12:2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.
This is a continuation from the previous verse.
It is given to women to have children with pain, Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 3:16.
This is a very unique earthly experience. That is, there will be no pain or sorrow in heaven (Revelation 21:4). Thus, there seems to be a conflict with 'appeared in heaven' in the previous verse and the 'pain' in this verse. While the sign was (appeared) in heaven, the object of the symbol was on earth. We really cannot understand the linkages between heaven and earth while we are physically alive. When we get to heaven, then we will understand (if we care to ... the worship and praise session may be so overwhelming that we will not care about this kind of semantics.). Check out the clues in verses 5 and 6.
The prophets in the Old Testament indicate that Jerusalem and the Israelis will be compared to these birth pangs:
| Isaiah 26:11-17,18-19 | Deliverance of Israel |
| Jeremiah 6:22-26 | Rumor of invasion from the north cause anguish as childbirth pangs |
| Jeremiah 13:20-21-27 | North invaders and an unclean Jerusalem |
| Jeremiah 30:4-6-9 | Sound of terror. Israelis not destroyed completely but nations to where they are scattered will be |
| Micah 4:6-9,10-13 | Distress and rescue |