Question
Is the women of Revelation 12:lf a depiction of Mary the mother of Jesus? Answer
No. With the exception of Catholics the general interpretation of this chapter is that the woman represents the nation of Israel, the twelve stars are the twelve tribes of Israel, and the man child is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible offers no queen of heaven only an omnipotent God who is father to the redeemed, one prince to occupy the throne, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, and one Spirit by which we are all made one in the believing church of Jesus Christ. I am convinced, that if we could hear Mary the Mother of Jesus speaking to us today about all the divine attachments and attributes that we have laid on her, she would probably reply with a simple, cut it out! The only other mother that might come in as a close second to Mary for receiving unearned accolades would he Mother Nature. But no mother has ever been sent to be the propitiation for our sins. It behooves us to stay focused in this troubled time. Handing over divine attributes to someone who probably only wants to rest like everyone else is not considered focusing. The last days are not a time for unfounded fodder, fickle phantasms, and far fetched fluff. Question
Who are the one hundred and forty four thousand people who receive a special mark on them in Revelation 7:3-4? Answer
It has always puzzled me over the years that so many people have asked this question. The passage clearly says who these people are. They are twelve thousand Jews from each of the twelve tribes of Israel who are marked, preserved and protected and probably mightily used during the last three and one half years of the antichrists reign of terror. Perhaps what people are really unsure about is why these people are sealed rather than who they are. They are Jewish people who some people think may be supernaturally converted to Christ at the resurrection of the two prophets in Revelation chapter eleven. Since some Christians have never been taught why they are converted they have appointed some special function to them for the last days. That function although not clearly outlined is thought to he the preaching of the gospel during the last few years of the antichrists rule. The Bible does not actually outline a specific purpose for them as it is commonly taught but it does, however, give a specific reason for their lives being preserved. That reason is the keeping of a promise that God gave to them repeatedly over the centuries. The promise is that he would save a remnant of them (the Jews) for himself. After centuries of chastisement for missing the time of their visitation God will look with favor on the Jews and pull out a remnant for his own name. Luke 19:44. Isa. 10:21f. I am glad that God keeps his promises and I am also glad that these people who have suffered so severely will finally see their Savior and enjoy the rewards of serving him in one of the highest places in the entire scheme of things. |
