With pleasure. One verse - Revelation 12:1
"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". The article is cumulative, copulative and sequential. It joins what went before. But herein lies a difficulty. The word "and" does not fit sequentially with Chapter 11. It fits Chapter 4:1. It is the continuation of a long list of
"ands" starting with Revelation 4:1,
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter." The time frame is
after Christ has found five of seven Churches apostate.
"There appeared". This means that the sign was hidden in the past. Whatever the sign and the Woman stand for, they are a mystery until it is time to displace Satan from heaven.
"A Great Wonder". The Greek word for
"wonder" is translated elsewhere as
"sign". It covers a broad spectrum. In John Chapter 2, changing water into wine was a "sign" - the same Greek word. Since John 20:30-31 says that these "signs" are so that we believe and have life, this Woman is one thing to show another. Our Lord changing water to wine was the "sign", but it mean going from outside waters of purification to inward LIFE. And the "sign" is GREAT. What is "great" in the Bible.
Why, another WOMAN - New Jerusalem: "
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God" (
Revelation 21:10)
"In Heaven". The heavens are connected to the earth by RULE. Heaven is God's THRONE - not God's House, as some say. John Baptist and our Lord Jesus offer the "Kingdom (out) OF Heaven" to Israel first. The Woman is heavenly in nature. She brings heavenly rule to earth. Her Man-Child will RULE. She has a "crown". A crown is for ruling. It has 12 "stars" - heavenly rule. Abraham, who was promised the "Gates of his enemies" will have "seed as the stars of heaven". In resurrection the Church has "celestial glory". Satan, who was first governor of earth is a "star". Our Lord Jesus, son of KING David is "the bright and morning Star".
"A Woman". This Woman is a MOTHER. She has three seeds. All three are connected to God. Galatians 4:26 says that the Mother of US all is "Jerusalem above". Galatians 4 is speaking of both Israelite and Believer. Revelation 12 has "those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ (believer)" AND "those who keep the commandments of God (Jewish Remnant)". New Jerusalem has "Walls" based on the 12 Apostles (believers) and "Gates" (Israel). New Jerusalem is then DOUBLY a Woman. She is "Mother of us ALL" (Believer and Israelite) AND she is the Bride of Christ. This is the second time in the sentence that the Woman is inferred to be New Jerusalem.
"Clothed with the sun". A garment in Parable is one's Works (Rev.19:8). And our Lord is the "Sun of righteousness" (Mal.4:2). The clothes of the Woman are Christ's Righteousness. New Jerusalem "has the glory of God" - not the glory of men. Christ establishes righteousness before the Father, and the Father IMPUTES IT to the Church. In Josephs dream in Genesis 37 the "sun" is Jacob, which means "crook" or "supplanter", and he bows to a star. But here, the Woman's expression is Christ and His established righteousness UNDER LAW and ABOVE LAW. Jesus kept the Law in total (without fault), and He goes over and above Law in OBEDIENCE to the Father.
"The Moon under her feet". The sun was the greater light to rule the Day, while the moon was the lesser light to rule the night. The night is when our Lord Jesus is NOT present (Jn.9:4). From Adam to Abraham and Jacob the Patriarchs were God's light and testimony on an earth ruled by darkness. From Moses to Jeremiah Israel was God's testimony and light in a dark world. From Pentecost to the subjugation of the saints by the Beast in Revelation 13:7, the Church is God's light and testimony in a dark world. God always maintained His testimony on earth by faithful men. But its glory is reflected. It is a moon which must reflect the light of the Sun. But the feet of the woman speak of RULE. Earth is God's FOOTSTOOL, and God has joined Himself to men to RULE. But do we rule men in this age. No! We war against "the powers of darkness"
(Luke 22:53, Acts 26:18, Ephesians 6:12 and Colossians 1:13). "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
"Upon her Head a crown of 12 stars". Abraham is promised "seed as the sand of the sea shore" AND "seed as the stars of heaven" (Heb.11:12). His seed will "possess the Gates of his enemies". "Gates" in Parable are where the Elders of the city gathered to rule and judge. God raises up Israel first and they live alongside, but not among, the Nations who are typified by the "sea" (Ezek.26:3-5). But when Christ comes, He promises not only the Kingdom of Israel, but the Kingdom of the HEAVENS. A new birth is needed - one from above (Jn.3:3-5 - lit. Gk.). The calling "heavenly" (Heb.3:1). Israel reject the call to be "stars", and so God goes to the Gentiles with His "heavenly calling" and citizenship. The Church is born and based upon 12 Apostles. And New Jerusalem, which is a Woman, will "reign with Christ forever and ever (Rev.22:5).
God's plan with man on earth is to have A Woman.
- It is not good that a Man be alone - and Jesus is the Chiefest of men.
- This Woman is to display God, so New Jerusalem, the chiefest of Women "has the glory of God"
- This Woman is to be a Mother and bring forth a Man-Child to rule the Nations - the Overcomers of the Church
- This Woman is to be a Mother and bring forth an Israeli Remnant for the restoration of Israel
- This Woman is to be a "help meet" to Jesus. This means "a companion up to the standard of" Jesus, typified by Eve
After the revelation of Jesus Christ the innocent giving His Life for the Woman, this Woman is the grandest revelation of the Bible. In Galatians 4 this Woman, Jerusalem Above, is incomplete. She is still being built. In Revelation 12 she is complete in the TWO REMNANTS. In Revelation 21 she is complete in all - New Jerusalem, the consummation of God's plan on earth with men.
She embodies all God's plan. She gives Christ joy, compaionship and satisfies Him.