Who is the woman in Revelations 12?

[BPPLEE]

How does Israel flee, and why would they be described as the mother of all who follows Christ if the majority of Jewish people don't believe he is the messiah?

As for the 2nd sentence, sure.. but this topic is based on discussing this.

Here is a link to the Israel view What does Revelation chapter 12 mean? | GotQuestions.org

 

[Cis.jd]

Here is a link to the Israel view What does Revelation chapter 12 mean? | GotQuestions.org

Ah man, not gotquestions that is one of the most bias and typical protestant sites out there.

 

[BPPLEE]

Ah man, not gotquestions that is one of the most bias and typical protestant sites out there.

Well that is pretty much the Israel position. Like I said this is not something I would argue about

 

[Eloy Craft]

John keeping Mary safe in the wilderness maybe the reason he is also the last one to die.

 

[BPPLEE]

John keeping Mary safe in the wilderness maybe the reason he is also the last one to die.

The three and a half years is referred to in Revelation and there seem to be two periods of three and a half years that make up the tribulation and the wrath of God. I think it refers to a future event not something that has already happened

 

[Cis.jd]

The three and a half years is referred to in Revelation and there seem to be two periods of three and a half years that make up the tribulation and the wrath of God. I think it refers to a future event not something that has already happened

To be fair, many theologians think this was happening during the time of Nero, with Nero being the 1st anti-christ or something like that.

 

[BPPLEE]

To be fair, many theologians think this was happening during the time of Nero, with Nero being the 1st anti-christ or something like that.

Yes that is the Preterist version

 

[Eloy Craft]

The three and a half years is referred to in Revelation and there seem to be two periods of three and a half years that make up the tribulation and the wrath of God. I think it refers to a future event not something that has already happened

I think it's both.

 

[Christopher0121]

Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway


Is it Mary or the church?

I believe the Woman is clearly St. Mary. However, she also serves as the perfect symbol for God's covenant people. St. Mary is therefore a most ancient symbol representing the Holy Church, seeing we are "her offspring".

Revelation 12:1-6
(New Catholic Bible)
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was with child and about to give birth, crying aloud in the anguish of her labor.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems crowning his heads. 4 His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them to the earth.
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child who is destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up directly to God and to his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the wilderness where she would be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days in a place prepared for her by God.
7 Next, war broke out in heaven, with Michael and his angels in combat against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they were defeated, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon—the ancient serpent who is called the devil, or Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—was hurled down to earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brethren has been cast out,
the one who accused them day and night before our God.
11 They have conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
even in the face of death
they did not cling to life.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to you, earth and sea,
because the devil has come down to you.
He is filled with rage,
for he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon realized that he had been hurled down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year, two years, and a half year.
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed out water like a river after the woman to sweep her away with the flood. 16 However, the earth came to the rescue of the woman: it opened its mouth and swallowed the river spewed from the dragon’s mouth.
17 Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.​

This passage reminds me of the earliest Messianic Prophecy, known theologically as the, Protoevangelium...

Genesis 3:15
(New Catholic Bible)
15 I will establish hostility
between you and the woman,
between your line and her line.
Her offspring will crush your head
and you will bruise his heel.”​

Salvation is a drama that will ultimately unfold through the work of a Woman and her Son. A fitting eternal symbol of our Salvation...

 

[JoeT]

I believe the Woman is clearly St. Mary. However, she also serves as the perfect symbol for God's covenant people. St. Mary is therefore a most ancient symbol representing the Holy Church, seeing we are "her offspring".

The Ark of the Covenant is seen in heaven, the mercy seat of the Old Testament. This vessel was seen in the Heavenly Kingdom.

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven: and the ark of his testament was seen in his temple, and there were lightnings, and voices, and an earthquake, and great hail." [Apocalypse 11:19]

This vision is “A woman clothed with the sun”, having the “moon under her feet and on her head a crown of Twelve stars”, the 12 Apostles. The “woman” represents Mary who gave birth to the Messias, God incarnate. She stands over the changing world. The “woman” who said “be it done to me according to thy word, figuratively the woman who gave birth to the Church, the New Israel. During 300 or more years of the great persecution, she flees into the wilderness. During this period the arch Michael does battles with the heresies attacking the Church.

JoeT

 

[Yekcidmij]

Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway


Is it Mary or the church?

I'm tending to take it to probably talking about both Israel and Mary. I think there may be an early Christian idea that Mary was the quintessential, representative Israelite awaiting the arrival of the messiah. Both Israel and Mary give birth to the messiah. The Hymn of Mary in Luke 1 (1:38, 1:48, 1:54) seems to support this where Mary and Israel are both identified as the "servant" (cf: LXX Is 42:19, 48:20, 49:3, 49:5, 49:7) though whom the messiah is birthed (Israel "gives birth" to the messiah in the sense that he comes out of Israel).

Rev 12 may also support the idea that Mary was alive when the Jerusalem Christians' fled to Pella at the onset of the Roman destruction/re-conquest of Jerusalem. I think it may be read that Mary fled to Pella with them.

Flight to Pella - Wikipedia

.

 

[RileyG]

I believe the Woman is clearly St. Mary. However, she also serves as the perfect symbol for God's covenant people. St. Mary is therefore a most ancient symbol representing the Holy Church, seeing we are "her offspring".

Revelation 12:1-6
(New Catholic Bible)
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was with child and about to give birth, crying aloud in the anguish of her labor.
3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems crowning his heads. 4 His tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them to the earth.
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child who is destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was taken up directly to God and to his throne. 6 The woman herself fled into the wilderness where she would be looked after for twelve hundred and sixty days in a place prepared for her by God.
7 Next, war broke out in heaven, with Michael and his angels in combat against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but they were defeated, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon—the ancient serpent who is called the devil, or Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—was hurled down to earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brethren has been cast out,
the one who accused them day and night before our God.
11 They have conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
even in the face of death
they did not cling to life.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to you, earth and sea,
because the devil has come down to you.
He is filled with rage,
for he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon realized that he had been hurled down to earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she could fly away from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she was to be looked after for a year, two years, and a half year.
15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed out water like a river after the woman to sweep her away with the flood. 16 However, the earth came to the rescue of the woman: it opened its mouth and swallowed the river spewed from the dragon’s mouth.
17 Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to wage war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.​

This passage reminds me of the earliest Messianic Prophecy, known theologically as the, Protoevangelium...

Genesis 3:15
(New Catholic Bible)
15 I will establish hostility
between you and the woman,
between your line and her line.
Her offspring will crush your head
and you will bruise his heel.”​

Salvation is a drama that will ultimately unfold through the work of a Woman and her Son. A fitting eternal symbol of our Salvation...

According to Catholic doctrine, is it possible it could be both the New Israel and the Mother of God? Not one, but both? I agree with this post. It is most certainly the Mother of God.

 

[Valletta]

According to Catholic doctrine, is it possible it could be both the New Israel and the Mother of God? Not one, but both? I agree with this post. It is most certainly the Mother of God.

It is clear that she is the mother of Jesus, and she is a woman clothed in the sun. Now Israel is not a woman and Israel does not wear clothes. So first and foremost it is Mary, but she is also the mother of the Church and there is imagery of Israel.

 

[Wayne Gabler]

Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway


Is it Mary or the church?

There are 3 women, the 1st is Eve, the 12 starts in her crown stand for the OT Saints resurrected the same morning. 12 men and their 12 wives all ascended to the Re:4 Temple, where they are fulfilling the role of the 24 Elders.
The 2nd woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The 3rd woman is Mary of Bethany. In her role as the beloved Disciple of John the Baptist, she wrote the Gospel of John (the Baptist) and the Revelation of John (the Baptist) Those books play a big role in the lives of the Gentiles that survive the 1st six trumps.

 

[eleos1954]

There are 3 women, the 1st is Eve, the 12 starts in her crown stand for the OT Saints resurrected the same morning. 12 men and their 12 wives all ascended to the Re:4 Temple, where they are fulfilling the role of the 24 Elders.
The 2nd woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The 3rd woman is Mary of Bethany. In her role as the beloved Disciple of John the Baptist, she wrote the Gospel of John (the Baptist) and the Revelation of John (the Baptist) Those books play a big role in the lives of the Gentiles that survive the 1st six trumps.

In Revelation 12 this is referring to Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus.

 

[Wayne Gabler]

In Revelation 12 this is referring to Mary when she was pregnant with Jesus.

This is about Mary, the mother of Jesus:

Re:12:5-6:
And she brought forth a man child,
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness,
where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

 

[bbbbbbb]

There are 3 women, the 1st is Eve, the 12 starts in her crown stand for the OT Saints resurrected the same morning. 12 men and their 12 wives all ascended to the Re:4 Temple, where they are fulfilling the role of the 24 Elders.
The 2nd woman is Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The 3rd woman is Mary of Bethany. In her role as the beloved Disciple of John the Baptist, she wrote the Gospel of John (the Baptist) and the Revelation of John (the Baptist) Those books play a big role in the lives of the Gentiles that survive the 1st six trumps.

I had not considered this possibility at all. One might say that the woman in Revelation 12 bears similarities with these women and, allegorically, with Israel (specifically Rachel and Leah who bore the 12 patriarchs of Israel). There is also the possibility that the woman in Revelation 12 is simply unique even though one may find similarities between her and other women of the Bible.

 

[eleos1954]

This is about Mary, the mother of Jesus:

Re:12:5-6:
And she brought forth a man child,
who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron:
and her child was caught up unto God,
and to his throne.
And the woman fled into the wilderness,
where she hath a place prepared of God,
that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Yes ... that's what I said. However .... it has a symbolic aspect as well .... in the Bible a woman is sometimes used as symbol for a church ... either a pure (church) or an apostate (church)

So Revelation is referring to Mary literally at the first of the passage as the mother of Jesus .... but then is used symbolically later in the passage as John was in vision (below).

Revelation 17:3
English Standard Version
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

 

[Wayne Gabler]

Yes ... that's what I said. However .... it has a symbolic aspect as well .... in the Bible a woman is sometimes used as symbol for a church ... either a pure (church) or an apostate (church)

Revelation 17:3
English Standard Version
And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns.

I wasn't sure which of the 3 women you were referncing.


That woman is a city, known as Satan's Babylon, Jerusalem during the 3 1/2 days the two witnesses are dead:
Re:17:18:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,
which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

 

[eleos1954]

I wasn't sure which of the 3 women you were referncing.


That woman is a city, known as Satan's Babylon, Jerusalem during the 3 1/2 days the two witnesses are dead:
Re:17:18:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city,
which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 17 Commentary