Clothed with the Sun, Moon and Twelve Stars

Create Date: 21-Jun-2023
 

Last updated: 21-Jun-2023
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Sections
 
1 Clothed with the Sun, Moon, and Twelve Stars
2 Roman Catholic Misunderstanding
3 Scripture Interprets Scripture
4 Replacement Theology makes God not Trustworthy

Clothed with the Sun, Moon, and Twelve Stars

There are two sections of the Book of Revelation that have been misunderstood by the Roman Catholic Faith that the error is based on traditions rather than scriptures.  The two sections are Revelation 12:1-5 and Revelation 12:13-17.
 
Revelation 12:1-5 1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; 2 and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. 4 And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.
Revelation 12:13-17

These verses are the connection to 1-5 to know it is dealing with Israel, and not children of the Roman Catholic Church.		 These verses indicate the persecution by Lucifer is against the idiom "woman" which is Israel and no other.  During the Tribulation Period there will be a remnant of Israel that will flee to be protected in Petra.  More details on Petra are later in this topic as connected with Matthew 24:15-22.  The "nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent", is a period three and one half years, which is the Tribulation Period's length, and "nourished" means protected, fed and cared for in a full human way.

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man child. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring those who keep God s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

We know that scriptures always interpret the scriptures, and when the scripture requires an interpretation, the Holy Spirit always has other references in the scriptures to validate the correct understanding.  The idioms of the "Sun and Moon" and "twelve stars", are also used in the scriptural passage of Genesis 37:5-11 so that the reference is exactly identified, which is one of the many double modeling and patterns in the scriptures.

Jacob, who God renames him to Israel, has twelve sons where the son Joseph has two dreams that he tells his family which they become angry over the dream with the implied interpretation.  The interpretation is given by Jacob:

Genesis 37:5-11 5 Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more 6 He said to them, Please listen to this dream which I have had; 7 for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf rose up and also stood erect; and behold, your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf. 8 Then his brothers said to him, Are you actually going to reign over us? Or are you really going to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me. 10 He related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground? 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.

The Roman Catholic Misunderstanding

The Roman Catholic tradition and belief, which can be appear to be honoring God and religious is not correct regarding the interpretation of the identity of the "a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" passage. 

The incorrect tradition and interpretation from the Roman Catholic faith are:

  1. Incorrect: That the woman in Revelation 12:1 is a reference directly to Mary the earthly mother of Jesus Christ.
  2. Incorrect: The sign in Heaven to infer that Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus Christ, is elevated to a type of royal deity.
  3. Incorrect: The nation of Israel has nothing to do Revelation 12:1.
  4. Incorrect: Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus Christ,  is elevated to a status of Godly Royalty with special privileges with the triune God. 
  5. Incorrect: The Nation of Israel, because they as a nation refused to recognize their Messiah, then the reference in the Book of Revelation cannot be about Israel. 

Scripture Interprets Scripture

The correct understanding of the Revelation 12:1-5 and Revelation 12:13-14 scriptural passages:

  1. The woman is Revelation chapter 12 symbolically appears as a sign in Heaven, is identified by other scriptures and even history itself as Israel. 
    (a) Jacob, who has his name changed to Israel, is the sun.
    (b) Rachel, Joseph's mother, is the moon.
    (c) Jacob recognized the dream as referring to him and his family.
  2. Because of the crown of twelve stars, on the woman, the stars are a reference to the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
  3. The red dragon, without any confusion, is Lucifer who takes one third of the Angels with him in a revolt against God that results in Lucifer and those angels being cast down to the realm of the Earth.
  4. The birth vessel is of course Mary but the passage is speaking about the Son who comes out of the lineage of twelve stars.
    (a) Lucifer has King Herod kill all the male babies in Nazareth. 
    (b) Lucifer is still trying to kill every Jewish person to stop one of the primary purposes of the Tribulation Period which is for Israel to recognize their Son whom they executed.  If there is no Jewish people left on the Earth then Jesus Christ cannot return to rule the Earth during the Millennial Kingdom.
  5. Mary had to be a virgin to get past the Curse of Jeconiah but also to have the seed from God Himself. 
    (a) Mary was a part of the Royal Blood line of the tribe of Judah.
    (b) Joseph was part of the Royal Blood line of the tribe of Judah.
    (c) After the birth of Jesus, then Joseph and Mary had four other sons and at least two daughters besides Jesus Christ.
  6. Israel as a nation is always identified as the wife of Jehovah in the Old Testament. 
  7. The idiom of the Church, in numerous New Testament scriptures which is all Christians regardless of Denomination, is the virgin bride of Jesus Christ.
  8. Revelation 12:14 is identifying the remnant of Israel that goes to Petra to be protected during the Tribulation Period.  It is not the Roman Catholic Church going to Petra.
Matthew 24:15-22

Jesus Christ speaking

 15 When therefore ye see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let him that readeth understand), 16 then let them that are in Judaea flee unto the mountains: 17 let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house: 18 and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. 19 But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! 20 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath: 21 for then shall be great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect s sake those days shall be shortened.

Note: the "abomination of desolation" reference is the event that starts the Tribulation Period, where Lucifer's goal is to murder all Jewish People on the Earth so that they cannot ask Jesus Christ to return.  If there are not Jewish People remaining, who recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah, then the Tribulation Period will not end because Jesus Christ will not return.  Obviously this is not going to happen which is also why the remnant of Israel are hidden and protected in Petra.

Replacement Theology makes God not Trustworthy

There is the belief by some Christian Denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Faith, that the Church has replaced and will be the recipient of all of the promises to Israel that have yet to happen, as Israel as a nation has forfeited the promises by rejecting Jesus Christ.  This is absolutely false and against the scriptures as Israel as a nation will recognize their Messiah during the Tribulation Period.  As one scriptural example, Steven the Disciple, was killed by the Sanhedrin for informing them that Israel in the future would accept Jesus Christ, and Israel has a pattern of accepting an offering and promise on the second attempt. 

God has many promises that are contained in the prophecies of the Old Testament that are for Israel, not the Church, and these prophecies still have a future fulfillment.  The entire Bible contains different dispensations, where Jesus Christ is the central theme, but there are distinct destinies for Israel, the Church, the 70th Week of Daniel / Tribulation people with Salvation, and the people of the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  God's Word will absolutely happen according to Matthew 5:17-18.

Matthew 5:17-18 17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.

Biblical Scholars point out that there are many Roman Catholic Traditions and beliefs that are known as part of Replacement Theology because of the substitution of the Roman Catholic Church for Israel.  This should be obviously wrong to anyone familiar with the unconditional promises given to the Nation of Israel that have yet to be fulfilled and Israel will eventually recognize their Messiah which is one of the main purposes of the Tribulation Period's purpose.  If there is any more doubt consider the 144,000 Jewish Virgins from Twelve Tribes that help evangelize the world for Jesus Christ during the Great Tribulation.

What to read next?

What is Salvation?  Is it possible to lose Salvation?  We have eternal life.  Evolution is not real.  When a Christian suffers is there benefits from it.  Rewards in heaven.  Do we Tithe?  What does the 3rd Commandment tell us?  What is Grace and Mercy?  Is there an Age of Accountability?  Is there a place of unending punishment and exile form God?