Hello Charlesewald. When we read of God anointing His people, it speaks of a specific and special purpose for that anointing. When we see the first references (as in the Books of Exodus and Leviticus), we read about the anointing of Aaron, the high priest, and his sons for their service to God in the Tabernacle & on behalf of the people (e.g. Exodus 29:4-9; Leviticus 7:35,26; and others). This anointing was God's declaration of the separated office of the priests forever, equipped for service, and in public recognition of their appointment. Through this appointment, God specially enabled them to perform their tasks, but with it also came a grave responsibility to perform it exactly as commanded and in fear and trembling as they stood before God. Even the high priest had bells on his Ephod (robe) to give a sound as he went in the Holiest Place, did his work and exited it. If there was no more sound, then the priests serving outside knew that the high priest had died, whether under God's Hand or other reasons ( Exodus 28:34,35).
So that anointing, as special and yet grave in its administration to those priests, serves to demonstrate to us today, as God's children through Christ, the seriousness of our redemption and calling, to be called His very own. Having made us "kings and priests" unto Himself ( Revelation 1:6), we can only be found in such a blessed position in His family by also being anointed; not with that oil necessary for those priests, but with the Holy Spirit of God (that Heavenly Oil, if you will) that secures us as His children forever, Who teaches all things, and enables us to live this new life (in a corrupt world) unto God ( 1 John 2:20,27). As those not only anointed by the Spirit, but our bodies become the Temple of the Holy Ghost ( 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16), enabling us to live not in the fear and trembling of those old-time priests, but in redemption joy by the Spirit-given Power, of His Love, & self-control. Blessings.
Christ is omnipresent and not bound by the limits of time or space. When Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," He declared His constant presence with every believer, no matter where they are. David proclaimed in Psalm 139:7-10, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." This eternal reality points us to Christ as God in the flesh ( 1 Timothy 3:16), unlimited in His power and presence.
When Jesus walked the earth, His physical body was localized, but after His resurrection and glorification, He transcended all limitations. In John 14:18, He promised, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." This is fulfilled through His Spirit indwelling each believer ( Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:9-10). At the same time, He intercedes at the right hand of God ( Hebrews 7:25), proving He can be present in heaven and in the hearts of His people simultaneously.
Christ Himself said in Matthew 18:20, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Paul declared in Galatians 2:20, "Christ liveth in me." Yet John also saw Him walking among the seven churches ( Revelation 1:13). These passages show that Christ is not confined but active everywhere at once.
This truth is a source of comfort: He hears the cry of the saint in a prison cell, strengthens the missionary across the seas, and walks beside you today. Truly, He is Emmanuel, "God with us" ( Matthew 1:23), never distant, never absent, always present to guide, comfort, and uphold His people.
I agree, when Jesus returns, it will not be a secret, as all the Scriptures proclaim, it will be with the sound of the trumpet, the last trumpet, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15. As you said, every eye shall see Him coming in the clouds, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 19:11-16.
The resurrection of the righteous, which is the first resurrection, will happen at Christ's return, Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:4-6. Scripture does not say Jesus goes back to heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul is comforting them that those who are asleep/dead in Christ would not be left out of the return of Christ and the resurrection. Nowhere in these verses does it say we are taken to heaven.
If we read and study Scriptures with preconceived assumptions, it fogs the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 is about the return of Jesus and our gathering together unto Him on earth, at His coming. It says do not let man deceive you because Jesus will not return until two things happen. The falling away/apostasy, and the man of sin is revealed.
Revelation 19:20 is where the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. In Revelation 17:14, they are the ones in the first resurrection who are in the battle of Armageddon with Jesus, and in Revelation 20:4 are the ones in the first resurrection who are being judged at the judgment seat of Christ, here on earth.
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
1 John 4:1
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Hi Meek and seek. You have quoted several Scriptures connecting the Lord's Day to the Sabbath Day. Apart from Revelation 1:10, this phrase is not seen in other parts of the NT, so we could ask, 'why does the Apostle John use this term to define the day that he was visited by the Lord Jesus?' It is clear that John does not speak of the Sabbath, as he would have certainly used that name that he was so familiar with before coming out of legalistic bondage into the liberty of Christ. It seems that John had in mind some specific event of Christ that set Him apart from any other day or event. And this to me was the day of triumph, where Jesus, having paid the price for our sins, rose again from the dead for man's justification, & received into Heaven, seated at His Father's right Hand. If this is day I believe it is, then the Lord's Day would apply to that Resurrection Day, the Day of Victory, being the first day of the week.
And as a matter of interest (but not in the Scriptures), it is recorded that some of those early writers during John's lifetime and later, also began using the phrase, "the Lord's Day", and they referenced this day to the first day of the week, Sunday, with no reference to the Jewish Sabbath & its irrelevance to those under Grace through the Cross. While Jesus was on Earth, He lived and ministered to His people who were under the Law (not only the Decalogue, but the whole Law and Statutes). Once His Work at the Cross was accomplished in victory, that Law was cast aside for it only promised judgement and death. And through His death, Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, making the first one old ( Hebrews 8:13). So as those IN CHRIST, we celebrate Jesus' victory won for us at the Cross, and this we do as has been done over the millenia, on that Resurrection Day, the Lord's Day, Sunday. GBU.
Hi Poppybrown75. Thanks for your enquiry on Revelation chap 21. In a short space as this, I can only share a brief outline.
As the Apostle John continues to receive revelations & visions of "things which shall be hereafter" ( Revelation 1:19), the vision of the New Jerusalem was given to him in this chapter. And I should state, since there is a lot of imagery in the Book of the Revelation and often things listed are not in sequence, different views are generated; so what I understand could be at variance with another's view and I too must admit that my understanding is not necessarily accurate, but what I have for now.
We read in the first verse, that the sky and earth as we know it will be no more at some time ahead determined by God. This is probably because God is cleansing it of the stain of sin that existed and now starting afresh with a new earth. And a new city, the holy Jerusalem is brought forth from God onto this new Earth. Jerusalem, as you know, is not only the capital of Israel, but God's appointed city ( Psalm 48:1,2,8; Joel 3:16,17), so God's focus in bringing forth this "New Jerusalem" is where He will dwell with those who belong to Him (v3); all who have rejected God, living in sin have faced eternal damnation (v8).
And so the vision of this new city was given to John (vv9-21) in all its beauty and splendor. The verses also tell us that there was no temple (or, even the need of a building for worship), for where God Himself & His Son are, we will worship them there (vv22,23). There will be no need for natural or artificial light as the Triune God is the Light flooding the city (v23). All this gives a reflection of Heaven now. However, what is perplexing, is the mention of both the saved nations (saved people) and their kings (leaders) who will bring praise and worship to God in the city (vv24-26). I can't tell how this actually figures in such an environment; i.e. from where do these folk come outside the city's walls? Hope this helps a little.
If your "battle" is with believing that Jesus is God, may I suggest the following scriptures for your consideration:
Genesis 1:1 along with John 1:1-3, Revelation 19:13, Colossians 1:15-17, Matthew 1:23, John 10:30, John 14:9, Mark 2:5-7, John 8:58, John 20:28, Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:8, John 5:18, 1 John 5:20, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, Acts 10:25-26, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 22:13, Micah 5:2, John 17:5, John 1:14. There are more, but these should suffice.
You mention that "Christians say that there is no separation between Christ and God," and that the bible shows otherwise. Jesus said I and my Father are one, and He also said that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. This may not mean anything to you, but in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as the APOUGASMA (the out beam) of God's glory, God projecting Himself through the time/space factor in the person of Christ. Jesus Christ, being God, was never separated from the source. This is why Jesus can say if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.
The best example I can give would be taking a flashlight in a dark room and shining it on a wall. The flashlight is the source, and the light is projected on the wall from the source. There is no separation unless the flashlight is turned off. Now, imagine the flashlight being God, and the light shining on the wall is Jesus, again, no separation. Jesus is said to be the true light which came down from heaven, the APOUGASMA of God.
If you are sincerely struggling with the deity of Jesus Christ (Him being God), I hope these scriptures I've provided might help. Also, if you would like, I can share my personal understanding on Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42 and why Christ would ask this.
If I may ask, are you a Christian? If so, who do you say Jesus is?
Day 20 January 20,2025 Living in Freedom John 8:36 KJV West Angeles Church Los Angeles California Consecration Calendar
I Pray for deliverance from anything hinders walk with Christ.
John 8:36 KJV
My Interpetation REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY:
" Jesus Christ is Father and the Son same language you can understand is God for us to be heirs to all the world. To believe you can do and follow Jesus and become what your expected to be the truth of God Romans 8:2 KJV, 1 Corinthians 7:22 KJV. This is the life to live also exhibited. It is used in
discipleship- to show the Holy bible is life
saints/ citizens- free from sin Galatians 5:1 KJV, liability, set free from thraldom, ransom Mark 10:45 KJV, evil ,captivity of Satan.
Freedom from the laws, rules, thraldom that are not of God moral and obedience to it. You are titled to freedom to the house of God and his supper. A example of analogy used family of God Himself.
Ways you can be free from sin are to listen to God's voice and word to obey and follow " do it" (speaking, actions, attention of communications)
Examples of people in the holy bible that made themselves free in God you can read and follow are Romans 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:1 .
Well I'm not sure here who cast their vote on the likelihood of a sequel but here I am once again.
I don't want to draw attention to myself but I am kind of excited about this topic and hopefully others can share this joy. We are according to Revelation kings and priests according to Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. That; my friends is the Word of God along with Hebrews 11:6 as an encouragement and exhortation: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
I'm not sure if any of us can begin to fathom what it will be like to rule and reign with Christ. It is unnatural for us; as imperfect humans to even spend whatever limited time we have in fellowship; although I will admit since I spend much time alone I need to ensure that I fulfill my responsibilities in heeding the call for Christian service above and beyond my own interests. As much as some have Christian family around them; of course I consider you guys part of this "forever family" concept-ok I'll stop before I get too mushy.
The formula for Sunday worship should follow some order based on the authority God has given elders and deacons; etc. This is to serve and honor God properly; but if the ritual or routine becomes stale it will fail (and in fact it will if the fervor of love for the Lord is left out of the equation as happened with the Ephesian church starting in Revelation 3:1.
When we look around; some may realize that church isn't a social club (at least for those left out of much conversation). The demographics of my church are of people my age (OLD) and not particularly physically attractive. As a guy frankly I'm glad not to have that distraction but I bring this up so we can all be aware of factors that inhibit close fellowshp as we are called to do.
Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
Behold, he comes with the clouds. I personally don't believe this is making reference to the rapture. I believe Revelation 1:7 is speaking of the Second Coming of Christ, separate from the rapture which would have previously taken place.
Please allow me to share my reasoning. This is how I understand this. It says, "He (Jesus) comes with the clouds. The reference is found in Daniel 7:13.
In Acts Chapter 1, after Jesus ascended up after His resurrection, the disciples were looking up into heaven watching Him disappear in the clouds, and Acts 1:10-11 says, "and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.
So, Jesus is going to come back the same way. He's going to come back in the clouds. We know that Jesus physically walked this earth some 2,000 plus years ago. We also know that when He ascended, He ascended up on a cloud. When He comes at His Second Coming, He will again come in the clouds and physically step down onto the earth. This will be seen, the same as His ascension was seen. At the rapture, we meet Him in the air. The rapture will happen so fast that it will be impossible for the eye to see.
The dead in Christ will rise from the grave, and we (believers) who are alive will also be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. There is no mention of anyone meeting the Lord in the air at His Second Coming.
Again, and back in Revelation 1:7, we are told that every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him. So, at the Second Coming of Christ, everyone who is on this earth will see Him. This is taken from Zechariah 12:10.
So, every eye will see Christ at His Second Coming. But if the rapture takes place at the Second Coming of Christ, it would only be logical that all eyes will witness the rapture also. But how can this be when the rapture happens in a millisecond?
It makes sense that those who are on the earth will see Jesus coming back just the same as they saw Him ascending up because scripture gives us that. But how can anyone see something that happens in the "twinkling of an eye?"
No person with a naked eye can see a bullet travelling through the air after being fired from a gun. But even the speed of a bullet doesn't come anywhere close to the speed it talks about the rapture happening in 1 Corinthians 15:55. No human eye can see something happening so fast, one-billionth of a second.
So, the question would be, how can the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ happen together? Just a thought!
1 "Can you tell me how you interpret the events after the tribulation period, on into the Millennium, when Satan is chained and when he is loosed?"
I will do my best to show my understanding of your questions. My study is simple, and I rely on the Bible for interpretation. I use Word Search, a concordance, and my Bible provides other verses that cross-reference a word or phrase throughout Scripture.
The book of Revelation is not in chronological order. We see in Revelation 1:7, that when He comes in the clouds, every eye will see Him. Revelation 6:12-17 shows a vision given to John after the Sixth Seal, revealing the signs of Jesus' coming. Cross-references include Joel 2:10-11, 30-31, Matthew 24, and others.
In Revelation 11:15-19, the seventh trumpet, or the last trumpet, signals the coming of Jesus, ending the tribulation and beginning God's wrath. Revelation 14 combines visions that are not in order; we see Jesus standing on Mount Zion with the 144000, which would occur after Revelation 19:11-16. We know this because, when He returns, His feet will land on the Mount of Olives, as described in Zechariah 14:4.
Revelation 14:6-7 describes the angel preaching the everlasting gospel, which must occur near the end of the tribulation. The announcement of Babylon's fall is seen in chapters 17 and 18. Revelation 14:9-11 states the fate of those who worship the beast, take its mark, and follow the beast and the false prophet. This is carried out in Revelation 19:20-21.
Revelation 14:12-13 declares, "Blessed are those who die in the Lord from henceforth," even as the tribulation continues. My understanding of Revelation 14:14-16, which covers the harvest and the first resurrection, is supported by passages like Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:4-6, and Matthew 24:29-31. Revelation 14:17-20 describes the battle of Armageddon, with related references in Revelation 19:17-21, Ezekiel 39:17-21, and Luke 17:37.
f) Revelation 1:4 to 3:22 is devoted to the Church(es) while on Earth. From chapter 4 onwards, the Church is not seen or mentioned, except for Revelation 14:12,13 and Revelation 15:2-4, where the mention of believers who have come to faith in the Great Tribulation, who from that time on (under the anti-Christ) taste death under his hand (probably as martyrs).
There are other references that help us to know the state of the Church on Earth & the unsaved, under direction of God. But the above are a few portions that helped me to understand that the Great Tribulation which is God's Wrath on display & the start of the closing of this age, is certainly not for true believers, His children. For His Wrath is against sinners who have rejected Him, His Son, who prefer to wallow in their sin. It cannot include His Church who have already been judged, forgiven & received into His family, or else we have a case of double jeopardy for the believer.
I realize that you have asked for a specific verse(s) that show two returns of Christ. We simply cannot, even with the example of the Trinity we can only learn of His Coming by what we glean throughout the Word. In any case, I don't believe holding to an variant opinion on this affects salvation in any way, but by discussing it we can learn about how and where others derive their understanding from. If diehards were to take the matter further, they would then need to analyse each other's scriptural support to see whether they do have merit in their arguments for or against. Will leave this with you, with blessings.
We've all probably heard about 1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Hebrews 12:9 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Revelation 1:10 "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.
When considering the last trump signifying the Rapture we think of the Feast of Trumpets on one hand; as it is traditionally known as the day when no one knows the day or hour as the new moon sighting can be on one of 2 or perhaps more days depending on weather conditions and the time of sighting which signals its onset. When we examine the other references here it certainly could signify a heavenly trumpet instead. That is the most likely scenario; as those who are caught up will come from all parts of the world.
We also are reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding; thus I look at Psalm 40 as a prophetic warning of the Rapture. Psalm 40:1-3 state I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
I'll let the reader examine references to patiently waiting (n regard to spiritual reward); bringing us out of our bodies made of clay; and the new song in heaven. My point here is that many will come to faith after the Rapture out of fear as verse 3 says; likely indicating the multitude saved in the Tribulation.
Or; lets consider Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come...
I understand this is debated, but this is my understanding.
1 Peter 3:18-20: 18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. This was a once-and-for-all sin offering, as mentioned in Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 9:11-14, to bring us to God so that God can now dwell with humanity through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is God who quickens the dead, as stated in Romans 4:17, by the Spirit. Jesus, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, the grave/tomb. He was quickened, which means brought back to life, when He was resurrected in His glorified body. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, Revelation 1:5, the Firstfruits of them that slept, 1 Corinthians 15:20. Sleep, the Greek word koimao, meaning to put to sleep, be dead.
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. By the same Spirit that quickened Jesus, Jesus went and preached/proclaimed to these spirits in prison.
Who are these spirits who were disobedient in the time of Noah? Angels are spirits, Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7. Devils/demons are spirits, familiar spirits, evil spirits, unclean spirits. Humans have a spirit, but are never called spirits. Humans are mortal; the soul who sins will die, and the dead know not anything. Immortality is a gift from God, and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find our hope for eternal life.
We see this long-suffering in Genesis 6:1-8. 120 years were given for repentance, but we see that only eight souls were saved by the water.
Revelation 22:3 - And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And there shall be no more curse:
In Genesis Chapter 3, Adam and Eve were chased out of the garden because of their sin, so that they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever. So, the curse is removed. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Revelation 22:6 - And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
This is a repeat of Revelation 1:1. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. The word shortly in the Greek text (TACHEI) means that when it happens, it happens in a short amount of time. It doesn't mean it's going to happen soon. But when it does happen, it will happen in quickness, a short amount of time.
Revelation 22:7 - Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The word keeps, and as I have mentioned before, there are several words for to keep. This is not the word to do, or to make. This is the word (TEREO) that is used for to be on guard. And this particular word specifically is to be on guard from being invaded from the outside.
And so, to keep the words of this prophecy is to be on guard, and don't let anything, any influence in this earthly life take you away from the book of Revelation and what its message is. Please keep in mind that the book of Revelation is God's final message to His church. And we'll see that warning in a moment. But the book is called prophecy.
Verses 8 to 11 gives the instructions of the angel:
Regarding the return of Jesus, I only see in Scripture that He returns once. As seen in 1 Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 19:11-21, through Revelation 20:1-6, is the same event when Jesus returns, and it occurs after the tribulation of the beast. My understanding is that there is only one Day of the Lord, and that is when Jesus returns.
Regarding the Messiah, I have never asked a Jew about their understanding of it. What I have previously read about Jewish faith is that one day a charismatic Jewish leader, the anointed of God, a man with the characteristics of God, a direct descendant of the Davidic line, will gather Jews from around the world, and bring them back to the Land of Israel and restore the kingdom ridding them of all oppressors.
That was what they were looking for during the time Jesus was here during His 3.5-year ministry, a human conqueror. The disciples were looking for Him to set up the kingdom; they even asked Him after He was resurrected, Acts 1:6-7. They were looking for what we see will happen in the millennium when Jesus returns to earth.
It was mainly the leaders of Jerusalem who did not see or did not hear, which caused blindness in part to happen to Israel, who rejected Jesus; many accepted Jesus as the Messiah while He was here. The leaders of Jerusalem played a prominent role in turning the crowds against Jesus, and it was the nation of Israel as a whole that rejected Him. And today, most Jews do not believe the Messiah has come.
I know we may not agree, but I hope I answered your question.
Yes - that key exists, and it is the key to death and hell, which Jesus took when He conquered death in His resurrection. Revelation 1:18 "I am he who lives; I was put to death, but behold, I am alive for ever and ever, and I have the keys of death and hell."
So! Christ has conquered the power of sin and death, and the keys he holds are not just symbolic of authority, but of liberation - the prison door is open because he has the key.
And so, with the peace of knowing that our prison has already been opened, how important to keep in mind that the key is not lost, and that the last word belongs to the One who lives.
Talking to some brothers and sisters at the weekend.. I noticed some verses that opened my eyes and helped me arrive at this reasoning.
3. It would be hard to know the Mind of the LORD & His Plan in progressive revelation to mankind (specifically Israel). My heart tells me that OT Israel needed only to know God (Yahweh) Who loved them dearly & would bless them beyond measure. But their obedience & faithfulness to Him was paramount. If Israel knew only so much of God but served Him well, by exercising faith in Him & His Promises ( Hebrews 11) they would be blessed, yet we know why & how they suffered because of their disobedience & idolatrous practises.
Though God did not reveal to them what we know today of His full Nature (His tripartite Being), they did have sufficient prophetical words given them to tell them of a coming One. But would they understand, accept, & through a rather opaque lens, perceive Who God was in His Fullness? Some then may have had an inkling but I think that God planned that they should wait till His Son be sent to be the manifestation of Himself on Earth. And clearly, to some the "penny dropped" & they rejoiced in the Truth & fulfillment of prophecy. And Jesus Himself spoke of this ( Luke 24:25-27). And this ignorance (i.e. the lack of understanding of the coming Christ of God) to what was revealed by Jesus then & by His Spirit now, would definitely not only cause confusion, but also anger & hatred in those who remain blinded to the revelation of the true God & His Son. But the day will come when they will come to Truth ( Zechariah 12:9,10; Revelation 1:7). Blessings.
Yes Keygbo, biologically speaking, the word "Son only has one definition (a) male descendant". But 'son' doesn't always refer to biological descendency. Take for examples: Genesis 6:2, Job 1:6, Romans 8:14, "sons of God". In just these three examples, these "sons" have no biological connection to God. The first to either angels or the descendants of Seth; the second to angels/heavenly beings; and the third to those who are born again, led of God's Spirit & adopted into God's family. All these are God's sons, or sons of God.
And then we can take the idioms, "son of the road, or son of the soil". I'm sure you've heard of these not oft used expressions. Most would believe that if those phrases were used for a particular person, then it is understood that neither the road nor the soil gave birth to sons. Likewise, Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus being "the prince of the kings of the earth". I suspect that you wouldn't now believe that Jesus, as a prince, had his descendency in an earthly king (or, multiple kings). So yes, biologically, the son of an earthly king would be called a prince, but metaphorically, this is not so as there is no descendency to a human king - just a title.
Lucifer, or 'shining one' was given to the king of Babylon who lived & ruled by that satanic spirit. Sure, Satan was never called Lucifer, but he, as did the king, were described with the same phrase: "the shining one, son of the morning". So whether Satan is referred to as "the prince of the power of the air" ( Ephesians 2:2) or the "prince of darkness" (taken loosely from Ephesians 6:12), these both describe the same devil, one who has power over his demons that move about freely in the world and in the air, as well as to the devil & his demons who brings darkness to people's minds & spirits, keeping them in captivity to sin, yet making them believe that they are in light, joy & hope ( 2 Corinthians 11:14). And he is called a prince, meaning that he is the ruler, yet having no king above him.
In Revelation 1:1 that I just described for you, God gave the revelation to Christ, who gave it to an angel, who gave it to John. But even more telling than that is Revelation Chapter 22 Verse 6, the final chapter in Revelation. Jesus, in giving the warnings to people to take heed to what's being said, and He said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true.
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants, plural, the things which shortly must be done. So even in Chapter 22, the testimony of Christ is that everything in this book is faithful and true.
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show these things to His servants, and that would be the servants in the churches, the things which must shortly be done. That's what the book began with. He's an angel. God uses angels. I don't know why. But it seems as though angels have some kind of ministry in the physical realm.
After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, the angels came and ministered to Him. That is, they brought Him the food and the physical things that He needed. In the book of Revelation, we'll see that angels are in charge of physical activities. They hold the wind. So, they have a certain function that God created them for.
At the end of Hebrews Chapter 1, it says the angels are ministering spirits sent to those who have obtained salvation. You and I have angels around us. And churches have angels. Every fellowship that is established by Christ has angels.
When you study Chapters 2 and 3, you will study the seven messages to the seven churches. And I'm sure that you will find it quite fascinating. It is the Lord's final prophecy to His church before He comes back. And I think you'll be interested in what the Lord has to say of the church, even in our day.
Revelation 1:19 - Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
He says, write the things which thou hast seen. That's Verses 9 through 20. And the things which are, Chapters 2 and 3, and the things which shall be META TOUTA, meaning after these things; Chapter 4 through Chapter 22. Again, the breakdown of the book.
Revelation 1:20 - The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Now before we leave this, there is a disagreement as to who the angels are. Now who they are, and I don't know them by name, but the word angel, ANGELOS in Greek is also translated messenger. In the gospels, it's used for human beings who are sent out with messages. They are called messengers.
So, there are many that believe that these angels are the messengers of the churches, that is, the pastors of the churches, because angels don't pastor churches.
But I'll share the following:
Number one, in John's writings, the gospel of John, 1, 2, & 3rd John, and Revelation, he never uses the word ANGELOS for human messengers, never.
Secondly, in literature, when he starts off the book in Verse 1 by saying that Christ gave it to His angel in order to show John, once a writer establishes a definition for you, if he was going to use the same word to describe somebody else, he would give you that information before he moved on. But he doesn't. It always means angel.
I pray that I do not offend you, brother. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, and God placed Him above all, not just humans, until the last enemy is destroyed. Jesus is worthy of these titles. We do not see the apostles teaching that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, in Acts 3:13, where Peter says, "the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son."
In Revelation 1:17-18 says "he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore". God is Spirit and eternal, and can not change, nor even any part of Him die. God sent His Son into this world to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 4:10. The law was for man, who could be tempted, Hebrews 4:14, God cannot be tempted James 1:13. Man had to live a perfect life, obedient to the Father, and die that through Jesus's blood, we have redemption, Ephesians 1:7, God is a Spirit.
The phrase "son of man" in the Old Testament is a metaphor or idiom referring to a human being or a mere mortal. God addressed Ezekiel as "Son of Man"; Jesus referred to Himself 80 times as the "Son of Man." In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel was shown a vision of Jesus after His resurrection ascending to heaven, to His Father, Ephesians 1:17-23, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. God does not have a God, 2 Cor. 11:31, Eph. 1:3, Eph. 4:6, 1 Pet. 1:3.
Daniel 10, this is not a vision of Christ; it is an angel, Gabriel. This chapter shows us that battles in the spiritual realm are going on that we do not see or hear. Daniel had prayed and was mourning about what he had been shown would happen to his people and Jerusalem in Daniel 9. In Daniel 10:12-14, Gabriel tells Daniel why he was late coming; this is not a vision of Christ.
I will leave it there; I hope you understand my reply is in love.
Revelation 1:17 - And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as a dead man. I would too!
In Daniel Chapter 10 Verses 8 and 9, Daniel did the same thing. When he saw this vision of Christ, he fell down as he was dead. He said I had no strength in my body. I couldn't move. In Ezekiel 1:28, Ezekiel sees the vision and he falls down as a dead man.
In Acts 24:10, Paul describing as he was going along the Damascus road, he said the light of Christ appeared to them, and the whole group fell over as dead men. That's what it's like to be in the presence of Christ! And when I saw him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
In Daniel 10:10, the Lord did the same thing. He came over and He put His hand on me, and this is what He said, fear not, literally, stop fearing! Fear not; I am the first and the last: Again, the designation of God, found in Isaiah 41:4, and Isaiah 48:12.
Revelation 1:18 - I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
I am He that lives, and this is another designation of God found in Psalm 84:2, and Joshua 3:10. I am He that lives. God presents Himself to the Jews as the living God. I am He that lives, and was dead; literally and became dead, and behold, I am living forevermore, His resurrection, His eternalness.
Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death. Keys are a symbol of authority. Those who were in charge of the temple had the keys to the temple. We'll see later on that the Lord will be in control of hell and death.
Revelation 1:16 - And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: That's taken from Isaiah 49:2. It is also mentioned later in Revelation Chapter 19 at the second coming of Christ, where it says out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and tread them in a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
We don't expect to see a literal sword. That's the Jewish way of saying how powerful God's word is. It's like a sword that cuts right through you. We know in Hebrews 4:12, and again, another Jewish literature letter, it says for the word of God is quick, that is, living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner, that is, a critic, of the thoughts and motivations of the heart.
That's how powerful God's word is. We're not talking about quoting the bible. We're talking about the truth that God's word has. It cuts deep. It's powerful. Out of the Lord's mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
And His countenance, that is, His face, was as the sun shineth in his strength. The Greek phrase expresses looking straight into the sun at high noon on the brightest day of the year. Wow, what a sight!
That's from Judges 5:31. That's who Jesus Christ is!
Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. That's in Daniel 7:9. It denotes purity.
And His eyes were as a flame of fire. That's found in Daniel 10:6. In fact, in Daniel 10:6, he has pretty much the same vision. He saw the same Christ, but his is scarier than John's. Daniel doesn't say flames of fire; he says His eyes were burning like torches.
Revelation 1:15 - And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. Brass was used in the Old Testament for the altars. And where all the sacrifices, and where God's judgment was to be poured out, it was to be made of brass. That's found in Exodus 38:1-7. His feet for judgment!
And His voice as the sound of many waters, taken from Ezekiel 43:2. He sounded like a trumpet when He started. Now He sounds like many waters, that deep sound like the waves coming up and crashing onto the rocks, and here is this deep voice now speaking like the sound of many waters.
Revelation 1:12 - And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
He says and I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, here's what I saw, he saw two things: I saw seven golden candlesticks; Now everywhere where you see the word candlesticks in the book of Revelation, it's literally the word LUCHNIA, which means lampstand. It's not a candlestick. It is a lampstand.
Revelation 1:13 - And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man. That's the phrase taken from Daniel 7:13. He's called the Son of Man. Again, that's a title. The Son of Man is someone who is over the human race. He's in charge of the human race.
Son of God, who we think is the second person of the trinity, but that's why the Jewish people got upset with Jesus, for saying He was the Son of God, because they know the Son of God is God. Whoever the Son of God is, He's in charge of God. Whoever the Son of Man is, He's in charge of the humans.
Check out this description:
He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps, or chest, with a golden sash. That's taken from Daniel Chapter 10 Verse 5. That's the priestly garment of the Old Testament. He's dressed like a priest.
Revelation 1:11 - Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, 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.
But he says, I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying to me, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:
I wonder who that is!
Interesting, He said Alpha and Omega, but He also said the first and the last. That is the title of God found in Isaiah 41:4 where God told the children of Israel, I am the first, and I am the last. Isaiah 41:12 is another verse of where that exact phrase comes from.
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia;
And we've seen those seven churches. But it is interesting, this is the first part that He told him, write what thou hast seen. So, what you see, write it down and send it to the seven churches. But it is interesting, and we will see when we study these seven messages, is that this is one letter going to each of the seven churches, the church unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
These are not seven different messages that are going to go out to each one of these churches. Everybody's going to get all the other messages. And the Lord's going to say after the message to each church, and He's talking about the blessing of those who hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, plural.
You might say how does this all help us? Well, in trusting the Lord, realize that nothing's a surprise to Him. It's a surprise to me. You know, when things happen, you say Lord, why did you do that? It's like the Lord wasn't paying attention and He let it happen. No, He's already "been there, done that!"
John saw the future happen, before it happened, while it was happening. When you have that kind of dimension of who God is, and remember this is being ministered to people who are sitting in jail cells, and who are suffering.
So, he says I was caught up in spirit. I saw the Lord's day. And I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. That's the Jewish Shofar, the ram's horn that blows. Interesting, the Lord's voice was as a trumpet. What's going to happen when the church gets taken up at the second coming of Christ? There will be a sound of a trumpet. It will be the Lord calling His people home!
So, I heard behind me, and notice this: John says behind me, and for quite a while he's not going to turn around and look at who the person is.
I like to use the analogy of when you watch a movie for the first time, especially where they create these moments when you're fixed on the screen, and then all of a sudden somebody jumps out and screams, and you just about have a heart attack. Or you really don't know what's going to happen and you're on pins and needles through the whole thing.
Well, after you watch it once, and somebody says have you watched this movie? Yes, I have. Well, I haven't, do you want to watch it with me? Sure, this is going to be good! And you're sitting there, and you know exactly what's going to happen because you've seen it. It's already happened.
If we understand this about God, you and I are living in the present, the now. Every second and every minute is new to us because we've never been there before. Things happen in our day. But God's already been there, and it's already happened. It's a re-run to Him. He's not surprised!
It is just comforting to know that God, who is outside our time domain and space factor in which we live, but with God, He knows everything from the beginning to the end. He already knows. He knows exactly what I'm going to do. He knows exactly the day that I'm going to die. He knows how my day is going to go tomorrow.
So that anointing, as special and yet grave in its administration to those priests, serves to demonstrate to us today, as God's children through Christ, the seriousness of our redemption and calling, to be called His very own. Having made us "kings and priests" unto Himself ( Revelation 1:6), we can only be found in such a blessed position in His family by also being anointed; not with that oil necessary for those priests, but with the Holy Spirit of God (that Heavenly Oil, if you will) that secures us as His children forever, Who teaches all things, and enables us to live this new life (in a corrupt world) unto God ( 1 John 2:20,27). As those not only anointed by the Spirit, but our bodies become the Temple of the Holy Ghost ( 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16), enabling us to live not in the fear and trembling of those old-time priests, but in redemption joy by the Spirit-given Power, of His Love, & self-control. Blessings.
Christ is omnipresent and not bound by the limits of time or space. When Jesus promised in Matthew 28:20, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world," He declared His constant presence with every believer, no matter where they are. David proclaimed in Psalm 139:7-10, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." This eternal reality points us to Christ as God in the flesh ( 1 Timothy 3:16), unlimited in His power and presence.
When Jesus walked the earth, His physical body was localized, but after His resurrection and glorification, He transcended all limitations. In John 14:18, He promised, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." This is fulfilled through His Spirit indwelling each believer ( Colossians 1:27, Romans 8:9-10). At the same time, He intercedes at the right hand of God ( Hebrews 7:25), proving He can be present in heaven and in the hearts of His people simultaneously.
Christ Himself said in Matthew 18:20, "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Paul declared in Galatians 2:20, "Christ liveth in me." Yet John also saw Him walking among the seven churches ( Revelation 1:13). These passages show that Christ is not confined but active everywhere at once.
This truth is a source of comfort: He hears the cry of the saint in a prison cell, strengthens the missionary across the seas, and walks beside you today. Truly, He is Emmanuel, "God with us" ( Matthew 1:23), never distant, never absent, always present to guide, comfort, and uphold His people.
G&P
I agree, when Jesus returns, it will not be a secret, as all the Scriptures proclaim, it will be with the sound of the trumpet, the last trumpet, 1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15. As you said, every eye shall see Him coming in the clouds, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 19:11-16.
The resurrection of the righteous, which is the first resurrection, will happen at Christ's return, Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:4-6. Scripture does not say Jesus goes back to heaven. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul is comforting them that those who are asleep/dead in Christ would not be left out of the return of Christ and the resurrection. Nowhere in these verses does it say we are taken to heaven.
If we read and study Scriptures with preconceived assumptions, it fogs the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 is about the return of Jesus and our gathering together unto Him on earth, at His coming. It says do not let man deceive you because Jesus will not return until two things happen. The falling away/apostasy, and the man of sin is revealed.
Revelation 19:20 is where the beast and the false prophet are cast into the lake of fire. In Revelation 17:14, they are the ones in the first resurrection who are in the battle of Armageddon with Jesus, and in Revelation 20:4 are the ones in the first resurrection who are being judged at the judgment seat of Christ, here on earth.
God bless,
RLW
Revelation 1:7
"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
1 John 4:1
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
Bleesings
And as a matter of interest (but not in the Scriptures), it is recorded that some of those early writers during John's lifetime and later, also began using the phrase, "the Lord's Day", and they referenced this day to the first day of the week, Sunday, with no reference to the Jewish Sabbath & its irrelevance to those under Grace through the Cross. While Jesus was on Earth, He lived and ministered to His people who were under the Law (not only the Decalogue, but the whole Law and Statutes). Once His Work at the Cross was accomplished in victory, that Law was cast aside for it only promised judgement and death. And through His death, Jesus ushered in the New Covenant, making the first one old ( Hebrews 8:13). So as those IN CHRIST, we celebrate Jesus' victory won for us at the Cross, and this we do as has been done over the millenia, on that Resurrection Day, the Lord's Day, Sunday. GBU.
As the Apostle John continues to receive revelations & visions of "things which shall be hereafter" ( Revelation 1:19), the vision of the New Jerusalem was given to him in this chapter. And I should state, since there is a lot of imagery in the Book of the Revelation and often things listed are not in sequence, different views are generated; so what I understand could be at variance with another's view and I too must admit that my understanding is not necessarily accurate, but what I have for now.
We read in the first verse, that the sky and earth as we know it will be no more at some time ahead determined by God. This is probably because God is cleansing it of the stain of sin that existed and now starting afresh with a new earth. And a new city, the holy Jerusalem is brought forth from God onto this new Earth. Jerusalem, as you know, is not only the capital of Israel, but God's appointed city ( Psalm 48:1,2,8; Joel 3:16,17), so God's focus in bringing forth this "New Jerusalem" is where He will dwell with those who belong to Him (v3); all who have rejected God, living in sin have faced eternal damnation (v8).
And so the vision of this new city was given to John (vv9-21) in all its beauty and splendor. The verses also tell us that there was no temple (or, even the need of a building for worship), for where God Himself & His Son are, we will worship them there (vv22,23). There will be no need for natural or artificial light as the Triune God is the Light flooding the city (v23). All this gives a reflection of Heaven now. However, what is perplexing, is the mention of both the saved nations (saved people) and their kings (leaders) who will bring praise and worship to God in the city (vv24-26). I can't tell how this actually figures in such an environment; i.e. from where do these folk come outside the city's walls? Hope this helps a little.
If your "battle" is with believing that Jesus is God, may I suggest the following scriptures for your consideration:
Genesis 1:1 along with John 1:1-3, Revelation 19:13, Colossians 1:15-17, Matthew 1:23, John 10:30, John 14:9, Mark 2:5-7, John 8:58, John 20:28, Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:8, John 5:18, 1 John 5:20, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, Acts 10:25-26, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 22:13, Micah 5:2, John 17:5, John 1:14. There are more, but these should suffice.
You mention that "Christians say that there is no separation between Christ and God," and that the bible shows otherwise. Jesus said I and my Father are one, and He also said that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. This may not mean anything to you, but in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as the APOUGASMA (the out beam) of God's glory, God projecting Himself through the time/space factor in the person of Christ. Jesus Christ, being God, was never separated from the source. This is why Jesus can say if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.
The best example I can give would be taking a flashlight in a dark room and shining it on a wall. The flashlight is the source, and the light is projected on the wall from the source. There is no separation unless the flashlight is turned off. Now, imagine the flashlight being God, and the light shining on the wall is Jesus, again, no separation. Jesus is said to be the true light which came down from heaven, the APOUGASMA of God.
If you are sincerely struggling with the deity of Jesus Christ (Him being God), I hope these scriptures I've provided might help. Also, if you would like, I can share my personal understanding on Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42 and why Christ would ask this.
If I may ask, are you a Christian? If so, who do you say Jesus is?
I Pray for deliverance from anything hinders walk with Christ.
John 8:36 KJV
My Interpetation REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY:
" Jesus Christ is Father and the Son same language you can understand is God for us to be heirs to all the world. To believe you can do and follow Jesus and become what your expected to be the truth of God Romans 8:2 KJV, 1 Corinthians 7:22 KJV. This is the life to live also exhibited. It is used in
discipleship- to show the Holy bible is life
saints/ citizens- free from sin Galatians 5:1 KJV, liability, set free from thraldom, ransom Mark 10:45 KJV, evil ,captivity of Satan.
Freedom from the laws, rules, thraldom that are not of God moral and obedience to it. You are titled to freedom to the house of God and his supper. A example of analogy used family of God Himself.
Ways you can be free from sin are to listen to God's voice and word to obey and follow " do it" (speaking, actions, attention of communications)
Examples of people in the holy bible that made themselves free in God you can read and follow are Romans 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:1 .
Word Spoken and Written by
REDAPPLETREATY4MEONLY
I don't want to draw attention to myself but I am kind of excited about this topic and hopefully others can share this joy. We are according to Revelation kings and priests according to Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. That; my friends is the Word of God along with Hebrews 11:6 as an encouragement and exhortation: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
I'm not sure if any of us can begin to fathom what it will be like to rule and reign with Christ. It is unnatural for us; as imperfect humans to even spend whatever limited time we have in fellowship; although I will admit since I spend much time alone I need to ensure that I fulfill my responsibilities in heeding the call for Christian service above and beyond my own interests. As much as some have Christian family around them; of course I consider you guys part of this "forever family" concept-ok I'll stop before I get too mushy.
The formula for Sunday worship should follow some order based on the authority God has given elders and deacons; etc. This is to serve and honor God properly; but if the ritual or routine becomes stale it will fail (and in fact it will if the fervor of love for the Lord is left out of the equation as happened with the Ephesian church starting in Revelation 3:1.
When we look around; some may realize that church isn't a social club (at least for those left out of much conversation). The demographics of my church are of people my age (OLD) and not particularly physically attractive. As a guy frankly I'm glad not to have that distraction but I bring this up so we can all be aware of factors that inhibit close fellowshp as we are called to do.
MOre in next post
(Part 3):
Revelation 1:7 says, "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."
Behold, he comes with the clouds. I personally don't believe this is making reference to the rapture. I believe Revelation 1:7 is speaking of the Second Coming of Christ, separate from the rapture which would have previously taken place.
Please allow me to share my reasoning. This is how I understand this. It says, "He (Jesus) comes with the clouds. The reference is found in Daniel 7:13.
In Acts Chapter 1, after Jesus ascended up after His resurrection, the disciples were looking up into heaven watching Him disappear in the clouds, and Acts 1:10-11 says, "and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. Which also said ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven.
So, Jesus is going to come back the same way. He's going to come back in the clouds. We know that Jesus physically walked this earth some 2,000 plus years ago. We also know that when He ascended, He ascended up on a cloud. When He comes at His Second Coming, He will again come in the clouds and physically step down onto the earth. This will be seen, the same as His ascension was seen. At the rapture, we meet Him in the air. The rapture will happen so fast that it will be impossible for the eye to see.
The dead in Christ will rise from the grave, and we (believers) who are alive will also be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. There is no mention of anyone meeting the Lord in the air at His Second Coming.
(Part 4):
Again, and back in Revelation 1:7, we are told that every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him. So, at the Second Coming of Christ, everyone who is on this earth will see Him. This is taken from Zechariah 12:10.
So, every eye will see Christ at His Second Coming. But if the rapture takes place at the Second Coming of Christ, it would only be logical that all eyes will witness the rapture also. But how can this be when the rapture happens in a millisecond?
It makes sense that those who are on the earth will see Jesus coming back just the same as they saw Him ascending up because scripture gives us that. But how can anyone see something that happens in the "twinkling of an eye?"
No person with a naked eye can see a bullet travelling through the air after being fired from a gun. But even the speed of a bullet doesn't come anywhere close to the speed it talks about the rapture happening in 1 Corinthians 15:55. No human eye can see something happening so fast, one-billionth of a second.
So, the question would be, how can the Rapture of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ happen together? Just a thought!
Blessings to you all in Christ!
1 "Can you tell me how you interpret the events after the tribulation period, on into the Millennium, when Satan is chained and when he is loosed?"
I will do my best to show my understanding of your questions. My study is simple, and I rely on the Bible for interpretation. I use Word Search, a concordance, and my Bible provides other verses that cross-reference a word or phrase throughout Scripture.
The book of Revelation is not in chronological order. We see in Revelation 1:7, that when He comes in the clouds, every eye will see Him. Revelation 6:12-17 shows a vision given to John after the Sixth Seal, revealing the signs of Jesus' coming. Cross-references include Joel 2:10-11, 30-31, Matthew 24, and others.
In Revelation 11:15-19, the seventh trumpet, or the last trumpet, signals the coming of Jesus, ending the tribulation and beginning God's wrath. Revelation 14 combines visions that are not in order; we see Jesus standing on Mount Zion with the 144000, which would occur after Revelation 19:11-16. We know this because, when He returns, His feet will land on the Mount of Olives, as described in Zechariah 14:4.
Revelation 14:6-7 describes the angel preaching the everlasting gospel, which must occur near the end of the tribulation. The announcement of Babylon's fall is seen in chapters 17 and 18. Revelation 14:9-11 states the fate of those who worship the beast, take its mark, and follow the beast and the false prophet. This is carried out in Revelation 19:20-21.
Revelation 14:12-13 declares, "Blessed are those who die in the Lord from henceforth," even as the tribulation continues. My understanding of Revelation 14:14-16, which covers the harvest and the first resurrection, is supported by passages like Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:4-6, and Matthew 24:29-31. Revelation 14:17-20 describes the battle of Armageddon, with related references in Revelation 19:17-21, Ezekiel 39:17-21, and Luke 17:37.
See Part 2
f) Revelation 1:4 to 3:22 is devoted to the Church(es) while on Earth. From chapter 4 onwards, the Church is not seen or mentioned, except for Revelation 14:12,13 and Revelation 15:2-4, where the mention of believers who have come to faith in the Great Tribulation, who from that time on (under the anti-Christ) taste death under his hand (probably as martyrs).
There are other references that help us to know the state of the Church on Earth & the unsaved, under direction of God. But the above are a few portions that helped me to understand that the Great Tribulation which is God's Wrath on display & the start of the closing of this age, is certainly not for true believers, His children. For His Wrath is against sinners who have rejected Him, His Son, who prefer to wallow in their sin. It cannot include His Church who have already been judged, forgiven & received into His family, or else we have a case of double jeopardy for the believer.
I realize that you have asked for a specific verse(s) that show two returns of Christ. We simply cannot, even with the example of the Trinity we can only learn of His Coming by what we glean throughout the Word. In any case, I don't believe holding to an variant opinion on this affects salvation in any way, but by discussing it we can learn about how and where others derive their understanding from. If diehards were to take the matter further, they would then need to analyse each other's scriptural support to see whether they do have merit in their arguments for or against. Will leave this with you, with blessings.
Hebrews 12:9 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:
Revelation 1:10 "On the Lord's day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet.
When considering the last trump signifying the Rapture we think of the Feast of Trumpets on one hand; as it is traditionally known as the day when no one knows the day or hour as the new moon sighting can be on one of 2 or perhaps more days depending on weather conditions and the time of sighting which signals its onset. When we examine the other references here it certainly could signify a heavenly trumpet instead. That is the most likely scenario; as those who are caught up will come from all parts of the world.
We also are reminded that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of understanding; thus I look at Psalm 40 as a prophetic warning of the Rapture. Psalm 40:1-3 state I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
I'll let the reader examine references to patiently waiting (n regard to spiritual reward); bringing us out of our bodies made of clay; and the new song in heaven. My point here is that many will come to faith after the Rapture out of fear as verse 3 says; likely indicating the multitude saved in the Tribulation.
Or; lets consider Habakkuk 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come...
Part 1
I understand this is debated, but this is my understanding.
1 Peter 3:18-20: 18, For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. This was a once-and-for-all sin offering, as mentioned in Romans 8:3 and Hebrews 9:11-14, to bring us to God so that God can now dwell with humanity through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is God who quickens the dead, as stated in Romans 4:17, by the Spirit. Jesus, being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the Spirit. Jesus was dead for three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, the grave/tomb. He was quickened, which means brought back to life, when He was resurrected in His glorified body. Jesus is the first begotten of the dead, Revelation 1:5, the Firstfruits of them that slept, 1 Corinthians 15:20. Sleep, the Greek word koimao, meaning to put to sleep, be dead.
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. By the same Spirit that quickened Jesus, Jesus went and preached/proclaimed to these spirits in prison.
Who are these spirits who were disobedient in the time of Noah? Angels are spirits, Psalm 104:4, Hebrews 1:7. Devils/demons are spirits, familiar spirits, evil spirits, unclean spirits. Humans have a spirit, but are never called spirits. Humans are mortal; the soul who sins will die, and the dead know not anything. Immortality is a gift from God, and in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find our hope for eternal life.
We see this long-suffering in Genesis 6:1-8. 120 years were given for repentance, but we see that only eight souls were saved by the water.
See part 2
Revelation 22:3 - And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
And there shall be no more curse:
In Genesis Chapter 3, Adam and Eve were chased out of the garden because of their sin, so that they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever. So, the curse is removed. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Revelation 22:6 - And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
This is a repeat of Revelation 1:1. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. The word shortly in the Greek text (TACHEI) means that when it happens, it happens in a short amount of time. It doesn't mean it's going to happen soon. But when it does happen, it will happen in quickness, a short amount of time.
Revelation 22:7 - Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The word keeps, and as I have mentioned before, there are several words for to keep. This is not the word to do, or to make. This is the word (TEREO) that is used for to be on guard. And this particular word specifically is to be on guard from being invaded from the outside.
And so, to keep the words of this prophecy is to be on guard, and don't let anything, any influence in this earthly life take you away from the book of Revelation and what its message is. Please keep in mind that the book of Revelation is God's final message to His church. And we'll see that warning in a moment. But the book is called prophecy.
Verses 8 to 11 gives the instructions of the angel:
Regarding the return of Jesus, I only see in Scripture that He returns once. As seen in 1 Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Hebrews 9:28, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 19:11-21, through Revelation 20:1-6, is the same event when Jesus returns, and it occurs after the tribulation of the beast. My understanding is that there is only one Day of the Lord, and that is when Jesus returns.
Regarding the Messiah, I have never asked a Jew about their understanding of it. What I have previously read about Jewish faith is that one day a charismatic Jewish leader, the anointed of God, a man with the characteristics of God, a direct descendant of the Davidic line, will gather Jews from around the world, and bring them back to the Land of Israel and restore the kingdom ridding them of all oppressors.
That was what they were looking for during the time Jesus was here during His 3.5-year ministry, a human conqueror. The disciples were looking for Him to set up the kingdom; they even asked Him after He was resurrected, Acts 1:6-7. They were looking for what we see will happen in the millennium when Jesus returns to earth.
It was mainly the leaders of Jerusalem who did not see or did not hear, which caused blindness in part to happen to Israel, who rejected Jesus; many accepted Jesus as the Messiah while He was here. The leaders of Jerusalem played a prominent role in turning the crowds against Jesus, and it was the nation of Israel as a whole that rejected Him. And today, most Jews do not believe the Messiah has come.
I know we may not agree, but I hope I answered your question.
God bless,
RLW
Yes - that key exists, and it is the key to death and hell, which Jesus took when He conquered death in His resurrection. Revelation 1:18 "I am he who lives; I was put to death, but behold, I am alive for ever and ever, and I have the keys of death and hell."
So! Christ has conquered the power of sin and death, and the keys he holds are not just symbolic of authority, but of liberation - the prison door is open because he has the key.
And so, with the peace of knowing that our prison has already been opened, how important to keep in mind that the key is not lost, and that the last word belongs to the One who lives.
Talking to some brothers and sisters at the weekend.. I noticed some verses that opened my eyes and helped me arrive at this reasoning.
3. It would be hard to know the Mind of the LORD & His Plan in progressive revelation to mankind (specifically Israel). My heart tells me that OT Israel needed only to know God (Yahweh) Who loved them dearly & would bless them beyond measure. But their obedience & faithfulness to Him was paramount. If Israel knew only so much of God but served Him well, by exercising faith in Him & His Promises ( Hebrews 11) they would be blessed, yet we know why & how they suffered because of their disobedience & idolatrous practises.
Though God did not reveal to them what we know today of His full Nature (His tripartite Being), they did have sufficient prophetical words given them to tell them of a coming One. But would they understand, accept, & through a rather opaque lens, perceive Who God was in His Fullness? Some then may have had an inkling but I think that God planned that they should wait till His Son be sent to be the manifestation of Himself on Earth. And clearly, to some the "penny dropped" & they rejoiced in the Truth & fulfillment of prophecy. And Jesus Himself spoke of this ( Luke 24:25-27). And this ignorance (i.e. the lack of understanding of the coming Christ of God) to what was revealed by Jesus then & by His Spirit now, would definitely not only cause confusion, but also anger & hatred in those who remain blinded to the revelation of the true God & His Son. But the day will come when they will come to Truth ( Zechariah 12:9,10; Revelation 1:7). Blessings.
And then we can take the idioms, "son of the road, or son of the soil". I'm sure you've heard of these not oft used expressions. Most would believe that if those phrases were used for a particular person, then it is understood that neither the road nor the soil gave birth to sons. Likewise, Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus being "the prince of the kings of the earth". I suspect that you wouldn't now believe that Jesus, as a prince, had his descendency in an earthly king (or, multiple kings). So yes, biologically, the son of an earthly king would be called a prince, but metaphorically, this is not so as there is no descendency to a human king - just a title.
Lucifer, or 'shining one' was given to the king of Babylon who lived & ruled by that satanic spirit. Sure, Satan was never called Lucifer, but he, as did the king, were described with the same phrase: "the shining one, son of the morning". So whether Satan is referred to as "the prince of the power of the air" ( Ephesians 2:2) or the "prince of darkness" (taken loosely from Ephesians 6:12), these both describe the same devil, one who has power over his demons that move about freely in the world and in the air, as well as to the devil & his demons who brings darkness to people's minds & spirits, keeping them in captivity to sin, yet making them believe that they are in light, joy & hope ( 2 Corinthians 11:14). And he is called a prince, meaning that he is the ruler, yet having no king above him.
Revelation 1:20 Continued
In Revelation 1:1 that I just described for you, God gave the revelation to Christ, who gave it to an angel, who gave it to John. But even more telling than that is Revelation Chapter 22 Verse 6, the final chapter in Revelation. Jesus, in giving the warnings to people to take heed to what's being said, and He said unto me, these sayings are faithful and true.
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants, plural, the things which shortly must be done. So even in Chapter 22, the testimony of Christ is that everything in this book is faithful and true.
And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show these things to His servants, and that would be the servants in the churches, the things which must shortly be done. That's what the book began with. He's an angel. God uses angels. I don't know why. But it seems as though angels have some kind of ministry in the physical realm.
After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, the angels came and ministered to Him. That is, they brought Him the food and the physical things that He needed. In the book of Revelation, we'll see that angels are in charge of physical activities. They hold the wind. So, they have a certain function that God created them for.
At the end of Hebrews Chapter 1, it says the angels are ministering spirits sent to those who have obtained salvation. You and I have angels around us. And churches have angels. Every fellowship that is established by Christ has angels.
When you study Chapters 2 and 3, you will study the seven messages to the seven churches. And I'm sure that you will find it quite fascinating. It is the Lord's final prophecy to His church before He comes back. And I think you'll be interested in what the Lord has to say of the church, even in our day.
Revelation 1:19 - Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
He says, write the things which thou hast seen. That's Verses 9 through 20. And the things which are, Chapters 2 and 3, and the things which shall be META TOUTA, meaning after these things; Chapter 4 through Chapter 22. Again, the breakdown of the book.
Revelation 1:20 - The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Now before we leave this, there is a disagreement as to who the angels are. Now who they are, and I don't know them by name, but the word angel, ANGELOS in Greek is also translated messenger. In the gospels, it's used for human beings who are sent out with messages. They are called messengers.
So, there are many that believe that these angels are the messengers of the churches, that is, the pastors of the churches, because angels don't pastor churches.
But I'll share the following:
Number one, in John's writings, the gospel of John, 1, 2, & 3rd John, and Revelation, he never uses the word ANGELOS for human messengers, never.
Secondly, in literature, when he starts off the book in Verse 1 by saying that Christ gave it to His angel in order to show John, once a writer establishes a definition for you, if he was going to use the same word to describe somebody else, he would give you that information before he moved on. But he doesn't. It always means angel.
I pray that I do not offend you, brother. Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, and God placed Him above all, not just humans, until the last enemy is destroyed. Jesus is worthy of these titles. We do not see the apostles teaching that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, in Acts 3:13, where Peter says, "the God of our fathers hath glorified His Son."
In Revelation 1:17-18 says "he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore". God is Spirit and eternal, and can not change, nor even any part of Him die. God sent His Son into this world to be the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 4:10. The law was for man, who could be tempted, Hebrews 4:14, God cannot be tempted James 1:13. Man had to live a perfect life, obedient to the Father, and die that through Jesus's blood, we have redemption, Ephesians 1:7, God is a Spirit.
The phrase "son of man" in the Old Testament is a metaphor or idiom referring to a human being or a mere mortal. God addressed Ezekiel as "Son of Man"; Jesus referred to Himself 80 times as the "Son of Man." In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel was shown a vision of Jesus after His resurrection ascending to heaven, to His Father, Ephesians 1:17-23, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory. God does not have a God, 2 Cor. 11:31, Eph. 1:3, Eph. 4:6, 1 Pet. 1:3.
Daniel 10, this is not a vision of Christ; it is an angel, Gabriel. This chapter shows us that battles in the spiritual realm are going on that we do not see or hear. Daniel had prayed and was mourning about what he had been shown would happen to his people and Jerusalem in Daniel 9. In Daniel 10:12-14, Gabriel tells Daniel why he was late coming; this is not a vision of Christ.
I will leave it there; I hope you understand my reply is in love.
bless,
RLW
Revelation 1:17 - And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as a dead man. I would too!
In Daniel Chapter 10 Verses 8 and 9, Daniel did the same thing. When he saw this vision of Christ, he fell down as he was dead. He said I had no strength in my body. I couldn't move. In Ezekiel 1:28, Ezekiel sees the vision and he falls down as a dead man.
In Acts 24:10, Paul describing as he was going along the Damascus road, he said the light of Christ appeared to them, and the whole group fell over as dead men. That's what it's like to be in the presence of Christ! And when I saw him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
In Daniel 10:10, the Lord did the same thing. He came over and He put His hand on me, and this is what He said, fear not, literally, stop fearing! Fear not; I am the first and the last: Again, the designation of God, found in Isaiah 41:4, and Isaiah 48:12.
Revelation 1:18 - I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
I am He that lives, and this is another designation of God found in Psalm 84:2, and Joshua 3:10. I am He that lives. God presents Himself to the Jews as the living God. I am He that lives, and was dead; literally and became dead, and behold, I am living forevermore, His resurrection, His eternalness.
Amen; and I have the keys of hell and of death. Keys are a symbol of authority. Those who were in charge of the temple had the keys to the temple. We'll see later on that the Lord will be in control of hell and death.
Revelation 1:16 - And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: That's taken from Isaiah 49:2. It is also mentioned later in Revelation Chapter 19 at the second coming of Christ, where it says out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron, and tread them in a winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God.
We don't expect to see a literal sword. That's the Jewish way of saying how powerful God's word is. It's like a sword that cuts right through you. We know in Hebrews 4:12, and again, another Jewish literature letter, it says for the word of God is quick, that is, living, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and it is a discerner, that is, a critic, of the thoughts and motivations of the heart.
That's how powerful God's word is. We're not talking about quoting the bible. We're talking about the truth that God's word has. It cuts deep. It's powerful. Out of the Lord's mouth went a sharp two-edged sword.
And His countenance, that is, His face, was as the sun shineth in his strength. The Greek phrase expresses looking straight into the sun at high noon on the brightest day of the year. Wow, what a sight!
That's from Judges 5:31. That's who Jesus Christ is!
Revelation 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. That's in Daniel 7:9. It denotes purity.
And His eyes were as a flame of fire. That's found in Daniel 10:6. In fact, in Daniel 10:6, he has pretty much the same vision. He saw the same Christ, but his is scarier than John's. Daniel doesn't say flames of fire; he says His eyes were burning like torches.
Revelation 1:15 - And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace. Brass was used in the Old Testament for the altars. And where all the sacrifices, and where God's judgment was to be poured out, it was to be made of brass. That's found in Exodus 38:1-7. His feet for judgment!
And His voice as the sound of many waters, taken from Ezekiel 43:2. He sounded like a trumpet when He started. Now He sounds like many waters, that deep sound like the waves coming up and crashing onto the rocks, and here is this deep voice now speaking like the sound of many waters.
Revelation 1:12 - And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
He says and I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, here's what I saw, he saw two things: I saw seven golden candlesticks; Now everywhere where you see the word candlesticks in the book of Revelation, it's literally the word LUCHNIA, which means lampstand. It's not a candlestick. It is a lampstand.
Revelation 1:13 - And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man. That's the phrase taken from Daniel 7:13. He's called the Son of Man. Again, that's a title. The Son of Man is someone who is over the human race. He's in charge of the human race.
Son of God, who we think is the second person of the trinity, but that's why the Jewish people got upset with Jesus, for saying He was the Son of God, because they know the Son of God is God. Whoever the Son of God is, He's in charge of God. Whoever the Son of Man is, He's in charge of the humans.
Check out this description:
He was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps, or chest, with a golden sash. That's taken from Daniel Chapter 10 Verse 5. That's the priestly garment of the Old Testament. He's dressed like a priest.
Revelation 1:11 - Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, 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.
But he says, I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying to me, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:
I wonder who that is!
Interesting, He said Alpha and Omega, but He also said the first and the last. That is the title of God found in Isaiah 41:4 where God told the children of Israel, I am the first, and I am the last. Isaiah 41:12 is another verse of where that exact phrase comes from.
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, what you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia;
And we've seen those seven churches. But it is interesting, this is the first part that He told him, write what thou hast seen. So, what you see, write it down and send it to the seven churches. But it is interesting, and we will see when we study these seven messages, is that this is one letter going to each of the seven churches, the church unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
These are not seven different messages that are going to go out to each one of these churches. Everybody's going to get all the other messages. And the Lord's going to say after the message to each church, and He's talking about the blessing of those who hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, plural.
So, it's not just one church. It's all of them!
Revelation 1:10 Continued
You might say how does this all help us? Well, in trusting the Lord, realize that nothing's a surprise to Him. It's a surprise to me. You know, when things happen, you say Lord, why did you do that? It's like the Lord wasn't paying attention and He let it happen. No, He's already "been there, done that!"
John saw the future happen, before it happened, while it was happening. When you have that kind of dimension of who God is, and remember this is being ministered to people who are sitting in jail cells, and who are suffering.
So, he says I was caught up in spirit. I saw the Lord's day. And I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet. That's the Jewish Shofar, the ram's horn that blows. Interesting, the Lord's voice was as a trumpet. What's going to happen when the church gets taken up at the second coming of Christ? There will be a sound of a trumpet. It will be the Lord calling His people home!
So, I heard behind me, and notice this: John says behind me, and for quite a while he's not going to turn around and look at who the person is.
Revelation 1:10 Continued
I like to use the analogy of when you watch a movie for the first time, especially where they create these moments when you're fixed on the screen, and then all of a sudden somebody jumps out and screams, and you just about have a heart attack. Or you really don't know what's going to happen and you're on pins and needles through the whole thing.
Well, after you watch it once, and somebody says have you watched this movie? Yes, I have. Well, I haven't, do you want to watch it with me? Sure, this is going to be good! And you're sitting there, and you know exactly what's going to happen because you've seen it. It's already happened.
If we understand this about God, you and I are living in the present, the now. Every second and every minute is new to us because we've never been there before. Things happen in our day. But God's already been there, and it's already happened. It's a re-run to Him. He's not surprised!
It is just comforting to know that God, who is outside our time domain and space factor in which we live, but with God, He knows everything from the beginning to the end. He already knows. He knows exactly what I'm going to do. He knows exactly the day that I'm going to die. He knows how my day is going to go tomorrow.