The Triumphant “Seed of Woman”
The Holy Scripture is traced from beginning to end with a scarlet cord. That painful sacrifice of blood cannot be separated from the “Seed of Woman” that God protects from defilement. It is one of the Bible’s greatest mysteries and is finished in the Bible’s greatest Book of Revelation. This seed line begins in Genesis and is not finished until the last book of the Bible. These two books are maligned and doubted more than all other books of the Bible altogether. Satan hates the “seed of woman” as revealed in this mystery. This seed is God’s plan and man’s only hope.
The Book of Genesis is a perfect revelation from God and this promise of the “seed of woman” and Satan’s defeat elevates it to sublimity. Why a Bible theologian, or even a student, could question this opening volley of truth is beyond my understanding. This earth is God’s garden and the greatest of revelations is incomplete without the opening moments. Nothing in our past, present, or future is an accident. This earth is the Lord’s and the glorious end fits perfectly with the supernatural beginning. He created us in His likeness and beauty and the redeemed, which enter New Jerusalem, will have been recreated, born again, in that blood-washed likeness.
The Heavenly Father spoke the revealing words of this mystery, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Satan had deceived Eve, and then Adam, into this dark chasm of rebellion. In that fallen state they would be driven out of God’s garden, bury their second son, and then watch the first son, a murderer, carry a mark of rejection the rest of his life. The cost was exceedingly painful and even debilitating and has spawned every dark event in history. It is unthinkable that human existence could have survived without that crimson cord and the seed that would carry that stream of hope.
Noah’s family found grace in the eyes of God and that grace allowed Noah’s wife to continue the stream. When Abraham sojourned in Egypt, his doubtful heart caused him to suffer Sarah to be abducted by the Pharaoh. God protected the “seed of woman” from defilement by putting the fear of God on Pharaoh and, even plagued his house, that he touched not Sarah.
This great mystery had to pass beyond the Jewish lineage because our God is not a prejudiced Sovereign. When Joshua sent the spies to prepare for the fall of Jericho, a harlot woman became their protector and means of escape. This unconverted woman was moved of God to use her schemes to hide the spies and to let them down from her window on the wall. She was instructed to hang a scarlet cord out of that window and trust this unknown God for her safety. She was well rewarded and married into the pure lineage of Godly men and women and was the mother of Boaz.
The Gentile presence in the “Seed of Woman” did not end with Rahab but continued in the very next generation. Boaz begat Obed by Ruth, the Moabite that had returned to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi. The Gospel of Matthew beautifully reveals this holy seed, “And Salmon begat Boaz of Rachab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias” (Matthew 1:5-6).
It’s most likely that the wife of Urias, who David stole from his faithful servant, was also a Gentile woman. Bathsheba was certainly not guilty of David’s vile action because she was given no choice by the King when he bid her to his bedroom.
Mary, the espoused wife of Joseph, is considered by almost every theologian I have studied, to be the final end of this holy seed. The Holy Ghost came upon her and she was found with child having never known a man. God’s Son was sanctified by this Divine conception and sent into the world. This pure Son, holy and filled with the Holy Ghost, was our spotless sacrifice. He became the Head of His body, the church, so, we are now the pure seed of the “seed of woman” and carry forward that scarlet cord of a blood sacrifice in the New Testament. If the head, Jesus Christ, is of that holy seed, then the body of that head is also of that crimson cord and holy seed. His body, the church, is a special company.
It is a miracle beyond comprehension to consider six thousand years of the perfect lineage of this holy seed. We know that Rahab was a harlot, but her purity is recognized from her conversion and not from her heathen past. This fact only adds to the power of grace and redemption that renders the redeemed as if they had never sinned. She was as pure as her Jewish counterparts.
But, there is one more triumph for this “seed of woman.” The great and most often misinterpretation of truth in the Book of Revelation is the final scene. A “Sun-clothed woman” is heavy with child. That child is called a “man-child” and the devil is standing guard to devour him as soon as the child is born. While he has harassed the “seed of woman” for six thousand years, this final moment robs him of his schemes. The mature and triumphant company of those redeemed by the blood is caught up to God and His throne, while Satan can only watch in utter dismay. “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 of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 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. 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. 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 12:1-5).
This can be none other than the raptured saints of God. The Lord had spoken that every truth from Revelation 4:1 was “hereafter.” Nothing is historical in Revelation from that point when the saints move up to Heaven. This man-child is to rule all nations and the Bride of Christ is promised that task numerous times. The devil is then cast out of Heaven and we know that has not happened and cannot happen until this moment in future prophecy. As soon as the devil is cast to the earth, he reveals his Antichrist – that is still future. Our Scripture designated this entire truth to occur when the saints are removed by the Rapture.
It’s thrilling to be a part of this triumphant company of overcomers and saints of God preparing for the completion of all things. To join the greatest miracle of all eternity we will climb to the steeps of the sky and enter into Heavenly Jerusalem to the shouts and praises of His angels. What joy! To hear the King proclaim, “Welcome Home, enter into the joys of the Lord,” is worth all that we have forsaken to follow Him into this glory.
Patrick
I am left wondering how the raptured saints of God can be described as both a “man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron”, and Christ’s bride at the same time. Perhaps Rev.12:1-5 is a short departure from the “things to come” future revelations of v.4:1 and a quick overview of the mystery of God’s Son coming to Earth, nearly being destroyed by King Herod who was possessed by the devil, the “great red dragon” , then the Lord Jesus Christ successfully completing His mission, sacrifice and resurrection, or “caught up to heaven”. Also the dragon and “the third part of the stars of heaven” could be a vision to bring understanding to John about the original heavenly rebellion, its consequences and the fact that God already had the solution of it planned before it took place. It is amazing that we were saved from before the foundation of the Earth and that God knew us before He formed us in the womb. With God the past, present and future are one, He sees them all at once but has a set time for each of His plans.
Eric
What if its not true?
William
“I am left wondering how the raptured saints of God can be described as both a ‘man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron,” and Christ’s bride at the same time.”
The same way that saints are also described as sheep, soldiers, sons, a mature man (Eph. 4), priests, salt, stones, light, jewels, vessels, epistles, and so on. All different aspects that refer to the same *body* of Christ.