Thursday, December 17, 2015

Patience to the End

Revelation 14-

VERSE 6. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,    7.    Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.   8.    And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.   9.   And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,   10.   The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 'which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:   11.   And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.   12.   Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

(Excerpt from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith 1897-1911)


p 675 -- The Punishment of Beast-worshippers. - These shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. When is this torment inflicted? Chapter 19:20 shows that at the second coming of Christ there is a manifestation of fiery judgments which may be called a lake of fire and brimstone, into which the beast and false prophet are cast alive. This can refer only to the destruction visited upon them at the commencement, not at the end, of the thousand years. Again, there is a remarkable passage in Isaiah to which we are obliged to refer in explanation of the phraseology of the threatening of the third angel, and which unquestionably describes scenes to take place here at the second advent, and in the desolate state of the earth during the thousand years following. That the language in the Revelation was borrowed from this prophecy can hardly fail to be seen. After describing the Lord's anger upon the nations, the great slaughter of their armies, the departing of the heavens as a scroll, etc., the prophet says:   "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up forever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever and ever." Isa. 34:8-10. And since it is expressly revealed that there is to be a lake of fire in which all sinners perish at the end of the thousand years, we can only conclude that the destruction of the living wicked at the commencement of this period, and the final doom of all the ungodly at its close, are very similar.

Duration of the Punishment. - The expression "forever and ever" cannot here denote eternity. This is evident from the fact that this punishment is inflicted on this earth, where time is measured by day and night. This is further shown from the passage in Isaiah already referred to, if that is, as above suggested, the language from which this is borrowed, and applies to the same time. That language is spoken of the land of Idumea; but whether it be taken to mean literally the land of Edom, south and east of Judea, or to represent, as it

p 676 -- doubtless does, this whole earth at the time when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion comes, in either case the scene must eventually terminate; for this earth is finally to be made new, cleansed of every stain of sin, every vestige of suffering and decay, and to become the habitation of righteousness and joy throughout eternal ages. The word aiwn here translated forever, Schrevelius, in his Greek Lexicon, defines thus:       "An age; a long period of time; indefinite duration; time, whether longer or shorter."

The period of the third message is a time of patience with the people of God. Paul and James both give us instruction on this point. Heb. 10:36; James 5:7, 8. Meanwhile this waiting company are keeping the commandments of God - the ten commandments, and the faith of Jesus - all the teachings of Christ and his apostles as contained in the New Testament. The true Sabbath, as given in the decalogue, is thus brought out in vivid contrast with the counterfeit sabbath, the mark of the beast, which finally distinguishes those who reject the third message, as already set forth.

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A Time of Patience.

Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37  For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Jas 5:7  Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Jas 5:8  Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

We are in a time of patience.

Patience, when all we want is for our Lord to come and end the sin sickness destroying so many in our world.

The sickness of sin is evident everywhere, but some would rather say it's all just life and the way it is, as if we are meant to suffer.  How can we be meant to suffer if we as humanity's whole are constantly looking for ways to alleviate suffering. We do NOT embrace suffering as something to be accepted, we fight against it. We go to great lengths to do away with all pain in all its forms.  Doctors, dentists, therapy, medication- how much of our life is spent involved with these things if not for ourselves but for all those around us.  Pain medication, pain relief this is something we long for especially those embroiled in a life of chronic pain.  Sickness is something we abhor, so how can we just belief our lives are supposed to be this way, that this is all there is for us and all those we love. Why do we fight so much for something better. Why do we spend our lives wanting better? We fight for things to be better and more often than not, we fail. There are so many wars right now, so many committees, panels, many, many people who are trying to improve life as we know it. People have been doing this for as long as we can remember, yet people somehow believe it is just life and will forever be this way.  I can't believe this.  I have HOPE there is more and it's not the more of immediate heavenly life after death, but a hope of eternal life after our Savior returns for us, and then forever after.

This can't be all there is, this can't be life ever after. 

Call me a fool if you wish, but I lose NOTHING by believing, nothing! But if I don't believe I lose everything.

Right now we need patience, so much patience and our God is trying desperately to teach us patience because we NEED patience if we are to keep our hope to the very end.

Please, Father, please teach us patience, teach us all we need to be Yours now and forever.

As we continue to learn of Your prophecies in the book of Revelation, open our hearts and mind through the Holy Spirit so we may be YOURS, WHOLLY YOURS.

All through our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD!!!!!!!

Amen!

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