The vision of the woman clothed with the sun and of the great dragon her persecutor.

¹ And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars.¹

1. 12:1A woman: The church of God. It may also, by allusion, be applied to our blessed Lady. The church is clothed with the sun, that is, with Christ: she has the moon, that is, the changeable things of the world, under her feet: and the twelve stars with which she is crowned, are the twelve apostles: she is in labour and pain, whilst she brings forth her children, and Christ in them, in the midst of afflictions and persecutions.(Challoner)

² And being with child, she cried out while giving birth, and she was suffering in order to give birth.¹

1. 12:2The woman in the sky is, in one sense, the Virgin Mary, who was in great pain at the birth of the Church during the Crucifixion of Christ. It is also the Church giving birth to the kingdom of God through the tribulation.(Conte)

³ And another sign was seen in heaven. And behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems.

⁴ And his tail drew down a third part 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 had brought forth, he might devour her son.

⁵ And she brought forth a male child, who was soon to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his throne.

⁶ And the woman fled into solitude, where a place was being held ready by God, so that they might pasture her in that place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

⁷ And there was a great battle in heaven. Michael and his Angels were battling with the dragon, and the dragon was fighting, and so were his angels.

⁸ But they did not prevail, and a place for them was no longer found in heaven.

⁹ And he was thrown out, that great dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world. And he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

¹⁰ And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: “Now have arrived salvation and virtue and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, he who accused them before our God day and night.

¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of his testimony. And they loved not their own lives, even unto death.

¹² Because of this, rejoice, O heavens, and all who dwell within it. Woe to the earth and to the sea! For the devil has descended to you, holding great anger, knowing that he has little time.”

¹³ And after the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who brought forth the male child.

¹⁴ And the two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly away, into the desert, to her place, where she is being nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

¹⁵ And the serpent sent out from his mouth, after the woman, water like a river, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river.

¹⁶ But the earth assisted the woman. And the earth opened her mouth and absorbed the river, which the dragon sent out from his mouth.

¹⁷ And the dragon was angry at the woman. And so he went away to do battle with the remainder of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ And he stood upon the sand of the sea.