Inspiration from Revelation

A poster, Lysa, suggested I begin a thread where others can come along and post inspiration they have received from this book. Now I will proceed with this but before I go any further, I would like to say upfront I am more interested in learning how this book has blessed you, what do you hear it saying and how has it impacted you. (Revelation 1:3)

As I look at the book and the events described I take the position they will happen as stated. If the language is figurative it will be indicated and then give its interpretation - like the prophecies concerning Jesus' birth, ministry, death and resurrection.

If you post it could be helpful if you would give your post a title.

God bless.

Sandra

Revelation 1:3: Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

I find this verse compelling: this book contains a wealth of blessings that is for the taking IF we apply ourselves to it. Many are put off by the judgments detailed herein - and I understand this, been there done that. I learned that John is sharing a vision given to him by Jesus (v.1) and he is merely sharing these details. Now, it is up to me to apply myself to understand what he saw.

The descriptions given in Revelation are descriptive, at times horrible but intermingled with it is praise from the angels and saints. Can I praise God when he inflicts judgments upon the world? Opps....

Blessed is he who reads and heeds...anything practical in this? Indeed it is.

For me the a practical thing is that God knows the future, EVERYTHING is under his control, power and the devil is working to thwart it at every turn and that is what it is all about: it is war. And God's creation is caught in the middle of it.

Will sign off for now and let you share..

Sandra

Quote: "a practical thing is that God knows the future, EVERYTHING is under his control..."

When I read your statement something struck me, namely whether our actions now CHANGE the future.

I certainly hope so or or actions, prayers, obedience etc would seem pointless.

I have a thought from Revelation 21. But, since we are only in Revelation 1, I'll leave it a little while.

Take care and God bless.

"I certainly hope so or or actions, prayers, obedience etc would seem pointless."

TMK - I wish you would expound on this issue. I have wondered about it a lot myself.

Sandra

Revelation 1:6:"and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father."

I find this concept challenging, at the least.

We are called to be priests. What does this entail? What does it mean to be a priest?

Jesus is using a metaphor the people were familiar with and so can we if we study the life of a priest, the ministry of priests, their role in society as commanded in Leviticus. How it worked out in shoe leather can be understood by a study of the historical sections in the OT.

Consider:
1. Priests were scattered throughout the country, did not have a section of land like the other tribes.

2. They were the conscience in their community.

3. They were the intercessors before God for their people.

4. They lived under restrictions far more limited then the general population.

5. They were knowledgeable of diseases - could determine when one was unclean or healed of an infirmity.

6. They were to be pure and holy.

There may be others points one could list, but does this not sound like like a precursor to the Sermon on the Mount?

This is what Believers are called to. Sobering - especially more so when one studies the life, purpose of a priest in Jewish society.

Sandra

Some OT priests were pretty rotten. Thank goodness we have the HS to help us along.

Arguably our primary responsibility as priests is intercession, and the state of the Church is directly proportional to the failure to fulfill this responsibility.

Sandra asked: "TMK - I wish you would expound on this issue. I have wondered about it a lot myself."

Well, my statement was somewhat rhetorical because I really believe that prayers, etc DOES change things and is not just some sort of a mystical exercise that was preordained eons ago.

I am in agreement Bear.

They were also to teach the difference between the clean and the unclean, between the holy and the profane.

Glad you started this Sandra. =)

______________
REJOICE! =)
Mary

QUOTE:
"Arguably our primary responsibility as priests is intercession, and the state of the Church is directly proportional to the failure to fulfill this responsibility."

A fine example of this occurred in the OT. I used to be so perplexed over how the northern kingdom of Israel had such bad kings and how wicked the people had become, vs the southern kingdom, Judah, that had cycles of revival, backsliding and revival. What was the difference? God sent prophets to Israel but it was a no-go, for the most part.

After posing this question to a preacher he directed me to an incident as recorded in 2Chronicles 11:14-17:

14 For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD.

15 He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made.

16 Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.

17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam the son of Solomon for three years, for they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

Insightful, I think. People have not changed a lot since, have they?

Sandra

EDIT: The Levites were no longer living in the northern kingdom, hence the people's inclination to wickedness and staying there. They did not have the presence of God's intercessors living among them.

One thing I am so amazed about is how God worked to prove his authority, his power and might to people. He had to do so to establish his authority, his right to say what is absolute. To accomplish this goal He used his creation - the observable and the hidden. People are left gasping knowing there is something, Someone greater and more powerful then we are acquainted with, what we can observe around us. Who, what is this power, this person?

Jesus did this when he showed Himself in his glory to John. Not sure why He believed it essential to show Himself in all his majesty to the disciple whom "he loved" but he did...maybe it was for our edification? Maybe even the most faithful will at times experience doubts? Just saying....

After Jesus showed himself to John he says he fell "fell at His feet like a dead man." If John, who knew Jesus better then most would respond in like manner, how much more we?

Unless we revere Jesus in our hearts, we will challenge Him him, doubt him. In the pages to come we will read of God's wrath, his mercy, his judgement, rewards - both good and bad. Does he have the right to mete out these judgments?

Let us see...

Sandra

"But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last." Rev. 1:17

It's kind of a strange thing for Jesus to say to allay John's fear. He didn't say, "It's me, Jesus, your friend."
But Jesus knew exactly the right thing to say in that circumstance to calm John's fears.

I wonder what he will say to me?

After Jesus showed himself to John he says he fell "fell at His feet like a dead man." If John, who knew Jesus better then most would respond in like manner, how much more we?

I believe that this idea of seeing Jesus anew is key to the Book of Revelation and to any time of decline in the Church.

The Book of Revelation was written at a time when decline had already set in among some of the churches as is seen in chapters 2-3. God's answer to such a time is a fresh revelation of His Son. How we need that spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him!

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

In Christ,

In the letters to the churches, we notice how he knows everything about them - their strengths, their faults. We also notice he did not overlook their faults but challenged them to repentance.

Ephesian Churches strengths:
1. Cannot tolerate evil men

2. Put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false

3 Have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake

4. Have not grown weary.

Ephesian Churches' Faults

1. Left their first love.

Opps!

This point speaks profoundly to me. As one grows in their knowledge of the LORD Jesus, admires Him for who He is and what He has done and will do, gain a sense of the Holiness of God - this in contrast to the wickedness we see abounding uncheck around us, I get exasperated at times. I get impatient with the stupidity among people who should know better AND they work to convince us of the rightness of their opinions! Then I am reminded of Jesus warning in Matthew 24:12: "Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold." This comes back to challenge me, haunt me that I just do not love people like he wants me to.It gets to be a real challenge to know how to deal with people who work to destroy you and those who are just plain wicked.

And Jesus says to repent of having left our first love. We can get so involved in fighting evil we lose our love for our Savior. When this happens how does it impact our interaction with the unlovely?

Many times I have to ask the LORD to infuse me with his love for the unlovely because I ran out and have no more to give. I am running on empty. Emotionally I feel dry, bone dry. But when asked in faith, He will give you the love you need.

We can be so right and yet so wrong. Sobering.

Sandra

Two thoughts:

1. NT says as priests we offer to God spiritual sacrifices which are defined in various NT texts and,

2. Prayer does not change the future, it partners with God to create it. This is how God's sovereignty works. He ordains it and through prayer He allows us help create what He has willed.

When we pray according to His will we receive what we ask.

I tend to believe that the Ephesians had lost the love they had at first for one another; brotherly love. Paul wrote the Ephesians church and commended them for their faith in Him and their live for the saints. Often right doctrine can puff up and we may have no love for the brethern and Paul and Jesus condemn this as missing the point.

There are a few things with the church at Smyrna that teach me lessons for today:

1. That persecution has a cleansing effect on the church. (Greg posted an informative article informing one of the high number of mainland-Chinese who backslide back after becoming Believers in the west.)

2. In Smyrna's case it appears a lot of the persecution came at the hands of the Jews.

3. Persecution comes from the devil.

4. Persecution will end - "you will have tribulation for ten days".

In our case today in the USA how much of the opposition comes from so-called Christians? I would guess all of it. If one checks into the perversions that have gained a lot of traction in the USA we see the modern church giving them voice, support and a platform in which to promote their agenda. If one speaks out against it one is called unloving - and no one wants to be perceived as such!

But...

Jesus says it will end - someday. YES!

In the meantime there is a separating of the sheep from the goats and sometimes the goats will baa like a sheep and how we can discern which baaa is from the goat will become a challenge.

I love it when Jesus promises a great blessing to the faithful, the overcomers....does this not thrill you? It provides one with the fortitude to persevere.

Sandra