Catholic Commentary on Revelation 12

"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." (Revelation 12:11)

The Woman and the Dragon

A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She is pregnant and cries out in the pain of childbirth. Then another sign: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns who stands before the woman to devour her child the moment it is born. She gives birth to a son who is to rule all nations with an iron sceptre, who is snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman flees into the wilderness, where she is taken care of for 1,260 days.

The woman represents both Mary, who gave birth to the Messiah, and the Church, which continues to bring Christ to birth in every generation. The Catechism draws on this passage in its Marian theology: Mary, as the mother of the Messiah, is also the type and mother of the Church, the woman whose spiritual maternity extends to all who follow her Son (CCC 501). The dragon is identified as the ancient serpent, the devil, thrown down to earth with his angels after a war in heaven. The announcement follows: the accuser of the brothers and sisters has been hurled down. 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.

Living the Word

Brothers and sisters, the three weapons of victory against the ancient enemy are the blood of the Lamb, the word of testimony, and the willingness to die rather than deny. The first is applied in Baptism and renewed in every Confession and Communion. The second is exercised whenever you speak of what Christ has done for you. The third is the disposition of the martyr that every Christian must carry in principle, even if never required in practice. Arm yourself with all three.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, by your blood the accuser has been defeated. Let us triumph over him by your blood, by the word of our testimony, and by holding our lives loosely before you. Give us the courage of those who did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

12
The Woman and the Dragon
1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and crying out in the pain and agony of giving birth.
 
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads, ten horns, and seven royal crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept a third of the stars from the sky, tossing them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, ready to devour her child as soon as she gave birth.
 
5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.* 12:5 See Psalms 2:9 (see also LXX). And her child was caught up to God and to His throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days.
The War in Heaven
 
7 Then a war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. 9 And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
 
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying:
 
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of His Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—
he who accuses them day and night before our God.
11 They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony.
And they did not love their lives
so as to shy away from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea;
with great fury the devil has come down to you,
knowing he has only a short time.”
The Woman Persecuted
 
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle to fly from the presence of the serpent to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
 
15 Then from the mouth of the serpent spewed water like a river to overtake the woman and sweep her away in the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth to swallow up the river that had poured from the dragon’s mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
 
And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.† 12:17 Literally And he stood on the sand of the sea. BYZ and TR And I stood on the sand of the sea. Some texts number this sentence as verse 18; others include it with Revelation 13:1.

*12:5 12:5 See Psalms 2:9 (see also LXX).

†12:17 12:17 Literally And he stood on the sand of the sea. BYZ and TR And I stood on the sand of the sea. Some texts number this sentence as verse 18; others include it with Revelation 13:1.

Public Domain