Welcome, again to our program
"Revelation of the Coming King."
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I am Ranko Stefanovic,
Professor of New Testament
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at the Seventh-day
Adventist Theological Seminary,
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Andrews University.
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And I am so thrilled and
excited to be with you here.
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I have here the best audience.
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Actually, you
motivate me really to speak
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and to go much
deeper into the word of God.
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And I'd like also to
express my gratitude to 3ABN
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for making this program possible
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and also all people
who're involved here,
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they are wonderful Christians.
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Actually, when I
will leave this place,
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I'll be so much spiritually,
enriched by coming to know them.
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And one day, we'll
be in God's kingdom
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with no separation anymore.
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We'll not have
to record anything.
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We'll have only one
preacher and one teacher
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and he will teach and preach
to us through all eternity.
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I just want to remind you
of what we already covered.
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So far, we're really
with the introductory remarks
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about the Book of Revelation.
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There is much more to say
but I believe it is enough.
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First we try to understand
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about two central themes
of the Book of Revelation.
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Then we went on
trying to understand
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how the Book of
Revelation was written,
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trying to understand how
to interpret that symbolic,
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very strange
and bizarre language
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of the Book of Revelation.
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But yesterday, we tried to see,
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why different Christians
group are interpreting
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the Book of
Revelation in different way.
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And you see, it's not a result
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of what people try to
understand about the text.
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It's sometimes theological bias
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that people have
within ourselves.
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But we've to love all the people
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and we have to
listen to each other
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and trying to study the
Book of Revelation as it is
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and is what intended
by God to be understood.
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But today I'm very excited
because I'd like to invite you
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that we go into the very-very
text of the Book of Revelation.
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We understood
that Book of Revelation
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actually falls into
three major divisions.
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First three
chapters-- three chapters,
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then chapters 4 to 11
and the last 11 chapters,
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just generally speaking.
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Okay, we did not
mentioned the prologue.
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We did not mention the epilogue.
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The first eight verses
of the Book of Revelation,
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they form the
prologue, but we'll skip it now.
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We stay not in the prologue.
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We're now going to that
first vision of Jesus Christ.
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And the next two presentations
will be actually dealing
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that first major division
of the Book of Revelation
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as we're doing this.
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We'll be dealing with the
text of the Book of Revelation.
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We need a special
wisdom of the Holy Spirit
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and His guidance
and trying to understand
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that deep meaning of the text.
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So I'd like to invite
you here and our viewers
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if we can bow our heads
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and ask God for His
special assistance and help
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in dealing with the text.
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Our heavenly Father,
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thank you so much for giving us
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this Revelation of Jesus Christ.
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Father, we know that we
are dealing with the book
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that's not always
easy to understand.
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But at this moment we're asking
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Your special presence of
the Holy Spirit in our midst.
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We're asking that Holy
Spirit can give us wisdom,
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discernment and understanding
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that we can
understand this text.
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Not in the way how different
people try to understand.
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But Father we want to be sure
that we can understand the text
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in the way that
You intended to be.
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Thank you for Your
presence in our midst
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and we pray all of this
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in the precious name of
our Savior Jesus Christ, amen.
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Before we go into the
text, I'd like to remind you,
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who're here my audience
and also our viewers is,
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that we're not
able to cover everything
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from the Book of Revelation.
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We just want to
get a general picture.
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But you've a great opportunity,
once this program is over
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and each segment is
over that you can go
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and study the Book of Revelation
in the deeper way for yourself
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and get
explanation for many details
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that we're not able to mention
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and to address here
during this presentation
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and you'll need some tools
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and believe me
there're many good tools.
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But I just want to mention
to you one particular tool
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which is actually the companion
of our presentations here.
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It's this commentary titled,
"Revelation of Jesus Christ."
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Actually, you can
see the altar here.
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It's a product of my research--
many years of the research,
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but what you find here is not
simply product of my research.
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I depend on many other people
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who contributed to different
parts of the Book of Revelation.
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And you can find
in this commentary
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what our church
today believes and teaches
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about the Book of Revelation.
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I would like to encourage you
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that you afford and provide
for ourselves a copy of this.
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And once the
presentation is over,
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I'll always mention
the pages that you can go
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and dig much deeper
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into the text of
the Book of Revelation.
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So are you ready for this?
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See the today's presentation--
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if you want to study
more for your yourself.
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It's actually found in
my commentary from page 79.
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But please I am not following
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the order that is
in the commentary.
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You can do it
later for yourself.
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Page 79, and after that
also page from 96 and on.
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It's actually,
the entire chapter.
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Just keep in mind
this is just a tool.
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This is just a
companion to help you
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to dig deeper
into the word of God.
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Now, I'd like to ask you
if you can open your Bibles.
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And let's go back to
Revelation Chapter 1.
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We're dealing with the
first vision of Jesus Christ.
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Actually, it's John's personal
encounter with Jesus Christ.
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So we'll start
reading from verse 9.
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We've left the prologue okay.
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It says, "I John, your
brother and fellow partaker
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in the tribulation and kingdom
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and perseverance
which are in Jesus.
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I was on the
island called Patmos
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because of the word of
God, and the testimony of Jesus.
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I was in spirit
on the Lord's Day.
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And I heard
behind me a loud voice
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like the sound of
a trumpet, saying,
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write in a book what you see,
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and send it to
the seven churches
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that were located in
Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum
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and to Thyatira and to Sardis
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and to
Philadelphia and to Laodicea."
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Let's stop here at this moment
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and after that
we'll go on from the text.
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See John begins.
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Okay, his story by
telling his readers
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and we are one of those readers.
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That actually, he was at
certain point of his life--
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he was on island called Patmos.
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Just a few words about Patmos.
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Patmos was a rocky
island, barren island.
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About 10 miles in length
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and about 6 miles
wide at the widest point.
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When we read the
report of early Christians
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who lived very close to the
time of the Book of Revelation,
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they're all unanimous and
they all agree that Patmos
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at that time of the writing
of the Book of Revelation
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was actually a prison island.
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And I'll use just
one word, one name
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and then everything
will explain, Alcatraz.
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This is actually the
way how they portray Patmos.
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Today modern scholarship
try to challenges this
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and because of
certain problem, okay?
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I'll not now deal
with those problems
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because we know that the
other islands around Patmos
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and we have information
from Greco-Roman sources
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that they were prison islands.
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But we do not
have any information
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from the time of the Book
of Revelation about Patmos.
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But it does not mean that
Patmos could be prison island
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for some short
time and John was there.
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Whatever your view is
but one thing is clear
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that John was there in
tribulation and suffering.
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He makes it very
clear here. Okay.
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We need to actually read
the Christian sources, okay,
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that were written--I
don't know about 40-50-60 years
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after the time of
the Book of Revelation.
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All those Christians
are talking about the John
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who was there in
the real suffering,
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never to be a Roman prisoner.
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It means hard work.
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If you cannot work,
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Romans they found way
to stimulate you to work
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by beating you
with a little food.
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And can you imagine, you find
yourself on the rocky island
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about 100
degrees temperature there
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and you don't have a shoes
you've to work to be there.
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Actually, John was there
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and you know
what the problem is.
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When you find
yourself on a Patmos.
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When you deserve it, then
you've to accept it as a fact.
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But when you are there because
of your faithfulness to God,
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then that's the problem.
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By the way, when
you read the text,
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the text is not telling us
exactly why John was on Patmos.
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You know, John is
telling us he said,
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"I was on Patmos in
tribulation and perseverance
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which were in Jesus
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because of the word of God
and the testimonial of Jesus."
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When you say
because of the word of God,
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what does it mean?
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And biblical
scholars are divided.
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Some people think they say
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that John went to
Patmos to preach the gospel
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and he got into trouble.
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Because Patmos was
about 50 and plus miles
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from Ephesus, okay?
00:11:47.94\00:11:50.27
So they said, John
got into trouble there.
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Actually I disagree with that
because the early Christians,
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they make very clear
that John was arrested
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while he was in Ephesus.
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And he was sent there to Patmos
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as a prisoner there.
00:12:10.85\00:12:12.79
So I accepted this as a fact.
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I trust those
Christians, friends,
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we're not talking
about one witness,
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we're talking about a
great crowd of witnesses.
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They're all unanimous
about what happened to John.
00:12:20.98\00:12:24.73
I would like to
invite you if you can imagine
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about John's
situation there on Patmos.
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He was there because of
his faithfulness to God.
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And dear viewers, I
just want to tell you,
00:12:37.43\00:12:40.82
the great test of our
faith is not when I serve God
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and I'm blessed in everything.
00:12:45.85\00:12:48.25
It's when I'm faithful to God,
eating what God ask me to eat
00:12:48.28\00:12:53.95
and I'll get their council.
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I'm faithful to God supporting
His work and I'm broke.
00:12:57.29\00:13:04.42
I'm so faithful to God and
I've problem with my family.
00:13:04.45\00:13:08.73
This is the real
test of our faith.
00:13:08.76\00:13:10.97
So John was there and
he was in a real suffering.
00:13:11.00\00:13:15.89
But I'd like you
to imagine something.
00:13:15.92\00:13:19.86
This verse that we just
read is very, very lauded.
00:13:19.89\00:13:27.49
John was on Patmos.
00:13:27.52\00:13:29.91
You know, when
you are on an island--
00:13:29.94\00:13:32.85
I just want to illustrate, okay.
00:13:32.88\00:13:35.16
You look there what do you see?
00:13:35.19\00:13:37.97
Water, you see water,
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you see water and
what is behind, it's water.
00:13:41.72\00:13:46.10
I just want to tell you how
God meets people where they are.
00:13:46.13\00:13:52.62
I'd like to invite our viewers
once this program is over.
00:13:52.65\00:13:56.22
If you go little bit to the Book
of Revelation and try to find
00:13:56.25\00:13:59.16
how many times
the word of waters
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or the sea is mentioned
in the Book of Revelation.
00:14:02.93\00:14:07.00
When John wants to portray
00:14:07.03\00:14:08.85
the voice of
Jesus speaking to him.
00:14:08.88\00:14:11.44
It looks to him like
a sound of many waters.
00:14:11.47\00:14:15.50
And many historians, okay,
00:14:15.53\00:14:18.68
in the past history
who traveled to Patmos,
00:14:18.71\00:14:20.82
they would come with
the reports they said.
00:14:20.85\00:14:22.68
When you're there in
Patmos, I didn't noticed it
00:14:22.71\00:14:24.58
because evidently I don't have
00:14:24.61\00:14:25.98
such a sense for
music and melody.
00:14:26.01\00:14:28.09
They said there is no
more melodic sound of waters
00:14:28.12\00:14:33.26
than there round Patmos.
00:14:33.29\00:14:35.94
There're so many islands,
00:14:35.97\00:14:38.49
there is a cluster of
islands around Patmos.
00:14:38.52\00:14:42.89
And when the water goes through,
00:14:42.92\00:14:44.52
it produces a
great melodic sound.
00:14:44.55\00:14:47.14
Of course, then when he
hears the voice of God's people
00:14:47.17\00:14:51.02
before the throne of God,
00:14:51.05\00:14:52.42
it looks like a
sound of many waters.
00:14:52.45\00:14:55.82
But you know, I
was there on Patmos
00:14:55.85\00:14:57.35
when you see it's
such a beautiful scenery.
00:14:57.38\00:14:59.64
No wonder when
John sees that spread,
00:14:59.67\00:15:03.37
the space before
the throne of God.
00:15:03.40\00:15:05.74
It looked to him
like the Sea of Glass.
00:15:05.77\00:15:10.31
There're so many positive
elements of the concept of water
00:15:10.34\00:15:14.05
seen in the Book of
Revelation but then suddenly
00:15:14.08\00:15:16.16
when you read the
Book of Revelation,
00:15:16.19\00:15:19.14
the concept moves
from positive to negative.
00:15:19.17\00:15:24.83
Did you notice that
in the Book of Revelation
00:15:24.86\00:15:28.68
that the water functions so
many times as a negative thing?
00:15:28.71\00:15:32.34
It's out of the sea
that the beast is coming
00:15:32.37\00:15:36.80
to persecute God's people.
00:15:36.83\00:15:38.78
They persecute Babylon
that the apostate power
00:15:38.81\00:15:42.69
that will work and be present
00:15:42.72\00:15:44.77
at the time of the
end sits on many waters.
00:15:44.80\00:15:48.95
Actually, for John
that scenery lost its beauty
00:15:48.98\00:15:52.87
because for him the waters
and the sea meant a separation.
00:15:52.90\00:15:59.37
The call of all trouble making
him to suffer there on Patmos.
00:15:59.40\00:16:05.19
You don't know what is worse.
00:16:05.22\00:16:07.00
During the
summertime or the wintertime
00:16:07.03\00:16:09.74
to be
surrounded by those waters.
00:16:09.77\00:16:13.39
Now, I'd like to
invite you to something
00:16:13.42\00:16:15.02
and this is the
beautiful message
00:16:15.05\00:16:16.65
of the Book of Revelation.
00:16:16.68\00:16:18.49
When you go to
the end of the book,
00:16:18.52\00:16:21.61
John suddenly
in the last vision,
00:16:21.64\00:16:23.59
you know the last
vision begins with chapter 20?
00:16:23.62\00:16:26.37
And John looks
there and he said,
00:16:26.40\00:16:28.52
"Behold then new heaven."
00:16:28.55\00:16:32.50
Evidently, it's all
atmosphere, okay, the sky,
00:16:32.53\00:16:35.06
new heaven and the new earth.
00:16:35.09\00:16:39.88
And what is the first thing
00:16:39.91\00:16:42.65
that John cannot see
there on the new earth.
00:16:42.68\00:16:46.01
Please, so many times we're
misled by Bible translations.
00:16:46.04\00:16:50.33
If you read, your
translation it says,
00:16:50.36\00:16:52.27
and no there is no any scene.
00:16:52.30\00:16:55.11
And I know what
Christians are debating.
00:16:55.14\00:16:56.66
Of course, on the new earth
we'll not have those oceans.
00:16:56.69\00:17:00.20
In my view they're the
result of the flood, okay?
00:17:00.23\00:17:04.15
But in Greek text
it looks like this
00:17:04.18\00:17:07.56
and the sea--
it's the definite sea,
00:17:07.59\00:17:10.56
the definite article and the sea
there is no there any longer.
00:17:10.59\00:17:15.46
So when John mentioned that sea
00:17:15.49\00:17:17.01
that there is no
there any longer,
00:17:17.04\00:17:18.41
which sea did he have in mind.
00:17:18.44\00:17:20.14
You see that sea that was
a cause of all his suffering
00:17:20.17\00:17:25.48
while he was there in Patmos.
00:17:25.51\00:17:27.42
That sea that meant
for him a separation.
00:17:27.45\00:17:31.02
The sea out of which all kind
of evil and bad things come out.
00:17:31.05\00:17:36.76
So now he is
there on the new earth
00:17:36.79\00:17:39.73
and the first
thing that he notices
00:17:39.76\00:17:42.43
that there is no
there on the new earth.
00:17:42.46\00:17:44.85
What is that? The
cause of his own suffering.
00:17:44.88\00:17:49.45
Friends, that's
what the messages
00:17:49.48\00:17:51.51
of the Book of
Revelation are all about.
00:17:51.54\00:17:54.45
I don't know dear viewers,
00:17:54.48\00:17:57.28
what kind of sea
you are surrounded by?
00:17:57.31\00:18:03.45
Financial, health,
00:18:03.48\00:18:08.82
family or any
other sea in this life.
00:18:08.85\00:18:12.41
The message of the Book
of Revelation is that one day
00:18:12.44\00:18:17.73
when we get there on that
new earth that God will create.
00:18:17.76\00:18:22.47
The first thing that we
will notice that there no there.
00:18:22.50\00:18:26.25
There is no that sea that may
be suffered during this life.
00:18:26.28\00:18:30.18
What a book? Amen.
00:18:30.21\00:18:31.96
What a savior is
presented here in this book.
00:18:31.99\00:18:35.27
So John is there on
Patmos, surrounded by the sea.
00:18:35.30\00:18:40.76
And when we read
the verse 10, it says
00:18:40.79\00:18:45.04
"I was in the
spirit on the Lords Day."
00:18:45.07\00:18:50.37
So there was one
particular point of time
00:18:50.40\00:18:54.32
that John had his
encountered with Jesus Christ.
00:18:54.35\00:18:59.53
What is the problem?
00:18:59.56\00:19:01.19
The problem is
with the expression,
00:19:01.22\00:19:05.15
the Lord's there.
00:19:05.18\00:19:06.76
You see that expression is
not found anywhere in the Bible.
00:19:06.79\00:19:11.39
This is the only
place in the entire Bible
00:19:11.42\00:19:14.38
that the expression
the Lord's Day is yours
00:19:14.41\00:19:16.87
and the scholars are
debating just recently.
00:19:16.90\00:19:19.77
Actually, I wrote a
scholarly article and presented
00:19:19.80\00:19:23.05
the most prestigious scholarly
meeting here in United States.
00:19:23.08\00:19:27.25
Where I really showed what
the text or the Bible shows
00:19:27.28\00:19:32.72
which day the Lord's Day is.
00:19:32.75\00:19:35.40
By the way there is
only one day in the Bible
00:19:35.43\00:19:39.39
that is clearly
called the Lord's.
00:19:39.42\00:19:45.00
If you go to the
Fourth Commandment,
00:19:45.03\00:19:47.15
we see that the
Sabbath belongs to God.
00:19:47.18\00:19:50.08
Then we go to the
Book of Exodus Chapter 31,
00:19:50.11\00:19:52.85
it talks the Sabbath
that actually, belongs to God.
00:19:52.88\00:19:57.44
Then in the Book of
Isaiah 58:13 and 14,
00:19:57.47\00:20:03.82
"The Sabbath is
called the Lord's Day."
00:20:03.85\00:20:06.82
Then we go to the New Testament.
00:20:06.85\00:20:09.08
Gospel of Mark
Chapter 2, Jesus says
00:20:09.11\00:20:11.93
that" The Son of Man is
the Lord of the Sabbath."
00:20:11.96\00:20:17.43
So when John used the
expression the Lord's Day,
00:20:17.46\00:20:21.54
the Christians
of the 1st Century
00:20:21.57\00:20:23.13
to whom the Book of Revelation
was originally written.
00:20:23.16\00:20:26.65
Coming from the Old Testament,
the Bible is in their hands.
00:20:26.68\00:20:30.62
There was only one way
that they could understand
00:20:30.65\00:20:32.60
what that word "Day" was about.
00:20:32.63\00:20:35.96
However, there is in the Bible
00:20:35.99\00:20:37.67
another expression
for the Lord's Day,
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.41
actually, it s called
the "Day of the Lord."
00:20:39.44\00:20:42.04
In English it's the big deal.
00:20:42.07\00:20:43.88
But in Greek when
you say the Lord's Day
00:20:43.91\00:20:46.57
or the Day of the
Lord, it's actually,
00:20:46.60\00:20:48.94
just different way of saying.
00:20:48.97\00:20:51.51
And the Day of the
Lord in the Old Testament
00:20:51.54\00:20:54.20
and in the New
Testament refers to the time
00:20:54.23\00:20:57.38
when finally God
will come in judgment.
00:20:57.41\00:21:01.55
Bring the history of
this world to its end
00:21:01.58\00:21:05.36
and to establish His kingdom.
00:21:05.39\00:21:08.56
So there're many scholars
they're debating that actually,
00:21:08.59\00:21:10.78
John meant that the Lord's
Day is this the Day of the Lord
00:21:10.81\00:21:16.57
when God will come in judgment.
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.68
Actually, I'll ask
to say just for you
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.10
that most likely both
concepts are expressed here.
00:21:22.13\00:21:27.17
Why? Because we will come to
this topic in the due time is.
00:21:27.20\00:21:33.69
In the Bible the
Sabbath has the Eschatological
00:21:33.72\00:21:36.63
significance in the meaning.
00:21:36.66\00:21:38.73
You see, the Sabbath
according to the Bible
00:21:38.76\00:21:41.35
reminded the people of
Israel and us Christians,
00:21:41.38\00:21:45.57
what God did for us in the past.
00:21:45.60\00:21:47.26
God created the
heaven and earth in six days.
00:21:47.29\00:21:49.72
On the seventh day God rested.
00:21:49.75\00:21:52.07
But the people of Israel
00:21:52.10\00:21:53.47
according to the
Fourth Commandment
00:21:53.50\00:21:55.07
in Deuteronomy, Chapter 5,
00:21:55.10\00:21:56.67
reminded the people of Israel
00:21:56.70\00:21:58.14
that they were the
slaves in the land of Egypt
00:21:58.17\00:22:00.50
and God took them out.
00:22:00.53\00:22:01.90
So the Sabbath also was a
foretaste of that world to come.
00:22:01.93\00:22:07.40
The Jewish sources indicate
that really the Jewish people
00:22:07.43\00:22:10.45
at the time of
the Book of Revelation
00:22:10.48\00:22:11.96
they believed that actually,
00:22:11.99\00:22:13.88
Sabbath was the
foretaste of that future world
00:22:13.91\00:22:17.42
and the kingdom of God
that God will one day establish
00:22:17.45\00:22:21.30
with the coming of the Messiah.
00:22:21.33\00:22:23.00
So there is no problems.
00:22:23.03\00:22:24.83
I believe that the
text is telling us clearly
00:22:24.86\00:22:28.80
when John met Jesus Christ
00:22:28.83\00:22:31.43
it was on the
Seventh day Sabbath.
00:22:31.46\00:22:33.07
Does it make sense?
00:22:33.10\00:22:34.98
But at the same time
that seventh day Sabbath
00:22:35.01\00:22:39.72
was also the sign with
that Eschatological significance
00:22:39.75\00:22:44.00
because John was
taken there to witness
00:22:44.03\00:22:47.08
the future events
that will take place.
00:22:47.11\00:22:50.24
To witness those
events that will take place
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.53
particularly at
the time of the end.
00:22:52.56\00:22:54.60
When finally God
will come in judgment
00:22:54.63\00:22:58.43
bring the history of
this world to its end
00:22:58.46\00:23:00.49
and establish His kingdom.
00:23:00.52\00:23:03.38
So John was on the
Sabbath day there on Patmos.
00:23:03.41\00:23:06.82
And then he heard the
voice of Jesus Christ.
00:23:06.85\00:23:10.19
And friends, here is
the beauty of this text.
00:23:10.22\00:23:16.74
I would like to use one sentence
that's sealed in my mind.
00:23:16.77\00:23:23.53
And actually
motivated me to study
00:23:23.56\00:23:25.11
the Book of
Revelation in much deeper ways.
00:23:25.14\00:23:29.15
Because I concluded
that the Patmos experience
00:23:29.18\00:23:34.49
always results in the
revelation of the Jesus Christ.
00:23:34.52\00:23:41.43
You know, when
we are in this life,
00:23:41.46\00:23:45.59
and when
everything goes nice 24 hours.
00:23:45.62\00:23:49.97
We have good
health, happy family,
00:23:50.00\00:23:55.65
the bank account is good.
00:23:55.68\00:23:59.39
Believe me so many times we even
forget to give thanks for God.
00:23:59.42\00:24:04.33
But when we find ourselves
on the Patmos of suffering,
00:24:04.36\00:24:10.10
when we are there hit by
the greatest crisis of our life.
00:24:10.13\00:24:15.93
When we start asking
questions, Lord where are you?
00:24:15.96\00:24:21.35
That there's
opportunity for Jesus Christ
00:24:21.38\00:24:25.14
to come to reveal Himself to us.
00:24:25.17\00:24:28.05
So please do not forget,
that the Patmos experience
00:24:28.08\00:24:33.79
always results, always results
00:24:33.82\00:24:38.92
in the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:24:38.95\00:24:41.83
It's the opportunity
that we can meet Jesus Christ.
00:24:41.86\00:24:45.27
Not Jesus Christ of my parents,
00:24:45.30\00:24:48.18
we'll see it
just little bit later.
00:24:48.21\00:24:49.88
Not Jesus Christ of
my friends, of my pastor,
00:24:49.91\00:24:53.11
of the church elder,
Jesus Christ of somebody else.
00:24:53.14\00:24:57.25
This is the
occasion that I can meet
00:24:57.28\00:25:00.30
Jesus Christ as
my personal Savior.
00:25:00.33\00:25:04.16
You and I--the
one who comes for me
00:25:04.19\00:25:07.14
because the Patmos experience.
00:25:07.17\00:25:11.96
Always results in the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
00:25:11.99\00:25:17.97
So John was there in suffering.
00:25:18.00\00:25:20.15
I know we talk so much
about his physical suffering.
00:25:20.18\00:25:23.55
Yeah, he was
beaten, he was hungry,
00:25:23.58\00:25:27.53
But his sufferings was
much greater than physical.
00:25:27.56\00:25:32.87
And John was there on Patmos.
00:25:32.90\00:25:37.07
A news came to him
that the seven churches
00:25:37.10\00:25:44.33
in the Roman Province of Asia
we call it today Asia Minor,
00:25:44.36\00:25:48.92
why today because today we
have the continent of Asia.
00:25:48.95\00:25:53.65
But it was the
Roman Province of Asia,
00:25:53.68\00:25:56.52
seven churches that
John was in charge of them.
00:25:56.55\00:26:01.70
Actually, it came
into great apostasy.
00:26:01.73\00:26:07.18
When John was there,
00:26:07.21\00:26:09.96
he was able to hold the
situation under control.
00:26:09.99\00:26:13.77
But now he left, the churches
were deprived of His leadership.
00:26:13.80\00:26:20.39
And suddenly some false teachers
00:26:20.42\00:26:21.91
we'll talk about that
during our next presentation,
00:26:21.94\00:26:25.33
those churches they
came into serious trouble.
00:26:25.36\00:26:30.30
Okay, their faith in
God became challenged.
00:26:30.33\00:26:35.25
This always gives an
occasion to false teachers
00:26:35.28\00:26:37.78
in the church to do their work.
00:26:37.81\00:26:40.43
John was not there, evidently
some people they tried to say,
00:26:40.46\00:26:43.64
hey Brother John is not
here, what he'll say to us.
00:26:43.67\00:26:46.51
Evidently, those people turned
against John. Who is John?
00:26:46.54\00:26:49.52
If he's something
good, he'll be here with us.
00:26:49.55\00:26:54.19
God would not
allow him to suffer.
00:26:54.22\00:26:55.84
How it's very easy to
blame people for suffering?
00:26:55.87\00:27:00.04
You remember, what the
disciple said to Jesus,
00:27:00.07\00:27:03.76
"who sinned, this
blind man or his parents."
00:27:03.79\00:27:07.29
Friends, the fact that
we find ourselves on Patmos.
00:27:07.32\00:27:11.40
They're in
suffering does not mean
00:27:11.43\00:27:13.23
that we're not faithful to God.
00:27:13.26\00:27:15.59
It's a simply an opportunity
that God wants to meet us
00:27:15.62\00:27:19.74
on that personal base and
it's always a great occasion
00:27:19.77\00:27:23.74
to have that personal
encounter with Jesus Christ.
00:27:23.77\00:27:27.04
So John was in pain,
both physical and mental.
00:27:27.07\00:27:32.36
He was in anguish.
00:27:32.39\00:27:34.66
And the Sabbath day came,
you know, the Sabbath day,
00:27:34.69\00:27:38.52
is the time when we
want to worship God.
00:27:38.55\00:27:41.84
But when you're in pain
you've different experience.
00:27:41.87\00:27:46.51
When John was there
overwhelmed by his situation,
00:27:46.54\00:27:50.78
he heard a voice,
00:27:50.81\00:27:52.95
John and then the instruction.
00:27:52.98\00:27:59.26
Write what you've seen.
00:27:59.29\00:28:03.76
And write in a book and
send those to those churches.
00:28:03.79\00:28:06.79
You see Jesus wanted
to come to visit John,
00:28:06.82\00:28:10.74
to help him in his situation
00:28:10.77\00:28:12.67
but at the same time to give him
the message for those churches.
00:28:12.70\00:28:16.84
Friends, before I go further
just a thought came to me,
00:28:16.87\00:28:21.63
have you ever thought?
00:28:21.66\00:28:23.24
That John had to go to Patmos.
00:28:23.27\00:28:25.72
So that today, we've
revelation of Jesus Christ,
00:28:25.75\00:28:28.62
this beautiful book
that we're studying.
00:28:28.65\00:28:30.10
He had to go to
Patmos there to suffer.
00:28:30.13\00:28:32.73
Do you know that Daniel.
00:28:32.76\00:28:36.46
He had to be taken into
the captivity as a slave,
00:28:36.49\00:28:39.70
to Babylon there.
00:28:39.73\00:28:41.10
So that today we
have the Book of Daniel.
00:28:41.13\00:28:45.81
You see when so many times
we ask the question, Lord why?
00:28:45.84\00:28:49.01
Evidently, God want something
good to come out of that.
00:28:49.04\00:28:52.80
For my personal
salvation and also that God
00:28:52.83\00:28:55.60
one day can use me
as His personal witness.
00:28:55.63\00:28:58.39
So that I myself who
came out of that situation
00:28:58.42\00:29:02.73
can carry that witness for God,
00:29:02.76\00:29:04.59
what He did for me
to encourage others?
00:29:04.62\00:29:06.54
I know that's what
God--this is exactly
00:29:06.57\00:29:09.22
what God did for
my personal life.
00:29:09.25\00:29:11.99
And I know how God wants
to use my personal experience
00:29:12.02\00:29:15.13
to use it to
reach others for Christ
00:29:15.16\00:29:17.22
and to encourage them to come
much closer to Jesus Christ.
00:29:17.25\00:29:20.66
So John hears his name.
John, he recognized the voice.
00:29:20.69\00:29:25.15
Of course, during
those three-and-half years,
00:29:25.18\00:29:27.61
how may times
John heard his name?
00:29:27.64\00:29:31.30
He knew that was the voice
of his beloved teacher, okay.
00:29:31.33\00:29:36.81
Now when you read
verse 12, it says,
00:29:36.84\00:29:42.27
"And I turned to see the
voice that was speaking with me.
00:29:42.30\00:29:49.65
And having turned I saw
the seven golden lampstands,
00:29:49.68\00:29:54.44
and in the midst
of the lampstands
00:29:54.47\00:29:55.96
I saw one like a son of man."
00:29:55.99\00:29:57.85
Verse 13, "Clothed in a
robe reaching down to the feet
00:29:57.88\00:30:03.33
and girded with golden girdle."
00:30:03.36\00:30:05.97
His head and hair were
white as white wool as snow
00:30:06.00\00:30:10.66
and his eyes as a flame of fire,
00:30:10.69\00:30:13.16
and his feet were
like a burning bronze,
00:30:13.19\00:30:16.14
as refined in furnace,
00:30:16.17\00:30:17.83
and his voice was like
the sound of many waters.
00:30:17.86\00:30:21.95
And he had in his
right hand seven stars,
00:30:21.98\00:30:24.69
and out of his mouth proceeded
a sharp two-edge sword,
00:30:24.72\00:30:28.46
and his face was as the
sun shinning in its power.
00:30:28.49\00:30:32.58
And when I saw him,
00:30:32.61\00:30:34.51
I fell at his
feet as a dead person.
00:30:34.54\00:30:38.11
And he placed his
right hand on me saying,
00:30:38.14\00:30:40.93
"stop being afraid"
this ishow it looks in Greek.
00:30:40.96\00:30:44.30
It's not "don't be afraid"
because he was afraid already.
00:30:44.33\00:30:47.27
"Stop being afraid, I
am the first and the last
00:30:47.30\00:30:51.27
and living one, and
I was dead and behold,
00:30:51.30\00:30:54.87
I am alive forever and ever.
00:30:54.90\00:30:56.96
And I have the keys
of death and of Hades.
00:30:56.99\00:30:59.06
Write therefore the
things which you saw,
00:30:59.09\00:31:01.22
namely the things which are,
and the things which are about
00:31:01.25\00:31:04.38
to take place
after these things.
00:31:04.41\00:31:06.57
With regard to the
mystery of the seven stars
00:31:06.60\00:31:09.12
that you saw in my right hand.
00:31:09.15\00:31:11.26
And the seven
golden lamp stands.
00:31:11.29\00:31:13.19
The seven stars are the
angels of the seven churches.
00:31:13.22\00:31:16.65
And the seven lampstands
are the seven churches."
00:31:16.68\00:31:19.68
I apologize
translation that I read now
00:31:19.71\00:31:23.45
it's my own
translation from Greek.
00:31:23.48\00:31:25.54
I wanted you to get
the dynamic of this text
00:31:25.57\00:31:28.96
and everything,
everything what is here.
00:31:28.99\00:31:31.37
So John recognizes the voice.
00:31:31.40\00:31:33.54
He turns around to
seek his beloved teacher.
00:31:33.57\00:31:36.70
When he looked at
Him, he's stunned.
00:31:36.73\00:31:40.22
He expected to
see the man of Galilee
00:31:40.25\00:31:43.13
walking on the
dusty roads of Palestine
00:31:43.16\00:31:48.34
But what he sees here
00:31:48.37\00:31:49.74
in front of himself
is the glorified Lord.
00:31:49.77\00:31:52.94
And he would like
now to describing to us
00:31:52.97\00:31:58.13
but the words are lacking.
00:31:58.16\00:32:00.06
So we will notice what is
the most common word here?
00:32:00.09\00:32:03.02
I intentionally
use my translation
00:32:03.05\00:32:05.30
to express as in Greek--
what is the word like or as.
00:32:05.33\00:32:10.13
You cannot describe Him, okay?
00:32:10.16\00:32:13.40
You cannot, you cannot
describe Him, describe Him.
00:32:13.43\00:32:16.73
He's using, okay, all
those different expressions.
00:32:16.76\00:32:20.66
He's using the
metaphoric language
00:32:20.69\00:32:23.27
in order to
portray Christ. Amen.
00:32:23.30\00:32:25.14
Now please, there
are few things here
00:32:25.17\00:32:27.64
that we have now to point out.
00:32:27.67\00:32:29.71
What is Jesus
doing when John sees Him?
00:32:29.74\00:32:35.45
He's dressed in
the priestly robe.
00:32:35.48\00:32:39.32
By the way it's
not just priestly.
00:32:39.35\00:32:42.63
Josephus Flavius,
00:32:42.66\00:32:45.49
who lived around the
time of Book of the Revelation
00:32:45.52\00:32:47.96
little bit earlier just--
00:32:47.99\00:32:50.63
actually, he uses
the same expression
00:32:50.66\00:32:53.57
the Greek word poderes,
00:32:53.60\00:32:54.97
long robe to portray
the robe of the high priest
00:32:55.00\00:32:59.21
in the Jerusalem temple. Okay.
00:32:59.24\00:33:02.67
But it doesn't telling us
00:33:02.70\00:33:04.07
anything about
high priestly ministry,
00:33:04.10\00:33:06.14
it's simply the priestly robe
00:33:06.17\00:33:07.73
in which Jesus
says, but something else.
00:33:07.76\00:33:09.94
What is Jesus
doing when John sees?
00:33:09.97\00:33:13.07
He says, He walks.
00:33:13.10\00:33:14.58
Actually, in
chapter 2, verse 1, he says,
00:33:14.61\00:33:17.18
he walks among the
seven candlesticks.
00:33:17.21\00:33:20.93
But in verse 12, he says,
00:33:20.96\00:33:24.18
that "The Son of
Man was in the midst
00:33:24.21\00:33:27.10
of the seven
candlesticks." Okay?
00:33:27.13\00:33:30.34
Now we've to go to the
Bible and find interpretation
00:33:30.37\00:33:33.40
that the Bible provide
for us, it's in verse 20.
00:33:33.43\00:33:37.14
He's telling us here
00:33:37.17\00:33:38.54
that these seven
candlesticks or lampstands
00:33:38.57\00:33:44.39
symbolize what?
The seven churches.
00:33:44.42\00:33:49.74
Okay, what is the message?
00:33:49.77\00:33:51.62
Why is Jesus present
00:33:51.65\00:33:54.52
and why is Jesus walking
among those seven candlesticks.
00:33:54.55\00:33:58.95
By the way...
00:33:58.98\00:34:00.74
if you open the Book
of Leviticus 26:11 and 12.
00:34:00.77\00:34:07.16
We read there so
Leviticus 26:11 and 12.
00:34:07.19\00:34:11.69
That God said to
the people of Israel
00:34:11.72\00:34:13.80
"Make a sanctuary for me,
so that I can dwell among you."
00:34:13.83\00:34:20.24
But verse 12 said,
00:34:20.27\00:34:21.99
"And I will be
walking among you.
00:34:22.02\00:34:26.96
And you will be my people
00:34:26.99\00:34:28.65
and I will be your God." Amen.
00:34:28.68\00:34:30.76
So the promise that God
00:34:30.79\00:34:32.77
long, long ago gave
to the people of Israel
00:34:32.80\00:34:35.45
that He will be
walking among them.
00:34:35.48\00:34:37.94
Now we see Jesus
here that He's fulfilling
00:34:37.97\00:34:41.12
that promise in
the symbolic walking
00:34:41.15\00:34:43.56
among the seven candlesticks.
00:34:43.59\00:34:45.69
But then it's here
has much deeper meaning.
00:34:45.72\00:34:47.55
So the seven lampstands
or the seven candlesticks
00:34:47.58\00:34:50.98
actually, they
represent seven churches.
00:34:51.01\00:34:54.03
The Jewish work Mishnah, okay.
00:34:54.06\00:34:58.45
That is actually a
codex of all legal rights
00:34:58.48\00:35:05.57
of the Jewish people
from the 1st Century, okay.
00:35:05.60\00:35:09.81
That is codified
and put in one book.
00:35:09.84\00:35:12.26
There is one special chapter
00:35:12.29\00:35:15.42
on the Jerusalem
temple in the sanctuary,
00:35:15.45\00:35:17.62
how the priest were supposed
to perform their duties.
00:35:17.65\00:35:20.32
We'll several times during these
series refer to this chapter.
00:35:20.35\00:35:25.99
But they say, that
the duties of the priest
00:35:26.02\00:35:30.34
that were allotted for
the duty by casting a lot.
00:35:30.37\00:35:35.11
Okay, one of the duties
of some of those priests was
00:35:35.14\00:35:39.63
everyday to go there to
the holy place of the temple,
00:35:39.66\00:35:44.99
several times a day
they had to go there.
00:35:45.02\00:35:47.91
Why because the lamps,
00:35:47.94\00:35:50.73
they had to be kept
burning 24 hours a day.
00:35:50.76\00:35:55.57
So they had to be very careful
00:35:55.60\00:35:57.84
that those lamps
are indeed burning.
00:35:57.87\00:36:01.37
So the priest would go there
00:36:01.40\00:36:03.48
and check each one of
those lamps individually.
00:36:03.51\00:36:07.95
Some lamps were doing okay.
00:36:07.98\00:36:10.73
So the priest
would clean the wick
00:36:10.76\00:36:13.64
and make it
even to shine better,
00:36:13.67\00:36:17.47
but some of those
lamps were almost dying.
00:36:17.50\00:36:20.95
So he will clean everything
00:36:20.98\00:36:23.23
add oil there so to
making them to burn.
00:36:23.26\00:36:26.83
Actually, several times a
day the priest would come there
00:36:26.86\00:36:29.70
to the holy place
to check those lamps.
00:36:29.73\00:36:31.63
Let me now some--
to ask you something.
00:36:31.66\00:36:35.54
When you work in your
kitchen, in your kitchen,
00:36:35.57\00:36:39.36
how many times you check
certain things in the kitchen.
00:36:39.39\00:36:42.77
What happens after
three, four months,
00:36:42.80\00:36:44.52
six months, one year?
00:36:44.55\00:36:46.64
Even if you're
blind you can go there,
00:36:46.67\00:36:48.67
you know exactly what it
is? You know, how it looks?
00:36:48.70\00:36:52.08
You don't even, you don't
need even to look into that.
00:36:52.11\00:36:55.47
You know, how it functions.
00:36:55.50\00:36:57.61
If you get two, three
things you know exactly
00:36:57.64\00:37:00.05
which of those three,
four things does not function
00:37:00.08\00:37:02.22
and you try to
take care of that.
00:37:02.25\00:37:03.90
Can you mention, when
the priest was coming,
00:37:03.93\00:37:06.03
several times a
day checking lamps,
00:37:06.06\00:37:07.78
he knew exactly everything
about each one of those lamps.
00:37:07.81\00:37:13.58
Actually, this
old century background
00:37:13.61\00:37:16.63
help us to understand
this vision of Jesus is.
00:37:16.66\00:37:19.92
Jesus is there walking
among those seven candlesticks.
00:37:19.95\00:37:24.25
So what is He doing?
00:37:24.28\00:37:25.71
Trimming the lamps, adding oil,
00:37:25.74\00:37:29.65
checking if
they're burning properly.
00:37:29.68\00:37:33.92
What is the main message
of that? We'll come to that.
00:37:33.95\00:37:38.09
When you read the
messages to seven churches.
00:37:38.12\00:37:40.61
One of the very common words
00:37:40.64\00:37:42.70
regularly used with reference
to every church is, I know you.
00:37:42.73\00:37:48.36
I know where you dwell.
00:37:48.39\00:37:52.24
I know your labor. Amen.
00:37:52.27\00:37:54.25
I know your trouble.
00:37:54.28\00:37:56.02
I know your perseverance.
00:37:56.05\00:37:57.57
Why? Because Jesus is
present there with His churches.
00:37:57.60\00:38:01.50
He's present
there with His people.
00:38:01.53\00:38:03.55
He cares about those lamps.
00:38:03.58\00:38:05.73
If the church is dying,
00:38:05.76\00:38:08.18
He adds more
oil. He cleanses them.
00:38:08.21\00:38:10.89
He cleans those
lamps, making them to provide
00:38:10.92\00:38:15.91
the proper
burning there, etcetera.
00:38:15.94\00:38:18.77
This vision of Jesus Christ
00:38:18.80\00:38:20.17
is very
important for what follows,
00:38:20.20\00:38:24.37
because we'd read in verse
19 that Jesus said to John.
00:38:24.40\00:38:27.70
John, I am now
giving you the messages.
00:38:27.73\00:38:29.85
You're supposed to
write them down on the scroll
00:38:29.88\00:38:33.02
and send there
to those churches.
00:38:33.05\00:38:35.47
But as we explained yesterday
00:38:35.50\00:38:37.56
before Jesus gives
to John those messages
00:38:37.59\00:38:40.93
which he is supposed
to pass to the churches.
00:38:40.96\00:38:43.37
Jesus first wants to
say something about Himself.
00:38:43.40\00:38:47.50
He wants to tell those churches,
00:38:47.53\00:38:49.12
I am the one who
knows you very well.
00:38:49.15\00:38:51.63
I care about you. I
know your situation.
00:38:51.66\00:38:57.36
And that's the
reason why I'm here,
00:38:57.39\00:39:00.41
because I want to help you.
00:39:00.44\00:39:03.48
I remember when my
children were little
00:39:03.51\00:39:07.08
and my son sometimes
I had problem with him
00:39:07.11\00:39:09.72
in the same way as my
father had problem with me
00:39:09.75\00:39:12.36
when I was his age. Amen.
00:39:12.39\00:39:15.45
You talk and he doesn't listen.
00:39:15.48\00:39:17.31
So many times
you had to push him
00:39:17.34\00:39:18.71
in front of our self
I say, Hey, you know,
00:39:18.74\00:39:21.33
how much I was
happy when you were born.
00:39:21.36\00:39:23.82
I am so proud to have a son.
00:39:23.85\00:39:26.67
Is there anybody
else in this world
00:39:26.70\00:39:28.19
that loves you so much?
00:39:28.22\00:39:30.27
I care about you.
00:39:30.30\00:39:31.67
And you don't listen to
me, so better listen to me.
00:39:31.70\00:39:33.92
Don't try to trick me
because I know you so well,
00:39:33.95\00:39:38.85
because you're my son.
00:39:38.88\00:39:40.25
Actually, this is what Jesus
is doing here in this vision.
00:39:40.28\00:39:44.11
But I like now and the
time that is left to us.
00:39:44.14\00:39:48.32
That we notice something that
really changed my personal life.
00:39:48.35\00:39:52.21
We just read here
00:39:55.36\00:39:58.58
from verses 13 to verse 17.
00:39:58.61\00:40:04.59
How John portrays Jesus that
he sees there in the vision.
00:40:04.62\00:40:10.42
And please when you take
00:40:10.45\00:40:11.82
that companion to
my commentary there.
00:40:11.85\00:40:14.24
When you take it,
you'll find explanation
00:40:14.27\00:40:16.38
of all those details.
00:40:16.41\00:40:17.78
We don't have time
to go into all details.
00:40:17.81\00:40:19.78
Each one of that detail
00:40:19.81\00:40:21.74
has a great
significance and meaning.
00:40:21.77\00:40:24.17
But we like to get
that general picture is.
00:40:24.20\00:40:27.17
I hope that you
still keep in your mind
00:40:27.20\00:40:28.99
the description of Jesus, okay?
00:40:29.02\00:40:32.49
When does John begin?
00:40:32.52\00:40:36.56
With the hair-- he
goes then to Jesus' face.
00:40:36.59\00:40:41.37
Then He goes to His
cloth. He goes to His breast.
00:40:41.40\00:40:46.53
Then He goes to His feet.
00:40:46.56\00:40:49.49
So when you're
there in chapter 1,
00:40:49.52\00:40:52.35
John sees the complete Jesus,
00:40:52.38\00:40:54.48
from here and you will
see He ends with His feet.
00:40:54.51\00:40:58.95
He provides the
description of the entire Jesus.
00:40:58.98\00:41:01.48
Are you still with me?
00:41:01.51\00:41:02.88
Let's put it here in this way.
00:41:02.91\00:41:05.05
So Revelation 1,
00:41:05.08\00:41:11.93
this is artistic representation.
00:41:11.96\00:41:14.01
We have the complete Jesus
00:41:14.04\00:41:16.60
from here to
here, that John sees.
00:41:16.63\00:41:19.42
Now, we saw that in
verse 19 of chapter 1.
00:41:19.45\00:41:25.37
Jesus commissioned John,
to write to those churches.
00:41:25.40\00:41:31.04
Jesus provides John with seven
00:41:31.07\00:41:33.71
distinctive
messages for those churches.
00:41:33.74\00:41:37.06
And all those messages,
00:41:37.09\00:41:38.51
they're
organized in the same way.
00:41:38.54\00:41:40.98
They all have the same format.
00:41:41.01\00:41:43.31
All the messages they
begin with the statement.
00:41:43.34\00:41:46.59
The one--actually to the
angel of the church in right.
00:41:46.62\00:41:51.59
The one and then Jesus
00:41:51.62\00:41:52.99
introduce Himself to the church.
00:41:53.02\00:41:55.10
Then the next
session begins, I know.
00:41:55.13\00:41:59.47
And then after that,
00:41:59.50\00:42:00.99
Jesus gives the consult
to the church what to do.
00:42:01.02\00:42:04.40
And the church concludes
with the call to hear the spirit
00:42:04.43\00:42:09.20
and the promise
to the over comer.
00:42:09.23\00:42:10.97
Sometimes the order is changed
00:42:11.00\00:42:13.85
with regard to
these last two items.
00:42:13.88\00:42:15.82
I would like now, to
invite you to go with me,
00:42:15.85\00:42:21.27
we'll put into the fifth-gear.
00:42:21.30\00:42:25.05
I'd like us to go
quickly through those messages.
00:42:25.08\00:42:28.27
And I'd like to ask
you to pay attention
00:42:28.30\00:42:31.57
about those introductions of
Jesus to each individual church.
00:42:31.60\00:42:39.15
And then I'd like
to ask you a question.
00:42:39.18\00:42:41.65
Are you ready with me?
00:42:41.68\00:42:43.05
Let's go through
all those messages.
00:42:43.08\00:42:44.94
Let's see how
Jesus comes to the church
00:42:44.97\00:42:46.80
in Ephesus and please,
00:42:46.83\00:42:48.76
pay attention to that, okay.
00:42:48.79\00:42:51.25
So its chapter 2 verse 1.
00:42:51.28\00:42:54.84
We're dealing with
the church in Ephesus.
00:42:54.87\00:42:57.69
"To the church in Ephesus
00:42:57.72\00:42:59.68
Jesus comes as the one
who holds the seven stars
00:42:59.71\00:43:03.38
in His right hand
00:43:03.41\00:43:04.78
and walks among
the seven lampstands.
00:43:04.81\00:43:08.12
The church in
Smyrna Chapter 2, verse 8,
00:43:08.15\00:43:11.42
Jesus comes to the church
as the first and the last,
00:43:11.45\00:43:14.94
who was dead and
has come to life.
00:43:14.97\00:43:18.27
The church in Pergamum,
00:43:18.30\00:43:19.67
for that church
Jesus comes as the one
00:43:19.70\00:43:21.30
who has the
sharp two-edged sword.
00:43:21.33\00:43:24.22
To the church in Thyatira,
00:43:24.25\00:43:25.62
Jesus comes as the Son of God
00:43:25.65\00:43:27.21
who has eyes
like a flame of fire,
00:43:27.24\00:43:29.74
and His Feet are
like burnished bronze.
00:43:29.77\00:43:32.53
To the church in Sardis,
00:43:32.56\00:43:33.94
Jesus comes as the one who
has the seven spirits of God,
00:43:33.97\00:43:37.42
and the seven stars.
00:43:37.45\00:43:40.64
Then the church in Philadelphia.
00:43:40.67\00:43:43.07
To this church, Jesus
comes as the Holy one,
00:43:43.10\00:43:46.68
the true one, who
has the key of David,
00:43:46.71\00:43:48.78
who opens and no one will shut,
00:43:48.81\00:43:50.71
and who shuts no one will open.
00:43:50.74\00:43:53.33
And finally to the
church in Laodicea,
00:43:53.36\00:43:55.57
Jesus comes as the
one who is the Amen,
00:43:55.60\00:43:58.47
the faithful and
the true witness,
00:43:58.50\00:44:01.21
and the ruler
of God's creation."
00:44:01.24\00:44:05.33
Do you see that?
00:44:05.36\00:44:06.88
Before Jesus addresses
00:44:06.91\00:44:08.59
the situation of
a particular church,
00:44:08.62\00:44:10.76
what does He do?
00:44:10.79\00:44:14.07
He first wants
to introduce Himself
00:44:14.10\00:44:17.69
to that particular church.
00:44:17.72\00:44:20.21
But then you notice
something, how Jesus does it.
00:44:20.24\00:44:26.85
Let me go here
to this blackboard.
00:44:26.88\00:44:31.27
We have here in
Revelation Chapter 1,
00:44:31.30\00:44:33.07
the complete Jesus.
00:44:33.10\00:44:35.83
Please, now you
have to be with me.
00:44:35.86\00:44:37.95
This is the
beauty of this message.
00:44:37.98\00:44:40.98
And now Jesus takes some
00:44:41.01\00:44:43.29
characteristic of
Himself from Chapter 1
00:44:43.32\00:44:46.47
and He gives to
the first church.
00:44:46.50\00:44:50.55
Then He takes some of
these characteristics here
00:44:50.58\00:44:53.62
and gives Himself
to the second church
00:44:53.65\00:44:56.39
then to the third church,
then to the fourth church.
00:44:56.42\00:44:59.46
Some characteristics He
gives to the fifth church.
00:44:59.49\00:45:02.18
Some characteristics
to the sixth church
00:45:02.21\00:45:04.50
and some characteristics
to the seventh church.
00:45:04.53\00:45:08.30
Did you notice it? Amen.
00:45:08.33\00:45:10.07
Please, there's something else.
00:45:10.10\00:45:12.65
When you put all these
characteristics together,
00:45:12.68\00:45:16.90
what do you have?
00:45:16.93\00:45:18.46
You've the complete Jesus
of Revelation Chapter 1. Amen.
00:45:18.49\00:45:24.16
And this is something
00:45:24.19\00:45:25.56
that puzzled the
students of the Bible.
00:45:25.59\00:45:29.29
What is the meaning
of that? And praise God.
00:45:29.32\00:45:33.67
In last several years,
00:45:33.70\00:45:36.58
we discovered many gems
coming out of that vision.
00:45:36.61\00:45:40.50
Did you notice something?
00:45:40.53\00:45:45.30
That there is no single church
00:45:45.33\00:45:48.39
that receives the
complete Jesus of chapter 1.
00:45:48.42\00:45:55.53
Second thing
there're no two churches
00:45:55.56\00:46:02.61
that received the same
characteristics of Jesus.
00:46:02.64\00:46:05.66
Jesus does not come to
two churches in the same way.
00:46:05.69\00:46:09.92
Each church
receives a particular,
00:46:09.95\00:46:13.01
specific aspect of
Jesus from chapter 1.
00:46:13.04\00:46:17.88
Why? What is
the meaning of that?
00:46:17.91\00:46:20.91
For simple reason is--
00:46:20.94\00:46:24.15
because the way how Jesus
introduces Himself to church
00:46:24.18\00:46:30.24
corresponds to the situation
and the needs of the church.
00:46:30.27\00:46:35.49
So it means
there're not two churches,
00:46:35.52\00:46:38.39
that are in the same
problem and the same situation
00:46:38.42\00:46:42.16
and that's why Jesus comes
00:46:42.19\00:46:44.17
to each church
in the unique way.
00:46:44.20\00:46:45.79
You see
friends, God needs people
00:46:45.82\00:46:50.02
where they are. Amen.
00:46:50.05\00:46:52.60
Who is the Jesus of
the Book of Revelation?
00:46:52.63\00:46:55.86
When Jesus comes to
the church in Ephesus,
00:46:55.89\00:46:58.59
He comes to the church
00:46:58.62\00:46:59.99
as the Jesus of
the church in Ephesus,
00:47:00.02\00:47:02.61
not as the Jesus of
the church in Laodicea.
00:47:02.64\00:47:07.21
When Jesus comes to
the church in Philadelphia,
00:47:07.24\00:47:12.27
He does not come to the church
00:47:12.30\00:47:14.28
as the Jesus of
the church in Smyrna.
00:47:14.31\00:47:20.13
Because the church,
00:47:20.16\00:47:22.01
a particular church needs Jesus
00:47:22.04\00:47:25.34
within its own life
situation and the needs.
00:47:25.37\00:47:30.95
Let me just take few
moments to reflect on that.
00:47:30.98\00:47:34.71
Have you ever wondered
why we've four gospels?
00:47:34.74\00:47:39.30
Why we have four gospels?
00:47:39.33\00:47:44.45
If you're a New
Testament scholar
00:47:44.48\00:47:46.21
and you've to teach
class from the gospel,
00:47:46.24\00:47:48.10
you will know how
terrible headache is to teach?
00:47:48.13\00:47:52.46
There're differences.
00:47:52.49\00:47:54.81
Actually, Ellen White
talks that each gospel writer,
00:47:54.84\00:47:57.67
wrote from his own perspective
00:47:57.70\00:47:59.48
and his own
experience with Jesus Christ.
00:47:59.51\00:48:02.70
When I was a young scholar,
00:48:02.73\00:48:04.10
I said Lord, why did
You give us one gospel?
00:48:04.13\00:48:06.35
We would have all
the problems solved.
00:48:06.38\00:48:08.97
To that I say, thank you Lord
00:48:09.00\00:48:10.39
that we've four gospels.
00:48:10.42\00:48:11.79
Because the four gospels,
00:48:11.82\00:48:13.92
they're written to
four different groups
00:48:13.95\00:48:18.35
and kinds of people.
00:48:18.38\00:48:22.14
When Mathew wrote his gospel,
00:48:22.17\00:48:23.56
he wrote to the Christians
coming from the Pharisees--
00:48:23.59\00:48:26.54
and Jewish background.
00:48:26.57\00:48:28.06
They put such
emphasis on the law, friends,
00:48:28.09\00:48:29.66
so when you read that gospel,
00:48:29.69\00:48:31.06
it's about spiritual
needs of those people.
00:48:31.09\00:48:33.11
In the same time
Luke, wrote to the Gentiles,
00:48:33.14\00:48:35.99
outcast from the society, women.
00:48:36.02\00:48:39.00
So, he put the emphasis on
the physical needs of people.
00:48:39.03\00:48:42.59
And Jesus can
satisfy those physical needs.
00:48:42.62\00:48:45.22
John wrote to the second
generation of Christians.
00:48:45.25\00:48:48.23
You know, always
second generation.
00:48:48.26\00:48:51.35
They don't know
about the experience
00:48:51.38\00:48:52.75
of the first generation.
00:48:52.78\00:48:54.57
They have that
struggle while Mark wrote
00:48:54.60\00:48:57.16
to the persecuted
Christians in Rome. Amen.
00:48:57.19\00:49:01.33
The most common word
in the gospel of Mark
00:49:01.36\00:49:03.19
is immediately,
everything is immediately.
00:49:03.22\00:49:05.29
When people are persecuted,
00:49:05.32\00:49:06.69
you don't know, they
will live until tomorrow,
00:49:06.72\00:49:08.70
then everything
must be immediately.
00:49:08.73\00:49:11.96
That's why we've four gospels.
00:49:11.99\00:49:13.61
The same is what we have here.
00:49:13.64\00:49:19.51
Jesus comes to each
church in the unique way.
00:49:19.54\00:49:23.75
Friends, we live
today as Christians.
00:49:23.78\00:49:29.01
I want to talk
about other people,
00:49:29.04\00:49:30.41
I'm talking about myself.
00:49:30.44\00:49:32.49
I remember when I was young,
00:49:32.52\00:49:35.08
everything that I
knew about Jesus Christ
00:49:35.11\00:49:37.15
was Jesus of my
father, of my pastor,
00:49:37.18\00:49:41.20
who baptized me
and church elder,
00:49:41.23\00:49:43.61
who tried to care about me.
00:49:43.64\00:49:45.97
But what I was lacking
00:49:46.00\00:49:48.86
is my personal encounter
with Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:49:48.89\00:49:53.50
Are you still with me?
00:49:53.53\00:49:54.90
We know too much
about Jesus Christ.
00:49:54.93\00:49:59.28
But not too many people
know Jesus Christ personally.
00:49:59.31\00:50:06.06
In Revelation
1, He's telling us,
00:50:06.09\00:50:10.15
that the church in
Ephesus did not need--
00:50:10.18\00:50:13.54
may be that's a
wrong expression.
00:50:13.57\00:50:16.00
Okay, but to the
Jesus in Ephesus,
00:50:16.03\00:50:18.68
Jesus does not come as the
Jesus of the church in Thyatira.
00:50:18.71\00:50:22.67
He's coming as the Jesus
00:50:22.70\00:50:24.89
whom the church in
Ephesus and he that,
00:50:24.92\00:50:29.36
and it is that
Jesus who could satisfy
00:50:29.39\00:50:32.16
the need of that
particular church.
00:50:32.19\00:50:37.97
Actually, this
vision of Jesus Christ
00:50:38.00\00:50:40.19
changed my perspective
of Jesus Christ completely.
00:50:40.22\00:50:44.01
Actually, after
understanding this vision,
00:50:44.04\00:50:46.66
I fell love in Jesus Christ.
00:50:46.69\00:50:48.40
I decided to find the
things not about Jesus,
00:50:48.43\00:50:52.18
but to discover Jesus
as my personal savior.
00:50:52.21\00:50:54.85
I just want to tell you,
00:50:54.88\00:50:56.25
everything changed
in my personal life.
00:50:56.28\00:50:58.53
I started with my own children
00:50:58.56\00:51:00.10
trying to raise
them in the Lord.
00:51:00.13\00:51:03.12
I used all methods
00:51:03.15\00:51:04.52
that we as parents are using
in tricks, it did not work.
00:51:04.55\00:51:08.24
I don't time to talk about that,
00:51:08.27\00:51:09.95
but when I left my
own children to discover
00:51:09.98\00:51:14.15
Jesus of the personal
lives everything changed.
00:51:14.18\00:51:17.72
Today, when I
talk to my daughter,
00:51:17.75\00:51:19.57
she tells me what
pages of the Bible she read.
00:51:19.60\00:51:24.03
What pages of Ellen White,
00:51:24.06\00:51:25.46
she read ask me if
sometimes for some explanation.
00:51:25.49\00:51:27.80
We're talking
about the regular base.
00:51:27.83\00:51:29.27
Ever morning she gets up even
00:51:29.30\00:51:30.67
if she is tired to head
one hour devotional with God,
00:51:30.70\00:51:33.96
because she discovered
Jesus Christ for herself.
00:51:33.99\00:51:36.55
Every Friday evening I
talk to my son and he said,
00:51:36.58\00:51:39.63
"Dad we just finished
the beginning of the Sabbath.
00:51:39.66\00:51:42.80
We're listening
here to those songs."
00:51:42.83\00:51:45.86
This was not case earlier
00:51:45.89\00:51:49.25
because my children
they knew everything
00:51:49.28\00:51:51.00
about Jesus
Christ of the parents.
00:51:51.03\00:51:53.40
When I led them to
discover Jesus for themselves--
00:51:53.43\00:51:56.94
when they found Jesus Christ,
00:51:56.97\00:51:58.34
that personal
savior everything changed.
00:51:58.37\00:52:01.26
And I decided to use
this method in the classroom.
00:52:01.29\00:52:04.78
When I am there in the
classroom I tell my students,
00:52:04.81\00:52:08.36
the struggles that
you're going through,
00:52:08.39\00:52:10.47
I went through
when I was your age.
00:52:10.50\00:52:13.39
And I told them how I
found Jesus Christ for myself.
00:52:13.42\00:52:16.03
And I challenged them
00:52:16.06\00:52:18.98
to have that personal
encounter with Jesus Christ.
00:52:19.01\00:52:22.52
I never teach them, I tell
them I'm not here to teach you.
00:52:22.55\00:52:25.55
I'm simply here
to share with you
00:52:25.58\00:52:28.33
what Jesus Christ means to me.
00:52:28.36\00:52:30.41
And what I learn
from the Bible about Him.
00:52:30.44\00:52:34.44
This is what I
do in my preaching.
00:52:34.47\00:52:37.45
And my goal is to do also
during these presentations.
00:52:37.48\00:52:41.50
The entire purpose is that
we have our personal encounter
00:52:41.53\00:52:47.55
with Jesus Christ and
I just want to tell you
00:52:47.58\00:52:50.09
what the difference it
will make in our lives. Amen.
00:52:50.12\00:52:55.46
But there is something else in
few minutes that are left to us.
00:52:55.49\00:53:02.02
Jesus meets people
where they are. Amen.
00:53:02.05\00:53:05.28
But also He gives
them the promises.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.03
We've already mentioned
00:53:07.06\00:53:09.16
that each one of
the seven messages
00:53:09.19\00:53:11.21
concludes with the promises
00:53:11.24\00:53:12.82
to over comers
in those churches.
00:53:12.85\00:53:15.82
Please, allow me something
to illustrate something.
00:53:15.85\00:53:19.90
I'll put it here,
okay, on this board here.
00:53:19.93\00:53:24.79
The first church is
the church in Ephesus.
00:53:24.82\00:53:28.03
We'll talk about that next time.
00:53:28.06\00:53:29.90
It was the fantastic
church, loyal, faithful.
00:53:29.93\00:53:35.17
Steadfast and
brave in perseverance,
00:53:35.20\00:53:39.68
faithful to God, didn't
tolerate the false teachers.
00:53:39.71\00:53:43.57
Every pastor would like to
be pastor of such a church.
00:53:43.60\00:53:47.33
But the church has one
problem lacking that first love.
00:53:47.36\00:53:50.82
But its still very good church.
00:53:50.85\00:53:52.96
What about the second church.
00:53:52.99\00:53:54.86
Still very good church,
00:53:54.89\00:53:56.61
nothing negative
except one problem is
00:53:56.64\00:53:59.20
that church lives
in the constant fear.
00:53:59.23\00:54:01.51
Overhead fear can be
a serious problem, okay.
00:54:01.54\00:54:05.08
The next church in Pergamum
00:54:05.11\00:54:07.61
actually it's
already in serious troubles.
00:54:07.64\00:54:11.28
But it's still a good
church but some troubles.
00:54:11.31\00:54:14.31
Then we come to
the church in Thyatira,
00:54:14.34\00:54:16.20
the fourth church, the
church is a divided church.
00:54:16.23\00:54:21.37
The people were very faithful.
00:54:21.40\00:54:24.78
But there is a serious
apostasy in the church.
00:54:24.81\00:54:27.17
Then when we come
to the church in Sardis
00:54:27.20\00:54:30.04
this church has
just a name to be alive.
00:54:30.07\00:54:33.72
Living from past glory
but this church that is dead.
00:54:33.75\00:54:38.79
When we come to the church
Philadelphia brotherly love.
00:54:38.82\00:54:42.12
They just take a name
and make glory of that.
00:54:42.15\00:54:45.02
But Jesus says to the church
00:54:45.05\00:54:46.65
that you've just
a little strength.
00:54:46.68\00:54:49.79
The church is hardly surviving
00:54:49.82\00:54:51.62
and though it receives
many promises from Jesus Christ.
00:54:51.65\00:54:54.07
And then we come to
the church of Laodicea,
00:54:54.10\00:54:58.49
any comment, no.
00:54:58.52\00:55:00.61
Nothing good to be
said about the church.
00:55:00.64\00:55:03.15
But then Jesus
comes to the church
00:55:03.18\00:55:05.42
and this is the
beauty of the gospel.
00:55:05.45\00:55:07.78
I hope that you
can be now with me.
00:55:07.81\00:55:13.15
If you open please
I've only two minutes left.
00:55:13.18\00:55:18.93
Just to see how
Jesus comes to this church.
00:55:18.96\00:55:22.91
To the church in the
Ephesus the best church.
00:55:22.94\00:55:25.93
Jesus comes and
gives how many promises.
00:55:25.96\00:55:29.08
Only one promise
is the tree of life.
00:55:29.11\00:55:32.92
Then comes to the next
church, just little bit down.
00:55:32.95\00:55:35.36
The church is Smyrna,
00:55:35.39\00:55:36.99
the church
receives two promises,
00:55:37.02\00:55:39.12
chapter 2 verses 2 to 11.
00:55:39.15\00:55:41.90
Two promise, crown of life
00:55:41.93\00:55:44.10
and escape from
the second death.
00:55:44.13\00:55:45.96
Then you come to
the third church,
00:55:45.99\00:55:47.82
Pergamum
receives three promises,
00:55:47.85\00:55:50.13
the church
Thyatira fourth church,
00:55:50.16\00:55:51.88
the four promises.
00:55:51.91\00:55:53.28
The church in Sardis
receives five promises.
00:55:53.31\00:55:56.65
The church in
Philadelphia receives,
00:55:56.68\00:55:58.36
sixth church
receives the six promises.
00:55:58.39\00:56:01.64
And finally, the last
church, the worse church.
00:56:01.67\00:56:05.04
The church in Laodicea,
00:56:05.07\00:56:06.51
any guess how many promises
00:56:06.54\00:56:08.48
does the church
Laodicea receives? Only one.
00:56:08.51\00:56:13.13
"Everybody who
overcomes will sit with me
00:56:13.16\00:56:16.24
on my throne as I overcame
00:56:16.27\00:56:19.04
and sat with my
Father on His throne."
00:56:19.07\00:56:23.66
Did you notice
something significant?
00:56:23.69\00:56:27.95
If rich man comes
here to you and tells you
00:56:27.98\00:56:31.86
I can give
million dollars to you,
00:56:31.89\00:56:34.72
buy you a great mansion
00:56:34.75\00:56:37.02
and give you
these, these things.
00:56:37.05\00:56:38.42
What I can adopt
you as my successor
00:56:38.45\00:56:41.43
to inherit all my
things, what would you chose?
00:56:41.46\00:56:43.62
You see when you sit
with Jesus on his thrown
00:56:43.65\00:56:46.94
then you've all
these other promises. Amen.
00:56:46.97\00:56:51.50
Is that what Apostle Paul said?
00:56:51.53\00:56:54.46
Is that what apostle Paul said?
00:56:54.49\00:56:56.24
When sin increases
00:56:56.27\00:56:59.83
the grace abounds even more.
00:56:59.86\00:57:05.01
See this is the first
vision of Jesus Christ.
00:57:05.04\00:57:09.00
What a great savior
He's presented here?
00:57:09.03\00:57:12.35
He walks among
us. He understands us.
00:57:12.38\00:57:16.14
He knows everything about us.
00:57:16.17\00:57:18.94
He cares about us
00:57:18.97\00:57:20.55
and He gives us
those great promises.
00:57:20.58\00:57:24.66
Please, accept
Him as your savior
00:57:24.69\00:57:27.12
because he meats
people where they are. Amen.
00:57:27.15\00:57:31.53