Revelation 12:14
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse highlights that the "wings of the great eagle" aren't just divine help but are specifically tied to the two divisions of the Roman Empire, which offered Christianity refuge, showing how God can use even political structures for His purposes. This provision enables the woman (the Church) to escape, not just flee, but to reach a divinely prepared "place" for sustenance during a specific, symbolically represented period of trial.
But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Satan is cast down from heaven and pursuing the woman representing God's people, God provides her with "wings of a great eagle" for swift escape. This imagery, reminiscent of Israel's exodus from Egypt, signifies divine protection and a rapid departure into a place of refuge. This wilderness refuge is a specific location prepared by God, where the woman will be sustained for a prophetic period of "a time, and times, and half a time," keeping her hidden from the serpent's wrath.
When danger looms and escape is needed, where do you find the strength to move? This verse reveals God's provision for His people in their most perilous moments.
The image of the 'two wings of the great eagle' is a powerful symbol of divine intervention. Unlike the Israelites being carried by God on eagles' wings (Exodus 19:4), here the wings are given to the woman. This signifies God empowering His church with His own strength to flee from the serpent's grasp.
A Symbol of Empire and Protection
The eagle was a prominent symbol of the Roman Empire, often seen on military standards. Here, the 'great eagle' likely represents the Roman Empire in its later, Christianized form. The 'two wings' have been interpreted as the Eastern and Western divisions of the empire, which, after embracing Christianity, provided a means of escape and refuge for the persecuted church.
Empowerment for Escape
These wings aren't for fighting, but for flight. They represent a swift and divinely orchestrated deliverance, enabling the woman (the church) to escape the direct wrath of the serpent (Satan) and reach a place of safety.
When you're fleeing from danger, you seek refuge. But what if that refuge is also a place where you are provided for and protected?
The 'wilderness' is not merely a place of hiding, but a divinely appointed sanctuary. It's a place set apart, away from the immediate destructive power of the serpent, where God Himself ensures the church is nourished.
Ask a follow-up
More Than Just an Escape
While the wilderness is desolate and often dangerous (filled with 'serpents and scorpions' as in Deuteronomy 8:15), in this context, it's a 'place' specifically prepared by God. It signifies a period where the church, though hidden and perhaps outwardly diminished, is sustained by divine provision.
Nourishment in Obscurity
The phrase 'nourished for a time, and times, and half a time' points to a specific, though symbolically defined, period of sustenance. This nourishment comes from God directly ('by God rather than man,' as Wesley notes), ensuring the church's survival and continuation through trials. This period is directly linked to the 1260 days mentioned earlier, a symbol of a complete, yet limited, duration of persecution and divine protection.
Does God's plan involve specific timelines for our struggles and His help? This verse offers a glimpse into the structured nature of divine intervention.
The phrase 'a time, and times, and half a time' is a symbolic representation of a specific duration. This period is identical to the '1260 days' mentioned in Revelation 12:6, signifying a finite, yet significant, span of trial and God's preserving grace.
Symbolic Timekeeping
Interpreters generally understand this phrase to represent three and a half prophetic years (a year, two years, and half a year). If a prophetic year is considered 360 days, this totals 1260 days. In a symbolic prophetic sense, these 'days' often represent years, pointing to a period of 1260 literal years. This signifies that the church's time in the wilderness, under divine nourishment and protection, is not indefinite but has a divinely set end.
God's Sovereign Control
This defined period underscores God's sovereignty over history and His church's journey. Even amidst intense persecution and the 'face of the serpent,' the church is not left to chance. She is 'nourished' and protected for a divinely appointed duration until God's purposes are fulfilled. This gives assurance that the current struggles, however severe, are temporary within God's grander plan.
Understand the original words
erēmos · Greek Noun
A place of desolation, testing, or isolation, often used by God as a refuge for His people where He provides for their needs during times of trial.
kairos... chronos... kairos · Greek Noun
A symbolic period of three and a half years, representing a limited, predetermined time of intense tribulation or trial for the people of God.
ophis · Greek Noun
A crafty, deceitful, and malevolent creature associated with the tempter in Eden. It signifies the primary enemy who seeks to deceive and destroy the people of God.
The 'two wings of a great eagle' likely symbolize the Eastern and Western Roman Empires, which provided a form of refuge for Christians, albeit a declining one in the West, during a period of immense upheaval and barbarian invasions.
c. 313 AD
Edict of Milan Issued
Emperor Constantine and Licinius issue the Edict of Milan, granting religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. This marks a significant shift from previous pagan persecution of Christians.
324 AD
Constantine Becomes Sole Emperor
Constantine the Great defeats Licinius and becomes the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, consolidating Christian influence within the empire.
375 AD
Gothic Wars and Invasions
The Visigoths, fleeing from the Huns, cross the Danube into Roman territory. This marks the beginning of major Gothic incursions into the empire, contributing to instability.
c. 395 AD— this verse
Division of the Roman Empire
Following the death of Emperor Theodosius I, the Roman Empire is permanently divided into the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) and the Western Roman Empire.
410 AD
Sack of Rome by Visigoths
The Visigoths, led by Alaric, sack the city of Rome. This event is a major shock to the Western Roman Empire and signals its decline.
476 AD
Fall of the Western Roman Empire
The last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, is deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. This event is traditionally seen as the end of the Western Roman Empire.
This passage uses the powerful imagery of God bearing Israel 'on eagles' wings' to bring them out of Egypt, mirroring how the woman in Revelation is given eagle's wings for her escape.
Deuteronomy 32:11Similar to Revelation 12:14, this verse describes God's protective care over Israel in the wilderness using the eagle metaphor, highlighting divine provision during perilous times.
Isaiah 40:31This verse speaks of those who wait on the Lord renewing their strength and mounting up with wings like eagles, echoing the theme of divine empowerment for those in difficult circumstances.
Daniel 7:25This verse, referenced by the commentators, also speaks of a period of persecution ('a time, times, and half a time') that the saints will endure, aligning with the prophecy in Revelation.
Matthew 24:28The eagle is a symbol of power and empires in Scripture, and this passage's reference to eagles gathering where the dead body is can be seen as alluding to the rise and fall of earthly powers, including those that might aid or oppose God's people as suggested by the 'great eagle' in Revelation.
clarkeRevelation 12:14: "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle - Του αετου του μεγαλου· Of The great eagle. The great eagle here mentioned is an emblem of the Roman empire in general, and therefore differs from the dragon, which is a symbol of the Heathen Roman empire in particular…
gillRevelation 12:14: "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle,.... By which are meant, not the two testaments, by which she was supported under afflictions, trials, and persecutions, and against Satan and all his efforts; nor the two graces of faith and hope, by which she rose, an…
This verse highlights that the "wings of the great eagle" aren't just divine help but are specifically tied to the two divisions of the Roman Empire, which offered Christianity refuge, showing how God can use even political structures for His purposes. This provision enables the woman (the Church) to escape, not just flee, but to reach a divinely prepared "place" for sustenance during a specific, symbolically represented period of trial.
After Satan is cast down from heaven and pursuing the woman representing God's people, God provides her with "wings of a great eagle" for swift escape. This imagery, reminiscent of Israel's exodus from Egypt, signifies divine protection and a rapid departure into a place of refuge. This wilderness refuge is a specific location prepared by God, where the woman will be sustained for a prophetic period of "a time, and times, and half a time," keeping her hidden from the serpent's wrath.
After Satan is cast down from heaven and pursuing the woman representing God's people, God provides her with "wings of a great eagle" for swift escape. This imagery, reminiscent of Israel's exodus from Egypt, signifies divine protection and a rapid departure into a place of refuge. This wilderness refuge is a specific location prepared by God, where the woman will be sustained for a prophetic period of "a time, and times, and half a time," keeping her hidden from the serpent's wrath.
"But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time." — This verse highlights that the "wings of the great eagle" aren't just divine help but are specifically tied to the two divisions of the Roman Empire, which offered Christianity refuge, showing how Go…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
