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Tag: Revelation

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John

  • Doctrine – GOD IS HOLY

    Doctrine – GOD IS HOLY

    God is HOLY! & man is not

    Maybe a Saint or Pope? Perhaps an angel? How about a Priest or holy man dedicating their life to God? And what about holy men and women of other faiths? WHO CAN BE HOLY?

    What do you mean by ‘that’ word?

    Doctrine is defined as, “that which is taught.”

    No question about someone’s preaching or teaching is more important than, “What do you mean by that?”

    So as I begin this series addressing various doctrines, please allow me to address what I mean by three terms in this first doctrine: God, Is and Holy. (What do I mean when I preface my teaching on the Bible by saying, ‘God is holy?’)

    In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth..

    בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

    and the Spirit of God moved above the face of the waters Genesis 1:26 picture of sun over clouds

    God, as used in the beginning of the books of Moses is literally,

    אֱלֹהִים

    ‘ĕlōhîm.

    * NOTE - definitions linked to secure authoritative sources
    ‘ĕlōhîm is plural *

    (WE might want to remember that about GOD.)

    • gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God
    • also (plural intensive – singular meaning) i.e. the true God

    We cannot exhaust all of the words used for ‘God’ here as we speak of doctrine, but we must look at one additional (and somewhat ambiguous) synonym, ‘Lord.’

    LORD יְהֹוָה

    וַיִּיצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֗ם עָפָר֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה וַיִּפַּ֥ח בְּאַפָּ֖יו נִשְׁמַ֣ת חַיִּ֑ים וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּֽה׃

    And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

    Genesis 2:7 WLC, KJV

    Yᵊhōvâ! G-d’s NAME, so holy that man should not even say it!

    LORD (all CAPS – above all man and creature, the heavens and the earth).

    • Jehovah = “the existing One”
      • i.e. יַהְוֶה proper name, of deity Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel —
      • The pronunciation Jehovah was unknown until A.D. 1520

    What Commandment is foremost?

    Gospel of Mark 12:

    28 One of the Torah-teachers came up and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He [the Messiah Jesus] had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

    ‘Sh’ma Yisra’el, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai echad [Hear, O Isra’el, the Lord our God, the Lord is one], and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

    Mark 12:28-29 from NASB & CJB

    Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘.. The Lord is our God, the Lord is one..’

    Holy, Holy, Holy

    I remember from early days of my childhood growing up ‘in church’ hearing a cappella worship and the ethereal lyrics of ‘Holy, Holy, Holy.’ The ‘otherness‘ feeling of these moments of worship transported my soul to a higher undefinable place. It was worship I would not come to understand until until I received the Holy Spirit many years later in this mortal life.

    Although we cannot even approach the heights and depths of the doctrine of Trinity in this brief look at holiness, I offer you, beloved fellow believer, this one insight:

    You may have heard of the Trinity before, but it will not impact your faith until you receive the Holy Spirit.

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    Holiness defined

    Like the word ‘God,’ the word and concept of HOLY also has many meanings which fall short of full description by mortal man.

    When the Apostles recognized Jesus as God they confessed,

    “And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

    John 6:69 NASB20

    The Greek word for ‘Holy‘ used by the Apostle Peter is: ἅγιος

    • hágios, hag’-ee-os; from ἅγος hágos (an awful thing) (compare G53, G2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):—(most) holy (one, thing), saint.

    Awe becomes a most humbling reaction to the Holy presence of Almighty God!

    We witness mortals experiencing this holiness in Moses and many others. Take the reaction of the prophet Isaiah for instance:

    Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

    Isaiah 6:5 KJV

    And what had Isaiah seen that evoked such awe? Enter the scene which preceded where Isaiah has a vision of a place other than earth:

    וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃

    And one cried unto another, and said,
    Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts:
    the whole earth is full of his glory.

    Yeshaiya (Isaiah) 6:3

    The Hebrew word for holy is: קָדוֹשׁ

    • of God, as separate, apart, and so sacred, holy:
      • a. exalted on theophanic throne Isaiah 6:3 (3 times in verse), Psalm 22:4 heavenly throne Isaiah 57:15; etc.

    Man is NOT God

    לֹא אִישׁ אֵל וִֽיכַזֵּב וּבֶן־אָדָם וְיִתְנֶחָם הַהוּא אָמַר וְלֹא יַעֲשֶׂה וְדִבֶּר וְלֹא יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃

    “God is not a man, that He would lie,
    Nor a son of man, that He would change His mind;
    Has He said, and will He not do it?
    Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good.

    Bamidbar (Numbers) 23:19

    And most impactful to mortal man:

    GOD IS.

    The Lord God was and is and will be!

    God IS eternal and man is NOT. Men and women born of dust will return to dust — our flesh and bones by the spirit abandoned.

    Shall the spirit of the created not behold in AWE the HOLINESS of the eternal LORD God?

    God is Other!

    He IS not one of us. And by our separation of sin we cannot be one of ‘ĕlōhîm, EXCEPT by grace.

    Holiness is other than moral perfection

    To paraphrase the 20th c. theologian Rudolf Otto in ‘The Idea of the Holy,’

    HOLY IS NOT “the consummation of moral goodness.”

    Then Otto observes, “But this common usage of the term [holy] is inaccurate. Otto suggest the word numinous. 

    [source for further study: https://www.britannica.com/topic/sacred#ref538785
Streng, F. J.. "Sacred." Encyclopedia Britannica, February 12, 2019. https://www.britannica.com/topic/sacred.]

    (a mysterious, majestic presence inspiring dread and fascination)

    This HOLINESS of the Almighty LORD God has little to do with moral goodness. God is a Holy eternal being other than any moral or immoral mortal being.

    With gratitude to God and R.C. Sproul, I recommend any of the teaching series or books mentioned & linked. Roger

    God IS a tremendous mystery!

    Still borrowing from philosophy and the theology of R.C. Sproul, the reaction of the created (mankind) to the Creator (God) is Mysterium Tremendum.

    It is tremendous, but in a way that shakes you to your very core.

    R.C. Sproul – from The Holiness of God on Mysterium Tremendum

    This Latin expression from early church fathers describes God’s holiness as the “tremendous, tremor-inducing and awe-inspiring, mystery,” a reverence for the Lord rarely present in 21st century worship by the church.

    God is Other Plus

    Can man pursue Other?

    God IS other, but God is also more than Other. The LORD is above all His Creation plus in it as well. The Personal God of the Bible made Himself known to those He chose; that is, Moses, Elijah and the Prophets, David and others.

    Although we hallow God (and we must), our awe and fear of the LORD draws us to His love that conceived each of us in His image as body, mind and spirit.

    Again, returning to a description by Otto, who secular philosophers accuse of pursuing the irrational, it is better to say “supra-rational.”

    God is NOT other than rational just because man cannot understand a God so ‘other’ than mankind.

    Theologians seek to study “that rational aspect of that supreme Reality we call ‘God.”‘ Although the Holy trembles the hearts of men, the pursuit of God’s holiness draws us to the other supra-rational being who out of His own love pursues us.

    God defends HIS HOLINESS!

    Scripture records that God has met up with some brash men and responded. (So have we.) Some sought answers from the Lord while others offended God by bold disrespect or by profane ignorance of the Almighty.

    Secular ambivalence to God denies that which is holy, while cultural inclusion of that which is not holy diminishes the Divine Authority of He Who IS other and above all creation.

    GOD defends His holiness and His Holy Name.

    Roger@talkofJESUS.com

    The Lord’s defense of His holiness is sometimes subtle and gentle, yet at times severe and final in execution of His judgment.

    Scriptural Defense of God’s Holiness

    • “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” – Exodus 3:5
    • “You shall be holy people to Me, therefore.. – Exodus 22:31a

    ..the ground that was under them split open..

    So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol; and the earth closed over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly.

    Numbers 16:31b,33 – Korah’s rebellion
    • Fire also came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. – Numbers 16:35
    • .. Uzza put out his hand to hold the ark, because the oxen nearly overturned it. But the anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, so He struck him because he had put out his hand toward the ark; and he died there before God. – 1 Chronicles 13:9b-10

    Behold, the day of the LORD is coming,
    Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
    To make the land a desolation;
    And He will exterminate its sinners from it.

    – Isaiah 13:

    a Gospel glance at Holiness

    From the Gospel of Luke:

    • .. and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well pleased.” – Luke 3:22

    In the synagogue [at Capernaum] there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave us alone! What business do You have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

    But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all.. – Luke 4

    A Rebuke of the Church

    As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

    First Letter of Peter to the church 1:14-16 ESV

    “Who is like You among the gods, LORD?
    Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
    Awesome in praises, working wonders

    Exodus 15:11

    Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God

    so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.

    2 verses addressing holiness:
2 Corinthians 7:1 + 1 Thessalonians 3:13

    a Revelation by Jesus Christ of Holiness to the church

    “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
    He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

    I know your deeds..

    A plea of grace

    Are you, dear saint of God, looking to the holiness offered to sinners — undeserved holiness by grace from the Perfect Other Son and Sacrifice –Jesus Christ — Who was and IS and will be — judge of all living flesh and judge of each dead saint or sinner?

    He knows your deeds — your works for the Lord, as well as every impure act in thought, word and deed.

    Hear the cries of the souls of the saints beneath the Altar of Heaven:

    “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?”

    Revelation 6:10

    Are these not souls like ours crying out to the Lord God for Justice?

    How long, O Lord, can it yet be in these last days of this 21st century?

    Do you, my fellow saint, recall what follows in John’s apocalypse from Jesus Christ — what response to God’s holy refining of heaven and earth?

    And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to the earth..

    The sky was split apart .. and every mountain and island was removed from its place..

    excerpt from the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 6:12-14

    The LORD God: Father, Son and Spirit: are ONE and ALL are Perfectly HOLY

    Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder…

    ..and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.

    ..day and night they do not cease to say,

    “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
    IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY,
    who was and who is and who is to come.”

    Revelation 4:8b NASB20

    Let those with ears hear what the Spirit says — GOD IS HOLY!

    Amen.

  • God’s Personal Love -5- for flickering flames of Faith

    God’s Personal Love -5- for flickering flames of Faith

    I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches.

    Revelation 1:11 NKJV

    Golden Lampstands with flames from flickering faith

    Darkness dominates a cold place behind the veil of the Holy of Holies – an unseen flickering faith of worshipers of the LORD.

    The Temple had been Jerusalem’s replica of a former glory now departed – a white-washed façade of cleansing since the broken covenant of its faithless shepherds.

    Then like a Light in the darkness their Messiah unexpectedly appears among God’s chosen. And His Sacrifice substitutes as the Passover lamb — the Lamb of forgiveness which takes away the sins of the world.

    A flickering flame of hope is now the shining star of David as Scripture had proclaimed. And Jesus returns once more in Body and Spirit — in victory over death!

    The Light of Life stands within the Tabernacle of this world and offers Himself as its Sacrifice.

    The Son now rules from above in the Temple of Glory!

    • The Prophets told of His coming.
    • Jesus’ Disciples preached His Gospel of Light.
    • And now His Church must shine as a brief candle lifted into the throne room of Christ’s glory.

    Revelation to Churches with Flickering Faith

    Even prior to the end of the first century A.D. faith in the Church flickered in the winds of the world. And the love of the saints sometimes extinguished in false gospels of darkness.

    As it was before the incarnation of Christ Jesus, so it was after the Lord’s resurrection and ascension.

    Yet a risen Christ Jesus lifts the dead from their graves.

    And discouraged disciples of these last days stand as brief candles in the darkness looking upon the eternal Light of glory.

    a Vision from the Lord

    While the world stumbles in the darkness of sin, a Personal love of God Almighty shines into the darkness (as the Prophet Isaiah had said).

    And the people will be oppressed,
    Each one by another, and each one by his neighbor;
    The youth will assault the elder,
    And the contemptible person will assault the one honored.

    Isaiah 3:5

    “Make the hearts of this people insensitive,
    Their ears dull,
    And their eyes blind,
    So that they will not see with their eyes,
    Hear with their ears,
    Understand with their hearts,
    And return and be healed.”

    Isaiah 6:10

    Exhortation from Peter

    After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension the Apostles all proclaim His death, resurrection and returning again. He is the Light of the world, they preach in their letters to a growing Church as every Apostle exhorts the faithful.

    Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
    To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

    Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

    Sound familiar?

    James and Jude, brothers of Jesus also write similar loving greetings to the church in their letters.

    Before we continue in Christ’s revelation to John, hear just a bit more of what the Apostle Simon, ‘the rock’ on which Jesus promised to build His Church had to say in his second letter:.

    God’s Personal Love -3 Brothers Beloved & more

    Peter to the church as the Apostles death is near

    .. For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty..

    And like Isaiah and the Prophets Peter assures the church:

    And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

    Message to the Seven Churches

    Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands..

    the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 1:12 NASB20

    7 Exhortations for all churches

    We all need a true light in this place of darkness, don’t we?

    God’s Personal Love -4- from Him who is to come

    Revelation!

    His face like the sun shining in its strength..

    in the midst of seven golden lampstands..

    His voice as the sound of many waters..

    and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.

    Revelation excerpts 1:16,12,15,16

    As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

    Revelation 1:20 NASB

    The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

    7 Candles of Flickering Faith

    .. and I will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. – the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 2:5b

    1-Ephesus

    • “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people..

    But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. [agape]

    Revelation 2:4 NASB20

    Remember therefore from where you have fallen;

    • repent,
    • and do the works you did at first.

    If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

    2- Smyrna

    • ‘I know your tribulation [thlipsis – a pressing, pressing together, pressure, oppression, affliction, tribulation, distress, straits]
    • and your poverty (but you are rich)
    • I know the blasphemy of those opposing you. Strong’s G988 – blasphēmia
    • Do not fear what you are about to suffer.

    Prove yourself faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

    Revelation 2:10c

    3-Pergamum

    • “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne,
    • and you hold firmly to My name,
    • But I have a few things against you,
      • Remember:
        • each ‘Church’ is plural,
        • while every single ‘saint’ is accountable to Christ
    • you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam,
      • Doctrine is more than your ‘church vision’ taught, but not applied
      • Teaching among claimants of Christ may mislead others.
    • who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel..
    • In a similar way, you have some Nicolaitans among you who follow the same teaching.
      • (Nicolaitans, that is “destruction of people” in your gathering, are those who listen to your teaching (preaching or doctrine) yet are easily tempted to follow false teachings they prefer.)
      • (Note: the root name, nikolaos, may refer to a proselyte of Antioch and one of the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem. His name Νικόλαος means “victor of the people.”)
      • Christ Jesus is our ONLY teaching, for He alone is victorious over death. And from the Throne of glory Jesus warns the church:
    • Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly,
    • and I will wage war against them with the sword of My mouth..

    4- Sardis

    • “‘I know your works. You have [a name] the reputation of being alive,
    • {go ahead, substitute Your Church Name, here & see how you receive Christ’s admonition.}
    • but you are dead.
    • Wake up,
    • strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die;
      • {Some works yet to do in your church?}
    • for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
      • {My fellow saint, our Lord Jesus says we have incomplete deeds yet to do.}
    • Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly.
    • Repent and turn to me again.
    • If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly..
      • The general exhortation is for all, yet some not in need of repentance Christ encourages specifically.
    • You have a few names even in Sardis .. [who] shall walk with Me in white [unsoiled garments], for they are worthy.

    The one who overcomes will be clothed the same way, in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

    Revelation 3:5 NASB

    5- Philadelphia

    φιλάδελφος (root word) – From φίλος (G5384) and ἀδελφός (G80) – ‘friend’ & ‘brother’

    BlueletterBible.org

    “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:

    Revelation 3:7a
    – note the definition of angel of the church could include any of its ‘messengers,’ as its ‘saints‘ – a most holy thing – could include any of its faithful.

    He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:

    The Revelation [3:7b NASB] of Jesus Christ to John – to the messenger of the church in Philadelphia
    • “I know your works.
    • See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;
      • for you have a little strength,
      • have kept My word,
      • and have not denied My name.
    • Behold, I will make those.. who say that they are [ __ ]
      • Jesus calls them worshipers of Satan as the Lord refers to some Jews, BUT
      • could HE fill in the [ __ ] with ‘christians’ who gather in the church of the world?
    • and are not, but lie—
    • I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
      • The Lord Jesus assures His friends and brothers in Philadelphia.
    • Because you have kept My command to persevere,
    • I also will keep you from the hour of trial
      • (Christ’s covenant with the faithful!)
      • which shall come upon the whole world,
      • to test those who dwell on the earth.
    • Behold, I am coming quickly!
    • Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
    flickering candle on stand

    Flickering faith transformed into Pillars of Worship

    The one who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore..

    Revelation 3:12 NASB

    .. and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.

    The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

    Flickering Faith in the winds of the world

    Suppose the letter to you arrives by messenger from Patmos.

    Jesus’ Apostle John still resides there and occasionally Rome allows a letter from him to depart for your Roman-ruled city in a distant province of Asia.

    Your own church community suffers in its own isolation, because most of your neighbors, merchants, fellow workers, Roman government officials and even some fellow worshipers seem caught up in the life of other things in your city.

    NOW, as you gather for worship, a leader of your church reads a letter. (Messengers have previously brought guarded precious Good News from Mark, Luke, Matthew and even John.) You puff up a bit as your pastor begins:

     καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον 

    τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀμήν ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ

    7- Laodicea

    map of the seven churches of revelation

    “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

    The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God, says this:

    …

    “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

    Revelation to the saints of the church in Laodicea [3:15 ESV]

    So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

    Revelation 3:16 NASB

    Lukewarm ‘christians’ – saints spit out!

    I could NEVER accuse you of THAT! But this IS JESUS giving final warning to the church.

    • χλιαρός – chliaros From chlio (to warm)

    This is the only time Christ uses it in Scripture, as the last warning to the last of seven churches — (to become warm, liquefy, melt)..

    The Gospel which heated your faith, the cold water of your baptism which refreshed you — these no longer satisfy and Jesus is a Name seldom seen in the places where you dwell.

    Lukewarm – metaphorically, of the condition of a soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor —

    from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
 noun A state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility.
 noun Lethargy; apathy. synonym: lethargy.
 noun The dormant, inactive state of a hibernating or estivating animal.

    and a fervor of love. 

    THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
 Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
 All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com

    Jesus counsels a lukewarm church

    You say,

    • ‘I am rich.
    • I have everything I want.
    • I don’t need a thing!’

    And you don’t realize that you are

    • wretched and
    • miserable and
    • poor and
    • blind and
    • naked.

    I counsel you to buy from Me

    • gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and
    • white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and
    • ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.
    Have you, dear lukewarm saint, invested your mortal time here in Jesus?

    Dear Claimant of Christ,

    Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline;

    therefore be zealous and repent.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 3:19 NASB

    ‘Those whom I love — its phileō here, that familiar affectionate love of a friend —

    1. I reprove [convict, generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted, correct or call to account] AND
    2. discipline [see the definition].

    If Jesus is your Lord, if you have ears to hear and eyes to see His love — then receive Christ’s correction and discipline while your candle yet flickers with so little faith.

    Jesus standing at a door knocking

    “Look! I stand at the door and knock.

    If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

    Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne,

    just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

    The Revelation of Jesus 3:20-21 NLT

    AND for the 21st c. church..

    “Anyone with ears to hear ..

    must listen to the Spirit and

    understand what he is saying to the churches.”

    Revelation 3:22 NLT

    ANYONE, my fellow saint of this 21st c. A.D., anyone with ears to hear Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

    NOT only seven churches — not some other church — not even a flickering excuse of a saint in your own church. YOU, dear Christian — you with ears to hear what JESUS is saying to you and to His Church.

    Amen.

  • God’s Personal Love -4- from Him who is to come

    God’s Personal Love -4- from Him who is to come

    A Letter from Him who is to come

    Whatever does that mean: a letter from Him who is to come?

    We receive a letter (email or text, if you will) from a person about to visit us here in the certain place where we live. They are a friend or family member who will return here some time in the future.

    Our first question may be when, but our reaction is likely, what must I do in preparation for their return to be with me in person?

    What must you do?

    It’s an ordinary communication delivered in the usual manner by a messenger (a mail delivery person in a vehicle or on a horse) or even by a direct ‘message’ as is now possible (without an angel of heaven).

    How will you react? For this is sudden unexpected NEWS; perhaps Good News OR possibly the message contains some not so good news.

    What must you do prior to this inevitable return visit?

    Challenges to Scriptural Faith

    Two thousand (2000) years ago we could have witnessed events in the life of the young Son of Man, Jesus. In a few years He would be introduced to the world in the opening lines of the Gospels.

    Jesus, James, Jude and others in Nazareth must have seemed like any other Jewish young men who worshiped the LORD God and attended festivals in Jerusalem.

    a little history of 1st c. letters

    The Epistles or Letters address various churches and Christians with exhortations of scriptural constancy to comfort and encourage our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

    A.D. 1st century history of the Gospels & letters (Epistles) to the Church + Note the timeline of communication below:
    Between Jesus’ ascension ~AD30’s & Revelation ~AD90’s the Church grew in faith

    As I mentioned last time:

    • James, brother of Jesus was called to become the pastor of the Jerusalem church and was martyred around A.D. 62.
    • Jesus’ brother Jude also wrote to fellow Jewish believers in Jesus (Yeshua) sometime after A.D. 65.
    God’s Personal Love -3 Brothers Beloved & more
    Jude called the church to fight, in the midst of intense spiritual warfare, for the truth. – John Macarthur
    • After Jerusalem’s destruction by Rome in A.D. 70 many false teachers leavened Christ’s Church.

    Jude 1:3 NASB –

    Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints.

    Christianity was under severe political attack from Rome and aggressive spiritual infiltration from gnostic-like apostates and libertines who sowed abundant seed for a gigantic harvest of doctrinal error. It could be that this was the forerunner to full blown Gnosticism which the Apostle John would confront..

    John Macarthur from commentary on Jude
    • By the AD 90’s John is the only remaining Apostle alive (exiled on Patmos). The others had been martyred for their faith in Christ.

    Christians under construction – the saints of seven churches

    Suppose that your church received a letter from one of the Lord’s brothers, James or Jude AND that Jesus also sent an appeal for the faith of scripture.

    • How would you receive the Lord’s exhortation urging your church to contend for Him against false teaching?
    • Would you even act on a letter sent by a messenger from heaven?

    Jesus’ message sent by revelation to John is specific exhortation for the ‘saints’ of His ‘Church.’

    Then and now the message is for:

    • Followers of the Lord
    • Souls called, beloved and kept to eternal life through Jesus
    • Servants who will proclaim Christ
    • Obedient ‘saints‘ [small ‘s’] who must respond to Him who is to come

    Exhortation

    παρακαλέω – parakaleō

    1. to call to one’s side, call for, summon
    2. to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
    apokalypsis the Gospel of Jesus Christ unsealed

    In His Book of Revelation, Jesus summons John UP to His side – a summons to the Throne!

    Jesus’ general and sometimes specific exhortations challenge every saint of the church to contend for our original faith through scripture.

    Revelation 1-3:

    By the hand of John, only remaining Apostle of Jesus – a decade after Jude’s letter (A.D. 94–96)

    This took place from Patmos some decades after the Lord’s ascension.

    map of the seven churches of revelation

    ‘JOHN, WRITE to these churches and tell them.. this.’

    That is, I have a few exhortations – instructions for you, beloved, who I have called and will keep in the Church for eternal life.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John is also exhortation for the saints of the church in every age.

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    Our Lord called John UP to Him!

    Jesus appeals to each church and every believer through a Revelation to the Apostle John.

    EXHORTATION means to:

    • admonish, exhort
    • beg, entreat, beseech
    • strive to appease by entreaty
    • console,
    • encourage and strengthen by consolation,
    • comfort
    • receive consolation, be comforted
    • instruct, teach

    The risen Christ consoles John and instructs this last Apostle to take His message to seven churches.

    Dear (BELOVED),

    We hear a similar loving greeting to the church as that of Jude (before).

    John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

    Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come,

    and from the seven spirits who are before His throne,

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 1:4

    Exhortation from Him who is to come

    For those ‘christians’ with rail in eye, Christ’s exhortation is NOT meant for any who refuse to bow down to the Lord God until the Day of their Judgment. Jesus writes to those with ears to hear.

    Forget for a moment that these letters to certain saints of different churches are meant to refine their faith in a first century context.

    Christ’s exhortations are for you, my fellow saint — the Church. (And Jesus sends these through John to me for my own refinement.)

    Now, beloved brother or sister in Christ Jesus,

    Perhaps an encouragement will pierce your own heart.

    Roman soldier spears the body of Jesus on the cross

    Which exhortation to one of the seven churches of Revelation does Jesus write to pierce your heart and purge your sin?

    BEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

    the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 1:7 NASB20
    To be continued...