Could it be that the woman in Revelation 12:1 is the church ?

The woman.

1. (1) The woman is described in celestial images.

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.

a. Now a great sign appeared: This is the first of seven signs that John relates, and is described as a great sign (mega semeion). In Revelation chapters 12, 13, and 14 the main figures of the Great Tribulation are described, and this great sign introduces the first of the seven:

The woman, representing Israel

The dragon, representing Satan

The man-child, referring to Jesus

The angel Michael, head of the angelic host

The offspring of the woman, representing Gentiles who come to faith in the Tribulation

The beast out of the sea, representing the antichrist

The beast out of the earth, representing the false prophet who promotes the antichrist

b. A woman clothed with the sun: Because John plainly says this is a sign, we don’t expect this woman to appear literally on the earth. God will use this sign to communicate something to John and to us. Women often represent religious systems in Revelation.

Jezebel is associated with a religious system of false teaching (Revelation 2:20)

The Great Harlot is associated with false religion (Revelation 17:2)

The Bride is associated with the church (Revelation 19:7-8)

c. The woman clothed with the sun in this passage has been associated with many different religious ideas. Roman Catholics claim this woman is Mary, pictured as the “Queen of Heaven.” Mary Baker Eddy said she was this woman.

i. It is common in Roman Catholic art to represent Mary as standing on a crescent moon with twelve stars around her head.

d. Scripturally, this woman clothed with the sun should be identified with Israel, according to Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37:9-11). In that dream, the sun represents Jacob, the moon represents Joseph’s mother Rachel, and the eleven stars are the sons of Israel which bow down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now “among” the other tribes of Israel.

i. In other Old Testament passages, Israel (or Zion or Jerusalem) is often represented as a woman (Isaiah 54:1-6, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezekiel 16:8-14, and Hosea 2:19-20).

@ POOPBEARPENIS: Yeah, that explains why the Jews inflicted MILLENNIUMS of Genocide upon the "goyims". But it does not answer why Muslims don't have a clean history nor a clear present but it's sure that muslims will ensure the non muslim world a bloody future. Your post stands as a Probable liberal/Muslim defenses: "Fox news!". But you can hear this on other news channels too. Oh, and check to see how many people were killed by Muslim terrorists the month before that Norway guy killed 90 or so people. Muslim terrorists killed 605 people that month. Did anyone hear about them at all ? No. Biased media ? Yeah, biased AGAINST reporting on Islamic atrocities. And still you hear about them. Unless of course you have a seriously liberal media channel that doesn't touch anything that might offend the Muslims. "You're just a biased Christian!" but atheists are aware of how jacked up Islam is. I'm an atheist, not a Christian but Christianity looks like a commune of hippie scientists next to Islam. "Just learn about Islam". Yeah. I was a liberal, dutifully parroting the 'Islam means peace' riff and THEN I learned about Islam. Now I sing a different tune. "Just read the Koran". You know, I'm familiar with the Koran but I haven't read it. But the guys at Skeptics Annotated have been over it with a fine toothed comb and they're not impressed. The Koran is a spin off of the old testament stuff, so it's basically rubbish. In Islam they believe in an Adam and an Eve. They pretty much believe in anything that is not expressly 'abrogated' (something that means 'God changed his mind') by the Koran. "Just read the Koran in Arabic". What ? You have to learn a different language to get the Koran right? Then why do nonArabic speaking people convert to Islam ? Do they even care what their book says ? Apparently not. So why should I join a religion that has people joining who don't even know what their own holy book says ? Apparently something OTHER than the supposed 'wisdom of the scriptures' is getting people to convert.

The woman refers to the faithful of Israel. thru whom came the messiah came into the world. This is indicated not only by the birth of the child but also by the reference to the sun stars, which would naturally refer to the twelve tribes of Israel.

The scriptures you quoted in Romans refer to the difficulty of living a life totally walking in the spirit, but it can be done to reveal all of Gods glory. This is not only for each of us personally, but for Gods church. WE cant live apart from God or the Spirit, or without Jesus Christ.

When we try that, we will suffer destrcution

YEs this also appies for today.

Either we are fully Gods or we arent His at all.

Thans for asking

SFCU

Sister SHirley

More precisely, the Insitutional church system which includes the various protestant and roman catholic sects? What if all of these sects are the names of blasphemy?

Its Israel...

The people in the old testament, not a spiritual Israel..

I believe that it is Israel.

I look at their History and their present.

Lion of Judah has it right.

you mean the bible speaks vaguely about future events so as to have a very liberal interpretation of what it could mean? that's new to me...

what church?

by the way, the Book of Revelation is a book full of ambiguity, you can interpret it any way you like.

yes- it is