Revelation 12 presents a debate surrounding the first great sign: a pregnant woman clothed with the sun, in the middle of labor (vv. 1-2), a dragon ready to devour the child once it is born (vv. 3-4), a male child, Christ, is born then caught up to God and His throne (v. 5), and finally the woman fleeing to the wilderness for 1,260 days (v. 6). But, who is this woman? Is she Israel? The Church? Mary? The surrounding verses, context, Old Testament prophecies, and other references to Israel as a woman provide evidence that the woman in Revelation 12 is the nation of Israel.[1]
While it is not impossible that she is an actual woman like Mary, the evidence shows that she, like the woman in chapter 17, has symbolic significance. The woman was said to be pregnant and about to give birth (12:2). While in some sense this may be fulfilled in the birth of Christ to Mary, the context seems to refer to the emerging nation of Israel in its suffering prior to the second coming of Christ. Chapter 12 focuses on the persecution of the woman by Satan the dragon (v. 9) as well as referring to the persecution of the “rest of her offspring” (v. 17), which proves that the woman could not refer to a single individual.[2] The fact that this woman is spoken of as “a great sign” stresses that John is not referring to a literal woman. Also, Mary did not flee into the wilderness and stay there for 1,260 days while the dragon persecuted the remnant of her seed (vv. 13-17).[3]
Some see the woman as the new Israel, made up of both Jews and Gentiles, based on the context of the woman under attack from the birth of Christ until at least John’s day or later.4 John does not distinguish between the earlier Jewish community and the present church community in his day. Their continuity in identity is so strong that whatever ethnic or other differences they have do not affect his image as representing one entity.[4] This view sees the intent of the passage to explain the persecution of the believing community, not the persecution of the nation of Israel as a whole.[5] However, while there is a unity of the people of God, this does not wipe out dispensational and racial distinctions.[6]
The third and best option is the nation of Israel being persecuted during the Tribulation period. Israel gives birth to Jesus, then Satan, who is thrown out of heaven during the Tribulation period, persecutes Israel because Israel produced the Messiah; and due to the tremendous satanic oppression, Israel flees to the wilderness for 1,260 days. As indicated by Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9-11, the woman symbolized Israel, where the sun and the moon referred to Jacob and Rachel, Joseph’s parents. The stars in the crown refer to the 12 sons of Jacob and identify the woman as Israel fulfilling the Abrahamic covenant.8 Isaiah 60:1-3, 20 provide added proof that the sun refers to Israel’s future glory.[7] Furthermore, in the OT, Israel is often compared to a woman, and even a woman in travail (Isa 26:17-18; 54:5; 66:7-12; Jer 3:6–10; Hos 13:13; Mic 4:10; 5:2–3). The apostate world system is compared to a harlot (Rev 17:1ff), and the church to a pure bride (2 Cor 11:2; Rev 19:7).[8]
It is best to take the woman as a symbolic reference to Israel for the following reasons: first, Israel is often identified as a woman in the OT. Second, the image of the sun, moon, and 12 stars seem to be an allusion to Joseph’s dream (Gen 37:9-11). Third, the woman is seen with the child (12:2) who rules with a rod of iron (12:5, cf. Ps 2:7-9). Fourth, the figure of Israel as a woman travailing in birth is found in several OT passages. Finally, the woman (Israel) will be persecuted in the last half of the Tribulation (Rev 12:6, 13-17).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown. “The Revelation of St. John.” In Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol 2, 546-605. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997.
Johnson, Alan F. “Revelation.” In The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation, edited by T. Longman III and D. E. Garland, vol. 13, 573-789. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 206.
Smith, J. B. A Revelation of Jesus Christ. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004.
Walvoord. “Revelation.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2, 925-991. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985.
Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol 2. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 958.
[2] Alan F. Johnson, “Revelation,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation, eds. T. Longman III and D. E. Garland, vol. 13 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 695.
[3] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, “The Revelation of St. John,” in Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 563. 4 Johnson, “Revelation,” 695.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Walvoord, “Revelation,” 957. 8 Ibid.
[7] J. B. Smith, A Revelation of Jesus Christ (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004), 182.
[8] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1996), 602.