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The
sun, moon, and crown of twelve stars are symbolic of the nation of
Israel. God uses the same symbols when He speaks to the patriarch
Joseph in a dream. In his dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow
down to him.
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Then
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers,
they hated him even more . . . Now he had still another dream,
and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have
had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon
and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And he related
it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked
him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have
had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come
to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” (NASB)
Gen. 37:5, 9-10 |
His
father understood that the symbols referred to his family. Joseph
was the twelfth star. This means the twelve stars represent all twelve
sons who were the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Earlier
God had changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Gen. 32:28). This means
that the woman represents the nation of Israel and she is about ready
to give birth to a child. The nation of Israel is pictured as giving
birth to a significant individual.
Second Sign - The Dragon. The
second sign is a great red dragon which is Satan.
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And
another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red
dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads
were seven diadems. (NASB) Rev. 12:3 |
Have
you ever wondered why we think of Satan as red? Why some think of
him as having a tail? This concept of him may have come from this
passage. But where did the horns come from? That is still a mystery.
How do we know this dragon is Satan? The answer is actually given
in Rev. 12:9.
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