Not your usual Christmas card verse, yet John’s revelation pulled back the curtain to show Christ’s coming from a heavenly perspective. The “dragon” represents Satan. The “woman” is Israel. And the “male child” is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. Israel has been under almost continuous persecution since Christ’s birth. Yet, in the last days there will be a season of relief (see v. 14 “she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent”). After this the persecution will worsen towards Israel and those who have come to faith in Jesus (v. 17 “her offspring”) because Satan will know his days are numbered.
There may be both good days and hard days ahead, but we can be confident that the Lord is with us and has a plan for us. At Christmas we celebrate Christ’s coming and the confidence we have that He is coming again to end Satan’s worldly reign.