Introduction To Revelation

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GOD'S PURPOSES FOR ISRAEL What were God's purposes for creating this race? Or any race for that matter? Although there were numerous reasons for the choice, I have narrowed them down to the four I consider the most important. 1. The Jewish people were to receive and write down God's revelation to man. Though the Jewish people have failed in performing some of the things God wanted them to do, they did fulfill this main purpose for them – TO WRITE THE BIBLE. 2. The second reason the Jews were chosen was to protect and preserve the textual purity of the Scripture they had penned. The degree of success which the Jewish scribes had in doing this is one of the wonders of the ancient world. When you consider the turbulent history the Jews have endured and the unbelievable job they did in preserving every "jot and tittle" of Scripture, every Jew and Christian today should give them humble thanks! Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (KJB) A startling example of the accuracy of the Jewish scribes in copying and caring for their beloved Scriptures is the Scroll of Isaiah, discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the late 1940s'. As you know, the book of Isaiah was and still is a book under much attack by our very own theologians. But, praise God!, every "jot and tittle" is there, just as God gave it through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit! The danger to Christianity doesn't come from outside our ranks but from within. God has given us every opportunity to drink from the fountain of life and believe. We still have those that would have us believe that fountain is polluted with MAN's words, and that these pages of Scripture is not the infallible Words of God. The date of this Scroll of Isaiah has been fixed at 200 B.C., while the earliest Isaiah manuscript we had know about before this discovery is dated A.D. 900! Through 1,100 years separated the two manuscripts, they were virtually identical when compared with each other! Of course, this comparison was made before the Christian - Atheist - Theologians were able to "seal them up again" disallowing any further review through the open study by Christian scholars. 3. The third reason for Israel's existence was to serve as the human family through whom the Messiah, the Savior of mankind, would be born. The blood-line of Jesus Christ can be traced through the Holy Scripture [the crimson ribbon] all the way back to Adam. This feat in itself is outside our realm of understanding. There are over three hundred specific prophecies in the Old Testament which refer in some way to the Messiah's coming. The great paradox is that when the Messiah did come with His credentials of fulfilled prophecy, the very people who had predicted His coming rejected Him. Never-the-less, the New Testament begins, "These are the ancestors of Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David and of Abraham." (Matthew 1:1, TLB) When we reflect upon that seemingly impossible fact, it is not much wonder that there are those today, in the church called by His Holy Name, that don't believe the words of The Book. 4. The fourth reason the Jewish race was selected was to witness to the pagan world that there is only ONE (1) true God, and to show men how to come to know Him. Among our Christian ranks there are those that REALLY BELIEVE that we worship the same god as those of the Islam persuasion. What we need is another altar like that of Elijah's, covered with water, and struck by fire by heaven. At second though, I doubt that even that would help the immature Christian to believe in the One and Only "I AM WHO I AM" of the Old Testament. God seemed to spend an immense amount of time on this issue in the pages of the BIBLE for it not to matter. There are many GOATS in the sheep-fold! Throughout their four thousand years of existence of the Hebrew Nation, the Jews have not always been willing to witness to this fact to the world. However, even the rebellion and unbelief of the Jews against their God has been a continuing witness of God's reality, because this history of rebellion and its consequences were foretold by God. History is strewn with the evidence of fulfilled prophecy concerning the Jewish people and their ancient homeland, Israel. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS Because the Jewish people through their long history so persistently rejected their promised and long-awaited Messiah, God allowed to come upon them a national spiritual blindness – an inability to comprehend the simple truth of the Messiah's message. This blindness was true of the Jews even before Jesus came into the world: Acts 7:51-53 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him– you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it." (NIV) Of course, there have always been individual exceptions to this overall national blindness. Some Jews have accepted Jesus as Messiah in every generation since the first century. In biblical terminology, these are called "the believing remnant." There has been much infidelity in Jewish history, and their present world-wide dispersion and persecution have been their divine discipline. However, God made UNCONDITIONAL promises of ETERNAL blessings to the Jewish patriarchs and will, some day, restore the Jews to a position of special favor with himself. Right now, The Church (all "true believers" in Jesus Christ) is enjoying God's special blessing. America, especially, is enjoying God's blessings. This is a direct result of America's willingness to accept and provide for the Jews. The drama of this shifting emphasis is told in detail in Romans chapters nine through eleven. God has promised never to abandon His chosen people, no matter how despicably they treat Him. Romans 11:1-2 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: (NIV) The divine hand of protection of the Jews during their Six-Day-War was just a token of that protective care. A simple way I have of remembering God's dealing with the nation of Israel is as follows: Romans 9, ELECTION Romans 10, REJECTION Romans 11, RESTORATION! BLIND-BUT NOT FOREVER! According to Romans 11:25 , this national blindness will not last forever: I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (NIV) The fullness of the Gentiles is that point in time when the Church is removed from the earth by the Rapture. Then God's special focus and blessing will shift back again to the Jew. This fact is guaranteed to Israel by hundreds of unconditional promises in the BIBLE. The Jews will once again be responsible, as God's representatives, to take His message to the world. But this time, these 144,000 Jews will do in only seven years what their nation has failed to do in all of its history EVANGELIZE THE WHOLE WORLD! GOD STOPS THE WIND Revelation 7:1-3 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (NIV) Although the subject of ANGELS is usually associated with fairy tales or myths, these creatures are spoken of very matter-of-factly in the BIBLE and they play a very important part in the predicted judgments of God on the earth. The BIBLE speaks of three categories of angels: 1. There are the angels of God who remained faithful to Him when Lucifer (who later became known as Satan or "the Devil") rejected God and led a rebellion against Him. 2. The second category are the angels who followed Lucifer in the rebellion but are still free to work against God's purposes. 3. The other group are fallen angels who are bound and imprisoned. apparently these are a particularly vicious group who so over - stepped their authority that God cast them into a place called "the abyss" to wait the final execution of their sentence – to be cast with Satan and the other demons into the Lake of Fire. 2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; (NIV) GLOBAL WEATHER CHANGES 2002 - Global Warming? Because angels have superior power and intelligence, the four mentioned in verse one have apparently been given authority over the weather conditions of the earth. I say "weather conditions" because if the world's wind patterns are changed, radical effects will occur in all the rest of nature because of its delicate ecological balance. You will note that verse 2 says, "...the four angels, to whom it was given TO HURT the earth." This will be upon the earth, the sea, and the trees. Since the more recent hurricanes, many have though about how much destruction is caused by the wind! If you have ever experienced the terror of a great hurricane, typhoon, dust storm, or tornado, you know what I am talking about. While in the Navy we rode-out a hurricane on a ship. I'll tell you, that experience completely tested any remnant of agnosticism I might of ever had. Many of the prophecies relating to the Tribulation indicate freak weather conditions and storms of unprecedented intensity. In fact, Jesus predicted that strange phenomena would occur regarding the relationship of the earth to the sun, moon, and stars. Luke 21:25-26 "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. (NIV) Many scientists have soberly warned that the earth's weather patters are already beginning to change radically. A long outdated article reported: "Air pollution is changing the weather over the eastern coast of the United States. An invisible cloud of microscopic particles has taken root over the Boston area." FREAK WEATHER PATTERNS Eighteen years ago articles began appearing like the following in several reporting agencies: The nation has been suffering what could be its most freakish weather in history, and forecasters see no immediate end to it. What's happening is this: The heaviest accumulation of rainfall ever recorded in the East, while the Northwest was experiencing a drought; An unprecedented volley of tornadoes (196 in four days) accompanied in many cases with flash floods. This is likely to make 1973 a record twister year; Floods that sent the Mississippi River and its tributaries to new heights and damaged crops over a vast area; Winter blizzards were they are least expected, far to the South. What's behind it all? Officials at the National Weather Service put much of the blame for odd weather on shifts in the capricious `jet streams' that flow through the upper atmosphere. One can, at this point, let the reader reflect back from now to the time of this article. As we carefully weigh the U.S. News article we begin to see that the BIBLE may not be the only book that can predict the future ON TARGET! He that has ears to hear, let him hear....eyes to see, let him see....! The above article went on to point out the close relation of shifts in wind currents with freak weather and violent storms. It is believed by some that pollution of the upper atmosphere is already beginning to cause a shift in weather patterns which will be greatly accelerated in the Tribulation (2002 – I don't buy that. We have heard too many predictions of un-recoverable damages from the eco-extremist, like the burning of the oil wells in Kuwait, etc.). This evening's News Report went into great detail concerning the current practice of Iraq of blowing up oil wells in Kuwait. Sever reporters and experts have given very grim details concerning global ecological reactions if Saddam Hussein fulfills his promise to blow up all of Kuwait's oil wells and refineries. It is reported that he has placed triggering devices in every well there. In yet another article, we read: AIR WE CANNOT AFFORD TO BREATHE It is a reasonable assumption that-within a few years-men will be able to live only in cities covered by huge domes under which the air is regularly purified. In order to go outside one would be forced to wear a mask equipped with capsule-oxygen. (In 1983, we saw this as fact on T.V. from Denver, Colorado during a time when they were `socked in' with stagnate air.) Such excursions into the outside world would be discouraged except in extreme necessity. The risk would be too great even with a mask since the air might be so polluted as to be irritating to the flesh itself. Dr. L.H. Woodson continues: The smog over Los Angeles today (1973) is like pure oxygen compared to what can be expected in the next quarter of a century. And it will not be confined to particular areas but will encase the whole globe like a wet, oppressive blanket. Settling on the world like fallout form a nuclear explosion are enormous quantities of smoke, ash, sulphur, dust, and numerous chemically-destructive gases. This is already the case and it gets worse every year. Soon the saturation point will be reached and the human race will be doomed... . . . Respiratory ailments are on the rise. Emphysema is swiftly challenging other modern diseases for number-one spot on the list of human killers (plague?). Lung Cancer threatens more men and women every day. No longer is it enough to discontinue smoking as protection against lung cancer. Just breathing the industrial, commercial, chemical-laden air seems to be enough to adversely affect even nonsmokers. (2002 – What a difference 10 years make. Today, we seldom hear any of these tails of "the ski is falling!") The above articles are even more awesome when looked at in the light of the fact that those words were penned nearly twenty years ago. (+ 10 years, I do not subscribe to the above dire warnings and supposid threats. I have come to believe that what the scripture is telling us in these text is that GOD will bring about happenings nothing of the which was ever before seen.) Before the four angels are allowed to execute their judgment of shifting the wind patterns, another angel appears, coming up from the rising sun. This angel has the " seal of the living God" with which he seals the special servants of God who will be His witnesses during the Tribulation period. God has never allowed Himself to be without witnesses on earth to proclaim His way to receive forgiveness and acceptance. The spiritual vacuum that will be left by the removal of all "true believers" at the Rapture will be quickly filled with these 144,000 Jewish "bondservants of God." Several very interesting things should be noted about the "seal of the living God." The verb "to seal" means to make an imprint in wax with a signet ring. This was done in ancient business transactions of all kinds, and signified that whatever was thus sealed belonged to the one whose mark was on it. The idea of a VISIBLE mark of ownership and guarantee of protection is inherent in the world. In the New Testament, the seal of God is the Holy Spirit. In fact, in Ephesians 1:13, 14, the same word used here for "seal" is used to describe the Holy Spirit. This is also borne out in Ephesians 4:30, and 2 Corinthians 1:22, and 2 Corinthians 5:5. Jesus had this same seal of God, the Holy Spirit, upon Him: John 6:27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." (NIV) "for him hath God the father sealed." (KJV) The seal of God-The Spirit-gives a special empowering to these servants to perform their awesome mission. Revelation 7:3 , also speaks of a visible MARK on the forehead of the servants. "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." (NIV) You can be sure this mark will be in vivid contrast to the mark which the followers of the Antichrist will receive when they swear allegiance to him. A person might be a "secret service" believer today, but in those days, God's men will really be "marked men." No one will be able to mistake them! A seal also guarantees the protection of the person bearing it. Since these are marked men, they will be under constant attack by the followers of the Antichrist as well as demonic forces. But God will supernaturally protect them against all attacks. They will apparently suffer from hunger, exposure, ridicule, torture, and imprisonment at times, but all of these special servants will be preserved to continue their witness through the whole Tribulation Period. This is evidenced by the fact that when the scene shifts to the END of the Tribulation in Revelation 14:1-5, the 144,000 witnesses seen standing on Mount Zion with Jesus. Revelation 14:1-5 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. (NIV) It is my firm conviction that the ones whom Jesus describes as "these brothers of mine" in See Note Page 1036 are the 144,000 described here. Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, `Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, `Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (NIV) The way a person treats these evangelists during the Tribulation will reflect whether he is a believer in their message or not, because it will be extremely perilous to help these men who will no doubt be on the Antichrist's most-wanted list. The great lesson I personally learn from this forecast is that God's man or woman is indestructible until God is finished with him or her here on earth! TOP> CONTINUE> Revelation ~ Index Home ~ Index

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