The woman represents God's people.
We see that representation in the OT and in the NT.
There is always the "pure" and the "harlot"--
The faithful and the unfaithful both of whom claim to be God's people.
In the OT Zion is seen as Jerusalem as this was the place where God's truth was centered and was to spread out to the world, in the NT Zion is no longer old Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem that heavenly city.
God's people --
Rev. 3:12 I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God:
REV. 19 and 21 refers to Jerusalem as the bride of the Lamb.
This includes all the citizens -- those with the name of the city of God which is New Jerusalem written upon them.
Why, then, did the woman fall? Why was she cast out of heaven? She was in heaven; and suddenly we find her along with the Dragon on earth; unless the wilderness is in heaven too.
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The woman did not fall, she is symbolic of those redeemed from the earth.
The number 12 is always associated with the church...Twelve tribes, twelve apostles, 12 sets of 12,000 apostles in the 144,000 who are redeemed from among men, and they could only be redeemed from the man child, who was also born here and then caught up to heaven.
The woman is the church in all ages...from Adam, to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to Christ, to the 144,000.
Standing on the Moon is the law and the prophets; That which pointed to Christ, but a faint reflection of His glory. So you have to stand on the moon to get be clothed in the Glory of Christ.
Being clothed with the sun is the righteousness of Christ, Righteousness by Faith, the Mystery of Godliness.
Read Spurgeons sermons on this issue;
http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/spe/view.cgi?bk=65&ch=12
