The Woman the Man Child
Bob Morgan
Revelation 12
Who is the woman?
First, the woman is a symbol and her most logical symbolism is that of a restored National Israel, or the Israelites who will be back in Palestine during the 70th week.
Joel 3 Zech. 9:10-16 Matt. 24:15-26 Dan. 9:27
The Jews in other lands will remain as they are until the second coming of Jesus Christ and the full restoration of all Israel.
Isaiah 11:11 Ez. 37:1-28 Matt. 24:31
The reasons why the woman symbolizes National Israel:
1. Israel is often mentioned in the Old Testament as a married woman.
Isaiah 54:1-6 Jer. 3:1-4
A. The book of Hosea by symbolic use of Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer, pictures the history of Israel.
Hosea 2:14-23
2. The symbols, the sun, moon, and the crown of 12 stars, found in Rev. 12:1 are the same as those of Gen. 37:9-11, where Joseph’s dream symbolizes National Israel, with Joseph as one of the stars.
THE TRAVAIL OF THE WOMAN
The travails of Israel in the past are types of this time of tribulation in the 70th week, but this is the worst period ever known to Israel.
Daniel 12:1 Matthew 24:15-26
This travail in Israel’s time of tribulation has a two-fold result.
First
The deliverance of a manchild in the middle of week–Rev. 12:2-5
Jer. 30:6-9–This picture shows the woman is only a symbol. For here are men in travail in Israel for the birth of a child.
Daniel 12:1 Isaiah 66:78
This travail will be the result of the terrible fear and anguish brought about when the Anti-Christ breaks his covenant with Israel in the middle of the week.
The result of this great travail is that the man child will be caught up by God.
God will then protect the woman in the wilderness.
Also the remnant in Palestine
The Anti-Christ will be detracted as tidings come to him of Nations moving against him. Dan 11:44 & 45
Second
The travail of the woman will bring her own deliverance at the end of the week
This takes place when the Lord returns to set up his kingdom and delivers Israel just in time from the hands of the Anti-Christ at the Battle of Armageddon.
The kingdom will then be set up.
Rom. 11:26 & 27 Rev. 10:11-20;6 II Thess. 1:7-10
THE DRAGON IS CAST UNTO THE EARTH
The first purpose of Satan, the old Dragon, is to destroy the man child and to do this as soon as it is born–Rev. 12:4
This fails as the manchild is caught up and he turns to the woman, who brought forth the manchild, and through the Anti-Christ brings great persecution on Israel.
Isaiah 10:20-27 Isaiah 14:1-27 Jer. 30:3-9
During this persecution, Israel flees into the wilderness.
Isaiah 16:1-5 Matt. 24:15-22
WHO IS THE MANCHILD?
Many feel this is Jesus Christ.
If this be true, the consecutive order of the book of Revelation is destroyed, for this inserts a historical event into what has been prophesied of future events.
If it is true that this is a picture of Jesus Christ, it would mean that all the events from Rev. 1:1-12;4 must of necessity be fulfilled before the ascension of Christ. But the events that surround Rev. 12 do not harmonize with those that surround the birth of Jesus Christ, through the virgin Mary.
The fact that the child was caught up is another point used by many to say this was Jesus Christ.
But Jesus was not caught up at his birth, or as a child, but lived 33 years, died, and then was caught up. This does not harmonize with Rev. 12. Further, John did not need an angel to show him the historical
ascension of Christ. He had personally seen this 60 years before this time.
“He is to rule with a rod of iron”–many say this could only be referring to Jesus. This expression, “rod of iron”, means authority over the Nations, but all those raptured will have this authority with Christ.
The O.T. Saints Psa. 149:6-9 Matt. 8:11, 12
The Church Matt. 19:28 I Cor. 4:8
The 144,000 Rev. 7:1-8 Rev. 14:1-5
The Tribulation Saints Rev. 20:4-6
SOME FEEL THE MANCHILD IS THE CHURCH
Those who feel that the manchild is the church usually hold this theory because they feel the seventh trumpet of Rev. 11:14, and 13:18 is the same as the last trump which is blown at the rapture of the church.
What actually is the Bible revelation of the seventh trump?
First, the seventh trump is not the last trump; there will be others that will sound in the tribulation–Isa. 27:12 Zeph. 1:16-19 Zech. 9:17 & 19
What is the difference between the trump of God that raptures the church and the seventh trump?
The trump of God is the rapture of the church, the bride of Christ–
I Thess. 4:16
The seventh trump is the rapture of the manchild–Rev 11:15, Rev. 12:2
One is the trumpet of God.
The other is the trumpet of the seventh Angel.
One is to herald a single event which takes place in the twinkling of an eye (1/40 of second) I Cor. 15:51-58
The other is to herald many events which are days in duration
Rev. 10:7
One is a trumpet of blessing
The other is a trumpet of woe. Rev. 8:3; 12:12
One is the beginning of the seventieth week.
The other is in the middle of the week.
One is before the saints represented by the 24 Elders are caught up–
Rev. 4:1
The other is after the Elders are in Heaven–Rev. 14:3
One is before the seven seals and the first six trumpets–Rev. 6 verse 1, and 9:21 The other is after them.
Some have felt there was only one rapture in the first resurrection, so this catching up must be the Bride of Christ. The truth is that the bride of Christ is the first rapture. I Thess. chapter 4, verses 13-18, and Rev. 4:1
This rapture, of the great multitude, is the first in a series of raptures that will take place during the resurrection.
Besides this rapture, there will be the rapture of the manchild– Rev. 7:13, 12:5 & 14:1-5
The rapture of the great multitude of tribulation saints–Rev. 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 15:2-4 & 20:4
The rapture of the two witnesses–Rev. 11:3-13
The teaching of more than one rapture is not only required and stated in the above passages, but necessary to make clear what Paul meant when he said, “Every man in his own order,” I Cor. 15:20-23
The Greek for “order,” is tagma, and occurs only here. It is used in the Septuagint of a body of soldiers and an army, Num. 2:2, and II Sam. 23:13
It means a company or body of individuals. In order for every man to be raptured “in his own order” or company, there must be different companies of redeemed people saved and raptured at different periods.
THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE MANCHILD
The Nation of Israel was called out by God not only as the repository of the law and blood line of the Savior, but to produce a repented Nation through which Jesus Christ could rule the world.
Israel has been spiritually barren over her past history, but as the end of the age nears, during the seventieth week, her barrenness is to end. Isa. 54:1-7, Acts 15:16-18, Rom. 11:26, Isa. 66:7-10
This is the time when she shall bring forth a spiritual first fruits to God.
The manchild is this first fruits, and symbolizes the 144,000 sealed unto God.
WHAT ARE THE SCRIPTURAL PROOFS OF THIS?
1. The proponderance of scripture proves that the woman represents Israel. Israel could not bring forth a company of Gentiles. She cannot bring forth an individual person, only an individual can do that.
Since the woman symbolically represents a company, she must bring forth a company. The 144,000 are plainly this company described and sealed in Rev. 7.
2. There are four companies of redeemed heavenly saints from Adam through the first resurrection.
When on company is complete, the gathering of the next begins.
1. The O.T. Saints Matt. 11:1-12
2. The Church Saints I Cor. 12:27-28 Eph. 1:20-23
3. The 144,000 Jews, a separate company from any other Rev. 7:1-8 14:1-5
4. The great number of tribulation Saints, a company distinct from the above 3–Rev. 7:9-17, 14:13, 15:2-4, 20:4
Thus the 144,000 is a first fruits of those caught up out of the tribulation and a part of the first resurrection.
5. The manchild represents a company of living saints only. So it could not be the Bride of Christ which includes dead and living.
How could the dragon kill the manchild if it were composed of dead, or even resurrected people? Such a thing is an impossibility. This proves that the manchild represents a company of living people only, who will be still in natural bodies with the possibility of being killed.
This eliminated the O.T. Saints, the Church Saints, and the Tribulation Saints.
The only other company of redeemed left and the only one composed wholly of living saints is the 144,000 Jews who will be sealed to go through the first six trumpet judgments and who will be caught up under the seventh trumpet as the manchild.
They are seen in heaven throughout the last three and one-half years, so they must be raptured in the middle of the week–Rev. 14:1-5.
God will supernaturally protect the manchild of 144,000 of Israel from the dragon and Anti-Christ, when the latter breaks his covenant with Israel in the middle of the week, by catching them up to His throne.
AN EXAMINATION OF REV. 7 AND 14 SHOWS THE 144,000 OF ISRAEL TO BE THE MANCHILD.
1. The companies in both chapters are same because:
a. Of the sealing in their foreheads–Rev. 7:1-3, 14:1
b. Of the uniqueness of their number–Rev. 7:4, 14:1
c. Their history is only complete when both chapters are considered. Together they show their destiny, time of rapture, place or position in Heaven, and their occupation around the throne.
d. There is nothing to lead us to believe that the 144,000 of the two chapters are not the same; therefore, we naturally consider them the same.
2. THE DESTINY OF THE 144,000 PROVES THEM TO BE THE MANCHILD
They will appear “before the throne” in heaven and “before the throne.” It is expressly stated that they will be redeemed “FROM the earth” and will go through the last three and one-half years of tribulation, and who will form the nucleus around which the twelve tribes will be gathered in the Millennium. The fact that they will be in heaven between the seventh trumpet and the first vial shows that they will have been raptured.
When, if not as the manchild in the middle of the Week?
The three messenger angels immediately following this vision of the 144,000 in heaven will proclaim their particular messages from the middle of the Week onward.
So it stands to reason that the vision will be fulfilled in the place it is given, which is immediately after the catching up of the manchild under the seventh trumpet, and before the vials and the ministry of the messenger angels.
3. THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE OF THE 144,000 SHOWS THEM TO BE REPRESENTED
BY THE MANCHILD
If the 144,000 are seen on earth up to the middle of the Week, and in heaven immediately after the seventh trumpet which blows in the middle of the Week, then they are sure to be raptured as the manchild in the middle of the Week.
We have seen that the Old Testament and the Church saints will be caught up to heaven before the Seventieth Week and that they will be with God in heaven, represented by the elders.
We have also seen that the tribulation saints will be martyred principally after the rapture of the manchild, but not caught up until about the end of the Week.
The only other place for the insertion of the rapture of the 144,000 is in Rev. 12:5. Therefore, the manchild must be the 144,000 is in Rev. 12:5. Therefore, the manchild must be the 144,000 who will be caught up under the seventh trumpet, for, immediately after this trumpet they will be seen in heaven before God,–Rev. 14:1-5
If the 144,000 will not be raptured as the manchild, then how and when are they to be raptured?
If the 144,000 are not the manchild, the history of the manchild is incomplete, and if the catching up of the manchild is not the rapture of the 144,000, then mystery shrouds the rapture of the 144,000 and
also the destiny and position of the manchild around the throne.
Once we believe the 144,000 and the manchild are the same, that John saw the 144,000 caught up to heaven as the manchild in Rev. 12:5, and that the history of the manchild is completed in Rev. 14:1-5, all
mysteries and questions cease to be.
THE 144,000 THE FIRST FRUITS UNTO GOD AND THE LAMB, REV. 14:4
The 144,000 will be the first fruits to God from Israel while the real harvest of Israel will be at the end of the tribulation when the nation is born at one time, Isa. 66:7,8; Rom. 11:26,27.
Since the first fruits of the harvest in the Old Testament belonged to God and were used at His discretion, so these first fruits of all Israel are dedicated especially to God and His service.
The harvest after the gathering of the first fruits, was left to sustain natural life for God will likewise leave the harvest of Israel as an earthly people, to serve as a factor in the sustenance of natural life on earth forever.–Isa. 9:6,7; Luke 1:32-35, Rev. 21,22.
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