AI Image depicting the open door that Apostle John saw leading to heaven’s throne
Revelation 4
This is a continuation of the revelation series as described by Apostle John while he was held prisoner in the Island of Patmos. In case you missed the earlier post on the seven churches of Asia Minor (Rev 2-3) look it up here. This post covers Revelation 4 and 5.The Lord Jesus had just finished giving John the messages to the seven churches.The next scene John is transported to Heaven where he sees the glory of the LORD and experiences his majestic power and learns of the events that will take place leading to the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ in his divine glory. The rest of the chapters in the book of revelation Chapter 4 to 22 describe what he is permitted to share from his spectacular visit.
“After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.”
This was John’s invitation to heaven and into the Lord’s throne room.The Lord tells him that he would show him what MUST take place. Emphasis on the word “Must” as its inevitable, and is bound to happen at the time of the Father’s choosing. I love how the Lord’s words literally come to life when he speaks.As the Lord spoke visions unfolded ushering John into a new reality and found himself in the very presence of the Most High God, who was seated on his glorious throne.
I was amazed to learn that a rainbow encircled the throne, how often in this 21st century we often forget that the rainbow came from our God and it had a special meaning. In Genesis right after the flood, the Lord revealed to Noah and the people his rainbow by saying;-
“This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:I have set my rainbow in the clouds and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth” Genesis 9:12-13
It is often assumed that the 24 elders could be the 12 apostles of Christ along with the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel making a total of 24. The rumbling sound grabbed my attention. Google describes rumbling as a continuous, low, and heavy rolling noise. The thunder and lightning struck me too, and I realised the Lord’s power is not only audible but visible. All elements respond to his power and glory Halleluyah!
The lamps represent the seven fold Spirit of God as described in Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord”
“In the centre, round the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings.
Day and night they never stop saying:
Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come
“Whenever the living creatures give glory, honour and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.
It is interesting to note here that they were all worshipping the LORD Almighty who sits on the throne in heaven in glory and majesty. The elders lay their crowns before him as a sign of total surrender and reverence. Acknowledging that all glory, honour and power comes from the Lord, the crowns themselves and the thrones that they had received are also from the Lord Almighty. These are true servants of the Lord. It got me thinking, we who are on earth, with little power should have the wisdom and humility of these elders who have thrones in heavenly places, yet they fall down in worship before the Lord Almighty.We should, no, must have the same attitude.
Revelation 5
Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?”But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
The elder here was describing Jesus, as the Lion of Judah the root of David who triumphed on the cross is the only one who is worthy to open the seals.Jesus is also known as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world as described in the Gospel of John 1:29
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”
The Lamb is Christ, that is why it is said that he is both the Lion and the Lamb.It dawned on me that of all the creatures the Lord chose the lamb for its humility and purity.Our Lord submitted to the will of our God and Father even accepting death on a cross, yet he is the Son of the Living God.
Such humility – that the Lord would leave his glorious throne in the presence of God and agree to come on earth, to die for a people, his creation yet most of him do not even acknowledge him but despise him instead. How humble our Lord is, that he died for all nations, even when they did not love him, but his blood is still available for them all -for forgiveness of their sins. The Lord is the perfect example for all creation, he wields all power and authority but is humble, may the Lord help us to learn humility.
“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!”
The millions of angels also joined in the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amazing that our Lord Jesus humbled himself and here God lifted him up and he is worshiped in heaven as one worthy to receive all power,wealth wisdom and strength.
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.“
All creatures worshipped the LORD Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ who are worthy to receive praise,honour, glory and power for ever and ever. Indeed as the word says all creation declares God’s majesty.
Apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus’s sacrifice in the book of Philippians 2:18-11
“he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The return of Christ is inevitable and indeed every knee will bow and tongue confess that he is Lord. How gracious our God is that he reveals what will take place in the end times so that we can be ready. The first step in getting ready is to acknowledge him as Lord and Saviour of your life. If you haven’t done so yet, what are you waiting for?
Map of the seven churches in the book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation chapter 2 marks the start of Christ’s messages to the seven churches as revealed to Apostle John while in the Island of Patmos. He had been exiled there by the Romans for teaching the gospel of Jesus.The Island today is situated in the Aegean sea and is part of Greece.
I would like you to journey with me as I study the book of revelation and share my learnings with you here.Today we shall be looking at the seven churches in Asia minor as described in Revelation 2 and 3.In case you missed the introduction, check it out here The Second Coming Of Christ
Revelation Chapter 2
In this chapter the Lord is instructing John with very detailed messages to four of the seven churches, namely; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum and Thyatira. One of my key learnings these past few weeks was finding a map of these very cities. I realise in my last post I had stated otherwise, hence correcting it here.
These were prominent cities in the province of Asia minor during the time of Apostle John, today their ruins are found in present day Turkey.These letters are pertinent to the church today as we still embody similar characteristics of these ancient churches.
Each of these messages follow a similar structure:
The introduction that highlights a specific attribute of the Lord Jesus
A commendation of what each church is doing right
A warning about an area of weakness that they need to deal with
The reward the church stands to gain, if they heed the warning
Now that we have a clearer understanding of what to expect,let’s dive in!
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write; “These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.” Rev 2:1
This introduction section describes the Lord Jesus when he appeared to John in Rev 1:12-16.John heard a voice behind him and when he turned around saw the Lord among the lampstands with the seven stars in hand.The seven stars are the angels/messengers of the seven churches and the seven lampstands refer to the seven churches namely; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
Ephesus
This got me thinking, The Lord Jesus is always among the churches even today, observing,taking note of their activities and sending his messengers to them.He is always close to us even when we do not see him or hear him. We are never alone.
He says in his word “I will by no means leave you for forsake you” Hebrews 13:5 “The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9
The seven stars in this hand are the angels/messengers of the church. I’m also reminded of the verse that says “…I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”Isaiah 41:1 I realise that for every church the Lord has assigned an angel, I reckon even for every gathering of believers.Please note our priority should not be trying to initiate contact with the angels, rather to seek the Lord, and as we do this, he dispatches them to us with a response, according to his own sovereign will.
The Lord’s’ commendation follows in the passage below
“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.”Rev 2:2-3
Jesus acknowledges their work and perseverance in enduring hardships in his name without growing weary.This indicates that all our works and sacrifices are seen by the Lord and that we shall in our lives surely face hardships.
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Rev 2:4 -6
This is a call for repentance. We have forsaken the Love we had at first. The love for the Lord and the love for his word. Its a call to do the things we did at first. Those activities we did that were driven by pure love. If we fail to repent, Jesus would remove the lampstand – meaning the church would be taken away from its place.I realise that it is a serious offence in the eyes of the Lord to turn our hearts away from him and failing to act in love, our love for him grow cold. Cursed is the one who trusts in a man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD” Jeremiah 17:5
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”Rev 2:7
The tree of life is the same tree in Genesis that was in the middle of the garden along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil Genesis 2:9 After the fall of man,God would not allow Adam and Eve back into the garden to access this tree and set a cherubim to guard the way to it. The Lord Jesus now reveals to John that if the people repent and do the things they did at first and are victorious, they would be granted the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.This means they get to go into the Father’s presence in heaven and second have access to this tree that had been barred from humanity since the fall of man.How cool is that!
Smyrna
“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:“These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.”Rev 2:8
Jesus here reveals himself as the First and the Last, I interpret this as He is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!
To top it all off he Literally died for our sins and Came back to life! Brother Paul felt the same way when he wrote “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” 1 Colossians 15-120
“ I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.” Revelations 2: 9-10
This shows Jesus fully understood their circumstances and encouraged them that they were actually rich.He was also aware of the existence of certain groups who identified themselves as Jews but were lying and in fact doing the works of Satan. The Lord also urges them to remain faithful in the face of persecution even to the point of death!
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” Rev 2:11
Those who held on to The Lord’s words and obeyed would receive life as their victor’s crown and would never face hell but rather eternal life in heaven.
Pergamum
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.” Rev 2:12
This describes Jesus as the one who wields the double edged sword,this sword is the word of God. Paul writes in Hebrews “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:1
This means his words literally judge thoughts and attitudes of the heart and can penetrate into the core of our being.His words can touch even the hardest hearts of man and pull down it’s thick walls and transform one from the inside -like he did with Saul former persecutor of Christians and converted him to Paul, an Apostle of Christ. He still has the power to do this even today. Jesus is also referred to as the word in John’s gospel “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1
The Prophet Jeremiah also confirms the same “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17: 10
“ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Rev 2:13 It seems the devil was worshiped by many in this city, through pagan worship, yet despite this, the people remained faithful and did not renounce Christ even when other believers were put to death. Jesus commended them for their perseverance.
“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” Rev 2:14-16
Balaam was a diviner from Pethor who was once summed by Balak, King of Moab to put a curse on the people. If this doesn’t ring any bell, he is the guy who had a talking donkey. According to this passage,he influenced the King of Moab to have the women of his land entice Israel to sin by inviting them to eat food sacrificed to their gods and commit immorality.The Lord condemns this as it is a form of divination and witchcraft,given that the Nicolaitans are mentioned here as well a, it may be they were involved in the practice of divination.The Lord urges them to repent else he would fight them with his word, meaning he would judge them.
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Rev 2:17
The Manna was what the Lord fed the Israelites during the exodus journey from Egypt to Land of Canaan for 40 years. It fell on the ground every morning like dew, once they had settled it stopped. The Psalmist refers this to angelic food. “Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens;he rained down manna for the people to eat,he gave them the grain of heaven.Human beings ate the bread of angels;” Psalm 78:23-25 It’s amazing the the Lord now will reward the people with this hidden manna for being victorious and following his will, along with a white stone with a new nameThe white stone with a new name written on it is pretty significant. The name must be engraved on the stone, the only other time the Lord engraved something on stone was the tablets of the commandments given to Moses for the people.The white stone itself signifies acquittal from any charges and the new name on it signifies a new identity and role.
Thyatira
“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” Rev 2:18
Our Lord Jesus’ eyes described here reveal his holiness, purity and power. He sees all and knows all and we are to live holy lives in reverence to him and the burnished bronze look of his feet depicts gleaming perfection in all his ways.
“I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” Rev 2:19
The Lord commends them for their diligent service
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.”Rev 2:20 -23
The Lord is rebuking the people for putting up with the witchcraft and occultic behaviour of those false prophets. Teachings that mislead servants of the Lord into sexual immorality and eating foods sacrificed to idols “… but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” 1Cor 10:20 -21
“Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ Rev 2:24
The Lord urges them to continue on in faith by holding to what they have until his return.
“To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”Rev 2:26-29
The reward for doing the Lord’s will , the people would be given authority over nations and rule with Power from the Lord. They would be given the morning star – glory and brilliance.
REVELATION CHAPTER 3
Sardis
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” Rev 3:1
Jesus holds the seven spirits of God.There is a prophecy about Christ in Isaiah 11:2-3 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,the Spirit of counsel and of might,the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. The seven stars in Jesus’ hand are the angels/messengers to the seven churches.Indeed the LORD Jesus upholds these messengers with his righteous right hand.
“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.Rev 3:1b-3
Here the Lord is warning believers against being spiritually dead yet outwardly doing many religious works in a mechanical manner.Whatever we do we are to do it as unto the Lord and not unto man, this may be the reason why their deeds seem unfinished in his sight. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance”Colossians 3:23-24
Further more all our works should glorify the Lord and should be done with the strength that the Lord himself provides.May the lord help us to awake from this slumber. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1Peter :10:11
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”Rev 3:4-6
There is a group who have not soiled their clothes are still pure in the Lord’s sight, they rely on the Lord for his righteousness and are not seeking one of their own.The reward for them is that they will be clothed in white in heaven and will be acknowledged before God and his angels.
Philadelphia
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. Rev 3:7
This represents the Lord’s divine sovereign authority, his plans simply cannot be thwarted. When he speaks and takes action it can never be nullified nor reversed “Yes and from ancient of days I am he.No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act who can reverse it? “ Isaiah 43:13 Even Job testified of this when he said “I know that you can do all things;no purpose of yours can be thwarted” Job 42:2 With this understanding, I’m certain that you will never forget when Jesus opens a door, no one, no body and no thing can shut it!
“I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. Rev 3:8-10
Here the Lord acknowledges their efforts and commends them for keeping his word and not denying his name. He will cause their enemies to fall down at their feet and acknowledge that the Lord has loved them. He will also keep them from the trials and tribulations that would come on the earth.
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev 3:9 -13
The Lord encourages the church to know that he is coming soon and to hold on to what they have – their faith in the Lord Jesus so that no one would take their crown. The word says that is it impossible to please the Lord without faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God “ Hebrews 11:6
Laodecia
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. Rev 3:14
All Promises of God are yes and Amen in Christ “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Cor 20 Jesus is also referred to as Faithful and True “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True” Rev 19:11
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”Rev 3:15-18
The Lord is rebuking the church for being complacent and having a smug attitude. We need to repent of this attitude and decide not to revert to lukewarmness. The church needs to repent and seek the Lord to clothe us with white, adorn us with his gold and put salve for our eyes that we may see clearly and have discernment
“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Rev 3:19-20
The Lord encourages the church that he disciplines out of love, we should therefore be earnest and repent.The Lord is knocking at the door of our hearts , the eating together with the Lord refers to close fellowship. DOes it refer to teh Lord’s banquet in heaven
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 3:21-22
The victorious will sits with the Lord on his throne, a place of honour and victory authority.
Application
You may think that we are light years away from these seven churches. It’s been a sobering realisation that the very issues that plagued the church then are still with us today, now amplified by technology and camouflaged within our diverse cultures. Now more than ever we need to be grounded in the word of the Lord, walk in step with the Holy Spirit and bear fruit of the Spirit to hear what he says and discern the actions to take in accordance to his will. We need to prayerfully review these messages to the seven churches and examine our hearts, our families and communities, heed the warning given, repent whole heartedly and await eager expectation for the return of Christ and for his reward.
“Behold , I am coming soon! My reward is with me” Revelation 22:12
Apostle John’s spiritual encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ
The book of revelation is one many shy away from reading, and others teaching about,yet it is the culmination of the gospel.Christ came the first time to die for our sins, by shedding his blood on the cross. Through his blood we have forgiveness of sins and by believing in him we have the promise of eternal life.
He also promised to return again- this time in glory, as King to judge the living and the dead and to take his church with him to heaven.
No other being goes out of their way to rescue people and to bring them victoriously to eternal life.No other can save like our God does,no other god ever died for his own people and shed all his blood for his creation, only Jesus the Son of God!
God also love us so much that he sent Jesus Chist his only begotten Son to die for us,so that whoever believes in him would have eternal life – Hallelujah!
Over the next few weeks it is my desire to have an indepth study of the book of Revelation and will be delighted to share with you my learnings here.
It is my hope that this will be an encouragement to many and also a valuable resource to help ready the church for the second coming of Christ.
Jesus said “Behold I am coming soon! My reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done.I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, The Beginning and the End”Rev 22:12
We need to be ready.
The best way to do this is to understand what he said about his second coming as well as other biblical prophecies and prepare ourselves accordingly. I don’t know about you but I sure do not want to be left behind when he raptures his people to heaven,nor do I want others to be left behind due to lack of knowledge.
Prophecies about the Second Coming of Christ in the Bible and Tanakh (Jewish Bible)
Prophet Daniel saw visions of Jesus,the Son of Man and prophesied of his return and his everlasting dominion.
“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14
Prophet Isaiah also prophesied about Jesus, as the shoot that will come up from the stump of Jesse.Jesus is a direct descendant of Jesse and King David through his earthly Father Joseph, who hailed from Bethlehem. This genealogy is found in the new testament Matthew 1:616.
Here goes Isaiah’s prophecy
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him……He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,or decide by what he hears with his ears;but with righteousness he will judge the needy,with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.” Isaiah 11:1 & 4-5
“The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light.The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins.I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.“ Isaiah 13:10
Prophet Zechariah too gave a prophecy about the day of the LORD.It depicts the coming of the LORD to fight against nations and to judge the world.
“On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south……..Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” Zechariah 14:4,6-9
Jesus spoke of his second coming in the New testament
Our Lord Jesus even warned us about the signs of the end times – this is captured in the gospels that aligns with the prophecies in the old testament and Tanakh.
“Immediately after the distress of those days“‘the sun will be darkened,and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky,and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24:42- 44
“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven” Luke 21:10
“When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies you will know that its desolation is near.There will be signs in the sun , moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea….At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.When all these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25,27-28
Now that we have a clear understanding that the coming of Jesus Christ as King is a legitimate prophecy,let’s dive into the Book of Revelation.
I will simply be giving summaries and expounding on the respective verses.I would highly recommend that you go through this next section with your new testament bible in hand.Here is an online NIV version of Revelation.
The Book of Revelation Chapter 1
Rev 1: 1-3
This book was written by Apostle John while he was imprisoned on Island of Patmos. Jesus sent his angel to describe to John the details and had him to write it on a scroll.
There is a promise of blessings to those who read this prophecy aloud and to those who take to heart what is written in it.
Rev 1:4-8
This elaborate greeting is from God the Father ( who is ,was and is to come) the seven spirits before his throne and from Jesus Christ his Son. Jesus is also described as faithful,first born from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
This section also emphasises on Christ’s love for us and the freedom he gave us through his blood.He made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father. Hallelujah!
God, the Alpha and Omega who is ,was and is to come describes the eternal immortal nature of the Living God.
The Seven spirits referenced here is the seven fold Spirit of God.Prophet Isaiah spoke about this in Isaiah 11 when speaking about the Spirit of God upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2-3
Rev 9 -19
Messages to the 7 churches
In this section John narrates how while in Patmos(as prisoner) he had a spiritual encounter , heard a voice like a trumpet speaking to him to write on a scroll what he sees and send it to seven named churches.
These refer to characteristics of the global church today, the body of Christ. These do not literally relate to cities or locations on the world map, but rather the behaviour,attitudes and characteristics of believers.
To put it in today’s corporate lingo the messages to the churches are akin to receiving emails from a CEO giving performance review feedback to each group, starting with the positives, then the areas of improvement and the subsequent eternal reward for improved performance.
We should be grateful that the Lord is gracious and compassionate enough to share this with us as he does not want anyone to perish but for all to come to repentance.He has shown us what we need to do to be ready for his return.
Jesus in his glorified state
John gives a vivid description of the Lord Jesus, he was in awe of his presence and even fell at his feet.
“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance” When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angelsof the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.”Rev 1:12- 17
I love that the word describes how Jesus really looks like today, a far contrast of the Jesus who died on the cross.So many people today still “see”Jesus as he was back then and often wrongfully perceive him as helpless and defeated, yet in reality he is the Sovereign King and Saviour. John reveals to us his glorious state as the Alpha and Omega, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, this is the image we should now engrave in our hearts, acknowledging his sacrifice on the cross and longing to see him in his glory when he returns.
AI generated image of Woman caught in adultery rescued from stoning by Jesus Christ
It’s interesting how the character and very nature of Jesus is often overlooked . At times we lose sight of who he really is and fail to appreciate the sacrifices that he made and their significance to all humanity.
You may have heard of this story that I’m about to share with you but I would like you to relook at it from a new perspective – one of really seeking to know Christ.
Woman caught in adultery
The story goes that a woman was caught in the very act of adultery and she was taken to the leaders – the teachers of the law and the Pharisees. You see during that era Jewish customs dictated that any person – man or woman found guilty of adultery was sentenced to death by stoning. The witness or aggrieved party was given priority to throw the first stone.The intention was to ensure that the accused would pay for their sin, a very high price to pay as those leaders ensured that they would not come out of that ordeal alive.
They brought her to Jesus “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. John 8: 4-6 They sought his opinion not that they were lenient on the woman but used this to test Jesus, knowing full well that such a fundamental law was only punishable by death.
This came in the wake of Jesus having delivered another Woman from evil spirits – Mary in Luke 8:2 Jesus knowing their real intention, did not fall for their trap, neither did he respond as they expected. In fact he did something seemingly bizarre.
“But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.” John 8: 6-8
Jesus’ response to the accusers
Let me back up a bit, Jesus had been at the temple courts since dawn that day, people saw him and gathered around him,he sat down to teach them. He was still teaching when the leaders brought in this woman to stand before the group.
It is evident that Jesus had been seated on the ground and he bent over to write there with his finger.The very ground he sat on was his seat,this signifies the mercy seat of God. He straightened up and challenged them “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” and he stooped again and continued writing.
The significance of this is quite mind blowing.The Mercy seat is first described in the old testament in the ark of the covenant, the atonement cover made of pure gold was also referred to as the Mercy seat.It was believed that the LORD himself communicated with Moses from here, it represented his presence among the people of Israel. Exodus 25:10-22
Historically the High priest would sprinkle blood with his finger seven times on the atonement cover/mercy seat signifying making atonement for himself and his house hold as well as the people of Israel.Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, he is the mercy seat of God personified as his blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins of all peoples of the earth.
This is so important in understanding the story of the woman caught in adultery, they brought her to face judgement and brutal punishment, but instead she met Jesus who showed her mercy, spared her life because he was to soon shed his blood for her and others like her around the world. No one ever needs to pay for sins with their own blood for Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice once and for all. When we sin, we need to sincerely confess our sin to Christ and plead the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness for our sins.There is power in the blood of Jesus.
Nowhere else in the bible does it indicate that Jesus bent down to the ground, let alone writing.The only reference we have that would be close to this is when God himself wrote the tablets of the covenant with his finger.He inscribed the commandments on a tablet of stone. Exodus 31:18
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the WOrd was God.He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made;without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind.” John 1:1-4
This essentially means that when God inscribed the stone tablets the commandments Jesus was right there with him for he is the Word!Halleluyah!
Jesus was well aware of the double standards of the leaders, they were living in sin and loved to show off their piety and holiness in eternal acts yet their hearts were far from God. Jesus saw their injustice, they only brought the woman forward for stoning, her partner im crime, the man, was no where to be seen. Yet knowing all this Jesus did not rebuke them harshly, nor did he give any of them menacing looks. He simply challenged them in a calm and controlled voice-” he who is without sin be the first to cast a stone.” At that he stooped again facing downward and went on writing on the ground.No one dared to lift a finger, they walked away , one by one – the eldest left first for they knew they had no right, for they themselves were sinners.
The sin the woman had committed obviously grieved the Lord Jesus more than anyone, as he is the Word of God made flesh and is 100% holy- he had the right and authority to have her and her accusers punished as well.Yet Jesus chose to forgive. This is the very reason that Christ came. “ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
Jesus showed mercy and grace,to all parties;to the woman for her adultery and the leaders for their injustice and duplicity. This grace is available not only for them alone, but all of us who have sinned.
The bible does not explicitly reveal what Jesus actually wrote on the ground that day,however we now use scripture to interpret scripture and rely on the holy Spirt to give understanding.
It could be that he was remembering the time God wrote the commandments. “Thou shall not commit adultery he may have been retracing that on the ground with his finger knowing full well that she was indeed guilty and was to face the death penalty.Yet in his unfailing love and great mercies, he knew that is why he came into the world to redeem people’s lives from the pit to set captives free and reconcile them back to God Almighty. This is why scripture says” Lord ….in wrath remember mercy “ Habakkuk 3:2
Jesus silenced her accusers, showed her mercy and gave her a chance to turn a new leaf and to live a life of purity. The crowd that were advocating from her death and stoning all left.
Jesus said to her “Woman,where are they? Has anyone condemned you?
“No one, sir” she said
“Then neither do I condemn you,”Jesus declared. “Go and leave your life of sin.”
Application today
We should not be too quick to pass judgement on others. None of us is God, no one is holy, we ourselves are sinners and should not try to hide that fact under the guise of self righteousness, falseholiness. We however have all been called to be holy, a feat that we cannot achieve on our own but the Word of God sanctifies us.We ought to rely on the Holy Spirit to help us to be holy.
We should emulate Christ in giving others grace and mercy. “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.”Matt 5:7 Choose grace even in the midst of pain. It really does hurt Jesus when we live in sin, especially since we are made in his image and are welcome to approach his throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in our time of need. Yet we fail to do so and hide away from him. He is ready and willing to forgive if only we renounce sin and repent.
Likewise we should encourage each other to come out of sin and run to Christ. Jesus saves, he rescues and delivers. He rescued that woman centuries ago and is still rescuing more people even today. So why not turn to him and be saved?
Before I begin, I’d like to thank you for checking in today. Honestly, it’s been eons since I last wrote you. So much has changed, life happened that shifted by perspectives and priorities.
This is me now returning to my first love – sharing about Jesus, spreading the message of the gospel and giving hope. Excited to be back here in January 2026 looking forward to sharing more inspirational content and growing together with you.
My first post of the year is about demystifying the gospel, let’s dive in!
“You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” – Jesus Christ,The Messiah.
In a world that is constantly changing its imperative to be anchored.Today’s reality is that we are bombarded with astronomical amounts of information that it’s impossible to consume it all, let alone individually verify tons of data.
We need an unchanging truth that is ever present and eternal to guide us on our journey while on earth and beyond.May I suggest to you the gospel truth as the mainstay.
The Gospel
The Gospel refers to the Good news of Christ Jesus. Why is this news good you may ask? It’s only through Jesus that we experience salvation, forgiveness of sins and eternal life.The gospel speaks of the life of Christ spanning from his birth, his ministry on earth, his death, his burial, and resurrection.
You see, Christ was sent to earth on a mission.
Though being the Son of the living God he left his divinity to come to earth as a baby and live the life of a human being for the sole purpose to die for humanity in order to reconcile them back to our Glorious Father, God Almighty. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of all the world.
By his death on the cross, no other blood sacrifice would ever be required for the forgiveness of sins.The blood of Jesus Christ is pure and holy ( as he had no sin in him) therefore his blood is more powerful than any other sacrificed blood. His life and death were therefore necessary as explained in the Old Testament and New Testament of the Bible.
The Old Testament is full of prophecies pointing to the birth of Christ centuries before he was even born. The New Testament in the Gospels ( Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) documents his birth, life on earth, Ministry and his death and resurrection.The rest of the books in the New Testament expounds on his teachings and how one may live life as a believer of Christ. It also highlights the ministry work continued by his disciples in the early church as well as prophecies of the Return of Jesus Christ as King of Kings to judge the world.
Mystery of the Gospel
The mystery of Christ was not made known before as God had kept this hidden and was revealed to the prophets and the apostles. The mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus as stated in Ephesians 3:6 This Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to the Jews first then to the Gentiles as quoted in Romans 1:16
This implies that the blood of Jesus shed on the cross was not only for forgiveness of sins of Jews alone but the Gentiles too.This means everyone on Earth! ( This includes astronauts hovering in space too!) Salvation is available for all people of all nations of all colours who call on the name of Jesus and believe that he died for them.This is the gospel truth demystified!
The Genesis
Let’s go back to the beginning where it all started back to Genesis (so aptly named) God made humans in his image to rule over the earth and everything in it.The plan was that they were to live eternally in his presence. God made a beautiful garden called Eden where he placed Adam and Eve.They had a wonderful relationship as God visited them IRL severally.This changed however after the fall of man, when they disobeyed God. As they had sinned their close relationship with God was ruined and they could never be in his Holy Glorious presence and secondly their life span was cut short as they would eventually die and not have eternal life.
God made a plan to fix this
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that who ever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16 Jesus himself also said in John 10:10 “ I have come that they may have life and have life abundantly”
It was said of Jesus “Behold the Lamb of God,who takes away the sins of the whole world” John 1:29
This means that God – in his loving nature wanted us to be with him forever and the only way to do that was to send his only Son Jesus Christ to die for humanity and anyone who believed in him would be saved from the second death and be granted forgiveness of sins and eternal life!
God executed the plan
As with all grand plans they take time to come to life and are best executed in phases. In this particular case it has taken centuries to unfold. The key milestones in this grand plan include the following;(PS I created these steps as a summary of my understanding of important events in the bible)
God prepared the world for the coming of the Saviour through biblical prophecies
The birth of Jesus Christ,the Messiah, Our Saviour- born of a virgin in Bethlehem
Jesus begins his ministry – calls disciples and teaches the world about Our Father
Jesus is arrested crucified, died and buried
Jesus resurrects from the dead, meets disciples charges them to make disciples of all nations
Jesus to return to judge the world as King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Prophecies about Jesus that have been fulfilled
The old testament is replete with prophecies concerning Christ and his mission on earth and these are fulfilled in the New Testament in the bible.
The Saviour will be born of a woman- Genesis 3:15 God addressing the Serpent that deceived Eve “I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and here’s; he will crush your head”This points to the Christ who will one day come and born of a woman
Abraham in Christ’s earthly lineage – Genesis 22: 18 God speaking to Abraham “ and through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed” This is fulfilled in Matthew 1:1 that shows the lineage of Jesus connected to Abraham and King David.
David in Jesus’s earthly lineage – 2 Samuel 7:16 Prophet Samuel giving King David a message from God “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever”. Angel Gabriel explained to Mary that her child would the Son of the Most High , he would get the throne David and his kingdom would never end – paraphrased from Luke 1:32-33
The Saviour born of a virgin – Isaiah 7: 14 Prophet Isaiah addressing the house of David“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and you will call him Immanuel(God with us) Mary conceived Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit and name her child Jesus as he would save the people from their sins. Matthew 1:21-23
The suffering for the Saviour – Isaiah 53 Prophet Isaiah speaking about the Messiah’s mission “He poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgresses.For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.” This is fulfilled in the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, He was nailed to cross beside two robbers and bled to death for our sins.Matthew 27: 38 “Two rebels were crucified with him”. “Father forgive them ,for they do not know what they are doing” Luke 23:34. “Christ Jesus who died- more than that, who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Romans 8:34 In his death Jesus was interceding for others even today in heaven he is still doing the same.
Jesus ascended and is seated in heaven on God’s right Psalms 110:1 The LORD says to may Lord “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet” Multiple accounts of disciples seeing him, very literally ascending into the clouds. Matthew 26:64 b”You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One.” Luke 24:51 “While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven” Hebrews 1: 3”He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven”
Select Teachings of Jesus
We are God’s Children “Yet to all who believed in his name he gave the rights to become children of God” John 1:12
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life “I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except by me” John 14:6
Jesus is the Light of the world “ I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” John 8:12
Jesus Christ is Lord “Very truly I tell you before Abraham was born, I am!” John 8:58
Jesus is the Bread of Life “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” John 6:35
The Holy Spirit, our advocate and helper. “If you love me, keep my commands And i will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth”
Resurrection and the Life “I am the resurrection and the life.The one who believes in me will live,even though they die;and who lives by believing in me will never die. John 11:17
Descriptions of Jesus
Faithful and True: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse,whose rider is called Faithful and True” Revelation 19:11
King of Kings and Lord of Lords: “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” Revelation19:16
Alpha & Omega: “ I am the Alpha and the Omega,the First and the Last,The Beginning and the End” Revelation 22:13
Supremacy of the Son of God: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15
Word of God: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:1-5
Deliverer: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” John 8:36
Lamb of God :“Behold,the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
Salvation
Upon hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ the next step is to make a decision. Salvation is exactly that,making the decision to believe in Jesus’ gospel and accepting him as your Lord and Savior. This marks the beginning of a person’s transformation of sanctification and being Christ-like and being led by the Holy Spirit of God. “Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12 “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” Acts 16:30
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”Romans 10:8-13. “All those the Father gives me will come to me,and whoever comes to meI will never drive away” John 6:37
The return of christ
Remember the grand plan I spoke about earlier? Well, most of all those steps have been accomplished and are now between step 5 and 6. Jesus already came and died and rose again. He charged his disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel…” Mark 16:15 Since his resurrection, people have been preaching the good news of Christ and will continue to do so until his return.
He will return to judge the world and carry away to heaven for eternity those who believe in him as Lord and Saviour.Scripture indicates that there will be an end of the age and that heaven and earth will pass away but his words will never pass away.We need to be ready for his return.
“Immediately after the distress of those days“‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”Matthew 24:29- 31
“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy,your old men will dream dreams,your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women,I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth,blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Joel 2:28-32
Conclusion
Jesus is Lord, he is the Saviour of the world, he came to earth to die for our wins. He was buried, resurrected and ascended into heaven where he is constantly interceding for us and preparing a place for us in heaven to be with him forever. He is returning soon to judge the world and conquer evil for good.
The gospel’s purpose is to lead people to Salvation, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour to prepare for his return and be reunited with him and God the Father in heaven for ever and ever. The perfect happy ending of the truest love story.
Honour is defined as having great respect or high regard for someone. To treat with great courtesy and esteem. It’s far much simpler to honor someone that you see with your own eyes, as you can immediately read their reaction through body language even before you get a verbal response.
Imagine how much more intriguing it is to honor one who is not visible to the naked eye, yet sees you and knows you inside out! You can’t get away with faking anything in such a case!
How To Honor The LORD
The Lord our Father is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. Hence when it comes to honoring him, I believe it’s not only in word and deed but also in thought.
Jesus said in Matthew 22 regarding the greatest commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” The mind is the realm that harbors thoughts which are intricately connected to your will and emotions.
To honour the Lord, there needs to be alignment of heart, soul and mind which as a result cause you to take actions that are congruent with the word of God. Any attempts to honour God out of this alignment will be deemed unacceptable and a dishonor to the Most High.
This is the reason why the Lord criticized the people of Jerusalem for they behaved in a pious manner and perhaps even prayed the right words, but only to be seen and heard by men – in the Lord’s eyes it was nothing more than lip service.
“These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” Isaiah 29:13
It is crystal clear that this journey of honour starts from the heart. Your heart needs to be changed, from a heart of stone to a heart of flesh. One that will yield to the Holy Spirit of God and desires to honour the Lord and follow through in word and deed.
In word – by praising the Lord and exalting his name.
In deed –by what you do for God, others and to yourself.
Honor the Lord with your substance – tithes and offerings. Practice hospitality and generosity especially to those who have no means to repay you, and lastly avoid sexual immorality and learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable that pleases the Lord.
“You are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory, honor and power for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelations 4:11
“Honor the Lord with your wealth; with the first fruits of all your crops; your barns will be filled to overflowing and your vats will brim over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:9 -10
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” Proverbs 14:31
“Do you not know that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” 1Corinthians 6:19-20
Honor Your Parents
God places special emphasis on how to treat parents and even gives promises that can be claimed. Honoring parents also encompasses conduct toward them and offerings/gifts given to them.
“Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you” Exodus 20:12
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honour your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” Ephesians 6:1
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and teachers of the law for breaking the Lords commands on honoring parents for the sake of their own traditions. “For God said, “Honor your father and mother”…But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father and mother is ‘devoted to God’ they are not to honor their father and mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your traditions.” Matthew 15:4
Honoring Others
Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is like the first. “To Love your neighbor as yourself.” I’m yet to find a person who loves his right arm and despises the left one, or loves his left ear and despises the other on the right. You are to love yourself and then with that same love apply it to others. This is not to be confused with self-absorbed ‘me, myself and I’ kind of love, but rather a healthy appreciation of who you are in Christ.
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil and cling to good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the LORD. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:9-13
Who Receives Honor?
The word shows how one can receive honor from fellow man; by being humble and kind hearted.
“A kindhearted woman gains honor but ruthless men gain only wealth.” Proverbs 11:16
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, Humility comes before honor” Proverbs 15:33
“Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame, whoever heeds correction is honored” Proverbs 13:18
“The wise inherit honor but fools get only shame” Proverbs 3:35
God Honors His Servants
Scripture tells us that the Lord is wonderfully faithful and also shows honor to his fellow servants.
When King David was settled in his palace he desired to build a house for the Lord, but the All compassionate Father had other plans. In his infinite wisdom and grace, he sent word to David through Prophet Nathan that David’s son would have this noble task done and that the Lord would never take his love away from him as he did his predecessor (Saul). As a reward, the Lord declared that he would establish the kingdom within David’s family lineage and it would remain forever. This prophecy came to pass through his son King Solomon and later through Jesus Christ who is King of Kings and his throne reigns to eternity!
In response to this David went in to the tent and sat before the Lord and said:
“Who am I,LORD God and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, LORD God have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men. What more can David say to you for honoring your servant?” 1 Chronicles 17:16-18
Kind David is one of those who honored The Lord faithfully and the Lord in turn also honored him.
The Lord is Holy and Merciful worthy for all honor, he is also righteous and just and gives honour to his servants who are faithful to his word and honor the Lord.
The world today seems to be losing compassion; people have become cold and heartless. Hence the increase in violence, wars and atrocities against humanity resulting in human suffering, despair and even death.
It seems as though the more time progresses, the more people loose compassion. The cause of this being exposure to toxic environments, traumas, despair and the inability to heal from such. This really got me thinking. If compassion can be lost, then the converse is true.
Compassion can be cultivated
If compassion can be lost, then the converse is true.
The most logical place to start is finding compassion. A Deep source of compassion that is true, unending, infinite, and eternal. This cannot be a human, man-made or artificial as human nature in itself is finite.
Our Creator is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger and abounding in love. His inherent nature is love and holiness. His judgments are just and righteous and He is merciful. His word tells us that He has loved us with an everlasting love. A love that is so deep it is unending, unchanging. That even when we die believing in Him, he provides a way that we may be united with Him in heaven and will dwell in His presence for eternity!
He not only has compassion but He is Love can teach us how to be more compassionate. How you may ask? Through the study of his word and meditation of the Holy Scriptures.
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him” and “Because of the LORD’s great love we aren’t consumed, for his compassions never fail they are new every morning.” Psalms 103:4 and Lamentations 3:22-23
The LORD appeared to us in the past saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord is so compassionate that he also heals our wounds – all types of wounds; physical, psychological, spiritual. Whatever wound you have, bring to the Lord for healing.
“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 30:17
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.” Psalms 103:2-4
Meditate on Compassion
The essence of studying scripture is to discover who God is, his character and attributes. To learn his ways, so that we can relate to our Lord better. To remember all that you have read, you would need to ponder on and meditate on His word for it is truth, and this truth sanctifies us.
The scriptures are awash with stories depicting the LORD’s compassion. Think of these as Compassion in action stories. The most well-known are drawn from the lives of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. They not only share history, but they show the LORD’s compassion in dealing with mankind.
Noah
During the time of Noah the world was full of violence and the Lord decided to put an end to it all. He saved Noah by instructing him to build a wooden ark to protect his family along with all land creatures and birds.
The Lord gave Noah the exact dimensions of what he was to build; this was the first of its kind. Out of his compassion he saved a remnant and one pair of each species of animals. The clean animals however had seven pairs each.
The Lord’s compassion is evident as he sustains them in the ark all during the entire period of the flood (one year).In no instance did we ever hear that the lions and bears decided to gobble up Noah or his family for lunch. “The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all that he has made” Psalms 145:8-9
He brought them out of the ark only when the earth had dried and new vegetation had sprung up. The Lord made a covenant with Noah and all life on earth, that He would never again destroy the earth and all living creatures with water again. He gave his bow in the clouds as a sign of this eternal agreement. The Rainbow.
Abraham
The Lord blessed Abraham and said that he would bless all the peoples of the earth through him and even grant him an heir. At this point, he was aged 75 and was childless. The Lord made a covenant with him and changed his name from Abram, to Abraham meaning the Father of Nations. Twenty five years later, is when Isaac was born.
During Isaac’s childhood the Lord asked him to offer him as a sacrifice in order to test him. Abraham did not hesitate and obeyed. He took Isaac to Mt.Moriah as directed by the Lord, his son pointed out that the wood and fire were present and inquired about the sacrificial lamb, to which Abraham responded “The Lord will provide.”
He prepared the altar and placed his only son ready to sacrifice him when the Lord stopped him. Abraham had passed the test of obedience, the Lord provided a ram. The Lord showed Abraham compassion by blessing him to become the Father of Nations even before he had a single child. The Lord made sure that this prophecy came to pass according to his word. Today, many nations cane still trace their ancestry to him.
Moses
Abrahams’ descendants were later enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. The Lord called Moses to go deliver his people by confronting the Pharaoh.
The LORD showed his people compassion by fulfilling the rest of the promise he had made with Abraham, even though they were not in their best behavior. He lead them out of Egypt in power ,parted the sea for them, fed them for 40 years in the wilderness, went before them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, defeated their enemies before them and got them to the promised land in Canaan. “Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness” Nehemiah 9:19
“For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back.” Isaiah 54:7
Jesus
Jesus came on earth to reveal more to us about the Father and to reconcile us back to the Father by his sacrificial death on the cross. The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Jesus performed miracles and healed the sick and delivered those under demonic oppression. The gospel of Luke tells one of the many miracles he performed. Jesus was teaching and crowds came to him bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and he healed them all. He then called his disciples and said, “I have compassion for these people, they have already been with me for three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry or they will collapse on the way.” Luke 15:32
They only had seven loaves with them and a few small fish. Jesus told the crowd to sit down, he gave thanks for the food, broke them and gave them to his disciples. They all ate and were satisfied, a total four thousand men besides women and children. They even had left overs! Seven basketfuls of broken pieces.
Later a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, during that time the punishment was death by stoning. But Jesus in his merciful compassion did not condemn her. “He told go and sin no more”
He also told parables to teach the people. That parable of the prodigal son depicts the Love and Compassion of God.
He is watching and waiting for us to go back to him, he is ready to received us with open arms and restore us to our rightful place as his children.
The death of Jesus on the cross was the ultimate display of love and compassion. He knew it was the only way for his blood to be shed for the forgiveness of sins and gain access to eternal life. He did not resist but agreed to be the sacrificial Lamb of God. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
Become more compassionate
Now that you have the perfect example of what compassion looks like you can easily emulate that and apply it in your life. You can only give what you have; you can only give what you have experienced. Experiencing the love and compassion of the LORD and receiving it in your heart will enable you to have compassion for others and for yourself.
Jesus taught “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is just like it Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
All this does not come naturally to humans. We need the perfect help. The Holy Spirit of God was sent to us to help and strengthen us.
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control.” Galatians 5:22
Compassion can therefore be cultivated. In summary, in order to become more compassionate;
Learn Compassion from God’s example
Meditate on Compassion from the Holy Bible
Become more compassionate by accepting God’s love and loving God with your all
Love your neighbor as you love yourself
The Holy Spirit of God enables you to bear fruit and have compassion
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