By David ReaySunday 24 Dec 2017LifeWords DevotionalsFaithReading Time: 0 minutes
Transcript:
Read Revelation 12:1-6
1 Then I witnessed in heaven an event of great significance. I saw a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant, and she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.
3 Then I witnessed in heaven another significant event. I saw a large red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, with seven crowns on his heads. 4 His tail swept away one-third of the stars in the sky, and he threw them to the earth. He stood in front of the woman as she was about to give birth, ready to devour her baby as soon as it was born.
5 She gave birth to a son who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away from the dragon and was caught up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where God had prepared a place to care for her for 1,260 days. (NLT)
This is one of the many ‘weird’ passages in an altogether strange book of the Bible. There are some who claim to read secret messages and codes in the numbers and images. There are some who reckon to be part of the select few who have figured it all out.
Not me. Much of this book is written in apocalyptic style which features complex imagery familiar to its original readers but not so clear to us. But the general message is clear enough. All the conflicts on earth are reflections of a greater cosmic conflict. There is a battle between good and evil and good is going to win. Some of us are content to simply know that without getting bogged down in detail.
This particular passage reminds us that the birth of Jesus can be seen in terms of the gospel narratives: mangers, shepherds, wise men. Or it can be seen as part of a bigger picture. God establishing his rule over his world in the teeth of savage attacks from his enemies. Joseph and Mary, Herod and Pilate, disciples and Pharisees, are all earthly expressions of the larger story.
The issues we face, the battles we fight, are very real. But they are not the only reality. Our reality is not the only reality; our world is not the only world.
Blessings
David Reay