The Revelation of St. John the Divine

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.(a)

And being with child, she cried out while giving birth, and she was suffering in order to give birth.(b)

And another sign was seen in heaven. And behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

And his tail drew down a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that, when she had brought forth, he might devour her son.

And she brought forth a male child, who was soon to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his throne.

And the woman fled into solitude, where a place was being held ready by God, so that they might pasture her in that place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

The War in Heaven

And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels were battling with the dragon, and the dragon was fighting, and so were his angels.

But they did not prevail, and a place for them was no longer found in heaven.

And he was thrown out, that great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world. And he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: “Now have arrived salvation and virtue and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, he who accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony. And they loved not their own lives, even unto death.

Because of this, rejoice, O heavens, and all who dwell within it. Woe to the earth and to the sea! For the devil has descended to you, holding great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

The Woman Persecuted

And after the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who brought forth the male child.

And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly away, into the desert, to her place, where she is being nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

And the serpent sent out from his mouth, after the woman, water like a river, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.

But the earth assisted the woman. And the earth opened her mouth and absorbed the river, which the dragon sent out from his mouth.

And the dragon was angry at the woman. And so he went away to do battle with the remainder of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And he stood upon the sand of the sea.

Footnotes

(a)12:1 A woman:The church of God. It may also, by allusion, be applied to our blessed Lady. The church is clothed with the sun, that is, with Christ: she has the moon, that is, the changeable things of the world, under her feet: and the twelve stars with which she is crowned, are the twelve apostles: she is in labour and pain, whilst she brings forth her children, and Christ in them, in the midst of afflictions and persecutions.(Challoner)

(b)12:2 The woman in the sky is, in one sense, the Virgin Mary, who was in great pain at the birth of the Church during the Crucifixion of Christ. It is also the Church giving birth to the kingdom of God through the tribulation.(Conte)

A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns.

His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne.

The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

The War in Heaven

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.

They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven.

The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.

Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

The Woman Persecuted

When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.

Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.

The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth.

The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring,(a) who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

Footnotes

(a)12:17 or, seed