A Study of The Book of Revelation, Part #40

A Study of The Book of Revelation

The Woman
The first of the seven personages

E. Gillespie

In this chapter we will study five of the seven personages, first there was the woman, second there is the red dragon the devil, then there is the child, followed by the archangel and the Jewish remnant.  Each of these entities plays an important part in the recclamination of the Earth.  The reason why the church is not dealt with in this part of the vision is because the church has already been caught up and is seated around the throne of God.  We must also realize that the signification of the Book of Revelation is in use and each of the characters plays an important part in the overall plan of God.  

This week we will begin where we left off in our verse by verse study of the Book of Revelation.  The break in our study was supposed to give our minds a break from all of the gory details of what God has planned for the Devil.  There are certain points that I wish to reiterate before we began our study.  Most of the Bible is written about the children of Israel and God's interaction with his chosen people.  They are referenced as God's bride, an earthly people and will be judged as such.  The church is a made up body (Jews and Gentiles)which is viewed as 'neither Jews or Gentiles', it is a spiritual body and it has a spiritual heritage, it is referenced as the bride of Christ and it will be judged as such.  As the earthly representative church, the church of the Laodiceans spiral out of control and enters its final state of apostate it will become blinded and  possessive in nature, claiming to be Jews and the demanding the blessing of Abraham for themselves.   Revelation 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.  To  understand the book of Revelation, to understand the Bible we must maintain the separation of the Jews, the Gentiles and the church.  1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  We must allow each one to occupy its rightful place in the Holy Scripture.  Each group or entity has a role to play in the final consummation of things.    

Revelation is a book of sevens:

- In chapters 2 and 3 we have the seven churches.

- In chapter 5 - the seven-sealed book.

- In chapter 6 - the beginning of the seven seals.

- In chapter 8 - the beginning of the seven trumpets.

- In chapters 12 and 13 - the seven personages.

- In chapter 16 - the seven vials.

- In chapters 17, 18, 19 - the seven dooms.

- In chapters 21 and 22 - the seven new things.

As we have often stated in our previous studies seven is God’s number of completion, the divine number of divine completeness.  In Revelation God is making a complete end to sin and sorrow.  He will complete His wonderful plan of redemption for all creation. Paradise, with all of its Original glory, and more, are restored in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. In the first few chapters Genesis, Paradise is lost; in the last two chapters of Revelation, Paradise is restored.  The scoffers will state that God could have killed the Devil and took back his creation.  Then, we would have a God that would violate the legal terms of redemption as we discussed when the little book was open.   This or any variation of this scenario would be the same as a judge ignoring the laws and acting in revenge.  Revelation reveals the plan of God. 

THE WOMAN

Revelation 12:1-2  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and 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.

Chapter 12 opens with these incredible words (verses 1 and 2): “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and 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.” This woman (the “great wonder”) is clad in a very extraordinary manner. She is wearing the sun - and for shoes she wears the Moon. For her hat she wears a crown studded with twelve stars. She is a mother-to-be, and her delivery is imminent. Why all this? What does it mean? Why would the Holy Spirit use such language to set forth some spiritual truth?  We can recognize a great symbology is at work here.  There have been many suggestions by Bible teachers and scholars, most will agree that this is Mary, but the only way to arrive at the right answer is to compare spiritual things with spiritual, let God’s Word tell us what all this is about, and who the woman is.  We cannot compare spiritual to natural as some proclaim,  1 Corinthians 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. is referencing the difference between Adam and Jesus Christ.  If we will stick to the Word of God and forget what the charlatan prelates say and believe, we can learn the truth of the entire passage. The adjective “great” is used five times In chapter 12 - which is indeed a great chapter! The woman is not actually in Heaven - but upon the earth. The sign is in Heaven, but the birth takes place right here on this earth. This woman, clothed in the most unusual attire anyone could ever wear, is Israel, not Mary the mother of Jesus nor the church. This is the unfolding of a prophecy that is still in the process of being fulfilled.   

Do you remember when Joseph had his memorable dream in the Old Testament days, he saw the sun, the moon, and stars bowing down to him (Genesis 37). This was a prophetic picture pointing to his exaltation after he had been sold into Egyptian slavery by his wicked brethren. It was also a prophetic picture of the nation Israel. Joseph was sold into the hands of Gentiles, just as Israel has been sold into captivity, scattered to the four corners of the earth, suppressed and persecuted by the Gentiles. Even in recent years Israel has been persecuted by modern Pharaohs, some of whom were named Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Eichman. They did their best to wipe out Israel, but they are gone and Israel is still here!  The history of Joseph is important to understanding the history of Israel and the scripture.

Israel is the woman who brought forth the man-child who is to rule with a rod of iron. Only of Israel could it be said that “she is clothed with the sun.” “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings. . .” (Malachi 4:2). Israel brought forth the Redeemer. The Church did not produce the Saviour (“salvation is of the Jews” - John 4:22). “Verily He took not on Him the nature of Angels; ( he did not appear as an angel to save the world) but He took on Him the seed of Abraham” (Hebrews 2:16). Again, it is of Israel - and Israel alone - that it could be said, “He hath prepared for her a place in the wilderness.” A place of protection.

There are four women mentioned in the book of Revelation:

1. Jezebel (Revelation 2:20) - Representing the papal system.

2. The woman we are discussing now - Israel, God’s chosen people with earthly blessings.

3. The great harlot (Revelation 17:1) or the future apostate, corrupt church that will be in power after the Rapture of the true Church.

4. “The Bride, the Lamb’s wife” - the Church, in its glorified state in the Pearly white City that John saw coming down from God out of Heaven.

Here, with the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and the stars upon her head, is presented for us a complete system of government. Isaiah tells us “of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end” (Isaiah 9:7). The government of Almighty God will never cease. This earth will be governed by God throughout the eternity of eternities. The crown on the woman’s head signifies royal dignity - but why the stars in the crown? Without doubt these stars point back to Joseph’s dream in which the future glory of the twelve tribes is set forth.  “Twelve stars” . . . the number twelve used here and in several other passages in Revelation,  denotes administrative rule in the hands of men. Israel is earthly with earthly promises, and every promise made to Abraham will be fulfilled to the letter, in every minute detail - even to the possessing of the land promised to his seed.  To tamper with this is to pollute God's word. 

In verse 2, the woman is great with child and travailing in birth, about to be delivered. The mother-to-be is Israel - but who is this manchild about to be born . . . this child whom Satan is ready to devour? If we compare Scripture with Scripture and spiritual things with spiritual, I see no reason why we should not see clearly  who the child is: He is to “rule all nations with a rod of iron.” Who could that be other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

We the Church will reign with Him, but He will be King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule with a rod of iron and we will reign with Him as He Sits on the throne of David. (Read Psalm 2 in its entirety.) Jesus has been the object of the devil’s hatred since He was promised in Genesis 3:15. There is a trail of blood from Genesis to the cross - a trail of blood left by those whom Satan destroyed in his all-out attempt to stop the Seed of the woman. But Jesus fulfilled every demand of God the Father, He paid sin’s debt in its fulness. He conquered death, hell and the grave. He arose, He appeared to men, He ascended back to the Father and He is coming again in power and great glory. Jesus will personally supervise putting Satan into the lake of fire, where he will be tormented with fire and brimstone forever and ever. The child about to be born is Jesus, the mother-to-be is Israel.

 Some teach that this woman is the Church - but that just could not be! The Church is the Bride of Christ. Israel is the mother of Christ - and is the wife of God! Jesus came forth out of Israel. “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne” (verse 5). If you accept this child to be Christ (and certainly the child can be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ), then all misunderstandings will disappear. Israel - not the Church - was the mother of Messiah (Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Romans 9:5, Matthew 1, John 4:22, Isaiah 66:7). “Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child” (Isaiah 66:7). The travailing and pain for Israel is yet future, during the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week - the time of great tribulation. But before that time of travailing, Israel was to bring forth a man child - Jesus. And He has come forth. “Therefore will He give them up until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of His brethren shall return unto the children of Israel” (Micah 5:3). The travail will come centuries after the birth, depending upon how much longer Jesus tarries. Then why, in our present Scripture, are the travail and birth mentioned together? There are three reasons:

1. The long period of time that Israel is set aside (coming in as it does between the birth and travail (a difficult experience or situation) ) is not mentioned in our present chapter, but it is mentioned and fully discussed in many other books in the Bible. 
2. It shows the deep interest and concern God takes in His chosen people. Many centuries ago, He thought of His people in the period of Great Tribulation, and made provision to shorten those horrible days lest all flesh be destroyed. Read Matthew 24:15-28 very carefully.

3. At the time of the account in our present chapter, Israel is about to go through the most horrible time she has ever known since becoming a nation - or ever will know again. The object of the Holy Spirit going back to the birth of Jesus in this Scripture is to connect Him with Israel in His proper place during this terrible time of Jacob’s trouble.

 God has not forgotten His own - and He never will. Remember, we are dealing with the earth and Israel in this chapter. The Church is with  Jesus in the air, and has been since the beginning of the reign of the Antichrist. (The Church is to be raptured before the Antichrist is revealed). Israel is on earth in her own land. The false messiah is in power. And now, during the last three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation, all hell has broken out.  Now it all began to make sense, doesn't it?

Next

 Satan The Red Dragon