The first church of Revelation 2

We continue… we seek a blessing, we seek knowledge, we seek comprehension, we seek the Holy Spirit's power in us all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

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Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith

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Revelation Chapter II

The Letters of Jesus to the Churches

In the first chapter, the prophet outlined the subject of the seven churches, represented by the seven candlesticks, and the ministry of the churches, represented by the seven stars.

He now takes up each church particularly, and writes the message designed for it, addressing the epistle in every case to the ANGEL, or the MINISTRY, of the church. (((God's people))))

Revelation 2:1-7

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write;

1 These things saith He  that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

The Church of Ephesus.--Some reasons why the messages to the seven churches should be regarded as prophetic, having their application to seven distinct periods covering the Christian age, have been given in the remarks on Revelation 1: 4. It may be added here that this view is not new. Thomas Newton says, "Many contend, and among them such learned men as More and Vitringa, that the seven epistles are prophetical of so many successive periods and states of the church from the beginning to the conclusion of all."

Thomas Scott says: "Many expositors have imagined that these epistles to the seven churches were mystical prophecies

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of seven distinct periods, into which the whole term, from the apostles' days to the end of the world, would be divided."

Although Newton and Scott do not themselves hold this view, their testimony is good as showing that such has been the view of many expositors.

Two of them say:

"The earliest commentator on the Apocalypse, whose work has come down to us, was Victorinus, Bishop of Pettau, or Petavium, who died a martyr in the year 303. He was the contemporary of Irenaeus, and a man of piety, diligence in setting forth the teachings of the Scriptures, and vigorous in his perceptions of the meaning of the sacred writers. Most of his writings have been lost, except some fragments. His comments on the Apocalypse survive, in a text less pure than we could wish, but sufficiently giving the substance of his views. In his Scholia in Apocalypsin, he says that what John addresses to one Church he addresses to all; that Paul was the first to teach that there are seven Churches in whole world, and that the seven Churches named mean the Church Catholic; and that John, to observe the same method, has not exceeded the number seven.

"What Victorinus means, is that Paul, in writing to seven Churches, and to seven only, intended to have it understood that all the Churches of all time are comprehended in seven; and that, in the same way, the seven Churches in the Apocalypse are meant to comprise all the Churches in the world: that is, the Church Catholic of all ages. This was also the view of Tichaenius, of the fourth century; Arethas of Cappadocia, and Primasius of Adrumetum, in the sixth; and Vitringa, Mede, More, Girdlestone, and a large body of divines, of later periods."

"Mede expounded the Seven Epistles as prophetic of the Seven Ages of the Church, so that all good should there be prophesied of themselves and all evil of Rome (see Trench, l.c., p. 228). Later will Vitringa expounded the Epistles on

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the same principle; and he writes (pp. 32-36): 'Existimo Spiritum S. sub typo et emblemate Septem Ecclesiarum Asiae nobis . . . voluisse depingere septem variantes status Ecclesiae Christianae . . . usque ad Adventum Domini'; adding--'demonstratur illas Prophetice non Dogmatice esse exponendas.'

"Mede ('Works,' Advert., ch. x, p. 905) states his opinion more fully as follows:  'If we consider their number being Seven, which is a number of revolution of times, or if we consider the choice of the Holy Ghost in that he taketh neither all, no nor the most famous Churches in the world, as Antioch, Alexandria, Rome. . . . If these things be well considered, may it not seem that these Seven churches, besides their literal respect, were intended to be as patterns and types of the several Ages of the Catholic Church a principio ad finem? that so these Seven Churches should prophetically sample unto us a Sevenfold successive temper and condition of the whole visible Church according to the several Ages thereof. . . . And if this were granted . . . then surely the First Church (viz., the Ephesian state) must be the first, and the Last be the last. . . . The mention of false Jews and the synagogue of Satan, &c. (Apoc. ii) in the Five middle ones, will argue that they belong to the times of the Beast and Babylon. And for the Sixth in special was have a good character where to place it, viz., partly about the time the Beast is falling, and partly after his destruction, when the New Jerusalem cometh.' "

It appears from the authors above cited, that what has led commentators of more modern times to discard the view of the prophetical nature of the messages to the seven churches, is the comparatively recent and unscriptural doctrine of the temporal millennium. The last stage of the church, as described in Revelation 3: 15-17, was deemed to be incompatible with the glorious state of things which would exist here on this earth for a thousand years, with all the world converted to God.

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Hence in this case, as in many others, the Scriptural view is made to yield to the more pleasing. The hearts of men, as in ancient times, still love smooth things, and their ears are ever favorably open to those who will prophesy peace.

The first church named is Ephesus. According to the application here made, this would cover the first, or apostolic, age of the church. The definition of the word "Ephesus" is "desirable," which may well be taken as a good descriptive term of the character and condition of the church in its first state. Those early Christians had received the doctrine of Christ in its purity.

They enjoyed the benefits and blessings of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were noted for their works, labor, and patience. In faithfulness to the pure principles taught by Christ, they could not bear those that were evil, and they tested false apostles, searched out their true characters, and found them liars. That this work was done by the literal and particular church at Ephesus more than by other churches of that time, we have no evidence. But this work was carried on by the Christian church as a whole, in that age, and was a most appropriate work at that time. (See Acts 15; 2 Corinthians 11: 13.)

Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Act 15:3  And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

Act 15:4  And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

Act 15:13  And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

Act 15:14  Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

Act 15:15  And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

Act 15:16  After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Act 15:17  That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Act 15:18  Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

Act 15:19  Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

Act 15:20  But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

Act 15:21  For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Act 15:22  Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

Act 15:23  And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

Act 15:24  Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Act 15:25  It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Act 15:26  Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 15:27  We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Act 15:30  So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:

Act 15:31  Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

Act 15:32  And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

Act 15:33  And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.

Act 15:34  Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.

Act 15:35  Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Act 15:36  And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.

Act 15:37  And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Act 15:38  But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

Act 15:39  And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;

Act 15:40  And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

Act 15:41  And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

Revelation 2 :

1 These things saith He  that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

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There are thousands of years of history between the birth of Christ's church and now. Throughout these thousands of years many have come up with their thoughts on this prophecy. We are now among them. We will continue to read what the various scholars have had to say, and while we are doing that we must pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to the TRUTH as it is found in our Savior.

So far comprehending that the first church, the first people of Christ, were had been cautioned to keep to their first love. They were commended for hating those who were deceitful.  I don't want to get into this too much just yet because we aren't finished reading what Uriah Smith wrote on it all. 

Hoping not to overload us too much I will pause here and by the grace of GOD continue more on this tomorrow!

Please Father, please bless us! We need Your blessing like never before!

All through the GRACE and MERCY of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Amen!

Seven Stars-Seven Angels, Seven Candlesticks-Seven Churches

Read and be BLESSED.

Amazing isn't it? We have learned that those who read this book of Revelation and the prophecies within are blessed.  We may not comprehend the whole of the blessing but we are blessed. Being blessed doesn't mean you become invincible in this world. Being blessed doesn't mean your life will be one of ease with limited heartache and hardship. Being blessed isn't something materialistic.  Let me correct myself, being blessed isn't all those things but they can be a part of a blessing.  Some of the people who have suffered the most are also the most blessed. We who don't suffer as they have, might not consider them blessed, but our idea of being blessed is what is skewed. The blessing we long for is the blessing our Savior came to give to us, the gospel message, the good news that we can be one with God through His sacrifice. We can have eternal life through His redeeming grace! This is the blessing we need more than any other blessing. This is the blessing those who suffered the most horrific of tortures, understood they would receive.

We are BLESSED when we read this book of Revelation and we cannot let ourselves forget this as we study. We might not comprehend the full extent of the hows and whys of the blessing but God speaks only the truth and it is truth that those who read, those who hear, and those who keep the things in this book are BLESSED. May we be blessed!

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

Revelation 1:11-18

Verse 11

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:

and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia;

unto Ephesus,

and unto Smyrna,

and unto Pergamos,

and unto Thyatira,

and unto Sardis,

and unto Philadelphia,

and unto Laodicea.

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me.

And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

14 His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

15 And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And He had in His right hand seven

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stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength.

17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead.

And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me,

Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

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The expression, "I turned to see the voice," refers to the person from whom the voice came.

Seven Golden Candlesticks.--These cannot be the antitype of the golden candlestick of the ancient typical temple service, for that was but one candlestick with seven branches.

That is ever spoken of in the singular number.

But here are seven, and these are more properly "lamp stands" than simply candlesticks, stands upon which lamps are set to give light in the room. They bear no resemblance to the candlestick of the ancient tabernacle.

On the contrary the stands are so distinct, and so far separated one from another, that the Son of man is seen walking about in the midst of them.

The Son of Man.--

The central and all-attractive figure of the scene now opened before John's vision is the majestic form of the Son of man, Jesus Christ.

The description here given of Him, with His flowing robe, His hair white, not with age, but with the brightness of heavenly glory, His flaming eyes, His feet glowing like molten brass, and His voice as the sound of many waters, cannot be excelled for grandeur and sublimity.

Overcome by the presence of this august Being, and perhaps under a keen sense of all human unworthiness, John fell at His feet as dead, but a comforting hand is laid upon him, and a voice of sweet assurance tells him not to fear.

It is equally the privilege of Christians today to feel the same hand laid upon them to strengthen and comfort them in hours of trial and affliction, and to hear the same voice saying to them, "Fear not."

But the most cheering assurance in all these words of consolation is the declaration of this exalted one who is alive forevermore, that He is the arbiter of death and grave.

I have, He says, "the keys of hell, hades, the grave and of death."

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Death is a conquered tyrant. He may gather to the grave the precious of earth, and gloat for a season over his apparent triumph. But he is performing a fruitless task, for the key to his dark prison house has been wrenched from his grasp, and is now held in the hands of a mightier than he. He is compelled to deposit his trophies in a region over which another has absolute control; and this one is the unchanging Friend and the pledged Redeemer of His people. Then grieve not for the righteous dead; they are in safekeeping. An enemy takes them away for a while, but a friend holds the key to the place of their temporary confinement.

Revelation 1:19-

Verse 19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter

A more definite command is given in this verse to John to write the entire Revelation, which would relate chiefly to things which were then in the future.

In some few instances, events then in the past or then taking place were referred to; but these references were simply for the purpose of introducing events to be fulfilled after that time, so that no link in the chain might be lacking.

Revelation 1:20-

Verse 20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.

The seven stars are the ANGELS of the seven churches

and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the SEVEN CHURCHES.

To represent the Son of man as holding in His hand only the ministers of seven literal churches in Asia Minor, and walking in the midst of only those seven churches, would be to reduce the sublime representations and declarations of this and following chapters to comparative insignificance.

The providential care and presence of the Lord are not with a specified number of churches only, but with all His people; not in the days of John merely, but through all time. "Lo, I am with you alway," said He to His disciples, "even unto the end of the world."

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Prophecy.

Seven Stars- ANGELS of the Seven Churches.

Seven Golden Candlesticks- the SEVEN CHURCHES.

Symbolism. 

This is the introduction of the symbolism. We are SHOWN the symbolism.  Symbolism is necessary and the full comprehension of it is allowed as God reveals, as the Holy Spirit bring understanding.

Stars-Angels

Candlesticks-Seven Churches.

Seven- a number of perfection, of wholeness.

The seven angels, the seven churches- a representation of all God's angels, a representation of God's perfect church, His perfect people made perfect through Christ and Christ alone.

Please Lord, please help us to continue reading, to continue hearing, to continue keeping all the truth You entrust us with, all through the power of our Savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ now and forever!

Amen!

The Lord's Day

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

Though John was exiled from all of like faith, and almost from the world, he was not exiled from God, nor from Christ, nor from the Holy Spirit, nor from angels.

He still had communion with his divine Lord. The expression "in the Spirit" seems to denote the highest state of spiritual elevation into which a person can be brought by the Spirit of God. It marked the beginning of his vision.

"On the Lord's Day."--What day is intended by this designation? On this question four different positions are taken by various classes. On class holds that the expression "the Lord's day" covers the whole gospel age, and does not mean any particular twenty-four-hour day. Another class holds that the Lord's day is the day of judgment, the future "day of the Lord" so often brought to view in the Scriptures. A third view is that the expression refers to the first day of the week. Still another class holds that it means the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord.

To the first of these positions it is sufficient to reply that the book of Revelation is dated by John on the Isle of Patmos, and upon the Lord's day. The writer, the place where it was written, and the day upon which it was dated, have each a real existence, no merely a symbolical or mystical one. But if we say that the day means the gospel age, we give it a symbolical or mystical meaning, which is not admissible. Why would it be necessary for John to explain that he was writing in the "Lord's day" if it meant the gospel age? It is well

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known that the book of Revelation was written some sixty-five years after the death of Christ.

The second position, that it is the day of judgment, cannot be correct. Though John might have had a vision concerning the day of judgment, he could not have had one on that day when it is yet future. The word translated "on" is, en, and is defined by Thayer when relating to time: "Periods and portions of time in which anything occurs, in, on, at, during." It never means "about" or "concerning." Hence those who refer it to the judgment day either contradict the language used, making it mean "concerning" instead of "on," or they make John state a strange falsehood by saying that he had a vision upon the Isle of Patmos, nearly eighteen hundred years ago, on the day of judgment which is yet future.

The third view, that by "Lord's day" is meant the first day of the week, is the one most generally entertained. On this we inquire for the proof. What evidence have we for this assertion? The text itself does not define the term "the Lord's day;" hence if it means the first day of the week, we must look elsewhere in the Bible for the proof that that day of the week is ever so designated. The only other inspired writers who speak of the first day at all, are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul; and they speak of it simply as "the first day of the week." They never speak of it in a manner to distinguish it above any other of the six working days. This is the more remarkable, viewed from the popular standpoint, as three of them speak of it at the very time when it is said to have become the Lord's day by the resurrection of the Lord upon the first day of the week, and two of them mention it some thirty years after that event.

If it is said that "the Lord's day" was the usual term for the first day of the week in John's day, we ask, Where is the proof of this? It CANNOT be found. In truth, we have proof of the contrary. If this were the universal designation of the first day of the week at the time the Revelation was written, the same writer would most assuredly call it so in all his subsequent

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writings. But John wrote his Gospel after he wrote the Revelation, and yet in that Gospel he calls the first day of the week, not "the Lord's day," but simply "the first day of the week." For proof that John's Gospel was written at a period subsequent to the Revelation, the reader is referred to standard authorities.

The claim here set up in behalf of the first day, is still further disproved by the fact that neither the Father nor the Son has ever claimed the first day as His own in any higher sense than He has each or any or the other laboring days. Neither of them has ever placed any blessing upon it, or attached any sanctity to it. If it were to be called the Lord's day from the fact of Christ's resurrection upon it, Inspiration would doubtless have somewhere so informed us. But there are other events equally essential to the plan of salvation, such as the crucifixion and the ascension; and in the absence of all instruction upon the point, why not call the day upon which either of these occurred, the Lord's day, as well as the day upon which He rose from the dead?

Since the three positions already examined have been disproved, the fourth-- that by Lord's day is meant the Sabbath of the Lord--now demands attention. This of itself is susceptible of the clearest proof. When God gave to man in the beginning six days of the week for labor, He expressly reserved the seventh day to Himself, placed His blessing upon it, and claimed it as His holy day. (Genesis 2: 1-3.) Moses told Israel in the wilderness of Sin on the sixth day of the week, "Tomorrow is the rest of the Sabbath unto the Lord." Exodus 16: 23.

We come to Sinai, where the great Lawgiver proclaimed His moral precepts in awful grandeur; and in that supreme code He thus lays claim to His hallowed day: "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God:. . . for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." By the prophet Isaiah, about

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eight hundred years later, God spoke as follows: "If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, . . . then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord," Isaiah 58: 13.

We come to New Testament times, and He who is one with the Father declares expressly, "The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath." Mark 2: 28. Can any man deny that that day is the Lord's day, of which He has emphatically declared that He is the Lord? Thus we see that whether it be the Father or the Son whose title is involved, no other day can be called the Lord's day but the SABBATH of the great Creator.

There is in the Christian Era one day distinguished above the other days of the week as "the Lord's day." How completely this great fact disproves the claim put forth by some that there is no Sabbath in the gospel age but that all days are alike! By calling it the Lord's day, the apostle has given us, near the close of the first century, apostolic sanction for the observance of the only day which can be called the Lord's day, which is the seventh day of the week.

When Christ was on earth, He clearly designated which day was His day by saying, "The Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day." Matthew 12: 8. If He had said instead, not that now be set forth as conclusive proof that Sunday is the Lord's day--Certainly, and with good reason. Then it ought to be allowed to have the same weight for the seventh day, in reference to which it was spoken.

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Note: The seventh day of the week is not Sunday, but Saturday. The Jews kept the Sabbath and STILL keep the Sabbath having NEVER changed the day God ordained and Jesus solidified as His day.

John was in the SPIRIT on the Lord's Day.

Just imagine- Jesus said that the Son of man is the LORD ALSO of the Sabbath.  Why would Jesus say this if He was doing away with the Sabbath?

Mar 2:23  And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

Mar 2:24  And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

Mar 2:25  And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

Mar 2:26  How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

Mar 2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Mar 2:28  Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Who said it was not lawful to pluck an ear of corn while they walked?  Man enacted restriction after restriction upon the moral laws of God. Those disciples and Jesus were simply walking and their walk took them through a corn field. They weren't out there to harvest the corn. They weren't out there to earn money. They were hungry and wanted a little snack. They weren't making a huge meal out of the corn. Yet the restrictions man had placed upon the Sabbath were so tight that the simple action of plucking an ear of corn was deserving a punishment for breaking the Sabbath.  It was a LIE. And Jesus set them straight.

He asked them if they hadn't read what David did.   David had a need. That need was hunger.  His companions were also hungry. He went into the TEMPLE and ate the SHEWBREAD- a sacred bread. David wasn't ordained to eat that bread, but he and his companions did eat it and they were not punished. The need was there, the real need and it wasn't done in any way to dishonor God.

The Sabbath was MADE for mankind. Mankind was NOT made for the Sabbath. The Son of man is LORD of the SABBATH. Jesus created the Sabbath, Jesus made this day very special.  The disciples were NOT breaking the Sabbath by doing something wrong. They were honoring the Sabbath with Jesus.

And if Jesus were going to outright disavow the Sabbath being kept at all, or if He were going to change the day on which it made for, He had EVERY opportunity to do so.  He didn't change a single LAW!

He ENHANCED them with LOVE, His love!

John knew what day it was, and that is was important to make mention of it in this most important Book of Revelation. 

John was in the SPIRIT on the LORD'S DAY.

What a blessing!  What a miracle! What amazing LOVE!

May we comprehend the blessings of the Sabbath, the holiness, in this amazing day we weekly are blessed to set aside for the worshiping of our God, of our Savior, of the Holy Spirit!

All through the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, now and forever!

Amen!

Every eye shall see Him

We are continuing our study on Revelation, may the Holy Spirit bless us in opening our understanding, in retaining all we need to retain, learning what we need to learn. Please Father, please guide us in all this. We need Your power, Your help, Your will in all of this because left to our own we can't comprehend anything.  In the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

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Revelation 1:7   Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

Here John carries us FORWARD to the second advent of Christ in glory, the climax and crowning event of His intervention in behalf of this fallen world.

Once He came in weakness, now He comes in power; once in humility, now in glory.

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He comes with clouds, in like manner as He ascended. (Acts 1: 9, 11.)

Act 1:9  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

His Coming Visible.--

"Every eye shall see Him."

All who are alive at the time of His coming shall see Jesus.

We know of no personal coming of Christ that will be as the stillness of midnight or take place only in the desert or the secret chamber. He comes not as a thief in the sense of stealing in secretly and quietly upon the world. But He comes to take to Himself His dearest treasure, His sleeping and His living saints, Himself, whom He has purchased with His own precious blood; whom He has wrested from the power of death in fair and open conflict; and for whom His coming will be no less open and triumphant.

It will be with the brilliancy and splendor of the lightning as it shines from east to the west. (Matthew 24: 27.) It will be with the sound of a trumpet that will pierce to earth's lowest depths, and with a mighty voice that shall wake the sainted sleepers from their dusty beds. (Matthew 24: 31, margin; 1 Thessalonians 4: 16.)

He will come upon the wicked as a thief, only because they persistently shut their eyes to the tokens of His approach, and will not believe the declarations of His word that He is at the door.

To represent two comings, a private and a public one, in connection with the second advent, as some do, is wholly UNWARRANTED from the Scriptures.

"They Also Which Pierced Him."--

They also (in addition to the "every eye" before mentioned) who were chiefly concerned in tragedy of His death shall behold Him returning to earth in triumph and glory.

But how is this? They are NOT NOW living, and how then shall they behold Him when He comes?

There will be a resurrection from the dead.

This is the only possible avenue to life to those who have once been laid in the grave. But how is it that these wicked persons come up at this time, since the general resurrection of the wicked does not take place until a thousand years after the second advent? (Revelation 20: 1-6.) On this point Daniel says further:

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"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great Prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." Daniel 12: 1, 2.

Here a partial resurrection is brought to view, a resurrection of a certain group of both righteous and wicked. This takes place before the general resurrection of either group. Many, not all, that sleep shall awake-- some of the righteous, not all of them, to everlasting life, and some of the wicked, not all of them, to shame and everlasting contempt. This resurrection takes place in connection with the great time of trouble such as never was, which precedes the coming of the Lord. May not "they also which pierced Him" be among those who then come up to shame and everlasting contempt? What could be more appropriate than that those who took part in our Lord's greatest humiliation, and other special leaders in crime against Him, should be raised to behold His terrible majesty as He comes triumphantly in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not His gospel?

The response of the church is, "Even so, Amen." Though this coming of Christ is to the wicked a scene of terror and destruction, it is to the righteous a scene of joy and triumph. This coming, which is with flaming fire, and for the purpose of taking vengeance on the wicked, is to recompense all those who believe. (2 Thessalonians 1: 6-10.)

Every friend and lover of Christ will hail every declaration and every token of His return as glad tidings of great joy.

Verse 8

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Here another speaker than John is introduced. In declaring who He is, He uses two of the same characterizations,

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"Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," as are found in Revelation 22: 13, where according to verses 12 and 16 of that chapter, it is plainly Christ who is speaking. We conclude, then, that it is Christ who is speaking in verse 8.

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

The subject here changes, for John introduces the place and the circumstances under which the Revelation was given. He first sets himself forth as a brother of the universal church, their companion in the tribulations of the Christian.

In this passage John evidently has reference to the future kingdom of glory. He introduces the thought of tribulation as part of the necessary preparation for entry into the kingdom of God. This idea is emphasized in such scriptures as:

"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Acts 14: 22.

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." 2 Timothy 2: 12.

 It is true that while here in the flesh, believers in Christ have access to the throne of grace. This is the throne of the kingdom of grace into which we are inducted at conversion, for He "hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Colossians 1: 13.

But at the second advent of the Saviour, when the kingdom of glory will be inaugurated, then the saints, members of the kingdom of grace here, redeemed from this present evil world, will have access to the throne of His glory. Then tribulation will be over, and the children of God will bask in the sunlight of the presence of the King of kings throughout eternity.

The Place of the Writing.--

Patmos is a small, barren island off the west coast of Asia Minor, between the island of Icaria and the promontory of Miletus, where in John's day was located the nearest Christian church. It is about ten miles long, six miles wide at its greatest breadth. Its present name is Patmo. The coast is high and consists of a succession of capes, which form many ports. The only one now in use is a deep bay sheltered by high mountains on every side but one,

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where it is protected by a projecting cape. The town attached to this port is situated upon a high, rocky mountain rising immediately from the sea. About halfway up the mountain on which this town is built there is shown a natural grotto in the rock where tradition says that John had his vision and wrote the Revelation. On account of the stern and desolate character of this island, it was used under the Roman Empire as a place of banishment. This accounts for the exile of John there. The banishment of the apostle took place under the emperor Domitian about the year A.D. 94; and from this supposition the date assigned to the writing of the Revelation is A.D. 95 or 96.

The Cause of Banishment.--

"For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." This was John's high crime and misdemeanor. The tyrant Domitian, who was then invested with the imperial purple of Rome, more eminent for his vices than even for his civil position, quailed before this aged but dauntless apostle. He dared not permit the promulgation of the gospel within the bounds of his kingdom. he exiled John to lonely Patmos, where, if anywhere this side of death, he might be said to be out of the world. After confining him to that barren spot, and to the cruel labor of the mines, the emperor doubtless thought that this preacher of righteousness was finally disposed of, and that the world would hear of him no more.

Probably the persecutors of John Bunyan thought the same when they had shut him up in Beford jail. But when man thinks he has buried the truth in eternal oblivion, the Lord gives it a resurrection in tenfold glory and power. From Bunyan's dark and narrow cell there blazed forth a spiritual light, through the Pilgrim's Progress, which for almost three hundred years has built up the interests of the gospel. From the barren Isle of Patmos, where Domitian thought he had forever extinguished at least one torch of truth, there arose the most magnificent revelation of all the sacred canon, to shed its divine luster over the whole Christian world until the end of

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time. How many will revere the name of the beloved disciple, and thrill with delight at his enraptured visions of heavenly glory, who will never learn the name caused his banishment!

Verily those words of the Scriptures are sometimes applicable to the present life, which declare that "the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance," but "the name of the wicked shall rot." (Psalms 112: 6; Proverbs 10: 7.)

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So much truth!

Do we believe it?! Do we comprehend it?!  We have to ask ourselves these questions.

Our Savior will return in the clouds- THE SAME WAY HE LEFT.

Every eye shall see him-  DO we know how this happens?  In our world of technology today it's easy to comprehend, IF that is how it's done. If NOT, our GOD has the ability to give visions to any He chooses and a vision of an occurring event is NOT beyond our GOD.

Some who PIERCED Jesus when He was in the flesh on His way to the second death WILL see His return. Again who are WE to question HOW God does what He does?
 

Miracle after miracle can take place. I PERSONALLY know of miracles that have occurred in my life. Events that had there NOT been divine intervention would have transpired so very differently. Things we might call coincidence etc but in truth GOD'S hand is working in our lives.  Even in TRAGEDIES God's hand can be witnessed. There may be horrific grief and rightly so, but through that grief the working of God can be seen. We are tried in FIRE and no fire, no purification by fire is without pain, without agonies.

These truths of Christ's return are just that- TRUTHS!

These truths are necessary for US to know and one reason could be,  we need to know because the deceiver will use everything in his power to deceive us, to keep us from the TRUTH. The deceiver will give us partial truths. The deceiver will give us all the truth but 1% of it, and when he keeps that 1% of truth, he allows us to be deceived and in that deception when we accept what is a lie, then we are aligned with the Father of lies, Satan. When we align ourselves with Satan we leave the God of NO GUILE, we leave the God of TRUTH!

Please LORD keep us in YOUR TRUTH, all of it!

In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ!

Our Lord, our Savior, now and forever!

AMEN!

Jesus spoke of loving God and loving others, and He also spoke of a burning lake of fire

The Book of Revelation.


Upon reading that title one may envision some pretty wild things thanks to the movies, television show, and books (mostly fictionalized interpretations of God's word.)  The truth is, the Book of Revelation is pretty wild. It's filled with prophetic symbolism the invokes some amazing imagery. To sit down and read the Book of Revelation without comprehension of symbolism would mean to take all things written literally and if all were taken literally one would surely believe John, the apostle was crazy for writing down this vision from the angel, Jesus' vision, Jesus' Revelation of what MUST come to pass, and come to pass shortly.  The same God-man who spoke-'Blessed are the meek', spoke -


Rev 21:6  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Rev 21:7  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death


Jesus spoke BOTH.  Jesus didn't mince words! Jesus who spoke of LOVING God and LOVING others spoke of a BURNING LAKE OF FIRE.


So before you stop your Christian walk at the love part, continue on until you get to the part about the second death. 


Study the Book of Revelation and by the GRACE of God, through the HOLY SPIRIT'S leading may comprehension come and with it, a blessing.  Jesus' love is found even in the lake of fire, where all evil is finally once and for all completely and utterly destroyed beyond any ability to rise again.  The destruction of all evil is LOVE, excusing evil and allowing its continued existence is not love!


Please, Father in heaven, please give us our daily bread, our spiritual food of understanding, of enlightenment through You and Your word!  All in Jesus' name we pray! Amen.


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Continuing from 'Daniel and the Revelation' by Uriah Smith'


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The seven stars which the Son of man held in His right hand are declared to be the angels of the seven churches. (Verse 20.)


The angels of the churches, doubtless all will agree, are the ministers of the churches. Their being held in the right hand of the son of man denotes the sustaining power, guidance, and protection vouchsafed to them. But there were only seven of them in His right hand. Are there ONLY SEVEN thus cared for by the great Master of assemblies? May not all true ministers of the entire gospel age derive from this representation the consolation of knowing that they are upheld and guided by the right hand of the great Head of the church? Such would seem to be the only consistent conclusion to be reached.


Again, John, looking into the Christian Era, saw only seven candlesticks, representing seven churches, in the midst of which stood the Son of man. The position of the Son of man among them must denote His presence with them, His watchcare over them, and His searching scrutiny of all their works. But does He thus take cognizance of ONLY SEVEN individual churches?


 May we not rather conclude that this scene represents His position in reference to all His churches during the gospel age?


Then why were only seven mentioned?


Seven, as used in the Scriptures, is a number denoting fullness and completeness.


Therefore the seven candlesticks denote the ENTIRE gospel church in seven periods, and the seven churches may be applied in the same manner.


Why, then, were the seven particular churches chosen that are mentioned? For the reason, doubtless, that in the names of these churches, according to the definitions of the words, are brought out the religious features of those periods of the gospel age which they respectively were to represent.


"The seven churches," therefore, are easily understood to mean not merely the seven literal churches of Asia which went by the names mentioned, but SEVEN PERIODS of the Christian church, from the days of the apostles to the close of probation.


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The Source of Blessing.--


"From Him which is, and which was, and which is to come," or is to be--an expression which in this connection refers to God the Father, since the Holy Spirit and Christ are mentioned separately in the immediate context.


The Seven Spirits.--


This expression probably has no reference to angels, but to the Spirit of God. It is one of the sources from which grace and peace are invoked for the church. On the interesting subject of the seven spirits, Thompson remarks: "That is, from the Holy Spirit, denominated 'the seven spirits,' because seven is a SACRED and PERFECT number; not thus named . . . as denoting interior plurality, but the fullness and perfect of His gifts and operations." [2] Albert Barnes says, "The number seven, therefore, may have been given to the Holy Spirit with reference to the diversity or the fullness of His operations on the souls of men, and to His manifold agency on the affairs of the world, as further developed in this book." [3]


His Throne.--


This refers to the throne of God the Father, for Christ has not yet taken His own throne. The seven spirits being before the throne "may be intended to designate the face that the Divine Spirit was, as it were, prepared to go forth, or to be sent forth, in accordance with a common representation in the Scriptures, to accomplish important purposes in human affairs." [4]


"And From Jesus Christ."--


Some of the chief characteristics which pertain to Christ are here mentioned.


He is "the faithful Witness." Whatever He bears witness to is true. Whatever He promises, He will surely fulfill.


"The first begotten of the dead" is an expression parallel to --


1 Corinthians 15: 20, 23;(((1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. ))))


Hebrews 1: 6, (((Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. ))))


 Romans 8: 29; (((Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. ))))and


Colossians 1: 15, 18, (((Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. )))


)where we find such expressions applied to Christ as "the first fruits of them that slept," "the
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firstborn among many brethren," "the firstborn of every creature," and "the firstborn from the dead." But these expressions do NOT denote that He was the first in POINT OF TIME to be raised from the dead; for others were raised before Him. Moreover, that is a very unimportant point. But He was the chief and central figure of all who have come up from the grave, for it was by virtue of Christ's coming, work, and resurrection, that ANY were raised before His time. In the purpose of God, He was the first in point of time as well as in importance, for it was not until after the purpose of Christ's triumph over the grave was formed in the mind of God, who "calleth those things which be not as though they were" (Romans 4: 17), that any were released from the power of death by virtue of that great purpose which was in due time to be accomplished.


Christ is "the Prince of the kings of the earth." In a certain sense He is that now. Paul informs us, in Ephesians 1: 20, 21, that He has been set at the right hand of God in the heavenly places, "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come." The highest names in this world are those of princes, kings, emperors, and potentates of earth. But Christ is placed FAR above them. He is seated with His Father upon the throne of universal dominion, and ranks equally with Him in the overruling and the controlling of affairs of all nations of earth. (Revelation 3: 21.)


In a more particular sense, Christ is to be Prince of the kings of the earth when He takes His own throne, and the kingdoms of this world become the "kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ," when they are given by the Father into His hands, and He comes forth bearing upon His vesture the title of "Kings of kings and Lord of lords," to dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. (Revelation 19: 16; 2: 27; Psalm 2: 8, 9.)


Christ is spoken of further as "Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood." We have thought that earthly friends loved us--a father, a mother, brothers and
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sisters, or bosom friends--but see that NO love is worthy of the name compared with the love of Christ for us. The following sentence adds intensity of meaning to the previous words: "And washed us from our sins in His own blood." What love is this! "Greater love," says the apostle, "hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15: 13. But Christ has commended His love for us in that He died for us "while we were yet sinners." But more than this, He "hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father." From being leprous with sin, we are made clean in His sight; from being enemies, we are not only made friends, but raised to positions of honor and dignity. What matchless love! What matchless provision God has made that we might be cleansed from sin! Consider for a moment the sanctuary service and its beautiful significance. When a sinner confesses his sins, and receives forgiveness, he lays them on Christ, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. In the books of heaven where they are recorded, the blood of Christ covers them, and if the follower of God is faithful to his profession, those sins will never be revealed, but will be destroyed by the fires that purify the earth when sin and sinners were consumed. Says the prophet Isaiah, "Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back." Isaiah 38: 17. Then will apply the statement of the Lord through Jeremiah, "I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31: 34.


No wonder the loving and beloved disciple John ascribed to this Being who has done so much for us, glory and dominion, forever and ever!


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There is NO doubt numbers play a part in the Bible.   Seven and Twleve- the numbers of perfection, of wholeness. Symbolic in meaning for completeness.


The number 7, the number 12.  7 days of Creation. 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles.


Taken from a site online-


• Jesus chose 12 disciples who later became the 12 apostles which seem to fit the context of the number 12 used elsewhere in the Bible as this number also signified governmental rule or authority.  The betrayer, Judas, was replaced by Matthias (Acts 1:23-26).
• The New Jerusalem which descends out of heaven has 12 gates made of pearl which are manned by 12 angels.  Each of the gates has been named after one of the 12 tribes of Israel.
• In Revelation 7, twelve thousands from each of the 12 tribes of Israel will be saved near the end of the present world system.
• The walls of the New Jerusalem are measured at 144 cubits high which is 12 multiplied (Rev 21:16).
• The New City is also 12,000 furlongs squared (Rev 21:16).
• There are 12 precious stones that will be used as the foundation of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:19-20).
• The wall of the city had 12 foundations with the 12 names of the apostles on each one (Rev 21:14).
• Twelve thousand will be taken from the earth so that they may serve the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ (Rev 14:1-5).
• The high priest’s breastplate had 12 precious stones embedded within them.
• There was even a woman who had suffered from a blood hemorrhage for 12 years (Luke 8:40).
• There are 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament.  They are called minor, not because they are less important than the Major Prophets, but due to their size being considerably smaller.
• There are 12 historical books in the Bible:  Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Sam, 2 Sam, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
• There were 12 loaves of permanent offerings on the golden table (Lev 24:5).
• There were 12 explorers or spies sent into the land of Canaan (Due 1:23).
• Solomon had 12 administrators in his kingdom (1 Kings 4:7).
• There were 12 men who laid 12 stones in building a monument to the Lord (Joshua 4:3).
• The Book of Chronicles contained 12 great priests.
• Twelve curses were indicated for disobedience to Israel (Duet 27).
• A young Israelite male took 12 years before he could be admitted as a “son of the law.”
• There were the 12 sacrifices of animals that were to be given (Numb 7, 29).


From <http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/09/28/what-does-the-number-twelve-12-mean-or-represent-in-the-bible/>


• No animal could be sacrificed until it was seven days old (Ex 22:30).
• There were seven “I AM’s” in the Gospel of John that Jesus used when He spoke of Himself.
• The Lord would discipline Israel up to sevenfold (up to seven times) if they refused to obey Him (Lev 26:18).
• Jesus mentions seven woes (or judgments) on the unrepentant in Matthew 23.
• Jesus also mentions seven parables in Matthew 13.
• There were seven letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation (2, 3).
• There were also seven trumpets announcing judgments by God in the Book of Revelation (8).
• There were seven signs given in the Gospel of John.
• There were seven pairs of clean animals that were received into the Ark (Gen 7:2).
• Joshua and Israel marched around Jericho seven times while seven priests blew seven trumpets before the walls came crashing down (Joshua 6:3-4).
• Elisha told the military commander Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River seven times and he would be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:10).
• There were seven qualities or attributes of the Messiah mentioned in Isaiah 11:2.
• There are seven things that the Lord hates mentioned in Proverbs 6:16.
• There were seven stems on the lampstand in the tabernacle (Ex 25:37).
• There were seven angels pouring out seven bowls of the wrath of God in the Book of Revelation (16:1).


From <http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/09/26/what-does-the-number-seven-7-mean-or-represent-in-the-bible/>


Truly we can comprehend there being symbolic prophetic wording in this book of 'things which shortly must come to pass.' 


Tell me something, just from a human point of view because that's what we are, humans. If you had the knowledge of some wonderful, yet also awful things pertaining to the future, that would take thousands of human years to unfold, would you tell people plainly what was to come? You might jump up and say, "Yes! Most definitely! All this prophetic babble and symbolism is confusing."  However, what if you KNEW immediately that your descendants that would live during this these thousands of years would be of the mind that nothing bad would happen to them for a long time and so their sense of need to prepare was lost, what then? What if you knew for a fact that Christ would not return for another five hundred years, how would that color you view? Would you be willing to take more deliberate risks with your sinning, believing you could seek forgiveness at a later date? Would you cease to really care because it was so far away that you found it easy to believe it would never happen at all? The risks in knowing facts could in truth color your way of life and not in a very good way at all. Also, when people find themselves knowing plainly where is the faith? 


If you knew how your life would play out from birth to death, if you were handed a manual of your life and in it was written every single thing you'd do in significant situations, what happens when they begin to come true and you can do nothing to change them? You know you're going to get into a car accident and seriously injure someone, yet you cannot change it, you can simply wait for that day to arrive and that event to occur, what then?  What sense is there if you cannot change circumstances, if you cannot change the outcome?


God knows the end from the beginning, but we cannot because we are CREATURES, something we tend to forget all too often. We are given FREE WILL to choose without knowing what takes place.  It is NO longer free will if we have no choice.  And simply because our CREATOR knows does not negate OUR free will.   Have you ever taught someone a lesson the hard way? Letting them make mistakes to learn from them when you could have stopped them?  You watch someone doing mathematical figures a certain way, all the while knowing they are wrong. Yet you let them come to that determination themselves so they can go back and learn where they went wrong, and this teaches them much more than had you stopped them and revealed their error outright. And this holds true for more than just mathematical figuring. Many a life lesson is learned the hard way, not to be cruel but to teach. Did you take away the free will of a person making the wrong mathematical figures by NOT stopping them but knowing they were in the wrong? No.  Just because you KNOW an outcome does not stop free will.


C.S. Lewis summed things up pretty neatly when he wrote this in his book- 'Mere Christianity' -


'CHAPTER 25
TIME AND BEYOND TIME
….
In the last chapter I had to touch on the subject of prayer, and while that is still fresh in your mind and my own, I should like to deal with a difficulty that some people find about the whole idea of prayer. A man put it to me by saying 'I can believe in God all right, but what I cannot swallow is the idea of Him attending to several hundred million human beings who are all addressing Him at the same moment.' And I have found that quite a lot of people feel this.


Now, the first thing to notice is that the whole sting of it comes in the words AT THE SAME MOMENT. Most of us can imagine God attending to any number of applicants if only they came one by one and He had an endless time to do it in. So what is really at the back of this difficulty is the idea of God having to fit too many things into one moment of time.


Well that is of course WHAT HAPPENS TO US. OUR LIFE COMES TO US MOMENT BY MOMENT. One moment disappears before the next comes along: and there is room for very little in each. That is what Time is like. And of course you and I tend to take it for granted that this Time series - this arrangement of past, present and future - is not simply the way life comes to us but the way all things really exist. We tend to assume that the whole universe and God Himself are always moving on from past to future just as we do. But many learned men do not agree with that. It was the Theologians who first started the idea that SOME THINGS ARE NOT INT TIME AT ALL: later the Philosophers took it over: and now some of the scientists are doing the same.


Almost certainly GOD IS NOT IN TIME. His life does not consist of moments following one another. If a million people are praying to Him at ten-thirty tonight, He need not listen to them all in that one little snippet which we call ten-thirty. Ten-thirty-and every other moment from the beginning of the world-is ALWAYS PRESENT FOR HIM. If you like to put it that way, He has ALL ETERNITY in which to listen to the split second of prayer put up by a pilot as his plane crashes in flames.


That is difficult, I know. Let me try to give something, not the same, but a bit like it. Suppose I am writing a novel. I write 'Mary laid down her work; next moment came a knock at the door!' For Mary who has to live in the imaginary time of my story there is NO interval between putting down the work and hearing the knock. But I, who am Mary's maker, do not live in that imaginary time at all. Between writing the first half of that sentence and the second, I might sit down for three hours and think steadily about Mary. I could think about Mary as if she were the only character in the book and for as long as I pleased, and the hours I spent in doing so would NOT appear in Mary's time (the time inside the story) at all.


This is not a perfect illustration, of course. But it may give just a GLIMPSE of what I believe to be the truth. God is not hurried along in the Time-stream of this universe any more than an author is hurried along in the imaginary time of his own novel. He has infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, He died for you INDIVIDUALLY just as much as if you had been the only man in the world.


The way in which my illustration breaks down is this. In it the author gets out of one Time-series (the real one). But God, I believe, does not live in a Time-series at all. His life is not dribbled out moment by moment like ours with Him it is, so to speak, still 1920 and already 1960 For His life is Himself.


If you picture Time as a straight line along which we have to travel, then you must picture God as the whole page on which the line is drawn. We come to the parts of the line one by one: we have to leave A behind before we get to B, and cannot reach C until we leave B behind. God, from above or outside or all round, CONTAINS THE WHOLE LINE, AND SEES IT ALL.


The idea is worth trying to grasp because it removes some apparent difficulties in Christianity. Before I became a Christian one of my objections was as follows. The Christians said that the eternal God who is everywhere and keeps the whole universe going, once became a human being. Well, then, said I, how did the whole universe keep going while He was a baby, or while He was asleep? How could He at the same time be God who knows everything and also a man asking his disciples 'Who touched me?' You will notice that the sting lay in the time words: 'While He was a baby'-'How could He at the same time?' In other words I was assuming that Christ's life as God was in time, and that His life as the man Jesus in Palestine was a shorter period taken out of that time - just as my service in the army was a shorter period taken out of my total life. And that is how most of us perhaps tend to think about it. We picture God living through a period when His human life was still in the future: then coming to a period when it was present: then going on to a period when He could look back on it as something in the past. But probably these ideas correspond to nothing in the actual facts. You cannot fit Christ's earthly life in Palestine into any time-relations with His life as God beyond all space and time. It is really, I suggest, a timeless truth about God that human nature, and the human experience of weakness and sleep and ignorance, are somehow included in His whole divine life. This human life in God is from our point of view a particular period in the history of our world (from the year A.D. one till the Crucifixion). We therefore imagine it is also a period in the history of God's own existence. But God has no history. He is too completely and utterly real to have one. For, of course, to have a history means losing part of your reality (because it has already slipped away into the past) and not yet having another part (because it is still in the future): in fact having nothing but the tiny little present, which has gone before you can speak about it. God forbid we should think God was like that. Even we may hope not to be always rationed in that way.


Another difficulty we get if we believe God to be in time is this. Everyone who believes in God at all believes that He knows what you and I are going to do to-morrow. But if He knows I am going to do so-and-so, how can I be free to do otherwise? Well, here once again, the difficulty comes from thinking that God is progressing along the Timeline like us: the only difference being that He can see ahead and we cannot. Well, if that were true, if God foresaw our acts, it would be very hard to understand how we could be free not to do them. But suppose God is outside and above the Time-line. In that case, what we call 'to-morrow' is visible to Him in just the same way as what we call 'to-day'. All the days are 'Now' for Him. He does not remember you doing things yesterday; He simply sees you doing them, because, though you have lost yesterday, He has not. He does not 'foresee' you doing things to-morrow; He simply sees you doing them because, though to-morrow is not yet there for you, it is for Him. You never supposed that your actions at this moment were any less free because God knows what you are doing. Well. He knows your tomorrow's actions in just the same way -because He is already in to-morrow and can simply watch you. In a sense, He does not know your action till you have done it: but then the moment at which you have done it is already `Now' for Him.


This idea has helped me a good deal. If it does not help you, leave it alone. It is a `Christian idea' in the sense that great and wise Christians have held it and there is nothing in it contrary to Christianity. But it is not in the Bible or any of the creeds. You can be a perfectly good Christian without accepting it, or indeed without thinking of the matter at all.'


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Maybe this will help you in comprehending or maybe not, but truthfully, to unveil what is known because TIME is a whole different thing for you, would be foolhardy and God is anything but. God is FOR us, not against us.


God would have us comprehend the PLAN of salvation.  God would have us KNOW the truth revealed as facts through prophecies coming to pass. God would have us comprehend if all the prophecies came to pass for the past, then for the future the prophecies would also come to pass. God would have us choose SALVATION and all His prophecies for us are towards this end and no other! We can have hope through Christ and God's amazing word to us, this knowledge that has existed for thousands of years, passed down verbally then written upon the page is for us to learn from.


TRUTHFULLY answer me this? If living for Christ now, if believing through faith in Him as your Savior only gives you a HOPE of a future in a sinless existence where is the harm? WHERE?  And IF by your reckoning it's all fables and foolishness, what have you lost in having HOPE?  Even if your life were cut down because of your hope, you've lost nothing but time in a sin-filled world. 


I believe and will continue to believe, I have hope and will continue to have hope. My faith is in CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, MY SAVIOR! He is LOVE, sin free and LOVE pure LOVE, He is my EVERYTHING! And I lose NOTHING by believing in HIM, nothing of any real worth, nothing of eternal worth at all. I may lose EVERYTHING of temporary worth, but nothing of eternal worth.


 More on the prophecies of Revelation tomorrow. More blessings, by the grace and mercy of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST! Now and forever, always in HIM!


Amen.
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Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2  Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5  And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.