[Mrs. Don-o]

Hey-there, Hi-there, Ho-there, aMPU. Always nice to have you on the thread.

Surely your comments about "counted" blessed vs "called" blessed are a distinction without a difference.

The meaning here is not "counted" as in "enumerated" (it's not like they're using numbers, saying "1-2-3 Mary Blessed Be") --- the meaning is "counted" as in "called."

Over here at BibleHub (LINK) it shows 25 translations for Luke 1:48. Twenty say "call," three say "count," and one vote each for "ascribe" and "account". Note that KJV and KJV2000 both use "call".

`

All Generations Will Call Me Blessed

`

Now! For the second part of the "twofer": is the woman of the "Great Sign" Mary? Or somebody else?

`

The answer is "yes" and "yes." Like most signs, it is multivalent. Signs can have, and so often do have, multiple layers of meaning.

`

A very good line of reasoning would conclude that the Woman of the Great Sign has four related meanings:

• Eve (the Enemy of the Serpent and Mother of the Living of Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 3:20);
• Daughter Jerusalem or Daughter Zion as embodying the Chosen People Israel;
• Mary as mother of the "male child destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod," the Messiah (Rev. 12:5); and
• Holy Mother the Church, Mater Ecclesia, whose children are all the faithful (Rev. 12:17.)

So: four overlapping references for this Great Sign personage. Does any one of them have priority?

You could get votes for each of the four. All four are meaningful but I would lean toward "Mary" having priority, because meanings always start with the literal, and she's the literal mother of the literal Messiah described in the passage. And because Jesus, on His cross, gave his mother a son (John)(representing the faithful --- all the others had fled) and gave His faithful --- His Church --- a Mother.

You'll notice that these images inhere in each other.

So many Christians have portrayed her in all these different ways, contemplating the meaning(s) of the Great Sign of Rev. 12.

Some Freepers here in FReeperville like to cheep and cheep that she's nothing special.

But countless numbers of Christians would say, yes, this faithful handmaid, this fair Jewish girl of Galilee, this redeemed one, this Kecharitomene, this Lady of the Incarnation, this Virgin-Mother Mary--- because He who is mighty has done great things for her --- is Something Special.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Short answers for you.

1. I referred you to the Greek, because those are the words inspired by the Spirit. Best translation is that people will surely considered blessed.

Mary is never given the title Blessed.

2. The correct ID of “the woman” is Israel.

I’d add art, but of course the opinions of artists are not inspired by the Spirit.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“A very good line of reasoning would conclude that the Woman of the Great Sign has four related meanings:”

Roman Hopium & wishogesis.

Nothing in the context, nor Daniel’s prophecy says anything except Israel.

[Zuriel]

**And because Jesus, on His cross, gave his mother a son (John)(representing the faithful -— all the others had fled) and gave His faithful -— His Church -— a Mother.**

John never pulled a sword in an effort to stop the arrest. He fled with all the others. Like Peter, he then followed at a distance, but did not speak up or attempt to intervene at any time: not at the home of the high priest, not at Pilate’s hall, not while Herod’s men mocked the Lord, not back at Pilate’s hall when Barabbas was freed, not when the cross was being borne, not when the nails were being hammered in to the body.

John was not the superior in faith example, before Pentecost, that your doctrine teaches. He was as afraid as the rest when the stormy sea threatened. He didn’t attempt to walk on water.

He didn’t have the power to overcome, until the upper room experience on Pentecost.

[Elsie]

Surely your comments about "counted" blessed vs "called" blessed are a distinction without a difference.

Call Count no man father.

[Elsie]

But countless numbers of Christians would say, yes, this faithful handmaid, this fair Jewish girl of Galilee, this redeemed one, this Kecharitomene, this Lady of the Incarnation, this Virgin-Mother Mary--- because He who is mighty has done great things for her --- is Something Special.

You just cannot keep from slipping in Roman fantasy; can you?