Assignment | Lesson Three | Paul & Revelation
April 12, 2026 1:33 AM
1. Choose one of the following female or gender-bending characters Pippin explores—Jezebel, the Woman Clothed with the Sun, the Whore of Babylon, Gaia, the Bride/New Jerusalem, or the 144,000 "virgin men"—and creatively reimagine their story from their own perspective. Your reflection should be at least 300 words.
💡 Ask yourself:
- What does this character really think about what’s happening?
- Are they complicit? Resistant? Misunderstood?
- What future might they long for that John refuses to give them?
- What might liberation look like for them?
You can respond in any creative form you like:
- A first-person journal entry or letter from your character
- A monologue or short poem
- A modern-day social media post or “Apocalypse confessional”
- A reinterpretation of a scene as a comic or piece of visual art (if you're inclined to draw, feel free to post your sketches!)
Then, briefly reflect: How does creatively embodying this character shift how you read the text or how you understand Pippin's critique?
2. Feel free to engage with others’ posts—imagine how your characters might talk to or challenge each other.
This assignment is due on Friday, May 22.
Discussion (8)
I loved putting myself in the position of the Earth/Gaia and thinking of the feelings and thoughts that may have gone through her mind as this was all happening. The book of Revelations is one
that I don’t visit often and after reading Pippin it has helped me to understand a bit more why. I was particularly drawn to the Earth’s story because in my own life, that’s where I turn when I need solace and care.
Picturing the Earth protecting the Woman who was Clothed by the Sun, absorbing the flood, bringing her into the wilderness, giving her a safe space of protection, it’s what a mother does. It’s what we are called as Christians to do. I love the symbolism tied into all of it. Usually, when I picture Revelations in my mind, there is a cosmic battle that is almost other worldly (clearly, I need to spend more time studying this!), but if I consider the Earth in this story to be God’s people, taking care of one another and fighting for one another and protecting each other, I can apply that “battle” to all beings on Earth not only during those times, but to these times.
The Earth stepped into a fight that was not hers, but one that she knew she needed to be a part of because she knew how important it was. I have read that it is unknown what happens to the Woman, is she stuck in the wilderness forever? In my vision, she is cared for there and feels safe. I can also see that she is not alone and not the first one that the Earth has saved. I don’t know what happens to this Earth if a new one is born later on. Is that one born from this one? If the Earth represents God’s faithful, I hope that we are part of that new world.
I appreciate the Pippin critique as it brings so much emphasis on the feminine story that is missing.
Erin - this is a lovely poem and reflection. Like you, I haven't spent a lot of time in Revelation and didn't recall this part of the story. But what a powerful character, and one that portrays strength and honor. She didn't let the dragon win! And she protected the vulnerable - a woman on her own who had just given birth and was under threat. Gaia/Earth is only referenced in a few lines of scripture here, but makes a big impact on the imagination. Nice job.
I love the idea of "the Earth in this story to be God's people". We can imagine ourselves sheltering and caring for others, whether it be from hunger, poverty, war, trauma. I think it also compels me to think about the New Jerusalem that is mentioned in Revelation. If we truly lean into God's desire for restoration, that should influence the way we picture and build the New Jerusalem, not as a place of exclusion and elitism, but something entirely different. Thanks Erin for sparking that imagination.
The character Jezebel in Revelation 2:20-23, was a lost woman. A lady that was
used to having what she wanted being that she was considered a “prophet”. A prophet
that is supposed to give divine messages but considered to be false teachings. In my
perspective this character was a lost soul trying to lead others to false teachings that
were not according to John’s message through God’s divine spirit. The people that
would follow her or listen to her and do as she would say would also be condemned.
I believe Jezebel had a spirit of resistance. She had the opportunity to change
her ways but was rebellious and decided not to listen to John’s message, where he
states, “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not.” (Rev.
2:21 KJV) This was an opportunity sha had but decided not to take it. As for the people
that would follow her they would also die, as Pippin mentions in her writing. The people
have an opportunity to change what they are doing wrong before God to do what is
right but decide not to, so they live as they please. The liberation that would have taken
place for Jezebel would have been to repent from her evil ways and turn to God, then
her soul would have been free to live forever.
In my perspective of how I view this character, it just clarifies my strong believe
in how God wants people to change of the bad or evil ways that are not according to
His will. As a church or follower of God we cannot be lukewarm in our walk with God.
We must be true followers. We cannot be those “Luke warm” followers. We follow
God’s teachings or/and the world and their opinions.
Reading Pippin's critiques I feel helped me clarify even more my thoughts about what I think about the character.
Here’s a journal entry from the Woman Clothed with the Sun after she escaped the dragon:
When I carried the child within me I was untouchable. I was everything. I held the power of light and life within me. I was the sun and I shone so brightly. I was radiant, powerful. Every eye was upon me.
It was incredible to be a part of something so important, so holy. I never knew why I was chosen, but I wasn’t intimidated. I grew in confidence as I discovered my worth in new ways.
But now I feel I have been used.
How is it that now I am forgotten? How can they have stolen my son from me so quickly, before I even held him to my breast? At least the Dragon could not snatch him, but I expected more from God. I was still bleeding when I was chased into the wilderness. How could God have let that happen? But now I know my worth is now diminished since the child was born.
When nobody else intervened, the Earth herself had to protect me. Where was God? Were there no angels who could protect me? Why has my honor been stripped so completely and my life no longer deemed worthy? Did I do something wrong? Or is it the same old story of men taking what they need from us women and then casting us aside…leaving us alone to pick up the pieces.
The child I birthed, whose life grew within me, who I fed and protected and nurtured and loved is gone now. Will I ever see him again? Will he remember me?
*****
In entering the mind of the Woman Clothed with the Sun it was hard for me to get past this point in time directly described in the text. As someone who has carried and birthed a child, I can feel in my bones what an utterly vulnerable experience that is. For the woman in this narrative to go from wearing the sun to being chased by a dragon, for her child to be stolen and for her to be banished - surely these reversals were unexpected and devastating. The trauma would be etched in her forever.
I appreciate that Pippin’s commentary points out that John leaves us without an end to her story. One could possibly imagine that she could find liberation in the protection of the forest, never having to be exploited again. But I imagine she would need a community of women around her to help her heal in body and soul.
Hi Sara! Thank you for your journal entry. I also was thinking about the way the storyline of this woman is dropped and not concluded. I wonder if John of Patmos considered it secondary, or maybe he didn't even consider it at all. To me it is a reminder of the blindspots that we can hold for other people's stories.
Ching-Hsin Han
Role picked: Jezebel
First and foremost, it’s really challenging because I never thought of reading the book of Revelation in this exegetical lens Pippin suggests. I’m a male, who is trained through more traditional Biblical theology and exegetical approaches. Still, I will try to wear Jezebel’s shoes.
My name is not Jezebel; this is a label John of Patmos slapped on me to vilify me, a label originating from the historical narratives of the ancient Hebrew Bible. I am a female teacher in the church of Thyatira. Some call me a teacher, some prophetess.
I had earned the respect of the believers until John, terrified of my female agency, began to smear me. I suspect his goal is to ensure that men alone possess the final spiritual and hermeneutical authority.
Before, I initially thought his understanding of Jesus did not differ vastly from mine, and his comprehension of the gospel seemed aligned with my own. But upon closer examination, especially his Apocalypse is ultimately an "end-time male fantasy," it does not save humanity or bestow hope in Christ. On the contrary, its sole purpose is to erase and silence women’s voices.
I do not associate with him, nor do I wish to expend the energy to argue with him. He has completely misunderstood me. He deliberately attempts to lead others into misunderstanding me as well. It is deeply a shame. Even though the Gospel texts I read, and Paul’s epistles demonstrate otherwise, many still choose to believe men. Even though the final greetings in Romans, which name at least nine female believers, has recognized female leadership and worker, it’s still a shame men like John, whose voice, writings, and testimony are deemed more authoritative and correct than mine. In a society so accustomed to marginalizing women, it is tragic that even the disciples of Jesus cannot escape this patriarchal mindset.
The future I long for—the kingdom of God promised by Jesus Christ—should be a space where every man and woman, created in the image of God, comes together before the Lord. It should not be an exclusivist vision reserved solely for male angels and the 144,000 purified men who "have not defiled themselves with women." The true kingdom of God is a divine presence where women are neither marginalized nor silenced.
True liberation means that the people of God are no longer segregated by biological sex. In other words, men are no longer the ultimate authority or oppressors. By this I mean that men are free to continue expressing themselves freely, but simultaneously, female identity and voices are no longer threatened or erased by extreme, misogynistic violence. Female voices matter and pronounce.
Reflection:
If Tina Pippin’s critique holds true, it fundamentally alters how we read the Apocalypse. Numerous theological concepts will need to be reexamined. Some will cease to exist entirely, such as the debates surrounding the millennium or how we are meant to view the golden New Jerusalem. When Pippin critiques the violent patriarchal rhetoric within the Apocalypse, the explicit benefit is the deconstruction of entrenched male authority and the exposure of the destructive nature of extreme misogyny. However, regarding whether her critique can ultimately restore women's dignity and positive image, it seems to fall short. I still struggle to find a proactive, constructive discourse for women within her analysis.
The Woman Clothed in Sun is memorialized but voiceless in Revelation. While she is beautiful, radiant, and important, she doesn’t speak for herself, and outside of birthing a savior, is not developed in the text and does not seem to have agency for what happens to her in the story. I find this problematic as this is how women are so often portrayed throughout history, when my lived experience has exposed me to many strong, powerful women who are anything but relegated to the sidelines. So I thought I would imagine what the Woman would say if she were allowed to speak for herself:
Wilderness
My name is Aurora, the woman clothed in the sun. Before the dragon, before the vision, I was a mother, a daughter, a friend, and a central part of my community.
My child was taken from me before I could even hold it to my chest, without my permission. I was given wings, without my permission. I was exiled into the wilderness, without my permission.
But then the story moved on, and I remained. Years in the wilderness, but no one came to look for me. My story continued, without anyone watching but myself and God.
You wanted to use me to birth “the ruler”, but I am more than just a vessel. I have explored the wilderness, found my own name, and discovered that I can thrive on my own. You cannot boil me, or any woman, down to a single identity. I have a story to tell… but will anyone ask to hear it?