Fri.’s Devo - The Travailing Woman

Read Rev. 12:1-4 In Revelation 12 we see the entrance of the woman. This woman is redeemed Israel. The Bride is a Gentile bride and represents the Gentile believers of the early church. This woman is pregnant with the Word. She is bearing Jesus, the son. The moon is the church, which is her foundation. The crown of twelve stars shows that her headship is the teachings of the twelve apostles - the witnesses of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. This woman is about to give birth and is in labor. The dragon stands for Satan who is waiting to devour her child, as soon as it delivers. This red dragon used Imperial Rome to try to destroy Jesus when he was born. Caesar Augustus ruled Rome and called himself “son of the divine Julius”. The insignia on the pennants of the Roman armies was a red dragon. The seven heads of the dragon were the seven Emperors who deified themselves. The ten horns represented Papal Rome and were the ten kings of the Holy Roman Empire who are crowned. His tail represents the “tale” Rome used to deceive Israel causing a third of man to reflect the Messiah. The deceived stars were blotted from the Book of Life according to Is. 9:15 and Ps. 69:26-28. Satan tried to kill Jesus and Moses, a type of Jesus, at birth, by having all the male boys killed. His plan failed and both were born. The woman in verse 5 fled to the wilderness just as Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt until God told Joseph it was safe to return. Moses fled to the wilderness when his life was threatened. America is like political Rome. Even though America is not the strongest nation now, she is still looked up to and admired by all nations. Most nations want to dress like Americans and they all think that Americans are rich. They watch American television programs and think we all live like that. Our denominational churches are like the Papal Rome. We all have our doctrines that we follow, even if they defy the Word and we persecute one another because of our different beliefs. Lord, may we rise up out of our blindness and see the truth of your love and your Word.