Revelation Revealed, Part 1

Revelation Revealed, Part 1 - by Pastor Mike Taylor - http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2017/11/revelation-revealed-part-1.html

 

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:

2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

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 1:1-3)

 

Based on my last sermon on the Book of Revelation, that I called the "Book of the Apocalypse" which is another name for this most confusing book (to some), that the Lord has led me to write in detail of what each of these chapters represent. In my last message, I took an abbreviated look at the makeup of Revelation into its respective parts that deal with scenes from the time of the Apostle John up to and including the end of time into eternity. The messages are designed as a learning tool for those who find this last book of your Bible somewhat intimidating and read right over the words and don't have a grasp of what our Lord Jesus was using this book to reveal, as it is called Revelation of Jesus Christ, as our Lord is doing the revealing to His servant John to tell us in vivid detail what is coming upon the earth. So let us take a close look at the passages and explain in more detail what the Son of God, the God of the Old Testament has had written down for our own enlightenment when Jesus will come for His church, and when the judgment on the rebellion of mankind will begin and how it will conclude.

 

THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

 

Remember, that the coming Tribulation of which this book is about, has two purposes. First, the time of the tribulation is called "Jacob's Trouble" for good reason, as the nation of Israel is the focus that God has turned His attention to solely, as the Gentile church has been completed, and the ship of the ark of salvation has left port and will return at the end of the Tribulation to set things as it was in the Garden of Eden after all rebellion is extinguished by just a Word from our God . That first reason for the tribulation is to refine Israel as silver is refined in the fire to accept her Messiah after so long a time in unbelief, and to remove the dross so that the Lord may see His image in her (Malachi 3:3). Second, the purpose of the Tribulation is to remove the rebellion of mankind that has has rejected His gift of grace and mercy through the sacrifice that Jesus paid for nigh 2000 years ago, and revel in their unrighteousness even to take a blasphemous Mark of the Beast and worship a false god. Let us begin with the introduction and work our way through a few of these first few chapters found in this much maligned book of what is coming upon the earth.

 

THE APOSTLE SETS THE STAGE

 

As the Bible records it, the Apostle John was on the Isle of Patmos which is an island southwest of Ephesus off the western coast of what is now Turkey where the Caesars banished those in their empire that caused too much trouble. It was a quarry where John being in advanced age, probably did not enter much into manual labor because of him being physically unable. But his exile effectively removed him from the presence of the citizens of Rome and the surrounding landscape. In the beginning of this book, John tells us that while he was here, he gives the testimony of who our Lord Jesus is and what the purpose of this written Word is designed for:

 

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;

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,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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." (Revelation 1:4-7)

 

John makes clear Who is speaking with him, and Who is directing this prophecy of what is coming upon the earth, by identifying our Lord in the next few verses, as being the God of the Old Testament, known to all at that time as YAHWEH or Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

 

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.

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.

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

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." (Revelation 1:8-11)

 

Note in v. 10 that John refers to the "Lord's Day"...this was not a Sunday, but a definition of the beginning of the wrath of God upon the earth, that the prophets spoke of in Joel, Amos and others at the end of the Old Testament.

 

30 "And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." (Joel 2:30-32)

 

By using the terms that are found in the Old Testament of Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, it identifies Jesus our Lord as the God of the Torah, and the Major and Minor Prophets, all which are found in the Old Testament. As John makes this introduction, he relays what he heard and what he begins to see. The voice of Almighty God is the sound of a Trumpet, most likely the same that Moses heard and the children of Israel heard at the foot of Mt. Sinai in the Arabian desert. It scared the Hebrew children so much, that they begged Moses to speak to God, as they feared Him greatly. John hearing the same sound, and seeing what he saw, if it were me, I would have had the same response.

 

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 stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged 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." (Revelation 1:12-18)

 

This long introduction by John wants to be sure that his readers-the members of God's church-realize, not only who is revealing the future to the church, but also just how special and important He is to us now. In a way, the apostle is adding a final chapter to his gospel, showing us the awesome glory, power, and eternal nature of our Savior in His present role as High Priest and Head of the church.

 

When John turns "to see the voice" he beholds "One like the Son of Man" standing among seven golden lamp stands, later explicitly identified as the seven churches. John sees a glorious Being who resembles his dear friend and Master, Jesus of Nazareth, but this Person is far beyond human. He is God, in many respects just as the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel describe Him from their visions (Daniel 10:5-6; Ezekiel 1:26-27). The vision he sees of our Lord and Savior is more than his mortal body can stand and he falls face first and lays as a dead man. I can only imagine that it was similar to what Paul saw on the road to Damascus and it blinded him, but here our Lord wants John to see everything He wants to show him, and He puts out His hand to bring him back around to full consciousness.

 

Laying His right hand on John (Revelation 1:17), perhaps in healing or in blessing, Jesus tells the aged apostle not to be afraid because "I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death"

 

Our God, who is alive at the right hand of the Father, Jesus in His glory wants John to write a letter to the seven churches that are in Asia Minor, which are real historical churches that God wants to send a warning to about what is coming upon the earth, in their time, and in the far distant future, which is written not to them only, but to us, those who live at the end of this Age of Grace, or the Church Age. Jesus identifies them at the end of the 1st chapter of this book.

 

"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." (Revelation 1:20)

 

As noted, these seven churches although real churches at that time the Apostle was alive, they are also believed to be seven different dispensations of what the church has been down through the ages of time for the last two millenniums. In these next two chapters, our Savior gives a breakdown of these churches accomplishments and their failures that must be corrected, or as He warned, "or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." (Revelation 2:5)

 

This was not only for these literal churches, but the warning was for each church period that has come and gone, save the ones we are in and are heading for the end of this age, which we refer to as the Age of the Church, or the Age of Grace.

 

A short breakdown of the times of the ages of the church begins with the church at Ephesus, which was the age the apostle was now living in, but below is the time periods of each age.

 

a. Church at Ephesus.....AD 30 to AD 100, as John wrote this in about AD 95

b. church at Smyrna ....AD 100 to AD 313 or the time of Roman persecution

c. Church at Pergamum....AD 313 to AD 600, the Age of Constantine and beginning of the Catholic Church and it's rule.

d. Church at Thyatira, AD 600 to AD 1517, The Dark Ages of the "Holy Roman Empire"

e. Church at Sardia...AD 1517 to AD. 1648, or the Reformation and the splitting of the Roman Church into Protestant branches.

 

Then we come to the sixth church and she stands out amongst all of the churches up to this age...The sixth letter was written to the Church of Philadelphia, often called, "the Missionary Church." Of the Church of Philadelphia, Jesus writes,

 

7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." (Revelation 3:7-9)

 

Now where have we heard the expression, "an open door"...hint: I will cover that in the next part of this series.

 

In plain English, Jesus is telling them "Look, I will force those who belong to Satan's synagogue--those liars who say they are Jews but are not--to come and bow down at your feet. They will acknowledge that you are the ones I love." Those who have persecuted this church will bow down and give them honor, because they will be ruling and reigning with Jesus Christ for a 1000 years in the coming Millennium.

 

Note, if you have followed any of my messages, that I conclude that there is an overlap between this above church, and the final church that is represented by the luke-warm church, or the church that goes into apostasy. Each are mingled together, much as the wheat and the tares of the parables that Jesus gave His apostles in Matthew 24. One is the true church, and one is the tares or not really a church at all, save they have the title. One will be glorified, and one will be thrown into the oven to be burned. And brother, the Tribulation is a burning oven that will refine Israel and burn up the tares, unless they repent.

 

The Church at Philadelphia which came alive in the 17th century and has been preaching the Gospel worldwide for now nearly 400 years. This phase of the churches will be concluded when this church that Jesus had no warnings for, but with praise for what she has been steadfast and immovable in the time of great temptation, holding fast her confession of the Lord Jesus Christ and have not denied His Name, will be removed from this planet that I will show in the coming parts we will discover in future commentaries.

 

But focus in on the promise that our Lord makes to this church and to her alone? She is promised something that no other church has received, because she is the church that comes up to the coming Tribulation. Many overlook this passage and I know I am repeating it again, but to drive home the point, as you can't talk about this Age we are living in, if you don't understand what has been promised..

 

10 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." (Revelation 3:10-11)

 

To get a clear meaning of the passage, you must go to the Greek, which is the original language that the New Testament was written in. Many debates have been made for the Greek interpretation of this promise that was given only to the Church of Philadelphia. The debate centers on a Greek word that John uses multiple times in this book which above in verse 10 of this chapter, is the phrase "will keep thee from"...which in Greek is the word (εκ [ek] ) which literally means to be "taken out of or separated from the event."

 

A large body of discussion attends this phrase. The debate centers on whether from (εκ [ek] ) here denotes out of or through. Is the promise to keep the church out of the trial or to preserve it through the trial?

 

Proponents of the kept through view observe other passages where εκ[ek] can have this meaning. They also observe examples in Scripture where God's people are protected in the midst of God's judgment:

 

On the very same day Noah and Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark. (Genesis 17:3)

 

Proponents of the kept from view point to the fact that the most natural use of εκ[ek] indicates out of and that if the alternate meaning were in view, another more suitable preposition would have been used. They too can point to passages which support their view-where the faithful are removed prior to God's judgment:

 

Example: And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. (Genesis 5:24) Enoch, a symbol in the Old Testament of the rapture of the church before the Great Flood of Noah's day.

 

Another Example: And Abraham came near and said, "Would You also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there were fifty righteous within the city; would You also destroy the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous that were in it?" . . . Then he said, "Let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak but once more: suppose ten should be found there?" And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of ten." (Genesis. 18:23-32)

 

Note that the above examples show that God being a merciful God desires that no one perish, but He is just, and if His wrath begins to fall on this earth, will He not remove His people out of the way?

 

10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come". (1st. Thessalonians 1:10)

 

9 "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him." (1st Thessalonians 5:9-10)

 

There may not be as many Christians on this planet as it once was, but the Bride of Christ is a significant force for good in our world, that God will not change how He has dealt with those who follow Him in this instance, as He has done also in the past of Ancient History.

 

Today's Christian world is the salt and light of this world, and sending His people through His wrath, goes against what the word in Greek denotes that He will remove "out of and separate" His people from His coming wrath. Only thing a person has to do is decide when the wrath of God actually starts to fall on this world and we will discover that in the next part of this series. But let us now look at the last Church that Jesus has harsh words for.

 

CHURCH OF LAODECIA, THE APOSTATE CHURCH

 

But notice , what I call the tares, that Jesus speaks of great warnings for this last church? The Church of Laodecia has risen in the last 100 years, as the apostasy has grown more perverse and departing from the Words of our Lord and His commandments in our day.

 

14 " And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:14-17)

 

These are those in the so called "modern churches" that rely on another gospel, and traditions of men, instead of what the Bible teaches and contradict with their doctrines and rituals. Those who go to their church and warm a pew for an hour or so (maybe) on one day of the week. Or they go to their church and do rituals that mean nothing to grow them as a "christian" in name only. But notice what our Lord tells them to do..and frankly, they are going to need it:

 

18 "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Revelation 3:18)

 

These are the bench warmers that I see sitting in their local church, being all bored with what the preacher is saying, when like a video I saw, a clap of thunder is heard and the preacher's bible falls to the floor, as they come awake and realize that the church that was filled with people is now suddenly near empty, save for them and a few more and they fall in recognition of what just happened...and this is inside the church. Those outside will know that chaos has come to a neighborhood near you, as the TV and radio is blaring for the disappearance of millions of people in an unexplained fashion.

 

This church, this luke-warm church that Jesus said makes Him sick, will be thrown head long into the coming trial, the last trial of mankind and the final blow to the government of mankind and they will be refined as gold is refined in the fire, (chp. 3, v. 18 just above). Jesus makes a further promise of those who overcome.

 

12, "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name."( Revelation 3:12)

 

But only the ones in the true church of the Living God that follow Him as shepherd and imitate Him in all things that He teaches us will receive this promise.

 

The Tribulation will last 7 years, give or take a few years or months...Why do I say that? As we will probe in the next installment of our journey through Revelation, it is hypothesized that there is a "gap" of time between Revelation 4:1 and Revelation 6:1...How much time, we don't know. Could be a few days, a few months, or even a few years. As there is no time in God's realm...an hour to God is noted to be 7 years.

 

12 "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (Revelation 17:12)

 

"And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without human hand." (Daniel 8:23-25)

 

Thus begins a chapter 6 that we will cover in detail next time.

 

In this part, we have quickly covered the first three chapters of Revelation, and we are on the cusp of John being transported into the spirit world, and standing in the throne room of Almighty God. What does He see? Most of the symbolism just clouds the mind of the biblical babe in Christ or the unbeliever who for some reason, could care less...Oh, but they will care, when the visions presented are fulfilled in real time and they are living in a horror they wish they could wake up from, for it is truly a nightmare beyond the imagination of anyone who cares to study what is coming.

 

As we go along, if you stay with me and read each installment, you will sense a dread that will overcome you, if you are a discernment of truth. If you be an unbeliever, I pray the Holy Spirit will speak to you in a still small voice and warn you what is coming upon the earth. And reader, from my studies, the timing of the fulfillment of the first three chapters are already over, save the very last part. Leading into the coming of our Lord, that Paul calls the HARPAZO of the church, or meaning "being snatched away by force" that he spoke of in 1st Corinthians 15:52-54 and 1st Thessalonians 4:16-18.

 

At the end of each installment, I give you the remedy to avoid and be "snatched away by force" from the coming wrath of God which will cover this whole earth, destroying 80% of all mankind...that is almost 6 billion people in 7 short years.

 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

17, For God sent not His Son to condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved.

18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:16-18)

9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

 

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying to see you at the marriage supper of the Lamb of God..if you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, email me at realteam1999@sbcglobal.net , or visit me online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com . God bless you all,

 

 

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

 

 

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