The Dragon and the Child in Revelation 12
The Dragon and the Child in Revelation 12.
“The revelation of Jesus Christ…” (Rev. 1:1). John the Divine left no doubt about the purpose of his Book of Revelation. His very first words in his prologue were that his vision was an unveiling of Jesus. His baffling and otherworldly writings in this book were not primarily about future events, or the destiny of human life on planet earth, or all those mysterious activities in the heavenly sphere. John was writing first and foremost about the Person of Christ, and he intended everything in the book to point back to Him. Revelation was a lifting of the veil on the full identity and activity of Christ. It is a revelation of Jesus, from God, concerning Christ Himself. The Godhead is both the primary source of John’s vision and its main subject. Everything in this extended vision that came to John straight from heaven is to be understood through the prism of Christ. Regardless of how dramatic, puzzling or profound its contents, everything in John’s vision is intended to help us discover more of Christ and deepen our knowledge of and love for Him. All these events in Revelation that seem to pique the reader’s curiosity are nonetheless streams that are meant to lead us back to the River of Life. Perhaps it would do us all well if we continue to remind ourselves of Paul’s declaration as we read John’s vision… “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2). So then, we can’t let ourselves get too sidetracked, too stuck in the weeds, with these fancy special effects in John’s vision… the beasts and the dragons and the angels, the numbers and colors and gemstones, the symbols and metaphors and poetic imagery… After all is said and done in Revelation, St. John has composed an essentially Christ-centered book.
Gold Mine: Another way of looking at the book of Revelation is to strap on your miner’s helmet and search for Biblical gold. In John’s vision are many gold mines that have Jesus Christ as the source… Mines like His appearance in His glorified presence, the Logos of God, the seven titles of Christ, the words to the seven churches, the seven Beatitudes, and the many songs of worship that come straight to us from heaven! And there is more! Mining all the gold in Revelation will make us wealthy with His treasure for all of eternal life. But all those fancy special effects in John’s vision are only fool’s gold if they distract us from Jesus.
“And another sign appeared in heaven. Behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads! And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 12:3-5).
Revelation 12 is an exciting version of the Christmas story as seen from heaven in the spiritual realm. This is an eye witness account of the nativity story, and it’s not for the squeamish. It is a story full of danger, intrigue and mystery. It has a fiery dragon, warrior angels, a pregnant woman, and a seemingly vulnerable baby. As told in this vision from St. John, there is no straight-line chronology. It is in the eternal dimension, so the past, the present and the future are all wrapped together in the narrative. This story has flashbacks and fast forwards and frightening scenes in real time. What appeared to be a quiet, humble birth in a lonely little town, actually was loud and busy in the spiritual world, with a fierce battle between the forces of good against the forces of evil. The holy night was penetrated by sinister powers. But, praise God, the Child was victorious, and we know that the dragon will eventually be slain.
According to John’s vision in Revelation 12, one could rightly imagine a sign in front of the sweet little stable in Bethlehem… Caution: Baby At Risk. There is a fierce and murderous dragon, the devil himself, the Seeker-Destroyer, who is crouched outside the stable, intent on destroying this Child born to be King. In the spiritual realm, one could probably see the smoke coming from the dragon’s nostrils, billowing into the stable while Mary is giving birth. This birth has cosmic implications. It is a moment of ultimate good versus unthinkable evil. This Child must survive, yet there is acute danger to His life. The dragon will do anything to devour this Child.
War in Heaven. In a dramatic flashback, the devil has already been defeated in the ancient war in heaven (v. 7). Michael and his angelic soldiers rendered Satan powerless in the heavens after much fighting. Satan was able to take a third of the angels with him in his rebellion against God and His throne, and they were all cast down onto the earth. They were powerless in heaven, so they had no choice but to wreak havoc and bring evil to this world. Killing the Child Christ would be his most significant victory, and he will stop at nothing to do so. One can easily see Herod enacting the Slaughter of the Innocents in Bethlehem, and how Satan was fully behind that rampage of death in order to destroy that Child. In John’s vision one can also see the safe escape to Egypt, with the holy family being protected from the devil all the while. There is a fast forward scene of Christ’s victorious ascension, when the Child “was caught up to God and His throne.” (v. 5). One sighs with relief at this early confirmation that the Child was indeed protected during His time on earth.
The Seeker of the Child’s Children. And now a shout from heaven proclaims that Satan is finally defeated in the spiritual realm by the power of Christ. “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” (v. 11). This shout from the heavens seemingly came after the Cross and Christ’s death. But now “Satan knows that he has a short time” to his eternal defeat on earth. He has no power in heaven, and he turns his evil rage once again to those on the earth. “Woe to the inhabitants of the earth.” (v. 12). This time his enemy are the believers in this Child. Sure enough, the fiery dragon seeks to persecute the woman’s “children,” those who follow the Child. Satan seeks to make hell on earth for “those who keep the commandments of God and hold firm to the testimony of Jesus.” (v.17). But the Church will be preserved, for the gates of hell cannot prevail against her (Matt. 16:18).
Sheridan Larson has composed an imaginative retelling of Revelation 12, with the Dragon, the Child, and the Lamb all playing central parts in the story. Enjoy.
In the dark year, the year before the Light came, there rose up the Old Dragon out of the shadows that covered the earth at that time. And men trembled, for he was hideous to look upon and powerful to stand against – “a great red dragon heaving seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon his heads.” And fear came upon men at the sight of him.
The people cried for a deliverer, but the heavens were dark – to their eyes – and the land lay cold and silent around them. And every day the dragon slithered on the earth and beat the air and claimed men for his dark purposes.
It was at this time on a hill one night that a lamb was born and the eyes of this world knew it not. But the heavens opened and the praises of that world entered ours for a time. And angels, who never cease to sing around the throne, sang on a hill in the dark world for the birth of a lamb who was marked to die. For the lamb was the first-born of the Father and the first-born of the Kingdom. And the Law of the First-born is that it is set apart for sacrifice.
The dragon knew that the lamb was born, and he laughed – a great, hideous, fiery laugh that made the people tremble in their thin houses and run in their wide streets.
“A lamb!” laughed the dragon, “and with only one head and no horns and no crowns. What can a lamb do against the great red dragon of seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns?” And he plotted to kill the lamb and pour its blood down the wide streets of the world.
But the lamb lived without fear and brought joy and health to all those who came to him. And it was Light in the dark world while he walked among them. And though it appeared foolish to follow a lamb, many listened to his words of a Kingdom of Righteousness, and longed for it, and many came for healing and some came for new life.
But the day of the dragon came and none stood in his way. The heavens appeared shut; the angels, silent. The dragon swooped; the lamb only waited. The blood ran down the wide streets of the world. The darkness once again descended upon the land. The dragon laughed. But even as he laughed, his great, glorious dragon mail was rent in two and the seven crowns trembled on his seven heads and his ten horns were crumpled. He wailed. His armor fell from him and seen without his glory, he was a serpent. Before him stood the Lamb, whole and white. and the Light shone. And the dragon understood not the mystery. But only knew he had no more power over the Lamb. So he fled down the blood-bathed streets of the world, speaking death in the ears of all who would listen. But of those who have been touched by the blood of the Lamb, he had no part. For they loved not their lives even unto death.
The battle raged fierce, for the Lamb who had died was alive and the Spirit of the Lamb had been given. And yet to follow the Lamb was considered foolish, and to follow the serpent, wise. And seldom were men willing to die that they might live.
Down to the present, the company of the Lamb continues, and the Day of the Lord approaches when we shall hear the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the living creatures and the elders, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Amen.