Labor pains

As Beale points out, in Rev 12 John uses a technique of temporal telescoping. Jesus’ entire career is summarized as incarnation and exaltation. It is reasonable, then, to suggest, as Beale does, that the woman’s labor pains and the sweeping of stars from heaven are describing events of the intertestamental period. Out of the tribulations of intertestamental Israel, the Christ is born. During those tribulations, some of the 12 stars of heaven fall to the ground, but the dragon is not able to devour the Christ. It is also possible to fit Wright “return from exile” theme here: Labor pains, Beale suggests, symbolize the exile and birth is a symbol of return (cf Is 54). Thus, Revelation 12 is describing the birth of Jesus as the culmination of the tribulation of exile and the hope for return. It is fitting, then, that His birth and career should be described as an exodus (dragon lying in wait to kill a child; the child snatched away; woman in the wilderness). The woman is also, of course, a second Eve, giving birth to the seed of the Woman who will crush the dragon’s head. And that too is a part of a return from exile, the original exile from Eden.