Post by MoGrace2U on Oct 25, 2008 15:04:13 GMT -5
The woman initially described seems to clearly be Israel, hopefully we all agree with this. Though I have heard some refer to her as the Church of Christ, the Bride is not the one who brought forth Jesus. The sun, moon and stars are symbols used for Israel. And we see in Rev. that these symbols became ones given to darkness.
Ch 12 has 3 sections which seem parallel in what they are discussing: v1-6 (A); 7-12 (B); and 13-17 (C). Section A seems to give an overview for the topic at hand. B seems to be a focus upon the saved saints, while C is showing us a distinction from the woman and the saints who are her seed. I want to focus on what the differences are in two of the sections.
A-(Rev 12:6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
C-(Rev 12:14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
There is a distinction first off in the use of 1,260 days vs 3 1/2 years. The former is also used in 11:3 for the 2 witnesses who prophecy the word of God, which was set in contrast to the 42 months during which the Gentiles overrun the city. The latter term is the same we find in Daniel 12 for the event that will accomplish the scattering of the holy people. I think the difference in their use is in whether salvation or wrath is the perspective and also whether it is saints or apostates in view.
The fact that 1260 days is set off as being different than the 3 1/2 years is either one of chronology and/or perspective regarding what is being said. The 1260 days does fit the time after the Lord's acension when the remnant was fed the gospel by the apostles - at which time, with the death of Stephen, the gospel went to the Gentiles. Israel having thus rejected the testimony of the Father, Son and finally Holy Spirit, is blinded in her unbelief.
In C - which the translators seem to have added quite a bit for the interpretation they give us, the Greek is bit more succint. There is an allusion here to the prophecy in Zech 5:9 where angels with wings of a stork (an unclean bird) carry off the ephah filled with wickedness to give it a place in the land of Shinar - Babylon. A great eagle or vulture, is also an unclean bird which is taking the woman to her place in the wilderness. Yet one of the faces of the cherubs is a flying eagle (4:7) which is a role of Christ. So perhaps the contrast with the OT prophecy is that it is Jesus who is doing this. At which point it is worth noting that later when John is taken to the wilderness (17:3) he sees a woman who is a great Harlot.
In A - God is doing this protective act towards the woman, but here in C that fact is omitted. That she is being fed using the same word used before, is shown to be different in the verses that follows as to what it is she is fed - and by whom. "From (apo 575) the face of the serpent" does not necessarily mean that she is being taken away from his presence but rather is being brought into it as she is taken away to this place - BECAUSE OF him.
(Rev 12:15-16) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. {16} And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
This is also rendered with a bit of an addition by the translators too. What the Greek seems to be saying is that the serpent's intent is to carry her away with the flood that procedes from his mouth (lies) and that the inhabitants of the earth help the woman to open her mouth and swallow it. The reflexive pronoun "her" is not referring to the earth's mouth but to the woman's. At which point (having accomplished this), the dragon turns his attention to persecute her seed which has the testimony of Jesus. A testimony she does not have in contrast. This is the devil working the apostasy of Israel in those who did not believe the earlier testimony of God - making her into the harlot John sees later. And then thru her, the persecution of the saints. All of which is according to the word of God which Jesus prophecied.
In Daniel 12 the accomplishing of the scattering of the holy people is how the gospel goes out into the world, and persecution is the means used to bring this about. It is only those who have the testimony of Jesus that declared His glory in these events. Certainly apostate Israel who was scattered too is not in view as being those who did this!
Ch 12 has 3 sections which seem parallel in what they are discussing: v1-6 (A); 7-12 (B); and 13-17 (C). Section A seems to give an overview for the topic at hand. B seems to be a focus upon the saved saints, while C is showing us a distinction from the woman and the saints who are her seed. I want to focus on what the differences are in two of the sections.
A-(Rev 12:6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
C-(Rev 12:14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
There is a distinction first off in the use of 1,260 days vs 3 1/2 years. The former is also used in 11:3 for the 2 witnesses who prophecy the word of God, which was set in contrast to the 42 months during which the Gentiles overrun the city. The latter term is the same we find in Daniel 12 for the event that will accomplish the scattering of the holy people. I think the difference in their use is in whether salvation or wrath is the perspective and also whether it is saints or apostates in view.
The fact that 1260 days is set off as being different than the 3 1/2 years is either one of chronology and/or perspective regarding what is being said. The 1260 days does fit the time after the Lord's acension when the remnant was fed the gospel by the apostles - at which time, with the death of Stephen, the gospel went to the Gentiles. Israel having thus rejected the testimony of the Father, Son and finally Holy Spirit, is blinded in her unbelief.
In C - which the translators seem to have added quite a bit for the interpretation they give us, the Greek is bit more succint. There is an allusion here to the prophecy in Zech 5:9 where angels with wings of a stork (an unclean bird) carry off the ephah filled with wickedness to give it a place in the land of Shinar - Babylon. A great eagle or vulture, is also an unclean bird which is taking the woman to her place in the wilderness. Yet one of the faces of the cherubs is a flying eagle (4:7) which is a role of Christ. So perhaps the contrast with the OT prophecy is that it is Jesus who is doing this. At which point it is worth noting that later when John is taken to the wilderness (17:3) he sees a woman who is a great Harlot.
In A - God is doing this protective act towards the woman, but here in C that fact is omitted. That she is being fed using the same word used before, is shown to be different in the verses that follows as to what it is she is fed - and by whom. "From (apo 575) the face of the serpent" does not necessarily mean that she is being taken away from his presence but rather is being brought into it as she is taken away to this place - BECAUSE OF him.
(Rev 12:15-16) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. {16} And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
This is also rendered with a bit of an addition by the translators too. What the Greek seems to be saying is that the serpent's intent is to carry her away with the flood that procedes from his mouth (lies) and that the inhabitants of the earth help the woman to open her mouth and swallow it. The reflexive pronoun "her" is not referring to the earth's mouth but to the woman's. At which point (having accomplished this), the dragon turns his attention to persecute her seed which has the testimony of Jesus. A testimony she does not have in contrast. This is the devil working the apostasy of Israel in those who did not believe the earlier testimony of God - making her into the harlot John sees later. And then thru her, the persecution of the saints. All of which is according to the word of God which Jesus prophecied.
In Daniel 12 the accomplishing of the scattering of the holy people is how the gospel goes out into the world, and persecution is the means used to bring this about. It is only those who have the testimony of Jesus that declared His glory in these events. Certainly apostate Israel who was scattered too is not in view as being those who did this!
