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War in heavenSaturday, December 12, 2015
Zechariah 2:17 The woman, Mary, gives birth to her son. And her child is caught up to God and his throne, while the woman flees to the desert to a place prepared by God. War breaks out in heaven and the huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, is thrown down to earth, and its angels are thrown down with it. Then the author hears a loud voice in heaven say, "Now have salvation and power come, and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed!" The dragon struggles to kill the woman who gave birth to the child, but the earth protects the woman. So the dragon heads off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commandments and bear to witness to Jesus. And the dragon takes its position on the sand of the sea. ........................ We sit silent as onstage the angels sing, "O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie." While off stage war is raging, and the dragon takes its position on the sand of the sea. Can I live in both these worlds, Lord, where the battle rages and I am a soldier ... while at the same time I am kept calm, held close, simply a baby in the arms of Mary, made to be loved? Let me breathe in the joy of your salvation, and open my eyes to all you choose to show me. |
In Revelation 12 there is another story of the birth of Jesus. Seen from behind the curtain, a woman is clothed with the sun. As she labors to give birth, a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns appears and sweeps away a third of the stars in the sky, then hurls them down to earth.