In this chapter John sees a vision of a woman “clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet” in labor and ready to give birth. She represents the purified people of God and is a counterpoint to the prostitute on the beast in chapters 17 & 18. She gives birth to a male child who is Christ. A dragon prowls before her anxious to devour her child. Before that can happen the child is snatched up to heaven. The woman is then hidden in the wilderness. This does not stop the dragon from pursuing her. He is cast down to earth, or restricted, and is even more murderous than usual because of it. In this chapter, as well as the next several, the same scene is portrayed from different angles. The basics are the same: an indeterminate time of trouble and testing is to ensue, the church will be persecuted during this time, Satan will seem to gain the upper hand, but Jesus will return and God will vindicate His people. Over the next eight chapters that set of events will be given to us from God’s point of view, the church’s point of view, etc. The main point of John’s prophecy is the end is coming. As verse 10 says, “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.”
