As the stronger part of the universal woman, the man-child consists of the overcomers among the believers. The fact that the man-child will shepherd the nations with an iron rod indicates that the man-child consists of the overcomers, as mentioned in Revelation 2:26-27. In particular, the man-child consists of the resurrected overcomers. Revelation 12:11 indicates that a number of those who compose the man-child have been martyred for the Lord’s testimony. This proves that the man-child brought forth by the woman will be the dead and resurrected overcoming saints.
Furthermore, the words “brought forth” in 12:5 signify resurrection, as in Acts 13:33-34. The man-child, therefore, is composed of overcoming saints who have died and who have been resurrected. The Lord Jesus was brought forth in resurrection to be the firstborn Son of God. Hence, to Him resurrection was a birth. In like manner, the man-child will be brought forth in birth through resurrection. By resurrection the man-child will come into full existence. This means that the resurrection of the dead overcomers will be the delivery of the man-child. From this we see that the man-child does not represent the overcomers who live until the Lord comes back; rather, the man-child represents all the dead overcomers, who will be resurrected shortly before the Lord’s coming back.
Revelation 12:5 says that the man-child “was about to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod.” This is the authority of Christ (Psa. 2:9) which He gives to the overcomers (Rev. 2:26-27). The man-child, the resurrected overcomers, will exercise the authority of Christ over the nations and rule them with Christ in the millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:4, 6).
Revelation 12:5 also says that the man-child “was caught up to God and to His throne.” To be “caught up” is to be raptured. The rapture of the man-child differs from that of the majority of the believers, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 4:17. There, the rapture of the majority of the believers will be to the air and at the last trumpet (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16), which will be the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15). But in 12:5 the rapture of the man-child will be to the throne of God and before the “thousand two hundred and sixty days,” which will be the time of the great tribulation of three and a half years (forty-two months, 12:14; 13:5; 11:2), beginning from the fifth trumpet (9:1). Therefore, whereas the majority of the believers will be raptured to the air near the end of the tribulation, the man-child will be caught up directly to the throne of God in the third heaven before the great tribulation.
In Revelation 14 the believers are symbolized by the firstfruit and the harvest. First we shall consider the symbol of the firstfruit and then the symbol of the harvest.
Revelation 14:4b speaks of those who “were purchased from among men as firstfruit to God and to the Lamb.” These are early overcomers who will be the first ripe ones in God’s field. Hence, they will be reaped before the harvest as firstfruit to God and to the Lamb. According to verses 14 through 16, the harvest will be reaped later. This means that the firstfruit will be raptured to the heavens before the harvest, just as the firstfruit of the good land was reaped and brought into the temple of God before the harvest (Lev. 23:10-11; Exo. 23:19). The events recorded in Revelation 14:6-13, all of which will take place during the great tribulation (Matt. 24:21), indicate clearly and prove strongly that the first overcomers as the firstfruit in Revelation 14:1-5 will be raptured before the great tribulation and that the harvest in 14:14-16, which should be the majority of believers, will be raptured towards the end of the great tribulation.
Whereas the man-child refers to the dead overcomers throughout all the dispensations, the firstfruit refers to the living overcomers at the end of this age. Just as the man-child will be caught up to the throne of God, so the firstfruit will be caught up to the heavenly mount Zion, to the place of God’s dwelling in the third heaven. This means that the firstfruit will be raptured not to the air but to the third heaven in order to be in the presence of God and Christ.
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