The Woman of Revelation 12 - The View of the Church Fathers

 

In this article series, we'll be taking a look at how the early church fathers interpreted Revelation 12, a common proof-text for the Mariolatry of Roman Catholicism. 

I will provide some material from the church fathers showing that they interpreted the woman of Revelation 12 to be the Church, not the Virgin Mary.

Andrew of Caesarea's Commentary on the Apocalypse

"Some, on the one hand, had understood this woman entirely to be the Theotokos before her divine birth-giving was made known to her, before she experienced the things to happen. But the great Methodius took her to be the holy Church, considering these things concerning the woman to be incongruous with the begetting of the Master for the reason that already the Lord had been born long before. It is good to remember also the very words of the blessed Methodios, who says in his so-called Symposium through the person of the virgin Procle thus: 'the woman wrapped in the sun is the Church. That which to us is our garment, to her is light. And that which is gold is for us, or glowing gemstones, for her are the stars, the superior and more brilliant stars.' ...Therefore, it is necessary to confess that the Church must be the one in labor and gives birth to those redeemed..." (Andrew of Caesarea, Commentary on the Apocalypse, trans. Eugenia Constantinou, [Fathers of the Church 123], pgs. 136-137)

Hippolytus, Treatise on the Antichrist, Sections 60-61

"Now, concerning the tribulation of the persecution which is to fall upon the Church from the adversary, John also speaks thus: And I saw a great and wondrous sign in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she, being with child, cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man-child, who is to rule all the nations: and the child was caught up unto God and to His throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has the place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And then when the dragon saw it, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man- child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, where she 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 the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast) out of his mouth. And the dragon was angry with the woman, and went to make war with the saints of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus.By the woman then clothed with the sun, he meant most manifestly the Church, endued with the Father's word, whose brightness is above the sun. And by the moon under her feet he referred to her being adorned, like the moon, with heavenly glory. And the words, upon her head a crown of twelve stars, refer to the twelve apostles by whom the Church was founded. And those, she, being with child, cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered, mean that the Church will not cease to bear from her heart the Word that is persecuted by the unbelieving in the world. And she brought forth, he says, a man-child, who is to rule all the nations; by which is meant that the Church, always bringing forth Christ, the perfect man-child of God, who is declared to be God and man, becomes the instructor of all the nations. And the words, her child was caught up unto God and to His throne, signify that he who is always born of her is a heavenly king, and not an earthly; even as David also declared of old when he said, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool. And the dragon, he says, saw and persecuted the woman which brought forth the man- child. And to the woman were given two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. That refers to the one thousand two hundred and threescore days (the half of the week) during which the tyrant is to reign and persecute the Church, which flees from city to city, and seeks conceal-meat in the wilderness among the mountains, possessed of no other defense than the two wings of the great eagle, that is to say, the faith of Jesus Christ, who, in stretching forth His holy hands on the holy tree, unfolded two wings, the right and the left, and called to Him all who believed upon Him, and covered them as a hen her chickens. For by the mouth of Malachi also He speaks thus: For by the mouth of Malachi also He speaks thus: And unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings.

(https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0516.htm)

Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job, Book 34, on Job 41:21

"Whence also John says: 'A woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.' [Rev. 12:1] For by the 'sun' is understood the illumination of truth, but by the moon, which wanes and is filled up every month, the changeableness of temporal things. But Holy Church, because she is protected with the splendour of the heavenly light, is clothed, as it were, with the sun; but, because she despises all temporal things, she tramples the moon under her feet." (Gregory the Great, Moral on the Book of Job, Book 34, on Job 41:21)