Revelation 12:1-17
“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun... And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon... to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.”
King James Version
The cosmic sign — the woman, the male child caught up to God, the dragon (Satan) cast down, and his war on the woman's offspring — the conflict behind history.
Fulfillment References
Genesis 3:15 Revelation 12:5 Luke 10:18 Romans 16:20
How Traditions Read This Prophecy
Apostolic (Oneness) PentecostalThe child caught up to God is Jesus (12:5); the ancient serpent of Genesis 3:15 is crushed by the one God in the flesh.
JewishThe imagery echoes Israel (the woman; cf. Joseph's dream of sun, moon, stars) bringing forth the Messianic deliverer.
CatholicThe woman read as Israel, the Church, and (in Marian tradition) Mary, mother of the Messiah; the child is Christ.
ProtestantThe woman as the covenant people bringing forth the Messiah; the dragon as Satan, defeated at the cross and warring on the church.
OrthodoxThe woman as the Church/Theotokos, the child Christ, the dragon the defeated adversary.
DispensationalThe woman as Israel, the child Christ, the dragon Satan; the flight (12:6,14) tied to a future Tribulation.
AcademicScholars trace combat-myth backgrounds (Leto/Python, ANE chaos-dragon) reused to tell the Christ story; 12:5 clearly is Christ's ascension.
Scholarship & Sources
Verse 12:5 ('caught up unto God, and to his throne') anchors the male child as the ascended Christ — a key fixed point. The 1,260 days / time-times-half-a-time link to Daniel 7:25. Scholars discuss reused Greco-Roman and ANE combat myths (Aune; Yarbro Collins, 'The Combat Myth in the Book of Revelation').
Open the full interactive entry →Cross-references, Hebrew/Greek, Dead Sea Scrolls notes, study tools and multi-tradition analysis in the interactive explorer.
Bible Prophecy Explorer · based on J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy catalogue · an openly Apostolic (Oneness) Pentecostal study resource — all traditions presented fairly. Pastor: C. Myles Young, PhD · Bishop: Nathaniel J. Wilson, Ed.D.