God's Woman
by Lewis D. Hrytzak
The term ‘woman’ is frequently used in Scripture to represent an entity, rather than only an individual of the female gender. There are many examples of this. For instance, the nation of Israel was known as God’s woman, or wife. The Church is known as the ‘bride’ of Christ. At times that term depicts an honorable entity; at other times it does not.
At any rate, the very first mention of the term ‘woman’ being used that way in Scripture is recorded at Genesis 3:15, and consists of God’s sentence upon the serpent. This example is a concept that runs like a thread from Genesis to Revelation, so let’s examine this prophesy more closely: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you will bruise him on the heel.”
The ‘woman’ whom God introduces in sentencing the ‘serpent’ [a disguise for Satan the devil who deceived Eve] is prophesied to have a seed [or offspring] that the serpent [Satan] would bruise in the heel. On the other hand, the woman’s seed will ultimately bruise [or crush] the serpent’s head.
The serpent produces a seed as well, and when Jesus was on earth he was bitterly opposed by the seed of the serpent, those who finally caused his death. No wonder Jesus told the hypocritical, and deceitful, Pharisees: “You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
To his own followers, Jesus said: “If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” He spoke these words because in the larger picture they too were part of the promised seed. (John 15:18-21; Gal. 3:16, 29)
The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 indicates clearly that the descendants of Adam and Eve would be divided into two basic groups: The woman’s seed (or children) as one group, and the serpent’s seed as the other group. Furthermore, contrasting the woman’s seed with that of the serpent’s seed identifies the woman as being righteously disposed, but who exactly is this woman?
We already know from other parts of scripture that the nation of Israel was considered to be God’s wife, so in a manner of speaking, Israel was a symbolic woman. And while it is true that anyone born into the nation of Israel was automatically a recipient of the promise made to Abraham, that promise was conditional on their obedience to God. Consequently, we can better understand why Jesus once referred to a faithful Israelite, Nathanael, in these words: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit.” (John 1:47) From the standpoint of being born into that nation, Nathanael was, indeed, an Israelite. However, from Jesus point of view, what made Nathanael “a true Israelite” was not his natural birth into the nation of Israel, but the fact that he had “no deceit.”
If we ponder these words of Jesus, we will undoubtedly, rightly conclude that those who are considered to be ‘true Israelites’ identify with the seed of God’s woman because they have no deceit. They are faithful, and without guile. They are among those who love righteousness, and are disposed towards acts of righteousness. Abraham, grandfather of Jacob/Israel possessed such qualities, and indeed, outstandingly so!
On the other hand, the exact opposite is true of Satan’s deceitful behavior, and that of his children. This is why Jesus told the hypocritical Pharisees who claimed to be Abraham’s seed, but failed to behave truthfully, “You are of your father, the devil.”
The sentence God pronounced on the serpent indicates that the ‘woman’ and the serpent each produce a seed. However, although the serpent bruises the woman’s seed on the heel, her seed bruises him on the head.
The seed of the woman in Gen. 3:15 is directly related to Abraham’s seed that Paul comments on in his letter to the Galatians. Paul wrote: “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.” (Gal. 3:16) Nevertheless, in verse 29 of that chapter, Paul adds: “And if you belong to Christ, certainly you are Abraham’s seed, and Heirs according to the Promise.”
(The Galatian Christians were of Gentile stock.)
Now then, to underscore the thought that the ‘woman’ in Gen. 3:15 consists of that portion of mankind that is disposed to righteousness, consider the following examples. Abraham came from a pagan family and background. Yet he was chosen by God from among his contemporaries and obediently left Ur to go to a land God would show him; a land that would become home for God’s chosen people if they obeyed God and expressed faith like Abraham did. Later, Abraham was further rewarded for his faith and obedience. God told him: “In your seed all the nations of the earth will bless themselves.” (Gen. 22:18) That promise still stands today. However, God has also clearly indicated that those whom he draws to his Son must have faith like that of Abraham.
Abraham obediently left Ur for a country God would show him. With his wife Sarah and their household, along with his father Terah, he went to Canaan and became grandfather to Jacob/Israel. In the same way, men and women of other generations responded favorably to God’s righteous ways.
For instance, an ancestor of Jesus was the Moabite woman, Ruth, who expressed greater faith in Israel’s God than many Israelites did. And the men and women of faith recorded in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, pleased God, despite having been born in sin, like all descendants of Adam and Eve. It’s just that some people try to get closer to God while others do not. Esau and Jacob (twins born to Isaac and Rebecca) illustrate this point. For this reason, some become the seed of the woman, showing faith like that of Abraham, whereas others do not. You will recall this to be true even in the case of Cain and Abel.
Furthermore, it is from people with such residual characteristics of his image that God draws people to his Son, and as an entity, such people are fittingly referred to as ‘God’s woman’. In turn, the persons called out from among such ones [i.e., ‘the woman’] are referred to as her ‘seed,’ and as mentioned, foremost among them is Christ Jesus. In the book of Revelation, the bride of Christ is spoken of as the “144,000 purchased from the earth.” Please note: They are ‘purchased’ from righteously disposed mankind, ‘God’s woman.’ (Rev. 14:1- 4)
As we have seen, it was due to Abraham’s obedience and faith, that God made a covenant with him, saying: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Regretfully, however, Abraham’s natural children continued to disobey God. After being called out of Egypt, the nation of Israel became disobedient to God and reverted to calf worship.
However, for the sake of his promise to Abraham, God still brought them into Canaan on condition they remain obedient to him. They were also reminded that disobedience to God would bring his disfavor upon them, and they would lose the land God brought them into. Nevertheless, they continued to disobey, expressing lack of faith. (NOTE: I HAVE MOVED THIS PARAGRAPH FURTHER UP, SINCE I THINK IT FITS BETER HERE.)
Consequently, God foretold that he would open the way for members of the promised seed to come from other nations as well, and inspired Isaiah to
prophecy to that effect. Isaiah wrote: “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the LORD.” (Isa. 54:1) The married woman is, of course, the nation of Israel, God’s ‘wife’. However, it is the “barren one”, at first forsaken by God, who bears more children than the married woman, fleshly Israel.
However, although the “barren one” has children more numerous than the “married woman” (Israel), she does not replace Israel. Rather, her children are grafted into the root stock of Israel. In addressing the Gentiles, Paul writes in Rom. 11:17: “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive were grafted in among them, and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember it is not you that supports the root, but the root supports you.” This is so because God’s covenant with Abraham for his faith and obedience stands, and the promised seed comes through Abraham’s offspring, either by birth, or by faith like that of Abraham himself, even as Paul confirms at Galatians 3:29.
Although the fulfillment of Gen. 3:15 may have begun with Abel, and continued with the likes of Enoch, Noah and many others, it was with Abraham that God made a covenant to the effect that in his seed, “All the nations of the earth will bless themselves.” Therefore, Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, also called Israel, had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel. As for the promised Ruler, Messiah, he was foretold to come through Israel’s fourth son, Judah.
The barren woman is told to “Enlarge the place of [her] tent; …”for you will spread to the right and to the left. And your descendants will possess nations… For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called God of all the earth… For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit… For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you.” (Isa. 54:1-7)
Rebellious and disobedient as they were, it comes as no surprise that the nation of Israel did not recognize their own promised Messiah when he appeared, but of course, much had already been foretold about what would happen. The apostle Paul expresses this clearly in Galatians 4:21-31.
Using the analogy of a woman, Paul speaks of two women, one in slavery (represented by Hagar) and the other free (represented by Sarah). However, because of their disobedience and rejection of God’s Son, fleshly Israel is now represented not by Sarah, the free woman, but by Hagar, the bondswoman. The result is that this opens up the way for the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. The “barren woman” that had no husband is finally accepted by God to produce seed more numerously than Israel, but her seed is grafted into Israel, the garden olive that bears the “root of fatness”.
In providing this analogy, Paul clearly states that “Jerusalem is in slavery with her children.” How? Well, they were enslaved by the law that actually was meant to
lead them to Christ their Messiah but whom they failed to recognize.
Paul then says, “But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is written (Isa. 54:1), ‘REJOICE BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT; YOU WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT; YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.’” (NOTE: 1) I ASSUME THE TEXT IS CAPITALIZED IN YOUR VERSION? 2) ADD THE SCRIPTURE REFERENCE.)
“The Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.” What does Paul mean by those words? He is telling the Galatians they should not revert to the Jewish law, for that law was intended as the “tutor” to lead Israel to Christ, whereas they had actually arrived at Christ who fulfilled the law, and were therefore free. (Read Gal. 3:24, 25) It was for this very reason that he quotes Isaiah 54:1, for they had actually been born to the ‘barren woman’ who now had God’s favor. Moreover, their mother was not fleshly Israel, but the Jerusalem above who is free because they have gained freedom in Christ and belong to Christ.
“The Jerusalem above is free; and she is our mother,” Paul said. They had no part in earthly Jerusalem, that is, the temple, animal sacrifice, priesthood, etc. because they had arrived at Christ who was the REALITY and were, therefore, free. The animal sacrifices were replaced by the one-time sacrifice of Christ Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) The human High Priest was replaced by none other than Christ Jesus himself. The temple, abandoned to the Jews (as Jesus foretold), was replaced by the spiritual temple, the ‘house’ that God himself was building with ‘living stones’ [i.e., true believers].
(See 1 Peter 2:4-10)
God had now turned his attention to the “barren one” who had no husband, but her seed (“believing branches”) are grafted into the garden olive, Israel. Not only did God accept the ‘barren one’ as her “husbandly maker,” but with everlasting loving-kindness God now has compassion on the barren one. The “barren one” is promised children more numerous than that of fleshly Israel, the married woman. God became her “husbandly owner,” and with this turn of events, the promised seed was no longer by fleshly descent from Abraham, but by faith like that of Abraham. Paul (NOTE: REMOVED EXTRA SPACE) makes this very clear in his letter to the Galatians. (Gal. 3:29)
As already considered in Galatians chapter four, fleshly Israel was the married woman to whom God had given his laws (for the benefit of mankind as well), but with the coming of Messiah and Israel’s subsequent rejection of him, some things changed. Even as Paul writes to the Romans, unbelieving Israelite branches were broken off for lack of faith, and believing branches of the Gentiles grafted in. For this reason Paul told the Galatians, “The Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother.” Israel lost her exclusive position to produce children of the “promise” because of her disobedience and lack of faith, and especially because she rejected God’s Beloved Son, the Messiah, whom God had sent into the world. So what is Israel’s punishment for such rebellion?
In his letter to the Romans 11:30-32, Paul writes: “For just as you [Gentiles] were once disobedient to God, but (NOTE: REMOVED EXTRA SPACE) now have been shown mercy because of their [Israel’s] disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all [natural Israel] in disobedience so that He may now show mercy to all.” How did God shut up Israel in disobedience? And how and when is that changed?
In 2 Cor. 3:14-17, Paul responds by saying: “But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old law covenant the same veil remains un-lifted, because it is removed [only] in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [freedom].”
What Paul is saying is that fleshly Israel will remain under a veil until that veil is removed in Christ. Individual Israelites might accept Christ now, but Israel as a nation is under a veil, and that veil will not be removed for them as a nation until Christ returns. Meanwhile, they remain “shut up” in disobedience. However, it is Christ Jesus and his bride (the promised seed) that will free them even as they will free all nations who will “bless themselves by means of Abraham’s seed.”’ As mentioned, the law was the tutor that led to Christ, but as keepers of the law, the Jews became self-important and enslaved to the very law that God intended to lead them to Christ. However, Paul understood this very well and that was why he exclaimed: “The Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.” Paul claimed for the believing remnant of Israel (and Gentile believers) to be the seed of the woman by reason of their faith in Christ Jesus, the promised Messiah. For that reason, too, he quotes Isaiah 54:1.
Incidentally, when God embraced the “forsaken woman”, he added this reminder: “For this is like the days of Noah to Me, when I swore that the waters of Noah Would not flood the earth again; So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, Nor will I rebuke you.” The “waters of Noah” wiped humanity off the face of the earth with the exception of eight souls, namely: Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their three daughters-in-law. Consequently, this precluded the possibility that other children might be born of the evil generation that God destroyed in the flood. After the flood,
Abraham appears on the scene; then Isaac and Jacob from whom the 12 tribes of Israel sprang forth. All of these faithful men and women came through the ‘woman’ God had chosen, namely, Israel, who played a unique and most important role in the purpose of God. The promised ‘seed’ of that ancestry will bruise the serpent on the head. Not only did Jesus refer to himself as God’s Son, but also as the ‘Son of Man’ for he was born to Mary, a Jewish virgin. Incidentally, at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee where Jesus performed his very first miracle, changing water into fine wine, it is noteworthy that he addressed his mother, not as “mother”, but as “woman”. Why? Well, Jesus would have been aware of the prophecy at Genesis 3:15, and perhaps that was the reason. After all, it was not as though he was born randomly of any virgin girl. Rather, God’s angel told her she would become pregnant by Holy Spirit and her child would be called God’s Son.
Therefore, when we read Revelation 12:1 that, “A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth,” more than Mary is implied, for Jesus’ ancestry is clearly the nation of Israel, which at this point was referred to as God’s ‘wife’, or ‘woman’.
Something else worthy of note is the narrative at Genesis 37:6, 7, 9, 10. Jacob was also called Israel and lived with his family in the land of Canaan where his father had sojourned. He had 12 sons, and Joseph was a son of his old age. In his youth, Joseph had an unusual dream. He dreamt that he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field, and behold!, his sheaf stood erect while the sheaves of his brothers bowed down to his sheaf. Later, he had another dream in which “the sun, moon and eleven stars” were bowing to him. Upon relating this dream to his father and his brothers, 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?” And yet, that is what happened. His jealous brothers sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt where he ultimately became the Prime Minister, second only to Pharaoh. There was a great famine in the land and food had to be rationed. Canaan was also affected, so Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food supplies. Needless to say, they bowed down before the Prime
Minister, not knowing it was their own brother. Eventually, even his father and all the family were brought down into Egypt and the twelve tribes of Israel became a numerous people. Therefore, in a greater sense Jesus is produced by God’s woman, as is true of the rest of her seed. It is interesting how Revelation 12:1 describes [God’s] woman: “Clothed with the sun… the moon was under her feet… on her head a crown of twelve stars.” As noted, this account is very similar to the dream Joseph had when he was a young lad. His father, Jacob (Israel) saw himself as the sun, Rebecca (his wife) as the moon and the eleven stars as the brothers of Joseph to whom they all bowed down. For this reason, Joseph’s dream was, in fact, a foregleam of what is shown in Revelation 12:1 in the description of the ‘woman’.
God made a covenant with Abraham, saying that due to his obedience and great faith, God would make a great nation out of him, and that “All the nations, tribes and tongues would bless themselves by means of his seed.” Then God repeated this promise to Isaac, and later, to Jacob; It was through Jacob, called Israel, that his twelve sons became the entity of Israel that God called his ‘woman’ or ‘wife’. This narrative makes it obvious that the nation of Israel was foundational in God’s purpose and would produce the promised seed or ‘male child.’
Revelation 12: 2, continues: “And she was with child.” Verse 5 states: “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne.” (Read Psalm 110:1)
Interestingly, the ‘male child’ shares this unique privilege with his ‘bride’, for she is part of the promised seed even as Paul discloses at Galatians 3:29. The ‘sun’ clothing the woman represents God’s Holy Spirit. Jacob (who is called Israel) is father of the nation and is fittingly pictured as the sun. His wife, pictured by the moon, together with Jacob forms the very base of the nation of Israel. The ‘crown of 12 stars’ is the crowning feature that makes up that entire nation. The ‘male child’ is born by Holy Spirit into the nation, represented by the ‘woman’.
Interestingly, the members of Christ’s bride are born of “water and Spirit” (see John 3:3-8) either from natural Israel, the married woman, or of the ‘barren one’ whose seed (by faith), is grafted into Israel, the instrument producing the seed.
The persecution of the woman who gives birth to the ‘male child’ represents devilish opposition and persecution of Christ Jesus himself, for persecuting his bride is like persecuting him. The woman fleeing to the ‘wilderness’ that God had prepared for her so she could be nourished for 1,260 days, undoubtedly, refers to protection offered by nations and tribes like the Lombards, the Goths and the Visigoths who favored the belief that Christ Jesus was the son of God, even as he often referred to himself. Note: I have discussed the 1,260 days in another article,
Conclusion:
It is important to note that after the first couple disobeyed their Creator, God immediately declared a plan to remedy the situation, even though not all parts of the divine plan were disclosed at once. The prophetic sentence recorded at Genesis 3:15 is merely the overview. However, as time went on and God’s plan unfolded, God chose faithful persons in carrying out his declared purpose, and Abraham plays a very important role in God’s redemption of the human race.
However, it is the seed of the ‘woman’, the ‘male child’, who has the key role.
In fact, in his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes: “Now all these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:18, 19) In other words, the basis for saving mankind is fully in place even though most of mankind is not even aware of that.
Moreover, God has entrusted the word of reconciliation to those who have already believed in God, and have expressed faith in Christ Jesus, his Beloved Son.
Not only did God provide a Redeemer for mankind, but his Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, will ultimately ‘crush the head of the serpent.’ The divine plan also provides for a numerous ‘seed’, namely, the ‘Bride of Christ’ with whom Jesus will share his throne (or authority to rule). (See Rev. 2:25-28)
Israel as a nation is an instrument in the hand of God, and through his prophet Isaiah he calls her the “married” woman. However, when she rebelled and refused to be obedient, God took to himself the “barren one”, becoming her “husbandly owner” to produce “living stones” more numerous than that of the married woman, Israel. Therefore, God continues to build his “house”, (the bride of his Son) with the “seed” of the “barren one”. Nevertheless, it is the married woman, Israel, through whom God brought forth “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED” (Messiah). Likewise, the “twelve foundation stones” (i.e., the “twelve apostles of the Lamb”) chosen by Christ Jesus, were also produced by
the ‘married woman’. (See 1 Peter 2:4-10; Rev. 21:14.)