“And she being with child, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.” – Revelation 12:2

It seems obvious that this would mean delivering a baby, right? And yet Paul wrote, 

“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” -  Gal 4:19

The word for "birth" commonly used is "gennesis" or "genete," but the word used in Revelation 12 and Galatians 4 is "odino," and Paul used it to say,

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you…" (Gal 4:19)

Obviously, Paul wasn’t writing about delivering a baby.  I believe it’s about being BORN AGAIN.  About my son or this generation being born again: 

”There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?’ (John 3) 

When I read Revelation 12 and “saw” it as what happened to me years ago, I tried to deny it because none of my sons were “caught up” at birth.  I would have to have a child in my old age for that to be true.  Sure, that happened to Sarah, but I haven’t had an angel come and tell me I would have another child, so, “safe,” right?  The Revelation 12 woman is hunted down, her kids are hunted down, and it looks like she misses the rapture.  The popular belief that “the Revelation 12 woman is Israel” looks better to me all the time!  Except there are a lot of specific details that don’t really fit a nation.  

So when I saw how “odino’ is used rather than ‘genete,’ and that Paul used “odino” to describe his travailing until they are “born again,” I had a crisis of belief.  And though I pray for all my sons to be born again in Christ, I have such fear that the moment one of them does, he will be instantly “caught away” to God somehow, and I won’t see him again on this side of heaven, while the rest of my sons will be targeted by Satan himself.

This is not easy to take.  And the truth is, I don’t even know which of my sons this would be, any more than Jesse knew which one of his sons God had called Samuel to anoint with oil to be king. (1 Samuel 16:10-12)

 I had felt so led and corrected by God in my own ‘travailing’ over what was happening to my sons and all children in our public schools in California.  When I pursued media attention to it, I was invited to an event in Los Angeles and advised there would be media there.  I felt extremely out of place, a lone woman surrounded by politicians and educrats, all very polished and familiar with each other.  I sat at a table and listened to the speaker.  During a break, everyone seemed fascinated with each other and I thought I would find a quiet corner and read my Bible alone and pray.  But God compelled me to go and speak to a certain man on the other side of the room.  I was really uncomfortable with it, I don’t like approaching strangers and I had nothing to say, but the sense of it was so strong that I finally internalized a loud, OKAY!, and got up and forced myself to try to say something to him.  He was very polite and easy to talk to and somehow I told him why I was there, outraged at what was being taught to my kids in textbooks, and yes, I just happened to have a ten page list with me. 

The speaker began again, the man left, the host of the whole event rushed to me after it was over and asked anxiously, “What did he say?” “Who?” I asked.  The man that I had spoken with.  It turned out that he was “the media” covering the event, and yes, he wrote all about what I had given him. 

That was the start of my battle over the textbooks blessed by God.  I was given a website by volunteers in my neighborhood and helped by an online friend, and for years I wrote articles (travailing) that were carried on other news sites.  I appeared on FOX news and dozens of radio shows, the textbook company was sold for over $900 million less than just two years before, the Iranian school teacher-turned-CEO of the textbook “resigned,” as did a Christian of a large education organization who denied a problem with the textbooks to the media and then admitted he never even read the textbook in question…people lost their jobs, millions of dollars were lost, textbook companies were asking conservatives how to proceed in the future, all after three different people from different parts of the country that didn’t know each other, prophesied within two weeks of each other, that I would be a “general.”  All three used that word, “general.”  At the time, I was reading ‘Fascinating Womanhood” by Helen Andelin, and being a “general” was the complete opposite of my hopes, but I look back on it and am amazed, because I was rallying large Christian organizations and well known leaders into action.  Where God guides, God provides.  All glory to God. 

But my real “travailing” was yet to begin.  I wrote articles until I asked God, “what next?” and He answered for me to take care of my family.  Like a complete fool, I looked at my sons who were now in high school and thought my sons were fine, the youngest didn’t want much to do with me but I figured that was normal, so I focused on work and cooking, etc.  I didn’t know that my 2nd oldest was reading books by atheist authors blaspheming God and was beginning to seek non-Christian friends, but God knew.  I remember the day he told me he was an atheist, I guess it was hard for him, he seemed really concerned.  But I thought it was so beyond belief that it was a joke, a phase at best, it just wasn’t possible.  This was a son who saw the hand of God in his life personally in ways that couldn’t possibly be a coincidence.  I couldn’t believe him for weeks, maybe months, and when I finally realized he was serious and firm on it, I have been on a perpetual meltdown and walking around in denial.  I get hit with such waves of grief at the thought of his not being among my loved ones in eternity, and the pain he will go through when he realizes what he will miss…   I can’t even start to go there.  My travailing has been beyond intense.  I have a dear friend who grieves the death of her 5 year old son, and I’m jealous, because she knows she will see her son in heaven some day, while I’m walking around on fire at the thought of my son not being there.  Eternity is a LONG time beyond time.  The whole purpose of this life is to be given the opportunity to make that choice and connection with God, and my beloved son has said no?  My son, so successful by the world’s standards, so Christlike in gentleness and kindness and goodness, has said no?  I cannot comprehend it, I cannot.  I’ll think about it tomorrow, I can’t think about it today, I would die.  But then someone will ask if they can pray for me and my instant thought is my son, and the tears come like a flood that won’t stop and I completely fall apart.

Oh how I travail and am still travailing.  And my other sons…the ones that won’t tell me what they believe or even talk about it.  So I pray.  And I pray.  And I pray some more and I wait and try not to melt down because I HATE to cry.  Sometimes I think I’ll have a stroke from the pain of it. 

Revelation 12 Woman

Travailing