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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 23, 2021 1:30:01 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:19
Sunday, August 22nd, 2021
The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, Revelation 21:19
The twelve foundation stones that had the names of the apostles of the Lamb written on them are now to be further described. As John says, “The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones.”
The idea being conveyed is that the foundation stones are actually composed of these gems. They are not merely bedecked with them, but it is what they are fashioned out of. Here we see a contrast to the city of Mystery Babylon noted in Revelation 17 –
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.” Revelation 17:4
Though she was adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, her beauty was temporary and ended in destruction. New Jerusalem, however, is adorned with these things as well, but its foundations are solid and fixed. The city is pure, holy, and eternal. The symbolism for this goes back to a prophecy found in Isaiah –
“O you afflicted one,
Tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems,
And lay your foundations with sapphires.
12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.” Isaiah 54:11, 12
Of these stones, John continues, saying, “the first foundation was jasper.” This stone was just described in the preceding verse. In short, it is believed to be a blue-white diamond. John next says, “the second sapphire.”
It is a word found only here in Scripture. The Greek is sapphiros, coming from the Hebrew sappir. It is the same Hebrew word as that which was used to describe the pavement under the feet of the Lord when Moses and the leaders of Israel had their meal on Mount Sinai after the ratification of the covenant in Exodus 24:10. The Hebrew sappir, comes from the word saphar, meaning to count. Thus, it is probably a very hard stone used for scratching other surfaces. It is believed to perhaps be a lapis lazuli.
John next notes, “the third chalcedony.” The word is found only this once in Scripture. The Greek is chalkédón. Some say that the word comes from chalkos, signifying “copper” or “brass,” and from eidos, signifying “appearance.” Thus, it is copper-like in color. Others say that it is from the location Chalcedon, a town in Asia Minor where copper is mined. Thus, it is not copper-colored, but a stone from a copper area, and therefore has the green color of unrefined copper. As such, it is argued to be emerald green. Others say it is misty gray or some other color.
John continues with, “the fourth emerald.” Again, it is a word found only here in Scripture, smaragdos. However, it is the same stone as mentioned in Revelation 4:3, which is the adjective smaragdinos. The name “emerald” is used to translate the third stone in the first row of stones in the breastplate of the high priest in Exodus 28:17. The stone noted there in Hebrew is the bareqeth. That comes from the word baraq, which means “flashing” or “lightning.” That tells us pretty much nothing of value in determining what the stone there actually is, and it may or may not be the same stone as is seen now in Revelation. It is a green stone.
Life application: One thing to note is that “the foundations of the wall of the city” will be visible to all. In other words, they are a part of the New Jerusalem which will come down from heaven and sit on the new earth. The foundations will be above ground, not below. Therefore, they will be astonishingly beautiful to behold.
They are according to the names of the 12 apostles, and they will have a variety of beautiful colors to dazzle the senses. The meaning of the names of some of these stones has changed and the same terms have been used for a variety of different stones throughout history, so it is not entirely possible at this time to know for certain what they will look like.
These four stone foundations, along with those to be mentioned, will be wonderfully beautiful to behold. We have a city coming with foundations that will excite the eyes and stir our souls with its beauty. What is planned for the dwelling place of God’s redeemed will be beyond our comprehension. But none of what we see will even compare to the marvel of beholding JESUS!
Lord Jesus, all the gems and jewels in the world couldn’t compare to Your beauty. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 23, 2021 20:01:55 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:20
Monday, August 23rd, 2021
the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. Revelation 21:20
John continues the list of the gemstones that comprise the foundations of New Jerusalem, next noting “the fifth sardonyx.” It is a stone mentioned only this one time in Scripture, sardonux. It comes from two words, sardion and onux (a gem). It is believed it could be either a type of agate or a red sard mixed with white onyx. However, others place it as reddish yellow and nearly orange.
Next, it mentions “the sixth sardius.” This is the Greek sardion that was just used as the root of the sardonux. It was seen in Revelation 4:3 and now this is its second and last use. The sardius is generally accepted as corresponding to carnelian, and thus it is a red stone. It is reddish to blood red and is used in engravings.
After that is “the seventh chrysolite.” It is only found this once in the Bible. The Greek is chrusolithos, coming from chrusos (gold) and lithos (stone). Therefore, it refers to yellow topaz, amber, or golden jasper.
Next is “the eighth beryl.” Again, it is a word found only here, bérullos. It is a precious stone coming in various colors, the most common is sea-green in color. This is followed by “the ninth topaz.” This stone is also only mentioned here in Scripture, topazion. It is what is known as the golden topaz. At times it comes in a greenish-gold tone.
Following that is “the tenth chrysoprase.” It is another stone only seen here, chrusoprasos. Albert Barnes, via Robinson’s Lexicon, notes that “It is derived from χρυσὸς chrusos, ‘gold,’ and πράσον prason, ‘a leek,’ and denotes a precious stone of greenish golden color, like a leek; that is, ‘apple-green passing into a grass-green.’” It is quite probably referring to a variety of the quartz family which is apple-green and translucent. However, it could also be a type of chalcedony with a sea-green color.
After that is noted “the eleventh jacinth.” Again, as is so common with these stones, this is its only use in Scripture, huakinthos. Thus, it is also known as hyacinth. It ranges in color from bluish to bluish-purple somewhat similar to a sapphire. It could be referring to the zircon.
Finally, it says, “and the twelfth amethyst.” This last stone is also only seen here, amethustos. It is glassy-type quartz which is clear purple, violet, or related color. It is a compound word, coming from alpha (the negative particle) and methuó, meaning “to be drunk.” As such, Strong’s notes that it is “(a kind of rock crystal: the best specimens are the color of unmixed wine, whence perhaps the name), believed to stave off drunkenness.”
Life application: As can be seen, there is little agreement on several of these stones, and scholars do their best to identify them based on the original Greek. Being dogmatic about what the stones is ridiculous. John used words he was aware of to describe what was before him, and that is what matters. Many commentaries have made unfounded suppositions because they are dogmatic about what is being presented.
The important point is that the colors and materials will be as John saw them, and they will be marvelous to behold. All of this beauty and variety will be wonderfully stunning to the eyes and a delight to the mind as we contemplate the purity of the foundations that are on display. It will be a flawless, radiant wonder that will provide a suitable foundation for the walls of the city where the King of kings rules His people throughout eternity.
For us, what a glorious wonder we will behold! All of the beauty and majesty of the things we will see will be a delight, but in comparison to the Lord, their beauty will hardly matter. In the New Jerusalem, we will see the Source of all of it. We will see JESUS!
Glorious God, precious stones are found in the world today, but they inevitably contain imperfections and flaws. Not only because of the nature of the stones, but because of the imperfection of the stone cutters. However, what You are preparing for the foundations of the heavenly city will be perfect and flawless. How we long to see Your glory radiating through, and reflected by, them! May that day be soon. Hallelujah and Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 24, 2021 23:46:24 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:21
Tuesday, August 24th, 2021
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:21
With the foundation stones described, John now notes that “The gates were twelve pearls.” This is the last time that the margarités, or “pearl,” is mentioned in Scripture. The gates of pearl are contrasted to those of the millennial kingdom described by Isaiah –
“I will make your pinnacles of rubies,
Your gates of crystal,
And all your walls of precious stones.” Isaiah 54:12
The word used by Isaiah, translated as “crystal,” is found only that once in Scripture, eqdakh. It is from a root signifying either cassia, or – more likely – a root signifying “to kindle,” and thus “fiery.” It is that which then sparkles with a fiery glow.
As for the pearl, it is used in parables by Jesus to refer to the precious teachings (spiritual truths) of the gospel. That is seen, for example, in Matthew 7:6 and 13:45 –
“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (7:6)
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (13:45, 46)
It is of note that the twelve foundation stones (written with names of the apostles) are of varied stones. As Christ is the Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11), that would speak of the manifold ministry of Christ as described by the apostles. The twelve gates are written with the names of the twelve tribes (Revelation 21:12), and the gates themselves are all alike, being twelve pearls. Despite being twelve, being each a pearl speaks of unity of entrance. There is one type of access, the spiritual truth of Christ – and Him alone – by which access is attained.
Charles Ellicott wisely notes, “It is the only precious stone which the art and skill of man cannot improve. The tools of the artificer may give fresh lustre to the emerald and the sapphire; but he must lift no tool upon the pearl.” In this, nothing can be added onto the gospel message to make it more perfect. It is the message of God in Christ, granting access once again into His presence. With that thought in mind, John next says, “each individual gate was of one pearl.”
The translation by the NKJV is lacking. The word “gates” is plural and it is in the genitive case. It more precisely reads, “severally, one each of the gates is out of one pearl.” The precision of John’s words speaks of unity of the material in the production of the twelve separate gates. There is one, and only one, gospel message that allows man access into the city.
With that understood, John next says, “And the street of the city was pure gold.” The gold speaks of the divine and kingly nature of the One who rules there. Everything about the symbolism speaks of the constant reminder that man will dwell with the King, walking in His presence forever. Of this gold, John says it is “like transparent glass.”
The word translated as “transparent” is found only elsewhere in 2 Peter 1:19, diaugazo. It is a compound word signifying “through” and “shining at dawn.” Thus, it speaks of the glory of God radiating off of it as if it is transparent. Like in verse 21:18, it does not necessarily mean that the gold is transparent, but that it is so perfect and polished that it appears as such. The radiating glory of God will highlight everything that is reflected in its surface.
The picture given is that of perfection in all ways. Nothing but pure and undefiled glory will be seen as one enters and then walks through the expanse of the city.
Life application: The words concerning the gates convey to us the truth that Jesus is the only true way of entering into the glory which lies ahead. The street of the city conveys to us the truth that God has brought us back to Himself through Christ, the divine path of restoration. The radiant shining of the street will highlight the fact that only the glory of God, without any taint of sin or corruption will be seen. Full, final, and forever restoration between God and man is realized in this marvelous display.
What God has prepared for His people will be astounding and we shall never tire of it. Great days lie ahead for those who live by faith now. So have faith. Trust that God can bring you back to Himself, and that this restoration is found in JESUS!
O wonderful God and precious Lord! What a treasure it is for our hearts to read Your word and peer with anticipation into its pages. How its descriptions stir our souls and make us excited for the glory which lies ahead. Great are You, O God, and wonderful are Your promises to the sons of Adam who are born again through Christ! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 26, 2021 1:10:31 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:22
Wednesday, August 25th, 2021
But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. Revelation 21:22
After describing the city’s sizes, walls, foundations, gates, and so on, John now specifically notes a wonderful truth that he has observed, saying, “But I saw no temple in it.”
The earthly dwelling of the Lord, be it in Shiloh or some other place – even until it came to be located in Jerusalem – was noted as a place where the tabernacle/temple was. The people came to that location to observe their pilgrim feasts in the presence of the Lord, meaning around the tabernacle/temple, but they were not allowed to enter His dwelling place – under pain of death. Only the priests could enter the Holy Place to conduct the daily affairs, and only the high priest – and only once a year on the Day of Atonement – could enter into the Most Holy Place.
Access to God by man was severely restricted. At Christ’s death, that was restored through faith in Christ. However, it is only restored in the sense that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We have access to God in a spiritual sense, but we are not in the physical presence of Christ at this time.
In New Jerusalem, of which the earthly tabernacle was patterned after, there is no temple (meaning a separate dwelling place for God) because the city itself is His dwelling place. As seen in the measurement of the city, it is laid out as a cube, resembling the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle/temple. The entire city is set up as a dwelling place for God, but also for God’s redeemed. This is what is being stated by Jesus all the way back in Chapter 1 –
“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6
Jesus’ words ultimately anticipate the state of God’s redeemed in New Jerusalem, living as a kingdom of priests. The function of a priest is to serve God. And this is what Revelation 22 says those in New Jerusalem will do –
“And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” Revelation 22:3, 4
Man will dwell with God, and as servants of Him, we will serve Him. The details of the service are not given, but the fact that it is so is clearly stated. The seven letters, written to the seven churches, show the church today that this is our hope and anticipation. The thought is similar to that found, for example, in Ephesians 2 –
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6
Paul is writing to saved believers who were (and to this day are) living out lives in earthly bodies. And yet, he writes as if we are already seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In other words, there is – to God – the already-realized state because of faith in Christ, even if we have not yet attained that state in a physical reality.
This is the force of John’s words in Revelation 1. We are serving in the kingdom of God, right now, but we are also anticipating the full realization of that as well. This is why we do not need a temple today. Until we are glorified, we are God’s dwelling place. And yet, we await the final result of that in the city with no temple – because the city is the dwelling place of God.
John next confirms this, saying, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” The idea of these words is that the glory of God fills the entire city, being present there for all to behold. The way this is possible is because of the Lamb. Under the Mosaic Covenant, God resides in the temple, but to have access to Him, there must be a sacrifice. The author of Hebrews explains this –
“Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. 7 But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins committed in ignorance; 8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing.” Hebrews 9:6-8
For us now, the sacrifice is complete, and God resides in us during this dispensation as we await the full and final realization of the promise (the sealing of the Spirit). That is explained as well in Hebrews 9 –
“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11, 12
In New Jerusalem, there is no need for a sacrificial offering because the Lamb is there. He is that full, final, and forever offering to God for the sins of the people. Christ, the God/Man, is the bridge between the two. It is He that makes this intimate and eternal fellowship with God possible. As such, there is one thing being described with two aspects to it. The Greek reads, “for Lord the God the Almighty, temple of it is, and the Lamb.”
This is the last use of pantokratór, or “Almighty,” found in Scripture. In Revelation 1:8, Christ was identified as such. He is God. But here, He is also identified as the arnion, or Lamb (a term consistently used of Him in Revelation). Again, He is God. And yet, they are spoken of as One in this passage. In other words, one could hold up a coin before flipping it and say, “This is the head and the tail of the bet.” It is two aspects of something being used to describe that one thing.
Life application: When Jerusalem was in proper covenant relationship with God, there was a temple standing where He would meet with His people. Solomon built the first. Upon its destruction, the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon. The next temple was built by Zerubbabel. This is described in various books and passages, but Zechariah 4 gives these details –
“The hands of Zerubbabel
Have laid the foundation of this temple;
His hands shall also finish it.” Zechariah 4:9
Although still considered the second temple, it was renovated to a large degree by Herod the Great. Eventually, the temple was destroyed again by the Roman armies under Titus in AD70, and the people were exiled for two thousand years – all due to their disobedience (meaning failure to believe – Hebrews 3:18, 19).
During this period of exile, God’s presence, His Holy Spirit, has dwelt among believers individually. We are the sanctuary where God dwells among men. When believers come together in prayer and worship, we are demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ. However, this period is coming to an end at a point known as the rapture of the church. When this occurs, it will be followed by the building of a new temple in Jerusalem which will be the fulfillment of the 70th week (a seven-year period) of Daniel’s vision in Daniel 9.
At the end of this seven-year period, Christ will return and rule from this same spot in the millennial temple for one thousand years. After that will come the New Jerusalem. King David looked forward to this time of intimate glory when he wrote the 27th Psalm –
“One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.” Psalm 27:4
There is one way to be allowed access into the New Jerusalem – the spot where there will be eternal joy as the saints of the ages live in the presence of God and the Lamb. It is by accepting God’s offer of peace, Jesus Christ. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ, don’t put it off any longer.
No one knows the day of the Lord’s coming – either through death or the rapture. Because our future is unknown, we need to be ready at every moment for our date with destiny. Again, the words of David show us the hope and anticipation of this glorious time ahead –
“You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11
It is all made possible because of what God has done in Christ. Hallelujah to our God! Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Hallelujah to JESUS!
Lord, what a wonderful and glorious hope we have of an eternal walk in Your presence. There is no veil that will separate us from You as in earlier times. And there will be no sin that infects us as we strive to become holy as believers now. There will only be purity, holiness, fellowship, and splendor. Thank You for what the future holds! Thank You for Jesus! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 27, 2021 0:39:39 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:23
Thursday, August 26th, 2021
The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. Revelation 21:23
Describing the glory of New Jerusalem, John had just noted that there was no temple in it, explaining why. Now, he continues by saying, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it.”
The words are reflective of those of Isaiah 60 –
“Violence shall no longer be heard in your land,
Neither wasting nor destruction within your borders;
But you shall call your walls Salvation,
And your gates Praise.
19 “The sun shall no longer be your light by day,
Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you;
But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light,
And your God your glory.
20 Your sun shall no longer go down,
Nor shall your moon withdraw itself;
For the Lord will be your everlasting light,
And the days of your mourning shall be ended.” Isaiah 60:18-20
This does not say that these heavenly orbs will not exist, but that there is no need for them. The idea takes the reader back to the very beginnings of creation –
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so. 16 Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. 17 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” Genesis 1:14-19
These luminaries were set in the heavens to “rule the day” and to “rule the night.” In the state of the New Jerusalem, there will be no need for such rule because a new order of things will exist. The idea of light has various meanings including spiritual revelation and understanding, knowledge, comfort, holiness, goodness, hope, grace, and so on. None of these things will be lacking, as John notes, “for the glory of God illuminated it.”
The Greek word is phótizó. It is a verb signifying to illuminate, bring to light, make evident, and so on. It is from the noun phós, meaning light, a source of light, or radiance. God’s glory is what brings forth the eternal light that shines in New Jerusalem. Daniel speaks of such things –
“And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:21, 22
Jesus, speaking to the disciples, makes this comment concerning light and dark –
“Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:9, 10
And John conveys this note concerning light in his first epistle –
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7
These are but a few of the many verses that refer to the nature of light and darkness. There will be no time or place in New Jerusalem where the things that light signifies will be lacking. God’s transcendent glory will shine forth throughout the city, and it will dispel all darkness. This is because God’s glory will illuminate the city and, as John says, “The Lamb is its light.”
Rather, the translation should say, “The Lamb is its lamp.” The Greek word is luchnos. It signifies a lamp or an “illuminator.” It is Christ, the God/Man, through whom the light of God is transmitted. All of the attributes of light described above, and any that have been overlooked, are revealed in and through the light of God as it is revealed through Christ. As in the previous verse, the description of Jesus as the Lamb is given. It is through His sacrificial work that this is revealed:
Christ died for the sins of the people, purifying all hint of darkness from them.
Christ was buried, taking away all sin and darkness from them.
Christ rose again, victorious over death, demonstrating that He is God and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Understanding this, there is no distinction to be made between “God” and “the Lamb” in this verse. Because Christ is God, He is the light –
“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” John 1:4, 5
The same word, phós, is used by John to indicate both the illumination of God and the illumination of Christ Jesus. It is His deity that is being referred to.
Life application: The New Jerusalem will have a completely different order for the existence of the people of God. In our current order, we have set needs that can only be met by the existence of the sun and by the revolution of the earth, moon, etc. Everything is carefully balanced so that the sun shines a certain amount of time, and it is hidden at others. The heating of the sun causes the water to evaporate, and its light produces photosynthesis in plants. The way the earth is designed now and the way it interacts with the heavenly bodies is what keeps life going.
However, in New Jerusalem the city will have no need of such things. Those living in this city will have a completely different source of life-giving energy and it will be far more glorious than what we currently have.
Our present order works for our benefit, but it also works against us. The sun’s rays can cause skin cancer. Sunbursts, which come sporadically, can affect our electric and communications infrastructure, etc. These things will no longer occur because in New Jerusalem the glory of God will be the Source of light.
As God is the Source and Creator of all things, nothing in the creation can compare to Him. Billions of constellations and billions of stars in each constellation all came from the wisdom of His mind and the power of His word. If the universe were to run down to the state of a cold dead battery a thousand times over, the power of God would still be as strong and glorious as it was at the original creation.
It is this Light and Life-sustaining Source that will illuminate New Jerusalem, with Jesus Christ as the lamp of that light. He is the One who is ever revealing the glory of the unseen God. We will see Him in all His fullness, and we will be eternally refreshed. It may be that there will be no need for sleep or eating, but eating will still be possible as there will be trees with fruit there (see verse 22:2).
In this beautiful city, we will be like the Lord in that we will be eternal, and we will be in a glorified state. There will be no sinful nature in us, and we will be eternally filled with His glory. What is coming simply can’t be grasped because we now get tired, we get old, and we die. None of these things will occur and there will be existence that isn’t concerned with time, haste, or stress.
This all awaits the redeemed of the Lord, and it is this glory that you too can participate in, if you will just reach out and receive God’s offer of reconciliation. Reach out today for the Lamb. Reach out for JESUS!
Wonderful Lord Jesus! How we look with anticipation to the glories that lie ahead. Now, even in our most joyous moments, we know that there is an end to them and that we will again come down from the fleeting peak of exhilaration we feel. But such won’t be the case when we are in Your presence. The state of awe and wonder will never end. May this day be soon! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 28, 2021 0:41:37 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:24
Friday, August 27th, 2021
And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Revelation 21:24
Having noted the state of the New Jerusalem, being without the need of sun or moon, John next states, “And the nations of those who are saved.” Some manuscripts omit the words “of those who are saved.” Also, the Greek word en reads dia. Thus, it reads, “And the nations will walk by its light” (BLB).
Either way, stated explicitly or not, the implication is clear. All of those who are not saved have already been chucked into the Lake of Fire. As such, only the saved will be a part of this new, eternal economy. How they are divided into nations goes unstated, but we are given the sense that there will be an order and structure to society, just as there is today. However, it will be one that is without sin. Because of this, it will be a perfectly functioning society.
Of those groups of peoples, we are told that they will walk by (amidst) the light just described in the previous verse. The light of the glory of God will illuminate the city as it is conveyed by the Lamb, who is its lamp. With that noted, John next says, “and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown takes this to mean, “who once had regard only to their glory.” In other words, these were kings during their earthly rule. The Pulpit Commentary says, “Not that there are literal kings and earth. The language is intended to convey an idea of God’s supreme glory and unquestioned authority. There are now no kings to dispute his sway.”
There is nothing that says that there is not a literal earth. As noted in the commentary of verse 20:13, if there are directions (east, north, south, and west), there must be something by which to mark out those directions. It implies that there is still a sunrise and a sunset and that the earth is still marked according to the directions by which that occurs.
There would also be no reason to note that there are kings if there are not to be kings. Nothing in this diminishes the glory of the King of kings. As such, there is as much reason to consider these words as literal as to take them symbolically. However, it cannot be denied that they may – in fact – be symbolic.
It may simply mean (and it even seems likely) that all of the great people of past ages will be no different than the common people. The greatest king will bring the honor he had into the city just as the common man. The honor which was in the past is brought into this city, and it will be inconsequential to the glory of the city and especially the glory of God and the light of the Lamb.
In the end, whichever is correct, everything will be perfectly arranged and structured. We need not worry that things will be awkward, unfair, or confused. All of the redeemed will see the wisdom and harmony of God in the structure of the society.
The idea conveyed in the words of this verse are found to be originally detailed in Isaiah 60:1-14. Reading them will give insights into the millennial reign of Christ and how that will anticipate the final state of things in the eternal state. Psalm 72 also carries hints of this coming glory –
“Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.” Psalm 72:11
“His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.” Psalm 72:17
Each step of the redemptive narrative logically follows after and builds upon the previous step. Someday, the perfection of that which has been anticipated will be fully realized for the redeemed of the Lord.
Life application: In this verse, the term “nations” is the Greek word ethne. This word is also translated from the Old Testament word goyim, and it generally means non-Israelites, or “Gentiles.” However, this isn’t always the case. A good example of this is Acts 17:26 which is speaking of all people groups, Jew and Gentile alike –
“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings…”
The same is true with the term goyim from the Old Testament; it is not always exclusively used when referring to non-Jewish nations. This verse in Revelation is certainly speaking in the broader sense. It includes all people groups of the redeemed of the ages united into one salvation and one access to the presence of God.
If you are like most, you are a common man or woman who is living your life without pomp and celebrity. But you are treasured and as precious to God as the greatest king who ever walked the earth. Royal robes and the jewels of a crown don’t make the person. Rather, what is inside – and that which reflects God’s glory – is what is of the highest value.
A person with deep and enduring faith, though poor, is far more pleasing to God than a king who questions what God has stated in His word. Have faith in what He has presented, stand fast in times of trouble, and give God the glory at all times. In this, you will be ushered into the New Jerusalem ahead of the nobles whose faith is small. God’s glorious light will shine on you for all eternity.
How to be a true royal now while living out this life? Be saved by Christ, live for Christ, honor God through the giving of His Son – Christ our Lord – and at every chance you have, hail the great and exalted name of Christ. Hail the name of JESUS!
Lord, by the world’s standards I am common and without fame or great fortune, but I love and cherish Your word. I stand fast on its promises, and I hold fast to how it presents You – the Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Sustainer. I hold fast to my Lord Jesus, and I pray for continued filling of your Holy Spirit all the days of my life. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 28, 2021 20:31:47 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:25
Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). Revelation 21:25
Of New Jerusalem, the previous verse said that those who enter will walk in its light and that the kings of the earth will bring their glory and honor into it. This is now further explained by the words of this verse. First, John says, “Its gates shall not be shut at all by day.”
The idea of shutting a gate is for protection from harm, or the shutting out of that which is defiled or unacceptable. When Adam was cast out of Eden, cherubim were placed at the east of the garden, protected by a flaming sword “which turned every way.” This was after the sixth day of creation, signifying that the intended place of rest (for worshiping and serving the Lord) was taken from the man. Instead, he would toil until he returned to the dust.
Gates are normally kept open during the day unless there is a battle going on or for some other reason. A battle has raged among humanity since his expulsion from Eden. That battle ended with the casting of Satan and those who belong to him into the Lake of Fire.
New Jerusalem will have no enemies and therefore there will never be a need to close the gates to the city to protect its inhabitants. As noted, in ancient times, this would occur during the day if enemies were spotted, but the gates were closed during the nights as a precaution because the darkness hid those who may attack.
In New Jerusalem, there will only be the realization of absolute peace and harmony within the city, and there will only be constant light within. As such, there will be permanent access to this city of God. However, as noted above, enemy attacks aren’t the only reason why the gates were closed to the earthly Jerusalem. Two other reasons which are important to note will be reviewed.
First, in the time of Nehemiah, people were coming to the city on the Sabbath and trying to sell to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Nehemiah took control of the situation and mandated that the gates were to be closed throughout the Sabbath. This would preclude violations of this day of rest, symbolically taking man back to Genesis 2 where Adam was placed (rested) in the Garden –
“So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.” Nehemiah 13:19
However, the eternal state in the New Jerusalem is God’s “Day of Rest” for His redeemed. The eternal seventh day of Genesis 2:3 is realized for God’s people in the work of Jesus Christ. What was removed from Adam because of his transgression is restored through the work of Christ.
This is the reason why Christians don’t have a “Sabbath” day (despite what various cults proclaim). Hebrews 4:3 explains this to us –
“For we who have believed do enter that rest…”
In other words, faith in Christ’s work is what ushers His people into God’s eternal rest. We are now free from a Sabbath observance, an observance that only anticipated the coming of Christ and His restoration of our entrance into the rest Adam had lost. This eternal day will be fully realized in New Jerusalem where the gates of the city are never closed. We will be living in an eternal state of rest from the labors of this life.
A second reason for the closure of one of the gates of Jerusalem is found in Ezekiel 44, and it takes the reader symbolically back to Genesis 3 where man was expelled from the Garden –
“Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the Lord said to me, ‘This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.’” Ezekiel 44:1, 2
Fallen man could not enter the gate which the Lord entered. It was sanctified as holy and therefore it was sealed up. In New Jerusalem, there will be no restrictions on the people concerning the gate(s) which the Lord enters. The Apostle John explains why –
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2
Because of the work of Christ, we shall be like Him. We will be pure, spotless, and undefiled. Our nature will no longer bear the stain of sin; we will have moved completely from Adam to Christ. Because of this, there will be no gate that is sealed up to the believer. We will have free and complete access into this glorious city.
In seeing this, John finishes the verse with, “(there shall be no night there).” The thought is set off as parenthetical. Of this, the Pulpit Commentary says, “The gates shall never be shut, either by day or night; but it is superfluous to say, “by night,” for there is no night there.”
Nothing is superfluous in the word of God. The meaning is that in the city there shall be no night there. It doesn’t mean that there is no night at all. If the city is descended from heaven to sit upon the earth, as is stated in the text (see verse 21:2), and if there are points on the compass by which the city is situated (see verse 21:14), and as the Greek meaning of two of those points is “dayspring” (the east), and “a setting” (the west), then there will be a sun. As there will be the rising and setting of the sun, then there will be day and night – but not in the city itself. Inside the city, which is a cubed edifice, there will never be day and night. It is the place of the eternal Day of God’s rest where the light of God will be illuminated by the Lamb, who is the lamp, for all eternity.
The symbolism is what is to be highlighted. Albert Barnes does a good job of explaining it –
“It shall be all day; all unclouded splendor. When, therefore, it is said that the gates should not be ‘shut by day,’ it means that they would never be shut. When it is said that there would be no night there, it is, undoubtedly, to be taken as meaning that there would be no literal darkness, and nothing of which night is the emblem: no calamity, no sorrow, no bereavement, no darkened windows on account of the loss of friends and kindred.”
New Jerusalem is the return to the presence of God. It is restoration to the Garden of Eden. No longer will the cherubim’s flaming sword turn in all directions to keep man out. Rather, after he has spent ten billion times ten billion years traveling the universe and searching out the wonders of God’s mysteries, he can freely enter through the gates, into the very presence of God, and there experience the rest that is granted to all who simply come to Him by faith in the work of Christ Jesus.
Life application: Isaiah had a glimpse of the glorious time ahead during his ministry, and he must have wondered how it could be. He was under the Sabbath rules of the law, and he dwelt among a “people of unclean lips.” He must have wondered and contemplated the glory which lay ahead for God’s people.
“Therefore your gates shall be open continually;
They shall not be shut day or night,
That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles,
And their kings in procession.” Isaiah 60:11
Isaiah wanted to know, but Peter explains that the words he wrote would only be revealed after Christ’s work –
“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12
Now, we have the honor of knowing these things. What a blessed day we live in as we anticipate the fullness of what has been revealed to us! Thank God for what He has done. Thank God for the giving of His Son! Thank God for JESUS!
Lord God, how wonderful it is to know the glories of what lies ahead because of the work which was accomplished before in Christ Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for the cross which has granted us access to the beautiful promises of the future! May the day be soon when You come for Your people, and we behold Your glory forever and ever. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 30, 2021 0:23:03 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:26
Sunday, August 29th, 2021 And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. Revelation 21:26 John just noted that the gates of New Jerusalem will not be shut at all by day. Now, in accord with that, he continues by saying, “And they shall bring the glory of and the honor of the nations into it.” The words here continue to follow after the words of Isaiah 60:11 when referring to the millennial reign of Christ – “Therefore your gates shall be open continually; They shall not be shut day or night, That men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, And their kings in procession.” In John’s words, the verb is impersonal. It simply means that whoever comes into the gates will, by entering, bring the glory and honor of their nation into New Jerusalem. It is a way of saying that they who enter are the redeemed of the Lord. This was conveyed by Jesus in Matthew 28 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 Not only were Jews to be considered acceptable, but a New Covenant implies a new order of things. In this, God demonstrated that people would be brought into this covenant in the same manner as Abraham was brought in, long before the introduction of the law – by faith – and that it would be inclusive of all nations. This is further noted in Revelation 5:9, which says – “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” The words demonstrate that those who have been redeemed by the Lord, through His shed blood, are considered precious. This is regardless as to race, color, ethnicity, or any other distinction. Those who enter New Jerusalem are the glory and honor of the nations, even if in this current life we are often lowly and despised. Life application: This verse closely repeats what was seen in verse 24 – “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.” Such repetitions will often reveal to us hidden patterns within the text. This pattern is called a chiasm. A chiasm is a pattern that goes in one direction and then turns around and repeats an idea in the opposite direction. There are countless chiasms in the Bible, some spanning chapters and even books or combinations of books. They are a literary form that God uses to show us a concept and how it reveals a particular thought He is conveying. Chiasms will often be anchored on a center verse, such as the one noted below. The two “a” sections are speaking of the Lamb – first being the “light of God” and second, the One who controls life. The connection between “life and light” is a concept that is often spoken about in the Bible. The “b” section is a contrast between those who are “saved” and will walk in the light and those who are in darkness by defilement; a thought similar to the “light and life” concept in the “a” section. The “c” section revolves around those who will bring their glory and honor into the New Jerusalem. The “x” section reaffirms the notion of eternal light and that because of this the gates will never be closed. It should be noted that the “gates” of the New Jerusalem are mentioned ten times in this chapter. Therefore, they are a highlight of the overall chapter and thus are very important to the theme of the city. The importance is then highlighted by this short chiasm. a. The glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. —-b. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light. ——–c. And the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. ———— x. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). ——– c. And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. —- b. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie. a. But only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. When studying your Bible, (which you should do every morning when you wake up and every evening before you sleep, and also throughout the day such as when traveling, waiting in a doctor’s office, eating lunch, sitting on the beach, driving your car (audio only!), having afternoon break in the park, etc.) take time to look for such patterns in the Bible and then think on them and contemplate why they are there and what God is telling us. There are rich and wonderful treasures hidden in God’s word and we should be attentive to them. He is giving us insights into His mind. If you’d like to review the chiasms compiled at the Superior Word website, go to the search bar and type in “chiasm.” It will bring up a lengthy page of such treasures. In the end, God is conveying to us wonderful truths concerning His working in and through creation in order to reconcile us to Himself. And He is doing this through the giving of His Son, our Lord JESUS. How splendid is Your word, O God. Thank You for the treasures You have hidden in it which give us insights into what You intend for us to know. Thank You for all of the wonderful gifts You give us. How can we do anything but thank You for all we receive. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Aug 31, 2021 1:43:31 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 21:27
Monday, August 30th, 2021
But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 21:27
The previous verse referred to bringing the glory and the honor of the nation into New Jerusalem. The words now speak of exactly the opposite, meaning that which can never enter. John begins with, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles.” The words “that defiles” are an adjective signifying “common.” The same expression was used in Acts 10 when Peter was taught a lesson concerning those who are sanctified by God, even the Gentiles –
“The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance 11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. 13 And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’
14 But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’
15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’ 16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.” Acts 10:9-16
The idea being conveyed in these words from Acts is that those of the nations are cleansed by God through faith in Christ. They are no longer common or unclean. Because of Christ, they may enter into New Jerusalem. But that which remains common may not. John continues with the words “or causes an abomination or a lie.”
The verb is a present participle and is rightly translated as, “or is causing.” It is an ongoing thing. The word translated as “abomination” is used for the last time in Scripture now. It is derived from a root meaning “to reek with stench.” Thus, it is that which emits a foul odor and is abhorrent and abominable. It was used when referring to Mystery Babylon in Revelation 17:5.
The word translated as “lie” signifies that which is false. To not follow Christ is, by default, to pursue that which is false. There is no other acceptable option for man to pursue. One can come to God through Christ, who is the Truth, or he follows a falsity. Such as have not come through Him are, by their very nature, abominable, and they follow that which is false.
John then explains this by saying, “but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” To be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life is to have come to God through His offering of peace, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), and who is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8).
It is the sacrificial aspect of the Lord that restores fallen man to a right and propitious relationship with God. Nothing else can do so, and when a person is so cleansed, it is an act of Christ, and it is considered an eternal decree of God that he is so cleansed. Thank God for Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God!
Life application: This is the last verse of chapter 21, and it reminds the readers of the fallen state of mankind apart from Christ. There shall be many excluded from the glory to come.
To understand things that make a person unclean, take time to read through the Law of Moses. There you will find the Ten Commandments, but there are also a host of other laws that Israel was obligated to. The general reckoning is that there were six hundred and thirteen laws. Anyone who doesn’t meet every one of these standards perfectly violates the law because, as James notes, “…whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in on point, he is guilty of all.”
To be guilty before the law, or to not bear the perfection of Christ who fulfilled the law, means the soul will be excluded from New Jerusalem. So, who then can be saved? No one apart from Jesus! He summed up His first advent with these words –
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Matthew 5:17, 18
For those under the law, it had to be adhered to exactingly. But Jesus came to fulfill the law which we could never fulfill. And He did so. In His fulfilling of it, He then offered His life as a Substitute for the sins of mankind. It is by faith in Jesus Christ that we are cleansed from defilement.
A second category John referred to is anyone who causes an abomination or a lie. A good example of what God finds abominable is found in Luke 16:14, 15 where the same word translated as “abomination” is used –
“Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. 15 And He said to them, ‘You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.’”
The sin of idolatry is abominable because it puts something in our hearts that is a part of creation above the Creator. Idolatry, pride, etc. are reprehensible to God because they demonstrate our priorities are not directed toward Him, but He must always be first. The lie, or that which is false, is included here because without truth there is no basis for a relationship with others. Following falsity is to reject the truth. But in God, there is only truth.
There is good news to end the chapter though. One category of humans will be granted access into the paradise that God is preparing for man. It is those who have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. For man, it is impossible to meet the standards God has laid out. But what is impossible for man, God accomplished by coming in the form of a Man and living the life that we cannot live. Jesus is the One who met all of God’s standards perfectly, and Jesus is the One who became our Substitute after doing so.
Now, by faith in what He has done, we move from fallen Adam to the risen Christ. We move from death to life. We move from condemnation to salvation. How can we not praise the Lord who has done such great and marvelous deeds for His creatures? Hallelujah and Amen! Thank God for JESUS!
Lord God Almighty, though we have erred and strayed and done that which separates us from You, instead of destroying us, You have had compassion on us and sent Jesus. Thank You, O God for the marvelous work that You have wrought on our behalf. All glory to You, O God. Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 1, 2021 1:03:34 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:1
Tuesday, August 31st, 2021
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1
John has been describing New Jerusalem and the glory that will be beheld there. With the start of the final chapter, that continues, beginning with, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life.” Some manuscripts leave out the word “pure.” Either way, the focus of the water is on it being “water of life.”
This has already been hinted at in Revelation –
“They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:17
&
“And He said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.’” Revelation 21:6
The idea of “water of life” is that of vibrancy. Thus, it is that which springs forth as opposed to that which is, or has become, stagnant. One can then extend the thought to “life-giving,” because it is fresh and wholesome rather than containing contaminants.
In the Greek, the words are in the genitive, giving the idea of water that itself possesses life or life-giving power. It is water that issues forth with life and provides life as it continues on. Whether the word “pure” belongs in the original or not, it would be implied. There is purity to it as it issues forth. Of this water, John next says it is “clear as crystal.”
The Greek adjective is lampros. One can see the word “lamp” in it. Thus, it signifies brilliant, shining, etc. The waters are so pure that they are bright. The idea of “living water” is brought forth. Their purity will reflect the state of all things in New Jerusalem. It is a place where nothing defiled exists. There will be only that which is pure, and the waters will provide a continual introduction of that purity as they issue forth. And that is expected based on its source, as John next notes, saying that they are “proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
As God is the Source of all purity and goodness, the water issuing from His throne is a reflection of His very being and life-giving power. Noting God and the Lamb in the same context is, as it was in verse 21:22, an indication that the two are One. Both verses use articles that suggest it is singular. There is one throne and one source from which the waters issue forth.
Life application: There is an eternal river flowing from the throne of God in New Jerusalem. This takes the reader of the Bible back to the Genesis narrative concerning the Garden of Eden. There in verse 2:10, it says –
“Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.”
When man fell through disobedience, he was cast out of Eden and from the Source of this water, even though the waters continued. These four riverheads picture the four gospels and thus point directly to Christ.
Later, at the time of the Exodus, the people were conducted through the wilderness, but were given glimpses of the true life-giving Water by the use of real-life pictures. One was when they came to Marah where the waters were bitter. In that account, it says, “So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (Exodus 15:25). This was a picture of the cross and thus the spiritual healing and life-giving waters of Christ.
Again, in the wilderness, at two separate times, water was made to flow from rock. One of the accounts says –
“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6
The second time water was to come from the rock, the Lord instructed Moses to speak to the rock, not strike it. However, Moses disobeyed and was punished for this. The two accounts point to Christ under the law and Christ as the fulfillment of the law, and thus the Giver of grace. Both directly point to Christ. Paul notes this in the New Testament –
“… all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” 1 Corinthians 10:4
All along, the Israelites received their life-sustaining power from Christ, whether they acknowledged it or not. The Bible’s journey of the Water of Life continues through the Old Testament. For example, it is referred to in Isaiah 55:1 which anticipates the work of Christ once again –
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.”
Another picture of Christ and His work in the redemptive narrative is found in the book of Ezekiel. It is in a prophecy of the future temple that will stand during the millennial reign of Christ –
“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.” Ezekiel 47:1
This water, flowing from the right side of the temple is an earthly taste of what will be realized in the eternal city, the New Jerusalem. Again, the water pictures the healing work of Christ as is described in the passage. These and other passages fill the Old Testament with a continuous stream of thought concerning Christ, the true Source of all life-giving water.
In the New Testament, we see the fulfillment of the Old Testament shadows and pictures. They are realized in the Person of Jesus. We know this from the words He proclaimed when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob –
“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.’” John 4:13, 14
In John 7, we see the correlation between Jesus’ claims concerning the life-giving water and the Holy Spirit –
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:37-39
Now, in Revelation, the final picture of this wonderful anticipation of our being restored to paradise, where pure water of life issues forth is seen. What God offers is to be found again through the giving of His Son, Christ the Lamb. He is the One who is eternally revealing the unseen Father to us, and it is the Spirit of Christ who issues from the Father, through the Son.
This life-giving water is surely real water and a real river, but it is also an eternal reminder of the true Life which flows eternally from God to the redeemed of the world. From beginning to end, and at all points along the redemptive narrative, we are seeing God reveal Himself to us through Christ, our wonderful Lord JESUS!
O God, Your word is so rich and pure. We can see how You have tied it all together, pointing to our Lord and Savior Jesus each step of the way. We long to drink from the eternally flowing river which proceeds from Your throne and to revel in the beauty which surrounds it. May that day be soon! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 2, 2021 0:16:16 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:2
Wednesday, September 1st, 2021
In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2
The previous verse noted the water issuing forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb. John next notes, “In the middle of its street.” The meaning of these words is unclear. Some take them together with the previous words, while others connect them with the following words –
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life–water as clear as crystal–pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. (NET)
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (NKJV)
Either way, the street is that which is referred to in verse 21:21, saying, “And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Regardless of the translation, the next words continue the thought, saying, “and on either side of the river.” Therefore, what is to be stated next is either both in the middle of the street and on either side of the river (a median strip and verge strips), or only on the sides of the river (verge strips). If the former, then the river runs parallel to the street.
However the layout actually is, John next says, “was the tree of life.” There is a river running from the throne and through New Jerusalem. There is a great street, and certainly lesser streets going off through the entire massive city. In this setting, there is this tree of life.
Albert Barnes makes the entire thought a general statement, thus saying, “that in the street, or streets of the city, as well as on the banks of the river, the tree of life was planted. It abounded everywhere. The city had not only a river passing through it, but it was pervaded by streets, and all those streets were lined and shaded with this tree. The idea in the mind of the writer is that of Eden or Paradise; but it is not the Eden of the book of Genesis, or the Oriental or Persian Paradise: it is a picture where all is combined, that in the view of the writer would constitute beauty, or contribute to happiness.”
Regardless as to how the trees are placed, there will be access to them for all. This then is the true return to paradise that has been anticipated since man’s expulsion –
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8, 9
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“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24
Man was placed in Eden where the tree of life was, a tree that would sustain him forever. However, in his disobedience, his hand was withheld from obtaining the fruit of this tree, and he was driven out of Eden and was destined to die. Now, access to the tree is restored. Eternal life is offered to man. The way to have access to this tree has already been stated –
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7
In other words, for those who come to Christ and are saved by Him (meaning overcoming), the offer becomes reality. Man is guaranteed this upon belief (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Someday, the offer will (not maybe!) become reality. This is a promise from God who cannot lie. With this stated, John next says it is the tree of life “which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.”
The meaning is probably not as the KJV states when it says, “twelve manner of fruits.” Rather, it is one type of fruit that comes forth monthly, as stated by the LSV, saying, “yielding its fruit according to each month.”
Bullinger notes that the number twelve signifies “perfection of government, or of governmental perfection.” It “is the product of 3 (the perfectly Divine and heavenly number) and 4 (the earthly, the number of what is material and organic).” As such, the fruit symbolizes the union between the divine and the earthly.
The symbolism tells us that what proceeds from God is united to that which is available to man. The two stand in harmony together. As God is eternal, so man is granted eternal life in this new and permanent governmental arrangement. Along with this, John then notes that “The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
The idea of the symbolism here is not that there are those outside who are to be healed, but that those inside are continuously healed. As the tree bears fruit throughout the months, it means that the tree always has leaves. The idea being conveyed is seen in the words of Revelation 21:4 –
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Pain requires a cure to be alleviated. The symbolism of the leaves is that there is continuous healing and pain will no longer be a part of the human experience. Living in the presence of God in the New Jerusalem will be a very sweet deal.
Life application: Again, the words of this verse take the reader back to Ezekiel 47 where the comparable passage from the millennial reign of Christ is noted –
“When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” Ezekiel 47:7-12
Although there are similarities between these verses and those of Revelation 22, there are several differences between what is planned for the New Jerusalem and what will exist during the millennium. The first thing to note is the mentioning of the “Great Sea.” Revelation 21:1 says that there will be “no more sea.” Refer to that commentary to get a better picture of what this may allude to.
Another point of distinction is that the waters “are healed” and that the “swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt” during the millennium. There is no indication of a need to “heal” the waters in the New Jerusalem because they are a part of the new order of things that exist without any defilement. There is also no record of waters that are unhealed.
These patterns are certainly referring to is the spiritual state of things in the world. The river of Eden went into four riverheads including one called the “Gihon.” During the times after the flood, the Gihon wasn’t mentioned again until the time of David (1 Kings 1:33) and was only noted a few times after that. The Gihon during this period was a teeny spring below Jerusalem.
This is a picture of the teeny amount of true religion which was seen on the face of the earth, whereas the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in the area of Babylon are immense, symbolizing the immense amount of false religion on the earth; Babel picturing this false religion.
In the millennium, Isaiah 11:9 notes –
“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.”
In fact, according to Zechariah 14:8, the river which proceeds from Jerusalem will be so large…
“That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward the eastern sea
And half of them toward the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.”
This river then, issuing from the spring Gihon, is a picture of the spiritual state of the world during the millennium. However, sin and death will still be present during that glorious period, and thus, as Ezekiel notes, the comparable state of the waters at the end of the river – the “swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.”
In the New Jerusalem, the waters will flow continually for eternity, and they will be perfectly pure, without the note of unhealed waters. This then is a picture of a completely pure spiritual state. There will be no unsaved, there will be no false religion, and there will only be absolute holiness and purity.
What was lost is restored. There will never be a time that the tree of life fails, just as the water which flows from the throne will never fail. As healing is realized in Jesus, there will be no need for a process of healing, but rather there will be continued and uninterrupted health – for all eternity.
All of this and more will be available to believers in Jesus Christ. Now, even at this time, those who have called on Jesus are spiritually seated in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7) and have complete and eternal access to the Water of Life and the Tree of Life.
This positional state will be fully realized at some glorious day in the future, and it can only come about by placing one’s faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone. There is no other way to be reconciled to God. If you have never trusted Jesus for your healing and restoration, make the call today. Great things await the redeemed of the Lord! Indeed, today is the day of salvation. Call out to God for healing. Call out to Him through JESUS!
Lord God, how astonishingly wonderful it will be to live in Your presence, to see Your light, and to receive the unceasing stream of healing waters which flow from You. Great and glorious are Your promises, and we have faith that every one of them will come to pass exactly as Your word states. And Oh! How we wait for that wonderful day! Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 3, 2021 1:18:12 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:3
Thursday, September 2nd, 2021
And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. Revelation 22:3
The words of John just noted the tree of life which will bear its fruit and of which the leaves are for “the healing of the nations.” What was lost in Eden, the tree of life, is restored in New Jerusalem. But more, John next says, “And there shall be no more curse.”
The Greek word is a noun found only here in the Bible, katanathema. It signifies “an oath-curse which ‘devotes something to destruction’” (HELPS Word Studies). Thus, by implication, it is an accursed thing. The curse was introduced into the biblical narrative in Genesis 3:14 with the cursing of the serpent. As the serpent (the devil who is Satan) has already been chucked into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10), he is taken care of. But the earth was then cursed in Genesis 3:17 –
Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19
The humanity of Christ Jesus lived out life under this cursed ground, but He did so without sin and without ever sinning. He died on Calvary’s cross and was interred for the sins committed by His own creatures. Death came in as a result of sin, and sin was dealt with by His obedient death.
The sentence of man for his rebellion was carried out in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Lord God didn’t cause the man to receive anything that He Himself wasn’t willing to endure. Thus, He is both Just and the Justifier of everyone who calls on Him.
However, because He prevailed over the devil, He was resurrected by the power of God. The curse has been removed through Him, and now anyone who calls on Him will likewise be freed from the finality of death. The full realization of this is found here in Revelation 22.
From Genesis 3 until Revelation 22, the idea of that which is accursed has literally permeated Scripture. But now, as the Bible is ready to close out, the promise of there being no more curse is brought forth. Never again will such a thing come to mind. And the reason for this is that “the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.”
In the place where Christ reigns with all power, authority, and abundance of grace, there shall be no room for a curse. The people will receive the goodness of His presence in a state of eternal joy. The memory – meaning the contrast – of what was in their earthly life, and what now is in the heavenly existence, will be an eternal reminder of what it means to dwell without the stain of sin. And without sin, there will be no negative effects of sin, such as corruption or death.
In this wonderfully blessed state, John next says, “and His servants shall serve Him.” Of the word “serve,” Vincent’s Word Studies says –
“The word originally means to serve for hire. In the New Testament, of the worship or service of God in the use of the rites intended for His worship. It came to be used by the Jews in a very special sense, to denote the service rendered to Jehovah by the Israelites as His peculiar people. See Romans 9:4; Acts 26:7; Hebrews 9:1, Hebrews 9:6. Hence the significant application of the term to Christian service by Paul in Philippians 3:3.”
This then answers the age-old question, “What will we do in heaven?” Was man created to work the soil of the Garden of Eden? Not at all. Worshiping and serving God through Christ as noted now signifies the restoration of what was lost in Genesis 2 where man had intimate fellowship with God. First, in Genesis 2:7, it said –
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”
Next, it said –
“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Genesis 2:8, 9
After creating man – only after creating him – does it say that the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. Eden means “delight” or “pleasure” and was, if man obeyed, a place not for work, but for a different purpose.
This is important to consider because in Genesis 2:5 it noted that there wasn’t yet a man to “till the ground.” This garden is something special and something intended for the man He formed. The ground which needed to be tilled was outside of the Garden, not in it.
If you stand back and look at the larger picture of the Bible, it’s clear that God knew before the fall that man would fall. And so, the garden, despite being made as a place where God would fellowship with man, didn’t fill the entire earth. Instead, the Garden was a localized place of grace, of abundance, and of provision from God above, not from the ground below.
God knew that man would fall and would be removed from the garden. But his time in the garden was not one of work, despite how most translations render it. In Genesis 2:15, it says –
“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”
This suggests that work is being proposed for the Garden of Eden. However, in looking at the purpose of the garden, this makes no sense. As noted, the man was to till the ground. However, that was outside of the garden. Man was formed outside Eden and then placed there.
John Sailhamer states that “The man was ‘put’ into the Garden where he could ‘rest’ and be ‘safe,’ and the man was ‘put’ into the Garden ‘in God’s presence’ where he could have fellowship with God.”
The word for “put” in verse 15 is the word yanach, a completely different word than what was used in verse 8. Dr. Richard Howe notes concerning this word, yanach –
“… the sense of the verb is causative, meaning that God ‘caused Adam to rest’ in the garden.” If God “caused Adam to rest” in the garden, then why would man need to tend and keep it? Dr. Howe notes, “The problem with these translations is that the pronoun in the verse does not agree in gender with the word ‘garden.’”
The word ‘garden’ is masculine in Hebrew, and so ‘garden’ can’t be the object of the verbs. Because of this, either this verse is an exception to the rule of the Hebrew language, or the verbs aren’t referring to the garden at all and instead something else is meant.
Doctor Howe’s conclusion is that the verbs should be taken as abstract in meaning and that “The significance of ‘resting the man in the garden’ is not to demonstrate man’s relationship to the garden, but rather to provide a setting for the story to demonstrate man’s relationship and responsibility to God.”
Therefore, his translation has an abstract meaning. Instead of “tend and to keep,” he says they should be translated “worship and serve,” as both words are translated elsewhere in the Bible. It wasn’t the garden to which Adam was responsible, but to God – to worship and to serve Him. Dr. Howe notes that, “Before the fall, Adam’s attention was directed upwards toward God.” He was to serve God through keeping His commandment, and he was to worship Him through trust and obedience.
But “After the fall, Adam’s attention was directed downwards toward the ground.” Instead of looking to God for sustenance, he had to look to the ground. Instead of looking to God for eternal life, he would look to the ground as his final resting place. Understanding what occurred in the Garden of Eden and what is now promised in Revelation 22:3, it is seen that restoration of what was originally intended is promised to be seen once again. Man will serve God as was originally intended at the very beginning.
Life application: The lesson for us is that we have a choice. We can look upward to God, to worship and serve Him as He determines, or we can look to the ground and attempt to have our own works justify us. In the end, the ground is a hard master, one of bondage and pain, but the Lord is gracious and tender. As He promised to Israel –
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
The garden was lost to man, but through Jesus, it can be restored. In the Garden, there was no curse, just the chance to worship and serve the Creator. Jesus promises the same to us here on the final page of the Bible.
To worship and to serve the Lord our God
Eternal fellowship in a land of Delight
On hallowed soil our feet will trod
And the Lord shall always be in our sight
In His light, to walk and also to praise
The Lamb of God who was slain
Illuminated by His ever-glowing rays
No tears, no fear, no sorrow, no pain
Come to the waters and be restored
Drink and receive grace from the Lord
Heaven’s door is open for all to go through
But you see it’s guarded with cherub and sword
So, to pass through the gate, this you must do
It is the gospel, “Call on the Lord”
By faith in His work and by faith alone
Access is granted past Heaven’s sword
His blood was shed for your sins to atone
Again, I beg you, call on the Lord
Again, I implore you, call on the Lord
Yes, make it today. Call out to God through His offer of peace. Call out to God through JESUS!
Lord God, as astonishing as it seems, You have done it! You have taken what we ruined by our disobedience, and through the work of Christ Jesus, You have returned all things to the way they were originally intended. You are great and You are worthy of all our praise, worship, and allegiance. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty – Hallelujah and Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 4, 2021 0:43:33 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:4
Friday, September 3rd, 2021
They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4
John’s words just noted that there would be no more curse, that the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and that the people of God (His servants) will serve Him. He now says, “They shall see His face.” Of these words, the previous verse provides the explanation.
In 1 Timothy 6:16, while speaking of the brightness of the glory of God in Christ, it says –
“who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”
It is Christ, the Lamb, who makes it possible to behold God. He is, as noted in Chapter 21, the lamp through which God’s light is seen. This is understood from verses in both the Old and New Testaments. Job had an inkling of what it would be like –
“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27
John speaks of this coming time in his first epistle –
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2
David understood this as well –
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psalm 17:15
These are but a few of the verses that anticipate this verse in Revelation. We shall be like Jesus in our glorified state, and we shall see the glory of God as it is revealed in Him. An entirely different order of existence shall be realized at that time. With that said, John next says, “and His name shall be on their foreheads.”
Some translations incorrectly state “in the foreheads.” The Greek means “upon” or “on.” It could be that this is referring to something symbolic, as if the name is written upon the forehead. However, because the previous verse said that “His servants shall serve Him,” it is probably referring to their priestly status before God.
In Exodus 28, a plate of gold was affixed to the turban of the high priest that stated qodesh l’Yehovah, or “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” He was the one who directly served the Lord and the plate signified him as being set apart to the Lord. This same expression is then noted for all of the implements in Jerusalem in Zechariah 14 –
“In that day ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD’ shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.”
This is a statement that all such implements will be dedicated to the service of the Lord at that time. In New Jerusalem, this will be the case with all who serve before the Lord. It is a note of complete sanctification and separation to the Lord. His people will be holy, and this is signified by the thought that “His name shall be on their foreheads.”
The words of this verse speak of complete familiarity (seeing His face) and of complete identification with Him (His name on their foreheads). What lies ahead for the redeemed of the Lord will be unlike anything we can yet fully grasp. It will be a marvelous and blessed state.
Life application: When I was young, there were refrigerator magnets all over the front of the fridge in our home. One of them became the first Bible verse I ever learned –
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8
What does it mean that these will “see God”? God doesn’t have parts and cannot be seen as noted in Paul’s words of 1 Timothy 6:16 (above). 1 John 4:12 confirms this, “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”
People who speak about seeing God and then describing some type of form have made a category mistake. God has no form at all. However, speaking of Jesus, we read this in Hebrews 1:3 – “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” The visible manifestation of God and the One who reveals Him to His creation is Jesus. Again, we go to Jesus’ words in John 14:9 to understand this, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”
Now, in our sin-filled state, we cannot see the radiance of Jesus Christ in His fullness. Mortal man would be utterly consumed by the glorious display. Moses discovered this in Exodus 33:20, “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’”
However, when we are glorified, this will no longer be the case. When we are like Him, He shall be revealed to us in His fullness. Isaiah understood this and proclaimed it to Israel –
“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.” Isaiah 33:17
It is Jesus Christ who will endlessly reveal the glory of God to us as, through Him, we perceive this glorious Creator. Based on Scripture, the Trinity must be true because without the Son to reveal the Father to us, we would never be able to see this glory of God. Jesus is the link between the infinite and the finite. He is the point where God’s glory is revealed.
And there is only one way to participate in this eternal revelation of who God is. That is to be like Him. We must share in the same nature and the same goodness that He has. We must be “pure in heart.” But we are defiled – both through Adam and also because of our own sins. So how do we attain freedom from defilement? It is through the work of Christ Jesus.
He lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, and then He gave His life as a sacrifice of atonement, a substitute suitable to an eternally perfect Creator. Now through faith in His work, we can be elevated from a fallen, earthly state to His perfect and heavenly state. As He said and as we can now more fully realize –
“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.”
Because of this purity resulting in blessedness, the name of God and of the Lamb shall be on our foreheads as we serve Him. We will be identified as belonging to Him, and the stamp of approval shall be evidently displayed.
Marks have been used to identify people elsewhere in the Bible. The forehead is the spot where this mark is almost always explicitly noted. The reason is surely that it has resulted from a mental assertion concerning a particular issue. In the case of our mark, it is the result of the mental assertion that “Jesus is Lord” as is noted in Romans 10:9. When this assertion is accepted as truth in our lives, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God, In this, we move from death to life, from condemnation to salvation, from darkness to light, and from the devil to Jesus.
And all of it comes by the grace of God alone. Thank the Lord, even now, for the glorious work of Jesus Christ that made all of this possible! Yes! Thank God for our Lord JESUS!
Oh, God! It is the most glorious thing to know that we shall behold Your glory in its fullness and search out Your wisdom, beauty, and perfection for all eternity. We know that nothing here on earth will ever compare to seeing You and living in Your glorious light as it shines through the lamp – our Lord and Savior Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 4, 2021 23:10:46 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:5
Saturday, September 4th, 2021
There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:5
John has shown that those in New Jerusalem shall “see His face” meaning the Lamb, and that “His name shall be on their foreheads.” He next says, “There shall be no night there.” This was already stated in verse 21:25. As noted then, this doesn’t mean that there is no night at all. If the city is descended from heaven to sit upon the earth, and if there are points on the compass by which the city is situated (see verse 21:14), along with other reasons given then, it tells us that there will be a sun, just not in the city itself. Inside the city, which is a cubed edifice, there will never be day and night. It is the place of the eternal Day of God’s rest where the light of God will be illuminated by the Lamb, who is the lamp, for all eternity. That is stated in John’s next words, saying, “They need no lamp nor light of the sun.”
This is substantially repeated from verse 21:23, where it says, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it.” There will be such a brilliancy within the city that all will be evident even without a lamp (implying night, or at least shadow and darkness) nor the sun (implying day). Neither will there be the need of the sun (implying day).
The word translated as “lamp” is the Greek word luchnos. It refers to a type of oil burning lamp. It is symbolic of any artificially produced light. At John’s time, there were no wax candles or electric lights of any kind. As such, he uses terminology that was understood in his day. There will be no need for such artificial lighting. Nor will there be a need for natural lighting, such as the sun or moon. It will be a place of constant light that permeates all of the city. John explains this, saying, “for the Lord God gives them light.”
This is then also a close repeat of verse 21:23 which said, “for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” The glory of God is all that is needed to illuminate the entire city. There will be no points of darkness in this giant edifice. And it will be through Christ that this glorious light will be diffused. The splendor of Jesus Christ is what is on display as God will forever reveal Himself through Him. Everything about what is conveyed speaks of the divinity of the Lord Jesus.
With that stated, John next says, “And they shall reign forever and ever.” This is unlike the promise to the tribulation martyrs of Revelation 5:10. There it said –
“And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”
That was then fulfilled in Revelation 20:6 –
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
What is now described for those in New Jerusalem is that of an eternal position before God. Man will serve Him, and yet he will reign with Him forever and ever. This then is the fulfillment of the promise by Christ to the seven churches in Revelation 1 –
“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6
God has granted man the right to rule with Him while also serving Him as priests. The words are a splendid note of the grace of God bestowed upon His creatures. With these words, the heavenly vision of Revelation is complete.
Life application: What is described by John is a completely different order and category of existence than we see in the universe today. Our universe is directed by certain laws which govern it, such as the Law of Gravity. One of the laws which it is bound to is the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
This law states that in a closed system, the amount of energy is decreasing. This is known as entropy. This is a fixed law and has no exceptions. As the universe is a closed system, if it existed eternally then we would’ve run out of energy an infinite amount of time ago. It also means that because there was a beginning, without a new order of things, at some point in the future all the energy would eventually be used up. This means that everything would eventually become absolutely dark, absolutely cold, and without any motion at all.
However, because God is the Creator of the Universe, He is before the creation and thus He is outside of time, space, and matter. He is eternal, His power is without limit, and His glory is infinite in nature. He is the Light that will eternally illuminate the New Jerusalem and which will eternally sustain those in it. There shall be no end to it because He will eternally reside there, streaming forth His glory to the redeemed of the Lord.
In this state, we shall partake of every benefit, joy, and honor of the most exalted of people who have ever lived, and then some. The reason for this is not because we have somehow merited this favor, but because of the work of the King of kings, Jesus. We shall share in His glory forever.
For those who have called on Jesus, we are considered as seated in this heavenly position already, as is noted in Ephesians 2:4-7. However, at some wonderful point in the future, this will be actualized when we are glorified and are like Him in both nature and being.
The honors bestowed upon us are not to be taken lightly. What God has prepared for those who love Him came at the highest cost of all, the death of our Lord. We need to come before God with all praise, laud, and honor for the incredible work He accomplished through Jesus on our behalf. This is a great God, a beautiful Savior, and a glorious plan He has worked out for us. Thank you, O God, for JESUS.
Lord God, it is beyond our comprehension to even imagine what lies ahead for us. You, O God, are glorious beyond compare. You are worthy of all our devotion, honor, praise, and contemplation. Forgive us for failing to pursue You as we should. May we endeavor to continually give You all of who we are as we await the glory which lies ahead. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 6, 2021 1:18:07 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:6
Sunday, September 5th, 2021
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Revelation 22:6
With the vision of New Jerusalem complete, John returns to the words of the angel who has accompanied him, saying, “Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’” This is certainly referring to the entire received message that comprises the book of Revelation.
This seems apparent because it then follows the same pattern of the opening of Revelation where John was told to write, and what was written was directed to the churches as encouragement, admonition, and warning.
Likewise, John’s words from verse 22:6 until the end of the chapter comprise two separate parts. The first comprises verses 6-17, and which gives encouragement, admonition, and warning to the church – and by extension to any who will hear the words of Revelation. The second comprises verses 18-21, and they refer to the words of the book itself.
Concerning the words of the angel now speaking, he confirms what was stated in Revelation 3:14 which says, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” What God has revealed through Christ are the very words of God. They are faithful and true, and they will come to pass. John next says, “And the Lord God of the holy prophets.”
Here, some manuscripts contain a second article, and they substitute the word “holy” with “spirits” – “The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets.” Either way, this then means that the Lord (YHVH) of the Old Testament who inspired the prophets to put forth their words is the same Lord (Jesus) who has “sent His angel to show His servants” those things of the New Testament, including the faithful and true words of the book of Revelation.
This then is fully in accord with the words of Paul and Peter –
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19-21
Of the things the Lord God has sent His angel to show to His servants, this verse now says that these are “the things which must shortly take place.” Rather than an adverb (shortly), a noun is given, “the things that must come to pass in quickness.” It is the same noun as in Luke 18:8 where there is an obvious long delay in what is spoken of. Thus, the context of the word there is not referring to something coming soon, but coming suddenly when it comes –
“Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily [lit: in quickness]. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” Luke 18:6-8
As such, there is no reason to assume that the exact same words, ἐν τάχει, or “in quickness,” of Revelation 1:1 and Revelation 22:6 are necessarily referring to something happening shortly after they are received by John. Rather when they occur, they will occur in quickness. Hence, the words here are not necessarily suspect. Rather, they are reliable prophetic words that will be fulfilled in their own time.
Life application: There are several verses in Revelation that lead some scholars to adamantly claim that its contents were fulfilled already, back in AD70, with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Israel. This is one of those verses and it speaks of “the things which must shortly take place.” However, this confused thinking rejects hundreds of prophecies from the Old Testament which had not taken place by that time. These were given to – and are promises for – the nation of Israel, not to the church.
In order to justify why those prophecies never came to pass, they were “spiritualized” by scholars and then applied to the church instead of Israel. This is a doctrine known as “replacement theology.” Just because the book of Revelation is coming to a close with the words “the things which must shortly take place,” it in no way means that it excludes a fulfillment in our future – two thousand years later.
There are several possibilities, both of which answer this claim. The first is that “the things which must shortly take place” began to occur after John received and penned the book. Assuming the word is rightly translated as “shortly” rather than “in quickness,” the church age was clearly described in chapters 2 & 3 and that age was already in its infancy at John’s time. Just because the things began to take place shortly after Revelation was penned doesn’t mean that they all had to occur shortly; no specific time for their completion was given. Only when the church age – which is of indeterminate time – ends, then the events of the tribulation period will begin.
Secondly, the words of Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 show that God isn’t working on our timetable. Those verses tell us that a day to the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. However long it takes to fulfill Revelation is a drop in the bucket compared to the things of eternity – which are already in the process of being described by John.
Therefore, it is a category mistake to assign Revelation’s words to a time which was close to John’s day from a human perspective. It is true that the Bible is given by God for man, and it is to be received from our perspective, but the words “How long” fill Scripture, thus indicating that what man thinks should happen quickly from his perspective is not always so.
Also, most scholars reasonably believe Revelation was written after AD70 and therefore that argument holds no water anyway. Words that are “faithful and true” will be accomplished exactly as God states, and there will be no doubt when they are fulfilled. Many of the OT passages concerning Israel and those in Revelation cannot be ascribed to any fulfillment at any time in history and therefore “faithful and true” cannot be assigned to their fulfillment yet.
Lastly, the God of the Old Testament prophets, who spoke about the future of Israel in the millennial kingdom, is also God of the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. The words of these people are joined together so that we can now see the entire panorama of biblical prophecy. Now we, as well as Israel, have a fuller knowledge of what is coming and how it will occur.
Have faith that God has a good plan for His people and that He has the future under His control. The Bible is fully reliable, and God is fully capable. Stand fast on that and hold fast to His promises without wavering. Be encouraged in the Lord always. Yes, be strengthened in JESUS.
Thank you, Lord! How wonderful it is to see past prophecies which have come true. These give us the assurance that all the other prophecies of Your wonderful, faithful, and true word will also come to pass – exactly as You have stated. Great are You, O God, and great is Your name. Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 8, 2021 0:15:48 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:7
Monday, September 6th, 2021
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7
The angel was speaking to John in the previous verse. Now, without any announcement, the words of Jesus are brought forth, saying, “Behold, I am coming quickly!” It goes unstated whether Jesus actually has spoken these words for John to hear, or if the angel speaks them to John with the understanding that they are the words of the Lord.
Either way, the adverb form of the noun just used in the previous verse is now used here. There, it spoke of the things that must ‘in quickness’ take place. These words of Jesus now exclaim that He will come quickly. It does not necessarily signify “soon,” but rather when He comes, it will be suddenly. It is a note for those who hear to be prepared. With that, words are next substantially repeated from earlier in Revelation, saying, “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
This is the sixth time that such a blessing is stated in Revelation. In Revelation 1:3, Jesus said, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” As such, with the coming of the ending of the book, the admonition is stated once again.
The Greek verb is a present participle. It more correctly reads, “Blessed is he who ‘is keeping’ the words of the prophecy of this book.” Because of this, it calls for constant watch and observation. It is similar to what was already stated by Peter –
“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” 2 Peter 3:1-4
Scoffers fail to “keep.” Rather, they go about life ignoring the fact that God has a plan, and that what He says will come to pass, even if it appears otherwise. What seems like a delay to us is not so to Him. Everything is set according to what He has predetermined. The words of this verse ask those in the church to be attentive, and in such an attentive state, they will be blessed.
Life application: This is the fourth time it is noted that Jesus will come quickly. When He first comes for His church, it will be in the twinkling of an eye, and she will be gone. At the end of the tribulation period, Christ will again appear, and He will work His judgment swiftly and with finality. All people should remember to live their lives as if each moment is the last. Either Christ will come for us by the rapture or by His return, or He will come for us in death – which could be at any moment as well.
For believers, Paul notes this in Romans 13:11 – “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”
For those who are not yet committed to Christ, Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We are to be committed to the Lord, and we are to then be about the Lord’s business until He comes (see Acts 1:7). Anything else will only lead to sadness and regret.
The second point to be considered is the change that is expected in those who read or hear the words of Revelation. The words cited above from Revelation 1:3 implored those who read and hear to “keep those things which are written in it.” In other words, the earlier words anticipated that those who were starting the adventure of reading this book would continue to do so and to allow the words to sink in and have a positive effect on them. The words of Revelation 22:7, however, are stated in acknowledgment that the book has been read, and now the one who has read it will keep on keeping what was read.
This is similar to what James states in his epistle –
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
James equates a person who hears or reads the word, and who then disregards what it says, to someone who gets up in the morning, looks at the shabby face in the mirror – unshaven, stuff in his eyes, hair all messy, etc. – and who then walks away not caring about his appearance.
The Bible is like a mirror to us. You should know your appearance will offend others, but instead of shaving your whiskers, combing your hair, and washing your face, you go out as you are, and no one wants to be near you. Then you wonder why you’re such a lonely guy. When we read the Bible, we need to absorb it and apply it to our lives. Just as James implores us, so the Lord now does in Revelation.
A third point to consider is that this book is a book of prophecy. Some books in the Bible are noted for wisdom, some for instruction, some for historical value, and some for praise and worship. Other books are books of prophecy. It would make no sense for this particular book of prophecy to be fulfilled in the way preterists claim, stating that its contents were realized and completed in AD70. Rather, the entire context of the majority of prophecies point to a date that is future to the church even now.
Don’t be misled into believing that the church is ushering in the kingdom and that Jesus will return when we have brought peace on earth. The world is increasing in wickedness and the church is heading toward more loss and persecution, not less. It is the Lord Jesus who will return to defeat the enemies of God and usher in the kingdom. Until then, the Spirit is seeking out a bride for Jesus. Stand fast as the end-time events approach and don’t lose heart if we as the church continue to suffer. Jesus is coming quickly. Even so, come Lord JESUS!
Heavenly Father, give us right thinking and clarity as we await the return of Christ. Help us to be ready at all times to share the good news and to lead those around us away from wickedness and towards righteousness. Give us a heart for the lost because the time is short. Let us not be slack in our duties. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 9, 2021 23:59:31 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:8
Thursday, September 9th, 2021
Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Revelation 22:8
John had just heard the words of Christ (whether audibly spoken by the Lord or repeated by the angel who had presented the revelations to him), and it so greatly affected him that he was overwhelmed. As such, he conveys to us what then occurred, saying, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things.”
The Greek is more precise, using an article with a present participle – “Now I John am the one who is seeing these things and hearing.” He is conveying that everything has been an ongoing display before his eyes that he personally beheld. It is similar to his words that testify to his life, witnessing the work of Christ –
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3
John is once again testifying to the truth of his personal experience in beholding what God had set before him to witness to. In this position of trust appointed to him, he next says, “And when I heard and saw.” The verbs are now aorist. With the vision having been seen, and with the senses overwhelmed at what he has just heard, John says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.”
Again, John returns to a present participle. It more rightly states, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who is showing me these things.” He doesn’t know if the vision is complete or not. He has seen and heard to the point where he was overwhelmed, but he is also still in the presence of the angel who is there showing him the visions of the future.
What occurs in this sentence is what has already happened once before –
Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:9, 10
Did John make the same error twice? Or is this a new error to avoid confusion? In Revelation 19:10, it says, “And I fell at his feet to worship him.” Now, it says, “I fell down to worship [God? Or the angel?] before the feet of the angel.”
In other words, it very well may be that John is falling to worship the Lord who gave the words, but the angel wants no confusion at all to be introduced into the narrative. As such, he ensures there is none by redirecting John’s worship “to God and before God,” rather than “to God and before a messenger.” Either way, John’s actions are spoken against in order to ensure that God alone is given the glory.
Life application: John has, just since the beginning of this chapter, seen the river of water of life which proceeds from the throne of God; the tree of life bearing fruit for each month of the year; leaves of the tree indicating healing of the nations; that there will be no more curse; that the throne of God and the Lamb will be right in the midst of the people and that the people will serve Him; that the people will see His face and they will have His name on their foreheads; there will be no night in the New Jerusalem and no need of a lamp or the sun because of the radiance of God; and that the people will reign forever and ever.
After seeing these astonishing things which had been lost since the very beginning of man’s history, as is recorded in the redemptive narrative, John was told that what had been described was “faithful and true;” that it was sent from the Lord God; and that these things must shortly take place. Finally, he was told that those who “keep the words of the prophecy of this book” would be blessed.
All of these things must have completely overwhelmed the beloved apostle of the Lord and in stunned awe of the beauty of what his eyes had beheld, he fell down to worship.
What will our response be when we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and the wonders that He has prepared for us? Let us remember now that from Him alone stems all good things and that He therefore alone is worthy of our prayers, petitions, and praise. We must never make the mistake of offering any of these things to anything in creation.
We are not to pray to a person such as Mary or the saints, we are not to petition anyone, such as an angel, and we are not to offer praise to anyone or anything – such as the constellations. Instead, these are to be reserved for the Lord alone. It is easy to get sidetracked, but the Bible asks us to fix our thoughts, hearts, affections, and gaze upon the Lord. To Him alone be all glory, wisdom, power, and might. And so, to Him alone belongs our worship, attention, and devotion. Yes, let us magnify the Lord our God. Let us magnify JESUS.
Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us what to do directly in Your word. We don’t need to guess if we should pray to a dead person or if we should praise a sunrise. We don’t need to wonder about asking for a blessing from a wishing well. Instead, we know to offer these to You alone and in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 11, 2021 0:30:54 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:9
Friday, September 10th, 2021
Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” Revelation 22:9
With John’s falling down before the feet of this messenger in order to worship (whether God, or – erringly – the angel), there is a response. John says, “Then he said to me…”
A note of correction is necessary for John’s actions. There is to be no misunderstanding of what the idea of proper worship is. With this, the messenger says, “See that you do not do that.”
As in verse 19:10, the Greek is much more abrupt – Ὅρα μή (Hora mē, or “See not!”). The suddenness of the words is intended to arrest the attention of John and have him think clearly concerning his actions. With this, the angel next states, “For I am your fellow servant.”
The words of this angel (the Greek simply meaning “messenger”) lean to the idea that he is quite possibly human. It may be that he is a spiritual being, but either way, he clearly identifies himself as being on the same level as John in regard to his servanthood before the Lord. To further express this, he says, “and of your brethren the prophets.”
A spiritual connection between John (an apostle) and the prophets is conveyed here. Each office has a particular purpose, which is to convey the word of God. And like the prophets, apostles were no more entitled to receive worship than they were. The angel is conveying a prophetic message to John, John is receiving it and will convey it to the church, but the Source of the revelation is God. Each is simply a messenger in his own right, and thus a servant of the Source of the message. From there, the angel then says, “and of those who keep the words of this book.”
There are different responsibilities in the government of God, but all are subordinates to Him. Some bring the message from God, some receive it and proclaim it to the people verbally or in a recorded fashion, and some are to hear the word and then keep (meaning observe) that which is proclaimed to them. The angel notes that all subordinate levels are actually fellow servants. Servants are not masters. As such, there is One, and only One, who is to receive the honor of worship. And so, he clearly proclaims to John, “Worship God.”
The angel exactingly repeats his words from Revelation 19:10 again. Only God is to be worshiped. Therefore, one must have an understanding of who God is. This is one of the main purposes of Scripture, the revealing of God in a manner so that man can understand Him in an intimate way. The God revealed in the Bible – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the God who is to be worshiped. He and no other.
Life application: Whatever was on John’s mind when he fell at the angel’s feet to worship, it sent the wrong signal. Somebody may fall at the feet of the pope while worshiping God, thus indicating that he believes the pope is a valid intermediary. This would be an error. One does not need such an intermediary. Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and man. Thus, the expression of falling before a pope actually deprives Jesus of His rightful due.
John may have fallen to worship God, but by doing so at the feet of the angel, he has made the same mistake. He may have thought, “I am worshiping God, and my worship will be transmitted through this angel to Him.” It is inappropriate.
The prophets and apostles are noted as having especially high stations among men because they conveyed the words of God to the people of God. However, no person holding such an office, or any other high office granted by God, is worthy of worship, or even of being an intermediary in worship. This is noted in Acts 10:25, 26 – “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man.’”
Along with the apostles and prophets who relayed God’s word to humanity are those who keep the words of God through obedience to them. All of God’s saints who hear the word, receive it, and keep it are considered co-heirs with Christ and are even now seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-7). However, this is only a conferred honor and was granted by God for His glory.
The angel speaking with John places himself in a category like the apostles, prophets, and saints. Psalm 8:5 says that man was made “a little lower than the angels.” This implies that although angels have a higher station than man at this time, they are also created beings. Their job is not to receive glory, praise, and worship, but to ensure those are directed to God alone. And so, whether this angel is a man or a heavenly messenger, he is not to be worshiped.
Let us never set up an idol in our hearts through improper worship, and may we be proper examples to others of how to conduct ourselves before our God. God has given us the proper revelation in His word to teach us how this is to be accomplished. He has revealed Himself through the sending of His Messiah. Let us worship Him, then, through JESUS.
Help us, O God, to act rightly in our worship of You. Help us to never bow to another part of the creation and thus take from You what You alone rightfully deserve. You are glorious in all ways and surely You are worthy of all praise! Thank You for allowing us to come before You in worship and adoration. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 12, 2021 1:24:44 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:10
Saturday, September 11th, 2021
And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. Revelation 22:10
The previous verse contained the admonition for John to not worship at the feet of the angel. In his words, he said, “For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” Having said that, this verse now begins with, “And he said to me.”
Due to the flow of the dialog, one might think this is still the angel, but it is not. This is now “God” speaking. The angel just said, “Worship God.” He is the nearest antecedent –
Worship God.
And He [God] said to me.
This is surely the case because of what it says in verses 12 and 13, and then again in verse 16. Having said that, the idea being conveyed is that Jesus is God –
Worship God. (22:9)
And He [God] said to me. (22:10)
“And behold, I am coming quickly, andMy reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (22:12, 13)
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” (22:16)
With that understood, the words conveyed to John are, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book.” This is the opposite of what was said in Revelation 10:4 –
“Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”
There is no contradiction in this at all. If the words of the seven thunders are sealed up, it does not mean that what John is being told to not seal is somehow at odds with that. Rather, the note concerning the sealing up of the seven thunders is a part of the contents of the book which is not to be sealed. John is being told that what has been conveyed to him, including the fact that something that he heard was not to be revealed. Rather, he is to make everything openly known that he has been told to reveal.
With this stated, the reason for this is given in the words, “for the time is at hand.” Here, the word kairos is used. Rather than speaking of the time as it passes by (the Greek word chronos), this word speaks of a particular moment or a suitable time. The time for the contents of the book to occur is ready to unfold.
As the book is written to the seven churches, this is not an indication that all of the events of the book are to be completed soon, but that the time for the words to begin to be fulfilled is.
For example, the church at Smyrna was told, “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Such an event as is recorded there is “at hand.” So, why was John given this book of Revelation, detailing events even thousands of years later, and even off into eternity? The answer is to show this church, and all the other churches, that God has a plan and that it ends with the restoration of all things. The tribulation that these people will face, and of which some will even have to die from because of their faith, is not the end of the story. Instead, it is only a step on the way to the glory that has now been revealed to John.
The book is a book of hope, set forth for the people of God, and to give them confidence in the power of God in Christ to restore all things that were lost at the very beginning of man’s time on earth.
Life application: Something new entered into the events of the church age in 1948. That is the year Israel was reestablished in their land. What was hidden from the eyes of the church for so long is that there is still a plan and a purpose for them. We can see this clearly now, and it makes the immanency of Christ’s return even more palpable.
Scholars of prophecy and eschatology look with wonder at the events of the world today. With each new occurrence, the words of Old Testament prophecy, which seemed so confused that they had to be spiritualized to make any sense of them. In 1948, Israel returned as a nation. In 1967 Jerusalem was again taken by Israel. The land has and continues to be divided since then, such as Israel’s departure from Gaza.
Each of these events helps bring the way the Old Testament portrays many prophetic events into a focus never imagined before. Now seems to be the time in human history where the “words of the prophecy of this book” are really coming into complete clarity, meaning that the church age may be coming to a close soon. Wouldn’t it be great to be the generation that sees the coming of the Lord for us! Even so, come Lord JESUS.
Lord, it is exhilarating to wake up and turn on the news and see prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. What is written in the Bible, recorded so very long ago, is more up to date than the daily news. What an immensely wise and wonderful God You are! We look to You and Your glorious return with anticipation. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 13, 2021 1:24:35 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:11
Sunday, September 12th, 2021
He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11
John was just instructed to not seal up the words of the prophecy of the book. And the reason was given, “for the time is at hand.” Now, and with that understanding, this verse is given. The verbs are in the imperative mood. They speak of the future, as if in a prophecy. It is almost spoken forth in an ironic fashion.
Such words follow after the words of prophets, like Ezekiel and Zechariah, who cite the Lord in this manner, such as –
“Thus says the Lord God. ‘He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.’” Ezekiel 3:27
“Then I said, ‘I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.’” Zechariah 11:9
Thus, the words refer to a state of certainty that will exist at the time the previous verse spoke of (“the time is at hand”). There is a point where the decided state of all people will be realized. Thus, what is stated does not mean that someone in one of the categories cannot change his state now. It simply refers to the fact that the state exists, and some will find themselves in it. Understanding this, the words begin with, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still.”
The verb used here signifies doing wickedly. As such, it should read, “He who is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still.” There is a time when those who are unrighteous will be set in that state forever. For example, when an unrighteous person calls on Christ for forgiveness of sins, he will turn from his unrighteousness. However, another person who is unrighteous may die in that state. Such a person is who is referred to – “let him be unrighteous still.” In other words, it means “he will be unrighteous henceforth.” There is no possible change.
Next, it says, “he who is filthy, let him be filthy still.” The word is rhuparos. It is an adjective found only in James 2:2 and then here. It is derived from the noun rhupos found only in 1 Peter 3:21. That speaks of grease-filth, dirtiness, and squalor which Peter equates to the state of moral filthiness. The adjective thus signifies moral filth. Of this, John Gill states, “all mankind are originally, naturally, and universally filthy, or defiled with sin. Some are cleansed from it by the blood of Christ, others are not; and these will continue polluted, nor will the fire of hell fetch out the filthiness of their hearts and nature.”
The words next turn to the thought of “he who is righteous, let him be righteous still.” This is the state of that which is judicially approved by God. That can only come through the cleansing power of His Christ. Thus, one who stands justified before God in this state will remain in that state forever. The filth of sin has been forgiven, the state of righteousness has been imputed, and the person is forever purified to come before God.
Finally, the words state, “he who is holy, let him be holy still.” The first three categories were in the active voice – “be [unrighteous],” “be filthy,” and “be righteous.” This one is now in the passive voice, and thus it should rightly be rendered, “he who is holy, let him be made holy still.”
Man does not make himself holy, but rather he is imputed the holiness of Christ. For the person who has come to God through Him, his sanctification is made complete. He is made holy. This thought is reflected in such verses as –
“that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:16
&
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11
The states of man spoken of in this verse can be changed in a person’s life, but only while he lives. Hebrews makes it clear in the words, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). May those who read consider their state now, while they have a chance to do so. And then, may they respond according to the call of God in Christ.
Life application: Three types of people are mentioned in this verse. Two fall into a negative state, and they are headed toward destruction. The third has taken the right path. As noted, the imperative mood is put for the future; it is not a command but a warning. So, to paraphrase, look at the words in this light – “Let the wrongdoer be made unjust; let the filthy person be made vile; and let the righteous person be made holy.”
Those who are wrongdoers and who fail to see the error of their way will end in the judgment of the unjust. As such, their state will continue for eternity. There will be no change to their character forever and ever.
The first category, those who are unrighteous or unjust, is well explained by Paul’s words in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans –
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” Romans 1:18-23
Those who fail to come to Christ, will never be cleansed from their state but will continue on in their corruption for all eternity.
The second category speaks of those who are vile or filthy. Paul’s letter continues on describing their vulgarity –
“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” Romans 1:24-27
The logical progression is from unrighteousness to vulgarity and filth. It goes from an unconcerned mental state accompanied by corresponding actions to a belligerent mental state accompanied by such actions. The book of Proverbs shows us a classic example of such a person who has so suppressed the knowledge of God and of righteousness that her life has become vile and even antagonistic towards morality –
“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, ‘I have done no wickedness.’” Proverbs 30:20
The third category refers to those who are righteous; they will be made holy. However, these people are not righteous in and of themselves. They had to come to Christ from an unrighteous state. When they came to Christ, they did so by understanding their own unrighteousness and thus their need for a Savior. If they were unrighteous, then they needed Christ. When they came to Him, He bestowed His righteousness upon them.
Therefore, it was an imputed righteousness, not an inherent one. Those who have come to Him will be made holy. They are the ones suitable for entrance into the city which God has prepared for them. They are covered by Christ, and they will be glorified to be like Him. Let us thank God for His provision found in our Lord JESUS.
Oh God, we are thanking You today for Your righteousness which will lead to our glorification. We know that what we deserved was hell, but You have granted us heaven instead. Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 14, 2021 0:20:16 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:12
Monday, September 13th, 2021
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. Revelation 22:12
With the admonition and warning of the previous verse stated, Jesus again says, “And behold, I am coming quickly.” It is a repeat of the words of verse 22:7. As noted then, this does not necessarily signify “soon,” but rather when He comes, it will be suddenly. It is a note for those who hear to be prepared. With that understood, He next says, “and My reward is with me.”
This is noted as a prerogative of the Lord (YHVH) in the book of Isaiah when speaking of exactly this thought that is again being described now in Revelation, and yet it is Jesus who makes the statement –
“Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.” Isaiah 40:10
“Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.” Isaiah 62:11
This then is an absolute confirmation that the Lord of the Old Testament is revealed in Jesus of the New. The two are One and the same. The reward is that which He alone possesses for those just described in the previous verse. Depending on which category they fall into, there will be life or death. There will be the granting of heaven or the casting of the soul into hell. There will be honor and glory, or there will be shame, corruption, and contempt.
With Christ and His reward with him, He next says, “to give to every one according to his work.” The word “give” is insufficient. It signifies to give back or to return. Therefore, it should be translated as “render” or “repay.” Further, this is a quote from Job –
“For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.” Job 34:11
Again, these words, spoken by Elihu, refer to the Lord (YHVH). But Jesus claims them as a right He possesses. The reward of life is based on a “work,” but that work is simply a work of faith –
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” John 6:29
What God expects is that we believe in Christ. That is our work. Any “work” beyond that which is worthy of reward still must be a “work” of faith. Without faith in the Lord, in whatever we do, there can be no reward for it. But when a deed is done in faith, it is pleasing to God. Everything that man does must be done with Christ Jesus in mind. And when it is done in this way, it is worthy of God’s approval and His reward. It is Jesus who grants them to man on behalf of God.
Life application: Jesus has now stated for the fifth time that He is coming quickly. As seen, this is speaking not as much as a “when” but a “how.” When Christ returns, it will be suddenly and without warning. From the inception of the church age, there has been no time when He could not have come, and therefore His return is always imminent. As such, the church and the believers in the church are to live in constant expectation of His coming.
And in His coming, He will be the Dispenser of rewards. In whatever way our lives have been conducted, that is how we will be recompensed. But everything returned to us will be based on what we have already done. That is the purpose of repaying. We shall be rewarded according to the measure of our faith, and how it is directed to God through Christ.
As noted above, our works must, by necessity, be works of faith in order to be rewarded. Ensure today that what you do is for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. If it is, you will be rewarded by our great God who overlooks nothing. Let us be ready when we stand before JESUS.
Lord, though we fail You continually, You know our hearts and our love for You. Spur us on to great deeds of faith, and to works that will demonstrate this love. Thank You for every good blessing You have given us. Help us to pass those blessings on to others as well, noting that they came from You. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 15, 2021 0:10:53 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:13
Tuesday, September 14th, 2021
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Revelation 22:13
As a note, various manuscripts transpose the second and third clauses –
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (BSB)
These follow after Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 1:11 –
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” Revelation 1:8
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” Revelation 1:11
As noted, when evaluating those verses, they are speaking of Jesus Christ. That is clearly confirmed here where all three clauses are found in one verse. A detailed description is given of them in those commentaries, and a briefer one will be found in the life application section below.
In short, however, by bringing all three of these titles into one verse, it is a way of clearly and unambiguously communicating to us that Jesus Christ is the full explanation of the unseen God (Alpha and Omega). As such, He is the Word of God. He is also Yehovah Elohim of the Old Testament Scriptures (the First and the Last) as is clearly stated in Isaiah 46 (and elsewhere). And He is also the Initiator and the Concluder of all things (the Beginning and the End). As such, nothing occurs apart from Him.
The reason for repeating this at the end of the book of Revelation is the same as stating them at the beginning of it. It is a note that Jesus Christ is in control of the entire redemptive narrative. Indeed, He is in control of everything from the moment of creation and as long as creation exists. He fashioned the word; He will bring the world to a state of perfection once again. He formed man; He will bring man to a good end in His presence. Everything will be as it should be, and for those who simply trust Him, there will be a good end. The eternal state will be one of blessing, abundance, and joy in His presence.
Life application: In verse 8, John erringly fell at the feet of the angel in worship. To understand why this probably occurred, a review was made of the verses which preceded it. In this verse, Jesus makes absolute claims about Himself. Likewise, to understand why He has done so, we should review what has transpired since verse 8.
But to understand the “why” we need to grasp the “what.” What are these claims He is making? First, He is the “Alpha and the Omega.” This is a repetition of His claim in Revelation 1:8, 1:11, and 21:6. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last. There must be a beginning to an alphabet in order for there to be an alphabet. Every alphabet has an end as well.
In other words, there is a logical sequence to how we grasp concepts. Without such, there is chaos. Jesus is the One who establishes the order of all things, and He is the One who completes the order as well. Within Him then is the perfection of all order, and there is in Him all knowledge that can be derived from all things, just as an alphabet is the basis for a language by which things are described, cataloged, analyzed, etc. Thus, Jesus is the Word, the explanation of all things – why they exist, how they exist, and what their purpose is.
His second claim is that He is the Beginning and the End. This is a repetition of His claim from Revelation 1:8 and 21:6, and it is a build upon the thought of Isaiah 46:9, 10 –
“Remember the former things of old,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure.”
If there is a temporal existence, then there must have been a beginning to that existence because an infinite regress is impossible. For one to state, for example, that the universe always existed is illogical. If there were no beginning, then there could be no present. An infinite regress of time is possible mathematically, but not actually.
The “line of books” argument explains this. Consider each book as an interval of time. If you have an infinite series of black books and between each black book there is a red book, you have one infinite series of books. If you take out all the red books and put them in a pile, you haven’t decreased the number in the line by even one, and yet you have an infinitely large pile of red books which would fill all the space in the universe. Time really had a beginning, and you could not reach “now” if it didn’t. But here we are, right now.
Because there must have been a beginning, there must have been a “Beginner.” The universe could not create itself because it would have had to exist before it existed; a logical contradiction. Thus, there must be a Beginner who is outside of time; this is God – the eternal one. Paul reveals this to us in 2 Timothy 1:8, 9. This is something that was postulated by scholars and philosophers for eons, but it wasn’t proven until Einstein penned the General Theory of Relativity in the early 20th century –
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” 2 Timothy 1:8, 9
Jesus claims to be the one who began all things, including time. He is also the End. He is the One who will bring everything to its consummation. He has made a promise to those who call on Him that they will live eternally. An eternal existence implies that each moment of eternity is new and unexplored. Therefore, each moment is an end in itself. He is that End because He is the fulfillment of every desire of the soul that longs for eternity. Therefore, as each new moment occurs, it is a new beginning. It is an endless stream of existence where we will explore the infinite glory of who He is.
His third claim is that He is the First and the Last. This concept is given three times by God in Isaiah, such as in Isaiah 44:6 –
“Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
‘I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.’”
The claim is also stated in Revelation 1:11, 1:17, 2:8, and 2:19. In the Isaiah verse, God ties being the only God in with being the First and the Last. In other words, there is – and there can be – only one Creator. If there were more than one “God,” then each god would lack something the other god possessed. They then could not be God at all because the very nature of God is that He lacks nothing and is perfectly complete within Himself.
It is God, the One true God, that is the First and He is also the Last. Because He created time, He is outside of time. When we look back to the creation, He is there as the First, and when we look forward to the eternal state, He is there as the Last. He is “All in all.”
With this (albeit limited) understanding of Jesus’ claim, we can see why the claim is made based on the preceding verses. The first reason is the fact that John made the mistake of offering worship to (or simply before) a created being. In order to show why this was wrong, Jesus proclaims His nature. In this understanding, there is no excuse to ever offer worship to anything but God. And this is what the angel proclaimed in verse 9 – “Worship God.”
After this, John was told to not seal the words of the prophecy of the book. Why? It is because God has spoken, and they will come to pass. The people God has created must be ready. John was then given the explanation for this – “the time is at hand.” After this, he was told that each person will remain in the state they were in for eternity, and therefore it is the wise one who will ensure that he is ready for that eternal state. And finally, leading us to today’s verse is Jesus’ statement that He is coming quickly, that His reward is with Him, and that rewards will be meted out according to one’s work.
Because of all of these things, Jesus proclaims His nature and being. The logical progression of Revelation is astonishing and shows the wisdom of God and the care He has taken in proclaiming His beautiful word. We all stand at the threshold of eternity, and we all must be ready for the moment of Christ’s coming – either through our death, through rapture, or through His second advent. God has offered; now we must accept. Be ready and call out today for JESUS!
Oh God, how beautifully glorious You are. May we never stop pursuing the knowledge of You and of Your glory. Praises, honor, and majesty belong to You! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 16, 2021 0:24:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:14
Wednesday, September 15th, 2021
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14
Manuscripts vary in this verse. Both of them are in the present tense. Some say, “those doing His commandments,” and some say, “those washing their robes.” Doing, or keeping, the commandments is referred to in verses 12:17 and 14:12. The washing of robes is noted in verse 7:14.
Though the translations are greatly different in wording, they are similar in thought. Doing the commandments of Christ refers to doing those things that are necessary for salvation, meaning accepting the gospel. First and foremost, it is to trust Him alone for salvation.
Washing one’s robes carries the same general meaning. One is stained with sin, but in receiving Christ, he is purified. The symbolism is that of standing in a right relationship with God, purified from all sin, and therefore justified because of what Christ has done. The idea is also conveyed in Revelation 3:5 –
“He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
Either way, the idea is that of receiving the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is in this that the words state, “Blessed are those who do [doing] His commandments [or: are washing their robes].” This is the seventh and final time that such a blessing is stated in Revelation. All seven, listed together now, say –
——————————————-
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (Rev 1:3)
“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,” says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” (Rev 14:13)
“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Rev 16:15)
“Then he said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’” (Rev 19:9)
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” (Rev 20:6)
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Rev 21:7)
Blessed are those who do His commandments [or: wash their robes], that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. (Rev 22:14)
——————————————-
Of these who do as is now stated, it says, “that they may have the right to the tree of life.” John 3:16 simply states –
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
If this is true, and if it is the “tree of life” that allows man to live forever (as is seen in Genesis 3:22), then the tree of life is a picture of life in Christ. This is why the gospel is called a stumbling block. It is so simple that people trip right over it. As humans, we attempt to rely on ourselves when things get dire. And the most dire state we can be in is that of death leading to hell. It is against our nature to say, “I will trust another to save me.” But that is what the gospel is. It is a message that we are in sin, we cannot save ourselves, but Jesus can. We are to put aside our own works and simply believe. When we do this, we receive the right to the tree of life, “and may enter through the gates into the city.”
Access to New Jerusalem signifies access to the presence of God. It is the state that Adam had before the fall. It is a place where man can intimately fellowship with Him, and where we will be able to worship and serve Him in the most intimate way. This is promised again to any who will simply do as the word instructs. And that is to have faith in what God accomplished in the giving of His Son for us.
Life application: Wonderful restoration! This is a major theme of the Bible. Man fell. Because of his disobedience, certain rights and privileges were lost. Jesus came to restore those to His people. However, there is more than just a one-for-one restoration. Man has the knowledge of good and evil which he lacked when he was created. Further, man has an understanding of the depth of God’s love because of the biblical story.
Without the fall, we never would have understood the extent to which God was willing to go for His creatures. What a wonderful, glorious story we have in God’s entrance into humanity through the Person of Jesus. Today we see the restoration of two concepts that were lost in the fall. The first is, as was noted in Revelation 22:2, the tree of life. The second, which was looked at in detail in Revelation 21, was access to New Jerusalem through the gates of the city.
Here is the Genesis 3 account referred to above –
“Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24
Man gained the knowledge of good and evil, and lost access to Eden and to eternal life. Now, at the end of the Bible, man retains the knowledge he gained and receives the right to both eternal life and access to the city of God. It is “restoration plus.” As you may note in Genesis, an angel was placed at the east of the Garden of Eden which guarded the way to the tree of life.
It is noted in Revelation 21:12 that in the New Jerusalem there will be angels at each of the 12 gates. This signifies that access is still guarded, but that it is possible to enter. How and to whom is this possible? It is to those who receive Jesus, thus accepting God’s offer of peace and reconciliation. In the end, Jesus explains what is necessary to do what God expects and thus to have garments of white –
“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” John 6:29
When faith is placed in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God, a person moves from unrighteousness to righteousness; from being sin-stained to being sinless; from being at enmity with God to being adopted into God’s family. It is by faith alone that this occurs. And thus, we see the marvel of God’s plan for the people of the world. It is a plan of reconciliation and restoration accomplished solely by the grace of God. What a wonderful story of God’s love. Thank God for JESUS!
O Lord God! How could You look upon us, Your fallen creatures, and see anything worth restoring? But You have, and what You did came at the highest price of all – the cross of Jesus. As David asked so long ago – “Is this your usual way of dealing with man, O Sovereign Lord?” Apparently so, but it is beyond comprehension. Wondrous are Your ways, O God. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 16, 2021 21:48:46 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:15
Thursday, September 16th, 2021
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Revelation 22:15
In the previous verse, it referred to those who “have the right to the tree of life.” It further described them as those who “may enter through the gates into the city.” Now, the contrast is given, saying, “But outside are dogs.”
It should be noted that the first five categories are all preceded with the definite article in the Greek, and they should be translated that way to clearly define each category – “the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters.” Also, several of these categories have already been explained in Revelation 21:8. Rather than skipping over them, they will be re-explained here.
Concerning “the dogs,” they are unclean animals according to Levitical law, but this is not what is being referred to. Dogs are also used in typology in Scripture when being equated to the wicked (Psalm 22:16), ignorance (Isaiah 56:10), destroyers (Jeremiah 15:3), and so on. Thus, they are given as a general category of that which is violent and without reasoning. But that is not what is being referred to here. Also, dogs are those things that eat up the dead, such as when they took care of wicked Jezebel in 2 Kings 9. But this also isn’t what is being referred to here. Rather, the symbolism goes back to Deuteronomy 23:18 –
“There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. 18 You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the Lord your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.”
These words are not speaking of an actual dog. Rather, it follows on with the thought of the previous clause which refers to the wages of a harlot. The word “price” is joined to that of a dog, meaning the male prostitute, the “perverted one” of verse 17. Moses was using parallelism –
ritual harlot (qedeshah) / wages of a harlot
perverted one (qadesh) / price of a dog
The idea is then the doglike manner in which the perverted one presents himself. Thus, this is its own category of perversion. The man who presents himself as a dog for religious prostitution will remain outside the city. The irony of this is that such a person who supposedly practices this act for a religious rite will never come inside the place that is the ideal for all religious hope. The means of attempting to obtain heaven excludes such a person from what he had striven to attain.
Next are mentioned “the sorcerers.” HELPS Word Studies defines this as “properly, a sorcerer; used of people using drugs and ‘religious incantations’ to drug people into living by their illusions – like having magical (supernatural) powers to manipulate God into giving them more temporal possessions.”
Next are mentioned “the sexually immoral.” The word speaks of a male prostitute. However, in the New Testament, that is given as a type of any who engages in sexual immorality. Paul uses the term several times where it is translated as “fornicator,” “whoremonger,” and so on.
Next are “the murderers.” This refers to those who commit unjustified, intentional homicide. After them, are mentioned “the idolaters.” This speaks of a server or worshiper, either literally or figuratively, of idols. Being in a congregation where Christian images, such as crucifixes, statues of “saints,” and so on are served must be included in this. Without Christ’s atoning sacrifice to cover one’s sins, such actions merely heap up added guilt. They are no different than worshiping statues of Buddha. Such will be excluded from entry.
Finally, it says, “and whoever loves and practices a lie.” The verbs are present participles and should be rendered “and whoever is loving and practicing a lie.” It signifies those whose nature it is to do so. They have not come to Christ. As such, they are excluded from entry into New Jerusalem. The word “lie” is general in nature. It certainly includes liars, but it signifies false, deceitful, lying, and untruths, and even those practicing false religions.
Of those who fall into these various categories, it was said in verse 21:8 that they “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.” Now, the contrast is given, they shall have no access through the gates into New Jerusalem. They shall remain outside of God’s favor and separated forever from His presence.
Life application: Although another set of warnings is given before the close of the book, this is the last direct mention of particular sins which will exclude entry into the New Jerusalem. This doesn’t mean that those who practice such things will be outside the city walls walking around on earth. Rather, it means that they will be taking an eternal swim in the Lake of Fire which burns with brimstone.
May we all continually evaluate ourselves and flee from the sins which separate us from our loving Creator. God has placed this final list of sins at the closing of His word to remind us of the severity of sin and the consequences which arise from practicing them.
Even if we have come to Christ, been cleansed by Him, and are no longer imputed sin (2 Corinthians 5:19), we need to remember that our actions will be judged at the Bema Seat of Christ. Let us strive to be pleasing to the God who has saved us from our sins by sending His beloved Son, our Lord JESUS.
Lord Jesus, throughout Your word we have been reminded many, many times of the importance of holy and right living. And even at the end of Your word, on its last page, You give stern warnings. Surely, You are just when You judge and especially when You have been so explicit in Your warnings. Help us to never diminish the severity of sin. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Sept 17, 2021 20:17:36 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 22:16
Friday, September 17th, 2021
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16
Those who are allowed into, and those who are excluded from, New Jerusalem have been noted. With that thought now complete, come words from the Lord directly. It could be that these words are being transmitted through His messenger, or it could be that Jesus directly speaks. Either way, the words begin with, “I, Jesus have sent my angel to testify to you these things.”
That takes the reader right back to Revelation 1:1 –
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.”
The Lord has a message for His servants, and He has transmitted it through His angel to John. All three are a part of the transmission of the book. And this message, which is now the book of Revelation, is to be testified “in the churches.”
The Greek word, translated as “in” is epi. It is a word that generally means “on,” thus giving the idea of “that which fits.” As such, it is as if the message is alighting upon the churches. It is these seven churches that then represent all churches to follow throughout the church age. Each being a type, or pattern, of the various churches in various states before the Lord. As such, it is something the churches can wrap themselves in and feel blessed in. It is a beacon of hope for those throughout the church age who have no other place of hope.
John received the Revelation two thousand years ago. The utter stupidity of claiming that the message of Revelation is only for those of the tribulation period is made evident by the fact that churches for these past two thousand years have come to the book and found that hope they can hold on to in the most terrible of times.
There has been an unending stream of war, famine, pestilence, persecution, and martyrdom in the world since Revelation was penned, but through it all, churches – and those in the churches – have been able to wrap themselves in the contents of this book in order to know that there is a hope that transcends their present moments of affliction.
The church is given their notes of correction, and their promises of the glory ahead, in the first three chapters. From there, they are provided the assurances that there will be an end to the evil in the world during the tribulation period. During and after that, it is given the assurance that God is faithful even to His unfaithful people. God is upholding His word and will fulfill His prophecies spoken to Israel. In this display of faithfulness, the church is then given the absolute assurance that they too will receive the promises of glory set forth now by John.
Revelation has been, and it continues to be more so with each passing day, a book of hope in an often hopeless world. And yet, people tear it out of its proper context – for whatever perverse reason – and rob the church of the very hope the Lord has provided for them when the times of anguish, grief, or overwhelming sadness fill their souls.
To ensure that His words are to be accepted and clung to all the more, He next says, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David.” A human does not beget his father. Thus, this is a statement of the nature of Christ, being the God/Man. This was prophesied by Isaiah to Israel, but – importantly – Isaiah’s prophecy includes the Gentiles –
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,
And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.” Isaiah 11:1
“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,
Who shall stand as a banner to the people;
For the Gentiles shall seek Him,
And His resting place shall be glorious.” Isaiah 11:10
Again, the ludicrous nature of hyperdispensationalism is revealed in these words from Isaiah, and which Jesus refers to. Jesus is the Root of David, being the Lord God who fashioned Adam, and through whom David came. He is also the Offspring of David, the Messiah who came to receive all of the covenant promises given to him concerning an eternal kingdom – a kingdom that calls out to the Gentiles as well as to Israel. The next verse will reveal this more specifically with the word “whoever.” There are no limitations based on age, ethnicity, sex, tribe, or so on.
The thought is almost a mirror of what Paul states in the opening words of Romans –
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God 2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1:1-4
The message is to any who are simply willing to come, and it is a united message from all of the apostles in their letters. There is not one gospel to the Jew and one to the Gentile. The heresy of hyperdispensationalism becomes painfully evident when the word is taken as a whole, understanding that it has a unified intent for all of the people of the world.
With the assurance that this is so, the verse ends with, “the Bright and Morning Star.” It is a term similar to that of Revelation 2:28. The Greek of these two does show a difference though –
ton astera ton prōinon – the star the morning (2:28)
ho aster ho lampros ho prōinos – the star the bright the morning (22:16)
Christ is the Hope of mankind for an eternal future. Without Him, there will only be death, decay, and eternal darkness. But Christ is the One to come forth, leading the way to the everlasting Day that man has hoped for. In a world of darkness, He is our Beacon of hope. He offers that hope to us, to share in Himself, and to be a part of what He is doing to redeem fallen man. In placing our trust in Him, we will find the brightness of the eternal Day that He alone can usher us into.
Life application: We cannot skip over the book of Revelation without missing out on a part of the very word of the Lord who authored the entire canon of Scripture. We also must be extremely careful when handling this word. If we over-spiritualize its contents, we diminish the reality of what Jesus wants us to understand. However, there are also allegorical elements to the book which must be understood as such.
The only way to have the proper interpretive balance is to know the rest of the word which He has given to us through His prophets and apostles. Jesus is speaking to His church, just as He has all along. The church is to know and understand, based on the whole counsel of the Bible, that He has placed the church here in the Dispensation of Grace and that it will be removed to fulfill His plans for the nation of Israel.
After the tribulation period, the church will return with Him, and there will be a millennial reign of Christ on earth where the law will go forth from Zion. What the role will be for those who return with Christ during the millennium – if any – goes unstated. Eventually, there will be an eternal state with a literal city, the New Jerusalem, where God will dwell with man. All of these things have been spoken, and all of these things are to be understood from the book of Revelation. The church is to be the one to carry this message to the world until her job is complete.
God united with humanity in the womb of a virgin from the line of David, and thus He is the very point where the infinite meets with the finite. He is the Bridge back to God for mankind, and He is the Mediator between the two. And because this verse centers on the name of David, He is the greater King which David only prefigured. He is the ruler of the nations and the Almighty God whose throne and dynasty are eternal. He is Jesus.
Finally, Jesus states He is the Bright and Morning Star. Peter uses this term for Him in 1 Peter 1:19. Malachi 4:2 calls Him the “Sun of righteousness.” He is the one who revealed the Father’s glory to the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration. He is the One who in Revelation 1:16 has a countenance “like the sun shining in its strength.” He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being. He is JESUS.
O great God Almighty – How wonderful it is to know You intimately because of our Lord and Savior Jesus. What was far off and uncertain becomes close and intimate through Him. What was once a point of fear because of our sin has now become a point of freedom because of His shed blood. O God, thank You for our wonderful Lord. Thank You for Jesus. Amen.
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