REVELATION - CHAPTER 12 - The Sun Clothed Woman
THE SUN CLOTHED WOMAN
Revelation – Chapter 12
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Pentecostal Sunday, May 31, 2009, the Year of Our Lord
Tuesday Morning Bible Study, September 4, 2012, the Year of Our Lord
Rev.:12:1: 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 of twelve stars.
INTRODUCTION
I had a vision of the Sun Clothed Woman giving birth to the man-child in 1989. This was just prior to the commission to start the first church. I bring it forth again at this time because of the present persecution of Christians. We are in battle with the spirit of anti-christ on the throne of the carnal hearts of the apostate church as well as the people of the world systems.
This is not an apology to anyone. I know there are many commentators or scholars who do not agree with this interpretation. I have lived long enough to know, that all of us see through a glass darkly and none of us have the full light. I bless you and am not trying to change your mind-sets and hope you will be blessed with the revelation given to me. Let us be mature enough to disagree in love.
In this teaching, I entered into the labors of the F.F. Bruce Commentary which was a confirmation at that time of the revelation. I will also be quoting from The Seven Thunders of God by Van Tanner; and The Purpose of the Bride, by: Lyn Gitchel. I am not trying to establish doctrine, but interpret a revelation and vision from the Lord. (2 Cor. 12:1) “It is not expedient to me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” Please do not presume that my conclusions are the conclusions of those Great Men and Women of God of whom I entered into their labors. I cannot speak for them. I am simply gleaning from their revelations.
The first time I preached this vision was in 1992.
(Interesting that today a saint sent me a Word that I was on a learning curve of apperception. (Smile) Apperception: “the process whereby perceived qualities of an object are related to past experience.”
To those dear saints who have walked in the blessedness of the Gift of Revelation Knowledge. I thank God for you. All of you had the courage to risk, the endurance to lose and have learned to accept rejection. May you be given the torch and anointing to bring forth God’s will for your generation and set-up a standard toward Zion. Kelly Varner wrote, “Revelation Knowledge is the best and worst thing that will ever happen to you.” I count it all Joy.
Carolyn Sissom
THE SUN CLOTHED WOMAN
“False prophets will feed the flock with so much milk that they will not endure sound doctrine.” (Van Tanner)
VISION: I was in the Spirit under the anointing of the prophetic ecstasy. I was raptured by the Spirit in to a vision. I saw a silver trumpet blow from the clouds. One of the functions of the trumpet is to prepare us for a vision, for a move of God, for a revelation or message.
I did not see the Sun Clothed Woman, but I saw a man child just born being lifted up by angels into Heaven. Then I saw in the clouds a man in a black iron suit holding an iron scepter.
Then I saw a woman with wings carried into the earth, a flood of water gushed in on her. She would have been destroyed except she was placed in a protective clear capsule. It seemed to be a protective seal placed around her. The woman was born up on wings.
She was then removed to the desert.
The scene changed and I saw many angels releasing miles of blue ribbon from Heaven.
End of Vision given to Carolyn Sissom in 1989
As we interpret the metaphor of the woman, this is not an individual human being, but the celestial counterpart of an earthly community, the glorious church. The fact that she wears a crown of twelve stars on her head marks her out to be not only spiritual Israel (the Church) but true Israel from which Jesus was born. The twelve stars also represent the apostolic authority given to the apostles by Jesus.
Van Tanner: “This is the Church from a spiritual perspective (in all her Glory); this is the way Christ created her, the sun, moon, and stars show the path of Glory obtained with her.” – (Pg.xviii) The sun represents the greatest glory in whatever context it is used. If it is the better resurrection, then it is the eagles; and if it is about the Corporate Body; then it is the Bride church. If it is about carnality or worldliness, then it is about the dragon. The sun as a heavenly body; can be His glorious body of people (the Bride) or the “natural light” of this world.”
1 Cor. 15: 40-42: There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption.
Gen. 37:9…behold I have dreamed a dream more; and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed to me.” The sun here could represent Israel.
The moon “is the second in the resurrection Glory of Christ, or the glory of the night. Moon, when used with Christ represents the second stage of growth in which His Elect have overcome the lust of the night. When used in conjunction with the glory of the world. It represents the base lusts that guide our lives (immorality, sensuality, etc.)” Van Tanner.
Jacob with his eleven brothers would be the 12 tribes of Israel.
John sees no discontinuity in the life of the true Israel and the redeemed community or people of God, before and after the birth and exaltation of Messiah. The faithful remnant of the Old Covenant was the nucleus of the New Covenant.
Revelation 12:2: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth and pained to be delivered.
Like the New Testament church, The Elect have come out of the traditional doctrines of man. We hunger and thirst for more of Jesus. Our travail is to reveal the Glory of the full image of Christ in His church and to the world.
In Lyn Gitchel’s book, “The Purpose of the Bride”, she writes on page 17, “After considering the Bride of Christ, the question naturally arises; are all born-again believers in the bride? It would be nice to be able to answer yes, but the more honest you are, the more you realize that this may not be so. It is quite obvious that there are those who are committed and prepared to go to the full length with the Lord, but there are also those who are born-again believers, who are not prepared to go much further than just owning Him as Savior.”
But that is not strange; God has always worked with a “called out” group of people which He calls the remnant. There were 120 disciples present on the Day of Pentecost, but only 12-disciples were physically close to Jesus. Only three accompanied Jesus to the mount of transfiguration.
The Bible is a story of a man, a maiden and a man-child – (page 19) - “In Bible times, the whole purpose of becoming a wife was to produce a son. Today the emphasis is on love and a love relationship, making children become a side product of the marriage. …A few years ago, when the “Bride of christ” teaching rose to its full height in the Spirit-baptized church, it was emphasized heavily that this life of intense love for the Lord was our destiny and final goal as His bride. We moved into worship and praise of Him with a new fervor and this intensified within us a deep love relationship. The only thing is we are not meant to stop there."
Love is a creative force and it does not take much knowledge to know that the normal outcome of a deep, deep love relationship in a marriage is to produce an off-spring. This, too, is our destiny as the Bride of Christ. The purpose of the Bride-relationship in our lives is to produce the Son in us---a true reproduction of the One we love. It is our relationship with Him that will produce this; our love-walk daily making Him the most important part of our lives.
“If you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a man-child” (1 Samuel 1:11).
The nation of Israel brought forth the Christ; the spiritual Israel. The Bride of Christ will also bring forth a Son. There is a travail that follows which will bring forth the full image of Christ, the Son, in us.
Micah 5:3: “Therefore will He give them up, until the time that she which travails has brought forth; then the remnant of the brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.”
“The Elect begin to gather out of the traditional lifeless churches.” This was the beginning of the birthing process for the “manifest sons of God.”(V.T.) We had the Beyond the Bride Conference in 2006. This was a celebration of the beginning of the time of the manifestation of the Sons of God.
Rev. 12:3: There appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
This is the metaphor of Leviathan. He began as a snake in Genesis and is now the Great Red Dragon of the book of Revelation because he has been eating the dirt left behind by the Saints all of these years. (Job. 41: 1-34)
Job. 31:34: He beholds all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.
Rev. 12:4: 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.
The dragon’s first purpose is to destroy the man-child. The man-child in any generation represents the anointed ones or the Elect of God.
“Instead of attacking the church, Satan will use some of the church-leaders to try to destroy the Elect. This is not new, Satan tried the same tactic when he used Judas and the Pharisees to kill Jesus. He knows the Man child will crush his head; therefore he wants to devour them…To do this Satan goes all out to recruit Christians by enticing them into carnality (“cast to the earth”). They then become an enemy of God, hindering any spiritual move of revival. “The carnal mind is an enemy of God.” With many carnal Christians in the Church, the battle is on to devour the Man child… or destroy the anointing of the Elect.” (V.T.)
Satan uses the leaders of the last move of God to persecute the leaders of the next Move of God. Because of this, I am careful to embrace saints and ministers from Denominations, Pentecostals, Charismatics, Faith Movement, Power Movement of Healing and Deliverance, etc. This is not to say that they will always embrace me. (Smile)
Matt. 24: 10-12: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Mark 13: 14: “And when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing where it ought not, then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.”
A couple of weeks ago, I preached from the scriptures that apply to abomination. Our present government is now committing every single one of those abominations. The warning is to Israel that the anti-christ will attack their nation when the abominations are standing.
“This is a place in which the spirit of anti-christ is on the throne of the hearts of many of God’s people.” (Van Tanner) This is what I see today happening in the Babylonian Church System or the Harlot Church.
The tail that cast down the stars (Isa.9:15-16) :The ancient and honorable, he is the head, and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.”
“The tail (false prophets) signifies that Satan deceives the church with false doctrines packed with lots of feel-good preaching. These false prophets will feed them with so much milk that they will not endure sound doctrine. We know that since the earth is involved, the doctrine must play to the carnal desires of man. Any doctrine that justifies carnality or worldliness or diminishes our need to know more of Jesus is a false doctrine. If a doctrine does not demand a Christian to lay down his life, then it is suspect. The teachings of Jesus are straight forward on this issue, and today’s preaching falls far short of His words.
Carnality leads to worldliness, and worldliness will actually cause the Man-child to be born. Those who desire more in their relationship with Christ will hear the call “come out from her” (Rev. 18:4)…thus the birth”. (Van Tanner)
Rev. 12:5: “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.
The man child is, of course, the birth of Jesus, but it is also the birth of the Overcomers. Eph. 4:13: Till we come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Christ in us the Hope of Glory. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ in each of us. This is my hammer.
Psalms 2:9 “You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” This identifies the man in the iron suit with the Davidic Messiah. The overcoming confessor of Revelation 2 has already been applied to Him. But they are applicable to the Overcomer only by virtue of his association with the Messiah.
I believe this imagery not only represents the birth and ascension of Christ (the anointed one, but inclusive of the remnant of the true Israel or the Overcoming, Triumphant Church of the First Born.
I am not convinced this is a one time event. Each time there is a move of God we experience a birthing of the anointing through God’s elect to bring forth the destiny of the Kingdom purposes of God for every generation. Kelly Varner has a book, Moses, The Master and the Man Child. Moses brought forth the Old Testament Covenant from the Lord. Jesus Christ fulfilled the O.T. Covenant and birthed the Church or New Testament Covenant. The Man Child Company is to bring forth the Glorious Bride, the Church Triumphant, the Kingdom of God, New Jerusalem and the Glory of God.
Many conclude that the 144,000 are Jews. It is the writer’s opinion that the 144,000 is a metaphorical number representing the Elect.
Rev. 12:6: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God. That they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
This is the persecution that will make or break us. I am a better person because of the persecution I suffered. I must have had a lot of pride for the Lord to choose me to break me. However, one will never be a Prophet or an Apostle without persecution.
During the period of satanic wrath, the woman is safe. When the times of my persecution became brutal, the Lord would lift me up through Don, take me to Palm Desert in California, there the Lord would refresh me and send me back to the battle. Now days I don’t make any trips to the desert. He has strengthened me to Overcome.
The Palestinian Church fled in A.D. 66 at the outbreak of the Jewish revolt. She found a refuge in the wilderness territory of Pella beyond Jordan. (For 1260 days) The true Israel of whom Christ was born lives on in the Holy Spirit led church.
Rev. 12:7: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and he prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and satan, which deceives the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”
I believe Michael is one of the arch angels of God, who is the ruling angel over Israel. However, since I am grafted on, whenever I need help, I cry out for the Lord to come and send Michael. I have all the blessings promised to Israel as well as the Church. (Smile) Daniel 12:1: “At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of your people…” I am a child of God.
Jesus’ ministry involved Satan’s over-throw. For his kingdom cannot stand against the in-breaking Kingdom of God. Satan is presently emboldened. This is why we are seeing so many abominations. Satan has been cast to the earth. However, he received his “coup de grace” through the Cross, the Crown of Jesus’ ministry.
In an early Christian hymn book called the “Odes of Solomon,”, Christ was speaking of his triumph over death, and addressed God as “the one that overthrew by my hands the dragon with seven heads and set me over his roots that I may destroy his seed.”
“Satan is cast from his high and lofty position the day that carnality is exposed as his only weapon on earth. Carnality is the seat of authority in satan’s kingdom…We are able to choose victory by denying him authority. We can do that by giving that authority to Jesus Christ. True worshipers will worship Jesus in Spirit and Truth, and all that have a heart after God will walk in the kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven. We don’t have to wait until over yonder somewhere on the other side of the grave.
The deceiver and accuser of the brethren is chief prosecutor in the heavenly court, but thanks to the victory of Christ, he is the principal target of the challenge. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? The victory of Christ and the downfall of Satan are celebrated in the triumphant shout. In Christ’s victory the victory of His people is included.
As he conquered by His passion, so they in turn conquered the dragon.
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Revelation 12: 10-11: “And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, now is come salvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.
“The power of the surrendered, Christ-in-us life is our greatest weapon against Satan.” (The devil cannot kill a dead man or woman. Once were are dead to self, the world and our own carnality, there is nothing left to fear or hold on to. (my comments) This is the ultimate victory over carnality, loving not our life unto death.” (V.T.) This is that pain free zone. No more pain, No more tears, never crying again, for we are living in the light of the risen Lamb.
However the dragon’s downfall means an intensification of his malignant activity on earth.
Revelation 12:12: “Therefore rejoice you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea; for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knows he has but a short time.”
“Caught up to God and His throne’ is a description of the spiritual place of the Elect in Christ Jesus.
Rev. 12:13: “And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.”
Well I believe this may be the moment of apperception. We are living in that day when the dragon is persecuting the man child on planet earth and even in the United States of America.
“He brings his influence to bear through carnality.”(V.T.)
12: 14: “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness, inter her place, where she is nourished for a time and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”
“The Elect Eagles bring the revelation of Christ-in-us to the Church to help nourish her with meat, instead of the milk she has been getting. The Eagles encourage repentance, but we know that repentance can only come through a contrite heart.” (V.T.)
God spoke of Israel’s escape from Egypt into the wilderness, “I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” (Exodus 19:4)
Rev. 12:15: “And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.” Here the serpent, Leviathan is the spirit behind persecution of God’s anointed ones. He is the persecutor.
Van Tanner writes that this is where the end-time separation of Harlot and Bride begins. A flood of lies will penetrate the Church, securing Satan’s place on the throne of all the carnal Christians in the Church. By choosing this world over Christ’s they are in effect fornicating with this world. Therefore, their marriage contract is void, and Christ will begin to focus on those who desire Him. It is here that we see the beginning of the separation of wheat and tares.”
I believe the church has reached this point in time.
12:16-17: “And the earth helped the woman and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. “And swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth; And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God and have the Testimony of Jesus.”
This means Christianity is the very activity for which John was in exile. The subject in the verse is the dragon, not the seer, who is still viewing the earthly scene from his heavenly vantage point. Satan is after the Elect not the Harlot Church System.
“The Beast now living through the carnality of the harlot will send the kings of the earth after the Elect. Satan realizes that his religious spirits are the only ones that can harm the Elect.” (V.T.) This may be why I had to do battle with that spirit of religion again this year. I thought I had left that devil far behind me years ago.
Scene 2 of Vision given to Carolyn Sissom – The Angels releasing the blue ribbon:
“The Lord said to Moses, speak to the children of Israel and say to them: throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corner of your garment with a blue ribbon. You will have these tassels to look at and so you remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own heart and eyes. Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God, I am the Lord your God.” (Numbers 15: 37-41)
Dake: “The blue thread in the tassels symbolize that the commandments were of heavenly origin…when Israel saw the fringe or tassels they were reminded of the law and their responsibility to obey it, and their calling to be a holy people unto Jehovah…
Jesus would have had these tassels on when the woman touched the hem of his garment by Faith.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
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I entered into the labors of F.F. Bruce Bible Commentary, Kelly Varner, Van Tanner and The Seven Thunders of God and Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible. Lyn Gitchel, The Purpose of the Bride. If there are any others, there is no intent to plagiarize. I had this vision 20-years ago. I have taught it several times and built on it through the years. I’m a Pastor/Preacher not an author. I write because the Lord blesses me with His Presence when I am writing and studying. He placed the writer’s ink horn in my hand.