

Around this time Peter also wrote his second epistle, in which he prophesied the elements melting with fervent heat to reveal a “new heavens and a new earth”.

2 Peter 3

12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

We’re talking about the New Covenant kingdom of righteousness, the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem…

Revelation 10:7 says…

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

This pertains to the next chapter.

Revelation 11

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and …The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.

When the seventh angel sounded the “mystery” mentioned by both Jesus and Paul was finally FINISHED.

What is the Mystery? How was it finished??

Let me back track a little to Revelation 9. 

My last video was on revelation 9 but I want to go back over that information to show how it ties in with Revelation 10 and 11.

Revelation 9

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit…

And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth…

In the Wars of the Jews book 4, chapters 3&4 zealot leader John Gischala, with a considerable number of armed men, fled from Galilee to Jerusalem for safety. The zealots seized upon the sanctuary and high priest Ananus ben Ananus excited the people to rise up against them. This resulted in great slaughter on both sides. 

The zealots fled into the inner-court of the temple and shut the gates. Ananus set guards upon the cloisters so they could not escape. John Gischala befriended Ananus then betrayed him by telling other zealot leaders such as Eleazar ben Simon, that Ananus had invited Rome to attack the city.

Eleazar ben Simon resolved to call in the Idumeans for assistance. The Idumeans, who were from Idumea just below Judea, responded immediately and camped outside the city walls waiting to be let in. 

Another High priest Jesus ben Gamalas, standing upon a tower, made a powerful speech to dissuade the Idumeans from getting involved but they would not listen. During the night some zealots escaped from the temple and sawed open the city gates allowing the Idumeans to flood into the city.

Eleazar ben Simon was the “star” that fell from heaven and unlocked the bottomless pit. The Idumeans were the locusts that ascended out of it.

Once inside the city the Idumeans murdered the two high priests, Ananus ben Ananus and Jesus ben Gamalas.

These men were the TWO WITNESSES mentioned in Revelation 11. Let’s read about that..

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days (3 1/2 years) clothed in sackcloth.

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Put on your seat belts because we’re going to see how that played out in `The wars of the Jews’ book 4 chapter 5 section 1&2

1…the Idumeans…ascended through the city…

2.…they sought for the High-priests; and…went with the greatest zeal against them. And as soon as they caught them, they slew them: and then standing upon their dead bodies, in way of jest, upbraided Ananus with his kindness to the people; and Jesus with his speech made to them from the wall. Nay they proceeded to that degree of impiety, as to cast away their dead bodies without burial: although the Jews used to take so much care of the burial of men…the death of Ananus was the beginning of the destruction of the city…He was…a venerable, and a very just man: and besides the grandeur of that nobility, and dignity, and honour, of which he was possessed, he had been a lover of a kind of parity, even with regard to the meanest of the people. He was a prodigious lover of liberty; and an admirer of a democracy in government: and did ever prefer the publick welfare before his own advantage: and preferred peace above all things. For he was thoroughly sensible that the Romans were not to be conquered. He also foresaw that of necessity a war would follow: and that unless the Jews made up matters with them very dextrously, they would be destroyed. To say all in a word: if Ananus had survived, they had certainly compounded matters. For he was a shrewd man in speaking, and persuading the people: and had already gotten the mastery of those that opposed his designs, or were for the war…Jesus was also joined with him: and although he was inferior to him upon the comparison, he was superior to the rest. And I cannot but think, that it was because God had doomed this city to destruction, as a polluted city, and was resolved to purge his sanctuary by fire, that he cut off these their great defenders…And I cannot but imagine that virtue itself groaned at these mens case; and lamented that she was here so terribly conquered by wickedness. And this at last was the end of Ananus and Jesus.

The Idumean “beast” that ascended out of the bottomless pit murdered the last two Legitimate high priests, the “great defenders” of the city. 

Furthermore the Idumeans cast their dead bodies  into the street which was absolutely against Jewish custom. The Jews always buried their dead.

Who were the Idumeans? They were descended from Jacob’s twin brother Esau.

Esau was a red, hairy hunter. A “man of the field” (Gen. 25:27). This should cast our minds back to the garden in which God created “every beast of the field” (Gen 2:19). The most subtle “beast of the field” was the serpent who beguiled Eve (Gen. 3:1).

Esau represents the beast nature. 

Thus the Idumeans are pictured as a “beast” having ascended out of the bottomless pit.

In Genesis a feud started between Jacob (renamed Israel) and Esau. 

This feud continued with their descendants. Hence the descendants of Esau were Israel’s arch enemy and the archetypal enemy of God (1 Sam. 15:2&3).

I will probably explore this further in my next post.

Back to the previous question, what was the Mystery? How was it finished?

The first person to mention the “mystery” was Jesus. He said this to his disciples…

Mark 4:1

…Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God…

Paul also wrote about the “mystery”.

Colossians 1

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Ephesians 3

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God…

The mystery of the kingdom was HID from the BEGINNING. 

It was hid in the creation story. 

The same pattern we see in the creation story is reflected in the tabernacle/temple.

Creation: sea, earth, garden of Eden with tree of life in the midst.

Tabernacle/Temple: outer court, holy place, holy of holies with ark of the covenant in the midst.

Adam served and preserved the garden and had dominion over the beasts, fish, fowls and creeping things.

Levitical priests served in the tabernacle and exercised spiritual authority there.

Only they could enter the holy of holies and commune with God.

In Revelation 20 we see a change to this pattern. 

The holy city, New Jerusalem has “no more sea”. No more outer court/court of the Gentiles.

Revelation 21

1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was NO MORE SEA.

2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven…

What does this mean? Everyone within the New Covenant kingdom is a PRIEST able to enter God’s presence, commune with him and exercise spiritual authority.

When the last two legitimate High priests were murdered the MYSTERY of the kingdom was FINISHED because their death marked the END of the Levitical priesthood.

Today within the body of Christ there is no us and them, no clergy and laity, no male or female. We are all equal. We are all ONE.

How does this compare to the hierarchical structure seen in most church groups? 

Where congregants become passive observers, relying on a pastor to feed them week after week. 

Where congregants remain perpetual babes in Christ, never reaching their full potential. 

Never becoming the spiritual fathers or mothers they could be, able to help and mentor others. 

There will always be babes in Christ needing to be mentored but our goal should be grow and support others to grow.

In stead we see “leaders” being paid to stand on a stage and entertain people with polished sermons. 

We see “leaders” lording over the flock, keeping them dumbed-down and in a state of submission.

Yes, we should be in submission but ALL of us in submission to each other, serving one another, supporting one another, preferring one another.

Let me know in the comment section if this article was helpful or interesting for you. 

I am learning as I go. I don’t always get things right, so please be a Berean and search the scriptures to see if what I’m saying is really so.

God bless as you study to show yourself approved.