I have a theory that both Churches, RCC and Protestant types, were foretold in the Bible. Here's why:
(This is NRSV)
Revelations 12 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3 Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.
1) The existing Christian Church at this early period is described as, "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." She is draped in "light", that would be Jesus since they are Christians. They have "darkness" under their feet, to show that they are no longer wandering, they are now in the light, and that their state of being "lost" is conquered. Finally, the crown is the twelve apostles; as we know, the early Church was founded by the Apostles, who laid it's foundation with their writings and deeds.
2) "She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth." The early Church was heavily persecuted by the Roman Empire, that is the "crying out" and "birth pangs" but she was about to give birth.
3) "3 Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads." This is St. John's description of the Roman Empire, a hideous dragon with many rulers (seven heads with diadems) and armies (ten horns).
4) "His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth." There was 12 apostles, so a third of the apostles would be four. The number of apostles killed in the Roman empire was four. According to early historians, Hyppolytus and Eusebius, two were martyred by Nero: St. Paul and St. Peter. According to Hyppolytus, St. Andrew was martyred in Greece and St. Philip was martyred in Eastern Turkey.
5) "Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne;" Just as the Roman Empire was about to snuff the early Church out of existence, God saved them with the miracle that brought Emperor Constantine success in many battles. Constantine then issued the edict of Milan, and began supporting Christianity in many powerful ways that included tax exemptions and elevating Christians to positions of high office. Where it says the male child "who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron." is the Catholic Church, for no other Church existed in Europe for nearly 1,200 years, when in 1517, Martin Luther posted in 95 Theses and proceeded to break from the Church and start the Protestant movement.
6) "and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days." I believe the woman depicted here, is the early Church, where God decided to hide her until it seemed right for him to bring her out again. Fast forward some nearly, 1,204 years later, and you have Martin Luther, who posted the 95 Theses and subsequently, broke from the Church. If every day counted as one year, then it is rightly so that this prophecy is fulfilled by the creation of the Church of England by Henry VIII and John Calvin's, Reformed Church in 1546. This transpires about 1,260 years later, as it was prophesied that it would.
So, one could say that Revelations 12 is God's revelation to John that both Christian Churches were destined to be established.
I'm not saying this is exactly what was meant by St. John when he wrote these words but interestingly, it fits. Then again, many world events could fit Revelations 12 so there's no definitive answer. This is just meant for entertainment purposes, just something to think about and wonder about God's power.
(This is NRSV)
Revelations 12 A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3 Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.
1) The existing Christian Church at this early period is described as, "a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." She is draped in "light", that would be Jesus since they are Christians. They have "darkness" under their feet, to show that they are no longer wandering, they are now in the light, and that their state of being "lost" is conquered. Finally, the crown is the twelve apostles; as we know, the early Church was founded by the Apostles, who laid it's foundation with their writings and deeds.
2) "She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth." The early Church was heavily persecuted by the Roman Empire, that is the "crying out" and "birth pangs" but she was about to give birth.
3) "3 Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads." This is St. John's description of the Roman Empire, a hideous dragon with many rulers (seven heads with diadems) and armies (ten horns).
4) "His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth." There was 12 apostles, so a third of the apostles would be four. The number of apostles killed in the Roman empire was four. According to early historians, Hyppolytus and Eusebius, two were martyred by Nero: St. Paul and St. Peter. According to Hyppolytus, St. Andrew was martyred in Greece and St. Philip was martyred in Eastern Turkey.
5) "Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne;" Just as the Roman Empire was about to snuff the early Church out of existence, God saved them with the miracle that brought Emperor Constantine success in many battles. Constantine then issued the edict of Milan, and began supporting Christianity in many powerful ways that included tax exemptions and elevating Christians to positions of high office. Where it says the male child "who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron." is the Catholic Church, for no other Church existed in Europe for nearly 1,200 years, when in 1517, Martin Luther posted in 95 Theses and proceeded to break from the Church and start the Protestant movement.
6) "and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days." I believe the woman depicted here, is the early Church, where God decided to hide her until it seemed right for him to bring her out again. Fast forward some nearly, 1,204 years later, and you have Martin Luther, who posted the 95 Theses and subsequently, broke from the Church. If every day counted as one year, then it is rightly so that this prophecy is fulfilled by the creation of the Church of England by Henry VIII and John Calvin's, Reformed Church in 1546. This transpires about 1,260 years later, as it was prophesied that it would.
So, one could say that Revelations 12 is God's revelation to John that both Christian Churches were destined to be established.
I'm not saying this is exactly what was meant by St. John when he wrote these words but interestingly, it fits. Then again, many world events could fit Revelations 12 so there's no definitive answer. This is just meant for entertainment purposes, just something to think about and wonder about God's power.
