Lesson#10

TheWomanandtheDragon

(12:1-18)

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Withtheopeningofthesevensealsandthesoundingofthefirstsixtrumpets,Johnwasstunnedbyhisvisionofthecatastrophicdisastersthatstruckhumanityandtheearthitself;itsickenedhim.Butthevisionscon@nued.Twowitnessesappearedin(whatwasleCof)Jerusalem,prophesyingfor1,260days,hatedbyallwhoheardthem.Agreatbeastarosefromtheabyss,wagedwaragainstthemandkilledthem,leavingtheirtorncorpseslyinginthestreetforthreeandahalfdays,whilethewholeworldrejoiced.

Andthen,tothehorrorofall,thecorpsesbegantodrawbreath,theystoodontheirfeetandtheyascendedintoheaven.Withthat,agreatearthquakestruckJerusalemandatenthofthecitycollapsed,killingthousands.

Andthentheseventhtrumpetsounded.

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Lesson#10introducesaflashbacktoa@mebeforeGenesis1:1,givinguscontextforthestorythatwearereading.Chapter12openswithagreatsignappearinginthesky:“Awomanclothedwiththesun,withthemoon

underherfeet,andonherheadacrownoftwelvestars.Shewaswith

childandwailedaloudinpainasshelaboredtogivebirth”(12:1).Andthenahugereddragonappearsinthesky,seekingtodevourthechild!

Warbreaksoutinheaven,thedragonleadinghisminionsandthearchangelMichaelleadingGod’sarmyofangels.Michaelandhisarmythunderouslydefeatthedragonandhiscrew,cas@ngthemdowntoearthwherethedragonvowsrevenge.Hehuntsthewomanwhohadfledwithherchild,todevourhimandthosewhofollowhim.

ForJohnMiltonthisisepicmaterial,gristforthegreatestepicpoemintheEnglishlanguage,ParadiseLost.

AsweendedLesson#9anangelblewtheseventhtrumpet,accompaniedbyagreatchorusofpraisefromthetwenty-fourelderswhohadonceagainhitthedeck.

Wehaveonemorewoetogo.

Butinsteadofforgingahead,Johnmakesanabruptturn,observingtwosignsinthesky,whichleadsJohnthroughaseriesofvisions,visionsthatgiveusthe“backstory”ofRevela@on,ofhowallthiscameabouttobeginwith.

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“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon and stars under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. It’s tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth.”

(12: 1-4a)

WilliamBlake.TheGreatRedDragonandtheWomanClothedwiththeSun(watercolor,inkandgraphite),c.1805.Na@onalGalleryofArt,Washington,D.C..

.

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Notme.

TheWomanandtheDragon

IthinkIknow!

Whoisthis“womanclothedwiththe

sun?”

7

MostRomanCatholicsimmediatelyiden@fythewoman“clothedwiththesun”asJesus’mother,Mary,crownedwithtwelvestars,withthemoonunderherfeet.

IntheRomanCatholicworldtheiconographyisunmistakable.

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“OurLadyofGuadalupe”(imageontheMlmaofJuanDiego),1531.BasilicaofOurLadyofGuadalupe,MexicoCity.

.

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Here’sthestoryofOurLadyofGuadalupe:

OnDecember9,1531,theVirginMaryissaidtohaveappearedtoJuanDiego,aMexicanpeasantofAztecdescent,whorequestedthatachurchbebuiltonthehillofTepeyacoutsideofMexicoCity.

JuanDiegoobedientlypassedonherrequesttotheskep@calarchbishopofMexicocity,whodemandedproofthatMaryspoketohim.

Later,embarrassedandwan@ngtoavoidMary,JuanDiegoskirtedaroundTepeyac,butMaryinterceptedhim,saying,“AmInothere,Iwhoamyourmother?”MarytheninstructedhimtogatherflowersfromTepeyacandpresentthemtothearchbishoponherbehalf.JuanDiegodid,andwhenheopenedhisMlma(orcloak)inthepresenceofthearchbishop,Cas@llianrosesdroppedout,andMary’simagewasimprintedontheMlma.

TheimageisondisplayinwhatisnowtheBasilicaofOurLadyofGuadalupeinMexicoCity.ItisthemostvisitedCatholicpilgrimagesiteintheworld,andtheworld’sthirdmostvisitedsacredsite.

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Yet,inScripturethesymbolismofthe“womanclothedwiththesun”runsmuchdeeper.

OnthefirstlevelthewomanclothedwiththesuninRevela@onpersonifiesIsrael,God’scovenantpeople,oCenportrayedinScriptureasthe“daughterofZion”(Psalm9:14;Isaiah10:32;Jeremiah4:31...);asamother(Psalm87;Isaiah66:8-11...);andasthebrideoftheLord(Isaiah49:18,54:5;Jeremiah2:2...).

ItisthroughIsraelthattheMessiahwillcome,throughIsraelthatGod’splanofredemp@onwillextendtoallhumanity;hence,Israelisclothedwiththesun,themoonisunderherfeet,andshewearsacrownoftwelvestars,symbolizingheruniversality.

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TheimagerycomesdirectlyfromthestoryofJoseph’sdreaminGenesis37:

“’Ihadadream,’hesaid,‘thisMmethesunandthe

moonandelevenstarswerebowingdowntome.’

Whenhetoldittohisfatherandhisbrothers,his

fatherreprovedhimandasked,‘Whatisthe

meaningofthisdreamofyours?CanitbethatIand

yourmotherandyourbrothersaretocomeandbow

tothegroundbeforeyou?’”

(37:9-10)

Inthedream,thesunisJacob;themoonisRachel,Joseph’smother;andthestarsareJoseph’sbrothers,thefoundersofthetribesofIsrael.

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Onasecondlevelthewomanclothedwiththesunis,indeed,Mary,Jesus’mother,whogivesbirthtohim,raiseshim,standsatthefootofthecrossashesuffersanddies,burieshim,andwho,aCerhisresurrec@onandascension,ishismostardentdisciple,joiningtheApostlesintheupperroom(Acts1:13-14).

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OnthethirdlevelMarynotonlygivesbirthtotheMessiah,literallybringinghimintotheworld,butthroughherson,Jesus,sheismotheroftheChurch,aswell,forasJesuswasbornthroughher,soarewebornanewthroughhim,andcollec@vely,wearetheChurch.

OnthecrossJesussaidhismother:“Woman,

behold,yourson.”AndthenhesaidtoJohn,hiscousinandbeloveddisciple:“Behold,yourmother”(19:26-27).

ItwasSt.AmbroseofMilan(mentortoSt.Augus@ne)whofirstcalledMary“MotheroftheChurch,”andsincethefourthcentury,Chris@anshaveunderstoodherinthisway,asweseeinthestoryofOurLadyofGuadalupe.

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Notme.

TheWomanandtheDragon

Gotit!Butwho’sthe

dragon?

Isee.So,the“womanclothedwiththesun”isIsraelfrom

whomwillcometheMessiah;Mary,theliteralmotherofthe

Messiah;andtheChurch,themotherofusall.

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WilliamBlake.TheDragonandtheWomanClothedwiththeSun(watercolor,inkandgraphiteonpaper),c.1805.BrooklynMuseumofArt,Brooklyn.

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Wereadthatthedragon’s“tailsweptawayathirdofthestarsintheskyandhurledthem

downtoearth”(12:4).Fiveverseslater,weiden@fythedragonwithcertainty:

“Thehugedragon,theancientserpent,whoiscalled

theDevilandSatan,whodeceivedthewholeworld,

wasthrowndowntoearth,anditsangelswere

throwndownwithit.”

(12:9)

JesusreferstothiseventinLuke10:18whenhesays,“IhaveobservedSatanfalllikelightningfromthesky,”ascenethatoccurspriortoGenesis1,the“backstory”ofRevela@on.

Ezekielalsoalludestoit:

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“You were the model of perfection, full of wisdom, perfect in beauty . . .. With the cherub I placed you; I put you on the holy mountain of God, where you walked among the fiery stones. Blameless were you in your ways from the day you were created, until evil was found in you . . .. Therefore I banished you from the mountain of God . . . I cast you to the ground . . . I brought fire out of you; it devoured you . . .. You have become a horror . . ..”

(27: 12b-19)

We’llreadaboutthegreatwarinheavenmomentarily,awarinwhichLucifer,themostgloriousoftheangels,rebelledagainstGod,wan@ngtotakeGod’splaceonthethroneofheaven.Onethirdoftheangelsjoinedhim,andheandhiscrewwerethunderouslydefeated,hurledtotheground,leCwrithinginpainonalakeoffire.

Satanthenvowsrevenge,andwenextmeethiminScriptureintheGardenofEden,wherewe’retoldthattheserpent“wasthemost

cunningofallthewildanimalsthattheLord

Godhadmade”(Genesis3:1).SatanvowstodestroyGod’snewcrea@on,todevourhumanity.AndhestartswithEve.

ThisistheepicsubjectofJohnMilton’sParadiseLost.

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ThisisREALLYgoodstuff!

TitlepagetoParadiseLost,1sted.,1667.HoughtonLibrary,HarvardUniversity.

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“Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days.” (12: 4b-6)

“TheWomanandtheDragon,”Beatusd’Osma(illumina@ononparchment,MS.7fol.117v),c.1086.ArchivesoftheBurgodeOsmaCathedral,Soria,Spain.

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Lookattheparallelsonourthreelevels:• EgyptwasabouttodevourIsrael,whenIsraelescapedtothewildernessduringtheExodus,whereGodsustainedherwithmannaandwaterfromtherock;

• HerodwasabouttodevourJesus,whenMary

escapedtoEgyptwithJesusandJoseph,whereGodsustainedthemthroughgold,frankincenseandmyrrh,giCsofthethreekings;and

• TheworldwasabouttodevourtheChurch,whentheChurchescapedonitsearthlypilgrimage,whereGodsustaineditbyhisWord,theEucharistandthefellowshipofbelievers.

The1,260days,ofcourse,arethesame3½yearswehaveseenbeforeinbothDanielandRevela@on,anincompleteperiod,halfofsevenyears,thenumberofcomple@on.

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“Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it.”

(12: 7-9)

Afewnotesbeforewegetstarted:

• WemeetthearchangelMichaelinDaniel12:1,wherewearetold:

“AtthatMmethereshallariseMichael,thegreat

prince,guardianofyourpeople;itshallbeaMme

unsurpassedindistresssincethenaMonbeganunMl

thatMme.”

IntheRevela@onflashbackitisthisMichaelwholeadsthewarinheaven,defea@ngSatanandhiscrew.

• The“hugedragon”iscalledo€fiß ajrcaiÆoß,“ancientserpent”;diavboloß,the“Devil”;orSatanaÆß,“Satan.”

• Sataniscalledaplavnoß,“deceiver”here,asarefalseteachersin2John7.ToJohn,they’reallcutfromthesamecloth.

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Now,wetakeacloserlookatthewarinheaventhroughtheimagina@onandprodigiouspoe@cskillsofJohnMiltoninParadiseLost(1667;1674)—thegreatestepicpoemeverwriqenintheEnglishlanguage!

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EugèneDelacroix.MiltonDictates“ParadiseLost”toHisDaughters.(oiloncanvas),c.1826.

G.H.HamiltonCollec@on,Williamstown,MA.

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That’sinDr.C’shumbleopinion.

AtthestartofParadiseLost,JohnMiltoninvokesCalliope,themuseofepicpoetry,toinspirehimashetellshistale:“OfMan’sfirstdisobedience,andthefruit

Ofthatforbiddentreewhosemortaltaste

Broughtdeathintotheworld,andallourwoe,

WithlossofEden,MllonegreaterMan

Restoreus,andregaintheblissfulseat,

Sing,HeavenlyMuse...

Instructme,forthouknow’st;thoufromthefirst

Wastpresent,and,withmightywingsoutspread,

Dove-likesat’stbroodingonthevastAbyss,

Andmad’stitpregnant:whatinmeisdark

Illumine,whatislowraiseandsupport;

That,totheheightofthisgreatargument

ImayassertEternalProvidence,

AndjusMfythewaysofGodtomen.”

(Book1,1-26)

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SimonVoulet.TheMusesUraniaandCalliope(oilonpanel),c.1634.Na@onalGalleryofArt,Washington,D.C.

.

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“Sayfirst—forHeavenhidesnothingfromthyview,

NorthedeeptractofHell—sayfirstwhatcause

Movedourgrandparents,inthathappyState,

FavouredofHeavensohighly,tofalloff

FromtheirCreator,andtransgresshiswill

Foronerestraint,lordsoftheWorldbesides.

Whofirstseducedthemtothatfowlrevolt?

Th’infernalSerpent;heitwas,whoseguile,

SMrredupwithenvyandrevenge,deceived

Themotherofmankind,whatMmehispride

HadcasthimoutfromHeaven,withallhishost

OfrebelAngels,bywhoseaid,aspiring

Tosethimselfingloryabovehispeers,

HetrustedtohaveequaledtheMostHigh,

Ifheopposed,andwithambiMousaim

AgainstthethroneandmonarchyofGod,

RaisedimpiouswarinHeavenandbacleproud,

Withvainacempt.”

(Book1,27-44)

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GuidoReni.ArchangelMichaelandSatan

(oiloncanvas),c.1636.

SantaMariadellaConcezione,Rome.

“HimtheAlmightyPower

Hurledheadlongflamingfromth’etherealsky,

WithhideousruinandcombusMon,down

TobocomlessperdiMon,theretodwell

InadamanMnechainsandpenalfire,

Whodurstdefyth’Omnipotenttoarms.

NineMmesthespacethatmeasuresdayandnight

Tomortalmen,he,withhishorridcrew,

Layvanquished,rollinginthefierygulf,

Confounded,thoughimmortal.Buthisdoom

Reservedhimtomorewrath;fornowthethought

BothoflosthappinessandlasMngpain

Tormentshim:roundhethrowshisbalefuleyes,

ThatwitnessedhugeafflicMonanddismay,

Mixedwithobdurateprideandsteadfasthate.

(Book1,44-58)

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HieronymusBosch.“FalloftheRebelAngels”[right-handpanelofTheHaywainTriptych]

(oilonpanel),c.1510-1516.PradoMuseum,Madrid.

PeterBruegheltheElder.TheFallthetheRebelAngels(oilonoak),1562.RoyalMuseumsofFineArtsofBelgium,Brussels.

.

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Withhugeeffort,Satanandhiscrewraisetheirhugebodiesupfromthefierygulf,taketotheairinsearchofland,wheretheybuildPandemonium,theirwarcounselchambers.

HowbesttotakerevengeonGod?Somecounselanotherall-outwar;someaccepttheirfate,reasoningthatitis“becerreigninHellthanservein

Heaven”(Book1,263).

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WilliamBlake.SatanArousingtheRebelAngels.(pen,inkwatercoloronpaper),1808.VictoriaandAlbertMuseum,London.

ButBeelzebub,Satan’slieutenant,hasabeqeridea.

“Thereisaplace

(ifancientandpropheMcfameinHeaven

Errnot)—anotherWorld,thehappyseat

Ofsomenewrace,calledMan,aboutthisMme

Tobecreatedliketous,thoughless

Inpowerandexcellence,butfavouredmore

Ofhimwhorulesabove...

Thitherletusbendallourthoughts,tolearn

Whatcreaturesthereinhabit,ofwhatmould

Orsubstance,howendued,andwhattheirpower

Andwheretheirweakness:howacemptedbest,

Byforceorsubtlety.ThoughHeavenbeshut,

AndHeaven’shighArbitratorsitsecure

Inhisownstrength,thisplacemaylieexposed...

[Perhaps]someadvantageousactmaybeachieved

Bysuddenonset—eitherwithHell-fire

TowastehiswholecreaMon,orpossess

Allasourown,anddrive,asweweredriven,

Thepunyhabitants;or,ifnotdrive,

Seducethemtoourparty...”

(Book2,345-368)

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WilliamBlake.SatanWatchingCaressesofAdamandEve.(pen,inkandwatercoloronpaper),1808.

MuseumofFineArts,Boston.

Andthat’swhattheydo.WenextmeetSataninScriptureintheGardenofEdenwherehebeginshisseduc@onofEve.Genesis3warnsus:

“Nowtheserpentwasthemostcunningofall

thewildanimalsthattheLordGodhadmade.

Heaskedthewoman,‘DidGodreallysay,

‘Youshallnoteatfromanyofthetreesinthe

garden?’

“Thewomanansweredtheserpent,‘Wemay

eatofthetreesofthegarden;itisonlyabout

thefruitofthetreeinthemiddleofthe

gardenthatGodsaid,‘Youshallnoteatitor

eventouchit,orelseyouwilldie.’”

(3:1-3)

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LucasCranachtheElder.AdamandEve(oilonbeechwood),1533.Gemäldegalerie,Berlin.

Andso,ourscripturalepicbegins!

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“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

‘Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed.

For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night.

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death.

Therefore, rejoice, you heavens, and you who dwell in them.

But woe to you, earth and sea, for the Devil has come down to you in great fury, for he knows he has but a short time.’”

(12: 10-12)

Here,thevoiceofanangelspeaksasifthekingdomofGodwerealreadyestablishedonearth,but12:12bsaysotherwise:

“Butwoetoyou,earthandsea,

fortheDevilhascomedowntoyouingreatfury,

forheknowshehasbutashortMme.”

OnceSatanchallengesGod,itisaforegoneconclusionthatGodwillprevail,conqueringSatan,sinanddeaththroughtheshedbloodofhisSononthecross.

Althoughafiercebaqleremainstobefought,hereRevela@onassuresusthatitisalreadywon.

No@cethat“theaccuserofourbrothersiscastout[bavllw,“tothrow”]istheverysameverbusedofSatanandhiscrewwhentheyare“thronedown”or“castout”[bavllw,“tothrow”]outofheavenin12:9.

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Notme.

TheWomanandtheDragon

Threestrikesandyou’reout!

So,Satanisa2-@meloser,andhe’llbea3-@meloserbeforeit’s

allover!

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“When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half year. The serpent, however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current. But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. It took its position on the sand of the sea.” (12: 13-18)

• Thedragonnowpursuesthewomanwhohadgivenbirthtothemalechild.Again,ourtextoperatesonthreelevels,thewomanas:

1.   Israel(PharaohpursuestheIsraelitesaCertheExodus);

2.   Mary(HerodpursuestheinfantJesusaCerhisbirthinBethlehem);and

3. TheChurch(JewandGen@lealikepersecutetheearlyChurch).

• Givingthewoman“twowingsofthegreateagle”recallsGod’spromiseinIsaiahthatthosewhohopeintheLordwill“soaraswitheagle’swings”(40:31).

• Andthewomansavedfromthe“spewingwater”recallsIsraelbeingsavedfromthewatersoftheRedSea;MaryfromtheliesofHerod;andtheChurchfromthewordsofthe“deceivers”and“an@christs”whopersecuteit.

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Fiercelyangrywiththewoman,thedragonstormsofftowagewaragainstthewoman’soffspring:us.

Butit’sadesperateact,onedoomedtofailure,althoughitwillbringagreatdealofsufferingasaresult.

NomaqerwhatSatanthrowsattheChurch,Godwillcometoherrescueandsaveher.WhenJesussaidoftheChurch,“Thegatesofthenetherworldshallnotprevailagainstit”(Maqhew16:18),hemeantit.

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1.   Whois“thewomanclothedwiththesun”?

2.   Whatdothesun,moonandtwelvestarsrepresent?3.   Whoisthedragon,andwhatarethestarsthathe

sweptawayandhurledtotheearth?

4.   WhydoestheangelwhospeaksinRevela@on12usethepresenttenseinreferencetoafutureevent?

5.   Confrontedwiththedragon’sviolenceagainstthewomanandherchild,howdoesGodprotectthem?

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