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The book of Revelation is a symbolic book that shows the conquest of the church of God and the battles that she has fought and victories she has won.  This highly symbolic book must be interpreted by the Word of God and the Spirit of God.  Revelation 12:1, “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.”

We have seen through spiritual eyes that the woman clothed with the sun and standing on moon is the New Testament church of God.  This woman is not the virgin Mary, nor is it Israel, but she is the church of God, the bride of Christ.  She was clothed in the light of Christ and standing on the moon, which is the Old Covenant.

The church of God was a great wonder and many beheld the church in amazement because they followed in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.  They were adorned and arrayed in the doctrine and teachings of Christ.  They were a living replica of all that Christ taught.

This same example of the New Testament church will also produce a great wonder in the eyes of those in the world today.  The religious world of Christianity today cannot produce this great wonder because many of them are not living in holiness, righteousness, and purity in this world.  Division and carnality resides within many assemblies and the glory of God cannot shine through them.  But the true church of God, which is the body of Christ, is still a great wonder to behold; for the saints of God live holy and free from sin, and according to the word of God, and follow the Spirit of God.  Paul instructed Timothy in I Timothy 4:12, “…but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Upon the head of the woman was a crown of twelve stars.  The twelve stars made up a crown about her head.  The crown is a symbol that denotes victory.  The Bible says in James 1:12, that when a man endures temptation he shall receive a crown of life.  Paul spoke of receiving a crown in II Timothy 4:8 for enduring and holding fast to the faith of Jesus Christ unto the end.  Many times in the Old Testament when a king would defeat another king in battle, they would place the defeated king’s crown upon the victorious king’s head.  (i.e. II Samuel 12:30)

The church of God is a victorious and conquering church built by Christ, overcoming all the forces of darkness.  The church of God which is  the bride of Christ overcomes sin. – Romans 6:11-18.  The church of God overcomes the world. – I John 5:4.  The church of God overcomes the devil. – St. Luke 10:18-20.  The church of God overcomes the forces of false religion. – St. Matthew 16:18, Acts 13:4-12.

But what made up the crown upon the woman’s head were the twelve stars.  The twelve stars enabled the woman to be victorious.  Revelation 1:16 says, “And he had in his right hand seven stars...”  Verse 20 says, “The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches.” 

A star is a celestial body that gives light at night.  They are usually stationary and can be followed through the night and often guide as a compass.  It was the star that led the wise men to the new-born King.  The stars in the right hand of Christ are the ministry of God throughout the seven church ages.  In Revelation 22:8, 9, the angel that John saw was a minister and fellow-servant in the kingdom of God.  II Corinthians 11:13-15 shows that angels or ministers can be messengers from God or from the Devil.  Stars in Revelation symbolize angels which symbolize messengers or ministers.

Haggai 1:13, “Then spake Haggai the Lord’s messenger in the Lord’s message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.”  God’s holy angels or ministers are messengers from God that deliver messages to the people from God.  The messenger cannot deliver his own message but must deliver the message that God has given to them.

Jeremiah 23:21, 22, 32 states, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.  But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings…Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams saith the Lord, and do tell hem, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the Lord.”

A true minister of God must be called by God and receives gifts and anointing from God to fulfill the ministry that they have received from the Lord.  Seminary does not produce true ministers of God; only a calling directly from God.

The stars in Revelation 12:1 symbolize the ministry of the New Testament Church of God, the twelve apostles. – Ephesians 2:20.

Hosea 4:9 says, “And then shall be, like people, like priest.”  The church was victorious because she had a ministry that was victorious.  When the ministry fails to live up to the standard of the Word of God, they cannot preach the full word of God; thus the people will not reach the standard of the Word of God.  If the ministry has pride, hatred, or bitterness in their heart, they cannot teach the people to do otherwise when their lives contradict the Word of God.  If the ministry is not living above sin, they will not teach the Word of God which instructs the believer to live above sin.

A ministry standing upon all the Word of God and walking in the light of the gospel will produce, through the Spirit of God and by the word of God,  a people adorned in the doctrine of Jesus Christ which is the great wonder needed to be seen in the ecclesiastical heavens.  When the ministry errs from the truth, most of the sheep will follow if they are not in tuned with the voice of God. – Jeremiah 23:13.

The only hope of any group of believers to remain standing upon the Word of God is for their ministry to remain standing upon the sea of glass mingled with fire, which is the Word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. – Revelation 15:2

Paul warned of those ministers who would depart from the faith.  When these ministers departed from the true faith of Jesus Christ, they drew away many believers with them.  In Acts 20:28-30 Paul says, “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

In our next study we will parallel the view of the morning-time church of God in Revelation 12:1 with Revelation 6:1, 2 and chapter 8:3-7.  May the Lord continue to bless you and open your understanding of the truths of Revelation.