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"What is the meaning of the 12th Chapter of the book of Revelation?"

The woman in Revelation 12 represents "Eretz Yisrael," the Land of Israel!

This symbolic woman is one of four symbolic women in the book of Jesus' Revelation to John, and "she" does not represent Mary.

If the woman represents Mary, whom in defiance of Holy Scripture, the entire Roman Catholic Institution has always claimed remained a perpetual virgin throughout her entire life, then who are "the rest of her offspring" described in Revelation 12:17?

Revelation 12 – The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon
A. The woman.
1. (1) The woman is described in celestial images.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.

a. Now a great sign appeared: This is the first of seven signs that John relates, and is described as a great sign (mega semeion). In Revelation chapters 12, 13, and 14 the main figures of the Great Tribulation are described, and this great sign introduces the first of the seven:

· The woman, representing Israel
· The dragon, representing Satan
· The man-child, referring to Jesus
· The angel Michael, head of the angelic host
· The offspring of the woman, representing the Jews of modern Israel
· The beast out of the sea, representing the antichrist
· The beast out of the earth, representing the false prophet who promotes the antichrist

b. A woman clothed with the sun: Because John plainly said this is a sign, we don’t expect this woman to appear literally on the earth. God will use this sign to communicate something to John and to us. Women often represent religious systems in the book of Revelation.

· Jezebel is associated with a religious system promoting false teaching (Revelation 2:20)
· The Great Harlot is associated with false man-made religion (Revelation 17:2)
· The Bride is associated with all true believers as the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-8)

c. A woman clothed with the sun: This woman has been associated with many different religious ideas. Roman Catholics claim this woman is Mary, whom they picture as the “Queen of Heaven,” a symbolic phrase appearing in the Bible to condemn earth goddess worship as idolatrous Astrological Planetary worship of the sun, moon, planets and stars. (Think horoscopes.)
Mary Baker Eddy (the apostate founder of the cult of Christian Science) said she was this woman.

i. It is common in Roman Catholic "art" to represent Mary as standing on a crescent moon with twelve stars around her head.

d. A woman clothed with the sun: Scripturally, this woman clothed with the sun must be identified with Israel, according to Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37:9-11). In that dream, the sun represented Jacob, the moon represented Joseph’s mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were the sons of Israel which bowed down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now among the other tribes of Israel.

i. In other Old Testament passages, Israel (or Zion or Jerusalem) is often represented as a woman (Isaiah 54:1-6, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezekiel 16:8-14, and Hosea 2:19-20).

2. (2) The woman gives birth.

Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

a. Being with child: Later in the chapter, it is clear that this child born of Israel is Jesus (She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, Revelation 12:5).

b. She cried out in labor and in pain to give birth: The pain described refers to the travail of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth (under Roman occupation and oppression and the murderous King Herod).
B. The dragon.
1. (3) A fearful, powerful dragon appears.

And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.

a. Another sign appeared in heaven: Again, we are reminded that this is a sign. The creature here was not literally a great, fiery red dragon, but the dragon represented his nature and character.

i. His description “symbolically suggests his fierce power and murderous nature . . . a picture of the fullness of evil in all its hideous strength.” (Johnson)

b. Seven diadems on his heads: This dragon had great power (seven heads and ten horns) and claimed royal authority (seven diadems). The crowns represent his presumptive claims of royal authority against the true King. He wants to be considered a king.

i. “From the similar description given in 13:1 and the parallel references in Daniel 7:7-8, 2, it is clear that the revived Roman Empire is in view . . . The seven heads and ten horns refer to the original ten kingdoms of which three were subdued by the little horn of Daniel 7:8, who is to be identified with the world ruler of the great tribulation who reigns over the revived Roman Empire.” (Walvoord)
2. (4) The dragon looks to the earth.

His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.

a. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven: Many believe this describes one-third of the angelic host in league with Satan (his angels of Revelation 12:9). This army of angelic beings in league with Satan makes up the world of demonic spirits.

i. “God never made an evil being; but He made angels, principalities, and powers capacitated for mighty joys and distinctions in His glorious domain, yet with free will, implied in the very creation of moral beings, which they could exercise for their everlasting weal or woe. Many have remained steadfast, to wit, ‘Michael and his angels.’ But some abode not in the truth, but revolted against the rule of Heaven, and became unchanging enemies of God and His Kingdom.” (Seiss)

b. To devour her Child as soon as it was born: The attempt to devour her Child was initially fulfilled by Herod’s attempts to kill Jesus as a child (Matthew 2:16-18). It was also fulfilled throughout Jesus’ life as Satan attacked Him (John 8:58 and Mark 4:35-41).
C. The child.
1. (5) Jesus’ ministry is described by its earthly beginning and end.

She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

a. A male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: Clearly, this refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He rules the world with a rod of iron (Psalm 2 and Revelation 19:15).

b. She bore a male Child: This refers to Jesus’ birth. Rule all nations with a rod of iron refers to the triumphant return of Jesus. By stating the starting point and ending point of Jesus’ earthly work, John alluded to all that stood in between.

i. “After a conflict with the Prince of this world, who came and tried Him, but found nothing in Him, the Son of the woman was taken up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God. Words can hardly be plainer than these.” (Alford)

c. A male Child: This is obviously Jesus. This means that the woman of Revelation 12:1 cannot be the church, because Jesus “gives birth” to the church, not the other way around. The woman must therefore either be Mary or Israel, the only two “women” who could have “given birth” to Jesus. The rest of Revelation 12 will demonstrate that this woman is Israel, not Mary.
2. (6) The woman in the wilderness.

Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

a. Then the woman fled into the wilderness: Persecuted by the dragon, the woman is protected by God in a prepared place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days

This helps us to understand with certainty that the woman represents the residents of the revived land of Israel, and not Mary. How could Mary who is physically dead, buried, and awaiting resurrection, flee into the wilderness in this way?

b. One thousand two hundred and sixty days: This reference to a three and one-half year period connects these events with the final seven years of the Daniel 9 prophecy. Since Revelation 12:5 describes the ascension of Jesus, and Revelation 12:6 describes yet-to-occur events in the 70th week of Daniel, between these two verses lies hundreds of years (our current period). This obvious “near-far” break in time is typical of prophecy. Daniel’s seventy week prophecy has such a break (Daniel 9:24-27).

c. Into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God: Some believe this place in the wilderness is the rock city of Petra, south of the Dead Sea. Reportedly, Christian businessmen have stocked the place with food and evangelistic tracts written in Hebrew.

d. Prepared in the wilderness: "Prepared" uses the same ancient Greek word Jesus used in, "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2-3). This demonstrates that God’s careful planning works on earth as well as in heaven.

Notes:

In Revelation chapter 12, John sees a vision of a symbolic woman "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1). This is the description that Joseph gave of the sun referring to his father, Jacob, whom God renamed Israel, the name divinely bestowed on Jacob at Peniel Gen 32:28) and of the moon to his mother, Rachel and their children (Genesis 37:9-11), the woman represents the land of Israel. The twelve stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel, originating with the sons of Jacob and Rachel (Gen 37:9-11).

Revelation 12:3 The seven heads and ten horns correspond to the heads and horns of the beast in 17:3, and to those of the beast in Daniel 7:7 as well. Daniel’s description reveals that the ten horns are ten kings who temporarily reign with the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation (Daniel 17:12).

Revelation 12:2-5 speaks of this symbolic woman being with child and giving birth. Jesus, the son of David from the tribe of Judah, came from Israel. In that sense, Israel brought forth — Christ Jesus. Verse 5 says that the woman’s child was "a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne." This is describing Jesus, - referring to the ascension of Christ to heaven following His death and resurrection. Jesus ascended to heaven (Acts 1:9-11) and will one day establish His kingdom on earth (Revelation 20:4-6), and He will rule it with perfect judgment (the “rod of iron”; Psalm 2:7-9).

The woman’s flight into the wilderness for 1,260 days refers to the future time called the Great Tribulation. Twelve hundred, sixty days is 42 months (of 30 days each), which is the same as 3 1/2 years. Halfway through the Tribulation period, the Beast (the Antichrist) will set an image of himself up in the temple that will be built in Jerusalem.

This is the abomination that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:15 and Mark 13:14. When the Beast does this, he breaks the peace pact he had made with Israel, and the nation of Israel has to flee for safety - possibly to Petra (also see Matthew 24; Daniel 9:27). This escape of the Jews is pictured as the woman fleeing into the wilderness.

Revelation 12:9 The Greek for devil is diabolos, which is actually a translation of Satan, a Hebrew word meaning “adversary” or “accuser.” The Greek word additionally carries with it the concept of “slanderer.”

Revelation 12:10 This is the activity of Satan from which he has earned his name. The activity is most clearly seen in Job 1-2 and in Zechariah 3.

Revelation 20:1-3, 10, also reveals that God will protect Israel in the wilderness.
Revelation 12:14 says Israel will be protected from the devil for "a time, times, and half a time (“a time” = 1 year; “times” = 2 years; “half a time” = one-half year; in other words, 3 1/2 years).
Revelation 12:12-17 speaks of how the devil will make war against Israel, trying to destroy her (Satan knows his time is short, relatively speaking.