Revelation Chapter 12
Verse 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 this “wilderness” to which the woman flees?
“The Wilderness, symbolizes a disrespected --outcast condition, while "City" represents the reverse viz. popularity, honor, respect, dominion, kingdom.
The Lord Jesus left his church in the Wilderness condition, saying; "In the world ye shall have tribulation"--"Marvel not if the world hate you," etc., but promised that in due time he would come again, take her out of the ignoble condition, and exalt her to honor, respect, dominion in the kingdom with himself, i.e. he would take the church out of the Wilderness into the City condition. This city condition is beautifully represented by a symbol of a glorious new city “the holy city, New Jerusalem” (Rev 21:2, 10)
It was not wrong for the church to long for the coming bliss of the New Jerusalem condition, but becoming impatient she (the nominal church) left the Wilderness and wandered off toward the World's city and had joined with them, thus leaving "her place (the wilderness condition)." She succeeded in getting a footing and in partly remodeling the city, but she merely succeeded in making it "Babylon" (the “great city” of confusion, a mixture of clay and iron, church and state) of course she could never make it a "New Jerusalem" government.” (R 307)
The wilderness condition of the church all during this “reign” of the papacy is similar to Paul's admonition: “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” “filling up that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Heb 13:13; Col 1:14) as was pictured in the Tabernacle by the fires which were burning “outside the camp” (Lev 16:27) representing the disesteem and contempt in which the faithful were (are) viewed by those outside the camp (the world) AND by those not in covenant relationship with God (nominal professors). These (especially the latter class) see the sacrifices and self-denials of the faithful only as the consuming of “the filth and off-scourings of the earth” (heretics, false teachers) a people far from God, his “enemies through wicked works” Why do they consider them thusly? Because they refuse to accept this new turn of events the conglomeration of church and state (Babylon) as God’s kingdom being established on earth.
"A place prepared by God” what is the significance of this?
“This verse, parenthetical in nature, reflects the proper perspective, that of having divine approval. God clearly foresaw the circumstances that would arise and the plight of the woman, which would necessitate a flight for safety to a condition as far removed as possible from the jurisdiction, the frequency of observation, and the closeness of inspection of the dragon. Therefore, a place of spiritual seclusion and solace was “prepared of God” for the woman.”
“Gather the wheat into my barn" (the spiritual condition, the condition of security, and separateness from the worldly, separateness from the mere professing or nominal Christian, not necessarily in body, but in mind and in spirit.) Matt 13:30
“Gather my saints (separating them as wheat from tares) together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa 50:5; Rom 12:1)
“Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.” (Isa 52:11)
“The true Church (the true seed mentioned in Verse 17) had to flee into a condition of mind-separateness, away from this symbolic “city” (government) which persecuted her.”
Continued with next post.
Verse 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 this “wilderness” to which the woman flees?
“The Wilderness, symbolizes a disrespected --outcast condition, while "City" represents the reverse viz. popularity, honor, respect, dominion, kingdom.
The Lord Jesus left his church in the Wilderness condition, saying; "In the world ye shall have tribulation"--"Marvel not if the world hate you," etc., but promised that in due time he would come again, take her out of the ignoble condition, and exalt her to honor, respect, dominion in the kingdom with himself, i.e. he would take the church out of the Wilderness into the City condition. This city condition is beautifully represented by a symbol of a glorious new city “the holy city, New Jerusalem” (Rev 21:2, 10)
It was not wrong for the church to long for the coming bliss of the New Jerusalem condition, but becoming impatient she (the nominal church) left the Wilderness and wandered off toward the World's city and had joined with them, thus leaving "her place (the wilderness condition)." She succeeded in getting a footing and in partly remodeling the city, but she merely succeeded in making it "Babylon" (the “great city” of confusion, a mixture of clay and iron, church and state) of course she could never make it a "New Jerusalem" government.” (R 307)
The wilderness condition of the church all during this “reign” of the papacy is similar to Paul's admonition: “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” “filling up that which is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Heb 13:13; Col 1:14) as was pictured in the Tabernacle by the fires which were burning “outside the camp” (Lev 16:27) representing the disesteem and contempt in which the faithful were (are) viewed by those outside the camp (the world) AND by those not in covenant relationship with God (nominal professors). These (especially the latter class) see the sacrifices and self-denials of the faithful only as the consuming of “the filth and off-scourings of the earth” (heretics, false teachers) a people far from God, his “enemies through wicked works” Why do they consider them thusly? Because they refuse to accept this new turn of events the conglomeration of church and state (Babylon) as God’s kingdom being established on earth.
"A place prepared by God” what is the significance of this?
“This verse, parenthetical in nature, reflects the proper perspective, that of having divine approval. God clearly foresaw the circumstances that would arise and the plight of the woman, which would necessitate a flight for safety to a condition as far removed as possible from the jurisdiction, the frequency of observation, and the closeness of inspection of the dragon. Therefore, a place of spiritual seclusion and solace was “prepared of God” for the woman.”
“Gather the wheat into my barn" (the spiritual condition, the condition of security, and separateness from the worldly, separateness from the mere professing or nominal Christian, not necessarily in body, but in mind and in spirit.) Matt 13:30
“Gather my saints (separating them as wheat from tares) together to me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” (Psa 50:5; Rom 12:1)
“Depart! Depart! Go out from there, touch no unclean thing; Go out from the midst of her, be clean, you who bear the vessels of the LORD.” (Isa 52:11)
“The true Church (the true seed mentioned in Verse 17) had to flee into a condition of mind-separateness, away from this symbolic “city” (government) which persecuted her.”
Continued with next post.
