The Woman in Revelation 12 Symbolism

Symbolism in Revelation: The Woman in Revelation 12

The Woman in Revelation 12: Symbolism

The book of Revelations is regarded as one of the most difficult books to interpret. Different interpretations have been put forth, with some arguing that the events prophesied therein came to pass with the destruction of Jerusalem, and others arguing that the events are yet to be actualized. This text examines chapter 12 of the book of Revelation and analyzes how the imagery presented therein has been interpreted under different approaches.

The Woman in the Wilderness: Revelation Chapter 12

Scholars differ on whether what is being unveiled in Revelations is the future or the past, and whether the symbols are tied to specific historical events in the past. These opposing views give rise to the three different interpretation approaches for the book of Revelation: the preterits approach, the futurist approach and the idealist approach. Preterits subscribe to the viewpoint that the prophecies unveiled in Revelation came to pass in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A. D. Futurists, on the other hand, believe that the events unveiled in Revelation are yet to take place. Idealists shift away from the timing debate, and believe that the events and symbols in Revelations are not tied to any historical occurrences -- the imagery in the book simply depicts the ongoing struggle between good and evil throughout history. The subsequent sections of this text examine how John's vision of the woman presented in Revelation chapter 12 can be interpreted under each of these approaches.

John's Vision in Revelation chapter 12

In this chapter, John sees a vision of a "woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (12:1). The woman is with child, and is crying and wailing as her child is being delivered (Pataki, 2007). A dragon with seven crowns, ten horns and seven heads, however, awaits to devour the woman's child one it is born. The woman gives birth to a male child, whom God gave control to rule all nations with a rod of iron (12: 5). The woman, in a bid to protect her child from the dragon, flees into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place for them, and where they live for a thousand two hundred and threescore days (three and a half years). God commands His angels and archangels to fight against the dragon (12: 7-8). The dragon is defeated, and is cast out of heaven into the earth together with his angels (Pataki, 2007). The dragon continues to persecute the woman that brought forth the male child; he cast out of his mouth water as a flood to sweep the woman away. However, God continues to protect the woman against the dragon and to save her, and her offspring from the dragon's wrath (Pataki, 2011).

We are interested in examining how the woman in the wilderness in this vision is interpreted, and what she is taken to symbolize under each of the three approaches identified earlier on.

The Idealist Approach: the idealist approach believes that the symbols used in Revelation are not tied to any historical occurrences; rather, they represent the ongoing struggle between good and evil throughout history (Chambers, 2010). Under this approach, the church is in a constant fight with evil -- the saints are persecuted for their faith and their belief in God (Chambers, 2010). The idealist approach, therefore, takes the woman in the wilderness to represent the church, and the dragon to represent the forces of evil. The two are in a constant struggle, but God always vindicates His church.

The Preterits Approach: this approach takes the woman in the passage as representing Israel; however, the Israel represented here is Israel in the past, before the destruction of Jerusalem. The nation of Israel faces persecution from its adversaries such as Babylon and the Roman Empire, but God comes through and offers His protection to His chosen nation. The woman's flight into the wilderness is taken to symbolize the flight of the Judean Christians from Jerusalem during the destruction.

The Futurist Approach: this approach, like the futurist approach, equates the woman in the passage with Israel, both in the past and in the future. The child that she gives birth is Jesus Christ, and the other fruits of her womb are the saints and faithful Christians, the remnants of Israel. The woman's fleeing into the wilderness represents the remnants' escape from the Antichrist's persecution (Rhodes, 2000).