And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Read Chapter 12
Bede
AD 735
caught up: Therefore ungodliness cannot apprehend Christ, Who is spiritually born in the minds of the hearers, because at the same time He reigns with the Father in heaven, "Who has raised up us also together with Him, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ." <a
man child: Although the dragon oppose, the Church ever brings forth Christ. But he spoke of the man child as conqueror of the devil, who had conquered the woman. For who but the man child, who is "to rule all nations with a rod of iron," rules the good with inflexible justice, breaks in pieces the bad? And this is also promised to the Church, in that it is said above, "I will give Him power over the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron." For the Church, too, daily generates the Church, which rules the world in Christ.
A man child; that is, a masculine race of Christians, willing to confess the name of the Lord, and to fight his battles; who, through the merits of Jesus Christ, should triumph over all the attempts of the world. (Calmet)
Her son (or children) was taken up to heaven, guarded by the special favour of God. They always overcome the devil, and all their adversaries, by reason of the blood of the Lamb, by the merits of Christ. And they loved not the life of the body, so as to preserve it, by incurring the death of the soul. (Witham)
The rod of iron is the sword of persecution.
I saw that all men withdrew from his abodes. That is, the good will be removed, flying from persecution.
And her son was caught up to God, and to His throne. We read also in the Acts of the Apostles that He was caught up to God's throne, just as speaking with the disciples He was caught up to heaven.
