Die frühe Kirche
The Woman, the Dragon and the War in Heaven
A dramatic heavenly scene where a woman clothed with the sun gives birth to a son who is caught up to God, while a great fiery red dragon tries to devour him. This triggers a war in heaven where Michael and his angels defeat the dragon, who is Satan. The dragon is cast down to earth and pursues the woman, but she is given eagle wings and flees to the wilderness. Finally, the dragon turns its rage against the rest of her offspring.
Offenbarung 12,1-17
1Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.
Καὶ σημεῖον μέγα ὤφθη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, γυνὴ περιβεβλημένη τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ ἡ σελήνη ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτῆς στέφανος ἀστέρων δώδεκα,
2She was pregnant, and she cried out in the anguish of labor, in torment to give birth.
καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα· ⸂καὶ κράζει⸃ ὠδίνουσα καὶ βασανιζομένη τεκεῖν.
3And another sign appeared in heaven: a great fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads.
καὶ ὤφθη ἄλλο σημεῖον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἰδοὺ δράκων ⸂μέγας πυρρός⸃, ἔχων κεφαλὰς ἑπτὰ καὶ κέρατα δέκα καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτοῦ ἑπτὰ διαδήματα,
4His tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and flung them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.
καὶ ἡ οὐρὰ αὐτοῦ σύρει τὸ τρίτον τῶν ἀστέρων τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν γῆν. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἕστηκεν ἐνώπιον τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς μελλούσης τεκεῖν, ἵνα ὅταν τέκῃ τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς καταφάγῃ.
5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to shepherd all the nations with a rod of iron. And her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
καὶ ἔτεκεν υἱόν, ⸀ἄρσεν, ὃς μέλλει ποιμαίνειν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ· καὶ ἡρπάσθη τὸ τέκνον αὐτῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ.
6Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she might be cared for twelve hundred and sixty days.
καὶ ἡ γυνὴ ἔφυγεν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον, ὅπου ἔχει ἐκεῖ τόπον ἡτοιμασμένον ⸀ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα ἐκεῖ ⸀τρέφωσιν αὐτὴν ἡμέρας χιλίας διακοσίας ἑξήκοντα.
7Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back,
Καὶ ἐγένετο πόλεμος ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ Μιχαὴλ καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ ⸀τοῦ πολεμῆσαι μετὰ τοῦ δράκοντος. καὶ ὁ δράκων ἐπολέμησεν καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ,
8but he was not strong enough, and no place was found for them in heaven any longer.
καὶ οὐκ ⸀ἴσχυσεν, οὐδὲ τόπος εὑρέθη ⸀αὐτῶν ἔτι ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ.
9So the great dragon was thrown down—that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
καὶ ἐβλήθη ὁ δράκων ὁ μέγας, ὁ ὄφις ὁ ἀρχαῖος, ὁ καλούμενος Διάβολος καὶ ⸀ὁ Σατανᾶς, ὁ πλανῶν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην— ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἐβλήθησαν.
10And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying: "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God have come, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down—the one who accuses them before our God day and night.
Καὶ ἤκουσα φωνὴν μεγάλην ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ λέγουσαν· Ἄρτι ἐγένετο ἡ σωτηρία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐβλήθη ὁ ⸀κατήγωρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, ὁ κατηγορῶν ⸀αὐτοὺς ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός.
11And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to their lives, even in the face of death.
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐνίκησαν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ διὰ τὸν λόγον τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠγάπησαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἄχρι θανάτου·
12So rejoice, you heavens, and all who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great fury, knowing that his time is short."
διὰ τοῦτο εὐφραίνεσθε, ⸀οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνοῦντες. οὐαὶ ⸂τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν⸃, ὅτι κατέβη ὁ διάβολος πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἔχων θυμὸν μέγαν, εἰδὼς ὅτι ὀλίγον καιρὸν ἔχει.
13When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.
Καὶ ὅτε εἶδεν ὁ δράκων ὅτι ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἐδίωξεν τὴν γυναῖκα ἥτις ἔτεκεν τὸν ἄρσενα.
14But the woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she could fly into the wilderness, to her place, where she is cared for a time, and times, and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.
καὶ ἐδόθησαν τῇ γυναικὶ ⸀αἱ δύο πτέρυγες τοῦ ἀετοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, ἵνα πέτηται εἰς τὴν ἔρημον εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς, ⸂ὅπου τρέφεται⸃ ἐκεῖ καιρὸν καὶ καιροὺς καὶ ἥμισυ καιροῦ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ὄφεως.
15Then from his mouth the serpent poured water like a river after the woman, to sweep her away in the flood.
καὶ ἔβαλεν ὁ ὄφις ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ὀπίσω τῆς γυναικὸς ὕδωρ ὡς ποταμόν, ἵνα αὐτὴν ποταμοφόρητον ποιήσῃ.
16But the earth came to the woman's help: it opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
καὶ ἐβοήθησεν ἡ γῆ τῇ γυναικί, καὶ ἤνοιξεν ἡ γῆ τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς καὶ κατέπιεν τὸν ποταμὸν ὃν ἔβαλεν ὁ δράκων ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ·
17Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
καὶ ὠργίσθη ὁ δράκων ἐπὶ τῇ γυναικί, καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ποιῆσαι πόλεμον μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς, τῶν τηρούντων τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐχόντων τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ·