Who is the woman in Revelation 12 that flees into the wilderness?
The woman represents Israel, specifically the Jews fleeing as in the Exodus. The passage parallels Israel's escape from Egypt, where God bore them on eagles' wings and stopped Pharaoh's pursuing army at the Red Sea. Likewise, the Antichrist will send an army after these fleeing Jews, but it will be destroyed.
Les teaches that Revelation repeats the Exodus pattern: Israel fled Egypt with Pharaoh's armies behind them, and God bore them on eagles' wings, as Exodus 19:4 says. The woman is given two wings of a great eagle to fly into the wilderness to a place prepared by God, where she remains a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. The serpent casts out a flood to carry her away, but the earth helps her and swallows the flood. Les applies this to the Antichrist, who will send an army after the escaping Jews as God hurries them along; those pursuing forces will be destroyed.
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
More Questions
Why is the woman given wings of a great eagle in Revelation 12?
The two wings of the great eagle given to the woman in Revelation 12 correspond to God's words in Exodus 19:4 about carrying Israel on eagles' wings, showing that the end-times flight repeats the Exodus deliverance.