SESSION 7

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Bible study - 8/19/2020

Shelbia opened with prayer.   She circulated booklets for everyone to share.

She also shared several sayings:

How to stay young?   

-Throw out all non-essential numbers like age, weight, height, and calories.

-Keep only cheerful friends!   Grouchy complainers pull you down.  

-Keep learning - never let the brain idol.  An idol mind is the devils workshop. 

-Laugh long and loud.  

-Tears happen.  Endure, grieve and move on.  

-The only person with us our entire life is ourselves. 

-Don’t put out a mail box on the highway of death and wait in residence for mail.  (Don’t look forward to death - don’t even think about it.)  

-Surround yourself with what you love, whether family, keepsake, plants, whatever.   Have exactly what you want surrounding you.  

-Cherish your health.  Preserve it - if unstable, get help.   Staying healthy physically and spiritually takes work.  

-We don’t drift toward being good - we drift towards being negative. 

-Don’t take a trip to the guilt country.  Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but ...by the moments that take our breath away.

David Jeremiah with Turning Points: “The Beauty of Looking for God.”  

-Everything about our Lord is marvelous.  We should marvel whenever we think of him.  A growing Christian is someone who never looses his marvels. 

-I want to set a table reminding you of how near Jesus is and he is ready to surprise us in our every-day lives.  He made us.   He knows the number of every hair on our head, he made each of us individually with our own set of fingerprints.   He is here with us; and all these things and all His ways are beautiful!

Encouragement:

-Get in Gods word - stay young  and learn something new.   God’s word will help us!

-Shelbia brought a Passion flower to show us.  This is a wild flower that comes up on its own and has medicinal benefit to it.  So beautiful!

How to survive these last days:

II Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

A week or two ago, Shelbia read that John who wrote revelation was a pastor at Ephasis.   I loved that in my book of martyrs I was able to learn more about this:  

-John was distinguished as a prophet and apostle.  

-A divine evangelist and a martyr.  

-He was a brother to James the great.  

-Was a discipline of John the Baptist. 

-Was one of three to whom Christ communicated the most private scriptures of his life.   He was involved in the inner circle.  

-He founded 5 of the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation.  

-He was ordered, bound and sent, to Rome where he was cast into a pot of boiling oil. 

-Not being put the death by this, he was banished to Patmos to labor in the minds there.  

-He was deemed a martyr because he underwent what should have been, an execution (that did not take affect).   -He lived to be nearly 100 years old.  

-He died a natural dead of old age.  

Nero, who was extremely mentally ill, nicely refined cruelty and tried all manner of punishment for his victims:

-He had some people sewed up in animals and had the animals hunted.

-He ordered the city of Rome set on fire (which was done by his officers): 

a-When the city was on fire he went up to the tower of manecs and played on his harp while the city was burning

b-Burned the circus that seated 100,000 spectators. 

c-Burning Rome continued for 9 days. 

John Huss was a bohemian who lived between 1369 & 1415:  

-He was a religious reformer.  

-He started exposing the atrocities of the Catholic Church.   

-There were two people who claimed to be pope at this time 

-Both discredited this; and because John Huss would not renounce Jesus, they burned him at the stake.   As the flesh was burning off his arms, he was shouting ‘Jesus is Lord’.

The chief end of man is to glorify God. 

-This is our main job.  

-The BIble talks about glorifying God.

-We are starting with marveling about God’s nature:  

sunrise, sunset, clouds, beautiful green, out west, Israel is blooming again.  

-When we start thinking about God’s creation, it gives us an upward level to watch this.

Hal Lindsey said we should look forward to heaven more, and thinking about it, since things are the way they are on earth.  People have told Hal that he was so heavenly minded he was no earthly good. 

To glorify someone does not just mean to speak well of them.  

-We glorify God in how we live and praise him.  

-These two elements make up true worship (how we live and how we praise him),  both aspects need to be present.   

-Scripture never speaks of non-christians glorifying God.  

-There is a future time when God promises: 

Romans 14:11

11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

 Philippians 2:11

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

-We know that we are supposed to be glorifying God by how we live and worship, but many will realize too late how wrong their rejection of God was.

Replacement theology is becoming more rampant today 

- “people believe that the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. This is a lie from the devil. They call themselves...Preterist”:

-They don’t believe the rapture will take us out before the 7year tribulation starts or in the1000 year reign. 

-We have a lot of false teaching.

-Preterist believe that most of the Bible (prophecy) has already been fulfilled in Christ.

-They believe the bad things that happened in Revelation happened in Roman times. 

-Hal Lindsey said Preterist is the newest buzzword.

-This refers to the total escatogical event and the second coming of Christ being fulfilled in AD. 

 Amir Tsar Fati - The Last Hour, book. His name in Hebrew means French, says:

-He talked about why God chose his people. 

-We must go back to the reason God created humanity in the first place. 

-17th century, West Minister shorter catechism. 

-Mans chief end is to glorify man and to enjoy him forever!

-There is much deception in the Catholic Church 

-Amir is a saved Jew, from the tribe of Judah.

-His front porch overlooks the valley of Armageddon. 

One of the Vatican’s key strategy’s is to make everyone part of the Catholic Church: 

-Catholic means universal. 

-This effort, cast in the guise of ecumenicism, puts a focus on the beatitudes vs. the Lord. 

-This is a foundation of the one world religion ushered in on the end time. 

-Pope Francis is putting more emphasis on various ways to heaven. 

-Pope Francis has allowed Muslims to pray to Allah in the Vatican.

The Ezekiel 38 war - lines up with the treaty that was signed with United Arab Emerence. Note: There is thought that when the Ezekiel war happens some of the Jews will be inverted to believe in Jesus; and these are where some of the 144,000 will come from. 

Ezekiel 38

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.

7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:

11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:

16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.

19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

-‘The elect’ refers to the Jewish people. 

-The lamb will lie down with the Lion - hasn’t happened yet. 

-We are suppose to have the marriage supper of the lamb during the 7 year tribulation time.

-We need to know what to look out for - we can’t do a lot about it, but we need a defense when we need it. 

-We are put here to share/warn others. 

-We are to be watchmen and watch women. 

-We are to tell others what we know. 

Rev 17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

Revelation 1:9

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.

Additional facts:

-We will look at the 7 churches through a study of David Jeremiah. These letters are for our own personal maturity. 

-The evil happening in our world is because the devil deceives man and man can’t decern right from wrong.

-God can’t look at sin. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. If people don’t accept Jesus, they are going to be judged. 

-A few people will make it through the Tribulation and they will go into the Millenium and repopulate the earth during the MIllenial reign. 

-The fact that we have so much technology in the world helps us believe Revelation. It’s natural for God to be supernatural. 

-John was a first century man who described Revelation in first century terms. It’s amazing how John described things that we have seen today.

-We have to strengthen our faith; and be strong. 

It took Noah 120 years to build the ark: 

-Noah took ridicule during the entire time he was building the ark. 

-People were very evil and laughed at Noah.

-God gave Noah the dimensions for the Ark. 

-Man had not seen rain before, so they didn’t understand what was going to happen even though Noah preached to them. 

-The Ark had 4 floors. The top floor was the living quarters for Noah and his family. 

-It rained 40 days and 40 nights

-Noah and his family were on the water 150 days. 

-The ark was the length of a football field. 

Adrienne Rogers sayings:

-An excuse is just the skin of a reason stuck with a lie.

-On the consequences of sin every kick has a kick back.

-Worry is an insult to God.

The fish symbol stands for: Jesus Christ Son Lord  Savior\

Revelation 1:5-8

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

VERSE #5 AND FROM JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, AND THE FIRST BEGOTTEN OF THE DEAD, AND THE PRINCE OF THE KINGS OF THE EARTH. UNTO HIM THAT LOVED US, AND WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD

Here are the 7 aspects (the way one appears) of Jesus Christ = *#) enumerated in the next couple of verses:

*1)Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness.

*2)The first Begotten of the Dead: Now this is a word that’s often misunderstood. 

 Col 1:15, 18 

15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 

 Rev 3:14 

14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 

 Both of these deal with variations of this strange title of Jesus Christ: “The First Begotten of the Dead”. we think of ‘begotten’ in terms of ‘to procreate’, but its a different word in the Greek (Pro-tot-ok’-os) which means a title of ‘position, honor, and authority. Jesus is the first one that’s raised from the dead and still lives!

 Romans 8:29 says - For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn (first in order) among many brethren. 

 John 1:1-3 which gives us the Divine genealogy of Jesus, expressing it more vividly, showing that He is #1 in rank and honor:

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.

 *3) PRINCE (ruler) OF THE KINGS of EARTH: This is a millennial title. 

 Phil 2:9-11 says:

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Now we know that Jesus has not yet assumed the role described here; but he will; and that is what this Book is all about.

 *4) UNTO HIM THAT LOVED US: This is actually in the present tense and emphasizes His constant attitude toward His own. The book of Revelation should not frighten us because it is a message from the one that loves us! He is in control and has our destiny in His hands. Jesus didn’t love us only when he died on the cross, although He loved us at that time, but He also loves us today; right now, at this very moment!

 *5) WASHED US FROM OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BLOOD: This is not just a symbol. In Exod 17 is the law concerning sacrificing; and in verse 10 of that chapter is embodied the idea that ‘without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.’ 

Exodus 17:

1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

4 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.

10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

That idea is confirmed for us in 

Hebrew 9:22

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Also Peter 1:18&19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The 6th aspect is in verse 6!

VERSE #6: AND HATH MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS UNTIL GOD AND HIS FATHER; TO HIM BE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN. 

-Dominion means supreme authority of control. 

*6) AND HATH MADE US KINGS AND PRIESTS: Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

-Jesus was a prophetic priest - he’s our High Priest.

Rev 5:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Eph 2:1-10

1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Especially verses 5 & 6 express a concept that is hard to get our minds around; and that is that we (who are in Christ) are now seated with Him in the heaven lies. Thats a concept that may elude us right now, because it sure doesn’t feel like it.

 1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

*7) TO HIM BE THE GLORY AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER: You don’t discover it here but as we study the book of Revelation we will discover this Phrase is picked up and expanded on in 

Rev 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

Rev 7:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Jesus Christ is both the subject and the object of this book. He is the mover of all events and all events move toward Him. He is the far-off eternal purpose in everything. All things were not only made by Him, but all things were made for Him. (Col 1:16) This universe exists for Him. (From Thru the Bible by J. Vernon McGee).

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Paul says, in Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

VERSE #7: BEHOLD HE COMETH WITH CLOUDS; AND EVERY EYE SHALL SEE HIM, AND THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM; AND ALL KINDREDS OF THE EARTH SHALL WAIL BECAUSE OF HIM. EVEN SO, AMEN.

 BEHOLD HE COMETH WITH CLOUDS: This is very personal, very physical, and it will take place at His second coming. Although there is a similarity concerning the clouds, this is not the rapture; for it says: ‘every eye shall see Him.’ The emphasis in the book of Revelation is upon His coming to this earth to establish His kingdom. At the time of the Rapture he does not come to earth; but Believers are to be caught up to meet the Lord in the air 

(1 Thessalonians 4:17). If Christ will be coming to earth at that time, there is no point in being caught up in the air. What we see here is His return to Earth as King of Kings! When He comes back He will have a banner that says KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS!

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

AND THEY ALSO WHICH PIERCED HIM: Someone has said, “The Roman’s, not the Jews, were responsible for Jesus’ death.” But that is not what the scriptures say! This is not a reference to the Roman soldiers involved in the crucifixion, but to the Jews who were actually responsible for Christ’s death. The Jewish leaders pushed the Romans into crucifying Jesus!

Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

Acts 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Zechariah 12:10 (one of the passages in the Old Testament that describes the second coming of Jesus) And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. So there is a specific reference to Israel in the last days; or more specifically, the time we are going to be looking at here in Revelation: ‘the time of Jacob’s trouble’. Jeremiah 30:7

Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

VERSE #8: I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING, SAITH THE LORD, WHICH IS, AND WHICH WAS, AND WHICH IS TO COME, THE ALMIGHTY.

I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA: This phrase is probably familiar to us as one of the titles of Jesus Christ 

Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou sees, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

We could put it another way:  “I am the first and the last” 

Isaiah 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.

Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

Isaiah 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

But John goes on: “The beginning and the ending;”  This refers to the eternity of the Son and His immutability, (unchangeableness). Since He is the beginning and the ending, He encompasses all time and eternity. “Saith the Lord” is an affirmation of the deity of Jesus Christ. “Which is, and which was, and which is to come” Here we have the past, present, and future; and Jesus Christ encompasses (encircles) it all. “The Almighty:” Nothing is outside the scope of His power. Not one atom or molecule in the universe is outside His control!