The Woman Of Revelation 12

The Woman of Revelation 12

The Lord Jesus Christ, addressing the faithful Israelites who will be in the land of Judea at the mid-point of the 70th Week of Daniel said these words:

“When ye therefore shall see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads let him understand) Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not on the Sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:15-21)

This admonition from the Lord will apply to all the saints of that day, as the Antichrist’s worldwide persecution will escalate at the mid-point of the 70th Week of Daniel for it is clearly described as:

“war with the saints” (Daniel 7:21; Revelation 13:7).

His warning in this verse directly applies to the faithful of Judea. As the Lord Jesus indicated in Matthew 24:21, this spiritual and physical warfare will be the most intensive time of affliction for the saints in the history of the world. Satan’s great wrath (Revelation 12:12), the Great Tribulation, will be focused upon the people of Israel as recorded in Revelation 12:1-17.

It is in this chapter where the symbolic title “the woman” is found referring to those faithful Israelites during the 70th Week of Daniel:

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” (Revelation 12:1, 2)

The “woman” is clothed in the most brilliant heavenly attire, standing upon the moon, with her crown of twelve stars symbolizing the twelve tribes, or twelve sons of Israel. She is about to give birth to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the process fulfill the primary purpose for her existence:

“And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her Child as soon as it was born.” (Revelation 12:3, 4)

Satan is the great red dragon. He casts one third of the stars to the earth displaying his furor followed by his confrontation of the woman in a vain attempt to destroy her Child, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind. In the next verse the Lord Jesus’ history is given in a brief but significant synopsis:

“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 His throne.” (Revelation 12:5)

The Lord’s past incarnation through physical birth, His future role as the earthly King of kings, and His present exalted position at the right hand of God are clearly highlighted. Then, the focus turns upon the actions of those faithful of Israel in response to the Lord Jesus Christ’s warning:

“And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and three score days.” (Revelation 12:6)

In that day, at the mid-point of the 70th Week of Daniel, when Satan’s assault on the faithful intensifies, “the woman” will flee from population centers and take refuge in the protective environment prepared by God Himself.

In Revelation 12:7-12 open war breaks out in heaven and Michael and his angels are victorious over Satan and his angels, with the result being Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven unto the earth. The devil, now knowing he has only a short time, brings forth his “great wrath” upon the faithful:

And when the dragon saw that he was cast into the earth, he

persecuted the woman, which brought forth the Man Child. And to the woman were given two wings of [the] great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”(Revelation 12:13)

Satan’s immediate response upon being cast out of heaven is the persecution of “the woman”, but she is supernaturally rescued. She is given protection from the place of affliction to a secret abode in the wilderness made ready by the Lord.