Today’s study had us examining the mysterious and challenging seven seals of Revelation.  We covered a lot of ground today as we jumped back and forth through the Word trying to gain a better understanding of this topic.  About four years ago I was asked to fill in as the leader of a study of the book of Revelation and the topic was the seven seals.  There was only one problem.  I had no clue of what they meant.  I remember asking the Lord to give me understanding in this area and I am thankful He did.  The Lord led me to Matthew 24 which was like a puzzle piece fitting perfectly into place.  Once you understand the seven seals I think you can see that they are the key to understanding the rest of Revelation.

Derek Prince called Matthew 24 the spine of End Times prophecy.  It is a remarkable account of the signs to watch for before Christ returns.  What I was amazed to find there on that day in which I prayed for help, was the seven seals.  Each seal is mentioned in order by Christ.  They aren’t called seals there, but it is hard to miss them when you know what to look for.  As we go through each seal I will also list them from the account in Matthew 24.

Seal 1: Revelation 6:1-2 The first seal is a white horse with a rider carrying a bow.  He is going out to conquer.  I have heard it argued that this represents Christ since the rider is on a white horse and we see Christ on a white horse at the end of Revelation, but there are a few problem with this theory.  First of all, Jesus is the one opening the seals.  He is not the one going forth.  Secondly, Jesus returns with a sword coming out of his mouth…not a bow.  Perhaps this is someone who wants to look like Christ.

Matthew 24:5 “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many.”  This first seal seems to be a false religion personified by the Antichrist who conquers by deception.  He will claim to be God and will mislead many.

Seal 2:  Revelation 6:3-4 The second seal is a red horse with a rider who takes peace from the earth so that men slay one another.  He represents war.

Matthew 24:6-7a “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.”

Seal 3: Revelation 6:5-6 The third seal is a black horse and a rider carrying a pair of scales in his hand.  A voice is heard saying that it will cost a days wages just to get a little food.  Yet there will be rich people concerned about their oil and wine.  This seal represents famine.

Matthew 24:7b “And there will be famines”

Seal 4: Revelation 7-8 The fourth seal in an ashen/pale horse and Death is its rider.  Hades is following close behind.  They are given authority over a fourth of the earth to kill with sword, famine, pestilence and beasts of the earth.

Matthew 24:7b-8 (King James Version) “And there will be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”  We have seen war, famine and pestilence now in these seals.  So far they match up perfectly.

Seal 5: Revelation 6:9-11  This seal is different from the previous four.  We do not see a horse and rider here.  Now we see those who have been killed for the cause of Christ.  These are martyrs.  They are waiting for justice to be done, but they are told to wait a little longer.

Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.”

After this Jesus gives a few more details of this period of time.  We are told that when you see the Abomination of Desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel that those who are reading this in Judea are to flee to the mountains.  The Abomination of Desolation does not happen until the midpoint of the 70th Week of Daniel…that is three and half years into the seven year period.  This is found in Daniel 12:11 where there will be 1,290 days or three and half years.  We are also told that it is at this point that the Great Tribulation begins (Matt. 24:21).  Those who hold to a Pretribulational rapture see the whole seven years as the Great Tribulation.  Yet Jesus says that the Great Tribulation does not begin until the Abomination of Desolation is set up. 

Seal 6: Revelation 6:12-17  This is a powerful seal.  There are cosmic signs in the heavens.  The sun is darkened and the moon is turned to blood.  The sky is split apart like a scroll rolling up.  Every mountain and island are moved out of their places and the kings of the earth and many others hide because they realize the wrath of God has come.  You will find these very cosmic signs in Matthew 24:29-31, Isaiah 13:6-16, Joel 2:30-32, and Acts 2:20-21.  It is interesting to note that it is only after the sixth seal that the wrath of God is said to be about to come.  Most people see the wrath of God has the full seven years of the 70th Week of Daniel, however that is not the case.  The wrath of God or the Day of the Lord is not until the end.  In fact is impossible for the wrath to be the full seven years unless the cosmic signs happen first.  Joel 2:30-32 tells us that these signs will be sent BEFORE the day of the Lord.

Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.  And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” 

Immediately is a very important word here.  It is time sensitive.  As soon as the tribulation of those days is over the cosmic signs will be seen and then Jesus will come and have his angels gather his elect from one end of the sky to the other.  This is a very clear picture of the rapture to me.  Can we see this in Revelation as well?  I think so.  Revelation chapter 7:9-17 shows a great multitude in heaven after the cosmic signs.  John is told that these are those who have come out of the Great Tribulation and they will not have to suffer any longer.  At the beginning of Revelation 7 we even see four angels at the four corners of the earth holding back the four winds.  The same picture we see in Matthew 24.  I know many do not teach this, but I firmly believe that is clear in scripture.

There was a question at this point regarding Matthew 24:24 where Jesus said that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”  This is the verse that Preterists (those who see these things as already being fulfilled in A.D. 70) hang their hat on.  They say that these verses are not pointing to a future event for us, but events that had to be fulfilled during the lives of the people Jesus was talking to.  Yet is that what Jesus was saying?  Let’s look at the preceding verses.

Matthew 24:32-34 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too when you see all these things, recognize that He is near right at the door.  Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”

The fig tree, in my opinion, represents Israel.  You can see this is Jeremiah 24 and Hosea 9:10 and someone else mentioned Jesus coming to Nathanial under the fig tree.  Jesus is saying that the generation that sees Israel blossom again will not pass away until all of these things have been fulfilled.  Israel became a nation in May of 1948.  Jerusalem was gained back in 1967.  In Luke 21 we are told that “Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.”  My friends the time of the Gentiles is closing if it hasn’t already closed.  Jesus is coming back soon.  I believe with all my heart that there will be people alive who saw either the miracle of 1948 (which fulfilled a prophecy in Isaiah 66 about a nation being born in a day) or the gaining back of Jerusalem, when Christ returns.  He is at the door and we must be ready. 

Like I said, we covered a lot of ground today.  I didn’t have time to cover everything we talked about, but our next study (in two weeks) will be a review of everything we talked about today so perhaps I’ll be able to share more then.  Until then be watchful, prayerful and ready.

Our Revelation study ended up as a review and closer examination of last weeks look at the 70 Weeks of Daniel.  It was a great discussion and one that was needed I think.  I know one of the questions that is common in this study is “have these things already happened?”  The answer for me is a resounding no!  I came up with 20 reasons why the 70th Week of Daniel has not been fulfilled.  This is by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will help.  Next week we will delve into the seven seals of Revelation 6.  It should be fun.

 

1.     National Israel has not accepted Jesus as their Messiah…thus finishing transgression, receiving atonement and bringing in everlasting righteousness for the Jewish people.  (Daniel 9:24)

2.     Vision and Prophecy have not been sealed up.  (Daniel 9:24, Acts 2:17)

3.     The Most Holy Place has not been anointed.  (Daniel 9:24)

4.     The firm covenant comes AFTER the destruction of Jerusalem which was in A.D. 70.  (Daniel 9:27)

5.     Jesus did not confirm a seven year covenant that ended sacrifices and grain offerings three and a half years into it.  (Daniel 9:27)

6.     There was no seven year covenant that ended sacrifices and grain offerings in the middle of it in A.D. 70.  (Daniel 9:27)

7.     Jesus spoke of the Abomination of Desolation as a yet future event.  (Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, Matthew 24:15)

8.     Daniel 11:31 makes it very clear that Jesus is not the one who stops the sacrifices or sets up the abomination of Desolation.

9.     There was no one in A.D. 70 who came in accordance with Satan with all power and signs and false wonders.  (2 Thessalonians 2:9, Revelation 13)

10.   The Prince who is to come was not destroyed by the second coming of Christ in A.D. 70.  (Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:8)

11.     There was no false prophet who set up an image of the Beast/Antichrist/Prince who is to come, demanding people to worship him.  (Daniel 9:27, Revelation 13:14-15)

12.    There was no mark given people in A.D. 70 that kept Christians from buying or selling unless they worshipped the Beast.  (Revelation 13:16-17)

13.     Revelation was not written until A.D. 96…more than twenty years after the events of A.D. 70.  (quote from Irenaeus puts Revelation during the time of Domitian.)

14.     There was no resurrection or rapture in A.D. 70 which precede Christ’s coming to the earth and the Day of the Lord.  (Daniel 12:1-3, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3)

15.      The sun was not darkened and the moon was not turned to blood in A.D. 70.  (Joel 2:31, Matthew 24:29, Acts 2:20, Revelation 6:12-17)

16.      There was no world-wide tribulation unequaled by any other time in A.D. 70.  (Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:21-22)

17.      The kings of the earth and great men and slaves did  not hide from the wrath of God in A.D. 70.  (Revelation 6:15)

18.      All ungodly people did not worship the beast in A.D. 70.  (Revelation 13:8)

19.      There was no earthquake stronger than any other in A.D. 70.  (Revelation 16:18)

20.     The kings of the earth did not gather their armies to battle Christ and His army in A.D. 70.  (Revelation 19:19)

Today we looked at one of the, if not the, most amazing prophecies in the Bible.  This prophecy shows how awesome, powerful and all-knowing our God is.  It should increase your faith…I know it has mine!  It should also make you ask this question, ”Am I ready and watching for the return of Christ?”  Microwave some popcorn, grab a drink and something to write on and take a look with us at the astounding prophecy of the 70 Weeks of Daniel.

Today’s study kept us in the book of Daniel for all of our time.  I felt it was imperative that we lay a foundation for what we will be looking at in the rest of Revelation.  It is very hard to study Revelation without looking closely at Daniel in the process. 

Before we get into Daniel I want to bring up a few verses in the New Testament that puzzled me for years.

• Mark 5:42b-43- “…they were all completely astounded.  And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this,”
• Mark 7:35-36- “And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.  And He gave them orders not to tell anyone;”
• Luke 4:41- Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”  But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
• Luke 5:13b-14- And immediately  the leprosy left him.  And He ordered him to tell  no one
• Luke 8:56- Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.
• John 2:3-4- When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”  And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us?  My hour has not yet come.”

All of these verses made me wonder why Jesus did not want people to tell about who He was and what He was doing.  You would think He would want everyone telling about it.  The answer to my question was found in the book of Daniel.  In Daniel chapter 9 we find a prophecy that was given to Daniel and the Jewish people.  This prophecy not only answers my questions, but much more.

24 “Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.  25 “So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.  26 “Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary.  And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.  27 “And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”

Ok…that is a lot to take in.  Let’s break down this prophecy into manageable parts.  The word weeks here means seven.  In this context it is referring to 70 sets of 7 years.  That is a total of 490 years.  The beginning point of this prophecy is a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.  That decree can be found in Nehemiah chapter 2:1-8.  The 70 weeks are broken up into three groups.  There is seven weeks/sevens (49 years), sixty-two weeks/sevens (434 years) and one seven (7 years). 

The first week is the start of the prophecy and covers 49 years which covers the time that Jerusalem was rebuilt.

The end of the sixty-nine weeks (49+434=483 years=173,880 days) was when the Messiah was to come.  Luke 19:28-44 tell of Jesus riding in on a donkey.  As He is riding in, His disciples begin waving palm branches and declaring, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”  This infuriated the Pharisees nearby because they knew that these people were declaring Jesus to be the Messiah.  They ordered Jesus to rebuke His disciples.  This day was not just any ordinary day, however.  Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”  This was the day that had been prophecied by Daniel.  This was the day that all of Israel should have been looking and watching for.  The sad fact is they missed it.  Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem and began to weep saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace!  But now they have been hidden from your eyes.”  It saddened Jesus that so very few recognized this day and recognized Him as King.  Daniel had seen to the very day when Jesus would come…how amazing!  This then, is the answer to my question.  Jesus did not want it announced that He was Messiah the King, because there was a day where that was to be done.

So we see the beginning of the prophecy and that during the time of Nehemiah Jerusalem would be rebuilt in times of distress.  We see that the very day of Jesus’ first coming was foretold.  Verse 26 says that after the first sixty-nine weeks the Messiah would be cut off and have nothing.  It was at this point that Jesus was crucified.  Verse 26 of Daniel chapter 9 goes on to say that Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed by the people of the prince who is to come.  This prince as we will see many times in our study is the Antichrist/False messiah.  When Israel missed that special day, Jesus said that it would now be hidden from their eyes.  It was at this point that the 70 Weeks of Daniel comes to a stop until a future time.  Paul refers to this time in Romans 11 as the time of the Gentiles.  Once the time of the Gentiles finishes, Israel will recognize Jesus as their Messiah and will be saved. 

So we are now waiting for the last week (7 years) to begin.  What will start this period of time?  Verse 27 says that the prince who is to come (Antichrist) “will make a firm covenant with the many for one week (7 years), but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate.”   So in the middle of this last seven (7 years) the Antichrist will break the covenant (which is most likely with Israel, since this prophecy is for the Jewish people and involves many nations) he has made and an abomination of desolation will be set up in the temple.  We will see this picture in Matthew, 2 Thessalonians and Revelation too. 

I know this has been a lot of information.  I pray that I have been able to present it in a way that is clear and understandable.  We had a great study with lots of questions.  This is kind of like the calculus of Bible study.  We are no longer adding and subtracting.  It isn’t always easy, but it is clear if you search it out.  Next week we will be looking at the seven seals in Revelation chapter 6.  This chapter, to me, is THE key to understanding the book of Revelation.  I am looking forward to delving into it and hearing what everyone has to say.  Feel free to ask questions or make comments.  If you disagree with what has been posted here, that is fine; but please do so in a gentle and loving spirit.  Be blessed today and keep watching. 

What is the throne room of heaven like?  It’s a question most of us have asked at one time or another.  What would it be like to be able to glimpse the glory and majesty of the dwelling place of the Most High God?  The Apostle John was given just such a glimpse.  The great thing about that is that he wrote it down for us to get at least a taste of.  Today we examined chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation and marveled at the magnificence of both Almighty God and Jesus the Lamb.  Take a peek with us as we look into this heavenly courtroom scene.

Chapter 4 Verse 1- This chapter begins with “After these things.”  This phrase tells us that we are moving on from the letters to the churches.  The phrase “Come up here” is often used as a picture of the church being called up to heaven in the rapture.   The problem with this is there is no contextual evidence that this is so.  One test I use throughout scripture is to ask myself one question.  If the reader had no prior teaching on the scripture in view, would they see it in that light?  The answer here, at least to me, is clearly no.

Verses 3-11-   John shows us a heavenly scene with the very throne of God in view.  These verses focus on the throne of God and what is in his presence.  We see the twenty-four elders and the four creatures as well as a sea of glass.  The identity of the twenty-four elders has been widely speculated on.  There are many who believe these represent human people, possibly the patriarchs or leaders of the twelve tribes of Judah as well as the twelve apostles.  There are others, including myself, who see them as angelic beings.  I don’t think you can be dogmatic about either, but is interesting to think about.  The four living creatures can also be seen in Ezekiel chapter 1, which is another mind-blowing view of heaven.  These creatures do not cease saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”  The elders fall down before the Almighty and cast their crowns before Him saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”   When I read those sections of scripture I get goosebumps.  Our God is truly a holy and amazing God.

Chapter 5 Verse 1- We see immediately that not only is God sitting on His throne, but He is holding something as well.  He is holding a book written inside and on the back which is sealed up with seven seals.  The obvious question here is what is this book and why is it sealed.  The verses that follow only add to the mystery. 

Verses 2-4-  Here we see a strong angel (are there weak ones?) ask, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”  John looks and realizes there is no one in heaven on earth or under the earth who can do it.  The importance of this book is seen in the fact that John begins to weep because no one is found who can open it.

Verse 5- One of the twenty-four elders comforts John and tells him that there is One who can open it.  Jesus came to earth to free us from sin, show us how to live a victorious life in Him, and offer eternal life to all those who follow Him.  He also came for this moment that we are witnessing in Revelation.  Jesus overcame so He could open this book.

Verse 6- Jesus is seen here as a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.  What a description!  Horns represent authority and rule throughout the Bible.  Jesus has seven horns which means perfect authority and perfect rule.  We are told exactly what the seven eyes represent.  This represents the perfect Spirit of God.  It is the Holy Spirit which has seven parts and is sent into all the earth.

Verse 7- Jesus comes and takes the book from the Almighty’s right hand.  The right hand is a symbol of power.

Verses 8-14- The very act of taking this book causes those gathered around to fall before the Lamb.  I find the last part of verse 8 interesting in that the prayers of the saints  are seen here as golden bowls of incense.  Those who have fallen before the Lamb begin to sing, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”  The phrase in verse 11 “myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands” is significant as we will see in a moment.  All of them say in loud voices, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”  Verse 13 caused one of our members to wonder about the timing of all of this because it says that every created thing in heaven, on earth and under the earth and on the sea and in the sea, were saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”  Such an event has never occurred to this point in history. 

Now let’s take a look at this heavenly scene from a broader perspective.  The reason we covered two chapters today is that they present one scene.  It flows together.  It is my personal belief that this scene is a yet future event that will begin sometime before the 70th Week of Daniel and carry all the way through it.  It will last at least seven years as the Lamb opens each seal and events upon the earth begin change.  This scene can also be found in Daniel.  Daniel 7:9-14 shows the throne of the Ancient of Days.  We find the phrase, “thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads” here as well.  Verse 10 says that the court sat and the books were opened.  This is a picture of the One book that has seven seals, but also a bigger picture of Judgment that we will see in the latter part of Revelation.  Verses 11-12 give us a time marker for this event.  This involves the judgment of the beast (Antichrist).  Verses 13-14 give us the picture of Jesus as the Son of Man.  Daniel and the book of Revelation go together like a hand and glove.  This is just one example.

We had a small group today and I was really blessed.  Not just from the study, but just being with friends and enjoying time together.  Next week we are going to be in the book of Daniel for most, if not all, of our study.  We will be laying the foundation for what we will see in the rest of Revelation.  I am so excited about the next few weeks.  We are going to be looking at some of the most incredible and amazing prophecies and sections of scripture.  We are in for a wild ride!  Be blessed, and I pray that the Lord brings truth forth in your life.

Here’s an honest question for those of you out there that hold to a great worldwide revival/End Times Harvest of souls.  What verses, specifically in the New Testament show this to be so?  I’ve spent the last several weeks trying hard to find where this is coming from and all I have found so far are out of context verses from the Old Testament.   Now I’m not asking this because I have an ulterior motive.  I’m asking this because I really want to know.  I know many people who hold to this view and yet I have not heard any verses to support it.  Here are a few things I have heard in regards to it.  “God is a winner…He wouldn’t let things get worse when Christ comes back.”  “It is in the character of God for there to be an End Times Harvest.”  “If you don’t believe that the world is going to come to Jesus then you have a negative outlook.”  “Thinking that the world is going to get worse leads to a doom and gloom worldview.”  “If you think things are going to get worse you have no faith.”   These are just a few of the comments I’ve recently heard.  Yet all of them, no matter how well intentioned, are looking somewhere other than the Word for answers.  Hopefully someone can shed some light on the Biblical basis for this view.

Just this weekend I heard a very well-known minister on tv say, “It is Biblically irresponsible for us to take promises from the Bible and apply them to a future period known as the Millennium.”  This is where I think the view comes from….Postmillennialism.  This is the view that there will be no future Millennium, because either we are in the Millennium now or we are about to be.  The world will be Christianized so that Jesus can then return.  Almost every verse in regards to a great revival/end times harvest of souls is taken from verses applying to what I believe are a future millennial reign of Christ upon the earth or verses that were directly promised to Israel. 

It is my belief that many people who believe in a great revival/end times harvest are not post-millennial, yet have been unaware that the people they have listened to are.  Check for yourselves.  Be like the Bereans and search the scriptures daily to make sure that what is being taught in your pulpit and to those you listen to is true.  The Bible must be our measuring stick.  There are a lot of things that sound good and tickle our ears, but just simply aren’t true.  One verse I have seen many times is Matthew13:39, “The harvest is the end of the age.”  The problem with this verse is that the next part of the sentence tells us that the angels are the harvesters.  This is a clear picture of the rapture in my opinion.

One last thing I should mention here is that I am not looking for verses that show a revival in Israel during the Last Days.  I believe that Israel will come to know Jesus as their Messiah.  I believe there will be a great revival in the Holy Land even as the world has come against them.  I also believe that there will be a revival on some level in other parts of the world as “those who have insight instruct many” as Daniel says.  What I am looking for specifically are verses that teach that the majority of the world is going to come to Jesus and the world is going to get better as a whole.  Hopefully that will clarify things a bit.  Be blessed.

If you had to describe what kind of Christian you are, what would you say?  Do you think your description would be different than how others would describe you?  Would Jesus describe your relationship with Him differently than you would?  Sadly, the church in Laodicea was in this position.  They viewed themselves quite differently than how Jesus saw them.  They had allowed their pursuit of wealth and material things to pull them into a state of apathy and indifference.  We had a great study today as we looked at some of the lessons to be learned from this church.  Let us be vigilant in keeping our relationship with the Lord strong as we look at the last of the seven churches in Revelation.

Laodicea means “judgment of the people or opinion of the people”

Chapter 3 Verse 14- There are three descriptions that Jesus gives us of Himself here:

• The Amen- The Greek word here means truly or let it be so.  The Hebrew word means true.  Jesus is the final and ultimate truth.  This is used as a title for God the father in Isaiah 65:16.
• The Faithful and True Witness- Jesus knows the End from the beginning.  He is just and fair.  He can be trusted in what He says.  The concept of a witness was extremely important to the Jewish people.
• The Beginning of the creation of God- John 1:3 says, “All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.”  Colossians 1:16-17 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through Him and for Him.”  This description of God led to the question of whether Jesus was created or not.  While I personally do not believe He was, it was an interesting discussion.  The question was definitely not asked in order to call into question the deity of Christ as some do, but in trying to understand the trinity and their representations of God.  It was a thought-provoking discussion.  You can find more of the discussion over at my friend’s blog here http://beautyofthebible.com/2010/01/06/jesus-creator-created-both-or-other/

Verse 15- The people of this church were neither hot nor cold.  I grew up hearing that hot meant on fire and saved while cold meant against God.  Someone brought up a wonderful illustration of what I see as a more accurate description of this meaning.  There were two sources of water flowing near Laodicea.  One of these was a river that was icy cold while the other was a hot spring of water.  The cold river was refreshing while the hot spring was used for medicinal purposes.  Yet where they met the water became lukewarm.  It was neither refreshing or helpful in medicine.  Jesus isn’t telling the church that he would rather them be opposed to Him than lukewarm.  He is saying that He would rather they be helpful and passionate in some way rather than apathetic and indifferent and of no help to anyone.

Verse 16- What does it mean for Jesus to say that He will spit them out of His mouth?  I cannot see that this is talking about salvation.  While I do believe a person can throw away their salvation, I do not believe God cuts the strings of salvation on His own.  Verse 19 will bring us some enlightenment on this question.

Verse 17- The people of this church see themselves as rich and in need of nothing.  Jesus sees them very differently.  He sees them as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  Quite a different picture.  The people here had deceived themselves.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”  We have to guard against deceiving ourselves.  I’ve been contemplating this verse for a few days now.  I’ve challenged myself to answer this question and I’ll encourage you to do the same thing.  Do I see myself differently than others see me?  Do I see myself differently than Jesus sees me?  We cannot allow our perceptions to cloud us from the truth like the church of Laodicea.

Sadly, the church in Laodicea is the only church in Revelation that has no encouraging word said about it.  There is no commendation.

Verse 18- We would do well to take the advice that Jesus gives here!  Here are 3 nuggets of advice that our Lord gives:

• Buy gold from Him that has been refined by fire to become truly rich.  The gold that Jesus is referring to is not material.  I believe that the gold He speaks of symbolizes faith.  1 Peter 1:7 may shed some light on that.  Are we storing up treasures here on earth or in heaven?  Isaiah 55:1-2 talks about the poor coming to God to buy wine and milk without money or cost.  The money we use is our faith and trust in Jesus.
• Buy white garments to be clothed and cover nakedness.  White of course represents purity.  Adam and Eve sinned and immediately knew they were naked.  The sad part about the Laodicean church is that they do not recognize the fact that they are naked in God’s eyes.
• Buy eye salve to anoint eyes so that sight might be gained.  The local people in this area used to make a salve for the eyes our of the waters of nearby Heiropolis.  Jesus is telling them that they need the real salve not the worldly salve.  Their vision problems are spiritual in nature.  They are not being led of the Spirit but instead are following their own desires.

Verse 19- Jesus/God disciplines those He loves.  Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 12:6 echo this idea.  The discipline of God is not something that is talked about much these days.  We would rather focus on the grace and prosperity of God, which are definitely part of His character.  We cannot however, ignore the fact that He disciplines as well.  One mother in our group spoke about how she disciplines in order to correct and several others offered some options for discipline for children and then we looked at it from God’s perspective and how He might discipline us.  For a child you may give a verbal warning or reminder to start things off.  If that doesn’t work you might move to a timeout or eventually a spanking.  You don’t automatically start out at the most severe and neither does God.  One of our young members of the group made a great comment by saying that the 40 years of wandering for the Israelites was like a 40 year timeout.  God disciplines out of love.  He loved His people in Laodicea, but He loved them too much to let them continue in the path that they were headed.  Once again we see repentance is the key to changing the situation.

Verse 20- The invitation is open to all.

Verses 21-22- He who overcomes will be allowed to sit down with Jesus on His throne.   The plural form of church in verse 22 implies that the audience for these letters is not just for the literal churches during John’s time.  Let us take heed!

Our study was wonderful and heartfelt today.  It is so important to examine our priorities and make sure we are in the will and protection of God.  One member of our group shared a personal story of how she didn’t have much growing up, but her family had so much love that they were happy.  Later on when she had more material things she realized that she was happier when she had less.  We think that we are so blessed in this country because we have so much, yet sometimes those blessings can be turned into a curse when we put them first in our lives.  Let us take a good long look in the mirror and make sure that our heart and our priorities are in the right place.  Have a blessed week!

Just over a  month from now we will hosting our third Encounter the Cross weekend at Camp Butman near Sweetwater, TX.  The date will be February 19-21.  The Encounter the Cross weekends are a weekend of ministry based on Isaiah 53 and Luke 4:18.  You will learn about the doors we open to allow Satan to have legal access to our lives and how to close them.  It is a great opportunity to fellowship with Spirit-filled believers, encounter the power of the Holy Spirit, and get rid of some baggage along the way.  If you have an interest in attending please sign up here…http://www.waterhoseministries.com/abileneencounterapp.html

As Christmas day rapidly approaches I wanted to change perspectives for a moment.   I ran across a poem I wrote my wife, Heather, years ago when we had very little to give each other.  It helps me keep things in perspective today and I thought I would share it with you.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I pray you have a blessed and merry Christmas this year.

The Christmas Tear

 

There’s a list of things I wanted

For your Christmas list this year,

So many wondrous presents,

For the one I hold so dear.

 

A ring with lovely diamonds,

A dress with matching shoes,

Are a couple of the things,

I’d like to give to you.

 

A bracelet made of silver,

A necklace full of pearls,

Adornments both so pretty,

For my very special girl.

 

I’d like to give you gifts,

To meet your every need,

A library of books

So you can sit and read!

 

So many things I wanted,

To show you how I care,

But my wallet is too empty,

And there’s not much here to share.

 

There’s a list of things I wanted,

For your Christmas list this year,

But what I have to give you,

Is a single Christmas tear.

 

There’s a little bit of sadness,

In this tear I give to you,

For it seems a bit inadequate,

For the one I love so true.

 

This tear is mostly happy, though,

As I’m sure you’ll come to see.

So listen while I tell you,

What it means to me.

 

 This tear is full of memories,

As I look back through the years.

The way you’ve made my life so full

To me is very clear.

 

This tear is full of joyfulness,

At the laughter we have shared.

To find a jewel that shines like you,

Is truly, truly, rare.

 

I shed this tear for thankfulness,

To you and to the Lord,

For bringing you into my life,

Was a true and blessed reward.

 

I’m thankful too for your selflessness,

The sacrifices made,

For when you’ve had to do without,

It’s a price you’ve gladly paid.

 

But most of all this tear I give,

Is a tear wrapped up in love,

And packaged with a bow of prayer,

That I send to God above.

 

Silver and gold I do not have,

Few presents are under the tree,

But I pray that you will see this tear,

As a precious gift from me.

 

There’s a list of things I wanted,

For your Christmas list this year,

But all I have to give you,

Is this single Christmas tear.

Curtis Ward

2 Chronicles 16:9 says,  “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”  I love that verse.  It lets me know that God is actively looking for those He can help.  He wants to encourage and strengthen those who love Him and are living for Him.  The church in Philadelphia was such a church.  You will find no words of condemnation or warning in their letter.  What you will find, though, is exactly what is promised in 2 Chronicles 16:9.  They are promised help and strength.  You and I have that same promise today if we will commit our hearts to Him and trust in faith that He can conquer any obstacle in our way.

Philadelphia means “brotherly love”

Verse 7 of chapter 3:  There are four attributes of Christ revealed here.

• Christ is Holy- As I’ve mentioned before we often lose sight of the holiness of the Lord.  Yet this is one of His main characteristics.  It is holiness that is the consuming fire of God which keeps sin out of His presence.  Without holiness Jesus could not be our perfect sacrifice.  We are called to holiness because He is holy, and I pray that we will heed that call.
• Christ is true- This word conveys the idea that Christ is genuine, honest, just and perfect.  Jesus is also the embodiment of truth.  Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that He is “the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.”
• He has the key of David- Isaiah 22:22-24 shows this same picture.  We see that Jesus sits upon the throne of David forever.  To Jewish people this holds much more significance than to our Gentile minds.
• What He opens cannot be shut and what He shuts cannot be opened- This speaks to the authority and power of Jesus.  It reminds me of the beginning chapters of Hebrews where we find that no one is greater than Jesus.  It also brings to mind Jesus telling Peter in Matthew 16:18 that “upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

Verse 8:  The church of Philadelphia was probably small and weak in size, but because of their faithfulness Christ is using His power to keep the door open.  One member of our group said that the other churches possibly looked down upon this small church and expected them to get a stinging rebuke or warning like they did, but their perception was wrong.  Sometimes we look at the size of a church or how many programs they have going on to determine the faithfulness of a church.  God, however, looks at the heart and the faithful perseverance of the saints.  Jesus mentions that they have little power, but this is actually a blessing because 2 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

Verse 9:  Sadly there are many people who claim to be followers of God, but are not.  Jesus reminds those in Philadelphia and us that He knows the genuine from the fake.  He knows those who are not His, but are pretending to be.  He will also bring justice and vindication to them come to honor those who really are His.  Someone mentioned that many times people may try to smear our name in gossip or rumor and we feel like we must clear our name, but sometimes we need to let the Lord take care of things.  He knows the truth.  He hasn’t forgotten you.

Verse 10:  This is a very interesting verse.  We had an interesting conversation regarding this verse today that sparked a lot of passion and emotion.  Before I get to the heated part of our conversation, I will mention that this verse is used by most if not all of those who hold to a pretribulational rapture.  Ironically those who are posttribulational also claim that this verse supports their view.  I do not believe that a conclusive view can be drawn from this one verse.  The controversy surrounds the phrase “Keep you from”.  I won’t get into a lot of technical Greek here, but will try to summarize the situation.  The phrase “keep you from” can mean take you out of or protect you through.  That is why both views claim this verse supports their side.

Now our bit of controversy came about because someone asked me about my view of the seven churches.  I believe they were seven literal churches, but also represent types of churches and Christians existing at the time of the second coming.  The question was that if that were true then only 1/7 of the churches in existence would be raptured.  I didn’t exactly get to answer that very well because we got sidetracked on another issue.  That issue stemmed from whether there will be a great revival before the rapture or not.  I would like to address the initial question first.  While I think the churches represent types of churches and Christians at the End of the Age, I do not think that it limits it to only 1 of 7 churches being raptured.  I think all Christians will be raptured.  The seven churches give us a picture that there will be many churches who do not have faithful members in them.  I think the image is that there will only be one church in seven that the majority is faithful within.  Hopefully that helps clear things up.

Now to the other issue which I have already blogged about here http://watchmancurtis.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/great-end-times-revival-or-a-great-falling-away-which-is-it/  There are several within our group that feel strongly that there will be a great end times harvest before Christ returns.  I greatly respect these people and their views even though I may disagree with them.  I always pray for truth.  If I’m on the wrong side of an issue I want the Lord to show me.  While I see scripture pointing a different direction, I am open to changing if it can be shown from scripture.  I do want to clarify that by great revival or end times harvest I do not believe that we will Christianize the world so that Christ can return.  I think there is a great deal of evidence that there will be a great falling away from the faith and that the love of most will grow cold.  Yet at the same time I don’t see myself becoming a hermit and telling everyone to just hang on because things are going to get worse.  On the contrary, I think that it should give us a greater since of urgency to live our lives in holiness and do whatever we can to make a difference before Christ returns.  This is the very thing that changed my life and woke me up.  To me this is the wake up call that should be sounded through the body of Christ.  We need to be warning against deception even as we are setting the captives free.  I do not have a negative outlook even though I believe the Bible does paint a picture of the world getting worse.  I believe God is doing and will do miraculous things in the midst of difficult times.  Once again if I can be shown from scripture that I’m wrong, I want to be the first to admit it.  I’m thankful for friends who are passionate about the Lord, and that we can share our differing viewpoints in love.

Verse 11:  Again we have a clear reference to the second coming.

Verse 12:  He who overcomes will be a pillar in the temple of God and will not go out from it anymore; and Jesus will write the name of God, and the name of the City of God as well as His name on them.  What a powerful description!

With the holidays upon us we are going to take a two week break (although I will try to blog in the meantime on a variety of subjects).  When we return we will finish up the letters to the churches and then move on to chapter 4 and a Heavenly scene of majesty and power.  I pray that everyone has a blessed week.

John Donne wrote in a poem,  ”Ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”  This was definitely the state of the church in Sardis as we found out today.  If they had asked this question, they probably would have been surprised to find out that they were indeed the one who was spiritually dead.  The letter to the church in Sardis is a harsh reminder that we need to be vigilant in our relationship with the Lord and being led of the Spirit, who is the one who gives life.

The name Sardis means, “Remnant” or “Come out”.

Verse 1:  Sardis was built upon a mountain with a seemingly impregnable citadel on a spur of the mountain, yet it had been taken twice because of unvigilant guards.  This church is living on the reputation of being alive, just as the citadel seemed impenetrable, yet Jesus says it is dead.  There are many teachings within the Bible that speak to outward appearances that are different than what is on the inside.  This church, as one member of our study said, was riding on the coattails of the past.  I have been involved in several churches that I felt were spiritually dead and the sad part of the matter is that no one recognized it within the church.  The description of Jesus is of the seven spirits of God (Holy Spirit) which is the very thing missing in this church.  God breathed his Spirit into man to give him life.  Peter says in 1 Peter 3:18 that Jesus was “made alive by the Spirit”. 

Verses 2-3:  Evidently there is part of the church that is hanging on and has not totally died off yet.  Jesus tells them 5 things to do to stop the bleeding.  We would do well to heed these words.

• Wake up!  They were not even aware of their state because they had drifted off into a spiritual slumber.  Someone mentioned today that apathy and lack of vigilance are traps that we all must be careful of.  Just like the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, it is easy to drift off to sleep instead of watching and praying.
• Strengthen what remains.  If you see the boat has a leak in it and is taking on water, you must repair the leak so that more water does not come in.
• Remember what you have seen and heard.  This seems to me to be calling them back to Jesus and the Word.
• Keep what you have seen and heard.  James 1:22 says, “But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”  It is not enough to remember.  We must put into practice and live out the teachings of the Word.
• Repent.  Once again we hear this call to a church.  They are to turn back to God and away from evil.

How different our churches and our lives would be if we would listen to these words as well.  The church in Sardis was told that if they do not do these things He will come like a thief in the night.  This is a clear reference to the second coming of Christ.  Matthew 24:43-44 speaks of Jesus coming like a thief.  1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 also speaks of the second coming in these terms.  Paul tells the church in verse 4 though, that “you are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief”.  For those asleep or unprepared, Jesus’ coming will be like a thief.  For those watching and waiting, however it will not.

Verse 4:  Jesus recognizes that not all in Sardis are guilty of these charges.  He encourages them by saying that they will walk with Him in white (purity) for they are worthy.

Verse 5:  Those who overcome will be clothed in white garments and will not have their name erased from the book of life.  Jesus will confess his name before the Father and before angels.  The question was raised, “Can a person’s name be erased from the book of life?”  I think for the most part we all agreed that it could.  The only way that we see this as possible, though, is if the person absolutely throws what God has given him away and has crossed a point where they will not return.  I know many who do not hold that view, however. 

Overall it was a great study.  We began by watching a video that Pastor Eric had for us that showed the cultural aspects of Pergamum (the city and church we studied last week).  We plan to watch a clip of Sardis as well next week.  They are very enlightening and I’m looking forward to next week.  I pray that we will examine our lives this week and make sure we are alive spiritually and not fading or dead.  I would hate for the Lord to say it was me or my church that the bell was tolling for.