12:1-5 Who does this woman and the man-child symbolize?

The woman here symbolizes the nation of Israel. Israel is depicted many times in scripture as a woman in travail giving birth (cp Isa 26:16-18; 54:1-6; 66:7-12; Hos 1:2-11; Mic 4:10; 5:2-3). The twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel.

The great red dragon is Satan (cp Job 41; Psa 74:14; 91:13; Isa 27:1; Rev 13:2-4; 16:13; 20:2). Satan, together with Antichrist, makes war on Israel during the second three and a half years of the tribulation, after he is cast out of heaven down to the earth (cp Dan 7:7-8, 21, 24-25; 8:24-25; 2Th 2:8-9; Rev 6:4; 12:4, 7-17; 13:1-8).

Having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his heads, symbolizes Satan's domination of seven past world kingdoms and ten future world kingdoms which he will dominate through his empowering of Antichrist (cp Dan 7:7-8, 24-25; 2 Th 2:7-9; Rev 13:1-8. (See also comments on Rev 13:1-7, 17:1-6, 17:7-17)).

A third of the stars of heaven symbolize the number of angels cast out of heaven down to earth with Satan (cp Isa 14:12-15; Eze 28:11-19; Rev 12:7-9).

The general consensus among bible commentators is that the man-child the woman brought forth in Rev 12:5, who will rule all nations with a "rod of iron", and who was caught up to God and His throne is Jesus (cp Re 12:5).

The difficulty with the view that this is Jesus however is that it looks back on the past, whereas everything that is revealed to John from Rev 4:1 onward pertains to the future (cp Rev 1:19; 4:1).

Things which must be hereafter clearly refer to future, not past things, and on that basis the man-child in Rev 12:5 cannot represent Jesus in the past, but something that will be fulfilled in the future - in the tribulation, because the woman gives birth during the tribulation.

The only thing caught up to God - raptured to heaven - during the tribulation, which the man-child could possibly represent, are the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews - the firstfruits out of the tribulation of a new redeemed Israel (cp Isa 66:7-8; Jer 30:6-9; Dan 12:1; Rev 7:1-8; 14:1-5 with Ro 9:27; 11:1-5).

These scriptures all point to the man-child as representing the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews. They are before the throne of God in Rev 14:3 just as the man-child was "caught up unto God and His throne" in Rev 12:5. Man-child in Isa 66:7 is referred to as her children in Isa 66:8. In Jer 30 the man-child - he - in V7, is called they in V9.

Daniel prophesied in Dan 12:1 that every Jew whose name is written in the book of life will be delivered - raptured to heaven - in the middle of the tribulation after Satan is cast out of heaven down to the earth. This is what happened to the man-child in Rev 12:5 (cp 12:5).

We know that the names of the hundred and forty-four thousand are written in the book of life because they are sealed with the seal of God. They are the only ones living on earth who will not be affected by the trumpet judgments during the first three and a half years of the tribulation, before they are raptured to heaven (cp Rev 7:1-4; 8:1-2, 6; 9:1-4).

Finally, Rev 14:3-4 teaches that the hundred and forty-four thousand were redeemed by Jesus from (out of) the earth, and from (out of), among men, to heaven.

Mount Zion, on which they stand with Jesus in Re 14:1 is the heavenly, not the earthly Mount Zion (cp He 12:18-23). As was the man-child, so too the hundred and forty-four thousand Jews are raptured in the middle of the tribulation, between the seventh trumpet and the first plague judgment (cp Rev 14:1-5 with Re 15:1, 6-8

(See also comments on Rev 7:1-8)).

The rod of iron with which the man-child is to rule all nations in Rev 12:5, simply means to rule with authority. All the redeemed of God will rule with authority like Jesus (cp Psa 2:7-9; Psa 149:5-9; Dan 7:18, 27; Mt 19:28; 1Cor 6:2; Rev 1:4-6; 2:26-27; 5:10; 20:4-6; 22:4-5). These scriptures all prove that it is not only Jesus who is ordained to rule with a "rod of iron".

Some in the church believe that the sun with which the woman is clothed in Rev 12:1 symbolizes the righteousness of Christ; the moon under her feet represents Jewish ordinances superseded by the teachings of Christ, and the twelve stars on her head symbolize the twelve apostles.

None of this of course has any biblical basis whatever and it must be rejected. Another view is that the sun, moon and stars depict the glory and dominion which Israel has been promised in the coming kingdom, but again there is no biblical basis for this view. It is futile to speculate what the sun and moon mean without any clear scriptural guidelines.

Another view of the man-child is that it represents the church. This originates in the belief that the seventh trumpet in Rev 11:5 is the same as the "last trump" which precedes the rapture of the church in both 1Cor 15:52 and 1Th 4:16 (cp Rev 11:15 with 1Cor 15:51-58 and 1Th 4:13-18).

Our previous study on Rev 11:14-19 clearly refutes this teaching - the seventh trumpet sounds midway through the tribulation. Also the church has been raptured by Rev 4:1 which sees the emergence of Antichrist and the onset of the tribulation (See comments on Rev 1:19, 3:7-13 and 11:14-19). Still another view is that the man-child is the "bride part" of the church. This teaching claims that the bride of Christ is not the whole church but a select company of believers - the man-child - out of the church.

The theory is that the man-child represents only those believers who have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and that all other believers compose the woman and the remnant who are left behind on earth after the rapture to go through the tribulation. Those who espouse this view use the parable of the ten virgins to support it. In affect they are teaching that the church consists of two classes of believers, which is totally unscriptural (See comments on Mt 25:1-13).

The church consists of only one class of believer (cp 1Cor 12:12-28; Eph 2:13-22; 4:1-6, etc). Scriptures must be the final arbiter on all matters of doctrine. The only view on doctrine to which we can hold, is that which can be proved by scripture. All other views must be rejected (cp Ac 17:10-11; 1Th 5:21; 1Jn 4:1).

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