BOOK OF REVELATION #3

 

 

Chapter One hundred-thirty-two:

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #3

CHAPTER TWO The SMYRNA CHURCH Smyrna means "myrrh" - a rich and prosperous city of Ionia, forty miles N of Ephesus, at the mouth of the small river Meles. Anciently it was one of the finest cities of Asia Minor and was called "the lovely - the crown of Ionia - the ornament of Asia." to its credit the church at Smyrna was still faithful, and against her no word of reproach was uttered. It was Polycarp's field of Christian usefulness, and here he suffered martyrdom, around A.D. 169. (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary). Jesus again reaffirms He was the first and the last - eternal. He was dead once, but is alive forever more. Jesus, as God in the flesh, did not exist for three days and three night, He was as dead as a door nail, as the saying goes. If it was not for the power of the Father to raise Him back to life, He would still be dead, and we would have no salvation. we are saved not only by His death, but also by His life (Romans 5:10). Jesus tells the church at Smyrna that their works, their tribulation and their poverty (but rich in the things that count) He knows well. He knows also those who claim to be spiritual Jews, but are indeed the synagogue or church of Satan, and what they claim is blaspheming. He tells these faithful followers of Him to not fear the things they may suffer: indeed the Devil will have some of them thrown into prison, to be tried. They will have tribulation ten days. If they will remain faithful unto death, He will give them a crown of life. Those who overcome and stay faithful, shall not suffer from the second death (chapter 20:14). The second death is the lake of fire, which shall burn up the wicked, as they become ashes under the feet of the righteous. See the studies on "Death - then what?" which also covers the subject of the second death, for the un-repentant wicked. This is the church of ONLY TWO that have no reproaches said against them. The truth for our spiritual lesson is obvious. Remain zealously faithful even unto death. Church history shows that the largest and greatest "Christian" persecution was under Diocletian from 303 to 313 A.D. It was exactly 10 years. Using the prophetic day for a year, we do then have a ten year great persecution against the truth of the Gospel. The time age of the first church had ended, when is not known, but probably into the third century. False teachers had come, many by this time. The church at Rome was gaining power in numbers and doctrine. There was one last overall persecution of anyone under the name of Christian from 303 to 313. It was Constantine who adopted Roman Christianity, won the battles to become Roman Emperor, and DECREED a stop to Christian persecution, at least against Roman Christianity. It was Constantine who brought in the Sunday laws in about 321 A.D. The Roman church had been observing Sunday for some time, before Constantine gave the Sunday official status in the Roman Empire. Also the Roman church had been observing Easter instead of Passover for about 200 years by 313 A.D. So it was that by 313 A.D. there were MANY, not the few, who claimed to be spiritual Jews, but God knew what they really were, they were deceived by Satan the Devil. After 313 A.D. the focus of the Roman Empire was on persecution of those who differed with the Bishop of Rome, and the Roman Catholic (the word "catholic" means "universal") religion. For a number of hundreds of years the true Church of God was indeed under mighty persecution as we find in the church of Pergamos as the time of the age moved along. PERGAMOS CHURCH Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor, about 200 miles from the sea. It had a vast library of 200,000 volumes at one time. In this town was first discovered the art of making parchment, which was called "pergamena." The city was greatly addicted to idolatry, and its grove, which was one of the wonders of the place, was filled with statutes and altars. Here was one of the seven churches of Revelation 2:13. The wealth of the Attalic princes had raised Pergamum to the rank of the first city in Asia as regards splendor. It was a sort of union of pagan cathedral city, a university town, and a royal residence, embellished during a succession of years by kings who all had a passion for expenditure and ample means of gratifying it (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary). Please read the above again. Let it sink in what you have read. Now, think about the city of ROME, in the Roman Empire until the Empire fell about 500 A.D. Even after that, think about Rome and the mighty influence it had in the world of Christianity, under kings and bishops that also wanted wealth and splendor. The connection should be obvious. Rome was the Pergamum of the Western world from the time of Constantine to the middle ages and the famous Protestant Reformation battle under Luther. The spiritual lesson is clear. Do not mix idolatry and any stumbling block before yourself that will lead you away from serving and obeying the way and life and laws of the true eternal God. Jesus, who has the two edged sharp sword, the Word of God, says He knew His true followers in the Pergamos time age of the Church of God. He knew their works, And He knew that many of them lived where Satan's seat was. Now, was the old literal city of Pergamum, at the time of the last years of the first century when John was writing this revelation of Christ, the CENTER, the SEAT of Satan? When you consider WHAT the city of ROME was becoming in the way of so-called "Christianity" by the end of the first century A.D. the city of Pergamum could not have been the SEAT of Satan! When you consider what Polycarp and Polycrates did in going to ROME over certain doctrinal issues, during the second century, it is clear that ROME was the SEAT of Satan. Anti-pas can be a derivation of Anti-patris "instead of his father" - put in simple language, "instead of father" - against the "father" in the Roman Catholic churches. There was as some record the probability that a man by the name of Antipas was put to death in the city of Pergamum. But the time setting of it all could well fit the true church of God being against what the Roman Catholic church was teaching. The idolatry, things tied in with mystery spiritual fornication and idols, dressed up in Christian names is fitting during the powerful rise and domination of the Roman Catholic religion until the Protestant Reformation. This is again brought out in verse 15, where we again meet the doctrines of the Nicolaitans - the rulership over people. The true church of God, hated as Jesus did, the teaching that individual people as pastors and bishops had FULL DICTATOR RULERSHIP over the people. Satan had a HUGE SEAT of POWER at ROME, the influence of the Roman Catholic religion for a 1,000 years and more, was staggering to say the least. It not only ruled the religious life of people, it was also very political, and governed much of secular life, such as claiming the earth was flat and other such teachings. It persecuted people who said the earth was NOT flat. It branded all who did not accept its teachings in theology and otherwise, as HERETICS. So for hundreds of years God's people fought the religion of Rome. For the most part God's children remained faithful and true, BUT as it is with time, eventually the people of God caved in, got spiritually lazy, were slowly decaying. The church history of Britain shows as recorded by the famous Bede, that by 700 A.D. the Catholic church had gained strong footing in Britain. Again, the Passover as observed by John and Polycarp, and brought to England, under the early apostles, was conquered by the Roman Easter. The 7th day Sabbath observation in Britain was finally destroyed by 1100 A.D. (The Welsh held on to it until that century). By and into the second millennium A.D. God's people had to be told to REPENT, or that candlestick of the Pergamos time age, was going to be corrected very harshly by the mouth of the Lord. If the people of the Almighty would REPENT, they would then overcome and eat of the hidden manna, the true bread of life (Jesus in truth), be given a WHITE stone (white represents righteousness - see chapter 19:8), and in that stone a NEW name only known to that righteous person. Exactly what that "name" subject is all about ... well I cannot know to tell you, for only he that has receives it knows. Will it be such for all eternity, I cannot tell you the answer to that either. All so far said, fits very well with the historical record of Church History up to the time of around about the Protestant Reformation, up to some time BEFORE and then INTO that historical time age is the church of Thyatira. As mentioned before, keep in mind that true church time ages can OVERLAP by sometimes hundreds of years. .................... To be continued

BOOK OF REVELATION #2

 

 

Chapter One hundred-thirty-one:

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #2

CHAPTER ONE The first point we need to notice is that this is not other than the revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which He gave to the apostle John to record, via an angel. John bears witness to the things he SAW, to the WORD of God, and to the TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ. There is a blessing to for those who read, and hear the Word of God, and KEEP those things which are written herein (verse 1-3). Another very important point to notice are the phrases "things which must SHORTLY come to pass" and "for the time is at HAND." Some, because of those phrases, teach that the things in Revelation have taken place, shortly after John's time, or others will say they have taken place up to and including the "middle ages." They do not understand how God writes at times, and that He often views "time" with much different eyes and mind than we humans do. Here, within the book of Revelation itself is the example of what I've just stated. Turn to chapter 22 and read verses 7, 12, and 20. After all that Jesus reveals in this book, He says THREE TIMES in one chapter, that He is coming QUICKLY!! Obviously, to God, the span of time is often no where near how we look at time. To us our life time, and many life times, is long. How many have lived in the last 200 years WANTING and THINKING Jesus would come in their life time, many indeed. We saw in the writings of Peter that a thousand years to the Lord can be but a day. That is a way of saying God often does not view time as we do. When these prophetic events unfold (which are mainly to do with the last 42 months, 1260 days, of this age, the prophetic "Lord's day," then yes, Jesus will come QUICKLY! What is 2,000 years or so to God, since John recorded the events in Revelation? In the eternal ages of the past and the future, they are but the blink of an eye. Someone tried to tell me once that the message to the seven churches of chapter 2 and 3, were all fulfilled in John's day, and have nothing to do with the future or "church eras" per se. They pointed to those phrases in verses 1-3 about things "shortly coming to pass." It is first of all disproved by the phrases I pointed to in chapter 22 - "come quickly." Secondly, the whole main prophetic story is "on the Lord's day" (verse 10). Thirdly, somewhat less, but still true, is that the seven churches are in a "prophetic" book. If they have nothing really to do with prophecy, but only for "spiritual" lessons, then why have them in such a book as Revelation. Being in this book would I argue strongly indicate that there is a "prophetic message" intended. Add to that the fact that these seven churches are "represented" in HEAVEN with seven candlesticks and Jesus walking in the midst of them (verses 12-13,20). This should tell us the seven churches have MORE to play that JUST being seven literal churches in the time of John. If they were only for seven churches in Asia Minor, why those churches, which were hardly well known even in John's day. Why not the church at Corinth, or Rome? And to have SEVEN candlesticks in heaven, one for each of those relatively unknown churches. I think there is more to it all than something in the now distant past. Yes, of course they can stand for seven different spiritual attitudes (and certainly that is to teach us that lesson). But with verse 10 and the "Lord's day" vision, the seven churches I believe are prophetic in nature also. More on that when we arrive at chapter 2 and 3, and one MORE IMPORTANT fact that adds weight to the churches also being prophetic church ages. John does write to the seven churches which are in Asia Minor, grace and peace he sends them from the One who was, and is, and is to come (God in Jesus the Christ is the one to come) and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. Verse 20 gives us the interpretation of the seven Spirits - they are the seven Spirit ANGELS, the seven stars in Jesus' right hand are (represent) the seven angels, one angel for each of the seven churches. It would seem that God put a special work of an angel over each of the seven churches, which are the seven candlesticks, among whom Jesus walks (verse 4). This letter also comes from Jesus Christ, a faithful witness, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN (should understand it as first BORN - see Col.1:15-18). When you understand it, Jesus was the FIRST human person to ever be born into eternal life. No person EXCEPT Christ has ever be glorified into immortal life from flesh and blood. Enoch was not, Moses was not, Elijah, was not. That truth is covered in detail in various studies on this Website. John says Jesus is THE PRINCE of the kings of the earth, and the one who LOVED US, and washed us from sins in His own blood (verse 5). In Jesus so doing He has made us also into kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever (verse 6). The saints will rule with Jesus for 1,000 years (chapter 20) on this earth. The saints born into the very Family of God will function as a king - leadership; and priest - spiritual guides, to the people living in that 1,000 year period. Jesus will come with clouds (He said He would - Mat.24:30; and so was Paul inspired to say the same in 2 Thes.4:13-16). You may remember the angels saying He would come again in like manner as He went, with clouds (Acts 1:9-11). Every eye will see Him. This could certainly be possible as the earth turns. It could also be a "general statement" - the majority will see Him when He comes again in glory and power. They which pierced Him? Could mean the Jews, will see Him and mourn for Him with repentance (see Zech.12 through 13). It will eventually include even the very persons that hammered the nails into His hands and feet, and plunged the spear into His side. They will also one day be resurrected and see Jesus, in that White Throne Judgment period, spoken about at the end of chapter 20. All nations will wail because of him, some with tears of joy, that He as finally come back to earth, and others because the evil way of life with be destroyed by Him, and the merchants will wail at the destruction of there wealthy trading Empire as it is crushed and brought low (see Rev.18). Jesus proclaims He is the ALPHA and the OMEGA (the first and last letters of the old Greek alphabet) - the beginning and the ending. In other words from past eternity to future eternity. He was the One which is now, was in the past, and will come again. He is the ALMIGHTY! ALL THE NAMES THAT THE FATHER HAS ARE ALSO THE NAMES THAT THE SON HAS. Once more there is no mention of the Holy Spirit as another third separate personal being in heaven along side the Father and the Son. THE LORD'S DAY - THE 7 CANDLESTICKS - WE SEE THE GLORIFIED CHRIST - WE ARE TOLD WHAT THE SEVEN STARS ARE John was as many of them were, partaking in tribulation, and in the Kingdom and patience of Christ Jesus. He was exiled to the isle of Patmos, because of the word of the God and the testimony of Jesus Christ (verse 9). He says he "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" and hears a voice, like as a trumpet. The "Lord's day" here in a prophetic book was NOT a particular day of the week, but the prophetic "Lord's day" mentioned in many places in the prophetic books of the Old Testament. It may well be that as some prophetic passages give, a day for a year in fulfilment. If so then this "Lord's day" would be the LAST year of this age before Jesus comes again (verse 10). The voice John hears says: "I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: What you see, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." John turns and sees seven candlesticks and the One in the midst, like unto the Son of man. This indicates that the candlesticks were INDIVIDUAL and Jesus can walk among them. As we see in chapter 2 and 3 each candlestick can be removed, which also indicates they are individual candlesticks. Jesus says again He is the first and the last. He lives, and was dead; but is alive now forever more. He has the keys to hell and of death. Yes, Jesus said in the Gospels that He was the resurrection and the life. He also said that all judgment had been given to Him from the Father. It is only through Him that death can be overcome with life. He does, He has, He IS, the key for unlocking the grave of death. John was to write the things he saw, the things which are, and the things to be hereafter. The seven stars in Jesus hand represents the angels of the seven churches. The seven candlesticks represent the seven churches (verses 11,12, 17-20). THE GLORIFIED CHRIST! If you want to know what Jesus looks like NOW, in His glorified state of being, you will find it in verses 13-16. He is clothed with a garment down to His feet. He is girt about the chest with a GOLDEN girdle. His HEAD and His HAIR are WHITE like wool, as white as snow. His EYES are like a FLAME of FIRE. And His FEET like unto BRASS, as if burned in a furnace; and His VOICE like as the sound of MANY WATERS. He held in His RIGHT HAND seven stars, out of His MOUTH went a sharp TWO EDGED SWORD; and His face was as the SUN shines in its full strength (verses 13- 16). While some of the description is somewhat visionary in nature, like the two edged sword coming out of Jesus' mouth. Some like the "word of God" is depicted as a "two edged sword" in other writings of the New Testament. There is still enough description here to prove that Jesus (and hence the Father) are NOT JUST UNSHAPED NOTHINGS, as, believe it or not, some Christian religions actually teach. I do not know about you, but I certainly do not worship ETERNAL BEINGS (God and Christ) that have NO FORM or SHAPE, that have NO BODIES, but are just NOTHINGNESS! This teaching by some, must be one of the craziest theological teaching in all of Christendom. I have proved elsewhere in other studies that Jesus and the Father DO HAVE BODIES, do have FORM AND SHAPE. Moses we are told actually saw the BACK-FORM of God in His GLORIFIED body. He was not allowed to see His front form and face, because God told him that no human man can look upon God's face and live. THE SCENE IS SET IN HEAVEN THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE BODY OF CHRIST Let me say this immediately. On this Website you will find an in-depth study concerning the SEVEN CHURCHES. It is called "The SEVEN Churches of REVELATION." It is either under the "Prophecy" or the "End Time" categories. As the writer of that study shows, of course these seven churches can present seven attitudes of mind for all Christians, for all ages. All the examples in the Bible can have spiritual meaning for all of us, lessons can be learnt from any passage or passages in the Bible. And yes, as this book of Revelation was written by John, it was to be sent to those literal seven churches in Asia Minor. It did have a lesson for each of them at that time in history. With all that said, there is still evidence that the message to the seven churches is PROPHETIC. That it was to address SEVEN time ages from the start of the church in 30 A.D. to the very coming of Christ. The other very strong point to prove that is in chapter 2:10, and the second time age of the true church. The people of the Smyrna time frame, were to have 10 days of tribulation. Would this really have been ten literal days for a literal church in Asia Minor, that was so very close by the other churches, and not have tribulation in any of the other nearby churches, but only in Smyrna? I think it is a little hard to accept that teaching. I was reading through a "church history" book some years back. It was one of the famous "classic" books of church history that is still obtainable today, written by Philip Schaff (8 volume set). He had no "axe" to grind, he was not even dealing with the book of Revelation. He was just stating what Christian history has recorded. There were many persecution times for the Christian church as a whole, but the GREATEST persecution was from 303 to 313, exactly 10 years! Yes, that is a fact recorded in the history of the Christian church. As I was reading this, I immediately remembered Revelation 2:10. It all added up as we say. The first age of Ephesus was well on its way out, and the second church age of Smyrna had arrived and was under way by 300 A.D. That church time frame experienced the greatest Christian persecution in the history of "Christian" (used in the widest sense) church. To me that is proof enough that there is a THIRD way to understand the churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The third way being general time frame ages for the Church of God. My view of this time frame is NOT AS the Worldwide Church of God taught it. I will explain as we proceed. Nobody should try to set dates in time ages with Church of God history. Those who do (as some have in the past) are going to find they are barking up the wrong tree, they are out on a limb that is going to come crashing down, and they are going to have mud all over their face. Then, what most, who can see that the "churches" of Revelation do have time ages in them, have not seen is that time ages can and do OVERLAP each other. Jesus preached the New Testament covenant and Kingdom of God, WHILE the old covenant was still in operation. The "overlapping" of church ages can be a period of hundreds of years. EPHESUS The city of Ephesus, was capital of proconsular Asia; an opulent city on the West coast of Asia Minor, located on the banks of the Cayster and about forty miles SE of Smyrna. Its harbor was ample. It was an ancient city. It came into the Roman Empire in 133 B.C. Paul conducted the longest of his ministries (two years and nine months, Acts 19:8,10). The city's importance lay in its political prominence, its economical clout derived from its position on major trade routes, and its religious leadership as a center for the worship of Diana, or Artemis. The temple of this godess was one of the wonders of the seven wonders of the world. It was 180 feet wide and 377 feet long, and the roof was supported by 117 60-foot columns. These were 6 feet in diameter and 36 of them were sculptured at the base with life-size figures. There were many Jews in the city who were more or less influenced by Christianity (Acts 2:9; 6:9). Timothy was the bishop of the church founded by Paul. According to Eusebius John spent his last years in Ephesus. John opposed the doctrines of Nestorius, and Paul opposed the idolatry of those who made or worshipped shrines or practiced magic (19:13). His opposition resulted in a serious riot. A small Turkish town today represents the once noted city, which is called Ayasaluk (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, 1988, pp.366-367). Here is the mention of the NICOLAITANS. A sect or party that arose in the apostolic period of the church, it is mentioned again in verse 15. The "nicolaitans" are compared to those who "hold the teaching of Balaam." They were practicers of idolatry, and the community of women was another doctrine which they are said to have adopted, and their conduct seems to have been in the highest degree licentious (Imperial Bible Dictionary, S.V.). The word "nicolas" in Greek means "victor over the people." The word "Ephesus" can mean "desirable." Jesus, who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who "walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, speaks. He knows they have good works, they have labor, and patience, and He knows how they can not bear those who do evil; and they have tried, tested them who were saying they were apostles, but were not as far as God was concerned. They had found those individuals to be liars. The way to test any man who claims to be a minister of God is by the Scriptures. Our wonderful example is Acts 17, when Paul was tested to see if he was speaking according to the Scriptures. Anyone can claim "anything." Words are cheap as they say. The acid test is do their words aline with the words of God in the Scriptures of the whole Bible, and does their life correspond with their teaching. Jesus knew what they had borne, what patience they had, and for His name they worked hard, and did not faint. BUT, in time, they had left their first love, their zeal for Christ's truth and Gospel got colder. They are told to REPENT! If they do not, their candlestick will be removed. They did hate the ways and doctrines of the Nicolaitans, which Jesus also hated. They are to listen to what the Spirit says, "To him that overcomes will I (Jesus) give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." The paradise of God is explained to us in Revelation chapter 22:2,14. No private interpretation is needed, the Scriptures interpret themselves. The paradise of God is to dwell at the throne of God. It is to have enteral life in the very presence of the Most Holy One. The personal application and lesson of this church is very obvious. Keep working hard for Christ's work of salvation and the Kingdom. Stay with the faith once delivered to the saints. Do not allow yourself to get complacent and having your love of God in you starting to get cold. Continue to hate anything that is a false theology. This church of Ephesus fits right in with the time age of the first few centuries of the Church of God, into the late second century. We have seen in the letters of Peter and John, that before they died, the faith once delivered was being corrupted. Many anti-christs had come on the scene, some came out from within the very Church of God, just as the apostle Paul had predicted (Acts 20). Many had remained faithful and had tested the spirits to see if they were truly from God. In the second century, Polycarp (a disciples of John the apostle) took the time and energy to travel to Rome to debate with the bishop of Rome, the practice of observing Passover and NOT Easter, as the Roman church was then already adopting. Then later in the second century, Polycrates (a disciple of Polycarp) also went to Rome to debate with the Roman bishop the same truth. But the Roman church was adopting false doctrines and would not repent or admit the truth of the matter. By the time the Church of God was into the third century A.D. it was getting a cold heart, and was beginning to get apostatized. They did in the most part hate the teachings of the Nicolaitans. If we take the word "nicolas" as it means "to rule over people" we see that the doctrine of the church government of Rome, and what finally came to be called the "Roman Catholic church" was swinging along into domineering the people. We saw that back in John's day, before he died, in his third epistle, we had one man taking over with dictatorial power one of the churches of God. The Church of God continued maybe for a couple of centuries to get colder in heart and mind, to depart from the first love zeal. They did not as a whole, REPENT. It was now time for faithful people to move OUT and congregate as a body of people, that would be the time age of Smyrna. The candle-stick of Ephesus was removed, just as Jesus said it would be if they did not repent! ................... To be continued

BOOK OF REVELATION #1

 

 

Chapter One hundred-thirty:

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

Introduction and Story Flow This introduction is taken from the NKJV Personal Study Bible, Thomas Nelson publishers, 1990,1995. The word "revelation" is a translation of the Greek term meaning "apocalypse," which refers to an unveiling of God's secret purpose.....An additional consideration in understanding Revelation is the frequent use of visions and symbols. In interpreting these, one should recognize that the author has interwoven many echoes from the Old Testament.Attention to these Old Testament settings may help us understand a given symbol or vision....This book certainly had relevance to the situation that surrounded its first readers. Yet its primary focus seems to be on events associated with the return of Christ.... AUTHOR AND DATE The tradition that John the apostle wrote Revelation was almost unchallenged through the second century. Five time the author names himself as John, but the term "apostle" is never used....several linguistic evidences support the early church tradition that John the apostle wrote the Revelation as well as the Gospel and epistles of John.The Revelation uses some vocabulary similar to the other books of John. also, the Revelation, the Gospel, and the epistles of John are all fond of contrasts. Dating the composition of Revelation is complicated.... (Most give it as between 80 and 96 A.D. - Keith Hunt) PURPOSE In all this John's message is that God's victory has already been won. The Lamb is the King of kings and Lord of lord..... ................. I have not given a lengthy introduction as some Bible Commentaries will do such as "Barne's Note on the New Testament. It is not really relevant per se. and I will skip the "Outline of Revelation" as presented in the above NKJV Personal Study Bible - Keith Hunt. REVELATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD! Let's make it very clear from the start, the book of Revelation TODAY, CAN BE UNDERSTOOD! It is the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST OF THINGS THAT MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS, and He bears witness by Himself and gave this prophecy to John to write and who then bore witness to the Word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all the things that he saw. There is a blessing for all who read and take head to the words of this prophecy, and KEEP those things which as written in it; for the time is near (1-3). I want you to hang on to that phrase "for the time is near." and we shall compare it with similar phrases. Some have or try to understand this Revelation book as for the time shortly after the life of John. The truth of the matter is the book is written MAINLY in the time setting of the DAY OF THE LORD. That prophetic time frame mentioned in TWO DOZEN OR MORE prophetic time frames in the Old Testament, and the context of all of them is the events of the last THREE AND one half YEARS OF THIS AGE. GETTING EVEN MORE SPECIFIC, THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT "THE DAY" OF THE LORD, AS A DAY BEING ONE YEAR IN FULFILMENT. STORY FLOW There is most clearly a STORY FLOW through the book of Revelation. If we leave out what is not the story flow, but inset passages that explain the symbols, or go back in an event to bring you up to the overall present time we are in at that time in the prophecy. So a certain amount of "drop back" scenes play out in this mainly Revelation that is still yet beyond us. Let me again state, this is A REVEALING OF WHAT MUST COME SHORTLY BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS IN POWER AND GLORY. Angels were sent to John to help him see many things and to write about them, events that for the maim part of this book are taking place in that section of prophecy called "the day of the Lord" or "the day of God's wrath" or "the great day of His wrath has come (chap.6:17). Dr. Samuel Bacchiocchi - Departing from his church's general understanding of this phrase, he disagrees with his Seventh Day Adventist teaching on the phrase, as having nothing to do with the 7th day of the week, or the literal day of the week (the Lord's Day) some call "the Lord's day." It is correct to understand that phrase as concerning the end-time period of the last number of years at the end of this age. The phrase "Lord's Day" is used in many of the prophetic books of the Old Testament, and refers to that time period shortly before the Messiah comes in glory and power to the earth (verses 1-3). The OUTLINE STORY FLOW IS: CHAPTER 1:9-19 John in the visionary Spirit see the glorified Son of man. CHAPTER 4. The setting of the vision continues in heaven at the Throne of God. CHAPTER 5. God hold a scroll in His right hand. No one is worthy to open the scroll except the Lamb, the lion of Judah, the Root of David, the Son of man, Jesus the Christ. CHAPTER 6. The 7 seals and the opening of the first 6. CHAPTER 7. The sealing of the servants of God. 12 thousand from the 12 tribes of Israel and a great multitude. This part of the vision does include a jump to where these servants or saints will be with the Lamb of God (Christ) and the Father into eternity. CHAPTER 7. The opening of the 7th seal. Seven angels with seven trumpets prepare themselves to sound. FOUR trumpets are sounded and various destruction come upon the earth. THREE trumpets remain to be sounded (called woe, woe, woe) - verse 13. CHAPTER 9. The first WOE or 5TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the bottomless pit comes and torments people FIVE months (verses 1-12). The second WOE or 6TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the EAST of Euphrates comes and kills one third of mankind still left on earth (verses 13-21). CHAPTER 10. The vision continues and preparation words are given to get ready for the third WOE or the 7TH TRUMPET, the LAST TRUMPET, to sound. CHAPTER 11: 14-19. The third WOE comes quickly - the 7TH TRUMPET sounds. The time has now come for Christ to take the kingdoms of this world and reign over them. The time of the dead to be resurrected and given rewards. Jesus will come and destroy those who are destroying the earth. The "temple of God" is opened in heaven. CHAPTER 14:1-20. Jesus is to come on the wings so to speak of a white cloud. The harvest of mankind is to take place. Jesus will make war and the wine-press of blood will be like a river. CHAPTER 16. The 7TH TRUMPET WOE is made up of 7 LAST PLAGUES. The 6th vial is the gathering together of the armies of the Beast power into the place called Armageddon. The 7th vial is a mighty earthquake and hail, especially upon the prophetic "Babylon." CHAPTER 19:11-16. Jesus' literal coming riding on a white horse with armies from heaven. He takes rulership of the earth. Destroys the "beast man" and the "false prophet" in the lake of fire. CHAPTER 20. Christ and the saints rule the earth for 1,000 years (verses 1-6). Satan is chained and cast into the bottomless pit. At the end of the thousand years Satan is loosed, another battle takes place around Jerusalem. God is the winner. The WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT (verses 11-13). Billions who lived and were never called to salvation will be resurrected and offered eternal life. They will have to live by the Bible, and receive salvation exactly the same way as the saints already in the Kingdom of God. CHAPTER 21 AND 22. The NEW heaven and the NEW earth. God the Father will come with the new Jerusalem from heaven, to live and dwell with His children FOREVER MORE. We are given a small glimpse into that eternal age, as it will be on this earth, as the headquarters of the entire universe. INSET CHAPTERS. Basically the rest of the chapters and verses of the book of Revelation are what we call INSET chapters. They tell us VERY IMPORTANT things that effect the MAIN STORY flow. It is like the Hollywood films that tell a story flow, but now and again they go back in time, to different times and played out scenes, that fill-in certain parts for our knowledge, to give us a better and fuller understand of the main story flow events. Example: Revelation 11:1-13. The inset is about the TWO FINAL WITNESSES for God's truth living in Jerusalem for the 42 months that the Beast power exists at the end of this age. The 42 months include both the "great tribulation" and "the day of the Lord." The Two Witnesses live and preach the truth of God during that last period of time. They are killed and resurrected just very shortly before Jesus returns. Revelation 12 is an inset chapter. It is an overview of the TRUE Church of God, going way back to Genesis 37 and up to the coming GREAT tribulation, the wrath of the Day of God - last 42 months of this age. ................. NOTE: Many of the details of parts of the book of Revelation, such as Chapter 13, are dealt with in detail in other studies on this Website, under "prophecy" and "end times." I will in this New Testament Bible Story, when we get to those chapters, refer the reader to those in-depth studies, and not expounded them over again.

EZEKIEL FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW #8

 

Ezekiel For Today and Tomorrow

Chapters 35 to 36

Prophecy against Seir CHAPTER 35 As noted by the Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, "In general, "Seir," "Mount Seir," and "land of Seir," have become synonyms for Edom (2 Chron. 25:11; 20:10; and Gen. 36:30 respectively). This is again a prophecy against Edom or TURKEY today. God is against the land of Edom for their perpetual hatred of the children of Israel. In the time of the calamity to come on Jacob Israel at the time of the end, the people of Turkey will stand in the way of those in Judah who flee to the north and try to escape the destruction upon them by the armies of the king of the North, the Babylon Roman Empire of Europe. The land of Edom Turkey will use the sword to kill many Jews fleeing north through their land, at the time of the end. It is the very last days of this age, it is the time frame when the iniquity of Israel and Judah will have its END (verses 1-5). Iniquity is FAR from having its end in Israel UNTIL the coming of the Messiah in glory. Verse 5 and the iniquity of Israel having its end gives us the time frame of this prophecy; there will be an END TIME FULFILMENT! The people of Turkey are going to smear and laugh so to speak, at the calamity of Israel and Judah, at the destruction of the Jews in the Holy Land, when the end time Babylon Mystery Religion Empire of Europe marches into Jerusalem and makes desolate that city and the Jewish people of Judah Palestine. Further to the time frame of this prophecy is verse 14. When the whole earth REJOICES, WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS COME TO EARTH, WHEN IT WILL BE THE TIME THAT THE WHOLE EARTH CAN REJOICE UNDER THE RULERSHIP OF CHRIST, then will be the punishment of Edom Turkey. As Turkey rejoiced at the desolation of Israel and Judah, so God will make desolate the land of Turkey. I have covered this previously and will again as we explain the book of Obediah. CHAPTER 36 Judgment on Israel's enemies and the Restoration of Israel The whole CONTEXT of these chapters together with chapter 37, is the VERY END OF THIS AGE, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE AGE TO COME UNDER THE MESSIAH CHRIST. God tells Israel that as their enemies have said, "Ah, these lands are ours to have and possess" all the hills and valleys and mountains and rivers; to the desolate cities God now says, "I will lift up my hand and the heathen (not knowing the true God) nations shall bear their shame" (verses 1-7). God will restore as before the people of Israel, they are at hand to come. The prophecy is for the time of the end of this age, when Jesus will return and bring out of captivity the peoples of Israel and Judah, when the lands of Israel will be replenished and built back; it is the time of multiplying the people of Israel, and the cities be inhabited once more; it is the time to settle Israel again after their old estates; it is the time when the people of Israel will KNOW GOD IS THEIR GOD (verses 8-12). The Eternal tells us in verses 13-21 WHY He had to punish Israel. Over and over again in the prophets there is left no doubt as to why Israel and Judah have to be punished. For God's Holy Name, because Israel and Judah have profaned His name, in the way they have lived, to bring them to REPENTANCE AND BACK TO SERVING GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH, the Lord must deal with them in a manner so the end result will be that God can be GLORIFIED by all nations. It is the time when God WILL BE SANCTIFIED in them. Israel and Judah will be taken from the nations and gathered out of the countries they have been scattered in and brought back to the Holy Land. God will CLEAN THEM UP! It will be the time when they shall have a NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT; THE STONY HEART WILL BE GONE AND A HEART OF FLESH THEY WILL HAVE. It is the time when Israel and Judah will have GOD'S SPIRIT, AND WHEN THEY WILL WALK IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD, KEEPING THE STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS OF GOD! Never, not yesterday, not today, have the people of Israel and Judah, had the pouring out of the Spirit of God on them as nations of people. Some Jews have returned to the Holy Land in this last 100 years BUT it cannot be said they have had the Spirit of God poured out on them to observe the statutes and judgments of God, as these verses portray. Even if you think this prophecy is for only the Jews returning to the Holy Land in our time, it just cannot be said they are as a people, CONVERTED to the commandments of God. The Jews today are MAINLY SECULAR and UN-converted to the Spirit of God. The CONTEXT of these verses in Ezekiel make it clear they will NOT become a reality UNTIL the end of this age, when Christ the Messiah is here to indeed pour out God's Spirit on all the peoples of Israel and Judah. It is the time of good harvests, beautiful orchards and vine yards, the time when Israel and Judah will REMEMBER THEIR EVIL WAYS, AND SHALL LOATHE THEMSELVES FOR THEIR INIQUITIES AND ABOMINATIONS (verses 22-32). Do the Jews in the Holy Land today LOATHE themselves for their sins and iniquities and all their abominations? Can any say they have DEEP REPENTANCE AND GOD'S SPIRIT POURED OUT ON THEM? Can anyone claim the peoples of North-West Europe, the British Commonwealth, and the United States of America (the modern House of Israel) LOATHE themselves for their many sins and iniquities and abominations? Can anyone in the far reaches of imagination, claim the peoples of the House of Israel and the House of Judah are filled with God's Spirit and serving Him with a heart and mind that is led and filled by the Holy Spirit? NO!! This is a prophecy YET TO COME TO PASS!! It is a prophecy for the END OF THIS AGE. When Israel and Judah will have become DESOLATE, when all that is written will come to pass, when all in the book of Revelation has been fulfilled. It is for the time when Israel and Judah will be brought out of their captivity, out from the nations where they have been scattered, brought back as in a MIGHTY EXODUS to the Holy Land; when they will build the cities, plant the corn, reap great harvests, dwell safely and in peace; when the land will be as the garden of Eden; when the heathen nations will KNOW that it is God who is building and blessing. It is the time when Israel and Judah will "KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD" (verses 33-38). There is no history of any people that has ever fulfilled this prophecy. It is all for the time of the end of this age and into the Kingdom of God on earth age. There is an absolute flow in the book of Ezekiel - Israel and Judah to be PUNISHED - Israel and Judah to be RESTORED - AT THE TIME WHEN THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS TO COME TO EARTH, WHEN ISRAEL AND JUDAH WILL BE UNITED AS ONE PEOPLE, WHEN GOD WILL DWELL AND SET HIS SANCTUARY IN THE MIDST OF THEM FOREVER - as we shall clearly see from what is told to us in chapter 37. ..................... To be continued