How could Israel be construed to have:
fled into the wilderness, where ISRAEL hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
given two wings of a great eagle, that ISRAEL might fly into the wilderness, into ISRAEL's place, where ISRAEL is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after ISRAEL, that he might cause ISRAEL to be carried away of the flood.
And the earth helped ISRAEL, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
And the dragon was wroth with ISRAEL, and went to make war with the remnant of ISRAEL's seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
How does Israel make any more sense of this, than if Revelation 12:5 KJV is Mary? I'm not saying in this post that you're wrong, I'm asking how you understand it to be Israel instead of Mary?
Other than the person of God and Christ, the prophetic sense of Revelation seems to be symbols (of groups) rather than individuals. For example, beasts would represent nations (or powers) rather than specific men, and even the horns on their heads might represent king-ships rather than specific kings. This is likely to be true for both instances of women: each being their own symbol.
1. How could Israel
have ... (fill in the blank) ... with emphasis on the
could (past tense.)
If this woman is a symbol this does not have to be entirely completed in the past. Parts might be past, and other parts might represent future prophecy. Not so if this was a specific individual (like Mary) who is dead already.
2. How could
Israel .... (fill in the blank) ... with emphasis on the
Israel.
To clarify, I believe this is one of those contexts where
all Israel is not
Israel. Perhaps another way of describing this symbol might be "Abraham's seed" or "heirs to the promise" or "the Church." That is, those that are set apart for God amidst the hostile peril of this world that is at enmity against God. In times past this was the children of Israel through which God established a covenant in preparation for the Savior of the world. Now that covenant is abolished and there is a new covenant, and the heritage of Abraham is made manifest to all through Christ.
Galatians 3:27-29 KJV
(27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
(28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
(29)
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
3. How could Israel ... (fill in the blank) fulfill .... (emphasis on specific aspects within the prophecy)
How could Israel flee into the wilderness? Being scattered or hidden in seclusion or forsaken places might fulfill this description.
A thousand two hundred and threescore days? If each day represents a year this prophecy I think it likely that this prophecy has already begun. It is also possible that the days are a literal three-and-a-half years or even a symbolic number having specific meaning rather than a length of time. Daniel 12:7 does make reference to "time, times, and half a time" (3.5 times) and these 1260 days might be the same reference.
Fly with two wings of a great eagle? Exodus 19:4 makes reference to Israel being borne out of Egypt on eagle's wings. Isaiah 40:31 speaks of those that wait upon the LORD being renewed and mounted up with wings as eagles. This seems to be a positive reference indicating that God will assist in this rescue.
Nourished in the wilderness? Sustained wherever they are kept away from the attacks of the serpent.
Flood out of the mouth of the serpent? I understand the reference to flood water as to armies rather than a literal flood. Other examples of "flood" in this reference might include Daniel 9:26 "and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood" and Daniel 11:22 "and with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him." Also Isaiah 59:19, Jeremiah 46:8, 47:2 for similar imagery. Or in other words, the devil shall mobilize large multitudes of people to seek after the woman to destroy her.
How can the earth help Israel? If the earth swallows the flood, this might be imagery of the armies being confounded, scattered, dispersed, or even slain by the environment or natural disaster.
Why is it now a dragon instead of a serpent? Both symbols represent the same thing. Serpent = dragon = Satan, or the devil.
Why is the dragon wroth with Israel and going to war with the remnant of her seed? That seed is defined by those that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Christ. This would represent additional and sustained persecution of those in Christ.
--------------------------------
Comparing the two possibilities for the symbol of this woman,
If this is a specific person then the only person who gave birth to Christ is Mary. However, Mary has already died and thus this would be a description of a past event which leaves the following problems: first, why would this be in a description of what is to come; and second, how could any of this description be construed to have already happened.
So how would this make better sense?
If this is a larger symbol (like spiritual Israel) then it can also be described as giving birth to the Messiah. In this case the symbol continues beyond the death of any specific person and these events can be interpreted as a prophecy of what will play out in the future. It would be a description of Satan seeking to destroy the line of Christ all the way from the prophecy in Genesis 3:15 ("it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel") and the rebellion of Lucifer and the fall of the third of the angels with him, the birth of the Christ (Rev 12:15) and his ascension to heaven, and the scattering of the saints even to their deaths (Rev 12:11). Christ preserves his church but what is preserved is the church, rather than the lives of any specific individual (whom He shall raise at His coming.) It will flee from armies but be protected not from might of itself (the earth swallows the waters, not the woman.) This fight continues until the coming of Christ.
I'm not saying that is a perfect understanding but that seems to make a better sense than the woman being a specific woman (Mary.)
