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When Satan is cast out of heaven with his angels, the place will be occupied by the
Church of the One Body, whose sphere of blessing and service is in the heavenly places,
where at present wicked spirits are (Eph. 6: 12).
When Satan loses his authority of the air (Eph. 2: 2), the church of the Acts
dispensation will occupy that region.
When Satan is taken and cast into the abyss, the kingdom under the whole heaven will
be given to Israel.
Thus each section attains its hope upon the ejection of Satan from their destined
sphere of glory.
The Mystery of God finishes with the seventh trumpet. That mystery may have
several phases and different planes, but all focus in the exalted pre-eminence of Christ.
Thus far we have considered the preliminary statement of the third woe and its
consummation. We can now give attention to the various steps which lead to that blessed
end, which we hope to do in our next article.
#38.
The Man-child caught up to God (12:).
pp. 43 - 46
A great sign in heaven appears in chapter 12: This is the first time the word "sign"
(sēmeion) occurs in the Apocalypse. The sign is that of a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. A contrast is
evidently intended with the woman of chapter 17::--
"And the woman was clothed (same word as in 12: 1) with purple and scarlet and
adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.......the woman whom thou sawest is
that great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth."
This city's name is Babylon, and in it is brought to its head the mystery of iniquity
(17: 5). Chapter 12: also has the sign of a woman, which also represents a city (and the
system for which the city stands). The one is the false, the other the true, the one is
supported by the beast, the other is attacked by the dragon. In Gen. 37: 9 the sun,
moon and eleven stars represent Jacob, his wife, and his eleven sons. The woman is
Jerusalem, the city of David and of Israel. She is represented as being on the eve of
giving birth to a child.
Another sign is seen in heaven: a great fiery red dragon, having the insignia of the
final phase of Gentile dominion, stood before the woman, ready to devour her child as
soon as it should be born. The sun, moon and stars, the woman's emblems, seems to