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Who's That Woman?  The Identity Of The Woman In Revelation Chapter Twelve In Revelation chapter twelve John is given a sign in heaven of a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she is with child and being in labor crying out in pain to give birth. Before her stands a dragon so that when she does give birth he might devour her child. In verse five she gives birth to a male child and he is described as "one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron (an obvious reference to Jesus Christ (Ps. 2; Rev. 19) . We are then told that the child is not devoured by the dragon but is caught up to God and to His throne (place of divine authority); while the woman flees into the wilderness where a place is prepared for her by God, so that there she might be nourished for 1260 days. Meanwhile Michael and his angels wage war with the dragon. Certainly the identification of this woman is key to the interpretation of this passage. Some modern day cults have pressed an interpretation to identify her as their particular leader, but Scripture does not permit such wild vagaries, so we will examine the main three: Roman Catholicism Romanism espouses the dogmatic doctrine called the "Assumption of Mary" which is based not on Biblical revelation but on the "recommended reasonableness" that our Lord would not permit the sacred body in which He Himself dwelt to become prey to corruption. However, Scripture is silent regarding the death of Mary and the tradition of her "Assumption," i.e., the notion that after her death she was body and soul assumed into heavenly glory. And the doctrine is virtually unknown to the early Church. The story is first found in some late fourth century Apocryphal writings entitled, "The Passing of Mary," "The Obsequies of Mary," and "The Book of the Passing of the Blessed Virgin." But those writings were condemned as spurious in the decretals attributed to Pope Gelasius at the end of the fifth century (Migne, Patrologiae Latinae, p. 59, 162). It was Gregory of Tours (d. 594 A.D.) who was the first "orthodox" writer to accept them as authentic, and on Nov. 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the extra-biblical tradition as an article of the faith revealed by God, which if denied would incur the wrath of the Almighty God and the holy apostles (Munificentissimus Deus, 1950, Acta Apostolicae Sedis, XLII). 1 So in order to find some Biblical backing for this church dogma, Roman apologists lift the Revelation twelve passage completely out of context and assign the identity of the woman to Mary after her assumption into heaven where she is revealed in all her glory as "Queen of Heaven," "Mother of all life" (she being the "second Eve"), and the exalted "Mediatrix of our redemption." In fact the imagery of her clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars is reflected on innumerable statues of her around the world. However, the only thing found in common with Mary and the woman of chapter twelve is motherhood. A close look at the passage reveals that it is the son, to whom she gives birth, that is caught up to God and His heavenly throne (vs. 5) -- not the woman. In verse one the woman is a called a "sign" which appears in heaven (like the dragon in verse three), but the action associated with the sign is actually earthly. The text says nothing about the woman ascending into heaven to acquire a heavenly position. The passage goes on to say that the woman, after giving birth to the male child, flees into the wilderness for 1260 days to a place prepared by God and there she is cared for by Him (vs. 6). According to the Gospel accounts, such events never transpired in the life of Mary following the birth of Jesus. She was never persecuted, never fled into the wilderness, and was never nourished there by God for 1260 days. Also, the Roman Catholic (not Biblical) doctrine that Mary was "immaculately conceived," i.e., conceived without "original sin," actually conflicts with their interpretation of the woman being Mary. The passage says that the woman "cried out being in labor and pain to give birth." The Bible reveals that labor and pain in child birth are part of God's judgment on sinners (Gen. 3:15-16). Hence, based on their own tradition regarding Mary's "sinlessness," the imagery of the woman presented in chapter 12 cannot accomodate Rome's concept of Mary. So in conclusion, it is not only an exegetical impossibility for Rome to assign the identity of the woman in Revelation chapter 12 to Mary, it also flies in the face of their own traditional teaching regarding her so-called, "Immaculate Conception." Amillennialism Commentators who adhere to Reform Theology and are Amillennial in their eschatology, build their interpretation on what is called the allegorizing principle of interpretation. They identify the woman as the Church travailing to bring Christ to the nations: Matthew Henry's Commentary on Revelation chapter 12 depicts the woman as the Church, and the child she gives birth to are the saints: "The church is represented, (1) As a woman, the spouse of Christ, and the mother of the saints. (2) As clothed with the sun. Having put on Christ, who is the Sun of righteousness, she shines in his rays. (3) As having the moon under her feet. Her heart and hope are not set upon sublunary things, but on the things that are in heaven, where her head is. (4) As having on her head a crown of twelve stars, that is, the doctrine of the gospel preached by the twelve apostles. (5) As in travail and now in pain, to bring forth a holy progeny to Christ." 2 True to form the allegorist presents in words a beautiful picture of the Church, but one must avoid the literal text in order to agree with this interpretation. He calls the woman in chapter twelve "the spouse of Christ and the mother of the saints." But the text identifies the woman not as a "spouse" but as an expectant mother who gives birth to a male child who is to rule the nations with a rod of iron and is caught up to God and His throne (vs. 5). A definite reference to Jesus Christ. The Church did not give birth to Christ, it is Christ who gave birth to the Church. And if, as they say, the woman is the Church and her birth child the saints, then how is it possible for her to give birth to the very ones who themselves make up the Church (the saints down through the ages)? According to this contradictory interpretation the woman would be simultaneously the mother (the Church) and the child she gives birth to (the saints who make up the Church). The context itself cannot support the allegorical identification of the woman since the Church, in the Book of Revelation, is not seen on earth after chapter three. The Woman and National Israel Dispensational Premillennialists identify the woman of chapter twelve as representing national Israel. There are several sound reasons to support this interpretation: 1. In chapters eleven through fourteen the prophetic book is dealing specifically with the nation of Israel. Both the city of Jerusalem and its Temple are in focus. And to support the idea that God is again dealing with the nation of Israel, the temple (lit. sanctuary) of God in heaven is opened revealing the ark of the covenant. A sign that God has not forgotten His unconditional covenant relationship with that nation. 2. The woman in Rev. chapter twelve is said to be clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. These symbols were frequently used in the Old Testament in association with national Israel (Jer. 31:35-36), and especially in Gen. 37:9-10 where they are seen as a direct reference to Jacob and his sons, the progenitors of the covenant nation. In Ps. 89:35-37 God makes an everlasting covenant with King David stating that his throne will endure as the sun before Him and be established forever like the moon. 3. On the woman's head is a crown of twelve stars which represents the twelve tribes of Israel. And the fact that they are set in a crown (Gr. stephanos) on the woman's head signifies Israel's future triumph through Christ on earth during the coming Millennial reign when the Son will rule the nations (cf. Rev. 12:5) from David's throne in Jerusalem (Lk. 1:32-33; Is. 49:1-13; Zech. 1:14-17; 2:8-13; 8:1-8, 20-23; 14:16). 4. The Church is called a "bride," or a chaste virgin, but it is Israel that is referred to in Scripture as a "woman" (Is. 54:5-6; Jer. 4:31; Mic. 4:9-10). 5. The symbol of the dragon standing before the woman is revealed as Satan (12:9), and in the Old Testament Satan is pictured as national Israel's adversary (1 Chron. 21:1; Zech. 3:1-2) as well as that of Israel's Messiah (the male child the woman gives birth to) during His earthly ministry (Lk. 4:13). 6. The woman flees into the wilderness where she is nourished for 1260 days, the equivalent of three and a half years or forty-two months (cf. Rev. 11:1-3). These terms are used prophetically in Scripture either for the first half or the last half of the "Seventieth Week of Daniel," in Dan. 9:24-27. A prophecy specifically addressed to Daniel and his people, Israel (Dan. 9:24). In the latter part of the seventieth week a remnant of Israel will flee into the wilderness to escape the persecution of Antichrist, who is called "the son of destruction," "the lawless one," and "whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan" (2 Thess. 2:1-12; cf. Rev. 12:4, 9). Jesus, in the Olivet discourse, warned the people of this time which would occur just prior to His return to set up His earthly, Millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:15-22). 7. Michael the archangel is called the guardian over the sons of Israel in Dan. 12:1. And he will arise at that time of national Israel's tribulation (Dan. 12:1; cf. Rev. 12:7). J. Dwight Pentecost quotes William Moorehead: "In xi:19 we read: "And the temple (sanctuary) of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of the covenant." This is strictly Jewish ground; the temple, the ark, the covenant belong to Israel, represent Hebrew relations with God and Hebrew privileges. The Spirit now takes up Jewish things, Jewish standing, covenant, hopes, dangers, tribulations and triumph." 3 Pentecost himself concludes: "The woman can be none other than Israel, with whom God has His covenants, and to whom those covenants will be fulfilled." 4 Footnotes: 1. Baker's Dictionary of Theology, Baker 2. Matthew Henry's Commentary In One Volume, Zondervan 3. Things To Come, J. Dwight Pentecost, Zondervan 4. Ibid Written by Gary Nystrom