Mother

Our present focus is on the “city with foundations,”¹ a place that “cannot be shaken,”² the “new Jerusalem,”³ the “free woman,”⁴ the “desolate woman,”⁵ “a great wonder in heaven,”⁶ “our mother”⁷ “dead to the law,”⁸ “betrothed to … Christ,”⁹ “coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband…”¹⁰

She would appear to be not yet married, yet betrothed, a virgin, yet with children, the bride of Christ, yet the mother of Christ. “Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?”¹¹  “Terrible as an army with banners”?¹²

“For he was looking forward to the city with foundations. whose architect and builder is God.”¹³

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”¹⁴  “The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken–that is, created things–so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”¹⁵

¹ Hebrews 11:10
² Hebrews 12:26-28
³ Revelation 21:2, 19
⁴Galatians 4:21-27
⁵ Isaiah 54:1
⁶ Revelation, 12:1
⁷ Isaiah 54:13-17
⁸ Romans 7:4
⁹ Galatians 4:19, 20
¹⁰ Revelation 21:2
¹¹ Song of Songs 8:5
¹² Song of Songs 6:4, 10
¹³ Hebrews 11:10
¹⁴ Haggai 2:6
¹⁵ Hebrews 12:26-28

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband… The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone…”¹⁶

“Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise. These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above, is free, and she is our mother.  For it is written:”¹⁷ “Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,’ saith the LORD.”¹⁸

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. … And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”¹⁹

“So my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.”²⁰

“I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.”²¹

¹⁶ Revelation 21:2, 19
¹⁷ Galatians 4:21-27
¹⁸ Isaiah 54:1
¹⁹ Revelation 12:1, 2, 5, 6
²⁰ Romans 7:4
²¹ II Corinthians 11:2

“To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you. ‘O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones.”²²

“All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children’s peace. In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you. If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; whoever attacks you will surrender to you. ‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,’ declares the Lord.”²³

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.”²⁴
“Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.”²⁵

Revelation of the Spirit through Paul: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now and change my tone, because I am perplexed about you!”²⁶

“Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” ²⁷

²² ISA 54:9-12
²³ Isaiah 54:13-17
²⁴ Isaiah 9:6
²⁵ Song of Solomon, chapter 3:11
²⁶ Galatians 4:19, 20
²⁷ Revelation 3:11-13

Jay Ferris – 1999