Welcome back to the next installment in our series on Revelation chapter 12. In this series, we are studying the scenario of the sun-clothed woman and the great red dragon. Our study begins by first identifying the symbols of the scenario. In the first post, we studied the symbol of the sun-clothed woman and established that she represents the city of Jerusalem. In this post, we’re going to identify the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars. Are you ready? Let’s get into this!  

Revelation Chapter 12

Second in an Eleven-Part Series
By Karen Thompson

The Dragon’s Assault on the Sun-Clothed Woman

Rev. 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Sun, Moon, and Stars Symbolism

In this post, we’re going to talk about the woman’s connection with the lights of heaven. This is clue number two that the sun-clothed woman is Jerusalem. She is clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet, and upon her head is a crown of twelve stars. We’ve identified that the woman symbolizes the city of Jerusalem. Now, we’ll establish that the lights of heaven—the sun, moon, and the stars—symbolize the children of Israel. Since the time of King David, Jerusalem and the children of Israel have been associated with each other. They are intimately connected both physically and spiritually. The people and the city are intertwined with each other. Their destinies are intertwined. That’s why we see the lights of heaven connected with the woman.

From the very beginning, the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars have been connected with the children of Israel. We learn about this connection in Genesis chapter 37 in the story of when Joseph, the son of Jacob, had a dream. Joseph dreamed a dream where the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bowed down before him. Joseph shared his dream with his father and brothers. The interpretation of the dream was that the eleven stars represented Joseph’s brothers and the sun and moon represented his parents. And they were all bowing down before Joseph, the twelfth star! The very idea that they would all bow down before Joseph was offensive to them, and it made them angry. Little did they know that Joseph’s dream was prophetic. Through a series of events, the Pharaoh of Egypt would one day appoint Joseph to be in charge over all of Egypt. It would be an event that would cause his family members to one day bow down before him.

In this dream, we see the sun, moon, and stars associated with the family of the patriarch Jacob, whose name God would change to Israel. (Gen. 32:28) The sun and moon symbolized Joseph’s parents, and his brothers symbolized the stars who would become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. Right from the beginning, the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars were attached to this family, which would one day grow so numerous that it would become a great nation.

The fact that they became so numerous is a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham about his seed (offspring), and it’s also another connection with the lights of heaven. Several times, the Lord promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars: “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (Gen. 15:5). Also in Genesis chapter 22: “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven…” (Gen. 22:17).

Lastly, there are two very important prophetic words that connect the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars with God’s covenant people. First, Psalm chapter 89 speaks about the symbols of the sun and moon being a witness of God’s promise to the children of Israel. This is a Messianic Psalm which speaks of God’s holy covenant with the seed of David. Its beginning verses tells us of an eternal covenant saying, “I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations” (vv. 3–4). Then verses 34–37 reaffirm the assuredness of God’s covenant promise with the seed of David in the most beautiful way. He uses the sun and moon as witnesses to His faithfulness to keep His covenant: “My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. ‘Once [for all] I have sworn by My holiness, [My vow which cannot be violated]; I will not lie to David. His descendants shall endure forever and his throne [will continue] as the sun before Me. It shall be established forever like the moon, and the witness in the heavens is ever faithful” (Ps. 89:34–37 Amp.).

Next, we see in the book of Jeremiah where God again reaffirmed the steadfastness of His covenant with the children of Israel with the steadfastness of the sun, moon, and stars: “Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the Lord of hosts is his name: if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever. (Jer. 31:35–36)

I love that! If the sun, moon, and stars ever disappear, that’s when the seed of Israel will cease to exist. That’s a beautiful way of saying that God’s covenant with Israel is eternal and will never fail. Think of the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars like you think of the rainbow. Every time we see the rainbow, it reminds us of God’s promise that He will never flood the earth again (Gen. 7). Likewise, when we see the sun, moon, and stars, it reminds us that God will never break His covenant promise with Israel.

The scene of the sun-clothed woman being attacked by the red dragon who is intent on killing her and her child is very frightful. But what gives us comfort is the fact that she is clothed with the sun, standing on the moon, and crowned with stars. When we see the sun, moon, and stars, we are immediately reminded of God’s promise that He will fulfill His covenant with Israel. No matter how much trauma and suffering the sun-clothed woman goes through, she will come out victorious. God will save her from the dragon.

In the next post, we’re going to study the symbol of the man child, the child to which the sun-clothed woman gives birth.

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