Revelation 12

Read Revelation 12 at Bible Gateway.

Rev 12:1-17 chiastic structure

1a.1) Rev 12:1-5, The woman gave birth to a male Child who was to rule the nations with a rod of iron;

1a) Rev 12:1-2, Sign in heaven: the woman with child, ready to give birth;
1b) Rev 12:3a, Another sign in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon;
1c) Rev 12:3b, Having seven heads;
central axis) Rev 12:3c, And ten horns;
2c) Rev 12:3d-4a, And seven diadems on his heads/ His tail threw 1/3 of the stars to the earth;
2b) Rev 12:4b, And the dragon;
2a) Rev 12:4c-5, Stood before the woman ready to give birth, to devour her Child/ her Child caught up to God;

1a) Rev 12:4c, Stood before the woman ready to give birth, to devour her Child;
central axis) Rev 12:5a, She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron;
2a) Rev 12:5b, Her Child was caught up to God and His throne;

1a.2) Rev 12:6, The woman fled into the wilderness/ to a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1260 days;

1b) Rev 12:7-9, War in heaven: Michael + his angels fought with the dragon + his angels/ the dragon (the devil, Satan) was cast to the earth with his angels;

1c) Rev 12:10, Voice in heaven: The accuser of our brethren has been cast down;

central axis) Rev 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death;

2c) Rev 12:12, Rejoice, O heavens! Woe, O earth! The devil has come down to you;

2b) Rev 12:13a, When the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth;

2a.1) Rev 12:13b, He persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child;

2a.2) Rev 12:13b-17, But she fled into the wilderness to her place, for a time, times, and half a time;

1a) Rev 12:13b-14, He persecuted her, but she fled into the wilderness, for a time, times, half a time;
1b) Rev 12:15a, So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman;
1c) Rev 12:15b, That he might cause her to be carried away by the flood;
central axis) Rev 12:16a, But the earth helped the woman;
2c) Rev 12:16b, And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood;
2b) Rev 12:16c, Which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth;
2a) Rev 12:17, The dragon was enraged with the woman/ he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God + have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

There is another possible overlapping structure in this chapter, for the appearance of the dragon who sweeps one third of the stars of heaven to earth with his tail (Rev 12:4), pairs with the war in heaven, where the devil and his angels are cast down to the earth (Rev 12:9).

Revelation 12, The identity of the woman and dragon
Revelation 12, Seven heads and ten horns
Revelation 12, The woman in the wilderness

Return to Revelation Index of Studies

Christine’s book The Revelation of Jesus Christ Revealed, based on these studies but greatly expanded, is now available from Nothing New Press. You may also be interested in reading the Book Extras and joining in on the Discussion.

As well, Revelation in Chiastic Structure is also available.