The vision of the woman in Revelation 12 is one of the most dramatic and layered images in the entire Bible. She is “clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1). She gives birth to a male child who is destined to rule the nations, only for a great red dragon to rise against her. But who is this woman?
Throughout the history of biblical interpretation, Christians have seen this woman as more than just a single figure. Like much of Revelation, she is a symbolic composite—representing layers of biblical truth and redemptive history. Three major interpretations rise to the surface, each valid and deeply theological: the woman is (1) a fulfillment of the promise to Eve, (2) Mary, the mother of Jesus, and (3) the Church. Let’s explore how all three are true at once.
1. The Woman as the Fulfillment of the Promise to Eve (Genesis 3:15)
Revelation 12 draws heavily on the imagery of Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the garden, God promises that the seed of the woman will one day crush the serpent’s head (Gen. 3:15). This is the first whisper of the gospel—what theologians call the protoevangelium, or “first gospel.”
In Revelation 12, the woman gives birth to a son, and the dragon—clearly a figure for Satan—is poised to devour the child. This echoes Genesis 3:15’s promise of enmity between the serpent and the woman, and between their offspring. Revelation portrays the ongoing conflict between the Messiah and the serpent, and ultimately between the Kingdom of God and the powers of evil.
This woman, then, symbolizes all of redemptive history leading to Christ—Eve’s lineage protected and preserved through the ages, culminating in the birth of the one who would crush the dragon.
2. The Woman as Mary, the Mother of Jesus
On a more specific level, the woman is clearly connected to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is the one who gives birth to the male child “who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron” (Rev. 12:5), an echo of Psalm 2:9 and a clear reference to the Messiah.
The dragon’s attempt to destroy the child parallels Herod’s massacre of the innocents in Matthew 2. Just as the dragon tries to devour the child at birth, so Herod tried to eliminate Jesus before he could grow to challenge the powers of the world. But just as Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt with Jesus for safety, so in Revelation 12 the woman is given wings and flees into the wilderness where she is protected.
Mary stands at the intersection of heaven and earth—chosen by God to bear the Savior—and she experiences firsthand the agony and danger of spiritual warfare. She is the faithful vessel through whom God brings his promise to fulfillment.
3. The Woman as the Church
After the male child is caught up to God—likely a reference to Christ’s resurrection and ascension—the dragon turns his fury toward the woman and “the rest of her offspring, those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). This is where the imagery shifts: the woman becomes a symbol of the church.
She is now not just the mother of the Messiah, but the mother of all who follow him. The church, empowered by the Spirit, is the instrument through which new spiritual life comes into the world. Like the woman, the church is under attack, harassed by the dragon, but sustained by God’s provision in the wilderness.
The woman’s labor, therefore, is not finished with the birth of Christ. She continues to “give birth” through the mission of the church—proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, and enduring persecution in a hostile world.
One Woman, Three Portraits
Rather than choosing between these interpretations, it’s better to see them as layers in a single tapestry. The woman in Revelation 12 is Eve’s hope, Mary’s faith, and the Church’s mission.
She reminds us that God’s promise has always been unfolding—from the garden to Bethlehem to today. And though the dragon still rages, he has already lost. The child has been caught up to God. The woman is preserved. And her offspring will overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11).
In every age, the church is caught up in this cosmic story: under threat, yet secure; persecuted, yet victorious. And like the woman, we are called to bear Christ to the world—no matter the cost.
