The Book Is Open, Revelation 1:9-11

  A Verse by Verse Study of the Book of Revelation

I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 1:9)

I John, who also am your brother, your Christian brother; who is a fellow-Christian with you, the reference here is doubtless to the members of the seven churches in Asia, to whom the epistles in the following chapters were addressed, and to whom the whole book seems to have been sent. In the previous verse, the writer had closed the salutation, and here he commences a description of the circumstances under which the vision appeared to him.  The circumstances under which the vision appeared is important to the believability of the message.

Banished to a lonely island because of his attachment to Christianity, he was in a state of high spiritual enjoyment on the day devoted to the sacred remembrance of the Redeemer.  Suddenly heard a voice behind him, and turning saw the Son of Man himself in a glorious form in the midst of seven golden lamps and fell at his feet as dead.  Remember, what John saw was a signification, Jesus would began his message by explaining the meaning of the symbols used in the initial presentation.  Once john's view became a view from  Heaven John was on his own trying to explain what he saw.

For now, let us observe John's poster and presentation.  He presents himself to the church as their companion in tribulation, not someone to be looked up to.  He is not speaking of the great tribulation that is to follow, but the tribulation that they were enduring, he further states that he was their partner in affliction. That is, he and they were suffering substantially the same kind of trials because of their religion. It is evident from this that some form of persecution was raging, in which they were also sufferers, though in their case it did not lead to banishment. The leader, the apostle, the aged and influential preacher, was banished; but there were many other trials that they might be called to endure who remained at home.

And in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this passage is, that he, and those, whom he addressed, were not only companions in affliction, but were fellow partners in the kingdom of the Redeemer.  They shared the honor and the privileges pertaining to that kingdom; and that they were fellow-partners in the patience of Jesus Christ--that is, in enduring with patience whatever might follow from their being his friends and followers of Christ. The general idea is that alike in privileges and sufferings they were united. They shared alike in the results of their attachment to the Saviour.  Please note, John did not present himself as a bearer of favors or deliverance.  

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,(Revelation 1:10)

A verse by verse study of Revelation allows us to take our time and study the beautiful nuggets that often would be overlooked.  This verse offers a wealth of information.  Let us take a closer look at John's statement, I was in the spirit on the Lord's day".   This verse holds the answer to some of the questions we will be asking ourselves in this study.  This verse is the source of much confusion, especially between the phrase Lord's day and Sabbath day.  We will do an in-depth study of the two days,  but first:

I was in the Spirit. This cannot refer to his own spirit--for such an expression would be unintelligible. The language then must refer to some unusual state, or to some influence that had been brought to bear upon him from without, that was appropriate for that day. The word Spirit may refer either to the Holy Spirit or to some state of mind such as the Holy Spirit produces--a spirit of elevated devotion; a state of high and uncommon religious enjoyment. It is clear that John does not mean here to say that he was under the influence of the Holy Spirit in such a sense as that he was inspired, for the command to make a record, as well as the visions, came after the time referred to. The best meaning of the passage is, that he was at that time favored in a large measure with the influences of the Holy Spirit, a true state of devotion; that he had a high state of religious enjoyment, and was in a condition not inappropriate to the remarkable communications that were made to him on that day. 

The state of mind in which he was at the time here referred to, is not such as the prophets are often represented to have been in when under the prophetic inspiration but such as any Christian may experience when in a high state of religious enjoyment. He was not yet under the prophetic ecstasy, but was, though in a lonely and barren island, and far away from the privileges of the sanctuary, permitted to enjoy in a high degree the consolations of religion.

An illustration of the great truth that God can meet his people anywhere; that, when in solitude and in circumstances of outward affliction, when persecuted and cast out, when deprived of the public means of grace and the society of religious friends, he can meet them with the abundant consolations of his grace, and pour joy and peace into their souls.  This state was not inappropriate to the revelations which were about to be made to John, but this itself was not that state. It was a state which seems to have resulted from the fact, that on that desert island he devoted the day to the worship of God, and by honoring the day dedicated to the memory of the risen Saviour, found, what all will find, that it was attended with rich spiritual influences on his soul.

Now, On the Lord's Day. The word here rendered Lord's--kuriakh-- occurs only in this place and in 1^st Corinthian 11:20, where it is applied to the Lord's Supper. It properly means pertaining to the Lord; and, so far as this word is concerned, it must mean a day pertaining to the Lord, in any sense, or for any reason--either because he claimed it as his own and had set it apart for his own service; or because it was designed to commemorate some important event pertaining to him; or because it was observed in honor of him. It is clear,

(1) that this refers to some day which was distinguished from all other days of the week, and which would be sufficiently designated by the use of this term.

(2.) That it was a day, which was for some reason regarded as peculiarly a day of the Lord, or peculiarly devoted to him.

(3.) It would further appear that this was a day particularly devoted to the Lord Jesus, for

(a) that is the natural meaning of the word Lord as used in the New Testament, and

(b) if the Jewish Sabbath were intended to be designated, the word Sabbath would have been used. The term was used generally by the early Christians to denote the first day of the week. It occurs twice in the Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians, (about A.D. 101,) who calls the Lord's Day "the queen and prince of all days." Chrysostom (on Psalms 119) says, "It was called the Lord's day because the Lord rose from the dead on that day." Later church fathers make a marked distinction between the Sabbath and the Lord's Day; meaning by the former, the Jewish Sabbath, or the seventh day of the week, and by the latter, the first day of the week kept holy by Christians. 

The strong probability is, that the name was given to this day in honor of the Lord Jesus and because he rose on that day from the dead. No one can doubt that it was an appellation given to the first day of the week, and the passage therefore proves

(1) that that day was thus early distinguished in some peculiar manner so that the mere mention of it would be sufficient to identify it in the minds of those to whom the apostle wrote;

(2) that it was in some sense regarded as devoted to the Lord Jesus or was designed in some way to commemorate what he had done; and

(3) that if this book were written by the apostle John, the observance of that day has the apostolic sanction. He had manifestly, in accordance with a prevailing custom, set apart this day in honor of the Lord Jesus. Though alone, he was engaged on that day in acts of devotion. Though far away from the sanctuary, he enjoyed what all Christians hope to enjoy on such a day of rest, and what not a few do in fact enjoy in its observance. We may remark in view of this statement,

(a) that when away from the sanctuary, and deprived of its privileges, we should nevertheless not fail to observe the Christian Sabbath. If on a bed of sickness; if in a land of strangers; if on the deep; if in a foreign clime; if on a lonely island as John was, where we have none of the advantages of public worship, we should yet honor the Sabbath. We should worship God alone if we have none to unite with us; we should show to those around us, if we are with strangers, by our dress and our conversation, in a serious and devout manner, by abstinence from labor, and by a resting from travel, that we devoutly regard this day as set apart for God.

And heard behind me a great voice. A great (Loud) voice. This was, of course, sudden and took him by surprise.
  

As of a trumpet. Loud as a trumpet. Here again, (As of) indicates that this is a symbol used to best define the voice he heard.  This is evidently the only point in the comparison. It does not mean that the tones of the voice resembled a trumpet, but the signification was, it was clear, loud, and distinct like a trumpet. A trumpet is a well-known wind instrument distinguished for the clearness of its sounds and was used for calling assemblies together, for marshaling hosts for battle, etc. The Hebrew word employed commonly to denote a trumpet--HEBREW shophar--means bright and clear and is supposed to have been given to the instrument because of its clear and shrill sound, as we now give the name "clarion" to a certain wind instrument. 

Verse 11. Saying. That is, literally, "the trumpet saying." It was, however, manifestly the voice that addressed these words to John, though they seemed to come through as a trumpet, and hence the trumpet is represented as uttering them.

The first and the last. An explanation of the terms Alpha and Omega. was made in our previous lesson.

And, What thou seest. The voice, in addition to the declaration "I am Alpha and Omegas" gave this direction that he should record what he saw. The phrase "what thou seest" refers to what would pass before him in vision; what he there saw, and what he would see in the extraordinary manifestations which were to be made to him.

Write in a book. Make a fair record of it all--evidently meaning that he should describe things as they occurred, and implying that the vision would be held so long before the eye of his mind that he would be able to transfer it to the "book." The fair and obvious interpretation of this is, that he was to make the record in the island of Patmos and then send it to the churches. Though Patmos was a lonely and barren place, and though probably there were few or no inhabitants there, yet there is no improbability in supposing that John could have found writing materials there, nor even that he may have been permitted to take such materials with him. He seems to have been banished for preaching, not for writing; and there is no evidence that the materials for writing would be withheld from him. 

And send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia. The churches which are immediately designated, not implying that there were no other churches in Asia, but that there were particular reasons for sending it to these. He was to send all that he should "see;" to wit, all that is recorded in this volume or book of "Revelation." Part of this (chapters 2-3) would appertain particularly to the church; the remainder (chapters 4-22) would appertain to them no more than to others, but still they would have the common interest in it which all the church would have, and, in their circumstances of trial, there might be important reasons why they should see the assurance that the church would ultimately triumph over all its enemies. They were to derive from it themselves the consolation which it was fitted to impart in time of trial and to transmit it to future times for the welfare of the church at large.


Unto Ephesus. unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.  Perhaps mentioned first as being the capital of that portion of Asia Minor; the most important city of the seven; the place where John had preached, and whence he had been banished. A particular description of these seven churches will follow in.

Continued in Revelation  1: 12-20

The Book is Open, Revelation 1:4-8

Continuing a verse-by-verse study of the book of Revelation, the point is to un-complicate what has been made complicated.  We will continue to stress that to understand the Book of Revelation as with any books in the Bible the events are in chronological order.  Also, remember that when Jesus left this earth, he left without answering the disciples' most pressing question.  Being true to his promise when the father revealed his plan to him, he revealed it unto John.   John began by revealing it to the churches.

John to the seven churches, which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; (Revelation 1:4)

As stated, this study is to un-complicate that which seems complicated.  Keep in mind it is the devils intent to inject confusion into the word of God.   Many consider Revelation to be the most confusing book of the Bible.  Much of the confusion is centered on the churches, which have splintered into groups and denominations.

The Church is not a continuation of the "Jewish Dispensation" under another name, nor does the Church edifice take the place of the Synagogue. It is because some religious bodies believe that the Christian Church is but another phase of what they call the "Jewish Church," that they insist on a "Ceremonial Ritual" and retain the Priesthood with its altar, vestments, etc., and Temple-like buildings; and calls the ordinances of the Christian Church "Sacrifices" and "Sacraments." They also go further and advocate a "State Church," with the Church as the head, and claim that all the Old Testament promises of riches and glory have been transferred from the Jew to the Church, this is in error.

Revelation begins with a message to not one but seven church churches.  Why a message to seven churches when undoubtedly there were more than seven churches in Asia?  Seven is God's number that signifies the beginning and the ending of a cycle. Seven signifies the beginning and end of creation, a period of completion.   Seven churches are the signification of the beginning and end of the church age.   In our study, we shall seek to determine the beginning and the ending of the church age.

Our study of Revelation shall deal with three periods, which is, and which was, and which is to come and in that order. 

The Bible teaches that there is one spirit, yet Revelation 1:4 references the seven Spirits that are before his throne, how can that be?  The "Seven Spirits" represent the sevenfold ministry of the Spirit as depicted in the Book of Isaiah. As it is written: "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD, and He will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:2-3 (NASB). Including the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirits of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of might, of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, here are represented the seven Spirits, which are before the throne of God.    As we have stated seven is the signification of completion, thus we have one spirit the same as we have one God.

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him, that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (Revelation 1:5)

 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness.  He is faithful in the sense that he is one on whose testimony there may be entire reliance, or who is entirely worthy to be believed. From him "grace and peace" are appropriately sought, as one who bears such a testimony, and as the first begotten from the dead, and as reigning over the kings of the earth. Thus grace and peace are invoked from the infinite God in all his relations and operations, as the Father, the Source of all existence; as the Sacred Spirit, going forth in manifold operations upon the hearts of men; and as the Son of God, the one appointed to bear faithful testimony to the truth respecting God and future events.

"And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (Revelation 1:6)

 And hath made us kings and priests unto God. In 1^st Peter 2:9, the same idea is expressed by saying of Christians that they are "a royal priesthood."  The quotation in both places is from Ex 19:6: "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests." This idea is expressed here by saying that Christ had made us in fact kings and priests; that is, Christians are exalted to the dignity, and are invested with the office, implied in these words. The word kings, as applied to them, refers to the exalted rank and dignity which they will have; to the fact that they, in common with their Saviour, will reign triumphant over all enemies; and that, having gained a victory over sin and death and hell, they may be represented as reigning together. The word priests refer to the fact that they are engaged in the holy service of God, or that they offer to him acceptable worship.

In addition, his Father. Even his Father; that is, the Saviour has redeemed them, and elevated them to this exalted rank, in order that they may thus be engaged in the service of his Father.

To him be the glory. To the Redeemer; for so the construction (Revelation 1:5) demands. The word "glory" here means praise, or honor, implying a wish that all honor should be shown him.

And dominion. This word means literally strength; but it here means the strength, power, or authority, which is exercised over others and the expression, is equivalent to a wish that he may reign.

"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." (Revelation 1:7) 

The design of introducing this representation of the Saviour, and of the manner in which he would appear, seems to be to impress the mind with a sense of the majesty and glory of that being from whom John received his revelations. His rank, his character, his glory were such as to demand respect; all should reverence him, and all should feel that his communications about the future were important to them, for they must soon appear before him.

And every eye shall see him. He will be made visible in his glory to all that dwell upon the earth; to all the children of men. Every one, therefore, has an interest in what he says; everyone has this in certain prospect, that he shall see the Son of God coming as a Judge.

And they also which pierced him. When he died; that is, they who pierced his hands, his feet, and his side. There is probably an allusion here to Zec 12:10: "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn." The language here is so general that it may refer to any act of looking upon the pierced Saviour, and might be applied to those who would see him on the cross and to their compunctions visiting then; or to their subsequent reflections, as they might look by faith on him whom they had crucified; or to the feeling of any sinners who should reflect that their sins had been the cause of the death of the Lord Jesus; or it might be applied, as it is here, more specifically to the feelings which his murderers will have when they shall see him coming in his glory. All sinners who have pierced his heart by their crimes will then behold him, and will mourn over their treatment of him; they, in a special manner, who imbrued their hands in his blood, will then remember their crime, and be overwhelmed with alarm. The design of what is here said seems to be, to show that the coming of the Saviour will be an event of great interest to all humankind. None can be indifferent to it, for all will see him. His friends will hail his advent, but all who were engaged in putting him to death, and all who in any manner have pierced his heart by sin and ingratitude, unless they shall have repented, will have occasion of bitter lamentation when he shall come. There are none who have a more fearful doom to anticipate than the murderers of the Son of God, including those who actually put him to death, and those who would have engaged in such an act had they been present, and those who, by their conduct, have done all they could to pierce and wound him by their ingratitude.

And all kindreds of the earth. "All the tribes of the earth." This language is the same which the Saviour uses in Matthew 24:30. The word tribes is that which is commonly applied to the twelve tribes of Israel, and thus used, it would describe the inhabitants of the holy land; but it may be used to denote nations and people in general, as descended from a common ancestor, and the connection requires that it should be understood in this sense here, since it is said that "every eye shall see him;" that is, all that dwell on the face of the earth.

Shall wail because of him, on account of him; on account of their treatment of him. The word rendered wail--koptw--means properly to beat, to cut; then to beat or cut one's self in the breast as an expression of sorrow; and then to lament, to cry aloud in intense grief. The coming of the Saviour will be an occasion of this,

(a) because it will be an event which will call the sins of men to remembrance, and

(b) because they will be overwhelmed with the apprehension of the wrath to come. Nothing would fill the earth with greater consternation than the coming of the Son of God in the clouds of heaven; nothing could produce so deep and universal alarm. This fact, which no one can doubt, is proof that men feel that they are guilty, since, if they were innocent, they would have nothing to dread by his appearing. It is also a proof that they believe in the doctrine of future punishment, since, if they do not, there is no reason why they should be alarmed at his coming. Surely, men would not dread his appearing if they really believed that all would be saved. Who dreads the coming of a benefactor to bestow favors on him? Who dreads the appearing of a jailer to deliver him from prison; of a physician to raise him up from a bed of pain; of a deliverer to knock off the fetters of slavery? And how can it be that men should be alarmed at the coming of the Saviour unless their consciences tell them that they have much to fear in the future? The presence of the Redeemer in the clouds of heaven would destroy all the hopes of those who believe in the doctrine of universal salvation--as the approach of death now often does. Men believe that there is much to be dreaded in the future world, or they would not fear the coming of Him who shall wind up the affairs of the human race.

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8) 

I am Alpha and Omega. These are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, and denote properly the first and the last. So in Revelation 22:13, when the two expressions are united, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." In Revelation 1:17, the speaker says of himself, "I am the first and the last." Among the Jewish Rabbi's, it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of anything, from beginning to end. Thus it is said, "Adam transgressed the whole law from HEBREW to HEBREW"--from Aleph to Tav. "Abraham kept the whole law from HEBREW to HEBREW." The language here is that which would properly denote eternity in the being to which it is applied, and could be used in reference to no one but the true God. It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things; that he was at the commencement, and will be at the close; and it is thus equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist. Compare Isaiah 41:4, "I the Lord, the first, and with the last;'-- Isaiah 44:6, "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God;"--Isaiah 48:12, "I am he; I am the first, I also am the last." There can be no doubt that the language here would be naturally understood as implying divinity, and it could be properly applied to no one but the true God. The obvious interpretation here would be to apply this to the Lord Jesus.


Continued next week

The Book is Open, Revelation 1:1-3

Revelation 1:1 

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto His servants' things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Revelation 1:1)

The book is not the book of “Revelations” It is not “the Revelation of Saint John the Divine.”  The word Revelation is singular and the first verse clearly declares, this book is, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God the Father gave unto Him.”  Revelation is what God revealed to his son.   Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ; these facts clearly make it the most important books in the Bible.  The question that begs to be answered is this if Revelation is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, why is there so much confusion pertaining to the interpretation of the book? Revelation is undeniable, as we shall later see, was and is a message of Hope to the church then and the world today.

There are two important keys in the first verses of Revelation that will help us understand the book.  Overlooking or failure to understand the meaning of these keys will result in a polluted and distorted interpretation of the book. Those verses tell us that this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ and it bare record of things that must "come to pass shortly".  The term "come to pass shortly" is debated with the same ferocity and tenacity employed by the Devil in the Garden.  The confusion arises when we try to make the phrase, "the last days" mean the same as "which must come to pass shortly."  There is a reason for the dissent; we will cover this in detail later.

The second key states the message that was given to John was "signified", the meaning or idea expressed by a sign, as distinct from the physical form in which it is expressed.  To understand the book we must understand the signification of the bible.  A beast in Revelation is not a wild animal running through the forest.  When the words "like as", "as of" or "like unto" appears in a statement it is an indication that a signification is implied.  Like a tree, does not mean a 'man' look like a tree. We will do a detailed study of the signification of the Bible in a later lesson.  For now let proceed on a verse-by-verse study of Revelation, it is not a book to be read in a "jumping here and their manner".  The events in Revelation are in chronically order.  Chapter 1-3 is a message to the church. 

"Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." (Revelation 1:2)  

John merely states that he bare record of the Word of God.  John used a language of "signification" which is equivalent to the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.  These types of languages are supposed to withstand the test of time in maintaining their intended meaning.  Yet we must also remember that facing the Devil even a simple message can become polluted.

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Revelation 1:3)

He that readeth, and they that hear. In ancient times, very few could read, and of those who could read, very few could have direct access to such a book as this. Comparatively few copies of such a work could be made, and of course, the multitude must depend for their knowledge of its contents upon hearing it read in public assemblies--And keep; keep in mind.  Here the phrase, "the time is at hand", seem to indicate a type of urgency.  The readers would be blessed if they hear and keep the words of the prophecy. 

The disciples, as well as the Jewish populace, expected Jesus to lead a revolt against the Roman Empire and establish his earthly Kingdom.   The Jewish leadership at one time had tried to force him to accept their kingship. Throughout the New Testament, the question was asked and Jesus refused to give them the answer they expected.  He commonly said things like, “My Kingdom is not of this world.”  After his death and resurrection, after witnessing the signs and wonders the disciples knew, the time was right.   When they, therefore, were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. (Acts 1:6-7)    At this point, the answer to their question was spoken off as only known by the father. They were left with instructions to go to Jerusalem and tarry or wait.  Doubt ran rampant among the believers.

This was not the answer they expected.  He further stated, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:8-9)

Now let us illuminate several important points while outside of the book of Revelation.  At this juncture, Acts 1, the Gospel had not been preached to the Gentiles.  The Church had not been brought into existence nor had Paul begun his evangelistic work.   Therefore, it is logical to assume that Jesus was speaking to his disciples.  To further complicate the matter pertaining to his Kingdom, Jesus spoke in Luke 9:27, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."   Based upon a lack of understanding the Word of God, many detractors have stated that there must be some very old people on earth today.  Among the numerous ideologies, there are those who say Jesus misspoke as pertaining to the Kingdom.  What is often overlooked is this event took place in Revelation 4:2 signaling the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophecies.   

When the Book of Revelation was written, there was the need for a revelation to bring about a conclusion of all matters and settle all of the many questions.  Because of the killing of the apostles and the persecution of the church, there was an urgent need for a message from God. (Rev.1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants' things, which must shortly "come to pass"; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.  The very first words in the book of Revelation clearly reveal to us that these twenty-two chapters contain “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” that this Revelation was given by God and it was given for showing unto God’s servants things that must "come to pass".  God’s angel appeared and spoke to John the Beloved, making the Revelation known to him.  

John, a disciple of Christ who was standing there when Jesus made the profound statement of some not seeing death till they saw the Kingdom of God, not only received the Revelation, he also was caught up into Heaven, he saw and interacted in the Kingdom of God.  He wrote and describes what he saw. Revelation is not a scary book that some proclaim, it is a book that reveals the finality of our hope.

It is not just a revelation or the unveiling of the person of Christ, although in the book of Revelation we see His high priestly, kingly glory; but the greater portion of it is given over to the unveiling of those events which will precede and accompany the return of the Lord Jesus to this earth.   The truth is clearly seen from the facts that the Revelation was given to Jesus Christ by God the Father to show unto His servants, “things which must shortly come to pass. I must reiterate, it is about the destination and not the trip. 

In this interesting and only prophetic book of the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is unveiled.  The future is made known in a series of visions, seen by John who was on the Isle of Patmos.  John saw spiritual things that will happen literally.  John saw in a vision the things that would take place from that moment in time until Jesus Christ return and establish his Kingdom.  Revelation is the answer to the disciple’s questions.

Verse 3 close with these words, “…for the time is at hand.”  Again, someone may be saying, the writer John must have been mistaken, or he must have misunderstood because it has been more than 2000 years since those words were dictated to John the Beloved.  To clarify the statement, John did not say we were living in the last days, he said the time was at hand referencing the beginning of the prophecy.  

Scoffers and doubters and even church leaders have done everything in their power to shape and shed doubt on the Book of Revelation.  Some say it refers to a time in the past.  When speaking of the Book of Revelation, words like pre-millennium, post-millennium, dated, or even I just do not understand it is used.   Those who scorn the concept that the bible is divinely inspired choose to see its significations as contradictory and confusing.  They perceive no value in them.  Because they scoff at the idea of God’s inspiration, they are blind to prophetic understanding.  They choose to be ignorant of what God reveals about the future (2^nd Peter 3:3-7).  

As we proceed in this verse-by-verse study of the Book of Revelation, there are questions that we need to ask God for the answer. It is not my intent to provide you with the answers, I merely hope to point you in the right direction.  The foremost problem with the Book of Revelation is, it predicts the future. It predicts the future of the church, it predicts the future of the Jews, it predicts the future of the nations and it predicts the future of the world, this is disturbing to many ethnic and denominational entities.

Next:

The message to the church.

A Dead Church

A Dead Church

I have posted a host of questions and advanced numerous scenarios in my attempt to understand this thing called the organized and proliferated church.  There is a problem with that which is and that which is not, the word church is used to describe both.  The problem is not with the intent of the scripture; the problem is in the use of the English words to interpret the scripture.   A simple analogy, if I defined shoes as footwear, then boots and sneaker would be shoes.   Because of the need to separate that that is and that which is not, it is necessary to use such designators as the visible and invisible church.  In some instances, I have referred to the church as the "organized church", because this was a thing that Jesus hated.

It has been the intent of the Devil to dominate the church from the day of conception, the same as it was his plan to dominate man from the day of creation.  For reasons we shall not delve into, he chose Eve to put his infamous plan of divide and conquer into action.  The church conception was that of a spiritual entity that existed within the heart, thus creating a strange paradox.   For the Devil to attack the church, it was necessary to recreate the church as a natural body.   If the Devil were to enter the secret chambers of the heart in search of the church, he would not be able to find it, therein is the paradox.  The Holy Spirit is the protector of the church, and both exist within the heart.  The Devil and the Holy Spirit do not enjoy a shared existence.   If we allow the devil to take up residence in our Heart, the Holy Spirit and the church is long gone before The Devil moves in, thus an interesting paradox.  The Devil cannot destroy the church.

Thus, Jesus, speaking of the spiritual church, proclaimed that the gates of Hell would not be able to stand against the church.  To circumvent this proclamation and to achieve it ends, the Devil realized the necessity of recreating the church or assembly as a natural, organized and most importantly a corruptible body.  It is the opposite of Christ church.   Christ's church is invisible; the devil's church is visible.

The road to the domination of a church or the church as an organized earthly body began with making false claims in the name of God.  Like the rock star of the sixties who proclaimed that, “God is dead”, church leaders began to preface their message with, “God spoke to me.”  In the face of such stunning proclamation, there was no questioning the validity of the message, as the church marched down the wide road of emotional bliss.

The organized church that exists as an earthly entity is attempting to overshadow the spiritual church that exists within our heart and serves a definite purpose within the home, community, and the world.    Many leaders of these finely organized churches have opted for money, fame and are operating as well-paid motivational speakers; they have become guilty of manipulating and perverting the word of God. The church never was about making money or lording over God's people. The church was a refuge from the storm. The church is supposed to help us be ready as we prepare for the coming of the bridegroom.  The question that we need to address is, do we believe in God, or are we just play-acting?

There is a failure or disconnect between the organized church and the emerging generation. The church, the Bible and even the God of Abraham no longer hold the sacred place that they once enjoyed. The fault is not the new translations that are emerging.  The different interpretation of the Word of God is causing confusion in the community of faith. It is easy to see why those who are, "of the world," as Jesus would say, find it hard to believe the message of the church today.  Many who attend church on a weekly schedule are finding the polluted messages hard to believe.

Why has the Church erased the true gospel that saves perfectly from sin, and in its place, created another gospel without any power at all?  The fail church has transformed the gospel, and God into a money machine. Making money to provide for one's well-being and salvation is two separate entities that exist on two extremely different planes, one is natural, and the other is spiritual.  When we mix the natural with the spiritual, we are committing spiritual fornication.

New doctrines and new leaders are emerging, and the visible churches are lifting them up the same as the Children of Israel lifted up the golden calf.  Casting aside, the ancient end-time prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, men and women of piety with impressive titles before and after their name are now debating the relevance of God in modern society.  As the new day dawns, humanity embraces a new and politically correct deity

The message of salvation has changed into a message of deliverance.  God is delivering his people from all types of adversities.   The unscrupulous make promises of healing, deliverance, and financial blessings to draw people into a cult type relationship.   Often our eagerness to hear God speak causes us to step outside of the sheepfold allowing our ears to attune to the voice of the Devil.   Maybe the message should be, “God has already spoken.”

Now, it is not acceptable to talk about false claims made in God name because the God of our salvation is capable of performing all acts.  God is redistributing wealth, buying cars and providing all of the necessities of life.  The acceptance of this conclusion, allow us to depend on God for deliverance in every situation.  Daniel wrote; “If it (be) so, our God whom we serve (is able) to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king” (Daniel 3:17).   Paul wrote to all of the saints in Christ Jesus which was at Philippi.   “ For unto (you)(it) (is) given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake;”(Philippians 1:29).  Paul, whose life was a true example of suffering was writing and offer consolation to the church who was enduring persecution.  "Thou, therefore, endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2nd Timothy 2:3).  "Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2nd Timothy 3:12).

The Church in Pergamum depicts the Era of Church-State Union (A.D. 312–590).  It denotes a visible church that began to organize itself under guidelines set forth by the State.  State acceptance and control of the church was now becoming a reality

Who was Balaam?  What was his claim to fame in the Word of God?  Numbers 22-23 detail the story of a man of God, whose focus was on the money.  Peter spoke of the leaders, “Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;” (2nd Peter 2:15).  "Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core" (Jude 1:11).

Many leaders claimed to have the knowledge of Christ, but their motives are contrary to the teaching of Christ.  False claims became an indisputable road to power in an organized earthly church.  It was necessary because the church as a spiritual body offered no earthly enhancements of life.  Jesus often spoke of the suffering one must endure to follow him.  False claims or twisted the Word of God to deceive is a concept that has been in practice from the beginning of time.  In the garden, the Devil convinces the created that they could be like the creator by explaining what God meant.  Imagine a church whose message was to prepare its members to suffer, with all of the suffering going on in the world; people would run from the church.

In the early days of the church, the people came together, without any preconceived idea or notion of a blessing, their purpose was to search the scripture in the hope of obtaining everlasting life.  Whether they worked as a successful angler or had great wealth, they were aware that, "I am going to leave this place and leave this entire operation behind".  Jesus posed the question; “For what is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his (own) soul?   Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).  Their joy and emotionally stimulate derived from remembering and reflecting on the promises that Jesus made.   "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2).  "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "For (he) that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:8).

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, (that shall) he speak: and he will show you things to come" (John 16:13).  

In this final age when God is silent and after being rejected, Jesus returned to the right hand of his father.  The only thing that is standing between humanity and judgment in this final age and dispensation is the Holy Spirit within the heart of humankind, pleading and struggling to bring humanity into the way of truth.  If you were to read the Bible as the unfolding history of God’s interaction with his creation, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you into the way of truth, this would be the inspired conclusion.  If it is your desire to establish a conduit of control and manipulation, then you will overlook ages and dispensations and use the Word of God to create a cure-all for the common ills of humanity.  In doing so, we create a sellable product; we also create an impotent god whose derive power from those blinded by the glitter.  The same as we create “stars” whose value is of an irreverent nature, whose purpose is to entertain. Entertainment is a sellable product, and the visible church has now become dominated by entertainers.

Visualize a church without walls, a church without denominational restrictions.  Visualize a church whose sole purpose is the spiritual enlightenment and empowerment of its members.   The church that Jesus founded ruled over by a mere man; how profane when Jesus referred to himself as being a servant.  What the visible church has become was what the spiritual church was never intended to be.  If asked the question, what is the church?  The researched and studied answer should be, the church is a spiritual body, referred to as the bride of Christ.  Many noted theologians agree that the blood of Christ has purchased the church. Therefore, it is infallible.  This grand ideology as Jesus spoke of the gates of Hell not being able to stand against the church, but there is a “but” included here for Jesus himself condemned what the visible church had become and issued threats against the visible corruptible church

Is the church of today a conduit to salvation?  This question screams for an answer if the church wishes to regain its relevancy. 

Abusing the Role of Leadership, Part #2

Abusing the role of leadership Part #1 

"Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17).

Enterprising preachers use this verse to establish a domain, power base, and denomination within the religious community.  The scripture does not support this ideology.  The interpretation of the Word of God based upon our perspective is often subject to error, especially when we use it to bend the will of the people for self-promotion. Understanding the Word of God teaches us that the perspective must always be that of the author.  When we surgically removed Bible verses from their supporting scripture and presented as a complete thought, the context and perspective greatly suffer.

What does the scripture mean when it says, "Obey them that have the rule over you?  First, those who desire to establish a power base and Lord over the church should not attempt to interpret this scripture.  Second, the reference here is to the religious teachers, and not to civil rulers. The church was to show them proper respect and submit to the authority in the church, by the precepts of the Savior.

The obligation to obey does not extend to anything which is wrong in itself, or which would be a violation of one's conscience. The doctrine is that subordination is necessary to the welfare of the church and that there ought to be a disposition to yield all proper obedience to those who are over us in the Lord.

Also, submit yourselves, that is, to all, which they enjoin that is lawful and right. There are, about society,

(1.)  We must always obey those things that God positively commanded.

(2.) Many things which have been agreed on by the community or church as needful for its welfare--and these are to be submitted to unless they violate the rights of conscience; and,

(3.) Which there is no expressed Divine command and of no formal enactment by the church or community. They are matters of convenience; things that tend to the order and harmony of the church or community, and of the propriety of these, "rulers" in the church or community and elsewhere should be allowed to judge, and we should submit to them patiently. Hence, in the church, we are to submit to all the proper regulations for conducting public worship; for the promotion of religion; and for the administration of discipline.

For they watch for your souls. They have no selfish aim in this. They do not seek "to lord it over God's heritage." It is for your own good that they do this.  The church should submit to these arrangements, but, those selected to serve should not abuse this authority.   Their service should be in such a way as to promote the salvation of the people, and all the arrangements should be to that end. The measures adopted, therefore, and the obedience enjoined, should not be arbitrary, oppressive, or severe.  It should be such as will promote unity within the church and salvation. 

Pastors often seek to impose their will on the church under the guise of a new message from God.   The path that many appointed or elected leaders follow leads to division within the Church and community and cause the believability of God to suffer.  

In Paul's time, the elders retained the rulership of the churches.   Elders of the church did not necessarily denote members of the clergy.  During the early church years, the church was an intricate part of the community, not a building or assembly set aside by a particular denomination or preacher.  Therefore, church rulers were members of the community, and they ministered to the needs of the community through the church.   

The interpretation of the scripture to suppress the people of God and bring them into bondage is not according to the will of God (Galatians 2:4).  Often our resolve to question the wolves who come to us in sheep clothes with a credential is tempered by the indoctrinated belief that whatsoever or whosoever proclaim to be of God is of God.  1^st 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.   The scripture teaches us how to treat the messengers of God; it also teaches us how to test those wolves that come in sheep clothes.

New leaders are emerging overrunning the church and community.  The emergence of these leaders or the proliferation of the role of leadership has created a divided platform.   This platform needs to be reconciled for the organized church to regain its once held status.  Many communities and church leaders' objectives are to stir up a type of dissension or hatred necessary for establishing a different base. The aim is to enhance their self-proclaimed position. 

How can the organized church, a fragment body, a divided house reconcile itself through the fragmentation that it has suffered for more than one thousand years?  How will this be reconciled within the Kingdom of God?  Maybe there are other guidelines in place that determine who is saved and who is not. Is it possible that much of the doctrines will have no value in the Kingdom of God?  These are the issues that the organized church and its array of leaders must resolve to maintain the light that Jesus threatens to remove from the church.

The desire to stand out, the desire to be a superstar, the desire to be in charge is the driving force behind many new denominations and ministers entering into the vineyard of Christ.  To make such statements is opening myself up to criticism, but there is an urgent need for the telling of the truth.  Hiding behind scriptures out of context and making false claims on God has placed the church in a tenuous position.  To sustain itself in a blatant attempt to remain relevant, that which is a part of the world is acceptable to the church, not for edifying God, but for attracting more people to the church as a place of entertainment.  Modern day churches are seeking to merge worship, workshops, and entertainment, and there are those who are good at this, they are reaping the benefits of Christ church while Jesus is left standing at the door knocking.  How profane.

Abusing the Role of Leadership

If we are serious about the Church as the body of Christ, then there are questions to which we should demand answers.   Among them are why there are so many different churches and different leaders?  The reconciliation of these matters is necessary if the emerging generation is to maintain a belief in the church and the Kingdom of God.  Failure to address these issues is detrimental to the true concept of the church.

Our leaders are leading us on a path either toward the Kingdom or down a road of deception.  Jesus ministry focused on the coming of the Kingdom The focus of today's ministry is to lead us through a life of prosperity and blessings as the organized church competes with our institutes of higher learning and entertainment venues.   The failure of the organized church to address spiritual issues and police it leadership roster is aiding its digression into an irrelevant religious order.

The emerging of new leaders is common in the arena of human affairs, specifically, political, ethnic groups, religion, and communities.  Many of these new leaders serve no purpose other than attempting to manipulate the masses and to further their personal objective.  The creation of new titles and the resurrection of others appear to be a part of an overall scheme in the glorification of man.  Given the gift to speak or sing, and with the right initiative, a person can rise to a high level of power and glorification within the world, community, and organized church.  

What are the qualifications of a leader of a church?  Can we validate the calling?  In many of the denominational churches, it is possible to obtained credentials by simply saying, God has called you to the ministry."   These invalidated claims in many instances are nothing but a desire to be a person of interest and the desire for power.   There is a certain respectability obtain by claiming to be a minister. 

Those of us who are enduring a type of suffering harbor a level of gullibility; we look for that Moses-type to appear and lead us into the promised land.  We quickly succumb to the antics and rhetoric of the actors, the sports players the rock stars, the motivational speakers, the gospel singers, we place them on pedestals, we worship them and call them leaders.   The direction that they are leading us is irrelevant as long as these leaders possess the charisma of an enlightened soul.

"So hast (thou also), them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate" (Revelation 2:15).  Jesus spoke of his hatred for those that came into the church for establishing rulership over God's people.  Was it the temptation of money and power that caused the church organize and succumb to the rule of leadership?  Why is a level of salvation derived from collecting funds from a community and funneling it to groups outside of the community?  Why have the Saints of God emerged into an arena where the blessing of God is determined by the amount of money given?  Why are the programs always about raising money?  Even those programs touted as revivals; their success is determined by the sum of money collected.    Questions, questions, there are more questions than answers.

     

There is a type of sadness and suffering emulating from the household of faith.  Church members are suffering and dying, same as they did in the early days of the church.  The syrupy messages of sunshine and favor no longer hold sway as they once did.   The catchphrases such as, "come and get your blessing" or "get your healing" is losing their drawing power.  The realization of the manipulation has begun to set in, and the younger generation is turning their backs on this marketing ploy. 

The pomp and pageantry of idolatry injected into many of our worship settings allow men and women to adorn themselves in manners that separate themselves from the rest of the assembly.  Does this level of separation define their level of Godliness?  The organized church has become a place where fancy titles and "the God complex" is nurtured.

Let us revisit what Jesus had to say about clamoring for a title or position.   "But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren" (Matthew 23:8). 

Jesus forbade his disciples to seek such titles of distinction. The reason he gave was that he was himself was their Master and Teacher. They were on a level; they were to be equal in authority; as brethren, and they should neither covet nor receive a title either which implied an elevation of one above another, or which appeared to infringe on the absolute right of the Savior to be their only Teacher and Master. The command here is an express command to his disciples not to receive such a title of distinction. They were not to covet it; they were not to seek it; they were not to do anything that implied a wish or willingness to have these titles appended to their names. Everything, which would tend to make a distinction between them, or destroy their equality, everything that would lead the world to suppose that there were ranks and grades among them as ministers, they were to avoid. 

The command is that they were not to receive the title. "Be not ye called Rabbi." The Savior did not forbid them giving the title to others when it was customary or not regarded as improper, (Acts 26:25 ;) but they were not to receive it. It was to be unknown to them. This title corresponds to the title "Doctor of Divinity," as applied to ministers of the gospel; and so far as I can see, the spirit of the Savior's command is violated by the reception of such a title, as it would have been by their being called Rabbi. It is a literary distinction. It does not appropriately pertain to the office. It makes a distinction between ministers.  An impressive title tends to engender pride and a sense of superiority in those who obtain it.    Lack of an impressive title creates envy and a sense of inferiority, and the whole spirit and tendency of it are contrary to the "simplicity that is in Christ".  The acceptance and use of these titles within the ministry involve a degree of pride.

The scribes and Pharisees explained the Law of Moses and enforced obedience to it. They were guilty of hypocrisy in religion. We can only judge according to outward appearance, but God searches the heart. They made phylacteries. These were scrolls of paper or parchment, wherein were written four paragraphs of the law, to be worn on their foreheads and left arms, (Exodus 13:2-10, 11-16; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21).  They made the phylacteries broad so they would look upon as being more zealous for the law than others are.  God appointed the Jews to make fringes upon their garments, (Numbers 15:38), to remind them of their being a peculiar people; but the Pharisees made them larger than common as if they were thereby more religious than others.

Pride was the darling, reigning sin of the Pharisees, the sin that most easily beset them, and which our Lord Jesus takes all occasions to speak against it.  Jesus taught us that giving respect to them that are teachers are commendable; but for them, that teaches, to demand it, to be puffed up, is sinful.  How much is all this against the spirit of Christianity!   Put in chief places upset the consistent disciple of Christ, but to look around in the visible church, one would think this was what the spirit required.  It is plain that some measure of this anti-Christian spirit prevails in every religious society. 

The desire to be president, the desire to be a Bishop, a pastor or ruler is intoxicating.   Driven by desire alone men and women have ascribed to high positions.  Often lacking the ability to lead they set themselves up as leaders.   The capacity to be a leader is often lacking, but the validation is, "whom God calls, he qualifies."  The qualifying of many is long overdue.  After listening to some messengers, one can easily get the impression that God is slow, or he isn't listening anymore.

In many churches, pastor worship has overshadowed the actual worship of God.  The fear of the pastor has replaced the fear of God.  A proper reading of the Scripture will not support the thesis of some man ruling over Christ Church. 

A pastor assigned to a (community built) church, by a state Bishop, proclaimed that God had sent him there, and he had the mandate to act as he saw fit.  The death of the last founding deacon and a younger deacon took on a strange interpretation.   Visiting pastors began to buy into this bizarre interpretation.  God move these people out of the way so he could have full control of the church.  How this would resonate within the community was of little regard as he sought to entrench himself within all of the affairs of the church.  He threatened other members with the same fate if they did not support his level of incompetence.  How profane.  A classic textbook example of abusing the role of leadership.  

The desire to be a leader, even the proclamation of being a leader does not make one a leader.   The desire to be a shepherd, even armed with the proper credentials does not make one a pastor.  Using the scripture to validate, 'whom God calls he qualifies', is a moot point when the calling is in doubt or none existence.  Even for the Bishop, there are guidelines set forth.   "For a Bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre" (Titus 1:7).   Casting aside these guidelines, more and more people began to enjoy the title of Bishops and claim they are prophets of God as they follow after filthy lucre. 

Jesus, as well as Paul, expressed their dread of false prophets, "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders (witchcraft), to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22).  "And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage:" (Galatians 2:4).  In the simplest terms, both Jesus and Paul are saying, beware of those who will come in using witchcraft and abusing the role of leadership.  Their objective is to make merchandise of you.


In the formative years, the church was concerned about serving Christ through their service to humanity.  The church members were concern about other church members within the community. The church of today is working the entertainment programs, collecting money, and honoring the pastor.  The amount of support a suffering soul receives from attending many services is equivalent to watching a football game.