Brilliant Obscurity – Interpreting the Multivalent Symbols of Revelation 12:1

by Br. Gregory Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap.

© March 6, 2025

Table of Contents

In studying the sixteenth-century Capuchin Doctor of the Church, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, I was struck by his incessant connection of Revelation 12:1 to Song of Songs 6:8-10 in his Mariale, or collection of Marian sermons. The Catholic Church has a rich tradition of reading these texts in their Marian sense. What stood out, however, was Lawrence’s insistence on the importance and multivalence of the biblical symbolism of the sun, moon, and stars. The present study, in dialogue with both contemporary scholarship and St. Lawrence, seeks to unpack some of the mystery contained in the four symbols of Revelation 12:1—the woman, the sun, the moon, and the crown of stars. To achieve this goal, it will present two preliminary sections: first on interpreting symbolic language in the Apocalypse and then on the Old Testament background of the verse. It will then consider each symbol individually, before concluding with a synthetic analysis. Ultimately, the paper will show that the symbology of Rev 12:1 points towards Israel, the Church, and Mary as luminous recipients of God’s grace (in motherhood and bridehood) and to Mary in particular as the royal, eschatological woman.

Interpreting Symbolic Language

Ignace De la Potterie begins his discussion of Revelation 12 by acknowledging the inherent difficulty of interpreting its highly symbolic language.[1] Unlike notional language, which aims at precision and unambiguity, symbolic language is uniquely suited to capturing mystery, albeit at the cost of potential obscurity.[2] De la Potterie raises this point to caution against popular exaggerations and misinterpretations, a necessary endeavor for the scholar. However, the opposite danger must also be considered: in the pursuit of clarity, scholars may be tempted to under-interpret symbols, failing to appreciate their depth and intentional multivalence. Revelation 12:1 immediately signals to the reader that what follows belongs to this symbolic mode: it introduces a sēmeion megá—a “great sign”—that appears in the heavens. Accordingly, this paper’s exegesis will proceed with an openness to the multilayered nature of Revelation 12:1, acknowledging the richness of each of its symbolic terms. [3]

Old Testament Background

Feuillet rightly cautions against any attempt to interpret Revelation apart from its Old Testament antecedents. The imagery in Revelation 12 is deeply steeped in biblical tradition, and its meaning cannot be properly grasped without reference to the scriptural contexts that inform it.[4] In keeping with this principle, this study begins by examining three Old Testament texts that stand as clear antecedents to the imagery of the sun, moon, and stars in Revelation 12:1. These passages—Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37, Isaiah 60, and Song of Songs 6:8–10—each contribute to a fuller understanding of the woman’s identity, reinforcing the multivalent nature of her symbolism as Israel, the Church, and Mary.

The first Old Testament reference is Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:7–10, where the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow before Joseph, symbolizing his father, mother, and eleven brothers—the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. Williamson notes that this imagery provides a strong case for identifying the woman in Revelation 12 as Israel, since the biblical tradition frequently personifies Israel as a woman—whether as Daughter Zion (Isa. 62:11), as a mother (Ps. 87; Isa. 66:8–11), or as the bride of the Lord (Isa. 54:5; 62:4–5).[5] Brown concurs with this reading, reinforcing the natural connection between Joseph’s vision and the woman clothed with celestial splendor.[6] Feuillet, however, is less convinced, primarily because Genesis 37 does not explicitly mention a woman, which weakens the directness of the typological link.[7] Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the twelve stars of Revelation 12 inevitably call to mind the twelve tribes of Israel.[8] Even if the precise details of Joseph’s dream do not map directly onto Revelation 12, the symbolic framework remains: the woman represents Israel, and, by extension, the themes of daughterhood, motherhood, and spousal identity that accompany Israel’s biblical personification.

A second and perhaps more compelling Old Testament antecedent is Isaiah 60, which De la Potterie and Feuillet both recognize as a parallel to Revelation 12:1.[9] This chapter of Isaiah presents a radiant vision of Zion’s eschatological glory, describing her as clothed with divine light and shining like the dawn. The celestial imagery of Isaiah 60:1, 19–21 is unmistakably mirrored in the woman of Revelation 12, whose splendor is drawn from the sun, moon, and stars. Within Christian interpretation, Isaiah 60 has long been understood as a prophecy of the New Jerusalem, and, by extension, the Church as the new Israel. The chapter also presents Zion as a fecund mother, giving birth to the messianic people, a theme that resonates strongly with Revelation 12’s depiction of the woman in labor. Feuillet highlights the passage’s striking imagery: “Jerusalem, portrayed as a woman, Bride of Yahweh and Mother of the eschatological people of God, appears suddenly, like a glorious sunrise, all radiant with the very light of God”.[10] The linguistic and thematic overlap between Isaiah 60 and Revelation 12 is not incidental, as another section of Isaiah 60 is directly quoted in Revelation, strengthening the case for an intentional literary and theological correspondence.[11] Again, this Old Testament allusion highlights the woman’s role as mother clothed in radiant light.

A final Old Testament passage that stands in the background of Revelation 12:1 is Song of Songs 6:8–10, a text that may itself be inspired by Isaiah 60.[12] This passage further refines the woman’s identity, introducing a bridal dimension that aligns with traditional typological readings of the Song of Songs. Beyond the celestial correspondences, Feuillet notes that this passage shares another critical connection with Revelation 12: it includes the theme of struggle against inimical forces, linking it with the battle motif in John’s apocalyptic vision.[13] Moreover, as Feuillet observes, the Song of Songs is frequently connected with Revelation 12 in ecclesial readings.[14] Finally, for St. Lawrence of Brindisi, who consistently quotes Song of Songs 6:9 in all his sermons on Revelation 12, the bridal theme is itself a further connection.[15] The Song’s bridal imagery has long been interpreted as a reference to the people of God, a reading Feuillet affirms.[16] Later Christian tradition readily identified the bride of the Song as Israel, the Church, or Mary, the very same three figures in question in the interpretation of Revelation 12. Thus, the correspondence with Song of Songs highlights the bridal character of the woman, whether she is Israel, the Church, or Mary.

Taken together, these Old Testament passages expand and enrich the meaning of the woman clothed with the sun. The reference to Joseph’s dream establishes her identity as Israel, the twelve-starred mother of the Messiah’s lineage. Isaiah 60 reinforces her role as Zion, the radiant mother of the eschatological people of God, whose celestial light is drawn from the very presence of God Himself. The Song of Songs introduces a bridal dimension, emphasizing the woman’s beloved and exalted status within the divine economy. With this foundation in place, the following sections will examine each symbol in more detail.

A Woman

Interpreters of Revelation 12 have long debated the identity of the woman clothed with the sun, with three dominant readings emerging throughout the history of biblical exegesis. On the one hand, the woman symbolizes the faithful people of God—Israel in the Old Testament or the Church in the New. On the other, she is Mary, the mother of the Messiah, and thus, after her Son, the most exalted member of the human race.[17] These interpretations are not necessarily mutually exclusive but rather reflect the multivalent nature of biblical symbolism. As the previous section demonstrated, understanding these symbols requires a canonical approach that places Revelation 12 within the broader context of Scripture and biblical imagery.

The first interpretation of the woman to be considered is the woman as Israel. As we have seen, the imagery of the sun, moon, and stars recalls Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:7–10, where these celestial bodies symbolize Jacob (Israel), his wife, and the twelve tribes. This imagery establishes a strong associative link between the woman and Israel—the people of God from whom the Messiah comes.[18] In this reading, the woman represents the people of Israel, both in their historical identity as God’s covenant people and in their role as the mother of the Messiah.

A closely related and widespread interpretation sees the woman as the eschatological Israel, the Church—a view that does not require excluding the prior identification with Israel. The Church is the fulfillment of Israel, and in Revelation, these identities are often fluid rather than distinct. As Williamson explains, “When modern interpreters attempt to distinguish what Revelation says to Israel and to the Church, they read into it a distinction that the author is not making.”[19] Moreover, later in Rev 12, the woman’s struggles against the dragon parallel the persecution of the Church throughout history, reinforcing her identity as the New Israel, the people of God.

Lastly comes the identification of the woman in Revelation 12 with Mary. Some scholars resist this reading, concerned that a Marian interpretation may overshadow the ecclesiological symbolism of the text. This tension is particularly evident in post-Vatican II Catholic exegesis, which has sought to emphasize Mary as a model and archetype of the Church rather than as a distinct referent. However, given the Church’s own theological tradition, in which Mary and the Church are closely intertwined, it is unsurprising that Revelation 12 could contain a symbol that organically points to both.[20]

Despite scholarly hesitation, a closer reading of the text strongly supports the Marian interpretation. The woman in Revelation 12 is explicitly described as “the mother of the Messiah”, a description that, as Brown et al. argue, would have evoked Mary in the mind of any first-century Christian.[21] The primary objections to this reading center on historical reception and textual details.[22] Brown et al. ultimately conclude that while the precise intent of the seer remains uncertain, the symbol of the woman lends itself naturally to a Marian interpretation, even if the Marian meaning is secondary to the ecclesial.[23]

Given the evidence for and interconnectedness of each position, the woman of Revelation 12 cannot be reduced to a single identity. The text invites a multifaceted interpretation, encompassing Israel, the Church, and Mary—each in different but complementary ways. Israel is the historical mother of the Messiah, the Church is the eschatological mother of the faithful, and Mary, the literal mother of Christ, embodies both Israel and the Church. This paper, therefore, proceeds with an openness to all three interpretations, allowing for a synthesis rather than an exclusionary approach.

Clothed with the Sun

The imagery of the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and crowned with twelve stars in Revelation 12 is profoundly symbolic, drawing upon a rich biblical and theological tradition. St. Lawrence of Brindisi, in his mystical interpretation, provides a compelling reading of these symbols, seeing in them a revelation of Mary’s singular role in salvation history, while De la Potterie and other modern scholars affirm the depth of these connections.

For Lawrence, to be clothed with the sun evokes the biblical idiom of “putting on” Christ (Gal. 3:27), which signifies both imitation and possession in abundance.[24] Mary (or Israel or the Church) is not herself the light—for Christ alone is the light of the world—but she is clothed most perfectly and abundantly with the light of God. This recalls the “Sun of Justice” (Mal. 4:2), who is Christ, and Mary, having “put on Christ,” now radiates with His light.[25] This interpretation is not merely a sixteenth-century flourish, as De la Potterie independently arrives at the same conclusion, noting that to be clothed with the sun signifies being “clothed with the glory of Yahweh.”[26] The woman of Revelation 12, then, is wrapped in divine radiance, an image of both her holiness and her intimate relationship with God.

With the Moon Under her Feet

The moon beneath her feet adds another dimension to this symbolism. Lawrence sees the moon as a mystical representation of everything under God, since the moon—unlike the sun—depends on another for its light. Just as the created world is dependent upon God, so too is the moon subject to the divine order. To have the moon under her feet, then, signifies that God has subjected all things beneath Mary’s authority, an interpretation that Lawrence connects with Psalm 8:5–6, traditionally applied to Christ but here extended to Mary’s place in God’s plan. Lawrence therefore concludes: “Mary stands on the moon, because she stands above all of God’s creation in heaven and on earth. She is, however, only clothed with the sun, with the light, because she is a creature. God is the sun, the source of all light, even of the moon, which is under the feet of Mary.”[27] Once again, De la Potterie arrives at a strikingly similar conclusion, writing that “the moon, under the feet of the Woman, should indicate that all human history is submissive to her.”[28] Lawrence also notes that the moon is a hieroglyph of imperfection, and Mary, as the perfect creature, stands above it, untouched by any stain of sin.[29] At the same time, the moon is also a symbol of beauty, and thus the woman is presented as “beautiful as the moon,” a description drawn from biblical language itself.[30]

A Crown of Twelve Stars

The crown of twelve stars completes this magnificent image, establishing the woman’s royal and victorious status. Crowns in biblical tradition are symbols of authority, triumph, and divine favor, and this crown has deep biblical resonance; combined with the Old Testament allusions seen above, this symbol reinforces the woman’s sovereign and exalted role.[31]

Lawrence interprets the stars in Mary’s crown in light of Exodus 25:11, which describes a golden crown set above the Ark of the Covenant (recall that the Ark was mentioned in Revelation 11, immediately preceding Rev 12:1). With this in mind, he asks, what is this crown in Revelation 12? His answer is wide-ranging:

It signifies, first of all, that Mary, the true spouse of God, is crowned forever as the most glorious queen of heaven. She has twelve stars in her crown as the crown of the sun is set with the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The number twelve represents a certain universality. It is a biblical number, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve apostles, the twelve baskets of fragments. This crown of twelve stars signifies that Mary is the universal queen of all the elect of God and all the angels. She is queen of all the angels, who are symbolized in Isaiah by the twelve wings of the Seraphim; and she is queen of all the elect, who are typified by the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve apostles.[32]

While the modern reader might be hesitant to draw so much from just the number twelve, De la Potterie reminds us that the ancient world was quite ready to do so, and the text was written in and for a first century audience who did not suffer from our contemporary qualms with numerology.[33] Therefore, while he might not go quite as far, he agrees with Lawrence that twelve is a number that symbolizes plenitude and that the reference to both the tribes of Israel and the Apostles is unmistakable. Consequently, he writes, “the Woman crowned with twelve stars is an image of the old and new Israel in its eschatological perfection.”[34] This insight holds particular significance for Mariology, since the Church believes that Mary, through the dogma of the Assumption, is already in full possession of this eschatological perfection.

Concluding Synthesis

When all the symbols in Revelation 12—the woman clothed with the sun, standing upon the moon, and crowned with twelve stars—are taken together, they reveal a profound theological vision of light. This imagery suggests that the woman’s radiance is not her own but received, a splendor bestowed upon her by God and Christ. As De la Potterie notes, her light is “pure grace.”[35] Lawrence of Brindisi similarly sees this vision as one of cosmic illumination, describing Mary as “the most resplendent light” among both angels and creatures.[36] The light in which she is clothed is a foretaste of the glory that will one day adorn all the saints in the New Jerusalem.[37] The sun, moon, and stars act as theological markers, pointing to the woman’s exalted status, her participation in divine glory, and her mission as Queen and Mother of the faithful.

Yet the question remains: does the imagery of Revelation 12:1 fit Mary more precisely than the Church? The bridal and maternal themes in the passage resonate with both, but queenship introduces a distinction. While Israel and the Church are often personified as bride and mother, neither is explicitly called “Queen” in biblical tradition. In contrast, Mary is directly identified with the Gebirah, the Queen Mother of the New Kingdom of God.[38] While it is true that spousal and maternal roles can extend to the concept of queenship, the most natural fulfillment of the regal imagery in Revelation 12:1 is found in Mary. Lawrence of Brindisi consistently emphasizes the inseparable connection between Mary’s roles as Mother of God, Bride of God, and Queen of Creation, a synthesis deeply embedded in Marian tradition.[39]

The eschatological character of the woman offers another reason to see Mary as the most fitting referent. The celestial imagery of Revelation 12:1 suggests that this woman has already entered the eschaton, a reality that corresponds uniquely to Mary’s Assumption. According to Catholic teaching, Mary is the one member of the Church who has already been assumed body and soul into heavenly glory, prefiguring what the entire Church will one day experience. Moreover, while the Church does have an eschatological reality, the later verses which often support the ecclesial reading—concerning the persecution—point to the Church militant, not the Church triumphant. Therefore, the woman in Revelation 12:1, already glorified and reigning in heaven, finds her fullest realization in Mary; if one were to examine only this verse, without considering the larger context of Revelation 12, the most immediate and fitting interpretation would be Marian.

Still, the multivalent nature of biblical symbols must be recognized. As the preceding analysis has shown, the sun, moon, and stars apply naturally to Israel and the Church, while also reinforcing their spousal and maternal dimensions. That being said, while the woman’s symbolism extends to Israel and the Church, the text of Revelation 12:1 aligns most precisely with Mary. The royal, luminous, and eschatological qualities of the vision coalesce in her, making her the most natural fulfillment of the passage’s imagery, without excluding the communal readings of the symbols.[40]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Binz, Stephen J. Mary, Royal Mother of the Messiah. Waterford, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2024.

Brown, Raymond E., Karl P. Donfried, Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and John Reumann. Mary in the New Testament. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978.

de la Potterie, Ignace. Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant. New York: Alba House, 1992.

Feuillet, André. Jesus and His Mother. Translated by Leonard Maluf. Still River, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1984.

———. Johannine Studies. Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 1966.

Haas, Julian L. The Theological Significance of Some Biblical Symbols in the Mariale of St. Lawrence of Brindisi. Dissertation, Seraphicum, Rome, 1994.

Sri, Edward. Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary’s Queenship. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2005.

Unger, Dominic J. The Heavenly Queenship of God’s Virgin Mother According to St. Lawrence of Brindisi. Rome: Istituto Storico dei Frati Minori Cappuccini, 1955.

Williamson, Peter S. Revelation. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015.

  1. Ignace de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant (New York: Alba House, 1992), 240. ↑
  2. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 240. ↑
  3. One might object that the author of Revelation was not consciously engaging with Paul Ricoeur’s philosophy of language, which provides the theoretical background for this discussion of symbol. However, this objection misunderstands the nature of symbols. Ricoeur’s insights are not arbitrary constructs but descriptive of how symbols function universally—they reflect how human beings understand and employ symbols rather than a novel academic framework imposed upon an ancient text. This means that, regardless of era, a symbolic text that seeks to disclose mystery cannot be expected to have only one strict and clear interpretation. Yet, this is often precisely what modern scholarship seeks—without success. Notably, St. Lawrence of Brindisi, a sixteenth-century theologian and Scripture scholar, saw no difficulty in moving fluidly between multiple meanings within a single symbolic unit. The compulsion to limit ourselves to a single definitive interpretation is a modern fixation, not an ancient one. ↑
  4. André Feuillet, Johannine Studies (Staten Island, NY: Alba House, 1966), 258. ↑
  5. Peter S. Williamson, Revelation, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2015), 206. ↑
  6. Raymond E. Brown et al., Mary in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1978), 230. ↑
  7. Feuillet, Johannine Studies, 272. ↑
  8. André Feuillet, Jesus and His Mother. Translated by Leonard Maluf (Still River, MA: St. Bede’s Publications, 1984), 19. ↑
  9. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 247. ↑
  10. Feuillet, Jesus and His Mother, 19. ↑
  11. Feuillet, Jesus and His Mother, 19. ↑
  12. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 247. ↑
  13. Feuillet, Jesus and His Mother, 19. ↑
  14. Feuillet, Johannine Studies, 274. ↑
  15. Julian L. Haas, The Theological Significance of Some Biblical Symbols in the Mariale of St. Lawrence of Brindisi (Dissertation, Seraphicum, Rome, 1994), 283–284. ↑
  16. Feuillet, Johannine Studies, 275. ↑
  17. Williamson, Revelation, 206. ↑
  18. Williamson, Revelation, 206. ↑
  19. Williamson, Revelation, 209. ↑
  20. Williamson, Revelation, 208. ↑
  21. Brown et al., Mary in the New Testament, 235. ↑
  22. One challenge is that the earliest interpreters of Revelation did not explicitly identify the woman with Mary, with the first clear Marian interpretation appearing only in the fourth century. However, as Brown observes, this does not necessarily negate an original Marian intent, since the Book of Revelation itself was widely misinterpreted for centuries. Another difficulty is that the text does not explicitly name the woman as Mary, whereas it clearly identifies the dragon as Satan. Yet, this does not preclude a Marian reading. It is plausible that the author assumed the woman’s identity as the Mother of the Messiah was evident, while the dragon’s identity required clarification. Conversely, the author may have wanted to allow the symbol to stand for multiple referents. Additionally, some scholars argue that the birth imagery does not align with the Bethlehem nativity, which seems to challenge a Marian interpretation. However, within the Johannine corpus, birth imagery is often linked to Christ’s Passion rather than His nativity. The woman’s labor pains in Revelation 12 echo John 12:27–31, where Christ speaks of His “hour” in connection with the casting out of Satan; John 16:20–21, where He likens the suffering of His disciples to a woman in labor; and John 19:25–27, which presents Mary at the foot of the Cross. These connections suggest that the birth in Revelation 12 signifies something beyond the physical nativity, pointing instead to a theological birth tied to Christ’s redemptive mission. Cf. Brown et al., Mary in the New Testament, 235-239. ↑
  23. Brown et al., Mary in the New Testament, 239. ↑
  24. Haas, Theological Significance, 251–252. ↑
  25. Haas, Theological Significance, 251–252. ↑
  26. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 247. ↑
  27. Haas, Theological Significance, 253. ↑
  28. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 248. ↑
  29. Haas, Theological Significance, 253. ↑
  30. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 248–249. ↑
  31. Stephen J. Binz, Mary, Royal Mother of the Messiah (Waterford, CT: Twenty-Third Publications, 2024), 127–128). ↑
  32. Haas, Theological Significance, 255–256. ↑
  33. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 249. ↑
  34. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 249. ↑
  35. de la Potterie, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant, 249. ↑
  36. Haas, Theological Significance, 250. ↑
  37. Williamson, Revelation, 206. ↑
  38. Cf. Edward Sri, Queen Mother: A Biblical Theology of Mary’s Queenship (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2005). ↑
  39. Cf. Dominic J. Unger, The Heavenly Queenship of God’s Virgin Mother According to St. Lawrence of Brindisi (Rome: Istituto Storico dei Frati Minori Cappuccini, 1955), 7-11. ↑
  40. I used ChatGPT 4o as an editor to improve organization, flow, grammar, style, and usage in accord with the Chicago style. OpenAI, chatgpt.com, accessed Mar 6, 2025. The final work is the author’s own. ↑