The woman was with a child which is a familiar imagery describing Israel (Isa.26:17-18; Jer. 4:31). Being pregnant, she cried out in labour pains to give birth just like any other woman in her labour pains. The cause of the pain is also due to the persecution by Satan.
The dragon (Satan): (12:3-4): The 2nd sign is the great red dragon who is none other than Satan. He is not a dragon but a fallen angel. Only in Revelation we see that Satan is portrayed as dragon. Red indicates blood as he is always baying for the blood. He is described as having 7-heads and 10-horns and on his heads were 7-diadems. He is a 7-headed monster that rules the world. The 7-heads represent 7-consecutive world empires running their course under Satan’s dominion. They are: i) Egypt; ii) Assyria; iii) Babylon; iv) Medo-Persia; v) Greece; vi) Rome; vii) Antichrist’s future empire. The final kingdom will ruled by Antichrist and He will have 10-nation confederacy just as depicted with 10-horns. They probably are: (my own speculation)
- American countries:
- European union.
- Arabian countries.
- Indian sub-continent.
- China.
- Russia.
- Old USSR countries.
- African countries.
- Australasia.
- Rome.
This is a shift from 7-old empires to 10-nation confederacy.
Apostle John’s vision of the dragon’s tail which swept away a 3rd of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth refers “Satan’s angels.” This is also given in (Isa. 14:12-15; Eze. 28:12-17).
The next event of the vision was “the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child.” Throughout the history Satan was trying to stop the coming of Messiah. Yet Satan was defeated every time.