[biblewonk]

To know and love Jesus better now as beloved disciples, we must know Mary as our loving Mother

Got chapter and verse?

[topcat54]

The obvious difficulty with this whole scheme is that the woman spoken of in Rev. 12 is figurative (the book is, after all, a book in symbols; "signified" in Rev. 1:1).

We have no more reason to believe that the woman refers to a particular person (e.g., Mary) than we do believe that "the harlot" of Rev. 17 refers to a particular person.

In fact the rest of the imagery in Rev. 12 would lead us to an opposite conclusion. E.g.,
- The Woman is clothed with the sun, moon, and stars. A Jewish believer of the 1st century would recall the dream of Joseph where he describes his family (Israel) in these terms (Gen. 37). In fact this is what happened after he became an official in Egypt.
- The Woman is persecuted and is carried away into the wilderness for a definite period of time. An obvious reference to the bondage and protection of Israel as they fled from Egypt. True Israel, the church, was persecuted and forced to flee Jerusalem after Christ's ascension (Matt. 24:9; Luke 21:21).

The Israel imagery/connection in Rev. 12 cannot be ignored.

[don-o]

Got chapter and verse?

Did Martin Luther have chapter and verse when he upheld the ever virginity of the Mother Of God?

Then, we could veer off to the "sola scriptura" matter, that is really the crux.

I like those discussions, for the sake of lurkers, who might give it a think; do some investigating on when this novel doctrine appeared; and weigh the evidence to decide.