1/3/14- Christmas According to Revelation

1A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter...(Revelation 12:1-4) 

Thoughts: Most think this Johanine passage is a poetic/theologic picture of the first Christmas.  It pictures the importance of Mary- the spiritual opposition to Christ's birth by "the dragon" (Satan), and the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus birth.  Some say this is a picture of the church giving birth to Christ- the bride of Christ, but the being carried into the wilderness (12;5) speaks of a single woman who did this to escape Herod- the Roman puppet-ruler  Keep in mind that John was writing against his Roman oppressors in apocalyptic language.  All the lights of heaven shown on Mary to make her beautiful (cf. SOS 6:10).  God protected the woman and Jesus until he could go to the cross.  The Psalmist predicted Jesus would rule the nations (Psalm 2:9).  When Jesus was born and even when John wrote these words, most could not have predicted the tremendous influence of Christ on the world.  But today, Christ does influence the world more than any pope, more than any president, or king.  He rules not only providentially through events, but also through His great example and the following of His teaching.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to earth.  Help me to see the beauty and humility of your coming.