Revelation 12 is a symbolic vision of Jesus’ ascension, which we celebrate this Thursday, the fortieth day after Easter.

John sees a pregnant woman clothed with the sun and wearing a crown of twelve stars. She’s Israel, laboring to give birth to the Seed of the Woman who will rise to Zion’s throne.

A dragon waits beside the woman, ready to gobble up her child as soon as he’s born. But God snatches up the boy to heaven where He rules the nations with a rod of iron.

What a triumphant vision: Jesus is born to be a king, and by His ascension He assumes that position, defeating Satan.


“Whew,” we sigh. “That was a close call!” The dragon might have devoured the child, but didn’t. Now Jesus is safe in heaven, where the dragon can’t touch him.

As the vision goes on, our relief might well turn to dread. There’s war in heaven. The dragon falls from heaven, but he doesn’t stop fighting. He just fights in a different field – on earth.

Unsuccessful in his attempt to kill Jesus, he turns on the church. He couldn’t kill the king, so he tries to kill the king’s mother and brothers.

That’s the double-sided nature of the ascension. Jesus has gone victoriously into heaven to rule all things. At the same time, the dragon is cast to earth, where he makes war on us.

The ascension is a victorious conclusion; yet it begins a long war.

Christians often get this wrong. We either so emphasize Jesus’ victory that we ignore Satan’s continuing frenzied warfare, or we’re so frightened by the dragon we forget Jesus cast him from heaven.

We have to grasp both. We fight in hope, but we must fight with all the Spiritual weapons at our disposal. Ignoring either is disastrous for the church.

Jesus has won, yet the victory must still be won. Jesus reigns in heaven, where things happen first. But Jesus intends to reign on earth, and takes His realm through us.

This shouldn’t frighten us. It’s a privilege to fight the dragon. Jesus casts the dragon down so we can share His heavenly victory on earth, as we trample Satan under our feet (Rom 16:20).