|
REFLECTIONS FOR A SUNDAY MORNING
` Write, therefore, what you have seen, the things which are,
and the things which shall be hereafter . . '
Our title of course comes from the Book of Revelation:
" The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show His servants what must shortly come to pass, and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John. "
Over the long centuries since the death and resurrection of Jesus, whenever times of civil unrest, wars, famine, or other great geo-political movements have occurred, within `the Church' there have risen `Prophetic Ministries' which have drawn heavily upon the judgement scenes of `The Revelation given to John'. `Babylon the Whore' has been identified with many nations no longer in existence, to say nothing of positively identifying `the Beast of Revelation 13' with worldly despots long since cold in their graves. In our contemporary times such ministries, always with emotive titles drawn heavily from the Old Testament prophets, have come and gone and we still wait `for what will now take place'. Such times are with us again in these early years of the 21st century and, understandably, within the `Church Prophetic Ministries' these concerns are being heard again, but whether they use Old Testament titles or more modern ones all are used to give identity to their particular concerns. Such ministries do have a genuine concern to warn the Church of what is happening and what it should do - but thus it has always been. These Reflections are a reaction to these occurrences for without a doubt there is much to be concerned about!
Perhaps for the first time in history this concern over events extends beyond the narrow confines of the Nation State in which we live - indeed `Globalisation' is now more than just an abstract word. In these Reflections we are not intending to undertake a chapter-by-chapter exposition of Revelation, for that is freely available from many gifted Bible scholars. Our intention is to provide a structure for this Book, placed within the context of the whole Bible, which speaks its own message. We need not therefore repeat what is already well known concerning these times - indeed we need do no more than remind ourselves of the words of Jesus when speaking to His disciples who were expressing those same concerns:
" Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will
be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginnings
of birth pains. " Matthew 24:7-8
However the overriding assurance that Jesus gave remains the same for His disciples today: `Watch out that no-one deceives you . . . see to it that you are not alarmed'. With that assurance from Jesus Himself we can now turn our Reflections back to His servant, John, `who bore witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ and all the things that He saw'.
The meaning of the title word `Revelation' comes from the Greek word `Apokalupsis' - more familiar to us as the Apocalypse - which has a meaning of `an unveiling or a manifestation'. When used of a person, as in this Book (`the Person of Jesus Christ') it always denotes that the person is visible - as in verse 7 where it says: ` . . and every eye shall see Him'. Therefore these opening words: `The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show His servants . . ' are more than just a good read; they indicate a dramatic manifestation of a visible Person to His servant. Verse 3 tells us that this unveiling is `prophecy' and verse 10 tells us that what John saw and heard was concerning `the Lord's Day' or `the Day of the Lord', referring to what is generally known as the Tribulation. This Lord's Day is not speaking of a `Lordy Day' - some kind of a religious trance - for the inbetween verses (verses 4 through 9) reveal the Glory of Him who is to be unveiled on The Lord's Day . . King of kings and Lord of lords'. `The Day of the Lord' points to future events and it therefore follows that the whole of the Book of Revelation is prophecy concerning events pertaining to that Day. Shadows may well have been seen in past historical events but the full unveiling is for a `Day' yet to come. v3
It is generally accepted that John, while on Patmos, wrote down what he saw, sending it to `the seven churches which are in Asia' in about AD 96. This was some 26 years after the end of the 40 year Probation Period (as recorded in the historical time of `Acts') which ended in AD 70 when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the Jewish population over the then-known world. As is well known by our readers, one of our major concerns relating to understanding Scripture is the sectioning off of the Biblical books by chapter and verse numbering (although we freely admit that this is very beneficial to our Greek-thinking minds in finding the passage we are looking for). Such numbering inevitably cuts across the structure and thrust of the narrative and isolates the `more interesting' parts of the whole. Such a case is in the reading of the Book of Revelation, for it has a structure that speaks an amazing message which is confirmed by the following detailed narrative. So first we take a look at the structure of the Book of Revelation.
The Introduction reveals the Person of the Apocalypse instructing His servant John of `the things which must shortly come to pass'. This Revelation given by God to Jesus Christ is to be sent to His servants in `the seven Churches which are in Asia'. The word `Churches' is in Greek `Ekklesia' denoting people called together from out of the nations of the world into an assembly - into `the Church of the First Born'. The Introduction continues to reveal the Person of the unveiling surrounded by all the Glory of Heaven, and John is told to `write these things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter'. The Introduction concludes with an explanation of `the seven stars which you saw in My Right Hand and the seven golden candlesticks'. The structure of the book then continues in the next two chapters to show the `people of the earth' in Church settings. The next seventeen chapters show alternating visions of `things in Heaven and things on Earth'; seven events in Heaven interspersed with seven visions on earth - thus revealing (seven plus seven) a completeness in this Apocalypse! It also reveals and confirms that this `completeness', seen in the total of fourteen, concerns the Revelation of Jesus Christ - the unveiling, revelation and presentation to earth and Heaven of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, King of kings and Lord of lords. This is confirmed in Matthew chapter 1 with its three groups of fourteen generations, speaking of Jesus Christ, David's Greater Son. For, as is generally well-known, the Hebrew language uses the same symbol for letters and numbers, and so `fourteen' spells out `David', coming from the root word `dodi' meaning `well Beloved'.
The penultimate chapter ends this `unveiling' in the way it began, but now it reveals the `people of the new earth'. As with the Introduction, the Conclusion proclaims: `These sayings are faithful and true, and the LORD God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly be done' (22:6) Thus does the structure of this Revelation (unbroken by man's numbering of chapters and verses) reveals this important message: Its content is not primarily concerned with the Ekklesia, the Church of the First Born - that is, those in the seven Churches written to by John who are called to `read' and `hear' and `keep' the words of the prophecy given by him. The Judgements - seen in the seventeen chapters previously referred to as `things in Heaven and things on the Earth' -are totally related to `The Day of the Lord' or `The Time of Jacob's Trouble' and concern God's people, the people of Israel, and also the nations of the earth. These Judgements culminate in the Coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords to establish His Kingdom, His Presence with His people Israel, as spoken of by Israel's prophets.
Yes, the Ekklesia is mentioned briefly, but is called upon to `read . . hear . . keep the words of this prophecy' in wonder and awe of what a Holy and Righteous God is fulfilling in those Last Days - and the meaning of the word `fulfilling' (to achieve all its objectives) shows Him to be faithful to His Word to His people, Israel. In verses 11-12 of the Introduction we read that this Revelation should be sent to seven Churches (the words `which are in Asia' are an insert which does not appear in the original text) and there are listed seven specific Ekklesias. This is to be taken symbolically in chapters 2 and 3 for we see in verse 12 a `metonymy' . . a change of name without changing the meaning. The Ekklesias are now named as candlesticks, and so the whole concept changes to Jewish Temple imagery, thus turning our thoughts away from the Ekklesia, the Church. With this `turn' we can now look for the reason of chpaters 2 and 3 - which, as we have aleady set out in the Structure, reveals the people of the earth.
`Unto the angel of the church of . . . . .': With the clear understanding that there are angels appointed to oversee the Churches of God, we need to move into the word `Church', seen in all translations of the Bible, whereas the more correct translation here is `synagogue'. Very early in the life of the Ekklesia, newly established in Asia and outside the land of Israel, the word synagogue was dropped in favour of Ekklesia as the `Church' spread over the vast lands of the Roman Empire - this is not merely a pendantic use of words, for the two have entirely different meanings. The word `synagogue' has a meaning of `a calling together' of a people of an already existing body of people, whereas the word `Ekklesia' has a meaning of the `calling out' from the nations of the world of a new body of people This is further seen in the use of the word `of', as in `to the angel of the synagogue of'. The use of the Greek word here is `en' indicating a `continuing in time of something' - that is, the synagogues of Israel continuing in time. However, as can be seen in the Pauline Epistles, the members of the Ekklesia would have been well embedded in the hedonistic, promiscuous world of Greek culture, with their worship of the physical body and the store of knowledge seen in their librarys, whilst the cities themselves were dominated by the temples of the gods of their understanding. They therefore needed to be reminded in the Introduction that they were a new people, neither Jew nor Gentile, the Ekklesia of God, and should heed the warnings (given in chapters 2 and 3) concerning the synagogues of Israel.
There may well have been seven synagogues in those seven named cities, but as we have seen the number `seven', which is continually used in the Book of Revelation, is used to indicate `complete or completeness'. Hence, in chapters 2 and 3 they are denoting the complete journey of Israel from its exodus from slavery; Israel's testing in the Wilderness; Israel's failure in the Wilderness; the days of Israel's kings in the Land; the days of Judah's kings in the Land; Israel's removal from the Land; and finally, the Day of Jacob's Trouble. This identifying of the stages of Israel's journey can be seen in the cities' names: Beginning with Ephesus, with its meaning of `desired', we can see the Betrothal of Israel, a people called out unto God Himself. Working through the following five named cities with their name-meanings we can follow the journey of Israel through the ages, culminating in the seventh city, Laodicea, with its root meaning of `judgement'. This understanding of chapters 2 and 3 can remove the condemnation of the people of the Ekklesia. We are overcomers, through the finished work of Jesus! We are saved by Grace, not by works! Jesus does not stand at the door knocking to be allowed into the lives of the members of the Ekklesia! By His Spirit He indwells all who are baptised into Him!
The `Old Testament Temple' imagery used throughout these two chapters, clearly point to Israel's journey and of the coming Judgement, the words of warning spoken by their prophets and their Messiah. For too long the `Prophetic Ministries and Teachers' in the Ekklesia have had a myoptic (a narrow short-sighted) view, unable therefore to see beyond events in the Nations and the Church of the Western Peninsular of Europe. There is no need to trawl through the history of `Popes and Prelates', pointing out the shortcomings of institutional Churches for this would turn into a very disjointed historical timescale of one's imagination. This Revelation, this Unveiling, is to see the King and His Kingdom, the King of kings and Lord of lords, God's promise to His chosen people Israel. We see all prophecy fulfilled, with judgement falling upon the whole world in order to bring in His Kingdom of Righteousness and the restoration of His Betrothed, Israel, to her place as His Wife.
Now we move on into the alternating `things of Heaven and things of Earth' - the Judgement of a Righteous God bringing all things under the feet of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. There is little need to break into the fourteen visions for an explanation of the narrative for they are self-explanatory, apart from the last couplet concerning `things in Heaven' and the final one concerning `things of Earth'. The first `things in Heaven' concerns the `Marriage of the Lamb': (Chapter 19;1 and 7 New KJV)
" And after these things I heard a great voice of many people in Heaven, saying `Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God . . . . . . for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and the Bride has made herself ready'. "
Once again we must confront the problem of the English fusion of words, which can cause confusion. The Wife of `the marriage of the Lamb' is the Wife of `the LORD our God' as seen prophetically in Psalm 45: (verses 1 and 3 NIV)
" My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the King;
my tongue is the pen of a skilful writer . . . .
Gird Your sword upon Your side, O Mighty One;
clothe Yourself with splendour and majesty . . . "
In this Psalm we read of the marriage of King Hezekiah to his Queen Hephzibah. Set as it is in the Second Book of Psalms (corresponding to the Book of Exodus) it speaks of salvation coming out of judgement - which is the subject of the Book of Revelation. This Psalm, entrusted to `the Chief Musician' is therefore prophetic and is fulfilled in `the Great King and His Queen, Israel'. This is further seen in the fulfillment of the Word of the LORD given through the prophet Jeremiah: (3:14 New KJV)
" `Turn, O backslding children,' says the LORD, `for I am married
to you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and
I will.bring you to Zion'. "
This forthcoming `Marriage of the Lamb' in chapter 19 concerns a Wife - in the Greek the word `gune' is used, denoting that she has become a wife - as we have seen in Jeremiah 3. As we are still in the `judgement coupling' (which does not involve the Church) the `Wife' is confirmed as Israel, who is saved out of the judgements by the Lamb, the Messiah of Israel, for all must come to the Father through the Son and brought to Zion. This is `the Wife who has made herself ready' for the Millenium rule of the King on earth in Jerusalem.
This now gives way to the final fourteenth couplet concerning `the things of the Earth' and the five final judgements: (19:17 and 20:1-15 in part)
" And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice . . . . And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit . . . . And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them . . . . And when the thousand years had expired . . . . And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire. "
This `unveiling', after the opening Introduction, describes `the people of the Earth'; it now closes with describing `the people of the New Earth': (Chapter 21: 1-2 and 9-10)
" And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband . . . . He said, `Come hither, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb's Wife'. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. "
Once again we need to look here at the word `Bride', which in Greek is `numphe' with a meaning of `one who is betrothed'. The marriage will be consummated when the Bride has come down out of heaven, as John saw, `that Great City, holy Jersualem, descending out of heaven from God'. (And here once again we need to see the use of a metonymy, where a change of name `the Bride' becomes `that Great City, the holy Jerusalem' without losing its original meaning of `the Bride'.) The Betrothed is still the believing Israel together with the Gentiles who are grafted into her, but this Israel is of `the Heavenly calling' - as she is called in the Book of Hebrews - those of `the heavenly country and the city with the foundations whose builder and author is God'.
And so the Book of Revelation reaches its Conclusion! Its Introduction opens with `these things which must shortly come to pass'; the Conclusion finishes thus:
" He who testifies to these things says, `Yes, I am coming soon'.
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! "
|
You may E-mail us at: derek@northernstyletrust.com or Telephone (01493) 444494 (UK)
Our Web Address: www.northernstyletrust.com
|
