Tag: woman clothed with the sun
Revelation Christmas Story!
Scripture reading for December 16th: Revelation 12
“A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a Son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to His throne.” (Revelation 12:1-5)
John saw a wondrous sign in heaven: a sun-clothed woman! From her description, she represented Israel in her glory with the twelve tribes as stars on her head. This woman was pregnant and ready to give birth as she cried out with labor pains. John saw another sign, a huge red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and crowns on the heads. This dragon was ready to devour the child when it was born. The dragon represented Satan and his demonic desire to destroy God’s plan and His Offspring. This dragon was represented by a multi-headed beast with ten horns.
What John was seeing was a panorama of the Christmas story as the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises and purpose to unite all nations under the dominion of His Son. Jesus was “Child” that was born to the nation of Israel, the One who would rule all nations with an “iron scepter.” (Psalm 2:6-11) This child was “snatched up” to heaven at His resurrection from the dead after Calvary! He will come again with the “iron scepter” of judgment against those who have not repented from the nations!
The overcoming Blood!
Scripture reading for December 21st: Revelation 12:1-17
A great drama with interesting characters was the next sign seen in heaven by John on his tour of the throne room. Images have powerful ability in the hearts of men to convey truth or to deceive. Those who have been redeemed now have hearts that are teachable and open to truth. John wrote of these characters to describe the things God showed him that were yet to come.
“A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. She gave birth to a Son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her Child was snatched up to God and to His throne. (Revelation 12:1-5)
The Jewish believers of that day would recognize this character of the pregnant woman as the nation of Israel. The twelve stars were the twelve sons of Jacob. The child was the promised ruler from the line of Judah. Psalm 2:9 described this ruler as One with an ‘iron scepter’ the nations of the earth. Believers would recognize in the description of this child being ‘snatched up’ to God and His throne, a picture of Jesus Christ who his ruling in heaven now until all his enemies be put under his feet. (Psalm 110:1-2, 5-6)
The dragon is the old serpent from the Garden of Eden, Satan. He was kicked out of heaven and a third of the angels who rebelled with him fell also. (Ezekiel 28:12-18) The dragon has been at war with the seed of woman since the Garden of Eden where God told him of his end. (Genesis 3:15) In this cosmic contest, devouring mankind is now the dragon’s interest. Believers overcome him by their confession of trust in the blood of the Lamb! (Revelation 12:11-12) All heaven rejoices because the dragon’s time is short!