A Neglected Christmas Story
Gathered around our Christmas trees, huddling in church pews at candlelight services, or holding hands around a dinner table, many of us today are turning to Luke 2 and spending time considering the plight of Mary and Joseph and the humble welcome they gave to the redeemer of humanity. Some of us will flip a few dozen pages over to John 1 and will contemplate the divine son of God becoming human and tenting among us in order to bring light to humanity. But how many of us will turn to the real banger of a Christmas narrative–the one told in Revelation 12? I would encourage it. Here is Revelation 12 in its entirety, followed by some reflections. For a fuller discussion of Revelation 12, see my paper attached here.1 Now, to the text.
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”2 And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.3
Revelation 12 occupies a unique and pivotal place within the book of Revelation. A good number of scholars regard it as the thematic and literary centerpiece of the entire book. Its narrative departs from John’s typical visionary format, instead unfolding a cosmic drama rich in mythological and apocalyptic symbolism. Instead of the seer introducing the scene with “I saw” or “I heard,” the John simply launches in with “a great sign appeared.”4 This makes sense since it appears the narrative is not so much a vision to John, but rather, a Messianic-Jewish version of a popular Greek Myth–that of Apollo, Leto, and Python.5 Basically, John does with Greek mythology what Paul does with Greek philosophy in Acts 17. He adopts it then adapts it toward his Christian apologetic purposes–toward the exultation of the Messiah, the sovereignty of God, and the defeat of the cosmic adversary. This chapter encapsulates the ongoing conflict between divine sovereignty and satanic rebellion, providing both theological depth and hope for the faithful people of God as they suffer in their present circumstances.
It is structured into three distinct sections or scenes:
The Woman and the Dragon (12:1-6): A woman, adorned with celestial imagery, gives birth to a male child while a dragon seeks to destroy them.
The War in Heaven (12:7-12): Archangel Michael and his forces defeat the dragon, casting it and its angels out of heaven. The victory of Micahel is connected to the faithful witness of Jesus’ followers, who “conquered him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of his testimony.”6
The Woman and the Dragon Continued (12:13-17): The dragon, now on earth, pursues the woman and her offspring who are protected by God.
This narrative shifts fluidly between earth and heaven, offering a symbolic retelling of God’s victory over evil. Notably, the central section describing the war in heaven does not appear to be part of the dragon narrative of scenes 1 and 3. It is a separate scene, and in fact, in verse 10 it returns to the typical “I heard” first-person language that we see in the rest of the visions in Revelation, but that is notably lacking in the woman/dragon narrative of scenes 1 and 3. It may have been a vision of the seer that he inserted into the woman/dragon narrative for thematic reasons, rather than for chronologically or sequential ones. It clearly separates scenes 1 and 3 which are part of that christianized Greek myth we already described.
The chapter’s vivid symbols and their meanings form the cornerstone of its interpretation. The Woman is traditionally seen as representing the faithful people of God. The woman may symbolize Israel, the Church, or perhaps even divine wisdom manifesting God’s redemptive messianic plan. She is clothed with the sun, stands on the moon, and wears a crown of twelve stars—imagery reminiscent of Israel’s tribes and cosmic significance. The Dragon, explicitly identified as Satan, evokes ancient depictions of chaos and rebellion against divine order. With its seven heads and ten horns, it symbolizes ultimate opposition to God, echoing motifs from Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern combat myths. Though here, note that the Dragon is not combated with normal tools of combat. It is simply defeated by the “blood of the lamb and the word of his testimony.” So, though cast as a combat myth, it is essentially a non-combat myth.7 The Male Child quite clearly represents Christ, whose birth and ascension signify divine victory over Satan. The narrative omits Christ’s crucifixion, focusing instead on his protection and exaltation, emphasizing the dragon’s inability to thwart God’s plan.
The chapter draws heavily from mythological and biblical sources. As I noted, it resonates with the Greek myth of Leto and Apollo, where a goddess flees a dragon (Python) to a wilderness retreat to deliver her child(ren). However, John reinterprets these mythological motifs within a Christian framework, transforming the narrative into a theological declaration of God’s victory over the Devil. It also incorporates Old Testament motifs, such as the Exodus and divine provision in the wilderness (Exodus 19:4), portraying God’s protection of His people. The dragon’s flood, swallowed by the earth, recalls chaotic waters subdued by divine intervention in passages like Psalm 74. Historically, this very possibly refers to the Christians who fled Jerusalem and Palestine in 66-70 CE instead of taking up arms against the Romans in a violent revolt that turned genocidal. In Matthew 24, Jesus warns his followers not to take up arms, but instead to flee when the Romans came to town and things came to a head. According to some historical sources, many of his followers took his advice, and Revelation 12 may well be referencing this here.8
Scholars propose various frameworks for interpreting Revelation 12. Historico-Mythological : This approach would emphasize the historical context in which this text was written, and it would see that historical setting as cast in mythological sort of language in order to make theological points, or to comfort the readers. This approach would see the woman as faithful Israel, the child as Christ, and the dragon’s pursuit as symbolic of Satan’s historical persecution of God’s people. The narrative encapsulates the Church’s struggle against evil, particularly in those early centuries under occasional Roman persecution. Thematic and Theological: This approach treats the narrative as a timeless depiction of cosmic conflict, illustrating God’s victory over Satan and offering encouragement to persecuted believers. There is certainly merit to this approach. Apocalyptic literature in general provides insight and comfort to the readers at that present time, but it can also speak universally about timeless truths at the same time. For example, one could use apocalyptic imagery to communicate that God will conquer the empires of the world (beasts) that are oppressing the people of God, whether Rome or some future empire. Spiritual and Devotional: Some interpreters have seen this narrative as a metaphor for individual believers striving for spiritual growth.9 There may be something to this. However, we do not want to risk over-individualizing the text for my context, without clear textual support, and we are loathed to detach the text from its probable late first-century context. Let’s not forget that the whole of Revelation is offering present insight to its readers into the present conditions they find themselves in. That is how apocalyptic literature works, and that is why the message was to provide those believers comfort in their present circumstances.
At its heart, Revelation 12 conveys the triumph of God over evil. The dragon, despite its menacing form, is ultimately powerless against the Lamb. The chapter’s core message, as summarized by G. K. Beale is the protection of God’s people through Christ’s decisive victory in his death and resurrection.10 It encourages believers to persevere, assuring them that even in suffering, they are part of a divine plan that will culminate in ultimate victory. The wilderness imagery, where the woman finds refuge, symbolizes God’s sustaining presence amid trials. The dragon’s flood, thwarted by the earth itself, portrays God’s sovereignty over creation, and perhaps even the reverse of the curse. The narrative invites readers to see their struggles within the context of a cosmic battle already won by Christ.
By reworking an ancient Greek myth into a Christian apocalyptic vision, it proclaims the invincibility of God’s redemptive plan against the chaos of evil. For the persecuted and the faithful, this chapter is a powerful reminder: the war with the devil is won–it was won when God became a human, and when Jesus conquered death. The battle continues to be won in the present as Jesus’ followers render the devil powerless, conquering “by the blood of the lamb and the word of his testimony,” when they “do not love their lives, even to the point of death.”11 The great dragon is anything but. It is a tiny lizard, defeated by mere Christian testimony–the testimony of the child-king who conquered the violent dragon through forgiveness and self-giving love.
Now that is a Christmas story worth reflecting on today and everyday.
NOTES:
1 This blog post is simply a distillation of that fuller treatment of Revelation 12. It can be copied and pasted into your browser at this link: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/65944eab947a657d8768553f/t/676c3d03932a740396efc957/1735146755595/Warfare+With+a+Tiny+Lizard+-+An+Exegetical+Paper+On+Revelation+12.docx+%281%29+%281%29.pdf
2 A quotation of Psalm 2:9
3 Revelation 12:1-17, New International Version. All texts, unless noted otherwise, are from the NIV.
4 Revelation 12:1
5 A full translation of the myth is provided by Rodney Merrill, and it can be found at the following link: https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/8-the-homeric-hymn-to-apollo-translated-by-rodney-merrill/
6 Revelation 12:11
7 András Dávid Pataki, “A Non-Combat Myth in Revelation 12,” New Testament Studies 57, no. 2 (April 2011): https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/new-testament-studies/article/abs/noncombat-myth-in-revelation-12/B03B854AA1D0DF52FCB7A39E893A0F5C
8 The 3rd-4th century church historian Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, Book 3, Chapter 5) comments on large groups of Christians following Jesus’ advice here and fleeing from Jerusalem to Pella across the Jordan River. Epiphanius of Salamis (4th century) reaffirms this in his account (Panarion, 7,8).
9 John Ben-Daniel, “Towards the Mystical Interpretation of Revelation 12,” Revue Biblique 114, no. 4 (October 2007), 602.
10 Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Edited by I. Howard Marshall and Donald A. Hagner. The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans ; Paternoster Press, 1999, 624.
11 Revelation 12:11 CSB
