Note that the Church/Israel is figuratively a virgin (2 Corinthians 11:2).
Also, note that the woman in Revelation 12:1-2 can't be Mary, just as the "man child" in Revelation 12:5 can't be Jesus Christ. For Revelation 12 isn't about past things, but is part of the "things which must be hereafter" (Revelation 4:1b). Revelation chapters 11-14 show from 4 different angles what will happen right before the start and during the literal 3.5 years of the future Antichrist's worldwide reign (Revelation 11:2b-3, Revelation 12:6,14, Revelation 13:5-8, Revelation 14:9-13), which will be in the latter half of the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24.
Regarding Revelation 12:5 saying: "who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron": Along with Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:15, Psalms 2:9), the whole obedient Church will rule the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-29) on the earth (Revelation 5:10) during the future Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6). Before the Millennium, during the future Tribulation, at its midpoint, the 144,000 male-virgins part of the Church will be caught up in their mortal bodies to the throne of God in heaven (Revelation 14:1,4-5, Textus Receptus) as the "man child" (Revelation 12:5-6), and as the firstfruits of the Church (Revelation 14:4), in the sense of its best part (cf. Numbers 18:12).
Note that the Church is Israel. For the book of James is addressing "the twelve tribes" (James 1:1), which is the same as addressing people in the Church (James 5:14), people with faith in Jesus Christ (James 2:1, James 1:3) (that is, Christians), people who have been born again (James 1:18, cf. 1 Peter 1:23), who are waiting for Jesus to return (James 5:7).
Also, the book of Hebrews is about the Church (Hebrews 2:12, Hebrews 12:23), the body of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:3, cf. 1 Corinthians 12:25-27).
Also, John 15:5a refers to the body of Jesus Christ, of which all Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles, are a part (1 Corinthians 12:13). The connection between them being part of the vine of the body of Christ, and them also being part of the good olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29), is that the salvation which all Christians have in Christ comes only through the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15), which is made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Also, all Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles, are spiritually Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29). And Abraham's seed is Israel (Isaiah 41:8, Romans 11:1; 2 Chronicles 20:7). So the entire Church is Israel (Revelation 21:9,12; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Not just the Jews in the Church (Romans 11:1b) but also the Gentiles in the Church are spiritually Abraham's seed of promise (Romans 9:7-8,24) as Isaac was (Galatians 4:28) and as Jesus Christ is (Galatians 3:16,29). So both Christian Jews and Christian Gentiles are heirs of all the promises made by God to Israel (Ephesians 3:6, Ephesians 2:12,19, Romans 15:27, Galatians 3:29b, Romans 11:17,24).
There are a number of exegetical errors in your above post, such as: 1. There are two "wonderous signs ," recorded from Rev.12:1 to 3. The woman in verses 1-2 represents the virgin Mary. Beginning with verse 3, the woman represents Israel, 2. The Church does not go through any part of the tribulation. 3. The 144,000 Israelites are not connected to the Church in any way. 4. The Church is not Israel in any way. 5. Eschatology cannot be interpreted by attempting to allegorically spiritualize it, as you have done, without making errors of it in the process.
Applying Scripture Literally.
This is the first key to understanding all scripture. The fundamental issue to settle is the correct rules of interpreting Bible Prophecy. Different prophetic viewpoints mostly come from differing approaches to interpretation. Literal or Plain Interpretation means we must interpret prophecy like all other scripture - in its plain meaning according to the laws of language, as the author intended it and as the original hearers would have understood it. This has far-reaching consequences. Literal interpretation requires us to read any passage in context, so that our understanding of it must fit with what comes before and after it. Moreover since we believe the whole Bible together forms the Word of God, our interpretation must also fit (agree) with the rest of Scripture.
Opposing the LITERAL approach is an ALLEGORICAL (spiritualising) approach to prophecy, which allows people to change (twist) the obvious meaning of a verse, to fit their preconceived ideas. The literal approach is to take all scripture in its plain meaning, unless it does not make sense and is obviously meant to be interpreted symbolically. However, the other approach often rejects the literal meaning of a scripture and tries to replace it by a ‘spiritual’ interpretation, even when its plain meaning makes perfect sense. Literal interpretation does not mean we cannot see spiritual parallels to the literal fulfilment or make spiritual applications of it, but first of all, it upholds the literal fulfilment of the prophecy.
Now prophetic literature (like the Book of Revelation) contains much language that is obviously symbolic and pictorial, to help us understand and visualise unfamiliar spiritual realities by comparing them to familiar things around us. Literal interpretation means we interpret obvious symbolic language accordingly.
Three examples to test if you read prophecy literally:
(1) Isaiah 11:6-9: ‘the wolf will lie down with the lamb’. The transformation of the animal kingdom or harmony of all kinds of people in the Church?
(2) Revelation 7:1-8: Will there literally be 144,000 evangelists from Israel, 12,000 from each tribe, or is this a symbolic of the Church?
(3) Revelation 20:1-7 Will there be a literal 1,000 years as described here,or is it simply symbolic of a long time-period?
We can still bring forth spiritual types, analogies and allegories from a literal understanding as long as we don't deny their primary and plain meaning. In fact, it is essential to grasp their plain meaning before making spiritual application from them. Moreover we can apply to the Church, God’s promises to Israel concerning the New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:7-13), because although the New Covenant belongs first of all to Israel, we have been baptised into Christ (Abraham’s seed), and thus we qualify to participate fully in the spiritual blessings of the New Covenant.
The main reason that there are so many views and interpretations on Bible prophecy causing much confusion, is the failure to take the Bible literally in this area. (While there are, of course, differences among those who take it literally, these are relatively minor). The ultimate root of this failure to believe the prophetic scriptures according to their plain meaning is of course unbelief.
We are further encouraged to interpret Prophecy plainly because:
1. Bible Believers use literal interpretation to interpret all other areas of scripture doctrine. But many spiritualise prophecy. Why should prophecy be the exception? This leads to inconsistencies. For example some prophecies to Israel (the negative ones) are taken literally, while the positive ones are spiritualised and applied to the Church.
2. Without literal interpretation, there is no way to know the real meaning and no control over how to interpret scripture. It leaves the door open for wild uncontrolled interpretation. It means that we are free to supply whatever meaning we want. Literal interpretation is the only way to be in submission to God's Word (spiritualising allows us to make it mean whatever we want). Otherwise we are in danger of tampering with the word of God which can have serious consequences as Revelation 22:18,19 warns us strongly. We are not to add to it meanings that are not there, or take away from what it is saying, but simply to discover what it is saying in plain language and submit to it.
3. Some 20% of Bible prophecy has already been fulfilled. HOW? Literally (e.g Jesus was born in literal Bethlehem - Micah 5:2). Will not the rest be fulfilled likewise?
4. If prophecy is not fulfilled literally how will you know if it has been fulfilled or not? If someone predicts you will get a job in Nottingham next month but you instead you get a job in Oxford, is the prophecy fulfilled? What would you say to someone who says ‘it is fulfilled, for Oxford is spiritual Nottingham’? Or what if a prophecy said you would get a million pounds tomorrow, but nothing arrived and then you were told the prophecy really meant that you would just feel like a million pounds! Would you consider it fulfilled?
5. If prophecy to Israel is not fulfilled literally to Israel, then God is a deceiver. What if God has made promises to you, only to be told later: ‘I did not mean you, Tom, I was giving the promise to someone else - ‘spiritual Tom’! If God is not faithful to His promises to Israel but breaks His Word to them, then we could have no assurance that He will be faithful to His promises to us!
6. The reward of reading prophecy literally means the Bible comes alive. It makes sense and it all fits together as a masterpiece, as I hope to show. Much truth is lost in denying the obvious meaning. In previous times it was harder to believe that prophecy would be fulfilled literally. The idea of Israel coming back to the land and of various events of the Book of Revelation taking place may have seemed impossible. But today, as we see the world change scientifically and politically it seems to be right up to date. Now, Bible- believers have no excuse not to believe that it will all be literally fulfilled.
7. Jesus understood and interpreted prophecy literally (compare Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15). Moreover, as we have already pointed out, His final words of warning (Rev 22:18-20) require us to interpret prophecy in its plain meaning.
8. The national rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948, against all odds,
in fulfilment of Bible Prophecy, is a sure proof that God is fulfillling prophecy literally. When certain courageous believers in the 19th Century pointed out
that Israel must be restored to her land they they laughed at by those who did not take prophecy literally, because it seemed so impossible. How could a nation be reborn after 2000 years? Such a thing had never been heard of.Yet through the fires of the Holocaust Israel came to birth just as the Bible said it would, and it took its place as the major sign that we are now in the end-times.
Quasar92
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