Sunday, January 29, 2012

Revelation 11 - The Two Witnesses (notes)

Revelation 11 - The Two Witnesses

Sequence of Events

  1. The 2nd 3 a half years of the tribulation are mentioned from Rev. 11 to 19.
  2. Chapter 12 is a parenthetical explanation.
  3. Chapter 13 is a description of the two beasts.
  4. Chapter 14 is a parenthetical prophecy.
  5. Chapters 15 & 16 deal with the last woe started by the last trumpet.
  6. Since chapter 12,13 and 14 are parenthetical we can better understand the events of the tribulation if we put 15 right after chapter 11.
  7. Chapter 17 deals with the religion of the whore.
  8. Chapter 18 describes the down fall of the great city of Babylon.
  9. Chapter 19 tells about the advent of Jesus to the earth, bringing the second half of the tribulation period to an end and ushering the Millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ.

During The First

  • Three and half years the antichrist has been at peace with Israel. He helped rebuild the temple for the Jews.
  • In the second half of the tribulation satan is kicked out of heaven and enters the heart of the antichrist.
  • As a result he breaks the seven year treaty in the middle and begins war to wipe out the Jews.

In The Place where the temple stood the Muslims built their own mosque, the Dome of The Rock between A.D. 687 and 691. Believing the sight from which their prophet Mohammed was take up to Heaven. It is the 2nd most holy place in Islam.

During The Six Day War of 1967 Israel captured from Jordan the old part of Jerusalem where the Mosque stands. Today Israel has finished preparations to rebuild the temple and is ready to start any time.

But The Jews who cannot even go near the present Mosque, will start a war with the Muslims when they decide to tear down the Mosque to make room for the new temple. They can not succeed without the help of a Unified Europe.

There Are Two Types of People Among The Jews

  1. Pious people who fervently worship God through Judaism.
  2. But there are also those who ridicule Judaism, denying the existence of God.

In order to separate those two types of people, John measured the temple and the altar and counted the worshippers with a rod like reed. However God tells John to measure the court outside the temple. Some believe that God will only save those who worship inside the temple.

The antichrist has been making preparation for his rule of the world in the first 3 & a half years of the tribulation. Now he will change his shape into a “beast” and for the remaining 3½ years rule with full authority. Then he will break the seven year treaty he had made with Israel and set up his own idol image in the altar of the temple forcing the Jews to worship it. Daniel 9:27 mentions this and so does Jesus in Matthew 24:15-16.

The Two Witnesses

Clothed in sackcloth appear and prophecy for 3½ years. The 144,000 Jews sealed by God on their foreheads to be preachers are seen no more. They have been taken up into Heaven where they praise God. Now it is time for the two witnesses to come and prophesy.

What Will Be Their Message?

  1. That people receive salvation by faith in Jesus Christ through the blood of the cross.
  2. That the antichrist is not the Messiah but a wicked criminal, the son of perdition.
  3. They will bear witness of the imminent judgment of God. How the antichrist will hate these two messengers. He will grind his teeth with vexation, taking revenge by killing them.

Who Are The Two Witnesses?

Some say it is Moses and Elijah or John and Enoch. I don’t know and I don’t pretend to know.

If Anyone

  • Tries to hurt them while they are prophesying “fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.”
  • They have the power to shut the heavens so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

When They Accomplish their prophetic mission the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit fights against them and overcomes them and kills them.

  • Their bodies lie in the street of Jerusalem for three and a half days (symbolic of the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation).
  • The pagans of the earth will rejoice over them and will even give gifts to each other.
  • God resurrects them from the dead.

Now The 7th trumpet is sounded and worship breaks out in Heaven because the judgments of God are righteous and just because God is perfect and when He judges it is always right and just.

Revelation 11 - The Two Witnesses

Revelation 11 - The Two Witnesses this message was given on 1-29-12

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Revelation 10 - The Second Coming of Jesus (notes)

Revelation 10 - The Second Coming of Jesus

Sequence of Events

  1. The rapture of the church.
  2. The tribulation.
  3. The second coming of Jesus Christ.
  4. The 1,000 year reign of Jesus.
  5. The Great white throne judgment.
  6. The New Heavens and New Earth.

The Word Talks About The Rapture Of The Church

1 Corinthians 15:51-53New King James Version (NKJV)51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

The Tribulation

  • Starts as soon as the rapture happens.
  • Starts as soon as the anti-christ takes his place in world history.
  • Is God’s judgment upon those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ.

483 Years

From the time when Artaxerxes gave the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of Jesus Christ. God’s time clock stops when Jesus Christ is rejected. The antichrist will come on the scene and have answers to the problems in the world. He will make a peace treaty with Israel and provide the funding to help rebuild the temple. After 3 1/2 years he will stand in the temple & declare to be god.

In Matthew 24

Jesus gives the book of Revelation in a sermon. The sign of His coming is revealed by the Lord in the following verses in this chapter. He gives warnings not to believe anyone who says I am Christ and of a great deception that will happen in the last days.

Jesus

  • The greatest prophet that ever lived (He is called the prophet) the only one who could see everything because He was God in the flesh.
  • Gave some powerful predictions of His coming in Matthew 24 that are mentioned in Revelation.
  • Said one of the signs that His return is near is the preaching of the Good News to every people group and nation.

A Biblical Principle

  • The Fig Tree is a type of the nation of Israel.
  • Summer is near, or the end of the age, when Israel is reborn. When the Gospel is preached to all nations, when famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and appearing of false christs, all these events will take place right before Jesus returns.
  • That generation will not pass away until all these events take place.

Revelation 10

  • John sees Jesus.
  • John sees a little book the last events of the tribulation.
  • The Lord put his right foot on the sea and the left foot on the land.
  • The foot on the sea is on the sea of humanity.
  • The foot on the earth means the tribulation on the earth.
  • The Lion of The Tribe of Judah roars and the seven thunders sound (its meaning not revealed).
  • The sweetness of taste is the good news of the reign of Christ and the bitterness is the events that are to take place in the last three and a half years of the tribulation.

Revelation 10 - The Second Coming of Jesus

Revelation 10 - The Second Coming of Jesus this message was given on 1-22-12

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Revelation 9 - The Purpose of Judgment (notes)

Revelation 9 - The Purpose of Judgment

Why Revelation Is Important To Look At:

  1. Jesus promised blessings on those who read it, listen to it and obey its commands.
  2. I desire the blessing of the Lord upon Me and upon my family and upon you.

Let us

  • Put aside all the messages, teachings and studies and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us what God is saying to the church in this hour.
  • Be expectant of the greatest revival in history for right before the tribulation or the rapture of the church.

The Fifth Trumpet

  • Locusts from the bottomless pit.
  • A star is an angel in some scriptures and in this portion it must be an angel because he is given a key to the bottomless pit. Some believe that this is no one other than lucifer or satan, who is called morning star in Isaiah 14:12.
  • Then a great volcano erupts which causes dark conditions just like when any great volcano erupts.

There Are Fallen Angels in Chains Until The Time of The End

  • 2 Peter 2: 4 (NIV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment.
  • Jude 1:6 (NIV) And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling these He has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
  • Judgment means when God judges the world in the tribulation.

The Creatures John sees are demonic beings, they look like locusts but they had a sting like a scorpion. We know that one of the characteristics of a locust is that they devour plant life. But these beings are commanded not to harm the grass of any plant life but only people who are not sealed by God.

Look at These Creatures

  • They had a shape like a horse prepared for battle. Their heads had crowns of something like gold and had faces like men. They had long hair like a woman and teeth like a lion. The Iron breastplates and wings like the sound a some type of air craft.
  • They had tails like scorpions who would sting people for five months. They had a commander from the bottomless pit named Apollyon.
  • The purpose of these beings afflicting people is that God is giving them a chance to repent.

A Biblical Principle

  • Where civilization began is important to God. Where a nation which is supposed to fulfill God’s purpose begins and how it is founded is also very critical.
  • Example of the Fertile Crescent, Israel and America.

The Heart of Israel is the temple mount or mount Moriah (in Abraham’s time), Salem, (Jerusalem) during the period of Melchizedek had a sanctuary on mount Moriah, the threshing floor of Araunah that King David bought are all the same places. Where Solomon built the Temple. This is where Jesus will set up His Kingdom when the New Jerusalem lands on the earth. This is also where the last judgment will take place in the tribulation.

Civilization

  • Began in Mesopotamia and will end in the same place when God judges the world. The garden of Eden was there and that is where God will show the world His power, His rule and His dominion.
  • The place is Iraq.
  • This is where we will see the judgment of Almighty God.

Rev. 9

  • Sixth Trumpet: The Angels from the Euphrates 13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
  • There are four angels who will be unleashed upon the earth who will kill 1/3 of mankind in the tribulation.

It Is Possible That Prayer Is Mentioned Here:

In verse 13. The golden altar of incense is where the priest would put incense on the hot coals in the Holy Place. This is symbolic of prayer. Angels go into action as a result of God’s perfect justice. God takes the prayers of the saints and puts them in the temple in Heaven. At the perfect time those prayers will be answered.

Thoughts On Prayer

  • Prayer is the most powerful weapon of the church.
  • Prayer can defeat any enemy, any evil or obstacle that satan puts in front of the church.
  • Prayer is where the action is. When we pray we engage the enemy and things happen in the spiritual realm. Prayer attacks evil. Prayer touches the heart of God for revival. Prayer can change the course of a nation.

John Sees An Army

  • Of 200,000,000 on horses, fire and smoke and brimstone came out of their mouths. Power was in their mouths, and in their tails. Their tails were like serpents who harmed people.
  • The reason for the harm, pain and suffering of man in this time was so people could repent and turn to God.

Revelation 9 - The Purpose of Judgment

Revelation 9 - The Purpose of Judgment this message was given on 1-15-12

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Revelation 8 - The Trumpet Judgments (notes)

Revelation 8 - The Trumpet Judgments

Why Revelation is Important:

  1. Jesus promised blessings on those who read it, listen to it, and obey its commands.
  2. We are living at a period in history when things are accelerating at an alarming speed.
  3. The message of Jesus Christ in Revelation is relevant to the church today.

Let us

  • Put aside all the messages, teachings, and studies and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us what God is saying to the church in this hour.
  • Be expectant of the greatest revival in history right before the tribulation or the rapture of the church.
  • What God says people will be like in the last days:

II Timothy 3:1-5

1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Times of Great Stress

And trouble, hard to deal with, and hard to bear, will be the norm in the last days. Not impossible to deal with but very stressful. As evil becomes more blatant and open people will become immune to evil and will accept it. This will open the door to the spirit of lawlessness to come into society in the last days.

God’s Word

  • Talks about great deception and people becoming more selfish in the last days. This will lead to greater evil and demonic influence on people.
  • Also talks about a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days. The church will experience great miracles, visions and dreams and see a great harvest of people coming into the Kingdom.

Jesus Christ is presented in Revelation as the awesome resurrected Christ, the faithful witness, the first born of the dead, the ruler of the kings of the earth (1:5) the first and the last (1:17). The Living One (1:18), the Son of God (2:18), Holy & True (3:7). The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the beginning of the creation of God (3:14), the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David (5:5), The Lamb (5:6), Faithful & True (19:11), The Word of God (19:13), King of Kings and Lord of Lords (19:16), the Alpha & Omega (22:13), The Bright Morning Star (22:16) and the Lord Jesus. (22:21)

The Book of Revelation:

  • Is a revelation of Jesus Christ. (1:1) Since it comes from Him and centers on Him. It begins with a vision of His glory, wisdom and power and portrays His authority over the entire church. (2:3) He is the Lamb who was slain and declared worthy to open the book of Judgment. (5:1) His righteous wrath is poured out upon the whole earth. (6:18) He will return in power to judge His enemies and reign as the Lord over all. (19:20) He will rule forever over the heavenly city in the presence of all who know Him (21:22)
  • Ends with the promise of Jesus: “And behold I am coming quickly.”

Revelation 8:6-13

6 Then the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to blow their mighty blasts. 7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were thrown down on the earth. One-third of the earth was set on fire, one-third of the trees were burned, and all the green grass was burned 8 Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. One-third of the water in the sea became blood, 9 one-third of all things living in the sea died, and one-third of all the ships on the sea were destroyed. 10 Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from the sky, burning like a torch. It fell on one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star was Bitterness. It made one-third of the water bitter, and many people died from drinking the bitter water. 12 Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and one-third of the sun was struck, and one-third of the moon, and one-third of the stars, and they became dark. And one-third of the day was dark, and also one-third of the night.13 Then I looked, and I heard a single eagle crying loudly as it flew through the air, Terror, terror, terror to all who belong to this world because of what will happen when the last three angels blow their trumpets.

Revelation 8 - The Trumpet Judgments

Revelation 8 - The Trumpet Judgments this message was given on 1-8-12

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Notes on Revelation (notes)

Revelation - Notes

Just As Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of Consummation. In the divine program redemption is brought to completion and the holy name of God is vindicated before all creation.

Although There Are Numerous prophecies in the Epistles, Revelation is the only New Testament book that focuses primarily on prophetic events. Its title means unveiling or disclosure. Thus the book of Revelation is an unveiling of the character and program of God.

John Wrote

  • The book around visions and symbols of the resurrected Christ who alone has the authority to judge the earth, to remake it, and to rule it in righteousness.
  • While on Patmos around 95 AD, God unveiled to John the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and what would soon come to pass.

Views of Interpretation

  1. Symbolic view: Revelation is not predictive of events in the future but symbolic of the cosmic conflict of spiritual principles.
  2. Preterist view: is a symbolic description of the Roman persecution of the church.
  3. Historic View: Approaches the book as an allegorical panorama of the history of the western church from the first century to the second coming of Christ.
  4. Futurist View: acknowledges the obvious, that the first century conflict between Roman power and the church had upon the themes of this book. It also accepts the bulk of Revelation (Chapters 4-22) as an inspired look into the time right before the second coming of Christ.

Jesus Christ is revealed in the book of Revelation like no other book in the Bible. As we prepare to look into the trumpet judgments we will look at a couple of things that are very important before we proceed.

What Will Happen:

  • The world will become progressively more evil before the end of the age while the church becomes more powerful, more pure and more in love with Jesus.
  • The world will become more selfish and more demonized while the church will become more giving & more open to the Holy Spirit.
  • The world will become more superficial while the church becomes more supernatural.

Revelation 8:1-5

1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Some Bible teachers believe that the seventh seal is the beginning of the seven trumpets and the seventh trumpet is the beginning of the first bowl of judgment. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Just As Angles Played a role in history, in the Old Testament God put an angel to guard the Garden of Eden. Angels appeared to Abraham before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Angels will carry out some of the judgments of God during the tribulation.

Angels Also

  • Play a role in our prayer life. When Daniel was fasting and praying in Babylon God gave him a powerful revelation. In Daniel 10 we see how angels help us in spiritual warfare.
  • In Revelation 8 we see how the angel of God present our prayers before the throne of God.
  • Angels take fire from the altar and will hurl it on the earth and the judgments begin as a result.

Notes on Revelation

Notes on Revelation this message was given on 1-1-12