Sermon Tone Analysis

An Untold Christmas Story:  War In The Heavens!

A Woman In Labor

(/Parallel worlds/)

Revelation 12:1-2

 

 

       A favorite theme of Star Trek and others space programs is the idea that there are parallel worlds, or even parallel universes.

*/This idea is not just the active imagination of screen writers, but is actually taken from reality, a reality that we seldom hear about or look at./*

The reality that I am talking about is Christmas.

Now, you should be really puzzled, so hang with me for a little while.

We all know the Christmas story.

It is depicted in a manger scene that involves the Christ-Child, Mary and Joseph, barnyard animals, and heavenly portents.

But, above this early scene—in another unseen world—is a parallel scene and story that we seldom hear about.

This Christmas we want to tell the */untold/* Christmas Story.

It is the story of a parallel world, i.e. the spiritual world.

There is the material world that we know, live in, and are familiar with, and there is the parallel spiritual world that we seldom consider—because of our American mindsets.

The Christmas story is *not* just the story of the Christ-Child, Mary, Joseph, barnyard animals, and heavenly portents; it is also the story of angels doing something in a parallel world.

It is a story of war in the heavens!  */A war that was being fought right above the manger in Bethlehem./*

The story of this warfare is related to us in the book of Revelation and it is a revelation.

Please turn with me to Revelation 12:1-12.

Remember that this revelation that God gave to John is full of spiritual imagery.

Some of these things will not be clearly understood, until God pulls back the veil of time and reveals the reality of eternity.

Nevertheless, we shall consider the text and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal enough of the imagery to discern the war that was going on.

/(With that short disclaimer, let me read the text aloud for us.)/

*/For the next four messages, we are going to wrestle with this parallel universe and the warfare that was going on in this untold Christmas story./*

To get started we need to identify the major characters of this story and the roles that they play in this warfare.

Today we will only have time to deal with the first character, i.e. this woman.

/(Let’s read the first two verses again and see what we can discern?)/

The text begins by informing us that what is about to be described was a sign in heaven.

It was evidently given to signify or represent something else—perhaps another reality.

To begin to discern the meaning of this imagery and make any application to where we are today, we must grapple with the identity of this woman.

She is described as being clothed with the sun, having the moon beneath her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

Well, there are various opinions regarding the identity of this heavenly woman:

 

1)    This woman is sometimes considered an astrological figure, perhaps a particular constellation.[1]

This is certainly possible, but God was certainly intending to transmit more than this.

2)    The woman is sometimes identified with the Heavenly Jerusalem of Revelation 19:7–8; 21:9–10.[2]

The Heavenly Jerusalem is likened to a bride that has made herself ready for her husband, i.e.

Jehovah God.

 

3)    From a Jewish perspective the woman can represent the persecuted people of God from whom the Messiah comes.[3]

Certainly we can see how this woman represents Israel.

Do you remember what Joseph, son of Jacob, saw in one of his dreams?

Genesis 37:9, “Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, ‘Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’”

Does *not* this woman represent Israel?

 

4)    There is also another ancient view that the woman in Revelation 12 represents the Church.[4]

In the New Testament, the church is often depicted as a woman.

We are the bride of Jesus Christ!

 

\\ /(But, let’s spend our time talking about the final possible interpretation.)/

5)    Throughout the history of Christian biblical interpretation, particularly in the patristic and medieval periods, the woman in Revelation 12 has often, though *not* exclusively, been interpreted as Mary, the mother of Jesus.[5]

It is possible that the sun, moon, and stars simply designate the virgin Mary as one who has a Jewish origin and geneaology?

I think it is possible.

During the times of Mary, one’s biological pedigree was of primary importance.

In addition, the virgin Mary would certainly be a sign in keeping with the prophecy given in

 

Isaiah 7:14 (NASB-U), “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign:  Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.”

/(Now, there is something significant about this woman.)/

This woman is with child!

This woman is pregnant!

She has a fertilized egg or seed within her.

Now, what does pregnancy speak of or represent?

Well, pregnancy speaks of the promise and potential that is in the fertilized egg or seed!!!  */There is great promise and potential in Christmas!!!/*

       Consider the fact that seed, whether it is plant seed or human seed, contains the potential for procreation and propagation.

Procreation is the power of reproducing.

There is encased in the womb of this woman and the seed in her womb the power of procreation or reproduction.

This seed is the beginning or source of new life!!!  I am not ready to reveal the fact that this is Jesus yet, because we have not read the whole story in it’s context, but let’s just consider the possibility that there is the source of new life in the womb of Christmas.

The womb of Christmas contains the fetus of Jesus Christ, the source of a totally new life.

John said of Him in

 

John 1:4 (NASB-U), “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

 

\\ */Thank God for the crucifixion, but many of us are stuck at the cross./*

Jesus didn’t */just/* come to die for the sins of the world, He came to be resurrected for the salvation of the world—so that He might give all who trust in Him new, eternal, everlasting life.

Jesus Himself said in

 

John 10:10 (NASB-U), “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

*/In addition to being a source of procreation and life, the seed in the womb of Christmas carries the potential of propagation, i.e. the power of increasing, spreading, or enlarging./*

In Christ is a family and a kingdom that shall increase, spread, and enlarge.

There is a whole race in her womb.

Paul states in

 

Romans 8:29 (NASB-U), “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be *the firstborn among many brethren*” (/emphasis mine/).

Jesus is the firstborn and “Elder Brother” of the spiritual “sons” and “daughters” of the New Testament family of God!!!

       While the increase of the “brothers and sisters” of Jesus Christ has a limit, from the sense of the definite number of people who will be redeemed, there are aspects of the kingdom that will know *no* such limit.

Isaiah wrote in

 

Isaiah 9:7 (NASB-U), “*There will be no end to the increase of His government* *or of peace*, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this” (/emphasis mine/).

*/Seed is also the beginning or source from which life will develop later./*

*/What was born in the first Christmas was the beginning of something that would develop later./*

A lot has happened and developed out of the first Christmas, which we are enjoying today.

I am not talking about the */commercial/* Christmas, but the */Charismatic/* Christmas!!!  I am not talking about stockings, reindeer, and elves, but righteousness, peace, and joy that is available, in the Holy Ghost, because of what was inaugurated on the first Christmas Day.

\\ It is Luke’s Gospel that reveals the Charismatic Christ.

It is also Luke’s Gospel that gives us detailed accounts surrounding the first Christmas.

Consequently, from Luke’s perspective Christmas is a part of the Charismatic motif.

Stronstad, in his excellent and scholarly book, The Charismatic Theology Of Saint Luke, states that Luke’s perspective of the concept of Charismatic is “God’s gift of His Spirit to His servants, either individually or collectively, to anoint, empower, or inspire them for divine service.

As it is recorded in the Scripture, therefore, this charismatic activity is necessarily an experiential phenomenon.”[6]

Right now you are thinking, “Isn’t Stronstad talking about the baptism in the Holy Ghost?”

The answer is, “Yes!”

But I ask you consider this fact, “Perhaps God also designed Christmas to be an experiential gift the anoints, empowers, or inspires us for divine service?”

If we can experience the anointing, power, and inspiration of Christmas, it will drive us towards the service of spreading the Good News of the Gospel.

God tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere.

God tell it on the mountain

That Jesus Christ is born!

Christmas today should be more than it was 2,000 years ago, and it should continue to expand in its development, in all dimensions.

John said in

 

1 John 3:2 (NASB-U), “Beloved, now we are children of God, and *it has not appeared as yet what we will be*.

We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (/emphasis mine/).

There is an eternal Christmas coming; one that we cannot fully fathom at this time.