THE WOMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE

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From Wikipedia

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The Woman of the Apocalypse or Woman clothed in the Sun,  is a figure from 
Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation  (written ca. AD 95). 
In this narrative the woman gives birth to a male child that is attacked by the Dragon identified as the Devil and Satan. When the child is taken to heaven, the woman flees into the wilderness leading to "War in Heaven" in which the angels cast out the Dragon. The Dragon then attacks the woman who is given wings to escape, and then the dragon proceeds to attack her with a flood of water from his mouth, which is subsequently swallowed by the earth. Frustrated, the dragon initiates war on "the remnant of her seed" identified as the righteous followers of Christ.

The Woman of the Apocalypse is widely identified as the Virgin Mary. This interpretation is held by the ancient Church as well as in the medieval and modern Roman Catholic Church.

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 Both Marian veneration and the interpretation of the Woman of the Apocalypse are recorded since at least the 4th century, but the specific veneration of Mary in this form becomes tangible only in the medieval period. Iconographically, Marian figures associated with the Revelations narrative are recognizable by the astronomical attributes, specifically her standing on a crescent moon, and the crown of twelve stars (while the description "clothed with the sun" is sometimes rendered by rays emanating from her figure). Association of Mary with a single star is recorded from the early medieval period, in the hymn Ave Maris Stella.

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 Many depictions of Mary from the Gothic period (14th to 16th century) show her standing on a crescent moon inspired by the association of Mary with the woman of the Apocalypse. The motif became so popular in 15th-century Germany that pre-existing Madonna figures were refitted with a crescent (e.g. Madonna of Bad Doberan, c. 1300, refitted in the 15tMh century). The Virgin of Guadalupe was depicted as the Madonna of the Apocalypse since at least the 16th century. 

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The Catholic Church recognizes the 'woman' as Mary the Mother of the Christ and the Church. The Church acknowledges what it considers an invitation in the holy verses for the reader to ponder the mysteries between The Mother of God and the Mother of the Church.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also interprets the woman to be the Church, and the man-child to be the political kingdom that will grow out of the Church prior to or during the Second Coming of Christ; this interpretation is made clear by Joseph Smith's translation of the

 twelfth chapter of Revelation.

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Day 8 - CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY

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Please go here for Day 8 of The Advent Series:

http://maninthemaze.blogspot.com/2011/12/church-of-nativity.html

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Day 5 - GABRIEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT

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The Advent Series continues:

http://maninthemaze.blogspot.com/2011/12/gabriels-announcement.html

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GABRIEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT

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From THE URANTIA BOOK

Part IV, 122, 3

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One evening about sundown, before Joseph had

returned home, Gabriel appeared to Mary by the side

of a low stone table and, after she had recovered

her composure, said: "I come at the bidding of one

who is my Master and whom you shall love and nurture.

To you, Mary, I bring glad tidings when I announce that

the conception within you is ordained by heaven,

and that in due time you will become the mother of a son;

you shall call him Joshua, and he shall inaugurate the

kingdom of heaven on earth and among men.

Speak not of this matter save to Joseph and

to Elizabeth, your kinswoman, to whom I have also

appeared, and who shall presently also bear a son,

whose name shall be John, and who will prepare

the way for the message of deliverance which

your son shall proclaim to men with great power

and deep conviction. And doubt not my word, Mary,

for this home has been chosen as the mortal habitat of

the child of destiny. My benediction rests upon you,

the power of the Most Highs will strengthen you,

and the Lord of the earth shall overshadow you.

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Mary pondered this visitation secretly in her heart

for many weeks until of a certainty she knew she was

with child, before she dared to disclose these unusual events

to her husband. When Joseph heard all about this,

although he had great confidence in Mary, he

was much troubled and could not sleep for many nights.

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At first Joseph had doubts about the visitation.

Then when he became well-nigh persuaded that

Mary had really heard the voice and beheld the form

of the divine messenger, he was torn in mind

as he pondered how such things could be.

How could the offspring of human beings be

a child of divine destiny? Never could Joseph

reconcile these conflicting ideas until, after

several weeks of thought, both he and Mary reached

the conclusion that they had been chosen to become

the parents of the Messiah, though it had hardly

been the Jewish concept that the expected deliverer

was to be of divine nature. Upon arriving at this

momentous conclusion, Mary hastened

to depart for a visit with Elizabeth.

Upon her return, Mary went to visit her parents,

Joachim and Hannah. Her two brothers and

two sisters, as well as her parents, were always very

skeptical about the divine mission of Jesus,

though, of course, at this time they knew nothing

of the Gabriel visitation. But Mary did confide to

her sister Salome that she thought her son was

destined to become a great teacher.

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Gabriel's announcement to Mary was made the day

following the conception of Jesus and was

the only event of supernatural occurrence connected

with her entire experience of carrying and bearing

the child of promise.
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The angel summoned Mary, betrothed to Joseph,

from the rather safe place of conventional wisdom to a realm where few of the old rules would make much sense.  She entered that unknown called "virgin territory."  She was on her own there.  No one else could judge for her the validity

of her experience.

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She can measure her reality against Scripture, the teachings

of her tradition, her reason and intellect, and the counsel of wise friends.  But finally it is up to her.  The redemption of the creation is resting on the consent - the choice of this mortal woman to believe fearlessly that what she is experiencing is true.  And to claim and live out that truth by conceiving the fruit of salvation.

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Loretta Ross-Gatta

From WATCH FOR THE LIGHT

Readings for Advent & Christmas

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MAGDALENE IN THE MIRROR

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Title: 'The Repenting Magdalene'
Artist: Georges de La Tour
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Date: late 1630'sIncident shown: Mary surveys the mirror,

symbol of her former vanity and preoccupation

with worldly things. It casts a large shadow.

Her beauty remains, but she has clearly become

aware of the fact that there is more to life

than earthly pleasure.

Now, in the stillness of night,

she reflects on past events, and on her own

transformation through the encounter

she has had with Jesus.

Bible reference: None

Comment: The skull in Mary's lap reminds

her that Death is inevitable for all creatures,

and will come to her as well.

It suggests that she should think about

the hereafter as well as the present.
George de la Tour excelled in the use of light

and shadow, and the meditative mood that

night brings to all creatures.There is another version of this scene painted

by Georges de la Tour (see image below). In this,

the sexual undertone is more explicit -

Mary's legs and shoulder are bared,

as if she has just finished servicing a client.

But the mood of introspection and regret

are the same.

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From www.bible-art.info

An excellent site for religous art images/art education,

particularly re: women in biblical art.

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