Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway
Is it Mary or the church?
Is it Mary or the church?
Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway
Is it Mary or the church?
It can of course be both
When trying to identify the sign, the woman described in chapter twelve of the book of Revelation. Whatever the identification (Israel, church, Mary), the identity must satisfy the following verses.Revelation 12 MSG;NIV - The Woman, Her Son, and the Dragon - A - Bible Gateway
Is it Mary or the church?
King Herod wanted to kill Jesus, Joseph was told to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Herod slaughtered all boys under two years old. That was the dragon Other children is a shoe in for Mary as mother of Christians?When trying to identify the sign, the woman described in chapter twelve of the book of Revelation. Whatever the identification (Israel, church, Mary), the identity must satisfy the following verses.
Revelation 12:13-17
And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
The dragon persecuted the woman who gave birth to Jesus?
The woman flew into the wilderness?
The woman was nourished for a time, times and half a time?
The woman has other children not just Jesus, these other children are Christians?
What is the time, times and half a time?King Herod wanted to kill Jesus, Joseph was told to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. Herod slaughtered all boys under two years old. That was the dragon Other children is a shoe in for Mary as mother of Christians?
If you read the whole chapter.....The woman is the church who gives birth to the bride...Who is caught up and the rest of the church has to flee from the antichrist. Study and you will find that not all the born again church is the bride...Only those who are ready.
Actually...The child is the One New Man mentioned in Ephesians 2:15 the One New Man is the bride of ChristThe Church is the Bride of Christ. Jesus is the Groom. Revelation 19:8, "His Bride is ready." Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:25-27 of Christ's sacrifice on the cross as the redemption of the Bride: "...Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy by washing her in cleansing water with a form of words, so that when he took the church to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless." 2Cor 11:2-3 "The jealousy that I feel for you is, you see, God's own jealousy: I gave you all in marriage to a single husband, a virgin pure for presentation to Christ."
Matthew 25:1-13 ~ The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, 4 but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 At midnight, there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise ones replied, No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' 10 While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, Lord, Lord, open the door for us! 12 But he said in reply, amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The virgins are waiting for the bridegroom to take them to the marriage feast. It is the Christian tradition that Christ is the Bridegroom of His Church who is His faithful and virginal Bride (Mt 9:15; Jn 3:29; 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:21-33; Rev 21:2, 9 and 22:17).
- The virgins are the Bride of Christ, the Christian communities of the Church
- The oil lamps represent God the Holy Spirit
In the parable, all the virgins have oil lamps which they must keep burning as they await the coming of the Bridegroom. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said "I came to cast fire upon the earth and would that it were already kindled!" (Lk 12:49). On Pentecost, God the Holy Spirit possessed the New Covenant community praying in the Upper Room in the form of tongues of fire (Acts 2:3-4), and St. Paul warns Christians "do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thes 5:19)
- The wedding banquet is the heavenly wedding banquet of the Lamb and His Bride The virgins represent the Christian communities waiting for the Bridegroom, who is Jesus, to take them to the wedding feast, which is the heavenly marriage supper of the Lamb: "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory. For the wedding day of the Lamb has come, his bride has made herself ready. She was allowed to wear a bright, clean linen garment."(The linen represents the righteous deeds of the holy ones.) Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb" (Rev 19:7-9).
Five virgins, half the Christian communities, are prudent and watchful. They are the Christian communities or individual Christians who are vigilant in keeping their lives right with God in preparation for the Parousia of the Christ. But only half the virgins/Christian communities are prepared for the coming of the bridegroom "the ill-prepared virgins miss the coming of the bridegroom and cannot enter the wedding feast.
But Eph. 2:11-16 – this section explains Paul’s reference to “works” which relates to following the Jewish legal ordinances. “works of law” (Mosaic law/legal payment).Actually...The child is the One New Man mentioned in Ephesians 2:15 the One New Man is the bride of Christ