The Magic Dragon - Rumor notes 88

 

Revelation 12

3 Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4 His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.

Another sign... a great red dragon

This is clearly in juxtaposition to verse 1 that announces the first great sign as a pregnant woman. This next sign is quite the opposite from the first one we have covered at length. This dragon is subsequently identified specifically as Satan and as the ancient serpent referring to his presence in Eden. These two signs constitute the clear differentiation between the nature of the two warring sides. The first symbolizes beauty, vulnerability and true value while the second is all about power and intimidation and force.

The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)

Why is this dragon identified as being red? What are implications of this color?

At the end of this document I have included excerpts from a few sources that shed light on this topic and association of the color red to ancient gods in myths that strikingly parallel the facts in this war.

Another came forth, a red horse. To him who sat on it was given power to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given to him a great sword. (Revelation 6:4)

Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and those who sat on them, having breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of lions. Out of their mouths proceed fire, smoke, and sulfur. (Revelation 9:17)

The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth. (Revelation 17:4)

His eyes will be red with wine, his teeth white with milk. (Genesis 49:12)

Don't look at the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. In the end, it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper. (Proverbs 23:31-32)

"Come now, and let us reason together," says Yahweh: "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

The shield of his mighty men is made red. The valiant men are in scarlet. The chariots flash with steel in the day of his preparation, and the pine spears are brandished. (Nahum 2:3)

Summarizing these implications for red: Peace is eliminated; fiery breastplates for self-protection; the dress on a prostitute who is full of abominations and impurities; effects of drunkenness; the symbol of sin; bloody effects of violence.

seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. (Revelation 13:1)

He carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.

Here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sits. They are seven kings. Five have fallen, the one is, the other has not yet come. When he comes, he must continue a little while. (Revelation 17:3, 9-10)

The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. (Isaiah 9:15-16)

After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7-8)

and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great things, whose look was more stout than its fellows. I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. Thus he said, The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time. (Daniel 7:20-25)

Horns generally represent raw power and usually indicate secular and political entities such as kings or rulers. But now I want to turn our attention to the meaning of crowns.

The Greek word used for these crowns on the heads of the dragon come from the word diadema. This word is a compound of two words, the first indicating the channel through which something happens, and the second meaning to bind or put into bondage, to tie or wind around. This infers a very different and even opposite meaning to the kind of crown seen on the woman in verse one. This is reflective of the kind of authority and power exercised by rulers of this world who rely on compulsion and violence to maintain control to stay in power. Staying in power is the highest priority in this world's system of governing, while in heaven's system the highest priority is to remain in love and harmony with the principles of creation design that reflects God's true nature.

Who has planned this against Tyre, the giver of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? (Isaiah 23:8)

Here the Hebrew word translated crowns mean to encircle, either for the purpose of attacking or for protection. This conveys enormous potential of meaning in all sorts of ways depending on the nature of the circumstances and the disposition of those involved. It also helps to explain why the word diadema can be seen as relating to the dragon and yet later used to describe Jesus as having many crowns of diadema nature. When the dragon wears such a crown it is for the purpose of attacking while Jesus wearing such a crown would implicate His encircling presence around those who choose to trust in Him for their eternal protection. This is another example of an important truth being counterfeited by the enemy in ways that bring confusion.

And behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow. A crown was given to him, and he came forth conquering, and to conquer. (Revelation 6:2)

Significantly the Greek word for this crown is stephanos, the same victory crown word used for the one seen on the woman. But words can also be hijacked at times which is the nature of how a counterfeit functions, so we need to take into account all the clues in the context to discern whether something is true or designed to distort the truth. What this passage seems to indicate is that victory was handed to this rider, but it does not necessarily portray accurately the true nature of the character of the rider.

The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war. On their heads were something like golden crowns, and their faces were like people's faces. (Revelation 9:7)

These crowns are also from the word stephanos, but likewise clearly do not reflect the nature or methods of the Lamb. Rather it means that they are temporarily victorious. Note also how these crowns are identified as something like rather than genuinely authentic. That is counterfeit language.

Something to note is that these crowns are on the heads of the dragon while in Revelation 13:1 the crowns are located on the horns. There is a very important meaning in this progression and has to do with the meaning of the symbols of both crowns and the difference between heads and horns.

Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and tell him, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. (Ezekiel 28:12)

It is no coincidence that Tyre is referenced in Isaiah as the giver of crowns and that Lucifer turned Satan is also referenced as the king of Tyre in Ezekiel who used to be perfect and harmless. In Isaiah, Tyre the giver of crowns is linked with merchant traffickers and princes which both result from the counterfeit system invented by Lucifer. Ezekiel 27 and 28 describes the development of trading and commerce that I am convinced explains how Satan's power became so influential. It was through use of distorted subtle logic by which Lucifer infected and confused many, far beyond those who joined him in open revolt against God's government. In Ezekiel chapter 28 we see summaries of this progression from innocence and purity that morphed into dissonance caused by internal violence until it resulted in outright open sin. This began with Lucifer's experimental alternative ways of thinking that led others to make choices outside of God's design. Lucifer chose to resist turning away from this [ring of] power until his character became shaped permanently into what he finally became – the great Satan accuser, the archenemy of all that God stands for, the ultimate abuser and exploiter and the father of all lies and murder.

The symbol of head in prophecy represents intelligence and knowledge. This same dragon was previously Lucifer in heaven who was created perfect in wisdom and knowledge. The number 7 represents perfection or completeness. It was through misuse of his enormous superior capacity for wisdom and knowledge that he abused to leverage his advantage of position and credibility to deceive others into imagining that God was not fully trustworthy, and they didn't need to rely on Him for everything. Thus at the very outset of the great rebellion against heaven and God's ways of governing, knowledge was the first channel relied on by which bonds became established as Satan attracted to himself the allegiance of all who eventually came to join him in his revolt against heaven.

The same tactic of reliance on cunning manipulation of knowledge is what the ancient serpent used to trick our first mother into participating in his system symbolized as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Notice that the serpent did not try to use any threats or violence to gain Eve's submission to his enticements, for that would have most likely been ineffective. Rather he relied entirely on manipulation of information, even inferring that it was God who was the one relying on threats of force and punishment by death in contrast to his own offer to help Eve elevate herself to a higher sphere of existence than God was willing to allow her to have. The serpent offered Eve an escape from God's presumed threat of death by participating with him in eating the forbidden fruit that supposedly had already accomplished wonderful and magical benefits for the serpent.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, "Has God really said, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?'"

The serpent said to the woman, "You won't surely die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1,4-5)

This could be the meaning why the dragon seen as having crowns on his heads. The rebellion began with subtlety, not coercive force by which Lucifer gained access to control minds. After achieving some of his goal through rationalization, we see this dragon again described in the next chapter with these crowns on his horns rather than his heads. This indicates that his strategy shifted to threats, intimidation, violence and such means as the channel by which to compel and intimidate others into compliance to his demands or face death if they resisted. He began with perfect wisdom (the symbol 7) misused to gain his goals in the beginning, but shifts to threats and force to achieve his goals in the end (again symbolized by the number 7), indicating abuse of every kind of power available.

In Revelation 19 we see Jesus wearing many diadem crowns. What is significant about this later appearance of Jesus is that at that time He is recapturing hijacked symbols the enemy perverted for evil. In chapter 19 Jesus is also seen riding a white horse, while previously the rider of a white horse may well be a counterfeit of Jesus. In chapter 19 Jesus is announced as waging war and executing judgment – but only in righteousness. I believe the symbols used in this appearance of Jesus indicates He is taking back authority over those symbols such as diadem crowns to restore their meanings to again reflect God's motives, methods and disposition to accurately reveal the real truth about God's heart. Under His rule, all lording over and dominating of others, all abusive headship mentality, all hierarchy relationships, every vestige of Satan's relative value system and artificial rewards and punishments are eradicated. In Christ's kingdom everyone is family and equal in the ways of heaven's original design.

Then the end comes, when he will deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father; when he will have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:24-25)

His tail drew/swept away one third of the stars of the sky

The dragon's tail is possibly the most potent weapon he relies on to intimidate, manipulate and retain his power. What does a tail represent? It is reflective of the primary means by which he is able to wield his power over all who dwell on the earth. It was how he achieved power to manipulate the minds of the angels who were swept out of heaven and thrown to the earth with him as we shall study soon. And it was the same way he gained access to humanity in the Garden of Eden.

They have tails like those of scorpions, and stings. In their tails they have power to harm men for five months. (Revelation 9:10)

For the power of the horses is in their mouths, and in their tails. For their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they harm. (Revelation 9:19)

The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail. For those who lead this people lead them astray; and those who are led by them are destroyed. (Isaiah 9:15-16)

..."See now, behemoth, which I made as well as you. He eats grass as an ox. Look now, his strength is in his thighs. His force is in the muscles of his belly. He moves his tail like a cedar. The sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are like tubes of brass. His limbs are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God. He who made him gives him his sword. (Job 40:14-19)

I believe that in God's exposé of the backstory to Job, both Behemoth and Leviathan represent the supernatural power and existence of the great Satan. The reason two creatures are used to represent him is because one lived on the land and the other in the sea. Yet both of them contain key descriptions that allude to being representative of the highest created being in the universe. Here is a passage that infers the power of the tail or body of Leviathan.

His undersides are like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes a path shine after him. One would think the deep had white hair. On earth there is not his equal, that is made without fear. He sees everything that is high. He is king over all the sons of pride. (Job 41:30-34)

The symbol of a tail is linked to deception, lies and misrepresentation. The power of Satan's lies is the fear they generate. This is why the only way to defeat his power is not by force that produces more fear, but through the revelation of the simple truth found only the agape love of God. This alone has effective power to neutralize the lies have swept away so many angels and humans.

Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15)

This bondage is directly related to the meaning of the word diadema which involves a channel through which something is accomplished, combined with the idea of binding around , tying up and implies keeping under bondage. Thus Jesus alone has what it takes to neutralize the power of the main channel who through fear of death has kept us tied up in bondage to him by his kind of of crown all our lives. It is impossible to overcome him by might or force or power, because those are the things he uses to keep us in subjugation to his ways of thinking and living. Only by the Spirit of truth and love and freedom that comes alone through the Lamb hero of Revelation can we escape his power.

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of Yahweh to Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says Yahweh of Armies. (Zechariah 4:6)

For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)

one third of the stars of the sky

and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Yahweh your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky. (Deuteronomy 4:19)

Whereupon were the foundations of it fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:6-7)

You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! (Isaiah 14:13)

Angels who didn't keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. (Jude 1:6)

wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1:13)

Recall from our previous studies that in Revelation the term one third indicates that whatever is being involved is connected with Satan. One third is like his logo, his brand mark, his identity signature. Here in the hub of this book we find this link spelled out. Lucifer uses his deceptive insinuations and distortions of truth to infect the thinking of possibly all the angels. But when push came to shove in heaven and the war compelled everyone to make a choice as to which side they would align with, around one third of the angels chose to commit fully in joining Satan to carry out his grand and exciting experimental new ideas about government based on his glowing promises that they could acquire advantage and power and honor far beyond what they had received from God.

Today we see the same pattern being repeated again and again in how social revolutions are launched. Promise of equality, wealth and power seduce the masses to align with socialist theories that end in disaster after it is too late to turn back. This is the history of the rebellion from its very inception.

This same tactic was used with our first parents when he enticed them with his lies, only to immediately exploit their vulnerability to bring them under his bondage of fear to reflect his dark views of God. He attempted this with Jesus when he enticed Him to embrace Satan's definition of identity in place of trust in God alone. This is our temptation, and we choose which system we will embrace, whose government we will trust, who defines our identity – the dragon or the Lamb.

threw them to the earth

There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. They didn't prevail, neither was a place found for him any more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:7-9)

The stars of the sky fell to the earth, like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when it is shaken by a great wind. (Revelation 6:13)

It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and some of the army and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them. (Daniel 8:10)

I believe it is safe to assume that from these prophetic writings, stars usually refer to angels, both fallen and unfallen. As has been noted previously, Revelation 12 begins the central hub of this revelation of the backstory that grants us access to see more clearly the context in which we find ourselves and allows us to perceive why things happen as they do that defy explanation otherwise. The war has been going on long before we came on the scene and even long before the terraforming of our planet. Without this revelation of the backstory it is impossible to arrive at plausible explanations for everything that is going on around us. This is why we must not ignore the gift of insights given to us by God in revealing this context that opens our eyes to the supernatural war raging all around and inside of us, for these revelations are designed to empower us to know how to make choices that will align us with the winning side rather than be swept away into darkness and despair like what happened to the angels seduced by Satan in heaven.

Supplemental links

Here are some links for connections to ancient myths that resonate with this subject.

https://claudemariottini.com/2010/03/22/moses-and-his-crocodile/

Did you know that, when facing Pharaoh, it is not Moses that throws down his staff; it is his brother Aaron and, according to the original Hebrew, it did not turn into a snake but a crocodile? Since the Egyptians worshipped the crocodile god – Sobek, when Aaron’s crocodile swallowed up the Egyptian crocodiles, Pharaoh understood that the God of Israel was more powerful than his entire pantheon. All this is lost if the Hebrew word ‘tanin’ is mistranslated as ‘snake’ instead of ‘crocodile.

Many readers of the Bible do not realize that two different words are used in the book of Exodus to describe what happened to Moses’ rod. The first word appears in Exodus 4:2-3.

The word used for serpent in verse 3 is nāhāsh, a word that appears 41 times in the Hebrew Bible and is translated “serpent,” “snake,” or “viper.”

The second word is tannin and it is used three times in Exodus 7:9-12. ...the word tannin can be translated as “dragon,” “serpent,” “crocodile,” or “sea monster.”

The following reference is clearly biased against Christianity. Yet it provides important insights and material that can help us discern the major issues in this war and how the enemy seeks to continue to mask his true nature through deception to further his system of trading and the assertion that there must be balance maintained between good and evil as the only viable way to maintain order and suppress chaos.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Set_(Egyptian_God)/

[Set] is one of the first five gods created by the union of Geb (earth) and Nut (sky) after the creation of the world. His name is usually translated as "instigator of confusion" and "destroyer" and he was associated with disorder, foreign lands and people, and the color red.

To the Greeks, he was associated with Typhon, the god-monster who challenged the might of Zeus and was hurled into Tartarus.

Like many aspects of the Osiris myth, Set was incorporated into the early mythology of Christianity as the devil (the serpent Apophis has also been suggested as contributing to this figure's development). Set's relationship to darkness and wickedness, as well as the color red and the popular image of him as a red-haired beast, all leant themselves to the iconography of the Christian Satan. Like Satan, he brought about the end of paradise and was cast out of the land of the gods for rebelling against harmonious rule. His association with deceit, cunning, war, destruction and close connection with the serpent also worked well in fashioning the Christian concept of the great supernatural deceiver of human beings, who swore eternal enmity with God.

From this perspective, the symbols we are studying here would be viewed as counter-balancing opposing power figures that require each other in order to maintain order, when in fact this concept of peace, security and preventing chaos through balance is a denial of God's design from the beginning. I would even go so far as to say that this approach will always end in producing chaos itself, because those aligned with good and right within that system, sooner or later are seduced by the infection of evil which ends in death. The 'good' in Satan's system is a pseudo kind of good rooted in selfishness, not reflecting the agape kind of love that defines the Creator. This outcome of death resulting from either the good or the evil under this counterfeit system has been God's warning from the very outset of our existence, because it simply describes a fundamental principle of existence.

The Beauty and Her Crown - Rumor notes 87

Revelation 12

1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

moon under her feet

Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David. His seed will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky. (Psalms 89:35-37)

God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. (Genesis 1:16)

Here is something we need to seriously contemplate. If God's kingdom is not based on hierarchy, what does it mean to have someone or something under your feet? It would not involve forced subjugation of anyone, but willing and honest submission out of appreciation and awakened love.

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." God created man in his own image. In God's image he created him; male and female he created them.

God blessed them. God said to them, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1:26-28)

The symbol of something under the feet is heaven's symbol for dominion. But we must be alert to the nature of true dominion according to heaven's definition and not be confused by the counterfeit ideas of dominion that are along the lines of domination and even denominations as we find today. This requires a correct appreciation of how God exercises authority and designs that we exercise it in reflection of how the Godhead relates to everyone else in love alone.

Thus says Yahweh, heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of house will you build to me? and what place shall be my rest? (Isaiah 66:1)

Yahweh says to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet." (Psalms 110:1)

And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20)

Satan's original name was Lucifer or light-bearer. He was created to reflect the most light of God's glory to the rest of the angels and intelligent beings, but he chose a life of selfishness and self-exaltation as he invented an entire counterfeit system to God's original design that is reflected in the way all the governments of this world operate. Lucifer craves worship, and the whole world is drawn to admire his system and follow his ways as the best way to achieve order and control. Lucifer turned Satan can be viewed as the lesser light of this world, for just as the moon has no source of light but can only reflect light, so too Satan has no real light of his own but must rely on the origin of all light by means of counterfeiting the light of heaven. From this perspective it makes sense to see the woman who represents those who are chosen by God as His reflectors on earth, to be seen as having Satan under her feet as Paul writes here in Romans.

I am coming to see that this phrase under her feet could also refer to living as an overcomer, a major theme throughout this book. This would perfectly fit this metaphor. Overcoming also means coming over or getting on top of something. What might this look like?

The question that needs to be clarified at least somewhat is this: What kind of overcoming would fit the symbol of the Sunlight that clothes this woman? There are useful clues that might fit well here. Look at a few of them to see how they might help explain this more.

"Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn't remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

In that day you will ask me no questions. Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. But the time is coming when I will no more speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don't say to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came out from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father."

His disciples said to him, "Behold, now you speak plainly, and speak no figures of speech. Now we know that you know all things, and don't need for anyone to question you. By this we believe that you came forth from God."

Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have overcome the world." (John 16:20-33)

When I view this along with Paul's statement about God putting Satan under our feet as well as Jesus using the illustration of a woman giving birth that resonates directly with the symbol we are looking at here, I find much to extrapolate in these words of Jesus about things we are to overcome and keep firmly underfoot. Mainly it is our perspective and our own negative feelings that distort reality and prevent us from seeing God through the lens of Jesus. It is our penchant toward unbelief that must be overcome and put underfoot by believing and acting on these words of Jesus that could bring us into a boldness we have hitherto never experienced. Jesus instructs us to ask the Father in His name. This refers to both viewing the Father's disposition as being identical to that of Christ as well as embracing the mind and disposition of Christ ourselves as we are told in Philippians 2.

The disciples thought that they now believed and were hearing Jesus plainly, when in fact they were still oblivious to the far greater perspective and much higher view of God's goodness, kindness and humility than they had ever attempted to imagine. I suspect the same is true for most all of us today. The levels of distrust of God's heart run far deeper into our psyche than we can see, but God is both patient and yet urgent that we wake up to the real issues at stake. This woman represents what we claim to be – honest followers and reflectors of God's design for His children on earth. What needs to be put under our feet is anything and everything that disrupts, disturbs and distorts our perspective and disposition that causes us to reflect any other spirit than what the Lamb displayed in every circumstance. There is one more passage I want to include before moving to the next item.

For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me. By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. (2 Corinthians 12:6-10)

I find here a close parallel to the great sign of a woman with the moon firmly under her feet even while being simultaneously clothed with the sun. Paul's description here was not meant to impress anyone but was an honest recounting of his own struggle to deal with the temptation of pride and reliance on worth and identity from any source other than what God thought of him. What he learned through this interchange with Jesus was a foundational truth that we need to embrace as did Paul, the reality that God's power is most eloquently experienced and released in weakness rather than through what we term strength. God worked hard to get Elijah to learn this lesson but with less success. But the lesson remains for us to believe and embrace in our own lives if we would become qualified to participate in the special forces accompanying the Lamb wherever He goes.

on her head a crown of twelve stars

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. (Esther 2:17)

For man is not from woman, but woman from man; for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. For this cause the woman ought to have authority on her head, because of the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:8-10)

What is the meaning of a crown? Be careful of the conclusions drawn from this passage. If they involve hierarchy or domination over others, there are serious flaws in our underlying presumptions. We must ever be mindful of the way God relates to authority in contrast with how we think of it.

You shall also be a crown of beauty in the hand of Yahweh, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (Isaiah 62:3)

This verse actually has within it nuances related to the meanings of two different kinds of crowns. What is missed in translation is that the word in Greek for crown here means something very different from the word for crowns used two verses later related to the nemesis of this woman, the great dragon. Keep in mind that we are talking about a war here, and the war is not about who is more powerful but rather about the very nature of power itself and where authority comes from and the right way to hold people together in a cohesive society organized to avoid chaos and anarchy.

During the ancient Olympic Games, athletes who emerged victorious were awarded olive wreaths, which were considered a sacred prize in Greece, representing the highest honor. The crown mentioned here on this woman comes from the Greek word stephanos and means a twined wreath, a symbol of royalty and honor, something displayed publicly that is conspicuous. It is the same word Jesus uses in His promises to those who overcome found in chapters two and three. Significantly it is also the word used to describe the the crown plated out of thorns that was placed on the head of Jesus as part of the abuse intended to strip Him of honor during His trial and crucifixion process. Yet it actually was used by God to draw attention to the true purpose Jesus came to this earth – to demonstrate through willing weakness the true nature and power of God's passionate love for sinners.

So Pilate then took Jesus, and flogged him. The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown, and put it on his head, and dressed him in a purple garment. They kept saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and they kept slapping him. Then Pilate went out again, and said to them, "Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that I find no basis for a charge against him." Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. Pilate said to them, "Behold, the man!" When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and crucify him, for I find no basis for a charge against him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God." (John 19:1-7)

The system of Satan counterfeits the true design principles of creation by twisting them into perverse meanings and purposes misrepresent the nature of love. The trial of Jesus was actually a microcosm of the trial going on where God is being judged by everyone that He created for His glory. What we see in the way Jesus responded under provocation and abuse is a revelation of what God is like, for Jesus is God's Son who represents Him fully and more accurately than any other being anywhere. Thus it was no accident that a stephanos crown was placed on Jesus, for unintentionally what was intended as a symbol of shame to highlight the weakness of God's Messiah turned out to display better than ever the true nature of God's power of love Jesus came to make plain.

This pivotal scene from the exposé of the character of God reflected in Christ includes key evidence we must not miss if we are to become aware of the major issues of the trial involving God. Pilate explicitly made it unavoidably clear that there was no legitimate cause for condemning Jesus. He stated this publicly more than once, but the spirit of Satan was in control of nearly everyone that day so that the standards and desires of the flesh reigned and suppressed the light of truth blazing clearly right in front of everyone. Pilate declares boldly, “Behold the Man!” Yet in spite of all evidence exonerating Jesus, he religious experts and leaders of God's chosen people on earth joined themselves with their father the devil to accuse Jesus of making Himself out to be the Son of God, while in reality it was God who had several times affirmed the authenticity of Christ's identity. In joining their father the devil, the chief accuser of God and all His children, of Jesus being just like Lucifer as described in Isaiah 14, they locked their hearts and minds into the great delusion of the enemy of souls and destroyed their own capacity to recover from this desperate condition of darkness and lies.

You said in your heart, "I will ascend into heaven! I will exalt my throne above the stars of God! I will sit on the mountain of assembly, in the far north! I will ascend above the heights of the clouds! I will make myself like the Most High!" (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Pay attention to the basis upon which the religious leaders so zealously defended their views of how God should look and act. Jesus had gone too far in their estimation to blaspheme their opinions about God, and they felt fully justified in carrying out the enforcement of law so that God's name would be honored. "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die.”

They had a law all right, but what spin was put on that law and where did much of that system of law originate? Their version of God's law was hopelessly infected with the mindset absorbed by their ancestors while spending 70+ plus years in the pagan atmosphere of Babylon. It was the Babylonian version of law and justice that guided and controlled the thinking of religious leaders both in Jesus' day as well as continuing all the way down to our day. The law of artificial reward and punishment originated in the mind of the master deceiver who lodged in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and infused his version of justice and law into the thinking of humanity. It was this distorted and dark view of God and His government and design that Jesus came to expose, and He accomplished this by demonstrating the willingness of God to appear weak while retaining all power at His disposal.

But Jesus is not the only one whom God will use to reveal the true nature of His character of selfless love that appears weak according to our false system of assessing power. All who are drawn to follow the Lamb wherever He leads them will find themselves on the same path of channeling the true power of God through willing weakness, for what Jesus demonstrated during those hours of cruel abuse and shame is the same power that is released most eloquently and convincingly by anyone willing to reflect that same glory in their own lives.

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

(2 Corinthians 12:7-9)

Those who are willing to be identified with the heart of God as expressed most vividly through the response to abuse by the Lamb of God will reflect the same disposition as was displayed by God's Son Jesus His Christ. This is part of the identity we received when Christ absorbed all humanity into Himself through this very process. Jesus redefines what it means to be human reflectors of God's heart, and He also redefines the true meaning of power and authority that is radically different and opposite to how the counterfeit versions define them. The counterfeit kind of crown is found in the meaning and use of the Greek word diadema translated as the kind of crowns found on the heads of the great red dragon. We will study that a little later, but for now we will look more into the nature of this crown of glory that is a signal of victory rather than subjugating power.

Yahweh their God will save them in that day as the flock of his people; for they are like the jewels of a crown, lifted on high over his land. (Zechariah 9:16)

What are things that stars might symbolize? In this next passage stars were symbols of the twelve sons of Jacob. Later in this present chapter stars are symbols of angels swept out of heaven by the deceptive slander of Satan. In Daniel we read that the righteous will shine like the stars.

He dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed yet another dream: and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to me." (Genesis 37:9)

Interestingly the description of this woman involves the sun, the moon and 12 stars. When we view this in the context of Joseph's dream of the sun, moon and stars bowing down to worship him, we see that these symbols can be referring to the family model for social cohesion. This is God's design for all relationships because it is reflective of how the Godhead has related to each other for all eternity. This is God's organizational design in which true love can exist and thrive. The family model for society is counterfeited by nations and kingdoms which rely on other means of binding people together that is foreign to God's design.

This is why God was grieved when His people demanded to have a king, for a king represents hierarchy which is a denial of the equality of all humans who were created to reflect the image of God collectively. In choosing to throw aside the family model in favor of the system of rulership and power like the surrounding nations, they were following the suggestions of Satan. In doing this they abandoned God's plan to embrace a counterfeit, imagining they could improve their situation when in reality they were rejecting God's love and guidance as effective to deal with their problems. The same challenge remains for us today, for we are still tempted to trust in the ways of this world to resolve our problems rather than believing that the ways of the Lamb are the only effective means of defeating evil and that can restore us to our original design as glimpsed briefly in Eden.

This great sign seen in heaven reminds us that God's design for us to live as family is still the only viable option if we desire to be restored back into harmony with heaven. The true Light that comes into the world must be what surrounds us entirely, not just our head as some artists portray this woman. God's children are to put on Christ, the origin of all light for us, which means to be immersed in His ways, to be motivated with His desires and to reflect His disposition as we live continuously motivated by His Spirit of love, gentleness, kindness, compassion and all the other fruit of the Spirit.

Satan's counterfeit light must also be kept firmly under foot by means of the overcoming power of Jesus Christ who has already exposed and defeated the counterfeit systems of this world. As we rest in Christ and abide in His love for us, infuse our hearts with joy by choosing praise, gratitude and thanksgiving in every situation despite our feelings or circumstances, the power of Christ can be experienced and released in our weakness, and we too may overcome the world in the power of Christ's love as it is released through us because we are resting in Him.

She was with child

While this next verse may initially seem irrelevant, contemplate it from this perspective. We looked at this earlier in our study, but I want to view it from a slightly different perspective. To be pregnant with a child involves much of your insides being filled up by someone else. From that perspective, think of the implications of this verse taking into account that God Himself is the only source of real justice as well as of all righteousness.

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. (Isaiah 1:21)

In Revelation 17 we will discover that this woman later is discovered in the wilderness in a very different condition than how she is viewed here, to the point of being called the mother of all prostitutes. Yet in her earlier days she was just the opposite.

A voice of tumult from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of Yahweh that renders recompense to his enemies. Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a boy. (Isaiah 66:6-7)

The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name 'Jesus.'

The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:30-31,35)

cried out in pain, laboring to give birth

Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. (Luke 21:23)

You have increased the nation, O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified! You have enlarged all the borders of the land. Yahweh, in trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer when your chastening was on them. Like as a woman with child, who draws near the time of her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; so we have been before you, Yahweh. We have been with child. We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind. We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. (Isaiah 26:15-18)

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul faints before the murderers. (Jeremiah 4:31)

Now why do you cry out aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pains have taken hold of you as of a woman in travail? (Micah 4:9)

A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn't remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:21-22)

Dressing Light - Rumor notes 86

 Revelation 12

1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

a woman clothed with the sun

Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready." It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:7-8)

How does the Bible define the meaning of a symbolic woman?

How the faithful city has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers. (Isaiah 1:21)

The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off. (Jeremiah 6:2)

Now when I passed by you, and looked at you, behold, your time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over you, and covered your nakedness: yes, I swore to you, and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord Yahweh, and you became mine. Then washed I you with water; yes, I thoroughly washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. I clothed you also with embroidered work, and shod you with sealskin, and I girded you about with fine linen, and covered you with silk. I decked you with ornaments, and I put bracelets on your hands, and a chain on your neck. I put a ring on your nose, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were decked with gold and silver; and your clothing was of fine linen, and silk, and embroidered work; you ate fine flour, and honey, and oil; and you were exceeding beautiful, and you prospered to royal estate. Your renown went forth among the nations for your beauty; for it was perfect, through my majesty which I had put on you, says the Lord Yahweh. (Ezekiel 16:8-14)

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I married you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is the mother of us all. (Galatians 4:26)

This woman likely represents the people who are chosen to reflect God's glory on earth. Their description is in terms revealing the nature of the kingdom of heaven distinct and different from the character of God's opponent that we will soon see by contrast. Of course this symbolic woman can be seen throughout history under different human labels, but in essence she is composed of humans who respond to the leading of the Spirit of God in whatever age they live out their lives on earth.

My dove, my perfect one, is the only one, the darling of her mother, flawless to her that bore her. The maidens saw her and called her happy; the queens and concubines also, and they praised her. "Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible [awesome] as an army with banners?"

I went down to the nut orchard, to look at the blossoms of the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, whether the pomegranates were in bloom. Before I was aware, my fancy set me in a chariot beside my prince. Return, return, O Shulammite! Return, return, that we may look upon you. Why should you look upon the Shulammite, as upon a dance before two armies? (Song of Solomon 6:9-13 NRSV)

There are other potential meanings of this woman we might ponder for what they're worth. This woman gives birth to the man-child Jesus. While literally the woman who gave birth to Christ was Mary of Nazareth, Revelation is made up of symbols, so we should be reticent to jump to that conclusion directly. Another aspect seldom considered is that in the family unit of the Godhead, of which humans are created to reflect, the Holy Spirit fulfills best the role of Mother and nurturer, the One who brings to birth righteousness from within.

It was the Holy Spirit that hovered literally over and in the body of Mary, enabling her to receive the physicalized seed from the Heavenly Father that resulted in the human form of God's Son, Jesus the Christ. Thus in a very real sense the Holy Spirit was the Mother of Christ from heaven's perspective. That Spirit is the same Mother who infuses the seed of righteousness into the spirit of all who consent to be impregnated with the mind of Christ.

My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you-- but I could wish to be present with you now, and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (Galatians 4:19-20)

Jesus answered, "Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can't enter into the Kingdom of God! That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8)

This raises compelling implications when compared with the woman described in Revelation 17 who is called the mother of harlots. For instance, if this woman in chapter 12 might in part represent the Mother aspect of the Godhead called the Holy Spirit, then the woman riding the beast as the ultimate prostitute could also represent the opposite spirit who exploits others through seduction, intimidation and even violence. But that leads to another study.

a woman clothed with the sun

He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. (Revelation 1:16)

Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty. He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain. (Psalms 104:1-2)

Who is she who looks forth as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners? (Song of Solomon 6:10)

The sun shall be no more your light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light to you: but Yahweh will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, neither shall your moon withdraw itself; for Yahweh will be your everlasting light, and the days of your mourning shall be ended. (Isaiah 60:19-20)

Clothing represents character in Scripture. Clothes often convey messages related to identity, status or responsibility. What we wear often expresses important aspects of how we feel about ourselves.

I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:2)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts. (Romans 13:14)

Put on therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. (Colossians 3:12-14)

But to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings [rays]. You will go out, and leap like calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)

This woman is clothed with the sun of righteousness. But note that this light is full of healing. We also read that the leaves of the Tree of Life in heaven are potent for healing.

He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:1-2)

Significantly, at the beginning of history we find leaves also being used for clothing, but for very a different purpose. No sooner had our first parent's indulged in the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they suddenly felt ashamed of their natural nakedness and felt desperate to cover up in more ways than one. They quickly began figuring out ways to hide their vulnerability, stitching together leaves (quite possible from the Tree they had just aligned with in their thinking) to mask over what they now believed to be shameful. This all because their entire way of valuing everything had been turned upside down and the deep emotional wounds of sin were being infected by dis-ease.

The eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. (Genesis 3:7)

There is good reason to believe that previous to the fall, our human bodies were clothed with light, not physical clothing. This is glimpsed in the stories of Moses as well as what was witnessed on the Mount of Transfiguration when Jesus was clothed with light like the sun. This light is not designed to hide but to reveal. Heaven's atmosphere is not about hiding everything like sin leads us to do, but living in full transparency and vulnerability without any trace of fear or shame. It was not until sin infected and warped our perceptions of value and distorted our thinking about vulnerability that the idea of covering up became popular. Because of this God's temporary remedy for His new human children was to cover them with animal skins*, not light. They could no longer stand the exposure of living in the transparency that light brings, so until their inner selves were restored to their original design, they and all of us throughout succeeding generations rely on substitute clothing to hide the shame of our nakedness until we are ready to return to living openly in the light once again.

This is the nature of judgment as Jesus defines it, for judgment is all about exposing through the natural effect of light coming close to us. This theme keeps reoccurring repeatedly throughout our study of this book.

This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God. (John 3:19-21)

Given this perspective, this symbolic woman clothed with the sun could represent all who are being restored to the original design of humanity. They are willing to be fully exposed by the brilliant light of truth and love that has come into the world and consent to be so saturated by His Spirit that their lives reflect the same glory that the true Son reflected – the Sun of Righteousness. They choose to come to Jesus, the light of the world, so that the light will expose the amazing truth that everything they do is in God. This is what it means to be a human; it means to live as an imager of the glory of God who is the origin of all light, beauty, truth, love and power.

God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:" (Genesis 1:26)

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

* God did not clothe Adam with the skin of an animal because of a divine need to be appeased, but because of their unconditional love for Adam; they spoke the language of Adam’s own judgment: Adam, not God, was embarrassed about his nakedness.

The clothing was not to make God look at Adam differently, but to make Adam feel better about himself! And ultimately it was to prepare Adam for the unveiling of the mystery of mankind’s redemption in the incarnation.

Here, Deity would clothe themselves in human skin in a son, and the Lion of Judah, would become the Lamb of God, in order to free our minds to re discover his image and likeness in our skin!

Humankind is tailor-made for God!

[Francois du Toit. See 1 Peter 1:18-19 in the Mirror Study Bible]

A Great Sign - Rumor notes 85

 Revelation 12

1 A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

A great sign was seen in heaven

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, (Revelation 1:1 NKJV)

This is a reminder of the two templates or filters by which everything in this book is processed, understood and measured. Everything must pass the intense analysis of conforming to Jesus' version of who God is, what He is like and His disposition, methods and motives in every aspect of the great cosmic battle that this book describes as the backstory for all reality. Secondly, the only effective way to make sense and discover the intended meaning and purpose of each verse in this entire book is to approach it with the presupposition that it is first and foremost symbolic and that the meaning of each symbol is discovered by relying on the rest of Scripture to inform us while remaining faithful to the first rule. All of this of course must be guided by the Spirit of truth, love and freedom, not by our preconditioning, traditions or to defend any set of doctrines.

What we are entering as we begin the study of the next couple chapters or so, is the very center of this book. Because it is laid out in typical chiastic format, meaning that the center contains the most important keys to understanding the rest of the book and that moving away from the center in both direction simultaneously one will discover parallel concepts that are tightly linked and are similar to each other, this center hub of the book is where we will find the core descriptions of what is really transpiring and where we find the main contestants and opponents in this story most clearly displayed.

Significantly, this is the first occurrence in this book of the word sign and is followed two verses later with another sign. This is not coincidence as it is introducing clearly the two sides warring against each other. This war is also explicitly spelled out later in this same chapter, which is why these next three chapters are crucial to understand thoroughly if we are to see how everything else in the book links directly to them like spooks of a wheel all depend on their connection to the hub.

The author John who writes this book is the same person who in his gospel emphasized the idea of signs in connection with the life of Jesus as well as found in the stories of the early believers. Signs and wonders are a theme that runs throughout the history of this war, so we must be open to receiving a true appreciation of how we should relate to them in our own involvement in this war. Both sides in the supernatural realm rely on signs and wonders, but they do not use them the same. As always, for every true there is a counterfeit, and this might be most true in the case of signs and wonders. Satan's entire success in deceiving as many as possible depends heavily on compelling people to reflect his motives and choose his methods as he uses signs and wonders to manipulate us to believe our feelings over the word of God.

Manipulation of feelings to deceive is how Eve was tricked into turning away from the only Source of truth, life and love and to believe her emotions more than God. The serpent asserted that God is intimately involved in both good and evil and that she could access His power by doing the same. He still relies on this approach with great success, for the meaning of the word spiritualism involves putting more trust and reliance on our feelings and emotions as our primary source of truth rather than on the objective word of God. This brings us to the very heart of how the war is carried out, for the real contest is not really about who is stronger, but rather what kind of strength will work to maintain cohesion in society, to establish order and to prevent chaos.

Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. (Revelation 12:3)

I saw another great and marvelous sign in the sky: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them God's wrath is finished. (Revelation 15:1)

It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked toward me. How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. (Daniel 4:2-3)

He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Daniel 6:27)

Scribes and Pharisees more than once demanded a sign from Jesus. It is very instructive to examine the context behind these demands. Consider this instance recorded earlier by Matthew.

You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:34-40)

How might the sign we are looking at right now fit with that story? Consider the contrast of the nature of the signs and we begin to see a familiar pattern emerge. The first sign here in this chapter is a very vulnerable woman while the next great sign is just the opposite – a fierce and intimidating dragon whose main goal is to exploit others who are vulnerable. This parallels the introduction of sin into this world originally and is the patter repeated all throughout the history of this war.

The context of this demand for a sign from Jesus was that He had been accused of working miracles and expelling demons from people by relying on the power of Satan. When you look over the passages preceding these demands for a sign, it starts to become evident that the hypocrisy of these teachers and leaders was becoming exposed by the words and actions of Jesus. They were under intense conviction and their discomfort with what people were starting to see about them in contrast to the plain truths being presented by Jesus made them feel desperate to find some way to divert attention away from themselves by incriminating Jesus in some way. The spirit of the great accuser motivated them to accuse the Jesus of being the enemy to deflect the conviction they were under to repent. Rather than allow the Spirit of truth and love to heal their hearts, they chose to harden their hards by lashing out to destroy His credibility in order to salvage their own.

I believe the pattern that might explain best the difference in use of signs and wonders by either side in this conflict lies in the message conveyed by them. The enemy and accuser of God uses signs and wonders to manipulate people's feelings and emotions for the purpose of deceiving them and distracting them from the conviction of God's Spirit about the nature of His kingdom. These signs and wonders appeal to our cravings for more power to exalt ourselves and our favorite people above others for our advantage. In Christ's kingdom the spirit of humility, kindness, gentleness and even willing vulnerability is the mark of identity in all who choose to follow the Lamb of God. It was this revelation that exposed the motives and disposition of the religious people of Jesus' day that made them feel exposed and threatened because they were relying on Satan's principles to maintain their authority while Jesus was bringing to light the truth that God's power is just the opposite of the kind of power popular in this world.

If we take this perspective, the following references to signs might begin to make more sense.

Thus says Yahweh, "Don't learn the way of the nations, and don't be dismayed at the signs of the sky; for the nations are dismayed at them. (Jeremiah 10:2)

even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn't receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

He performs great signs, even making fire come down out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people. (Revelation 13:13)

These last few references help to clarify the use of signs by Satan in contrast to the purpose and use of signs from heaven. Consider the words of Jesus relating to the signs of His second coming and how we should relate to those signs. In the following passages both kinds of signs are talked about, but if we are open to discern with the heart, we can see the pattern mentioned above showing up throughout these instructions, warnings and encouragement by Jesus.

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered them, "Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren't troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains. Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name's sake. Then many will stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and will lead many astray. Because iniquity will be multiplied, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end, the same will be saved. This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

...for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. "Then if any man tells you, 'Behold, here is the Christ,' or, 'There,' don't believe it. For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. "Behold, I have told you beforehand.

But immediately after the oppression of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken; and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:3-14, 21-25, 29-30)

They asked him, "Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?" He said, "Watch out that you don't get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I AM,' and, 'The time is at hand.' Therefore don't follow them. When you hear of wars and disturbances, don't be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won't come immediately." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

You will be hated by all men for my name's sake. And not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will win your lives. But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein. For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near." (Luke 21:7-11, 17-28)