Revelation
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.
And I saw, and behold a white horse
and he that sat on him had a bow
and a crown was given unto him
and he went forth conquering
and to conquer.
...
Jesus opened one of the seals on that very important book in His hands. When He did so there was a great noise- isn't thunder a great noise? Thunder sounded. How ominous does that sound? You break a seal and thunder sounds. Again we can't help but imagine a movie scene here- the thunder booming as the seal is broken signifying something of importance taking place. And something important did take place-
One of the four beasts surrounding the throne spoke to John telling him to come and see... come look... And John was allowed the vision of a white horse with a person sitting upon the horse holding a bow and then someone was giving the person on the white horse a crown and after that the rider on the white horse when forth conquering right away, his mission to conquer.
White is a symbol of purity. Christ's righteousness is as a white raiment. To ride upon a white horse is symbolic of going forth in time in the purity, the righteousness of the new faith in Christ. This coincides with the first Church- Ephesus and the time line that was established there.
...
And when he had opened the second seal,
I heard the second beast say,
Come and see.
And there went out another horse [that was] red
and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth,
and that they should kill one another:
and there was given unto him a great sword.
...
Jesus opens the second seal and right away John hears the second beast - remember the second beast around about the throne is like a calf filled with eyes- this beast tells John to come and see. Again John is allowed another vision. He looks and he sees another horse- this time a red horse going forth. A red horse, no longer a white horse. If white symbolizes purity and righteousness, red symbolizes what? Blood, destruction, impurity. The one who sat upon the red horse was given power, power to take peace from the earth. This lull was to be destroyed, when you take peace from something you bring what? Discord. The peace was to be taken and power so people would kill one another was allowed, a great sword of death was being wielded by the one upon the red horse. Think about what history reveals for the time after the early church...
Note this-
'The spirit of this period perhaps reached its climax as we come to the days of Constantine, the first so-called Christian emperor, whose conversion to Christianity in A.D. 323 brought about a compromise between the church and the Roman Empire. The Edict of Milan in A.D. 313, is said to have granted toleration to Christians and allowed conversions to Christianity. Kenneth S. Latourette declares that the acts immediately preceding and culminating in the Edict of Milan in 313 "still remain the most significant of the many milestones in the road by which the church and the state moved toward co-operation.' [4]
[4] Kenneth Scott Latourette, A History of the Expansion of Christianity, Vol. I, The First Five Centuries, p. 159.
And Note this-
'The Diocletianic Persecution (or Great Persecution) was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman empire.[1] In 303, Emperor Diocletian and his colleagues Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights and demanding they comply with traditional religious practices. Later edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods. The persecution varied in intensity across the empire—weakest in Gaul and Britain, where only the first edict was applied, and strongest in the Eastern provinces. Persecutionary laws were nullified by different emperors at different times, but Constantine and Licinius's Edict of Milan (313) has traditionally marked the end of the persecution.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletianic_Persecution
The persecutions of the early Christians grew so intense that it is noted in history - the 'last and most severe persecution' this took place under the red horse period and it's fitting isn't it?
'and [power] was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth,
and that they should kill one another:
and there was given unto him a great sword.'
A great sword indeed and it was geared towards the destruction of Christians, the destruction of the early church, truly a horse of red with a rider set to destroy.
May God bless us and keep us and may the Holy Spirit guide us into a fuller understanding of His word. By the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, all honor, praise and glory to him!
Amen.
9/7/10
Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
Heb 5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him
Every single high priest taken from among sinning man needs an offering for his own sins. High priests called by God, not by each other.
Our great High Priest Christ did not glorify Himself- God glorified Him.
Our great High Priest-- encompassed in flesh offered up prayers and supplications with STRONG crying and tears to God.
Our great High Priest reverenced His Father, believed in His Father and because of His belief in His Father He was heard by the Father. We think it's a given that the Son would be heard of the Father, but the Son as He was encompassed in flesh did not have the same access to the Father as He'd had before taking on flesh. The Son needed to pray. Think about it for few moments. The Son needed to pray. IF the Son needed to pray how much more do WE need to pray? If the Son was heard of the Father because He reverenced, because He feared, because He believed do we need to do no less? The Son worshipped and honored the Father. Even though he was a SON, He learned obedience how? By the things He suffered! We suffer. We bemoan just how much we suffer. We dare to say we've suffered too much, that the suffering is more than we can bear. The Son suffered. The Son wasn't pampered and spoiled, the Son wasn't given favoritism. If the Son had given been given favoritism Satan would have been quick to point it out and claim that Jesus did not suffer as a man at all. The connection that the Son had with the Father is the connection WE need to have with the Father as adopted sons.
The Son suffered and learned from His suffering, He learned obedience. Being made perfect… He BECAME the author of eternal salvation to all of US who obey HIM.
It's so easy for us to imagine that the Son of God just instantly knows everything and so He wouldn't need to learn obedience. It's equally easy for us to imagine that the Son of God wouldn't need to suffer to learn anything at all. Suffer to learn. We are under the false impression that suffering is for sinners, we suffer because we sin. Then we come face to face with the innocent suffering and we cannot comprehend why. We hear of babies and young children suffering and we know they are innocent of any gross, willful sinning, and our hearts just ache for them. Christ, the Son of God knew no sin and He suffered.
'Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered'
We know Christ didn't like what He had to go through.
Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
IF it be possible…let this cup pass from me. This from the Son of God!
We suffer and often believe we don't deserve the suffering, at least not to the extent we are called to suffer and we are sinners truly deserving of death, let alone suffering.
What obedience can a child who suffers learn? Perhaps none, but perhaps the lesson if for another and the suffering inducing another's suffering. We cannot understand all the ways of God. We can know that ALL things will eventually work for good to them that LOVE Him.
By the grace of God may we learn obedience and if we are called to suffer let us remember the most Innocent of all suffered so that He might learn obedience and we learn obedience through Him. We can't let the lessons be lost, we must realize that the suffering will be for our good some way, some how and that God be glorified in all!
In His amazing love!
Amen.
9/7/11
Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that
sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals.
John saw a
book in God's hand. A book that had words inside it (as most books do) and words
on the back of the book. And the book was sealed not with just a single seal,
but seven seals! This book is important, very important. Someone wanted that
very important book sealed up good and tight. In our fictional movies of
fantasies with dragons and wizards and such it hasn't been unheard of to have
special books sealed up and always the sealed books are of great importance.
This is in a REAL book. This is a HEAVENLY book and even if it is figurative in
a vision that John is witnessing it is symbolic of something extremely
important.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals
thereof?
A strong angel is
seen. Clearly an angel that is different from the rest so far seen by John-this
angel appeared to be strong- bigger perhaps, wider in the shoulders? However the
difference is- it is clearly noted.
This strong angel
asks in a loud voice- Who is worthy to open the book, to loose the seals on the
book. Obviously just like those fictional movies and such only someone who is
worthy can open the special books. This reality isn't fiction. This amazing
book sealed with seven seals needs someone worthy to loose the seals and open
the book.
Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth,
neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
No man
any where- no man in heaven, no man in earth, no man under the earth-that just
about covers everywhere. No man was worthy to open the book or to even LOOK at
the book.
Rev 5:4 And
I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book,
neither to look thereon.
No wonder John wept. The special book he's
shown, this amazing book containing something equally amazing has to remain
unopened because there is no one worthy to open it, no one. The champion, the
worthy is no where to be found. And it is tragic to lose that hope of
enlightenment for books hold enlightenment, don't they? Their hidden contents so
special we can't even imagine.
Rev 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me...
One of the
four and twenty elders surrounding the throne speaks to John as he's crying.
Rev 5:5 And one of the
elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root
of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
What does the angel say to John, weep not. Why? Because there is one
worthy! A worthy one has been found! The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of
David-Rev. 22:16 - 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! Jesus is worthy!
Rev 5:6 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.
A lamb- a lamb as
slain- seven horns and seven eyes - perfect king, perfect ruler, perfect sight-
perfect Spirit! A complete, a whole, a perfectness sent from God into all the
earth! Perfect Savior! The worthy, the only one worthy to open the book bound
by seven seals.
Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Jesus took the
book from God, from His father.
Rev 5:8 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.
As the book
changed hands the four beasts, the twenty-four elders fell down before Jesus.
The beasts, the elders all having harps, and golden vials full of odours-- the
prayers of saints. How amazing is this, how amazing. All those surrounding the
throne of God bow down before Jesus, and with them they bow holding the prayers
of saints. The prayers of God's people - in essence our very words to Jesus are
there present before Him- we are represented in our prayers.
Rev
5:9 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;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Such
amazing words! Jesus is worthy to take the book to open the seals because He
gave His life for us! Because He gave His life to save us. All glory to God!
Jesus who alone is worthy died to make us kings and priests, true followers of
God that will reign on earth with our Glorious Maker!
Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number
of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands
WOW! Suddenly John can hear the voice of many angels- thousands and
thousands and thousands of angels! So amazing!
Rev 5:12
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.
The voices were saying Jesus is worthy! Worthy to receive
power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing! Amen!
Rev
5:13 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.
Blessing, honor, glory, power unto God and to the Lamb-Jesus
forever! All, everywhere in existence will give this praise. So amazing!
Rev 5:14 And the four beasts
said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that
liveth for ever and ever.
So wonderful! The
four beasts say- amen. The 24 elders fell down and worshipped Jesus who lives
forever and ever!
How glorious this
all is! So incredibly amazing.
For us to envision this is an honor, a true honor. We are blessed, so
wonderfully blessed and we don't even realize it.
More tomorrow by
the amazing grace of our Savior!!!!!!!
In His love!
AMEN.
Heb 5:1 For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
Heb 5:2 Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
Heb 5:3 And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins.
Heb 5:4 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.
Heb 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
Heb 5:6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him
Every single high priest taken from among sinning man needs an offering for his own sins. High priests called by God, not by each other.
Our great High Priest Christ did not glorify Himself- God glorified Him.
Our great High Priest-- encompassed in flesh offered up prayers and supplications with STRONG crying and tears to God.
Our great High Priest reverenced His Father, believed in His Father and because of His belief in His Father He was heard by the Father. We think it's a given that the Son would be heard of the Father, but the Son as He was encompassed in flesh did not have the same access to the Father as He'd had before taking on flesh. The Son needed to pray. Think about it for few moments. The Son needed to pray. IF the Son needed to pray how much more do WE need to pray? If the Son was heard of the Father because He reverenced, because He feared, because He believed do we need to do no less? The Son worshipped and honored the Father. Even though he was a SON, He learned obedience how? By the things He suffered! We suffer. We bemoan just how much we suffer. We dare to say we've suffered too much, that the suffering is more than we can bear. The Son suffered. The Son wasn't pampered and spoiled, the Son wasn't given favoritism. If the Son had given been given favoritism Satan would have been quick to point it out and claim that Jesus did not suffer as a man at all. The connection that the Son had with the Father is the connection WE need to have with the Father as adopted sons.
The Son suffered and learned from His suffering, He learned obedience. Being made perfect… He BECAME the author of eternal salvation to all of US who obey HIM.
It's so easy for us to imagine that the Son of God just instantly knows everything and so He wouldn't need to learn obedience. It's equally easy for us to imagine that the Son of God wouldn't need to suffer to learn anything at all. Suffer to learn. We are under the false impression that suffering is for sinners, we suffer because we sin. Then we come face to face with the innocent suffering and we cannot comprehend why. We hear of babies and young children suffering and we know they are innocent of any gross, willful sinning, and our hearts just ache for them. Christ, the Son of God knew no sin and He suffered.
'Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered'
We know Christ didn't like what He had to go through.
Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
IF it be possible…let this cup pass from me. This from the Son of God!
We suffer and often believe we don't deserve the suffering, at least not to the extent we are called to suffer and we are sinners truly deserving of death, let alone suffering.
What obedience can a child who suffers learn? Perhaps none, but perhaps the lesson if for another and the suffering inducing another's suffering. We cannot understand all the ways of God. We can know that ALL things will eventually work for good to them that LOVE Him.
By the grace of God may we learn obedience and if we are called to suffer let us remember the most Innocent of all suffered so that He might learn obedience and we learn obedience through Him. We can't let the lessons be lost, we must realize that the suffering will be for our good some way, some how and that God be glorified in all!
In His amazing love!
Amen.
9/7/11
Rev 5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that
sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals.
John saw a
book in God's hand. A book that had words inside it (as most books do) and words
on the back of the book. And the book was sealed not with just a single seal,
but seven seals! This book is important, very important. Someone wanted that
very important book sealed up good and tight. In our fictional movies of
fantasies with dragons and wizards and such it hasn't been unheard of to have
special books sealed up and always the sealed books are of great importance.
This is in a REAL book. This is a HEAVENLY book and even if it is figurative in
a vision that John is witnessing it is symbolic of something extremely
important.
Rev 5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals
thereof?
A strong angel is
seen. Clearly an angel that is different from the rest so far seen by John-this
angel appeared to be strong- bigger perhaps, wider in the shoulders? However the
difference is- it is clearly noted.
This strong angel
asks in a loud voice- Who is worthy to open the book, to loose the seals on the
book. Obviously just like those fictional movies and such only someone who is
worthy can open the special books. This reality isn't fiction. This amazing
book sealed with seven seals needs someone worthy to loose the seals and open
the book.
Rev 5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth,
neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
No man
any where- no man in heaven, no man in earth, no man under the earth-that just
about covers everywhere. No man was worthy to open the book or to even LOOK at
the book.
Rev 5:4 And
I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book,
neither to look thereon.
No wonder John wept. The special book he's
shown, this amazing book containing something equally amazing has to remain
unopened because there is no one worthy to open it, no one. The champion, the
worthy is no where to be found. And it is tragic to lose that hope of
enlightenment for books hold enlightenment, don't they? Their hidden contents so
special we can't even imagine.
Rev 5:5
And one of the elders saith unto me...
One of the
four and twenty elders surrounding the throne speaks to John as he's crying.
Rev 5:5 And one of the
elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root
of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
What does the angel say to John, weep not. Why? Because there is one
worthy! A worthy one has been found! The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of
David-Rev. 22:16 - 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! Jesus is worthy!
Rev 5:6 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.
A lamb- a lamb as
slain- seven horns and seven eyes - perfect king, perfect ruler, perfect sight-
perfect Spirit! A complete, a whole, a perfectness sent from God into all the
earth! Perfect Savior! The worthy, the only one worthy to open the book bound
by seven seals.
Rev 5:7 And he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
Jesus took the
book from God, from His father.
Rev 5:8 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.
As the book
changed hands the four beasts, the twenty-four elders fell down before Jesus.
The beasts, the elders all having harps, and golden vials full of odours-- the
prayers of saints. How amazing is this, how amazing. All those surrounding the
throne of God bow down before Jesus, and with them they bow holding the prayers
of saints. The prayers of God's people - in essence our very words to Jesus are
there present before Him- we are represented in our prayers.
Rev
5:9 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;
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and
priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Such
amazing words! Jesus is worthy to take the book to open the seals because He
gave His life for us! Because He gave His life to save us. All glory to God!
Jesus who alone is worthy died to make us kings and priests, true followers of
God that will reign on earth with our Glorious Maker!
Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of
many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number
of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands
WOW! Suddenly John can hear the voice of many angels- thousands and
thousands and thousands of angels! So amazing!
Rev 5:12
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.
The voices were saying Jesus is worthy! Worthy to receive
power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory and blessing! Amen!
Rev
5:13 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.
Blessing, honor, glory, power unto God and to the Lamb-Jesus
forever! All, everywhere in existence will give this praise. So amazing!
Rev 5:14 And the four beasts
said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that
liveth for ever and ever.
So wonderful! The
four beasts say- amen. The 24 elders fell down and worshipped Jesus who lives
forever and ever!
How glorious this
all is! So incredibly amazing.
For us to envision this is an honor, a true honor. We are blessed, so
wonderfully blessed and we don't even realize it.
More tomorrow by
the amazing grace of our Savior!!!!!!!
In His love!
AMEN.