The man child is Jesus Christ, who was born of the seed of David, was born under the law in the fullness of time (Romans 1:3; Gal. 4:4) to redeem those under the law. He would rule the nations with a rod of iron (Ps. 19:15), subduing them (cf. Dan. 2:40). His kingdom would have no end. The Father has put all things in subjection under His feet (Heb. 2:8-15, Eph. 1:22-23), given Him all authority (Matthew 18:18), even the power of judgment (John 5:22, 27; Acts 10:42, 17:31). After the resurrection and ascension to the Father, He is enthroned at the Father’s right hand (Acts 1:9-11; 2:33-36).
The woman, in the vision, fled into the wilderness. The wilderness in the Jewish mind was the place for the unclean, while the city was regarded as holy unto the Lord. Yet, it was God’s purpose that the gospel is spread to the world (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). Here, in the wilderness, God prepared a place for her to be nourished for 1,260 days (equivalent to “3 1/2 yrs,” time, times, and a half a time”). The Israelites were nourished from the Manna from heaven when they fled Egypt but this nourishment is to be applied spiritually (John 6:31-35, 1 Cor. 10:1-4).
War in Heaven
The war between Michael and the “Old Serpent,” “Deceiver of the whole world” (Rev. 12:9, cf. John 8:44), Satan, happened prior to the great tribulation (v. 12; Dan. 12:1; Matt. 24:15, 21) in which Satan is thrown down to earth, where he no longer has access to the throne. Perhaps this should be viewed as occurring shortly before His incarnation or during His earth stay before his ministry. Once he is thrown down to earth, the field of war changes to the earth. According to Hebrews 2:14, Jesus wins this battle that is begun before His millennial reign with His saints. This battle was won by His death and resurrection. In this fight, he took from Satan the keys of death and hades and cast him down into the abyss, or Tartarus (lake of fire and brimstone, Rev. 20:1-3). After the millennial reign, Satan will be loosed for a season and Jesus Christ will fight, again, and win the final victory (Rev. 20:10).
Satan is the accuser (12:10; cf. Job 1-3) as though he were the prosecutor seeking the death penalty (cf. Matt. 4:1-11; Jude 9, Job 1:6-ff; Matt. 16:21-23; Luk. 22:31-34). He appears to have been successful with Judas (Luke 22:3; John 17:12) and the man of sin (the beast of Revelation 17:11; 19:20, cf. 2 Thess. 2:3). Now that Christ has accomplished his task, the only hope and solution for the human race is to resist Satan and submit to God (James 4:7-10; cf. 2 Thess. 2:9-12).
The great voice in heaven announces (1) the salvation of man, (2) and power and kingdom of our God, and (3) the authority of His Christ because the accuser has been cast down. Judgment without mercy (cf. James 2:13) is the verdict of all who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (cf. Romans 3:23). The soul that sins must die (Ezek. 18:4). The Lamb’s victory was the result of the gospel plan that revealed the righteousness of God apart from the law (Romans 1:16-17) and eliminating the power of sin and death (cf. 1 Cor. 15:56). Christ has done His part in being the propitiation for the sins of the world. (“blood of the Lamb,” 12:11; 1 Jn. 2:2; Heb. 10:10-18) and arising from the grave. However, verse 11 adds a second condition attached to the cause of their victory — “because of the word of their testimony.” John commends the young men for their strength in having the Word of God remain in them and overcoming the evil one (1 John 2:14).
Satan no longer has access to the throne room to accuse Saints before their Father, nor the power to keep the dead in prison. Heaven is through with him and because of this permanent exile from heaven, its inhabitants were told to rejoice (12:12). While rejoicing is going on in heaven, the earth and sea can expect to see his efforts increased in the time of fulfillment of God’s eternal purposes. Satan knows that he must take the battle to those on the earth and sea because he has a short time and has been given limited resources. This was the first “short time” given to him. The second is at the end of the millennium (cf. 20:3,8). The short time likely refers to a period within a generation equivalent to a human being’s life expectancy (cf. Psalm 90:10). Being highly motivated by this anger for having been cast down from heaven, he is like a roaring lion looking to devour his prey (cf. 1 Peter 5:8).
Persecution of the Woman
Recognizing his defeat and being “cast down to the earth,” he is seen persecuting the woman (v. 13). She was his special focus. No doubt, much encouragement is given in the New Testament to be strong and faithful in the midst of persecution (cf. Matt. 5:10-12; Rom. 8:17-25; 2 Thess. 1:4; 2 Tim. 3:12). Because God has promised not to place upon us any burden impossible to bear, Jesus notes that if the persecution in the days of the great tribulation were not shortened, “no flesh would have been saved” (Matt. 24:21-22).
The woman flees with two wings of the great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness unto her “place where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time from the face of the Serpent.” He pursued her even further into the wilderness and it caused not just sorrow and pain for her but the spread of the gospel. Hoping to destroy her, his pursuit strengthened her and accomplished another task of God’s eternal purpose ( Acts 4:25-31).
The Earth Helps the Woman
The Earth swallowed up the River of persecution that came out of the Dragon’s mouth. Greek mythology has stories of battles between gods and Dragons and a mountain with a lake of fire.  In Hesiod’s Theogony, Earth (Gaea) helped the Dragon in his war against Zeus. These popular myths were chosen adaptations for the victory ode of the Lamb who has both heaven and earth helping the woman.
War with the Rest of her Seed
Angry and frustrated that his efforts were ineffectual, the Dragon returns to war with the rest of her seed. These are they who did not flee into the wilderness but stayed in the city of Jerusalem.