Last Sunday's Sermon Review

King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream about a large tree that grew to the end of the earth but was cut down, although the stump was left in the ground. He calls Daniel forth to interpret the dream for him. Daniel will do just that in next week's passage, but the bottom line is the King is about to be cut down to size by the "Most High God."

You can find last week's notes by clicking here.

Sunday Night Bible Study

We completed John's first vision in heaven, a got a glimpse of the second part of John's first vision that will take place on earth. We touched on the first seal which was loosed on the earth by the Lamb, Jesus Christ, and a rider on a white horse came forth! This week we will look at the first rider in more detail, and the second rider!

Our Sunday night dinner begins at 5PM. We're having Italian food, so bring some breadsticks, garlic bread, or antipasto salad, or anything else that might go with a main Italiano dish!

The Dispensational Times

I moved my News and Opinion to another group. I believe in the separation of church and state! :) But seriously, check it out, and select "Follow." I am going to try and post an entry every morning...at least that's my goal. Sometimes my goals change, or I get lazy :).

Subscribe to Dispensational Times by clicking this link.

See you in Church on Sunday -- 11:00 AM

Last Sunday's Sermon Review

God miraculously rescued Daniel’s three friends from the fiery furnace in which they were cast because they would not compromise their faith. They were the only dissident voices in the crowd and they stood against the flow of tyranny. How did they do it?

1. They never lost their Biblical worldview.
2. They kept sight of the truth that God is Supreme (not Man).
3. They held on to the commandments learned in their youth.
4. They had faith that God would deliver them.

Nebuchadnezzar was a harsh dictator, full of pride, but God is about to humble him.

Sunday Night Bible Study

John saw his first vision in heaven and appropriately is was God's throne room where He was seated upon His throne surrounded by a multitude of heavenly created beings. We discovered that the earthly Tabernacle, Temple, and Priests were all shadows of heavenly things, and we learned the identity of the 24 elders seated on 24 thrones before God. Read about them here.

This Sunday night we will see part two of the throne room, and the first horseman who will ride to the earth with judgment from God.

Another cool summer meal will be on the table! We're having traditional egg salad sandwiches. Bring a dessert, or other side dish if you desire. Dinner/fellowship at 5 P.M. Bible Study at 6 P.M.

Dispensational Times

I made the decision to move my News and Opinion to another group. I believe in the separation of church and state! But seriously, check it out, and select "Follow." I am going to try and post an entry every morning...at least that's my goal. Sometimes my goals change, or I get lazy :).

Subscribe to Dispensational Times by clicking this link.

New Bulletin Covers

"Not" Breaking News, but beginning on Sunday we have new bulletin covers with a different Scripture each week.

Prayer Requests

If you have a prayer request during the week, make sure to post it on our group page. Just click the prayer icon and let us know so we can pray for you.

Miscellaneous Church News

Our friend Rainen, who spent the summer with us, begins Bible College this week. He is attending Ethnos 360 Bible College. It is one of the better Bible schools in the country. Click here to get a tour of the campus and see what he will be studying.

The Soria family has moved to Kerman and are busy unpacking boxes! The kids started their new schools and are settling in. Keep them all in prayer.

See you on Sunday.

Around the throne were four and twenty seats. Why the KJV uses the word seats is debatable. The Greek word is thronos. It is the same word that is translated as throne in verse 2. I surmise that the translators used the word seats to make the verse read smoothly and help the reader distinguish these 24 thrones from the throne of God. But the four and twenty seats are thrones. Maybe they are smaller and lower?

I saw four and twenty elders sitting on these thrones. The Greek word elder is presbuteros. This word is usually translated as elders, but also means old man, eldest, someone advanced in life. The apostle Paul instructed Titus to ordain presbuteros in every city (Titus 1:5). Elders in the church rule well and labor in word and doctrine. It carries the idea of possessing maturity and wisdom, someone qualified for the job.

These four and twenty elders are not earthly since they sit on thrones in heaven.

Everyone wants to know the identity of these four and twenty elders. Their identity ranges from “They are representative of the Church” to “They represent Israel” to “They are the twelve apostles and the twelve tribes of Israel” or “The twelve apostles and twelve prophets,” etc. They are neither of those.

What a mess has been made of their identity.

The general rule of interpretation is always to let Scripture interpret Scripture. Is there anywhere in Scripture where we find the answer? Yes, there is.

In the Old Testament, the Tabernacle, the Temple, and the Priests were the example and shadow of heavenly things…the pattern of things in the heavens…figures of the true (See Hebrews 8:5, 9:23,24, read the context).

In 1 Chronicles 28:11-13, King David is turning over to his son Solomon the plans for the building of the Temple. Everything David gave Solomon was “the pattern of all he had by the spirit…of the house of the Lord…Also, for the ­­courses of the priests and the Levites.” The courses were the divisions of the priests who would serve in the Temple.

The division is found in 1 Chronicles 24:1-5, “The sons of Eleazer there were sixteen chief men…and eight among the sons of Ithamar, " Twenty-four.

Since the Temple and all of its elements, including the priests, are a pattern of the things in the heavens, the four and twenty elders are created beings (not angels) in heaven, performing a priestly role before the Throne of God. Their purity is indicated by their clothing of white raiment and their crowns of gold.

Last Sunday Sermon Review

Shadrach, Meshach, and Adeb-nego would not give in to the king's tyranny. They were the only dissident voices. How were they able to go against the flow? First, they never lost their Biblical worldview. Second, they kept sight of the fact that the God they served was Supreme. Third, they never lost touch with the commandments of God, e.g., Thou shalt have no other Gods beside me—thou shalt not worship any graven image.  Finally, they knew God would protect them—And even if he didn’t, they would still not give in to mass formation psychosis. They would not lose their faith and would not bow down to a false idol, no matter what. These were courageous, bold men of faith. We will hear more from them on Sunday.

Sunday Night Bible Study

We completed chapters 2 and 3, which reveal the content of letters sent to the leader of seven churches in Asia (modern-day Turkey). Those letters detail how the leader and his congregation can overcome during the Tribulation. The letters will greatly help Jews living during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. All seven letters are prophetic and point to the matter we come to in this session regarding the events in heaven and on earth during the latter days. On Sunday night, our Bible passage moves to heaven and the events leading up to the Tribulation.

Pizza will be served up on Sunday night! Bring a side dish to share if you desire.

5:00 Dinner | 6:00 Bible Study

News and Opinion

My opinions as always, take 'em or leave 'em

The Raid

I should mention the RAID of the former President's home. What a disgrace and what a scourge on our democracy. The U.S.A. is no longer a country of honor and the rule of law. It is sad to watch it unfold before our eyes. We have been hijacked by communists and are about to pay the price. I wrote an article earlier in the week showing the deep-rooted cause of all of this, so there is no need to rehash it. You can read it by clicking here.

Duped by the Vaccines

I am sorry for those who believed the lie of the government and big Pharma that vaccines for Covid were safe and effective. They were neither. Report after report, study after study has begun to surface, and the verdict is not good.

The latest stats, reported by the CDC, shows that in San Diego alone, 67% of recent Covid deaths were those who were fully vaccinated and boosted. The number is likely higher since the other 33% may have had at least one vaccination.

Young people vaccinated are dying daily. These are usually the healthy athletic type. They never needed a vaccine in the first place but were duped into getting one à la mass formation psychosis. More grim news about vaccines is below.

What People in the U.S. Think of God and the Bible

Why is our country headed to the depths of despair? Look at this recent Gallup Poll of Americans:

Do you believe in God?

1944 - 96% responded yes.

2022 - 81% answered yes.

Is the Bible the actual Word of God?

1976 - 83% said yes.

2022 - 69% responded yes.

Are you convinced that God exists?

2005 - 80% replied yes.

2022 - 66% answered yes.

Here is the most important reason why people want to attend church:

76% said sound Bible teaching was the most important.

43% said music and programs are the most important.

Where do most churches put their emphasis? On music and programs! People want Bible study. It is no wonder the Church has little influence on our society.

The Green (Bad) New Deal

The communists and socialists who have taken over our county just passed a three-quarter trillion bill misnamed, The Inflation Reduction Act. Mark my words; it will do just the opposite. We will see electricity prices skyrocket and all energy costs rise, including gasoline which is already ridiculously high (and not from the war in Ukraine). In other words, to keep your house warm this winter, natural gas prices are going up 17%. Buy some new blankets, bundle up, and pray for warm weather from December through February. Crammed into this already failed act is the addition of 87,000 Gestapo-like IRS agents to harass middle class hardworking small business owners, squeezing every last penny from the working backbone of our nation, with deadly force if necessary. No Republican signed on to this socialist bill--it's all on the Democrats.

More Socialism News

You may wonder why I seem obsessed with the Socialism that is running rampant. It is because wherever Socialism goes, religious freedoms (and all freedoms) cease.

John Mackey, the exiting CEO of Whole Foods Market (they sold to Amazon), said this week,

"I am deeply concerned that socialists are taking over the country.

They’re marching through the institutions — they’re taking everything over.

They’ve taken over education. It looks like they’ve taken over a lot of the corporations. It looks like they have taken over the military. And it is just continuing."

More Vaccine News

It gets even grimmer. Spoiler alert: The ultimate goal of the new vaccines is not to keep you healthy but to surveil you.

Here is the truth about vaccines:

They don’t prevent you from getting COVID.

They won't stop you from spreading COVID.

They don’t limit the severity of COVID if you get infected.

In fact, they don’t do anything that vaccines are supposed to do. This raises a profound question: what are they really supposed to do?

Yuval Hariri, a Socialist Israeli professor who is the leading thinker for the elites in the Silicon Valley of California, says out loud the real reason for coercing people into getting injected:

“Maybe in a couple of decades, when people look back, the thing they will remember from the COVID crisis is: this is the moment when everything went digital. This was the moment when everything became monitored — that we agreed to be surveilled all the time. Not just in authoritarian regimes but even in democracies. This was the moment when surveillance went under the skin.”

We keep moving closer to the mark of the beast scenario prophesied in Revelation.

Any Good News?

Pastor, do you have any good news for us this week?

Yes. We may suffer, but...

Jesus wins in the end.

In November 2020, the Trump haters accomplished a coup to get the most powerful man in the world out of political office. They succeeded in stealing the election. To their surprise, the takedown did not stop him as they thought it would. While knocked down, he came up swinging. It is puzzling that one man is attacked as often and frequently as Mr. Trump.

The answer to this puzzle is found in studying the Old Testament book of Daniel and the New Testament book of Revelation. In them, we see a future worldwide push toward a one-world government and new world order. There is no doubt there is a global wave headed in our direction.

Early in the world's history, God had told Man to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, but a powerful man named Nimrod thought it best to set up a one-world government and founded the city of Babylon instead. We might say that the push for a global government began as early as Genesis 11 with Nimrod, instead of filling the earth, he stopped on the plains of Shinar to build a giant tower as a symbol of the accomplishments of Man to govern himself.

Later, King Nebuchadnezzar would take world governance to another level, leading the Babylonian empire for 43 years and rebuilding it into a force to be reckoned with. God told Nebuchadnezzar in a dream that he would be the head of all the Gentile nations who would rule the world and trample down the Holy People, Israel. Nebuchadnezzar became a type of Antichrist, and that spirit of Antichrist would rule over the nations for thousands of years until today. The apostle John wrote, late in the first century, that the spirit of the Antichrist was already in the world (1 John 4:3).

There is no question this scenario will one day be entirely played out. There will be no stopping it since the prophetic Word of God decrees it. The question is, when? In 2016, with the election of Donald Trump, the world had a slight reprieve. He spoiled Satan's plan, the one-world government had to be slowed down, and the globalists had to find a way to get this America loving thorn in their side out of the way. It took them four years, but they accomplished their task by rigging the U.S. election via Dominion voting software (appropriately named) and sending a patsy to the White House, one who would go along with the plan instead of thwarting it.

One day, the actual city of Babylon, where it all began, will be rebuilt. A man will come on the scene who will be the physical manifestation of that spirit of the Antichrist; the spirit will take form. He will earnestly head the final one-world government of Man on earth.

Can the prophetic plan be slowed once again? The only valid reason for delaying it is so the gospel message can reach more people and we can win more for Christ. Any other reason is a selfish one. We can pray for God's mercy on our nation and His grace to give us time. Since we cannot change the course of world events on our own, we will have to watch and pray.

Last Sunday Sermon Review

The dream of Nebuchadnezzar has been revealed and interpreted by Daniel and his three friends. The interpretation told of the future history of the world and the domination of the Gentiles over the Jewish people, what Jesus called, The Times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24).

The dream was of a statue of various metals, each part prophetically representative of a world empire, 1) King Nebuchadnezzar: the head of gold. 2) Median/Persian empire: the arms and chest of silver. 3) Greek/Macedon empire: the belly and thighs of brass. 4) Roman empire (speculation): The legs of iron. 5) Unknown: the feet and toes, a mixture of iron and miry clay.

Finally, the dream interpreted by Daniel foretold of a future kingdom, A stone (which is the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ) that smote the image and became a great mountain that filled the earth. This Stone will crush all the others; It will be a Kingdom that will never be destroyed and one that will stand forever, i.e., The Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. This image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream summarizes future prophecies regarding the Times of the Gentiles that we will see later in Daniel (chapter 7) and the book of Revelation (chapters 13 and 17).

Sunday Night Dinner and Bible Study

We studied five of the seven assemblies. Next Sunday we will look at the final two, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In two weeks we get into the Tribulation itself. You won't want to miss upcoming studies!

Back by popular demand, our Sunday meal will be Sub Sandwiches. They were a hit last time (except for those of us watching our carbs intake - haha). If you want to bring something you are welcome to do so!

Bibles Are Still Available at our Welcome Counter.

Only $15.00 | Large Print

How about some news?

Opinions are my own, take 'em or leave 'em.

Let's begin with...

MonkeyPox Hysteria

Here we go again. Our radical government and liberal media are trying to put fear into us. This time it is Monkeypox. Contrary to what the media and government are telling us, Monkeypox is spread primarily through homosexual contact. Children who have contracted it (only 2) reportedly live with someone who is practicing a homosexual lifestyle.

What is interesting is that our government has declared Monkeypox a national emergency. But notice they are not telling people to social distance, lockdown at home, don't attend church, no hugging, no attendance at a funeral, don't visit nursing homes, and by all means, don't let your mask slip down below your nose...like we heard ad nauseam during Covid. That's because they are pandering to the homosexual crowd which drives 96.6% of the Monkeypox cases. To institute all the draconian measures they put on all of us during the covid, would be too offensive to the homosexual crowd.

The mayor of San Francisco declared a state of emergency after the city reported 261 cases of monkeypox. It's all for show, however, since, the "kink and fetish festival" for gay men dubbed “Up Your Alley” still pressed on last weekend despite monkeypox spreading like wildfire in the gay community in San Francisco. What a joke.

Why haven't the governors of the liberal states, and the President called for a national emergency due to the scourge of Fentanyl is that is plaguing our country? Opioids, led the way by Fentanyl, are responsible for over 100,000 deaths per year. Monkeypox, only 6,600 thus far, and again, overwhelmingly among homosexuals.

We shouldn't be alarmed by the liberal press and its "fear porn", or by government propaganda. If a person keeps any sexual activity within the confines of marriage, or if not married doesn't engage in sex at all the chances of getting Monkeypox is nearly zero. Yes, it sounds so old-fashioned but the solution to stopping the spread of Monkeypox is to stop practicing illicit sex.

Should We Keep Our Health Problems To Ourselves?

With the advent of Covid it seems that everyone shares the details of every sniffle they have. In days gone by we kept our health issues to ourselves or maybe only shared it with those closest to us, or the pastor.

Likewise, what is up with this affinity to test for Covid every-time we sneeze? If you're sick, stay home, wash your hands, eat chicken soup like humans have done for thousands of years. The chances are you'll get well in three days.

Here's an amazing thing about Covid. If we stopped testing, Covid cases would drop immediately and the government would not be able to weaponize it against us. Testing is of zero value unless you happen to get admitted to the hospital, which is rare in 2022.

Keep your immune system working at optimum levels by eating properly (cut out all sugar!), I have been cautioning people all along about getting vaccinated. Studies are become more and more clear that you have a greater chance of dying from the vaccine that the virus. Take care of yourself naturally and you likely won't die from Covid.

People get sick, they have always gotten sick, and they will continue to get sick. Don't let hysterical fear fueled by the media control you. I don't see a problem with telling someone when you are sick, but spare them the details.

This Might Interest Giants Fans!

The San Francisco Giants All-Star outfielder Joc Pederson will officially rejoin Team Israel for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Read more HERE.

Things Are Heating Up Again in Israel

For thousands of years Israel has been constantly threatened by enemies. Today is no different. They are surrounded on all sides by forces that would like nothing more than to wipe them off the face of the earth. But Israel is strong and fights back. Just this week Israel launched a successful attack against the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization on the Gaza strip. Here is the article. And Here.

We Live in the Times of the Gentiles

Turkey Has Major Inflation

Since we are studying the seven churches in Revelation and they are all located in modern Turkey, this might be of interest to you.

Headline: Turkish inflation stabilizes at under 80% in boost to Erdogan

Wow! Our inflation is out of control and it is only at 9.1%.

Here is the article.

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See you Sunday | 11:00 AM

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

Revelation: 1:1-6| Session 2 |Notes

The Revelation of Jesus Christ (or, the unveiling of Jesus Christ) was given by God, via Jesus > Angel > John to show his servants (See notes from session 1 for a discussion on servants) the things which will transpire rapidly once they begin.

The author is: John. We assume it was the apostle John, but the text does not state which John, maybe it is best to just say it was John on Patmos.

Verse 2—

John bare record (Greek verb: martureo) or, gave a witness or testimony (Greek noun: marturia) of Jesus Christ. It is unclear, but perhaps by testimony he means Jesus’s own prophetic teaching while on earth.

All the things that he (John) saw This too is ambiguous, but probably the things he saw are those things represented in the vision (Later we will see it is a vision of The Lord’s Day) which came, as noted above, from God, to Jesus, to the Angel, to John.

Verse 3—

Blessed is he that readeth (The Greek word anaginosko) normally means to read out loud. The one who reads it out loud is blessed, a word which comes from a Greek word that means happy and happier. This word blessed is used seven times in The Revelation. Some might think it odd that a book about judgment would use the word happy but each time it refers to those who will not face the wrath of judgment of the Tribulation. And, since the dispensation of the Tribulation will be based on the Law, notice how many of the blessed passages are connected with works (not grace).

Blessed his he that readeth… 1:3

Blessed those which die in the Lord… 14:13

Blessed is he that watcheth… 16:15

Blessed are they which are called… 19:9

Blessed…is he that hath part in the first resurrection… 20:6

Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy…22:7

Blessed are they that do his commandments… 22:14

Not only is the reader blessed for reading, but also, they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things…written. The Greek word keep is tereo which is also translated “hold fast” “observe” “take care of.” It doesn’t mean keep (or ponder) those things in your heart, that is a different word, suntero (as in Luke 2.19, But Mary kept all these things…). We have to conclude this is not a promise given to us directly, since we cannot keep this prophecy and as we will see (and have already noted above) it is works based and contrary to grace.

It is possible that the blessing or happiness for the reader applies to all in every dispensation who read this prophecy of future events regarding the revelation of Jesus Christ, but not necessarily.

The word prophecy is used seven times in The Revelation. The number seven always denotes spiritual perfection (as noted, blessed is also found seven times). Since every word of Scripture is inspired, there is undoubtedly a reason for the sevens; perhaps it is to point us to the Holy Spirit who inspires His complete Word as the one who will bring these prophecies completely to life?

For the time is at hand. The word time is more clearly translated as season. Time here is the Greek word Kairos which is often translated season. It is more of a broad word, whereas John could have used the Greek word chronos from which we get our word, Chronometer (or, a watch/timepiece). In Acts 1:7 we see both words used in the same verse, chronos and Kairos.

What a blessing it would be to always be in a state of mind that the season of the Lord’s return is near! Walking in the expectation of Him returning as King of kings and Lord of lords should be something that influences our daily living. The apostle Paul instructs how we should live as believers in a season of expectation (Titus 2:12,13).

Verses 4,5—

Who is John testifying to: the seven churches which are in Asia. Last week we proposed that whenever the word church(es) (Greek: ekklesia) is used we have to make an interpretation. The word means assembly. What kind of an assembly? Since the body of Christ is not in the book of Revelation (my assumption), the seven assemblies (Again, seven being the number of perfection in Scripture) likely represent all of Israel. We don’t know what kind of assemblies since at this point in the book, we have no other information about them. [Spoiler alert: I will give you a heads up since I've read the rest of the book. I am assuming these churches are Jewish assemblies.]

Let’s not jump the gun and read into (eisegesis) the seven assemblies. We will be able to better identify them when we get to chapters 2 and 3. All that we know about these seven assemblies, as of verse 4, is that,

1) They are in Asia which in the Bible is modern day Türkiye (formerly Turkey).

2) They appear to be actual assemblies and likely, when the prophecies of this book are fulfilled (in the future), these assemblies will be on earth.

We must remember The Revelation is a prophecy of future events (1:3). Therefore, when we look at these assemblies more closely in chapters two and three, we have to be careful to not separate them from the rest of the prophecy. This entire book is one Revelation and one prophecy.

I think what we will see is that the Revelation concerns The Day of the Lord (or, The Tribulation), which during that time, there will be assemblies of people who will need certain instruction on how to live in That Day.

In our dispensation of Grace, we have letters (or epistles) from the apostle Paul in which we develop our doctrine for Christian living. During the Tribulation, these seven churches living again under the Law, will receive their own prophetic doctrine in seven epistles on how to live by the Law (works) during the Day of the Lord.

The Tribulation. As you read through the Bible there are many names used to describe what we call the seven-year Tribulation.

Old Testament Names:

• Old Testament most common name for the Great Tribulation is “The Day of the Lord.”
• The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord—Joel 2:31
• The Time of Jacob’s Trouble—Jeremiah 30:7
• One Week (or, the Seventieth Week of Daniel)—Daniel 9:27
• The LORD’s Strange Work and Strange Act—Isaiah 28:21
• The Day of Israel’s Calamity—Deuteronomy 32:35; Obadiah 12-14
• The Tribulation—Deuteronomy 4:30
• The Indignation—Isaiah 26:20; Daniel 11:36
• The Overflowing Scourge—Isaiah 28:15,18
• The Day of Vengeance—Isaiah 34:8; 35:4; 61:2
• The Year of Recompense—Isaiah 34:8
• The Time of Trouble—Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15
• The Day of Wrath, Distress, Wasteness, Desolation—Zephaniah 1:15
• The Day of Darkness, Clouds, Thick Darkness—Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2
• The Day of The Trumpet, Alarm—Zephaniah 1:16

The New Testament names for the Tribulation:

• The Day of the Lord—1 Thessalonians 5:2
• The Wrath of God—Revelation 15:1, 7; 14:10, 19; 16:1
• The Hour of Trial—Revelation 3:10
• The Great Day of the Wrath of the Lamb of God—Revelation 6:16,17
• The Wrath to Come—1 Thessalonians 1:10
• The Wrath—1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 2:22; 7:14
• The Great Tribulation—Matthew 24:29
• The Hour of Judgment—Revelation 14:7
• The Lord’s Day—Revelation 1:10

Verses 4,5 (continued)—

Grace be unto you, and peace from him which is (time present), and which was (time past), and which is to come (forever). In Exodus 3:14,15, I AM, or Yahweh (LORD).

The seven spirits before the throne. I do not agree this is referring to The Holy Spirit as some claim; If the Holy Spirit is equal with God, how can He be divided into seven? Likewise, the Holy Spirit, being equal with God does not serve God.

Angels are called both spirits, and servants (Hebrews 1:7). Psalm 104:3 states “Who maketh his angels spirits; His ministers a flaming fire.” These spirits are mentioned again in 4:5, and seven angels stand before God in 8:2. 

Some say they refer to the Holy Spirit because God the Father, and Jesus Christ are included in this salutation. They believe seven spirits complete the Trinity. But in the New Testament Holy Spirit is never included in any salutation which includes the Father and the Son (Romans 1:7; Philemon 3; 2 Peter 1:2).

The plain sense is that these are some sort of servants (created beings).

Therefore, the passage could be read as, Grace be unto you, and peace from Jehovah, from Jehovah’s servants, And from Jesus Christ.

At His first coming Jesus humbled himself (Philippians 2:7). At His second coming he is exalted and glorified (Philippians 2:9-11).

The Jesus of The Revelation is:

1) The Faithful Witness, Because He is faithful, we can trust this Revelation given Him by the Father.

2)The first begotten of the dead since there were others in Scripture who were resurrected, we have to assume they all died again, but Jesus was the first to rise in an immortal body in which many will follow,

3) and the prince (Greek: Arkhone=ruler) of the kings of the earth, that in all things he might have preeminence (Colossians 1:18). Psalm 89:27,37 uses all of these titles (Firstborn, higher than kings, faithful witness).

I have stated that the Body of Christ is not found in The Revelation, and yet we have this in verse 5: Unto him that loved us. While this sounds like a statement, we would apply to us in the body of Christ the us is referring to the seven churches which at this point I am assuming are Jewish assemblies (vs. 4). The pronoun us seems to be specific to the assemblies and to Israel in general. The statement him that loved us is true of God’s lovingkindness to Israel (Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 54:10). And washed us (that is, those in the seven churches) from our sins in (actually, by) his own blood, washing by blood (not in) is how sins were purged away in the Old Testament. It involved works.

King David knew God would wash him thoroughly from his iniquity, and asked God to wash him and he shall be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:2,7), and because of Judah’s iniquity they needed to be washed (Isaiah 1:16,18).

We too as believers in Jesus Christ in the body of Christ are washed (1 Corinthian 6:11), but things that are similar are not the same. We are washed by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit when we believe by grace through faith (not by works of righteousness; Titus 3:4-7).

Verse 6—

And hath made us (Israel) kings (Some translations say kingdom, as in royalty: 1 Peter 2:9) and priests unto God. This is one of the statements that is easy to read into (eisegesis). We should ask is this meant for Israel? If so, we cannot apply it to the body of Christ.

Here are just a few examples from several commentaries where the body of Christ is read into this passage because of misinterpreting the pronoun us:

“Believers are now a kingdom and priests with the purpose now and forever of serving God.”

“By virtue of being washed in Christ’s blood, believers become a kingdom (community) of priests…”

“Christians, therefore, are a kingdom, because they are priests…”

“This idea is expressed here by saying that Christ had made us in fact kings and priests; that is, Christians are exalted to the dignity and are invested with the office, implied in these words.

It is no wonder so many people have difficulty figuring out The Revelation; we are told by authorities from the very beginning of the book that it’s all about us. It isn't.

Rather, this expression and hath made us Kings and priests unto God and his Father, is very Jewish, and is addressed to the angel of the seven churches (follow the pronouns). John is quoting from Exodus 19:6, which refers to Israel. Israel shall be unto God a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.

One more thought about priests; The office of Priest was hereditary; only those from the line of Aaron were eligible (Exodus 29:9: “And the Priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute”). Perpetual means FOREVER. The last I checked my family tree; Aaron was not at the top. Peter quotes the same in his epistle regarding Israel (1 Peter 2:9).

Christians are not kings, or a kingdom of priests. We are the body of Christ, and we are not in The Revelation. Where are we then? We are present with the Lord.

To him (That is, the Father) be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Footnotes:

Notice the past tense, saw; he is writing this introduction last.

Modern translations from the critical text use loosed us or freed us. 

Critical text says “Kingdom”.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985. Print.

Wilkin, Robert N., ed. The Grace New Testament Commentary. Denton, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2010. Print.

Lange, John Peter et al. A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Revelation. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008. Print.

Barnes, Albert. Notes on the New Testament: Revelation. Ed. Robert Frew. London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885. Print.

Peter’s first epistle is addressed to “The (elect) strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” not to the body of Christ. The only people in the Bible shown to be elect is the nation of Israel (See Deuteronomy 7:6; The body of Christ cannot highjack the status of Israel for ourselves. Believers in the body of Christ are not elect, we have accepted the gift of salvation by grace through faith.

After being discovered in the 19th century, the Babylonian Chronicles were moved to the British Museum. I remember seeing them on display many years ago. The clay tablet pictured above is from the years 605-594 B.C., the very dates which we are reading about in our study through Daniel.

The cuneiform tablet describes king Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Jerusalem, including his capture and exile of king Jehoiachin, the son of Jehoiakim (Daniel 1:1,2).

The tablet above reads:

“In the seventh year, the month of Kislev, the king of Babylon mustered his army and marched to Ḫatti-land (the Levant). He encamped against the city of Judah (Jerusalem) and on the second day of Adar he took the city and captured the king. He appointed a king of his own choice there, received its heavy tribute and sent (them) to Babylon.”

Archeology doesn't prove the Bible, the Bible proves archeology.

Is the Church in the Book of Revelation?                               

Many people do it, but please don’t be one of them. Don’t try and find the church in the book of Revelation. To be fair, the word church or churches is mentioned 20 times in 19 verses in the book. So, in theory the church is in the book of Revelation. But what church is it talking about?

The word church is always translated from the Greek word ekklesia [1] which technically means a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place—it means, an assembly. Whenever you and I use the word church we have to define what it is we mean. In several places in the New Testament, the apostle Paul gives the Church as we know it today a specific name: He calls it, and us, The Body of Christ (Romans 7:4; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 12:27; Ephesians 4:12). The Body of Christ, therefore is the ekklesia (assembly) of believers in Jesus Christ which we belong to and who have accepted the gift of everlasting life and are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). This Body that we are a part of is distinct and different from all the other assemblies.

Unfortunately, it has been programmed into us by well-meaning pastors, educators, theologians, books, and commentaries that the Body of Christ, as we understand is everywhere in the New Testament (there are 114 uses of the word church or churches in the NT). Even when a passage doesn’t use the word church so many people insert into into the book of Revelation, and what they mean is the Body of Christ. Here are a few examples you may not understand now, but will later when we get to the appropriate passage:

·     The four and twenty elders in chapters 4 and 5 are said to be the Body of Christ.

·     The 144,000 in chapter 7 are said to be the Body of Christ.

·     The great multitude in 7:9 is the Body of Christ.

·     The woman clothed with the sun in chapter 12:1 is the Body of Christ.

·     The wife is the Body of Christ in chapter 19:7.

·     The New Jerusalem in chapter 21 is the Body of Christ.

·     The “seven churches” are the Body of Christ.

We will see these inferences to the Body of Christ are all incorrect. For the sake of these study notes and to alleviate confusion, when I’m talking about the church you and I belong to, I am going to refer to it as the BOC (Body of Christ). The BOC has been read into (eisegesis) the book of Revelation and the result is complete confusion which results in people giving up reading it, and the book is then neglected.

In the New Testament, the word Church rarely means Body of Christ. The twenty times the word church is used in the book of Revelation, I will argue through this study, it never means, the BOC. And it is not referring to “Us”. Rather, I will propose that the church/churches in Revelation always refer to Jewish assemblies.

The BOC is not the subject of the Revelation. Why is that? The BOC will have been raptured during the events of the Revelation. If we make that assumption from the beginning (that the BOC is not in Revelation), and test it all the way through, I think we will discover the book will make much more sense.

The Title of the Book.

It is not The Revelation of St. John the Divine as the KJV entitles the book; that is man’s title for it. Some translations call it simply Revelation or The Revelation to John. I think there are at least sixteen different titles for the book in as many translations, but Scripture is inspired by God and in the text itself we see the actual God-given title: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The Greek word for revelation is apokalupsis, which is why the title of The Apocalypse is also sometimes given to the book. In its verb form the word apocalypse means to unveil (apo=away from; kalumma=a veil). Apocalypse means to take away the veil. We might use the word reveal, like parents who often go to great extremes to reveal (unveil) if they are having a boy or a girl (By the way, those are the only two genders). In the case of this book, it is the unveiling or the visible manifestation of a person, Jesus Christ. But unlike when Jesus manifested himself in the Gospels, in the Revelation he will appear in power, and in glory; and for judgment of the earth.

It is not a book of numerous Revelations, but one Revelation. Therefore, when we refer to the book, to be accurate and to keep it short we can call it The Revelation.

Revelation is a Complement of Genesis.

There are no less than 285 references to the Old Testament which gives the book a close connection with Israel. With so many OT references it is undoubtedly written about the people of the Old Testament who are the subjects of its history. And with so many OT allusions and references the Jewish mind may grasp it much easier than Gentile Christians who do not have an OT background. For anyone wanting to understand the Revelation, the Jewishness of the book has to be taken into account if we ever hope to understand it. 

It complements the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

·     Genesis is the book of the Beginning; Revelation is the book of the End.

·     Genesis records the first Creation; Revelation the New Creation.

·     Genesis describes the curse which came upon the earth; Revelation tells how the curse will be removed.

·     Genesis shows Satan’s first revolt; Revelation documents his final revolt.

The parallels go on and on; The Earth created, the Earth passed away; The Sun to govern the day, no need for the Sun; Entrance of sin, the end of sin; Man driven from the garden, man restored; Tree of life guarded, right to the Tree of Life granted; Sorrow and suffering, no more sorrow; etc., etc.

The Body of Christ is not in Genesis, the Body of Christ is not in The Revelation. To even look for the Body of Christ in The Revelation is in my opinion to pervert the literal understanding of the book.

A Simple Outline of The Revelation.

A primary reason people don’t read or even try to understand The Revelation is because it seems so complicated. I think it is man who has made it that way. In reality, the book (inspired by the Holy Spirit) is quite simple. Here is an outline in its simplest form:

Chapter 1 – Introduction.

Chapters 2, 3 – The people on the Earth.

Chapters 4:1 – 20:15 – Visions (This contains seven parts).

Chapters 21:1 – 22:5 – The people on the New Earth.

Chapters 22:6-21 – Conclusion.

There are a lot of details between those lines, especially in the chapters on Visions, but if you think of the book like this it will help you see that the plan of The Revelation is straight forward!

Chapter 1, Verse 1—

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, is the divine title of the book as we have already seen. The Greek word is apokalupsis; unveiling, revelation, manifestation. When used of a person it always denotes that he is visible (1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7). It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. It is taking the veil of the future and lifting it for us to see. Because of that we are going to read and interpret this book literally; for why would God unveil something and then have us have to guess as to what it means? Whenever Jesus meant to hide something, he would speak in parables. This book is the opposite. It is an unhiding so to speak.

Which God gave him, God who is on His throne is revealing the future through Jesus Christ, and as we will see judgment upon the earth is about to be executed.

To show His servants, i.e., Jesus Christ’s servants. These are not Christians in the Body of Christ, but those of Israel. The term servant is not used of those in the Body of Christ in Paul’s epistles (letters). In fact, Paul says, in Galatians 4:7, “Wherefore thou (each individual in the Body of Christ) art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” And, while we can argue that Christians are certainly servants of Christ, it is not a title given to us as to our standing in Christ before God. Sons can be servants, but servants are not sons.

Things which must shortly come to pass, this was written 1,900 years ago and they have not come to pass. The Greek word for shortly is tachos, it is a speed word, not a time word. We get our English word tachometer which reveals the RPM (rotations per minute) of the shaft or disk in a motor. This verse tells us that when these events of The Revelation take place, they will occur with speed! Romans 9:28 says, “For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the Earth.” Business as usual will not continue forever, God will accomplish His plan and do it quickly.

And sent and signified, “Sent” is in the verb for: apostello: Having sent. We are familiar with the noun form apostle: One who is sent. We shouldn’t look at the Revelation as a bunch of signs and symbols no one can understand. Most of the signs in the book are Divinely explained (e.g., 1:16, 20).

By His angel unto His servant John, Like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and others, John was selected by God for this special message to his fellow-servants.

Next Week: Revelation 1:2-6

[1] Except in one instance (Acts 19:35) where the KJV translators, for some reason translated the Greek word, hierosulos, which is from a root word that means a sacred place and has no relation to any form of the way we understand Church today.

Last Sunday's Sermon Review

Daniel's head is on the chopping block, literally. The decree from Nebuchadnezzar was that all of the wise men, which included Daniel and his three friends, be killed because none of them were able to tell him his dream. Talk about an insecure ruler! Since there are several more chapters in the book of Daniel we will have to assume he doesn't die, but how is he able to dodge this bullet? We will find out Sunday as we continue with session 5 of our study through the Book of Daniel.

Sunday Night Dinner and Study

The seven churches in Asia make up all of chapters 2 and 3 of The Revelation. We determined that these churches are future and will find their true fulfillment by the people on earth during the seven-year Tribulation. The churches are Jewish assemblies, not churches like you and I think of today. The angels to which the letters in chapters 2 and 3 are addressed are not angelic beings. We saw that the word angel always has to be examined and that it does not always mean heavenly angels as we often think. Rather, these angels are messengers of the community or the assemblies; that is they are men who lead each of these Jewish congregations. See the notes from our last session for more details.

It is Italian Night on Sunday. We're having Lasagna. If you want to bring something to complement that main dish please do! Dinner begins at 5 PM. Bible study at 6 PM. This week we will pray we don't have a power outage!

Our Battle Against The World

Two ideologies are fighting against each other in our world. One is an ideology of the New World Order. It's comprised of environmentalism, population control, brainwashing our children with sexual messages, open borders, and more. Then there is the ideology of a Biblical worldview that acknowledges God as the Creator. It is made up of Judaeo-Christian values which see mankind as made in God's image. It values life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These two ideologies could not be more opposite. They are colliding, big time.

It is a spiritual battle indeed, but it manifests itself in our culture. Christians are losing the cultural battle because they have dropped the ball in the spiritual realm. It is time for believers to awaken from their stupor, pay attention to what is going on, and use their freedom to vote pro-life and pro-Biblical values. Subdue the enemy who wants to destroy your children and your family.

What's for Dinner?

The corrupt media appears to be moving on from Covid. I guess they think it's running out of steam. The new focus is going to be on climate change. Get ready for it. Somehow they will try to incite panic among the population and sadly many "sheep" will go along with it. Watch for the harassment of those who want to eat steak or a hamburger. If that's you, you will be accused of damaging our environment and being selfish for doing so. Instead, they will want you to eat fake meat, and yes, even insects. It sounds like a joke, but they are not joking.

Here's what God says about it:

Genesis 9:3: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Of course, Bill Gates (who looks like death warmed over) is more interested in you eating fake meat. He thinks you will REALLY be an environmental warrior if you do that!

So, if you want to eat a bug, go for it. Or if you want to pretend you're eating meat but just consuming a bunch of synthetic mush made in a lab to taste like meat, be my guest. Just don't force me to eat it with you. For me, I'll fight back by eating a slab of juicy red meat cooked over the open grill :).