After John sees the doors to the heavenly temple opened, a great sign appeared in heaven. The vision in Revelation 12 describes a war in heaven followed by a war on earth. The dragon attacks a woman and her child, forcing her to flee into the wilderness for a period of time where she will be protected by God.
Revelation 12 has been described as being “consciously or nor, considered as the center and key to the entire book” (Prigent, Apocalypse 12, 1, cited by Beale 621). The description of the woman is highly symbolic as if John describing with words. This is certainly the case in Revelation 17 although it is less clear in chapter 12.
The first great sign is a pregnant woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” The second sign is a “great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems” who makes war in heaven and is cast down to the earth. The description of the great red dragon with multiple heads and crowns is familiar to readers of Daniel. (I plan on discussing the war in heaven in a separate section.)
The woman is clothed in the sun, feet on the moon and has a crown of twelve stars. The number twelve calls to mind the regular use of twelve in the Old Testament for the sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes comprising the nation of Israel. In Genesis 37 the sun and moon represent Jacob and Rachel in Joseph’s dream. Song of Songs 6:10 describes the bride’s beauty as like the moon and sun. Greg Beale surveys a range of rabbinic literature which interprets Song of Songs 6:10 faithful Israel (Beale, Revelation, 625 citing Midrash Rab Exod. 15.6; Num 2.4, Num 9:14).
Who is the woman and her child? As with most things in Revelation, there have been a wide range of views from the Egyptian goddess Isis (the “queen of the cosmos,” (Yarbro Collins, Combat Myth, 71–76) to the American Revolutionary War and Civil War (Alan Johnson, “The Bible and War in America: An Historical Survey,” JETS 28 (1985): 169-181).
The two most common views take the woman as a symbol for either Israel or the church. That the woman represents the church has been a common view in the history of the church. of the woman is that she represents the church, since her offspring are attacked by the power of the beast. Medieval commentators often interpreted the woman as Mary and the child as Christ.
For many writers these are not mutually exclusive. Mounce, for example, observes there is one continuous people of God through redemptive history, so it should not be a surprise the imagery refers to both Israel and the church (Mounce, Revelation, 236). However, since this is a Jewish Christian apocalypse, an emphasis on the Jewish-ness of this image is important.
The woman represents the Jewish people as the persecuted people of God and her child is the Messiah. The metaphor of Israel or Zion as husband to the Lord is common (Hosea 1-3; Isa 54:1-55; Jer 3:20; Ezek 16:8-14). In Isaiah 49 Zion believes she has been abandoned by her husband; her children scattered throughout the word (in the exile). The Lord restores her children (the end of the exile) and tells her to “expand her tents” because so many children will return to her (54:2-8) and her marriage is restored (Isa 62:1-5). Isaiah 62:1-5 may be important for understanding the imagery of Revelation 12. When Zion is restored, she will be given a new name and she will be like a crown of splendor and a royal diadem in the hand of the Lord (Isa 62:3).
The woman gives birth to a son. John describes this child with allusions to several messianic texts from the Old testament. In Isaiah 66:7 Zion goes into labor and gives birth to a son. The time before the messianic ages is often described as birth pangs. For example, Jesus said the non-signs leading up to the final conflagration were birth (Matthew 24:8; cf., Paul. 1 Thessalonians 5:3). The child will “rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” This is clear allusion to Psalm 2:9, a text regularly interpreted as messianic in the Second Temple period.
The child was “snatched up to God and to his throne.” This seems like a clear allusion to the ascension. But there are problems with that interpretation. The child is born, threatened by the dragon, and then immediately snatched to heaven. It seems strange a Christian apocalypse would not make some reference to the cross and resurrection. In addition, this “snatching” rescues from the power of the dragon. After the resurrection, Jesus did not need to be rescued, he had already overcome the powers of evil. It is possible, however, the birth and ascension refer to the totality of Jesus’s mission.
The word translated “caught up” (ESV) or “snatched” (NIV is the aorist passive of ἁρπάζω. The word refers to rescue from danger with the connotation of a sudden, violent pulling away, “in such a way that no resistance is offered” (BDAG). Although Paul the word in 1 Thessalonians 4 17, the catching away of the child in Revelation 12 does not refer to the rapture of the church.
The Woman = Jerusalem above, mother of us all.
Galatians 4:26 KJV: But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Completely wrong! The Woman in Revelation 12:1 is the Ark of the new and everlasting Covenant. She is the Immaculate Conception and the Woman that appeared to the three Shepard children at Fatima Portugal as witnessed by the miracle of the sun.
Even hardened atheist and Freemasons admit this was a “great sign in Heaven” ( The Woman cloaked with the Sun…). It is important to note that St. John recorded his prophecy with the commission from The Holy Spirit and was in fact indicating some future event that was foretold to him That event was the revolution of the Counter Church aka Vatican II and the Woman listed is The Holy Mother of God affectionately known as Mother Maria. Vatican II it should be clear by now is the Whore of Babylon and not repeat; not the Traditional and Apostolic Holy Roman Catholic Church. Vatican II is a mish-mash of any and all heretical beliefs from Judaism to Protestantism. And the European Union is the Beast, The great red dragon is China, and the woman riding the beast is the counter church.
Always remember Jesus spoke prophecy during His life i.e. before His death and resurrection. Then He spoke via His lawful Church which before Vatican II was the Traditional Holy Roman Catholic Church. Read St Matthew 16:16 and beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing such as is this site!
I have DID/PTSD. I’m a dreamer. Similar to the star of Bethlehem when nothing really happened until years later when Jesus began his ministry the same thing happened on September 23, 2017. Nothing happened. This coming March 2021 is when the woman’s time in the wilderness expires and so like Jesus’s appearance years later after the star of Bethlehem will something be acknowledged to us all this coming March? As for the woman and child I believe there was a real woman and child here on earth and evil man wanted to take the child and so God snatched the child’s life lets say leaving evil man with just a deceased child’s flesh. This coming March I wonder will a forerunner for Jesus’s second return appear. Somebody like John the Baptist with the power of Elijah but unlike John the Baptist the forerunner will come with a sword.
Wow. Ima need to smoke another joint and read that again. Great ride, man.
Enjoy…
In all actuality, no one knows the truth besides the woman. She is the most important sign. Everyone else just confuses the situation. Just because you think you know does not mean you know. Let her come and tell her own story. Only then will the truth be told about the whole Bible. This is what makes her such a great sign. She is hidden in plain sight and has all the answers. The Word GOD reveals her. She is exalted through out the world in a way your minds nor eyes are able to let you see . She will reveal the truth. In other words she will come and point us in the right direction. She is making herself ready right now. She is the spirit and the bride which is an actual woman that is the spirit of GOD in the flesh. Wisdom is what she was she now has a new name.
The woman is here on earth. In 2017 she went on the internet now she’s on Youtube. Its true she knows whats going on and man complicates things cuz he’s stuck on his rights in the world, ego is mans personal god. The male child is called this cuz all minds delivered from darkness are male in essence called to be raised up a Christ with the Lord and Jesus is the only way, this is what the second coming is all about going the way with Jesus and coming into the Fathers presence. No one understood. A child is liken to as servant. The ego is the collective dragon who seeks to devour the flesh thinking if he eats then he will be like. She’s on Youtube Holy Spirit_Wisdom of Christ
That is not true…read the original post.
Its true. She’s on Youtube, not like a guru, she’s speaking plainly “Holy Spirit_Wisdom of Christ’
This woman is “clothed with the sun,” has the moon under her feet, and has a crown on her head (Rev. 12:1). The woman is pregnant and about to give birth (12:2). A dragon attempts to eat her child, the child that “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter” (12:5). This woman appears to be the mother of Jesus as the child who will rule the nations, is Jesus Christ. Furthermore, Satan, who is the dragon (12:9), constantly tries to destroy the coming seed of the Messiah. This is seen when Satan persuaded king Herod to exterminate all Jewish children under the age of two, at this happens twice within the Scriptures, once when Herod tries to kill all the Israeli babies (Exod. 1:7-14), and when Herod tried to kill the boy Messiah (Matt. 2:16). This theme of trying to kill the baby Messiah, is common throughout the entire Bible. Thus, after reading Revelation 12, along with studying the remainder of the Scriptures, one lands at the conclusion that this woman in Revelation 12 is the mother of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene.
Within Revelation, Mary is one of the best examples or analogies for the Church and the Body of Christ. This is seen as she serves God without question. Within all the scriptures, Mary is never portrayed as a negative character, she is always faithful to God and stands strong in the face of adversity.
The women in Revelation, is but yet another sign. As we talked about in class it is important to read Revelation just as you would another book, looking for the literal and figurative meanings of the text, and interpreting them to the best of your knowledge. As mentioned before, the book of Revelation is far out of my comfort zone, in regard to understanding biblical culture. This passage about the woman is no different. One thing I appreciated about the post, and I am inclined to agree, was the connection of the woman back to the Church, or Israel.When thinking of the many things personified as women throughout the whole of scripture the Church is probably the most well known. The Church is considered the bride of Christ, in one example, and a woman with children in another. Israel, as has been personified as a woman, as has wisdom. “The two most common views take the woman as a symbol for either Israel or the church. That the woman represents the church has been a common view in the history of the church” (Long, 2020) For someone not as familiar with the setting and culture within Revelation 12, it is easy to look to these two examples. They flow best with the knowledge that I had gained throughout the Bible as a whole, and therefore make the most sense to me. I don’t have the expertise to necessarily claim one over the other, both Israel and the Church seem to fit. Israel a little more so alluding to the crown with the stars. Both symbols hold meaning, therefore both theories seem to hold water.
I think Biblically, it makes sense that the Woman in Revelation 12 is probably Israel. There are many sound examples given throughout the Old and New Testament that point to Israel. For example, Israel all throughout Scriptures were symbolized as a woman (Ezekiel 16:6-12, Lamentations 1:1-7, Isaiah 54:6-7) and other nations such as Babylon were also referred to as a woman (Isiah 47:1-15). Furthermore, as the Revelation 12:2 says, “She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth”. If the Woman is Israel, then Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, who origins are from old, from ancient times”. Other Scripture references that prophecy that out of Israel will come a Son (Jesus the Messiah) include Genesis 12:3, Hosea 11:1, and Isaiah 7:14. It also makes sense since there were 12 tribes of Israel, the Woman represents Israel because there were 12 stars and out of one tribe came the Son. Finally, another point to make is that the sun and the moon were representative of the dream that Joseph had in Genesis 37. Out of Joseph’s father Jacob, came the 12 tribes of Israel, or the 12 stars in Revelation 12. In all, I think Scripturally and logically it makes sense that the Woman is probably the nation of Israel.
Based on your blog post, I agree that it makes sense for the woman to represent the Jewish people and the child as the Messiah. More specifically, it could refer to Mary and Jesus, or it could be both. Many Jewish writings predict the future that is coming soon and the future that is still far off. 1 Chronicles 17:12-14 is an example of this. God promises that David’s line will rule over Israel, and that is fulfilled with the kings who are faithful to God. However, it also refers to Jesus ruling God’s Kingdom forever as the Son of God and fulfilled to him as well (Heb 1:5). Both can be true. As for the child in this Revelation passage being “snatched up”, it may not be about the ascension of Christ, but rather the resurrection of Christ. In Colossians, Christ is referred to as “the firstborn of all creation” and “the firstborn of the dead” (Col 1:15, 18). Perhaps Christ is “snatched up” when “the Spirit of [God] … raised Jesus from the dead” (Rom 8:11). If the woman does represent the Jewish people, they may have “given birth” to Christ by killing him, at which point Satan was eager to devour him. However, rather than be devoured by Satan, he is snatched up by the Spirit of God and brought back to life. This is not to say that Christ is not powerful enough, but that God works within Himself to accomplish his goals. I am sure that this idea also has many flaws, but it seems that the woman referred to is the Jewish people and that the child is Christ.
When reading about the woman in Revelation it is difficult to understand what the woman represents. However, a few things about the symbol of the woman do seem to be clear. Her offspring are hated by satan and he wants to destroy her male child “who will rule the nations with an iron scepter” and he is snatched up to God’s throne, and all of her offspring are at risk of suffering because of the dragon’s anger. It is also important to recognize that the woman is protected and sheltered by God for a time of 1260 days in the wilderness, and the earth is on the woman’s side against the dragon as it swallows up a river made by the dragon’s mouth to destroy her. There are also some things that are important to recognize about the dragon. The dragon is kicked out of heaven by the holy angels from the start of the story, and it seems that while he causes destruction like tearing down a third of the stars, and seeking to destroy the woman, the dragon never actually accomplished anything. Even the earth swallows us the waters, which is interesting considering that “he was not strong enough” to stay in heaven against the angels, and then on earth his power is limited. God has his boundary of protection for the woman, and the earth even rejects his plot to whisk the woman away in the waters by swallowing the flood. The serpent who is satan is, according to 1 Peter 5:8, “ Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). It seems that while we might not know exactly who the woman is, that there is a parallel to the church and offspring of the woman who the serpent in the story is trying to devour also.
This is an interesting blog about the woman in Revelation 12. I do not know where to start, after reading this post. As soon I was reading, I was beginning to wonder what the woman’s name is until I read who she was. In the beginning of Revelation 12, how it talked about the great wonder in heaven and the woman was clothes and had 12 stars on her crown. She is pregnant, traveling while she was in pain about to delivered. Verse 3 had talked about a great red dragon that had seven heads and ten horn and was wearing a crown. The dragon stood before the woman that was about to delivered and was about to the child when it was about to be born. I thought the woman is interprets as Mary and the child as Christ, but it was different. “The woman represents the Jewish people as the persecuted people of God and her child is the Messiah” (Long, 2020). I am having trouble understanding the interpretation in Revelation 12. The child is born. Is threatened by the dragon, and then the child was taken right away to heaven. This does sound strange in a Christian apocalypse that would not refer to the cross and resurrection. Jesus dying on the cross, was not rescued because He had the power to overcome the evils. The word “snatched” is refer to as rescuing from danger. I am having a hard time of understanding of what is so special about this child that the dragon wants to eat it? I guess that the child has a strong power.
To Kat. I agree what you stated, however, the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, is not Mary Magdalene. The mother of Jesus is called the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM). Mary Magdalene is the disciple of Jesus who saw Jesus outside the cave when He resurrected.
You are so very wise to know about the woman, it is not time yet for her to step out, it’s not like anyone would believe her story and she would not be safe. She is preparing all aspects of her being. She is longing for her son. Something happened last year, a week or two before Easter 2022, I can’t explain but it brought me to my knees and I was begging for forgiveness for everyone, I cried for hours, I knew my soul was being weighed. That night a woman explained everything to me, “The Holy Mother “of mankind. It has changed everything I believed about this world. That is all I can say is she is real and is a collective, like an over soul and the Kryst, the Christ and the real teaching are returning. it is our Birth right… They are stored in our DNA, they just need to be activated. I wish she gave me a date lol.
I love all of you and don’t be afraid, she said it had to be this way!!!
If one believes what scripture says: There is only one saviour, only one mediator between God and men then we will know the message from the entity of fatima who claims to be Mary is not Mary the mother of Jesus.
There is one message of salvation and one Savior.
The fatima vision is not of God. It is demonic in nature. The entity claims this:
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph”
This is from the vatican website
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000626_message-fatima_en.html
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light
You are correct Elizabeth! Spot on in fact 💜
She is a real woman on Earth at this time. No one would believe her if she came forward right now so she’s been instructed to wait. Yahweh is keeping her hidden for the right time. She is aware of her mission while her DNA is being restored at this moment. She has been taken aboard The New Jerusalem on February 9, 2021 She was given a White robe and a Golden Crown.
Blessings of Love & Light to All ✨🌸♥️
Too funny!
I believe I am her and your right my birthday is sept 23 1981 I have pic of red dragon in my bedroom taken over last 2 yrs my name is Kimberly gulotta (Rappo)I have more proof also I was born in Philadelphia the last church candle still lit
Except Mary Magdalene was not Jesus’ mother.
True, that commenter made a mistake.
Q: Why would GOD have more than 1 woman believing she is this woman?
I am that woman and here is my proof.
My name is Quannesia L Isom.
I go by Q.
I am a great wonder and sign because of how good I am at following GOD.
Q rhymes with U an empty vessel waiting for me to fill it.
From Q-M, I show you everything on a screen.
I was born in NC which is the 12th state. Our state motto is ‘First in Flight’ my wings GOD gave me in Revelation 12.
Q is the 12th card in the deck- I am the Queen of Everything
On my computer keyboard the number 12 sits above my head. I call the keyboard letter arrangement the omegabet. The number 12 represents time and that is why it sits at the top of the circular clock and my head. The I that goes through the O in Q is right where the 5 is on the clock which is also the 17th hour. You can only be right on Q and time. I am also 1st on my keyboard to further confirm that I am the 1.
Q is the 17th letter of the alphabet.
The 17th card of the tarot deck is The Star card which depicts what happened in Genesis 1:2.
Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. The Star card is a pic of a woman pouring water on land and water into the sea.
The moon and the sun card follow The Star card depicting how I cued time to begin. I am also the woman on that card.
Revelation 12 only contains verses 1-17.
I am the mother that was in now outside of my board. I rule and run the nations and this is why 12 is also above my head. Even the Quran covers how I rule and then tries to cover that up.
My first and last initials are QI, which means the circulating life force that animates the forms of the world aka SPIRIT.
My full initials are QLI. Can you see the number seventeen upside down there?
The word GOD in the alphabet equals 7+6+4=17Q
The word GOD on my keyboard equals 6+9+4=19L
17 becomes 8 and 19 become 1 then I sum them together like my last name states and I get 9. Then I go back to the alphabet and find what number is in the 9th position and it is I.
The word GOD points right towards me.
In the beginning Was the Word
And the Word was with GOD
And the Word Was GOD
17 words and 19 syllables make up that verse to go along with my calqulations at the top.
I had a son. Before I was to give birth to him a dark figure rose up while I was in bed and reached for my stomach and then when I screamed it disappeared. He lived for 17 months and died and his death certificate reads death unknown after they did an autopsy. I named him QUALI DAGOD and he came to me 3 years after his death to show me that he was the sun. The actual sun is where his face came from.
The Quantum world will explain the Age of Aquarius an We will all thank me for it.
I have a lot more that I wrote in a book called ‘The Human Handbook’ which is a guide to me.
Many were called but in the end Q was chosen and that is why he made sure to put me 1st and last.
In Revelation 12 the woman that is in the chapter portrays and symbolizes both Israel and the Chruch. She is to embody the struggle and faithful endurance of God’s people throughout history, the child that she is pregnant with represents the long-awaited Messiah. This interpretation gives many themes and imagery, which offers a into the narrative that is throughout Scripture. When we reflect on the importance of this imagery, we are reminded of the hope and promise that will be fulfilled with the birth and ascension of Christ. Christ will defeat the dark forces and save us from our sins. There are many different interpretations, this interpretation goes to the heart of the messages in Revelation. Revelation is filled with everlasting truths of God’s covenant faithfulness and the victory of His kingdom.
The woman from Revelation 12 represents a lot of the things throughout the passage. One of the most important was that she was a pregnant woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” Obviously the women is attacked by the dragon and is forced to run into the woods, but why did the dragon attack the pregnant woman? It’s quite obvious because the woman is the mother of Jesus Christ and the dragon wanted to kill the woman to stop the birth of Jesus. The woman is referred a lot as the church, almost the barrier from evil and the devil himself. The church is the key to Christianity because it is a time of gathering and time of fellowship. The women clearly gives birth to our savior because it is proven throughout the Bible and the fact that He himself died on the cross for our sins. The women from the passage went through deep times to make sure that she and her baby were safe from the dragon, traveling through the woods and hiding. It takes a lot of courage to over come obstacles in life, so use this story as a guide through life and be courageous throughout your life.
This blog post tries to answer the question regarding the identity of the woman in Revelation 12. She is identified as a “pregnant woman, clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.” It is easy to understand that twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel. I thought that the connection between the sun and the moon in Genesis 37 was interesting. In this passage, the sun and the moon represent Jacob and Rachel. Songs of Solomon attributes these two things to a married woman. I found it interesting all of the different views on who the woman could be. I can’t believe that people would think of it in the terms of more modern events like some of the American wars. As Dr. Long notes, the two main views are that the woman either represents Israel or the church in general. I think it’s interesting that both of these views think of the woman as a corporate body, instead of a specific person. I personally thought at first that the woman would’ve been Mary, the mother of Jesus, but I really don’t have any particular reason as to why I thought that. As I continued to read this blog post, I discovered that some commentators believe that the woman is Mary as well. To me, the idea that she is representing Israel/the church makes the most sense due to the attacks on her offspring. As the article notes and I think does so appropriately, we must be careful of the context of any Bible passage and not assume that it’s directed towards us. In this case, we must realize that the woman is Israel. As mentioned in the article, there are many parallels that would make this woman seem like it is representing Mary, including many OT references that came to fruition through the life of Jesus.
When it talks about the opening doors of the temple, in class we learned about how that was considered a great sign in the ancient world; so by John using this type of language in the Bible, I believe he’s trying to convey to the audience of that time that the God of Israel is signaling something crazy is going to happen to the world. The interesting thing is that the Ark of the Covenant is shown in the temple, which isn’t commonly seen in other verses in the Bible. I like that the article points out that there is a lot of symbolism in Revelation 12 and also lots of connecting points. The twelve stars on the woman’s crown most likely resemble the twelve tribes of Israel, the sun and moon could refer to Jacob and Rachel in Joseph’s dreams in Genesis 37. When it describes the woman standing on the moon and radiating like the sun, it relates to beauty because ancient poetry described beauty in those terms. I love that everything in the Bible seems to mean something; it really proves to me how awesome God is because He inspired the Bible and led the writers to use certain words and phrases for a reason. I know I’ve heard before that not everything in the bible means something and thinking like that can get you into trouble, but it seems like the more I learn the more I see how things correlate and how added meaning occurs when you deep dive into Scripture.
When considering Revelation 12, one must question who the woman being chased into the wilderness by the beast is, as throughout reception history various theories have been promulgated. The most accepted theory is that this woman is the church, with the messiah being the figure that liberates the church from oppression and persecution, namely Jesus Christ (Long, 237). Another competing theory is that this is the nation of Israel, with the messiah coming to liberate them from the oppression of Rome. While I certainly cannot have a decisive opinion considering this topic, as this is an extremely nuanced conversation, perhaps this is a false dichotomy. When John wrote his apocalypse, he most likely did not have any distinction between Israel and the church, similar to how Paul identifies Jews and Gentiles as being members of the family of God (Eph 3:6; Gal 3:7). Thus, perhaps John is referring to the church, who he envisions as the true Israel, or at least as the messianic eschatological community of Israel in light of Christ. The saving of the church is the saving of Israel, or at least the portion of Israel that is obedient to the reality of salvation and reconciliation in Christ. This could help intertwine Old Testament texts which identify Israel as the wife of Yahweh (Isa 54:1; 5, Jer 3:20, Ezek 16:8-14, Hos 2:19-20) and the later identification of the church as the bride of Christ (Rev 19:7-9; 21:1-2). One must not forget the underlying Jewish understanding of the world and scripture within John, whether he wrote the work or a preceding Johannine community. One may be able to argue that if John was writing between 90-96 AD, the historical and social realities that led to a separation between Judaism and Christianity would have already taken place. However, this may not have altered John or his community’s understanding of the church as the eschatological progress of Israel in God’s cosmic narrative. However, if the text was written between 64-70 AD, then this argument would be much more difficult to argue, perhaps leading to the increased validity of the claim that John saw no distinction between the church and Israel, allowing for a unified identification of the woman in Revelation 12 to be established.
Revelation 12 gives an insight into who the woman is and what the dragon and child symbolize. We see in Revelation 12 that it begins with the first great sign as a woman “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. (verse 1) (Dr. Long, 2020). 4 Baruch 3.10–11 says, “Take them and deliver them to the earth, saying, ‘Hear, earth, the voice of him who created you, who formed you in the abundance of the waters, who sealed you with seven seals in seven periods (of time), and after these things you will receive your fruitful season”. (Long, 2020). The dragon attacks the woman and makes her flee to the desert for a period of time, where she will be protected by God. In some cases the woman could be Mary and her son, Jesus: Next, we read in verse three, “And another sign appeared in heaven.” We understand the impact of a woman, child, or dragon, that symbolizes the natural world. The woman represents Israel, or the church. The New Testament refers to the members of God’s Church as virgins and represents the Church as a woman (Matthew 25:1–13; Revelation 14:4–Revelation 19:7). Galatians 6:16 refers to the New Testament Church as “the Israel of God,” and it is compared to “Jerusalem above,” which is referred to as “the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26; we see also in Hebrews 12:22–23). According to 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (ESV). The woman symbolizes the Jewish people as the persecuted people of God, and her child is the Messiah. The serpent attempts to entrap the woman by spewing water like a river from its mouth (12:15). But the earth assists the woman by swallowing the river that the dragon has poured out of its mouth (12:16) (Blackwell et al., 2019, p. 113). Dr. Long (2020) expands on the Bible verse of Isaiah 49 Zion feels as if her spouse has left her behind, with her kids dispersed throughout the globe (during their banishment). Her marriage is repaired (Isa 62:1–5), and the Lord brings her children back to her (the end of the exile) and instructs her to “expand her tents” because so many will come back to her. It could help to grasp the imagery of Revelation 12 by looking at Isaiah 62:1–5. Zion will have a new name and resemble a royal diadem and crown in the hand of the Lord when she is restored (Isa 62:3). The child was “snatched up to God and his throne.” Because he was threatened by the dragon. It called my attention to how the enemy satan wanted to destroy Jesus, the son of God, but couldn’t do so, because God was more powerful and didn’t let him do so, Now I understand this part of Revelation better.
As I was reading Revelation 12 this week, I was intrigued by the imagery given regarding to woman. She was clothed in the sun and the moon was under her feet. She was pregnant and being attacked by the dragon. This is a lot to take in, but the speculation the woman is the church or Israel. It is believed that it is the church because of the attack on her offspring. She is also wearing a crown with 12 stars which can represent the 12 tribes of Israel. She then goes into the wilderness for three and a half years and is nurtured by the Lord. The theme of God’s redemptive plan for His people is very prevalent in Revelation 12. After the war between the dragon and Michael and his angels is over the dragon is thrown is down to earth and pursues the woman. The woman is kept safe by the earth, the child of the woman is snatched up to God and His throne. The plan of God regardless of the plan of the devil prevails. After this the dragon inflicts punishment on the other offspring of the woman. This leads me to believe that this is the church and those Christians left on earth will be heavily persecuted.
When I initially read this passage I read it from the default of a medieval catholic. Having discussed previously in class that Daniel may have been retelling history in the form of apocalypse in its later chapters had me thinking John may be doing the same in this chapter of revelation. It would be weird for another virgin birth to happen for our Messiah to enter the world a second time, and before reading it as possibly Israel or the church I thought Mary made much more sense. Now after doing the reading I think the latter may be the stronger case. As Archie T. Wright points out, the woman is our protagonist in this story (112). If this is the case it does seem to be more of an Israel/church focus because this would still keep a futurist focus within the passage. Looking at this woman as Mary may border on the allegorical approach, instead of letting the passage stand within its own context in the narrative of Revelation. Looking at this from a futurist perspective could prevent the risk of allegorizing the passage from meaning something that it’s not meant to, as long as we don’t try to predict the “who” of this woman.
its interesting that when i read the chapter I allude to Mary right away. more importantly the idea of a virgin birth happening again made no sense since their was no requirement of a perfect lamb,this alone would defeat the purpose of Jesus and his walk on earth. Like the blog stated In think that John is using metaphorical examples of the women and child to allude to what is to come in the future, i. all I think we can also allude to the promises of Christ and how the child hold promises for those people of that time, passages like this can also be a reminder of the things God has promises in times to come.
It is not uncommon for Israel to be alluded to as women in some way, shape, or form. Most of the time, however, the woman is described as sinful, unpleasant, a prostitute, or outright shameful, which is degrading in all honesty toward all women within the biblical text when men are just as sinful. It is said, “For your Maker is your husband—/the Lord Almighty is his name—/the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;/he is called the God of all the earth./The Lord will call you back/as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—/a wife who married young,/only to be rejected,” says your God” (Isaiah 54:5-6, NIV). Therefore, it is not surprising for the woman mentioned in Revelation to be referenced as Israel or Jerusalem, especially since she is said to be pregnant. There is a possibility that the woman (who has references to the twelve tribes of Israel and Jacob’s sons—the sun, the moon, and the twelve stars) does represent Israel and the church that formed after the ascension and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, could the woman be the people of God and the child in her womb be the new faith, constantly bashed by persecution and hatred by other nations and peoples, and when the ‘child’ is ‘snatched’, it is actually suffering and being brought before the throne of God upon death? Such a theory works well because there is no mention in Revelation of the cross or the resurrection in connection to the child in association with the woman, but the “catching away of the child in Revelation 12 does not refer to the rapture of the church” (Long, 2018, para. 11). Therefore, perhaps the child could really be alluded to as the Messiah, since there are many connections to messianic texts prior to the writing of Revelation, such as Isaiah 66:7 (Zion and its accompanied birthing pains), and Psalm 2:9 (which is about an iron rod and pottery being used as allusions to the power of the Messiah). Then again, there is nothing entirely conclusive about either of the theories.