Bonus Preview #2
Advent and the woman, the dragon and the child
Hello again! Today I am sharing a second ‘preview post’, as we move closer to the start of the Embracing Hope Advent series. Last year my good friend Eric Brooks did a guest-post devotional and it honestly turned out to be one of the most talked-about posts in the series. So I’ve pulled it out of the archives and am sharing it again! (oh, and guess what! Eric has agreed to do another ‘guest post’ for this years series. So we can all look forward to that!)
As I mentioned previously, it would be great if you could share this series with your friends, either on your social media of choice, or email, or however you’d like. If you’re excited about this upcoming series, please help me spread the word.
Thanks again. Now, here’s today’s guest post.
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron sceptre.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” -Revelation 12:1-5
This passage—and even more, its source: The Book of Revelation—seems like an unlikely addition to an Advent devotional. However, this letter is full of incredible images, prophetic promises and themes, as well as unfamiliar symbols. It provides us a different, and much grander perspective on Jesus’ first Advent than the familiar creche. Let’s set aside, even briefly, the interpretation of these things, and let our imaginations see what John saw…
John sees this “sign in heaven,” and what a sign it is: a woman wearing a crown, not just of royal bearing for a nation, but of royalty over creation! She is adorned with the magnificence and splendour of God’s handiwork! In one sense her description reminds us of Eve, the first queen of God’s created order, but also we see Mary, the mother of Jesus. We see her not as she was seen on earth, as a young pregnant virgin pledged to a carpenter, but as she was seen by heaven: as a Queen; she is pregnant, on the verge of giving birth; she is in grave danger!
The source of her peril? The dragon: enormous, red, seven-headed, ten-horned, seven-crowned monster of such cosmic magnitude that its tail is able to sweep a third of the stars from the sky! It’s desire? To devour the child about to be born.
And heaven’s perspective? This raging, fierce, star-flinging beast is thwarted by the Queen who is in labour, her newly-born son, and by God on His throne! The child is delivered, and rescued, the woman flees to safety, and the dragon is left foiled and frustrated!
From heaven’s perspective this is no Silent Night! Bethlehem does not lie in stillness! While on earth a young girl gives birth to her son, and a handful of shepherds marvel at the declaration of angels, in heaven the plans and threats of the dragon are up-ended, and the birth of the King over all nations takes place!
-Eric Brooks is the co-lead Pastor at Strathcona Baptist Church, Edmonton