Who is the "woman" described in Revelation 12:1-6?

Ted's Response:

In most of Chapters 12-14 of Revelation, John makes another restatement of the second half of the 70th Week (just as he did in Chapter 11). Initially, however, two "signs" are seen—a "woman" and an "enormous red dragon"—indicating that they are not literal but, rather, are symbolic of other things, which were present in the world long ago.

A "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head" is seen (Revelation 12:1). To help identify her, first consider Adam and Eve. Eve came out of Adam and became his wife. Likewise, the written and spoken Law came out of God, with the religious system of Judaism becoming the initial manifestation of that Law. The initial embodiment of Judaism was the first family of Israel: Jacob (the "sun"), Rachel (the "moon"), and Jacob's twelve sons (the "twelve stars")—Genesis 37:9,10. The son of the woman—and the Son of God—who came into the world was Jesus Christ (1 John 4:14,15), "who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter"; Satan (the red dragon) attempted to destroy the woman's son (Jesus), via crucifixion; but Jesus was resurrected and taken up to God's throne in heaven (Revelation 12:4b,5).

In a sense, this "woman" is the earthly city of Jerusalem, since the Israelites were the embodiment of the woman, and their primary dwelling place was Jerusalem. Jerusalem was considered to be the "wife" or "bride" of God (Jeremiah 2:2); however, she was an "adulterous wife" (Ezekiel 16:32). Therefore, the New Jerusalem, the capital city of heaven, will become the perfect "Bride" of the Lamb of God when it comes out of heaven—after a new heavens and a new earth have been created (Revelation 21:1,2,9,10) by God (see old and new Creations). Within the New Jerusalem will dwell "those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (21:27)

Incidentally, I do not believe that this "woman" is symbolic of Christianity or the Church, a view which is embraced by some Christians. The Church did not "replace" Israel; at a future time, Israel (Zion) will receive all of the blessings promised to her millennia ago by God (Isaiah 45:17, 51:2,3,16; Jeremiah 50:4,5; Ezekiel 36:1–37:28).

The woman, as embodied by a remnant of her Israeli "offspring," will flee into the desert, to be protected by God, for 1,260 days (Revelation 12:6)—that is, for the last 3½ years of the 70th Week. Just as God reserved and protected a remnant of Israelites who were true to Him in the day of Elijah (1 Kings 19:18), so He will protect a remnant in the future. This endangered remnant, fleeing the land of Judea, parallels what Jesus spoke about in His Olivet Discourse:

So when you see standing in the holy place "the abomination that causes desolation," spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress [great tribulation], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again (Matthew 24:15-21).

Other than the fleeing remnant, the remainder of the woman's "offspring" are "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus"—that is, other Jews (those obeying God's Law in the Torah), as well as Christians (those testifying about Jesus), who have been "grafted into" Judaism (Romans 11:17-19). They will be pursued by the "red dragon" (Revelation 12:17), as described in battle in heaven.