Replies

My apologies on the delayed response; work is hectic right now.

From Elsie:
Can you also show the ‘context’ of the Assumption of Mary?

From CB: (In reference to the children of the Rev. 12 woman being the 144000 from Rev. 7)
You mean other than John being told they are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Isreal? But you did just tell us it doesn't have to be in scrioture for it to be true so it shouldn't matter to you anyway. Just go with what makes you feel good.

Immediately preceding Rev. 12 is a description of the Temple, followed by God's temple in Heaven in which the Ark of his Covenant sits. But what is in the Ark? A golden urn containing manna, Aaron's rod, and the tables of the covenant. Concerning the manna (the bread from Heaven that fed the Israelites), in Jn 6, Jesus identifies himself as the bread from Heaven. In Matt 5, Jesus says he has come to fulfill the law. Aaron carried a wooden rod and was the High Priest of the Old Covenant. The woman gives birth to a child that will have a rod of iron; this child is the Great High Priest of the new covenant. Aaron's rod brought forth almonds. Interestingly, almonds are a fruit (technically we eat the seed of the fruit) that can be poisonous and kill in the wild, but are edible once tamed.

Concerning the 144000: These are identified as being from each tribe of Israel and as sealed on their foreheads and as servants of God. After this comes an uncountable number of people from every tribe and nation. A few chapters follow that I think do not identify the woman or the children of the woman. This is followed by a scene describing the descruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. This finishes with the temple in Heaven. Rev. 12 follows. The description of the other children of this woman lacks a number; however, it does say they keep the commandmants of God and bear testimony to Jesus. After this, two scenes with beasts (one from sea, one from land).

Then we get to the Rev 14, which happens on Mount Zion. This group of 144000 has no description marking the origins, only that they have the Lamb's name and His Father's name on their foreheads (but does not say sealed). Are these 3 groups related? Other than a relationship with God, there is nothing that binds all 3 together. A problem with connecting the first group to the third is that the first group is explicitly Jewish, the third is explicitly Christian; the middle group is likely Christian as they bear testimony to Jesus (a work around could happen if someone were to say Jews indirectly bear testimony to Jesus). There is a fourth group in here, the uncountable multitude of Rev. 7:9-17. This group is explicitly excluded from the first 144000 as they are Christian. The second group of 144000 could be the children of the woman; however, then this woman is unlikely to be Israel.