Today’s passage: Revelation 12:1-6
Helpful thoughts:
- Verse 19 from chapter 11 would be good to read first as we enter into chapter 12.
- Three major characters are depicted in this vision: The woman, her son (the male child), and the great red dragon.
- The dragon refers to Satan (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6)
- The child refers to Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:9, Acts 2:33-36, Revelation 2:27)
- The woman refers to Israel (Genesis 3:15, concerning the amount of time, 3.5 years Daniel 7:25)
- When the dragon sought to devour the child, the child thwarted the hopes of the dragon and eternally pardoned and purchased the people of God (Colossians 2:13-15).
- The child was caught up to His throne in Acts 1:6-11, and is at the right hand of the Father’s throne today (Romans 8:34).
Questions to consider:
- When we think of the Old Covenant, why does it make sense to refer to the woman as Israel? From whom (What people group) was Christ born? From the perspective of the New Covenant, who all could be included in this group that is “the woman?” (Romans 11)
- Is this a passage of loss or of victory? In what ways? Who wins?