The twelve stars (Revelation 12:1)


12*


And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

Apocalypse 12:1 - Louis Segond

 


⚪ The twelve apostles
⚫ The twelve spiritual tribes of Israel
⚫ The heavenly queen (God's organization)
⚫ An organizational arrangement in heaven


 

 

⚪ The twelve apostles

The woman had the moon under her feet. She had reached a higher plane, and yet she rested upon the foundation of the apostles ands prophets, the diadem of twelve stars representing the apostles.

Source : 🇺🇸 Zion's Watch Tower, December 1879 2

Rev. 12 [...]
And upon her head a crown of twelve stars. — "The twelve stars about her head as a crown represent her Divinely appointed and Inspired teachers — the Twelve Apostles" (D591.) "Now if God ordained only twelve stars as lights for His Church, as here represented, is it not a great mistake for popes, bishops and clergy to regard themselves as successors of the Apostles, — stars also?"— D594.

Source : 🇺🇸 1917 - Studies in the Scriptures, Vol 7, The finished mystery, page 183 + Cover

"And upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Her head is Christ Jesus, who is crowned with full power and authority to rule (Colossians 1:18); and with him are the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Source : 🇺🇸 The Watchtower, March 1, 1925, page 68

 

⚫ The twelve spiritual tribes of Israel

and “a crown upon her head,, symbolizes that God has reposed complete authority in the Head of Zion, his beloved Son ; whereas the “twelve stars” particularly represent the twelve spiritual tribes of Israel representing the church of God.

Source : 🇺🇸 1928 - Government, page 179 + Cover

 

⚫ The heavenly queen (God's organization)

Rev. 12 [...]
The 'twelve stars upon the head of the woman' symbolically says: 'She is a heavenly queen and therefore fit to bring forth the offspring of Jehovah. Her husband is the King of Eternity.' (Jer. 10:10) Being with child and about to be delivered she cried out. (See verse 2.) Her cries were those of pain directed to Jehovah God, the only One who could help her. Her cries are prayers for God's kingdom to begin. Clearly the lesson taught by this is that the kingdom is not produced except at great cost of pain and suffering on the part of those who are members of God's organization.

Source : 🇺🇸 1930 - Light, Vol 1, page 233 + Cover

Rev. 12 [...]
'The heavenly queen,' which is God's organization, could not bring forth the child except 'God give theincrease'.

Source : 🇺🇸 1930 - Light, Vol 1, page 235, page 236 + Cover

 

⚫ An organizational arrangement in heaven

Notice that she is crowned with 12 stars. The number 12 is associated with completeness in an organizational setting." Hence, these 12 stars seem to indicate that she is an organizational arrangement in heaven, just as ancient Jerusalem was on earth.

Source : 🇺🇸 1988 - Revelation Its grand climax at hand, page 178 + Cover