Messiah's Birth And The Red Dragon

As we move deeper into the Revelation we encounter even more mysterious images. What do they mean? The entire scene now shifts from heaven to the earth as we consider the fifth of the seven scenes revealed to John.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third 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 bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days. - Rev 12:1-6 ESV

Unlike the writers of the three Gospels John uses symbolical language to describe the birth and life of the Christ. He uses the word "sign" or portent for the first time here to mark this as a new revelation, the revelation of the Messiah's birth described in symbolical language that reflects several near Eastern sources.

Consider, for example, the late fifth-century synagogue, Beth Alpha. It was uncovered in 1928 by members of the nearby Kibbutz Hefzibah, who stumbled upon the synagogue’s extensive mosaic floors during irrigation construction. Excavations began in 1929 under the auspices of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and were led by Israeli archaeologist, Eleazar Sukenik. . .

Floor Mosaic - Central Panel

The central panel features a Jewish adaptation of the Greco-Roman zodiac. The zodiac consists of two concentric circles, with the twelve zodiac signs appearing in the outer circle with the appropriate Greco-Roman sign, and Helios, the Greco-Roman sun god, appearing in the inner circle with a fiery crown of rays adorning his head as he rides a stylized four-horse-drawn chariot. Female busts symbolizing the four seasons appear in the four corners immediately outside the zodiac. The zodiac symbols and seasonal busts are labeled with their corresponding Hebrew names.

Many questions arise from the discovery of that synagogue. Was the zodiac included in the Jewish calendar at that time? Was Jewish worship influenced by Greco-Roman cosmology? And further, is John's Revelation in chapter 12 reflecting the zodiac as portrayed in this synagogue when he writes about the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head? In an earlier blog I shared the fact that some believe the zodiac could be interpreted from a Christian viewpoint.  E.W. Bollinger in Witness of the Stars, and Joseph Seiss in The Gospel in the Stars, provide detailed analyses of this understanding.

Following these hints, the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, etc. may well refer to Israel viewed as the priestly community envisioned by the LORD and revealed through Moses. 

Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel." - Exo 19:5-6 ESV

The Apostle Peter sees this heavenly vision being now fulfilled in the Christian community. 

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - 1Pe 2:9 ESV

In turn, the O.T. sees the twelve tribes of Israel represented by the stars, as in Joseph's dream:

Then he (Joseph) dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, "Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." - Gen 37:9 ESV 

In Joseph's dream the sun was Jacob/Israel, his father, and the moon his mother Rachel. The other eleven stars would represent his brothers. So with Joseph we have all 12 tribes represented by the 12 signs of the zodiac. 

Following this insight, the community of believers (the woman) is crying out in the agony of childbirth. From the Children of Israel (the woman) comes the "male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron," in other words, Jesus, the Israelite son of Mary, the direct descendant of King David of Judah. The birth of the Christ, the Anointed One, was difficult and painful. He was born in a stable and his parents had to flee to Egypt lest he be killed by King Herod. As soon as he was born the dragon sought to devour him.

Sirrush bas-relief in the Pergamon Museum

Who then is that "great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven diadems on his heads"? It is significant that the dragon is red like the Babylonian snake, The Mušḫuššu. The red snake was a creature depicted on the reconstructed Ishtar Gate of the city of Babylon, dating back to the 6th century B.C. The Mušḫuššu was the sacred animal of the god Marduk and his son Nabu during the time of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. As depicted, it was a mythological hybrid: a scaly dragon with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, feline forelegs, a long neck and tail, a horned head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest.

The Leviathan, the O.T. monster who comes out of the sea also had many heads and the LORD was said to smash them and pierce the "fleeing serpent."

You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. - Psa 74:13-14 ESV

You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. - Psa 89:9-10 ESV 

Rahab means restless storm, pride, blusterer. It was the poetical name for Egypt. The red dragon of the Revelation is also a king. He wears diadems on his seven heads. Like Mušḫuššu and Rahab he is the very symbol of chaos and pride. As the LORD Jesus foretold, he brings total chaos, confusion and death to the woman as he seeks to destroy her child.

For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. "But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. - Mar 13:8-9 ESV

So the red dragon seeks to destroy the woman (Christian community) and her wondrous child, but . . .

her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.- Rev. 12:6 ESV

In the earlier vision, Satan's power was limited. So here in this vision the woman-community will be protected and nourished for 3 1/2 years, the same period during which the two witnesses prophesied (Rev. 11:3). Her Son is protected by His ascension to heaven where He now rules with a rod of iron.

We Christians know that we have no abiding home here. We are on a journey. John reminds us that through the time of this journey we will be pursued, but also nourished. And ultimately, after a limited time, we will receive the victory from our risen and ascended LORD, ruler of heaven and earth.