seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Revelation 12:1 A great 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. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its 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 it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 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. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Here's the link to the commentary I use.Now a great sign appeared: This is the first of seven signs that John relates, and is described as a great sign (mega semeion). In Revelation chapters 12, 13, and 14 the main figures of the Great Tribulation are described, and this great sign introduces the first of the seven:
- The woman, representing Israel.
- The dragon, representing Satan.
- The man-child, referring to Jesus.
- The angel Michael, head of the angelic host.
- The offspring of the woman, representing Gentiles who come to faith in the Tribulation.
- The beast out of the sea, representing the antichrist.
- The beast out of the earth, representing the false prophet who promotes the antichrist.
I gotta say. No one really knows who the dragon represents.... or really who the woman represents. The Commentary seems to discuss the question of Michael's "real" role. Is it Jesus being called Michael. Is that the role Jesus was filling when He was called to go to earth? Is Michael the "new name" for Jesus or is Jesus the "new name" for Michael? Is Jesus known as Michael when He's in Heaven, and known as Jesus while He was performing the Mission on Earth?
After all, when Jesus rose, He would have known who Satan's cohorts were. Jesus would be able to recognize the demons hiding out in Heaven and throw them out.
God threw Satan out of Heaven. Maybe there were still sympathizers in Heaven. Maybe there were still angels in Heaven who "knew" Satan to be just what both Heaven and earth would need. Maybe there were entities in Heaven who didn't want "the same old God" and God's Son anymore. Maybe there were entities in Heaven who were ready for someone who understood how frustrating humans really are. Maybe those entities were calling for a new "god" to take the throne. Someone who knew their side of the equation. Perhaps these angels were given some time to "come around" while they watched Jesus using kindness and generosity on earth. Maybe those entities stood at the border of Heaven and snarled while Jesus worked. Perhaps they were watching when Satan whispered in Herod's ear. Maybe Jesus could see Satan in their eyes when He returned from earth. Maybe He saw that "Oh no... what am I going to do now?" look when He left earth, and death, behind; completing a successful Mission. Maybe, they figured Jesus would join their side when Satan tempted Jesus on earth.
Back in Revelation 5... Jesus showed up to take the scroll. Michael wasn't the one who said "Who's going to open the seals". It was a strong angel. Jesus took the scroll from "the strong angel". Was that strong angel saying Jesus wasn't warrior enough to complete the task? Was the strong angel getting ready to pop the scrolls himself?
On earth, did Satan whisper in Herod's ear... "That baby got me thrown out of Heaven. I know that baby is not good for your throne". Was the strong angel saying things like that in Heaven while Jesus was busy on earth? Was he rallying troops in Heaven because Jesus was on His way back?
OK... so how does the woman fit in all this. All this description about the sun and the moon.... and stars all around her.... makes me think she was a "special" creation of God's. God provided a safe place for her for the second half of the 7-year tribulation period.
Satan tried to deliver her baby from her. Did Satan have abortion in mind? Was Mary, an unwed mother, in a country where they stoned women to death for misbehaving, considering abortion when she went to "visit" her cousin? Was Mary afraid for her life? After all she was an unwed woman. Would she consider the same remedy David and Bathsheba must have considered? Was she looking for a place to hide or permission to get out of her condition?
How long is the time distortion between Heaven and Earth?
Is the woman Mary?
