Catholic apologist John Salza answers the Question...
Who is the woman in Revelation 12?
Q: - Dear John Salza, I have a question about Rev. 12:1-2. In scripture catholic website about the blessed virgin mary, you talk about the woman being Mary, but it also symbolizes Israel and the church. In the New American Standard, (which I was reading during adoration!) it refers to Gen 37:9 - Joseph telling this dream to his brothers (you probably already know it), thus symbolizing Israel being the stars and moon. My question is how do you say to a protestant, or a new catholic (such as myself), that it refers to 3 things at once. Is the main focus on Mary, the church, or Israel? Do you have any more insight about this subject? I look forward to a response. Thank you very much. God Bless you.
A: J. Salza - John, thank you for your email. First, if you are reading the New American Bible, I must advise you that some of the translations and footnote explanations are quite problematic. They are infected with liberal ideology and in many cases are even heretical. It is truly a shame that the US bishops approved this Bible for publication. You should set it aside and instead use the Douay-Rheims translation, or the RSV-CE.
Regarding Rev. 12, remember that the Apocalypse (or Book of Revelation) is apocalyptic literature unique to the first century. Thus, it is full of symbolism which has multiple meanings. Therefore, it is common for one symbol to represent more than one thing. The woman clothed with the sun is the Virgin Mary, and so the verse should be principally interpreted as such. This is demonstrated by Rev. 12:17, where the devil goes to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who bear testimony to Jesus. This makes Mary the mother of all Christians.
Since Mary is the mother of the Church, we can say that the woman, on a secondary level, represents the Church, which is the New Israel. This is why John writes about her pangs of travail, which are symbolic for those who are being formed in the Church of Jesus Christ. So, this literature provides us multiple meanings, but there is generally a PRINCIPLE meaning and a SECONDARY meaning; in this case, the woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the same “woman” who God said would crush the head of the serpent in Gen. 3:15. Because she is such a danger to satan, satan tried to kill her even after the Savior was born (Rev. 12:13).
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/
You expect everyone to bow down to what "John Salza" says is the truth? Is he part of the hierarchy of the Magesterium? Is he a Bishop? Does he have the authority to criticize the American Bishops who approved the NAB? How is John Salza any more an authority on what is the truth than any other Christian? How is what John Salza says about Revelation 12 any more true than church Fathers Hippolytus, Methodius, Victorinus and others? They did not agree with John Salza.
Have you forgotten that the Old Testament and especially Genesis was originally written in HEBREW? Jerome was NOT fluent in Hebrew when he began his translation into Latin. Shouldn't the Hebrew version of Genesis 3:15 be correct? You have already been shown that the pronoun "she" is NOT used. So why do you insist that "she shall crush your head" is the only correct translation and accuse those who disagree with you of heresy? That's an awfully big swath you must paint to include even church fathers and prominent RC theologians into that category.
I suspect that the main reason you hold so tightly to your preferred version of Genesis 3:15 is so you can segue into the false assertion that Revelation 12 is ALSO speaking of Mary. You would again be bumping heads with others of your religious persuasion and even the magesterium who have NOT come down on an either/or decision for that section just as they have failed to provide any semblance of an exhaustive commentary for the Bible. After 2000 years, even!
If you would like to read a well-researched essay on that chapter of Revelation and see how it ties into the entire body of prophetic Scripture, please read http://www.biblrytr.com/revelation11.htm. Or, not. Just reserve your condemnations of heresy to those actual dogmas your church has officially defined. All else is personal/private interpretations...you know, what you guys always accuse "us" of doing.