Verse 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: The woman is Jesus’s church, the Bride of Christ. Clothed with the sun is symbolic of Jesus Christ ruling in our hearts. The moon under her feet symbolizes a strong foundation and faithfulness. The crown of twelve stars seems to symbolizes the twelve apostles. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Revelation 19: 7,8). “His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.” (Psalm 89: 36,37).

Verse 2) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. This is talking about Mary who is part of the church when she delivered Jesus.

Verse 3-4) 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. 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. The red dragon with seven heads and ten horns is the devil, the seven heads are the seven world empires, and the ten horns are the ten major world governments that join with the anti-christ. ( See our classes on the book of Daniel chapter 7,8,11 & Revelation Chapter 13). The dragon gathering a third part of the stars in Heaven represents the devil gathering a third of the angels to himself after a great war in Heaven against God’s Angels and the devil and the angels that side with him, and they are cast into the earth when the anit-christ is assassinated and the devil possesses his body and he comes back to life and rules for 3 and one half years, or 42 months, or 1,260 days in the Temple, for the Great Tribulation. (Remember this is based on 12 , thirty day months in the Hebrew Calendar). The dragon ( the devil) possessed Herod, who tried to kill Jesus when he was born, which fulfilled, “the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” Mary the mother of Jesus was defiantly a main part of the women, The Church of Jesus Christ depicted in this chapter.

Verse 5) 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. This is obviously talking about Mary bringing forth Jesus, and Jesus ruling the world.

Verse 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 three score days. God’s people the church, the saved church especially in Israel, will flee into the wilderness to a special place for 1,260 days or the last 3 ½ years or the Great Tribulation. ( See our class on Matthew Chapter 24).

Verse 7-10) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angles fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angles, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 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, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. This war in heaven between God’s angels and the devil’s angels takes place before the devil is cast out of heaven with his angels ( he takes a third of the angels with him verse 4), and the devil then enters the anti-christ’s body who is healed of a deadly wound, when the devil enters him and he comes back to life. This takes place in the middle of the last seven years when the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION is placed in the Temple. The devil is allowed to come and stand before God and accuse the brethren, but at this time when he is kicked out of heaven, he is not allowed any more to do this. “AND AT that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:” ( Daniel 12:1a).

Verse 11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. That is how we overcome the devil and hell, by faith in the blood of Jesus and by showing we have faith by witnessing. “ the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” ( I John1:7b). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart Man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”( Romans 10: 9,10).

Verse 12-14) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. When the devil is cast unto the earth he is very angry because from reading these and other verses he knows he only has 3 ½ years, or 1,260 days, or 42 months, or time( One Year), times( Two Years), and a half a time ( One half of a year = 3 1/2 years). So he tries to persecute the church and kill as many of us as he can. The two wings of a great eagle may symbolize God’s power and protection and help as the church flees to a special place that God has prepared for the church to flee too. Maybe someone will donate the use of some jet aircraft. These verses may be specifically referring to the 144,000 in Israel at this time.

Verse 15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. The water is symbolic of the armies of the anti-christ who chase after the church. “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.” ( Psalm 18:4). “AND THERE came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Revelation 17:1) “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.” (Revelation 17:15).

Verse 16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. There will be earthquakes which will swallow up many of the anti-christ’s army who try to persecute the church.

Verse 17) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The devil possessed anti- Christ will persecute and try to kill the woman (the church) all the way to the end all over the world.

Say this prayer to be saved: Jesus, I want to know you, and to live forever in Heaven, I know I have made mistakes and done bad things- and I am sorry. Please forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it, but I accept your love and I accept you as my Saviour. I believe you died on the cross for my sins ,and rose from the dead. Please come into my heart and life and fill me with your Holy Spirit and give me peace. Amen.