REVELATION CHAPTER 3
KJV
WEB
See
previous page
Rev 3,1-22
(50e)
Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations >> Great endtime revival
>> Church gets right with God
Rev 3,1-5
(193j) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Turn from sin to God >> Repent >>
Consequences of not repenting
Rev 3,1-4
(203h) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Back-slider >> Withdraw from obeying God >>
Withdrawing from God
Rev 3,1-3
(38c) Judgment
>>
Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection
overcomes death
(56a) Paradox
>>
Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to
lose God’s wealth -- These verses go with verse 11
(167f)
Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism
(mindset of the world)
>> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Carnal mind is fueled by
our emotions
–
The Church in Sardis has a name in the world,
and by that name they consider themselves alive, but God says they are
dead, in that they are merely exhibiting their spirituality in the
emotional realm. God does not see Himself in them; all He
sees is emotional hype. Those who stick
to the doctrine of grace through faith don’t need to look for Bible verses to explain their behavior, whereas rowdy
Pentecostal denominations are more likely to take a chance and believe something new, making themselves appear all the
more alive in their beliefs, but they don't fool God. He does not see their deeds
complete; love is
lacking. These rowdy believers claim that the more conservative denominations
have excluded whole belief systems
that are necessary to living the abundant
life (Jn 10-10), yet God is telling them to remember the roots of the
cross, and unload some of their extraneous doctrines until they get better
grounded in the rudiments of the faith, based on the blood of
Jesus shed for the forgiveness of sin. If they don’t repent, God will come
like a thief, and they do not know at what hour He will come. See also: Pentecostals and Charismatics; Rev 3,7-10;
113b
(178g) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Hypocrisy >>
Hypocrisy of the Church is rebuked >> The Church is rebuked for disobedience
(184j) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Abusing the grace
of God >> Dragging God’s grace through the mud >> Unwilling to honor God’s grace
–
This group has gotten their emotions ahead of their faith, which doesn’t
sound too
serious, except that the subject has turned to sin. Now we are
getting a fuller picture of their motives behind the hype. There is more to
Christianity than pretending to be spiritual through loud noises and bodily
gyrations. They have a spiritual veneer,
but underneath they are practicing sin. Those who get their feet dirty wash their feet and are clean, but those who get their clothes dirty have fallen in
the mud puddle and wallow in the mire.
Their façade is devoid of faith, and their emotionalism doesn't glorify God. Rather, they are in danger of losing
their souls. They should replace their religious pretense with love.
(196j) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual
laziness >> Replacing God’s standard of
excellence with yours >> Sleeping in the spirit
(202e) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Running from God >> Running to your sinful
nature >> Laziness has plenty of ambition to run
from God -- These verses go with verses 15-17
(241a) Kingdom of God
>>
Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >>
Hindering the kingdom >> Taking away the key of
knowledge >> Hindering unity in the Church --
These verses go with verses 15-20
Rev 3-1,2
(26e)
Sin >> Consequences of sin
>>
Death is separation from Christ –
Jesus is speaking to the church in Sardis that they have a name for
themselves. They have become an entity of the world apart from Christ, and they are
dead.
(174i) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >>
Form of a servant but denying God your loyalty –
When Jesus said, “Wake up and strengthen the things that remain,” it means that
He has no intensions of replacing what they have allowed to die. We must remain
faithful with the things God has given us or we will lose them. There are
warnings in the first three chapters of Revelation that are aimed specifically
at the Church of the last days that point directly at us, the
generation more likely to see the return of Christ than any generation before us,
yet the Church today seems unaffected by this. They cry, ‘Grace,
grace, grace,’ their favorite word, but there are other words in the Bible
that speak of judgment, judgment, judgment, meaning that God is unwilling to
resolve every problem
of man’s disobedience.
(191j) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Result of putting off the old man >> Set apart >>
Set apart from the world –
God doesn't want His Church to be an entity of the world but to be a separate
kingdom apart from the nations. Sardis got the wrong idea of God’s will for
the Church. They integrated into the world, thinking they would win souls and fulfill the great commission, but
doing the will of God involves keeping ourselves separate from the world. Our
evangelism becomes ineffectual when we try to lessen the offense of the cross, thinking that people
can better relate to
the gospel if we become like them. The
Church must be sanctified if we want to effectively reach
those who are seeking God. The Bible speaks of God's kingdom as unique to all
other kingdoms, so we cannot
integrate into the world without losing our identity. "We are in the
world but not of the world" is a popular
statement in Christendom, but most don’t live this way. God has His own
principles, His own fruit and His own kingdom, and we should integrate
into Him and not into the world. James said that a faucet cannot produce both fresh and bitter water
(Jm 2-11), so if we are members of God’s kingdom, we cannot be of the world
at the same time. We may have citizenship in a nation; that is part of
being in the world, but our allegiance does not reside in that nation but in
the kingdom of God, and for this reason the world hates us.
(226a) Kingdom of God >>
Illustrating the kingdom >>
Parables about lamps –
In the first three chapters of Revelation, each of the seven churches was
assigned a lamp. Remember the parable of the Ten Virgins and their lamps
(Mat 25,1-13)? The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out,"
but they refused, telling them to go to the dealers and buy some for themselves,
but they had run out of time. God gives us a lamp, lights it and
puts some fuel in the tank, but He doesn’t give us matches. He gives us a good
start and He expects us to maintain the flame for the rest of our lives. He
requires us to occasionally purchase more oil at the store, located in the Most
Holy Place through the word of God and prayer, to replenish the oil
we have burned, for if the flame dies in our lamp, there is no way to relight it.
Heb 6,4-6 says, “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened
and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy
Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance,
since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open
shame.” What was the cause of their lamps dying? It was from a lack of zeal
for God in not gathering more oil for the long, dark night that they knew was
coming. See also: Ten virgins; Rev 3-2,3; 4j
Rev 3-1
(26a)
Sin >> Consequences of sin
>>
Death >> Dead to God through sin
(53c) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> Of life and death >>
Die trying to live
(166l) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >>
The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil >>
The old mind
(169i) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Seeking the glory
of man >> Loving the approval of men rather than
the approval of God >> Coveting the favor of men
(178c) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >>
Presuming the facts about the circumstances >>
Presumption interprets our observations
(198f) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained
by man >> Men place themselves in positions of
authority >> Men who are ill-equipped to fulfill
the ministry –
There are lots of dead pastors in the pulpits these days who have been
ordained by men, who have placed themselves in positions of authority, who are
ill-equipped to fulfill the ministry, who preach dead sermons every week. The religious establishment today has the
primary goal of self-sustainment, instead of furthering the Kingdom of God in the
world, hence their token outreach programs. Top priority of every
church is its own existence and of course the pastor’s salary paid. Christianity has become just another business in the world,
after it merged with the state, starting in the third century. In the days of
the early church a pastor's salary was scarcely enough to meet his needs, and they were
often persecuted
and even martyred. They served without hope of earthly benefit, and they
did exploits for God, but in today’s church pastors receive a salary, and if
persecuted they run. That is the very definition of a hireling, and the
Church is full of men like this in the pulpit. Inside they are dead.
It is really hard to find a good church these days. We’ve all heard it said,
‘If you find a perfect church, don’t join it, because then it won't be
perfect anymore.’ We are not talking about perfection here; we are talking
about having a sincere faith. If we are looking for a certain
religious denomination, then we will certainly find one, but we are looking
for genuine faith that loves and practices the truth, we can search the
world-over and may never find one. When the Lord said that they
are dead, He was saying that the Holy Spirit does not dwell in them. They are
not born-again; many churches these days don’t even preach being born-again; they don't believe in such
things. What! Being born-again is the foremost
doctrine of the faith; we must
be saved before we can go to heaven.
(212j) Sovereignty
>>
God is infinite >> God is all knowing >>
God knows everything about you -- This verse goes with verse 8
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3,2-5
(105f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Pure in heart >> Lacking a pure heart
(227e) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >>
God rewards endurance >> Keeping our rewards
through endurance -- These verses go with verse 11
Rev 3-2,3
(4j)
Responsibility >> The choices you
make >> Accountable for your deeds -- These
verses go with verse 8. In the parable of the Ten Virgins, all were
asleep, both the wise and the foolish, and they all awoke at the same time at
a shout from their
Master. The five who were wise had enough oil in their lamps to
prepare for His coming, but the five who were foolish Jesus said He would come
to them like a thief. What does He intend to steal from them but the
things that are about to die, and what was about to die but the flame in their
lamps (Rev 2-5)? God is our greatest advocate,
but He is the unbeliever’s greatest adversary. These things were about to
die because we have failed to remember what we have heard, and have not kept it
or repented. Jesus said He will take what is left of our
faith, according to the parable of the Ten Virgins, by delaying His return. Jesus told the story about
the sower of seeds, that some fell beside the road and the birds came and ate
it up; the birds referred to Satan and his demons that came and snatched the
word from their hearts. What Jesus is saying here is different; He is talking about seed
that may have well fallen in good soil and grew to be a healthy plant,
but never bore any fruit (Lk 13,6-10). If we do not bear any fruit, God takes offense
at that (Jn 15-5,6), as though He were unworthy of our service. We need to serve Him in fear and
trust and walk in
joy and safety of faith and love. See also: Last days (Ten Virgins); Rev 3-2; 83i
/
Rev 8-5; 104d
(45g) Judgment
>>
Believer’s sin >> God will judge us with the
world if we live like them -- These verses go with verses 15-19
Rev 3-2
(9i) Responsibility
>> Strengthen one another
>>
Be strong
(44c) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Complete >>
Fulfill the requirements –
Paul talked about being complete; James too said
to be “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” This is in combination
of
our faith and works, allowing no contradiction between them. If we claim
to be Christian yet live like the world, we are incomplete.
(48j)
Judgment >> Levels of judgment
>>
Judged by withdrawing rewards
(83i) Thy kingdom come
>>
Jesus intercedes for us >> He prepares us to
meet the Father –
Jesus had a complaint about the Church in Sardis that their works were
incomplete, that they were about to die. They were far too involved in the
world and were walking by
sight, and it obstructed their faith in Jesus. It says they were asleep and He
woke them, as in the parable of the Ten Virgins. The flame in
their lamp was their responsibility to keep burning and not
let it expire, for if the flame dies, there is nothing in Scripture that says God
will relight our lamps; i.e., He rejected those whose flame died of the five foolish virgins. The same way in
this verse, there was a shout, “Wake up” and strengthen the
things that remain, suggests that if we let the things of God die in us, we
cannot revive them. Therefore, we must be careful that our flame keeps burning, like
the perpetual incense representing prayer that God commanded Moses for the old
covenant temple of worship (Exodus 30,1-10).
See also: Ten Virgins; Rev 3-3; 215g
(223g) Kingdom of God
>>
The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >>
Missing the point >> Miss the meaning of being
with Jesus
Rev 3-3
(7e) Responsibility
>>
Protecting the gospel >> God defends His own
word –
God defends His word by purging the Church in two ways: He will either purge sin
from us,
or if we refuse to work in Him, He
will purge us
from the Church.
(36e) Gift of God
>>
Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of
authority -- This verse goes with verse 11
(45d) Judgment
>>
God judges our walk in the Spirit >> For not
bearing fruit
(49i) Judgment
>> Judgment day
>> He will come like a thief in the night – Coming like a thief and catching people
off-guard the Church has attributed to the world and not to themselves,
but these words were written about the Church. It says that Jesus is coming like a thief at a time when
the Church does
not expect and will catch many unprepared. So long as life is easy, we say
Jesus could come any day; but when ominous clouds form on the horizon and
threatening days come upon us, we say Jesus should have come before this, and
so hard times define the the days when the foolish virgins don't expect Him to
return (1The 5,1-7).
The
church of Sardis is one that won’t repent; they are the Pre-Tribulation
Rapture crowd. They got saved at some point, and
they were no doubt happy in their salvation for a while, but their happiness
wore-off and they became discontent in their faith. Jesus on a number of occasions said He would come
like a thief, which is not at all like His first coming in the flesh, and what is He coming to
steal but their lampstand (Rev 2-5)? He will take home those who are prepared, and
the rest will
be left behind. Those left behind who
have not taken the mark of the beast will have to make their way to Jerusalem, which will be
the only safe haven on earth, though it also happens to be hometown of the
antichrist, which is a paradox to say the least. The mark of the beast will be enforced during
those days, and those in
rebellion against God will most likely receive it,
except for a very small sliver of people who will neither believe in God nor
take the mark, and if they see the second coming of Christ, they will be
called to repopulate the earth. See also: Those left behind who have not taken the mark will migrate to Jerusalem
between the trumpets and
the bowls;
Rev 11,1-6; 28c
(113m) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Guard the anointing --
This verse goes with verse 11
(114e) Thy kingdom
come
>> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy
Spirit >> Obeying the revelation from heaven >>
Obeying the revelation by putting away the flesh
(176c) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >>
Ignorance lurks in darkness
(180h) Works of the devil
>>
Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >>
Rebelling against God’s narrow way >>
Rebelling against the word of God
(201i) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Running from God >> Man’s will over God >>
Man is unwilling to repent –
Revelation is a book of prophecy, and chapters two and three represent the Church
in the last days. Jesus said that many people fitting the description of
Sardis will not repent. They do not know at what hour He will come,
though in Mat 25-6 He plainly stated that He would come at midnight. For the last 2000 years the Church has prepared herself for the second
coming of Christ, yet just before he returns the Church will be least
prepared. Jesus didn’t lie to those in the past who prepared and never saw
His return;
He will eventually come, and it didn’t hurt them to prepare. It helped
them to stay spiritually alert.
(215g) Sovereignty
>>
God controls time >> Suddenly >>
The judgments of God come suddenly >> Without
warning –
Jesus reminded the people of Sardis what they have received during the early
days of salvation when their hearts were tender and the seed planted in good
soil saved
their souls. Since then they have become spiritually slothful and disobedient. In the parable of the Ten Virgins,
it teaches that both the
wise and the foolish fell asleep, but the foolish didn't bring oil with them,
and they awoke just as their lamps were fading. When their lamps flickered for
the last time and went dark, their faith died, just as Jesus was
making His return. Why is it that people’s faith died just as Jesus was
returning? He waited for their faith to die before He came as a way of
eliminating the disingenuous from His heavenly kingdom. See also: Ten Virgins; Rev 3,7-10;
140a
(218b) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> You cannot control the judgment of
God >> You cannot control how God responds to
rebellion -- This verse goes with verses 15-17
(238h) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge
of the kingdom >> Teachers >>
Teachers "remind" their students >>
Strong reminders
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-4,5
(32g) Gift of God
>>
Father will honor you if you die to self >> Your
faithfulness
(98ka) Thy kingdom come >>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >>
Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life >>
The salvation of God >> Enduring the wicked is to overcome them -- These
verses go with verse 21
(113c) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Clothe yourself with good works -- These verses go with verses 17&18. Garments
refer to our works, and the fact that we have not soiled them means
we do not practice sin. The clothes we wear are what people see; they
represent us in the world, just like our works, and underneath our
clothes we are naked. God doesn’t fault us for being naked; we were born
that way; He faults us for wearing dirty clothes. The Lord gave us some linens to
cover our nakedness (Rev 19-8), and Paul said that we should
take off our old clothes (bondage to sin) and put on the new self (Eph 4,22-24), the good works that He prepared for
us that we should walk in them (Eph 2-10). This new person whom we have become in Christ, after we believed and received the indwelling Holy Spirit, has mixed with our spirit to
make a new creation in His grace, and this new person
is our spiritual identity.
Rev 3-4
(71d) Authority >>
Ordained by God >> Worthiness of man >> God makes us worthy of heaven
(92d) Thy kingdom come
>>
The narrow way >> Trail of good works >>
Putting on His good works –
God has certain expectations of those who seek Him. Those with dirty
clothes He resists, but those in white garments walk with Him for they are worthy.
We are called to
overcome our fleshly sins and avoid soiling our clothes so we can have a closer
walk with Him. How close of a walk do we want with God? However we answer
that question is the level of commitment to righteousness we
need in order to approach His throne.
(93a) Thy kingdom come
>>
The narrow way >> Keep yourself on the narrow
way
(145h) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself >> Demon possession >>
Human state >> Filthiness >>
Deeds of the flesh – Jesus said that a person who has bathed needs only to wash his
feet (Jn 13-10).
Even while doing the will of God we get our feet dirty, walking down a dusty
road in sandals spreading the gospel. John in this verse is talking about
doing more than collecting dirt on our feet. We have fallen in the mud and are
unwilling to be cleansed.
(164g) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> The world system >>
Satan’s system of authority >> His elementary
principles of the world
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-5
(15g) Servant
>>
Angels >> The presence of angels denotes authority
(30k) Gift of God
>>
God’s favor qualifies you for heaven
(83h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Jesus intercedes for us >> He represents us
before the Father
(150cb) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Confessing Jesus
to be saved >> Confessing Jesus for the sake of heaven
-- This verse goes with verse 8
(207c) Salvation
>>
God makes promises on His terms >> Eternal
security? >> God will accept you into His heaven if you overcome >> Overcome temptation to give up the faith –
We
must be born-again in order to have our names written in the Book of Life. How does a person who believes in eternal security get
over a statement like this, "I will not erase his name from
the book of life"? This means the book of life is not made of stone. Jesus will smudge names from the book
of life if certain Christians will not repent of their hollow faith. Those who need their feelings
of security supported by invented doctrines are secretly planning to fall away from the
faith, and those who want
to believe in eternal security will continue believing no matter how many
verses like these we present to them. They will always find a way to make the Scriptures say what they want, but in the end we
are
better-off forming our doctrines around the Scriptures rather than forming
the Scriptures around our doctrines. See also: Eternal Security?; 217f
(217f) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> God gives up on you >>
After you refuse to comply -- This verse goes with verses 16&17. What
is the opposite of this verse? ‘He who does not overcome will not
be clothed in white garments, and I will erase his name from the book
of life.
This verse depicts a person losing his salvation. Some say that this is
impossible, but we need to remember that the doctrine of Eternal Security is
man-made and is not biblically supported. The Bible teaches that by the
account of two or three witnesses all will be verified, so all we need is
two or three Bible passages to debunk the doctrine of Eternal Security, but
there are dozens of them sprinkled throughout the New Testament all
teaching that it is in fact possible to lose our salvation, and the way that
looks in heaven is that the person's name is erased from the Lamb's Book of Life,
which no one wants to happen, or would even wish upon his worst enemy. Their
names can be written there, but they
cannot be rewritten if erased (Heb 6,4-6). Salvation reduces to
whether a person is willing to publicly confess Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior. This is what the Bible teaches as the bottom line of a person’s
salvation, it is determined by a confession of faith (Mk 8-38); but a person can have a change of heart; it
happens all the time. Lots of people get married and then divorced; they
once loved each other and now they don’t. The same is true with God, whose
relation to man is in fact a marriage. A divorced couple can
remarry, but if anyone divorces God, that is the end of the relationship. These
transactions occur in the spiritual realm, and God takes them very seriously
(Heb 12-16), for the spiritual realm is just as literal to God as the physical
realm is to us. If we say in our heart that we don’t want God anymore,
and we live that way proving we mean it, God will honor our choice and
erase our name from the book of life. He doesn’t want anyone in His heaven
who doesn’t want to be there or doesn’t love Him. He was willing to be
tortured and nailed to a cross once, but He is not willing to bring anyone into His
house who would think about killing Him again. See also: Eternal Security?; 219hh
(219hh) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> The elect >>
God chooses us as we choose ourselves >> The Lamb's book of life – Those who believe
in eternal security use this verse to confirm we cannot lose
our salvation, since it says He will not erase our names from the Lamb's Book of
Life, but if we had the hearing ear and the courage to acknowledge the intent
of the Scriptures as they were written, we would see that names can be erased from the
Lamb's Book of Life, but He won’t erase anyone's name
who loves Him with the whole heart. It
takes courage to value the Scriptures over our preconceived notions;
conversely, it takes a lot of nerve to value our preconceived notions of the
Scriptures. it
is all too common for Christians to prefer their own
ideas over sound doctrine, and if they are teachers of
God’s word, they promote doctrines that have led the Church into heresy. If we are
unwilling to acknowledge the potential erasing of our names from the
book of life, then what else are we unwilling to acknowledge
about God’s word? For every highly massaged passage we use
to justify our heretical beliefs, there are three passages that
speak very plainly to the contrary without interpreting them. See also: Eternal Security?;
207c
(224b) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he
makes all things new >> Description of the
ascension
(253j) Trinity
>>
Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus
is subject to the Father >> Jesus is under the
authority of the Father -- This verse goes with verse 12
(254d) Trinity
>>
Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >>
Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> We live
because He is life >> God gives life to our
faith in Jesus
Rev 3-6
(79k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word >> Listen to the word >>
He who has ears to hear, let him hear -- This verse goes with verse 13. If we
don’t develop a hearing ear, we could lose everything. We must develop an
ear for what the Spirit is saying and not for what others think. We must often
swallow our pride to maintain our relationship with God, because we are sinners
and have a proclivity for evil; our flesh more readily wanders from Him than
walks with Him, and we have a greater tendency to
believe a lie than the truth. For this reason we need to cultivate a hearing ear, so we can properly understand the Scriptures. When God speaks
to us, we need to recognize His voice, even when He says things that don't fit our rendition of truth.
(106e) Thy kingdom come >>
Faith >>
Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >>
Having the ability to hear -- This verse goes with verse 13
(110h) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the
truth >> Hearing the Spirit
-- This verse goes with verse 13
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3,7-13
(194c) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >>
Running to meet Jesus prior to His visitation
Rev 3,7-10
(113b) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Protection >> Shelter –
The name “Christ” is literally translated the anointed One.
Consequently, “Christians” are anointed ones, meaning all Christians possess an anointing from God, or they are not Christians. The anointing is
not something we keep under a basket. This simple concept of a flame burning in
a lamp is the illustration of the anointing. We teach it to preschool children
in Sunday school every week, but we don’t believe it ourselves, truncating it from our
doctrines. “Hide it under a bushel, no! I’m gonna let it shine….” We
talk about the anointing as the light of our salvation, and it is, but it is
more than that. God not only wants to save us for eternity, He wants to save us from
the world in this life, but if we reject the salvation of His anointing, we
could potentially allow our eternal salvation to slip. We need the anointing to protect our faith, yet most Christians don't
believe in the anointing, and as a result people are falling away from
the faith by the droves. We know that Pentecostals and Charismatics believe a semblance of the
anointing, yet many of their ideas are twisted beyond remedy, making those who
discount the anointing almost further ahead. See also: Pentecostals and Charismatics; Rev 3,1-3;
167f
(139j) Hiding Place
(Key
verse) –
There are two ways to build God's temple: with hands and without hands. Both are required
if His temple is to be built at all. Building the temple with hands lays the foundation for the spiritual temple to be built without hands. Building the temple with hands is a matter of laying the foundation of knowledge and obedience,
whereas its counterpart involves building the structure from faith. Knowledge and obedience are building materials that we
use every day in the world, whereas faith is spiritual, which yields a spiritual product, capable of
producing a spiritual structure made of a substance that is not of this world.
(140a) Temple
>>
Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >>
The doorway – The implication of God setting an open door
in front of the Philadelphian church was that they should pass through it, which
is picturesque of the parable of the ten virgins who also had an open door set
before them, and only the wise passed through it. The people in the Church
of
Philadelphia were wise in their relationship with God; they had a true substance
to their faith. Therefore, God put before them an open door that leads into the
Holy of Holies, where they discover a profound anointing. The Holy of Holies is where the Philadelphian
church will find safety while all the evils of the last days befall so many of
their fellow church members who had not trimmed their lamps or gathered enough
oil to enter
such a holy place with God. We who have prepared our hearts to enter this
heavenly realm will wait for Jesus in the Most Holy Place where our
enemies cannot come, a place where revelation knowledge and understanding of
God’s wisdom comes easily, a place where the truth comes alive. It is the place
that our flesh recognizes as the wilderness, and anybody who practices a hollow version of Christianity
is barred from this place. Not only are they unwelcome, they
wouldn’t go there even if they could. See also: Door of Christ; Rev 3-7,8; 55g
/ Ten Virgins; Rev 3-7,8; 55g
Rev 3,7-9
(217a) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> God Is Independent Of His Creation >>
No one can make God do anything
Rev 3-7,8
(55g) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> As Jesus opens His door the Church close theirs -- These verses go with verse 20. God
has set before us an open door, because we have a little power, have
kept His word and have not denied His name. This means that if we don’t
have a little power, if we have not kept His word and have denied His name,
this door will be closed.
This verse is talking about possessing an
anointing from God. He is not asking the moon from us, if we have some level
of anointing, even a little, and if we have protected it by walking in it,
that is enough to keep this door open so we can pass through it. On the other side of this
door is something the Church has
overlooked, a Great Endtime Revival! If we have a remnant of the Spirit, we have access to this door, but those who have allowed their fire to
smother; the door will be shut to them, corresponding with the parable of
the Ten Virgins. This
little flame in our lamp means something to God. He has given us a piece
of Himself and commanded us to keep it until He returns; those who can
produce what belongs to Him, which has accumulated with interest will be rewarded with eternal life,
but those who
can’t will be shut-out. God
has called us all to embrace our possession from God with everything inside us
to prevent letting go of it, because the forces that want to pull us from our
faith in Jesus are great. This powerful little flame represents our faith. We don’t just believe a battery of doctrines; we
possess something from God, the anointing, the manifestation of the Spirit who
dwells in us. God requires that we manifest His kingdom on the earth; it is
not an option, otherwise there is nothing real in us. The
only way our faith can be proven is that we manifest it in the natural
realm, and that manifestation of faith is the anointing, which is
demonstrated through the righteous acts of the saints (Rev 19-8). All these
concepts converge at the threshold of this open door that we enter and where God
protects us from the evil one who befalls the world. See also: Great Endtime Revival; Rev 3-10;
49m / Door of Christ; Rev 3,8-10; 50h
/ Ten Virgins; Rev 3-1,2;
226a
Rev 3-7
(15d) Servant
>>
Ministering spirits >> Angels Perform certain
duties -- This verse goes with verse 14
(107e) Thy kingdom come >>
Faith >> Hearing from God >> Truth of the trinity >>
Jesus is truth
(133b) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >>
God is holy >> Jesus is holy
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3,8-12
(99a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >>
Enduring the word of God
>> Endure obeying the word of God
Rev 3,8-10
(28k) Gift of God
>>
God is our advocate >> God protects us through
prayer –
Often when the Church struggles in its circumstances, it causes a rejuvenation
of faith, a time of reflection and going back to their roots, after their life
of materialism is no longer feasible. A
passage like this falls right into the hands of pre-tribulation Rapture
advocates, and we can’t blame them for seeing their doctrine in this
passage, but there are too many verses that speak against a pre-tribulation
Rapture, suggesting that Jesus is talking about something else. He is talking
about keeping the Church from the hour of testing in some other way, but he
also said that they have kept the word of His perseverance. They have
persevered under trial, meaning that they have already persevered and have
passed certain tests. They were tested and found faithful against Satan's
wrath, and are now eligible to enter God's protection to keep them from
another hour of testing that is coming upon the whole world. This is referring
to a time between the Seals of Satan’s wrath and the Trumpets of God’s
judgment. There had been trials and difficulties before this. Jesus spoke of
the synagogue of Satan; they have persevered against religious liars, in the
face of a majority of people who taught an opposing gospel, and those who were
faithful contradicted their lies with God’s truth, so others could follow
them instead of the religious establishment. What is the synagogue of Satan?
We know in the First Century that it consisted of unbelieving Jews, those who
had Jesus crucified in Jerusalem. However, 2000 years later, we are talking
about a completely different group of people. The First Century Church who
read John’s revelation figured it was those who adhered to old covenant
temple worship and all its services and teachings that Jesus debunked, but
today the Jews are a non-entity in the religious arena of Christianity, so in
today’s world, we are not talking about Jews at all. Therefore, the
synagogue of Satan refers to the Church today that has survived for 2000
years, though in the process has adopted many false doctrines and teachings,
with every generation contributing to the pile, until the things people
believe today are no more accurate to the Scriptures than the teachings of the
Pharisees in Jesus’ day. They didn’t understand the Old Testament any
better than the contemporary false church understands the New Testament.
Therefore, the synagogue of Satan refers to the religious establishment of
Christianity in the 21st century, who will for the most part reject God’s
plan and purpose for His people during His return. God intends to call the Jew
to faith in Jesus Christ in order to lead a Great Endtime Revival. There will
be two revivals happening at the same time, a true one and a false one. Many
churches in the developed countries of the world will reject this Jewish
ministry to their own demise and will instead follow the revival of the Roman
Catholic Church, led by the antichrist, designed to give people an alternative
in effort to dissuade the participants of God’s revival.
(32i) Gift of God
>>
Father will honor you if you die to self >> Father honors His word in you
(50h)
Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations
>> Second half of the tribulation
>> The saints flee into the wilderness - spiritual warfare
(Pre-rapture ascension) – Those who enter through this door into the Most
Holy Place will be participants of the Rapture, but before that, entering through this door into the Most Holy
Place and into a deep
and profound anointing will cause them to become immune to the trials and
horrors of the great tribulation. They will still be in the world (still in the
body), but God’s relationship with them, His ministry and
presence, will be so strong that all the problems and troubles of the world
will hardly register with them, like God who dwells in the midst of fire and
smoke. They will be dead to the adversity of their
flesh and to the difficulties that everyone is facing. Those who feel the
sting of the endtime tribulation will be those who look back and remember the
“good times” when the stock market made them wealthy, when they
could get in their car and go to the store and buy what they needed, when
they could pretend they believed in God and were honored members of their
church. God wants a real relationship with
His people, but He has been mostly denied this throughout the age of grace;
however, in the last days He will accept nothing less than faithful obedience. He will make His church
live the way He intended them from the beginning, persecuted on the outside and flourishing on the
inside, sanctified instead of honored in the
world. God will expect more from His last days generation of
Christians than He did from anyone throughout Church history,
even more than the early Church. He will demand that we know Him and worship Him in all holiness, righteousness and truth. See also:
Door of Christ; Rev 3-9,10; 172a /
Rev 8-5; 104d
(86k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Obedience >> Be doers of the word >>
Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Do the
words of Jesus
(206a) Salvation
>>
God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to
promises >> Conditions to living in the spirit >>
Conditions to partaking in the spirit
Rev 3-8,9
(68c) Authority
>> Jesus
Delegates Authority To Execute Judgment >>
Against Satan
Rev 3-8
(4j)
Responsibility >> The choices you
make >> Accountable for your deeds -- This
verse goes with verse 11
(67h) Authority
>>
Jesus delegates authority
>>
Sacrificing your life for the name of Jesus
(111f) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Word and the power
(meaning) of God >> Word in obedience cannot
evade the power of God
(150cb) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Confessing Jesus
to be saved >> Confessing Jesus for the sake of heaven
-- This verse goes with verse 5
(212j) Sovereignty
>>
God is infinite >> God is all knowing >>
God knows everything about you -- This verse goes with verse 15
(236h) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >>
Invest your treasures into the kingdom >> Invest
everything you value
Rev 3-9,10
(172a)
Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the
wheat >> Devils among the saints >> False brethren among the people
of God >> Antichrists among Christians –
The
word “Jew” in verse 9 refers to so-called “Christians”. We are talking about the false brethren, who make grandiose claims
about their faith in God, but have no love to show for it, and they persecute
those who do, as it is written, “He who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also” (Gal 4,28-31). The false brethren are a thorn in the side
of all who
believe in Jesus. The false brethren will be mostly responsible for turning in
Christians to the New World Order to be rounded up
and martyred for their faith. The false brethren have gone to church all their lives and hold to a certain denomination and
believe in certain doctrines, yet have never asked Jesus in their hearts. All
they have is a religion, and they insist on being Christians; they are
totally convinced of it; they were raised in the Church by parents who also went
to church, third and forth generation parishioners, possibly none who ever made a bona fide commitment to
Christ or even believed that being born-again meant anything. It is this kind of
"Christian" who will be most offended by those who enter through
this door into the Most Holy Place. See also: False brethren; Rev 3-9; 208fa
/ Door of Christ; Rev 3,20-22; 106g
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-9
(31a) Gift of God
>>
God is our Father >> He favors the Church to
spite the world
(46k) Judgment
>>
Spiritual warfare >> Demons are subject to the Church through Christ
(49b) Judgment
>>
Nations are destroyed >> God judges the nations
through the Church
(159c) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit Christian
(174k) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >>
Lip service
(183b) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >>
Witchcraft >> Sin is the incubator of witchcraft >> Through satanic influence
(208fa) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >>
Being the friend of God >> Relationship with God
through obedience >> We resemble Him through faith –
In the last days during the apostasy that has fallen upon the Church
prior to His second coming, Christ will differentiate between the righteous
and the wicked within His Church. Imposters who have essentially
taken over the Church, Christ will make them bow at our feet and know that He
has loved us. There are many imposters in the pulpit, and there are many in the
assembly, and together they have hijacked the Church, but in the last
days God will make everything right. Before His second coming those who are
faithful in Christ will serve Him, and those who are merely playing a
religious game will be exposed as frauds. There will be a cleansing of the Church in the last
days and a cleansing of doctrine, so people will believe the truth as
it is written in Scripture instead of believing a lot of doctrines that have infiltrated the Church throughout the centuries. False
brethren have taken over the Church and naturalized it, making
it worldly. Secularism rejects everything that is spiritual and
accepts only that which pertains to this natural realm, being why the
Holy Spirit is rarely mentioned and and why being born-again is seldom taught.
This kind of “Christian” will bow at the feet of those who know and love
the truth, and they will come to realize that we are the true saints of the Most High,
chosen and faithful, for whom Jesus is coming to receive to Himself. The disingenuous will realize that we never believed any of their phony
doctrines. See also: False brethren; Rev 3-9,10; 172a
Rev
3,10-20
(117j) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes
of your spirit >> Acknowledging the presence of
God
Rev 3-10
(49m) Judgment
>>
God judges the world >> Condition of the Church in the last days –
There is a Great Endtime Revival coming that will come through the 144,000
Jews, and Two Witnesses from their numbers will lead them, holding ministries
similar to Moses and Elijah. The Bible says, “the woman fled into the
wilderness,” along with her gentile believing children (Rev 12-5,6). God will set up
various camps throughout the world, and He will command us to leave our home and family
members and venture to a land that our fathers did not know,
even as Abraham did, and join one of these camps for the duration of our
natural lives, which will not exceed 3 1/2 years. These are the days of the trumpets. There will be seven trumpets, and
the first will signal the woman and her children to flee into the wilderness,
and each trumpet will ratchet a more severe judgment on mankind than the last. God
will literally bring hell on earth during the Trumpet judgments, but then the Book of Revelation is silent about the seventh
trumpet regarding its
severity. The judgment of the Seventh Trumpet is the Rapture (Rev 11,15-19). See also:
Great Endtime Revival; Rev 3-7,8; 55g / Rapture
(Last trumpet);
Rev 7,13-15; 4f
(91m) Thy kingdom come
>>
The narrow way >> Trail of good works >>
The trail that Jesus walked –
Pre-tribulation Rapture advocates scoop up this verse and use it to justify their beliefs, and if the rest of Scripture pointed in this direction, it
would be fine, but it doesn't. This verse is saying that God intends to keep us from
the hour of testing by protecting us just like God protected Israel during the
plagues of Moses by remaining in the land of Goshen. They were instructed to
stay in their homes and celebrate the first Passover feast and paint
their doorposts with the blood of the lamb that they butchered for the feast, giving
them strength for the exodus from Egypt. Something very similar to this
will transpire in the last days, becoming especially clear when we notice the correlation between the plagues of
Moses and
endtime prophecy. When God
says He will keep us from the hour of testing, it means He will prepare a
place for us like the land of Goshen. If
we do what the Spirit says, we will walk on a similar trail that Israel walked, and
we
will hold a feast in the presence of
our enemies (Psalm 23-5), trusting in the blood of Jesus to save us from
the hour of testing. God will judge those who are seeking our death and pass
over those who obey His voice (Rev 7,1-3).
(100a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Perseverance (Working to keep in motion)
>> Persevere in
tribulation – Those who have an ear to hear what
the Spirit is saying will hear the voice of God speaking to them about His
plan of protection.
Therefore, the prerequisite for Christ’s deliverance is to acquire the
hearing ear and keep the word of
His perseverance. There is a difference between endurance and perseverance: the oak
tree endures the many storms that assail it, and the
beaver tirelessly perseveres, building the damn and hut where it will live
with its family during the long winter. 1Cor 10-13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
We are called to both endure our circumstances and persevere in the will of
God,
meaning He has given us something to do. What assignment has God given us
in the last days? We are to train our ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to
the Churches. To perfect the hearing ear is what Jesus reiterated in chapters two and three of
Revelation,
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” (Rev 2-7,11,17,29; 3-6,13,22). Therefore, obeying the Holy Spirit is the word of His perseverance,
as Mary said to the waiters at the wedding in Cana, “Whatever He says to
you, do it” (Jn 2-5). Obeying the Holy Spirit in the last days will enable
us to endure our circumstances, and by that He will keep us from the hour of testing. See also: Hearing ear (Do what you know is
the will of God); Jn 15-7; 150i
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-11
(4j)
Responsibility >> The choices you
make >> Accountable for your deeds –
This
verse goes with verse 20
(25i) Sin
>>
Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Thief >>
Someone stealing from you
(36e) Gift of God
>>
Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of
authority -- This verse goes with verse 21
(56a) Paradox
>>
Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to
lose God’s wealth -- This verse goes with verses 15-18
(113m) Thy kingdom come
>>
The anointing >> Guard the anointing --
This verse goes with verse 3
(215i) Sovereignty
>>
God controls time >> Suddenly >>
The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >>
Without warning
>> God brings His kingdom to pass in its
time
(227e) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >>
God rewards endurance >> Keeping our rewards
through endurance -- This verse goes with verses 2-5. Just as we can lose our salvation, so we can lose
our reward of a crown. James spoke of a crown of righteousness. Everything God gives
we can lose through disobedience and
unbelief; this is why He warned us to remain faithful to the end. When we meet God, we will not be able to
tell Him that we were saved at one time but then fell away, hoping He will
reward us for faith and ignore our unbelief. God takes a dim view of us
trading our heavenly possessions for earthly, temporal junk that we treasure
more than His gifts. Faith is like the children’s game Living Statues,
where the players independently dance in the backyard
until the whistle blows, and then everyone must freeze, and if someone finds
himself in a position that he cannot hold and moves after the whistle, he is
"it". The spiritual realm works the same way; whatever condition we
find ourselves when the whistle blows is how we will meet God at the judgment,
and if we try to repent afterward, we will find it impossible.
(232g) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >>
Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> Hold on to
your faith
Rev 3-12
(67m)
Authority >> Jesus delegates authority
>>
There is authority in Jesus’ name –
When we get to heaven, Jesus will have a different name, just as He will have
different names for us. There are different names for Jesus here on earth
depending on which language we use. For example, the Irish translate Jesus as
Íosa, and in Italian it is Gesù. Therefore, the name of Jesus does not have
power in itself; His name only points to the person who has all power in heaven and
on earth.
(136j) Temple
>>
Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of
Christ >> Body of Christ is the temple of God –
Understanding this verse is a matter of properly defining the Temple.
Paul taught in Eph 2,19-22 that we are God’s household, built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus being the cornerstone. The
whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the
Lord, indicating that the saints are the temple. Rev 21-22 says
about the heavenly city, New Jerusalem, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord
God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” Jesus is its cornerstone, and
we are His body, the materials used in the temple, such as bricks or in this case a
pillar. It says, “[we] will not go out
from it anymore.” The temple is understood as the unity of the saints,
where unity itself is the temple. When it says, we will not go out from it
anymore, it means that we will not fall out of unity with Christ or with
each other. The temple represents unity between God and His people; we could be anywhere and still
be part of the temple. The Father will write His name on us, the new name
of His Son and the name of His city, the New Jerusalem, so wherever we go, we
will represent the Father, Son and Holy City. That doesn’t mean we are its prisoners;
rather, the New Jerusalem will be our
permanent address and we will become one with it. See also: New Jerusalem; 140g
(140e) Temple
>>
Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >>
The entrance exam
(140g) Temple
>>
Temple made without hands >> Christ builds the
temple from the bricks of the Church – It says, “I will make him a pillar in the
temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore.” Will we be prisoners in the heavenly city?
The New Jerusalem is like the Garden
of Eden in that God will create another Adam and Eve in the city
and command them to be fruitful and multiply.
The garden had dimensions that was too small to accommodate a growing family had Adam and Eve been obedient. Had
they not fallen into sin, over time they would have produced children, and
their children would have had families, until the garden would have been
filled to capacity and needed to expand. That was God's plan; He wanted Adam
and Eve to expand the garden to cover the whole earth and overtake the curse. In the same way, when the Holy City is filled with people, they will
spill onto the earth, and when the earth is filled, man will go to the next
planet and in this way fill the entire universe with people though the course
of eternity. The holy city is a seed that God
will plant on the earth and it will grow forever. There will never be a need to leave the city because
it will eventually spread across the universe (Rev 7-15). See also: New Jerusalem;
224f / New heavens and a new earth (New Jerusalem); New
Garden of Eden;
Rev 21,22-27;
231i
(216e) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >>
God takes advantage of your love for Him >> God’s
spirit is irresistible
(224f) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> The joyful kingdom >>
We shall always be with the Lord –
God will create a new people after us, and command them to be fruitful and
multiply as He commanded Adam and Eve, and there will be no death, so their
numbers will exponentially increase very quickly. This new race of man will inhabit the earth, and their numbers
will spread throughout the infinite
universe. God will call us to rule over them as
mediators between God and this new creation of man. We will come and go to and
from the holy city,
traversing planets and galaxies, spending time there, appointing people as rulers, and then
returning to the New Jerusalem, our home, where we live with God. When
problems arise and questions need answers, we will go to their galactic home
and help them manage their problems. Much fun as we will have traveling the universe, stopping at resorts, vacationing, exploring God’s
creation, our heart will always be with the heavenly city; it will always draw
us back to the Lord and to our fellow saints. Although we may be a quadrillion miles from home, we
will be spiritually connected to the temple. Rev 7-15 says, "For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them"
We will come back with many stories to share and be able to communicate with
the Lord and with each other from the furthest inhabited galaxy. See also: New Jerusalem;
136j
(245a) Kingdom of God
>>
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >>
Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation
of Jesus Christ >> Manifesting the body of
Christ
(253j) Trinity
>>
Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is
subject to the Father >> Jesus is under the
authority of the Father -- This verse goes with verse 5
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-13
(79k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word >> Listen to the word >>
He who has ears to hear, let him hear -- This verse goes
with verse
22
(106e) Thy kingdom
come
>> Faith >>
Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >>
Having the ability to hear -- This verse goes with verse 6
(110h) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the
truth >> Hearing the Spirit
-- This verse goes with verse 22. If we don’t
develop a hearing ear, our faith will not survive the last days. Without the
hearing ear we
will abandon God and do the very thing He said we should not do, take the Mark
of the Beast. Many who believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture also believe in
eternal security, but if they take the Mark, they will go to hell regardless of
their beliefs. We cannot
overstress the importance of developing an ear to hear what the Spirit is
saying as we see the day
approaching. Lk 21-34 says these things will happen suddenly and without
warning, and the events of the last days will occur in rapid succession; and if
we are not prepared, we will not have time to catch-up. It will be a whirlwind
of events, and every day we squander is a day closer to
the end. If we have
not set it in our mind to die for our faith like a good soldier of Christ Jesus, we run the risk of
siding with the devil, knowing it would mean
forfeiting our hope of eternal life. In contrast, the person with a hearing ear will be able
to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to him about these things,
filling him with the importance of knowing God and leading him into a
relationship with Jesus and guiding him through the tribulation to be raptured at
the end of it (Mat 24,29-31).
Rev 3-14
(15d) Servant
>>
Ministering spirits >> Angels Perform certain
duties -- This verse goes with verse 7
(30b) Gift of God
>>
God is our source >> His creative ability
supplies our needs
(102h) Thy kingdom come
>>
Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >>
Loyalty
(107h) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Church is of the truth >>
God’s people are the true witnesses of God
(153b) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the
father >> Jesus bears witness of the Father
(238d) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the
kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >>
Jesus is born again
from the dead –
Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God, and what is God’s creation
but the Church? The false religions of the world misinterpret this verse to
mean that God created Jesus, then created all things
through Him, but that is not at all what this is saying. The Church is the
context; it is not talking about creating the heavens and the earth. Jesus
is the
beginning of the creation of the Church, being first born from the dead.
Just as the Father raised Him from the dead, so He will raise in like manner. The
resurrection of the righteous will occur, marking the end of this age and
the beginning of eternity for the saints, starting with the thousand-year reign of
Christ.
The phrase “beginning of the creation of God” suggests that the Church
is not yet fully formed, for its members have not yet receive indestructible bodies,
in that God cannot relate to anything that is temporal. We
currently have a body that is destined for the grave, and death is not
part of the kingdom God is building, so when the Church comes into its
fullness at the First Resurrection, then He will acknowledge it as
complete, and Jesus is the beginning of that creation process, having been
raised from the dead, never to die again. See also: False religions; 248g
/
First fruits of the resurrection; Rev 14,1-5; 210h
(238f) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the
kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> New creation >>
The new creation is our spiritual composition
(248g) Priorities
>>
God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >>
Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God –
The Jehovah Witnesses and other false religions misconstrue this statement
to say that Jesus was the first of God’s creation, that God created Jesus
and then used Him to create everything else, but when we compare that to
other passages in the Bible, it clearly teaches that Jesus is God;
therefore, we must
understand this verse differently. The fact that there are so many passages in the
Bible that speak otherwise makes their false interpretation inexcusable. The beginning of the creation
doesn’t mean He was created; on the contrary it means the creation of the
Church began with Him. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before
Abraham was born, I am” (Jn 8-58). Had the Pharisees not picked up stones
to throw at Him, maybe the false religions would have a point, but the Pharisees were
ready to kill Him for making this statement, meaning they properly
understood Him to mean that He existed from eternity past, that the person whom Moses met in the
burning bush was the person standing in front them. “I Am”
means: as God is now, so He was in the past and in the future. If He had a beginning, then to use the expression “I Am” wouldn't
make sense.
Jesus therefore is the origin of the creation, and now He is about to speak
to the Laodiceans, who did not revere Him anymore than the Pharisees, or the
false religions of the world.
See
also: False religions; Rev 3,15-18; 56a / Mormons;
Rom 1-2; 151e
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3,15-20
(70h)
Authority
>> Sin of familiarity >> Familiar with the truth (enemy of discernment) >> Familiar
with Jesus in the Spirit
–
There is a vast disparity between what God thinks of us and what we think of
ourselves. We say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of
nothing,” and God says, “You are wretched and miserable and poor and blind
and naked.” What we need is “the mind of Christ” (1Cor 2-16). If we had
His mind, we would know we were missing the mark. The mentality of the Church today says, “I am
disobedient, but I still believe.” This is actually a half-truth; we’re
all sinners saved by the grace of God, but to admit our sin without any
mention of repentance is where God finds fault with us. If we confess to being
sinners as the first step to our repentance, that is one thing, but to just
shrug our shoulders at sin is quite another.
(193a) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Turn from sin to God >> Repent >>
Stop practicing sin >> Be zealous and repent –
Everything we do for God is based on repentance. Perhaps we want to do
something grandiose for God; maybe we want to be a pastor and stand behind a pulpit and
preach the oracle of
God, but without repentance we will never know if this is His will. Some say that repentance is a small aspect
of our calling, but in some respects it is the entirety of it. When we are in bondage
to sin, God doesn’t get flustered; he just tells us to repent. Sin places us in its bondage and
it is usually very difficult to become free, and we need to fight to remain
free. The devil returned to Jesus at opportune
times, attempting to trip Him in His weakest moments. The
Christian life is about developing a heart that hates sin and is perfected in love.
Our flesh wants the opposite of God and is tempted to fall into the same
old rut that the world has always known. The devil will return to us during some of
our weakest moments, and God will expect us to overcome. Jesus did and so can we, and if we fall, we return to our feet and continue. The mistakes
we make are irrelevant to God. Falling into sin is an issue, but it is
not the end. Faith is a matter of the heart; how committed are we against
sin, and how zealous are we to repent?
(241a) Kingdom of God
>>
Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >>
Hindering the kingdom >> Taking away the key of
knowledge >> Hindering unity in the Church --
These verses go with verses 1-3
Rev 3,15-19
(45g) Judgment
>>
Believer’s sin >> God will judge us with the
world if we live like them -- These verses go with verses 2&3
(103k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Purifying process >> God purifies His church >>
Jesus purifies His people
(178i) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Hypocrisy >>
Hypocrisy of the Church is rebuked >> The Church is rebuked for making false judgments
(196i) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Spiritual
laziness >> Replacing God’s standard of
excellence with yours >> Lukewarm Christianity – The Laodicean
Church represents
Christians today who live
half committed to their faith under the guise that God will forgive them, which
frees them to choose any lifestyle they wish, allowing their favorite pet sins
to dominate their lives without trying to become free. They are happy
to serve sin under its bondage; this is the mindset of lukewarm Christianity, and it is pervasive
throughout the Church today. It is a type of Christianity that is not
interested in serving God. Those who call themselves by the name of God because they
recited the sinner’s prayer umpteen years ago, like getting an inoculation
from a disease, treating Christianity like a formula instead of a
relationship, makes God sick. They are not so much interested in going to
heaven as avoiding hell. This displeases
God. The whole purpose
of Christianity, the reason Jesus died for our sins, was an effort on God's
part to befriend us, but if we don't want anything to do with Him, it seems at
least with us His efforts were in vain.
(203e) Denying Christ
>>
Dishonor God >> Stepping out of position
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3,15-18
(56a) Paradox
>>
Lose by gaining >> Gain your idea of wealth to
lose God’s wealth -- These verses go with verses 1-3. A
more accurate description of the contemporary Church in America could not have
been better written
than the description of the Laodicean Church, perfectly framing the last day’s
apostasy. It is the result of overemphasizing the grace of God, which seems
impossible, but man has found a way. The Church is currently fixated on the
grace of God at the cost of faithfulness and holiness.
Without being diligent in their quest for truth, they have allowed their minds
to interpret, reinterpret and misinterpret almost every aspect of
the Bible, including the grace of God. The Bible teaches instead to sacrifice our temporal
concerns to better focus on the hope of eternal life, and the more we give ourselves
to the gospel, the greater reward we will receive in the life to
come. In contrast, prosperity teachers say that
this is
fallacious doctrine; they claim that Jesus died for us so we don’t need to
make sacrifices, but when we look at the apostles, they all gave their
lives to the gospel for our sake that the truth might remain with us (Gal
2-5). See also: False religions; Rev 3-14; 238d
(94n) Thy kingdom come
>>
Perspective is your personal reality >> How you
interpret your point of view –
Constructing a sense of reality is like erecting a building. There is a history
behind the construction process; experience from other generations is supplemented by our own research,
and by this, knowledge increases. In the same way our sense of reality is constructed piece by piece. Each person constructs his own worldview as
does each society, defining truth as their goal, but to the
contrary it is constructed mostly from lies and corruption. Just as one floor is
built on top of another, so lies are built on top of other lies, a seemingly sensible and stable design with a high level of believability,
yet it is false, and so it will crumble with time. Meanwhile, the truth is nowhere to be
found in any of their architecture. There is one building that represents all other
buildings, acting as a pattern of social paradigms, the Tower of
Babble. It was a unique tower that was never finished; and society ever since
has been reconstructing a version of it, a replica as it were with mere
cosmetic changes to its design. It represents man’s attempt to reach God
on his own terms without the need to humble his pride. He denies his
hostility against God, that if somehow he succeeded to reach God, the first
thing he would do is attempt to conquer Him, as
Lucifer did. That is what
the Church at Laodicea represents. See also: Distorted perception of self; Rev 3,15-17;
86f / Building the temple;
1Cor 3,9-11;
225l
(145i) Witness
>>
Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear
witness of Himself >> Demon possession >>
Human state >> Filthiness >>
Rejecting the opportunity to be holy
(175c) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >>
Wealth gives a false sense of godliness
Rev 3,15-17
(19h) Sin
>>
Having the mental disease of the world >>
Worldly influence on the mind
(86f)
Thy kingdom come >> Belief >>
Mental ascent (believing a set of facts) –
The Bible teaches that believing is tantamount to obedience, leaving mental ascent in the dark.
Rebellious
Christians (an oxymoron) don’t believe in God; they believe in doctrines
about God. If we tailored our lives after the doctrines we believe, God says we would truly
believe in Him, but the more we display a discrepancy between the way we live and the
doctrines we affirm, the less we actually believe in God. The
Bible also teaches that there is a difference between belief and faith.
Our beliefs are rooted in the Bible, the written word of God that we can
hold in our hand, but faith comes from heaven. That is, faith is something
God gives us when we demonstrate our belief in Him. The Laodicean Church was
completely devoid of faith; they merely approved certain doctrines
they considered essential to salvation, but didn’t actually believe them,
evidenced by their lack of obedience. In the same way the Church today is steeped in
easy-believism. See also: Distorted perception of self; 202e
/ God replaces our belief with His faith; Mat 24-12,13;
98k
(165e) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Do not partake
of the world >> Do not desire the treasures of
the world
(166g) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Wisdom of the
world >> Nature Of Man’s Wisdom >>
Man’s wisdom contradicts itself
(170d) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Seeking the
glory of man >> Greed and lust are the glory
of man >> Earthly riches are the glory of man
(171g) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Outward
appearance >> Decorating the outside to
simulate the inside >> Playing the part to be
accepted by God
(202e) Denying Christ
>>
Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >>
Running from God >> Running to your sinful
nature >> Laziness has plenty of ambition to
run from God -- These verses go with verses 1-3. The Church in the last
days' apostasy is like the Laodiceans; it is lukewarm. We might think God would prefer us lukewarm over cold, but this
passage says that lukewarm is nauseating to Him. Lukewarm
Christians try to use their complacency as proof of their faith, yet what
little commitment they have acts more to deny God than
to believe in Him. In their minds they don’t think God has an issue with them,
because they believe Eph 2-8,9, “For by grace you have been
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not
as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” They say that works are
not involved in our faith, and so obedience is not necessary, using this as
an excuse to lead a carnal life in
the flesh and afterward go to heaven because of a set of doctrines they
believed about God. See also: Distorted perception of self; Rev 3-17,18; 41h
(218b) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> You cannot control the judgment of
God >> You cannot control how God responds to
rebellion -- These verses go with verse 3
(222b) Kingdom of God
>>
The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Do not give
what is holy to dogs >> God does not entrust
his treasures to dogs >> God retrieves his
treasures when sheep revert to dogs
Rev 3-15
(212j) Sovereignty
>>
God is infinite >> God is all knowing >>
God knows everything about you -- This verse goes with verse 1
(248d) Priorities
>>
God’s priorities >> The will of God >>
The will of God is acceptable to Him
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-16,17
(217f) Sovereignty
>>
God overrides the will of man >> God’s will
over man >> God gives up on you >>
After you refuse to comply -- These verses go with verse 5
Rev 3-17,18
(37h) Judgment
>>
Redemption of man >> His blood delivered us from
destruction
(41h) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >>
Seek His righteousness –
The Laodicean Church was convinced that works were unnecessary, which
sounds like the Church today. They must have thought that since
their works didn’t save them, anyone who sought righteousness through
works did not believe in the righteousness of faith and were by that heretics,
essentially considering good works to be heretical, but what did Jesus say about this?
"Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven"
(Mat 5-20). Without furnishing any proof of
their faith in Jesus the Laodiceans considered themselves righteous before God
because of a set of doctrines they believed. Peter talked about
fiery trials testing and refining our faith like gold passes through a kiln. We
are to joyfully follow Christ through the fiery trials of this life and to
stop seeking happiness that usually leads to unhappiness and
spiritual disaster. The Laodiceans were blind, naked, poor and miserable and
didn't know it. Essentially, they
worked just as hard as Smyrna, only in fooling themselves about
their true lack of genuine faith. See also: Distorted perception of self; 113c
(113c) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >>
Clothe yourself with good works -- These verses go with verses
4&5. The Bible uses clothing to
denote the righteous acts of the saints in Rev 19-8, but the
Laodicean Church was naked in the eyes of Christ. Clothes cover our
extremities. If we are embarrassed to show our naked
bodies in public, how much more should we be ashamed of our nakedness before
God? Our nakedness remains underneath our clothes, but if we cover
ourselves, our nakedness is no longer shameful. Nobody faults us for being
naked under our clothes, because we can’t help it. The righteous acts of the
saints don’t resolve our nakedness; it only hides the fact, denoting that
works are not the active ingredient of our salvation; it is our faith in Jesus
that actually removes our shame, but without clothing ourselves with good
works we would still be naked. The Bible teaches that we will wear clothes
in heaven, yet not even Adam and Eve wore clothes in the beginning. This
suggests that in heaven we will wear clothes as a symbol of our knowledge of
evil, as Adam and Eve felt ashamed of their nakedness after they sinned. If
God creates a new species of man in heaven and commands them to be fruitful
and multiply and never places the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in
front of them, they will have no knowledge of evil and may not wear clothes,
since they won’t know they are naked. See also: Distorted perception of self;
169c
(153d) Witness
>>
Validity of the Father >> God bears witness
against the world >> Shame >>
Hiding under a cloud of guilt >> Your sin will
find you out
(159g) Works of the devil
>>
Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >>
Counterfeit godliness >> Wealth is a form of
counterfeit godliness
(169c) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> The world is
blind to God >> Blinded by Satan’s thoughts >>
Blinded by a false sense of sight
– The
Laodiceans thought
they could see. Wasn't that Jesus' complaint of the Pharisees?
“If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'We see,' your
sin remains” (Jn 9-41). These Pharisees were by no means seeking the
righteousness of God, and it is questionable if
the Laodiceans were saved, both groups being steeped in apostasy.
Seven churches were mentioned in chapters two and three of
Revelation, and each of them represented a mindset that exists in the Church
in the last days. What exists in the Church in our day is a Laodicean belief
system that claims a person can live any way he wants and still be a
Christian. All we need to do is believe in a set of doctrines to be guaranteed a place
in heaven. This is a very popular teaching that is virtually never preached in
any pulpit, since it is so obviously heretical, yet it is surreptitiously
believed by most Christians today, and it doesn't exist anywhere in the
Bible. See also: Distorted perception of self; Rev 3,15-18; 94n
(227h) Kingdom of God
>>
God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God
working in you >> Dependence on Jesus >>
Depending on Jesus to impart His gifts into us >> He gives us what we give to each other
Rev 3-17
(176b) Works of the devil
>>
The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >>
Lacking experience with God
(180i) Works of the devil
>>
Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >>
Rebelling against God’s narrow way >>
Rebelling against the will of God
(181h) Works of the devil
>>
The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >>
Self deception >> Imaginary perception of self >>
Distorted perception of self –
The Laodicean Church had a distorted perception of self. They should be more careful when they say, “I am rich and have
become wealthy and have need of nothing,” because it sounds frightfully
similar to the antichrist’s perception of self. “In her heart she
boasts, `I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn'” (Rev
18-7). If the Laodicean church uses a language similar to the great whore of
Babylon, how will they avoid siding with her during the atrocities of the last
days, unless they repent?
(198h) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained
by man >> Having evil motives for seeking
leadership positions >> Seeking to gratify their
flesh through the ministry
(223h) Kingdom of God
>>
The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >>
Missing the mark >> Miss the will of God for
your life –
Apparently some people can be wretched and miserable and not know it. Maybe they were happy in some ways;
maybe they had a good job and had a lot of money and drove a fast car, lived in a big house and called themselves
Christians. All these
churches outlined in Revelation chapter two and three were real churches in
their time, and most of them had major problems, and they
represented aspects of the Church in the last days. Many of them did not serve the Lord, and for that they were miserable. In the flesh and in the
world they were happy, but in the Spirit and in the faith they were wretched
and miserable. They made a great showing in the flesh, but they were poor just
the same; they might have had 20-20 vision, but they were blind just the same; and maybe they wore fine clothes, but they were naked in the eyes of
God.
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-18
(63f) Paradox
>>
Anomalies >> Sarcasm >>
Minimize the truth to make a point
(99b) Thy kingdom come >>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Enduring the will of God >> Enduring
the death of your flesh
(113i) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
The anointing >> Anoint with oil
(118g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Blind
receive their sight
(190c) Die to self (Process of substitution)
>>
Separation from the old man >> Masochism
(Self-made martyr)
>> Passing through the fire
(232b) Kingdom of God
>>
Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >>
Count the cost >> The cost is more than you can
imagine so don’t count
(249g) Priorities
>>
God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >>
True perception of wealth >> The infinite and
eternal wealth of God >> God’s perception of
wealth
>> Our hope in this life
Rev 3-19
(4m)
Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >>
Disciples are chastened by the Lord
(33j) Gift of God
>>
God is our Father >> God serves His people who
serve Him >> He treats His people with special
care
(101f) Thy kingdom come
>>
Zeal >> Fulfill your calling with zeal – What did Jesus say
in this verse to the Church of Laodicea? “Be zealous and repent.” It
is with zeal that we fulfill our calling, and repentance is part
of that calling. Every aspect of our calling is to be fulfilled with zeal, for if
we grudgingly work out our salvation, it would not be with fear and trembling.
Most people
who have a remnant of zeal automatically assume
that being a pastor is God’s will, simply because there is no other
ministry in the Church. Now that Church attendance is failing and congregations
are dwindling, people are not seeking the pastoral ministry, because there is no
money in it, which proves the motives of many who sought the pastoral ministry
in the first place. What matters is
that we repent and become established on the path that God has prescribed for us
and stay on it to the end.
(124g) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Love >>
Acts of love >> Love cherishes discipline –
The word “Zeal” is no longer in the vocabulary of Christendom, neither is
“repentance”, yet these two words are used in this short verse, suggesting
that the Church is no way ready for the second coming of Christ. This chapter
references the condition of the Church in the last days, and it no-how renders a
glamorous depiction of it. According to the Lord’s opinion of us, we are to
instill these two aspects: zeal and repentance, but is the Church trying to do
this? When Jesus addressed the church of Laodicea, which was the most carnal of
all the churches, He could have just as easily been speaking about the Church in
the United States.
(138a) Reproof
(Key
verse)
(138b) Temple
>>
Building the temple (with hands) >> Reproof >>
Jesus reproves His disciples for their unbelief
Rev 3,20-22
(106g) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Hearing from God >> Attaining the hearing ear >>
Hearing His voice –
We understand God’s grace and mercy, but we don't understand his gracious choice of us. We
are born-again among a multitude who are lost. We talk to them about Jesus,
and they don’t listen, so we go back to God and say, ‘These people are
hard to reach; how did you reach me?’ His answer is incomprehensible,
because salvation is a miracle.
We don’t know how God reached us; we only know He did. God came
knocking on our door and we responded, and when we look back, it
all seemed so natural. The part that is incomprehensible is the multitudes who have
rejected the love of God, but God has chosen us, and we don’t know why or even how He
did it. The Bible teaches that God chooses those who are His by giving them
the ability to hear His voice. See also: Door of Christ; Rev 3,7-10; 140a
/ Predestination
(Prophecy must be fulfilled); Mat 26-24; 141f
Rev 3-20
(4j)
Responsibility >> The choices you
make >> Accountable for your deeds -- This
verse goes with verses 2&3
(55g) Paradox
>>
Opposites >> As Jesus opens His door the Church close theirs -- This verse goes with verses 7&8
(130a) Thy kingdom come
>>
Manifestations of faith >> Unity >>
Being in one accord >> Communion
(132b) Temple
>>
Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is
in God’s people >> Spirit of God in the spirit
of man >> Spirit of Jesus
(172d) Works of the devil
>>
Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the
wheat >> Communion between the world and the Church >> Worldliness in the Church
(196a) Denying Christ
>>
Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >>
Lord, Lord >> Pretending to be a disciple
(202k) Denying Christ
>>
Running from God >> Wicked men cannot approach
the throne of God >> Goats are unsaved church
attendants
(209b) Salvation
>>
The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >>
Counterfeit relationship through religion >>
Knowing about God, but not knowing God –
Lukewarm Christianity does not refer to saved people who are disobedient but to religious
unbelievers who claim to be Christians. They have never asked Jesus in their hearts. They may have said
the sinner’s prayer, but they are not born-again. It sadly represents a
large percentage of people in America who fill our churches. The majority of people in
a lukewarm church are not saved.
KJV
WEB
/ Navigation Bar
Rev 3-21
(34g) Gift of God
>>
God is willing to Give >> He is generous with
His spiritual blessings – Jesus is inviting us to sit on His throne as
He sits on His Father’s throne. This is the level of spiritual authority that
Christians have in the Spirit. Take away all the promises of God except this one and
we would still have them
all contained in this promise.
(36e) Gift of God
>>
Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of
authority -- This verse goes with verse 3
(43b) Judgment
>>
Satan destroyed >> Conform to the character of Christ >> Conform to His nature
(66f) Authority
>> Jesus’ authority
>>
His position with the Father >> Jesus has
authority over all things from the Father
(67e) Authority
>>
Jesus at the right hand of the father >> We are
with Him –
Is there anyone else seated on God’s throne? Are the angels seated there?
The short answer is no! We could go back to Lucifer and determine that he was given the entire creation as his
inheritance by
evidence that it is now cursed. These are the things that Jesus possesses,
and He has given them to us, including God’s very throne, something He never
offered Lucifer, and it made him jealous, so he made plans to supplant the
throne of God. Before he came close to
accomplishing this, he was thrown from heaven and confined to the earth until
the day of judgment. God never created Jesus; He always existed. All authority and power did not belong to angels, but the Father trusted His Son with it. This is the lesson he
wanted to teach the angels before He created man, who would inherit His
throne, that power is wielded through humility. See also: God's throne; 70ja
/
God made man in His image to make Satan jealous; Heb 2,9-18; 208g
(70ja) Authority >>
Believer’s authority >> We have been given
authority over all creation >> We are the children of God >> We
have a place on His throne
– Although
God tested the angels, he did not offer them His throne as He offered man,
why? They were not made in the image of God. Moreover, the angels dwelled in the presence of God; they were never required to
believe in Him, whereas man is required to believe in Him. This difference is
huge in that
God exists by faith; His very composition is faith, though we cannot
possibly understand what this means and probably never will. When He created man, he commanded the angels to serve him, and in
that way the angels are inferior to us; they are our servants, but in the
Kingdom of God the least are greatest and the greatest are least; therefore, the angels are greater than
man in service.
Nevertheless, God has not offered them His throne, as he has offered man. After God creates a new heavens and a new earth, He will
create a new Adam and a new Eve and place them in the midst of creation (no Tree
of the Knowledge of Good and Evil this time), and He will command them to be fruitful and multiply. Their numbers
will grow into infinity, and we will be in charge of them and serve them
as the angels serve us, and as Christ serves all of creation. This new breed of
man that God creates will not be tested. Rather, we will teach them about
right and wrong; they will not know sin on an experiential level, and for this
reason they cannot sin, just like babies cannot sin, though they can
make mistakes. See
also: God's throne; 67e / God's
substance
is faith;
Rev 4,8-11; 109a
(98ka) Thy kingdom come >>
Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >>
Endurance invites the Holy Spirit into your life >>
The salvation of God >> Enduring the wicked is to overcome them -- This
verse goes with verses 4&5
(224d) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he makes
all things new >> Children of God resemble
their Father
(224l) Kingdom of God
>>
Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of
heaven >> The holy of holies >>
The throne room of heaven
Rev 3-22
(79k) Thy kingdom come
>>
Know the word >> Listen to the word >>
He who has ears to hear, let him hear -- This verse goes with verse 6
(110h) Thy kingdom come
>> Faith >>
Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the
truth >> Hearing the Spirit -- This verse
goes with verse 6
See
next page
|