Introduction:
"And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days." -Revelation 12:1-6
Let me take a moment to issue a warning. Let's not let ourselves get so caught up in the imagery and charts and timelines, and lose the main point not only of this passage, but all of Revelation.
Pastor David Platt wrote, "The book of Revelation is not intended to drive us to charts; it's intended to drive us to Christ."
First we know that John, is looking at signs (symbols) in Heaven. I think it would be right to take the signs, the characters of this Christmas narrative, which can be alittle unclear, at what the Bible makes absolutely clear. With the first sign we see "...a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars". What is key to see here is how she is described. It would be good to look at where else this imagery might be used in Scripture
While there have been many interpretations of this women, everything from Eve to Mary Baker Eddy, I think a stronger interpretation can be found if we have to go all the way back to the book of Genesis to find it. But I think the clear intention of the text is to draw an allusion to this. In Josephs dream he sees a dream of Israel, and speaks of it like this:
Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” ~ Gen. 37:9
Now also it is important to realize that this "women" is not referring to ethnic Israel, but to the redemptive community (i.e. Believers). (Notice, you'll see, how the women is both before and after the earthly ministry of Christ.)
The next two signs are much easier to see and carries right in to the first point of what Christmas is all about. First we see a dragon (who we are told is Satan (v. 9)) Lastly we know that the women is pregnant with a child and to no avail of the Devil,is finally is born. This child is Jesus, the "one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God"; here we see not only allusions to the Psalm 2, but directly to the life of Jesus. He was the Messiah, the Savior of His people (Matt. 1:21), prophesied of long ago to be born of a virgin (Isa 7:14), in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2) to suffer on behalf of His people by being "pierced for our transgressions" (Isa. 53:4-9) and bring His Kingdom to Earth. (Isa. 11-12)
Christmas is about hope.
Once again we must look back into Genesis 3:15 where, after Adam and Eve disobeyed God and sin entered the world for the first time through them, God promised that He would provide salvation for His people and crush the head of the serpent (The Devil aka the Dragon). That day of Christs birth, the good news has become real, God has delivered, hope has come and salvation has been born! We can now have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:1). Let's take a look at the text of Christ' birth found in the Gospel of Luke:
"But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - Luke 2:10-14
God came to save His people that day just as He prophesied He would. No matter what Satan did to "devour the child" over the years, he failed. He had oppressed the Israelites and tried to kill them all off multiple times, not only that, but Satan had tried to distract there affections away, whether with golden calves or sexual immorality. But born that day was the Savior who would bring Glory to God and salvation to those would would turn from there sin and Trust in what Christ did. He would leave that manger to live a perfect life and suffer and die in substitution for all those who would repent and turn to Him. He died the death sinners deserved then rose again three days to defeat sin, death Hell and grave to give forgiveness of sin and new life to His People. Then He, as John writes was "caught up to be with God...".
This is the good news the Church celebrates each Christmas. But there are deeper realities in Revelation for 12 for the Church, let us take a look at those.
Christmas Is About Victory.
"...and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days."
Here we receive a promise for us as the Church that God will keep us and nourish us in the face of tribulation. Let us remember that the women is both before Christs ministry and after, we are on people of God trusting in the Gospel on different sides of the event. Believing Israel looking forward to Christ, us as the Church looking back at Christ. Not only does He promise His presence will be with us, (Matt. 28:20), but God will protect His Church and God will provide for His Church. We are hidden beneath His wings and are outside of the accusations of the Devil. We see in the following verses why we can have this sort of confidence.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore,rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
-Revelation 12:7-12
We see here the promise of Christmas that because of the Blood of the Lamb and the power of the Gospel the Church will not be overcome by Satan. Our mission will not fail. Does that mean, then, that everything will get easier? I would say not, this passage almost insures that we will have to suffer and some even die, for the mission of God. "For they loved not their lives even unto death." See it, no matter what Satan does, he cannot overcome us. At the Cross He was thrown down (John 12:31-33) so now Jesus will save His people from there sins. Even greater then that, because of the Cross and the gift of the Spirit we as believers can overcome Satan and sin in our lives. But the blood of the Lamb we have been given power over sin, as the old song goes "O’er us sin no more hath dominion For more than conqu’rors we are! " Christian, in light of Christmas and Gods glorious gift to us, don't live life in slavery to sin or in fear of sin; it no longer controls you. Christmas is about victory over sin, evil, Satan and even death itself.
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. -Revelation 12:13-17
We see, as the vision closes out that God will always provide a way out for His Church. Even as Satan wages war against us, we, as believers can and will "keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" if we are willing to fight and trusting in His Blood. And, as Revelation as a whole makes absolutely clear, it is far greater reward to suffer for the name of Christ then to seek the ways of the world and it's deceit. But do we believe it?
Christmas is about the death sentence of death itself.
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. ~Rev. 20:10
Sin, death, sickness and even Satan himself were given a death sentence on the day Christ was born. Even as Satan wars against the Church we can have confidence because we know, as he does that his time is short. We can have confidence because Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the world in righteousness and justice and He not only destroy sin and shallow up death in victory, but He will in the final sense save His people from there sin.
" She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” -Matthew 1:21
Merry Christmas!!
***P.S. to nonbelievers who may be reading this, if you do not know Christ as your Savior and Lord this Christmas you need to turn from your sin and Trust in the gift of salvation through Christ. You can find out more on the side or you can visit: http://needGOD.com.
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