62. Clothed with the Sun

Covering Revelation Chapter 12:1-6:

I am proposing to write an entire lesson for the Flow of Gospel Word through six verses of Scripture. Part of that will be the full Flow of Gospel Comments for the two-page spread, applying all the other categories to the category of bringing forth Life. At the same time, how Life is reproduced is the most important metaphor in God, in the Bible, and in nature.

Then, even further, this setting contains two extraordinary contradictions (and probably more than two). The first is the immense contradiction of a woman screaming to give birth, for she is, on the one hand, the essence of human weakness, but on the other hand, stronger than any man I have known.

Framing Our Comments. And the second is the birth of God-Life into creation in the very face and presence of all hatred and murder, all accusation and iniquity. Indeed, this entrance of the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all – through the Church, is also a mirror image of the entrance of Jesus through Mary – our Pattern.

Also, I want to give more thought to a difference between what comments might go on the JSV page as set against the two-page spread. A final consideration is that we are back to John. I want to write the Gospel Comments as a reflection of John’s visionary thinking, as expressed through Ruling Verses 3, 4, 8, and 10, rather than the wondrous clarity of thought we found in writing the two-page spreads for Hebrews.

Three Metaphors. The Church bringing forth Life by the Spirit is found first in Genesis 1:1-3 and is then a significant part of Genesis 2. – The two shall become one flesh – Christ and the Church. Rather than giving a history, I want to include two metaphors from Isaiah, a highway for God and the rain from heaven. On the surface, the highway for God through us is the entrance of God, but God is all here now. What comes through, according to Isaiah, is the knowledge of God, which is the entrance or birthing of LIFE into all creation. Then the rain from heaven in Isaiah 55, that is, the Spirit upon the Word, cannot return except it bring with it the fruit and purpose for which it is sent, in this case, the full growth of life from plant seeds.

Let’s keep in mind these three metaphors, the fruit of marriage union, the entrance of God, and the return of Spirit Word.

Enclothed with the Sun. (Chapter 12) • 1 Then a great sign was perceived in heaven, a woman enclothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and upon her head a garland of victory, a crown of twelve stars.

There is only one heavenly woman, the Church, the City of God, the New Jerusalem, the mother of us all. It is impossible that being “enclothed with the sun” could be anything other than the one command of the Gospel, the only commandment of God that counts, “PUT ON the Lord Jesus Christ,” our part of and contribution to Ruling Verse 10.

“The moon under her feet” is a reference to “Come out of her, My people,” that she has come out from the prostitute, both the truly stupid attempt to reclaim the old covenant and the unbelief of Nicene Christianity. “Garland of victory” and “crown of twelve stars” are two ways of saying “Covered by the ministry of Christ.” In other words “protected by those who love her.”

The Heavenly Woman. 12:1 Definition: There is only one heavenly woman, the Church, the City of God, the New Jerusalem, the mother of us all. All who connect with God through Jesus, Old Testament and New, are part of this heavenly bride. Indeed, she is the fulness of Christ who fills ALL inside of all (Ephesians 1:23).

1 Ruling Verse 10: It is impossible that being “enclothed with the sun” could be anything other than the one command of the Gospel, “PUT ON the Lord Jesus Christ.” Being enclothed with the Lord Jesus means first, that she has turned around inside of God, that the old is under her feet, and second, that she is cared for by those who prevail with God. This woman is speaking of millions of Christians alive today.

1 Ruling Verse 5: Intimate union with the Lord Jesus is marriage union, that the two might become one flesh, Christ and the Church.

A Child in Her Womb. • 2 Having a child in her womb, she screamed in travail, being tortured to bring her child to birth.

Out from His own desire, He gave birth to us by the Word of truth (James 1:18). – My children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ shall have been formed inside of you (Galatians 4:19). – We have had the gospel preached to us… [that word] …mixed together in full union with faith… (Hebrews 4:2). – You have been conceived from above… out from imperishable Seed, through the living and abiding Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). – It is necessary for you to be conceived from above. – A woman who is giving birth experiences pain because her hour has come. But when she brings forth a child, she no longer remembers the pressure because of the joy that a child has been born into the world (John 3:7 & 16:21). – All the same one Gospel Word!

Life through Travail. The meaning of Revelation 12:2 FILLS the entire Bible, that we receive God-Seed, Jesus as every Word God speaks fulfilled, so that we would bring forth God-Life, which is the KNOWLEDGE of God entering into the knowledge of all – through great travail.

2 Life: Life is not God, per se, for God is all here now. Life is the knowledge of God becoming all that we are. Life within, then, is union with Jesus and through Jesus, the Father. And Life without is Christian Community, the completion of the Love of Jesus made known to all. The knowledge of God can come into the knowledge of all, however, only through travail.

2 Definition: Travail, the PRESS of pain and desire, that great act of human weakness that is stronger than all, to bring Life into the world, is the deepest interaction with God we know.

We Are at War. 3 But another sign was also perceived in heaven, look, a great fire-colored dragon with seven heads and ten horns and upon his heads, seven royal crowns. 4 And his tail dragged a third of the stars of heaven which he cast into the earth. • Then the dragon stood in the presence of the woman in travail, so that when she should bring her child to birth, he might devour her child.

Let’s put this reality in front of us right now, that as of April 12, 2026, we are at war against all heavenly evil for the sake of the Church. Every prayer we have prayed together from 2020 until now has been a preparation, a stockpiling of weaponry, one might say, for the present war now in earnest. The Church of Jesus Christ now upon this earth stands in her hour of greatest need. God has sent us for her sake.

The Original Serpent. Then the great dragon was thrown out, the original serpent who is called the devil, the accuser, and Satan, the adversary, the one who is deceiving the entire inhabited world (Revelation 12:9).

The “thrown out” part of verse 9 belongs in the next lesson, “And THEY Overcame.” But the definition belongs here, for we must know the meaning of this second “sign in heaven.” Two things are of no importance to us. One is the grandiose scheme of “the fall of Lucifer,” and the other is any attempt to fit this vision into the political travesties of this present world. Two things are of great importance to us. One is the meanings of “the original serpent, and “the accuser,” and the other is “the one who is deceiving the ENTIRE inhabited world.” These things bring Genesis 3 into our present picture.

Contention over Word. The meaning of travail in the face of the accuser fills the Bible. It is Jacob wrestling all night long with God, “I will not let You go until You bless me,” that is, “until You fulfill every Word You speak through me into my world.” It is Abraham offering his son in return to the Father. It is Jesus saying, “The prince of this world comes and finds nothing in Me.”

The accuser is there from the beginning, and his accusation begins always against the Word God speaks, which is the Seed of God in us meant to birth life through us into creation. Indeed, this is the same word as the Parable of the Sowing of Seed, that seed sown on hard ground is quickly devoured by the birds of the air. Thus the Travail is contention over Word, if it be True or not.

Life versus Death. 3-4 Definition: The “dragon” is a metaphor for the original serpent (see verse 9), referring back to Genesis 3 and the words of the serpent in the garden, that is, Satan, meaning, “the accuser.” The words of that serpent and the meaning of the tree of death fill all human thinking today. The “dragon” denotes the fulness of all heavenly evil, now on display, with all angels captured inside human rebellion. The serpent challenges the Word God speaks at every point of history.

1-4 Life: What is the dragon doing in the place where the knowledge of God is being birthed into the knowledge of all? He was there for Adam and for Jesus, seeking to devour LIFE before LIFE would eat up death. He is here again in his pretend role of the “ruler” of all political government for the same purpose. The question is always, “Does God speak the Truth?” Life is Travail. Life holds with God.

She Brought Forth a Son. • 5 And she brought forth a son, a boy who is about to shepherd all the ethnic families with a rod of iron, and her child was seized into God and into His throne.

This verse is the essence and meaning of the entire Bible, of the entire purpose of God inside of creation. As I consider it now inside this Flow of Gospel Word, I see so very much. First, every part of this verse inside the context of every part of Revelation 12 is the NORMAL Christian life, true of every believer in Jesus, those who do not draw back, but who go on to know the Lord. Then we see that this is the heir of God through the Church. Yet as Isaiah said, “Your sons shall marry you.” We are already seized into God; we are already turned around upon the Mercy Seat. This is NOT “elitism.” – It is the Gospel.

Defining a Gospel of Life. John’s Gospel is a Gospel of Life, the bringing forth of the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all. God is Love, and Love must be made visible. Here is the passage of travail. By this we know Love (made visible to us through Jesus), and we also (Love now made visible to all through us).

5 Ruling Verse 8: Revelation 12:5 is the Gospel, the normal Christian life. God is Love, and Love must be made visible. Such Love comes only through the Church, through believers in Jesus loving one another with pure hearts fervently. The Gospel is Jesus Sent into us, becoming such Love through us.

5 Life: What is the entrance of the knowledge of God? Life is knowing God. Life coming forth is the knowledge of God entering into the knowledge of all. We know Love by receiving Jesus as the One who makes us like Himself, and we reveal His Love through daily life together. This Love made visible is the “manchild seized into God and into His throne.”

Standing upon Firm. If you want a picture of those who are seized into God and into His throne, then see the four Levites holding that throne on their shoulders, standing on the bottom of the Jordan, the lowest place on earth, with death piling high behind them, standing upon FIRM until the last little Israelite had passed through death into Life, before they also came through.

5 Kingdom: The passage of God-Love being made visible is the Ekenosis (see Philippians 2:5-8). The throne of God is the Mercy Seat, the giving of ourselves for others. As the Ark of God’s Covenant, His Word now our hearts of flesh, we humble ourselves with the Father until all have entered Life.

Okay, the gospel comments thus far will go on the same page, under the JSV pages of Revelation. Now, we turn to the two-page spread for “Bring Forth Life.”

Placing Revelation 12:1-5. I am deeply grateful for what writing this Flow of Gospel Word has done for us, in bringing five more critical elements of Scripture alongside of the ten Ruling Verses. Those five are Ruling Verse 11, the Body of Christ, Ruling Verse 12, a House built for God, the New Covenant, the Kingdom expressed through the Ekenosis, and now this most important metaphor in the Bible, the bringing forth of LIFE.

The bringing forth of Life is not a “one-time event,” however, but it is the in-between role of the Church forever. Regardless of the role of God, of Christ Jesus, or of the Firstfruits towards her, the knowledge of God comes to creation only through the Church, only through Christian Community, only through the visible appearance of Love, believers in Jesus loving one another with pure hearts fervently.

Expanded and Personal. The Church is made visible in the heavens, the Bride of Christ, enclothed with the Lord Jesus, with His enemies under her feet, and upon her head victory over death, covered with care by those who love her. Having in her womb every Word God speaks fulfilled, she screams in travail to bring the knowledge of God to birth through the agony of her human weakness, counting it all joy. But the great fire-colored dragon, the original serpent who accuses all, is also made visible in the heavens. The dragon stands in the presence of the woman in travail, so that he might devour her child. And she brings forth a son, the knowledge of God into the knowledge of all, a boy who is about to shepherd all the ethnic families with a rod of Love, and her child lives seized into God and into His throne, the normal Christian life.

Christ Made Personal: I am the revelation of God-Love. Through me the Life of the knowledge of God enters into all creation.

Defining the Rule. The metaphor of the bringing forth of Life is most important. Life is knowing God. God desires to be known by all. A creation that knows God is a creation of Life. God is Love. To know God is to know and to be Love made visible. The Love of God is made visible in one way only, believers in Jesus loving one another in daily life together. The knowledge of such Love comes into creation only through the Church, a Church clothed with Jesus in full Victory, a Church that is Loved. The accuser seeks to convince Christians that life is somewhere else in order to prevent such Love entering into creation, setting everyone free. Yet Love prevails, and a people who know God together come to shepherd and care for all.

We will now present each set of “Categories” to reflect a different visionary approach. We will also rearrange the categories to fit – and turn this all towards story!

The Rain from Heaven. Isaiah 55 and John 12 go together, for the whole purpose of the seed planted deep into the earth is that it might bring forth many more seeds just like itself. The “rain from heaven” is the gentle flow of the Spirit watering that Seed of Christ planted inside of us, personally and together. Yet it also represents everything else acting on that Seed, that it might “return to the Father fulfilled.”

Think of that. EVERYTHING we have ever experienced in every moment of our lives has been for one purpose, the deep intention and determination of God to make us just like Jesus, personally and together. And the entire meaning of the serpent, seeking to prevent us from being sons of God, just like Jesus, giving ourselves to the Father for the sake of others, is to convince us that it is NOT true.

Covenant Return. Covenant: The Covenant is the Lord Jesus Christ planted as the Seed of God inside the earth of our humanity. His job, sent into us by God, is to make us to be just like Himself in knowing God, in loving one another, and in giving ourselves for all. The question is, is He capable of doing that? As Jesus says, “Will I find faith when I am planted into your earth?” As we receive the Lord Jesus into ourselves, knowing Him as He is, so we become that same Covenant, Jesus with us for others. Just as Jesus returns to the Father, carrying us inside Himself, so we also return inside of Him, carrying our brethren in our own hearts.

Speak Christ: This woman and her child are many together as one, speaking Christ together, speaking together the Love of God as all our interactions together, speaking together the knowledge of God going out from us to all, our story forever.

The Pattern. Consider our pattern, everything going on inside of Jesus from John 14:29, “The ruler of this world-cosmos comes. – Let us go from here,” to His Resurrection. We are looking at the utter conviction that “God is with me, God alone keeps me, God alone causes me to be His salvation,” inside of total human weakness faced with every approach of demonic opposition.

Every power of the abyss was focused on one moment in that passage, that moment when Jesus felt certain that God had forsaken him, that he was despicable, and that he despised all these vile humans, that moment when Jesus would say inside his heart the one thing that changed everything, two things actually. For himself Jesus whispered, “You have answered me,” and for us Jesus shouted, “Here am I, God, I and all these just like myself whom You have given to me.” The devil wished to snatch away those two thoughts.

Symmorphosed and Filled! Ruling Verse 1: The Church bringing forth the knowledge of God is the entirety of Ruling Verse 1, prototokos adelphois, Jesus making us His brethren, born of the same womb, to be just like Himself as the image of the Father revealed as Love. To synergeo with God is travail, even against the face of all evil, for seeing all things good is costly. It means to give one’s self to the Father in all; it means to shepherd with gentle care. Being symmorphosed with Jesus goes more deeply into Him and into us than we could ever comprehend.

Ruling Verse 2: The Church, as Communities of Christ, being filled with all the fulness of God inside of their togetherness, is how God-Love is made visible to creation. This happens in one way only, the entrance first of Jesus into each one of us, then through our knowing together the costliness of such Love coming through our human weakness, Jesus faithful and True.

Wrestling with God. While I was at Bowens Mill, I listened to the tapes of two words Sam Fife had preached, “I Will Not Let You Go” and “Mt. Moriah,” Jacob wrestling with God and Abraham offering Isaac back to God. The meaning of those two words went DEEP into me where they have remained all the way through.

The cry of those two words can be distilled to these two thoughts, shaped through many tears over many years. “God, You will fulfill in my life every Word that You speak as You mean it.” And, “God, I give myself utterly to You. You will keep me in all, and You will raise up that Word of Promise You have given to me.” And the meaning of those two cries is the Community of my heart raised up around me, every Word fulfilled. “I will know You, God, and I will walk with a people who know You.”

From Victory to Rivers. Ruling Verse 4: Revelation 12:11 is the deepest expression of God-Love coming through humans inside the present age. It is the essence of costliness, of giving all to the Father for the sake of the Church. This overcoming Love, casting down the accuser of God’s precious people, wrestles with God in all, that He speaks the Truth. They place themselves beneath, standing upon firm, standing against death, until every single believer in Jesus has come through travail into all the Life of Christ. They enclothe God’s people with the Lord Jesus Christ; they prevail in all until God raises up around them True Communities of Christ.

Ruling Verse 3: The going forth of such Love sweeps away the lies as it brings comfort and goodness to all. This Love flows as the Spirit of Devotion, bringing Life, the knowledge of God, into the knowledge of all creation. To KNOW for certain that such Life truly flows from us right now is to be Jesus Unveiled.

Two Become One Flesh. On April 12, 2026, the orthodox Easter, the mouth of the beast boasting great things “tweeted” a picture of himself as one with Jesus, with “American soldiers” arrayed as a crown of victory above him, the central one of which had been turned into the image of Baphomet. The whole world continues to mock the whole idea of being “one” with Jesus.

Nothing is more precious to me than the certain, close, and continuous knowing that Jesus has entered into full union with me, that His flesh is now mine and mine is His. When I can give, in every trying agony, my human inadequacy to Jesus, knowing that He shares all with me, enveloping me as I am utterly into Himself, this is everything to me. This is what they told me could not be true. Yet Life comes through only as two, Jesus and I, are become one flesh.

From Intimacy to Life. Ruling Verse 5: The Lord Jesus comes forth from the Father that He might enter into marriage union with us in all things, that He might become the Seed of God inside of us, that we might bring forth God-Life into our world. This most intimate union of Jesus with each one of us, sharing all with us, is our LIFE. Yet such a togetherness with Jesus is mocked and blasphemed by this world. In the weakness of our flesh shared with Jesus, we travail in all human agony, that God might win His Desire, that God might be known as Love through His Church.

Life: God-Love made visible, Life coming forth from our innermost beings, the knowledge of God entering into the knowledge of all creation, this is what everything has always been about. Life within is Jesus connecting us with God and with one another, and Life without is our daily life together, the completion of Jesus, our great love for one another forever.

Romance. I did not woo Jesus to win Him. Jesus wooed me, to win me to Himself. He was always there, always lifting me up, always continuing on with me as if nothing had happened. The mystery of LIFE is the mystery of Romance, of Abraham and Sarah, of Isaac and Rebekah, of Salmon and Rachel, of Ruth and Boaz, even of Esther and King Ahasuerus, all pointing to Christ and the Church (see Ephesians 5). The bottom line is that Jesus has won my heart.

In fact, this romance between Jesus and each one of us, between Jesus and each local gathering together, and between Jesus and His entire Church, is the whole meaning of Hebrews 11 and 12, and why I wanted to write that lesson in the Flow of Gospel Word last. We must know that the passion of Jesus for this Bride clothed with Him is far beyond all human comprehension.

From Boldness to Love. Ruling Verse 6: The costliness of His Blood, through which Jesus has already carried us into the Father, is then matched by us as we apprehend with boldness everything God is with us. This costliness then becomes God-Love through us for others, for we are turned around, seized into God and into His throne.

Ruling Verse 7: Victory already won is for the Romance of Love. Our Jesus is an extraordinary Person, for in all things, He shares Himself with us that we might walk every next step forever inside the Romance of God-Love, inside the Fellowship of Father and Son. Having fallen in Love with the Church, together with Jesus, our victory is for her sake.

Ruling Verse 8: Love is vibrant; Love is fellowship. Love is walking daily together, sharing joys and sorrows, laughter and work. Love is Romance made visible, with Jesus, with one another, and with our Father now free to be Himself – Love.  

Your Sons Shall Marry You. We have arrived at the essence of being just like Jesus, that His same passion for His Church would now carry our own faith into God for her sake. – “Do you care for My Church now upon this earth above your own life?” Revelation 12:1, the woman clothed with the sun, and Revelation 11:19, the Ark of the Covenant now seen, go absolutely together. The Ark of the Covenant is the care of Jesus for His Church, now the very shape of our own hearts.

Therefore, we wanted to come to you – indeed, I, Paul, a couple of times – but Satan hindered us. Who, then, is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting and exultation? Is it not even you, in the face of our Lord Jesus, inside of His presence? For you are our glory and our joy. – My children, for whom I travail in birth again until Christ shall have been formed inside of you. I wish that I could be present with you soon (1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 & Galatians 4:19-20).

The Rock and the Fire. Ruling Verse 9: The “manchild” of Revelation 12:5 becomes the “THEY” of Revelation 12:6 and 11, the normal Christian ministry, those who care for God’s people, now upon the earth in their hour of greatest need, above their own lives, those who give themselves to the Father in all costliness for her sake. As Isaiah said, “Your sons shall marry you” (Isaiah 62:5). They are the Rock of God-Love made visible, for they share Hheart with God.

Ruling Verse 10: God sent Jesus, the Bridegroom, into us to share all that He is with us that we might know God for certain, the signature of the Unveiling. It is this same Jesus inside of whom we dwell and who dwells inside of us, who, for the JOY of such a Church set before Him, gave all to the Father for her sake (see Hebrews 12:2). We now put this same Jesus upon ourselves, all that He is upon all that we are, that the FIRE of His same passion might be ours towards all who belong to Him.

The Highway for God. God coming through, God now known as all goodness and all Love through the practical daily life of Christians together, is what everything is all about. The entrance of the knowledge of God is LIFE for all creation.

This is a great mystery. On the one hand, we are the ones coming through the darkness, pressed by travail into the birthing, eyes opening wide to a universe of LIFE we have never known before. On the other hand, it is God inside of us reconciling the world to Himself, and through us now being that same Care of Jesus for the Church that birthed us. We can only marvel at the wisdom and goodness of our God. To carry all our Christian brethren inside our hearts all the way into God IS – IS – IS, God through us into our world.

The Kingdom as Father Made Known. Kingdom: The Kingdom of God is God our Father now known as He is by every created thing, now free to be Himself to all through a people who know Him. And in being Himself, known by all, God orders all things in every ongoing arrangement according to the same Word that He is inside Himself. He does so as we together synergeo with Him, bringing all things and every next moment into pure and intrinsic goodness.

The Form for God through Jesus: God has set only one passageway for Himself into being known by all creation, only one form that can show all who He really is. That one form is Christian Community, believers in Jesus loving one another in daily life together. At the heart of every such Community are those who watch and care, and by the interaction of such Communities with all humans and angels, the knowledge of the Love of God will be made visible in every place.

THEY Will Nourish Her. • 6 Then the woman escaped into a desolate area where she found a place that had been prepared for her by God, where THEY will nourish her for [1260] days.

This line fits this lesson and the next. I bring it in here in order to position “THEY” with this Church bringing forth Life.

On April 5 and April 12 of 2026, the two days considered “Easter,” the mouth boasting great things blasphemed God and the devoted ones who dwell in the heavens. Even the pope has become a brother in Christ as a result of this assault. We are now in the fulness of times. Like Jacob, I have wrestled with God now for forty-nine years over this verse, contending with God that, somehow, He would fulfill this Word in my life – “I will know You, Oh God, and I will walk with a people who know You.”

The Call of God. At the beginning of my life story, Prepare a Path, I placed “My Dream,” the dream of being part of Church as God means Church. All I can do here is distill the essence of my hope that God would make me part of this wonder, somehow.

6 Ruling Verse 4: Verse 6 is not to be carnalized by minds at war against the Lamb, nor fitted into the political shenanigans of this world. Verse 6 is the call of God to those who would hear such a call, to give themselves to the Father for the sake of their fellow Christians now in their hour of greatest need, to be that place prepared for them, sharing Hheart with God.

6 Definition: The call of God, calling to you and me, is a call to enter into His Heart, to share Hheart with God. It causes us to see the Church, our brethren, beautiful to Jesus and in great need. The call of God is a call to give ourselves for their sakes.

This Heavenly Vision. In October of 1978, such a word came out from the heavens, out from God into me through Sam Fife, this Word of the woman clothed with the sun and of those who care for her. I was just 21, and I knew nothing of the practicality of such a vision or its costliness or the Flow of Gospel Word inside of it.

Should I ever turn from such a call? Should I ever hear, “My soul has no pleasure in those who draw back?” Yet I am little and without ability or reach. “God, I will not let You go until You DO what YOU SAY in my life. Even so come, Lord Jesus.” 

What I can do, I do. And I give witness to you that everything that was in that vision entering into me from God when I was just a boy, is this same Word now that I am sharing with you, Jesus faithful and True. It is not yet the fruit of that heavenly vision, but it is the Seed written clear, ready to be planted.

Let’s Pray Together. “God, our Father, You are Faithful and True, and Your Word is certain. Father, You have sent Jesus into us that we might share with You Your same Heart passion over Your people. Father, we give ourselves to You, in all our human weakness and in the face of all demonic opposition, that You might offer us as Your sons for the sake of our Christian brethren now in their hour of greatest need.

“Father, establish now Your Word through us into this world, as You have shown it to us by this heavenly vision. Father, let there be a people in every land on earth clothed with the Lord Jesus in power. Oh God, let Your knowledge come now through Your Church into the knowledge of all creation. Oh God, You have answered us in all, even as we speak.”