A GREAT WONDER IN HEAVEN; A WOMAN

07-13-08

(Rev 1:18,19) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Write the things which thou hast seen[the past], and the things which are[the present], and the things which shall be hereafter[the future];

(Rev 12:1-5) 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 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.

A GREAT WONDER IN HEAVEN

(Rev 12:1) And there appeareda great wonder[Gk: sign]in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

  1. Commentary: This “great wonder in heaven” is a magnificent composite sign of multidimensional aspects, past, present, and future, presented in the Bible by God within the limited chronological framework of human perceptions. God’s spoken precepts (Isa 28:9-13) are the stammering tongue (1 Cor 12:10) of the Lord, the rhema (fruit) of the Word of God, and “foolishness” (1 Cor 1:18,21,23,25; 2:14; 3:19) to those not “chosen” (John 15:16) to rightly understand. God’s precepts are composed of incomprehensibly higher thoughts (Isa 55:8,9) than our thoughts. These higher thoughts are conveyed into our incomparably less discerning minds by being mightily supernaturally compressed, compacted, and packed down tightly into the physical symbols of the logos (seed: Luke 8:11) Word of God. This wonderful blessing God has doneforthe understanding of those select of mankind who are the adopted children of God (Rom 8:14-16).
  2. (Isa 28:9-13) Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk[Heb 5:12,13], and drawn from the breasts. For precept[Heb: commandment] must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line[Heb: a cord (as connecting)] upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips[Heb: to speak unintelligibly]and another tongue will he speak to this people [who do not understand because they are not imputed for righteousness, i.e., not saved, not born-again]. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary [Heb: faint, thirsty] to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear [Heb: to hear intelligently (with impl. of obedience)]. But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared [by whom?], and taken.
  3. (Mat 13:47-50) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea [a biblical symbol of humanity], and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
  4. (Isa 55:8,9) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways [Heb: actions] my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher[Heb: to soar, lofty] than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts[higher] than your thoughts.
  5. (Luke 8:11) Now the parable is this: The seed[Gk: logos]is the word of God.
  6. (Rom 8:14-16) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear;but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
  7. (Eph 1:4,5) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
  8. Commentary: This “great wonder in heaven” is the end result, the fruit, of the progressive spiritual evolution of certain things that have been experienced in humanity past, that are being experienced in humanity present, and which shall be experienced in humanity future. This “great wonder in heaven” is a Word-picture presented in the Bible as a great and wonderful sign (syn: signal, marker, ensign, indicator, billboard), for all born-again Christians to see and understand in the spiritual heaven of your mind.What,know ye not that“the kingdom of God [Heaven] is within you” (Luke 17:21)?
  9. (Luke 17:20,21) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God[a biblically interchangeable phrase with “the kingdom of heaven”] should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
  10. (Mat 19:23) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 19:24) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

A WOMAN

Commentary: Types and shadows: The woman of Rev 12:1 represents the fulfillment of the archetype of “Woman” (Gen 2:23) whose fallen name became “Eve” (Gen 3:20). The Woman archetype of Genesis 2:23 was thereafter typified by Israel (past),thereby becoming compositely the Woman-Israel, who is now being typified by the Church (present),thereby becoming compositely the Woman-Israel-Church, who is typifying and becoming the fulfillment of the archetype of Woman as the composite Woman-Israel-Church-Wife of Christ (future).

  1. (Gen 2:23) And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman[Heb: wife], because she was taken out of Man.
  2. (Gen 3:20) And Adam called his wife's[Heb: woman] name Eve[life-giver]; because she was the mother of all living.
  3. archetype = Dict: a model or first form; the original pattern or model after which a thing is made.
  4. The archetype is the Garden of Eden, and the fulfillment of that archetype is Heaven.
  5. Some of the intermediate transitional progressive types and shadows between the archetype and the fulfillment of the archetype are: the archetype is the Garden of Eden, Tabernacle of Moses, Tabernacle of David, Solomon’s Temple, Zerubbabel’s Temple, Ezekiel’s Temple, Herod’s Temple, God’s Temple (and your Temple, the Temple of your body), “And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Rev 21:22). Revelation 21:22 isthe fulfillment of the archetype which is Heaven.

(Rev 1:19) Write the things which thou hast seen[past], and the things which are[present], and the things which shall be hereafter[future];

(Psa 127:1) A Song of degrees for Solomon.

Except the LORD build the house,

they labour in vain that build it:

except the LORD keep the city,

the watchman waketh but in vain.

Amen