Why does Revelation 12:5 jump so quickly from Christ's birth to His kingdom rule?
Revelation 12:5 compresses the age between the birth of the Christ child and His future rule over all nations with a rod of iron, skipping two thousand years or more. The same verse then backs up to His ascension, when the child was caught up to God and His throne.
Les explains that in this symbolic vision the woman represents the nation of Israel, and the man-child is the Christ child. Revelation 12:5 leaps across the ages from His birth to His kingdom rule, when He will rule all nations with a rod of iron, a span of two thousand years or more. The verse then backs up to His ascension, where the child was caught up unto God and to His throne. Verse 6 leaps again to the midpoint of the tribulation: the woman flees into the wilderness, the mountains Jesus spoke of, to a place prepared by God, where the Godhead feeds her for 1260 days, or three and a half years. Later the dragon, cast to the earth, persecutes the woman, 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.