What CHILD+ is This ?
2021 ADVENT MEDITATION #5
And she brought forth a MAN CHILD+,
who was to rule all nations with a Rod of Iron:
and her CHILD+ was caught up unto GOD,
and to HIS throne.
Revelation 12:5
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Revelation 12
12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven; a Woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown -- a STEPHANOS -- of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
3 And there appeared another wonder in Heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of Heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the Woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her CHILD+ as soon as it was born.
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Are these STARS which were cast onto the earth bright balls of burning gasses . . . or angels ? UN-holy angels, that is, those who sided with the satan in the cosmic rebellion.
Undoubtedly, if these stars were balls of burning gasses, with a third of Heaven’s suns in that number landing upon the earth, the earth would have been obliterated !
Thus, let us look closely again at STARS as used in Scripture.
We have already seen the verse in Job which tells us plainly:
Job 38:7
[ Where wast thou . . .]
When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of GOD shouted for joy?
~
STARS in Scripture sometimes do refer to what modern science terms as “suns”, orbs of bright burning gasses in outer space.
However, STARS in Scripture may indeed be ANGELS.
The Greek word, ASTER-, is the same, whether it refers to angels or the celestial orbs of burning gasses which twinkle at us in the night skies. . . called "stars".
[ The Greek word for sun is helios ].
~
In Revelation 1:20, The LORD JESUS tells us plainly:
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My+ right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
The Resurrected LORD JESUS CHRIST --- the highest authority we have --- explained that the “7 stars” in His+ right hand are indeed 7 angels.
In Revelation 9:1 and 2a , we read:
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 9:2 And he opened the bottomless pit; . . .
Obviously, this “star” was an angel of some great authority. A burning ball of hot gas could not take a key and open the bottomless pit !
Now here is the most mysterious use of STAR in Scripture, coming from The LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself+, spoken from Heaven.
Revelation 2:28 in context, starting with verse 26 :
And he that overcometh, and keepeth My+ Works unto the end, to him will I+ give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I+ received of My+ FATHER.
2:28 And I+ will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the SPIRIT saith unto the churches.
Oddly enough, there are NO VARIATIONS amongst the Greek manuscripts --- neither Byzantine nor Alexandrian --- for Revelation 2:28, according to Nestle-Aland’s 26th edition, Greek New Testament.
This is quite notable because there are variations among the manuscripts for so many words in Revelation that translators struggle to determine which word is correct.
[For a more technical explanation of this marked phenomenon of the Byzantine manuscripts in Revelation, see Dr. Maurice A. Robinson’s Preface, pg viii, in The New Testament in the Original Greek, Byzantine Textform, 2005, by Maurice Robinson and William G. Pierpont, Chilton Book Publishing, Southborough, Massachusetts. ]
So, with NO VARIATIONS in any of the Greek manuscripts, verse 28 stands as stated:
“And I+ will give him
[ he who overcomes]
the morning star.”
The astounding fact is that The LORD JESUS spoke again in Revelation about the Morning Star. In Revelation 22:16, HE+ told us:
I+ JESUS have sent Mine+ angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I+ am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright and Morning STAR+.
How does Our LORD JESUS
give the overcomer
HIMSELF + ?
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LET US PRAY
O LORD JESUS, as THOU+ art preparing to re-enter this global warfare in Thy+ SECOND ADVENT, we pray THOU+ wouldst prepare a Body of Believers who will overcome and keep Thy+ works until the end.
It is in the endurance where the struggle lies, O Holy ONE+. We can gird our loins and lay down our life quickly, in a moment of time, knowing we shall be with THEE+ within seconds.
But, Oh, the struggle to endure through hard and bitter trials is great!
Help us to dis-entangle ourselves from the cares of this world and to cast ourselves upon THEE+.
Let us work for THEE+ FULL TIME, under Thy+ unction, under Thy+ leading, knowing full well that in doing Thy+ Will wholly, THOU+ wilt sustain us.
Rid us of our worldly values and temporal “necessities” that are far, far beyond our daily bread, sufficient clothing, and a place to lay our head.
During this remembrance of Thy+ first Advent , prepare us for Thy+ Second Advent . . . and for the battles with the kingdom of darkness leading up to it.
Prepare , O LORD, a Body for Thyself+, a Body of Believers who are willing to LIVE for THEE+ and THEE+ alone.
Here am I, O CHRIST JESUS ; use me.
This I pray in Thy+ Life-Giving Name, O JESUS CHRIST, KING+ of kings, and LORD+ of lords. Amen.
PICTURE FROM NASA
"Our" STAR , our SUN'S SOLAR FLARE / PHOTO BY NASA / EARTH is shown in relative size to our sun.
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