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Who were the woman and the dragon in Rev. 12?
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
Revelation 12:1 - 6
NKJV - 1 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. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
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Asked June 02 2014
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Ashley Morris
Supporter
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Singapore Moses
Supporter
Who is the woman? 1. "Israel" is often spoken of as a woman married to God under the terms of the old covenant (Isa. 54: 1- 6 Jer. 3: 1- 14 Hos. 2: 14- 23). 2. The church is already raptured at this point (Rev. 4: 1). Therefore, the church could not be the sun- clothed woman of Rev. 12. 3. The false church is spoken of as a woman, a great whore (Rev. 17), but this could not be the sun- clothed woman. 4. The Bible mentions only 3 classes of people today: the church, the Jews, and the Gentiles (1Cor. 10: 32). At the middle of Daniel's 70th week when the woman travails and brings forth the man- child, the church has been gone from the earth for at least 3 1/2 years (notes, Rev. 4: 1). This leaves only 2 classes after the rapture: Jews and Gentiles. The woman could not symbolize the Gentiles, because they are the ones persecuting her. Therefore, the woman must symbolize national Israel. By the term " Israel" we mean national Israel, or Israel as a nation, not as scattered among the nations. Israel now has been a nation since 1948. Many Jews will continue in all lands until they are completely gathered at the second coming (Mt. 24:29- 31 Isa. 11:11- 12 Ezek. 37). 5. Israel is the one primarily dealt with in Rev. 4-- Rev. 19, not the church (see pt. 10, Ten Proofs the Rapture Takes Place in Rev. Chapter 4 Verse 1). 6. The sun, moon, and 12 stars symbolize Israel, as proved in Gen. 37:9- 11. 7. The Jews are the only people in Scripture spoken of as going through travail in the last days (Rev. 12:2- 5 Mt. 24:8; Mk. 13:8; Isa. 66:7- 8 Jer. 30:6- 9 Mic. 5:3; Zech. 12:10-- Zech. 13:1). 8. Israel is identified as the woman by the wars against her and her seed. The same predictions of this woman are found in connection with Israel in the Old Testament so they must be the same (Dan. 7:21; 8:9- 14, 24- 25 9:27; 11:40- 45 12:1, 7; Joel 3; Zech. 12:1- 9 13:8- 9 14:1- 21). 9. The whole 70th week of Daniel 9:27 concerns Israel and Jerusalem, as did the first 69 weeks (Dan. 9:24- 27). The church did not once mention in connection with these last day events. 10. The persecution, flight, and protection of the woman in the wilderness prove her to be Israel (Rev. 12:6, 13- 16). Who is the dragon? Used 13 times in Revelation as a symbol of Satan (Rev. 12:3-17; 13:2-4,11 Job 41). His 7 heads are crowned (Rev. 12:3), symbolizing his rule over the 7 nations preceding the Antichrist kingdom. The 7 heads on the beast are not crowned (Rev. 13:1), meaning that the Antichrist has not ruled the 7 kingdoms preceding his, the 8th kingdom (Rev. 17:8-11)
Vincent Mercado
Supporter
A pregnant woman who gives birth to the child who will "rule the nations with a rod of iron" (Psalm 2:9) - that's Mary giving birth to Jesus. And the dragon (enraged at the woman, waged war against her children (John 19:27), that is, the followers of Jesus) - can only be Satan.
Rotimi EWEDEMI
Supporter
The identity of the dragon is revealed in Revelation 12:9 as follows: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan,.. he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him". (Revelation 12:9 KJV). The identity of the woman needs some research in the Bible. First, we should appreciate that the woman in Genesis 3:15 is the same entity as the woman in Revelation 12. How so? Genesis 3:15 prophesied enmity between the Serpent and the woman and Revelation12 indicated that the Dragon was or is at enmity with the woman. The dragon and serpent are same entity. So the enmity between the two have continued throughout the ages. Second, we need to realize that the Serpent and the Dragon are symbolic; not literal. The "woman" too is symbolic; "she" is not a literal being. Third, the Serpent/Dragon represents a powerful spiritual entity- Satan the Devil- likewise the woman must represent a powerful spiritual entity. Fourth, for a long lasting enmity, the woman must necessarily be "alive" until now since obviously the Serpent is still alive and active. The above four facts must necessarily lead one to conclude that the woman cannot be Eve and cannot be Mary. But who is she! Perhaps a knowledge of the identity of the Seed of the woman in Genesis and the male child of the woman in Revelation 12 may be a guide. A. The Seed of the woman in Genesis 3 is the means of deliverance of mankind from slavery to sin and death when Serpent is crushed under his feet. Jesus Christ is the Seed of the woman. However, the Seed is composite; Jesus is the Primary part while some humans constitute the Seconday part, See Romans 16:20. "And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17 KJV). B. Jesus, the Seed of the woman is also the seed of Abraham, Galatians 3:16. But Abraham's Seed is also composite; Jesus is Primary part, while some humans constitute the secondary part: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:26 - 29 (KJV). C. Now, we come to the male child born of the woman in Revelation 12. Let us note that 1. the child was snatched up by God and put on his throne. 2. The child is to rule all nations with an iron scepter. Was that Child Jesus Christ? Did that record refer to the birth of Jesus by Mary? NO! But even though that child was not Jesus as a person, Jesus has a major role to play in what that child is! How so? "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron...even as I received of my Father..." (Revelation 2:26 - 28(KJV). "Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations...I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28 - 30 (KJV). "And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation...and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ:... (Revelation 12:10 KJV). Clearly then, the birth of that child symbolizes the birth of the kingdom that will rule the world! The kingdom is in the hand of the seed of the woman/seed of Abraham...Jesus and Saints of God, Daniel 7:13/14; 18,21/22. The woman is Jerusalem above: "But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother (Galatians 4:26 ASV). She is God's symbolic wife, ISAIAH 54:11-13. She is God's universal organization of spirit creatures that acts as his wife, in serving and producing offspring!
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