Interpreting Revelations

 

    There are a lot of concepts and thoughts to Revelations.  A person has to understand the Millennial and Tribulation concepts.  It is important to understand because one way or another it will happen.  The Rapture will happen before the tribulation.  God's people will be spared the wrath of God as it is poured out onto the world.  Christians will be spared from Satan's last attempt to defeat Jesus.

    During all of this it is believed that more people will come to Jesus.  They are the people that become Christians that will live for a time in this terrorized world.  Jesus' salvation is the only way to avoid God's wrath.  He delivers us from God's wrath.  He is the only way.

    There are two phases to God's return: the resurrection of the saints and resurrection of judgment.  When Jesus ascends the final time all the new believers will accompany him.  He will come back.  He will defeat Satan.  He will return to Heaven to reign with God and the Holy Spirit.  We need to understand the truth.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10, 5:9-11, & Revelations 2

Sufficient Sacrifice

 

       Jesus is the only sacrifice that is sufficient for you, me, and everyone else.  He is the only atonement that will make each person clean from their sins.  It is our faith that makes us righteous because we choose a personal relationship with Jesus.  You display your gratitude to Jesus by not sinning any more.

    The things is that when you have been enslaved to sin for so long it does not come naturally to stop sinning.  You walk into salvation like a spiritual baby.  All your past sins are removed, but you have to learn how to live righteous and holy..  As you discover sin in your life, you repent and remove it.  Then you deal with all the scars and aftermath from that sin.

    If you are Christian, sin should break your heart.  You have an unique perspective on sin because as you mature in faith, you are able to see it more clearly for what it is.  You are given an exclusive understanding to the cost of sin.

    When you decide that you are going to live life like Jesus, you have to decide to die to the flesh/  When you give up your pride, self-importance, and selfish nature, your spirit is allowed to live.  You are able to hear the Holy Spirit guide you throughout your day.

    Jesus came into this world fully God and fully human.  He held back all he could do as God to live the life of purpose.  He died and then he resurrected as predicted centuries before.  His resurrection completed the sacrifice that is sufficient for all people.  He accomplished everything he set out to do and then he returned home.  When he left this world he was still human, but he was not longer holding back all he could do.  He raised himself back up to Heaven.

Isaiah 2:5-11, 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, Philippians 2:3-11, Hebrew 10:8-10, & 1 Peter 3:18

Sacrificial Servant

 

    Jesus was the sacrificial servant for the world.  He was mutilated, tortured, and mocked for our benefit.  He emptied himself and was silently oppressed, so we can have a guaranteed opportunity for salvation.  He died the worst criminal death of the time when he was innocent, so that we can become innocent.

    Jesus was crucified on a course wooden cross.  It is a horrible and slow way to die.  It was meant to be prolonged torture, but it was still an execution.  He died as any human, but he is also God.  That means that death was unable to keep him.  He allowed it to happen.  He had the authority to end it, but he chose to be obedient to God's design instead.

    Jesus' taught how to be obedient to the point of death.  That is what a servant is called to do sometimes.  She was verbally abused, insulted, lied about, and more.  He showed Christians how to endure.  He went so far to ask God to forgive us for what we put him through.  

    Christians are servants to the world in representation of Jesus.  We have to learn how to accept insults, rumors, and more harsh things to represent God.  We are not to be a door mat, but we are not to lower ourselves to the same standards of those that do not know Jesus.  We are called to be Jesus' servants and representatives.  It is bigger than our ego.

    Jesus could have stopped it at any time in a way that we cannot.  Yet, he endured because it was necessary for our benefit.  Physical bodies will fail, but our souls are eternal.  If Jesus had not become out sacrifice, then there would be no hope for humanity.  

    Jesus showed us how to love God and people.  He took our sins as if they were his own, so that they could be destroyed.  Sin is a big deal.  Do not play it down.  Sin holds serious and eternal consequences.  Sin leads to more than physical death.  It kills any hope for eternal peace.  

    If you are Christian, then it pushes you away from God until you can feel lost.  Once you become a Christian, you still have to repent any sin you discover to stay close to God.  Don't be satisfied to just enter Heaven.  Allow heaven to enter you now, so you can live with an inner peace.

Psalms 53:4-6, 143:7-12, Mark 10:35-45, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 12:14-15, & Philippians 2:1-8

Submission to God

 

        Jesus' life is a display of how to submit to God.  He fulfilled over 300 prophecies.  He came to this world as a servant and taught us what true humility looks like.  He was born a human in humble circumstances.  He lived a valuable and humble life.  He did this to submit to God's will and design, but also because he cared about our great need to have a relationship with God.

    Jesus could have decided he was not going to follow God's design.  He let go of all that he deserved to become hope for all people.  He suffered for us.  We can learn how to suffer and hold onto our hope because he has already cleaned up our mess.  He brought healing, atonement, and hope through his resurrection.

    Jesus' trial, beating, crucifixion was not something he wanted.  He felt the pain just like any human.  The difference is that he knew his purpose and was willing to go through it for our benefit. It was the ultimate act of submission to God.  Jesus was obedient to the point of death, but since he was also God death could not keep him.  

    Jesus' life as the suffering servant was divinely orchestrated by God for that exact moment of time.  All the events around Jesus' death and resurrection are proof.  All the people that were involved and present had a purpose: pilot, Mary, the apostles, soldiers, and the man that helped Jesus carry his cross.  The places held great significance.  That moment in time holds the finger print of God.  

Isaiah 53:10-12, Philippians 2:3-8, James 4:7-10, & 1 Peter 5:5

Creed of Faith

 

    The Apostles Creed was created to be recited or sung.  If there is a rhythm, it is typically easier to remember.  It is the summary statement of faith to be used in churches and personal lives to hold ourselves accountable to God.  The Apostles Creed unites Christians through service.

    Christians look to Jesus to know how to submit and understand sacrifice.  We follow his example and we work to make ourselves humble servants to each other.  We do this because Jesus chose to limit himself to be a confined human to serve our deepest need.  He was God before there was a world or humans.  He is in his full power again.  However, for about 33 years he bound his power to live a human life.  He died and resurrected again to provide a way to God for everyone.

    Jesus is the form of God.  We were made in God's likeness.  That means that Jesus being human does not take anything away from who him being God too.  Jesus came into this world knowing what was his purpose.  He denied himself the full compacity of his powers.  He limited himself for our benefit.

    Jesus was entitled to do anything and everything he wanted to do.  However, he chose to be a humble servant and the last sacrifice out of love for God and us.  He kept God's word to the final promise.  He will keep the promises that have been made that have not been fulfilled.  Christians make a creed of faith because we believe that truth and want to live in obedience too.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Romans 10:5-13, 1 Corinthians 15:3-9, & Philippians 2:3-8

Jesus' Return Part 4

 

        The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) are the most well known books in the New Testament, but possibly the Bible.  They give you a lot of details to what to expect when Jesus returns.  They help you understand Revelations.  

    We know that Jesus will return in his body.  It will be visible and he will be in a sense recognized.  We also know that his return will happen when it is unexpected.  That means if anyone predicts a date, then it is pretty much guaranteed that it will not happen on that date.

    When Jesus returns it will be in his full glory and power.  He will be accompanied by angels and the arch angels will have their predestined messages.  This is when followers of Jesus, that have died while waiting, will resurrect to find what was promised to them.  The unbelievers will resurrect to discover what they denied was actually true and face judgment along with the fallen angels.

    The rapture is believed to happen in two parts.  First comes Jesus with the saints.  The secret truth is known only to his church, but the rapture is imminent.  Second comes the saints with the glorious triumph.  This is an universally recognized event.  This is when it is believed that the millennial will begin for Satan.  The states are separated by the great tribulation.

    One thing we know for sure is that when Jesus returns that it will be to unify his people.  Now if there are two or only one singular event for Jesus' return, then it will be discovered in the right time.  We know that we will resurrect.  We need to know that we resurrect to go to heaven instead of hell.

Matthew 16:24-28, 24:23-30, 25:31-46, Mark 13:32-37, John 5:25-30, Acts 1:9-11, Romans 8:9-11, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, & 2 Timothy 4:1-2

Jesus' Return Part 3

 

    John was told to write the letter that became Revelations to the sever churches of Asia Minor.  Each church represented something good and some things that needed to change before Jesus came.  Every Christians falls into one of these churches because we are not perfect.  We all have things that we need to work on before Jesus returns.

    Jesus is power, strength, and royal.  When He comes back it will not be as a humble servant this time.  It will be in his full glory.  He will no longer hold back his strength or power.  It takes turning to the Holy Spirit to have wisdom to read revelations because the truth is piercing.  God's Word (aka Jesus) is a double edge sword that cuts away the evil from the holy.  It pierces the heart with the truth for a person to decide which way they will go.

    God knows your thoughts and intentions. Jesus understands your hurt and what has been healed.  The Holy Spirit opens your eyes to blessings and curses.  God's voice is powerful.  The Holy Spirit's voice is just as powerful, but comes to people in a manner that they can hear and accept what He is saying.  He makes God's message less overwhelming.

    Jesus is always described in the same way.  God's character never changes, so that means that Jesus never changes either.  In Revelations, John is able to hear God's voice in a dream state.  He describes God's voice as powerful as a trumpet and loud as water rumbling.  It sounds like God's voice shakes you to the core.  

    In heaven, Jesus is always connected with God.  Where the trumpet sounds, Jesus is.  Jesus is always connected to God's presence.  It was such an intense encounter that even though John was in spirit, he still collapsed.  Jesus had to remind John that he had already defeated death, so do not fear. 

    Jesus went on to explain that the seven lampstands represented the seven churches.  God's churches are to be His light in the world, so the imagery of lampstands makes sense.  The seven stars are seven angels.  The number seven is significant.  It is a holy number that represents perfection.  We are not perfect now, but we do represent the perfection of Jesus.  We have the hope of perfection when we go home.

Daniel 7:9-10, Acts 1:9-11, Hebrew 4:12-13, & Revelations 1:9-20