Revelation 12:1

blessed trinity · Aug 11, 2011

Hi. I was wondering if anyone could explain what the '12 stars' reference in Revelation 12:1 ? I have always wondered. Thanks! Larry

Rain · Aug 12, 2011

The crown of twelve stars symbolizes Mary's Queenship and more. Jesus came from the line of King David, and in those days in that area of the world the wife of a king wasn't the queen--his mother was given that title. The twelve stars also refer to the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve tribes of the kingdom of Israel under the first covenant. Jesus, Who fulfilled the old covenant, turns over the reigns to the twelve apostles, establishing them as authority in the new kingdom. Each star represents a divinely appointed earthly authority, and in heaven Mary wears these divinely apointed earthly authorities as a crown, indicating the awesome power given to her as reigning Queen of Heaven and of Earth.

I like the way Scott Hahn explains it.

Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God, by Scott Hahn, pages 199-200:

As the New Eve, mary is the new “mother of the living.” How is Mary’s motherhood a royal motherhood? The woman in chapter twelve of Revelation appears with a “crown of twelve stars” (Rev. 12:1) on her head. What is the significance of the royal crown of stars? It obviously denotes queenship for the woman. But why does John depict Mary as a queen? And what is the nature of the queenship?

That the crown is made up of twelve stars is an important clue. The number twelve in Scripture connotes the twelve sons of Jacob, and later the twelve tribes that constituted the nation and kingdom of Israel. The twelve stars also echo the story concerning the dreams of Jacob’s favorite son, Joseph. One of Josephs’ dreams prophetically predicts, through the symbols of the sun, moon, and stars, that Joseph will rule over his brothers and een his parents: “Behold, I have dreamed another dream; and behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me” (Gen. 37:9). The meaning of the prediction is so obvious that Joseph’s father rebukes him and say, “Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” (Gen. 37:10). In the dream, the stars represent the sons of Jacob, and therefore a woman described as wearing a crown of twelve stars would be seen as having authority over the twelve tribes of Jacob, Israel. This woman could be none other than the Queen Mother of Israel.

Yet there is another dimension to the number twelve. When Jesus chose twelve apostles, He was reestablishing the twelve tribes around Himself, the new Israel. For those who have ears to hear (cf. Mt. 13:9), the number twelve signifies the new kingdom of God established by the new and eternal king, Jesus Christ. The twelve stars are no ordinary crown. The vision of Mary crowned with the twelve stars reveals Mary as the queen of the kingdom of God.
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Such an interesting thing to ponder, B.T., and I doubt any human being understands the depth and breadth of the twelve stars, but I'm sure others here will have additional insight.

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Revelation 12:1

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