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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 2, 2020 0:43:44 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:1, 1 October 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2020 Thursday, 1 October 2020 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Revelation 3:1 Chapter 3 begins with the address to the fifth church singled out by Jesus. He begins with, “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write.” As before, the “angel” is probably a designation for the leader of the church, not an angelic being. The church is in “Sardis.” In Greek, Sardis is a plural noun and is translated by the NET Bible as “Red Ones.” The etymology of the name is uncertain. Of Sardis, Charles Ellicott (1819-1905) writes – “The modern Sart—now a mere village of paltry huts—once the capital of the old Lydian monarchy, and associated with the names of Crœsus, Cyrus, and Alexander. It was the great entrepôt of dyed woollen fabrics, the sheep of “many-flocked” Phrygia supplying the raw material. The art of dyeing is said to have been invented here; and many-coloured carpets or mats found in the houses of the wealthy were manufactured here. The metal known as electrum, a kind of bronze, was the produce of Sardis; and in early times gold-dust was found in the sand of the Pactolus, the little stream which passed through the Agora of Sardis, and washed the walls of the Temple of Cybele. It is said that gold and silver coins were first, minted at Sardis, and that resident merchants first became a class there. An earthquake laid it waste in the reign of Tiberius; a pestilence followed, but the city seems to have recovered its prosperity before the date of this epistle. The worship of Cybele was the prevailing one; its rites, like those of Dionysos and Aphrodite, encouraged impurity.” To the church in this location, Jesus’ opening words are, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God.” Here the symbology is different than presented in Revelation 1. Of the seven Spirits, it said, “and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne” (1:4). The Greek word translated as “has” signifies to have, hold, or possess. Christ is the One to whom these seven Spirits of God are ascribed. They are before the throne, but they are possessed by Christ. That was explained in the words of Isaiah 11 cited in the 1:4 commentary – “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:1, 2 Upon the Son rests the “sevenfold Spirit” – The Spirit of the (1) Lord, meaning Yehovah; the Spirit of (2) wisdom and (3) understanding; the Spirit of (4) counsel and (5) might; the Spirit of (6) knowledge and of (7) the fear of the Lord. Thus, He “has” or “possesses” these seven Spirits of God. Further, Christ Jesus says to the church in Sardis, “and the seven stars.” In verse 1:16, it noted that the seven stars were in His right hand. Those seven stars were explicitly explained in verse 1:20 as being “the angels of the seven churches.” Being in His right hand, it then means that He has total control and authority over them. With this understood, He then says, “I know your works.” It is the same phrase repeated to each of the churches so far. He is letting each church know that He is fully aware of every deed they do. Nothing escapes His sight. With this said, He then explains what their most prominent works are with the words, “that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Because of these words, it becomes clear why He chose to say to this church that He has the seven Spirits of God. He has the Spirit of Yehovah and thus possesses all authority. He has the Spirit of wisdom and will rightly apply that authority toward this dead church. He has the Spirit of understanding concerning their situation, their needs, their destiny, and so on. He has the Spirit of counsel to redirect them, if they will but listen. He has the Spirit of might to execute punishment upon them. He has the Spirit of knowledge that knows the end from the beginning and can lead the church in the correct path, if they will but follow. And, He has the Spirit of the fear of the Lord – something they currently lack (as will be seen), and which is necessary for them to also possess in order to avoid the promised judgment upon them. The church at Sardis possessed all kinds of works. People saw the things they did and certainly passed on to others how industrious they were – “you have a name that you are alive.” However, all the works in the world, without faith to accompany them, are useless. James speaks about faith without works being dead, but the truth is that any work not done in faith is of no value to the Lord. Life application: As noted, the name Sardis means “Red Ones.” It is fitting of a church full of dead people. Isaiah saw the need for cleansing from a dead-red condition almost eight hundred years earlier – “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool’” (Isaiah 1:18). It isn’t our “works” that will cleanse us. In fact, the things we do often separate us further from God. This is because we are trusting in ourselves to earn eternal life and are thus setting ourselves up as idols. It is amazing how the very things we think will earn God’s favor only cause the division to widen. Jesus has done all that is necessary for us to be saved, and it is faith in Him alone that can justify us. The health of the church is evaluated, and then Jesus exercises His authority. In the case of Sardis, the checking had been done and the church was found deficient. They, as a group, receive no commendation – only rebuke. Coming up in a few verses is a great word of comfort for some individuals though. Lord, please look on our churches, and give us the desire to revitalize them in the areas where they are found spiritually dead. Help us to do works that are honoring of and for You. And Lord, help us to never trust in our deeds in order to obtain Your favor. Rather, let us do them only to bring You glory. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 2, 2020 23:32:15 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:2, 2 October 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020 Friday, 2 October 2020 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Revelation 3:2 The Lord just addressed the insufficiency of the church at Sardis. They have a name as if they are alive, but they are dead. Because of this, He says, “Be watchful.” The Greek is a present participle. It should say, “Be waking.” Having been called “dead,” He is telling them that they are as if in a deadened slumber. But they were rather to stay awake and attentive. A good word to signify the intent is to remain vigilant. They are to be constantly on guard. Further, He says, “and strengthen the things which remain.” Not only were they to guard against those things that can come in and infect a church, but they were to bolster those things within the church that were of right quality and worthy of commendation. In the case of Sardis, it is a veiled note of commendation, without over-complementing them. They had things that were still of value, but they needed to shore them up for the long-term health of the church. In this, the Lord doesn’t tell them what is to be strengthened, but in a couple of verses, He will provide a note that there are still people of proper faith and conduct in the church. In order to strengthen the things that remained, it would be good to consult those people and find out what they are doing right. Of those few things that remain, the Lord next says, “that are ready to die.” There is little left even in the good things they are doing. The embers of the fires are almost extinguished, but with a little breath brought upon them, they will begin to glow. In this, more of what is right and proper can be added, and the fire that had once been strong and active can, once again, be brought back to life. But for now, they were all but dead. As Jesus says, “for I have not found your works perfect before God.” The word translated as “perfect,” here, signifies being fulfilled or completed. Their works failed to meet the appropriate end for which they were intended. God is the standard of all things. His perfection demands our perfection. His completion of things demonstrates our need to bring things to completion. Whatever was not being accomplished at Sardis needed to be brought to a satisfactory end. If they were telling people about Jesus, they needed to then introduce the gospel – conveying the fact that their audience needed to believe in Jesus. If they were telling people that God is holy, they needed to then explain to the people that they too needed to be holy. Whatever the church at Sardis was doing, they failed to close up the loose theological ends. They produced no sufficiency of theology, and no soundness of faith. Life application: All hope is not lost for those at Sardis, but they had really let things slip. Jesus warns them to: Be watchful – they were relying on past deeds and not looking for new opportunities to move the church forward in a Christ-honoring way. They were also obviously not looking out for trouble that could infiltrate their worship, their doctrine, and their congregation. As the psalmist said so long ago – “I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.” Psalm 119:147, 148 The psalmist would rise early, petition God for help in his walk, put his trust in God’s word, and stay alert even in the night, always watchful for the enemy’s troubling attacks. Strengthen the things that remain – there isn’t much good left, but they can at least shore up the walls of the few things they were getting right. Churches that have let things slip will normally still be strong in one area or another simply because they feel their works will justify them. They won’t of course, but these works aren’t wrong in and of themselves. They just need to be redirected to the honoring of Jesus instead of some supposed self-justification. In his closing, Jesus notes that He hasn’t found their works perfect before God. This in no way indicates Jesus is less than God. As a member of the Godhead, He is subordinating Himself to it in this phrase. He is the second member of the Trinity and therefore He has a right to evaluate and make judgments on the works of His church and its members. Lord Jesus, thank You for watching over our congregations and correcting us when necessary. On our own we tend to stray and get misdirected. So please keep us on the right and proper path which will honor You and keep us from personal boasting. To Your glory! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 4, 2020 1:41:26 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:3, 3 October 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020 Saturday, 3 October 2020 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3 The Lord just said, “for I have not found your works perfect before God.” Now, He tells them of the proper path to correct this, beginning with, “Remember therefore.” Those at Sardis were to call to mind the past, and then to consider it in light of their current situation. This is especially important because humans are prone to forgetting many things. Israel forgot their fear of the Lord when they received the Ten Commandments in a terrifying display of sound and sensational effects. No sooner had Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the rest of the law than the people fashioned a false god. Along with this they had a big party to celebrate it. Peter, in 2 Peter 1, gives a list of things to do in order to not forget their own salvation. In verse 9 there, he says – “For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” 2 Peter 1:9 One can get so far from remembering the Lord, that he can forget he is actually saved. But... the Lord does not forget. This is seen in the next words from Christ to the church at Sardis. He says, “how you have received and heard.” The two verbs are in different tenses. The verb translated as “have received” is in the perfect tense, indicative mood. It is an accomplished fact, and it is certain. The word translated as “heard” is an aorist verb, again in the indicative mood. It signifies the act of hearing at the time it occurred, but they did – in fact – hear. As this is the case, Jesus next admonishes them to “hold fast and repent.” It sounds like Peter’s words of 2 Peter 1. They are to hold fast so that they will not forget. As a church, they had not followed the advice of the apostles to increase in their knowledge and so forth, and they had almost forgotten who they were as a church. In this, they are instructed to change their mind (repent) of their direction, turn from it, and head in the right direction. If they do not, Jesus says he will take direct action. This is seen in the words, “Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief.” This goes back to the words of the previous verse, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain.” He instructed them to do so, and now, in repeating that thought, he adds in His solemn warning. The words, “as a thief in the night,” are given as a direct and unambiguous note that their time is short to return to a right path. There will not be another admonishment, but rather there will be judgment. The term “thief in the night” is seen elsewhere, such as in 1 Thessalonians 5. It means at a completely unexpected time, and in a completely unexpected manner. When the thief comes at night, it could be at 9pm or 3am. And he could come in through the roof, or he could burrow in from underground. With darkness, these things are unknown. It must be noted the Jesus is addressing the church as a whole. This does not mean that He is coming as a thief to steal away their individual salvation, nor could that be inferred. In fact, the very opposite of that is seen in the very next verse. He is speaking of judgment upon the church for their failure to properly handle its affairs. With this understood, the Lord finishes the verse with, “and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.” The Lord exactingly explains what “as a thief in the night” means with these words. His judgment will not be preceded by any warning. He has given almost all of His word through His apostles. He is now giving His final words through the hand of John. When Revelation is complete, the word of God is complete. The age of such inspired prophecy will have come to an end. Understanding this, the letters to the seven churches are our guidance. There is a time coming when the church will be taken out at the rapture. When that occurs, the focus will be on the completion of the covenant promises to Israel. This will include all of the curses upon the world that are spoken of after these seven letters. When Christ comes for His church, it will be as that thief in the night. After that, it will be too late for taking the remedial action He now speaks of – “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10 Life application: Jesus asks those in Sardis to “remember.” The subject of remembering and forgetting, and the call to remember is mentioned many, many times in the Bible. In the 78th Psalm, we read this – They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, Psalm 78:42 Like Israel, who was redeemed from Egypt, the church in Sardis was redeemed from sin. But they both forgot that time and strayed from God. We likewise do the same and Jesus, through His seven letters, calls each of us to “remember.” We are to remember “how” we received and heard not just “what” we received and heard. When our individual churches were established, it was with great joy, anticipation of glorifying the Lord, and being steadfast in our pursuit of Him. Our hearts were directed to the things of God, and we had a passion for His name. Jesus asks us to revisit that moment, hold fast to it, and repent (or turn back to it). If we fail to do so, He “will come upon” us as a thief. It will be sudden, and it will be final. Those who aren’t ready at the rapture will be left behind to suffer through the tribulation period when the world will be plunged into complete disarray. Those who aren’t ready at their death will be separated from God eternally. And those who aren’t ready at the apostasy of a church won’t even know that they are being led down a road of error which will end in destruction. We need to be ever on guard and continuously “remember” our Lord and His mighty deeds which were done on our behalf. Lord God, as the psalmist said so long ago, “I remember Your name in the night, O Lord, And I keep Your law.” Help us to continuously ponder the great things You have done for us and to never forget Your love, grace, and mercy – all poured out on us at the cross. Thank You for Your patience and caring direction in our lives. Amen.g
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 4, 2020 20:21:27 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:4, 4 October 2020
WWW.WONDERFUL1.COM·SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020 Sunday, 4 October 2020 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. Revelation 3:4 As noted in the previous verse, the Lord has been addressing the entire church. Specifically, his words are to the “angel,” meaning the leader, of the church. He stands as representative of the whole. In the previous verse, He gave a dire warning that if they don’t repent, He will come upon them as a thief in the night. The whole church would fall under judgment. But now, he gives words of great encouragement to faithful believers who are stuck in an area that has only a bad church to attend, saying, “You have a few names even in Sardis.” The word “names” is given to represent individuals. There are some individuals who are in the church “who have not defiled their garments.” The meaning of this permeates Scripture. Garments stand as representative of the spiritual state of the person. Jude spoke on the same lines as the Lord does here – And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 1:23 Jude uses a different word, but the intent is the same. The book of Leviticus describes how to handle the effects of leprosy. One of the effects of this disease is that the garment itself could become a carrier, and therefore it was to be burned in order to prevent its infectious spread (Leviticus 13). Further, to touch any person, or any article touched by a person with a bodily discharge, would render the one touching him or it unclean (Leviticus 15, etc.). All of this was intended to convey spiritual concepts. Reading or watching the Superior Word sermons on those Leviticus verses will provide understanding on how this is so. Again, this idea is seen also in the book of Zechariah – “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel. 4 Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And to him He said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.’ 5 And I said, ‘Let them put a clean turban on his head.’ So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.” Zechariah 3:3-5 As is seen in that passage, the filthy garments are indicative of iniquity. The rich robes are then a state of being purified from that. Some individuals in Sardis had kept themselves pure and undefiled, even in the midst of this dead church. Jesus next says, “and they shall walk with Me in white.” The “white” here signifies complete purification because of the righteousness of Christ. These people stood justified because of their faith in Christ, they were not a part of the dead church, but were rather acceptable to Him. Their reward awaited them for the lives they lived. To complete the thought, Jesus next says, “for they are worthy.” Here, the state of these people is settled. There is no question concerning their salvation, nothing to pray about (Luke 21:36), and there is no hint that they could lose this. Rather, they were accepted, they were justified, and they will be glorified. For these worthy people at Sardis, there must have been the thought that they were all alone in the world. But such is not the case. Throughout the world, and even in crummy churches, the Lord has a group of people who do understand His word, they accept Him by faith, and they live their lives in anticipation of His coming. Life application: When people point fingers and accuse other churches of being wayward, they need to be careful to understand that even in bad churches there are good people. Jesus has had strong and disapproving words for the church at Sardis, and He certainly has strong and disapproving words for many churches and denominations in the world today. But Jesus searches the hearts and the minds of every person. In this, He seeks out those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He will find good people in bad churches and bad people in good churches. He will weed out the bad and gather the good unto Himself. Isaiah speaks of the state of the sinner before God, calling out for each to come to Him through Christ and be purified from their unrighteousness – “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the LORD, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.’” Isaiah 1:18 Lord God, may we trust in nothing less than the perfection of Jesus Christ and in His righteousness alone. In Him alone can we be cleansed, and so let us never put our hope in our own works. The things we do are already tainted with sin. How could that be pleasing to You? But by faith in what Jesus has done, we can stand before You pure and clean. Thank You for the perfect righteousness of Christ – granted by faith alone. Thank You for our Lord Jesus. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 6, 2020 1:25:51 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:5, 5 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comYesterday at 4:18 AM Monday, 5 October 2020 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. Revelation 3:5 Jesus now explicitly states what He inferred in the previous verse. There, He said, “and they shall walk with me in white.” He now says, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.” This is now the fifth promised blessing to those who overcome. Again, to understand what it means to “overcome,” and how that comes about, refer to the comments on verse 2:7 (and a fuller explanation in 2:26). In short, it is to accept the premise that Jesus is the Son of God and to receive Him as such by faith. Those who so overcome “shall be clothed in white garments.” It is a sign of absolute sinless purity, and thus, it is the imputed righteousness of Christ. In this verse, we see a hint of how Christ was portrayed in the gospels while on the Mount of Transfiguration – “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” Mark 9:2 Matthew says, “His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:2), and Luke says, “His robe became white and glistening” (Luke 9:29). As we will be like Him (1 John 3:2), it can be inferred that the white promised now in Revelation will be such as this. It will be so white that nothing we now know will compare to it. Next, Jesus says, “and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.” The Greek reads, “the Book of the Life.” This is a note of absolute assurance of eternal salvation. To overcome occurs through faith in Christ. When one overcomes, he has overcome. Jesus says that he who overcomes will not have his name blotted out of the Book of the Life. Such a person has passed from death to life. He is, at that time, given a guarantee of that fact, the sealing of the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 1:13, 14). Nothing will ever change this once it occurs, because it comes from God who does not make mistakes, who sees the end from the beginning, and who will neither be deceitful nor lie. As Albert Barnes says – “The expression ‘I will not blot out’ means, that the names would be found there on the great day of final account, and would be found there forever. It may be remarked, that as no one can have access to that book but he who keeps it, there is the most positive assurance that it will never be done, and the salvation of the redeemed will be, therefore, secure.” To ensure that this doctrine, that of eternal salvation or “once saved always saved,” is understood, Jesus continues with, “but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” This takes us back to the thoughts found in Matthew and Luke – “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32, 33 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.” Luke 12:8, 9 Jesus, speaking to Israel under the law, noted that the promises found in Him extended beyond the law to become general precepts in the time when He had fulfilled and set aside the law. He now confirms in Revelation that His words spoken then now carry the full force of what He had proclaimed. As Trench states – “We may observe of this epistle that in great part it is woven together of sayings which the Lord had already uttered in the days during which he pitched his tent among men; he is now setting his seal from heaven upon his words uttered on earth.” In confessing the names of those who have overcome, Jesus is saying that He is our Advocate (1 John 2:1) before the Father. His acknowledgment is that He took the penalty we deserved and He has granted us His righteousness. He has further granted us eternal life (John 5:26-28). In His acceptance, the Father likewise receives us as His adopted children. This confession before the angels of God means that they will stand down from executing the sentence upon those who would otherwise be cast into the Lake of Fire. Those who overcome are forever secure from further judgment concerning condemnation. Believers must go to the Bema Seat of Christ for a judgment of rewards and losses, but this will not be a judgment of salvation or condemnation. Life application: Later we will read this in Revelation 19:8 – “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” This is a less fortunate translation than versions that say, “righteousness of the saints.” What is being bestowed upon the saints is not a garment of white because of anything we have done. Rather it is bestowed upon us by faith in the work of Jesus Christ alone. It is His righteousness that is imputed to us. There is nothing we can do to either merit God’s favor or to add to the work of Jesus Christ. The white garment then is a gift to the person who has, by faith alone, called on Christ as Lord. The second honor is that He “will not blot out his name from the Book of Life.” This means that all people on earth are potentially in the Book of Life, but not all are actually there. This is the same as all people being potentially forgiven in Christ, but not all are actually forgiven. It is rather unfortunate that people, when speaking of forgiveness, say that others “must forgive everyone who offends them.” This is not the biblical standard. Offering forgiveness and actually granting it are two different things. God, through Jesus Christ, offers forgiveness to all, but not all are actually forgiven. To state otherwise is the heresy of universal salvation. To be saved, one must call on Jesus Christ and on Jesus Christ alone. There is no other way to the Father except through Jesus Christ. When a person does this, He promises that He will confess his name before His Father and before His angels. What an honor to those who believe! Jesus will openly acknowledge them to the Heavenly Host! Hallelujah and Amen! Lord God, give us the desire, the ability, and the wisdom to step out and proclaim the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of the world now, before the time comes when it will be no longer possible. Help us to make the best use of our time for Your name. We know there is a final destiny we all must face – either in heaven or in the Lake of Fire. It is certain that only through Christ will we be found worthy of being in Your presence. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 8, 2020 0:11:51 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:6, 6 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comOctober 6 at 4:03 AM · Tuesday, 6 October 2020 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ Revelation 3:6 As in the concluding words of the Lord to those in Thyatira (verse 2:29), these words here, and for the final two churches (Philadelphia and Laodicea), come at the very end of the epistle. However, this statement also preceded the note to those who overcome in the letter to the first three churches. Regardless of the location, the words beg the reader to stop and consider what has been said. In the case of the letter to Sardis, theirs was a dead church, little was left of value and the Lord encouraged them to strengthen those things. His call is for the church to remember and repent, or he will come upon them as a thief. The good news, at least for some, was that there were a few people left in the church who held fast to Christ. Of them, a note of the surety of their salvation was provided. He then noted to the whole church that any of them could join those few worthy souls by overcoming. This is the state of things in Sardis, and it is the state of many churches today. They are dead and their end is near if they don’t repent. But even in those bad churches, there may be people who truly love Christ Jesus. Life application: Although we all have ears, we all don’t always listen. Having a physical attribute is no guarantee that it will be used. If you have ever done something unusual for the first time, for example, water skiing, you will find that the muscles you don’t normally use will hurt the next day. If you’re not used to studying, when you attend a college class for the first time, your brain will feel overloaded. If you are not normally a public speaker and you are asked to give a presentation, you very well may have a sore throat the next day. All of this occurs because you are using a part of you that is not normally exercised. In the same way, when we don’t pay heed to spiritual things, we get dry, cold, and lethargic in our spiritual lives. Jesus asks us to wake up from this spiritual condition, open the spiritual ears of our souls, and “hear what the Spirit says.” How many times have you picked up the Bible, read a passage, and put the Bible back down without it changing you at all? The words went into your eyes, passed right around your brain, and disappeared into the ether. Unless we combine the reading experience with the mental and spiritual process of thinking through what is being said, we miss the most valuable part of our interaction with God, His word, and the influence of the Holy Spirit. When you read the Bible, take a moment to pray and ask God to open the eyes of your heart to a deeper understanding of what He is presenting. Hear what “the Spirit says to the churches.” The words are not only for the individual church being addressed, but for all people throughout the Church Age and in every denomination. Every heart should be open to what God is relating through the pages of the Holy Bible. Yes, Lord! Open our hearts and give us minds of wisdom to understand the spiritual applications that are being presented in the Bible. If this is truly Your word, and it surely is, then it has the power to change us, to mold us, and to direct us in wonderful ways that will bring glory to You. And therefore, may it be so. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 8, 2020 0:17:25 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:7, 7 October 2020
Wednesday, 7 October 2020
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: Revelation 3:7
Jesus now addresses the sixth of the seven churches, beginning with, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write...” As has been noted, the “angel” is certainly referring to the leader of the church. Of the church in Philadelphia, Vincent’s Word Studies states –
“Seventy-five miles southeast of Sardis. The second city in Lydia. The adjacent region was celebrated as a wine-growing district, and its coins bore the head of Bacchus and the figure of a Bacchante. The population included Jews, Jewish Christians, and converts from heathenism. It suffered from frequent earthquakes. Of all the seven churches it had the longest duration of prosperity as a Christian city. It still exists as a Turkish town under the name of Allah Shehr, City of God. The situation is picturesque, the town being built on four or five hills, and well supplied with trees, and the climate is healthful. One of the mosques is believed by the native Christians to have been the gathering-place of the church addressed in Revelation. ‘One solitary pillar of high antiquity has been often noticed as reminding beholders of the words in Revelation 3:12 : “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.”’”
Philadelphia means “Place of Brotherly Love,” and it was built by Attalus Philadelphus, the king of Pergamos. It is to the church that meets in this location that the Lord says, “These things says He who is holy.” Here, the word is hagios, signifying “set apart,” “holy,” and “sacred.” Three times, Christ Jesus is called the Holy One in Acts (Acts 2:27, 13:34, and 13:35). There it uses the word hosios. That signifies being holy by sanction. Christ is both holy by sanction and also set apart from sin and from that which is evil. This then corresponds to “the Holy One of Israel,” meaning the Lord of the Old Testament. Christ is the embodiment of this holiness.
Next, He says, “He who is true.” Here, the word is aléthinos – that which is made of truth. It signifies real, or genuine. It is prefixed by an article in the Greek – “The True.” Christ is the embodiment of truth. Of this word, Vincent’s Word Studies notes –
“Αληθινὸς is not merely, genuine as contrasted with the absolutely false, but as contrasted with that which is only subordinately or typically true. It expresses the perfect realization of an idea as contrasted with its partial realization. Thus, Moses gave bread, but the Father giveth the true bread (τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἀληθινόν). Israel was a vine of God's planting (Psalm 80:8), Christ is the true (ἡ ἀληθινὴ) vine (John 15:1). The word is so characteristic of John that, while found only once in the Synoptic Gospels, once in a Pauline Epistle, and four times in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it occurs nine times in the fourth Gospel, four times in John's First Epistle, and ten times in Revelation, and in every instance in these three latter books in its own distinctive signification.”
Next, the Lord says, “He who has the key of David.” This refers to the type given in Isaiah 22, Eliakim –
“Then it shall be in that day,
That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
21 I will clothe him with your robe
And strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
And to the house of Judah.
22 The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
23 I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place,
And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.” Isaiah 22:20-23
David is given in Scripture as typical of Christ, the ruling king. The house of David anticipates the kingdom of Christ. Eliakim was given promises that he would have authority over this office. Those things described of him by the Lord anticipated the greater fulfillment of them in the coming of Christ. What belonged to the throne and house of David would be managed by Eliakim during his temporary life. But those same things would be transferred to Christ for His eternal reign. Of this position, Jesus continues by saying, “He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”
It is quoted from Isaiah 22:22 (above). The final authority of all matters over the everlasting kingdom of Christ belongs solely to Him. Anything He determines cannot be undone by another. That authority can be delegated, but the ultimate decision resides in Christ. For example, Christ said the following after Peter declared Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God” –
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:17-19
It was Peter who then opened doors and shut doors concerning spiritual matters especially as is recorded in the first chapters of Acts. A similar example of this from Paul’s ministry is found in Acts as well –
“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:6-10
Paul also speaks of “a great and effective door” which was opened to him (1 Corinthians 16:9). In 2 Corinthians 2:12, he again mentions a door opened by the Lord for preaching the gospel. In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks the believers at Colossae to pray “that God would open to us a door for the word.” As Christ claims authority to open such a door, and as that prayer was to be made to God, it is another purposeful clue to the fact that Jesus is God.
Life application: The church of Philadelphia receives only commendation. It is a sound and faithful church. Because of this and because of their “little strength” that will be mentioned in the coming verse, the letter is addressed from:
“He who is holy” – The Holy One is a title ascribed to Yehovah in the Old Testament. Thus, Jesus is equated with God and is therefore capable of protecting and maintaining His church.
“He who is true” – Jesus is the embodiment of truth, and therefore His words are completely reliable, and the promises He will make to Philadelphia will come to pass.
“He who has the key of David” – Jesus is claiming that He is the ultimate fulfillment of the honors promised to the Messiah. He has all the authority of the kingship in His hand. Therefore, He is the One “who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” In other words, His decisions are final, and all authority belongs to Him. If He accepts a person or a church, nothing can separate them from Him. If He rejects them, then the decision is final and the matter is settled for all eternity for them.
In the ultimate sense, Jesus has complete and sole authority over the door to either life or death for all humanity. Amazingly, He leaves the choice up to us as to which we will walk through. When the decision is made, it is sealed with His blood for salvation or for condemnation.
We choose Jesus! Lord God, be with us in our walk, and be with the churches we attend in our worship and pursuit of You. Help us to make right decisions, and to stand firm even in times of trial or persecution. We know that all power belongs to You, and so we have nothing to fear. Thank You for Your presence being with Your people. Amen!
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 9, 2020 0:23:40 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:8, 8 October 2020
Thursday, 8 October 2020
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Revelation 3:8
Again, as with each church thus far, Jesus says to the church at Philadelphia, “I know your works.” He is fully aware of all that goes on in any given church and at all times. Nothing misses His attention as He walks among the lampstands. Of this church, He continues with, “See, I have set before you an open door.”
The Greek literally reads, “I have given before you a door opened.” What this means is debated. It could be as noted in the previous verse what Paul relayed several times concerning a favorable opening to conduct evangelism. It could be that He has opened heaven to the church as a whole, meaning they are all of the true faith in Christ; none are excluded. Another explanation is that the Lord has opened the meaning of Scripture to them. The first seems the most likely. It is what Paul mentioned several times, and it is a primary purpose of the church.
As salvation is an individual matter, it seems unlikely that the Lord would refer to the church having an open door to salvation, even if all are saved. And Scripture is opened to those who read it, contemplate it, pray about it, and so on. It could even be that the open door is simply a way of saying that they will prosper in any and all of these ways. The church has found the Lord’s favor, and He has opened His door of favor to them. Of this door, whatever the exact meaning is, Jesus says, “and no one can shut it.”
As He said in the previous verse, He is “He who opens and no one shuts.” Once the Lord has opened a door, for whatever reason, it will remain open as long as He determines it to be so. In the case of this open door, the Lord graciously opened it to them saying, “for you have a little strength.”
This could be taken as “a little strength,” or “little strength.” If the former, it means that they may have a source of strength, even though it is weak. In this, the Lord assists them to complete the strength they need. Or, it could be that they are lacking any real strength at all, and the Lord has opened this door to them in their affliction. Either way, the Lord perceives a state of lack. He is either filling it up, or completely assisting them in accomplishing the task by opening this door for them. He further notes that they “have kept My word.”
This is a point of obedience. Believers are saved by faith in Christ. But that salvation is to be worked out in obedience to the word. This is not a point of salvation, but one which shows a love for what is right, and it is a point upon which they will be rewarded. To keep the word of the Lord is consistently considered as pleasing to Him throughout Scripture. This church was faithful to what the Lord expects of His people.
To end the verse, Jesus adds in, “and have not denied My name.” This is one of the highest notes of faithfulness to the Lord. When persecution comes, people may shut up about their faith, hide the fact that they follow Christ, and even deny His name at times. This is a part of the human condition – as is evidenced in Peter’s denial of Him on the night before His crucifixion. For those who stand fast and are willing to acknowledge Him, even in such trying times, the Lord acknowledges it as that which is truly faithful.
The church at Philadelphia is commended by the Lord because what they have done is commendable. It is a note to all who wish to be pleasing to Him.
Life application: Jesus acknowledges that He is aware of the works of the church in Philadelphia. This, in turn, tells us that He is aware of the works of all churches – both good and bad. He is surveying the tasks and devotion of His people and is not simply a sideline quarterback.
Understanding this, let our actions be the epitome of faithfulness to Him. In this, He will certainly be pleased. Should we fail Him, He will remain faithful, because – as Paul says to Timothy –
“If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
Great and majestic are You, Lord God Almighty! When the world comes against us, You are there strengthening us and giving us the hope of eternal glory. We know that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from the love which You have lavished upon us through Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for Your sure and eternal promises! Hallelujah and Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 11, 2020 0:23:26 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:9, 9 October 2020 www.wonderful1.comFriday, 9 October 2020 Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9 In the previous verse, Jesus said, “See, I have set before you an open door.” As noted then, that more literally said, “I have given before you a door opened.” Now, using the same verb, He says, “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan.” In this, it more correctly says, “Indeed, I give out of the synagogue of Satan.” The idea is being picked up again from the previous verse. It is a way of saying, “I have given you an opened door, and I will give you those from the synagogue of Satan to acknowledge this fact.” The Jews claim they have access through the door, but it is – in fact – believers in Christ who do. The opened door is, as noted in the previous verse, probably speaking of access to evangelism. The Lord opens opportunities to spread the gospel, and the gospel is what leads people to salvation. It is the opposite of what the Jews who rejected Christ did – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15 Indeed, instead of bringing their converts to the Messiah and heaven, they led them in the opposite direction to the Adversary (Satan) and to hell (Gehenna). Of them, Jesus next states, “who say they are Jews and are not, but lie.” This is the same basic thought as Revelation 2:9 – “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” As noted at that time, this does not mean that they actively worship Satan, but that in having rejected Christ, the incarnate Lord (Yehovah), the Lord is not among them. Without Christ, they then – by default – belong to the devil. That is explicitly stated by Jesus in John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” This is why Jesus added on the words, “but lie.” They say they are Jews, but they are not. Rather, they lie. Their words follow the words of their father, the devil. It is what Paul then refers to in Romans 2 – “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:28, 29 Paul’s words are speaking only about people of Jewish descent, but who are either believers in Christ (and who are thus true Jews), or who are broken off from being true Jews. Jews may have the lineage, but those who do not come to Christ Jesus do not qualify for what that lineage was intended to bring about, meaning an internal circumcision of the heart. As noted in the commentary on 2:9, this does not mean that a Gentile becomes a Jew through faith in Christ. Gentiles remain Gentiles and are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. To ensure proper theology, the categories must be maintained. Of these non-converted Jews who are of the synagogue of Satan, Jesus next says, “indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet.” The word translated as “worship” signifies to kiss the ground when prostrating oneself before a superior, and thus to worship. If Jesus is speaking of these people worshiping Him before the feet of those at Philadelphia, then the word “worship” is correct. However, if He is saying that the prostration is directed to those at Philadelphia, then the word “worship” is incorrect. Only God is to receive worship (see Revelation 22:9). Either way, the words here are reflective of what it says in Isaiah – “Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” Isaiah 49:23 “Also the sons of those who afflicted you Shall come bowing to you, And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet; And they shall call you The City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14 The very promises made to the people of Israel are given to those in the church – both Jew and Gentile. Jesus’ words are inclusive of Jews who do not come to Jesus, but who instead persecute those in the church. Understanding this, Jesus finishes with, “and to know that I have loved you.” Again, the promises of the Lord’s faithful love to Israel are transferred to those in the church – both Jew and Gentile. Being a Jew through natural descent does not ensure that the individual will be loved by the Lord. Rather, only those who come to the Son will receive the favor stated here by Jesus. However, this does not exclude the Lord’s love for national Israel. This is the point of Paul’s words of Romans 9 through 11. Despite unbelieving Jews being cut off from the promises of God, the nation as a whole will never be cut off. Again, to ensure proper theology, the categories must be maintained. Life application: God is working through history and every promise of the Bible will be fulfilled. The words of the Old Testament, promising that the Gentiles will come bow before Israel (as cited in Isaiah above), will come to pass, but it will only happen after Israel, as a nation, has fallen down in worship of Jesus in the presence of the church. The time of the Tribulation is coming when the world will align itself against Israel. When all hope seems lost, there will be a conversion of heart and mind in the nation of Israel, and they will call on Jesus as Lord, acknowledging their previous rejection in remorseful repentance (Zechariah 12). When this happens, Jesus will return to the land and set up His millennial kingdom. None of this is fantasy, but rather it is the reality of what will surely occur. For the church now, we can know that Jesus has loved us and will continue to do so. We are secure in our faith in Jesus Christ. In the end, all will come and worship before Him. No person, even those who have rejected Him, will be exempt. The dividing line for all humanity now is faith in Christ. Some bow willingly now, some will bow later in remorse, but all will come to acknowledge the truth of God in Christ – “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 Lord, Your plan for the ages, and for the people of the world, is simply astonishing. You have bound all under disobedience that You may have mercy on all. By simply acknowledging You as Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised You from the dead, we are saved. What an amazing demonstration of Your wisdom and kindness! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 11, 2020 0:31:29 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:10.10 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comSaturday, 10 October 2020 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10 In verse 3:8, Jesus spoke of an open door set before those at Philadelphia. He then noted that they had kept His word and they did not deny His name. In verse 3:9, He then contrasted them to the “synagogue of Satan” – meaning the unbelieving Jews – stating that He loved His faithful believers. With those points in mind, the Lord now says, “Because you have kept My command to persevere.” The Greek more precisely reads, “the word of the endurance of Me.” This doesn’t mean the words He spoke concerning patience, “but the word of Christ which requires patience to keep it” (Vincent’s Word Studies). This was seen in verse 1:9 when speaking of “the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” The believers at Philadelphia were patient and did not deny His name, having endured through their various trials. Because of this, Jesus next makes a promise saying, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial.” The Greek word translated as “from” is ek. In its simplest form, it signifies “out of.” It is a word that suggests “from the interior outwards,” and thus “out from within.” Thus, there is the thought of both “out from” and “to.” When one is kept out from something, they are kept “to” something else. For example, in Matthew 2:15, it says, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” If one is called “out of” Egypt, it signifies that the calling is “to” somewhere else. Therefore, Jesus is saying that He will keep those of Philadelphia “out of the hour of trial.” The implication is that they will not experience (be kept from, but through) the hour of trial, but will be removed (out of/from) the hour of trial. This trial is next described as “which shall come upon the whole world.” If the trial is coming upon the whole world, and if these believers are to remain in the world, it doesn’t matter how safe they are kept, they will experience the trial to some extent. The entire world is a closed system. Jesus is clearly stating that they will not merely be kept “through” as Noah was on the ark, but “out of” as Enoch was. Noah may have been kept from the deluge, but he still indirectly experienced the effects of the deluge. Enoch was kept from the deluge, and he did not experience any of it. Understanding this, and as the church of Philadelphia is representative of faithful believers who have kept the Lord’s command to endure, the logical conclusion is that those believers who are alive and have endured right up until the coming hour of trial upon the whole world will be taken out of/from what will then come upon the whole world. How this will occur may be debated, but the fact that the Lord has promised it will occur means that it will be so. One can see the promise laid out – “have kept my word” (3:8) ... “I also will keep you from” (3:10). This then explains the next words which finish the verse, “to test those who dwell on the earth.” A testing of the entire inhabited world (oikoumenēs) will come upon those who dwell on the physical earth (gēs). One can make the logical assumption that if Christ is speaking to faithful believers who have kept His word to persevere, that the test is upon those who have not kept His word to persevere. As the Lord specifically inserted the thought concerning the “synagogue of Satan,” meaning Jews who are not true Jews, between 3:8 and 3:10, it refers to a time when they will be tested – along with the rest of the world – for a set purpose. That set purpose is revealed in Daniel 9 (and elsewhere) – “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.” Daniel 9:24 Sixty-nine of these seventy weeks have been fulfilled. One more week, or seven-year period, lies ahead. It is this period that is being referred to as “the hour of trial.” As a note concerning the word “hour,” the word can mean a literal “hour,” but it can also speak of a period of any given time. It is the same as in English when we may say of the day of a wedding, “Today is the hour of her joy.” It is this latter meaning that is being referred to here. To attempt to calculate the “hour” in relation to a twenty-four-hour day, and then to attempt to pinpoint either the rapture, the second coming, or some other particular marker based on this word is not a sound approach to biblical interpretation and it is without any basis in reality. Life application: Though the words of this verse are written to a single church of seven churches, the words are – like all of the other verses of these seven letters – directed to the church as a whole at any given time during the church age. Therefore, the “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” is certainly referring to the Tribulation period of the book of Revelation. To come to any other conclusion is to deny the entire premise of the book. It demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the timeline given in Daniel 9:24-27. A 490-year period was promised to the nation of Israel in those verses, and they are supported by dozens of other passages in the Old Testament which point to this period; they are directed at Israel. In this timeline, 483 years have come to pass, leaving 7 years to be fulfilled. These 7 years are the contents of the book of Revelation, beginning with verse 4:2 and continuing until Christ’s physical return in chapter 19. Jesus’ comments about the end times in the gospels, such as Matthew 24, are also speaking of this time and His words are directed to Israel, not the church. The church was still a “mystery” yet to be revealed when Jesus made these comments. They are, therefore, directed to Israel. However, the promise in this verse is made to the church (to whom the seven letters are addressed). Therefore, when Jesus promises He will “keep you from the hour of trial” He means the church. There are two views on what Jesus means. The first is that He will keep the church in, but carry it through, the tribulation period. The second is that He will take the church out of the world through the rapture. The second option is correct. Nothing else would make literal sense of the other passages in the New Testament which speak of the rapture. It also fills the Old Testament typology where Lot was taken out of Sodom before the destruction took place. It makes no sense to say that Israel would be kept in, but carried through, the tribulation and then to repeat the same promise to the church. The rapture will happen, and it will be before the tribulation period of the book of Revelation. Get your timeline straight, don’t mix dispensations, and have faith in the plain, clear, and obvious sense of passages which may seem incredible, but which are given to us to be taken in a literal sense. The rapture is the blessed hope of the Christian – and it will happen just as promised. To see pictures of the event known as the rapture from the Old Testament, this sermon from the Superior Word is well worth viewing - What a gloriously wonderful promise, Lord Jesus! That you would come for us in the twinkling of an eye and carry us home to be with You is the most precious thought we can carry with us each day. Thank You for Your sure word, Your solid promises, and the security of knowing that we shall live eternally with You in glory. Hallelujah and whooo hooo! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 11, 2020 23:37:20 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:1, 1 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comSunday, 11 October 2020 Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11 Jesus, as He has previously stated, poignantly remarks, “Behold, I am coming quickly.” As before, the word translated as “quickly” signifies “without delay.” That can mean “soon,” or it can mean “suddenly.” The Lord will come at the appropriate time, and when He comes, it will be sudden. Those who are not prepared for it will suffer the loss of what the visit anticipates. With that in mind, He next says, “Hold fast what you have.” This is referring to what was just said in verses 8 and 10. They have kept His word, they have not denied His name, and they have kept His command to persevere. They are to hold fast to such things and remain steadfast as a church. The reason for this is so “that no one may take your crown.” In verse 2:10, Jesus said, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Whether the reference in this verse is to the crown of life (see also James 1:12) or not remains unstated. Elsewhere, Paul speaks of a crown of righteousness, a crown of rejoicing, and an imperishable crown. Peter speaks of a crown of glory that does not fade away. Because the crown’s purpose here is undefined, it can be assumed that Jesus is speaking in a general way about an honor that is conveyed, and yet one which may be lost. How this would be lost is probably defined in Colossians 2:18, 19 – “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” In other words, this is not saying that the crown would transfer from one person to another. Rather, it means that the crown is stolen away from the one to whom it was anticipated would receive it. It is not a crown that is already possessed, but rather a crown which could be possessed if the person remained faithful. As Jesus’ words in this verse are in the second person singular, He is talking to the church as a whole. Thus, this is not speaking of individual loss of salvation. Rather, it is referring to a loss of what could be obtained by any given member of the church. This is certain based on the note of those who overcome presented in the next verse. Life application: The church in Philadelphia had “a little strength,” but they still held fast to the truth of the gospel and the message of Jesus Christ. In this verse, Jesus says, “I am coming quickly.” We as Christians are not to miss this fact. A haphazard attitude toward our faith will only result in sadness. When the Lord returns for the church, it will be in the “twinkling of an eye.” Whether you believe this or not, or whether you accept the premise of the rapture or not, it is what the Bible teaches. We all have our warning and none of us can say we just didn’t know, or we needed a little bit more time. The areas of the Bible we struggle with are no excuse for being lax in what we do understand. Therefore, Jesus asks us to “hold fast” to what we have. The areas that we are performing well in are areas we need to shore up for the long haul because we don’t know the day of the Lord’s return. If we do hold fast, we can be sure that no one will take our anticipated crown. Whatever is promised to all can be obtained by each. When it is obtained, it belongs to that person forever. However, for those who fail to receive it, that anticipated crown will be taken from him. Lord Jesus, of all the things we look forward to in our walk, nothing is more precious than knowing that You came to restore us to life and that You are coming again to grant that life. We love the thought of Your appearing and it is the joy that carries us through this world of trials and grief. We simply can’t wait to be in Your presence! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 13, 2020 0:57:09 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:12, 12 October 2020
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. Revelation 3:12
The Lord, still speaking to the church at Philadelphia, now relays the honors to be anticipated for the one who overcomes. As He says, “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.”
As previously noted, to “overcome” is to believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. When one is saved through belief in this good news, he has overcome. The Greek, as before, is a present participle – the overcoming. It is a continuous process until the end of the church age. Whoever overcomes is included in the promise. Such a person then will become a fixed and immovable part of the building that God is erecting.
This edifice is referred to by both Paul and Peter with various other terminology –
“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22
“Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4, 5
Such terminology is used of both Jew and Gentile, again demonstrating the lunacy of the doctrine of hyperdispensationalism which speaks of two gospels – one for the Jew and one for the Gentile. The promises to both are united in Christ.
Jesus’ promise here of being made a pillar speaks of permanency and that which is immovable. This is seen in both testaments. When the Lord spoke to Jeremiah, He said –
“For behold, I have made you this day
A fortified city and an iron pillar,
And bronze walls against the whole land—
Against the kings of Judah,
Against its princes,
Against its priests,
And against the people of the land.” Jeremiah 1:18
Paul speaks of the apostles as being “pillars” in Galatians 2. Pillars uphold and establish a temple through their strength and support. Next, the Lord says, “and he shall go out no more.” The Greek is emphatic, reading more precisely, “and out no not shall he go anymore.”
To the one who has overcome the Lord gives this promise that he has, in fact, overcome. In other words, the deal is done. This is a note, once again, of eternal salvation. In overcoming, he is made a pillar, and he is forever secure within the edifice God is erecting. Again, the act of overcoming for the individual is in this life. It is based on belief in Christ, and its effects are eternal. Of this, Jesus says, “I will write on him the name of My God.”
What this is referring to is debated. However, the “name of My God” is certainly the divine name of the Lord – YHVH. This was the inscription placed upon the one who was high priest in Israel as is recorded in Exodus –
“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:
HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.” Exodus 28:36-38
Having the name of God written upon someone signifies ownership, rule, authority, and so on. Adam was given the right to name the animals, signifying that he had authority over them. When the city of Rabah was about to be taken, Joab called for David to come and complete the battle –
“Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, ‘I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply. 28 Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.’ 29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it.” 2 Samuel 12:26-29
Those who overcome will be called after the name of Yehovah. They will be forever under his ownership and rule. Next, Jesus says, “and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem.” Just as Rabbah was to be named after David because David prevailed in the battle, so those who are the Lord’s will be named after the city of the Lord, being recognized as belonging to that city. This is reflected in the 87th Psalm –
“And of Zion it will be said,
‘This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.’
6 The LORD will record,
When He registers the peoples:
‘This one was born there.’ Selah” Psalm 87:5, 6
Those who overcome are born again of God. They are born into the city of God. And, they are named after that city and under His rule and authority. With this in mind, Jesus continues with, “which comes down out of heaven from My God.”
The same idea is expressed in Revelation 21:2 and 21:10. The idea is that New Jerusalem is of heavenly origin. Its source is from God, and thus it is holy, pure, and undefiled. Those who enter it are likewise holy, pure, and undefiled because of the work of Jesus Christ. The corruptible state in which we exist will be changed to that which is incorruptible. In this, there will be a reuniting of man with God in a state which cannot exist at this time.
To show a contrast between the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem, in the book of John, the Greek form of the name is used, Hierosoluma. However, in Revelation, the form transliterated from the Hebrew is used, Ierousalém. Thus, John is making a noticeable distinction between the two.
Finally, the Lord speaks out one more promise in this verse, saying, “And I will write on him My new name.” What this name is can only be speculated on. In Revelation 19, it says –
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.” Revelation 19:11, 12
The name “Jesus,” or Yeshua, means “Salvation.” That is derived from Yehoshua (Joshua), meaning Yah (short for Yehovah) Saves. This is what Christ came to do. He came to save His people. The new name will reflect something of the nature of Christ that will be understood by His people when it is inscribed upon them.
In this, there is a threefold naming of the one who overcomes: 1) The name of God, 2) the name of the New Jerusalem, and 3) the new name of the Lord. Thus, there is the total possession of the person by God – complete and full restoration of what was lost in the fall. There is granted eternal citizenship in the city of God. And, there is the connection to the eternal glory of Christ in a relationship that is not yet comprehended by the people of God.
Life application: The word for “temple” in this verse is the word naos. Elsewhere, it refers to the temple in Jerusalem, but specifically to the sanctuary itself. Jesus equates this temple with Himself in John 2:21. Then in Paul’s writings, he says that when we call on Jesus, we become such a temple. This is because the Holy Spirit resides in us. Paul then says that the members of the church are being built into a temple of the Lord. All of this shows the progression of what has been and what will be.
This verse is telling us of the great glory to come which will be bestowed on the believer. We will eternally be in the very presence of God, in the Most Holy Place. It will be a permanent state, but it is one already realized in God’s mind because of our acceptance of what Christ has done for us.
This is clearly reflected in the words of Paul –
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16, 17
What God has done for us in Christ is a done deal when we believe. Don’t let anyone rob your joy by saying you can lose your salvation. If this were true, your salvation would be up to you, not to the Lord. Think clearly, be reasonable, and have assurance that God saved you and continues to save you, despite your failings.
Lord, the honors which You have promised to Your faithful are grander and more glorious than we can imagine. We are undeserving of Your honor and only deserving of Your wrath, but You promise to crown us with eternal riches and glory. How can we but praise You! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 14, 2020 1:44:04 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:13, 13 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comTuesday, 13 October 2020 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:13 Again, as with the previous churches, the Lord calls out for those of the church (and thus all who will hear during the church age) to “hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” But in order to hear, they must have an ear, meaning an ear willing to listen. Like the fourth and fifth churches, this call comes at the very end of this letter to Philadelphia. Nothing negative was conveyed to those at Philadelphia, and great promises were given to them. This was highlighted in the words, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” Great spiritual blessings are promised to those who overcome as well, just like all of the churches. The Lord is perfectly fair in His dealings with all people - in how He metes out punishment and in how He hands out rewards. Life application: This is the sixth of seven times that the Lord repeats this advice – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Hearing, in these cases, implies more than just sound going into the ear and causing the little ear-bones to resonate. It implies understanding leading to faith and faith leading to obedience. Hearing without acting upon Jesus’ words would be no different than smelling a gas leak in the house and lighting up a burner on the stove anyway. When the stove is lit, you will find yourself making an unanticipated and forced exit through the kitchen window and out of the house. In the same way, there are people in the seven churches, and in all churches since, who have heard the words of the Bible that were given through the Spirit, but who will find themselves unexpectedly, and against their will, tossed into “outer darkness” where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The question for each of us as we read these verses is, “Have I read and thought through the admonition given to these churches?” Are you in a church that condones homosexuality, even from the pulpit? Are you in a church that is doing “good stuff” for people without giving Jesus the credit? Are you in a church that has idols that people service in one way or another? These things have been addressed in the first six letters and Jesus does not tolerate them. It is time to really evaluate where we stand and take to heart what the Spirit is saying. We have one more letter to go, and then we will be off of the subject of the state of the churches. When Jesus returns, if you haven’t taken to heart what has been relayed to you, then why should He return for you? He is coming, and when He does, may He find each of us ready for that unexpected and sudden moment. O God, turn our hearts to the voice of Your Spirit as it speaks to us through Your word. Help us to be attentive to what is said, and to be obedient to the words we have been given. May we faithfully act upon them. May You receive the glory You are due as we live our lives in Your presence each moment. To Your praise and honor we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 15, 2020 2:15:33 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:14, 14 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comWednesday, 14 October 2020 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: Revelation 3:14 We now come to the final letter addressed to the seven churches. As with all of the other letters, it is addressed “to the angel of the church.” This speaks of the leader of the church, not an angelic being. He is the leader (angel) “of the church of the Laodiceans.” The name Laodicea comes from two separate Greek words, laos which is a gathering of people, normally of the same stock and language, and dike (pronounced deekay) which is translated elsewhere in the New Testament as “judgment,” “vengeance,” and “punish.” It is associated with a judicial hearing or decision which especially contains a sentence of condemnation. What a fitting name for the words which will come from the Risen Lord. Of this location, Laodicea, Charles Ellicott gives us the following insights – (14) Laodicea.—Situated half way between Philadelphia and Colossae, and not far from Hierapolis. It received its name from Laodice, wife of Antiochus the second king of Syria, by whom it was rebuilt and beautified. It had borne in earlier times the names of Diospolis and afterwards Rhoas. It shared with Thyatira and Sardis in the dye trade; the woods grown in the neighbourhood were famous for their quality and the rich blackness of their colour. Prosperity in trade had so enriched the population that when their city suffered in the great earthquake (A.D. 60) they were able to carry on the work of rebuilding without applying, as many of the neighbouring towns were compelled to do, to the Imperial Treasury for aid. The language of St. Paul (Colossians 1:5-8) suggests that the churches of Colossae and the neighbourhood first received Christianity from the preaching of Epaphras, though it seems strange that so important a city, lying hard upon the great Roman road from Ephesus to the east, should have been passed over by St. Paul in his journeyings throughout Phrygia (see Acts 16:6; Acts 18:23); yet, on the other hand, Phrygia was a vague term, and the language of Colossians 2:1 is most generally understood to imply that the Apostle had never personally visited either Colossae or Laodicea. (... Colossians 2:1.) But it was a Church in which St. Paul took the deepest possible interest; the believers there were constantly in his mind. He knew their special temptations to the worship of inferior mediators, and to spiritual paralysis springing from wordly prosperity and intellectual pride. He had great heart-conflict for those of Laodicea (Colossians 3:1), and in proof of his earnest solicitude he addressed a letter to them (Colossians 4:16), in all probability the epistle we call the Epistle to the Ephesians. From the Epistle to the Colossians we may gather that when St. Paul wrote the Christians at Laodicea assembled for worship in the house of Nymphas (Colossians 4:15) probably under the presidency of Archippus (Revelation 3:17). It is to this church in Laodicea that John is instructed to “write.” Jesus’ words are spoken to John in his vision, and he is to then transmit the Lord’s words to the church, saying, “These things says the Amen.” This is a title only here ascribed to Jesus as a proper name. However, it is another confirmation that He is Yehovah incarnate. The phrase is taken from Isaiah 65:16 which twice says concerning Yehovah, b’elohe amen, or “in the God of Amen.” Of this, Vincent’s Word Studies rightly notes, “The term applied to the Lord signifies that He Himself is the fulfillment of all that God has spoken to the churches.” The term not only speaks of what Christ says, but of who He is. He is the embodiment of the truth, and, therefore, everything He speaks is the truth. In this, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown then reconfirms the deity of Christ by saying – “The saints used Amen at the end of prayer, or in assenting to the word of God; but none, save the Son of God, ever said, ‘Amen, I say unto you,’ for it is the language peculiar to God, who avers by Himself. The New Testament formula, ‘Amen. I say unto you,’ is equivalent to the Old Testament formula, ‘as I live, saith Jehovah.’” This title, the Amen, is given now to contrast the character of those in Laodicea where it will say, “that you are neither cold nor hot.” The Amen is firm, fixed, and unwavering. But to be neither hot nor cold is vacillating at best, and totally uncommitted in any important way at all. To bolster this marvelous title, the Amen, the Lord next says, “the Faithful and True Witness.” The term ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός, or “the Witness the Faithful,” is repeated from verse 1:5. To this is added καὶ ὁ ἀληθινός, or “and the True.” Being the Faithful Witness refers to Christ’s testimony, but especially his death. The word martus, or “witness,” is where our word “martyr” comes from. When standing before Pilate, Jesus said – “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37 John understood that Christ’s life, even to the point of death, was a witness to God’s plan of redemption that had been promised since the very fall of man. Christ Jesus faithfully accomplished His work. In doing so, and without sinning during the process, He became the firstborn from the dead as noted in verse 1:5. Along with this, the term “the True” isn’t referring to the speaking out of truth. Rather, it conveys the sense of true as a witness. Everything that embodies Christ as a witness is the absolute truth of God. Finally, in this verse, Jesus says He is “the Beginning of the creation of God.” The word is archē. It does not indicate being a part of creation, but rather He is the Beginner of the creation. He is not a caused part of creation, but rather the principality behind the creative effort. He is thus the Lord over creation. This is seen, for example, in John 1:1-3. In Colossians 1:15, He is called the prōtotokos, or “firstborn,” over all of creation. It is He who possesses life which is self-existent, meaning without dependency on anything else. Life application: Laodicea is mentioned last and it certainly fits the state of many churches in the world today, just as it has been true at other points in church history as well. As such, it is fitting that we should take the words from the Lord to heart and carefully contemplate what is being said. There are no words of commendation given in this letter. The church is wealthy, arrogant, and dead in its own self-satisfaction. As noted, “Amen” is a word spoken to indicate security, soundness, reliability, and complete assurance – all things which are lacking in this corrupt church. As the “Faithful and True Witness,” He testifies to His own nature, needing nothing to be added to it. In both testaments, the “testimony of two or three witnesses” establishes a matter. But Jesus testifies to Himself because He is the second member of the eternal Godhead; He is complete in and of Himself. His witness therefore testifies to His gospel upon which the faithful can peacefully rest. And His faithfulness means that He is true, and His word is true. They can be fully relied upon. As He the First Cause of the creation, He is the sovereign Ruler of it. He is the Lord, Yehovah, revealed in His fullness. He was, and is, and ever will be. He is unchanging and immutable. He is the initiator of all things and He is the One who will bring all things to their satisfactory completion. In the Risen Lord, we serve the eternal and glorious manifestation of God. He is Jesus. Oh Lord Jesus! The thought of You and Your greatness fills our souls with joy. We know that we can trust completely and wholeheartedly in You. You are ever faithful and ever true, and Your glory fills the earth as the waters cover the sea. Praises belong to You, now and forever! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 15, 2020 23:35:03 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:15, 15 October 2020
Thursday, 15 October 2020
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. Revelation 3:15
Here, the Lord is using an analogy of what would be completely understandable to the people in the church of Laodicea. From his commentary on the book of Revelation, Jack Kelly says the following –
“The church in Laodicea receives no commendation, only this criticism, rich in symbolic sarcasm. Laodicea got its water from nearby Heiropolis, a hot spring resort that still flourishes today, now called Pamukkale. The water came across the valley in an open aqueduct. Having begun its journey fresh from the hot springs, it was luke warm by the time it arrived. Too cool to be used for cleaning or bathing, and too warm to be refreshing, it was unfit for use until it could be either heated up or cooled down. The fire of the Spirit had gone from the Church in Laodicea leaving its members engaged in “form without substance” ritual. Not that they minded. They were happy as clams with their no commitment, no responsibility religion. So it is in much of the emergent church today. They look like a church and do some things that a church does, but you won’t detect the power of the Holy Spirit there and the gospel of our salvation is only obvious by its absence. Even though their congregations are often large and well financed, their spiritual condition is one of poverty.”
Understanding this typology, the Lord begins with, “I know your works.” He again repeats what He has stated to all six of the previous churches. Like an attentive administrator in a company, or like the observant general among his troops, so is Christ among His churches. He walks among the lampstands and observes all that occurs among His people. In the case of Laodicea, He says, “that you are neither cold nor hot.”
Like the lukewarm water that flowed into their city, they were not on fire for the Lord, nor were they completely dead to the things of religion as if living their lives like the somnambulant masses. Instead, they were in a state of tepidity, unable to find footing in what is right concerning the faith, or what is wrong in a complete rejection of the faith. Because of this, the Lord next says, “I could wish you were cold or hot.”
The words here, at first, seem contradictory to what one might expect. It is true that the Lord would want His people to be hot – on fire for Him and for the sharing of His gospel. But why would he wish they were cold? The answer is well explained by the scholar Alford –
“This as well as the opposite state of spiritual fervor, would be an intelligible and plainly-marked condition; at all events free from the danger of mixed motive and disregarded principle which belongs to the lukewarm state: inasmuch as a man in earnest, be he right or wrong, is ever a better man than one professing what he does not feel.”
In other words, the Lord looks to judgment upon those who reject Him outright as less burdensome than pronouncing judgment upon those who claim to know Him and yet have no heart for Him. It gives the sense of, “If only they realized the horrors which await them, even they who claim to know Me.” His remark then is not because the burden is greater upon Him, but because it is greater upon them. He could wish that it would not be so.
And the same is true with those who are, in fact, saved but who are only warm in their pursuit of Him. They (the saved but lukewarm) will stand before Him at the Bema Seat and expect great rewards because of their wealth and secure state in this life. And yet, they will find that they will receive nothing of honor or reward. It too will be burdensome upon them. Their hearts will surely say, “Oh! How I squandered my years that could have been spent reaching others for the cause of this glorious God before whom I now stand.”
The word translated as “hot” is zestos. One can see the etymological root of the word zest in it. When something is zesty, it is spicy and even hot – such as with chili peppers added into a meal. In the case of the word zestos, it signifies “boiling hot,” coming from the word zeó. It is an onomatopoetic expression where the sound of the word reflects what is happening. As water boils, it bubbles – zeó, zeó, zeó, or as we would say today, “bubble, bubble, bubble.” The Lord would wish this for them.
The word translated as “cold” is psuchros. It is found only in Matthew 10:42 and then three times here in Revelation 3. In the use of Matthew 10, it is referring to the giving of a cup of cold water to a child. This would be to refresh him. Thus, the analogy by Alford (above) could be incorrect, and the Lord could be saying that He wishes the people were refreshing to those around them. However, the word is ultimately derived from the verb psuchó, which is found only in Matthew 24:12. There, it speaks of the love of most growing cold. This may be the sense that is given by the Lord at this time. Being dogmatic on this, however, might not be the best case. Being cold, as in “refreshing,” may be what is intended. Either way, the Lord finds the lukewarm state of Laodicea intolerable.
Life application: As noted above, Jesus starts His condemnation with a metaphor that they would be completely aware of. Two other cities were nearby to Laodicea. The first was Hierapolis, a city with hot springs that would have been a tourist attraction. They would use the water for health spas and in other relaxing ways. The other city was Colossae (also known as Barclay) which was renowned for its pure cool water. Archaeological finds show that there was an aqueduct that carried the water from the hot mineral springs to Laodicea which was about 5 miles away. By the time this water got there, it would have been tepid. It also would have been hard water.
As you can see, the picture here is that just as the water they had was blah and unpalatable, so were the people in the congregation. Hot water has its usefulness and cold does too, but the tepid water was comparatively disgusting. This is exactly how Jesus saw the church in Laodicea – disgusting.
This is a lesson and a warning to all of us. Jesus wishes for us to be either hot or cold. Those who are on fire for Him will receive a great reward and those who are cold will receive their just condemnation. On the other hand, those who are regenerated by the Spirit, but who are unwilling to act like it, are a hindrance to the cause of Christ. Their lives in Christ are wasted and there will be no reward for works. What a waste of the victory Jesus wrought on their behalf!
Lord, we often get lukewarm about our Christian lives and we know this is displeasing to You. Please rekindle the spark in our souls and bring us back to the place we should be…burning with the fire of the Spirit and bringing great honor and glory to You. We pray this so that You will be praised among the people that we interact with. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 17, 2020 1:23:06 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:16, 16 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comFriday, 16 October 2020 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Revelation 3:16 The Lord just noted that the church at Laodicea was neither hot nor cold. With that in mind, He now says, “So then, because you are lukewarm.” This is the only use of the Greek word chliaros, or lukewarm, in the Bible. It is exactingly translated. It is that which is tepid or lukewarm. In this, it is used figuratively to speak of the state of this church. There is nothing either invigorating or refreshing about it; it is blah. With that noted, Jesus says, “and neither cold nor hot.” Various manuscripts reverse the order, saying “hot nor cold,” but either way the point is made. There is nothing about them that is worthy of honorable mention. Instead, the church is in a state of existence that is devoid of any true life. Jesus will explain what this means, but before He does, He gives a very stern warning, saying, “I will vomit you out of My mouth.” The translation is incorrect. It should say, “I am about to vomit you out of My mouth.” The word is melló, signifying something that is coming or about to happen. But more, the context shows that a chance for them to change and avert this happening (verse 3:19) is given. Thus, the violent action to be taken can yet be averted. In His statement, another word unique in Scripture is given, emeó, or vomit. It literally signifies vomiting, but it figuratively speaks of utter rejection and a desire for total separation because of extreme disgust. The comparable Hebrew word, qo, is found several times in the Old Testament, such as in Leviticus 18, where the Lord says of the inhabitants of Canaan, “For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants.” Of this wretched state of Laodicea, John Gill says – “I will spew thee out of my mouth; this shows how nauseous lukewarmness is to Christ, insomuch that on account of it he would not own and acknowledge her as his; but even cast her out, unchurch her, and have no more any such imperfect church state upon earth, as he afterwards never will, this is the last; nor is there any church state, or any remains of one in Laodicea; it is indeed quite uninhabited.” Life application: What is it that makes you sick enough to vomit? Sometimes a certain smell can affect us enough to make us throw up. Sometimes people will get sick when they see something happen – maybe a car accident or they come upon something dead. Certainly, tasting something revolting will cause us to retch. These are all associated with our natural senses and this is the description Jesus uses for comparison – something lukewarm. In our natural senses we have a strong distaste for what is lukewarm. But to Jesus, drawing from this comparison for our benefit, He tells us that a lukewarm state of spiritual life is what is revolting to Him. In order for something to be vomited out of one’s mouth, it must be in that mouth first. Jesus is telling the church at Laodicea that if they don’t change and return to a state of spiritual activity and vibrancy, He would no longer confess them as His people. Their status as “Christians” would be by name only, but they would have no affiliation with Christ in any meaningful sense. Therefore, to be spewed out of His mouth would mean that He would no longer even speak of them; they would be disavowed. Just look around at denominations and churches today which once held to the Bible as the rule and guide of the faith. If they have been replaced with a catechism, a book of order, a book of discipline, or any other general guideline, then they may no longer be a group on fire for the Lord. Instead, they are on fire for themselves, setting up channels of self-satisfaction and personal theology. Don’t just rely on the words of the local church you belong to, but go online and check the overall doctrine of the denomination you are in. You may be appalled at what you see. If you are, how much more is Jesus? Don’t get cut off from the prize because of your love for a church when it is a heart for the Lord that matters. Lord, we certainly enjoy the fellowship of the congregation we attend, but help us to love You far more. Open our eyes to know whether You are pleased with where we worship. Should we be working to restore it to a spiritually alive state, or is it too far gone? Should we be looking for another church home? May we honor You first and foremost by being in a church that pursues You through Your word. To Your glory we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 18, 2020 1:42:22 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:17, 17 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comSaturday, 17 October 2020 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— Revelation 3:17 The Greek is very forceful in this verse. A more literal rendering would be – “because thou sayest -- I am rich, and have grown rich, and have need of nothing, and hast not known that thou art the wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” YLT The word “you” (thou) is in the emphatic position. This highlights the arrogance of the attitude being professed – “Because YOU say.” With that in mind, Jesus begins with, “Because you say, ‘I am rich.’” It is debated whether the word “rich” is speaking of worldly wealth or spiritual riches. However, the debate is really unnecessary. The reason for this is found right in Scripture. The most “super spiritual” of the people in Israel were the Pharisees. This is made evident again and again in the gospels. But the gospel of Luke shows an important connection between their supposed spiritual wealth and their earthly state – “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.’” Luke 16:14, 15 And again, in all three synoptic gospels, this is recorded just after His discussion with a rich young ruler – And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” Luke 18:24-26 What can be inferred from these passages is the same thing that can be inferred from people’s attitude today in churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and etc., all over the world, and what was surely the case in Laodicea as well. It is that people generally assume that because they have great wealth, God favors them. It is a fallacious category mistake, but it is an easy one to make. In our minds, we equate temporal blessings with divine favor. Jesus clearly showed in both instances from the gospels that this is incorrect. He now reminds those at Laodicea that this is not so with His words here. Rather, they should pick up their copy of the gospels, read it, and take it to heart. And so, He continues with, “have become wealthy.” Here, the verb form of the adjective, translated as “rich,” that was just used is given. Keeping the word consistently translated gives a better sense (as seen in the YLT referenced above) – “I am rich, and have grown rich.” Thus, it seems to say, “I am rich (worldly wealth), and have grown rich (in divine favor).” Those of those at Laodicea have conflated the two in their minds, leading them to a very false sense of security. As James notes – “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.” James 5:1-6 James, writing to those who feel secure in their wealth, reveals the spiritually poor state that they are really in. Further, he shows them that even their earthly wealth can disappear in a moment. In this, they are left with nothing but sorrow and anticipated judgment. For those at Laodicea, they had not taken such lessons to heart. Instead, in their smugness they said that they “have need of nothing.” The emphatic nature of the words continues by saying more literally, “and of nothing need I have.” They were so filled up with their riches, or supposed riches, that they adamantly state they have no lack at all – Q: “What need do you have?” A: “Need? Of nothing am I in need. I have all I could ever need.” Their words reflect the attitude of the rich fool spoken of by Jesus – Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ 18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ Luke 12:16-20 Like this rich fool, Jesus tells those at Laodicea that they are in dire shape. They have trusted in the wrong thing, and they must consider their state carefully. And so, He adamantly continues by saying, “and do not know that you are wretched.” As seen above, the Greek has an article before “wretched.” They are “the wretched.” It is a way of emphasizing their state. Thus, it is not speaking of their consciousness of the state, but of the state itself. They don’t even realize that they are the wretched, but they are. While they are looking at their bank accounts, Jesus is looking at a spiritually impoverished group of people that are on the wide path to destruction. Next, He says, “miserable.” The Greek reads, “and miserable” to highlight the new category. The word is found only elsewhere in 1 Corinthians 15:19. It signifies “to be pitied.” While they were walking around showing off their fancy clothes, big carts with well-fed dual ox propulsion, and speaking of their latest vacation to the Mediterranean Sea, the angels of heaven were looking down on them in pity, knowing that what they thought was of value was temporary, of no value, and was actually leading them away from the true treasures of the paradise of God. Jesus next says they are “poor.” Again, the Greek reads, “and poor.” Here they trusted in their riches, and yet, Jesus shows that these things led them directly to a state of poverty. It was not divine favor that brought them worldly wealth, and so it was not divine favor that rested upon them because of their worldly wealth. What they thought led from one thing to another actually led in the opposite direction. Again, the Lord continues with, “blind.” And again, the Greek reads, “and blind.” Their eyes were so focused on the worldly that their spiritual eyes were covered over, even to blindness. Contrariwise, this is probably a part of why Paul said these words to the Ephesians – “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Ephesians 1:15-18 The “eyes of your understanding” speaks of spiritual matters. Paul prayed that those he ministered to would have them opened and enlightened. Laodicea needed this in a giant way. The things they looked to only further closed their minds to the truth of their state. Finally, Jesus says, “and naked.” The words take the reader alllllll the way back to the first account of man. In the Garden of Eden, our first parents disobeyed the word of the Lord and a realization came upon them – “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked.” Genesis 3:7 They stood naked and exposed before their Creator. Since that time, all humanity has been born into the same condition. But our minds have become dull to the state we are in. We no longer realize the shame of our sin. Until that occurs, we cannot call out for a covering – the only covering – that can hide it, meaning the imputed righteousness of Christ. This is a theme that goes throughout Scripture. The garments provided by the Lord are the only things that can protect us from the coming judgment upon our naked state. This is the condition of those at Laodicea, and the Lord poignantly warns them of this. Life application: What was the root cause of the lukewarm state of the church at Laodicea? There are two major views on it. One view is that the people of the church were wealthy and prosperous, in money and possessions, and felt secure in their lives of comfort. If this is the case, then they can be equated with a large portion of believers in the wealthier nations of the world today. “Look how God has favored us! We have a big church and nice cars, money in the bank, and not a care in the world. We ‘have need of nothing.’” The other view is that the church felt they were spiritually prosperous and had a command of the things of God. This church then would have felt much more “spiritual” than those around them and that they were somehow better than the other congregations. “Look at our religion! It is pure and undefiled, and we are not like the rest of the sinners around us. We have dotted every ‘t’ and crossed every ‘i,’ and no one can tell us the error of our ways.” Unfortunately, they missed the fact that “t’s” need to be crossed and “i’s” need to be dotted. They made the fundamental error of trusting in religion for the sake of religion. In this, they missed the point of true faith and worship. As noted above, there is a third option, and one that is more than likely. The people at Laodicea fit both views. They had worldly wealth and also a superior attitude in their religious dealings. You see, the two go hand-in-hand quite well. The poor generally have a heart for the things of God, but as societies or groups become prosperous in material possessions, they also tend to solidify their religious lives in a way that exalts the mode of worship over the object of worship – which should always be the Lord Jesus. How or where we worship is far less important than Who we worship. This doesn’t mean that chaos should rule in our meetings, but it does mean that formal gatherings with no heart for the Lord leave us wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. We stand shameful, hopeless, worthless, confused, and exposed before the eyes of the One who observes our hearts and attitudes. Lord Jesus, may our hearts not be stolen away from You by worthless material gain, nor by worship which is cold and lifeless. May we not cling to having showy presentations that then make our type of worship the very object of our worship. Rather, help us to use our hearts, breath, actions, and souls to glorify You alone. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 19, 2020 0:37:30 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:18, 18 October 2020 www.wonderful1.comSunday, 18 October 2020 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. Revelation 3:18 Jesus just said to those at Laodicea that they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Now, to correct those deficiencies, He says, “I counsel you.” This is the first of the ironic ideas that will issue forth from the Lord. The church was quoted by Jesus in the previous verse as having said that they were in “need of nothing.” Jesus shows them that they were, in fact, in great need of His counsel. Next, the Lord speaks more irony, saying, “to buy from Me.” One must question how someone who is poor could make a purchase, much less the things Jesus will lay out. But the thought takes the reader of the Bible back to the words of Isaiah – “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.” Isaiah 55:1 Some things can be bought “without money and without price,” meaning even someone who is “poor” could afford what is offered. But with what is such a purchase made? The Hebrew of Isaiah 55:1 is b’lo keseph u-b’lo mekhir – “in no silver and in no price.” The implication is that what is to be bought cannot be bought with money or a hire. Rather, it requires “everything that one has.” It takes the reader back to Matthew 13 – “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” 45 “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.” Matthew 13:44-46 There are some things that money cannot buy. Instead, they call for everything to be put forward. In this, Jesus is instructing those at Laodicea to put aside everything else and come to Him alone for salvation, not trusting in their own accomplishments, possessions, or goodness. He doesn’t want their stuff; He wants them. In this, they will buy “gold refined in the fire.” The verb is a perfect participle, it is “gold having been refined ‘out of’ the fire.” The sense is that the gold is right out of the fire, shining and pure. It is free of any dross and imperfection. Jesus is equating a right relationship with Him in this. The purity of spiritual wealth is contrasted with the false wealth possessed by those at Laodicea. What they have is tainted and impure. What He offers is of the most precious quality. And, He says this offer to them is so “that you may be rich.” They had claimed in the previous verse, “I am rich.” Jesus says it is otherwise. The cost of heaven is a coin of grace. Nothing else can pay the fee. But that grace must be received by faith, as Paul notes in Ephesians 2. They were trusting in self; Christ says, “Trust in Me.” He then tells them of something else they are to buy from Him saying, “and white garments.” It has been noted that Laodicea was famous for rich black wool that was processed there. If true, it would make an ironic contrast to what has already been spoken of by Jesus to those at Sardis – “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments.” Revelation 3:4, 5 The garments offered by the Lord signify purity without any defilement. In other words, sinless perfection. Those at Laodicea, like all people, were sinners. Without the imputed righteousness of Christ, which comes by grace through faith, they could not enter into heaven and the presence of God. Christ offers them these white garments (as He says) so “that you may be clothed.” The implication is that to Him, they were just like their first parents in the garden. He then says this explicitly with the words, “that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed.” Without the imputed righteousness of Christ, the sin of man is all that God sees. But being clothed in Christ, God only sees the sinless perfection of His Son. The symbolism is hinted at even just after the giving of the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel. Immediately after that, the Lord gave the instructions concerning the building of an earthen altar. There it said – “And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your nakedness may not be exposed on it.” Exodus 20:25, 26 The symbolism of hewing stones, and of walking up steps, is that of works. It is self-based righteousness. In this, the “nakedness,” meaning the sin of the offeror, would be exposed on the altar and the offering would be unacceptable. The sacrifice must be pure and undefiled, and no personal merit of the offeror could be included in the offering. Jesus next says to those at Laodicea, “and anoint your eyes with eye salve.” The word translated as “eye salve,” kollourion, is found only here. It comes from a root signifying “to cling together,” or “glue.” Thus, it was a mixture held together as a small cake that was then applied to the eyes. One of the things Laodicea was famous for was the production of eye salve made from Phrygian powder mixed with oil. That is being used as an example of how to cure the blind state they were in. As Jesus says, “that you may see.” The words are reflective of what occurred in John 9. There, Jesus made a mixture and applied it to the eyes of a blind man. In this, the man was healed. In verse 9:38, the man professed belief in Christ and worshipped Him. After this, the narrative says – And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” 40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41 Those at Laodicea thought they could see all things clearly, but they were blind to who Christ truly is. Only by faith in Christ can the spiritual eyes be opened and discern spiritual things. As Paul says in Ephesians 1:18, “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” Life application: From time to time we need advice, and so we seek out a person we can trust – whether we know them personally or not. If we need financial advice, we will find a sound advisor for our money – “Mr. Kane, I’m facing bankruptcy…help!” If we need marital advice, we may talk to a pastor – “Pastor Bachman, my husband isn’t caring enough. What do I do?” And if we have had psychological trauma, we may go to a world-renowned psychologist – “Dr. Collins, I’m struggling with the memory of my car accident from a year ago…I don’t know what to do.” In the case of all spiritual matters, the advice comes directly from the Author of our existence – Jesus. We don’t need to ask others for the answer to most spiritual matters because they are already given right in the pages of the Bible, including the cure for a spiritually lethargic or dead state. This verse in Revelation has been given to show those who are in that state how to correct it. If you have trusted in your own deeds, your own wealth, your own righteousness, or anything else that stems from you for your salvation, you have placed your trust in the wrong place. Be freed of this attitude, take yourself out of the equation and come to Christ without any such thing. Give Him of yourself by giving Him your faith in His offering of grace. In this, you will be found pleasing to God. Lord God, help us to take to heart the advice You have given us in Your word concerning how to be saved. It is not of ourselves, but solely through what You have done in the giving of Jesus. Help us to realize this, accept the offering by faith, and to be reconciled to You through the precious blood of Christ. And then, give us the opportunity and the desire to share this wonderful word of reconciliation with those we meet upon life’s path. To Your glory we pray. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 20, 2020 0:25:11 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:19, 19 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comMonday, 19 October 2020 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Revelation 3:19 As noted in the commentary of verse 3:14, there is no commendation given to the church at Laodicea. But it would be incorrect that the Lord has nothing positive to say to them, as evidenced with the words, “As many as I love.” This should actually be taken as a sharp note of censure for those who lump entire modern-day Laodicean-type churches into a cart and personally send them off to the manure pile. In fact, the word “I” is in the emphatic position, “I – as many as I might love...” It “calls attention to the fidelity of Christ’s love in comparison with the weak partiality seen in human love” (Vincent’s Word Studies). Jesus’ love of those in these churches is based on the fact that they are in churches that bear His name. At some point, they came to the sad state in which they now exist, most assuredly by taking their eyes off of the true intent of the church, which is to proclaim the gospel, praise God through Jesus Christ, and to hold fast to the word of truth that He has been given. Laodicea probably started out as a great church, but it got misdirected, smug, over-confident in what they possessed, and they eventually forgot what the purpose of the church was. Jesus’ words to them are to correct these defects and to get them back on track. His love for them is not in question. But His tolerance for their lack of love for Him, which has been replaced with a love for worldly ease, is called to the forefront with the words that He loves them, as proven by the words, “I rebuke and chasten.” This is exactly what He has been doing and continues to do. In this, the word rebuke, elegchó, is one of the purposes originally given for the coming of the Holy Spirit, translated as “convict” – “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” John 16:8 It is variously translated as convict, reprove, rebuke, convince, and so on. The Holy Spirit was given to do this. He does it as much through the word He has inspired as through any other means. It is one of the great purposes of the Bible. Those at Laodicea have forgotten even this, they had also forgotten any internal conviction of the Spirit, and they now require direct words from the Lord. But even those words are now included in Scripture – as a warning to all such churches that they also stand in jeopardy. With the completion of Scripture, new warnings are no longer necessary. We must be faithful to proclaim the word as our final source of such reproving. To dismiss the word will only lead to sorely unhappy results. The word translated as chasten, paideuó, speaks of the training of “a child under development with strict training.” It is the word used in Hebrews 12:6 which was brought forth from an Old Testament passage (Proverbs 3:12) – “For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:6 Because of the surety of Christ’s love for this church, and because He is taking the opportunity to both rebuke and chasten them, they are expected to take action. As He next says, “Therefore, be zealous and repent.” Here, Jesus uses the verb form of the adjective used in verse 3:16, translated as “hot.” Just as they were not “hot” and bubbling over for the Lord, He is asking them to redirect and bubble over with their desire to correct their deficiencies. The word here gives the sense of setting their heart on what is right and remaining focused and intent upon obtaining it. The word “repent,” as always, signifies a changing of the mind. It is to think differently about the direction one is taking and to correct that by taking the new direction. Their thoughts were, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing.” Their thoughts are now to be, “regardless of what state I am in this physical world, I need to rely solely on Jesus for my right-standing before God in all spiritual matters.” Life application: Jesus really slammed the Laodiceans for their lukewarm attitude, but He hasn’t departed the halls of the church yet. They still have their lampstand and He is still walking among them, if only they will repent. Because He loves them, His words are not simply to condemn. He is personally making the plea and there is nowhere left for them in His presence should they reject His words of kindness. Jesus’ words are as a Father to his child, correcting them for their good so that they will not end up in a bad place. Eventually, we will all stand before Him for either judgment leading to rewards or losses, or for judgment leading to condemnation. Let us strive to gain understanding before that day and let us take to heart His words of rebuke. The word translated as “be zealous” is written in the present tense. It is, therefore, a continuing action and something that is needed constantly. May each one of us evaluate ourselves closely and hold fast to the words of our Lord, Master, and Savior. Let us hold fast to Jesus. Glorious and wonderful Lord! Even in the midst of Your strongest words of correction, Your love for us is evident. Help us to never take this love for granted, but to hold fast to it as a precious jewel of truth. When our thoughts are wrong, may we repent and turn from them to You for our eternal joy! Thank You for Your patience with us. What a wonderful, glorious King You are! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 21, 2020 1:01:32 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:1, 1 October 2020 www.wonderful1.comTuesday, 20 October 2020 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 Jesus is speaking to the church at Laodicea. He has had no commendation for them, but He has indirectly told them that He loves them. And more, they are not at the point of total rejection. However, at some point that may come about if they fail to respond. With that in mind, He now says to them, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” The tense of the verbs is perfect (have stood) and present (am knocking) – “Behold, I have stood at the door and am knocking.” Christ is using metaphor to convey a truth. There is a door which obstructs His entry. Being a door, it can be opened; it is not a wall. The door, however, requires someone else to open it. This is the implication of the words “and knock.” The Lord has placed Himself at the door, and He has been making His appeal continuously (am knocking). This is clearly given to remind the reader of the words of the Song of Solomon – “I sleep, but my heart is awake; It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, ‘Open for me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one; For my head is covered with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.’” Song of Solomon 5:2 Just as the king (Solomon) is at the door of the one he loves, knocking for entry, so is Christ the King, knocking at the door of those He loves. The word translated as knock means to rap on a door to gain admittance. It is used by Jesus in Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” It is also seen twice in Acts 12 – “And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, ‘You are beside yourself!’ Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, ‘It is his angel.’ 16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, ‘Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.’ And he departed and went to another place.” Acts 12:13-17 Using this metaphor is purposeful. Elsewhere, Jesus said, “I am the door,” such as in John 10:9. The meaning of this is that He is the access point to heaven. The Greek word can mean either “gate” or “door,” and it corresponds to the Hebrew word translated as “gate” used, for example, in Genesis 28:17 – “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.’ 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’” This was when Jacob had his vision of a ladder ascending to heaven where the “angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Jesus then takes that account and ascribes it to Himself in John 1:52. Christ is the way to heaven, and He is the access point to heaven. And yet, in this verse in revelation, He is shown to be knocking on another door, petitioning the one inside to open it. In other words, man should be coming to Christ, who is the Door, and petitioning Him to allow access through Him into heaven, and yet Christ condescends to stand at the unbeliever’s door and petition him to allow Him in. With this symbolism understood, He next says, “If anyone hears My voice and opens the door.” This tells us that, like the account in Acts, the person on the inside is not only given a rap to alert them that someone is outside, but they have then been explicitly told who is outside. Further, this is speaking to an individual as opposed to the entire church. While the church may be lost, the person can still be saved. In other words, the Lord is using these metaphors to relay a truth. God wants fellowship with someone who has failed to come to Him. He initiates the action, alerting him that He is there, and He then identifies Himself so that there can be no doubt who He is. When the heart of the person is willing, he opens the door – meaning he allows the Lord in. The terminology is simple and explicit. Further, it shows the simplicity of the process. To open a door takes little effort. The action occurs and the fellowship is realized. Faith is the key. When a favorable response is made, and the door is opened, the Lord then says, “I will come in to him and dine with him.” The words here (as well as elsewhere) clearly demonstrate that the Calvinistic doctrine of “irresistible grace” is false. God does not regenerate people in order to believe, causing them to believe, which then saves them. That is not only an illogical doctrine, it is unbiblical. Rather, when the response is favorable and the door is opened, the Lord promises that He will dine with that person. The imagery here is that of close fellowship and intimacy. To dine with someone brings a state of closeness that is almost unmatched in human experience. To further bolster this, Jesus ends with, “and he with Me.” In other words, this is not like what happened with Abraham in Genesis 18 – “So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, ‘Quickly, make ready three measures of fine meal; knead it and make cakes.’ 7 And Abraham ran to the herd, took a tender and good calf, gave it to a young man, and he hastened to prepare it. 8 So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” Genesis 18:6-8 James 2:23 says – “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.” The Genesis account of Abraham watching the Lord eat came long after the words cited by James occurred. And yet, despite being called the friend of God, he did not participate in the meal with the Lord. However, because of Christ, not only does the Lord dine with a person, but the person also dines with the Lord. The gospels describe such a meal, where those who dine recline, even leaning on one another – “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” John 13:23 In this, there is the idea of intimacy and fellowship that the Lord is conveying. It is something only possible with the Lord through receiving Christ, allowing Him into one’s heart. This verse in Revelation speaks beautifully of the transmission of the gospel to a dead church. Who will respond? Although it is fashionable to belittle those who say, “Christ is knocking on the door of your heart,” this is the exact symbolism that is being conveyed. Christ initiated the process, He identifies Himself through the message, and if a response is made, He comes in. It is reflected in the words of Paul – “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:8-10 Of this verse in Revelation, Albert Barnes provides the following insights – -------------------------------------- (1) that the invitation of the gospel is made to all - “if any man hear my voice”; (2) that the movement toward reconciliation and friendship is originated by the Saviour - “behold, I stand at the door and knock”; (3) that there is a recognition of our own free agency in religion - “if any man will hear my voice, and open the door”; (4) the ease of the terms of salvation, represented by “hearing his voice,” and “opening the door”; and, (5) the blessedness of thus admitting him, arising from his friendship - “I will sup with him, and he with me.” What friend can man have who would confer so many benefits on him as the Lord Jesus Christ? Who is there that he should so gladly welcome to his bosom? -------------------------------------- Life application: After taking a strong and disapproving stand against the church at Laodicea because of their lukewarm attitude towards Him, He lovingly calls them back to Himself with a most precious offer. When we deal with those we know, the friendships develop in various ways. Some stay friendly but social, some become “go to the movies” friendly, some never really develop, and some make us rejoice when we draw near. But the friendships which become the most heartfelt and personal are the ones that involve a meal. “Come to my house for dinner” normally means a close and personal friendship has sprung up and the type of conversation is far different than that of other interpersonal relationships. Jesus says to the Laodiceans, “I have offered My life for you and you haven’t respected that offer, but I’m willing to completely change the relationship if you will only let Me.” And so, the Lord stands at the door and knocks. In other words, He isn’t going to force Himself on anyone, but will rather allow those, who are willing, to open the door of their own volition. And it only takes one person to open a door, not the entire congregation – churches are not saved; people are. That one person may be the inspiration to revive the entire group. If you are in a church that is in a poor spiritual condition, are you the one who will step forward and help revive the hearts of stone? Jesus is knocking and He is patiently waiting. When the door is open, He will flood each of those in the room who respond with His glory. This verse isn’t meant to be applicable solely to the group, although it could be if the whole group responds. Instead, His terminology is personal – “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Jesus is calling the individual and he who responds will have a meal with the King of kings. Someday, a heavenly supper is coming, and it will be a banquet like no other. For those who respond to the call of Christ, what is stated here will be realized in an actual way. Get yourself ready for the choicest dining experience you can imagine… a meal with Jesus! O God, to sit and dine with our Lord and Savior! It is more than we can imagine – nourishing ourselves with the Bread of Life and drinking wine from the Cup of Salvation. Even now, we have a foretaste of this glorious meal as we join together in the Lord’s Supper. What a joy to participate in this as we await that greater feast to come. And may it be soon! Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 21, 2020 22:56:24 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:21, 21 October 2020
www.wonderful1.com Wednesday, 21 October 2020 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. Revelation 3:21 Jesus now pronounces the final benefit for those who overcome. Again, to overcome simply means to be saved through the gospel of Jesus Christ. When one believes in the Son, he overcomes, and salvation is granted. That person is sealed with the Holy Spirit as a promise of future redemption. To get the full picture of what it means to overcome, please refer to the commentary on Revelation 2:7. Churches do not overcome. Rather, the people who comprise the church do. Concerning those who overcome, Jesus says to them, “I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.” Rather than “on,” the Greek reads “in my throne.” In this, there is a closeness to Christ that is expressed in this general way. Jesus’ words in John 17:20, 21 further reveal this closeness when He said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” To sit in the throne speaks of this unity that Jesus prayed to the Father for. In this, He is not speaking of a literal throne. God does not have parts; He is Spirit. He is speaking of the position of power and authority which He possesses. That power and authority is derived from God. Christ earned the right to that authority through the completion of His work (Matthew 28:18). Christ then shares that with those who overcome. This was spoken of by Paul in Romans – “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16, 17 Being “joint heirs with Christ” signifies exactly what Jesus is referring to now. This will be a heavenly rule that will last for all eternity. Again, Paul states this in Ephesians – “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, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-7 This is promised to all who believe in the Son. In this, they overcome and participate in what He has earned the right to. As He says, “as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Again, the word should be translated “in.” It says, “in His throne.” Christ sits in the throne of His Father, having accomplished the work He was sent to do. And in having done nothing to earn it, but through an act of grace from God, those who believe in the Son are granted the opportunity to participate in that glorious position for all eternity. Thank God for Jesus Christ. As a review of the promises to those who overcome, and as a snapshot of the redemptive process which began in the Garden of Eden, one can look at the promises made to the faithful and see the progression which leads us from Eden to Heaven – To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. 2: 7 (Genesis – The Garden. Access to eternal life is restored). He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. 2:11 (Genesis – The Garden. The possibility of death is removed.) To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it. 2:17 (Exodus – The wilderness. Christ is the true Manna which sustains God’s people for eternal life. With the new name, comes a new nature.) And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 2:27, 28 (Davidic Rule. Believers are granted rule in the eternal kingdom and are set as jewels in the diadem of Christ’s crown.) 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. 3:5 (Atonement/Justification – believers are imputed Christ’s sinless nature and Christ our Advocate speaks on our behalf.) He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name. 3:12 (The Temple – what the earthly temple pictured is realized in the promises of the New Jerusalem. Believers will share in Christ’s eternal nature.) To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 3:21 (Heavenly Rule – the Most Holy Place. Believers are granted joint-heir status in Christ’s position of power. Man lost his right to rule in the Garden; Christ restores this to humanity forever.) Life application: The only way to overcome the power of the devil, and the world, he controls is by faith that Jesus is the Son of God. If one denies this, then he remains under the control of the devil. He will never participate in the glories to come. However, for those who call on Jesus by faith, we have the wonderful promises of glory made in Him. In the earthly temple, there was no place to sit. The work of the priests was never done because sin continuously needed to be atoned for. But Hebrews 1:3 says that when Jesus had purged our sins, He “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” In other words, the work was finished and the “rest” which man was offered in Eden became available to all who trust in Him. Hebrews 4:3 says that “we who have believed do enter that rest.” Jesus Christ promises us so very much if we will simply have faith in Him and His works. The glorious promise of reigning and resting with Him is the crown of the honors we will receive. Isaiah 11:10 says that the place of His rest will be glorious. Zechariah then shows us that Christ is the fulfillment of both the priestly and kingly offices. He is a Priest on His throne. In this, “the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:13). Hallelujah and Amen, Christ has accomplished all that is necessary for our glorification. In accomplishing these things, He sat down! He is great, He is glorious, He is Jesus! Lord Jesus, just to see Your face is enough for us. We long for that day with a burning desire. But You have promised us so many glories in addition to this. We are overwhelmed by the great grace and mercy You have lavished upon us, Your unworthy servants. Praises be to You for all eternity. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 22, 2020 23:38:43 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 3:22, 22 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comThursday, 22 October 2020 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22 The Lord now provides His final words to those at Laodicea, and – indeed – to all the churches He has addressed in chapters 2 and 3. He again uses the same formula as with all the other churches, beginning with, “He who has an ear, let him hear.” One last time, He is calling to attention something of the highest importance. To “hear” means more than just sound entering into the ears. It calls for heeding what is conveyed. Both attention and obedience are to be applied to what is heard. Thus, He is calling out, “Heed what you have heard, be attentive to it, and be obedient in your attention.” But more, He again states, “what the Spirit says.” This isn’t just a call to remember what was heard in order to write it down. Rather, it is what the Spirit, who is the member of the Godhead who inspires Scripture, was speaking through Christ. There is One God displayed in three members of the Godhead. Each works in accord with the other to reveal God’s intentions, purposes, and word. In this case, it is what the Spirit says, “to the churches.” As noted in 2:7, these words could be taken in one of two ways: 1) everything said to all the churches, or 2) everything said to each church. In other words, the first option is that the Spirit is conveying one message to all the churches combined – every person in every church should heed everything that is said in all seven letters. Or, He is conveying a message to Ephesus, one to Thyatira, one to Sardis, and so on. Each church is to pay heed to what is said to it. The answer is that all people (He who hears) are to listen to everything that is said to all the churches. There are seven letters to individual churches, but the message to each church is to be heard by all people. The repetition to each church is to call to attention its own issues, but all people in all churches are to know what the status of all churches is. Thus, they can fully know what is pleasing, what is displeasing, and what the promises of overcoming are. In this, it is evident that the seven letters address specific problems within each church, but they are problems that can be expected to arise in any church at any time in all of history. Thus, the seven letters to these seven churches are, together, an all-inclusive list to be heeded by all bodies of believers throughout the church age. No specific church or denomination can be singled out as being represented by one of these seven churches. For example, it is popular to ascribe the failings of a particular church to the RCC and say, “This letter is speaking of Roman Catholicism.” This is an improper way of viewing these seven letters. The Roman Catholic Church has had (and continues to have) all kinds of error in its history. Such error within the RCC can be identified in the problems of any given church within these seven letters. It, and any other denomination or body, is to take heed to what is said to all seven of these churches and to ensure that the failings of that church (or the notes of commendation) are to be identified and responded to accordingly. This concept is stated articulately enough by the Pulpit Commentary – “The seven messages were not merely separate admonitions addressed only to each particular Church, but all the epistles were meant for all the seven Churches, and, after them, for the universal Church. Each Church had an especial failing brought more emphatically before it; but still the seven warnings are one whole, for the edification of all. As it behooves the individual Christian to avoid and repent of all sin, and yet to fix his attention on the cure of some besetting sin to which he is peculiarly liable, so these messages, though intended to be read by all, and heeded by all, place vividly before each Church its besetting sin, which more particularly requires attention. And as the sins to be avoided are to be avoided by all, so the separate rewards arc promised to all who overcome. They are, therefore, not really distinct rewards, but rather different phases and views of one great whole, which shall be enjoyed in its entirety by those who have struggled victoriously with the trials and temptations of the world.” Life application: If you have been carefully following the words of Jesus as given to us in these seven precious letters, and if you have taken to heart the messages He has given us, then you should be fully prepared to know when you or your church is diverting from His admonitions, and you should have an understanding of how to handle such a diversion. Jesus is not the cosmic pushover that people portray Him as. He is the Prince of Peace, but He is also the God who avenges His people, the Judge of sin, and the One who will someday return to weed out all wickedness and unrighteousness. Jesus is speaking this one last time to “He who has an ear,” and when we listen and take heed, we will receive all of the wondrous promises given to the one who overcomes. Thank You Lord Jesus for the wonderful promises You have given to those who have trusted in You alone for their salvation. Thank You for the wisdom You have given us in Your word which is meant to guide us, correct us, and lead us to You. And, Lord, give us the wise understanding to follow Your directions there all the days of our lives. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 24, 2020 0:09:00 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 4:1, 23 October 2020
Friday, 23 October 2020
After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Revelation 4:1
The fourth chapter of Revelation corresponds to the fourth letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet. The fourth letter, dalet, signifies a door. Here in verse 4:1, a door is mentioned. The marvelous structure of the corresponding letters/chapters is beautifully continued in this. Also, this verse marks the major dividing line given back in verse 1:19 –
“Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”
John begins this verse with, “After these things.” The words “these things” correspond to the “things which are,” meaning the church age. Its specific contents ended with the previous verse.
The “things which will take place after this” details the tribulation period, the millennial reign of Christ, and the new order of things when there are a new heavens and a new earth. The contents of those things begin immediately after this verse. Therefore, verse 4:1 is a transition verse between “the things which are” and “the things which will take place after this.”
Understanding this, John says, “I looked.” The Greek indicates, “I saw.” He is not redirecting his attention. Rather, a new part of the vision is coming into focus, as if watching a TV and a new scene begins. His attention is refocused on a new scene following the previous one of Christ walking among the churches and evaluating them. That has now faded into the past, but the book is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. His eyes are going from the work of Christ in the church age to the next phase of His work. Christ is still the focus. Understanding this, John says, “and behold, a door standing open in heaven.”
The symbolism is still Christ. The “door standing open in heaven” is Jesus. For this, we go back to Revelation 3:8 which says, “See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” Also, as He said in John 10 –
“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.’” John 10:7-9
It is the same door (gate – the words mean the same thing in both the Hebrew and the Greek) that is seen in Genesis 32 –
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
13 And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: “I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”
16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Genesis 32:12-17
Everything about Jacob’s vision pictured Christ (refer to the Superior Word sermon on this Genesis passage to understand this), including the gate (door). Christ is the opened door that John beholds. Jesus spoke of this scene in John 1:51, confirming it is so. Understanding this typology, John next says, “And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me.”
The word “was” is misleading, and it should not be inserted here. It should simply read, “And the first voice which I heard, like a trumpet, speaking with me.” It takes the reader back to Revelation 1:10. The voice is that of Christ Jesus. He now speaks again in this newly revealed vision, saying, “Come up here.”
The words are speaking to John, who is now in a transitional phase from the church age vision to a new vision. The next clause will show this. For now, the comparable passage of Scripture to understand what John is seeing is from 1 Thessalonians 4 –
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
For those who deny a literal rapture, what John is seeing now is, obviously, dismissed as such. However, the context is clear. John is being presented as the viewer of the redemptive panorama. As such, what he sees is what has occurred, is occurring, and will occur. As this verse transitions between two major scenes, what is occurring in this verse is what the Bible reveals for those who are to later participate in those same events.
Despite being downplayed, belittled, or dismissed by those who do not accept the premise of a pre-tribulation rapture (or any rapture at all), this is exactly what is being conveyed by the Lord to John (and thus to us). The church age is ended. The Door stands open in heaven, and John is instructed to “Come up here,” meaning to heaven. Along with that, the Lord says, “and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
John will next behold what comes after the church age, and after the rapture. The view goes from John on the earth viewing earthly things to John in heaven viewing both heavenly and earthly things. Of those earthly things, they are those that unfold particularly during the seven years of tribulation on earth.
It is a seven-year period granted to Israel in Daniel’s vision of the seventy weeks (meaning seventy periods of seven-years) found in Daniel 9:24-27. There are seven years remaining to be fulfilled. The next major section of Revelation will deal with those seven years where Israel is the focus of the narrative.
Life application: By faith in Christ, we are granted access into heaven. Belief in the gospel is rewarded with eternal salvation. When a person calls on Jesus, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14) and this is irrevocable.
Someday, the Lord will then call His church home and the world will face judgment for rejecting Him. Whether you believe in the rapture or not is irrelevant. It is what the Bible teaches. There is no other way to properly interpret these verses than in their literal sense.
If you are a saved believer in Jesus Christ and you have been taught that there is no such thing as the rapture, then the only difference between you and believers who do accept this doctrine is that you will be more surprised at Jesus’ coming.
Those who are waiting for this day are those who have the blessed assurance of God who doesn’t lie and doesn’t make things up to confuse His people. As Paul states so well in 2 Timothy 4:8 – “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Yes, Lord, we love the thought of Your appearing and of the day when the great call for us to rise to You at the rapture comes. It is our blessed hope, our most joyful thought, our heartfelt prayer, and the desire of our heart. To be with You! Oh, to see Your face and rejoice in the glory of Your presence for eternity is the most precious gift of all! We wait anxiously for that day. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 24, 2020 23:52:06 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 4:2, 24 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comSaturday, 24 October 2020 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. Revelation 4:2 The revelation now completes its transition from the earthly inspection of the churches to a heavenly scene. John was called up through the open door, and he is now seeing the things “which must take place after this” (4:1), meaning the church age. In order to see the unfolding of the redemptive narrative, John is taken to see a heavenly vision and the splendor and glory that is found there. Although different in content and location (heaven), it is not unlike visions of the prophets of old, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and so on. Much symbolism will be used, but in this symbolism, we are to find Jesus. As this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, it is He who is being unveiled. Keeping that in mind, the vision will make complete sense. To begin his description, John begins with, “Immediately I was in the Spirit.” The Greek more literally reads, “Immediately I became in the Spirit.” Although it doesn’t say that he was caught up into heaven, the implication is that it was so. If he saw an open door in heaven, and the voice says, “Come up here,” and now he is beholding heaven, the inference is obvious – he has been translated to heaven. This is not unlike what Paul says happened to him – “It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” 2 Corinthians 12:1-4 To understand the term “in the Spirit,” refer to verse 1:10. There is no article before “Spirit,” and so it may or may not be the Holy Spirit that is being referred to, although that is the general assumption. However, Paul says that he did not know whether he was in the body or not. John may be aware of the fact that he is not in his physical body, and thus “in the spirit,” meaning his own spirit without his physical body. Being dogmatic is unwise. Whatever his state, the vision that he beholds is to be the point of focus. What is important to understand, however, is that the church (as an independent body) – which has been the central focus of Jesus’ words for the past many verses – is not referred to again until Chapter 19. From an earthly perspective, it is Israel and judgment upon an unrepentant world that is referred to. Scenes from heaven or heavenly messengers will be interspersed throughout those coming chapters as well. Once John notes that he is “in the Spirit,” he next says, “and behold, a throne set in heaven.” A throne symbolizes kingly authority and power. As this throne is in heaven, it is referring to the place of all rule and authority. Understanding this, it says, “and One sat on the throne.” The vision is of Jesus – the incarnation of Yehovah. This is explained in verse 3:9 – “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Again, and as He Himself said in Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” This is confirmed elsewhere as well. In Acts, Peter cites the 110th Psalm and ascribes it to Jesus – “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:34-36 As God is Spirit and does not have parts, and thus He cannot be seen (1 John 4:12, and etc.), this is referring to the incarnate Lord, Jesus. To “sit at the right hand” of Yehovah means to sit in the position of power and authority. These, and other, examples from Scripture identify Jesus as the One being referred to. Each vision, or even differently described beings within a vision, will often reveal a different aspect of Jesus. This is the revelation, or unveiling, of Him. God is presenting Himself to us in a manner that we can understand. And that manner is through the Person of Jesus Christ. Life application: John says he was immediately translated to heaven. How quickly is “immediately”? Paul explains the rapture’s speed in 1 Corinthians – “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52 The human eye blinks in about 300 milliseconds and a person can blink almost 5 times in a single second. When the Lord calls His church home, it will be over before anyone knew it occurred. Concerning the rapture, the opened door will be unavailable to those left behind. Instead, all those who were not taken will enter the tribulation period. As soon as the church departs, it will be in the presence of God and beholding His throne. As noted above, the One sitting on the throne is Jesus. God doesn’t have parts and cannot be seen; He is Spirit. It is Jesus who forever reveals God the Father to us, and this will always be the case. Every physical manifestation of God that is presented is seen through the Person of Jesus Christ. This is important to understand because there will be many views of the heavenly throne room and many participants interacting with this throne – and each is God manifesting Himself through the Person of Jesus. Although this isn’t something we can fully grasp, He is the One we are seeing in each instance. There is a day ahead when the church will be called home. The question we need to evaluate personally is, “Am I ready for that day?” Be wise and call on Jesus now. For those who do, heaven awaits. Heavenly Father, we have friends and family who haven’t yet called on You. We pray that You will send hints and opportunities to them to open their eyes. We pray that Your love for them in the giving of Christ Jesus will be revealed to them before the trumpet sounds and the church is taken. Terrible times are ahead for those who fail to come to You through faith in Him, and we pray the right decision will be made by them before that time comes. Amen.
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Post by PrisonerOfHope on Oct 26, 2020 2:02:47 GMT -5
Daily Bible Verse, Revelation 4:3, 25 October 2020
www.wonderful1.comSunday, 25 October 2020 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Revelation 4:3 John now makes a detailed description of what he sees concerning the scene before him. As noted in the previous verse, he saw “a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.” This is what he continues to describe, beginning with, “And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance.” It is of note that he doesn’t attempt to describe the One on the throne, except in relation to these two stones. The sight of Him is so magnificent and gleaming that this is all John could relay. He must have been completely overwhelmed by the amazing sight. Of the two stones, Jasper is believed to be the same as the last stone mentioned in the breastplate of the high priest in Exodus 28:20. In the Hebrew there, the name is yashepheh. That comes from an unused root meaning “to polish.” It is believed to be jasper because of the same general sounding name – yashepheh/jasper. Likewise, it is the Greek word iaspis, again sounding similar to our modern “jasper.” It will be the first of the twelve stones named in the foundation of New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:19. It is also mentioned in the construction of the wall in verse 21:18. And, it is also mentioned as a comparison to the light of the glory of God in Revelation 21– “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:10, 11 Jasper stone varies in color, and the specific color is speculated on. However, the symbolism of Revelation 21 speaks out what John is trying to relay. There is the light of the glory of God emanating through the color, or from the color, that speaks of His infinite perfection, glory, and holiness. The sardius is generally accepted as corresponding to carnelian, and thus it is a red stone. It is also seen in Revelation 21:20. It is the sixth foundation stone of New Jerusalem. It can only be speculated as to what the significance is. Red could correspond to the scarlet robe of a king. It could also signify atonement, as in the blood that Christ shed. Or it could symbolize judgment, war, and so on (see Isaiah 63:1). The description simply provides us with a sense of glory and awe at the marvelous nature of the One on the throne. Next, John says, “and there was a rainbow around the throne.” The word “rainbow” comes from the Greek iris. It is seen only here and in verse 10:1. Charles Ellicott’s view on this is suitable. He says it is “the evident symbol of the divine mercy. The allusion to the bow in the cloud (Genesis 9:12-16) is obvious; the bow completely encircled the throne, as mercy encompassing judgment.” John continues to describe it, saying it was “in appearance like an emerald.” The emerald is also seen in verse 21:19, being the fourth stone of the foundation of New Jerusalem. 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 there 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. The color of the emerald may symbolize mercy. If so, the green rainbow encircling the throne could possibly signify the mercy that can only be found at the throne of grace. All believers who behold the blood-red appearance of the Lord will also know that it is through His redemption that we find mercy. If the rainbow is, in fact, circular, it would then signify unending mercy to those who have called on the Lord by faith. These are best guess evaluations and should not be stretched too far or argued too dogmatically. Life application: The comments for the previous verse included the thought that every manifestation of God that is given in the Bible is seen through the Person of Jesus Christ. Far too often, Bible commentators attribute this scene or others like it to God the Father. Such is not the case. To understand who this is speaking of, we need to refer to 1 Timothy 6:14-16 – “…that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” As God the Father reveals Himself to us, He does it through His Son, Jesus Christ – the “blessed and only Potentate” and the “King of kings and Lord of lords.” The heavenly throne room we are viewing is the glorious position of Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of God the Father. This is not a physical position, but rather a position reflecting authority. As no man can see God, and as John is seeing One on the throne, then John is seeing a vision of the One who reveals the unseen God to us – the God/Man, Jesus Christ. The vision is apocalyptic in nature, but it is given to describe Jesus. What a glorious thing we hope for some wonderful day, to see the One who has brought us back to You, O God. We long to see Jesus in all of His glory and splendor as He reveals You to us for all eternity. How wonderful it will be to walk in the light of Your glory and to behold His splendid majesty for all eternity. What a wonderful hope the believer in You has. Hallelujah… our hearts rejoice in what lies ahead! Amen.
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