The Woman Goes into the Wilderness and Returns as the Harlot

The following verses are thick with information, but I only want to focus on the Woman.

This is Revelation 12 verse 1:

“1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.”

So, we see her first here.

To continue:

“3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. 6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.”

This male child is not Jesus. This is the corporate Christ represented by the fully mature saints. The “rod of iron” and the “throne” establish Christ’s power and authority: they are unmatched and unquestionable.

But notice the woman flees into the wilderness.

After this, the angels are thrown down to the earth. They leave their spiritual abode for the temporal abode in the earth. This is why the dragon is angry: now he is ruled by time and his time is short.

To continue:

“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."

Again, the woman goes to the wilderness. This is the unfolding of a singular event.

15 "So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

Water is what in the scriptures? It can be the word, or it can signify people. Perhaps it is both here: a curse carried to the woman by many people. BUT, the earthed helped the woman. Isn’t that strange? When has the earth ever helped the church? It swallowed the people and their curse. Could it be the earth saw value in saving the woman? So, the dragon turns to make war with the rest of her offspring. This is not the mature male child, these are those from the woman (church) who are their own groups.

So, where do we find the woman again? Or, rather, when if John carried into the wilderness again and what does he see.
We have to flip to Revelation 17.

Verse 3 reads: “So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness.”

So, John is carried into the wilderness to see what?

Verses 1 and 2: “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

This is the same woman who fled into the wilderness in chapter 12. So, this is why the earth, typically an enemy of the church/woman, saved the woman from the attack of the beast in Revelation 12:15,16; the woman was useful to the earth. And notice that she now sits on many waters which is what the dragon spewed out of his mouth. This is now her foundation: the curse of the enemy and the support of the people (many waters).

Fornication refers to improper intimacy with the woman. The rulers of the earth use the woman for their political gain and the woman uses the earth to gain influence over the people.

Verse 3 continues into verse 5: “And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

These names of blasphemy are likely any name under which the church gathered as a symbol of their identity.

So, the woman, who fled into the wilderness in chapter 12, becomes the harlot we see again in Chapter 17. I believe this is happening in our day. As I said in another thread almost of of "Christendom" is being exposed as frauds. Those who remain in the exposed churches acquiesce to the evil in their midst until their consciences are seared.

These are serious times.

Hello Aaron56.
The woman in Rev.12 never becomes corrupt, but is always opposed to the devil,

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen.3:15

The devil goes to war against us who preach the gospel and keep the Lords' commands.

The Woman Goes into the Wilderness and Returns as the Harlot

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This is about as bizarre and misleading as it can get. It would be like saying Putin goes into Ukraine and comes out as Zelensky.

Putin needs Jesus.

If the woman is the church, as I postulate, then your statement is not accurate given 5 of the 7 letters to the churches in Revelation. Furthermore, one cannot become apostate without first being a member of the fold.

If you think the current church structure, in its institutional 501c3 form, is a representation of the bride or kingdom of God, you are deluded beyond reason. Those who cavorted with Barack Obama, Donald Trump, et. al are already under a delusion sent by God.

"The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness."

Notice also in John 16:2

"They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God."

Those who persecute and kill the saints are not the non-religious. They are those who think they are doing God a service, the people of the religious system.

This religious group, this woman, is shown to be "..drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus" in Revelation 17. This is consistent with John 16, wherein those in the religious system who deceitfully declare "the Living God is our Lord" but lie, will be the ones persecuting the true saints of God.

It happened to Jesus.

It will happen again to the Body of Christ. In many historical examples it already has happened, just not on a global scale.

I would say at this point he's been given over to a reprobate mind.

Why do you think it should/must/will happen on a global scale? Is not the actual fulfillment in the first century sufficient?

I understand what you're saying, but the mistake you're making is equating this "woman" with "church structure".
Apostates are among us, but aren't of us, like wheat/tares, sheep/goats, etc.

Jesus said,

upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Mt.16:18

His ministry on earth was 3 1:2 years (or time, times and a half) and this is what were fed in this wilderness. No worries my friend,

I wonder how Putin was educated as a child. I don't think communist countries are big on teaching their citizens about the Lord. It's no excuse, but I think it's a disadvantage. The wrath of God will come to those who think they can take his Kingdom by force.

I use “structure” to separate the apostate, generally, from the true. It is possible all began within the true, but, like we see in Revelation, not all continue as the true church. Many saints came out of the churches whose end is to be spit out of the mouth of the Lord, for example. How should the Lord deal with churches who have signed legal agreements with the the government to limit and align their messages to the government’s standard? Where once God winked at this His patience will have to come to an end.

The woman who goes into the wilderness is the one who comes out of the wilderness. When we see her again we see that she is embroiled with the rulers of the earth who saved her for its own purpose: she is now a prostitute to the world and will give politicians, and the basest of men, her vote if they say the right things. And why not? We already know what she is. Now we’re haggling about price. Lately, the price has been cheaper gas, lower taxes, employment. What a rag when compared to the Lord who is The Truth!

I think our disagreement lies here,

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Heb.10:39

It doesn't matter if some turn back. The point is, the woman described in Rev.12 are those who persevere.

“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭37:9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the woman clothed with the sun and moon with the crown of twelve stars is Israel in the beginning Jacob and his family his wife and twelve sons the tribes of Israel.

she was expecting a male child who will rule with a rod of iron because the prophets had been foretelling to Israel the birth of the son of man , the messiah who was taken up and rules from the throne of God in heaven.

Prophecy like this made israel expect the son who would rule to be born

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭2:6-12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

you know how you have noticed that e woman begins beautiful and later is pursued into the desert and appears in the desert later having been corrupted and changed her garments and beauty?

it’s the story of Jerusalem

“Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations, Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine.

Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord God.

But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them, And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.

And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare, and wast polluted in thy blood.

Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbours, great of flesh; and hast increased thy whoredoms, to provoke me to anger.

Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea; and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman; In that thou buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and hast not been as an harlot, in that thou scornest hire; But as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!

Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the Lord: Thus saith the Lord God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.”
‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭16:1-2, 8-18, 22, 25-26, 28-32, 35-


it’s a vision about isreals constant worship of false gods building altars to other gods and how she began as Gods chosen and beautiful kingdom but began to commit halrotry and whoredoms with other gods and ruined her beauty changes her garments and was holding the cup of her fornications and Gods wrath was being poured out upon her

revelation can be understood by Old Testament prophecy every figure we see relates to prophetic visions they saw

the messiah is definately the one taken to the throne and he was the promised sin of Israel who was to rule all nations israel is definately the woman who begins as beautiful wearing her crown and later is seen as a harlot

That's non sequitur. You're speaking about the church who heeds the Lord's warnings and direction.

The Lord's 5 warnings to the 7 churches in Revelation are not theater. Either they will repent or become apostate.

This happened in Jesus' time: the religious system that governed the people from which He came, could not receive Him. In fact the opposite was true: they killed Him. Now, the system from which the Mature Corporate Man arises will likewise reject his council and seek to kill him.

For proof: Try suggesting that no believer in God and the Truth should ever side with the debased man, Donald Trump and see what happens. They will slander you to the end and count you among those who defile themselves with abandon. It is already happening.

Christ is corporate, now: with a Body both in heaven and on earth. Jesus died as a man but was raised as a Life-Giving Spirit. He died with corruptible flesh but was raised incorruptible. Now, all who receive Him as Lord are included in Him. Are we not seated with Him?

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..."

There is no schism between "those in Christ" and Christ save for one area: we do not have a head as He is our head.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God..."

notice when Christ is taken into heaven how the kingdom in heaven is established ? But the earth is under attack by Satan ?

“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. ( that’s Christ being taken into heaven )

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
….And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭12:5, 9-12, 17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when this happened as the prophets had already foretold

“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Gods kingdom was established in heaven resulting in the casting out of Satan and the corrupted angels into earth so the situation in earth became this war between Satan and the church being persecuted and admitted by him

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭

tha is the rest of her children who the devil is trying to destroy the children of God just as he tried to destroy Jesus and failed he then being banned from heaven turned his rage against the children who hold the testimony of Christ ( the church )

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:11-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

in heavens kingdom there is peace and salvation for those who overcame the devil through christs word and blood they died on earth but are now in heaven

in earths kingdom Satan has the power for a short time and he has corrupted the world and turned his war against Gods children who are born of the gospel.

Christ is seated on the throne in heaven and earth is currently being harvested as we pass through having overcome the devil by the blood and word of Christ we’re being delivered into the kingdom in heaven after we endure the woes of earth like suffering and death , persecution afflictions rejection of the world and all it’s temporary sorrows for believers

heaven is in one state peace and glory as Christ is on the throne what he’s done for us on earth is this which enables us to overcome the world

“Therefore ( David ) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

…Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:30, 32-33, 36‬ ‭KJV‬‬

chapter 12 in revelation is showing us the changing of the covenants Jesus kingdom is not of this world it’s in heaven , this world is under satans temporary persecution and attack trying to keep Us from entering the kingdom in heaven in dir time Jesus will return to earth and make it new after he destroys satans kingdom of darkness

we go through the earth in order to enter into the kingdom in heaven until he returns to restore the earth to new and perfect

@Aaron56 A lot of your thoughts here parallel my own conclusions.

The woman fleeing into the wilderness is the saints of the Old World (Europe) removing into North America for the sake of being able to worship freely.

The floods sent out after her are indeed the immigrant pagan peoples of the world being sent into America to dilute the Church and her influence, but also various secret societies and occult groups, which have always been here as well from the very beginning.

This is evidenced by America's historic graveyards where you can see occult symbols like obelisks being used as grave markers, and various sigils and symbols of mystery schools and occult groups on tombstones. (Especially Freemasonry.)

The Whore of Babylon is America/Western Civilization. She is a materialistic superpower who at first rules over the nations of the Earth.

The horned beast which turns on her, burns her with fire, and devours her flesh is the East, specifically a coalition of Eastern nations headed by Russia at first, which initially are dominated by the Whore but then they cast off her rule and destroy her. We will see this event in my lifetime I believe, if I live to a full lifespan.

I understand that line of thinking as I used to believe the same thing. I did not understand Christ as corporate. The kingdom is not an event yet to come but a way of life, a system, if you will , counter to the kingdom of darkness. ("The kingdom of God is at hand") Our translation from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of Christ is present tense. As evidence, we have power over the demons and over creation itself, Lord willing.

This is why the disciples were told to rejoice: Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." Jesus answered “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

"Written" is graphō which alludes to an indelible record. Jesus used the same word when He said "It is written..."

So here, we have the power and authority vesting in the saints on the earth with their enrollment in the kingdom of heaven recorded indelibly.

Yes, JStates, it is very similar. I caution against Ameri-centric exegesis, though. Much of what we see in the U.S. is simply the ultimate expression of evil things that have always been in the earth.

But, for much of this, we agree. God often works where people are looking. There is no doubt that the US gets much attention from the rest of the word.

There are two female spirits that represent two spiritual kingdoms. One is the Virgin Bride; her kingdom is full of the virgins and the righteously married. The other is Mystery Babylon Mother Whores and Abominations of the Earth, her kingdom is full of all the peoples that committed whoredoms and abominations.

The Good News is the Lord Jesus Christ was born, crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven, he will come again and utterly destroy Mystery Babylon and all her citizens with severe judgement, praise Jesus.

Something of interest. Maybe I'm reading into this.

Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

That number 1,260 is interesting. It's perfectly divisible by 7. 1260 / 7 = 180. Is this 180 a Biblical span of years? If so...

Those Puritans who separated from the Church of England were known as separatists, and a group of separatist Puritans known as Pilgrims founded Plymouth Plantation in Cape Cod Bay in 1620. Although it was not the first English colony in North America, Plymouth Colony was the first religious settlement. -classroom.synonym.com

Peregrine White was the first child born to the Pilgrims, circa November 20, 1620. The exact day of his birth is unknown.

1620 + 180 = 1800

November 17, 1800. The Congress of the United States meets in Washington, DC for the first time.

The colonial era is over and the American Empire is on the rise.