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  • Apocalypse 8 – Martyrs + the saints cry out

    Apocalypse 8 – Martyrs + the saints cry out

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

    Revelation 6:10b NASB – the cry of the martyrs from beneath the altar

    Martyrs

    judge's gavel - quote: And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment

    UNANSWERED Questions of those who died for their faith in Jesus Christ:

    Where is JUSTICE for those who die by the hands of the evil?

    Who will JUDGE those who kill the innocent and oppress the righteous?

    Rembrandt-Lapidation-Saint-Etienne-MBA-Lyon
    the Stoning of Stephen- painting by Rembrandt

    And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

    “Are these things true? ” the high priest asked.

    “Brothers and fathers,” he replied, “listen: The God of glory appeared..

    .. and Stephen proceeded to preach the Gospel until those who rejected the God of Glory and cut by Truth silenced him in rage, stoning Christ’s martyr by the weight of their own guilt.

    Roger @ talk of Jesus {dot}.com on Acts 6:8-8:3 excerpt from CSB
    foxe's book of martyrs

    Stephen, the Apostles & many more martyrs among the saints

    The Acts of the Apostles record the power of the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ crucified and risen, but also the suffering by the saints of the church for witness of the Gospel to those who would believe.

    Resource: https://www.ccel.org/f/foxe/martyrs/fox101.htm

    Acts of the Apostles:

    • 4:3-4 And they laid hands on them [Peter & John] and put them in prison.. and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

    “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.. and you have now become betrayers and murderers of Him; you who received the Law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it.”

    Acts 7:51-53 excerpt NASB – indictment of the Jews through the martyr Stephen
    • 8:1b And on that day [of the stoning of Stephen] a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
      • DATE: ~A.D. 33-36
    • 12:2b-3a [Herod Agrippa I] .. had James the brother of John executed with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter as well.
      • DATE: A.D. 44
    • 14:19b–20a .. they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city.
      • After many additional attacks, Paul would be executed in Rome – DATE: ~ A.D. 64-68
    • Simon Peter was also crucified in Rome during the persecutions of Nero – DATE: ~ A.D. 64-68 as were many other saints killed throughout the Empire both before and after the fall of Jerusalem.

    When will justice be served to those who crucify Truth and destroy the lives of the faithful?

    DATE ~A.D. 94–96 + John wrote the Revelation of Jesus Christ

    The deaths of martyrs mentioned had already taken place when John writes Revelation. The opening of the seven seals gives the Church a glimpse of Justice at the End of these last days.

    Jerusalem would fall in A.D. 70. The Sanhedrin would no more convict Christian or Jew.

    Rome would divide and crumble by the third century and the Empire would fall in A.D. 476.

    Even so, we realize now in A.D. 2021, the prophesy of the last days revealed by John is for a time nearer to US than that of the Apostles.

    The Fifth Seal

    the saints cry out!

    Revelation 6:

    9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained..

    It is the Altar of the Holy Throne Room of Heaven! The Lamb stands surrounded by seraphim and four living creatures, angels and elders of the heavenly court, hearing the prayers of the saints as these plead for justice.

    They cried out with a loud voice,

    “Lord, the one who is holy and true,

    how long until you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”

    Revelation 6:10 CSB

    Oh Lord, δεσπότης – despotēs – as a bond servant addresses one’s Master, as one of the saints, bound to our Lord Christ as husband to the church.

    Jesus Christ is HOLY AND TRUE! –

    ἅγιος – hagios (an awful One) & ἀληθινός – alēthinos – Real in name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name.

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

    • Do you not judge and avenge?

    Rest yet a while longer

    You servants of the Lord

    take comfort in His answer to you;

    for only He IS righteous in judgment

    and vengeance belongs only

    to the Lamb on the Throne.

    And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

    Revelation 6:11 KJV

    NEXT Unsealed :

    The Great Day of the Wrath of the Lamb

  • Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – the Eleven, a Passing Witness

    Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – the Eleven, a Passing Witness

    The Gospel of John

    We have nearly reached the conclusion of John’s Good News. Earlier we met ten Disciples in a room where the Risen Christ appeared!

    Witnesses to Jesus Risen! – the Eleven

    20:26 A week later his disciples were indoors again, and Thomas was with them. Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

    Reminder to 21st. Century Readers of John’s Gospel:

    As I mentioned before, Christians to whom John writes understand events which have taken place after Jesus’ ascension, yet before John’s death.

    (We will add some of these following the next event of John’s Good News.)

    • Jesus was crucified around the year AD 30
    • John writes his Gospel to the churches after AD 85 [~AD 90-100]

    John 21:

    view of Sea of Galilee
    “I will make you fishers of men. – Mark 1:17

    After these things Jesus revealed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He revealed Himself in this way:

    Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.”

    They said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

    Fishing in Galilee

    Of course these Galilean Disciples of Jesus would travel from Jerusalem north to their homes along the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee). John recalls which Apostles were present.

    • Simon Peter
    • Thomas called Didymus (He will not miss seeing Jesus this time.)
    • Nathanael of Cana
    • James, John’s older brother
    • John, author of this Gospel
    • Two others of Jesus’ disciples

    They would have launched their two or three fishing boats from docks by Capernaum and proceeded out to sea at night, returning to port near daybreak and seeing a man on shore as they approached.

    4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

    He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”

    John 21:5 – from NIV & ESV

    Children, you do not understand

    Our 21st century ears do not hear the Master’s call to His beloved servants in this way. In fact, 1st century men and women tended to be more willing to hear a fellow Jew (especially their Rabbi) or even a Roman responsible for their local Galilean town of Capernaum as humble servants.

    παιδίον – pi-de’-on

    Child – From dimin. of παῖς (G3816) can mean not only a child, boy or girl but a slave, an attendant, servant, and specifically a king’s attendant, one who ministers to the King.

    προσφάγιον – pros-fä’-ge-on

    From the King James Version: “Children, have ye any meat?”

    Strong's G4371

    But once again our overfed 21st century bodies don’t quite understand what Jesus asks if they have anything eaten with bread and spoken of fish boiled or broiled.

    These children of the Shepherd Christ Jesus return from a night of work, fishing — and they have caught no fish. In effect their Lord and Master, Provider of all things to His servants asks these dear ‘children’ in His care, “Are you hungry?”

    John in recalling the incident adds, ‘yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.’

    Obeying His command

    Yes, these seven men probably were hungry after an unsuccessful night of fishing. Yet hearing His command from the shore they obeyed Jesus.

    6 He said to them, “Throw in your net to starboard and you will catch some.”

    So they threw in their net, and there were so many fish in it that they couldn’t haul it aboard.

    It was then, John tells us, that he recognized Jesus.

    “It is the Lord!”

    So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. Since they were not far from land (about a hundred yards away), the other disciples came in the [smaller] boat, dragging the net full of fish.

    Once again in a third appearance to seven disciples, Jesus demonstrates that He IS both God and a risen ‘Son of Man.’

    John tells his experience as his small boat pulling nets full of fish comes near to the beach along the shore.

    9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a fire of burning coals with a fish on it, and some bread.

    10 Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.”

    (Peter and the men have now been pulling the full nets ashore…)

    12 Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.”

    None of the talmidim (disciples of a Rabbi) dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

    Pause.. to ‘fast forward’

    We’ll now leave Jesus and the seven Disciples sharing bread and fish with the Lord and (in 21st c. parlance) fast forward to events known to many readers of John’s Good News, but possibly not known to most Christians in the 21st c. digital age.

    (Yes, it’s a ‘pop quiz’ – 5 questions.) How do you think you’ll do?

    Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.

    Pages: 1 2 3

  • Are You a King?

    Are You a King?

    Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him,

    “Are You the King of the Jews?”

    John 18:33 NASB

    The Politically Charged Question

    Pilate interrogates Jesus by beginning privately with a loaded question.

    As Governor AND presiding judge (in chambers), the Prefect questions the defendant already declared guilty by the Jews, local leaders who have no authority in this Roman court of Judea.

    Pilate’s questions (to which he must have had prepared standard answers to usual responses) went to motive.

    • “What is your authority here?”
    • “Are you a threat to true authority, which as Governor I represent?”

    The Gospels do not record these words, but the timing and context of Jesus’ trial suggests to the Governor that he recognizes a political hot potato in dealing with this popular Rabbi during the religious festival of the Jews in Jerusalem.

    For further understanding of Pontius Pilate look back to: 
1st century Rome – an awkward embrace of RELIGION & politics

    John 18:

    Very early that morning:

    praetorium in Jerusalem
    • As the Jewish officials brought Jesus to the exterior of the Praetorium Pilate came out to them.
    • .. and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

    29 Therefore Pilate went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

    They answered and said to him, “If this Man were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him to you.”

    31 So Pilate said to them, “Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.”

    The Jews said to him, “We are not permitted to put anyone to death..”

    Sentenced to death by accusation

    We already know of the deceptive stealth of the Temple officials, ceasing Jesus at night then bringing the Messiah of Israel to trial before them.

    The Jews really had no authority in Judea and regardless of their predetermined verdict of guilt and sentence of death, Pilate dismisses their case. But now the politics come into play.

    These religious emissaries want to execute the man opposed to their religious positions of power, the Man who had ridden victorious into town on a donkey just a few days before, Jesus of Nazareth (a town not even in Pilate’s Judea).

    Although we seldom consider the passage of time within a single verse or two of scripture, consider this possibility in the scene about to take place:

    • Certainly the Jews with their prisoner Jesus on the outside and Pilate with his advisors inside the Praetorium must ponder what to do next.
    • Since Pilate is in charge of Jerusalem and responsible to Rome for any potential trouble, he makes the first move in trying to keep peace between the politics and religion of Jerusalem.

    Questions with political consequences

    33 Therefore Pilate entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus and said to Him…

    Although the trial of Jesus takes place like all Roman trials in the public square, Pilate begins his questioning of this prisoner of the Jews in private.

    painting of pontius pilate

    “Are You the King of the Jews?”

    Are you the King?

    Questions with political consequences are best asked first in private. Leaders must know the politically correct answer before asking it in public.

    Remember Jesus’ accusers were not present because they would not defile themselves by their self-righteous rule of separation from this gentile Governor responsible for every civic event in Jerusalem. The Jews needed to maintain their white-washed public image before their followers.

    • Pilate summoned Jesus to him.
    • As a result of his summons the Jews had to release Jesus into the governor’s custody.

    βασιλεύς

    What is the root meaning of Pilate’s question to Jesus?

    βασιλεύς basileús, bas-il-yooce’; probably from G939 (through the notion of a foundation of power); a sovereign (abstractly, relatively, or figuratively):—king.

    • leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king

    What are you, Jesus?

    (It’s a fair question — to which the Governor would have had a standard reply.

    Imagine some of these pre-prepared political answers of Pilate.)

    • We have no kings here. You are not a king of Egypt or even Herod who was once king in Jerusalem. Kings do not matter here.
    • Our king resides in Rome and I am his governor. What I say comes from our king: Tiberius Caesar.
    • Are you a king? It does not matter. Tiberius Caesar is king.

    Rather than being led into a conversation about who He is not, Jesus asks the Governor a question.

    34 Jesus answered,

    “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?”

    • Is this really your question
    • or did someone tell you that I am a King?

    The Governor immediately reminds the accused that in fact he, Pilate, is Roman (and Rome governs Jerusalem).

    Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?

    Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me;

    what have You done?”

    John 18:38 NASB

    Pilate’s response confirms indictment by the chief priests, but the judge’s question, ‘What have you done?” is opportunity for the defendant to appeal His ill-gotten verdict.

    Israel’s Messiah Jesus answers the Governor’s original question about His Authority.

    My Kingdom – βασιλεία

    Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.

    John 18:36a

    The Accused makes no claim to Jerusalem or to Judea or any Syrian territory governed by Pilate.

    Rather Jesus claims an authority of the gods (in Pilate’s understanding). In this case:

    ‘royal power, kingship, dominion, rule, not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom.’ – source: blueletterbible.org

    Jesus continues His assurance to Pilate that He is no threat to Rome as other kings and threatening rebels fight to gain influence in places like Jerusalem.

    “… If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews;

    but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

    What Realm?

    • “..but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” – John 18:36c NASB
    • “..but now is my kingdom not from hence.” – John 18:36c KJV
    • “..But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” – John 18:36c CSB

    A King must have a country, a realm to rule here and now. Jesus Christ makes no such claim.

    The Lord Jesus when brought before Pilate confirms, ‘my kingdom is not from here.”

    ἐντεῦθεν

    Outline of Biblical Usage

    1. from this place, hence
    2. on the one side and on the other, on each side

    Luke records an incident from earlier in Jesus ministry describing it with the same Greek word.

    Just at that time some Pharisees approached, saying to Him, “Go away, leave here, G1782 for Herod wants to kill You.” – Luke 13:31

    Herod, of course, is a pawn not only of Jerusalem’s Jewish politics but also of Rome. Jesus continued at that time to prophesy the events of these three days:

    And He [Jesus] said to them [Pharisees who secretly followed Jesus],

    “Go and tell that fox [Herod],

    ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I reach My goal.’

    “Nevertheless I must journey on today and tomorrow and the next day; for it cannot be that a prophet would perish outside of Jerusalem.

    Luke 13:32-33 NASB

    οὐκοῦν, adverb, not therefore

    This is subtle, as well as a function of speech; but don’t miss it.

    Several translations of the original Greek from this passage read differently in attempts to convey the argument here of Jesus’ judge Pilate.

    37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?”

    (You are a king, but from where {if not here}?)

    • .. but it is better to write οὐκοῦν, so that Pilate, arguing from the words of Christ, asks, not without irony, art thou not a king then? or in any case, thou art a king, art thou not? cf. Winer’s Grammar, 512 (477).
    • and since a speaker often introduces in this way his own opinion, the particle is used affirmatively, therefore, then, the force of the negative disappearing. Hence, the saying of Pilate οὐκοῦν βασιλεύς εἰ σύ must be taken affirmatively: – Source: Strong’s

    To this end was I born

    Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

    John 18:37b KJV

    In answer to Pilate’s restatement of his own question, “Art thou a king then?” Jesus clearly states His purpose to which He was born as Son of Man and Son of David, the Christ of Hebrew Scripture.

    John began his Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ stating this same purpose. It really has nothing to do with anything kinglike, as the Jews expected of their Messiah that He would be like King David or King Solomon.

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    John 1:1,14 NASB

    Jesus proclaims privately to Pontius Pilate:

    “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth… CSB

    Pilate is about to ask Jesus the question a Judge must ask himself honestly before concluding a trial, but first Christ continues with purpose for all:

    “… Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

    the words of Jesus Christ to Pontius Pilate – John 18:37c CSB

    Do you with ears to hear listen to the voice of Christ Jesus?

    To be continued...
    Page TWO - Please click Page 2 below for the questions.

    Pages: 1 2