Chapter twelve begins the fourth major division of Revelation. It is also the central division in a chiastic structure, so it plays a central role in the unfolding plot. In previous chapters, the saints have faced opposition and God has fought on their behalf, but the enemies remain shadowy figures. In this fourth division of John's book, the enemies are fully exposed. Once identified in this section, they will quickly be judged and sentenced to eternal punish in following sections.
The first enemy is a great red dragon. In verse nine, he is called the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan. God's archenemy is determined to destroy the woman's promised son who is to crush his head and rule the nations (Genesis 3:15). The woman wearing a crown of twelve stars, the twelve sons of Jacob (cf. Genesis 37:9), represents God's faithful Israelite community through whom the Son came. She includes Eve, Sarah, and Mary. She is the antithesis of the Great Prostitute about whom we will read later (Revelation 17:1).
The great red dragon fails to devour Jesus, the male child, at his birth, and Jesus ultimately triumphs over him at his resurrection and is caught up into heaven to the throne from which he rules all the nations with a rod of iron. The radiant woman then flees into the wilderness to be nourished just as Israel had been nourished on its journey to the Promised Land. The 1,260 days of her sojourn begins at Christ's ascension into heaven and ends with Christ's return to judge the world. The 1,260 days represent the whole period between Christ's first and second comings.
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