END OF TIME PROPHECIES 137

The woman clothed with the sun.

There are four women in the Revelation, two of them symbolic of the followers of Satan, two of them symbolic of God's people.

• Chapter 2v20     -     Jezebel   -   that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication............"
• Chapter 12v1     -     The woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars."
• Chapter 17v5     -     "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
• Revelation 21v9-11     -     "Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.   And He carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

Chapters 3 & 17 represent the beginning and ending of apostasy (counterfeit religion).   Chapters 12 & 21 represent the true people of God as in messianic Israel and the church of the firstborn.

The woman cannot be the church because this woman gave birth to the Messiah (verse 5).   The Messiah gave birth to the church (spiritually speaking) the church did not give birth to Messiah; and Israel gave birth to the Messiah (physically speaking), the woman therefore must be Israel.   This is verified by the prophecy of Joseph (given in the form of a dream) in Genesis 37v9-11 where the sun, moon and the stars were interpreted as Jacob, his wife and the sons.   This confirms the view that God will take up again His people Israel in the last days.   Scripture makes it clear that the Messiah, Saviour of the world, would come out of Israel.   "Israelites ........whose are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came."    Romans 9v4&5.   Notice the language of the chapter "she brought forth a man child who was to rule all nations."   Again  "her child was caught up to God and to His throne."   Evidently this is speaking of Christ whom the woman brought forth; but the woman cannot be an individual like the virgin Mary because she is seen to be persecuted in future times for three and a half years.   Therefore the woman is representative of the true Israel, Messianic Israel.   A number of things are said about her which we will now trace through the chapter.

1. The woman was clothed with the sun.   Scripture interprets itself and we must understand the symbols in the way in which scripture uses them.   In Genesis chapter 1v16 the Spirit of God makes it clear that the greater light (the sun) was "to rule the day" and in verse 17  "to give light upon the earth and to rule over the day."   The fact is, that all the light that the world has of God, has come through the people of Israel and one day, in the purposes of God, Israel will rule the world.   The expression  "clothed with the sun" suggests that she is comfortable with this position, so there will be no challenge or conquest in the final day.   In a world marked by anti- Semitism many may find it difficult to accept this, but the following scriptures make it clear; Deuteronomy 28v13; Isaiah 2v1-3; Isaiah 27v6  "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit." ; Isaiah 60v5; Isaiah 60v11-12; Ezekiel 36v1-8; Ezekiel 36v35-36; Ezekiel 37v27-28; Ezekiel 39v21-29.   In Isaiah 60v1-3 the best picture of this is given  "arise, shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee for behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."   Again in verse 5 it says  "the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee."   Everyone take note, rulers, politicians, philosophers, captains of industry, the rank and file of all peoples; God has decreed that Israel will rule the world and will control the world's produce and will finally bring the light of God to the world! No one will prevent it!  This is the unmistakable meaning of the symbol of Revelation 12v1; but there is much, much more.