What are the general accepted beliefs within the SDA, as to what that dragon clothed with the sun and having the star crown on her head mean? Any thoughts?

I moved this here where you may receive a faster answer to your post.

Much appreciated

The dragon in Revelation 12 is not clothed with the sun, nor does he have the star crown on his head.

The dragon is identified in Revelation 12:9 as "that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world"


You probably mean the woman in Revelation 12
She is clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.


We look to Genesis for an answer to what this means for it is a fulfilment of a promise made there:



The SEED is the child of the woman.
He is MESSIAH the PRINCE!
Jesus Christ, born of woman into the human race.

Galatians 3.16 tells us "And to thy seed, which is Christ."

The Woman represents God's people, who put their trust in Him.

Isaiah 6.2
"I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman."

Yes I meant the Woman, thanks. Will wait for a few more responses and then give my thoughts

The woman represents God's church and/or remnant people. The sun represents Christ, and the moon represents the prophets.

I could explain in more detail, but that's the nutshell version.

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

The woman represents the Levitical priesthood, principally from among the Jews. The twelve stars on her head are the twelve sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes which she served. The priests were the ones who knew God and served in his temple. They were, as it were, in heaven.

All that they did and all where they served prefigured the coming of the Messiah. Those things were, in a manner of speaking, their child, the embodiment of whom was Jesus of Nazareth, the first of many priests to come (who we are if we prove faithful).

You would notice that after her first born, she goes into the wilderness. There is no temple on earth for her to do anything. Her children therefore (true Christians) serve in a spiritual temple among the nations of the world. However, the Dragon's hatred is directed at her, i.e. at the priesthood (which we as a people have inherited), and he seeks to make war against us by setting up his own parallel administration and subverting the truth, casting down all who would not honour him and his priests.

It is the reason why those who "walk in the manner of Jesus Christ" (have his testimony from the days of the Apostles) and keep God's commandments engender his wrath. (Rev. 12:17)

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For hundreds of years the church of Christ found refuge in seclusion and obscurity. Thus says the prophet: “The woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” [Revelation 12:6.] {GC88 54.2}

Babylon is represented as a woman --a figure which is used in the Bible as the symbol of a church, a virtuous woman representing a pure church, a vile woman an apostate church. {GC 381.1}

Why did she fall from heaven?

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