Revelation 12
5 And she brought
forth a son, a male, who is about to be shepherding all the nations with an
iron club. And her child is snatched away toward God and toward His throne.
Having
ruled out the 144,000 as being the company of saints represented by the male
child, I must again stress that I see one of the keys to determining the
identity of the male child as being found in the fact that John saw him being “snatched away toward God and toward his throne.” As
we’ve seen, this fact has undermined both the view that the male child
represents Christ, individually, as well as the view that the male child
represents the 144,000. Another key to determining the identity of the male
child is, I believe, in the fact that his snatching away was seen by John as
taking place sometime prior to the
time when the woman must flee to the wilderness (which is just before the 3½
year period of “great affliction” begins).
Thus,
if there is a company of saints described elsewhere in Scripture that will, in
fact, be snatched away “toward God and toward his throne” at some point before the midpoint of the 70th
heptad begins, then I think we can reasonably conclude that it is this company of saints whom the male child
should be understood as most likely representing. And I believe that there is,
in fact, such a company of saints referred to elsewhere in Scripture. The
company of saints I have in mind is, of course, that which Paul described as “the
body of Christ” and “the ecclesia which is [Christ’s] body” (1 Cor. 12:12-13,
27; Eph. 1:22-23).
Concerning
this company of saints, Paul prophesied as following in 1 Thess. 4:15-18:
“For this we are
saying to you by the word of the Lord, that we, the living, who are surviving
to the presence of the Lord, should by no means outstrip those who are put to
repose, for the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of
command, with the voice of the Chief Messenger, and with the trumpet of God,
and the dead in Christ shall be rising first. Thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be
snatched away together with them in clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus shall we always be together with the Lord.”
Ironically,
in order to make the snatching away of the male son seem less like a depiction
of the snatching away of the body of Christ, some have emphasized that the more
accurate translation of Rev. 12:5 is “toward
God and toward his throne” (rather
than “to God and to his throne”). But rather than pointing away from the snatching
away of the body of Christ, this fact actually strengthens the connection
between Rev. 12:5 and 1 Thess. 4:17. For the event prophesied by Paul in 1
Thess. 4:17 does not involve the saints in the body of Christ reaching their
celestial destination immediately. We
are, rather, snatched away to meet Christ “in clouds” and “in the air” first. How long this meeting in the
upper atmosphere takes place is not revealed by Paul, but we know that this is
the location to which we’ll be snatched away. But the direction in which we
will be travelling to reach this atmospheric location can be accurately said to
be “toward God and toward his throne” (this is certainly more so the case than
any other direction in which one could travel). Thus, the more accurate
translation “snatched away toward God
and toward his throne” better matches
what will actually occur when the body of Christ is snatched away (of course,
it’s also possible that, after the meeting in the air take place, we’ll be
snatched away again to the throne
room of God!).
Moreover,
just as the child who is destined to be snatched away is said to be “a son, a
male,” so the saints who constitute the body of Christ can be collectively
described as male. In Ephesians 4:11-13 we read, “And the same One gives these, indeed, as
apostles, yet these as prophets, yet these as evangelists, yet these as pastors
and teachers, toward the adjusting of the saints for the work of dispensing,
for the upbuilding of the body of Christ,
unto the end that we should all attain to the unity of the faith and of the realization of the son of God,
to a mature man, to the measure of the stature of the complement of the Christ…”
Christ
is, of course, a son and male, so it is appropriate that the saints who
constitute the body of which he is the head be collectively described as male
in accord with this imagery (this, of course, is in contrast with faithful
Israel, which is consistently described in feminine terms; the imagery of the
sun-clothed woman is a prime example of this, and elsewhere in Revelation
faithful Israel is described as “the bride of the Lambkin”; see Rev. 19:7;
21:9; cf. John 3:29). [1]
The Body of Christ in Prophecy
Some
may object to this view of the male child on the grounds that it’s just not
possible that the body of Christ could appear in the book of Revelation (even
in symbolic form). According to this view, the ecclesia of this present
administration is completely absent from all prophecy, and that one’s search
for any direct (or indirect) reference to it outside of Paul’s letters would
necessarily be in vain. In response to this sort of objection, I need only quote
the following remark from Ande Piet: “That the Ecclesia could play no
role in prophetic passages is an assumption that cannot be proven from
Scripture.” Even
if it were true that the ecclesia of this present administration was entirely
absent – both explicitly and
implicitly - from all Hebrew prophesy written before this present administration began and the ecclesia came into
existence (which I think is debatable), it wouldn’t mean that there could be no
prophetic reference to it after the
present administration began and the body of Christ came into existence.
While
I don’t see any problem with the idea of the body of Christ being referred to
in Revelation, I do think it’s significant that the vision given to John basically
“ignores” the entire present administration. Based on what John described as
seeing, it would appear as if the male child is snatched away as soon as he is “brought
forth” from the sun-clothed woman. Now, it’s possible that the bringing forth
of the male son refers to the body of Christ’s being completed at the end of
this present administration (i.e., with regards to the last individual, or
individuals, chosen for membership in the body of Christ believing Paul’s
evangel and becoming sealed with the holy spirit). In this case, the labor of
the woman (and the dragon’s standing before her seeking to devour her unborn
child) should be understood as spanning the entire duration of the present
administration.
Although
this view is possible, I’m inclined to understand the “birth” of the male child
as figuratively depicting the body of Christ first coming into existence as a
corporate entity distinct from faithful Israel (in which case the
company of faithful Israelites represented by the woman in verses 1-5 is not
the same company of faithful Israelites represented by the woman in v. 6). In any case, this present
administration – which has, thus far, spanned nearly 2,000 years of history –
is clearly not the focus of the vision in Rev. 12. But this fact should not
come as any surprise to the reader. John’s focus in this chapter and throughout
Revelation as a whole is on Israel and the nations, and on events involving
Israel and the nations during the final years of this eon and beyond.
Brought forth from the woman?
But
if the male child represents the ecclesia which is Christ’s body, how can it be
said that this company of saints was “brought forth” from faithful Israel? I
think there are at least two senses in which it could be said that the body of
Christ was “brought forth” from faithful Israel (and, I should note, these two
senses are not mutually exclusive).
First,
the body of Christ clearly owes its existence to Christ himself. It is our
spiritual union with the risen and living Christ that makes us “members of his
body.”[2] Christ is the “head” of the
ecclesia which is his body (Eph. 5:23) and the one into whom we are growing (Eph.
4:15-16). But of course, Christ himself came out of faithful Israel (as is
evident from his lineage); even in what was likely his last letter, Paul emphasized
Christ’s descent from David (2 Tim. 2:8). And insofar as Christ is our “head” and
was himself “brought forth” out of faithful Israel, it can be said that the
body of Christ itself was “brought forth” from faithful Israel. This fact
doesn’t make us Israelites, of course. Just as the “male child” is a completely
different individual than (and is to be distinguished from) the sun-clothed
woman who brought him forth, so we are completely different from faithful
Israel, despite the fact that we, in a sense, owe our existence to faithful
Israel.
Another
sense in which it can be said that the body of Christ was “brought forth” from
faithful Israel concerns the nationality of the first members of the body of
Christ. Not only was the head of the body (Christ himself) brought forth out of
faithful Israel, but the original members of the body of Christ came out of
faithful Israel as well. At this point, it may be objected that, although Paul
was indeed an Israelite, he was an unbeliever before Christ appeared to him on
the road to Damascus. In response to this objection, I am not denying that Paul
wasn’t a part of faithful Israel before
his conversion. However, after his
conversion, it is a different story entirely.
There
is absolutely no evidence that Paul heard and believed the evangel of the
uncircumcision (which is the evangel by which one is “called” into the body of Christ)
at the time of his conversion on the Damascus road. At this time, Paul “merely”
came to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (which is
the evangel of the circumcision). It was even by means of Ananias – an Israelite who was clearly part of the “Israel of God” -
that Paul was baptized and “filled with holy spirit” (Acts 9:17). Thus, before Paul became a
member of the “ecclesia which is Christ’s body,” he became a part of faithful
Israel. Other Jewish members of the body of Christ - such as Barnabas and
Apollos – undoubtedly had the same “starting point” as Paul, and were likewise
part of the Israel of God before being
called through the evangel of the uncircumcision that was entrusted to Paul at
some point after his conversion (which may have taken place sometime during
Paul’s three-year stay in Arabia).
Shepherding the Nations with
an Iron Club
But what about the fact that
the male child is said to be “about to be shepherding
all the nations with an iron club” (Rev. 12:5)? Some may see this as an
objection to the view that the male child represents the body of Christ,
especially in light of what we read in Rev. 2:26-27. There, we read of Christ exhorting
the (Jewish) members of the ecclesia in Thyatira with the following words: "And to the one who is conquering and keeping My acts
until the consummation, to him will I be
giving authority over the nations; and he shall be shepherding them with an
iron club, as vessels of pottery are being crushed, as I also have obtained
from My Father.”
In response to this objection,
it must be emphasized that “shepherding all the nations with an iron club” is,
first and foremost, the prerogative and prophetic “job description” of Christ
Jesus himself (Psalm 2:7-9). Christ – and Christ alone – is the one to whom God
directly gave this authority. Certain Israelites (those who are “conquering and
keeping [Christ’s] acts until the consummation”) will be privileged with this
authority only insofar as it is delegated to them by Christ. But Christ is the
one who, ultimately, carries this God-given authority. And not only is Christ
the first person referred to in Scripture who we’re told would be given this
authority (as prophesied in Psalm 2:7-9), but, according to Rev. 19:14-15, he’s
also the first one who will actually exercise it.
Thus, when we read Rev. 12:5,
it needs to be kept in mind that “shepherding all the nations with an iron
club” is not so much Israel’s “job
description” during the eon to come - at least, not inherently or distinctly so
- as it is Christ’s. Besides Christ
himself, this particular task will, to some degree or another, be performed by
whomever Christ delegates his authority to. But if that’s the case, then it would only make sense that those saints
who constitute his body (and who can be said to be in a more intimate
relationship and union with Christ than even those faithful Israelites to whom
Christ will be giving authority over the nations as a reward for their acts)
will, likewise, have - and in some way exercise - this authority given to
Christ. To assume that we couldn’t possibly be given or exercise this authority
because it’s prophetically related to Christ would be like saying we can’t
possibly be considered members of the body of Christ since Christ (the Messiah
or “Anointed One”) is the central figure of Hebrew prophecy, and inseparably
connected with Israel and the kingdom that is to be restored to her. But that,
of course, is simply not the case.
Although I once believed that
we would have little, if anything, to do with the affairs of earth during the
eons to come, I suspect that we’re all going to be somewhat surprised (some of
us more so than others) by just how much our work in the heavens and among the
celestials will be tied to the affairs of earth, rather than being completely
unrelated to them. Just because “our realm is inherent in the heavens” doesn’t
mean our work will not involve the people and goings-on of earth in some
important way. I think many of the saints in the body of Christ today would
affirm that we are destined to replace the wicked celestial hierarchy referred
to in Eph. 6:12, and that we’ll be exercising the sort of authority they’ve
been exercising while in power, but in a contrastive way that glorifies God and
Christ (and which fulfils – rather
than violates - what Christ considered to be the two greatest precepts). But if
this is the case, then consider the following: Satan and the hierarchy of
wicked spiritual beings of which he is the chief have most likely been
celestial beings since the beginning of their existence. And yet, they have
been - and will continue to be, as long as they are permitted by God - very
much involved in the affairs of earth.
The fact that Paul referred to
Satan as the “chief of the jurisdiction of the air” (Eph. 2:2) suggests that
Satan’s “sphere of influence” is as extensive and all-encompassing as the air
that covers the earth (it is no wonder that Paul referred to him as “the god of
this eon” in 2 Cor. 4:4). The staggering degree of power and influence that
Satan presently has over the kingdoms of the world during “this wicked eon” is
confirmed by the fact that, when being tried by Satan, Christ did not dispute
his ability to offer him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” in
exchange for worship (Matt. 4:8-9). In order for this to have been a
legitimate temptation for Christ, it had to have been a legitimate offer.
Moreover - and as noted earlier - some of the highest-ranking celestial
beings within the hierarchy headed up by Satan are referred to as the “chiefs”
of certain gentile kingdoms (Daniel 10:12-14 and 20-21). Apparently, there are
different jurisdictions on earth to which certain celestial “chiefs” have been
assigned to oversee. There’s also evidence that God himself is the one who
assigned certain celestial beings to different regions of the earth. In Deut.
32:8-9 (ESV), we read: “When the Most High gave to the nations their
inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the
peoples according to the number of the sons of God. But the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob his allotted
heritage.”[3] Based on Gen. 6:1-2[4], Job 1:6 and Job 38:7, it
can be inferred that the “sons of God” referred to here are celestial beings.
Another passage of Scripture
which reveals the relationship that certain celestial beings have to the
nations of the earth is found in Psalm 82. In this remarkable Psalm of Asaph,
we read as follows:
God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods
he holds judgment: “How long will you judge unjustly and show
partiality to the wicked? Selah Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the
needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in
darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. I said, “You are
gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall
die, and fall like any prince.” Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you
shall inherit all the nations!
Based on both the internal evidence
of this passage as well as its similarity to other passages in which celestial beings are clearly in view (such as Psalm 89:5-7 and Job 1:6-12; cf. 1 Kings 22:19-22), I think it can be
reasonably concluded that the “gods” and “sons of the Most High” present at
this “divine council” are, in fact, celestial beings (most likely those same beings
constituting the hierarchy referred to by Paul in Ephesians 6:12). In this
Psalm, we find God rebuking these beings for their unjust administration, and
for the misuse of the authority that God had given them. Rather than making
sure that the weak, fatherless, afflicted, destitute and needy are taken care
of, these beings instead “show partiality to the wicked,” allowing (or even
enabling) the wicked to prosper and take advantage of those less powerful than
they. The final verse of this Psalm is especially telling. The Psalmist clearly
believed that this unjust state of affairs would be made right when God finally
intervened and judged the earth. And the end result of this judgment? “For you
[God] shall inherit all the nations!” This plea and expectation of the Psalmist
reveals that it is “all the nations” which were being (and continue to be)
negatively influenced by the wicked “gods” which God is described as rebuking.
Since it’s clear from these
and other passages of Scripture that Satan and the rest of the wicked celestial
hierarchy are very much involved in the affairs of the earth (exercising their
delegated authority in ways that affect the nations), I think it is likely that
those who are destined to replace them among the celestials (i.e., the saints
in the body of Christ) will be just as involved in the affairs of the earth. The
authority and influence that Satan and other celestial beings have over the
gentile kingdoms of which they are “chiefs” is, of course, consistent with
there being human kings (as well as other religious and political leaders)
exercising their own authority on the earth. But if that’s the case, is it not
possible that certain saints in the body of Christ will have similar
administrative roles in the eon to come – roles which, like the celestial “sons
of God” and “chiefs” referred to in Daniel, may involve some sort of “behind
the scenes” activity and intervention on our part? I think that this is not
only possible but highly likely.
Like the influence which the
wicked “chiefs” of Daniel 10 and the “gods” of Psalm 82 have over the nations,
our work during the eon to come may be “behind the scenes” and go largely
unnoticed by the inhabitants of the earth. But I’m inclined to believe that we
will have just as much of an influence on what takes place on earth as these
celestial beings have had (with the main difference being, of course, that
we’ll be using our authority over the nations in a way that is just, merciful
and compassionate, unlike Satan and the rest of his wicked celestial
hierarchy). Our authority and influence over the gentile nations will not be in
conflict with Israel’s role as the dominant earthly power, or with the exercise
of her political and religious authority during the eon to come; rather, it
will complement and harmonize with it.
Part Five: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-study-on-revelation-12-part-five.html
Part Five: http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2017/10/a-study-on-revelation-12-part-five.html
[1]
Understanding
the male child as the company of saints that constitute the body of Christ
could shed some light on an otherwise enigmatic statement made by John in Rev.
12:6. There we read, “And the woman fled
into the wilderness, there where she has a place made ready by God, that there they may be nourishing her a thousand
two hundred sixty days.” Who was John referring to as
“they” here? Although I think it’s possible that John was referring to Michael
and his messengers (who are introduced in v. 7), this view is not without
problems. If John had in view Michael and his messengers here, why didn’t he
simply refer to them as such in v. 6? The use of the word “they” instead might
suggest that John is pointing the reader back to a group of people he had
already mentioned. Prior to v. 6, the only “characters” which have been
introduced are the sun-clothed woman, the dragon, the son/male child, the
nations which he will be “shepherding,” and God. The last character mentioned
before we get to v. 6 (besides God himself) is the male child. In light of this
fact, Andre Piet suggests the following interpretation:
“Who are the ‘they’ in verse 6? It
cannot be missed that it is the male son, already presented as a people! The
Ecclesia is, as Christ’s (administrative-) body, destined for the throne and
behind the scenes he will actively be involved in feeding (literally and/or
metaphorically conceived) the faithful remnant in the wilderness.”
If the “they” of v. 6 does in
fact point back to the male child of v. 5, then this verse would provide us
with some fascinating insight into what sort of things we in the body of Christ will
be doing during the final years of this eon. It would mean that one of the first tasks that will be assigned to us
by Christ after we’ve been glorified will involve serving others.
[2] The “Israel of God”
existed on the earth long before Christ was ever conceived and long before he
lived on the earth, and continued to exist even while he was dead and entombed
for three days and nights. However, the ecclesia which is Christ’s body could
not have come into existence before Christ was conceived, nor could it have
remained in existence while he was dead.
[3] Other Bible
translations that read “sons of God” (or something similar) in Deut. 32:8 are
the New American Bible (Revised Edition), the New Revised Standard Version and
the Concordant Version of the Old Testament. It should be noted that some
Hebrew manuscripts read “according to the number of the sons of Israel” rather
than “according to the number of the sons of God,” and the majority of English
translations (starting with the KJV) have opted for this reading (with many
including the alternative in a footnote). However, this textual variant is
almost certainly a corruption of the original text. In an article entitled “Deuteronomy
32:8 and the Sons of God,” Michael Heiser provides a compelling defense of
the “sons of God” reading. See also http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/Deuteronomy32OTWorldview.pdf.
[4] For a concise
defense of the view that the “sons of God” referred to in Genesis 6 were
celestial beings, I recommend the following article by Chuck Missler: http://www.khouse.org/articles/1997/110/
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