Revelation Chapter 12
Verse 14 “But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and a half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”
“When the apostasy got under way some of the church realized it, as, but a Babylon condition and to such the "two wings" were given to help them back to their proper wilderness condition separate from the world and from Babylon--"Without the camp" (city).” (R 307)
NOTE: in regards to this verse it should be righty understood that the woman is not seen here fleeing into the wilderness for a second time. “Verse 6 and Verse 14 no more pertain to two flights of the same woman than do Verses 9 and 13 refer to the same dragon being cast out twice. For that matter, the same is true of Verse 6 and 14 in regard to the two places, the two feedings, and the two time periods.” Verse 6 and 14 are speaking of the same event but from different perspectives Verse 14 merely offering a little further elaboration.
What do these “two wings of a great eagle” represent?
“Verse 6 alluded to Elijah’s experience by the waters of the brook Cherith, where the Prophet was fed by the mysterious “they” class that is, by the ravens ordained of God to feed him there… Verse 14, however, with the introduction of the “great eagle” into the scene, calls to mind another typical representation of the same wilderness experience of the Gospel Church: the rendezvous of the Israelites of old at the holy mount of God (Exod 3:12). There the Lord said, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exod 19:4). Verse 14, therefore, is another illustration of God’s watch-care over His people, similar to His deliverance of natural Israel from the tyrannical ruler-ship of Egypt and His leading them through the Wilderness of Sinai. In their sojourning the bread of heaven and water from the rock were their means of nourishment and sustenance. While these experiences typically portray God’s concern and providential care for the spiritual necessities of life for His people of the present age, yet by no means were their basic material needs overlooked.”
“The “place prepared of God” and “into her place” are none other than that pictured by the cloud and the Tabernacle which accompanied the Israelites in their wilderness journeying. They are also none other than that referred to by the Psalmist, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me” (Psa 27:5) and “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psa 91:1).
“To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness (literally the place deserted) into her place." The two wings are probably the “two witnesses” (Rev 11:3) the Word of God the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which now showed the true Church from which Papacy had sprung, her true condition—ON earth instead of, as at first, above the earth, with the moon under her feet.
These two witnesses assist her, not only to mount upward again, but to return to `the place deserted,’ i.e., to a condition of harmony with God, not with the world. She was nourished in this wilderness 1260 years.” (R55:5)
“The Lord speaks directly to his church as thou or you; but of the world, as they or them. He came to his own, and in a sense delivered them out of Babylon; bearing them up on eagles’ wings (Rev 12:14), and carrying them into the wilderness; `into her place, where she is nourished.’ . . . from the face of the serpent, Satan. To them—Babylon, he comes with the sword, and by that same sword they are cut into two—The Roman and Greek churches.” (R 359:6, W. I. Mann)
“Notice she is hidden from “the face of the serpent.” Face is a symbol of favor. She was OUT OF FAVOR with the civil authorities.”
“A wilderness condition is one of separation from the blessings of civilization; it is a cut-off condition, a separation from the world. In the case of the church, we read that the Lord provided her with two wings, that she might go into the wilderness 1260 symbolic days or years. Apparently she went into the wilderness condition of her own accord, and became voluntarily an outcast from the privileges and advantages of the world’s society; she underwent a general ostracism or separation…The Lord’s people can be in this wilderness condition even while surrounded by all the affairs of the world. We are separate from the world; we are in the world but not of it—isolated…In figurative language the city represents honor, distinction and prominence in the world, while the wilderness signifies the reverse condition—that of being ignored, ostracized, etc. During the 1260 symbolic days (“a time, times and half a time”) the church was in the condition of ostracism. The governments paid no attention to her; but on the other hand, they gave a great deal of attention to the great system, which exalted itself and became ‘that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth’—Mystic Babylon.” (R5628:3)
The term “time” corresponds to 360 years, the plural usage of this term, i.e., “times” corresponds to 2 x 360 equaling 720 years, and naturally “a half of a time” consisting of 180 years, thus we are furnished with the length of time of Papacy dominion, 1260 years. (Compare Rev 12:14 with Dan 7:25; 12:7)
We shall continue with our look at Revelation Chapter 12 beginning with Verse 15 in our next post.
Verse 14 “But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and a half a time, from the presence of the serpent.”
“When the apostasy got under way some of the church realized it, as, but a Babylon condition and to such the "two wings" were given to help them back to their proper wilderness condition separate from the world and from Babylon--"Without the camp" (city).” (R 307)
NOTE: in regards to this verse it should be righty understood that the woman is not seen here fleeing into the wilderness for a second time. “Verse 6 and Verse 14 no more pertain to two flights of the same woman than do Verses 9 and 13 refer to the same dragon being cast out twice. For that matter, the same is true of Verse 6 and 14 in regard to the two places, the two feedings, and the two time periods.” Verse 6 and 14 are speaking of the same event but from different perspectives Verse 14 merely offering a little further elaboration.
What do these “two wings of a great eagle” represent?
“Verse 6 alluded to Elijah’s experience by the waters of the brook Cherith, where the Prophet was fed by the mysterious “they” class that is, by the ravens ordained of God to feed him there… Verse 14, however, with the introduction of the “great eagle” into the scene, calls to mind another typical representation of the same wilderness experience of the Gospel Church: the rendezvous of the Israelites of old at the holy mount of God (Exod 3:12). There the Lord said, “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself” (Exod 19:4). Verse 14, therefore, is another illustration of God’s watch-care over His people, similar to His deliverance of natural Israel from the tyrannical ruler-ship of Egypt and His leading them through the Wilderness of Sinai. In their sojourning the bread of heaven and water from the rock were their means of nourishment and sustenance. While these experiences typically portray God’s concern and providential care for the spiritual necessities of life for His people of the present age, yet by no means were their basic material needs overlooked.”
“The “place prepared of God” and “into her place” are none other than that pictured by the cloud and the Tabernacle which accompanied the Israelites in their wilderness journeying. They are also none other than that referred to by the Psalmist, “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me” (Psa 27:5) and “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (Psa 91:1).
“To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness (literally the place deserted) into her place." The two wings are probably the “two witnesses” (Rev 11:3) the Word of God the Old and New Testament Scriptures, which now showed the true Church from which Papacy had sprung, her true condition—ON earth instead of, as at first, above the earth, with the moon under her feet.
These two witnesses assist her, not only to mount upward again, but to return to `the place deserted,’ i.e., to a condition of harmony with God, not with the world. She was nourished in this wilderness 1260 years.” (R55:5)
“The Lord speaks directly to his church as thou or you; but of the world, as they or them. He came to his own, and in a sense delivered them out of Babylon; bearing them up on eagles’ wings (Rev 12:14), and carrying them into the wilderness; `into her place, where she is nourished.’ . . . from the face of the serpent, Satan. To them—Babylon, he comes with the sword, and by that same sword they are cut into two—The Roman and Greek churches.” (R 359:6, W. I. Mann)
“Notice she is hidden from “the face of the serpent.” Face is a symbol of favor. She was OUT OF FAVOR with the civil authorities.”
“A wilderness condition is one of separation from the blessings of civilization; it is a cut-off condition, a separation from the world. In the case of the church, we read that the Lord provided her with two wings, that she might go into the wilderness 1260 symbolic days or years. Apparently she went into the wilderness condition of her own accord, and became voluntarily an outcast from the privileges and advantages of the world’s society; she underwent a general ostracism or separation…The Lord’s people can be in this wilderness condition even while surrounded by all the affairs of the world. We are separate from the world; we are in the world but not of it—isolated…In figurative language the city represents honor, distinction and prominence in the world, while the wilderness signifies the reverse condition—that of being ignored, ostracized, etc. During the 1260 symbolic days (“a time, times and half a time”) the church was in the condition of ostracism. The governments paid no attention to her; but on the other hand, they gave a great deal of attention to the great system, which exalted itself and became ‘that great city which reigned over the kings of the earth’—Mystic Babylon.” (R5628:3)
The term “time” corresponds to 360 years, the plural usage of this term, i.e., “times” corresponds to 2 x 360 equaling 720 years, and naturally “a half of a time” consisting of 180 years, thus we are furnished with the length of time of Papacy dominion, 1260 years. (Compare Rev 12:14 with Dan 7:25; 12:7)
We shall continue with our look at Revelation Chapter 12 beginning with Verse 15 in our next post.
