Bible Studies

February 7, 2021

Genesis is the Book of beginning; Revelation is the Book of the ending and the Eternal order.  The LORD intends that you understand the Book of Revelation.  No one has complete knowledge of all things but we each have a promise made to us by Jesus Christ about the Book of Revelation. (Revelation 1:3).  Our Saviour wants His own to know and understand the Book of Revelation because it is the unveiling of Him.

[1]There is an old saying that Revelation is the Grand Central Station of the Bible because itâ°°s where all the trains of thought throughout the whole Bible come in. While it is certainly true that Revelation looks ahead and reveals the future, it also looks back and brings together all the threads running through the first 65 books of the Bible. Revelation contains 404 verses, and 278 of them allude back to the Old Testament. Revelation has no direct quotations from the Old Testament but contains a total of 550 allusions or references (which appear in 278 verses) back to the Old Testament. So a significant portion of Revelation brings together content from the Old Testament into a comprehensive sequence of events. Arnold Fruchtenbaum observes:

If you are reading a book that had captured your attention, you would want to see how it ends.  I remember several years ago there was a preview to a western series that was to come.  I watched the preview and it was intriguing and I wanted to see how it developed and continued.  But it never happened.  I read later that so much was given in the preview there was no way to develop the story.  But this story that begins in Genesis has an ending and a future in the Book of Revelation.

Every Eye shall see Him:1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.  Even those in hell: Mat 26:62  And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? Mat 26:63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Mat 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Even those in Hell.

How shall every eye see Him?  1 ) Jesus could reflect His glory around the world for every eye to see Him.  2 ) I do not think it will be like the rapture an instantaneous moment but rather an event lasting several hours.  In a day the earth will rotate, Zec 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.   If you look at Matthew 24:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

1:8  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.  The Almighty, [2]The word Almighty is translated from the Greek term pantokrator, which consists of two Greek wordsâ°"pantos everything and krator (â°œto holdⰝ). Putting this together, it means that Jesus Christ has everything in His hands, or He has His hands-on everything. There is no greater truth to know and believe than that Jesus has His hands-on everything. He has His hands on every planet, star, king, kingdom, church, and person, including you and me.

1:9 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.  John was on the Isle of Patmos in suffering for Christ.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,  John was elevated to a spiritual plane where he was in direct contact with the Mind of God. He was transcended beyond the power of this world and his own mind and God revealed things to him and John was told to write them down.

â°œOn the LORDâ°°s DayⰝ â°" Sunday is not found in the Bible but the Eight day is which is the first day of the week.  And the first day of every week.  It is a common term among believers.  The Revelation was written later after the other N.T, books. Extrabiblical writing before Revelation used the term Sunday as the LORDâ°°S Day, the day Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Therefore Sunday was a common term by the time of John;  I think John was referring to Sunday as The LORDâ°°S Day.

Revelation 1:11-19[ Read]

1:20   The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. 

Who are the angels of the seven Churches? Everything is recorded in Heaven â°" â°œ A book of remembrance.Ⱍ  Mal 3:16  Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.  I am going to say it is an angel that writes the record in heaven.  So as of now, I will say the messenger is an angel who is recording all that happens within the church. The angels in Revelation 2â°"3 are legal witnesses or observers to Christâ°°s evaluation of each church.

In every Church, an unseen heavenly observer is making a written record.  That is a very stunning statement.  And should awaken every person. These Letters are a snapshot of our standing before the final evaluation of our life which is at the JSOC.

Do these seven churches represent seven stages of Church history? No these are seven churches that exist at the same time: By the time John wrote Revelation these churches were already second-generation churches.  Paul was dead and this is approx. 40 years later.  Paul had written the letter to Ephesus and Timothy pastored the church.  You can read the letters Paul wrote they are there in the Word of God.  But now there is no mention of Paul time had passed.   [these churches were now second -generation churches]

John was known by these churches and maybe was a circuit walking leader of these seven. [my opinion: maybe that is why these seven were chosen].  John was put in exile because of his faith and obedience to Christ.  This letter was written to encourage them, [1:9]

The seven churches have a practical meaning. The issues these churches would face will be the same issues that believers would face throughout the church age.

[4]The seven churches have a  perpetual meaning, in that they are representative of all the different kinds of churches that will be present during the entire church age. There are seven churches mentioned because biblically, seven is the number of completeness or totality. These seven represent the totality of the basic kinds of churches that will always be present on earth during the church age.

So every generation has lived in the hope they would be the generation that would see the end of the church age.  But yet generations have passed with no certainty of the time.  Therefore the message to the churches is relevant to every generation of the Church age.

These are models to which we can compare our church: Keep in mind these letters are a snap shop of the Judgment Seat of Christ.  These letters teach us the Church is made up of people and that Christ evaluates our life daily.  He examines our inner self.

Therefore, the evaluation of these churches is an evaluation of every believer: Ephesus, they left first Love - Smyrna, the Suffering Church,  Pergamum the Compromising Church, Thyatira, the Tolerant Church, Sardis, The Dead Church Philadelphia the Faithful Church, Laodicea The Self-sufficient Church

I want to look at the word â°œOvercomerⰝ.  The word is used seventeen times in the Book of Revelation.  And each letter ends with the promise of reward to each believer. 

The promise is made to all believers!  I say this because of 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Mark Hitchcock says the overcomers in Smyrna are told, ⰜHe who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.Ⱍ Because the second death is hell (20:14), the promise of not being hurt by the second death has to apply to every believer. That verse is an encouragement to the believer to be faithful.

Bob Wilkens says, "Assurance, that is, certainty, produces powerful gratitude in us. As long as we remain assured and thank God for our secure salvation, our gratitude compels us to please our Savior.

These letters are written to the Church Age believers and they show the LORDâ°°s presence in the church, and His knowledge and evaluation of each.  They show the loss [not the loss of the Gift of God received by believing on Christ] that will occur without repentance and promise of reward to one who hears and keeps â°" Remember Rev. 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

These letters are written for us to hear and believe the message.  These are letters of encouragement to the believer. These letters cannot represent stages of Church History because the churches existed at the same time. The downside to the position of stages of Church History is the letters are written to believers and all believers will be in the rapture. These letters teach us the Church is made up of people and that Christ evaluates our life daily.  He examines our inner self.

1Jn 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world,  our faith. 1Jn 5:5  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Church in Philadelphia, 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. Rev 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, I do not think that is referring to the Rapture.  I believe that is a promise to the Church during these last days in which we, the believer, will see persecution.  It is easy to believe there will be some giant leap from where we are now to the Tribulation but not so.  It is only a small step.

Church in Laodicea,  Rev 3:14  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; Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

Rev 3:17  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: Rev 3:18  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. Rev 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Rev 3:20  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. 

He is speaking to the believer and giving an opportunity to respond to Him knocking at the door of our life.  He knocks by many intervening in our life [ trials, testing, and self-inflicted sins]. The offer is there for each believer to respond.  He is giving the Lukewarm opportunity to repent.

The Handle is on the Other Side[5]

When I was little, my Dad used to drop me off at a nearby church so I could go to the Sunday School they had there. We werenâ°°t a church-type family so what I saw and heard there was all new to me. And I remember this painting they had of Jesus - now I know it is one of the most famous ones painted in modern times. You may have seen it. Jesus is in a garden, and He is knocking on what looks to be a big oak door. The man who painted it was named Holman Hunt. And when he was ready to unveil it for the first time, he called his friends and family together to be the first to see it. Well, it was pretty quiet as each person stood there and drank in the deep feeling that the painting conveys. Then people began to comment on what impressed them about it. But one friend said hesitantly,

"Uh, Holman - itâ°°s a beautiful painting. But - well, didnâ°°t you forget something?"

"What did I forget?"

The friend said, "The handle. Thereâ°°s no handle on the door."

To which the artist simply replied, "Oh! No, I didnâ°°t forget the handle. When Jesus knocks on the door of your heart - the handleâ°°s on the INSIDE."

This painting was based on Jesusâ°° own words, recorded in our word for today from the Word of God, Revelation 3:20. It was a statement made originally to believers who had left Jesus out. But it also is an invitation for one to believe on Christ for Eternal Life,

If you as a believer keep Him outside you make Him, as a stranger, a drifter just passing through, as a mighty man that has no power.  We as believers must never cease to overcome the tests and trials of life through faith and obedience to Christ.

You must renew your love for Christ every day.

And if you as one not saved refuse His offer of Eternal Life you stand condemned, Joh 3:18  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. 1Jn 5:10  He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 

[1] Hitchcock, Mark. 101 Answers to Questions About the Book of Revelation (p. 70). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.