Apostolic Church
1. The church before the time in the wilderness for 1260 years
Rev. 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Rev. 12:2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
Rev. 12:3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev. 12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
Rev. 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Rev. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Rev. 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Rev. 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.
OBSERVATIONS:
Rev. 12:1-A symbol of God’s church through the ages
Woman-church Isa. 54:5, 6; 2 Cor. 11:2
Sun-Righteousness Mal. 4:2, Righteousness-Commandments Ps. 119:172
Moon-Faithful witness or testimony Ps. 89:37, Rev. 1:5
Stars-Messengers Dan. 12:3, Gal. 4:14
Twelve- twelve tribes for the Old Testament and twelve disciples for the New Testament
This church believes in the teaching of the righteousness by faith, keeping of the commandments, and stands on the testimony of Jesus. Similar characteristics can be seen in the remnant church. Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev. 12:2-At the time of the birth of Christ, the Jewish people were crying out for a Savior from Roman Power.
Rev. 12:3, 4-Satan attempted to kill Jesus through the King Herod. Matt. 2:1-13.
Rev. 12:5 Compare with Ps. 2:1-9. After the death and the resurrection, Jesus sat down at the right hand of the throne of God in the heavenly sanctuary.
Rev. 12:10 The salvation has been secured on the cross and Satan, the accuser, is cast down.
Rev. 12:12-13 After the death and the resurrection of Jesus, Satan began to persecute God’s people through Roman power.
Wilderness Church
1. The church during the time in the wilderness for 1260 years
Rev. 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Rev. 12:14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Rev. 12:15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
OBSERVATION:
Notice how “a thousand two hundred and threescore days” is same as “a time, times, and half a time” Therefore a time has to be 360 days.
Notice the same expression in Rev. 11:3 “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” Perhaps God wants us to connect between the times of wilderness with the time of two witnesses clothed in sackcloth.
Notice the similar expression in Dan. 7:25 “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.” Dan. 12:7 “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” God wants us to connect between the times of wilderness with the time of the little horn power and the time when He shall gather His people after the time of scattering (1260 persecution).
Therefore if we connect the two witnesses, the little horn power and the woman in the wilderness then we can get the big picture of what took place during 1260 days.
1260 began in 538 AD and ended in 1798.
Therefore, the apostolic church existed before 538 AD and the remnant church came to existence after 1798.
The Remnant Church
1. The church after the time in the wilderness for 1260
Rev. 12:16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Rev. 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
OBSERVATION:
Notice how “the earth” helped the church. Therefore the woman is no longer in the “wilderness” Therefore the time period of the remnant church has to be after 1798.
Notice the two major characteristics of the remnant church; “Keep the commandments of God” and “have the testimony of Jesus Christ”
The Testimony of Jesus
1. What is John’s role in the book of revelation?
Rev. 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev. 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
ANSWER:
Bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
2. What happened to John because he stood for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus?
Rev. 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
ANSWER:
He was exiled to the island of Patmos by Roman Empire.
OBSERVATION:
Notice how John was persecuted by Roman Empire, the dragon at his time. And the dragon will persecute the remnant church in the last time. It is interesting to see how John and the remnant church have the similar characteristics.
The Spirit of Prophecy
1. What is the spirit of prophecy?
Rev. 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
ANSWER:
According to Rev. 12:17, the prophetic gift was to be manifested in the end-time remnant church.
Rev. 19:10 says that the “testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”
But wait. How do we go from here to prove that there will be a prophet or prophets in the last day church?
According to Rev. 19:10, who has the “testimony of Jesus”?
Answer: “Thy fellowservant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus”
Who is or are fellowservant and brethren?
We know that if we read Rev. chapter 19, 18, 17 (if we go backward) then you will see that the one that was speaking to John in Rev. 19:10 is “one of the seven angels” So does this mean that the last day church will have an angel? If so then how will an angel speak to God’s church?
Now let’s compare above concept with Rev. 22:9.
So who are “fellowservant” and “brethren” according to Rev. 22:9?
Answer: “Prophets” and those that “keep the saying of this book” (the true followers of God).
Therefore an angel will speak to God’s church through a prophet or prophets.
Read Rev. 1:1. The revelation of Jesus Christ (or the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 1:2) was given unto Jesus and it was given to an angel and then it was given to “his servant” John (Prophet)
Therefore in order to “have the testimony of Jesus”, there has to be a manifestation of the prophetic gift (a prophet or prophets) in the church.
2. Why the topic of the spirit of prophecy came about in Rev. 19:10?
Rev. 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
ANSWER: The angel was trying to tell John not to worship him because he is only a fellowservant and a brethren that has the testimony of Jesus. Therefore we should not worship the one that has the gift of spirit of prophecy.
3. What was shown to John by that angel in Rev. 17, 18, 19 that made him vow down before him?
Rev. 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters
Rev. 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Rev. 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev. 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
ANSWER:
Rev. 17-The judgment of Babylon
Rev. 18-The final message of mercy and the destruction of Babylon
Rev. 19-The marriage supper of the Lamb
Notice how the scenes of the final result of the great controversy overwhelmed John with great awe and joy.
Is it possible that this contextual understanding of Rev. 19:10 is giving us a clue that the gift of the spirit of prophecy for the remnant church is to help us to proclaim the final message of mercy and to prepare us for the marriage supper of the Lamb?
DISCUSSION:
How important is the Spirit of Prophecy in God’s church today?
How could we promote the Spirit of Prophecy in God’s church today?
No comments:
Post a Comment