Who is the "woman" in Revelation 12:1,14, and what does it mean that she flies away on "the wings of an eagle"?
In Revelation 12:1, who is the "woman"? In Revelation 12:14, she "flies away" on two wings of a great eagle to a place where she is protected for 3½ years. Could it be that she is taken off the earth or delivered to a safe place on the earth and sheltered for this period of time?
Ted's Response:
This "woman" is a remnant of Israel who will flee out of Jerusalem and into the desert, just before the Great Tribulation period begins. Jesus told those in Judea (the area surrounding Jerusalem) to the mountains (Matthew 24:16).
No one knows for sure where these people will flee. Some feel that it will be to the ancient stone city of Petra in a mountain-desert region of southern Jordan. That may or may not be the case, but it doesn't really matter. Wherever they go, God will provide for them and, presumably, will shelter them supernaturally. I do not believe that they will be removed from the earth and taken elsewhere.
In a figurative sense, God will carry them away on "the wings of an eagle." Evidently, this will be similar to how He carried the Israelites out of Egypt on "the wings of an eagle" (Exodus 19:4) and protected them in the desert for 40 years. More about the "woman" can be found here: Who is the "woman" described in Revelation 12:1-6?
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