Salt & Light Blog

Revelation 14:14-20 The Harvest

12/31/2015

Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8

Revelation 14:14-20
The harvest is the climax of the Revelation given to John. It is what every seal lead to and what every trumpet warned of. It is what the Gospel has proclaimed since God first gave the message to His prophets. Verses 14-16 read,
“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.”
What is the harvest? A harvest is a mature crop or fruit ready to be gathered. Jesus compares the people of the earth to the harvest in Matthew 9:35-38,
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The people of the harvest must hear the Gospel and make a choice. They need those of us who have chosen Jesus Christ to be the laborers who will tell them the truth and give them the choice (Matthew 24:13-14). When everyone on the earth has had the chance to make that choice the crop will be ready for harvesting. Some people will be wheat, some will be chaff. In Matthew 3:10-12 John the Baptist prophesies about the harvest of Revelation.
“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Chaff is the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain, it is a word used to describe something worthless. Your life either produces valuable fruit in the image of Christ which leads people to Christ or its testimony is empty and worthless and will not bring anyone to Christ. The seed becomes more wheat with more seeds, the chaff blows away in the wind or is thrown into the fire. When the earth is harvested the wheat will have one destiny and the chaff another. Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds.
“He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Jesus sowed good seed, but the enemy sows weeds in an attempt to destroy the harvest. Jesus explains it in Matthew 13:36-43.
“Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
The harvest begins with Jesus gathering the believers to Him. But before Jesus throws the weeds and chaff into the unquenchable fire, He harvests the grapes of his wrath. Verses 17-20 read,
“Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” 19 So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse's bridle, for 1,600 stadia”
Jesus paid for our sin with His blood. We commemorate that and worship Him by drinking of the wine as a symbol of Jesus’ blood at the Lord’s Supper. But not everyone has chosen to let Jesus blood pay for their sin. Their blood must still be spilled for their sins. The grape harvest therefore is the procurement of their debt before they are thrown into the fire.
Jesus is taking back His city and He does not soil it with the blood of the lost. The blood is so great that it creates a river of blood and this is not little stream, it is a full on raging river of blood. It is about five feet tall and a little less than 185 miles long. That is a lot of blood. That is not just enough for blood for all the lost on earth, but for every person who ever lived without faith in Jesus. It is not only those living who will have to pay the price, it is everyone, ever.
You have either let Jesus pay the price for your sins, or you will pay the price. You are either good seed maturing into wheat, multiplying the crop or you are empty chaff, trash to be burned. You are either wheat ready to be gathered to the barn or weeds ready to be burned in the fire. Which are you? If you are wheat, are you bearing fruit in keeping with your repentance? Are you laboring for the harvest?

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Revelation 14:6-13 Three Angels Proclaim the Eternal Truth

12/30/2015

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“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Revelation 14:6-13 Three Angels Proclaim the Eternal Truth
Today we continue chapter 14, yesterday we read about the Lamb on Mount Zion with the 144,000. The chapter continues with angels who have messages that must be heard. Today we will hear the messages the whole earth has waited so expectantly to hear.
Verses 6-7 read,
“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
The message of the angel is an announcement that the hour of God’s judgement has arrived, the time is here, the time is now. Yet look at the description of what the angel says. His message is an eternal gospel to proclaim. How can a message that says the hour has come be an eternal gospel?
This has been God’s message from the beginning. We fell away from Him and brought death, the price for sin into the world (Romans 3:23). The price had to be paid. But God waited for all who would come to come to Him and let Him pay the price for us (2 Peter 2:9). Whether people chose to let Jesus, the Lamb of God be the payment or reject Him and pay with their own blood, the time for payment would have to come. This message is worded so that not only will we understand the import of telling people the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but so that we will be reminded that it is our commandment and directive from Jesus Christ to do so. Matthew 28:18-20 records Jesus charge to us.
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In fact, we are an important part of God’s plan. He wants everyone to come. He doesn’t want anyone to die without the chance to know Him. That is why He commissioned us with that great assignment. He described the end times and the hour of its end in Matthew 24:13-14,
“But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
God has charged us with warning the people that His judgement is coming from the beginning. Jeremiah 25-28-29 says,
“And if they refuse to accept the cup from your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: You must drink! 29 For behold, I begin to work disaster at the city that is called by my name, and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished, for I am summoning a sword against all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the Lord of hosts.’”
It is an eternal Gospel. God made the heavens and the earth, everything in it is His (Psalm 24:1), but the pride of man that caused us to fall tried to steal all that belongs to God. God is taking it back. The truth is good news to believers but woe to the ones who rejected Him. Verse 8 says what happens when the hour of judgement arrives.
“Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
Babylon will fall, the blasphemous and profane city that represents the antichrist’s power and leads the world in pride, pleasure, and profligacy will fall. Look around you. Is that the nation where you live? Is the world around you self-seeking, arrogant, and indulgent? Are you? What is more important to us, telling the world that Jesus loves them enough to be the Lord God of Hosts or comfortably drinking our latte? Does normal include having an HDTV, smartphone, and car? Is poverty marked by having to eat macaroni and cheese instead of steak and potatoes? Many nations mark wealth by having any meal to eat. Maybe, we are living in Babylon. Maybe the desires of the flesh are the fruit that is showing in our lives and leading others to self-indulgence as well. Maybe instead of glorifying God through the Fruit of the Spirit, we are glorifying ourselves through the desires of the flesh.
When that hedonism comes crashing down then Jesus’ wrath will come down. Verses 9-11 delivers the part of the Gospel that we do not like to share.
“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
Hell is real. Of course we don’t share the gospel by starting off with ‘you will be tormented with fire and sulfur to pay for your sins.’ We begin with Jesus love and sacrifice, but at some point discernment must allow us to share the whole truth and that is that if Jesus doesn’t pay for their sin with His blood that they will pay with theirs. The people who worship the beast and who received the mark will be tormented forever. They drank from the cup of decadence and debauchery even while the world got worse and worse. Natural disasters hit, but they kept right on living in excess. The economy fell but they kept serving money. They lost every civil liberty to a world leader but they kept on freely feeding the flesh. We either drink from Jesus cup, His life giving blood or we will drink from the cup of Jesus’ wrath.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 reminds us,
“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.”
Taking the Lord’s Supper doesn’t save us. It reminds us that Jesus blood paid the price for our sin. It proclaims the Gospel. As it reminds us of Jesus’ death for our life, let it also remind us that there is another cup, the cup of wrath which brings eternal torment to those who refused the cup of the crucifixion.
This is heavy news, yet it is still the Truth, the Gospel, and it is good news for the hearer if he believes. But not everyone or even most will believe. Their impending eternal doom is also our imminent and approaching eternal hope. While we proclaim the Gospel to the every tribe, nation, and tongue, let us remember the goodness and love of Jesus and our present and future eternity with Him to carry us through the suffering of the last days. Verses 12-13 reads,
“Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
Today our reading and the Gospel seemed more full of bad news than good news, but the best news, the harvest is waiting for us in the next verses of chapter 14. We will, God willing delve into the harvest tomorrow.

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Revelation 14:1-5 The Lamb on Mount Zion with the 144,000 and A New Song

12/29/2015

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Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! Psalm 96:1-3

Revelation 14:1-5 The Lamb on Mount Zion and the 144,000
Verse 1 begins,
“Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb”
John looks and there on Mount Zion is the Lamb; not the deceiving beast with horns like a lamb, but the True Lamb, Jesus Christ appears on Mount Zion. The author of Hebrews described Jesus and Mount Zion this way in Hebrews 12:18-24
“For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”
Mount Zion is in the City of New Jerusalem which at this point in Revelation is still in Heaven, it represents Mount Sinai, where Moses met face to face with God (Exodus 19). Zion came to be the name of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, synonymous today with Jerusalem and New Jerusalem. Zion was the name of the fortress in the City of David, where David lived, where no blind or lame could enter (2 Samuel 5:6-10).
So John saw holy Jesus standing on that holy mountain in that holy city, a place where only the saved may enter and be face to face with God. But Jesus was not alone. The rest of verse 1 through verse 5 reads,
“and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.2 And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, 3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, 5 and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.”
This is the second time the 144,000 are mentioned. They were first mentioned in Revelation 7:3-8 when they are sealed and protected from the dangers of the trumpets. Whether they are the same 144,000, I do not know. Whether the number is literal or symbolic, I am unsure. This is what I know. They are redeemed from the earth, yet Jesus has not yet come for his people in the narrative. They sing a new song only they can know. They are described as faithful and blameless (saved) virgin men and they are the firstfruits of the redeemed (raptured) from mankind.
This leads me to conjecture then that they are special martyrs from the tribulation. Jewish men who came to know Christ and who are killed by the antichrist and the false prophet during the antichrist’s war on The Two Witnesses. Perhaps even the men who were killed for not worshipping the image of the beast. They get to go to New Jerusalem before Jesus gathers the rest of the redeemed, the dead first and then the remainder of the believers. (This is my personal interpretation and supposition).
Whoever they are, they are with Jesus and their worship is so great that it sounds like the roar of many waters and like thunder and harps. 144,000 voices raised together in adoration of Jesus would make such a great sound. John doesn’t share the song they sing. It is a song very specific to who they are as they worship the Lord. And isn’t that what our personal worship of the Lord should be? Shouldn’t our adoration come from the overflow of our hearts? Psalm 96:1-3 reads,
“Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples!”
True worship is singing a new song because we tell of what He has done day to day, how He saved us today and yesterday, what great works He is doing and has done. It is not thoughtlessly repeating an old song, mindlessly echoing someone else’s lyrics, nor robotically copying a song specific to someone else. My song is new, because He is doing new things every morning! Even through the worst suffering and the most horrible tribulations, we can praise and worship God because He is always working in us and through the suffering we experience. Lamentations 3:19-24 says,
“Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him.”
If we have nothing in our hearts to thank God for, then I suppose we will mechanically sing old songs, mindlessly and routinely speaking words that have no meaning to us. Mindless and ritualistic worship is like calling Jesus Lord but not obeying Him. But if our hearts are full of The Holy Spirit, the love of God, and appreciation for what He has done then our speech, worship and lives will prove it. In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus says it this way,
“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
I have recently been making an effort to literally sing a new song to the Lord every day. I take my prayer and my praise and I sing it out loud to my Lord. I don’t doubt it is not beautiful, but it is sincere. And as I freely express my love to God, I also do not doubt that He loves the fragrance it brings to Him. As I sing, be it ever so haltingly or off-key, I bring to mind all the reasons I have to love Him, I remember scriptures, names of God, and attributes of my Lord and sing them to Him. While I attempt to bless the Lord (and I trust I am), He blesses me more so. I encourage you to give it a try.
There is nothing wrong with singing a song someone else wrote to the Lord as long as you do so with your heart and mind in the song, as long as the song is true to you and your experience. Singing How Great Thou Art yet not believing He is great is not worshipping in truth. Singing It is Well With My Soul yet being angry because of your circumstances rather than joyful in Christ is not worshipping in Spirit. When you sing We Will Not Be Shaken but you pay no mind to the words, you are not passionately worshipping the Lord, you are tepidly singing a song to the worship leader.
So Believer, I encourage you today to sing a new song to the Lord. I exhort you that whenever and however you worship that your prayer come from your heart and understanding of God, that it be genuine, and that it will be new every morning just like God’s mercies.

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Revelation 13:11-18 The Second Beast, The Beast from the Earth.

12/28/2015

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Revelation 13:11-18 The Second Beast
The second beast, later referred to as the false prophet is depicted as the PR guy for the first beast. His purpose is to make the people of the earth worship the first beast. He exercises the first beast’s power and he does the dirty work. He becomes the ‘religious’ leader to the first beast’s political leader role. But the religion is perfect blasphemy with the first beast, the antichrist as the object of worship.
Verses 11-12 read,
“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”
Let’s delve into scripture with the Holy Spirit to find out what all this means. What are the two horns of the second beast? Horns if you recall, are a symbol of power in the Bible (Deuteronomy 33:17). Horns symbolize royal authority (Jeremiah 48:25). Horns are the part of the altar where blood was smeared during the sacrifice of burnt offerings (Leviticus 4:7). So this beast has both political and religious power. People will see it as perfectly acceptable. Those who now cry out “separation of church and state” will not cry it then. Though by the end they’ll know why the United States of America felt it was so important for the state not to have power over the church that it was placed in the Constitution.
But his horns are like a lamb. What does like a lamb mean? The lamb is the symbol of innocence and purity. Jesus is the Lamb, because He is perfectly righteous, completely innocent. We get the impression of gentleness and quiet. But we also see him trying to distort the image of Jesus Christ. He wants to appear Christ-like in his nature, but the problem is, he does not have Christ’s nature, the Holy Spirit. He has Satan’s nature. People will be deceived by his outward nature of goodness and gentleness, but he speaks like a dragon. His nature is Satan’s nature as deceiver. His words and his actions are all illusory. Everything he does is to make people worship the antichrist. He not only speaks like a dragon but the dragon, Satan. Verses 13-15 describe his deceitfulness.
“It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain.”
People like images. In the wilderness, Israel had God, but what did they do, they made an image of a golden calf. They chose to worship a golden lump of metal in a shape of a calf rather than worship and fellowship with the One True Living God (Exodus 32). So the false prophet increases the worship of the antichrist by telling people to make an image to worship. And he gives a false life to the image, allowing it to speak. This power of speech somehow kills anyone who will not worship it. In Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image of himself and ordered all the people to worship it. Whoever did not fall down and worship it at the sound of music was ordered to be thrown into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to worship this idol. The malicious voice of the Chaldeans spoke up, alerted the king to their refusal to bow down and they were ordered to be slain. They were thrown into the fiery furnace, but Jesus was with them and He saved them. As a result they were promoted in the kingdom. (Daniel 3).
Similarly when we are faced with false prophets or the false prophet forcing us to worship an image, we have a choice. We do not have to worship. What is the worst they can do, kill us? Big whoop! Jesus is with us! He saved us! We will simply be promoted in the Kingdom of Heaven and rule with Him eternally! (2 Timothy 2:12). Sounds great to me. If I have to have my head cut off, burn to death, or be run through with a sword, I can face the temporary pain for the eternal joy of Christ.
We have addressed so far the second beast’s religious power, but he also has some political power. Verses 16-17 describe that authority.
“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”
Most of the world will see this mark as a good thing, a way to ensure that everyone has access to food and goods, that the poor are not forgotten and that the rich do not have it all. But this is a way to weed out those who will not worship the antichrist. It is a way to make Christ’s followers suffer and starve, bring them out and have a charge worthy of the death sentence. Christians will know, because of what is written in Revelation, that the beasts will do this. We will know not to get that mark. We will know not to worship the image. We are warned. We know and we can do what must be done in order not to receive the seal of Satan.
The mark is described as the name of the beast. In another pale travesty of Holy God, Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet orders the name of the antichrist on the right hand or forehead of the people. Christ’s name will be on the foreheads of the redeemed in New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:4). The antichrist’s name will be on the foreheads or right hands of the doomed in New Babylon.
We are given the information we need now to identify the name of the antichrist. It is a puzzle the wise man can solve when he is given all the pieces. For now, we do not have the final pieces but at the right time we will have what we need to know his name and warn people, even though they will not believe us. Verse 18 reads,
“This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.”
Somehow that number will tell us his name. But it also tells us something else about him. Seven is the number of completion in perfection and holiness. On the seventh day of Creation God rested (Genesis 2:2). On the seventh march Jericho fell (Joshua 6). Hebrew slaves released on the seventh year because their service was complete (Exodus 21:2). Three also speaks of completion in complete power, and witness. On the third day Jesus rose (1 Corinthians 15:4). There were three witnesses to Jesus transfiguration (Matthew 17). Paul prayed three times for healing (2 Corinthians 12:8). But the antichrist falls short of this perfection, his name is three sixes. He is given almost complete yet temporary power of the earth. He appears perfect to the blind, but to the wise, he is obviously the antichrist.
So Believer stay aware. Be alert. We have the Bible and the Holy Spirit. We know what to look for. The lost are blind. We are not. We can open their eyes. We know who Jesus is and we do not have to mistake a liar for The Truth, The Way, and The Life.

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Revelation 13:1-10 The First Beast, The Beast from the Sea.

12/27/2015

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Now you know and knowing is half the battle.-G.I. Joe! In other words, "If anyone has an ear, let him hear: If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints." Revelation 13:9-10

Revelation 13:1-10
Chapter Thirteen is best begun by reading the last verse of Chapter 12. Revelation 12:17 tells us,
“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”
Understanding the dragon, Satan to be standing on the sea shore, makes us understand the context of the beasts described in this chapter. Verse 1 describes the first beast.
“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.”
Satan is the one raising the beast up and it is Satan who gives it his power (verse 2). The beast who we call the antichrist is the son of the Satan in the deceiver’s twisted attempts to be like God. Jesus Christ is God’s manifested will carry out His plan to completion. The beast from the sea is Satan’s feeble copy trying to bring his plans to fruition. Look at its description and compare it to the description of the dragon in Revelation 12:3, “behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.” Note the family resemblance. The beast from the sea and the dragon both have 10 horns. The dragon has seven heads and seven crowns while the beast has ten crowns on his seven heads.
Each of his heads has a blasphemous name written on it. Everything about his character is profane and an offense to the One True Living God.
Verse 2 reads,
“And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority”
What does this unusual description, a leopard with feel like a bear and a mouth like a lion tell us about the beast? In Daniel 7:1-8 Daniel describes a vision of four beasts rising out of the sea. Let’s look at their descriptions. “The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings” (Daniel 7:2). The “a second one, like a bear” (Daniel 7:5). The third is like a leopard (Daniel 7:6). This beast is reminiscent of these beasts but in reverse order. The beasts Daniel saw were prophesies great world emperors and empires. The first three, Greece, Medo-Persia, and Babylon have already been fulfilled. Daniel dreamt of the fourth beast at night. The fourth beast is described in Daniel 7:7-8.
“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. 8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.”
The fourth beast empire has and has not happened yet. It represents Imperial Rome and yet represents future Babylon. The ten horns, ten world powers will yield a small horn a new world power, a man with a gift for speaking. This little horn will utterly destroy three of the ten horns, take their place and lead the remaining horns.
That little horn is dangerous. One might miss it, it might not even seem as important as the other horns but three of the crowns will be on one charismatic horn. People will not even realize the power they have given him until it is too late.
The beast from the sea will be greater and more powerful than any of the great empires that came before and shaped history. And his empire will not just be great it will be over the whole world. And he will destroy and devour everything. He will encompass the traits of the kingdom’s Daniel foresaw. The command and dominion of Greece, the leopard, the persecuting power of Medo-Persia, the bear, and haughtiness and blasphemy of Babylon, are all encompassed and magnified in the beast John described.
Verses 3-4 continues the description of the beast.
“One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. 4 And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”
When we first see the beast, one of his heads seems to have a mortal wound, but the wound was healed. This implies that the beast died or seemed to die, but was healed and brought back. It is his ‘resurrection’ which causes the whole earth to recognize his authority, follow him, and worship him. Once again Satan’s antichrist is a perversion of our Savior Jesus Christ. Even the praise the beast receives is a parody of the praise only God deserves. “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” Exodus 15:11 says,
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
    Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
    awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?”
Proverbs 21:30 says,
“No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel
    can avail against the Lord.”
Satan may know scripture, but apparently he doesn’t believe it.
Verses 5-8 bring back to mind the powerful mouth of the little horn and the blasphemous character of the beast as he uses this power to lead the lost to hell and conquer the saints.
“And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.”
For seven years the beast will be allowed to rule. Although Satan gave him his power, it is Sovereign God who allows him to rule, and even to make war on the saints and conquer them. God will make it possible for every person whose name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb to believe the little deceiver. They’ll gladly give him their worship, power and freedom. They don’t know that glory, majesty, dominion, and authority all belong to Jesus Christ (Jude 1:25). In truth he and the lost will think he has conquered us, but it is the lost who are voluntarily conquered. We look forward to the real glory of Jesus Christ. Romans 8:18-21 reads,
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”
The beast may conquer, but we will resurrect with Christ. We are more than conquerors. Romans 8:33-39 remind us,
“Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The seven years is not going to be a good time. We need to remember who we are, who we belong to, and who our present and future are with. And the Word of God tells us what is going to happen, none of it should surprise us. As the old G.I. Joe PSAs used to tell us, “Knowing is half the battle.” We will be in a war. Yet we can persevere. We can travail. Death is not frightening to us because we know what the future holds. Verse 9-10 tell us to take note, remember, and trust God in order to persist through the terrible time we will face.
“If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
10 If anyone is to be taken captive,
    to captivity he goes;
if anyone is to be slain with the sword,
    with the sword must he be slain.
Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.”
Believer, the scriptures give us a clear picture of the antichrist and what he will do with Satan’s authority. We have nothing to fear. We have the armor of Christ, we have the ability to preach the Gospel and snatch people from Satan’s hands before his offspring rises from the sea to devour and destroy them. We have the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ. We can endure through any tribulation in our lives.

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Revelation 12 The Woman, The Son, and the Dragon

12/26/2015

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The Woman and the Dragon Revelation 12:1-5 by Pat Marvenko on www.revelationillistrated.com

Revelation 12
This chapter is one filled with symbolic imagery that if read without the Holy Spirit only leaves us with questions or confusion. To be understood, we have to interpret it through the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:9-13 tell us,
“But, as it is written,
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has prepared for those who love him”--
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”
Verses 1-6 begin the chapter,
“And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. 4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. 5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, 6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.”
Who is this woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars? Let’s look into God’s word for the answer. Genesis 37:9-10 is one of Joseph’s prophetic dreams and Jacob’s correct interpretation of it.
“Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?”
This woman represents Israel, God’s chosen people, His children. She was pregnant. Pregnancy is filled with expectation of the birth, the completion of the pregnancy and the promise of new life realized. Israel had been promised a savior. They waited expectantly for the promise to be fulfilled and when Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem the City of David, that promise and the prophecy were delivered. The son that the woman, Israel gave birth to is Jesus. He is described several times in scripture as the one who will rule all the nations. He is also associated with an iron scepter or rod, which represents sovereign rule (Revelation 2:27, Psalm 2:9).
Jesus is described beautifully in Revelation 19:11-16 as He comes to claim His Bride (those of us who believe, follow, and worship Him).
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Verse 15 of that passage makes it clear that the male child, the descendent of Judah (who is also linked to the scepter in Genesis 49:10) the son of Israel is Jesus our Messiah. He is the long awaited savior, the perfect satisfaction of the law and the prophets.
Satan knew that Jesus was bad news for his purposes. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He is prowling around like a lion looking to devour Christ and His followers (1 Peter 5:8). He does not want the Kingdom of Heaven to prevail because that will end his reign. So he kept an eye open for the signs and when he saw that the savior came into the world, he sought to devour Him. Just as through Pharaoh he tried to stop Israel from being delivered from Egypt to their Promised Land (Exodus 1:22), he tried through Herod to stop the Christ from delivering the world to The Kingdom of God by killing all the male children (Matthew 2:16). Satan worked hard to have Jesus killed. He once again used the governing authorities, the religious leaders and the rulers of Rome and Jerusalem to crucify Jesus (1 Corinthians 2:8). But Jesus laid down His life willingly. John 10:17-18 says it,
“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
Jesus gave up His life on the cross, but on the third day He took it up again! He defeated Satan’s plan and was and is and will be the Savior and Deliverer of mankind. Then He ascended to Heaven and Satan couldn’t hurt Him. The dragon is Satan and John states this in verse 9. Verses 7-9 read,
“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”
Satan couldn’t hurt Jesus so turned to Israel and to the church. He seeks to destroy us through any means. But God prepared Israel. He protects us and keeps us safe. God’s angels fight Satan’s army on our account. Satan has dominion of the earth. His minions work with him full time to deceive the world and keep as many as possible from being delivered by Jesus.
Believer, you and I are not helpless or inactive in this war. Jesus didn’t deliver us so that we could sit in a pew and idly watch the world follow their prince to Hell. Verses 10-12 describe our role.
“And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Satan accuses us, but we know he is the deceiver. We do not believe him. We know Satan and his demons are conquered. How are they conquered? They are overpowered and defeated by the forgiving blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony, because we love Jesus more than our lives, more than the world our possessions, jobs, and families. It is in our deliberate living out our testimony and salvation, willing to give up everything for Christ that Satan loses. He loses the blind hordes who follow him when their eyes are opened to the Truth. We are very active members of God’s army. Salvation does not give us a ticket to sit down and observe, it empowers us to exalt Jesus and show the world the deliverance they so desperately need and that God wants so much for them. Philippians 2:9-13 says it this way,
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
Satan sees his inevitable defeat but realizing that he cannot beat Jesus he seeks to conquer and crush us instead. Verses 13-16 describe Satan’s change from trying to destroy Israel and therefore Jesus to trying to destroy Jesus’ Bride the church.
“And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time.15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.”
The woman who represented Israel transformed. She was given two wings of the great eagle in order to flee the serpent Satan. Those wings are God Himself carrying Israel to safety. They are the complete and triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, delivering Israel as Jesus, nurturing her as The Spirit, and protecting her as The Father. Exodus 19:4-6 says,
“You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
This transformation of the woman also eludes to Believers grafted into the nation of Israel saved by the LORD. Note the description in Exodus 19:6 as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Compare that to 1 Peter 2:9 as Peter tells believers who we are.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
The timeline is multifaceted are so many events in the Bible. There are two periods of 1,260 days in this chapter. In one aspect they represent the history of Israel’s birth to Jesus birth and then from Jesus first coming as Savior to His second coming as Faithful and True Ruler and Judge of all nations with the iron rod in His hand. But is also refers to the seven years of tribulation the first 3 ½ years in which people are warned and called described n Revelation chapter 1-11 and the second 3 ½ years in which the enmity of Satan against God’s people is blatant, the war is fought openly and those who listened to the call are kept and protected by God as described in Revelation chapters 13-18.
Satan tries to be like God by copying Him. He deceives through his pale mirroring of God. Jesus is the Lion of Judah and the devil prowls like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Jesus is the King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15) and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). God is the Holy Spirit at work in His Children (Titus 3:5). Satan is the spirit at work in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). In these verses in Revelation Satan pours water from his mouth like a river. The river coming from his mouth like a weapon is not the River of Life coming from Jesus described in Revelation 22:1. He wants it to be a river of death to destroy God’s people. But the devil’s weapons are futile against God! How can anything God created destroy Him, His plan, or His children? Isaiah 54:16-17 reads,
“Behold, I have created the smith
    who blows the fire of coals
    and produces a weapon for its purpose.
I have also created the ravager to destroy;
17     no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
    and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord
    and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
God created the earth and the imagery of verse 16 in this chapter shows Him using His creation to defeat Satan. Satan spews a river but God swallows it up and makes it useless to swallow up His children. Verse 17 reads,
“Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.”
Like a spoiled child Satan’s anger turns to fury. In his rage he makes war on Israel and the church, God’s olive trees and lampstands. In chapter 13 we read what will happen as the second half of the seven years begins with Satan standing with his foot on the shore of the sea in order to fight with every ounce of his rage in his final temper tantrum.
Believer, be encouraged. Satan hates you, but his hate is nothing compared to God’s love. Satan’s fury cannot stand up to God’s wrath. You are an active participant in this ongoing war and you are on the winning side. You are protected and the brat prince’s weapons are nothing against the armor of Christ.

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Five Ways God Came to Us since the Fall

12/25/2015

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Adapted from a teaching by Merri Trifiro

Genesis 3:6-10 records the fall.
“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
When man left God and fell away from Him, God did not abandon us. He has many ways of reaching out to us. He comes to us through every available door, through all five senses.

He comes to us through our hearing.
God called out to Abram, His voice was heard and by faith Abram obeyed. Genesis 12:1-3 reads,
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
God speaks and if we listen, we will hear and if we obey He will give us faith. Romans 10:16-18 says,
“But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the world.”

In Genesis 15:7-21 God cuts His covenant promise with Abraham.
“And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim,21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”
God’s vowed Abraham the Promised Land, the descendants to fill it, and deliverance from the slavery of Egypt when He spoke. If we do not listen, we are missing out on hearing God, knowing Him and His promises.

God comes to us in our sight.
He appeared to Moses in the burning bush Exodus 3:2-6 records the event.
“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

God led Moses to deliver His people (and so kept His covenant with Abraham), and He went before them, appearing to them supernaturally, as a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day. He was seen night and day. He was visible to them (Exodus 13:17-21).

God now also spoke to Moses, but face to face. Moses could hear and see God. The first part of Exodus 33:11 reads,
“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
Obedience to God’s voice and following Him as He shows Himself to us leads to friendship, spending time with Him as a friend, seeing and hearing, sharing and listening. This is how we become close to God and know Him deeply. Numbers 12:8 describes that kind of kinship.
“With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

God wrote down the law and instructed Moses to read it to the people, that they might turn to God and worship Him only. But the people/Israelites continually rebelled and turned to other gods. We see God through reading His word, we hear Him through reading His word and listening to it being read. We learn from Him and so grow to know Him more.

God comes so that we can touch Him.
Jesus came in the flesh, born as one of us and dwelled among us, appearing as The Way as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 .
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Immanuel means God With Us. He was born as flesh and blood, tangible and real. John 20:24-29 says,
“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas had heard that Jesus was alive. When Jesus entered the room, Thomas saw Him, but it was by touching Him that He knew He was real and finally believed Jesus was the Christ.
But most of the Jewish people, having heard, seen and touched Him, and witnessed His many miracles, still did not receive Him, but slandered, scourged, and crucified Him. How many people today have heard His message, seen the evidence, and yet will not touch Him to test if He is real? John 5:43 states,
“I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.”
God comes as a sweet aroma.
The Spirit within us makes us makes us that sweet aroma as He calls to the lost. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says,
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing”
He came in Resurrection power to dwell, not only among us but within us, that we would know the truth, living by faith, trusting in, serving Him, worshipping Him in Spirit and Truth as our Lord and coming King. We breathe Him in and breathe out, exuding His very essence, as One anointed with fragrant oil to become a witness and testimony. We are the aroma of Christ to God in order to declare His love, truth, mercy and grace and His offer of salvation and promise of justice!
Jesus comes as our Feast.
He calls us to freely experience Him to taste and to drink and to be fully satisfied.
Psalm 34:8 says,
“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
    Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Isaiah 55:1-2 reads,
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
    come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
    and delight yourselves in rich food.”

We drink living and eternal water. John 4:14 says,
“but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
Jesus is the Bread of Life, the Love Feast. Matthew 26:26-28 tells us to eat and drink from Him.
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Soon comes our long awaited Bridegroom, who carries His Bride to the wedding and His banquet Feast, now, all made one in Him, we will live with Him in His very presence forever.

The Lord comes to us through all five senses so we can completely experience and know Him. We express Him through all five senses so others can experience and know Him too. We are sent onward, to follow Him that we would persevere faithfully, as His body, speaking with His voice (Words of truth), His mind, wisdom, and discernment and with His heart, (The Holy Spirit) that we would do His will. We even share in His suffering so that our garments would be washed white in His Blood and be prepared as His spotless, radiant Bride!
We are called, taught, equipped, nurtured, disciplined, provisioned, anointed and sent to bring His Good News and Call to repentance all who will come, waging war in the Spirit against the enemy of our souls; pushing him back and holding the line until He comes!

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Revelation 11:15-19 The Seventh Trumpet: The Mystery of God Fulfilled

12/24/2015

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When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

Revelation 11:15-19 the Seventh Trumpet is Sounded
Verse 15 reads,
“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”
The seventh shofar is the last trumpet and the last woe. Have you wondered with hopeful expectation what it could be? Have you dreaded what the last woe could be? This is the last warning, the last call, and the last chance for the people of the earth to respond and repent. There are no more chances after this. The time is now. While that is awesome and joyful for believers, it is awful and terrible for the lost, and they do not even know it. Verses 16-17 read,
“And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    who is and who was,
for you have taken your great power
    and begun to reign.”
The twenty four angels give thanks to the LORD and look at the name they use for Him, “Lord God Almighty, who is and who was.” They praise Him for his strength which has brought the long-awaited to day to be. They praise Him for his constancy and they use a name reminiscent of the name God has used for Himself. Revelation 1:7-8 says,
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
In Isaiah the LORD calls Himself the First and the Last as well, Isaiah 41:4 reads,
“Who has performed and done this,
    calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the Lord, the first,
    and with the last; I am he.”
This name describes the Lord as one who carries out His will, His plan. It says He makes promises and keeps them. That His word is as good as done, because it is done, whether we have seen it manifested or not. The moment God speaks, we can be sure that what He said is already accomplished, even if the manifestation takes ten years or 10,000 years. What has God promised you? Stop waiting for it and start thanking Him for it. Stop wishing it would be and start expecting it to manifest at the perfect time. He is the first and the last.
The words the elders use are reminiscent of Revelation 1:8 but not exactly the same. The Lord said, “who is and who was and who is to come,” but the elders not only change the order, they leave out who is to come. They say, “who is and who was.” Why? Because He IS and He always has been and because the seventh trumpet fulfilled it all, He came. At that point He will no longer be “to come.” The promise of His coming will have been fulfilled. The seventh trumpet ushers in everything else that happens from the moment it is sounded until every part of what is written in Revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, and every other word of scripture is manifested. The day has arrived! The promise we have been waiting for, the mystery of God fulfilled just as he announced to all the prophets, per His oath in Revelation 10:7.
The elders continue their worship in verse 18.
“The nations raged,
    but your wrath came,
    and the time for the dead to be judged,
and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,
    and those who fear your name,
    both small and great,
and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.”
There is one plan; and we could have faith in it from the moment God announced it. Isaiah 53-5-6 is one part of that beautiful promise,
“But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.”
When Jesus gave himself up for us on the Cross, as they pierced Him for our transgressions and brought us peace with God, and as He healed us from the death we carried Jesus said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30). He wasn’t talking about His life, He knew He would resurrect on the third day and live eternally. He was talking about the plan for our salvation, our peace with God. When Isaiah prophesied about the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6-7, it was not merely a hopeful dream, it was already carried out.
“For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”
When the angel said, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord,” (Luke 2:11) to the shepherds, they called Him Savior, even though He had not yet saved us. And when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2 in Luke 4:18-19 saying,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor”
it was already done, even though He had not yet died or resurrected. God’s promises are as good as achieved. They are a ‘sure thing.’ It is finished. With the completion of the elder’s song to the Lord, our great hope is fulfilled and the last woe happens. Verse 19 says,
“Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.”
The ark is not lost and it is not in a government warehouse waiting to be catalogued. It is not in an Ethiopian Church somewhere or hidden in the mountains of the East. It is in God’s temple in Heaven. The ark is not a magical relic. It is the place where God’s presence and mercy rested in order to fellowship with Israel. When Jesus came, He embodied God’s presence and mercy. When He ascended to Heaven, He gave us His Holy Spirit and allowed us to be in his presence always. When He returns again and judges the dead and rewards the saints we will be in His physical presence eternally.
As believers we read this passage and think of how amazing and jubilant the revelation of the mystery of God is, was, and will be. We celebrate, we shout for joy, we sing with exuberance at the thought. But the same plan that brings us reward and eternal life brings the lost death and eternal punishment. God’s deep love is also great wrath.
The reason the last shofar is a woe is because it is the closing of the door, the end of the invitation. God will not call them anymore, if they choose to come now it will not be because He said, “come up here.” That truly is more horrible than the all the trumpets before this one.
The picture I envision is one between a teenager and her Dad. The dad is angry with me for some disobedience. I see my Dad at my bedroom door, angrily telling me why what I did hurt him and telling me the damaging consequences of my actions. Throughout this confrontation, I could respond, I could apologize, I could acknowledge my defiance and reconcile with my Dad, but instead I sit silently while he speaks and metes out my punishment. I am probably not even listening to him as I stew in my pride. Then quite suddenly, he stops speaking, and disappointedly closes the door and walks away. That moment is worse than any punishment he gave me. That moment means he has given up on me. That is why this last trumpet is so awful for the unbeliever. God wanted to be their Father, but they wouldn’t humble themselves to listen and he finally had to say, “It’s finished. My children have been waiting.”

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Revelation 11:1-14: The Two Witnesses

12/23/2015

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Revelation 11:1-14
At the conclusion of chapter 10, John was given the commandment, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” (Revelation 10:11). Revelation 11 begins with a prophetic act. Verses 1-2 read,
“Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.”
Measuring the temple of God, the altar, and the people who worship there is akin to counting and judging or discerning the people of God. Who are His people and are they faithful and spirit-filled? Are they worshipping in Spirit and in Truth? John was told not to include the court because it is overtaken and trodden by the nations who rejected Christ. It is not time for them to be counted. For 3 ½ years they will disregard and blaspheme the Lord. They will treat Jerusalem as theirs and it will be terrible. But they won’t walk on the Temple of God, we are His temple and the enemy cannot have us. They will run roughshod over the City of God, but we are the City of God and they will not defeat us. For the same 3 ½ years that the nations blasphemously trample over the courts and Jerusalem, The Lord’s two witnesses will prophesy with His authority. Verse 3 reads,
“And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”
The two witnesses will be dressed in sackcloth indicating that they suffer and mourn. They mourn because the world isn’t listening to the trumpet warnings. They suffer because everyone will suffer through that great tribulation. But they do not let that stop them from obeying God and prophesying, both in action and in word. We are given God’s authority and power for a reason. We are not meant to keep Him gagged inside us while we hide from the troubles and woes of life. God’s word must be expressed, He must be glorified. Paul described it this way in 1 Corinthians 9:16-17,
“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.”
Who are the two witnesses? Over the years people have guessed and assigned them various identities. They have been called Moses and Elijah by some, Peter and John by others. Cults such as the Muggletonians[i] and the Shakers[ii] have been created by naming the witnesses. The Muggletonians named the two witnesses John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton. The Shakers said that the first witness was the male aspect of God in Jesus Christ and the second was the female aspect of God in Ann Lee, who founded the movement and called herself Mother Ann Lee.
Identifying the two witnesses as individuals is not the wisest choice. Let’s look at who scripture says they are. Verse 5 reads,
“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth”
They are the two olive trees. The Hebrew word for olive tree is es shemen and it means to shine brightly like the sun. It means richness, anointing, fat, fruitful, oil, and ointment. The olive tree symbolizes the fruitful strong righteous man in the Bible and its oil represents The Holy Spirit. Psalm 52:8 reads,
“But I am like a green olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the steadfast love of God
forever and ever.”
They are the two lampstands. The lampstands are symbols of the church (Revelation 1:20). The light they produce by the power of the olive oil is the Light of Christ. (John 8:12). And having Christ in us, makes us lights to the world as well (Matthew 5:14). We must glorify Christ. If He is in us we have to shine as brightly as the Son.
There are two witnesses, but two olive trees and two lampstands. They are both an olive tree and a lampstand. The two witnesses are representatives of Christ and preach His grace. They are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and exercise His authority. Zechariah 4:1-7 describes the olive trees and lampstands this way,
“And the angel who talked with me came again and woke me, like a man who is awakened out of his sleep. 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I said, “I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. 3 And there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 And I said to the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 Then the angel who talked with me answered and said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”
You and I are God’s witnesses. We are the olive trees and the lampstands. We are ambassadors for Christ, filled with His Holy Spirit. Although we may be clothed in sackcloth, we are not powerless. Look at what the two witnesses will do while the trumpets call people to repentance. Verses 5-7 read,
“And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. 6 They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.”
Those who do not worship in the temple and trample the courts will try to hurt those who do. They will hate God’s witnesses. But by God’s power and by His might, we can call down God’s holy fire and consume our adversaries. We have the power to stop the rain from falling and turn water to blood. We have the power to strike people with plagues and diseases. These prophetic acts bring to mind the first four trumpets (Revelation 8:6-13). We do not currently call curses down on our enemies. We bless those who persecute us. But in the Great Tribulation our enemies will not be coming to Christ because of our love and blessings. They will fight by Satan’s side and reject Christ. We along with Jesus will have control of the first four trumpets and use them to warn people to repent and come to Christ. But our rivals will not come to Christ and the enemy will hate us all the more. He will make war on us and it will even appear he wins. Verses 7-10 describe his apparent victory.
“And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that symbolically is called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days some from the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb, 10 and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”
The celebration over this supposed conquest will be immense. It will be like a worldwide Christmas people will make merry and exchange gifts they will be so happy. We will no longer be there to say they are suffering because they rejected Christ or remind them of the sins they commit. They will be free to make Jerusalem as evil as Sodom and despicable and slave-filled as Pharaoh’s Egypt. But their revelry won’t last. Verses 11-13 read,
“But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood up on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
God will bring His witnesses back to life, we will be resurrected and He will call us to come to Him. We will go up to heaven in a cloud of witnesses and all those previously partying people will see it. The sixth trumpet and the second woe will close with an earthquake that kills 7,000 people and destroys a tenth of the city. Verse 14 reads,
“The second woe has passed; behold, the third woe is soon to come.”
Will they listen to the seventh trumpet? They didn’t heed the first six and they will be without the Holy Spirit or the light of Christ. But we are here now. We can warn them now! We can prophesy now. We are God’s witnesses and so we must testify! We have the power and might of Almighty God within us. If we tell a mountain to move it will (Mark 11:23). If we tell a storm to stop raining it will. If we ask anything as Jesus’ witnesses, He will do it (John 14:14).

[i] http://www.exlibris.org/nonconform/engdis/muggleton.html

[ii] http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/hns/cities/shakers.html

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Revelation 10: The Seven Thunders, The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll

12/22/2015

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Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all 1 Chronicles 29:11

Revelation 10
After the sixth trumpet as sounded, John saw another angel coming down. Verses 1-3 describe the angel.
“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. 2 He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, 3 and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded.”
The description of this angel as mighty, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, face like a sun and legs like pillars of fire, sound like God to me. His description sounds like Jesus. Whether this angel is Jesus or not I do not know. Before coming in the flesh as Emmanuel, Jesus appeared to men as The Angel of the Lord. But since His birth in Bethlehem, He has not appeared that way to men. But still this description is reminiscent of other descriptions of the Lord. In Matthew 17:1-8 when Jesus is transfigured before John, James and Peter on the mountain top, John describes Him in verse 2, “and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” Revelation 4:3 describes a rainbow encircling the throne. His legs are like pillars of fire, the way God manifested Himself to Israel as He led them through the dark in the wilderness. (Exodus 13:21). The mighty angel may not be Jesus, but He does represent God’s will, scripture, and sovereignty proclaimed. He might be the personification of The Holy Spirit. He might be one of an elite rank of mighty angels such as the one who asked, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (Revelation 5:2). But who he is, is not the most important part, it is that he speaks with God’s authority, that he holds God’s word (the little scroll) in his hand, and that what he says is a proclamation of God’s will. Verse 4 reads,
“And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.”
We don’t know what the seven thunders are, what events they will include or where the events will take place. We know that if the Lord decided we didn’t need to know them right now, then we do not. We could venture that they are worse than the trumpets, but what good would that do? We could hope that they are beautiful and wonderful surprises in store for us, but how would that help? What we know is that there is more. What we know is that whatever the circumstance we can persevere, rejoice, and be content because God is with us. We cannot allow trials, suffering, and tribulation nor exaltations and abundance to slow or stop our walk. Romans 12:9-13 read,
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”
Romans 5:3-5 reads,
“ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Philippians 4:12-13 reads,
“I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
The seven thunders are not for us to know. We don’t know what the mighty angel said but we know what the Word of God says. Verses 5-7 continues the vision.
“And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6 and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, 7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”
The mighty angel made an oath by The LORD and His creation that all that had been prophesied, planned, and promised would be fulfilled. An oath is a big deal and we are warned not to make them because we have no power to ensure we keep them. Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus says,
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil”
The words this angel speaks are God’s words, His oath, His promise to us, “it will be completed.” God’s spoken yes, no, or will always becomes and is. The whole world and everything in it is His. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 reads,
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.”
Verses 8-11 read,
“Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. 11 And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”
What does it mean that the scroll is sweet in John’s mouth and bitter in his stomach? Compare this to Ezekiel 3:1-4 and 7
“And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them.
7 But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.”

John had the great privilege of receiving God’s word. It is a privilege we enjoy as well. It is wonderful, happy, and exciting to know God, hear His voice and words, and understand the Gospel. But very often those who we are to preach it to, do not want to hear it. It is difficult to tell someone to repent or change. It is hard to shine a light in someone’s darkness. It is hard to tell a brother he has a speck in his eye. I know it is tough to say, but I have been told about the plank in my eye and I was happy to hear it, so I could remove it. But many people, especially those who need the word the most desperately will not be happy to hear it, they won’t listen. But God doesn’t make their probable response an excuse not to speak the words He gave us nor share the Gospel. God told Ezekiel to go and speak His words. He told John, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” And He tells us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).
I leave you with this exhortation from Paul. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 says
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

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Revelation 14:14-20 The Harvest

Revelation 14:6-13 Three Angels Proclaim the Eternal Truth

Revelation 14:1-5 The Lamb on Mount Zion with the 144,000 and A New Song

Revelation 13:11-18 The Second Beast, The Beast from the Earth.

Revelation 13:1-10 The First Beast, The Beast from the Sea.

Revelation 12 The Woman, The Son, and the Dragon

Five Ways God Came to Us since the Fall

Revelation 11:15-19 The Seventh Trumpet: The Mystery of God Fulfilled

Revelation 11:1-14: The Two Witnesses

Revelation 10: The Seven Thunders, The Mighty Angel and the Little Scroll

Donna Campbell

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