Evil presents in a trinity like the God trinity with the dragon and two beasts written in the book of Revelations 12-13. In the 12th chapter of the book of Revelations the red dragon wants to eat a pregnant woman’s child. Where the woman represents Israel, the child is Jesus and the dragon is Satan. The child Jesus was taken to heaven and the woman, Israel was taken into the desert for 1260 days (Revelations 12:1-6).
Who is the Woman, the child and the dragon
That the woman is Israel is seen by that she is dressed in the sun and moon and twelve stars reflecting Joseph’s dream when the eleven start bowing to him, Joseph is the 12th star. That the dragon is Satan says in the book of Revelation 12:9. The child, Jesus, is lifted into heaven which is reflected in Jesus ascension into heaven.
The devil is cast out of heaven down to earth and the dragon starts persecuting the woman and her children the Christians (Revelations 12:13-18).
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Revelations 12:17
That the woman’s other children are Christians, you can see in previous verse where it says the people who keep Gods commandments and hold fast to Jesus testimony. The woman, Israel is protected by God as she gets eagle wings (Revelations 12:14) it is a reference to Exodus
“ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. “
Exodus 19:4
Persecution
I think that this story can be seen as an explanation why Christians were persecuted. I noted that the woman got wings that is to say Israel but it doesn’t say that of her children but then maybe she takes her children with her. But I did read in the same book that Jews used to report the Christians as they were jealous they didn’t have to pay extra tax to Rom that used to be the temple tax. Now I don’t know what it was like to be a Jew in this time but they were exempt from the demand of the Roman emperor to worship him. But considering apocalyptic literature was written 200 B.C. to 200 AD then maybe the Jews were also persecuted to some degree. Also the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD which probably means that Jews didn’t have in that good.
The woman is Mary
I find the explanation interesting as I have always heard that the woman was Mary and Joseph and explaining how they lived in Egypt after Jesus was born in order to avoid Harrods men who wanted to kill Jesus (Matthew 2:13-18). I feel that if the woman is Israel it makes more sense as the woman fled without the child into the desert.
Have you heard another interpretation?
Source
Mikael Tellbe (2017), Libris, Lammet och odjuret En guide till uppenbarelseboken
Check out my other stuff
Symbolism in the book of Revelations https://creativemichaela.com/?p=1005
Är Gud verklig? – Is God real? https://creativemichaela.com/?p=800
A year of the Lord’s favor and a day of vengeance https://creativemichaela.com/?p=958
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