Pray!

Lutero asks:
(i) Who is that woman who carries a child in her hand? Many say that she is “Mary help of Christians with the baby Jesus”. Is this correct?

Mary is frequently depicted with Jesus in her arms. So, it could be Mary help of Christians or Mary mother of God or any number of other icons or works of art. Do you have a link?

(ii) Jesus God incarnate in-the-flesh also chose the 12 Apostles to preach the “Good News” to the uttermost parts of the earth. They laid down their lives for the purpose in fulfilling the “Great Commission”. Shouldn’t we also be exalting “equally” their exemplary deeds much how Mary obeyed the will of God? Does not the scripture say that God is not a “respecter” of persons (Acts 10:34)?

Yes. But that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t respect anyone. Nor that God doesn’t love some more than others. See Numbers 12, where God shows more love for Moses than anyone of his time. And see Job 42 where God shows more love for Job than his friends. In the same way, God the Son, loves His mother more than any other human being.

In Revelation 12:1, John sees a vision of a woman “clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”. Note the similarity between this description and the description that Joseph gave of his father Jacob (Israel) and his mother and their children (Genesis 37:9-11). The twelve stars refer to the twelve tribes of Israel. So the woman in Revelation 12 is Israel and not Mary. The women associated with the Sun (Jacob) moon (Rachel) and twelve stars ( twelve tribes of Jacob) is Israel ( Gen 37:9-10). Israel is taken into wilderness for protection on eagles wings (Rev 12: 6,16, Hos 2:14-15, Deut 32:9-11). Israel is the women that brings forth Jesus Christ. Rev 12:5, Heb 2:16, Gal 3:16 , Rom 1:3).

Look again.
1st.  There are not twelve stars on JOSEPH’s head. But 10.
2nd. It is not Israel that has the 10 stars on his head.
3rd. Israel is bowing to Joseph in that dream.

So, the one that fits the description of Rev 12:1 best is Mary, the Mother of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ.

Sincerely,

De Maria