References in the New Testament:

2 Corinthians 11:2: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Here is the image of the church being a woman, being the bride of Christ. Of course, there any number of references that we could look at in this regard. For example, Ephesians 5, the latter part, where Paul is talking about the husband/wife relationship, and he uses the relationship of Christ to the church in illustrating that [Ephesians 5:22-33: Ephesians 5:22-33: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious [“radiant” – NIV] church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”].

Again, we have these clear, very clear, unambiguous references that are made, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, concerning this image, this figure, of a woman representing the people of God. It is too confining to limit the image of the woman to the nation of Israel, or to limit it only to the church. And so we, rather, think about this image, this sign, this vision that John had of a woman, as representing the redeemed of God of every age, the faithful of God of every age.

We may have some difficulty with this concept, this idea of it giving birth, or being the one who gave life to Christ, but if we think about it in the sense that we know that God chose the nation of Israel—His special people—for the express purpose of “bring forth” His Son. Now, they, as a people, didn’t give birth in a literal way, but once again, we’re not talking here about a literal birth. We’re talking about a sign; we’re talking about a figure.

And if we think about it in the sense of God’s faithful people even today, we can see that brings into His realm, if you will, the faith of both the Old and the New Testaments. In fact, this is related a bit to some of what we discussed last week about what purpose, what function, the nation of Israel had. Again, we might think about what Paul has to say. Look over in Galatians, chapter 4 and verses 21-26 in this regard: “Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar — 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”

Well, does that relate here? I believe that it does. Again, we’re speaking here about a sign, a symbol, of this image that John has; and I think that it will become clearer to us as we go along. So, it is from fleshly Israel that the Messiah shall come and did come and the Old Testament looks forward to that. Those who make up the seed of the woman are the ones who keep God’s commandments and have the Testimony of Christ Jesus. The Child that she shall bring forth is her firstborn Son followed by MANY sons, many who become heirs—heirs of Christ. [See below for “heirs” and “sons.”]

[Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

Galatians 3:26-29: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Ephesians 3:1-6: “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles — 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel….”

Titus 3:4-7: “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 Whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Hebrews 2:10-11: “For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren….”].