The nation of Israel is symbolically represented as a Woman throughout Revelation 12. In verse 1, Israel is depicted as a Woman clothed with the sun and moon, wearing a crown of stars, with her identity confirmed by tying the symbols to Joseph's dream in Genesis 37. In verse 2, Israel is the Woman about to give birth, and in verses 3-4, the Child she bears becomes the target of the great red dragon, satan, and his murderous intent. Verse 5 identifies her Child as the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the One born to rule all nations. In verse 6, the Woman, Israel, who gave birth to Christ, flees to a place prepared by God for her protection. In verse 13, after the dragon is cast to earth, he persecutes the Woman who gave birth to the male Child, clearly identifying her as Israel, not the church, since the church did not give birth to the Messiah. In verse 14, Israel, persecuted by satan, is given two wings of a great eagle to fly to her place of safety from the serpent. In verse 15, the serpent spews a flood to destroy the nation of Israel, and in verse 16, the earth helps the nation by swallowing the flood. It is only in verse 17 that the church appears as the remnant of the Woman's offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, distinguishing them from the unconverted nation of Israel. In Revelation 17, the Woman symbolizes a city and nation, not a church, as evidenced by Old Testament patterns where a woman predominantly represents a city, which in turn stands for a nation. Ezekiel 16 identifies Jerusalem as such a symbol, with Samaria representing the northern tribes of Israel and Jerusalem signifying Judah. Isaiah 47:1 portrays Babylon as a woman, symbolizing a pagan city and nation. Lamentations 1:1-7 depicts Israel as a wife turned to harlotry, and Hosea 4:11-13 extends this imagery. The Hebrew idiom reflects a metaphor where a capital city is personified as a woman, and its inhabitants collectively as her daughters, including both males and females. In Revelation 17, the Woman, identified as Mystery, Babylon the Great, rides the Beast, indicating a position of control over it, despite the Beast's immense power. This Woman represents a separate political, economic, and military powerhouse within the Babylonish system, distinct from the Beast, exerting external influence and epitomizing the system's worldwide dominance at the end time. Revelation 18 further describes this Woman as a city and nation involved in massive global commerce, manufacturing, and entertainment, reinforcing that she symbolizes a political and economic entity, not a religious one.

In the context of end-time prophecies, God addresses Israel through Ezekiel, revealing how the nation's conduct mirrors its ancient past. Israel is harshly judged as Sodom, Egypt, and Babylon due to its spiritual adultery and failure to adhere to God's commands. This judgment reflects Israel's fickle discontentment and disastrous curiosity, seeking variety over the truth of God's Word. Instead of trusting in God's providence, Israel pursued different experiences, ignoring His desire for uniformity in worship and life. This drive for variety persists within the Israelitish people, leading them to become a great whore through stubbornness and alliances with foreign nations, contrary to God's explicit instructions to remain separate and faithful to His way.

In biblical prophecy, the symbol of a woman often represents a physical city or nation, rather than a church, though caution and honesty in context are essential when interpreting this symbol. Specifically, the woman in Revelation 12:1 is identified as the physical nation of Israel by comparing the symbols with Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9-10. This identification is reinforced in Revelation 12:5, where the same woman, Israel, gives birth to the Child who is to rule all nations, whom the Dragon, satan, attempts to kill. However, in Revelation 12:6, the woman appears to transform into the Israel of God, suggesting a shift in symbolism that requires careful consideration of context. Additionally, in Revelation 17, the woman is depicted as the great harlot, Mystery, Babylon the Great, riding the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, indicating a position of control and superiority over the Beast. This imagery suggests a relationship within the same Babylonish system, yet God distinguishes the woman and the Beast as having different characteristics or approaches. The woman sits on seven mountains, symbolizing a complete sequence of seven kings or kingdoms, understood as the last seven revivals of the Roman Empire, with the prophecy showing her riding during the sixth revival and continuing to influence the eighth Beast that emerges from the seven.

In the exploration of prophetic symbols within Revelation, the Woman emerges as a powerful representation of a nation, specifically identified with Israel and Jerusalem. God describes His unique covenant relationship with this Woman, portraying an intimacy akin to marriage, where He favored her with unparalleled gifts and revelations of Himself and His purpose. Despite these blessings, her faithlessness and deviance from God's laws mark her as the preeminent harlot of the Bible, a theme that persists into the end times. Revelation 17 and 18 depict this Woman, named Mystery, Babylon the Great, not as a religious entity but as a city or nation wielding immense political, economic, and military influence. She holds a position of global dominance, controlling vast wealth and capable of influencing worldwide trade to the extent that her downfall would cause economic panic. Her power is so significant that she can restrain the Beast, making it largely subject to her will until God's appointed time for her humbling. Further, Revelation 17 illustrates her authority through the imagery of sitting upon many waters, the Beast, and seven mountains, symbolizing her control over numerous nations. The waters, defined as peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues, highlight the Beast's diverse composition, contrasting with the Woman's depiction as a singular, unified entity. This suggests that God views her as a distinct, powerful people with wide-ranging influence, capable of overshadowing the fragmented strength of the Beast's diverse components. Her greatness, however, is tainted by her whoredoms, religious confusion, and failure to uphold her responsibility to God, marking her as both influential and deviant in the prophetic narrative.