(Part III)
Because I have read the book and there is a war going on for our eternal souls and the BIG BATTLE will be when Satan is here doing his thing and it makes NO sense for God to make sure we put on the full gospel armor to WITHSTAND THE FIERY DARTS OF SATAN if He is just going to FLY US away and leave the battle up to a bunch of people who don't love or care about Him to TEACH THEM A LESSON. How is that going to accomplish GOD saving every last soul He has so long been suffering for?
This war has been going on from the beginning of the fall. God's wrath which is coming is unprecedented. As Jesus said, "It will be a time of tribulation unequaled from the beginning, until now and never to be equaled again.
Revelation 19 Yes but you conviently skipped over the verse right before it that states
Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Revelation 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: FOR HE HATH JUDGED THE GREAT WHORE, WHICH DID CORRUPT THE EARTH WITH HER FORNICATION, AHD HATH AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS SERVANTS at her hand.
How is it possible that you missed this part? Do you just read Revelation like it is written in chronological order? 19:3... And her smoke rose up forever and ever.
I did not conveniently miss it as you assumed. This rejoicing of Rev.19:1-5 is in regards to God's destructive judgment on Babylon the great (Rome and her false religious system). The saints that are mentioned is referring to those great tribulation saints introduced in Rev.7:9-17 which I have told you about. You need to keep in mind that the church is no where mentioned from chapter 4 thru 18. The next time that the church is referred to is as the bride found in Rev.19:6-8. The next time the actual word church is used is found in Rev.22:16 which is outside of the narrative and in the epilog.
REV 17 Will receive power as kings for ONE HOUR, THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION?
The ten horns/kings will receive authority as kings after only being with the beast for one hour, not that they will be kings for only one hour. You can't do much in one hour but go to lunch. These kings which are represented by the ten horns of the red dragon represent those ten kings who will be given authority as kings along with the beast, who will give him their power and authority.
and yes, Jesus is returning to earth, BUT this is THE DAY of Vengeance, the 2nd coming, the 2nd advent, (He has come once before, only once)
The day of vengeance of our God, represents the entire seven years and especially the last 3 1/2 years which Jesus refers to as "the great tribulation." It is called that because it is when the antichrist/beast breaks his seven year covenant, causes the sacrifices and offerings to cease, the abomination is set up in the holy place and when the man of lawlessness, as Paul calls him, will stand in the temple proclaiming himself to be God or anything that is called God or worshiped. The great tribulation is also the time when the beast will be given power over the great tribulation saints to make war and conquer them during that last 42 months, which is that last 3 1/2 years.
The fiery furnace, the Lions Den, Passover, the Red Sea, Noah's Flood, No matter how big or how small, a big group or just one, we walk by faith and we pass through, and when God wants we are "kept" from all harm that would come against us.
Those events "The fiery furnace, the Lions Den, Passover, the Red Sea, Noah's Flood, were not the result of God's wrath, but were the trials and tribulation that the faithful have experienced from the beginning and which Jesus said we would have which come at the hands of men and the powers of darkness. Your error is that you still have not recognized the difference. I would suggest that you go back up and read the results of the seals and trumpet that I posted, as well as the bowl judgments.
GOD has no reason to take away His chosen. The first shall be last.... We stood with God in the 1st earth age against Satan, and we will stand at the last.
Please go an reread the seals and trumpets listed in this post in regards to why God has every reason to remove His chosen.
Revelation starts out writing to the churches WHAT THE Heck FOR? if we are NOT even a part of it. Why are you even reading revelation, got nothing to do with you.
First of all, we there is a blessing promised to those who read the words of this prophecy and those who hear it and take to heart the things that are written in it. Since Revelation describes the coming horrors of God's wrath for those who reject Christ, then God wants us to know about the events of His wrath and all related information so that we can warn unbelievers. We are to warn a Christ rejecting world about consequences of God's coming wrath, as well as dying in that state. The problem is that no body believes, including believers who don't study it.
You see, the world thinks that man is in charge of his destiny and that there is no God. By the multitude of people committing suicide, they believe that once they kill themselves that they will cease to exist. Unfortunately, once they take that last breath they find out that this is not the case, that their spirits are very conscious and aware after the death of the body.
We are supposed telling people about the offer of salvation through faith in Christ, as well as their dead state without Him. We are to read the book of Revelation and tell people about the wrath that is coming upon this earth. You posed the question:
"Revelation starts out writing to the churches WHAT THE Heck FOR? if we are NOT even a part of it?" If believers don't share the information contained in Revelation, then who will? Certainly not the unbelieving world!
Regarding Revelation starts out writing to the churches, the book of Revelation is divide up into three parts, as John was told to write:
What you have seen = Everything written from 1:1 thru 1:19
What is now = Represented by the letters to the churches, which represents the entire church period
What will take place later = Everything that takes place after the "what is now," i.e. after the church period.
That said, we are still living in the "what is now" part of what John was told to write. Once the church has been gathered, the "what is now" will be completed with the "what will take place later" to follow and which includes all of the events of God's wrath and all related information leading up to the Lord's return to the earth to end the age.
Why does He separate them and tell them 7 times HE WHO OVERCOMES, if they are not going to be overcoming ANYTHING. Or do you feel you have just been so persecuted already that you just couldn't take anymore?
The warning to overcome, is in direct relation to their rebukes.
Ephesus = Left their first love, meaning that their faith in Christ had turned into cold religious orthodoxy. The command is to repent, i.e. overcome that.
Smyrna = Continue to persevere even though they were poor materially and even though Satan was going to have some thrown into prision for ten days. To overcome, get the victory over.
Pergamum = To continue persevering even though Satan's throne was there. This church also had those who held to the teachings of Balaam who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to eat foods sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. Like their were those in this church who held to the teachings of the Nicolaitans who taught the same thing. The warning by the Lord is to repent and overcome these things. The message to all believers is to overcome sexual immorality.
Thyatira = They had a woman who calls herself a prophetess who was also teaching that church to eat foods sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality. The Lord's rebuke is to repent and overcome these and that goes for all believers in regards to sexual immorality.
Sardis = The Lord had no commendations for this church. They were sleeping and what little faith they had was about to die. His command to remember what they had received and heard is referring to the gospel i.e. not living by it and therefore living according to the world. The Lord's command is to repent and overcome their faithless condition.
I think that you get the gist of what the Lord is referring to by overcoming, that is, getting the victory over. These rebukes are for the entire church. In other words, if the shoe fits, then repent and overcome. Basically, regarding anything that is impeding between a believer and God, we need to recognize it and get the victory over.
I hope that you will take this information, apply it and benefit from it, instead of fighting against the truth.
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