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The Reign Of The Saints
In Revelation 5:8-9, we find the 4 beasts and the 24 elders (symbols of the people of God) praising the Lamb (Jesus Christ) for His great work on their behalf…
“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
Then, in the very next verse, they praise Christ for the blessings they receive through His work …
“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Here, we read of the saints being given two positions of great authority (“Kings and Priests”) allowing them to “reign on the earth”. What does this promise involve? Or put another way, In what way do the saints of God reign as Kings and Priests upon the earth? This is the question we will be answering in this Bible study.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Daniel 7:15-22; Daniel 7:26-27; Matthew 19:27-30; Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 12:42-48; Luke 19:11-27; Luke 22:24-30; 1 Corinthians 6:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4-5; Revelation 2:26-27; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 4:4; Revelation 5:8-10; Revelation 19:11-21; Revelation 20:4-5; Revelation 22:3-5
THE STUDY:
When we speak of the saints reigning, we are describing several different types of dominion that are granted to the redeemed of God. The following is a description of these types of dominion by subject in outline, form. What follows the outline is a listing of many of the Bible texts which teach these areas of dominion with a brief summary of each event listed in chronological order (when possible).
Dominion Over The Nations – The Saints God-Given Authority Involves the saint exercising great authority over the powers of darkness IN THIS PRESENT WORLD and in THE WORLD TO COME:
A) Saints are given DOMINION IN THIS PRESENT WORLD (the existing heaven and earth):
(1) This dominion involves the ability to overcome the control of our sinful flesh and powers of darkness in this present world. This is why the saints are described as “Victors over the world” or “Overcomers”.
(2) This dominion is displayed by the saints’ sharing of victory at Armageddon – the saints accompanying Christ at final defeat of lost mankind in this present world at Christ’s second coming
B) Saints are promised to receive DOMINION IN THE WORLD TO COME (the New Heavens and New Earth) in which we will live eternally:
(1) This dominion will be a reward for the saint’s faithfulness – The future dominion of the saints is given as a reward for victorious living now. This dominion involves dominion over the nations, and dominion over the New Heavens and New Earth…
(a) Dominion Over The World By Judgment – this will take place as the saints share in the final judgment of the wicked men and angels, both Jew and Gentile, both OT and NT lost mankind. This will be the ultimate defeat of the powers of darkness in the world to come lasting for eternity.
1. Judging Israel – Saints will judge Israel (who rejected Messiah and crucified Him) during judgment of the lost. Israel is a representative of all lost mankind due to their rebellion and rejection of Christ.
2. Judging Angels – Saints will also judge the fallen angels (demons) including Satan, himself at this final judgment of the lost.
(b) Dominion over New Heavens and New Earth – Reign on NH & NE in Christ’s presence will stretch from the 1000 year reign into eternity. This will take place from the creation of the NH and NE throughout eternity. This includes both phases of the eternal state (the 1000 yr reign and the finalized eternal kingdom of God)…
1. 1000 Yr Reign – Beginning Of Christ’s reign on NH NE. As believers are judged they receive authority over NHNE during this time period
2. Eternal Kingdom – This is the ultimate proof of the saint’s victory over this sinful world. Their dominion over the world symbolizing the renewal of the Garden of Eden on the New Earth.
Scripture References For Above Outline:
Dominion Over The Nations
1. The Lord blesses those who are truly saved (overcomers) with dominion over the powers of darkness of this world….
Revelation 2:26-27 KJV “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.”
Note: “The nations” are referring to lost mankind (as part of the powers of darkness of this world). In this text, we are given representations of the two types of dominion possessed by saved mankind (dominion in this world and dominion in the world to come).
The phrase “rule with rod of iron” points us to the overcomers dominion over the powers of darkness in this world. This victory finds its completion at the Battle of Armageddon which is the last historic event that takes place on this present evil world.
The phrase “power over the nations” speaks of the dominion which the saints will possess in the future in the New world to come. This phrase speaks of the judgment of lost mankind at the final judgment and consignment to the Lake of Fire. This judgment is the ultimate, eternal defeat of the powers of darkness for eternity.
The Dominion Given To Saints NOW: “Overcomers”
1. The ability to escape the dominion of sin (context – false teaching) based upon power of indwelling Spirit…
1 John 4:4 KJV “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
2. Access to Godly power overcoming the dominion of sin (Satan, antichrist spirit, powers of darkness, our flesh) which is received through saving faith (resulting in Spirit indwelling)…
1 John 5:4-5 KJV “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
3. The Saints had overcome the dominion of sin (shown by thrones) and were now in Christ’s presence following their death …
Revelation 4:4 KJV “And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.”
Victory At Armegeddon
1. The Lord, accompanied by His saints, returns to the earth and gains the final victory over the lost kingdoms of this current world…
Revelation 19:11-21 KJV “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”
Note: The victory at Armageddon is an outward display of the authority given to the saints as Overcomers.
The Dominion Given To The Saints As A Reward For Faithfulness
1. Faithfulness of true believers will result in rewards and blessings of rulership at the believer’s judgment…
Matthew 24:45-51 KJV “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 25:14-30 KJV “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
2. The truly saved servant was faithful – he was rewarded with rulership. The lost servant was unfaithful and cast into hell.…
Luke 12:42-48 KJV “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”
Note: Of those who were lost the greater the knowledge (responsibility) the greater the punishment. (Teaches us that levels of hell exist based upon amount of knowledge and willful rejection of truth)
Luke 19:11-27 KJV “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
Note: Those who are lost servants, who fear Lord as being unjust and hard will have their knowledge of God and hypocritical service made useless and they will be empty handed at day of judgment. The lost, who are outwardly rebellious and immoral, face immediate rejection by God as well.
Dominion Over New Heavens and New Earth
1. Saints, those who are redeemed through blood of Christ, are given authority to rule and enter God’s presence. Both types of dominion will be clearly seen as the saints enter eternity with the Lord, ruling over the New Creation and entering into His presence for an eternity.
Revelation 5:8-10 KJV “And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
1000 Year Reign
1. This marks the first part of Christ’s eternal reign on the New Heavens and New Earth (immediately following the appearance of the NH & NE following Armageddon) At this point in time the saints are judged and they are given reign over NH and NE for eternity (restoration of Garden of Eden before fall).
Revelation 20:4-5 KJV “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
2. This time periods runs from the 1000 Year Reign throughout Eternity
2 Timothy 2:11-13 KJV “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.”
Revelation 3:21 KJV To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Judging The World
1. Saints will judge lost world (fallen world) during final judgment of lost…
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 KJV “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”
2. This judgment also involves fallen angels (including Satan) as well as lost mankind…
1 Corinthians 6:1-3 KJV “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?”
Note: saints will judge fallen angels during GWTH (Jude 1:6) (Satan included?) Saints, as Overcomers were given authority over demons during Bible days pictured saints holding authority over demons (John 12:31). Likewise, angels ministering to believers is a sign of man’s authority over angels as well.
3. A part of this judgment involves the nation of Israel (those who rejected and crucified Christ) picturing all lost mankind.
Matthew 19:27-30 KJV “Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”
Note: “The regeneration” is speaking of the reformation of the Heavens and Earth resulting in the New Heavens and New Earth. The Lord is reigning upon the earth with His saints at this time.
Luke 22:24-30 KJV “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
Eternal Kingdom
1. Saints given “the kingdom” beginning with the end of Armegeddon (appearance of NH and NE) into 1000 yr to GWTH to Eternity
Daniel 7:15-22 KJV “I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.”
Daniel 7:26-27 KJV “But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”
2. The eternal, perfect, dominion over the New Heavens and New Earth. This is tantamount to the blessings of the Garden of Eden restored to mankind. The curse of sin being totally undone…
Revelation 22:1-5 KJV “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
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Revelation 21:-22: Summary
SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTER:
In the remaining portion of Revelation, we will be looking at the contents of the sealed book. This book will reveal what the saints have awaiting them in eternity with Christ. The contents of the sealed book will be revealed to us in chapters 19-22. This will bring to completion our study of the Revelation.
A very basic outline of the remaining chapters of Revelation includes:
- Rev 19 – What immediately precedes eternity with the Lord? (background to eternity with the Lord)
- Rev 20 – The opening stage of eternity with the Lord (1000 year reign – a time of judgment)
- Rev 21 – The subsequent stage of eternity with the Lord pictured as a great city
- Rev 22 – The subsequent stage of eternity with the Lord pictured as Eden restored
SUMMARY OF EACH DIVISION OF CHAPTER:
I. New Jerusalem On The New Earth (Rev 21:1-11)
John now turns our attention to a description of the renovated heavens and earth. John tells us this heaven and earth is “new” which tells us that it is different, changed from the heaven and earth with which we are familiar. This new world no longer has “seas”. The sea in the Bible represents unrest and chaos of lost mankind. This new world will no longer feel the presence of the lost, nor will it experience the unrest and upheaval of sin upon it.
John sees a heavenly city descend to this New Earth. This city is the dwelling place of God come down to the earth. It symbolizes God’s presence being given to the saints to enjoy Him eternally. This city is said to be very beautiful, like a bride that is prepared for marriage.
John describes God’s relationship with His people in this wondrous city. God will be with them, they will learn of Him, worship Him, and serve Him. John also tells us that the results of sin will be done away. There will be no more crying, sorrow, or pain.
God promises to make an entirely new type of existence for His people. It will be like nothing we have experienced on earth. This is a promise that we can rely upon. We can know with certainty that this wonderful eternal existence awaits the people of God.
The Lord then extends an invitation for all of mankind to come to Him and enjoy these blessings that await His people. Those who come to Him will be victorious overcomers in this sinful world, they will inherit these eternal blessings and will enter into a family relationship with Him as the children of God. However, those who reject this invitation and choose to remain in their sinfulness will face a horrible eternity of separation from God and torment in the Lake of Fire.
John is invited to come and see the bride that has prepared to join her husband in marriage and live eternally with Him. This bride is the wondrous city that now awaits His presence and the presence of His people. John is taken to a high mountain that overlooks this glorious city. He sees God’s glory enlightening the city as a clear Jasper stone which is symbolic of the Lord holiness and sinlessness.
This entire vision emphasizes the changed eternal world and the many eternal joys that await the people of God as they dwell in this city.
II. The Walls And Gates Of New Jerusalem (Rev 21:12-21)
After John’s look at the basics appearance of New Jerusalem, he then turns our attention to the city’s gates and walls. John sees the believer’s security and deliverance from sin symbolized by high walls that surround the city. There walls are used to keep out sin, its effects, and those who commit them.
John sees 12 gates, the entryways to the city, which are equally divided on the four sides of the walls (N,S,E,W) showing us that the redeemed will come from all corners of the globe (every nation, language, family). They will included believers from both the OT and NT (12 Tribes of Israel, 12 Apostles). The 12 angels standing at the gates, symbolize the messengers of God who proclaim the gospel message, the key to finding entrance into the gates. Each gate was made of a pearl which is representative of God’s wisdom, the truths of His Word, the good news of Christ.
John sees the 12 foundations of the walls having the names of the 12 apostles, whose proclamation of the truths about the Christ laid the foundation for this place of security and peace for God’s people. These foundations are decorated with many precious stones which give forth light similar to that of a rainbow. This speaks of the Lord’s faithfulness to his promises in making and giving access to this city for His people.
An angel sent from the Lord is seen measuring the city, which symbolizes the Lord’s ownership and control over this eternal city. The city is a 12,000 furlong cube showing us it is perfect, separated for the use of God and His people, and sinless.
The wall itself is made of jasper which is symbolic of preciousness and purity, while the city is of gold which speaks of God’s kingly rule. The gold was of transparent, pure gold symbolic of holiness.
III. New Jerusalem: The Presence Of God and The Glory of Eden Restored (Rev 21:22-22:5)
John’s vision of the city continues with John centering on the presence of God Himself within the city. He could not see a temple because none was needed. Christ’s presence will be the center of worship as well as a living display of His person and works. Christ’s glory, which exists due to His presence, lightens the entire city which eliminates the need for the sun and moon. The Lord will be present with His people.
The inhabitants of the city, those who are saved by God’s grace, will be given 24 / 7 access to the city. There is no need for the gates to be shut because the lost will not be found on the New Earth, they will be consigned to the Lake of Fire for an eternity. Sin, and the doers of it, will be totally excluded from the city.
John attention is then drawn to “the river of water of life” that he sees flowing from the throne of God. This speaks of the work of Christ which gives to men eternal life. This river finds it origin IN the counsels and workings of the Lord and brings men TO eternal life and an intimate relationship with the Lord.
John sees the tree of life in the midst of the city, reminding us of a restored, sinless, Garden of Eden. God’s people are given eternal access to this tree, symbolizing the eternal life that is possessed by the saints. It bears 12 types of fruit which symbolize the completeness of eternal life that God has brought to man. Nothing more is needed for the saints to dwell eternally with their Lord. The leaves of the tree supply that which is needed to “heal” the nations. This speaks of the total eradication of sin and its effects upon mankind. Once again this symbolizes a Garden of Eden type of existence that has been restored to mankind. Instead of a curse and separation from God (the condition of mankind in the old garden), the saints in this New Garden will be blessed with no curse, and enjoy the presence of God eternally.
The glory of God will enlighten this new Garden and the saints of God will exercise perfect dominion over it, just as in the old garden before the fall of mankind.
IV. Conclusion to The Book Of Revelation (Rev 22:6-21)
The conclusion to the book of Revelation is also the conclusion to the entire Bible. Please keep in mind, it is believed by most that the book of Revelation is the last book inspired by God and is also placed as the last book in the Biblical text. Because of this, the conclusion found in the book of Revelation concludes not only the book itself, but also the entire body of inspired writings that God gave to mankind.
A part of God’s conclusion is to remind John of the faithfulness and truthfulness of His inspired writings. He also reminds John of His soon coming and the need to keep the cling to and protect His Word, following its dictates. This is the basic way in which we are to prepare for His soon coming. Christ is the beginning and ending of all things. We should not be surprised He is the One that will bring an end to this sinful world and create a New World in which we will live.
John, being overwhelmed by this experience, begins to worship the angel that has delivered this message to him. The angel responds by reminding him that worship belongs to God alone. The angel is simply a servant of God doing His will, much like John and other saints who have come before him. The angel then emphasizes John’s need to share this message with others. It was not meant to be kept private, but was to be distributed to all who are willing to hear these words.
The Angel delivers sobering words to John. Those who choose to ignore these words, and continue to live a life of sin, let them be. John has done all he can for their welfare, they now are responsible to choose to follow Christ.
Likewise with those who are saved, if he chooses righteousness based upon the completed Word, let him continue on in righteousness with righteous living. Why? Nothing new will be revealed from God. He can fully commit to Christ’s righteousness and righteous living because he now knows that Revelation brings all of God’s Word to completion nothing more will be said that would change his mind or reveal he has made a mistake in choosing Christ.
John is told of the distinct difference between the end of the lost and the saved. The lost will be kept from the glories of the city and the presence of God. The saved will enjoy eternal bliss in the presence of God, Jesus, Himself, has said these things, He will bring them to pass.
Christ then offers and invitation for men to come to Him. It is an invitation that is to be delivered by the saints and applied to the heart by the Holy Spirit of God. It is an invitation that is issued to anyone who hears the invitation and is willing to follow it. they are to freely partake of the work of Christ which will bring to them salvation from sins and a wonderful, eternal inheritance from Him.
In closing, the Lord issues a warning to all who would change the inspired Word of God. If they add or take from it, they have proven they are lost and destined to face God’s plagues. By willfully changing God’s Word, they are clearly shown as being lost, in a state of rebellion against Christ, and under the bondage of sin. No one who is truly saved would ever willfully choose to change the Word of God that has wrought salvation in his soul.
The final two verses of the book of Revelation (and the Bible) are a fitting conclusion to our study of the book of Revelation….
“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Nothing more needs to be said.
WHAT’S COMING NEXT IN THIS SERIES?:
This concludes our study of the book of Revelation. May we all apply the message of this book to our minds, heart and lives.
Thank you for joining with me in this study.
May the Lord bless us as we seek to see Jesus in the pages of the book of Revelation.
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Surely I come quickly. Amen…. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
Revelation 22:20-21 KJV
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
For the SIH devotional on this subject:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”
Revelation 22:20-21 KJV
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Well folks, for those of you who have faithfully followed our series in Revelation, we have come to our last devotional. This has been a true act of God’s grace and mercy over the past 1 year and 1 week. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity, ability, and strength to bring this series to its conclusion. I would appreciate your prayers as, Lord willing, I now prepare an ebook with all the information found in the Revelation studies and devotionals as well as added information over the next few years. A very rough, unedited, stripped down copy of the book will be available, as always free of charge, very soon. Stay tuned for more details.
For our closing devotional, I thought it was only proper to use the closing words of John, as he brought his letter to the churches to a close.
First John begins by sharing the words of Christ… “…Surely I come quickly. Amen.”
Then he follows with his personal closing… “Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
What a wonderful way to bring the book of Revelation, and this devotional series to a close. After reading all of the wonderful symbolism of the Revelation which points to our wonderful Savior, and the events that will take place prior to, during, and after His second coming, we have a reaffirmation of the promise of His soon coming….
“Surely I come quickly”. Another way to translate this same sentence is: “Certainly, without doubt, I am coming soon, without delay”.
Folks this was not spoken aby an angel, nor by a human messenger. This statement was spoken by our Lord Himself. He is the One making the promise, He is the One that will bring this to pass… with certainty.
One of my favorite verses is found in 2 Corinthians 1:20…
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
What a wonderful truth, all the wonderful promises of God are certain to come to pass because Christ’s work has laid an eternal foundation for their fulfillment. This includes every promise that we have found in the Book of Revelation. There is no doubt, there is no possible undoing of and of His promises. They rest upon the assurance of the work of Christ.
One of the greatest of all His promises is set before us this day… “Surely I come quickly”…
It is as good as done. Our Lord WILL come back, He WILL take us home to be with Him, He WILL eradicate this world of sin and reform it into our sinless, eternal dwelling place, He WILL judge sin, He WILL reward righteousness.
Certainly, without doubt, He is coming soon, nothing will delay Him.
John’s response to this great promise is one of submission and agreement… “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” In other words… “so be it, may your will be done, I accept your will, come Lord Jesus”
All of us can fall into absolute agreement John…. Come quickly my Lord.
John’s final wish for his readers is my final wish for you as well…
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Folks, following our study of Revelation, how quickly it is for all of us to come to understand the great need for the grace of Christ in our lives… to escape the coming judgments of sin, to share in the eternal glory of Christ’s presence, to understand and apply the truths of this book to our lives, and to share the gospel message with others around us.
All of these great needs in our lives, and many others, have been presented clearly, emphasizing to us the overwhelming need of the grace of God for each of us.
May the grace of Christ be with each one of us as we take the many truths about Christ, His work, and His promises to us, apply them to our lives, and share them with others who are is desperate need of the truths of His Word.
Come quickly my Lord, and until then, please grant me your great grace. Without you I am, and can do, nothing.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Revelation 22:19 KJV
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Here, we find a solemn warning concerning changing God’s Word. The integrity of God’s Word should be of utmost importance to the lives of God’s people. The basis of our salvation, and our hope of our eternal life, is based wholly upon the testimony of the Scriptures. If the Scriptures are untrue, unreliable, changeable, or manipulated in anyway the very foundations of our beliefs are destroyed. This is why the Lord promises such dire punishments to fall upon those who willfully pervert the contents of the Word.
In this verse, we find a three-fold judgment placed upon those who pervert the Scriptures:
- God shall take away his part out of “the book of life” (the listing of all who have been eternally chosen to salvation in the counsels of God)
- God shall take away his part out of “the holy city” (the holy city of New Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling of God’s people)
- God shall take away his part from “the things which are written in this book” (the other eternal blessings promised to the people of God)
Please note in all three of these God warns those who change His Word that He will take “their part” out of various aspects the blessed life of His saints. What is meant by the phrase “their part”? “their part” is a translation of the Greek word “meros” which means “a share or an allotment”. The concept is much like a “share” of an inheritance designated in a will that is yet to be received.
Also please note that none of these ever actually partook of any of these blessings. Their name was never in the book of life, they had never set foot in the New Jerusalem, nor had they ever partaken of the eternal blessings of God’s people. Although, they had never been blessed in any of these ways, they thought they had a share of these awaiting them.
The corrupters of the Scripture, by removing parts of God’s Word, have shown themselves to be lost. Under no circumstances could a truly saved individual choose to pervert the very Scriptures upon which His salvation and eternal hope is based. They would be undoing the very heart of their hope in Christ.
When a person perverts God’s Word they are showing a lack of understanding of the origin, nature, importance and role of the Holy Word as eternal truth. They are clearly yet in their sin, their eyes blinded to the truths of His Word. Therefore, there is no reason for them to believe they own a share of the book of life, the holy city, and the blessings of eternity with Christ.
No matter how “religious” they may appear, they should not fool themselves into believing that they are saved and have a share of God’s eternal blessings awaiting them. Their actions clearly reveal to them that their share of God’s blessings was never really theirs. In that sense, God has removed their “share” of eternal blessings away from them. It is much like a child who assumes he is in good standing with his parents and will receive a share of their estate, only to find out, he was never in their will to start with. From his point of view, his share has been “removed” even though, in actuality, he never had a share of the inheritance designated for him.
The Lord addressed this same principle in Luke 8:18 when he said…
“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
In this text, may we all learn the importance of respecting, valuing and guarding God’s Word as we seek to minister to others. By doing so, we are proving that we are truly born again children of God by properly valuing the basis of our beliefs, His Words that He has spoken to us.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “to give every man according as his work shall be.”
Revelation 22:12 KJV
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
We all will answer for what we have done in our lifetimes.
For those who are saved, we will all give an account for how we handled the many opportunities for service which our Lord has graciously given to us. Did we, by faith, step up and take advantage of opportunities to serve our Lord? Did we do it with the right motives in our hearts? Did we use methods that were pleasing to the Lord? These areas, and others, will be areas of judgment for those who know Christ as their Savior.
The Apostle Paul clearly concerning this judgment in 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, while Christ used a parable to illustrate this judgment in Luke 19:11-27.
Those who have never trusted in Christ, they too must answer for their actions in this lifetime. When they stand before the Lord the many times that they have disobeyed the Lord will be brought into clear view. What act of disobedience was performed? Was this sin committed due to ignorance or was it an act of willful rebellion? Was it a private act or a public act? How many others followed the sinful example that was set? These and other areas of responsibility will be examined during this time.
John describes this judgment in Revelation 20:11-15, where we can see the Lord will use the absence of their name from the Book of Life to reveal their standing before Him and the 66 books of the Bible to reveal the sinfulness of their works. Paul also speaks of the same judgment in Romans 2:5-8.
King Solomon taught on the final judgments in his closing words of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes is Solomon’s diary that he wrote to share his experiences and the life lessons he had learned as King. In Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Solomon summarizes these life lessons in two short sentences….
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”
Not only have these final judgments given us a glimpse of what will take place in the future, but they also give us a tremendous motivation to serve the Lord. It is just as Solomon says, the whole duty of man is centered upon man’s need to fear, reverence, and obey God.
All three of these involve a recognition and submission to Christ as the Lord of their life. This only comes when a person turns from their sin and turns to Christ, trusting in Him as their Savior and the Master of their life. It is only then that a person can come to understand the greatness of their Lord, fear and reverence Him, and live their lives in submission to His authority.
This is the key to being found faithful at the final judgment, this is the whole duty of man. May we all use the final judgments to motivate us to turn from our sins to Christ before our opportunities to trust in Him pass us by.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
Revelation 22:10 KJV
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”
John is told to “seal not” the contents of the Revelation. In other words, he was to begin sharing the visions he had received with the other Christians around him. Why was he to not delay? Because “the time is at hand”… the contents of the book were relevant for the people in John’s day, and would continue to be relevant until the second coming of Christ.
John, as we, are living in the last days with the next event in world history being the second coming of our Lord which will begin our eternity with Him. We are now living in the last days. The need for God’s revelation to man is obvious. The events in the Revelation account that lead up to the second coming are, and will, take place during this time period in which we live. This is the “last days” before Christ will come again.
Not only are these the “last days” prior to His second coming, but they are, more importantly, the “last days” of God’s increasing revelation of Himself to man. This is a much overlooked, Biblical meaning behind the phrase “last days”…
Prior to Christ’s coming, the revelation of God was made up of an incomplete revelation based upon the messages He delivered to His prophets. From the time Christ appeared on the earth at His first coming, God’s revelation to man was transformed by two amazing events:
- With the coming of Christ, we have God being presented fully in the life of Christ, the fullness of the Godhead revealed to men in a bodily fashion (Col 2:8-9). This was God revealing Himself to man in radically different way than ever before.
- Also, very shortly after Christ’s ascension, we have the written Word brought to completion with the writing of the book of Revelation by John. This event brought an end to God’s divine revelation to man prior to eternity (Jude 3, 2 Peter 1:3 etc).
God’s full revelation of Himself is the hallmark of “the last days” time period. Please notice Hebs 1:1-2….
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”
The coming of Christ, the very Word of God brought unto us “the last days”. In other words, the days when God Himself to man was brought to completion. This is the final period of history that brings to an end God’s revelation of Himself to man. With the taking of Christ from the earth (at the ascension) and the completion of the written Word with the writing of Revelation by John, God’s continually increasing revelation to man came to an end. There will be no other periods in world history that will add to His revelation of Himself to man. This was the last period on this sinful earth for the addition of God’s revelation to us.
The next main event that will bring and addition to God’s revelation to man will take place at the second coming of Christ when, once again, we will be able to see God in a bodily fashion and then dwell with Him eternally.
The time period beginning with Christ and ending just prior to His second coming is the “last days” of His revelation of Himself to man. No further revelation of Himself will come to mankind until eternity begins at His second coming.
May we never forget that to live in “the last days” not only means we are living in the time period just prior to Christ’s second coming, BUT IT ALSO MEANS WE ARE LIVING IN THE TIME PERIOD WHERE GOD FINISHED HIS REVELATION OF HIMSELF TO US.
When Christ came physically and revealed God to mankind on this sinful earth and then, when John wrote this wonderful book of Revelation, God completed revealing Himself to man. This marked the “last days” of His revealing Himself to mankind. No other revelation of Him will come to us prior to the second coming of our Lord.
His revelation is complete and His second coming is “at hand”, truly this is the last days.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “they shall reign for ever and ever.”
Revelation 22:5 KJV
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
The Lord, through His angel, reveals to us that the saints of God will be reigning throughout eternity. As we know, God, in the person of Jesus Christ, will be eternally reigning over His people as a King reigns over His kingdom (Daniel 7:14, Hebrews 1:8, Rev 11:15).
Now, before Christ’s second coming, the saints are given authority to rule over the powers of darkness of this lost world through the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 John 4:4, 5:4-5, Rev 2:26-27).
At the final judgment, the saints will enjoy a reign over the fallen angels, the lost including the Jews who were active in the crucifixion of Christ (1 Cor 6:1-3, Matt 19:27-30).
However, following the final judgment, the powers of darkness (including Satan, fallen angels and the false religions and world empires and all lost individuals) will be consigned to the Lake of Fire, no longer present on the earth.
Again, following the final judgement, the lost will no longer be present on the earth… if this is so, over whom will the saved reign throughout eternity?
For the answer to this question we need to remember our previous devotion concerning the undoing of the curse placed upon mankind in the Garden of Eden. Please remember, after the fall of man, based upon the curse, mankind lost perfect dominion over the heavens and the earth. Prior to the fall, there were no weeds, no need to painfully labor for food, the animals were in perfect submission to mankind, never attacking man, never threatening to man, but in perfect submission to him.
Following the fall everything changed… weeds now grow, man must labor for his food, and animal life rebels against man, disobeying him, harming him, and at times killing man. With the coming of eternity on the New Heavens and New Earth, with Christ as the ultimate authority, man will regain his subordinate rulership over the earth. The curse will be undone, and mankind will perfectly reign over nature around him, he will take absolute dominion over the New Earth and all will be in perfect peace and harmony once again.
This is the answer to the question before us. Over what do the saints of God reign throughout eternity? They will reign over the restored Garden of Eden, nature that is no longer effected by sin or the curse that was placed upon mankind.
What a great type of experience that will be for each one of us, to have the different aspects of nature all perfectly submissive to us. To share in the dominion the Lord originally gave to mankind that He will restore to us as an eternal blessing! What a wonderful eternity that awaits us. What a wonderful Lord to grant us this eternal privilege!
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
Revelation 22:6-21 “Conclusion To Revelation”
THE TEXT:
Revelation 22:6-21 KJV
(6) And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
(7) Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
(8) And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
(9) Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
(10) And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
(11) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
(12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
(13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
(14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
(15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
(17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
(18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
(19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
(20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
(21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
THE INTRODUCTION:
In Revelation 20: John’s attention was placed upon the first phase of the Christian’s eternity with Christ on the New Earth… the period of one thousand years, which has been set aside by the Lord for the judgment and reward of His people. This was then followed by the event that closes the 1000 year time period, the judgment of Satan and his kingdom (including lost mankind) for their sins and their consignment to the Lake of Fire.
Now, in Revelation 21:-22:, John begins to share with us a wonderful description of new Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of the people of God….
- Rev 21:1-11 – New Jerusalem on the New Heavens and Earth
- Rev 21:12-21 – The Walls and Gates of New Jerusalem
- Rev 21:22-22:5 – New Jerusalem, the Glory of Eden restored
- Rev 22:6-20 – The Conclusion to the Book of Revelation
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
The conclusion to the book of Revelation is also the conclusion to the entire Bible. Please keep in mind, it is believed by most that the book of Revelation is the last book inspired by God and is also placed as the last book in the Biblical text. Because of this, the conclusion found in the book of Revelation concludes not only the book itself, but also the entire body of inspired writings that God gave to mankind.
Revelation 22:6-21 KJV
(6) And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
To conclude His message to John, the angel reminds John of the truthfulness of this revelation:
These sayings are….
- faithful – trustworthy, not deceptive – These things have, are and will come to pass. John could count on it!
- true – actual to fact – These things are based upon facts, not speculation nor lies.
The Master and Worshipped One of the prophets sent his angel to give this message of Revelation to His servants. Although it was given to John it was meant for all of God’s servants to read this message and learn and be encouraged from it.
One aspect of this message of Revelation was to reveal to God’s people “the things which must shortly come to pass”. This message has revealed events that would take place from John’s day into eternity.
In this verse we find a very quick summary of the book that we have been looking at:
| Revelation Principle | Quote From Text |
| The Origin Of Revelation | “Lord God of the Holy Prophets” |
| The Authority Behind Revelation | “Lord God of the Holy Prophets Sent” |
| The Messenger Of The Revelation | “His Angel” |
| The Commission Of The Revelation | “To Show” |
| The Beneficiary Of The Revelation | “His Servants” |
| The Message Of The Revelation | “The Things Which Must Shortly Come To Pass” |
(7) Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The angel now quotes Christ reminding John that His coming will be without delay. As each of these events take place around us, they are meant to remind us that His coming draws nearer every day. The swiftness of His coming is emphasized throughout the Bible:
- Mark 13:36 – “suddenly”
- Rom 13:12, Phil 4:5, 1 Pet 4:7 – “at hand’
- Matt 24:27 – “as lightning”
- Luke 18:8 – “speedily”
- Rom 16:20, 1 Cor 7:29-31 – “shortly”
- James 5:8 – “draweth nigh”
We are to look at each day as if He could come back at any moment and live our lives according to this belief…
Luke 12:42-43 KJV – “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”
By “keeping” the sayings of Revelation, we are keeping our eyes on these truths, guarding them against loss. This will cause us to remember His coming is close at hand and our need to serve Him NOW while the opportunity remains to do His will on earth.
How can the Lord say His coming is swift when it has been more than 2000 years since John received this vision?
- 2 Ptr 3:8-10 – The Lord does not recognize time, nor live according to it as we do.
- Hebrews 1:2 – We are living in the last days (anytime following Christ’s coming is the last day). The next great event will be His second coming… in that since it is very near us and can take place at any time. Compared to the times of the Old Testament, truly He will come quickly … this is the next event to take place.
(8) And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. (9) Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
When John receives this vision, and is reminded of these truths, he is caught up in awe and reverence, and then, falls at the feet of the angel that is delivering this message to him. The angel then replies to John “see thy do it not”. The angel instructs John that he does not deserve John’s worship…. Why is this?
- I am thy fellowservant – I am nothing greater than you are, we are both simply servants of the most high God.
- I am of thy brethren the prophets – this angel was simply performing the same ministry as the spiritual brethren of John who had prophesied throughout the OT and NT (prior to the completion of the Bible). He was a brethren of the prophets as being another created being that had Jehovah as his Creator (Mal 2:10). In that sense, the angel was a member of the same family as the prophets of old.
- I am of those which keep the sayings of the book – This angel is simply another one who serves the Lord, learns from the Lord and remembers this message that God has given to His servants.
Therefore, worship God. He alone is worthy of your reverence, praise and worship. One of Satan’s greatest desires is to have anyone other than Jehovah receive the praise and worship of men. In doing so, men are in actuality worshipping false gods, and in effect Satan, himself (Matt 4:9). Angel worship was a problem in John’s day (Col 2:8), these were all issues that necessitated the angel to emphasize the need to worship Jehovah alone.
(10) And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
John was not to seal up the prophecies of this book and share them with no one. Now is the time to open up these prophesies and proclaim them for they were needed in John’s day until eternity. The time of their fulfillment was in John’s day. The time of these things coming to pass was at hand.
The book of Daniel and Revelation go hand in hand. Daniel was to seal up His prophecies until “the time was the end”. that time has now come with this vision being given to John (Dan 8:26, 12:4). This is the time to open these prophecies and reveal their contents.
(11) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
The end of this revelation has come. It is now time to either reject its message or believe it and prepare for the second coming of Christ.
The phrase “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” is not saying that it is too late to be saved.
(We can clearly see in verse 17 that the time of salvation was still open to any that will come to Christ). What it is saying is make up your mind now… do not put it off. There is nothing more that will be said (the book of Revelation was the last book of the Bible that was given to man). Man now has all the information from God that he is going to receive. Now is the time to choose to remain in their lost condition or choose to be saved:
- he that is “unjust” – wrong doers, sinful lifestyle and works
- he that is “filthy” – dirty, unclean, sinful condition
- he that is “righteous” – innocent, lawful, Godly works
- he that is “holy” – separated from dirt, clean, righteous condition
“still” – to continue on, hereafter – if after hearing these words and a man chooses to remain in a sinful condition… nothing more can be said, nothing more will be revealed that will change his mind. If the completion of God’s Word, at the completion of Revelation, isn’t enough to show him his need, nothing will.
Likewise with those who are saved, if he chooses righteousness based upon the completed Word, let him continue on in righteousness with righteous living. Why nothing new will be revealed from God. He can fully commit to Christ’s righteousness and righteous living because he now knows that Revelation brings all of God’s Word to completion nothing more will be said that would change his mind or reveal he has made a mistake in choosing Christ.
Ezekiel 3:27 KJV – “But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.”
Daniel 12:10 KJV – “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”
(12) And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (13) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
One last reminder to come to a decision quickly…. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
What are lost men waiting for? There will be no further revelation from the Lord and He will come at any time. When He comes every man must stand before Him and answer for the decisions they have made and works that they have performed.
Christ is the “Alpha” and the “Omega”, He is the “beginning” and the “ending” of all things, He is the “first” and the “last”. He made us all and He will exercise His authority over us to the very end. He created all things perfectly and can renovate them making them into a sinless creation once again.
He can do what He says in His completed Word… no need to doubt these things or think they will not come to pass. Now is the time to decide what we will do. No need to wait and see if these things take place in the future.
(14) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (15) For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Why is it so important for mankind to come to a decision about these things? Their eternal destiny is at stake… For those who see their need to turn to Christ for salvation… they are blessed and made happy.
Why are they blessed and happy?
- They are given a right to the tree of life (they will obtain eternal life)
- They are given the right to enter the eternal city glorious city (they will enjoy the presence of Christ and eradication of sin and its results throughout eternity.
However, for those who choose to reject this message that has been given to them, they have only pain and sorrow awaiting them…
- They are “without” (excluded from entrance to this city)
- They are “without” (excluded from access to the tree of life).
- They are looked upon as sinners by God, those who love deceit and creators of deceitful words and actions.
| Sinful Condition | Rev 22:15 | Prov 6:16-19 |
| Morally Impure | Dogs | Wicked Imaginations |
| Spell Maker, Drugs | Sorcerers | Pride, Selfishness |
| Prostitution | Whoremongers | Evilness, Mischief |
| Murder | Murderers | Murderers |
| Worship of False Gods | Idolaters | False Witnesses |
| Lover of Untrue, Deceit | Loveth A Lie | Discord, Lying |
| Maker of Untruths and Deceptive | Maketh A Lie | Discord, Lying |
(16) I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Jesus, Himself, now affirms the origin and authority that lies behind the Revelation and the other parts of His Word:
- The angel that delivered the message to John was sent by Christ – “I Jesus have sent mine angel”
- The message was meant to be distributed among the churches – “to testify unto you these things in the churches”
- The Originator of this message (Christ) is the descendent (Messiah born into the earth) and ancestor (Creator) of David. – “I am the root and the offspring of David,”
- The Originator of this message is the One who is coming again (as the sun rising in the east). – “the bright and morning star”
We are to take the message of God’s Word, which was completed with the Revelation, because of its authorship, method of revelation, and the purpose of the book.
(17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
The offer of the gospel message is now given as the book of Revelation is brought to a close. Notice these basic truths about presenting the gospel message:
- Who is active in offering the gospel?
The Holy Spirit of God (the Spirit) and the saved (the Bride). The saved audibly present the gospel message while the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and softens the sin-hardened heart of the hearer, preparing it to be received.
- What is their message?
“Come” – come to Christ. Those presenting the gospel are to offer for the lost to come. The lost are to enter into agreement and respond as they see their need to come to Christ.
- To whom is the message applicable?
Those who agree with the message – “let him that heareth say, Come.” Their agreement is shown by them verbally consenting to the invitation to come.
Those who see their need and desire for living waters – “let him that is athirst come.” If a person does not recognize their need of Christ or see their desperate condition cannot take advantage of this message. Until a man sees his lost condition he will always reject this message and cannot be saved.
Those who choose to partake of the waters – “whosoever will”. There are no good works needed to receive this great gift, the only prerequisite is to see their need and choose to receive this wondrous gift from God.
- How much does this good news and eternal life cost?
It is absolutely free – “let him take of the water of life freely”. This great gift from God is of immeasurable value. It cost Christ, the perfect Son of God His physical life. The recipient of this great gift cannot even begin to pay for it. A sinful man cannot begin to pay the price that the sinless Christ paid. He doesn’t even have to try to pay for it. It is meant to be absolutely free of charge, no strings attached.
This is the final offer of salvation recorded in God’s Word. It is not only given at the end of the Book of Revelation, but it is given at the end of the entire Word of God. This emphasizes the importance of this offer and the need for mankind to act upon it.
(18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
(19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Why is this Book of Revelation (and the entire Bible by implication) so important for all mankind to retain and keep pure from error? It holds the key to escape from eternal separation from God and the eternal punishment of sin, while gaining eternal life in the very presence of God.
It is so important to keep the integrity of the Word, that we are warned of changing it in any way:
- “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”.
If anyone adds their own thoughts to the inspired Word, the plagues found in Revelation (which are also revealed throughout the Bible) will be placed upon him.
- “if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
If anyone removes content from God’s Word will be consigning himself to separation from God and eternal torment.
This tells us that anyone who, knowingly, adds to or takes from God’s Word is a lost individual who faces the eternal wrath of God. No one who is truly saved would ever consider changing the message that has brought eternal life to His soul. It is not an issue of losing salvation, it is an issue of never being saved. Their corrupt desires to change God’s Word are signs that they are yet under the bondage of sin.
What awaits those who take away from God’s Word?
“God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” – the word “part” simply refers to “the share or allotment”. Here, the Lord tells us that anyone who takes away from God’s Word has clearly declared themselves as lost. Although they may have believed they were saved, and others also believe they are saved… now it has been made clear they are lost. In all three cases, the person has not shared in the blessing…. their name was never in the book, they had never set foot in the holy city and they never had received the blessings reserved for the saints… and, if they continue on in their current rebellious condition, they never will. In that sense, their allotment has been taken away. They should not fool themselves into thinking that by changing God’s Word it will somehow allow them to receive a portion of that which they do not currently possess.
By removing parts of God’s Word they have shown themselves to be lost. There is no reason for them to believe they own a future share of the book of life, the holy city, and the blessings of eternity with Christ. They should not fool themselves into believing that they are or are or will be saved and eternally secure. They have lost that which they never really possessed. The Lord addressed this same principle in Luke 8:18…
“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”
Please keep in mind:
The meaning of the word “prophecy” in this passage is not limited to revealing an event that will take place in the future. In these verses, the word “prophecy” simply means “to speak the mind of God”. The principle is this… anytime that God reveals His mind to man, man has no right to change what God has revealed. In doing so, it is an act of arrogance and idolatry. The one who changing God’s Word is revealing that he believes he is smarter than God and is replacing God with himself.
Both the book of Revelation, and the entire Bible, is made up of God’s mind revealed to mankind. This warning is placed at the end of both the entire Bible and the book of Revelation. It is a fitting warning summary that applies to the entire inspired Word, not simply the book of Revelation.
(20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Once again, as a final reminder, the Lord reminds us that He is coming quickly and we all must be prepared. Our time to receive salvation and our opportunities for service are limited… Certainly, He is coming quickly.
John is in submission to the Lord’s timing for His soon return, “Amen”, in other words “so be it”, “may it be done”…
“Even so come Lord Jesus”.
(21) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
John’s final wish for his readers is for the grace of Christ to be shown to each of them. Stop and think about it… for the Word to have its intended effect upon both lost and saved, God’s grace is an absolute necessity.
God’s grace must be active in the life of the lost bringing them to Christ… revealing God’s Word, convicting of sin, softening a sin hardened heart, and granting repentance and faith to name a few.
In the life of the saved, God’s grace is necessary to apply God’s Word to the life of the saint, recognizing opportunities of service, equipping the saint for service, and bringing forth fruits of that service.
John 15:5 KJV – “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 9:33 KJV – “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”
May we all recognize our great need of God’s grace, our inability to receive it of human merit, and the wonderful blessing we have for those of us to whom it has been given.
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this conclusion to the book of Revelation, we see Christ presented as a compassionate, patient Savior who uses this opportunity to persuade men to come to salvation.
Think about it… Christ could have simply glorified Himself by revealing His greatness and reviewing the perfection of the Revelation that was just revealed to John. But He doesn’t. He could have glorified His Father in heaven by speaking of His great knowledge and wisdom in revealing these prophecies to us. But He chooses to not do so.
He chooses to bring honor and glory to His Father and Himself by using this last communication to offer the gift of living water to any who would simply receive Him as Lord and Savior through faith.
Matthew 11:28-30 KJV – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
May we all recognize the importance of this wondrous invitation to eternal life, apply it to our lives, and live our lives to share this message with others. This is the greatest way we can honor our Lord and share His greatness with others.
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The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “no more curse”
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “no more curse”
Revelation 22:3 KJV – And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
What a wonderful blessing… “And there shall be no more curse”! Stop and think about the curse that mankind brought upon themselves when they choose to disobey the Lord by submitting to the wishes of the serpent (Gen 3:14-24). There are four basic parts to God’s curse …
- Curse against Satan – Since Christ did not die for Satan, this aspect of the curse will remain throughout time.
“And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Please note, one of the most important parts to this curse involves ETERNAL defeat at the hands of Christ (the seed of the woman).
- Curse against the woman – This aspect of the curse was undone through the work of Christ, any woman who turns to Christ, in faith will no longer feel its effects with the departure of her sinful flesh at death.
“Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”
The main pieces to this curse are increased conception, her pain during childbirth, and her desire to hold her husband’s position of authority, while unable to attain it.
- Curse against the man – Like the curse against the woman, Christ has undone this aspect of the curse in the lives of saved men. At their physical death, this curse will no longer be in effect.
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
The main components of this curse are: it will be loss of control over the physical earth resulting in painful, manual, labor needed to bring forth plants for food. This would involve the growth of weeds, the need to prepare, plant, maintain, protect from scavengers and reap in fields… all of which demand great painful labor.
- Curse against all mankind – Christ’s death has undone this aspect of the curse as well. At our entrance into the presence of the Lord, these parts of the curse will not have a hold upon mankind.
“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”
This part of the curse was proclaimed by the actions of the Lord and not verbal statement. When He drove man out of the garden, he was casting them out from His personal presence on earth and from access to continual physical life (the tree of life).
Through the Lord’s grace, following our physical death, at the loss of our sinful flesh, these aspects of the curse will no longer be in effect for the people of God. When we enter into the New Jerusalem, with our glorified bodies, all of these things will be done away in the life of a Christian.
May we all serve the Lord with encouraged hearts, knowing there is coming a day when all of the results of the fall will be done away, and mankind’s condition will be restored eternally.
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Revelation 22:2 KJV – “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
In this tree, which is symbolic of Christ and His work, we find “healing” for the nations (both Jew and Gentiles). The idea of healing carries with it the ideas of “to attend to”, “to cure”, “to treat”. The work of Christ is the source of all healing that comes to man.
This healing involves the curing of the spiritual results of sin in our lives. The alienation of mankind from God, the possession of a sin nature, slavery to sin, and the inability to understand the Word of God, are just a few of the many spiritual “afflictions” that come upon mankind due to their sinful condition.
However, the healing that the Lord provides to His people is not limited to the spiritual results of sin, but it also includes the physical results of sin as well. Some of the physical results of sin include diseases, birth defects, physical weaknesses, and even death.
It is interesting to note that the prophet Isaiah spoke of these healing graces flowing directly from the work of Christ….
Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV – “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
When we come to understand that healing from the effects of sin flow through the work of Christ, we then must also come to an understanding of when this healing takes place in the lives of Christians….
Although the Lord many times graces the Christian with partial healings during the course of his lifetime, He never grants a total healing prior to eternity. Some examples of this principle include:
- the Lord showing His people some of the wondrous truths found in His Word, but never totally taking the veil off of our eyes until eternity.
- the Lord removing the bondage of sin from His people and yet allowing the old nature to continue to exist within them. This allows periodic failures and sins on the part of the people of God. Only in eternity, with the receipt of glorified bodies, will His people be totally freed from the presence of sin in their lives.
- the Lord choosing to heal His people from a specific physical sickness, however they remain susceptible to other illnesses and afflictions until they enter eternity.
Please note in all the above, the Lord is not obligated to fully redeem His people from these effects of sin prior to our entrance into eternity. It is only in eternity, with the receipt of their glorified bodies, that the saint is guaranteed of a full deliverance from the spiritual and physical ravages of sin in their lives. Prior to eternity the Lord is NEVER obligated to totally deliver any Christian from the consequences of sin.
This is a very important point that cannot be overstressed. Using our above points as examples, prior to eternity, the Lord is NEVER obligated to:
- show us ALL the truths from His Word… none of us know all the truths that can be found in His Word
- to grant us ABSOLUTE freedom from the power of sin… none of us have total absolute deliverance from sin’s workings in our lives
- nor is He ever obligated to heal us from ALL the physical illnesses that may come upon us…. none of us can obligate God to heal us of a specific illness.
The Lord alone, prior to eternity, graciously, sovereignly chooses to bless us with these healings only when He sees fit, it is for our good, and it brings the optimum glory to Himself. With our entrance into eternity and the receipt of our glorified bodies, God will fully fulfill His promises to bring absolute healing to His people from all the spiritual and physical effects of sin that have touched our lives.
May we all remember the Lord’s gracious acts of healing in our lives, never take them for granted, never believe that we deserve them, nor that we are owed to us. They are ENTIRELY at His discretion, based upon His sovereign will for our lives!
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
The Revelation Of Jesus Christ: “a pure river of water of life”
Revelation 22:1 KJV – “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
In the restored Garden of Eden, John sees the river of water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. This river is a picture of Christ’s work on the cross, which brings forgiveness and eternal spiritual life to all who partake of it.
The prophet Jeremiah saw the Lord as the One who supplied this living waters to those who are spiritually thirsty…
Jeremiah 17:13 KJV – “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.”
This same picture is used by Christ in John 4:14…
John 4:14 KJV – “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
In this verse, the Lord teaches us not only about His work being the source of everlasting life, but also the source of eternal security as well. He tells us that “whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst”. This clearly teaches us that once a person partakes of this living water of life, he will never face spiritual need again.
Christ’s work on the cross, in conjunction with continual intercession, guarantees to save men TO THE UTTERMOST (Hebrews 7:25). Men, when they partake of the work of Christ by faith, will not lose His salvation, nor will he ever experience a spiritual void in their life…
John 6:35 KJV – “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
What a wonderful Savior! Not only does He forgive us and deliver us from our sins, but then He keeps us secure in Him. This security is based entirely on what He does for us. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves, nor keep ourselves saved. It is all of His grace and intervention in our lives.
May we all serve Him with thankful hearts knowing that “with Him is the fountain of life”… the One that supplies our never-ending salvation to us…
Psalms 36:9 KJV – “For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.”
For an in depth look at these sections of the Revelation:
Revelation 21:22-22:5 “New Jerusalem, the Presence Of God and The Glory Of Eden Restored To Man”
THE TEXT:
Revelation 21:22-22:5 KJV
(22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
(23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
(25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
(26) And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
(27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(1) And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
(2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
(3) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
(4) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
(5) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
THE INTRODUCTION:
In Revelation 20: John’s attention was placed upon the first phase of the Christian’s eternity with Christ on the New Earth… the period of one thousand years, which has been set aside by the Lord for the judgment and reward of His people. This was then followed by the event that closes the 1000 year time period, the judgment of Satan and his kingdom (including lost mankind) for their sins and their consignment to the Lake of Fire.
Now, in Revelation 21:-22:, John begins to share with us a wonderful description of new Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of the people of God….
- Rev 21:1-11 – New Jerusalem on the New Heavens and Earth
- Rev 21:12-21 – The Walls and Gates of New Jerusalem
- Rev 21:22-22:5 – New Jerusalem, the Glory of Eden restored
- Rev 22:6-20 – The Conclusion to the Book of Revelation
THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:
Revelation 21:22-22:5 KJV
Previously, John received a vision of New Jerusalem (the eternal dwelling place of the Lord and His people), being symbolized as a beautiful, glorious city of God. Now as John continues to view New Jerusalem, the symbolism as the city is brought to a close emphasizing the very presence of God among His people (21:22-27).
And then, New Jerusalem as the center of God’s eternal presence, is presented it to John in a different light. New Jerusalem is now symbolized as the Garden of Eden restored to mankind (22:1-5)….
(22) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. (23) And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
John now sees God’s presence presented in two different ways:
- The lack of a temple for worship
Keep in mind the OT tabernacle / temple was used by the Israelites as the center for the worship of Jehovah. Their construction and their furnishings all symbolized the person and work of Christ on behalf of His people. John sees there is no temple. Why is there no need for a place of worship that reveals Christ to His people? It is because, in New Jerusalem, He is physically present with them. He will be the center of their worship. They will have no need of human symbolism nor a place of worship to communion with Christ. He will be physically present communing with His people and revealing Himself to them through His presence, workings, and teachings.
- The lack of the sun and moon
John also sees there will be no need of external light to enlighten our eternal dwelling. Again, because Christ, who is God, will be physically present with His people, His glory will enlighten our eternity….
Isaiah 60:19-20 KJV – “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”
Zec 14:6-7 – “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.”
1 John 1:5-7 KJV – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
In this passage we also see light symbolizing both holiness and the truths of God’s word. These both apply to this verse:
- light symbolizing holiness
Christ is the true source of holiness, His own, the holiness of His people, and the holiness of the new creation. There will be no need for any other source of holiness in our new world…. He, alone, is the true origin of all the holiness we will experience.
- light symbolizing the truths of His Word that are to be applied to our lives
There will be no need for any other source of truth in eternity. No need for preachers, no need for missionaries, etc. He will be the supreme, and only, source of all truth that will be presented to us throughout eternity. (This is the same reason why there will be no need of a tabernacle or temple.)
Please note: When this verse speaks of “the Lord God Almighty and The Lamb” it is saying that this is the God that is worshipped in the Old Testament (Lord God Almighty) and the New Testament (The Lamb). There will not be two different Lords present in eternity. There will just be one Lord present with us in eternity… Jehovah, who is the Lamb.
John 10:30 KJV – “I and my Father are one.”
1 Corinthians 15:28 KJV – “And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”
Colossians 1:19 KJV – “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell”
Colossians 2:9 KJV – “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
(24) And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. (25) And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. (26) And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
Those who enter the presence of God’s glory are those who have been delivered from their sins. Even the kings who are used to the honor and adoration of their citizens will enter New Jerusalem humbly seeking to glorify the Lord alone. No longer will their positions of authority be recognized, nor selfishly desired, they all will gladly submit and worship the Lord alone.
Continual, eternal access to God’s presence will be possessed by the saved. His glory will be present eternally, as will the opportunity for us to enter into His presence as we worship and honor Him. This will be true of all who are saved, which will come from every nation on earth. You will have the Lord being praised with representatives of every nation on earth being present.
In this context there is no need for the gates to be shut. The lost will be consigned to the Lake of Fire, the only ones who are present to enter this place will be those who are saved…
Isaiah 60:11-12 KJV – “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”
(27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
The opposite principle holds true for the lost. NONE will be given any access to this eternal dwelling place. Nothing that will touch this holy place with sin, none that do works that are hated by God, none that deceive and mislead others into error. No one who is lost will be in this city, only those whose names are found written in God’s listing of those He has chosen to save from eternity past. This is pictured by the OT lepers who were not given entrance into the camp…
Leviticus 13:46 KJV – “All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.” (Nums 5:3, Num 12:15)
Please note: In the last verse we see other proofs of the symbolic nature of the walls, gates, those who enter and those who are kept outside the city. In this verse, we see the gates not giving access to the lost (symbolic of the lost’s presence in the Lake of Fire and inability to enter the city). However in the previous verse, we see the gates are pictured as being opened giving access to God’s people at all times. This seeming contradiction is easily understood when we accept the symbolic nature of the teachings.
John now sees this same eternal dwelling place symbolized as a Garden of eden that has been restored for all mankind to enjoy and thrive throughout eternity…
(1) And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
This vision begins by John seeing “a pure river of water of life” flowing from the throne of God. Prior to this in Rev 21:6, the Lord Himself uses the title “the fountain of the water of life” to describe the source of spiritual life that He offers to any who would partake of it. He does this same thing later in Rev 22:17, when He tells us “whosoever desires, let him take of the water of life freely”.
These references help us to understand that “the water of life” is a picture of the work of Christ which, when partaken by lost mankind, will secure eternal life and communion with God on the New Earth…
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:10-14 KJV)
The origin of this water is found in God, His counsels and workings (“proceeding out of the throne”) and is holy and sinless (“pure river of water of life”). The Garden of Eden had a rivers (Gen 2:10) that gave life to everything in the garden. This river in the restored Eden is the source of eternal life for all who live in it.
(2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Just like the Garden of Eden which had a tree of life (Gen 2:9), so too, the restored Eden is symbolized as having a tree of life within it as well. This symbolically teaches us that those who live in this Eden possess eternal life and will always dwell within it. Just as Adam and Eve would live forever in the presence of the tree of life (Gen 3:22-24), so too in the eternal Eden access to this tree symbolizes the eternal life possessed by the saints of God.
This tree finds its life in the river of life (Christ’s work that brings salvation to mankind). In other words, the eternal life that we possess throughout eternity flows through the work of Christ… the same work of Christ that secured salvation from sin is the same work of Christ that secures eternal life to His people.
This tree is said to bear 12 types (manner) of fruits which symbolizes complete supplies for eternal life. When God works in the heart of His people granting them spiritual life, there is nothing else needed by man. Not their good works, not church membership nor baptism. Eternal life is entirely a gift of grace. Everything necessary is supplied by this tree apart from Man.
Also it is said to yield her fruit every month… eternal life is just that ETERNAL, there are no “breaks” in it, no loosing and regaining it, no weakening and strengthening of it. There is fruit on the tree to eat every month so that the eternal life is consistently sustained throughout one’ s life on earth and throughout eternity.
The leaves are said to be “for the healing of the nations”. These leaves supply the complete healing for sin and its results in our lives. In eternity, all sin will be undone, sin will be totally eradicated from the New Earth and its results totally undone. This salvation is made available to all races (nations – Greek; ethnos) of mankind.
Isaiah 53:4-6 KJV – “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
(3) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: (4) And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
In this restored Eden, the curse that was felt in the earthly Eden (Gen 3:14-19) will be undone. A part of this curse was removal from the Garden which restrains man’s personal, intimate fellowship with God. In the new Garden, we have God, the Lamb, physically present, personally served by His people. No longer will there be a hindrance in our fellowship with Him. Because of this renewed intimacy we are told that “they shall see His face”…
Job 33:26 KJV – “He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV – “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Psalms 16:9-11 KJV – “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
The Lord will not leave our bodies in the grave but resurrect and glorify them so that we might be able to enjoy His presence and the pleasures of eternity forevermore!
We are also told that “His name shall be on our foreheads” symbolic of His ownership of us and our position as His servants and worshippers!
(5) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Because the Lord will be personally present in the renewed Garden of Eden (just as He was prior to the casting out of mankind – Gen 3:8), the glory of the Lord will enlighten the entire garden. Just as the Lord will give His people much greater enlightened spiritual understanding, He will also enlighten His people with the light of His glory both day and night.
Throughout eternity, man will rule over this new creation. One aspect of the fall of man, was man losing perfect dominion over God’s creation (Gen 1:26-31, 2:19-20, 3:17-19). In this restored garden, the saints will once again enjoy a complete dominion over creation . Every creature will perfectly obey him, there will be no weeds, nor the need to labor in this renewed creation of God.
This renewed Garden of Eden is all a part of the undoing of sin and its results upon mankind. This will all be one of the aspects of our eternity with the Lord…. Truly, all the results of sin will be undone as the Lord graciously remakes this sinful world into a world that is untouched by sin, just like the original Garden of Eden before the fall.
CHRIST REVEALED:
In this section of Scripture, we come face to face with the undoing of sin through the work of Christ.
1 John 2:16-17 KJV – “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Through Christ and his gracious work on our behalf we can know that, although this world (that is filled with sin and its results) will pass away, we are assured of an wonderful eternity with Him. How wonderful it is to know that our Lord is so great He was able to defeat sin and all of the results that sin has brought into our world (Col 2:13-15).
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)
What was once a world filled with sins and reeling from the results of sin, will someday be renovated and made perfect once again…
Romans 8:21-25 KJV – “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”
2 Peter 3:10-13 KJV – “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
May we all use these truths to encourage our hearts and seek to remain faithful to Him as we eagerly await our eternal abode with Him…
Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV – “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
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The Book Of Life: Can Our Name Be Removed?
THE SCRIPTURES:
To the best of my knowledge, below is a listing of every verse in the Bible that addresses the subject of the Book of Life and other related teachings…
Exo 32:32-33 KJV – Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Psa 69:26-28 KJV – For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Isa 4:3-4 KJV – And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
Eze 13:9 KJV – And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Dan 12:1 KJV – And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Luk 10:20 KJV – Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Php 4:3 KJV – And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Heb 12:23 KJV – To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Rev 3:5 KJV – He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Rev 13:8 KJV – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 17:8 KJV – The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Rev 20:12-15 KJV – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:27 KJV – And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev 22:18-19 KJV – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
THE STUDY:
In our study for today, we will be looking at “the Book of Life” that is written by God. Before we look at our names being removed from this book, we need to come to a basic understanding of this books contents…
- It is a book that contains the names of all the redeemed (those who will live with Christ eternally.)
Heb 12:23 KJV – To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
Rev 3:5 KJV – He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Php 4:3 KJV – And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
- Those who are written in this book will come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
Dan 12:1 KJV – And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
[Please note: this prophecy is speaking of the times of the Gentiles (the times we are living in now). It clearly tells us that those whose names are found written in the book of life will be saved (delivered) from their sins. None will be lost, none will forgotten. Everyone written in the book will receive deliverance from their sins. This time of deliverance will end with Christ’s second coming]
- Wicked mankind (those who do not repent of their sins nor submit to Christ as Lord) are not included in this book.
Eze 13:9 KJV – And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
[Please note: “the writing of the house of Israel” refers to a listing of all the redeemed of God. It is referred to as “the writing of the house of Israel” because the redeemed make up the citizens of the “Israel of God” (God’s spiritual nation – Rom 2:28-29, Gals 6:16 etc) and will dwell in the New Jerusalem with Him.]
- Absence from this book results in being condemned to eternal judgment
Rev 20:12-15 KJV – And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
- It is a book that is owned (controlled) by Christ and based upon His work on the cross.
Rev 13:8 KJV – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 21:27 KJV – And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- It is a book that was written in eternity past.
Rev 17:8 KJV – The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
- Gives great joy to those who are included in the book.
Luk 10:20 KJV – Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
After looking at these basic principles concerning the book of life, we can see that having our names in this book is the greatest blessing we can receive from the Lord. If we know our names are written in this book it means that we are counted as a citizen of God’s nation, we have been delivered from our sins through Christ’s work on the cross, we are now safe in Christ as our eternal intercessor, and our eternity is secure.
But now to the question at hand…. can our names be removed from this book? The answer SEEMS to be “yes” based upon three passages…
Exo 32:32-33 KJV – Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Psa 69:26-28 KJV – For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Rev 22:18-19 KJV – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Can we take these verses at face value, or is there more teaching that dwells beneath the surface of all of these? I think it is very important that we take these verses in the context of the entire Word of God and its teachings on this subject. Before we draw conclusions about the above verses, we need to look at another verse from Revelation that addresses the subject of name removal from the Book of Life…
Rev 3:5 KJV – He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Please notice this book is addressed to “overcomers”. The Apostle John, the author of Revelation, clearly defines the meaning of this term in another letter that he wrote, the book of 1 John. He clearly explains that an overcomer is one who has overcome this sinful world through faith in Christ:
1Jn 5:4-5 KJV – “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
So in Revelation 3:5, Christ is speaking to those who believe in Him as their Lord and Savior. He promises to them that:
- “the same shall be clothed in white raiment” – they will be given clothed in Christ’s righteousness
- “and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,” – their name will not be blotted from the book of life. This insures them that they will not lose their salvation, but are safe in the hands of the Lord eternally.
- “but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” – They will be recognized by Christ as their Redeemer, Intercessor, Mediator and Lord. He will act as their “defense attorney” before the Father, proclaiming that His work on the cross covers their sin and paid the sin debt that was due.
There are many other verses in the Bible that profess the same basic truth. Those who have come to a saving knowledge of Christ are eternally secure in Him (John 6:39-40, John 10:27-30, Romans 8:29-37 etc etc)…
1Pe 1:3-5 KJV – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
These verses are, in effect, saying that their names will not be removed from “the book of life”.
Based upon the context of the entire Bible, we can see that the verses that appear to speak of being blotted out of the book needs to be studied with great care and understanding. The Bible does not contradict itself. If the redeemed of God are secure in Him, then their names cannot be removed from the Book of Life. Therefore, the three texts in question before us must hold another meaning for us.
The key to understanding two of these three texts is for us to understand a principle that is presented to us in Isaiah 4:3-4…
“And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.”
[Please note: In those days, a record was kept that listed all living citizens of a city. At their birth they would be added to this list, at their death they would be removed.
In this case, the Lord is telling Isaiah that He would purge out the sinfulness from Jerusalem by allowing great judgments to fall upon them (Isaiah 3:). These judgments would result in most of the lost being killed and those who were followers of Jehovah being preserved. At that point in time, the city’s registry of living citizens would be made up of a few lost men and Jehovah’s followers that were yet alive.]
So we can see that another type of book that the OT Jews were very familiar with was this type of registry of those who were physically alive within any given city.
In our Psalm 69:26-28 passage we can see that the Lord keeps a similar record of those who are physically alive on the earth. It is called “the Book of the Living” not the “Book of Life”…
Psa 69:26-28 KJV – For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
Here, David asks the Lord to judge the wicked in two ways…
- “Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.”
In other words, let their sins multiply upon them and all them to face the wrath of God that is due them. This speaks of judgment in ETERNAL PUNISHMENT FOR SINS.
- “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.”
In other words, bring physical death upon them so they can no longer harm the people of God. As you punish the wicked of Israel, protect the righteous and allow them to continue to live. This is the exact same principle that was spoken of in Isaiah 4:3-4. This speaks of judgment meted out in the PHYSICAL DEATH OF THE WICKED, removing their name from the “book of the living”.
This book of the living is also referred to in our Exodus 32:32-33 passage…
Exo 32:32-33 KJV – Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Here, Moses shows to us his great love for the people of Israel. He asks the Lord to take his name out of the book of the living if Israel will not be forgiven. In other words, Moses is saying that the pain of seeing the nation of Israel face the wrath of God will be too great for Moses to bear. He would rather physically die than to see the judgment of God take place against his nation.
The Lord assures him that He will send wrath against the lost members of Israel bringing upon them physical death, but He will spare the righteous men in the nation (including Moses) and allow them to continue to live.
Again we see the same basis theme, the lost of the nation being sentenced to physical death due to their sins while the righteous would survive in their midst (Psa 69:26-28, Isa 4:34 above)
The final text that seems to teach that names will be removed from “the book of life” is…
Rev 22:18-19 KJV – For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Please notice that “the book of life” is specifically mentioned. This does refer to the eternal listing of the chosen, redeemed saints of God that are secure in Him. The important point to notice is that this verse says “God shall take away his PART out of the book of life…”. The word for “part” means “allocation” or “share”.
In other words, God removes the portion of the book that could contain his name if only he was one of God’s people. Likewise, his portion of the eternal inheritance and blessings of God described in this book he will miss out on, they will be given to those who are in the book.
This verse is not saying his name is there and then taken out… it is saying the place where his name could be is removed and therefore, there is no chance of it being written in the book…
For example, let’s assume that there in one page in the “Book of Life” for each person’s name to be written. It is as if the Lord is saying, “the page that would have contained your name has been removed. There is no place in the book for your name to appear.” Their “share” of the book does not exist.
It is much like the Lord’s teachings in Luke 8:17-18. Although these men claim to be Christians and claim to share in the blessings of God’s people, they really have taken from them their “part” in God’s book that they really never possessed (their name not written in it):
Luk 8:17-18 KJV – For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
By saying this, the Lord is making it plain that those who “take away from the words of the book of this prophecy” have no chance of having their names entered into the book of life nor receipt of eternal salvation… they are eternally condemned just as is spoken of in Rev 21:23-27…
And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
So what we have spoken of in Rev 22:18-19 is the clear condemnation of anyone who does not hold fast to the teachings found in God’s Word. If they add to these teachings, the plagues of this book are placed upon them…. If they take away from these teachings, they are removed from all the eternal blessings of God found in this book. Unless Godly repentance takes place, there is absolutely no hope for these wicked men to share in deliverance from God’s wrath and receipt of the great blessings that God gives to His people.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
May we all praise the Lord for the security that is found in Him. If our names are in the Book of Life we can rest assured we will spend eternity with Him. May we all be diligent to make our calling and election sure, by doing so we will be making certain that our names are in His book, and we are safe in the hands of our Lord.
2Pe 1:10-11 KJV – Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
May the Lord bless you as you seek His truth.
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May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
Spiritual Gifts: When Did The Accrediting Gifts Go Out Of Existence? (Part 4)
Introduction:
“Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)
In our previous studies we have seen that there are three basic types of Accrediting Gifts which include several gifts under each type. In the above passage, we find each type of Accrediting Gift is represented by one gift from each type …
| Type Of Accrediting Gift | Gifts Included In This Type | Representative Gift Mentioned In1 Cor 13:8 |
| Supernatural Revelation Of The Truth | The Word Of Wisdom, The Word of Knowledge | Word of Knowledge (or Knowledge) |
| Supernatural Indicators Of The Truth | Faith, Gifts Of Healing, Working Of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning Of Spirits | Prophecy (or Prophecies) |
| Supernatural Proclamation Of The Truth | Divers Kinds Of Tongues, Interpretation Of Tongues | Diverse Types Of Tongues (or Tongues) |
Please note the above verse (1 Cor 13:8), which includes one representative gift from each group, makes it plain that each type of Accrediting Gift will come to an end at some point in time. We now will turn our attention to the question at what point in time will these gifts go out of existence?
In this study, we will see that this question is answered by the Word of God using several different lines of teaching which all present the same answer for us. This will be the lines of teaching that we will be studying:
I. The Coming Of “That Which Is Perfect”
II. The 70 Year Accreditation Time Span
III. The Death Of The Apostles
IV. The Supernatural Beginning / Natural Perpetuation Of God’s Workings
V. The Prophecies of False Miracles In The “Last Days”
Lesson:
The Supernatural Beginning and Natural Perpetuation Of God’s Workings:
There is a principle that seems to be repeated throughout both the Old and New Testament Scriptures… it is the principle described as of “Supernatural Beginning and Natural Perpetuation”. This principle says that in many, if not all cases, a Godly feat of creation relies upon miraculous divine intervention for its existence and the uses a series of natural acts for its continuation.
Here are a few examples of this principle….
| God’s Creative Work | Miraculous Beginning | Natural Perpetuity/Maintenance |
| The Universe | Spoken Into ExistenceHebrews 11:3, Psalm 33:6-9, Genesis 1:1-2:7 | Gradually Decaying Waiting For DeliveranceRomans 8:19-24 |
| The Tabernacle | Divinely Inspired Plans Given To ManExodus 35:30-35Miraculous AccreditingMoses – Book of Exodus Joshua – Book of Joshua | Levites To Care For TabernacleNumbers 4:16, Exodus 40:33-38 |
| The Temple | Divinely Inspired Plans1 Chronicles 28:11-21Miraculous AccreditingElijah -1 Kings 17:-18: Elisha-1 King 19:-2 King 13: | Levites To Care For Temple1 Chronicles 9:26-34 |
| The Bible | Inspired Men Handed Down Scriptures2 Peter 1:19-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-19 | Human Beings Translate and Copy ScripturesDeuteronomy 17:18-20 |
| The Local Church | God Comes To Earth/ Forms AssemblyRomans 9:5, Matthew 10:1-2Miraculous Empowering and AccreditingHebrews 2:3-4, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 19:1-7 | Church To Send Out Other Men To Form Other Assemblies Throughout The World.Matthew 28:18-20 |
| Eternity | Divine Visitation and Recreation of World1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Peter 3:6-8 | The Constant Continuation of EternityDaniel 12:1-3, Revelation 21:-22: |
If you notice, based upon the above chart, the Local Assembly follows in this same pattern. The Lord miraculously came to the earth and, while He was present, He founded the local church (Matthew 10). Also, through miraculous means, following His ascension, He empowered His assembly to do His work in Acts 2:, and then He accredited His assembly through the miraculous works of the Apostles and other members of His churches throughout its beginning years.
However, also in alignment with His other acts of creation, His miraculous intervention stopped during New Testament times and from then forward the perpetuity of the local assembly is brought about through the fulfilling of the Great Commission by members of His assemblies.
Once, again, this falls into perfect alignment with the concept that the age of the accrediting miracles came to an end during the later years of the Apostles’ existence on the earth (approx. 100 AD).
We will finish this section of our study next time with a look at the prophecies given by God of the existence of false miracles workers in the last days.
Additional Information:
The Supernatural Beginning and Natural Perpetuation Of God’s Workings:
1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4) And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5) And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6) And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7) And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
8) And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9) And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so.
10) And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good.
11) And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12) And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
13) And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14) And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15) And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16) And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also.
17) And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18) And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that [it was] good.
19) And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20) And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl [that] may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21) And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
22) And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23) And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24) And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25) And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27) So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30) And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.
31) And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
1) Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2) And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3) And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4) These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
5) And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground.
6) But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
7) And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
(Genesis 1:1-2:7)
30) And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
31) And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
32) And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
33) And in the cutting of stones, to set [them], and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
34) And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, [both] he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
35) Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, [even] of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
(Exodus 35:30-35)
33) And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
34) Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35) And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36) And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
37) But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
38) For the cloud of the LORD [was] upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
(Exodus 40:33-38)
16) And to the office of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest [pertaineth] the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, [and] the oversight of all the tabernacle, and of all that therein [is], in the sanctuary, and in the vessels thereof.
(Numbers 4:16)
18) And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites:
19) And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
20) That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, [to] the right hand, or [to] the left: to the end that he may prolong [his] days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
(Deuteronomy 17:18-20)
(refer to the Bible for 1Ki 17:1-18:1)
(refer to the Bible for 1Ki 19:1- 2 Ki 13:1)
26) For these Levites, the four chief porters, were in [their] set office, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.
27) And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge [was] upon them, and the opening thereof every morning [pertained] to them.
28) And [certain] of them had the charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tale.
29) [Some] of them also [were] appointed to oversee the vessels, and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.
30) And [some] of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.
31) And Mattithiah, [one] of the Levites, who [was] the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were made in the pans.
32) And [other] of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, [were] over the shewbread, to prepare [it] every sabbath.
33) And these [are] the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, [who remaining] in the chambers [were] free: for they were employed in [that] work day and night.
34) These chief fathers of the Levites [were] chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.
(1 Chronicles 9:26-34)
11) Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
12) And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
13) Also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD.
14) [He gave] of gold by weight for [things] of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; [silver also] for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service:
15) Even the weight for the candlesticks of gold, and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick, and for the lamps thereof: and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, [both] for the candlestick, and [also] for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.
16) And by weight [he gave] gold for the tables of shewbread, for every table; and [likewise] silver for the tables of silver:
17) Also pure gold for the fleshhooks, and the bowls, and the cups: and for the golden basons [he gave gold] by weight for every bason; and [likewise silver] by weight for every bason of silver:
18) And for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims, that spread out [their wings], and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.
19) All [this, said David], the LORD made me understand in writing by [his] hand upon me, [even] all the works of this pattern.
20) And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
21) And, behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, [even they shall be with thee] for all the service of the house of God: and [there shall be] with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skilful man, for any manner of service: also the princes and all the people [will be] wholly at thy commandment.
(1 Chronicles 28:11-21)
6) By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
7) He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
8) Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9) For he spake, and it was [done]; he commanded, and it stood fast.
(Psalms 33:6-9)
1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation [even] to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
2) And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame [and] everlasting contempt.
3) And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
(Daniel 12:1-3)
(1) And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
(2) Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
(Matthew 10:1-2)
18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
(Matthew 28:18-20)
1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5) And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6) Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7) And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8) And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9) Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10) Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11) Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12) And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13) Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
(Acts 2:1-13)
1) And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2) He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3) And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4) Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5) When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6) And when Paul had laid [his] hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7) And all the men were about twelve.
(Acts 19:1-7)
19) For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20) For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected [the same] in hope,
21) Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22) For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23) And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body.
24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
(Romans 8:19-24)
(5) Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
(Romans 9:5)
13) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17) Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
16) All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3) How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him];
4) God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
(Hebrews 2:3-4)
3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
(Hebrews 11:3)
19) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
(2 Peter 1:19-21)
(refer to the Bible for Revelation 21:1-22:21)
Spiritual Gifts: When Did The Accrediting Gifts Go Out Of Existence? (Part 1)
Introduction:
“Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)
In our previous studies we have seen that there are three basic types of Accrediting Gifts which include several gifts under each type. In the above passage, we find each type of Accrediting Gift is represented by one gift from each type …
| Type Of Accrediting Gift | Gifts Included In This Type | Representative Gift Mentioned In
1 Cor 13:8 |
| Supernatural Revelation Of The Truth | The Word Of Wisdom, The Word of Knowledge | Word of Knowledge (or Knowledge) |
| Supernatural Indicators Of The Truth | Faith, Gifts Of Healing, Working Of Miracles, Prophecy, Discerning Of Spirits | Prophecy (or Prophecies) |
| Supernatural Proclamation Of The Truth | Divers Kinds Of Tongues, Interpretation Of Tongues | Diverse Types Of Tongues (or Tongues) |
Please note the above verse (1 Cor 13:8), which includes one representative gift from each group, makes it plain that each type of Accrediting Gift will come to an end at some point in time. We now will turn our attention to the question at what point in time will these gifts go out of existence?
In this study, we will see that this question is answered by the Word of God using several different lines of teaching which all present the same answer for us. This will be the lines of teaching that we will be studying:
I. The Coming Of “That Which Is Perfect”
II. The 70 Year Accreditation Time Span
III. The Death Of The Apostles
IV. The Supernatural Beginning / Natural Perpetuation Of God’s Workings
V. The Prophecies of False Miracles In The “Last Days”
Lesson:
The Coming Of “That Which Is Perfect”
Our text for this lesson is found in 1 Corinthians 13:.
1) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2) And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3) And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4) Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5) Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6) Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7) Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8) Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
Here is a short outline of the entire chapter…
1) The Definition and Indicators Of Biblical Love vs 1-7
2) Partial Versus Complete Knowledge vs 8-10
3) Illustrations of Partiality versus Completeness vs 11-12
4) Superiority Of Biblical Love vs 13
For this part of our study, we will be looking at verses 8-13….
8) Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Here, Paul makes it very plain that love is the only gift of the four divine gifts (love, prophecy, tongues, knowledge) that will exist eternally. In our previous studies, we explained that knowledge prophecy and tongues were related to the divine inspiration and accreditation of Scripture (along with the accreditation of the local church).
(Please note it is crucial to understand the meaning of the phrases “shall fail”, “shall cease”, and “shall vanish away”)…
- “shall cease”
- is the Greek word – “pauo” – it means “to stop”, “to be made complete” and “to end”.
- is in the middle voice, meaning the subject of the verb is acting upon itself. In other words, tongues would “stop by themselves” or “would be ended in and of themselves”
- “shall fail” and “shall vanish away”
- Both of these phrases are the same Greek word “katargeo” which means “to be made inoperative, to cease to work, to cease to exercise, to render useless, to vanish”
- Both of these are in the passive voice meaning the subject of the verb receives the action. In other words, our verse is saying that “the perfect thing” (vs 10) will cause both knowledge and prophecy to “no longer be exercised”, or “to vanish away”
9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
Out of the four previously mentioned gifts from God… knowledge and prophecy are set apart by being described as “in part”. What does “in part” mean? This phrase is referring to the nature of divinely inspired revelation to man. Keep in mind, as God handed down His word to mankind, he did it over many years and many different men. He gave it a part at time, not all at once. (Isa 28:9-13)
The gifts of prophecy and knowledge were “in part” which teaches us that… as each prophecy came from God (as each bit of knowledge came to man) they were “one part” of the whole of divine revelation to man. Until the final revelation from God was received by John on the Isle of Patmos (the book of Revelation), both knowledge and prophecy received by man was only a piece of His Word. At the end of the message given to John on Patmos, the word was finally completed. It was only then that mankind had the prophecy and knowledge God had chosen to give to man was made complete.
Love exists eternally, knowledge, prophesying and the gift of tongues will definitely come to an end, making love a much more valuable gift from God.
10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
Paul describes what causes prophecy and knowledge to vanish away. He describes it as “that which is perfect. To help us understand what Paul is referring to, we need to recognize a few important points in our study…
a) Remember, in the previous verse of our study we saw that the gifts that were “in part” were the gifts of prophecy and knowledge.
b) Also, we saw that the ending of these gifts were described by the Greek word “katargeo” which means “to be made inoperative, to cease to work, to cease to exercise, to render useless, to vanish”
c) Thirdly, we learned that based on the Greek passive voice, something must act upon the knowledge and prophecy “to render it useless” or “to cause it to vanish away.”
What has acted on the gift of prophecy and knowledge rendering them worthless and causing them to vanish away?
It is the completed revelation from God… Once God had given to man all of His Word, there was no need for prophecy or knowledge gifts any longer… they were now useless, ineffective and worthless because the Lord was not going to add to the Word He had given to men. In other words, divine inspiration ceased and with it, the gifts linked directly to it…. prophecy and knowledge.
a) Remember, the Lord has made it plain that the Word He has given to us is now complete. We will be receiving no additional inspired truth from Him. (Rev 22:18, Heb 1:1-2)
b) We know it is His Word that is “perfect” based on the Greek word for “perfect”… The word for perfect is “telios” – which means “complete”, “finished”, “brought to completion”. “Telios” refers to the Word of God in James 1:25. Contextually, based on the subject matter of prophecy and knowledge and the inspiration of the Word, it makes sense that the Word is what is being described as “perfect”…
Please note: Not once in Scripture does the word telios refer to sinlessness. Here is every use of the word “telion” in the Bible. Every time it is used it is linked to the completed Word and Spiritual Maturity.
- The Word Of God
- James 1:25 – telion speaks of Bible perfect replacing imperfect.
- Spiritual Maturity Brought About Through The Word
- Eph 4:11-13 – telion speaks of mature man based upon receipt of knowledge resulting in unity
- Hebrews 9:11 – telion is speaking of new tabernacle compared to old. Completed NT revelation revealing Christ as completed Messiah prophecy
- Hebrews 8:13 – when the NT was complete the OT was thrown down and perfect (Word revealing Christ) has replaced imperfect
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebs 5:12-6:5 – Bible brings men to maturity
- Marks Of Spiritual Maturity
- Love – matt 5:44-48, Luke 6:36
- Dedication to lord – matt 19:21
- Spiritual discernment – 1 cor 2:6,14, hebs 5:14
- Attitudes – 1 cor 14:20
- Truth of gospel salvation, perfect not sinless – phil 3:15
- Unity w lord – col 1:28
- Faithful to lord – col 4:12
- Patience – James 1:4
- The gifts of the Lord – James 1:17
- Faith/works – James 2:22
(Please note that in Matthew 5:44-48 – “telion” does refer to the Lord. However, in the context, it is not speaking of the Lord’s sinlessness, it is speaking of the spiritual maturity that He displays as He shows unconditional love to those who are around Him. No place in Scripture does the word “telios” mean sinlessly perfect.)
For argument’s sake, let’s assume that the term “perfect” does not refer to the completed Word of God. Instead, let’s assume that “perfect” in our text refers to the Lord at His second coming or the eternal sinless state. We have already seen that this “perfect thing” that is coming must act on the gifts of prophecy and knowledge rendering them useless.
If this is so then…
a) We have to say that the Lord is continually revealing His inspired word to man throughout the ages. In other words, His word is not in completed form, but He is continually adding to His revealed Word to man. This revealing of the Word will only stop at His second coming.
b) If this is so, we should be continually adding to the Scriptures. Every new revelation God gives to man should be added to the Scriptures. This principle does away with the warning given throughout God’s Word to not add to the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18-19, Deuteronomy 4:2, Proverbs 30:6).
c) And also the fullness and completeness of God’s Word for us to use is done away with. Therefore, we cannot count on His Word being the complete set of instructions for us to live by. (2 Tim 3:16-17) In this hypothetical scenario, we may face situations that the Word cannot equip us to face. What happens if the part of the Word we need now, will not be revealed to man for another 25 years? Our entire view of the Scriptures must change if this is the case.
However, the Bible clearly tells us otherwise…
a) The Word of God has been given to us resulting in us being given “all things that pertain unto life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3)
b) We are told that it is through the Word that we can know fully (Ephesians 3:3-5, Romans 16:25-27). These imply we have no need of other revelation than found in His Word.
c) In Jude 1:3 we read that the truth was “once” delivered unto the saints. The term “once” is translated from a Greek word that means “once and for all”. In other words, the truth of God was revealed to us through His Word, and at its completion, no other revelation would be needed or given. This is exactly the point of our 1 Corinthians 13 passage.
d) Also in Ephesians 2:20, we find that the teachings of the Christ, the Apostles, and the Prophets make up the foundation of the Lord’s local churches. This clearly implies the Scriptures would be completed during the founding years of the local assemblies. How can His churches be founded upon something which would not be completed for many years to come? It would be impossible. The very illustration of a foundation teaches us that the Word (just like the foundation) must be completed before the local assembly can be established (like the house that will be framed, roofed and then brought to completion FOLLOWING the completion of its foundation). A foundation is never completed during or after the completion of the house which stands upon it.
The Word of God is clear that it is a completed document that can be relied upon to meet our every need. Again, keeping all of this in mind helps us to understand that the Word is complete and then it follows that the gifts related to the inspiration of His Word are no longer necessary.
11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Paul now uses the example of the maturing of the process of understanding is used to picture the process of God’s revealed Word being brought to completion. Just as Paul’s growth allowed him to come to a more mature and full understanding of life, so too, as God’s Word is brought to completion, it brings to us a fuller understanding of our Lord and our responsibilities as servants.
Based on the Word being brought to completion during the age of the Corinthian church. It was time for them to “grow up” and become mature as well. It would only be at that time that they could use the wonderful blessing of His completed Word to help them to correct the many errors in their assembly.
12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Paul now compares our knowledge of God in our sinful flesh with mankind’s knowledge of God with only a portion of His Word given to them. In both cases, an incomplete view of God is had by man.
- Paul describes a time when God cannot be seen clearly
- Paul describes our life in our sinful flesh as seeing our Lord “through a glass darkly”.
- Paul then compares this to mankind trying to see a full picture of Christ with only a portion of God’s Word given to man. “now I know in part”.
- Paul next describes when we can receive a fuller knowledge of Christ
- When we go home to be with the Lord in heaven, it is seeing Him “face to face”, this will result in seeing Him much more clearly than while in our sinful flesh.
- Paul then compares this to receiving His completed Word which gives us a much more full revelation of the Lord. “ then shall I know even as also I am known” .
In other words, God bringing His Word to completion gives us a much greater knowledge of who He is and what He has done for us. This is being related to man who while in his fallen, fleshly body is greatly limited in knowledge about Him. But when we receive glorified bodies in our eternal state, we will see Him much more clearly.
Also, keep in mind, both of these illustrations are illustrations CONCERNING AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE AND KNOWLEDGE INCREASING to a state of completeness. This is another point that cannot be ignored.
To say “that which is perfect” is speaking of spiritual maturity, the second coming of Christ, or the eternal state does not jive with these two illustrations when they are taken together. One illustration could be said to be speaking of spiritual maturity (vs 11) and other one could be said to be about His second coming and the future state (vs 12).
However, the only principle that is being brought out in both illustrations is the principle of incomplete knowledge and understanding being brought to a finished or completed state. Again pointing us back directly to His Word being brought from a state of being “in part” to a finished state of completion.
13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.
After telling us about the Word and it’s soon completion, Paul now brings us back to the original thought… love is even greater than our three existing gifts of faith, hope and love.
Why didn’t Paul mention prophecy or knowledge as abiding (to continue on for extended period of time, to endure to limit)? We have already seen they would end within a short period of time from the writing of 1 Corinthians when Word was brought to completion (about 20 years). So he didn’t include these on our list.
But why didn’t he include the gift of tongues… when did they cease to exist? Tongues ceased to exist, around the same time as knowledge and prophecy. Tongues were one of several “sign gifts” that God gave to mankind. The gift of tongues were handed down through the laying on of the Apostles hands. At the death of the last Apostle, the gift of tongues would no longer be able to be passed down and, therefore, died “in and of themselves” (“they shall cease” – vs 8).
Keep in mind, the last Apostle living was the Apostle John. John penned the last book of the Bible (Revelation) in approximately 97 AD and died approximately 100 AD. Following his death tongues could no longer be handed down and went out of existence soon afterward, well within the time frame of this study. We will look at the ending of tongues in great detail in a later portion of this study.
Putting all of this together, it is easy to see why only faith, hope and charity are said to “abide” (to stay in place for an extended period of time). The gifts of prophecy, knowledge and tongues would go out of existence within a few years after Paul’s ministry would be complete.
But not so with faith, hope and love. They would continue on until the second coming of Christ. When Christ comes back we will have no need of faith nor hope…. As we begin, our eternity with Him, we will begin the process of receiving all His promises to us. Faith and hope will no longer be needed, we will be experiencing all He has for us.
At that point, faith and hope will no longer be in existence, but only love will continue on to eternity. Thus making “love” the greatest gift of all that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:.
- Gifts are temporary but love is eternal
- Gifts are elementary but love is mature
- Gifts are partial but love is complete
Based upon our study, we have seen that the gifts involving the Supernatural Revelation Of The Truth (Knowledge) and the Supernatural Indicators Of The Truth (Prophecy) came to an end with the completion of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, in approximately 97 AD. We also saw that the gifts involving the Supernatural Proclamation Of The Truth (Tongues) came to an end within one generation following the death of John in 100 AD.
In our next lesson, we will see that the end of the Accrediting gifts can be understood by examining the 70 year time frame that the Lord uses to accredit His Word and the places of worship He has established.
Additional Information:
The Coming Of “That Which Is Perfect”
Deu 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Pro 30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Isa 28:9-13 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
(10) For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
(11) For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
(12) To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
(13) But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Mat 5:44-48 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
(47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
(48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Luk 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Rom 16:25-27 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
(26) But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
(27) To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.
1Co 2:6-14 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
(7) But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
(8) Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
(9) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
(10) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
(11) For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 13:8-13 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
(9) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
(10) But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
(12) For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
(13) And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
1Co 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Eph 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
(20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 3:3-5 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
(4) Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
(5) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
(12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
(13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Php 3:15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
Col 1:28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
2Ti 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
(17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Heb 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
(2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Heb 5:12-6:5 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
(13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
(14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
(1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
(2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
(3) And this will we do, if God permit.
(4) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
(5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.
Heb 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Jas 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Jas 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Jud 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Rev 22:18-20 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
(19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
(20) He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Abortion: When Does Life Begin In The Womb?
(Author’s Note: Due to the length of this Bible study, I have explained many of the Scripture verses in a very general, basic way. If you have any questions concerning this Bible Study please feel free to contact me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will be answer any emails promptly.)
With the presidential debates taking place, I thought it would be a good time to review what the Bible teaches about some of the moral societal issues of today. At the forefront of these issues are abortion and homosexuality (and same sex unions). In today’s blog, I would like to center our attention on abortion. In a later blog entry we will look at homosexuality and same sex-marriages.
Let’s begin today’s look at the Scriptural teachings on abortion.
THE SCRIPTURES:
Exod 20:13 (KJV) Thou shalt not kill.
Matt 19:18 (KJV) He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Rom 13:9 (KJV) For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if [there be] any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Rev 22:14-15 (KJV) Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Matt 18 (KJV) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Matt 19:13-15 (KJV) Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put [his] hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid [his] hands on them, and departed thence.
Gen 25:22-23 (KJV) And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [are] in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
Luke 1:41 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
Luke 2:12-16 (KJV) And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
Job 3:3 (KJV) Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night [in which] it was said, There is a man child conceived.
Luke 1:36 (KJV) And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Num 12:12 (KJV) Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother’s womb.
Luke 1:43 (KJV) And whence [is] this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Ps 51:5 (KJV) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Job 31:13-15 (KJV) If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me; What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him? Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?
Ps 139:13 (KJV) For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
Ps 22:9-10 (KJV) But thou [art] he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope [when I was] upon my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou [art] my God from my mother’s belly.
Gal 1:15 (KJV) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called [me] by his grace,
Jer 1:4-5 (KJV) Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
Isa 49:1 (KJV) Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
Luke 1:15 (KJV) For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
Psa 139:14-16 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.
Deut 22:25-27 (KJV) But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her: then the man only that lay with her shall die: But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; [there is] in the damsel no sin [worthy] of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so [is] this matter: For he found her in the field, [and] the betrothed damsel cried, and [there was] none to save her.
Lev 20:11-17 (KJV) And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them. And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood [shall be] upon them…. And if a man take a wife and her mother, it [is] wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you… And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it [is] a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.
Ezek 18:20 (KJV) The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Rom 12:17-21 (KJV) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Titus 2:4 (KJV) That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
1Cor 13:4-7 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
John 15:13 (KJV) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Matt 23:37 (KJV) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, [thou] that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under [her] wings, and ye would not!
Exod 21:22-23 (KJV) If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine]. And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
THE STUDY:
I. The Taking of Innocent Life Is Murder
Most, if not all of us, understand that the taking of innocent life is sinful. Both in the Old and New Testaments, we find this teaching clearly on display…
“Thou shalt not kill” is not only a part of the Old Testament law (Ex 20:13), but it is also reaffirmed by Christ Himself in the New Testament (Matt 19:18). Also, we find the Apostle Paul repeating the murder prohibition in Romans 13:9. Finally, we see clearly that those who are found guilty of the sin of murder will be restricted from heaven and eternally judged for their sin (Rev 22:14-15) The Bible is clear… murder is a sin in God’s eyes punishable by eternal death.
The Lord Jesus also made it plain that young children were to have special protection, attention and care given to them (Matt 18:1-6, Matt 19:13-15).
In our study of abortion, if we accept that the taking of innocent life is sinful, the question then becomes… does a fetus, in its mother’s womb possess life? If so, at what point does its life come into existence? At whatever point the fetus possesses life, the abortion procedure becomes murder. This is the issue that we are going to examine in this study.
II. A fetus in the womb is considered a child and the pregnant woman is considered the child’s mother.
In Genesis 25:22-23, twins in their mother’s womb are given the title “children”. The Hebrew word for children is Ben…. It is the common word used to describe children throughout the OT. In Luke 1:41, John the Baptist while yet in his mother’s womb is described as “babe”. The Greek word for babe is the word brephos…. This same Grk word is used in Luke 2:12-16 to describe Christ, the babe that was wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger in Bethlehem.
In both of the above examples, we can clearly see that based upon vocabulary usage, the Bible does not differentiate between a babe in its mother’s womb and a babe that has been born into this world.
You can also see this principle in Job 3:3 where we are told that it was a “man child” that was conceived in his mother’s womb. Luke 1:36 tells us that it was a “son” that was conceived.
In Numbers 12:12 – we find that even in the case of a woman who has given birth to a still born child. She is still considered a mother, because her child had possessed life while the baby was within her womb. This same principle is presented in Luke 1:43 when a pregnant Mary is described as the “mother of my Lord”
III. A fetus in the womb is considered a distinct human being with whom the Lord actively intervenes.
In Psa 51:5 the psalmist describes himself, at conception, as “I” and “me”. Pointing to his personhood beginning with his conception, throughout his mother’s pregnancy and birth and then throughout his life outside the womb. This can also be seen in Job 31:13-15, where Job describes himself in the womb as “I”, “me” and “us”. In Psa 139:13, the psalmist says “thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb”. Once again, we can see that during his time in his mother’s womb, he was an individual human ( “me”) that was simply “covered” in the womb.
In Psalm 22:9-10 we are told that God was in control of the conception, formation and birth of the child. This is proof that He was the child’s God even from his mother’s womb.
The Apostle Paul was called by God to his ministry while he was yet in his mother’s womb in Gal 1:15. The same holds true for Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-5), Isaiah (Isa 49:1), and John The Baptist (Luke 1:15).
IV. When does life begin in the womb?
In Psa 139:14-16, we find the development of the fetus is in view. Please notice the 2 stages of development include….
1. the initial formation of genetic material (at conception when the seed meets the egg) “in thy book all were written… when as yet there was none of them.”
2. the continual forming of the body (based upon the dictates of the genetic material) “in continuance was fashioned” The continual forming and growth of the baby from coneption forward is a sign of the baby possessing life from conception forward.
In other words, the Lord made the Psalmist “in secret” (ie in his mother’s womb – “lowest parts of the earth”) . When the Lord first made the Psalmist, he was “yet unperfect” (undeveloped) . However, even though he was undeveloped, all the genetic instructions (“in thy book all my members were written”) were present . The baby’s body, organs etc, were not physically in existence (“as yet when there was none of them”) although they were in existence in the genetic code.
The baby was in existance and an individual human being from conception. As the baby grows and develops (following the genetic instructions that are received at conception) the life within the fertilized egg is clearly seen.
Here, we find the answer to the question, “When does the baby receive life while in the womb?” The Bible makes it plain that the genetic makeup of the child was existing from the very beginning of its formation. This same genetic code is proof that the child is not simply a part of the mothers’ body. On a genetic level the baby existed, in it’s entirety from conception. Add to that the principle of growth and development immediately beginning at conception and we have a clear answer to our question. The baby’s life began at conception…. the baby existed in it’s entirety at conception and exhibited growth and development from that point forward.
V. What About Rape or Incest… Is Abortion Allowed In These Cases?
Both Rape and Incest are horrible sins in the eyes of the Lord (Lev 20:11-17, Deut 22:25-27). Any victim of these brutal acts should be treated with the greatest amount of concern, compassion and aid. As Christians, we have the responsibility to help these victims in any way possible.
In Eze 18:20 we find a basic Biblical principle that I believe applies in these cases…. “the son shall bot bear the iniquity of father”… Although a pregnancy may have come about due to the heinous sinful act of another, the child should not be punished for the sin of their father. In other words, taking the child’s life, simply because the child was conceived in a sinful manner (rape, incest) cannot be defended.
Please keep mind, although the child may have been conceived as the result of sin, the murder of the child cannot be justified. Two wrongs do not make a right, nor is a murder justified by the act of rape or incest. In Rom 12:17-21… we are reminded that the Biblical method of dealing with wickedness is to “overcome evil with good”. In other words, to “recompense” one evil act with another evil act is of no spiritual value. But by displaying love and kindness to others in the midst of wickedness is glorifying to the Lord who set us
the ultimate example of goodness in the midst of wickedness.
VI. What About Abortion To Protect The Life of the Mother?
One of the most difficult situations a mother can face is to know that by giving birth to her child may endanger her life. Anyone in this situation should prayerfully, consider the Biblical teachings on the Mother/Child love relationship.
In Titus 2:4 young mothers are told to” love their children”. 1 Cor 13:4-7 helps us to understand that the basis of a true, Biblical love is self-sacrifice. Both of these verses, when viewed together, helps us to understand that a mother’s role is one of self-sacrifice… constantly working for the good of the child even at great personal cost. That great personal cost may even extend to the giving of one’s life.
In John 15:13, our Lord tells us that “greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” This principle applies to a mother and child as illustrated by our Lord in Matthew 23:37… where the Lord speaks of a mother hen gathering her chicks under her wings, protecting them from harm at the risk of her own life.
In the rare event that a pregnancy puts at risk the mother’s life… would it not be proper for the mother to be willing to risk her life for the sake of her unborn child?
VII. Is There Any Example of Someone Being Punished For Harming A Child In The Womb?
In Ex 21:22-23 we find the case of a pregnant woman who is accidently harmed during a fight between two men. In this case, if she gives birth prematurely due to the injury she received, the party causing her injury was to be “punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him”. The implication is that the child is prematurely born but does not suffer harm nor death.
However, these verses go on to explain if “mischief” follows. IE if the child is permanently harmed or dies then “thou shalt give life for life”. The offender must pay for the mischief that befalls the child due to the premature birth. If the child dies due to the premature birth then, the offender life was to be taken… “Then thou shalt give life for life”.
This verse clearly tells us that harm to a child within the womb is to be treated just as if any other human being was harmed. But more importantly, we see that harm to a child in the womb that results in the child’s death is to be punished with death.
What clearer declaration about the sinfulness of abortion could we find anywhere in Scripture?
Exod 21:22-23 (KJV)
22) If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart [from her], and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges [determine].
23) And if [any] mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Currently, since abortions are legal in our country, the abortion decision must be made on an individual basis between the parents of the unborn and their God. By God’s grace, a proper understanding of the Scriptures will make clear the sinfulness of abortion and the need for the unborn to be brought to full term.
For those who have already aborted their child, or for those doctors who have committed abortions, forgiveness can be found with our God.
Isa 55:7 (KJV) Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Mark 3:28 (KJV)
28) Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
If you have more questions concerning forgiveness and the way of salvation please feel free to visit or call a Bible teaching church in your area. They will be happy to speak to you about the Lord Jesus and the salvation He graciously gives.
Or, if you would rather, feel welcome to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I’ll be more than happy to answer any question you may have.
Also, if you look at my blog page “How To Have A Relationship With God”. On this page you will find several blog entries explaining the way of salvation.
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My Main Blog “Settled In Heaven” (updated twice weekly) – https://settledinheaven.wordpress.com
The following are other places you can find “Settled In Heaven” blog (updated once per month):
www.settledinheavenbibleblog.posterous.com
www.settledinheavenblog.blogspot.com
To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
Christ The Lamb Of The New Testament
When the Word of God calls Christ the Lamb, it is teaching us many different truths about Christ. Let’s take our time and study what the Bible teaches us when it calls Jesus the Lamb.
THE SCRIPTURE:
John 1:29 (KJV)
29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
John 1:35-36 (KJV)
35) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Acts 8:26-35 (KJV)
26) And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert…
32) The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33) In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34) And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35) Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
1Pet 1:13-21 (KJV)
13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;…
18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;
19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
21) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Rev 5:6-14 (KJV)
6) And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth…
12) Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.
13) 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, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, [be] unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.
14) And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four [and] twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 6
1) And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:16-17 (KJV)
16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Rev 7:9-17 (KJV)
9) After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10) And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb…
17) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Rev 12:11 (KJV)
11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Rev 13:8 (KJV)
8) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 14
1) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
2) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
3) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
4) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, [being] the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb…
12) Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 15:3-4 (KJV)
3) And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.
4) Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for [thou] only [art] holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
Rev 17:14 (KJV)
14) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him [are] called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 19:7-9 (KJV)
7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 21:9-27 (KJV)
9) And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife…
27) And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither [whatsoever] worketh abomination, or [maketh] a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Rev 22
1) And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2) In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations.
3) And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
4) And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads.
5) And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
THE STUDY:
1. John 1:35-36 – He is the Lamb of God– He is sent by, and shares Deity with, the Father
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- Rev 6:1 – In control of future world events
- Rev 6:16-17 – Delivers the wrath of God
- Rev 14:1-5 – The redeemed are firstfruits dedicated to God and Lamb
- Rev 14:6-12 – Lamb oversees judgment of Lost
- Rev 15:3-4 – Song of Praise sung to both Father and Lamb
- Rev 17:14 – He overcomes wicked because He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
- Rev 21:9-26 – He possesses an eternal city where He dwells with His people.
- Rev 22:1 – He shares throne with Father
- John 1:29 – He is the Lambof God – He takes away the sin of the world through His sacrifice.
- Acts 8:26-35 – He gave His life on the cross, willingly, innocently like a Lamb to the slaughter.
- 1 Peter 1:13-21 – His blood was shed like a sacrificed Lamb that was without blemish or spot.
- Rev 5:6-14 – His shed blood redeemed men from every kindred, tongue, people, nation. Made them Kings and Priests and will reign.
- Rev 7:9-17 – His blood saves and secures eternal future with God.
- Rev 12:11 – His blood gives victory to followers over world, sin and death
- Rev 13:8, 21:27 – Lamb slain basis of spiritual life that is given to those in Book of Life
- Rev 19:7-9 – Has an intimate love relation with His people based upon His righteousness given to the saints.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
For those who are saved …
Christ, the Lamb of God, has sent the perfect example of self-sacrifice for us to follow. After realizing all He has done for us by giving Himself on the cross to pay for our sins, should we not be willing to sacrifice ourselves for Him.
For those who have yet to be saved…
When we realize what Christ, the Lamb of God, has done to make possible the forgiveness of sin; should we not turn to Him by faith, trusting in His work to save us from our sins and secure our eternity with Him.
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To see this lesson taught on video please go to my Video Blog at http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Take A Look At My Wife’s Artistic/Scriptural Devotion Blog http://alivewithchristart.blogspot.com
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace” “The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike” http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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Settled In Heaven Blog 