September 22, 2007

• Revelation 5 by Pastor Don

  Pastor Don has been teaching on the book of Revelation during Sunday School because many of our members have been requesting teachings on this. Pastor Don then takes the Sunday lessons and expands on them during the weekday Bible studies.

  Revelation 5:1-7  And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.” And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

  Pastor Don told us that horns represent power, leadership, authority.

  Revelation 5:8-10 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “ You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

  We are not going to be alone in Heaven. There are many little Church groups that think that they are going to be the only ones who will attain Heaven. In reality, there are going to be many people in Heaven. Some of whom, when we see them, we will wonder how they got there. There may even be people we wished weren’t there, but God knows their hearts.
  
  Revelation 5:11-14 (Pastor Don had us read these verses aloud) Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “ Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

  Jesus is ready to open the scrolls and when He does, things will be loosed on the planet. Before this, Jesus will have removed the Bride of Christ for He has promised that we will not face His wrath, which will not be poured out on the saints during the Day of the Lord.

  God expresses Himself on creation. Sometimes bad things happen, punishment, trials, and tribulations, but we shouldn’t fear as tribulation progresses. The tribulations began from the time Jesus went to the cross – when His disciples faced tribulation for preaching the gospel. Tribulation continues now in this day and age. In fact, more people have been martyred in the past ten years than in all the history of the Church. We just need to read the newspaper to see that there are more weather anomalies, cyclones, tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes. Jesus told us about these in Matthew 24 and the corresponding passages in Mark and Luke.

  When the Day of the Lord is poured out, where will the church be?

  Daniel 12:1 “At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. and at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. 

  During this time of trouble (far greater than anything we have experienced yet) Michael will stand up. Michael is the angel that stands over Israel when Israel requires protection. This trouble will eclipse anything done to Israel by Rome, the Assyrians or any of the other enemies that have stood against Israel. God has promised that the Nation of Israel will never be forsaken or replaced or forgotten. Israel will be found written in the book, which book – the Book of Life.

  Daniel 12:2-3 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

  We want to pray that our names are not blotted out from the Book of Life. When we awake from the dust and gain our resurrection bodies they will shine bright. How do we know this? Jesus shown on the Mount of Transfiguration, angels shine, the glory of God shines, and when Moses spent time with God, His face shown so bright he had to cover it.

  This sleep is not the soul sleep that some of the cults try to convince us happens after death. They teach that the whole soul, mind, and body is in a grave on hold until they come to consciousness and get a new body. But for the time that they are dead until the coming of Christ there is no consciousness. But that is not what the Word of God says. The word tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

  People get afraid when they confuse the teachings of the Bible, wanting to make things symbolism that are not symbols.

  John 14:1-4  “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

  Here Jesus tells us clearly that He has prepared a place for us and that He will COME AGAIN. What does that mean? It means that He WILL come again! How will He come again?

  Acts 1:9-11 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

  Pastor Don got so excited when he read, THIS SAME JESUS. This same Jesus who healed the sick, broke bread, raised the dead, fed 5,000, went to the cross, rose from the dead, caused the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the lepers to be cleansed. This same Jesus who died for our sins, and rose again will come AGAIN!!!! This is not figurative, it is FACTUAL!!!

  In 1986 there was a false prophet who is still on the airwaves to this day telling people that they don’t need to go to church. He said that Jesus was coming in 1986. When Jesus didn’t come people still sent this pastor money to keep him on the airwaves. They should have thrown out his book and seen him for the false prophet that he is, but he still has a world wide ministry. This pastor preached a “new revelation” about leaving the church based on Matthew 24.

  This passage lets us know that Jesus will come to us in like manner as he ascended from among the disciples – in the clouds. The truth is easy to find, just read the Word of God. But don’t base your findings on just one passage in the Word of God – make sure that you find it IN CONTEXT in many passages. It is easy to come up with a false teaching if you take a verse out of context, or read into it what the Bible is not saying. The Spirit and the Word must agree.

  1 Thessalonians 4:13  But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

  The Bible is giving a description here. In the Greek, the word “sleep” can be translated as deep sleep, stupefied, dead, or awake out of sleep, repose.

  When Jesus went to the little girl who had died, he told them that she was asleep (dead), but to Jesus death is not permanent.

  God created us, and we can never be uncreated. For he had no plan  for death. Our body may be dead but it is temporary, until God speaks a word and we get up.

  Pastor Don laughed and said that we need to start learning to like ourselves now for we will always be with ourselves. You are going to want to like yourself as you will be spending eternity with you.

  1 Thessalonians 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

  Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we can trust that He will raise us from the dead. Those who remain on earth will be changed. Our death is not a permanent condition.

  1 Thessalonians 4:15  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

  This is the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive on earth will be raptured after the dead in Christ have been raised.

  1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

  This will not be some quiet event, it will happen with a shout and trumpet. Everyone shall see him, everyone will hear the sound of the trumpet of God.

  We then did a little skit, at Pastor Don’s direction that illustrated this.

  Pastor Don had one person lie on the altar as if she were dead, there was a person to play Jesus, there was part of the host of heaven, and then another person who was the spirit of the person who was dead on the altar.

  When Jesus came, there was a sound of blowing trumpets from heaven, and then the person who was dead was raised up, given a new body and reunited with their spirit which was already in heaven.

  He pointed out that our Spirits also feel, have emotions. God was angry, was sad, Jesus cried. Our Spirits also feel and are aware, having mind and will and emotions.

  1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

  Have a blessed day.

  Heather

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