You Can Understand the Book of Revelation by Skip Heitzig

Author:Skip Heitzig
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736943321
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

The Splendorous Woman (12:1-2)

At the opening of Revelation 12 we are introduced to a woman. John says of this woman that “a great sign appeared in heaven.” For the first time in his vision, John sees something “great” or awesome, indicated by his use of the Greek term mega. He uses the same word to describe the dragon mentioned in verse 3, the dragon’s “wrath” in verse 12, and an eagle in verse 14. Everything John sees in this vision is massive: a mega-woman, a mega-dragon, mega-wrath, and a mega-eagle.

This “great sign” is not a literal woman, but a symbol that points to a larger reality. Revelation describes four symbolic women in addition to this one: Jezebel, who represents paganism (chapter 2); the scarlet whore, who represents apostate religion in the end times (chapter 17); and the wife of the Lamb, who represents the church (chapter 19). This woman in chapter 12, depicted with the sun, the moon, and the twelve stars (v. 1), represents the nation of Israel. Her appearance instantly reminds us of Joseph’s dreams in Genesis 37.

The Bible frequently calls Israel a woman, and sometimes refers to her as the wife of God (too often an unfaithful wife). It should not surprise us, then, to find Israel at center stage in all of redemptive history; after all, God promised a Messianic kingdom to the Hebrews. And because they’re God’s chosen people, they often have become God’s hassled people. So we see this woman in pain, in travail, recalling the prophet Jeremiah’s name for this turbulent period of world history: “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).

The woman is pregnant (v. 2) and gives birth to a male child. This helps us to realize she can’t symbolize the church, for the church was already raptured before the Tribulation, and at this time is in heaven and not pregnant.

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