THE COMING OF THE LORD

THE COMING OF THE LORD  
By Irene Belyeu
           Jesus warned: "Take heed that no man deceive you, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:4-5, 24.
            Christians, "Jews," and Muslims are all expecting their Messiah. A prominent “Jewish” Rabbi has prophesied that their Messiah would come after the death of Ariel Sharon.* He prophesied that the Messiah’s name would be Yeshua, that is the Hebrew word for Jesus. This Rabbi was steeped in the practices and teachings of Kabbala, the doctrines of magic and witchcraft, and had made some prophesies that literally came to pass, thereby gaining great credibility with the “Jewish” world. He claimed to have met the Messiah in a vision. Let us hope that his soul was saved, for he died on January 28, 2006 and an estimated 300,000 attended his funeral.
          Christians have been taught that we are to expect Christ’s “second coming” at any time. It is possible, however, that the “Jews” can present to the world a false Messiah, and thereby deceive many. By modern technology they can create an image on the clouds and pretend that their “Messiah” has come, deceiving the Christian world which has become accustomed to pictures and videos and movies depicting Christ. By magic and witchcraft they can perform what would seem to be “signs and wonders.” By this means many Christians will worship that image, supposing it to be Christ. The stage is set for many to be deceived.
          We must understand what Jesus taught about His “second coming.” In John 14:2-3 Jesus tells them He is going away, but will come again. In context of this passage Jesus was preparing them for His crucifixion and resurrection. The crucifixion was His going away; the resurrection was His coming again in fulfillment of this promise. He prepared a place for them by His resurrected and glorified Body in which He could "receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also." When we are born again we become members of His resurrected and glorified body, 1Corinthians 12:27. There is no way anyone can be closer to our Lord Jesus Christ.
          He promised that He would not leave them comfortless, John 14:18, but would come to them, verse 19. "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also." He was only gone for three days and nights, "a little while." His second coming was fulfilled in His resurrection and the subsequent baptism in the Holy Spirit.
          He is even now present with those of us who worship Him in Spirit and in Truth: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Matthew 18:20. 
          Jesus prayed for us: "That they all may be one as Thou, Father, art in me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them as Thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which Thou hast given me: for Thou lovedst Me before the foundation of the world." John 17:21-24. Our unity "in Him"will convince the world that He has come and that He loves them.
          What about the promise of His return when He ascended, Acts 1:11: “… this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Jesus had foretold this coming: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled,” Matthew 24:30, 34.
          Jesus also told the High Priest this same message in Matthew 26:64. Josephus, the historian, records just such an appearing during the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, (Wars 6.5.3). He came in the clouds in judgment against that wicked city. The Book of Revelation is a record of that event and Revelation 1:7 states: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him, everyone who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so, Amen,” RSV.  It happened, like He said, in that generation.
          Jesus came according to His promises. We are not left without a Comforter. Practice His presence with you now. Worship Him, pray, feed upon His Word. A physical future coming could not possibly be more real than His abiding presence with you now. If you know Him intimately by abiding in Him now you will not be deceived by some staged and false coming of a purported “Messiah.”
*Gallups, Carl. The Rabbi Who Found Messiah. WND Books, Washington, D.C. 2013. 

My book, Revelation In Context, is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.

77. THYATIRA: POWER OVER THE NATIONS

77. THYATIRA: POWER OVER THE NATIONS

 2:26-27. Rod of Iron: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 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.”

This passage is directly related to Psalm 2:7-9: I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8 Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. 9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

This promise to the Son God is fulfilled in Revelation 2:26-27: "To him will I give power over the nations." Jesus now makes this promise to the overcomers in Thyatira: "Even as I received of my Father."

Psalm 2:9 says: "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron."  Revelation 2:27 says: "and he shall rule them with a rod of iron."

Psalm 2:9 says: "And dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel."  Revelation 2:27 says: "As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers."

We may conclude from this parallelism that the Revelator is declaring the fulfillment in Christ of Psalm 2:7-9. In this passage Christ is promising to the overcomers the same promise that was given to Him by the Father in Psalm 2:8-9. As He received from His Father, so He imparts to His Church. Although the rulership of the nations is inherently Christ's, He may delegate it to the people. Christ has promised His Body, the Church, this authority, Matthew 28:18. We see further that this ruling authority belongs only to Christ and His Body in Revelation 12:5 and 19:15:

Revelation 12:5:  And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.

Revelation 19:15:  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.

The sword of His mouth is the Word of God. With it He slays the wicked principalities and powers, thus giving life to those who will believe in Him. But to the unbelievers, the rod smites in chastening and wrath.

The nations are broken to shivers as if an iron rod had smitten a clay pot. This is fulfilled in the fact that as Christians we are united across all racial, tribal, ethnic, or linguistic barriers. The political divisions of the world are broken to shivers by the unity of the Body of Christ. Ultimately, this unity will break down all of these barriers so that there will be no strong base for warring factions and destroying armies. The only reason for nations to compete for territory, people and power is the concept of "limited resources." When the nations realize that in Christ there is an unlimited supply, there will be no need for this competitive spirit.

How is it that the rule of Christ over the nations is to be compared to the rod of iron that breaks into pieces, even to "shivers" as the KJV translates? The answer is that His rule is an inner rule of the heart and not of law or force, (Jeremiah 31:33; Proverbs 7:3; Hebrew 8:10; Romans 2:15; 2Corinthians 3:2-3).  Therefore, in Christ each person is a governing unit within himself, a tiny shiver. Christ sets us free from the law of sin and death. In Christ we can be free indeed and offer this freedom to all who will come to Him. 
This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book, Revelation In Context, available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net. 

76. THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA

76. THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA

Revelation 2:18. "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass. 2:19.  “I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first.”
        Their works mattered. They were to be judged according to their works, verse 23, both the bad and the good. Their works would not save them from the consequences of their sins; however, those who kept the works of Christ, which is to believe, would be given the power to rule the nations, verse 26.        Verses 20-23 describes their wicked works by allowing Jezebel to teach and prophesy in the church. This name refers to the character of the wicked queen Jezebel in 2Kings chapter 9. Read it for the background of this passage. Jezebel's teachings here in Thyatira are listed: (1) She called herself a prophetess, thereby claiming that she had God's favor upon her ministry. (2) She seduced the Christians to commit fornication, (3) She caused them to eat things sacrificed to idols; that is, to worship idols. (4) She was seducing them to commit adultery with her. 
[Note also that, like Jezebel, Babylon the Great was committing fornication with the kings and merchants of the earth in Revelation 18:3.]
        The true prophets had always condemned whoredom. Ezekiel asks the question: "... Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter?"Ezekiel 16:20. Is it a small matter in our world today that whoredoms and fornications are touted as entertainment and big news? The "american idols" are brazenly idolized as sex symbols in the most satanic fashion. There is a "spirit of whoredoms," Hosea 4:12; 5:4, in our land today. 
God's promise to the sin of whoredom is: "I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent," verse 22.
        Notice the emphasis and place of repentance. God in mercy gave her space to repent, but she did not repent. Those who committed adultery with her were to be cast into great tribulation, unless they repented. Sin must be confessed and repented of. God's grace is extended to those who repent.
        Verse 24-26: But there was also in Thyatira those who had not followed Jezebel's doctrines and even called those doctrines "the depths of Satan." These already had the approval of God and are exhorted to "Hold fast till I come." The overcomers who "keep my works unto the end" are to be rewarded with "power over the nations." (Again we see that works matter.)
        [More on the message to the Church at Thyatira next week.]
        See also my book Revelation In Context, available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.

75. PERGAMOS; SATAN'S THRONE; HIDDEN MANNA

75. PERGAMOS; SATAN'S THRONE; HIDDEN MANNA

 Revelation 2:12-17. "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges." 
2:13. Satan’s Seat: “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where satan's seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein
Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where satan dwelleth.

The word seat is from the Greek word 'Throne,' that is, satan is enthroned in the synagogue. In context, the phrases "satan's seat" and "where satan dwells" mean: “in the synagogue of the unbelieving Jews who were persecuting the Christian's to the death.” See verses 2:9 and 3:9, that is, “The synagogue of satan.” Antipas had been martyred there. It was considered a righteous act by the synagogues to kill Christians because they were considered to be heretics.  (See John 16:2; Matthew 23:34). 

We find this same doctrine in the Talmud as interpreted even today; that is, that Christians are heretics and therefore should be killed.

2:17. Hidden Manna: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna....”

The original Ark of the Covenant had contained a pot of manna. The "hidden manna" may be a reference to the fact that there were five things missing from the second Temple after the return from Babylonian captivity: 1. Fire from on high; 2. anointing oil; 3. the Ark, which contained the manna; 4. The Holy Spirit; 5. Urim and Thummim.
When Ezra returned to Jerusalem after the captivity, he excluded from the priesthood as unclean, those who could not be found enrolled in the genealogies. These were not to partake of the holy food "until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise," (Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65).
This promise to the church in Smyrna in Revelation 2:17 is to those who have qualified for the priesthood by the righteousness of Christ. Christ is that Priest with Urim and Thummim that Ezra had foretold should come. He is therefore qualified to designate those who can eat of the holy food, the "hidden manna." In Christ the Ark of the Covenant is fulfilled.
 This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context. My Book is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.

74.THE SECOND DEATH

74.THE SECOND DEATH

Revelation 2:11. "He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death."

The idea of a second death is shocking because we ordinarily think of death as the final event. The fact that there is a possibility of a second death indicates that the first death was not total. The second death is the death of the mortal body, which, for the saint, is merely a change of garment.  We are changed from the mortal to the immortal, and therefore death is swallowed up in victory, (1Corinthians 15:54-56).

The old Greek adage "Physician, heal thyself," was a taunt that challenged the physicians of that time to take their own remedies and medicines before giving them to others. This same idea lay behind the taunt hurled at Jesus on the cross. They said: "He saved others. Himself he cannot save," Matthew 27:42. They did not know how true their words were, for He indeed was deliberately sacrificing Himself, refusing to come down from the cross. In order to save the world He would not save Himself from death.

Yet, he was able to turn the words around because He and He only could sacrifice Himself, yet save Himself by rising from the dead. In the resurrection, the Great Physician did indeed heal Himself as well as the entire world. In the resurrection, the whole world was healed of Death. By His stripes we were healed. Not merely from this or that disease or infirmity, but the very source of all disease and infirmity, the principle of Death itself, working in our bodies because of Adam's sin. In the resurrection, Christ reversed the curse of death upon the human race.

 "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," Romans 6:23. This verse is merely a summary of the whole concept of Life and Death as described in the Book of Romans. To receive the full revelation of it, read the whole Book. It describes the condition of the human race from Adam to Christ and shows where we stand now because of Christ's death and resurrection. 
When we accept and participate in His death and resurrection, we receive the eternal Life of the Spirit, even as Adam received the Breath/Spirit of God in his creation. We are to live the Life of the Spirit by continuing to crucify, mortify, the deeds of the Flesh, in order that we not again be slain by sin, Galatians 2:20; 5:16-24; 6:14. 
In Christ, the "second death," has no power, it is merely a transition from mortality to immortality, which has already been accomplished in those who have been crucified with Christ and raised from the death of sin.
 This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context. My Book is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.