The Woman versus The Dragon

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. 

And there appeared another wonder in heaven; 

and behold a great red dragon, having seven 

heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon 

his heads. And his tail drew the third part of 

the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the 

earth: and the dragon stood before the the 

woman which was ready to be delivered, for to 

devour her child as soon as it was born. 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. 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.

Revelation 12:1-6

     Depending on which view a person holds will determine how they interpret these verses. While there are little consensus among the views they do hold to some things in common. I will labor towards these views for they are much speculation and I will not speculate, but I will look at Scripture and see if I can find answers. Let us begin at the beginning of man and woman and their fall from grace. Moses wrote this account about God prophesying that He would put enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). So what we know for sure is that there will be, and is, a battle, a war between good and evil. Who are the good? It is the Church of Authentic Christian believers, and, it is all the faithful before the coming of the birth of Jesus Christ. The true faithful people are the Church. The Church, that is the Authentic Christian people are elected to have given to them freely all the promises of God. This alone causes great despair and even hate by those who do not have these promises, especially when they are confronted by those bringing the Gospel. Women are spoken of in Scripture by both good and bad women but in this case the woman is good, a woman from heaven, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. This can be nothing less than a good woman, one with brightness as the sun, and having even the darkness lit, and the twelve stars reminds us of the twelve tribes of Israel chosen by God to have His Son born. The twelve stars reminds of the twelve disciples who walked and talked with Jesus. The number twelve is a number related to the Church in all its holiness. The people in this Church are justified, sanctified, and in full union with Jesus Christ. Darkness cannot hide from the woman who bring light into all darkness. Those who love sin love to do this sin in darkness, hidden from view, or have given their sin a clothing to hide what is in reality true. The Gospel unveils all this and those who do not want God, or His Son, hate those who bring this light. 

     God spoke of the seed of the dragon and that dragon is none less than Satan himself and all those who fell from heaven following after him. Oh! How people love a good story, especially if that story fits their character and beliefs. This dragon is red denoting fire, fierceness, cruelty and with him is all those who are his principle agents. Satan did not get all the stars, the angels to follow him but he did get a third of them to do so and they join him in attempting to destroy the child who was promised to bring salvation. This child, Jesus Christ, did what Satan did not want, a people who were and are believers in God, in Jesus Christ and when they hear the Gospel they respond to it changing their ways to conform to the commands of God. This child could not be captured and destroyed for this child was caught up to heaven and sits at the right hand of God on the throne. 

     The woman, the Church flees into the wilderness, a place prepared by God that they should be fed, to hear the words of God and to worship Him in truth. This they do for a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Using the Jewish 30 day month this is a limited time of 39.3 months. What is the meaning of this? I can only say that it is a limited time when God takes special care for His people preparing them for the war to come, the wilderness was a place of security bringing forth true and faithful professors of Jesus Christ. We are now in a time, a short time before the return of Jesus Christ, we have His word to guide us and to lead us to bring the Gospel to our world, we are living in eternity now so we have all the security that we need no matter whatever this world does to us in this life. 

    The question is: Do you believe? Do you intentionally bring the Gospel into your world? Or not? Are you waiting for some other sign? There is none! The time is now! Join in, blessed is he/she that bring good tidings. 

For the LORD loveth judgment, 

    and forsaketh not His saints;

they are preserved for ever:

    but the seed of the wicked

shall be cut off.

             Psalm 37:28

You make up the Church of God

Richard L. Crumb