[19] And the temple of God in heaven was opened. With the birth of the Lord, the temple of God has been manifested in heaven, that is, in the church. Accordingly the church is shown to be “heaven.”And the ark of his covenant was seen in his temple, that is, it is understood that the church is the Ark of the Covenant. For God promises this through Jeremiah, saying: “When you will have been multiplied and you will have increased upon the earth, in those days, the Lord says, they will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of Israel.’ It will not come to mind, neither will it be named, nor will it be missed. In those days and at that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of God, and all nations will be gathered in her.”
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Chapter Twelve
So also now, as the temple of God in heaven was opened and battles followed, he says: [1] And a great sign was seen in heaven, which now also is seen in the church, to become God from man.
A woman, he says, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet. Frequently it has been said that the general is divided into many separate particulars, which are one and the same thing. For what heaven is, the temple in heaven is, the woman clothed with the sun is, and the moon under her feet is, as if he had said: “a woman clothed with the sun and a woman under her feet,” or “the moon clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet.” For all things are bipartite. He says that the church has a part of herself that is under her feet. But we are also able to interpret the moon for the good part, just as it is written in the Psalms: “Once I have sworn in my holiness; I will not lie to David. His seed will remain forever, and his throne [will endure] as the sun in my sight and as the full moon forever; the witness of the sky is sure.” And again: “Splendid as the sun and fair as the moon.”
And on her head a crown of twelve stars, that is, in Christ the twelve apostles or the twelve tribes of Israel.
[2] And having [a child] in her womb. And she cried out travailing, giving birth in pain. Every day through all time the church gives birth.
... [5] And the woman gave birth to a male child; that is, the church [gave birth] to Christ, then to his body. Moreover, he calls the victor against the devil, who had conquered the woman, a “male.”
Who will shepherd all nations with an iron rod; surely [he will shepherd] his body, about which the same Lord says: “The one who overcomes and keeps my works up to the end, I shall give to him authority over the nations. And he will shepherd them with an iron rod and as earthen vessels are shattered, as I also have received from my Father.”
