NOTE: This article was written partly in response to the upcoming September 23 celestial event. To say that a mere celestial event is the fulfillment of Revelation 12 is a very incorrect and shallow interpretation of this chapter out of Revelation.
In Genesis 37, God gives Joseph a prophetic dream, where the symbolism of the sun, moon, and 12 stars are declared to represent Joseph’s entire family: Jacob (Joseph’s father), Jacob’s wife, and his twelve sons:
“Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, ‘Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.’
“So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, ‘What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?’” (Genesis 37:9-10).
Out of Jacob’s twelve sons would come twelve tribes. These tribes would explode in numbers during their time in Egypt, and become the nation of Israel:
“But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land [of Egypt] was filled with them,” (Exodus 1:7).
THIS SYMBOLISM FROM GENESIS IS IMPORTANT! Because we see the same symbolism of the sun, moon, and stars in Revelation 12, as “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.” The woman represents the nation of Israel. She is a great SIGN, given to the nations of the world!
From her very beginnings, Israel has been pregnant with her “Manchild:”
“I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” (Genesis 12:3).
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham,” (Galatians 3:8).
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people,” (Genesis 49:10).
In Revelation 12, the woman Israel, is being threatened by a great fiery red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns on his head. The dragon is clearly identified as Satan in verse 9. Great persecution is brought against the woman, Israel, in a Satanic effort to prevent her Manchild from coming forth!
How does the dragon bring this great persecution against Israel? It is brought about through the dragon’s seven heads.
In Revelation 17:9-10, we are given the biblical interpretation of the seven heads of the dragon, which also appear on the Beast of Revelation 13:
“Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.”
The Greek word for “mountains” is oros. Its use in the Bible can be as literal mountains, or as kingdoms. In this context, it should be understood as seven kingdoms or empires with seven kings (v. 10).
Beginning with her time in Egypt when she first became a nation, Israel has been persecuted by 7 world empires. These empires are:
- Egypt
- Assyria
- Babylon
- Medo-Persia
- Greece
- Ancient Rome
- ?
It is the 7th empire that trips up most prophetic teachers. And it is this 7th empire which is the key to understanding Revelation 12.
The woman of Revelation 12 is pregnant with her Manchild through the “crowns” or reigns of all 7 empires. Yet, this poses a difficult problem in Bible interpretation. Because when the angel gives John the apostle the identity of the 7 “heads” or empires, the angel tells John that the 7th empire “had not yet come:”
“Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.”
How could there be an empire that arises after the time of John the Apostle, which also threatens a pregnant Israel?
The answer is simple, yet profound. Israel was pregnant with Christ’s First Coming. She gave birth to her Manchild and He was caught up to heaven. Yet, in a very real sense, Israel is still expecting her Messiah…but it will be during His Second Coming that she receives Him.
As Christians, we understand that Jesus had to first come as “the Lamb of God, to take away the sins of the world.” But the nation of Israel only sees and looks for her great King who will deliver her from all her enemies. She has been blinded to the necessity of the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53! Israel gave birth to her Messiah, yet she is still “pregnant”, expecting her great Messiah/King to come.
Which leads us to the 7th empire. Was there an empire and king that arose after the time of John, was on the scene of history only “a short time,” and— most importantly— was a great persecutor of the Jews?
In the late 1800’s the woman, Israel— long dead as “dry bones”— began to resurrect. The Zionist movement grew throughout the 1900’s, culminating in the official rebirth of Israel as a nation on May 14, 1948.
But, alongside Israel’s resurrection came a world empire that also arose on the scene of history. This empire and its king were only on the scene of history 12 years, a “short time” in comparison to the hundreds of years of the other 6 empires. Yet, its persecution of the Jews was unparalleled in history. The empire was the Third Reich, so named because it was considered by some to be a revived third Holy Roman empire. The Satanically-driven king was Adolph Hitler. His persecution— the Holocaust— was responsible for the deaths of “a third” of the Jews worldwide:
“His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.”
In Revelation 12, the woman Israel is shown undergoing the persecution from the 7 empires. The first 6 were attempts to prevent her Suffering Servant from being born. The 7th was to prevent her Victorious King, who prophetically MUST return to the people of Israel and sit on the throne of David! There is still an 8th and final empire & king to come— the Antichrist.
The 8th and final empire of Antichrist is represented on the dragon as 10 horns. In Revelation 13, we are given a closer look at the “beast” with the crowns now on the 10 horns.
In the end time reign of Antichrist, the woman Israel is seen back on earth, being pursued by the dragon, Satan. She flees into the wilderness for safety. The dragon pursues her, but is frustrated when an enormous earthquake prevents his forces from reaching her.
Revelation 12:1-6 is an overview of the intense persecution Israel has suffered— not because of who she is, but of Whom she carries!
But, beginning in verses 7-12, the Holy Spirit adds to the narrative, by giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the heavenly warfare that is waged by Michael against Satan. In the end times, there will be a “casting down” of Satan to the earth itself!
There is also a glimpse at the persecution endured by Israel’s other children— believers in Yeshua/Jesus! For neither Israel nor any of her children escape the persecution of Satan:
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death,” (Revelation 12:11).
The woman’s other children are those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ,” (Revelation 12:17).
In the end times, the dragon— enraged with the woman and frustrated in his attempt to reach her— goes after her children to wage war against them. This war is waged against Israel and the saints until Israel’s King and our Savior returns.
Israel will not miss this Second Coming of her Messiah. “Every eye shall see Him!”
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