You Renew The Face -Psalm 104:29-30

Psalms 104:29-30 ESV
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath, they die
and return to their dust.
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.

The Gospel can be seen in the Old Testament and anticipates what The Lord is doing. Those that reject the Savior will die. Those that place their trust in Him will be reborn and renewed into the new creation. Their faces will behold the glory of The Lord and will be lit and glow with the light of His presence.

Psalms 119:25-27
Daleth
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

Isaiah 65:17
New Heavens and a New Earth
“For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.

Revelation 21:5
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”

Sharp Two-edged Sword - Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:12-17 ESV
To the Church in Pergamum
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:‘The words of him who has the sharp two- edged sword.
“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you:you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. ’

He is the one with the two edged sword. This might remind us that His word is life and judgement. He has the word because He is the word of God. It is the sword of the Spirit which defends the defenseless and conquers all enemies of a pure and righteous God.

Satan is formidable in the city, a stronghold as indicated by his having a throne there. Death and Satan come and go together. There is no separation between the two, just there is no separation between Life and God.

Though they hold fast in faith, there are some in their midst that have strayed from the gospel path. The warning of the sword and a call to repent seems to be primarily directed to those who reach out and hold on to something other than the truth of God. This is an example of the knowledge of evil. It looks good to the eye and is pleasing to the taste, just as the forbidden fruit in the Garden. A man's ways can seem good to a man, even make sense, though they might be far from God's way. There is one man that can rightfully say, "I am the way and the truth and the life". That was Jesus Christ, Son of God.

The hidden manna is the word of God. It falls to the earth from heaven like the light from the sun upon the world. The manna is hidden, or a mystery, unable to be seen by eyes who don't have or reject the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is present for the asking. God is merciful and is pleased to lavish this life giving manna to all that seek Him. We can have all we want and more. He promises this in the name of His Son.

The white stone may symbolize believers as pure stones of the new temple. The name on the stone would be the Son's name. He has a name that no one knows except those whom He chooses to reveal Himself. Earth dwellers, or the world, will not know that name, but all who believe, know, and take His name will enter the body of Christ and the house of God.




Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.

Matthew 24:9-13
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Jude 1:3-4
Judgment on False Teachers
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:12-13
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.

Ezekiel 44:9-14
“Thus says the Lord God: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.

Ezekiel 3:20-21
Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

Acts 17:30-31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Ephesians 6:17-19
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,

Not A Religion

Following Christ is not a religion, but is the way to and of life.

The Mind Of Christ - 1Corinthians 2:12-16

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 ESV
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:11-16 OSB
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

There are two spirits before us in this passage. One is the spirit of the world, of the natural. The other is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit which is supernatural. The natural cannot perceive the supernatural. The supernatural knows both. This is part of why no natural man is able to judge those filled with the Spirit. Those filled with the Spirit will not judge another. We answer to Jesus. He is the only judge.

The Spirit guides us into all truth. Those that say there is no truth cause me to think the Spirit is not present in their life, they are confused, or they mean something else. Can one understand anything without truth? There is one truth, that's one and an essential aspect of truth. Another attribute of truth is that it comes from God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life". That is the Gospel.

We have the mind of Christ because we are one with Him, one in the Spirit. That's where we find unity with God and each other, in the body of Christ. We are of one mind.

The Spirit testifies and gives witness to these things.

John 15:15-17
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.

John 16:13-15
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

John 17:6-8
Christ's Prayer for the Apostles
“I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.

First Love - Revelation 2:1-7

Revelation 2:1-7 ESV
Message to Ephesus
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
‘ I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place —unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God. ’


Christ tells us that the Church is in His hand. He has become the one stand for all the lampstands, the foundation and cornerstone and vine from which we are all branches. The churches serve to give light to the world, with their source being The Light

Ephesus began well. Their works include good deeds, endurance, and love, but somewhere along the way they faltered. They've lost the love they had. They've fallen. Jesus urges them to turn, to repent, and return to their first love.

He knows, for all things are before Him. There is no hiding place, no cover of darkness between Him and us. We are fully revealed before His eyes.

Not everything is as it might appear. Not everyone is whom they say they are. Sometimes this is deliberate, misguided, or just a mark of confusion. To test something or someone, there has to be a frame of reference. The Lord is our frame of reference and His word connects us to His light, and is our guiding star. Without His Spirit there is no way to discern between spirits, for this is a gift of the Spirit. The only way to know something is false is to know the truth. This church is commended for their testing and discernment of falsehood. It is because they have been exposed to and know the truth that makes this possible.

He recognizes their perseverance and not growing weary and their endurance, so they still follow after Him, but their hearts do not burn with the passion they once had. They are still doing the same things, but may just be going through the motions. Their hearts are not in sync with their deeds for the kingdom. He knows this.

The good news is they can still return. He is faithful and there is still time, but it won't be forever. A thousand years can be a long time, but it is a finite amount of time. He has placed the lampstands, but He can move and remove them. The meaning might be interpreted both ways.

In this and the letters to come we see the following:

"He who has an ear, let him hear"

This goes back to the gospel message. It is given to those who receive it. We all have ears, but not everyone understands or accepts the word revealed by God.

These are the words of life, from the tree of life.

Matthew 24:12-14
And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

I Turned To See - Revelation 1:9-20

Revelation 1:9-20
Vision of the Son of Man
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two- edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this. As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

John is isolated, imprisoned on the island of Patmos, but he is not alone. He is in the body of Christ. He mentions the reality of the kingdom and its associated persecutions in this time between advents. It is precisely this reality that calls for the endurance of the saints. It is this refining fire which forges believers into a royal priesthood.

John is to make a record of all that he "sees" or discerns. His heart is ready and filled with the Spirit. It is that Spirit Who makes this possible.

He notes the voice he hears is like a trumpet. We will see trumpets again later in this book as they announce the proclamation of the seals and lead to the pouring out of the bowls of the resulting judgement.

The seven churches represent the universal church. The individual messages applied at that time and for all time. They apply to each person today. They are timeless in that respect.

He turns to see the one speaking. It is The Lord, for He refers to Himself as "I". What he sees overwhelms him. The first thing he notes are seven lampstands with someone in their midst, whom he likens as a son of man. The figure is wearing the garments of priest and king. Son of Man was the title favored by Jesus as He walked on earth. In this office, He prophesied and paved the way for the eternal offices of Priest and King which He has assumed.

White reflects the purity and righteousness embodied by the risen King.

The eyes of flame signify the all seeing and knowing Spirit of the very God. It reminds us of the torches burning before the throne of God which represent the Spirt.

The bronzed feet symbolize His passion and refining that took place on earth. It was foreshadowed by the bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness to cure the people from snakebites.

His voice sounded like "many waters", another confirmation of the divine. It might also refer to the fact that we are in the body of Christ and the voices of the many waters point back to the many believers that are born of water and fire.

In His right hand are the seven churches who are filled with the presence of the Son of Man. That same mighty Son is the strong right arm of the Father. We are one as they are one. Jesus touches John with His right hand to comfort and confirm John. It is the touch of God.

From The Lord's mouth comes the sword of His word which pierces and divides the very heart of man.

He is the light of the world, the great light which has risen over the darkness of the world, the great morning star.

The one that was, that is, and is to come will now proceed to speak of what was, is, and what is to come. John is to witness and record the upcoming visions.

Who Is To Come - Revelation 1:4-8

Revelation 1:4-8 ESV
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John brings greetings from The Lord. He reminds the church of Who Jesus is and what He has done. That same Jesus will return, though not in the same manner. The next time He will appear as He is, in His full glory and majesty as King of Kings.

At that time the earth "will wail on account of him". The eyes of the unbelievers will at last behold their creator. There will be no doubt that this is the Son of God. To wail is to mourn with an intensity which includes the idea of striking one's self in grief and crying out. One might be reminded of the demon possessed man wandering in the tombs tearing at himself while shouting in the anguish of his misery. He was living in the throes of death, the home of a legion of demons. Jesus commanded those demons to leave. This took place on Satan's turf, for so it is in the world. But a new thing has begun. God has redeemed and reclaimed a fallen world. The kingdom of God was initiated and will conquer the world. The God Who is, was, and is to come will create a new earth out of the one that is that will be like the one it was, but better. It will be at rest.

κοπτω G3164 (koptō), strike; κοπτομαι G3164 (koptomai), beat the breast; κοπετοσ G3157 (kopetos), mourning, lamentation. (NIDNTT)

Daniel 7:13-14
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

Psalms 68:1-3
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

Matthew 24:30-31
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

From The Mirrors - Exodus 38:8

Exodus 38:8 ESV
He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.

Why would it be important to add that the basin was made up from the mirrors of the ministering women?

The basin was to be used for washing, to make one clean as they approached the tent of meeting. It was placed between the alter and the tent, and filled with water.

It was referred to as the sea.
It reminds me of the sea before the Father's throne, which might be symbolic of the many waters, of the many peoples through time and place from whom God will gather a people who will listen, obey, and seek the life of God. It is this journey through creation that leads us to the presence of God.

Jesus would take a basin and wash the feet of the disciples, saying that washing one's hands and feet was all that was needed for someone who has bathed. We are bound to be soiled if we walk on this earth and touch it along the way.

Perhaps the mirrors remind us that we must look at ourselves intently before we can wash ourselves clean in the blood of the Lamb. We must look at our own reflection as we look into the word of God. When we do that we can begin to see the person passing and the new creation. May we always have that new creation before us.

Exodus 40:30-31
He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it for washing, with which Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.

1 Kings 7:23
Then he made the sea of cast metal. It was round, ten cubits from brim to brim, and five cubits high, and a line of thirty cubits measured its circumference.

Psalms 26:6-7
I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.

Zechariah 13:1
“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

John 13:5
Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples 'feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

John 13:10-11
Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

Titus 3:5-7
he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Blessed Is The One - Revelation 1:2-3

Revelation 1:2-3 ESV
who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

John had the perspective of one who had witnessed the incarnation of God and rested his head on the breast of Jesus. As the beloved disciple his testimony is unique, for he was granted the privilege of an honored place in his witness of Jesus the man and now is granted a vision that he alone of the disciples would experience. No wonder he would refer to himself as the beloved disciple.

The phrase "word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ" refers to the same thing. Both the word and testimony refer to the truth of God. The Father and Son are one and there is but one God.

We are blessed in the reading and hearing of this prophesy. That should be enough said to spend time in this book. This came from God with the specific purpose of preparing us for the days to come. We receive warnings, encouragement, an overview of the times between His comings, and assurance that what God has promised will be fulfilled.

Taking this message to heart means letting the word take root in the soil of our earth, to make this word our own, to connect with its meaning in such a way as to change our life. This is true of all the words and testimony contained in Scripture and is certainly true of this book. It is written that we would know.

The time is near and the day of The Lord comes closer with each passing day. There is no additional covenant to be added in God's plan. The word is spoken and it only remains to come to pass. It endures forever.

John 19:35
The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.

John 21:24-25
This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

John 3:11-12
Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

They Are Holy - 1Corinthians 7:14

1 Corinthians 7:14 ESV
For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

Much consternation and debate revolves around what happens to children who die before accepting The Lord. This verse perhaps adds insight to that mystery, and comfort in the wisdom and mercy of God.

God has salted the earth and shed His light through the presence of those who believe. The husband has joined with the wife and have become one flesh. The flesh that issues forth from that union is of the same kind.

This example does not address every scenario or every question we might have, but it can serve to convey or project God's mercy and justice. Though we don't know everything God is doing, we can be assured He is working a good thing, and we will be satisfied.

1 Timothy 4:4-5
For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.

Malachi 2:15
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.

To Show - Revelation 1:1

Revelation 1:1 ESV The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

Jesus revealed God’s word through His incarnation. Now God reveals Jesus. Jesus no longer walks on the earth as one of us. He is present with God in heaven’s throne-room as the head of a new creation, the new man made possible by the victory and power of God. Using symbols from the Old Testament, we are presented with the message that God is in control and faith in Him will be rewarded. It is a message of hope and affirmation. It is the blessing it promises.

The revelation spans that distance between heaven and earth, between the divine and fallen, and between now and the last day. The images are interpretations of what John received, perceived, and his attempt to put into words this marvelous and awesome series of visions and experiences. He uses the language, history, and prior revelations of his day to express the reality of these visions of tomorrow. This book contains a blessing for all who seek after a word from God. The sovereignty and majesty of God is in full view. The exact meaning of a given passage may be unclear and debatable at this time, but there is no denying that the overarching understanding is that God is in control and His word will prevail.

The Greek word here translated as “made it known” reminds us of the importance of imagery in the communication of this message. How else can a glimpse of God and heaven, of the mystery of our Creator’s will and purpose be given to finite creatures? Just as Jesus emptied Himself to take on the form of man, the word of God is spoken in the language and concepts that will allow man to apprehend and hear that very word. The unspeakable wondrous God cannot fully be contained and grasped in the language of man. That is part of why Jesus came to deliver the word, even as He is the word. He is the perfect image of the Father and the radiance of His glory. He came that we would understand and shed light on the world.

σημαίνω * sēmainō * say-mah'ee-no * From σῆμα sēma (a mark; of uncertain derivation); to indicate: - signify. -NASB Strong’s Dictionary.

Jesus told His disciples in the gospel of Luke that He would fulfill the Scriptures and opened their minds to receive the words. Revelation comes to us through the same Spirit that breathes life into the words of this book and the others contained in the Bible. The words themselves are meaningless and of no value to a heart not touched by the hand of God. It is when we begin to see through the aid and power of the Holy Spirit, we perceive the open door before us. As we enter the kingdom of God and begin walking with The Lord, we enter the mind of God, for we have been sealed with and in His Spirit.

He is in our midst and the Spirit guides us into truth, just like the vision of the seven lampstands shows us. It is this presence that lends us the peace of God and opens us to the good news of Christ.

Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

Luke 24:36 While they were telling these things, “He Himself stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be to you.”

The message is intended for all believers, for all those who serve the Lord, who have believed in His gospel, who willingly follow after Him and look forward to His return. It will happen soon, not with the idea of tomorrow or the next day, but the next thing in these last days. The very last day has yet to come, but come it will and on a day we do not expect, a day just around the corner.

Yet -Ezekiel 44:9-11, 3:20-21

Ezekiel 44:9-14 ESV
“Thus says the Lord God: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.

These Levites sinned and yet continue in service to God, but carry the shame of their idolatry as they perform their duties. God's mercy is bigger than their betrayal. His mercy is bigger than any sin we have committed. All we do is repent and ask forgiveness. Then live in the new kingdom life. There we are to perform our duties serving the living God.

One of our chief duties is the building of the church, the preservation and edification of believers which is part of our fellowship. It is the lifting up of one another and steadying one another when we stumble. We love God when we love each other.

In Ezekiel 3 below we get a sense of the working out our own salvation and the sense of fear and trembling of a reverent kind which acknowledges the seriousness of the matter.
God sent His own Son to make a man righteous that he might live. We are continuing His work as we help our brother.

Ezekiel 3:20-21
Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”

Here we are told a righteous man can fall away from that righteousness and die. God will not remember righteous deeds or sins, but it depends on our choice. We are to warn our brothers and neighbors. We are to do this in love through love.

Smyrna- Revelation 2:8-11

Revelation 2:8-11 ESV
To the Church in Smyrna
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. ’

The Lord of the Resurrection now speaks to Smyrna, a people rich with the treasures of heaven which are made possible by the grace of Christ.

It is this true congregation that finds itself persecuted by Satan. The source of the attack is mentioned twice in this passage: Satan and the devil, for they are one. The purpose is for these believers to be tested. Satan is not testing us, instead he seeks to keep or return us to the dominion of death, his house. God uses Satan to refine and prepare a people to follow after His Son, to become sons and brethren of the Most Holy God.

Ten days is symbolic of a specified and a finite amount of time. The number ten represents fullness and a completion. We are reminded that God is in control and He has a plan. In the end we shall see that it was a good plan.

Christ urges this church to not be afraid and remain faithful. We all must die, for this is the door that leads to life. Love overcomes fear, just as it has overcome death. Those that die to self will find the life of Christ. The crown of life symbolizes the saint's victory over death. Dying to self means living in God. Our bodies will fade and pass back into the dust of the earth, but we will continue to live and more abundantly. There is a second and final death which believers will not experience. This is reserved for the dead, not the living. Not believing and serving the living God is choosing to participate in the final death. The earth and sea will give up the dead and they will stand before the throne of judgement.

We go to be with Him when we leave this mortal body. Notice that the Him we will reign with is God and Christ, for they are one. This is the time before His return, the thousand years we sit with Him on His throne, for we are the body of Christ. Satan is unable to deceive the believer, the one sealed with and in the Spirit because He is the Spirit of truth. Satan is bound by the same truth that frees the sinner.

Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Working Until Now - John 5:15-17

John 5:15-17 ESV
The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

Jesus tells us here that God is working now. He is doing a new thing. Creation will find its rest when all things are made new.

Again we are reminded that the Father and Son are one. They or He is working.
They are working to complete the good work begun in each one of us. We are a new creation.

I AM!

God made Sabbath for man. God is working that we might find rest. It is resting in Him we find true Sabbath.

The seven days of creation in Genesis foreshadow and provide context for the reoccurring seven pattern used in Revelation. We see the authorship and design of the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 2:2-3
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

Who Strive Against Man And God - Mat 5:5 Not Blessed

Matthew 5:5 ESV
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.


Not blessed are those who strive against man and God, whose existence is measured by destruction and selfishness, for they will have no part of the new earth.


Zephaniah 2:3
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord.

The Golden Calf -Exodus 32:1-6

Exodus 32:1-6 NIV

The Golden Calf
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

The LXX has the underlined translation in the singular voice in the Greek.
Who are they? How does this relate to Aaron? Why is the LXX different, that is, singular in voice implying that it is Aaron that speaks.

Most other translations use the plural "they". (ESV NIV NASB)

Does that change or add to our interpretation?

Is the message altered?

Why did he seem to so quickly go along with the people?

What would you have done?

Naked - Mark 14:44-50

Mark 14:44-50 ESV
Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled.

Mark 14:51-52
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

He is betrayed with a kiss. We are familiar with the betrayal this night which leads to the cross, but there is another betrayal of Jesus before us. A young man follows after Jesus as the soldiers roughly propel our Savior toward the priests.  At first slipping between shadows unnoticed. He is then spotted.. The linen cloth has significance. Linen is used in priestly robes and signify the clean robes of righteousness worn by those who follow Jesus into heaven. This young man follows Jesus, but far behind in the shadows. When confronted, he twisted out of his garments, leaving them behind.

The young man flees to hide, just as Adam hid from The Lord in the Garden. They were both naked. Both were afraid.

Notice that both Jesus and the young man are seized. The same Greek word is used in both cases. Jesus the Lamb does not resist. The young man who was a sheep among the many that were scattered at that time of the cross. We still have a tendency to avoid and run from the cross. We are prone to twist in our belief, but we have the seal of the Holy Spirit to straighten us out.

Isaiah 63:3
“ I have trodden the wine trough alone,
And from the peoples there was no man with Me.
I also trod them in My anger
And trampled them in My wrath;
And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments,
And I stained all My raiment.

John 16:32-33
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The Gates Of Zion - Psalm 87

Psalm 87 ESV
Glorious Things of You Are Spoken
A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.
On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God.
Selah
Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush —
“This one was born there,” they say.
And of Zion it shall be said,
“This one and that one were born in her”;
for the Most High himself will establish her.
The Lord records as he registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.”
Selah
Singers and dancers alike say,
“All my springs are in you.”

The foundation of the New Jerusalem rests on the apostles, the Church. The Church is referred to as the Bride of Christ. We are reborn into Zion. She is beloved before the nations. All nations will come to the mountain of The Lord. She shall be the tree that yields its fruit through out the year and its leaves will be for the healing of the nations.

So That They May Not Die - Exodus 30:17-21

Exodus 30:17-21 ESV
The Bronze Basin
The Lord said to Moses, “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”

Here we see a meaning of believers being cleansed by water and fire. Worship in the temple foreshadows and helps define what is found in the New Testament where the new temple resides in the heart of all.

In the Old Testament the alter was outside the heart. In the New Testament the alter is inside the heart. In both cases, the heart is present to The Lord.

Stay Awake - Mark 13:32-36

Mark 13:32-36 ESV

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep.

We are left behind with a charge to live in the body of Christ until He returns and then we inherit our new bodies. Until then, we are to do what we are.

Do not grow weary and slumber where you are no different than the dead.


Revelation 3:3
Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Will wail On Account Of Him - Revelation 1:4-8

Revelation 1:4-8 ESV
John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John brings greetings from The Lord. He reminds the church of Who Jesus is and what He has done. That same Jesus will return, though not in the same manner. The next time He will appear as He is, in His full glory and majesty.

At that time the earth "will wail on account of him". The eyes of the unbelievers will at last behold their creator. There will be no doubt that this is the Son of God. To wail is to mourn with an intensity which includes the idea of striking one's self in grief and crying out. One might be reminded of the demon possessed man wandering in the tombs tearing at himself while shouting in the anguish of his misery. He was living in the throes of death, the home of a legion of demons. Jesus commanded those demons to leave. This took place on Satan's turf, for so it is in the world. But a new thing has begun. God has redeemed and reclaimed a fallen world. The kingdom of God was initiated and will conquer the world. The God Who is, was, and is to come will create a new earth out of the one that is that will be like the one it was, but better. It will be at rest.

κοπτω G3164 (koptō), strike; κοπτομαι G3164 (koptomai), beat the breast; κοπετοσ G3157 (kopetos), mourning, lamentation. (NIDNTT)

Daniel 7:13-14
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

Psalms 68:1-3
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish before God!
But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult before God;
they shall be jubilant with joy!

Matthew 24:30-31
Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

From upcoming book - Echoes of the Word, A Wholelistic Approach, Revelation

Come and See - Psalm 46:7-10

Psalms 46:7-10 ESV
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

In the end God will cause the sea to disappear and dry earth will remain, just as He parted the sea long ago. He will provide safe passage for His people. They will cross the Jordan river into the promised land. The sea will be no more.

Satan opens his mouth and a flood issues forth. The earth swallows the flood and His children are protected.

Come see His awesome deeds, His truth and His salvation.

It's here in His word.


Psalms 66:5-7
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves.
Selah

Quite Right - Mark 12:26-27

Mark 12:26-27 ESV
And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

The living God is the God of the living. Though their bodies have died, they are quite alive. They have entered the eternal life of God. God has not descended to earth yet. All who live will return with Him, and they will rejoin a new body.

Believing the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will make you to be quite right, in several ways.

Romans 4:17
as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

In Blissful Ignorance - Matthew 5:4 - Not Blessed

Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Not blessed are those who dwell in blissful ignorance of their wretched state, who have no need for God, for they receive their comfort now. The peace of God lies outside their grasp.

Luke 15:7
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety- nine righteous persons who need no repentance.


Revelation 1:7-8 NIV
“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Leafy Branches - Mark 11:8-10

Mark 11:8-10 NASB
And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is HE who comes in the name of the Lord;
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”

We think of palm branches strewn before The Lord. This account just says branches. Other tree branches were used as well. These were spread before the Branch of Judah, and therefore a fitting acknowledgement for their Savior.

That they were cut from the fields may infer something new and not made with hands, and originating outside the city. Those that accept Him will receive new cloaks made clean by His righteousness.


στιβασ, αδοσ, η [στειβω ‘tread under foot’] ‘a spray of plant with leaves’, leafy pieces, non- specific, with the idea of providing a leaf- covered path Mk 11:8.
στιγμα, ατοσ, το (CEGL)

Leviticus 23:40
Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

At Last - Mark 10:29-31

Mark 10:29-31 ESV
Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

In this time
We receive now our place in the family of God. We enter into the fellowship of believers and share their persecutions just as Jesus was persecuted. We take joy because we have been given a more abundant life made possible by the Spirit.

In the age to come
We will have eternal life, also made possible by the Spirit.

Many Gentiles will enter before Israel.
Many in Israel will enter because of the Gentiles.

Psalms 84:11-12
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!

Malachi 3:10-12
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

Romans 5:3-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

My Name Is In Him – Exodus 22:20-22

Exodus 23:20-22 ESV
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

The angel mentioned here must be the Son with whom the Father was well pleased. We are to listen to Him. Obey Him. He will judge. He and the Father are one.

Smoke Of The Incense -Revelation 8:3-5

Revelation 8:3-5 ESV
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Incense in the temple was fragrant and was a mixture specified by God. Incense mixed with the prayers of the saints is indicative that the prayers were acceptable and pleasing to God. The saints are made holy by obeying God. He says "Come and I will give you rest".

Psalms 141:2
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Leviticus 16:12-13
And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the Lord, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil and put the incense on the fire before the Lord, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die.

Exodus 30:8-9
and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.

There Was Silence - Revelation 8:1

Revelation 8:1
When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

When God Almighty speaks, silence is the only response. When the soldiers came to seize Jesus in the garden on that night before hanging Him from the cross, they fell to the ground when He replied, "I am he". With a word He stilled the storm and silence reigned.

It is striking that a vision outside of time should provide such a time dependent detail.

The seals have been opened and the trumpets have sounded. God has determined and spoken from His throne. Silence is the only response to His judgement and proclamation.

Be still and know.

Psalms 62:1-2
To the choirmaster:according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Habakkuk 2:20
But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Zechariah 2:13
Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Zephaniah 1:7-9
The Day of the Lord Is Near
Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
And on the day of the Lord's sacrifice—
“I will punish the officials and the king's sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master's house
with violence and fraud.

Exodus 14:14
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Will Become In Him - John 4:14

John 4:14 ESV
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

From the temple of God's presence flows the water of life, a river that has no end. Life begets life.

Revelation 7:16-17
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 22:1-2
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

In The Dust Of The Earth 12:1-3

Daniel 12:1-3 ESV
“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Daniel speaks of a tribulation for Israel that will be unequalled. It has universal application, for this passage goes on to refer to names written in the book. This could only mean the book of life.

We are formed out of the dust of the earth. We walk and live on the dust of the earth, and return to its embrace when our bodies die.

One day we shall awake, that is our bodies shall rise. Some have already awakened to everlasting life, those who have awakened through rebirth from above. These are wise indeed!

Stars will fall from the sky, but those left will shine forever.

He Left Them - Mark 8:12-13

Mark 8:12-13 ESV
And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

Remember who this is when you read that Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit. He is the Son of God. He is the one upon whom the Holy Spirit descended and remained. Surely this was a time when the Spirit is grieved. God is facing the rejection He had foreseen.

He left them. Their rejection became His rejection and He leaves. Figuratively, He leaves to offer salvation to others. It is this salvation we claim and celebrate. The sign they asked for was given before all men.

Isaiah 53:3-4
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

Matthew 12:39-40
But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

John 12:37-38
Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

Worship Me - Mark 7:1-7. Wed 2/13/13

Mark 7:1-7 ESV  
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. ’

People often define something differently. Words come to mean different things to different people. Even God means different things to different people. However, God is one and is changeless. His word does not change and endures forever.

That is why it is important to stay in His word, His whole council. Do not write your own book, or dismiss parts you find disagreeable. Seek out what God teaches. It will be found.

1 Samuel 12:21
And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.

Malachi 3:14-15
You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape. ’”

Matthew 15:9
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. ’”

Titus 3:9-11
But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self- condemned.

To Love And Good Works - Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Love is at the center of all things. Its expression is fully realized as we meet together.

Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

Philippians 1:9-10
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13
and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Passing Of A Fallen Creation - Revelation 6:12-14

Revelation 6:12-14 ESV
When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

The apocalyptic language seems to signify in the imagery of the sun, moon, and stars that the day of The Lord reflects the passing of a fallen creation. The light that once shown on the world is blackened. The grapes are trampled in the winepress of God's wrath. The blood of the unrighteous will flow. Stars will fall as undesired fruit is stripped from a branch by a strong wind. The expanse between God and man will disappear. Every power and place will bow at His appearance. The earth will be shaken until all that is false is removed.

A new creation will emerge. Heaven and earth will become one.


Deuteronomy 4:19-20
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.

Deuteronomy 17:2-5
“If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones.

2 Kings 23:4-5
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens.

Jeremiah 8:2-3
And they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have gone after, and which they have sought and worshiped. And they shall not be gathered or buried. They shall be as dung on the surface of the ground. Death shall be preferred to life by all the remnant that remains of this evil family in all the places where I have driven them, declares the Lord of hosts.

The Seal – Revelation 20:1-3

Revelation 20:1-3 ESV
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

When Jesus was born, a great light began to shine on earth. That light enabled those following after that light to see past the darkness that imprisoned the nations. It is by that lamp we walk. We are no longer deceived if we have received His light.

We are sealed by the Spirit of truth. Satan is bound by that same seal.

The seal will be taken away for a little while at the end, then The Lord will return.

Yields Its Fruit - Hosea 10:1-2

Hosea 10:1-2 ESV
Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars.

The fruit yielded here is not good. The more Israel prospered, the more their heart puffed up and became false. Building alters other than to God has its consequence. Israel experienced that and serves as a warning today. America is experiencing this today and serves as a warning for the future of the world. Revelation reminds of that coming day.

Micah 5:13-15
and I will cut off your carved images
and your pillars from among you,
and you shall bow down no more
to the work of your hands;
and I will root out your Asherah images from among you
and destroy your cities.
And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance
on the nations that did not obey.

Zechariah 13:2
“And on that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be remembered no more. And also I will remove from the land the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness.

Matthew 21:43-44
Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Hosea 10:3-4
For now they will say:
“We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord;
and a king—what could he do for us?”
They utter mere words;
with empty oaths they make covenants;
so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds
in the furrows of the field.

Whose Pride Is Puffed Up - Not Blessed

Matthew 5:3
“ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Not blessed are those haughty in spirit, whose pride is puffed up, for theirs is not the kingdom of heaven.

Psalms 41:1-2
O Lord, Be Gracious to Me
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
he is called blessed in the land;
you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.

Psalms 84:12
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you!

2 Chronicles 33:12-13
And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

Psalms 34:18
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Accepting And Bearing - Mark 4:13-20

Mark 4:13-20 ESV
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown:when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground:the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

There are four types of people given in this parable that hear the word. Only one type of listener successfully hears the word. Jesus mentions two following steps to assure and help the believer to endure to the end.

It is not merely hearing the word while nodding one's head up and down that saves a person, but it is in the acceptance of the word such that changes that life. It is a difference that manifests in the heart and shows itself on the outside through an ongoing display of the fruit of the Spirit. Our fruit will vary from tree to tree, in type and quantity, but it needs to be present.

Not everyone bears lasting fruit. Accepting and bearing are possible when we stay connected to the vine that is Jesus Christ.

Luke 8:15
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

John 15:4-7
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Eternal Sin - Mark 3:28-30

Mark 3:28-30 NASB
“ Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

So what does it say of the eternal sin that won't be forgiven? It is speaking against the Holy Spirit, saying He is unclean or impure or stained in some way. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. All that is God applies to the Holy Spirit.

A rejection of God is a rejection of life and whoever does so never has the forgiveness of God and the comfort of His Spirit.

In Luke we see that speaking against the Son of Man does not have the same weight of sin that speaking against the Holy Spirit carries. Perhaps this is the case because Jesus entered humanity and became our sin. The Holy Spirit is untouched by that stain.

1 John 5:16-17
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

Hebrews 6:4-6
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.

Luke 12:10-12
And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him. When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Calling To The Caves And Rocks - Revelation 6:14-17

Revelation 6:14-17 ESV
The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The mountains and rocks in view here represent earthly powers. Earth dwellers (non-believers) call out pleas for help to their own gods and idols, rather than the name of The Lord. They continue in their rejection of the True God.

For this reason wrath will come. Only those who stand with The Lord will be able to stand at all.

Luke 23:28-31
But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed! ’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us. ’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

His Holy habitation - Psalms 68:5-7

Psalms 68:5-7 NASB
A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness,
Selah.

Jesus came to the world and led the captives with Him when He ascended to the Father.
He gathered them from the wilderness of this dark place.
He sends the rains of heaven upon the righteous and makes His habitation among men.

The Mark - Exodus 13:11-16

Exodus 13:11-16 ESV
“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean? ’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem. ’ It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

Moses refers to a mark on the Israelites that will distinguish them from the world, one that reveals them as His own.

A similarly placed mark of the beast is another source of distinction, one which reveals a different master and allegiance.

The true mark is in the heart. That is where God's law is written and where we are sealed in the Spirit. It is the source of darkness and uncleanliness in the unsaved soul. The Lord is able to see into the heart. Nothing is hidden before His eyes.

Revelation 14:9-11
And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Acts of judgement - Ezekiel 14:21-23

Ezekiel 14:21-23 ESV
“For thus says the Lord God:How much more when I send upon Jerusalem my four disastrous acts of judgment, sword, famine, wild beasts, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast! But behold, some survivors will be left in it, sons and daughters who will be brought out; behold, when they come out to you, and you see their ways and their deeds, you will be consoled for the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, for all that I have brought upon it. They will console you, when you see their ways and their deeds, and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, declares the Lord God.”

Revelation 6:8
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

The four horseman represent the acts of judgement predicted in Ezekiel.
The seals are opened by the victorious lamb, which may be indicative of Christ's reign, for it is by His hand the horsemen are released.

In turn, this may substantiate that the one thousand years, or millennium, in Revelation is figurative and indicates the long, but finite time between His first and second comings.

Satan has been defeated, therefore bound. We are told this begins the one thousand year reign. He will be released for a short time at the end of the millennium.

Today - Luke 23:39-43

Luke 23:39-43 ESV
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Both criminals hung from a cross on either side of The Lord. They both were in the hands of a fate that resulted from their own actions and faced the same sentence of condemnation. We see two different reactions before us.

There are two paths before us. One leads us to life, to the Paradise promised to this man. He believed Jesus. In doing so, he received the mercy from God that overcomes judgement.

The kingdom was opened immediately, the same day. Again, we see the pattern of now and not yet. Our righteousness in Christ begins before we die and our life in Him is given spiritual breath and awakens before our bodies rise. Eternal life begins that will be fully realized when He returns. If we are still on earth, we will rise to meet Him as He comes in the clouds. If not, we will accompany Him on His return.

We enter fully into today which holds tomorrow.

Inside A Man - Psalms 64:5-6

Psalms 64:5-6 NIV
They encourage each other in evil plans,
they talk about hiding their snares;
they say, “Who will see it?”
They plot injustice and say,
“We have devised a perfect plan!”
Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

Psalms 64:5-6 ESV
They hold fast to themselves an evil purpose;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “ Who can see them?”
They devise injustices, saying,
“We are ready with a well- conceived plot”;
For the inward thought and the heart of a man are deep.

The ESV says the heart and thought of man is deep. The NIV speaks of human mind and the heart as cunning. The LXX uses the imagery of a distant sea to convey the idea of this mysterious and dark thing called the corrupted heart, as a far sea distant from the heart of God. God can still the sea. In the new creation the sea will be no more. God can heal a heart and does so every day.

A time will come when the earth will be renewed and there will be no room for evil purpose.

Proverbs 20:5
The purpose in a man's heart is like deep water,
but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Isaiah 29:15
Ah, you who hide deep from the Lord your counsel,
whose deeds are in the dark,
and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”

Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

He Alone -Psalm 62:1-2

Psalms 62:1-2 Voice
For the worship leader, Jeduthun. A song of David.
My soul quietly waits for the True God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my deliverance,
my citadel high on the hill; I will not be shaken.


Being still before The Lord
We rest in the wonder and safety of His provision
Knowing that He alone can save us
The earth may fall away
I will not be shaken

Isaiah 30:18
Meanwhile, the Eternal One yearns to give you grace and boundless compassion;
that’s why He waits.
For the Eternal is a God of justice.
Those inclined toward Him, waiting for His help, will find happiness.

Isaiah 40:31
But those who trust in the Eternal One will regain their strength.
They will soar on wings as eagles.
They will run— never winded, never weary.
They will walk— never tired, never faint.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well.

Isaiah 12:2
See, God has come to rescue me;
I will trust in Him and not be afraid,
For the Eternal, indeed, the Eternal is my strength and my song.
My very own God has rescued me.

His Face - Psalms 105:4

Psalms 105:4 NASB
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face continually.

Psalms 105:4 NIV
Look to the Lord and his strength;
seek his face always.

Psalms 105:4 ESV
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!

It is interesting to note the Hebrew word translated variously as "face" or "presence" is plural in meaning, but singular in voice. One might be reminded that God is revealed as Three-in-One, the Trinity.


פּנים * pânı̂ym * paw-neem' * Plural (but always used as a singular)

At That Moment - Genesis 2:16-17

Genesis 2:16-17 ESV
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Luke 23:43
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”


Just Adam died the moment he ate the forbidden fruit, so we live the moment we eat from the bread of life. What we choose can have everlasting implications which we don't see until later. It is in looking back we come to more fully understand.

Spirit reality is not readily apparent to mortal eyes. The heart is usually home to this vision of discernment and experience of this reality. We become new creatures in Christ the moment we accept Him. At that moment we begin to walk in the kingdom of God, which leads to everlasting life.