The Book of Revelation | Safe Places

6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days...

14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

Revelation 12:6, 14 (NIV)

Twice in this chapter, John mentions that the woman is given a place of safety in the wilderness. In verse 6, she flees to "a place prepared for her by God" where she will be "taken care of for 1,260 days." In verse 14, she is "given the two wings of the great eagle" so she can fly to her place in the desert.

The imagery of eagle's wings would have resonated deeply with John's first readers. In Exodus 19:4, God reminds the Israelites: "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." The same God who delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage is still in the business of delivering and providing protection for his people.

But notice that God's protection doesn't mean the removal of all difficulty. The woman's safe place is in the wilderness—not exactly a luxury resort. Protection doesn't always look like what we expect or prefer. Sometimes God's provision means surviving in the desert rather than living in the palace.

The specific time periods mentioned (1,260 days, "a time, times and half a time") represent a limited duration. The woman's exile is temporary, not permanent. Her protection is complete, but her circumstances are challenging. This reflects the reality of following Jesus—we are kept safe in God's hands, but we are not promised comfort and ease.

For believers today, this offers both comfort and perspective. Comfort because it reminds us that God has prepared places of safety for his people, even when we can't see them. Perspective because it reminds us that divine protection doesn't always look like earthly prosperity.

When you're going through difficult circumstances, ask yourself: might this be one of God's "wilderness places"? Could he be protecting you in ways you don't fully understand? Sometimes what feels like abandonment is actually God's provision, and what looks like exile is actually eagle's wings.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for providing safe places even in the wilderness. Help me to trust your protection even when your provision doesn't look like what I expected.