"Revelation" III

The book of Revelation (remember, not 'Revelations') is a book written like the prophets of the Old Testament when they preached to God's people. It is a book of images to make a point.

One of the greatest misapplied text in the book is found in chapter 13 and the meaning of 666. People today refuse 666 in their address or a phone number and many other things because of the misinformation of what this means. If one would carefully read the picture of the earth beast (13:11-15), you will find the earth beast has one purpose only: worship the first beast from the sea (13:12). He deceives those who dwell on the earth using signs (13:13-14). It might make us aware that not all signs are from God! That's why we follow His word, not signs! If those on the earth did not worship the first beast, they were to be killed (13:15)! Would the saints need encouragement? Would they need some strength from the Lord because of the position they would be put in? To top it all off, the earth best gives a mark on the right hand or forehead on everyone. What if one refused this mark? They could not buy or sell (13:16-17). The power behind the both beasts is the devil/Satan (ch.12) and he has one goal in mind: destroy the people of God (12:17). Would this situation make things really difficult for God's children? Would it be a real life struggle? One can either have the name of the beast or the number (13:17).

What does all this mean? The wisdom of God is always available if we will just listen (13:18). The beast is not really a beast, it is a man (13:18). John writes that one can caluculate the number! What does the word calculate mean? There must be something to adding up numbers. This was common in the first century. Today it is not common for us to do this. For instance, on the walls of Pompey, there was writing which said, "I love the woman who's number is 545!" Instead of her name, they had written the number of her name. The Greek alaphbet has numbers that correspond to each letter. We have the same in our English alaphbet. At the end of Webster's New World Dictionary, there is a mathematics chart of numerations. It shows the Greek alphabet and the corresponding number. Each letter has a number value. You add up the number of the value of each letter in one's name and it that is how you calculate the name. The name of Jesus in the Greek totals 888. That is why 13:18 starts with, "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast..."

Whoever this beast is, and he is a king (ch. 17), they would know by calculating his name in numeric form and it would add up to 666. Just a little hint and I will list the kings later, the king will be Domitian! It is amazing that the earth beast demands marks on the forehead or right hand or one could not buy or sell. To encourage the saints, ch. 14 begins with the Lord marking His saints with His name and the name of His Father!

I am just trying to help us stay within the teaching and not jump off some end like so many do. Remember, this book is the only New Testament book that has a warning about adding to or taking away from it (22:18-19). To have this kind of warning, do you think Jesus would make it so difficult that one could not understand? Just leave it to what it says and let it reveal each step to us. You will be surprised at the simplicity!

"Revelation" II

Revelation can be easily understood if one would just familiarize themselves with Old Testament prophets language. In the first century, they were accustomed to these word images to make a point. We are not and so everyone tries to make something more of the book when there is no need.

The central message of the book is that God is in control in all human affairs and He alone is worshiped and served! The Roman Empire was trying to destroy God's rightful place by oppressing His saints and exalting it's personal might on the earth. The power behind this destruction of God's saints is called the devil and Satan, who is described as a great red dragon (Rev. 12). It is this image to impress upon the readers the magnitude of the situation, not literal. He hates God and goes after anyone who holds to the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17).

There is a a beast that rises out of the sea (Rev. 13). Using this vivid, descriptive language, the readers (and us) are told who this beast is in ch. 17. He is a king (17:11)! There is a second beast that arises out of the earth (Rev. 13). He looked as innocent as a lamb but when he spoke, he spoke as the dragon (13:11). The picture is he looks innocent but is extremely dangerous. The earth beast has only one purpose: to make all the nations worship the sea beast (13:12-15)! We find out the earth beast is a false prophet, nothing more (19:20). There is a woman who rides on the back of the beast. After great, detailed descriptions are given about her and the saints of God she is responsible for killing, we are given who she is: "The woman who you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." (17:18) "Reigns" is present tense so you must keep in mind at the writing of the book, there was only ONE city that reigned over the kings of the earth. ROME! "Is" is present tense at the writing too! Let the words means what they say. Chapter 18 is how the fall of this ungodly empire would affect the trade of all the nations around. They depended on her commerce and trades to maintain their livelihood. When she is destroyed, the merchants and kings of the earth mourn, while the saints in heaven shout for joy (19)!

There is way too much made up and read into the book. Simply let the book give you a picture in your mind as you read and stay with it, because it will explain the characters, the dealings and on-goings as you go through. You don't have to assume and it is not some secret code. It explains itself if you will allow it without trying to put your own ideas in it! God reigns and has control over all human events, even when it might not look like it. The book is a book of comfort, hope and security that God has control and you can trust Him. That's why the chapters 2-3 come at the first in writing each of the congregations. If Rome was coming down, the brethren need to get their lives straight and hold to the teachings of Jesus so they too can be victorious in the end. One final thought, it cannot be the end of all mankind because at the end of the book, there are still kings and kingdoms on the earth. If you have a question, ask. Otherwise, read and let it reveal itself to you.

"Revelation"

The book of Revelation is a book of controversy to so many. Many see it as a book of end time predictions. Others see it with some hidden message for us today, making all kinds of assumptions regarding the meaning of the symbols. Let me say this, the book isn't written like other books of the Bible, like the gospel accounts, Romans, Philippians and the like. Where does one begin to understanding it? If you follow commentators, they cannot even agree, so where does that leave us?

I know many will question me when I say the book is not that difficult to understand. I really mean that. For years when I first started preaching, I avoided the book like a plague, with the attitude that it really doesn't pertain to us and is not meant to be understood. What childish thinking I had! The book is rich and encouraging. It can be understood.

Here is some help for you. The book of Revelation, (not plural 'Revelations'), is rooted in Old Testament prophets speech and thoughts. You need to familiarize yourself with how many of the prophets of old spoke in images and pictures. They were not speaking literal but using descriptive pictures to make a point. For instance, Joel is a book speaking of a mighty nation invading their land and they have teeth like lions and fangs of a lioness (Joel 1:6). He explains in vivid description about their appearance like horses, the noise they make with their chariots, sounding like a crackling fire. They cause the earth to quake and the heavens tremble, the sun and moon grow dark and the stars loose their brightness (Joel 2). All through the book these descriptions are given to describe one thing: A LOCUST PLAGUE (Joel 1). There are other Old Testament prophets that write like this and because so many are unfamiliar with this kind of descriptive writings, that's why they mess up the book of Revelation.

The main question I get from many is this: Has the book of Revelation been fulfilled? I am careful when answering because many have been impressed with the worlds thinking and ideas that it is hard for them to believe otherwise. Bear in mind with this that John wrote the book over two thousand years ago. He identifies the book in the first verse of chapter one, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God have Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place;" The book is about the "things which must soon take place". Then it goes on to say in verse three, "for the time is near." What do these two phrases mean? This is how he opens the book! It was written specifically to the seven churches because whatever this book was about was going to have a direct affect upon them. John closes the book with the same identical thoughts in 22:6 and 22:10. John didn't get to the end of the book and suddenly change his mind about the time frame! It is so difficult for some to accept the words at face value without trying to put their own thinking and 'spin' on it! This is what John says, which he got directly from an angel, who came from Jesus who got all this from God! It's about the things that would shortly take place and the time was near in their day and time!

It seems everyone agrees that the words "soon" and "near" mean what they say until we get to the book of Revelation. Those thoughts get swept under the rug because everyone thinks there is some special secret code in the book. If I were to write you a letter and say I will see you soon or the time is near for me to come to you, what would you think? Two thousand years or more? The book opens with these thoughts and closes with these thoughts to give encouragement and instruction to the brethren that were going to be in the middle of all that was about to happen. Some of them would loose their lives (Rev. 6:11) and they needed assurance they would be taken care of!

The bottom line, the book is about the things that related to the Roman Empire and how the Lord God would dismantle it. Whatever the signs and images are to mean, we must understand that it related to them two thousand years ago that they would happen soon! People come back with "But with God a day is a thousand years and a thousand years is a day!" (II Pet. 3:8). Think for yourself! That verse is describing "with the Lord" not with man! Take a close look at Dan. 8:26 with Rev. 22:10 and let it say what it means. Here is what the two text say: Daniel received a vision and the Lord told him to seal of the vision because "it pertains to many days in the future." John ends his vision and the book of Revelation with do not seal up the prophecy of this book because "the time is near." They were both told to do opposite things. There was over 400 years between Daniel and Revelation. There is over 2000 years between Revelation and us. Just let common sense rule!

If you have questions, please ask. The safest approach to the book is let John tell us what the time frame is rather us telling John! I will give more on this later!

"It Must Come From Your Heart"

To pray so that people might call you holy is not to pray at all. That's a show! It is praying to promote yourself, to preach yourself. To give so people will praise your name or know how much you give is not to give at all. That is taking! To obey because "you have to" is nothing more than legalism. We hear of unity but what many really want is comformity. Sometimes people with strong wills or superior strength can force us to mouth or conform to religious acts, but that's not a servants heart. Preachers can make us feel guilty for not "doing the work of the Lord" or not giving enough, so people will give or work out of that guilt. That's not the grace of service or giving! Why am I saying all this? Because there is one thing another cannot do and that is control your heart! People can try to bully people to the knees, but you can't make them pray! You can use compulsion to get people to give, but you can't force them into the grace of giving. You can emotionally intimidate people into reading their Bibles, (let's have a daily Bible reader count each week), but you can't make them love and appreciate the truth. You can make people use all sorts of "churchy" phrases but you can't make them joyously talk about the lovely Master! You can say what you like in religion, but there is a great gulf between the heart of a person responding and a person who conforms for fear of being guilty for not following. You can pressure people to submit to certain things using God and His word as a covering for your personal wants and create a fear that they will be looked down upon if they don't follow, but you can't control their heart.

Everything Christ is trying to lead us in is calling for a heart response. "You are to love the Lord your God with all your heart!" is His calling. Wasn't it Jesus who said about those heartless worshipers, "This people honors Me with their lips but their heart is far from Me."? (Matt. 15:8) If Jesus made anything abundantly clear, it was for people to respond from their heart. You get a persons heart, you get the whole person! It was Jesus who taught, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matt. 15:18) It was Jesus who talked of the man that looked upon a woman and had lust for her had committed adultery with her in his heart.

We need to take care of our hearts. (Prov. 4:23) What goes in, what is stored in the heart makes itself known in our daily lives. That's why guilt works so well! For many, they know their own guilt in their hearts and have not found a cleansing, so it is easy to get them to conform to religious things because they want relief for their guilt. That is why so many are loveless, empty pretenders rather than a heart responding to do what is right because of faith. People can control a lot of things in others lives with different pressures and scare tatics, but one thing you cannot control in another person is their heart response and we need to stop trying.

A Heart To Forgive

Jesus' words are plain and clear. "And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." (Matt. 18:34-35) To be unforgiving is not tolerated by Jesus or God. There will be severe punishment for all who refuse to forgive another from the heart. How many times have we heard this, know this, yet we still hang on to hurts, resentments, deep seated bitterness toward others who have hurt or taken advantage of us? For some, the hurt is so deep, they want to see the one "pay" for the damage they feel that has been done to them. Others seem to embrace the feelings of resentment because if they let it go, the offender will get off free! What all this reveals is how little impact the cross makes upon the mind, heart and lives of those who claim to love the Lord!

The other day, while playing with my granddaughter, she hit her head on the edge of a table. Her head began to bleed from a small cut. After getting her calmed down, holding her, she looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes. She smiled. I told her I was so sorry for her hitting her head. She laid in my arms for while, then slowly sitting up, she looked at me and said, "Grandpa, everything will be alright because you said you were sorry! I love you grandpa!" The ability of children for willingly, freely and lovingly to forgive, no strings attached!

You hear the words of Jesus, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3) Jesus expects heart changes and attitudes from us because of His sacrifice or we won't make it! Heart changes and attitudes are connected directly with His dying in our place. The effects of His death in our stead are seen in our ability to forgive and forget as easy as a child. An evil, unbelieving, hard heart is a heart that refuses to forgive. It sure isn't the heart of a child and not even close to the heart of Jesus. Read the opening verses again carefully. Jesus was using His teachings to show being moved with anger against those who are unwilling to forgive. His compassion, His love and mercy are wasted on people unwilling to let things go and forgive. It puts Jesus in one position: a position of judgment. It's not His choice but ours. He'd rather embrace and help but people that refuse His mercy by being unforgiving forfeit His mercy. Jesus is driving home a serious and eternal point. How easily do you forgive?

"Breaking Things Down"

People speak of "going to Bible class" as part of loving the Lord. People talk of the worship assembly as a true and living relationship with the Lord. These two elements we refer to as "churchy" things or "churchy" settings. Have you ever given any thought that the majority of our time is spent outside these settings? What are we to do with daily living?

I know people in Christ that see what they do each and every day as just each and every day things. The real things are our studies and worship. Maybe that's what preaching has emphasised too much! Our service to the Lord is about all of our lives. Our relationship with Christ Jesus isn't broken down into different elements. Our walk with the Lord is about living, each and every day!

God's word tell us, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." (I Tim. 5:8) Is this about our relationship with the Lord? What about someone who has the ability to work and will not work? The Lord says we are to take special note of that person and not associate with them to put them to shame (II Thes. 3:14). Is this about our relationship to the Lord? On our jobs, we are to do our work for the Lord rather than for man (Col. 3:23). Too many are complaining about their jobs or see their bosses as pathetic. With those attitudes, how much are we serving the Lord? How useful are you to the Master? What difference does Jesus make in our lives with those attitudes? We are called to be honest, not a pilferer (not taking things that belong to your work), watching our tongues, not argumentative, work harder if we work for a brother in Christ, going the extra mile and the list goes on and on. What am I trying to say? The Lord our God is at work in each and every aspect of our lives and we need to do things with the conscious awareness of His presence. He is at our assemblies and Bible studies but He is involved in each detail of our lives. Take a close look at Phil. 2:12-15. We are called to holy living in every aspect of our lives! It seems so few realize the relationship that exists with God. God is concerned about our lives and examples. Our examples reveal Him to others! Are we not called to the point that "whatever we eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God"? (I Cor. 10:31)

Staying away from sin and sinful situations brings God glory! Some never seem to get it. They walk into sinful situations thinking every thing is fine as long as they do not participate.

Our lives matter and what we involve ourselves in matters. We are the only beacon the lost world around can see the true glory of Christ. Our lives are not to be broken down into "secular" things verses "spiritual" things. Our lives are to be lived to the glory of God. As far as the assembly goes, that should be the highlight of each week. We live each and every day in the world, around the world, trying to impress upon them the teachings and life of our Savior. On the first day of the week, we come together as Christ's, away from the lost world to focus and glory in our Lord and Savior. If those in Christ cannot understand it is all part of the whole, they need to reexamine their relationship.

His Grace Reaches Me!

Fiorello LaGuardia was the mayor on New York City during the worst days of the Great Depression and World War II. He was known as a man of colorful character. He would take orphanages to baseball games and, when the New York newspapers were on strike, he would go on the radio and read the funnies out of past newspapers to children that were listening.

It was a bitterly cold night, January 1935. Mayor LaGuardia went to a night court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a worn out, beaten down elderly lady was brought before him, charged with the crime of stealing a loaf of bread. She spoke in a shaky voice, telling Mayor LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. The storekeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges! "It's a bad neighborhood, your Honor." the storekeeper spoke. "She's got to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson!"

LaGuardia turned to the woman and said, "I have to be just and punish you! The law makes no exceptions - $10 or 10 days in jail!" The mayor stood up, reached into his pocket, took out $10 and placed it into his famous worn sombrero. "Here is your fine which I now remit! Furthermore, I am going to fine everyone in the courtroom 50 cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat! Mr. Bailiff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant!" The following day, the New York City newspaper reported $47.50 was turned over to a bewildered old lady who had stolen a loaf of bread.

Does this remind you of something? It reminds me of God's grace toward mankind. We are in debt and have chrages brought against us (Rom. 6:23). God is just and righteous and His righteousness will not allow any sins overlooked. They must be punished and we committed the sins. God reached deep within His heart and sent His Son on a death mission, our death mission and paid our sentence (I Pet. 1:18-19).

Jesus demonstrated the grace of God and His love for us (Rom. 5:8-11). We did not earn one single thing. We just responded by faith by being buried with Him in baptism and raised in newness of life (Col. 2:12).

His grace, His love should affect us to the deepest parts of our being. We should be a reflection of His grace and show thankfulness in the way we live our lives each and every day (Titus 2:11-14). His grace reaches me and our attitudes and actions show to what extent we have been touched by His grace!