The woman in the sun.
Rev 12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars;
The only other place we even glimpse these images is here: Gen 37:9 And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed yet a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars made obeisance to me.
Gen 37:10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?
This is Joseph and the father here is Jacob the covenant son of Isaac the covenant son of Abraham. Of Isaac it is said that in the “seed of Abraham would be called” indeed he had two sons and one of them got a name change from Jacob to Israel. Thereafter his sons eventually became twelve tribes the “sons of Israel” and the man’s name became the name of the nation. But here in Joseph’s dream the sheaves are the brothers obviously but the sun and the moon would have been Israel the sun and Rachel who is now deceased or Leah who is still alive at this time, I do believe, as the moon. It is noted here that the mindset is that the husband is head of the household and a good wife is his crown and glory. He is the sun around which she orbits her life and she is the reflection of him as is the moon. (Of course then it is easy to see that this is also archetypical of the LORD and the Body of Christ aka the BRIDE.) Indeed the images are the same here for this is the “wife” of a “covenant son” In that God the Son takes on human flesh He becomes both Keeper of the Covenant and The Covenant Son, for in Him is a “seed called” we are called “the righteousness of God” in Christ. We become “sons of God or God’s son” However the images are presented differently. She is clothed with and that compound Greek word is Strongs # 4016 periballō From (4012 peri From the base of (4008 peran Apparently the accusative case of an obsolete derivation of peirō (to “peirce”); through (as adverb or preposition), that is, across: – beyond, farther (other) side, over.); properly through (all over), that is, around; figuratively with respect to; used in various applications, of place, cause or time (with the genitive case denoting the subject or occasion or superlative point; with the accusative case the locality, circuit, matter, circumstance or general period): – (there-) about, above, against, at, on behalf of, X and his company, which concern, (as) concerning, for, X how it will go with, ([there-, where-]) of, on, over, pertaining (to), for sake, X (e-) state, (as) touching, [where-] by (in), with. In compounds it retains substantially the same meaning of circuit (around), excess (beyond), or completeness (through).) and (906 ballō A primary verb; to throw (in various applications, more or less violent or intense): – arise, cast (out), X dung, lay, lie, pour, put (up), send, strike, throw (down), thrust. ); to throw all around, that is, invest (with a palisade or with clothing): – array, cast about, clothe (-d me), put on. To throw all around or wrap around … to invest… and there is the connotation of pierced through. All these things match the Body of Christ who is invested with authority and power by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and who is wrapped or clothed with the “sun”. We are told to Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Put on Christ. Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. Notice the words “sun of righteousness”, now most translations use the term it’s for whose wings have the healing. But most commentators agree that the “sun” here is Messianic, and since when would the actual sun rise with healing… IN it’s wings? No this is sort of the bird in flight deal or the coming King and the healing would be an obscure reference to harpazo which for us is the ultimate healing without death. So the Jesus is our SUN OF RIGTEOUSNESS. We are to be clothed in Him hence the image of one “clothed IN the Sun.” But she also has the moon at her feet. Well we are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ… the SUN and make no provision for the “flesh”. The moon here quite possibly would represent the “flesh”. This “flesh” is “under the feet” in the position of being conquered. This is the wisdom not from above that is earthy sensual devilish (Jas 3:15) Now looking at it this way we can also see the mind renewed in that it is now the “mind of Christ” that we see. The verse also tells us not to make any provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts or appetites and this because it is the image of a woman is almost always in Greek thought going to be represented in the moon or the lusts and appetites of the feminine which are here seen as at the feet and conquered or overcome. Now she is also crowned with twelve stars. The stephanos of the Bride is the foundation laid in the prophets and also the Apostles. Twelve apostles are the crowning stars of the “church”. The doctrine of these apostles epistles are her rule and guide which is also represented by the crown that she is in authority, under authority. But she is hard labor to deliver …
There have been various understandings about this lady in the sky for many generations. I have wrestled over the images myself. Jesus spoke of “birth pangs” and listed what they would look like. Indeed everything up until this point might be listed as a birth pang with the exception of the “witnesses”. They are the first time stamped item in the book. They do their job for a set amount of days.
Rev 12:2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered.
This is not prelabor this is what has been called Labor and Delivery or L&D for short.
There is a verse that comes to mind here… Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.
Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
The redemption of the body, the revealing of the “sons of God”, the liberty of the GLORY of the children of God… all these images speak of birth. This is the woman giving birth. Jesus told us that all the things we would see in those days were but birth pains… and the end had yet to come. What is the end of birth pains? Deliverance. But is this harpazo? I don’t think so because the church is still spoken of well afterward. But she does give birth. But who gets the “infant”? it is caught up to God and unto his throne (Rev 12:5 c) Those are also images we know of. Col 3:1 If then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God. Eph 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus: … I also want you to look at this: Col 3:3 For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (clothed in the Sun)
Col 3:4 When Christ, who is our life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with him be manifested in glory. (Manifested may actually equal born) (when Christ shall be manifested… in us?)
Are we in our lives at this point truly seated in those heavenly places? No … our minds are more set on the world the flesh and all and not on God. But there comes a point where this does happen. This is that point. Eph 4:13 till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: To the point of maturity…. And yet this is birth. In Ephesians this is talking about the building up of the Body of Christ with gifts or aids or graces to help the growth along… This is a maturation/ gestation. This is the sense of terminology here. In one sense growth to adulthood and maturity and in another, gestation to a revelation. But she is not the only “thing in the sky” is she?
Rev 12:3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems.
The great red dragon who will be cast down faces her. She is travailing gestating living breathing and maturing in the direct presence of opposition and the oppose is the dragon the serpent of old. THIS is the ENMITY. Gen 3:15 and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Technically the seed mentioned is Jesus… and the heel bruise is the Cross. Also notice this is bruise not crush. The bruise denotes woundedness, weakness, defeat, loss of power. All these things are combined in the taking of the “kratos” or “dominion” from Satan directly. But as Jesus has defeated Satan so also must the Bride defeat Satan…. We are as He is… and short of the things which only pertain to the Godhead, we do what He did. (We don’t die for ourselves or save ourselves that pertains only to the Godhead and its position regarding the Elect.) He fought … we fight. He grew as a man… we grow… as a “man”. In the presence of our enemy. There in this opposition is the table spread and the oil and wine and cup runs over. All signifying the work of the Holy Spirit. This is the war and the race. All these images converge on her. Now this dragon has seven heads or headships and they are crowned. It also has ten horns or powers. It is the beast. How do I know look at the image. Rev 13:1 And he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.
Now the place that differs is the heads… the dragon has “diadems” and the beast has “names”. The key is in the word diadem also translated crown. But a diadem is not quite a crown. A crown is a badge of rule. A diadem is something bound about the head, like a crown would be but the difference is in the word itself. Strongs Greek #1238 diadēma From a compound of (1223 dia A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal or occasional). In composition it retains the same general import: – after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) . . . fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through (-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general import.) THE CHANNEL OF AN ACT THROUGH, and (1210 deō A primary verb; to bind (in various applications, literally or figuratively): – bind, be in bonds, knit, tie, wind.; a “diadem” (as bound about the head): – crown. Bound unto… a channel of an act through something bound onto. Now compared to stephanos this could be a writing like… names of blasphemy. Now blasphemy is an interesting thing. It is basically in this context titles belonging to the Holy Spirit. Of the Godhead the only one blasphemed whose blasphemy of is unforgivable is that of the Holy Spirit. So there would be seven names of Him on the dragon’s heads. These then quite possibly are the names: Isa 11:2 And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.
You see that concept of rest upon Him was in that it rested upon and in Jesus but quite literally it will “rest” UPON the heads of the DRAGON. But these are not the real Spirit but the titles. So it will look like Jesus but not be Jesus…. This is important. Blasphemy also is in ascribing to God that which is not His. The dragon is the “power” of the BEAST. The dragon’s Diadems are the Beast’s names. The Dragon is deposed and the Beast rises. See the connection? Back to the woman.
Rev 12:4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child.
In a very real sense this “woman” has been in the presence of the Dragon for a long time. He would be the roaring lion seek whom he may devour (1Pet 5:8) (Devil, Dragon, Serpent, Satan, Lion who devours souls; are all the same entity)
Rev 12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne.
This man child is the mature Body of Christ. This is not a harpazo but a sign. It is a spiritual event the same as the horsemen. This is the “he shall be My Son” manchild. Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. This is that which overcomes. This is where the power comes in for the bride and yet she delivers and then…
Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Here also Jesus spoke of taking us to a “place prepared”… he would come again to take them to the “place prepared” In the wilderness. The word here for wilderness is Strongs Greek # 2048 erēmos Of uncertain affinity; lonesome, that is, (by implication) waste (usually as a noun,(5561 chōra Feminine of a derivative of the base of (5490 chasma From a form of an obsolete primary “chao” (to “gape” or “yawn”); a “chasm” or vacancy (impassable interval): – gulf.) through the idea of empty expanse; room, that is, a space of territory (more or less extensive; often including its inhabitants): – coast, county, fields, grounds, land, region. being implied): – desert, desolate, solitary, wilderness.
This matches the Hebrew concept of wilderness or place of desolation. In other words she is going into hiding. Now if there is a sudden moment in time wherein Christians start disappearing away in droves not to be found but neither are they in heaven then might that presuppose “rapture”? Once again we also have a time stamp. This tells us two events are happening at the same time. Because this time stamp matches Rev 11:3, the Martyrs who prophesy are doing so for 1260 days. The woman is nourished for 1260 days. They are together. This would mean that Apollyon is still around and maybe even the locusts. It also means the Beast is about to rise. This is the Church Purified in Persecution and Trial and Tribulations and Patience has had its “perfect work”
Rev 12:7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;
Rev 12:8 And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.
You see the transition? The Beast is defeated and there are the names… and his angels are cast down with him… there are your stars that the tail is dragging down. Notice the next statement.
Rev 12:10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
Now is come salvation because the Accuser is cast down… but when the seventh trump blew we hears a different statement..: Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever. It is in this immediacy of the Kingdom becoming of YHVH and His Christ that Salvation, power and the Kingdom and Authority of YHVH and His Christ comes….
This is a really twisted knot to unravel. I could be wrong but here is the way the test lays, in my humble estimation. The trump sounds and birth takes place…. These are both spiritual. The witnesses testify and the woman hides out and a temple is built. These are all events on Earth. The statements made come almost one on top of the other. If it does and I am right in what I see here then the statement come together or very nearly so. “, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever. Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. ..”
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.
Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.
Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child.
Rev 12:14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Here’s the next clue of a possible harpazo. Wings of a great eagle…. Isa 40:31 but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
Is this harpazo, rapture, or something much greater in a way? This might be a gloriously empowered church triumphant. This might be the invisible church separated from the visible church? Also we now know the identity of the times time and half and time… 1260 days! Why? Verse six told us the woman would flee to the place prepared to be nourished for 1260 days and the above verse shows the flight of the woman and reiterates the time stamp as time 1000, times 200, and half a time 60.
Rev 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream.
Rev 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Rev 12:17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus:
Here again this may be spiritual it may be literal but it is the end of that confrontation and it is because of the fury the dragon has with the woman that he now turns the hose of the considerable anger on the “rest of her seed”. The rest of her seed is not apparently caught up to the throne but is now … on Earth? Who are these? They keep the commandments and have the testimony of Jesus (Spirit of Prophesy) They are also the ones who OVERCOME… Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. The word testimony or marturia means these are martyrs in a sense, they are saved (Blood of the LAMB) the word of their testimony is the testimony of Jesus (Spirit of Prophesy) and loving not their lives to the death or resistant to blood. You see I told you even after all this there is the presence of the Church, possibly the visible church. So the beast/ dragon makes war on the saints… where is this also found? Daniel. In fact there is a lot on our nasty Beast in the seventh chapter. But these apply to our war. Dan 7:19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was diverse from all of them, exceeding terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
Dan 7:20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
Dan 7:21 I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them;
It prevails against the saints…. The sanctified ones. This is not a part of Alexander the Great, the Ptolemy and Seleucid wars, or the Maccabees. That is clearly outlined but the images converge. In the same venue as an Alexander or an Antiochus or even a Hitler, is the Beast. Yet even though he prevails against the saints to kill them bodily they overcome him in resistance unto blood.
Looking At The Last Book Of The Bible 