Who does the woman represent in Revelation 12?
The woman symbolizes the nation of Israel. In Revelation 12, she brings forth the man-child, the Christ child, who is caught up to God and His throne. Later, during the tribulation, she flees into the wilderness, where God has prepared a place for her.
Les explains that in this symbolism the woman is the nation of Israel. This woman brought forth a man-child, the Christ child, and the passage leaps from His birth to the rule of His kingdom, then back to the ascension, where her child was caught up unto God and to His throne. At the midpoint of the tribulation, the woman fled into the wilderness, the mountains Jesus spoke of, where she has a place prepared of God, and the Godhead feeds her there for 1260 days, or three and a half years. When the dragon was cast into the earth, he persecuted the woman, again identified as the nation of Israel.
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.