Revelation 12 Bible study: The woman and the dragon

The chapter opens: "A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." (12:1) (tap sign and crown). "She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth." (12:2) (tap laboring and birth). Then: "Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns." (12:3) (tap dragon and crowns). "His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child." (12:4). "She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne." (12:5). "The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days." (12:6) (tap wilderness and prepared). These notes give 12:5 as the WEB has it, explain it no further than its own words, and set no other verse beside it. They quote the one thousand two hundred sixty days as the WEB has them, and count or date nothing by them. They say no more of who the woman, her child and the dragon are than the chapter's own words, identify no one and nothing in it with any person, people, power, nation, church or event, and apply none of it to anyone, then or now.

σημεῖονsemeionsay say-MEE-on

Strong's: "an indication, especially ceremonially or supernaturally". "A great sign was seen in heaven" (12:1), and "Another sign was seen in heaven" (12:3): behind sign both times is this noun. Revelation has it seven times, and these two are its first (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares).