The Great Sign of Revelation 12—What is it and What does it mean?

On September 23, 2017 the sun will be in the zodiac constellation Virgo — “a woman clothed with the sun”. The moon will be at the feet of Virgo — “with the moon under her feet”. The ‘nine’ stars of the zodiac  constellation Leo, plus three planets (Mercury, Venus, and Mars), will be at the head of Virgo — “on her head a crown of 12 stars”. The planet Jupiter will be in the center of Virgo, and, as the weeks pass after September 23, Jupiter will exit Virgo to the east, past her feet, so to speak — “She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth”. Jupiter is the largest of the planets, the “king” of the planets, so to speak — “She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations.” EarthSky.org.

Like the blood moons (lunar eclipses) falling on biblical feast days and coinciding with events like the pope’s visit in September, 2015, an astronomical alignment will appear in the sky over Israel that some researchers say will be a literal fulfillment of Revelation 12:1,2. It’s the hottest Google trend of five Bible prophecy topics.

Not all Christian researchers support that alignment as an important sign because astrology has a negative context in the Bible. But with the support of astronomy to show this unique event has never occurred before, the imagery of Virgo, the virgin, in relationship to the sun begs a Christian explanation. In the book of Job, God controls the stars; what’s the meaning? The answer must come from the Bible, not from astrology.

The obvious meaning suggested by the context in Revelation 12 is that the woman represents the Jewish nation that birthed Christ who was caught up to heaven. That’s easy to see, but could it have more meaning?

The description and context also suggest a second meaning. The woman has a crown. The Greek, stefanos, is a victor’s crown, like Christ promises to overcomers. It doesn’t seem to fit the Jewish nation of Christ’s time as overcomers, a word that is used for some in each of Revelation’s seven churches.

And if this sign was only about Christ, why didn’t God arrange for it 2000 years ago; why now? The answer to this is suggested by the context before and after the woman. John heard a voice in heaven saying, “Now is…the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ.” The Hebrew equivalent makes more sense, “the power of His anointed.” Rev 12:10. Who are His anointed?

More clues in Revelation 11 when the 7^th trumpet sounds; voices in heaven say, “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ (anointed). This may mean we share in the victory that’s coming. In the judgment of verse 1, we may be anointed by God with power like Elijah..verse 3.

God is going to give power to His two witnesses for three and a half years. They have power like Elijah to shut the heavens and turn water to blood. This is in Rev 11:1-6 where it says the two witnesses are the two olive trees (Old and New Testaments, an allusion to Zechariah 4).

Again the context helps us to understand. ‘Measure the temple and its worshipers’ in Rev 11:1 reminds us of the temple foundation, also in Zech 4, verse 9. But this is NOT about another Jewish temple for sacrifices by those who don’t see it ended 2000 years ago. It’s about a temple of truth that’s been building for centuries.

Luther developed the truth of righteousness by faith and justification. Wesley broadened our understanding to include sanctification, but who of us can say that we have the full picture? This is why Christ said Elijah “must first come and restore all things.” Matt 17:11. A popular song says, “These are the days of Elijah…”

Elijah comes to restore the law of Moses cited in Malachi 4:4,5. Those statutes and judgments have a 7-fold emphasis in Ezekiel 20:11-24 where they are linked to sabbaths that were changed or abolished by the little horn power that grew out of the Roman Empire. It made war with the saints and changed times and laws, Daniel 7:21,25. Early Americans who fled the papal oppression understood this.

“In the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom.” Daniel 2:44 shows a stone kingdom that will break the dominion of this world’s kingdoms. Daniel 7:17 implies a reapplication of the lion with eagle’s wings (UK & US), a bear (Russia), a leopard (China), and dragon (EU and little horn/pope).

God “executed judgment” on Egypt and took believers to a covenant by which they became His kingdom, Exodus 19:5,6. Paul included that history in “all those things happened to them for examples…ends of the world.” 1Corinthians 10:1,11.

Egypt was the greatest nation then as the US is now. They killed babies; the US has aborted 60 million. Egypt enslaved Israel, the US has enslaved most of its population with alcohol, tobacco, drugs, medical care falsely called healthcare, schools falsely called education, prisons, but the correctional system fails for many, and congress is sold out to drug companies because of their donations to congress members’ re-election.

All of this to say that judgment is near. A message of impending judgment was given by William Miller, a Baptist preacher in 1844 when he misunderstood Daniel’s prophecies and expected to be raptured. Millerites experienced the Great Disappointment (Google) typified by John’s ‘bitter belly’ after eating the book of Daniel (similar imagery in Daniel 12) but  Christ told John, “you must prophecy again,” Rev 10:10,11.

Christ’s words mean to give those messages from 1844 again—they will fit now! Millerites overlooked the context of the judgment in Daniel 7:10 where the little horn had “great words” in verses 8,11. But Napoleon had taken the pope prisoner and Vatican land wasn’t given until 1929–no “great words” in 1844.

But after solar and lunar eclipses, the Iran “peace and safety” Treaty, Supreme Court approval of same-sex marriage, the pope had “great words” for Congress and the UN. The missing ingredient for 1844 judgment are now satisfied. To be the movement of destiny endorsed by Christ, we ‘must prophesy again.’

Understanding those messages better than pioneers will prepare us for what’s coming. The world won’t burn immediately as Millerites thought and Paul said the rapture is ‘at the last trumpet,’ 1Cor 15:52. We forget there are 7 trumpets preceded by an earthquake that initiate end-times first, Rev 8:5,6; Joel 2:10,11.

How does this relate to the woman with child in Revelation 12? Paul clued us. “The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night when they shall say, ‘Peace and safety,’ sudden destruction comes, as travail on a woman with child.” 1Thessalonians 5:2,3

Egypt travailed with God’s “first-born,” Exodus 4:22, but first-born implies another. Those who sing the song of Moses in Revelation 15:3 will be singing of their experience like Moses. No one can learn that song without that experience, but Revelation 14:4 also says they are virgins.

The Bible explains itself; they must be the wise virgins that get into the wedding, and the wedding is the other component of the judgment—when God judged Egypt, He took Israel to a covenant and said, “I am married to you,” Jer 3:14. Paul included the Exodus in “all those things happened to them for examples… ends of the world.” 1Cor 10:1,11.

The wedding parables imply we don’t understand them—asleep with lights out, Matt 25. The king’s wedding invitation is scorned until the “remnant” have their city burned, Matt 22:6,7. Not just Jerusalem! Christ said He will “knock,” but the only other place He knocks is Rev 3:20, for a church that ended in an earthquake.

An earthquake initiates ‘the day of the Lord’ in Joel 2:10,11. It precedes the trumpet plagues in Rev 8:5,6 that are brought by an anointed group with Elijah power in Rev 11:3-6.

Kingdom means dominion of a king by his laws. Israel got the law at Sinai, but God got an ignorant bride, Jeremiah 3:14. Good News: God promises to write His laws in our hearts so we want to obey, but He won’t force them on us; we have to understand them first. Elijah “must first come and restore all things” Matt 17:11.

‘All things’ are embedded in the wedding imagery—the wedding parables each have Passover timing. The ‘feast’ in Matthew 22 is the 7-days of unleavened bread, and Bible weddings also took a week, Gen 29:27. The cry at midnight in Matt 25:6 is an echo of the cry in Exod 12:29,30, Passover, also seen in Lk 12:37.

When Christ said, Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, He was talking about their teachings, Matt 16:12. The unleavened bread means teachings uncorrupted by church leaders. Elijah comes in the context of Mal 4:4,5 with statutes that have a 7-fold emphasis as a mark of end-time truth and are linked to sabbaths in Ezekiel 20 as examples of truths that need to be restored. These are the basis of the covenant by which we can be betroth to Christ as Paul said, 2Cor 11:2. Bible covenants are linked to 7’s, like 7 ewes Abraham gave in Gen 21:28, and the 7 annual sabbaths God gave in Lev 23. To restore ‘all things,’ we covenant re topics emphasized 7 times.

When Christ ‘knocks’ for the wedding (Luke 12:36) those who understand His knock are to ‘open unto Him immediately.’ The next verse has imagery from the Last Supper at the start of the feast of unleavened bread.  We said above the ‘knock’ is an earthquake. ‘Laodicea’ means ‘people in a time of judgment,’ (last church).

The messages of judgment and “the Bridegroom comes” will fit as when God judged Egypt and took Israel to a covenant marriage. Those who understand that history can be ready for His ‘knock’ to open with a feast of unleavened teachings emphasized 7 times in the Bible, doing so before making a covenant. The reward for immediate readiness is “He will make [us] ruler over all that He has,” Luke 12:36,44; Rev 3:21.

Summary: The woman clothed in light is standing on the moon—a lunar calendar is foundational in Exod 12. The man-child represents the 144,000 anointed in Rev 11:3-6 and taken to heaven in verse 12.  This suggests the possibility of a mid-tribulation rapture like Elijah’s after they finish their testimony.

The 7 topics have a 7-fold emphasis as a basis for the New Covenant Promise to write His laws in our hearts, and they have a contextual link to the 7 seals in Revelation 6. They are further explained in The Earthquake & the 7 Seals, an ebook with 5-star reviews on Amazon and available in pdf at http://MayJudgmentDay.com They may also be found online. http://GodsName1stSeal.wordpress.com is the first example.

For every biblical truth, there is at least one counterfeit and we should not be surprised to hear about some apparition of Mary in the sky with a message for the world. But “ruler over all that He has” is a promise from the One who hung the worlds in space, and the conditions of rhat promise are not difficult. More information may be appreciated at http://TheBridegroomComes.com