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Revelation 2.1-7 part IV
January 22nd 2017
Meat
Okie dokie we are in the midst of working through 17 promises Jesus gives to those in the Seven Churches if they overcome and have ears to hear.
About midway through his promise making Jesus adds another caveat to overcoming and hearing and says,
“and he who keepeth my word to the end.”
Before we get to overwhelmed with what seems like a lot of demands overcoming, ears to hear and keeping His words till the end are really closely related (if not synonymous).
In other words, he or she who believe and love as He gave command.
Last week we covered the following six promises where Jesus said:
“I will give to eat of the tree of life, (which is in the midst of the paradise of God).”1 (Ephesus)
They “shall not be hurt of the second death.” 2 (Smyrna)
“I will give to eat of the hidden manna,”3 (Pergamos)
“and I will give him a white stone,” “and in the stone a new name written,”“which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”4-6
(Pergamos)
It is at this point that Jesus, to the Church at Thyatira, reiterates the point that these things will be given to them that “overcometh” and hear but adds:
(and keepeth my works unto the end)
This brings us to promise number seven given to the believers at Thyatira:
Then the Seventh Promise is
“to him will I give power over the nations”
This passage has been used for Kingdom Now proponets and post-millenials as evidence that the Saints, with Christ, will have power over earthly nations and kingdoms.
In my estimation this is a stretch and my view is supported by the Greek. Let me explain.
The word for power – as in the supernatural ability to perform acts – even superhuman acts – is dunamis – its where we get the English word, Dynamo and dynamite.
Interestingingly the term for power here is not dunamis but is “exoosia” which best means authority.
That might sound like splitting hairs but it means more when we consider the next term, “nations” because power over the nations is very political sounding, but the term translated Nations here is ethnos, and better means, “tribes” (as in Twelve Tribes).
Therefore Jesus tells them that He will give those who overcome authority over the tribes – and this makes so much sense when we consider that the twelve tribes were promised salvation and rescuing from God but the Gentiles and Jews combined who overcome, hear, and do the works of Jesus to the end would have authority ever over them.
Now, promises of reigning have been given to believers in the New Testament at different places. Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 19:28
“Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
I have a hard time believing that today can take these words of Jesus to His Twelve and assign them to ourselves – He said it to them so this promise is not to all people.
How long will this judging of the twelve tribes go on, anyway? Since in Christ there is no difference between Jew and Greek this judgment bestowed on the disciples must be over.
But we can easily see the words here in Revelation having application in that all who come to Him by faith – male female, bond free, will have privilege over the tribes. That makes sense.
Then we note that Paul said to the believers at Corinth in 1st Corinthians 6:2
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
To judge is a matter of authority. So we have a decision to make relative to what Jesus says here in Revelation.
Were these words ONLY to the Saints then or will it have application to Saints in the future.
In other words will believers presently be put a position of authority over the tribes of the Land (in addition to the Tribes of Israel).
It’s quite possible from what we are reading here. And this all many have to do with the heavenly economy where there is a kingdom, there is a wall, there is an entrance, a garden, a temple and residents outside of them all – not to mention what is going on here on earth.
So this promise can be seen with some narrow applications or some really broad application.
One more thing. Paul says that the Saints will judge the angels.
Chronologically this is difficult if we are expecting to do this in the future. Stay with me.
Jesus told His disciples that they would judge the Twelve Tribes of Israel. And Paul said that the Saints shall judge the world and angels.
When will or would these judgments take place? Of course futurists believe that they are going to take place in the future (and haven’t happened yet) and others think the judgments are going to continue go on in a continual basis.
But listen to some passages from Peter and Jude.
2nd Peter 2:4 says:
“For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;”
From this we know that God set the angels aside in hell in chains of darkness as a means to reserve them for judgment.
Then Jude 1:6 says
And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment of the great day.
Now, the judgment of the Great Day, according to scripture, is directly tied to Jesus second advent, or His coming to earth with judgment and justice.
If (or since) the Bible clearly promises that this event was about to occur “quickly” in that day and age, I cannot but help believe that these passages are fulfilled and therefore have no bearing on us in any literal application.
However, I am able to see how believers today can be blessed with some authority over the tribes of the earth and may continue to be set in place to angels thje acts of Angels as a joint-heir with Christ.
Having started down this road it is difficult to clearly see application in the next promise given here in Revelation to believers today as it says:
Thyatira
(Number Eight)
“and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; (as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers): even as I received of my Father.”
From what I can tell this reference is to the destruction of Jerusalem under the hand of the Lord when the place will be broken to shivers.
The reference is taken from Psalm 2:7-8 and speaks of the day when judgment would fall on the Nation. There we read
“I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (talking about the Gentiles – then verse 9)
9 Thou shalt break them (those who rejected Him as the only Begotten) with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
So this promise seems to have a specific application to that day and age and I have no idea how it would apply to believers today. To me, as irritating as it might be to say “this applies, this doesn’t and this might,” it makes zero contextual sense to suggest that believers today will “break the House of Israel with a rod of iron,” and/or will “dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel” when this perfectly describes what the Roman’s actually did do to them in 70 AD.
And then number nine Jesus adds:
Thyatira
Number Nine
“And I will give him the morning star.”
First of all, every translation plainly maintains that this is exactly what the Greek says:
“I will give him the morning star.” I point this out because often in scripture there is “play” on phrases based on the Greek which serves to open them up – but not here. The phrase, therefore, cannot read, “and I will make him “a” or “the” morning star,” but instead, “I will give him the morning star.”
I point THIS out as a distinction because we read in Revelation 22:16
“I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
So where Jesus is the Morning Star he promises the faithful that He will give them the Morning Star – so this may refer to Him giving Himself to them (and/or us) or it could refer to the image of the bright planet–Venus–which at some seasons of the year actually leads us into morning, appearing as the darkness passes away and is a heavenly indication that a new morning is arriving.
Because we don’t know the meaning I should just stop here but it seems that we are talking about some sort of brilliant ornament given to those who “overcame” that would resemble either that morning planet Venus in splendor – some say like a gem in a diadem or over a brow or would bear some such relation to him who is called “the Sun of Righteousness.”
Then to Sardis He first promises
Thyatira
Number Ten
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment.”
Throughout scripture white is a symbol of purity. Clothed in white is synonymous with being clothed with righteousness, holiness, and purity.
The Psalmist says (in Psalm 51:7) Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Isaiah 1:18 writes: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
When it comes to raiment – apparel or dress, the practice of wearing all white dates all the way back to the Old Testament.
In second Chronicles 5, we read about the priests coming out of the holy place and waiting for them were Levites all arrayed in white linen – symbolic of purity.
It makes perfect sense that heavenly beings then would be dressed, seen, and represented as white, pure, clean, light and holy.
When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration we read in Matthew 17:
Matthew 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
It only stands to reason then that those who overcome, and are in Holy Heavenly places, would be said to be clothed in white raiment.
What I wonder about is if Jesus promises to clothe those who overcome in white raiment are those who did not overcome that are dressed in plaid or stripes?
Just asking.
White, as a symbol of purity, is used more in the Book of Revelation than any other book. Leviticus uses the term as much but much of it is in reference to white blemishes or spots that ironically come with leprosy, the antithesis to purity.
From this fact we might surmise that Revelation is presenting us with a picture of the end of the age, “the consummation of all God has done in and through His Son” to redeem the world.
So that’s the tenth blessed assurance.
Sardis
Number Eleven is the second part of His promise to Sardis and he says:
“and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life,”
Okay, let’s get into this. And we need to start by asking ourselves a question – Is the name in the Book of Life activity still going on in heaven or is it over?
Since I have been a Christian I have heard that believers want to have their names in the Book of Life and not have them blotted out.
If we maintain the futurist view then we would have to say that yes, the Book of Life activity is still in place. We would also say:
That when people die they are going to heaven or hell, the dark holding tank.
That when Jesus returns He will rapture His church, this will bring about the first Resurrection, and then after a thousand years hell will give up its dead, all that were in it will stand before the Great White throne Judgement and be judged by what is written in the books (including the Book of Life) and those whose names are not found written therein will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever.
Again, from the futurist point of view, we are WAITING on all of this to happen.
However, if we believe that Jesus has returned and taken (rescued, saved) His church and believers before the destruction of Jerusalem, then . . .
His Second Coming already initiated the Resurrection, He has come and taken His Church and rescued those in jeopardy as promised and within a generation, Hell has been emptied and those in it were judged at the Great White throne and those whose names were not written in the Book of Life were cast into the Lake of Fire.
IF – IF – all this has happened, as I suggest it has, what does that mean to the Book of Life that we are reading about here?
We’ll try and answer this but first let’s talk about the Book of Life.
The phrase “Book of Life” or “Lamb’s book of Life” is found eight times in the Bible – all in the New Testament – seven of those times in Revelation.
The only passage in the New Testament mentioning “the Book of Life” that is NOT in Revelation is found in Philippians 4:3 where Paul says:
Philippians 4:3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life.
So well before Revelation the notion of a Book of Life was alive and well in the faith – at least by Paul – who mentions it here in Philippians.
So, we have to admit that the “book of life” was an actual reality for people of the New Testament and they certainly referred to it (and expected it to be where the writers of holy writ said it would be) at the Great White Throne judgement as explained in Revelation.
However, the idea of having names written in book (and sometimes blotted out) goes all the way back to Old Testament.
Exodus 32:30-33 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
We note that according to these passages names were written in this book (of God’s) and that when people sinned against Him He blotted or erased them out of it.
In one of his many imprecations against his enemies David says at one point in Psalm 69:28
“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.”
The Book of the Living is the same as the Book of Life so here we have an actual reference to it in the Old Testament.
But let’s move forward and enter into Daniel where things start getting more applicable to the book of Revelation.
While we will read about Book of Life seven more times in Revelation I suggest that understanding what it is (and to whom it applies) begins in our understanding of Daniel.
In the first part of chapter twelve we read:
Daniel 12:1 “And at that time . . .”
(What time is Daniel talking about? The time of the end of the Age, at the time when all that God has arranged for the salvation of Man to occur – this is a time scripture calls “the end of the age.”)
And at that time shall Michael (the Archangel) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:
(Do you recognize this description? You might because Jesus uses it in Matthew 24:21 when, describing the end of the Age says, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.“)
What was Jesus describing here? His was answering a question Andrew, James, John and Peter asked Him –
`Tell us, when shall these be? and what is the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?’
And so Jesus, borrowing from the prophetic words of Daniel, describes to them the sign of His coming or return or presence.
Okay, back to Daniel
“And at that time thy people . . . (Who? His people) shall be delivered, every one . . . that . . . shall be found written in the book.
(This sounds like the book had a direct, timely purpose, place and application, doesn’t it? (verse 2)
AND AT THAT TIME, THY PEOPLE . . .AND EVERYONE THAT SHALL BE FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK.
(verse 2 of Daniel 12)
2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
So we are talking about the Resurrection which is tied directly to Jesus return and those that Daniel was writing about rising up to everlasting life or everlasting contempt.
Again, when this would happen? Futurists say we are waiting on it. Preterists say it occurred in 70 AD.
3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
(We have been reading about the fulfillment of some of these words through “Jesus’ 17 promises” given to those “who have ears to hear,” “keep His word to the End” and “overcometh” in the seven churches.)
And then we read in Daniel –
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Now we know that the only time a book is unsealed is in the book of Revelation and so Daniel is told to seal his book up (it was not for that day and age) but in Revelation his Book was to be unsealed (not the book of life but Daniels Revelation) forever.
So we know the contents of Daniels book would be uncovered or revealed to the world in Revelation.
Now this is a MAJOR Old Testament reference to what we are dealing with here – the subject of the Book of Life AND AND AND its application to the “time of the end” AND then to our question, does it have application to us?
It’s very important to your and my understanding of what this beautiful promise means relative to the Book of Life.
So let’s go now and read about the Book of Life in Revelation. Daniel spoke about it way back when but was told to seal his words up – they were for a different age and time – THE TIME OF THE END.
But now the Book is to be unsealed and revealed and as such Jesus is appealing to some of the language of Daniel and says
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
The question we still want answered is does this promise still apply to believers now? Is there a book kept with names written and blotted out?
In other words is there a Book of Life that God is keeping now or was that book specific to those of that day and age?
(beat)
Let’s look at the next passage that talks about “the Book of Life,” in Revelation. It’s Revelation 13:8 but let’s read a little ahead of verse 8 where it says:
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?”
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”
From these passages we gain more insight into “the Book of Life.”
First we learn it has an addendum to its title – “the Book of Life of the lamb.”
Then we see that the names written in it were written from the foundation of the World. This certainly speaks to the foreknowledge of God.
Then there appears to be a segment of the world – “those who worship the beast” where it plainly says that their names are NOT written in the Book of Life of the lamb.
What is interesting about this is it doesn’t even seem to imply that the names were ever written therein.
We have been reading that names are all written in the book and some are blotted out thereafter but in this passage it seems (could be wrong) but it seems those who worship the beast were never included in the book (from the foundation of the world). That adds some new implications, doesn’t it?
Of course, we have to once again ask:
Have these things happened? The “worshipping of the Beast” etc?
And (again) this depends on whether you see them being fulfilled in 70 AD by the Romans and Nero and all of that age OR if you read them as headed toward us in the future.
We will cover these verses in more depth when we get to them. As with the rest of these passages. But for now they are helping us take all that the Bible says about the Lambs Book of Life and consider them.
Then in chapter 17 of Revelation we come upon another set of passages that say things very similar to chapter 13 relative to the Book of Life:
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
This passage confirms to us that NOT all names are written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Period.
A Calvinist would call this determinist predestination I would call it free-will foreknowledge.
Then we begin to get to the end-time passages – whether that end was then or ahead of us is up to debate.
The big one (and most recognizable) is Revelation 20:12 which says –
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
So at this juncture we are talking about a judgement that occurs before the judgment bar of God.
A number “of books” are used to deliver judgment – and the dead “were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
This makes us wonder what books these were (or are). I mean, I wonder if there is (or was) a book called the book of forgiving, or another called the book of praying, or the book of love, or the book of getting cats down from trees –
But there were other books in addition to the Book of Life . . . “and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which was (is) the book of life.”
“and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Again, is this an ongoing process or did this happen at the end of that age and was a specific process applicable only to the people of then – can’t definitively say – but I have my views.
What we can say is this the full context of this passage is this . . .
Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
From all of this it seems we can say that there was (or will be still) a judgment where all people – small and great – will be judged out of the books according to their works BUT . . . BUT IF a name is NOT written in the book of life – apparently no matter what the other books say – that person was (or will be) cast into the Lake of Fire.
Finally, whether speaking just to the people of that age or if this was to us today too, we read the final entry regarding the Book of Life in Revelation 21:27.
The interesting thing about the context of this passage is it includes the one other time in the Book of Revelation where Jesus gives a promise to those that Overcome that is not addressed to the Seven Churches.
This is what it says beginning at verse 1:
1 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
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.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Of course, we will cover the meaning of these passages when we get to them but in my estimation they SEEM to have application to the wrapping up of that age.
I want them to still be in effect today – but I don’t think they are.
Finally, we find a warning to those who mess with the contents of the book of Revelation. It’s found in chapter 22:19 and says:
“And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Now, in the face of all of this, why would I suggest that the Book of Life role is over. It all comes back to Paul’s own description of the end of that age.
Let me read it yet AGAIN! Speaking of the Resurrection Paul says in 1st Corinthians 15 beginning at verse 20:
1st Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end,
Did you hear it clearly? After His coming then cometh the end? End of what? End of that age? End of the dispensation of Jews and law and the apostolic church and maybe, it seems, the end of Book of Life judgements etc.
Why even suggest this? Let’s read on
“when He (Jesus) shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Now, I have to pause here. Many believers suggest that this description could not have occurred because they look around and say,
Obviously He has not put all enemies under His feet, nor has He put dowen all rule and authority and power.
I would say, Oh contraire! I firmly believe He has had the victory over all enemies but this does not mean He doesn’t allow them to exist. They exist – they simply have no power – He has all the power.
But I am admittedly troubled by one aspect of Paul’s description here – where he writes
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Is death, the last enemy, destroyed?
Now when Jesus speaks of death He is almost always talking about spiritual and afterlife death – not physical – physical will always reign among mortals.
But IF the last enemy DEATH is destroyed then wouldn’t his include the second death, which is (or occurs in) the Lake of Fire?
Has He put all all all enemies (including the last enemy which is death) under His feet?
Read the first line of verse 27
27 For he hath put all things under his feet.
2nd Timothy 1:10 support this saying, . . .
“and was made manifest now through the manifestation of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who indeed did abolish death, and did enlighten life and immortality through the good news,
The 1st Corinthians passage continues and adds
“But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted from this description, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
If (or since) Christ has had the victory, and has abolished death, and God is now all in all, does this include what scripture calls the Second Death, which is the Lake of Fire or is that form of death exempted?
More to come.
Q and A
Sardis
