Rev 12:1-6 shows what took place in heaven that would be of enormous consequence for the whole earth. The woman symbolizes the Old Covenant Church in the wilderness (world). The great red dragon, having seven crowned heads, with ten horns, and a tail that drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth tried to devour the Christ child as soon as He was born.
All of this is highly symbolic language that shows Satan, and his minions could not prevent the birth of Christ and will not be able to destroy the Church as the message (Gospel) about Christ is proclaimed in all the earth. Christ says, "I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mt 16:18) From the very beginning of the Church, the representation of the Kingdom of God in heaven that came with Christ to the earth, Satan tried to prevent Christ from building His Kingdom. Knowing that when the Kingdom of God in heaven is complete, he will be forever destroyed.
The woman in John's vision represents the Old Covenant Church in the wilderness. John defines who the woman is, depicting her as fulfillment of Joseph's dream. In the dream, Joseph, as a foreshadow of Christ, would be ruler over his people Israel in Egypt. Joseph's dream foreshadowed the coming of Christ. Joseph as a depiction of Christ would rule over his father, the sun, mother, the moon and the eleven stars as his brothers. Joseph's dream, foreshadowing the birth of Christ came true, and Joseph did rule over his own family from whom the nation came, and from whom Christ was born.
Genesis 37:9-10 (KJV) And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
But in fulfillment of the dream, John's vision depicts the birth of Christ from the nation, who would be ruler over all the nations of the earth. Israel of Old is the woman from whom the Christ child was born, a depiction of the Church in the wilderness. (Acts 7:38)
The great red dragon we are told is that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan (vs. 9). This dragon, unlike the serpent in the garden, now has seven heads with seven crowns, and ten horns. If this was depicting the fall in the garden through the serpent he would not be shown with this power. In the beginning deception was the only tool in Satan's arsenal over a pristine, and sinless creation. By the first century AD when Christ was born, Satan has amassed power over seven kings/kingdoms, which is what crowns symbolize, as well at ten horns, that according to Rev 17:12 are ten kings who had yet received no kingdom. Through Satan and his minions, the whole world is deceived (vs. 9).
This is a depiction of the world that was when the Christ child was born through the Old Covenant Church in the wilderness when Christ was born a Jew, from the tribe of Judah and the nation of Israel. If we look back to Joseph's dream, and John's description of the woman, we're reminded that twelve stars symbolize the twelve sons of Jacob that complete Israel. John describes the great dragon as casting down from heaven the third part of the stars from heaven to the earth. The third part of the twelve sons of the tribes of Israel were swept away, caught up in evil. This casting down stars to the ground is fulfillment of Dan 8:10. This is why Paul writes that only "the remnant of them shall be saved." (Ro 9:27) This surely explains why the majority of the Jews rejected Christ and crucified their Messiah/Savior.
The Old Covenant nation of Israel, as the Church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), as the representation of the Kingdom of God on earth was chosen to be a light or light bearers as are the stars of heaven unto the world. Ellicott's Bible Commentary : And his tail . . .—Translate," And his tail drags (or, sweeps) away the third part of the stars of the heaven, and casts them to the earth. The stars are the light- bearers, the illustrious of earth, who were given by God high place that they might be burning and shining lights for Him. A large proportion of these are drawn away in the train of evil; they are cast down from their high position of noble opportunities of good work and great work; they are dragged down from the height of the grandest possibilities of good to the low level of a life enslaved to evil."
After the child was born the Church (woman) in the wilderness is protected for a thousand two hundred and threescore days. This is the same time given the two witnesses (Rev 11) to proclaim the Gospel under the inspiration and power of the Spirit. When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, they are killed by the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit. After being dead for three- and one-half days, they are resurrected to life again and through a voice heard from heaven they ascend up to heaven. Understanding a thousand two hundred and threescore days is the time given for bringing the testimony of Christ unto all the earth during this Church/Gospel age, we cannot limit this time to three and a half years. This time covers the whole Gospel/Church age.
This time a thousand two hundred threescore days given for building the Kingdom of God in heaven as the Church on earth goes out with the Gospel of Christ and whosoever hears and believes spiritually enters the Kingdom of God and has eternal life. Within this same time Satan also has time likened to forty-two months when using every earthly power at his disposal he comes against Christ and His Church on earth attempting to prevent the Kingdom of God in heaven from being built. (Rev 11:2; 13:5)
These times that go concurrently throughout the whole Gospel/Church age according to both Daniel and John are defined and divided as time and times and the dividing/half of time. Dan 7:23-24 "The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings."
Daniel 7:25 (KJV) And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
Daniel desires to know how long it will be from the time that Michael stands up (Rev 12:7-9) for the children of his people (faithful saints) until the time of the end. John shows Michael defeating Satan after the birth of Christ, the man clothed in linen tells Daniel this shall be a time, times and an half when all these things shall be finished. John also says the Church (woman) in the wilderness is nourished for a time, and times and half a time. During the same time, times, and half/dividing of time the Church on earth is being both attacked and nourished while in this world.
Daniel 12:7 (KJV) And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Revelation 12:14 (KJV) 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.
In Rev 12 after Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven to the earth the consequences are seen not only through his great wrath as his evil effects the whole earth. But also, a great voice from heaven is heard saying, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." The Christ child had to be born a human to assure this Child would grow up to be a man who would give His life as a propitiation for sin. His birth assures His cross and resurrection that defeated sin and death.