Who is the woman clothed with the sun and why is she important in Revelation 12 is a subject of much debate among scholars. Here are four differing perspectives:
Four interpretations of who is the woman clothed with the sun and why is she important
The people of God
Many scholars identify the woman as the people of God — both Israel of the old covenant and the church of the new covenant.
This interpretation is supported by Genesis 37:9–11, where Joseph dreams of the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowing down to him. Joseph’s father interprets this to mean that he and his wife (Joseph’s mother) will bow down to Joseph.
9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.”
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
In Revelation 12:1, the woman is “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
If the twelve stars represent the twelve tribes of Israel, then this passage could symbolise the people of God submitting to Jesus.
This interpretation is further supported by the fact that Old Testament prophets often refer to Israel as a woman, particularly a woman in childbirth.
a Christianized version of ancient mythology
Another interpretation suggests that the woman is a Christianized version of ancient mythology. For instance, the Babylonian creation myth describes Marduk, the god of Babylon, defeating the seven-headed dragon Tiamat.
In Egyptian mythology, Set-Typhon, a red dragon, pursues the mother-goddess Isis but is later killed by her son Horus.
Finally, in Greek mythology, the pregnant goddess Leto is pursued by the dragon Python. John may have been inspired by these myths, but his account is distinctly Christian.
Domitia
A third possibility is that the woman represents Domitia, the mother of Roman emperor Domitian’s son. When Domitian’s son died in 83 CE, the emperor proclaimed him a god and his mother, Domitia, “the mother of god”.
Coins from this period depict Domitia with a crown, holding a sceptre, with the inscription “Mother of the Divine Caesar”.
Other coins show Domitian’s son playing with seven stars, sitting above the heavens, or Domitia on one side and the moon and six planets on the other. This interpretation suggests that John was countering this imperial ideology by presenting Jesus as the true Lord of heaven.
The virgin Mary
A final interpretation, popular in the medieval period and among some Roman Catholic circles, is that the woman represents the Virgin Mary. While the imagery of Revelation 12 does correspond with the Virgin Mary, most Catholic scholars believe the woman symbolises God’s people from both the Old and New Testaments.
Why is she important
Regardless of her exact identity, the woman clothed with the sun represents the faithful people of God who God protects from the attacks of Satan. This is an important message for believers, as it assures them that God will always be with them, even in the face of persecution.
