What does Revelation chapter 12 mean?

Question

In Revelation chapter 12, the woman is described as "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1). Note the similarity between this description and the description that Joseph gave of his father Jacob (Israel) and his mother and their children (Genesis 37:9-11). The stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. So, the woman in Revelation 12 is Israel.

Answer 1

Israel-that's what I get. But this is heavy stuff. You need some theological foundation to study deep.

Answer 2

This is not "actual Israel" but "spiritual Israel, or Christians who have been circumscied in their hearts and not in their flesh"

Spiritual Israel gave birth to Christ's Kingdom which was rescued and sent into the desert to grow into maturity and be safe. As an "adult" it would return and complete its rule putting Satan in the abyss and ruling on Earth forever.

However, first Satan must be cast out of Heaven for "a short time" so that he can bring conditions about on the earth to the apocalypse. This is why God says in the Book of Revelation, that if He did not "cut short the day of His return, all life would be lost."

It can not be Israel today as Israel only has 2 tribes. All the other tribes were lost 500 years before christ and have NEVER been found.

Answer 3

You need to look at the whole chapter of Revelation 12. Yes the Woman stands for Israel. But what I think it's saying and I may be wrong, it is pertaining to the whole Nation of Israel, not just Jacob. The Red Dragon of course is Satan, and the Male child that is mentioned in Revelation chapter 12 refers to Christ. Israel was God's chosen people and Christ came from one of the tribes of Israel, which was the tribe of Judah, and Satan was and still is at war with God's people which not only includes the Israelites, but it also includes those of us who have put our faith in Christ.

Answer 4

Do you know something, I came to this area of yahoo answers to see what people were saying in this day and age about religion.

One thing that I have found is that when someone asks a legitimate question about the bible there are lots of religous people whose answers make it seem like the bible is full of cryptic clues.

They take a passage from the bible, relate it to whatever they want, and then say it must be true because it is the word of God.

Why have these people not got the common sense they were born with?

Answer 5

The woman is the church as is the symbolism in the Bible that a woman represents a church as the bride having affection for the bridegroom or Jesus Christ.

The woman in Revelation is the New Jerusalem or New Church which believes that Jesus Christ is indeed the Lord of lords and King of kings.

http://www.mechanicsburgnewchurch.org

Answer 6

the woman is the remenent israel their standing on the moon which are gods holy sabbaths and holy days festivals which are in lev. 23 those are the ones who use gods calrndar the moon is for appointed timesr thewoman is shinning the 12 stars are the 12 tribes of israel gods remenant people

Answer 7

This was St. John the Revelator's vision of The Blessed Virgin Mary,

Answer 8

Pretty good Guy. Pretty close. It's actually the heavenly Jerusalem

Answer 9

http://www.gotquestions.org/Revelation-chapter-12.html

Answer 10

http://www.biblesforamerica.org/
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