Revelation 12:5-6 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
The possible identity of the woman becomes clearer with the birth of her son. The description of the son matches two things about Jesus. One is his sovereignty by ruling with a iron scepter, the symbolic rod of a king. The iron makes it more or less unbreakable and strong. The other is that the son is taken to heaven and enthroned referring to Jesus’ ascension and exaltation. Upon giving birth, the woman flees to the desert for 3 1/2 years.
The language is highly symbolic and difficult to interpret. We can see God’s sovereign care for the woman and child. God’s plan will unfold as God’s desires. Nothing the devil can do will interrupt this. If the woman represents Israel, which is the church as the new Israel, then God will protect the church during a challenging time of persecution. The desert is a difficult place to be. It is lonely, little water, isolated, and hard to survive. But it is in the desert that we also learn to trust in God and grow our faith.
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