August 30: THE PURE WOMAN

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1

The end of chapter 11 is a springboard for the new vision of chapter 12. The phenomena of the lightnings, noises, thunderings, and quaking that accompanied the sighting of the ark of the covenant take us back to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16-19; 20:18; Deuteronomy 5:22-24). The rest of the book of Revelation expounds in tremendous detail of God’s last-day dealings with the angry nations, judgment and rewards (11:18), implicitly highlighting the direct connection to His commandments.*

John the Revelator moves immediately to a great sign…in heaven. What is signified by the sighting of a woman clothed with the sun? She is Scripture’s symbol of God’s people collectively (see Jeremiah 3:14; 6:2; 31:32; Ephesians 5:25). Her attire symbolizes the righteousness of Christ. Through her faithful obedience to Him, she “wears” her faith in order to fulfill her role of inviting the lost to be saved (Revelation 22:17). Jesus, the light of the world (John 8:12), is compared to the sun (see Psalm 84:11; Malachi 4:2; Revelation 1:16; 10:1). He is the provider of this beautiful robe of righteousness (see Isaiah 61:10).

John sees that this beautiful woman has the moon under her feet. She is standing firmly upon the lesser light (Genesis 1:16) as compared to the greater light of Christ Himself. In this sense, the Old Testament is like the moon, reflecting the light of Christ in the world before His first coming. His bride has been given a firm footing in the word that we now call the Old Testament: And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself (Luke 24:27).  

This woman wears on her head a garland of twelve stars. The number 12 consistently symbolizes leadership. True leaders submit to God’s leadership themselves. They are led by the words of Jesus, and the illumination of the Holy Spirit which never deviates from the written Word (see John 5:46-47). God’s people are to lead out in proclaiming the pure, uncorrupted message of salvation, the everlasting gospel (Revelation 14:6) throughout the world before Jesus returns, as He explained to His disciples:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

*Revelation 12:17; 14:12; 22:14