One hymn we sing at Christmas asks the question,
"What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?"
That is an excellent question, but not many people are asking it. What child is this? The answers vary: Some say he was just a good teacher, but good teachers don't claim to be God. Some say he is only a good example, but good examples don't hang around prostitutes, drunks, and dirty politicians. Some say he was a religious madman, but madmen don't speak the kind of words He spoke, nor do they draw women and children to themselves. Some say he was a religious fake, but fakes don't rise from the dead.
What child is this? The chorus to that hymn answers the question,
"This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the son of Mary."
For those of us who know and love the Lord Jesus Christ, Christmas is a time to focus on His birth. The great reality of the incarnation, that incomprehensible miracle of the eternal God becoming man. But because Satan has cluttered up Christmas with so much needless paraphernalia, most people have no idea what child this is. They are so busy figuring out what they want, how to get it at the cheapest price, buying it, taking care of it, and storing it, especially during this season, that they miss the reality of who this Child is. For the world Christmas is mass confusion, furious rushing around, and a rising suicide rate. Christmas today is a dazzling display of wealth beyond belief. This year Christmas is being dominated not by a big fat man in a long white beard but by a little fuzzy red bear. "Tickle me Elmo" is the hottest toy on the market and some people will do anything to get one. The doll retails for about $30 but because of the shortage of supply and the big demand people are selling the doll for up to $500 in this area and in NY city they are going for as much as $2,000. For a little red doll. Why? It's Christmas and we must fulfill all of our children's lusts no matter what the price. Christmas has become the ultimate holiday for committed hedonists. Drunken parties, self-indulgence, madcap spending, and obscene gluttony all characterize the way much of the world celebrates Christmas, ignoring all that Jesus came to accomplish. Once, wise men came to worship Jesus; but today fools have parties of wickedness. Celebrating Christmas for most people is hypocritical, trying to celebrate the birthday of the One they totally reject.
For those of us who know and love Christ Christmas is a remembrance of the greatest event that ever took place, the incarnation, God becoming man to free man from sin.
For our study this morning I want us to look at Revelation 12. The point of this prophecy is to show the conflict between Satan and the Church. John goes back to the beginning, to the birth of Christ and to Satan's unsuccessful attempts to destroy Him, ending with Christ's victorious ascent into heaven. Here we see Christ reigning from His heavenly throne, and His people are destined for complete victory on the basis of His work and their faithfulness to His service.
Revelation 12:1-6 (NKJV) Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.
John alerts us that we must give careful attention to the subject of this vision, for the symbol of the Woman here is a great sign, an important symbol, central to the interpretation. Though this sign is seen in heaven (keep that in mind), it apparently portrays a reality on the earth. The central symbol is a Woman, a familiar Biblical image for the church, the people of God. Since the child is clearly Christ (from the description of His ruling in v. 5 compared with Psalm 2:9; Rev. 2:27; 19:15), the woman must be the one who bore Christ- Israel. She is seen to be "with child" that is the same Greek expression used of the Virgin Mary in Matthew 1:18, 23. The woman here stands for Israel, the old covenant church.
Some of the prophetic passages about the Woman-Church are not particularly complimentary, for Israel had often descended into adultery with heathen gods. But the symbol in Rev. 12 is a glorious vision of the Church in her purity, as the wife of God.
The image of the Woman/Mother has its origins all the way back to the Garden of Eden and the first proclamation of the Gospel, the protevangelium, in which God revealed that through the Woman would come the Redeemer to crush the Serpent's head:
Genesis 3:15 (NKJV) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."
The definitive fulfillment of this prophecy took place in the Virgin Birth. The Biblical background for John's vision of the woman is seen in Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin Mother.
Isaiah 7:10-11 (NKJV) Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, 11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."
The king refuses to ask for the Sign, and Isaiah replies,
Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
The words of verse 2 "crying in her pain and was in torment," also come from Isaiah:
Isaiah 26:17 (NKJV) As a woman with child Is in pain and cries out in her pangs, When she draws near the time of her delivery, So have we been in Your sight, O LORD.
John is here announcing the birth of the male child, the warrior king, foretold by Isaiah.
The woman is a composite portrait of the covenant community, laboring to bring forth the Messiah: She is Eve, the Mother of all living, whose Seed will crush the Dragon's head. She is also the Virgin Mary, through whom the promises to the fathers met their fulfillment. She is the old covenant church laboring to bring forth the Christ. He was the basic promise of Abrahamic covenant. This great cosmic figure embodies all these women laboring to bring forth the Messiah.
Notice that John says, "a great sign appeared in heaven." It is important to recognize the relationship of all this to the astronomical symbolism in the text. The word John uses for sign was the term used in the ancient world to describe the constellations of the Zodiac; The zodiac is the portion of the celestial sphere that lies within 8 degrees on either side of the ecliptic. The ecliptic {I-klip'-tik} is the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, or the intersection of this plane with the celestial sphere. The Sun appears to make a complete circuit around the ecliptic every year. The constellations around the ecliptic make up the zodiac. John's model for this vision of the Church is the constellation of Virgo which does have a "crown" of twelve stars (Virgo, the second largest constellation and one of the earliest to be distinguished, lies on the zodiac east of Leo). All of the twelve stars are visible ones that could have been seen by observers. It seems likely that the twelve stars also represent the twelve signs of the Zodiac, from ancient times regarded as symbols of the twelve tribes of Israel; in Joseph's famous dream his father, mother, and the twelve tribes were symbolized by the sun, the moon, and twelve stars of constellations (Gen. 37:9).
The statement that Virgo is crowned with the twelve constellations, therefore, means that she is the one among the twelve who reigns at the time, during the seventh month.
In his book "The Birth of Christ Recalculated," Ernest Martin says, "In the period of Christ's birth, the Sun entered the head-position of the Woman about August 13, and exited from her feet about October 2. But John saw the scene when the sun "clothes" or "adorns" the Woman. This surely indicates that the position of the Sun in the vision was located somewhere mid-bodied of the Woman - between the neck and knees. "The only time in the year that the Sun could be in position to "clothe" this celestial Woman (to be mid-bodied) is when it is located about 150 and 170 degrees along the ecliptic. This clothing of the Woman by the Sun occurs for a 20 day period each year. This 20 degree spread could indicate the general time when Christ was born. In 3 B.C., the Sun would have entered this celestial region about August 27 and exited from it about September 15. If John in the book of Revelation is associating the birth of Christ with the period when the Sun is mid-bodied to the Woman, then Christ would have had to be born within that 20 day period. From the point of view of the Magi (who were astronomers), this would have been the only logical sign under which the Jewish Messiah might be born- especially if he were to be born of a virgin. Even today, astrologers recognize that the sign of Virgo is the one which has reference to a messianic world ruler to be born of a virgin.
The key to narrowing the date down is the Moon. The apostle said it was located "under her feet." Since the feet of Virgo the Virgin represent the last 7 degrees of the constellation (in the time of Christ this would have been between about 180 and 187 degrees along the ecliptic), the Moon has to be positioned somewhere under that 7-degree arc. But the Moon also has to be in that exact location when the Sun is mid-bodied to Virgo. In the year 3 B.C., these two factors came to precise agreement for less than two hours, as observed from Palestine, on September 11. This is the only day in the whole year that this could have taken place. Now I'm not an astronomer but if Martin is right then it seems quite clear that Christ was born on September 11, in the year 3 B.C.
What about December 25, the traditional date of the Nativity? Martin states, "Jupiter, recognized by Jews and Gentiles alike as the "Planet of the Messiah," was located in Virgo's womb and standing still, directly over Bethlehem, on December 25, 2 B.C., when the Child was a little over a year old. Matthew states that the holy family was settled in a house, not a stable, by the time the Magi visited:
Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Moreover, Herod ordered the slaughter of the infants "from two years old and under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the Magi," indicating that the child was no longer a newborn.
Matthew 2:16 (NKJV) Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
If this all sounds a little strange to you let me just say that there is nothing occult about any of this. The Bible clearly condemns astrology. But what I am talking about is astronomy, not astrology. Astronomy is the science of the stars and other heavenly bodies and their motion. Astrology is the study of heavenly bodies and their influence on life on Earth. Astrology has been popularized by books on the subject and by newspapers and magazines that carry horoscope columns. Modern astrologers use the relative positions of these heavenly bodies at the time of a person's birth to attempt to read the person's character and future. But it does not mean that the constellations themselves are evil, any more than pagan sun-worship prohibits us from seeing the sun as a symbol of Christ. On the contrary, the constellations were created by God and manifest His glory:
Psalms 19:1-6 (NKJV) The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race. 6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Verse 2 tells us that the revelation that pours forth from the sky powerfully reveals God's revelation by nonverbal communication.
Man uses the stars for many purposes. The connection between the calendar and the motions of the celestial bodies is especially important because it meant that astronomy was essential to determining the times for the most basic functions of early societies. These included the planting and harvesting of crops and the celebration of religious feasts. Did you know that even today the date of Easter is determined by the Zodiac. It always falls on the first Sunday following the full Moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox.
The stars are not randomly grouped, nothing in God's universe is random, in the ultimate sense. They have been specifically placed there by God.
Job 9:7-9 (NKJV) He commands the sun, and it does not rise; He seals off the stars; 8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea; 9 He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, (ple-e-dez) And the chambers of the south;
Verse 9 lists three constellations. In Job 38:31 God asks Job "Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, Or loose the belt of Orion?" Amos also mentions these constellations in 5:.8 he says, " He made the Pleiades and Orion."
These constellations were placed there to be signs according to the creation account.
Genesis 1:14 (NKJV) Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;
The most famous example of astronomical symbolism in the Bible is that the birth of Christ was announced to the Magi by the stars:
Matthew 2:1 (NKJV) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
These "wise men" were Magi, Oriental astrologers who studied the stars and sought to understand the times. They were Gentiles who had been especially called of God to come and pay homage to the newborn King. We do not know how many Magi there were, where they came from, or what their names were. Familiar Christmas traditions do not always have scriptural support. But we do know that they saw "His star" in the east. They followed the stars to find the Messiah.
So John tells us that this sign in heaven has an earthly significance.
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads.
As John explains in v.9, the Dragon is none other than "the Serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan."
4a His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.
John has already associated stars with angels, a familiar Biblical connection (see 1:20)
Job 38:7 (NKJV) When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Here he symbolically describes the fall of Satan and the evil angels, an event related in more direct language in 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6. The Dragon's stars are the fallen angels, who joined him in rebellion.
Verse 4b goes back to the time of the birth of Christ and Satan's efforts to destroy Him.
4b And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
The Dragon's goal is to abort the work of Christ, to devour and kill Him. This conflict between Christ and Satan was announced in Genesis 3:15, the war between the two seeds, the Seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent. From the first book of the Bible to the last, this is the basic and greatest warfare of history. The Dragon is at war with the Woman and her Seed, primarily Jesus Christ. This historically takes us to the birth of Christ, when the Dragon possesses King Herod, the Edomite ruler of Judea, and inspires him to slaughter the children of Bethlehem Matt. 2:13-18.
5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
John quotes from Psalm 2, one of his favorite texts, to explain this symbolism. The Son is, obviously, Jesus Christ, the Seed of the Woman, the Child of the Virgin, born of Israel to rule the nations. In this verse John telescopes the entire history of Christ's earthly ministry. It is as if Christ's incarnation had led directly to His Ascension to the Throne of glory. John's point is to stress that the Lord's Anointed completely escapes the power of the Dragon. The ascension is the proof of Satan's failure. What child is this? It is Christ the King! He is no longer a helpless little baby in a manger, he is the reigning King of the universe. The writer of Hebrews gives us further insight of this victory over Satan.
Hebrews 2:14 (NKJV) Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
This verse answers the question of why Jesus became a man. Jesus became a man that he might die. The pre-incarnate Christ could not die for us, because God can not die. He became a man that he might die. The ultimate purpose was that by death as a man, a sinless man, he may redeem man and thus break Satan's hold over man.
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
The power of death which Satan possessed and of which Christ has now stripped him was the ability to instill the fear of death in the hearts of men. Christ removes the fear of dying for all who trust in him. People fear death because they know that judgement follows death. For the believers, Christ has born their judgement. He died for us. Death is penal and Christ bore our penalty, we died in Him.
We should note that John's order in Revelation follows that of Psalm 2. Telling of His exaltation to the heavenly Throne, the Christ says:
Psalms 2:7-9 (NKJV) "I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"
What Child is this? He is the exalted ruler of the universe before whom every knee shall bow.
6 Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
What is the relation of this verse to the rest of the story? Since Satan failed to kill Christ he turns his attention to the woman, the Church, to pour out his vengeance on her. The woman's flight into the wilderness is a picture of the flight of the Judean Christians from the destruction of Jerusalem, so that the Dragon's wrath is expended upon apostate rather than faithful Israel. John also means us to think of the flight of the Virgin Mary into Egypt from the murderous wrath of King Herod, Matt. 2:13-21.
And so the battle continues. Satan still persecutes the church. His desire is to turn the children of Jesus Christ away form following their Lord. He seeks to harm our testimony, to water down our massage, to cause us to bring shame to the name of Christ. The Scriptures teach that if we share in His suffering we shall share in His glory. This Christmas let us boldly proclaim that the baby born so long ago in the manger is the ruling King of the universe, a king to whom every man will give an account someday. Let us keep in mind that we are ambassadors of the King and we are to call the world to be reconciled to their God.
2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NKJV) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
This Christmas let's not get so caught up in the world's celebration of Christmas that we forget our calling. We are to proclaim to the world that the baby who was born in the manger 2,000 years ago lived a sinless life and died a substitutionary death to pay their sin debt. We are to call the world to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. What child is this? This is Christ the King to whom every knee must bow. This Child is the victorious risen Lord who sends us forth in His name.
Matthew 28:18-19 (NKJV) And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
What Child is this? He is the Lord who possesses all power. Let's use the opportunities we have this Christmas to share with the world exactly who this Child is. His birth doesn't mean much to people if He's not able to still make a difference in peoples lives. Does your life display the reality of Jesus Christ to the world? Do we put God on display? Do we show the world by our lives that Jesus Christ was not only born 2,000 years ago, but that he is alive today and ruling in our lives?
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