She is a "sign."
Hence the word "sign."
That means the vision is supposed to represent something or somebody, symbolically, as a "sign".
The fact that she is the mother of a son "destined to rule the nations with an iron rod" is a big Messianic clue.
Who is the mother of the Messiah?
Well, symbolically, Israel, since He is the son of Mary, son of David, son of Abraham, son of Adam & Eve, son of Man. That is is lineage according to the flesh. Human genome, human genealogy.
He has generations of humans who are his forebears, according to the flesh.
And who is His nearest, most proximate human forebear?
Jesus' only human connection to his genetic human forebears are on His Mother's side.
If He is not the physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He is not a member of the People of Israel. So the symbol is probably both individual and collective: Mary and Israel.
And since her other offsprng are identified as those who "keep God's commandents and bear witness to
The "great sign" not only has both an individual and collective reference, it also has both a present and future reference, since those offpspring who "bear witness to Jesus" are certainly people who come A.D., after Christ. They ae the children of the Church.
It is not a vice to have contempt for what is contemptible. To misconstrue the Word of God intentionally, in order to support the fictions of an ‘other religion’ is contemptible.
“So the symbol is probably both individual and collective: Mary and Israel.”
Just Israel.
Start with chapter 1 and read the whole book.
“The “great sign that appeared in the sky””
It does not appear in the sky, but in heaven.
Revelation 12:1 -that this is not a symbol of Mary the mother of Jesus, is clear from the fact that she will be the object of persecution during the Tribulation (v. 13; cf. v. 17).
Mary doesn’t appear in the tribulation.
You Catholics appear prepped for looking for SIGNS in the sky.
Good luck with the next one.
Matthew 24:24-25
For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.