1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Rev 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. (2) And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Good morning! ☕ I’m sipping away at my coffee and enjoying the peace and quiet that come before the sunrise. I await with an anxious and fearful heart for what is about to happen in our next series of verses. I’m anxious because I am weary of this sinful country in which I live and I long for my heavenly kingdom. I’m fearful because I know that there are family members who are not saved and will have to go through the worse period of time our earth has ever seen. It’s hard to have these mixed emotions. It reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words:
Php 1:22-24 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. (23) For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (24) Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
I long for Heaven but if we are raptured today, there will no longer be an opportunity for my family and friends to be included! The longer the Rapture is delayed, the longer believers have to tell others about the saving power of Jesus Christ! So I totally understand what Paul was saying – spreading the Gospel is our number one priority, friends! If anything can light a fire under you, it is this devotional series! It should motivate every believer to share Jesus, amen? If you aren’t actively talking about salvation, you don’t have true compassion for lost souls. This should convict your heart and I pray that it does! There is no better “shot in the arm” for any Christian than to lead someone to Christ! It is a joy like no other.🧡
So, are you ready to see what is about to be poured out on the entire earth? We are now going to be witnessing, through John, the beginning of the judgments that will be sent to the earth and those who dwell in it. Life as you know it now will never be the same once this seal is opened! The scroll’s first seal is opened by the Lamb and followed by thunder: it’s like a loud siren blasting its sound to get everyone’s attention. At that moment, John sees a white horse. This is not the white horse that Jesus comes to earth riding on in Revelation 19:11. This is an introduction to the Antichrist coming on the scene. We see that he is not going to wage war just yet because his bow is not bent nor do the Scriptures say he has arrows. He will be a leader because he is wearing a crown which is given to him. The Antichrist will rise up and be appointed to be a leader who brings peace to Israel.
The Antichrist will come to power sometime after the rapture of the church. We don’t know the date of the rapture but we do know that the Antichrist will sign a treaty with Israel and it is at that moment that the prophetic time clock begins to count the seven years of Tribulation. At the beginning of his reign, he will bring peace to Israel. He will have everyone but Tribulation believers deceived. The Antichrist brings with him havoc and death. He lives up to his names: he is known as the son of perdition, the abomination that causes desolation, and the beast. (2 Thessalonians 2:3, Matthew 24:15 and Revelation 13:2) The word “Antichrist” is not used in Revelation. As a matter of fact, John speaks of him in 1 John 2:18 and 1 John 2:22. But in Revelation, John refers to the Antichrist as the Beast 32 times in 25 verses! Suffice it to say, Satan is at the center of chapters 6-19 until King Jesus returns! I can see Satan’s pride all over those chapters, can’t you?
So what do we have to learn about the Antichrist? The Antichrist’s goals are to blaspheme God, oppose Him and exalt himself. (2 Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 19:19) Half way through the Tribulation, he will stand in the Temple proclaiming to be God! (Daniel 12:11) Satan’s sinful pride got him kicked out of Heaven and thrown to earth. Now he is trying to be head honcho on earth! King Jesus will put an end to that pride after His millennial reign! \o/
Dear reader, if you are not a born-again child of God and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you should be very concerned about living through these times. At the moment, God is giving mankind every opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. When that last person accepts Him at Saviour, the door will open for the Rapture and your opportunity to be rescued from what lies ahead will come to a close. Should you get saved during the Tribulation, you will be martyred for your faith. We will cover this later on in this devotional series. But please, do not wait, I beg of you!
2 Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 5:1-14 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. (2) And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (3) And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. (4) And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. (5) And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. (6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. (7) And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (8) And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. (9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (10) And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (11) And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. (13) And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. (14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Good morning, reader! Every day brings with it a moment that excites my spirit! If it’s not during my morning devotions with the Lord, it’s through prayer time! These moments remind me that this is a glorious day and we are one day closer to the Rapture of the Church by our Wonderful Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!! King Jesus will reign forever more! What a day that will be!!
We are in the last chapter of Revelation before God’s judgments are unleashed upon a sinful and rejecting world. If you don’t think we are in the end times, let me refresh your memory as you read the following verses and compare it to today’s events. There’s no other time in history that can capture these sins in the severity with which they occur today:
2 Ti 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves (selfies and videos posted on social media – people in love with their own image), covetous (wanting what others want – paying thousands of dollars for sneakers and cell phones), boasters (proclaiming their own “goodness” and tooting their own horn – behaving in an extravagant way in order to attract attention), proud (not willing to be meek – having a high opinion of oneself), blasphemers (cursing and filthy conversations; blaspheming God and using His Name irreverently ), disobedient to parents (kids rule the home today and get whatever they want), unthankful (ungrateful for what they have), unholy (anything opposite of righteous living – people actually brag about their unholy acts), (3) Without natural affection (not loving their own flesh and blood – women having abortions because it’s not convenient for them; children not loving their parents but rebellious), trucebreakers (marriages dissolving and families failing; people make promises to others but never intend on fulfilling that promise), false accusers (lying against one another and trying to ruin someone’s character), incontinent (cannot contain their sinfulness, no self control; they can’t control their appetites, such as with alcohol, drugs or sex), fierce (savage toward others – think of the knockout game and the rebelliousness of people during riots; they are wild and impetuous), despisers of those that are good (persecution in China and other countries toward Christians, people in your own family hate you for being a Christian who wants to live a righteous life; people who do love what is good and wholesome are radically bad), (4) Traitors (people who betray others, even in their own families), heady (recklessly jumping the gun without thinking, headstrong and inconsiderate), highminded (thinking they’re better than others, self righteous), lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (selfish pleasures take priority over spiritual matters; lovers of the flesh rather than of God); (5) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (appear to be spiritual but aren’t; I was raised in such a church – we prayed the rosary over and over but never loved God or His Word): from such turn away.
Wow … just … wow! You can see that we are most certainly living in the end times and what is about to happen in the remaining chapters could include you if you are not saved. Submit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept that He is the only true Saviour of the world. (John 14:6)
At this point in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, the words “church and churches” are no longer mentioned. These word(s) won’t be found until the very last chapter of Revelation! If you will notice as you read chapter 5, a barrage of magnificent sights and sounds hit John; he has never seen or heard these things in his life! Let’s also take note that the Scriptures do not show that John is fearful. Why? He’s not because he is safe in Heaven being protected by God Himself!
The chapter opens with John witnessing a “book” in the right hand of God the Father, which had the seven seals. Strong’s Concordance gives us the Greek word used for book:
βιβλίον biblion bib-lee’-on A diminutive of G976; a roll: – bill, book, scroll, writing.
This particular scroll had seven seals (like the wax seals in the picture above). Seven seals will bring forth God’s perfect, righteous and complete judgment on a sinful world.
A strong angel loudly speaks up asking Who is worthy to open the book and to unseal the seals!!! We see that no man in Heaven, earth or under the earth was able to! The scroll has judgments for earth and those who dwell on it. There is no other Judge who is qualified to open these seals and John begins to cry because no one is worthy. An elder speaks up and tells him that the Lion of the tribe of Juda and the Root of David is able! Now we behold Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, and our King of Kings making His entrance! Only HE is able to cast judgment on the sinful earth. (2 Corinthians 5:10) The Lamb is Jesus’ favorite title for Himself and is used 29 times just in this Book! He is the perfect Passover Lamb for Jews and Gentiles alike! He is a direct descendent of Boaz and Ruth: Boaz was a Jew and Ruth was a Moabitess! Do you know what the Moabites were famous for? They are descendents of the incestuous act between Lot and his daughters! Can you see the God’s redemptive plan for all mankind in this? Furthermore, if Jesus had not shed His blood and risen from the dead, we would not even be reading this book!
Let’s move on. Verse 6 tells us that the Lamb stood in their midst as it had been slain; this bears the marks of His crucifixion. It further describes the Lamb as having seven horns, seven eyes, and seven Spirits of God. The number seven in Scriptures means perfection and completion; and the horns are indicative of authority. Jesus appears with perfect authority, perfect knowledge, and perfect Spirit! John describes this beautifully, in my opinion. There is no imperfection whatsoever in God – He is holy and Almighty – He is omnipotent! Jesus takes the book out of the right hand of the Father and everyone falls down before Him with harps and the vials of odours, which the Scripture explains are the prayers of the Saints. Isn’t it wonderful that all prayers ever prayed by the saints are recorded in Heaven? Praise Him!
A lot happens in Revelation 5:8-14. The twenty-four elders sing a new song, angels are singing, all creation sings, and the cherubim say Amen! Picture, if you will, as if it is a chorus and orchestra!!! First a few are singing, then more join in; building into a beautiful worship service to the Lamb of God! All are worshipping the Lord! I always think about Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus at this point. I know I’ve said this before but it sure is apropos right here! I get so excited in my spirit when this song is sung! It is divinely inspired, for sure! I’m a walking goose bump right now! 🤗
Next, the cherubim’s final Amen occurs. It’s like the final curtain call and afterwards the wrath of God will be unleashed on earth. Both the earth itself and the people will undergo God’s great wrath. This parenthetical time between the Rapture and the beginning of the judgments will end and there’s no turning back. Praise the Lord that we, the Bride, will be safe in Heaven, protected by the Lord, our Groom, from the horrific judgments about to give way! Again, I cannot stress enough that Jesus said it would be as the days of Noah! (Matthew 24:37-39) Just as God protected Noah and his family from the world-wide flood, so will He protect His church. As well, just as Lot and his family were taken out of Sodom and Gomorrah before they were totally destroyed, so will God protect His Bride.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 4:5-11 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. (6) And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (7) And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. (8) And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. (9) And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, (10) The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, (11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Good morning to you, dear reader! With your cup of “something” in hand, let’s dive into the Word of God and see what’s in store in these verses! They excite me because we believers will be in attendance for this! We must understand that Westerners’ see things in a chronological order but Easterners see things in a circular fashion. The Bible is not in chronological order. A good example is that the book of Job is the oldest book in the Scriptures. Its location is toward the middle of the Bible itself. So as you see, it’s the same with the book of Revelation. It is, on the most part, chronological but there are parenthetical pauses (as we see here in chapters 4 and 5) as well as repeating topics in separate chapters. I hope that makes sense to you readers. I hope to make this understandable when we reach those verses. So let’s move on! 😃
Today’s verses open with John seeing seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. He tells us that these lamps are the seven Spirits of God. As you know, the number seven is the number of perfection. The seven Spirits represent God’s perfect Holy Spirit. Seven is also the number for completion and reveals the Spirit’s completeness in His ministry, according to Isaiah:
Isa 11:2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
In Isaiah’s verse, we see the Perfect Holy Spirit’s role: (1) shall rest upon him (2) wisdom (3) understanding (4) counsel (5) might (6) knowledge, and (7) the fear of the LORD! I’m so thankful Christ went to Heaven to prepare a place for us so that the Holy Spirit could come to help His Bride!!! This wonderful Holy Spirit (1) rests upon us (2) gives us wisdom through the Word (3) gives us understanding of the Word (4) provides us with counsel when we don’t know what to do (5) provides us strength to overcome temptation as well as the evils of this world (6) gives us knowledge of the Word when we need it, and (7) teaches us the fear of the LORD! I don’t know about you but I feel well equipped to be a child of the King, amen? We have all we need; the Holy Spirit equips us so we can handle whatever task the Lord gives to us! In today’s verses of chapter 4, the Father is on the throne, the Holy Spirit is before the throne and later Jesus will make His glorious entrance to open the scrolls! \o/ The beautiful Trinity!
Then John describes what he sees as a “sea of glass like unto crystal.” I once read that “finite human language cannot fully describe infinite things” and this is absolutely true! Most of the time where a body of water (as the sea here), it does not refer to actual water but to a “sea of people.” I can just imagine John wondering how he was going to pen what he saw. This is also true for the entire book of Revelation! John had to describe what he was seeing and hearing with words he knew! It would be like you and I trying to describe something that was going to happen a thousand years from now. What do you picture in your mind’s eye when you read this? I envision it as possibly the calming peace provided by God’s Word (not a tumultuous sea) – as well, the Word is living waters, amen? John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. It also reminded me of Psalm 23:2b he leadeth me beside the still waters. Or this could be referring to the sea of humanity that came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. The sea of humanity appears “calm” because they have peace in their salvation. Furthermore, it is as a crystal, John says. I used to have a small Swarovski crystal pin that was absolutely beautiful. If I held it up to the sun, the rays would go through it and would reflect the sun off the walls with vibrant colors bouncing all over – it was so beautifully bright and shiny! I picture the Word of God illuminating in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Perfect Light, the Lord Jesus, could be a representation as well. Joh 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
How wonderful it will be to be in the presence of God at this point – the Lord will keep us safe from the great Tribulation that is coming upon the earth, just as God kept Noah and Lot safe (read Matthew 24 and Luke 17), even so will He do for the Church, His Bride! Just as a groom would not allow his beautiful bride to undergo beatings and persecutions, neither will the Lord Jesus allow His Bride to go through the great Tribulation! We are promised to be protected from God’s wrath in so many scriptures. One of these:
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Not only do we have this promise, but as we see here in Revelation 4, we will be with the Lord God Almighty sitting on the throne and we will be able to behold the beauty of Heaven! I can just imagine myself coming completely undone before my Lord!
Next, we see that John is trying to describe something quite bizarre! He sees four beasts and his description is unbelievable. I have quite an imagination, but even in my wildest dreams would I ever be able to picture this. These four beasts (lion, calf, man, and eagle) are very similar to the ones Ezekiel describes in chapter 10. These beasts have six wings, which we know are the seraphim. Their job is to continually go around the Throne of God singing: Holy, Holy, Holy!! Did you know that the word “holy” is the only word used in triplicate and it is used to describe God? Praise Him!
Verse 10 speaks of twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white raiment and having crowns of gold on their heads. Some believe the apostles are not included here because John is the one who is seeing these visions and he was an apostle. Others say it could be referring to the Old Testament priests who were in groups of 24 (1 Chronicle chapters 24 and 25). It may also be referring to the saints of the Old and New Testaments as they are all wearing crowns of gold. These crowns are not like Christ’s crown (a royal diadem). These crowns in Greek are “stephanos” and are more like the ones given to Olympic athletes, a lesser or inferior crown made of gold. Strong’s defines it as:
στέφανος stephanos stef’-an-os
From an apparently primary “stepho” (to twine or wreathe); a chaplet (as a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally; but more conspicuous and elaborate than the simple fillet, G1238), literally or figuratively: – crown.
Strong’s Concordance
If you’ve ever done a study on the different crowns that a Christian can earn (during his/her ministry on earth) for Christ, you see that there are five crowns that can be earned:
1 Cor 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. Our crown will never perish – it is eternal.
1 Thess 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? We will rejoice when the Lord comes for us! Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
2 Tim 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. The saved look forward to King Jesus’ coming! This crown is one of righteousness and there’s only one righteous One and that is the Lord Jesus. It’s by HIS righteousness we are saved!
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. This crown is a reward for believers who love the Lord and endure the temptations of this world.
1 Pet 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. When the Lord appears, our chief Shepherd, we will receive a crown of glory! It reminds me of Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Amen and amen!
What will we do with these crowns, Christian? We will cast them at King Jesus’ feet and give them all back to Him! It is because of Him that we are included in this chapter, friend! Without His death, burial and resurrection, we would not be able to celebrate this holy and blessed event! We didn’t earn those crowns – He is rewarding US for something HE did! Those crowns belong to Him and only Him! There is no other King!
We end this chapter with praise and honor to the Lord our God! Only He is worthy to receive glory, honour, and power! The Creator of all things created all things for His good pleasure, and this is when we can tell Him face-to-face! I do not know if I’ll be able to do this without crying! I don’t know if I could even stand up to praise Him. I think I’ll be totally undone and on my face adoring Him and praising Him!
I have been reading Amir Tsarfati’s book entitled Revealing Revelation. In it, he gives a beautiful scenario of what we’ve covered in this post. I’ll quote it here:
It reminds me a bit of the flash mob fad of a few years ago. Someone would walk into a busy public place and begin singing loudly. Not many would pay her notice initially, but then out of the crowd two or three more would join in the song – possibly incorporating choreography. Then out of the crowd more and more would join until there was a large group of performers surrounded by admirers, most with their cell phones out recording the event.
The first groups have started the song, and the praise is building. Very soon, the performance is going to hit its crescendo as a special guest makes His appearance and brings down the house.
Revealing Revelation, page 82.
Jesus will make His appearance in chapter 5 and the Bride will finally meet her Groom face-to-face! Friend, if this doesn’t get you unglued, your “blesser” is broken, LOL! What will I do when I see Him? I would like to think that I could run to Him and hug Him because of all that He has done for me. Then again, meeting the Lord God Himself will probably overcome me and I’ll be laying flat on my face adoring Him! Either way, I’ll be safe in Heaven with my Lord and Saviour rejoicing with all the Saints!
If you are not born again, reader, your eternity will be quite different. It will be spent in a pitch black place filled with black fire (the hottest fire there is) and your body will burn without being consumed to ash. Your body will burn and burn for all eternity. 😥 If you’ve ever burned yourself on a hot iron or stove, you know how painful that small area of flesh can be. Now imagine your entire body burning and your flesh not melting away… second after second, minute after minute, day after day, millennia after millennia … without end! As if that’s not enough, you will be tormented by the demons who have been cast there as well. I don’t want anyone to go through this! I have a dear friend who played with matches when she was around 9 years old. She had been taught not to play with matches but she disobeyed her parents. She caught on fire and suffered severe burns on her arm. It took months for her to heal after many grafts. Her arm never looked the same afterwards. The trauma from this event has played havoc on her body and she developed several life long illnesses because of that one act of disobedience. But what is the same is that she relives that moment frequently and regrets her disobedience. Just as Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden for their one sin of disobedience, so will the unsaved be kept out of Heaven. It’s the same as dying without Christ as your Saviour. You will be in the Lake of Fire burning for all eternity and regretting every moment there that you rejected His salvation. My heart aches just thinking about it. But this is a choice that you made! You may not believe that God exists but what if you’re wrong? Do you really want to spend eternity in such pain and suffering, forever separated from God, with no chance of getting out of the Lake of Fire?
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 4:3-5 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. (4) And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. (5) And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Good morning, reader! As I sit here sipping my coffee, I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would be lost and on my way to hell. 😥 There is nothing that I can do on my own to gain me entrance into Heaven. In fact, no one can say that they can – at least not without Christ. Romans 3:10 says: As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one! If Christ had not come to shed His blood and take our punishment, we would all be goners. Instead, every born-again believer can rejoice because we can now enter into this wonderful place, Heaven, because of what Jesus did for us! John 3:16 says: 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. Anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, can rejoice in the fact that we will have eternal life with Him! What comfort and joy this brings to me every morning! It may be raining outside at the moment, but my heart is lit up with Christ’s light!
As we return to this devotional, we will be focusing on the things which “shall be hereafter” found in Revelation 1:19. We see that chapters 4 and 5 take place in Heaven and the rest of the chapters occur here on earth. Just in chapters 4 and 5 alone, the word throne appears 17 times. It appears 19 more times from Chapter 6 through the rest of the Book of Revelation! These visions speak nothing about the great and terrible day of the Lord (Joel 2:31). John had learned about Heaven and had been preaching about it all his life. Now he was seeing it for himself! Can you just imagine??? Now he was one of the few people in history that was allowed to have a vision of the throne room: Isaiah was one (Isa. 6:1-3); Ezekiel shared in that experience in Ezekiel 1:26-28 and 10:14; Daniel was another in Daniel 7:9 and Daniel 7:13-14; the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2-5; and lastly, John the Apostle here in Revelation!
These two chapters seem to be parenthetical – in other words, they reveal to you what occurs in heaven, not what’s going to happen on earth. We know there’s no date for the Rapture; it could happen today or in 20 years. One thing is for sure is that this generation will not pass away before the blessed event occurs!!! The Tribulation begins the day that the antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel (Daniel 9:27). We know that the Tribulation’s start date is certain once that event occurs, as well, seven years later Jesus returns to earth! Between the Rapture and the Tribulation, events occur in heaven with the Saints. It’s a blessing to read these verses describing believers spending eternity with their Saviour!
The Apostle John is in the Throne Room and the first thing He sees is God the Father on the throne. (Jesus will make His entrance later.) He sees Heaven in amazingly brilliant colors. This captures his attention and he describes what he’s seen. He sees Someone on the throne and the throne is like “jasper and sardine stones.” It’s interesting to note that the jasper and sardine (similar to the carnelian stone) in Revelation 4:3 are the first and last stones on the High Priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:20). The sardine stone is the first of the twelve counted in the foundations of New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:19) and it is also used in the wall of the Heavenly City in Revelation 21:18! It will be exciting to behold this with our own eyes, won’t it? My curiosity will finally be put to rest when I find out from the Lord what each of these stones represent! John also sees a rainbow about the throne. The rainbow is only used twice in the King James Bible – in Genesis 9:13-14, and Genesis 9:16 and here in Revelation 4:3.
We will discuss the twenty-four elders in our next post as verse 10 repeats this. We now read that John hears thunderings and voices along with seeing the lightning. Can you put yourself in his shoes? His senses are barraged! Why do I think that? These visions are nothing like he’s ever seen before. After all, who can say that God has blessed them with a glimpse of Heaven? As I noted above, only five people received these glimpses as indicated in the Scriptures. I’m sure we could do no better at describing these visions than John. We have the privilege of reading about his visions with hindsight. I’m not claiming to know every single meaning of the symbolism described in Revelation because I am far from being an expert. However, I was saved because of this topic in 1980 and have studied and heard many a message on it. I’m certain there will be those who disagree, and that’s OK. I just want to share with you what excites me about what is about to come upon the whole world and to lead as many to Christ so they won’t have to experience these horrible times.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 4:1-2 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (2) And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
Good morning! As we open our eyes in the morning to a brand new day, let us remember that we are living in exciting times. We will be the ones who experience the Rapture before we die! We must be busy with the Lord’s work in leading as many as we can to Him. Christians have no need to fear what is happening around the world. Why? Because we know that these things must happen in order for Christ to come again. The Rapture is not waiting for a specific event before it can happen. However, for Christ to come as conquering King at the Second Coming, these disturbing times must come to past.
In Revelation 1:19, we see an outline of what the entire Book of Revelation is all about. The Apostle John explained to us those things which he saw (chapter 1) when Jesus spoke to Him. He told us about the things “which are” in chapters 2 and 3. Now we will look at the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4 through 22).
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
The Greek word for hereafter is “meta taut” which starts us here in chapter 4. It is found again in today’s verses, Revelation 4:1. We see that the Apostle John, in his early 90’s and while he was on the island of Patmos, writes: “he looked and a door was opened in heaven.” He was taken by the Lord to heaven where he would behold many terrifying things which would happen in the future.
We see John as a “picture or type” of the church that is raptured prior to chapter 6. I realize many don’t believe in the rapture and their defense is that the word rapture doesn’t appear in the Bible. However, neither does the word “Trinity” but it is a fundamental belief in the foundations of Christianity, amen? Neither is the word “bacon” but we enjoy it with breakfast! We must remember that the New Testament Scriptures were not written in English, but in Greek. The word “harpazo” means to snatch away and when it was translated into Latin, the word “rapturo” was used; this is where the word “rapture” comes from. It is these first two verses of chapter 4 that describes the rapture beautifully.
One notices that a door was opened in heaven in verse 1 and Jesus says, “Come up hither.” Do you recall the letter to Philadelphia? A promise was made to this church:
Rev 3:8-10 I 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. (9) Behold, 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. (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.
“Come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament and both times are in the Book of Revelation. It is used again when the Two Witnesses in chapter 11 are raised after being dead in the streets for three days. Jesus tells John to “come up here” so He can show John things which must happen “hereafter.” John was immediately in the spirit and he beheld one sitting on the throne. Can you imagine how John felt as he was looking at what was going on in heaven around the throne???
Why is it believed that this is an indication of the Rapture? We must look at it according to the Scriptures.
The church is not mentioned once after Revelation chapter 3. The word church appears 80 times in the New Testament, seven in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The word churches is found 37 times in the New Testament, 11 times in chapters 2 and 3 and once in chapter 22. It is nowhere to be found in chapters 4 through 21. The Tribulation is a time period where God deals with Israel and His efforts to draw them back to Him. The church age is over at this point because we are raptured and now the focus is on Israel.
The open door in heaven only appears twice: once here in chapter 4 and then again when the two witnesses are caught up into Heaven in 19:11.
The sound of a trumpet is consistent with: 1 Co 15:51-52 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Th 4:15-16 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. (16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: This is not the sound of angels’ trumpets but the trumpet of God!
Invitation to “come up here” appears only twice in the New Testament, both in Revelation, here and Revelation 11:12, when the two witnesses are raptured.
Lastly, the return of the Saints with Christ is found at the end, in chapter 19. The Scriptures which talk about the Saints being with Jesus at the Second Coming are many:
Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, (15) To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 5:1-11 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (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. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
So dear reader, we see that the pre-tribulation Rapture view holds to the test of events. Our next post will continue with John’s visions of what goes on in Heaven before the Tribulation begins: they are exciting times!!! 😃
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 3:14-22 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: (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. (19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Good morning, reader! I hope this series stirs your heart to tell others about Christ so they won’t have to live through the most terrible period in earth’s history. I know it stirs the embers in my own heart! I also pray that this series would prick the lukewarm heart to be set on fire for God’s Word and repent from complacency.
Today’s church is the Laodicean church and we are hard pressed to find anything in this church that it is doing right. In fact, Christ cannot commend it for one thing! Even though He can’t, He still encourages them to repent! In fact, He prefaces that statement with the fact that those He loves, He reproves and disciplines them. What great compassion our Saviour has!
This church in history was a wealthy church. It was known for its sheep that had glossy black wool which they used for fine expensive coats. Their medical school also invented an eye disease salve which we still use today, called boric acid. I found that quite interesting. They didn’t have good drinking water so they piped in their water by aqueduct from Hierapolis. This water came from their hot water spring and by the time it arrived to Laodicea, it was lukewarm. I love how the Lord uses their “commodities” in a spiritual light. It is located near Denizli, Turkey today. They were nearly destroyed in 60AD by an earthquake. In fact, the government offered them subsidies to rebuild (sound familiar?) but they rejected it and said they could handle it on their own. They were self sufficient, which I also find interesting. They didn’t need any help from God!
In the church timeline, Laodicea existed from the 1900’s and this church will go through the Tribulation period. It runs simultaneously with the church at Philadelphia but it is not evangelistic at all. In fact, this church is an apostate church. It’s interesting to read how Jesus uses His reprimands with what this church holds dear.
Jesus tells them that they are lukewarm considering the waters from the aqueduct coming into their city being lukewarm! I love the analogy! They are not on fire for the Lord nor cold and indifferent. Jesus also tells them that they are known for their eye salve yet they are spiritually blind! They’re known for their black shining expensive wool but they will be naked before Him. He encourages them to have white raiment so they will be clothed. They have plenty of gold but the Lord tells them to buy from Him gold tried by fire!
This church has allowed the world into it and has no spiritual power at all. At the turn of the 20th Century, scholars of the day promoted heresies which started turning the hearts of Christian churches. One such man was Harry Emerson Fosdick. According to Wikipedia,
Fosdick became a central figure in the Fundamentalist–Modernist controversy within American Protestantism in the 1920s and 1930s and was one of the most prominent liberal ministers of the early 20th century.
In his sermon at the Northern Baptists Convention in 1922, he said that Christianity didn’t need:
“intolerance of fundamentalists, but rather the tolerance of diverse beliefs practiced by enlightened modernists.”
Today, a tolerating of sin under the banner of love is promoted in this apostate church rather than addressing sin under the banner of truth and grace so that people could experience genuine forgiveness! It is liberal theologians like this who infiltrated the church and this church becomes known as the apostate church at Laodicea. Both churches, Philadelphia and Laodicea, exist today but the church at Philadelphia will be gloriously raptured! The Laodicean church, however, will go through the Tribulation and will be used by the Antichrist. He will succeed in deceiving many through this church.
Jesus stands at the door and knocks and asks them to let Him in. This church has not invited Jesus into their church. The Lord doesn’t force His way in. It continues to be a personal invitation to us all, not just this church, amen? We must all have our own personal experience with the Lord. We must all be born again and live for the Lord as our time is short!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 3:7-13 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; (8) I 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. (9) Behold, 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. (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. (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. (13) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Good morning, reader! Pull up a chair, open your Bible and sit a while with your favorite morning beverage. We are about to read the letter to the Church at Philadelphia. This church is especially a blessing to read because it represents our current Church age! This is the age where believers have the blessed hope of being raptured before that great and horrifying day of the Lord.
Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
The horrifying seven-year Tribulation will be like none that has ever occurred on this earth. As mankind has grown more wicked, it will take more judgments and wrath from God in order to get their attention. The more one sins, the harder the heart is toward the things of God. It is going to be a period of great fear and destruction. This is the very topic that led me to the Saviour and I have rejoiced daily that I am going to be included in this blessed event, unless the Lord calls me Home before.
The Church of Philadelphia is not mentioned anywhere else in the Scriptures. It, too, was nearly destroyed by the great earthquake of 17AD and it never fully recovered. It was known for its principle crop of grapes. Ironically, the unbelievers worshipped Bacchus, the Roman god of wine.
Bacchus was the unrestrained Roman god of wine and revelry, religious ecstasy, and frenzied creativity. The Romans believed that Bacchus inspired his worshipers in their drunken state, freeing them to think and act in new ways.
mythopedia.com
This city was built by Philadelphus, King of Pergamum. It was eventually taken by Bajazet in 1390. It is now the town named Allahshar, and Islam is the only religion. How sad that Christianity faded!
Historically, the Church at Philadelphia covers the period from 1750 until the Rapture. this time frame is also occupied by the Church at Laodicea covering the time span between the 1900’s through the Tribulation. Do you wonder why two Churches run side by side? Apparently the Church in the 1900’s branched off into two and resulted in the evangelistic Church and the liberal, apostate church. The liberal “thinkers” became prominent during the 1900’s and this liberalism crept into the Church. But as usual, there was a holy remnant who shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ from 1750 until today. We see the continuation of John Wesley’s preaching as well as Jonathan Edwards, who was also prominent. There were four segments to the Great Awakening:
Starting at the end of the last Church from 1730-1740, Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley were leading many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
From 1790-1840, America was spiritually awakened. It is said that 10,000 souls per week were won to the Lord in New York City alone! Oh that this would happen today! The awakening spread throughout New England and Baptists baptized over a million converts. The gospel’s effects were felt for 40 years after that!
A Welsh revival occurred from 1855 to 1930 and entire towns were transformed. Bars closed down and lives were literally changed. It was said that the coal production industry went down because the donkeys wouldn’t move when the townsmen told them to move! Why? The donkeys were accustomed to being cursed at and the townsmen were no longer cursing! Now THAT is a changed life, amen? (2 Cor. 5:17 was truly accomplished)
From 1960-1980, America saw an awakening with Billy Graham’s evangelistic tours. Hearts were stirred at this time. I’m not promoting his work as his doctrine was different than what I believe; however, one cannot deny the hearts that came to Christ because of his ministry. In fact, I was born again in 1980, not because of Billy Graham but because of a faithful servant who shared the Gospel with me. At that time, many were going door to door spreading the Gospel. Today, going door to door could get you arrested for not being “woke”!
The Church at Philadelphia is alive and well today. Because of its evangelism, souls have been saved and there are still a few good churches around the world. These are the churches who did not close down during the epidemic and Pastors refused to obey the government’s mandates for closure. These are the churches who preach the whole counsel of God and win souls and not churches who have a “life coach” that only speaks in generalities.
This is the second Church that Jesus didn’t reprimand (the Church at Smyrna being the other). This Church’s faithfulness will be rewarded with the Rapture and they won’t have to go through the Tribulation.
Rev 3:10 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.
This is a wonderful promise which is taught throughout the New Testament and brings encouragement to all believers. The Apostle Paul did not want us to be ignorant in the area of the end times. The last series covering the Rapture goes into the details and Scriptures – if you haven’t read it, you can access it here. Despite the wickedness and fear displayed by the world today, born-again Christians all over are awaiting their Blessed Hope and appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ to meet us in the air! I, for one, am encouraged by the “signs” of His return! I’m not afraid of what will happen and how bad things are getting. The war between Russia and Ukraine doesn’t bother me in the least. The rising inflation and threats of economic collapse don’t frighten me at all. Why? Because the Lord has promised that this generation will not pass away before He comes for us. Israel (the fig tree) became a nation in May 1948 and the generation alive to see this is the final generation before the Tribulation.
Luk 21:29-33 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; (30) When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. (31) So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. (32) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (33) Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Dear reader, are you going to be one of those who will experience the Rapture? If not, wouldn’t you want to be a part of it? It excites me that the Rapture might occur before I die! I will get to go up into the clouds to meet Jesus. As I’m going up, my earthly body will be changed to an eternal body! Jesus was able to be touched by His disciples and He also ate. Just as the body of Jesus after His resurrection was changed, so will ours! Praise the Lord God Almighty!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 3:1-6 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. (2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. (3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. (5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It’s a beautiful day here – the sun is shining and warmer days are ahead! Winter’s cold days dissipate as Spring’s beauty unfolds. How I love Spring! It’s a beautiful analogy of the new life that is given to us at the moment of salvation, amen? This new life should produce a heart that desires to please God as well as to be a good ambassador for His kingdom!
I praise the Lord that He has given us His Word to learn what is about to happen to the entire planet and those who dwell on it. Friend, this is no laughing matter, nor is it one that is to be taken lightly. We are currently going over the letters dictated by Jesus to the Apostle John to the churches of the day located in Asia Minor. Each letter not only had specific instructions to a particular church, but also the letters were for a specific time in church history. Today’s churches can glean from the teachings they hold and about what the Lord Jesus warns us.
Today’s letter is to the Church in Sardis. The church age for this church is from 1517-1750 AD. This church was not mentioned anywhere else in the Scriptures. It was a wealthy city which worshiped Artemis, the goddess of fertility (one of their many gods). They were also known for the largest graveyard which was named the cemetery on a thousand hills. This city was destroyed by a major earthquake in 17AD and was not fully restored to its original state. Today, it is known as Sart with a population of approximately 5,300.
Many other doctrines were introduced and way too many to list here. It is this “church” that Jesus warns us about. The reader should do some studying on the many things that were introduced by the Roman Catholic Church and compare it with Scripture. I’m not trying to pick on Catholicism here. It is important for the reader to learn about church history according to early writers and historians; not just literature from the Catholic church, which I might add is skewed. You will be surprised to discover that many of the Catholic beliefs are not biblically sound. During this period, a Gregorian monk by the name of Martin Luther, posted his objections to the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrines in his famous 95 Theses on October 31, 1517. He posted this on the Castle Church doors in Wittenberg, Germany. This is when the Protestant Reformation (protestors) began. God’s holy remnant began to question Catholic doctrine and they compared these doctrines with Scripture. This is what everyone should do.
Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
The Protestant Reformation began toward the end of this Church age. It was known as the age of the “Great Awakening.” Men of God saw the heresies in the church and sought to remove themselves from it. Jonathan Edwards and John Wesley were prominent preachers in the early 1700’s. In fact, John Wesley started preaching in 1738; it is said that he covered over 250,000 miles on horseback! Hearts were on fire to hear God’s Word. The push to have a printed Bible began during this timeframe as well. The first printed Bible in English was printed in 1611 and known as the King James Bible. This edition of the Bible was commissioned in 1604 by King James I. Now we can see why this period was called the Great Awakening. The age went from a time of trusting the clergy (also known as the appropriately named Dark Ages) to reading for one’s self what the Bible had to say. The Bible was forbidden to be read by lay people up until this point. It was taught that only priests could interpret it. What joy it must have been for the average person to be able to read the Scriptures!
This church had a holy remnant left in its midst and they were commended by Jesus for this. Jesus also told them that He had something against them: they were alive in reputation, dead in actuality and incomplete in deeds.
They were not living according to His Word and how it directed them to live. However, to the holy remnant, He said they would be dressed in white and their names would be found in the Book of Life! We see a common theme in these letters – there was always a holy remnant who stuck to Christ’s teachings and separated themselves from the world. The rest were known for works for reputation’s sake only when in reality, they were dead inside. Their works were not a result of salvation but they were done in order to gain salvation. This is taught by many different religions today. Having been raised Catholic, I was taught this very thing.
So, therefore, these “practices (or dogma)” were added to their initial doctrine, bit by bit. In the year 1010, the rosary was added – “invented” by Peter the Hermit. (I was raised believing that the virgin Mary made an appearance and taught us to say the rosary.) In 1215, the practice of transubstantiation was added (the actual turning of the wine and bread to Christ’s blood and body). In 1229, the Bible was forbidden to laymen. We see the results in today’s Roman Catholic Church. More and more burdens were added to the salvation message and no longer was faith and mercy a part of it. It was now a religion of works:
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So what do we have to learn from this Church? Even though we are in the end times and things are occurring on a daily basis which reveal the devil is hard at work as his time is short, we must remember this:
Remember that we are alive in Christ – we must share this “life” with the dead, the lost: Col 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 1 Pet 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Remember those deeds as a believer in Christ – tell others about salvation through Christ alone; we must care for the poor, the fatherless and the widows. More importantly, the deeds are not to be done for our glory but for the glory of God alone! It is not our works that get us to Heaven but only Christ’s work is sufficient, amen?
As an afterthought, it’s interesting that the word “catholic” means universal. As we will see in later chapters, the one-world (universal) church will be located in a city on seven hills. Rome is the only city that fulfills this geographic location. I pray that if you are Catholic, you will not see these posts as negative comments or attacks on your church. Instead, I pray that your eyes are opened by the Holy Spirit of God before it’s eternally too late.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 2:18-29 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; (19) I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. (20) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. (21) And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. (22) Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. (23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (24) But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. (25) But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. (26) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: (27) And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. (28) And I will give him the morning star. (29) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Good morning, Reader! Have you enjoyed reading about the different churches and how we can learn from each one? These posts aren’t all inclusive in their history, nor are they meant to be. The goal is to give you an idea of what was going on during that timeframe.
Today’s letter to Thyatira is quite interesting! In the church age timeframe, it existed between 606-1517 AD. At this point, we see a church that is known for its idolatry. Although the “spirit” of the Roman Catholic Church began as early as the 300’s, the official “incorporation” of the Roman Catholic Church began in early 600 AD. Its basic structure is the same today, i.e. the Pope and hierarchy. With each year, more idolatrous doctrine was added to its arsenal of corruption. Later years also brought: the mass, Mary now called the Mother of God and worthy to be worshipped, the doctrine of purgatory, and Latin being the language of prayer and worship in the church (both imposed by Gregory the Great).
During this timeframe, Emperor Phocas appointed Boniface, then the Bishop of Rome, to be “pope” of all the churches in the Roman empire. The Catholic Church teaches that Peter was their first pope but the Scriptures are quite clear that Peter was the Apostle to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles.
Gal 2:7-8 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (8) (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
Jesus commends them for their love, faith, service and perseverance. However, they allowed some of the awful doctrines above to creep into their midst. Note that Jezebel is mentioned in verse 20. Jesus tells them here that she calls herself a prophetess, she teaches and seduces His servants to commit fornication with her, and she also taught eating things sacrificed to idols. First of all, committing fornication here refers to spiritual fornication, which was leaving their first love, the Lord Jesus, and worshipping someone else. Who could they be worshipping? It is not known if this woman was an actual person or if it is referring to the same doctrines that Jezebel held, one of which was:
Heb 10:10-12 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:14-18 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (15) Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, (16) This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; (17) And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (18) Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
The sacrifice of the mass has one purpose and that is for the sacrificial offering. However, what do the verses above tell us? Jesus’ blood was shed once for all sin! Daily sacrifices by Catholic priests is not necessary. They are not worshipping the same Christ as we are. We serve a risen Saviour and they are all about death. Why? There’s money to be made in death (prayers for the dead, purgatory, indulgences, etc.) according to the Catholic Church’s doctrine.
You may be saying, well what about communion in my non-denominational church? It’s a whole different story when we celebrate communion in remembrance of the Lord as He taught us in the Last Supper. We think on what Jesus did for us and we do this in remembrance of Him and His work on the cross for our sin. We don’t believe, as the Catholics, that the juice is miraculously transformed into His blood and His body is miraculously transformed into His body! This is the doctrine of transubstantiation and Pope Innocent III made it dogma (Catholic doctrine) in the year 1215. Do you see how through the years, beliefs and man-made doctrines were incorporated into this church? This religion became one of works based salvation, not salvation by faith. These are the types of things that Thyatira was allowing into their church. A church should never be tolerant of sin and should be able to recognize it when it enters into their midst. We are blessed to have the Scriptures to turn to and practically every home has a Bible so we can study for ourselves! Unfortunately, the priests and hierarchy were the only ones allowed to reveal the Scriptures.
What do we have to learn from this church today? A lot! We must hold true to God’s Word over what a church hierarchy has to say. The Catholic Church is not the only one that added to these compromises. There are many other religions who have an “additional book” for members to read, which is in addition to God’s Word (and in most cases, supersedes the Bible). The Catholic Church claims that whatever the Pope says supersedes what the Bible states. This is blasphemous, to say they least!
Col 2:20-22 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
A church’s authority should never be equal to the Scriptures nor should it be above Scriptures. NEVER! When a church remembers this, they will not be seduced by false doctrine. It is toward the end of this Church age that the Protestant Reformation began. What a blessing to all the churches and members to follow!
One interesting note is that this church was known for its idolatry. Jezebel is at the core of this idolatry. Jesus says that Jezebel was their prophetess. Interestingly enough, Mary is at the core of the Roman Catholic Church and has been for centuries. She has been elevated to a point where members pray to her (the rosary); they claim she has performed miracles; they call her Mother of God, etc. These practices began early in church history but are still going on today!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; Rev 2:13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Rev 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Rev 2:17 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 hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Hallelujah to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! We will be singing this once the Lord Jesus raptures His Church! I can picture all believers from the time of Jesus through today, in one voice, singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus! Can’t you? It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. 🙌
Today’s letter to the churches in Revelation 2 is about the church called Pergamos. In the church age, it existed between 312-606 AD. This is the age where the Roman Catholic Church began. Pergamos was well known for its reading and knowledge. They had the biggest library with over 200,000 books! These books were later taken by Mark Anthony and given to Cleopatra as a gift. It is at this point in time that the church married the world and adopted worldly practices which looked more “Roman” than early church doctrine. Despite Constantine making Christianity the mandated religion, the “changing of the heart” of the doctrine was taken out and man-made doctrine replaced it. Conversion was replaced by mandates. Here are a few of those practices which were adopted:
praying for the dead and purgatory
worshipping saints and angels
worshipping Mary
wearing robes and clerical collars
But what does Jesus say about this? He made it a point to document it in the Scriptures so we would learn from it:
(Mar 7:8) For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
(Col 2:8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Satan had a field day during this timeframe. Rules and regulations crept in and they had just enough “truth” to capture an audience but works and traditions of men were held to a higher level.
Also, take note that Jesus commended them prior to telling this church what He had against them. Jesus’ title here was “Him which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” What does that remind you of? The Lord doesn’t mince His words. He uses His Word to convict the heart and to teach us, amen?
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Jesus reprimands them for allowing the doctrine of Nicolaitans in the church. We learned in prior posts that this doctrine was one of hierarchy and ruling over the laity. Notice that the Lord says it here again: “which thing I hate”! If God hates something, we should beware, amen? Jesus calls them to repent! This church didn’t just hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. They allowed those deeds into their church! Praise the Lord for a remnant that remained holy through Christ and His Word.
Where are you today, Reader? Are you standing in church services because you were dragged there? Is the church you attend merely a repetition of the week before: Stand, kneel, sit at specific times? Traditions don’t make a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car. The conversion of the heart is what’s needed: repentance and salvation through Jesus Christ and Him alone. No amount of good deeds can add to your salvation. There is a change of heart that actually happens at true conversion. The old sinful life is to be abandoned and the new life in Christ must take over.
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
2 Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
If works are added to salvation, the gift is no longer a gift – it is no longer free. That is why you don’t see a change in one’s life if they are trusting in works. The works of religion are a heavy burden. There is no freedom and no change in the heart because of the trust in those works. It is Christ’s work on the cross and nothing more!
Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. Rom 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
If you gave me a gift for my birthday but then you told me that there were several things I had to do in order to receive that gift, it is no longer a gift: it has become something that I had to work for in order to receive it. If I now have to do something in order to receive it, it appears that I “earned” this gift and it is no longer free. Do you see the difference? This is what the church at Pergamos was allowing into their church. This doctrine is of the devil and not from the Lord. The Apostle Paul taught the church in Rome in three separate verses above that it is a free gift. It’s salvation through Christ alone, friend!
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
