Featured Significance of Revelation’s Blessings

“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein….”

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is a revealing…..a revealing of the then current state of affairs in the professing Christian Church as well as a revealing of the future state of the professing Christian Church.

In fact, the prophecy takes us to the Second Coming of Christ in judgment and even on into eternity.

To be sure, we are not to understand this prophetic book as one which the Lord has determined to keep hidden from the understanding of His people.

To ‘reveal’ is to “make known; disclose; divulge; to lay open to view; display; exhibit.”

On the other hand, to ‘hide’ is to “put or keep out of sight; conceal from the view or notice of others.”

It is true the Gospel is hidden to the lost.

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.
6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Only those elected in Christ before the foundation of the world will God sovereignly command the regenerating light of life to shine in their once darkened hearts and minds to the eternal saving of their souls.

Those whom God has graciously enlightened are blessed.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
…………………….

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

In like manner, those who teach and preach the truths of the Revelation are blessed…..as are those believing who hear with understanding.

To believe the Gospel is to have been blessed by God.

To believe the Revelation is to have been blessed by God.

Though the Revelation is prophecy which the Lord wills to make known to His people, there are three vastly different views as to its meaning.

Now we have a problem.

Since all views are contradictory, they cannot all be correct.

Truth does not contradict itself.

If the three views are all wrong then the Lord has failed to make the prophecy known to His people, an improssible scenario.

If, however, one view is correct – which it must be -- then the other two are incorrect.

Those who hold to the correct view are those who are blessed by God, according to his infallible Word.

Let us now review the three major interpretations of the Revelation.

The Preterist view holds to a past Antichrist, The Roman Emperor Nero, who troubled Christians of that era. Israel of old is Mystery Babylon.

In holding that view, Preterists understand the Christian’s troubles have long been over. In their minds they are now living in a Heaven-like blissful state here on Earth. To quote the prophets Lennon and McCartney, the Preterist world ‘is getting better all the time.’

Futurists look to an unknown Antichrist who will, at any moment, rise to rule the world, establishing a New World Order. He will enter an alleged rebuilt Jewish Temple demanding, upon threat of death, all mankind’s worship.

Fortunately, for true believers, they teach Antichrist will not pose a problem since they will, at any moment, be taken to Heaven out of harm’s way.

Thus, in reality, Futurists, like the Preterists, have nothing much to worry about.

Only those ‘left behind’ will find their lives a living hell.

(It should be mentioned there is a small remnant of Futurists who believe they will go through the ‘Great Tribulation.’ This mindset is also evidenced in the secular world of ‘Doomsday Preppers.’)

And finally, there are the Historicists who believe the Revelation is the history of the Lord’s Church foretold from the days of John until the Second One-Time Visible Coming of Christ in judgment. (Eternity is then also described).

Incorporated into this lengthy prophetic narrative is the rise, reign and ruin of the dynasty of Papal Antichrists who rule the great harlot Church in the name of Christ, preaching a false Gospel while persecuting and murdering the saints of God for centuries.

The ecumenical times in which we live is depicted in the Revelation by the kings of the earth (secular and religious) willingly drinking from the whore’s bloody cup of friendship and fellowship….a very significant sign of the times.

So who is telling the truth?

As Christians we should be interested only in truth, yet someone is lying.

Two of the three are false prophets.

(I purposely omitted the Idealist view of Revelation as I do not consider it nearly as prevalent an interpretation as the previous three mentioned.)

The question arises: What persons or person in the Revelation does the Lord call ‘blessed’?

If we correlate those who are called blessed in the Revelation with those who, in the introduction, are called blessed for understanding the prophecy then we should be able to determine which interpretation of the Revelation is of God and which are not.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The dead are the martyrs – true Christians -- who rejected the Beast and his idols. They refused to take the spiritual mark of damnation.

They were killed because of their unswerving protestation and disobedience to Antichrist’s demands.

The next question arises: Who among the three views of the Revelation died as martyrs?

I find no Preterist martyrs in the pages of past and present Church history.

I find no Futurist martyrs in the pages of past and present Church history.

I do, however, find numerous, incredibly detailed accounts of martyrs throughout past centuries of Church history who held to the Historicist view: The reigning Pope is the Antichrist, His Roman Church Mystery Babylon.

They looked for no other. The prophecy of the Antichrist Beast and his whore had been fulfilled in their lifetime.

I also find centuries of great men of God who, while in recognized positions of leadership in the Christian Church, discerned the truth of the testimony of the martyred saints of God.

They, too, believed the prophecy of the Antichrist Beast and his whore had been fulfilled.

They all understood that until the Day of Christ Jesus the Papal Antichrist will continue in office where he will persist in sending innumerable souls to Hell while exhibiting feigned piety, ever engaging in influence peddling which, if possible, would deceive the very Elect.

The Revelation reveals the mystery of Satan’s greatest deception: a false Christian Church whose headquarters are in Rome; who was responsible for the persecutions and murders of innumerable Christians; whose followers are so plentiful they are like vast oceans in size ; whose influence is worldwide; whose Antichrist dictator calls himself ‘Holy Father’ and ‘The Vicar of Christ’; and who are regarded by both professing believers and unbelievers to be a true Christian Church, their dictator a holy, humble, heroic Christian man of God.

Unbelievers falling for Satan’s deception are one thing.

But professing Christian believers?

We now have a bigger problem.

Matt. 24:24 declares it impossible for the Elect to be deceived.

 

G’day Mate!

Thanks so much for your comments, Trevor.

I couldn’t agree more.

However, in my view, the most important aspect of the Historicist interpretation is the fact that all Historicist interpreters of the Revelation agree as to who are the murderers (false Christians who obey the Pope) and who are the innocent victims (true Christians who would not obey the Pope).

Thus, all agree on the main focus and theme of the book.

They also agree on the outcome…..ultimate victory against the papal Beast and his whore church.

I don’t claim to have infallible understanding of all Scripture in the 66 books of the Bible, yet I have enough understanding as to its main doctrinal points, as well as the teachings of Jesus so that I feel confident Jesus is the Christ and my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

The Revelation is a murder mystery.

In many ways it parallels the mystery of our Lord’s crucifixion.

It was the religious leadership of Israel --- men who claimed to be true worshippers of Jehovah God --- who plotted the death of Jesus, a dissenter who claimed to be the Son of God.

In like manner, it was the Roman Catholic Popes and hierarchy --- men who claimed to be true worshippers of Jesus Christ --- who plotted the death of the dissenting Christians who claimed to be sons of God.

The Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested and put Him through an interrogation process, after which He was falsely accused of blasphemy, found guilty and then handed over to the secular Roman authorities for torture and public execution.

In like manner, the true followers of Christ went through an interrogation process by the Roman Catholic leadership whereby their alleged blasphemous heresies were to be discovered.

Torture was used to insure they ‘tell the truth.’

Once found guilty, the Christians were handed over to the secular authorities for public execution.

The Revelation predicted an ominous future for Christians……one which John could not have imagined….which is why he needed an angel to explain the visions.

A false Roman Christian Church which would carry out persecutions and executions as did Israel and pagan Rome?

Who could have imagined?

Compared to the world in which Christians lived in previous centuries we Christians live a relatively trouble-free, luxurious lifestyle, protected by laws guaranteeing our right to free speech and freedom from religion, if we so wish.

However, should you stand outside a Roman Catholic church here in America warning the people of God’s coming judgment upon their anti-Christian Pope and religion, you will surely find yourself escorted away by the authorities.

Should you preach in your local church that Billy Graham, the most revered and beloved evangelist of our generation, is devoid of the Holy Spirit, calling the Antichrist the most moral man of the 20th century, and therefore doomed to damnation, you will be swiftly excommunicated and shunned.

Today the Papacy, Vatican and Roman Catholic Church are viewed with more than just a tolerant attitude.

They are viewed by the religious and secular world as holy, righteous and Christian, despite its bloody history and current habit of sexually torturing children.

All this despite the infallible Word of God, the united testimony of the Christian martyrs as well as the corroborating testimony of history which declare the very opposite.

Until next time,
Blessings in Christ Jesus to you, my friend!

 

Yes, Trevor. I am a Protestant who protests the abominable Pope, the false harlot Church of Rome, and all her filthy doctrines and practices.

I understand their prophetic fulfillment as the arch-enemy of Christ and His Bride, the Virgin Church.

Not only does the Revelation spell out this great truth, but so do numerous other prophetic Scriptures.

When one examines the etymology of the noun ‘Protestant’ one cannot but see the parallel with that of the ‘two witnesses’ of Rev. 11.

Protestant: one who protests.

Protest: from the Latin, protestari, "declare publicly, testify, protest," from pro- "forth, before" (see pro-) + testari "testify," from testis "witness" (see testament).

A Protestant is a public, protesting witness against Rome's abominations….. and for Jesus Christ and His truth.

The two witnesses of Rev. 11 were/are also public protesters against Rome's abominations and for Christ and His truth.

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

The power compelling them to preach was given by God.

Sackcloth symbolizes the unhappiness of the preachers protesting the appalling spiritual condition of professing Christianity which dominated the world….i.e., the Roman Catholic Church.

The Greek noun for ‘witness’ is the English equivalent of ‘martyr.’

Thus, the two witnesses represent the unbroken chain of witnesses -- dead or alive -- against the Church of Rome from pre-Reformation ages through post-Reformation ages.

Their voice cannot be silenced, even through death.

Their testimonies remain.

The Lord will always raise up new witnesses to replace those who die, whether by natural or unnatural causes.

That consistent witness has not ceased, although in this age of growing apostasy and ecumenism the number of those witnessing against Rome has diminished considerably.

Trevor, are you a Jesus-honoring protesting witness against the Papal Antichrist and His false harlot Church?

 

Yes, Trevor. The subject of Predestination is not appropriate for this particular forum.

There is much useful information found in previous months' debates in the Calvinism/Arminianism forum.

I will say that one of the preeminent sources of contention between the Protestant Reformers and the Church of Rome was regarding the subject of Predestination.

I may be mistaken, but you apparently hold to the Roman Catholic view.

The Reformation view was condemned by the anti-Reformation Council of Trent.

 

I agree. It does appear that there is one final conflagration prophesied which ushers in the coming of Christ when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Satan is a liar, as is his Antichrist Beast, as well as his innumerable false prophets (here signified by one representing many).

Re: false miracles......no other religion claims as many absurd and ludicrous miracles as the RCC. (e.g., the flying house of Loreto; the flying friar of Cupertino; Eucharists and idols which bleed; apparitions of Mary, transubstantiation, etc., etc.)

Christ's coming as a thief has a number of applications.

Certainly we cannot ignore the unexpected nature of His return by many unhappy false Christians whose unrighteousness will be exposed to all.

Full Preterists would seem to fall in that category.

As would the false miracle-working televangelists who dominate religious TV.

 

Hello Trevor:

Thanks for your replies...very informative!

In reading your doctrinal points above I see you are Jehovah's Witness?

If not, what name do you give to your congregation?

Thanks so much for your response.

 

Thank you again, Trevor, for your thoughtful replies.

I can assure you I am no 'Inquisitor' demanding you reveal the names of your fellow believers upon pain of torture or death. <grin>

Although you do hold to many essential doctrines of the Witnesses, you apparently wish to distance yourself from them.

So be it.

Re: the person of Jesus Christ......JWs have found a way to circumvent the clear and profound teaching of John 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (KJV)

The New World Translation reads:

In the beginning was the Word,+ and the Word was with God,+ and the Word was a god.*+ 2 This one was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into existence through him,+ and apart from him not even one thing came into existence https://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/books/john/1/

May I ask which version of John 1 does your congregation use?

If you do use a version other than the NWT how do you explain John's teaching that the Word who was made flesh was always with God, and was, in fact, God?

Indeed:

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The beginnings of the false Church and her Antichrist were stirring, even then.

He was indeed the Son of man. However, He was born sinless by the power of the Holy Spirit. He was not born with the sin nature of fallen Adam imputed to all generations of men.

Moreover, unlike Adam, He was both fully God and fully man (without sin or a sin nature, of course).

Would you kindly explain your teaching on the Godhead?

Thank you so much, Trevor, for the opportunity to dialogue respectfully with you.

 

I am truly sorry to hear of her illness. I do hope her recovery is imminent and total.

Indeed. We are told to Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth…..And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

In the context of the above citations Paul is admonishing Christians to depart from unscriptural teaching. He uses Hymenaeus and Philetus as examples of those not approved…..i.e., false teachers who repented not and thus proved they were not true Christians. (Curiously, the same heresy is believed and preached by ‘Full Preterists’.)

I would like to respectfully explore with you the question of the Deity of Christ.

If it is true, as you say, that Christ was man only, then mainstream evangelical Christianity is in grave error worshipping a mere man as God, which is Idolatry. We should then repent, asking forgiveness for giving a mere man the glory which is due God alone.

On the other hand, if your belief, as sincere as I am sure it is, is in opposition to the clear teaching of Scripture, then it is the duty of both you and your congregation to depart from such evil teaching, slandering the person of Christ by denying His Deity.

How do you explain wisdom personified as a woman and not a man, since you admit wisdom and the Word (who became flesh: the man Jesus) are one and the same?

As I understand your reasoning, allow me to restate John 1 using your definition of ‘the Word.’

1. In the beginning was the personification of the wisdom, reason, plan, thoughts of God the Father.

2. And the personification of the wisdom, reason, plan, thoughts of God the Father was with God the Father.

3. And the personification of the wisdom, reason, plan, thoughts of God the Father was God the Father.

Please know I am not trying to be ‘coy’ by plugging in your definition.

I am merely attempting to follow your reasoning.

I hope you can see the dilemma.

Verse 1 makes sense.

Verse 2 makes no sense. How could it be otherwise but that the wisdom, reason, plan, thoughts of God the Father are with God the Father? Who else would they be with?

Verse 3 also makes no sense. If the personification of the wisdom, reason, plan, thoughts of God the Father is God the Father, then that personification is not just a personification but a real divine eternal Being since God the Father is a real divine eternal Being.

Things equal to the same thing are equal to each other.

Thus, by using your definition verse 3 teaches God the Father is God the Father.

I would respectfully ask you show me where I err in my reasoning using your definition of ‘the Word.’

Further contradictions arise in the fact that you rightfully acknowledge the paternal title of ‘Father’ God in eternity before Jesus Christ was born in time.

Such right thinking helps confirm the scriptural truth that the Word was the divine Son of the Father from eternity.

If I may respectfully ask: Since you do not believe in ‘original sin’ and its imputation to the entire human race, including infants, how then do you explain the death of infants, since the Word clearly states, the wages of sin is death……all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

I can find no Scripture which exempts infants.

Question: Since you believe God the Son did not exist until his birth through Mary, would you then concede Mary to be the Mother of God?

Again, Trevor, I must say it is a pleasure to correspond with you in such a gentlemanly and respectful fashion!

 

Excellent answer. Thank you, DHK!

 

That is good news, indeed. May her strength continue its increase back to full health!

Trevor, the other day it suddenly occurred to me that you were a Christadelphian.

It has been decades since I had contact with some of their literature which is why I neglected to identify your congregation immediately.

I was born in Philadelphia, so I am a Philadelphian. <grin>

In reviewing the history of your fellowship I was reminded that 19th century Englishman, Dr. John Thomas, founded the Christadelphians, having come to the conclusion that the Disciples of Christ (and the whole of mainstream Christianity) did not have a right understanding of the nature of Christ (among other doctrines).

Joseph Smith also had the same view --- all so-called ‘Christian’ denominations were wrong. Joseph Smith was no dummy. Rather than attempt to make his disciples believe he was the genius to discover all denominations wrong, he spun a miraculous tale that told of the appearance of God the Father, (and possibly Jesus, depending on which account he remembered to tell his audience), in the woods when he was but a lad. It was God Almighty who gave Joseph that revelation. Now his story had credence! It also helped that he found those golden plates. <grin>

I read the arguments put forth by Christadelphian apologists re: John 1:1, as well as several other key Scriptures.

Here is the argument against our understanding of John 1:1: “Would John introduce here an idea wholly new to the Bible, diametrically opposed to the account of the previous gospel writers?”

Actually the Holy Spirit in John was not introducing anything new. He was simply revealing a mystery of the Godhead (not the complete mystery, mind you). In particular, he was revealing the relation between God and the Word who was to become a man of flesh.

John purposefully used Genesis 1:1 as the OT model to prove his point.

Genesis 1:1. In the beginning God……(Elohim)

Interestingly, Elohim, is a plural noun, not singular as Christadelphians would have preferred.

John 1: 1. In the beginning was the Word.

By combining these two verses we are to understand John was teaching:

“In the beginning was God (Elohim) the Word.”

John 1:2 introduces the Godhead.

And the Word was with God. (Theos)

Verse 3 reconfirms the Deity of the Word.

And the Word was God. (Theos)

By using simple logic we can draw the following conclusions:

1. It was no accident that John was using the same language of Genesis 1:1.

2. He had to be showing us the direct relationship between Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1, otherwise he had no good reason to style John 1:1 after Genesis 1:1.

3. The Word is not just a personification of the attributes of God, the Word is, was, and always will be true God….true Theos…..a divine, eternal Being.

4. And yet the Word (true Theos) was not alone. The Word (true Theos) was with God (true Theos)…..a divine, eternal Being.

5. John is not teaching that the Word was with Himself.

6. John was teaching two divine, eternal Beings were/are and always will be true God (true Theos).

Here’s something fun to do when interpreting Scripture: Look up the Septuagint Greek Old Testament word usage to see if it correlates with the New Testament Greek usage.

The Septuagint reads Genesis 1:1 as follows:

“In the beginning ‘Theos’…….”

There is a perfect correlation between Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 & 3:

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was Theos.”

John 1:2…Theos the Word was with Theos (the Father).

Trevor, I do understand that this teaching differs considerably from yours.

But please consider this: The Jews also refused to believe the Deity of Christ. But they differed from Christadelphians in that they fully understood that He claimed Deity and made no apology for doing so.

But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God (Theos) was his Father, making himself equal with God. (Theos)

Let's use some more of that wonderful thing called 'logic'.

Jesus = the Word + flesh (man)…. [The Word was made flesh]

The Word = Theos [Proven above]

Therefore: Jesus = Theos + man

Jesus, a man, claimed equality with Theos, again proving:

Jesus = Theos + man

Jesus is fully Theos, a divine, eternal Being and fully man born of a woman, born of flesh and blood.

I will continue this exciting dialogue tomorrow.
In the meantime, Trevor, may the Lord bless you and your family.