Di Pikin and Di Dragon

One big sign for di sky. One woman wey dey shine like di sun. One pikin wey dey about to born. And one dragon, red and very big, wey bend down dey wait. Na so heaven take see Christmas.

John don old now, and e dey one rocky island wey dem call Patmos, for di Aegean Sea. E tell us say e dey there because of di word of God and di testimony of Jesus; most likely dem send am there as punishment because e dey preach. Christians for di mainland dey under pressure. Dem don laugh some of dem, put some for prison, and some don lose dem life. And one Lord's day, God give John plenty visions, full of strange and powerful pictures, to encourage God people make dem hold on. Revelation na dat kind book. Im pictures na signs, wey dey point to real things.

John write: one big sign appear for heaven. One woman wey wear di sun like cloth, with di moon under her leg, and for her head, one crown of twelve stars. She don reach time to born, and she dey cry because of di pain. Twelve stars, like di twelve tribes of Israel. Plenty readers see God people inside her, di faithful family of Israel wey di Messiah go come from; oda people also think of Mary, di mother wey really carry am. John picture fit carry di two.

Then another sign. One big red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns for im heads. Im tail sweep one third of di stars comot from di sky and throw dem for ground. And di dragon stand for front of di woman, dey wait. As soon as she born di pikin, e plan to swallow am. Small after, John tell us clear who di dragon be: dat old serpent wey dem call di Devil and Satan. Think of King Herod soldiers for di road to Bethlehem. Behind di wickedness of one king wey fear catch, John show us one enemy wey old pass am.

But di dragon no win. Di woman born one son, one male pikin, wey go rule all di nations with iron rod. And God carry her pikin go up to imself and to im throne. For one sentence, John jump from di birth of di pikin reach di time wey e rise go meet God. Di dragon mouth close on top nothing. And di woman run go di wilderness, to one place wey God don prepare for her, where dem go take care of her. Di enemy dey real and e strong, but di pikin dey safe, and God dey keep im people.

Di bishop Irenaeus, wey write around di year one hundred and eighty, talk say John see im revelation near di end of di time wey emperor Domitian rule, and Domitian rule end for AD ninety-six. And di line about to rule di nations with iron rod, na from Psalm two e come, one royal psalm about di king wey God anoint. John first readers go recognise am immediately: dis pikin na di Messiah wey God promise.

Di Pikin and Di Dragon. You go find am for Revelation chapter twelve, verse one to six. Christians dey read am for Christmas to remember say di birth for Bethlehem na part of one bigger battle, and say di pikin win. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When evil dey look big and e dey make you fear, wetin e mean for you say di pikin dey sit for di throne?