Devotional 20 March 2025

March 20, 2025 • Steve Torres

Revelation 12:5.jpg

“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.” (Revelation 12:1-6, ESV)

John’s vision in Revelation 12 offers a broader view of the spiritual conflict behind Jesus’ birth and ministry. The woman, adorned with heavenly imagery, represents Israel — God’s covenant people through whom the Messiah was born. The male child is clearly Jesus, described with the same authority mentioned in Psalm 2:9, where the promised king is said to rule the nations with a “rod of iron.”

The dragon’s attempt to devour the child reflects Satan’s constant efforts to stop God’s redemptive plan. From Herod’s massacre of infants (Matthew 2) to the temptations in the wilderness, and the incitement to ultimately crucify him, the enemy sought to destroy Christ before he could set up his kingdom. Yet John reveals that the child is “caught up to God and to his throne,” pointing to Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. Satan’s schemes could not prevent Christ from establishing His reign.

This vision reminds us that no opposition can thwart God’s purposes. Jesus’ victory is secure, and His kingdom is unshakable. In times of uncertainty, we can rest in the confidence that the same God who protected His Son is sovereign over our lives as well. The dragon’s rage continues, but Christ’s triumph ensures that his threats will ultimately fail.