Why Satan Hates A Good-Looking Woman (Revelation 12:1-17) Series

Today, we have the privilege of working through Revelation 12. This chapter is going to have a different feel, than much of what we've read so far. We've gotten used to working with symbols, and images, and not taking things literally. And that hasn't changed. But what's different today, is the "when." We've gotten used to the idea that Revelation explains the present, and the future. But Revelation 12 begins by describing the very distant past. We will find ourselves traveling backward in time, thousands of years. And this past, revolves around four main entities: God, God's people, Satan, and Jesus. Eventually, we will find ourselves talking about the present, and the future. But it will be a process. And that process basically answers one question: "How did God's people find themselves here, loved by God, attacked by Satan?"

Let's start by reading 12:1:

(1) and a great sign appeared in heaven:

a woman clothed with the sun (like God; Psalm 104:2; h/t Koester),

and the moon under her feet (Revelation 3:9; 10:2; 22:8; Matt 22:44; Ps 8:7; h/t Koester)

and upon her head a crown of 12 stars (sort of an adaptation of Genesis 37:7-11?),

John begins chapter 12 by telling us that he saw a sign in heaven. This tells us what we are about to read, is some type of symbol. A sign, by itself, is not the main thing. A sign points to something else, in symbolic language. My hope is that at this point in the book, reading symbolically has become second nature. But at any rate, this is a sign, and not something to try to press literally.

The sign that John sees, is a woman. But this is no ordinary woman. She's magnificent. She's clothed with the sun, a bit like God. The moon under her feet suggests cosmic dominion, and authority. And the crown on her head, with 12 stars, suggests something along the same lines.

Now, this combo of the moon under her feet, and 12 stars, probably makes us think about Genesis 37:5-11. Let's turn there (NRSV updated no reason):

5 Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Listen to this dream that I dreamed. 7 There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.

9 He had another dream and told it to his brothers, saying, “Look, I have had another dream: the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What kind of dream is this that you have had? Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers, and bow to the ground before you?” 11 So his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

What John sees, and what Joseph dreamed, are not quite the same thing. But the links steer us to understanding who the woman is.

She sounds a lot like an ideal version of Israel. 12 tribes, cosmic authority, glorious, powerful.

Now, we read this, and we kind of pause. We know that this is not often what Israel ended up looking like. This is maybe Israel, on her very best day. But this picture, is how God wants Israel to look. Or, just maybe, this is how God sees Israel, despite her flaws. We will just have to keep reading, and see :) So the woman is Israel. And I say this, sincerely. But I also say this, baiting you, and messing with you :)

Verse 2:

(2) and in her womb having [=pregnant, "in her womb is focused in Greek],

and she is crying out (Isaiah 26:17; Isaiah 66:7-8; Jeremiah 4:31; Micah 4:9-10),

having birth pains,

and being tortured/tormented to give birth,

What we see here, is that the woman, Israel, is in labor.

And this symbolism, of Israel being a woman in labor, is a common one in the OT. We read this, and it reassures us that we are on the right track. I put several OT verses in the translation, but let's read just two of them. The first, is Micah 4:9-10 (NRSV updated no reason):

Micah 4:9-10:

Now why do you cry aloud?

Is there no king in you?

Has your counselor perished,

that pangs have seized you like a woman in labor?

10 Writhe and groan,[a] O daughter Zion,