Revelation Revealed Series

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST [CHAPTER 3]

Revelation Chapter 3:1-13

WORTHINESS IS ONE OF THE GREAT CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS BOOK

VERSE 1 “These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God…” This certainly is a reference to Isaiah’s description of the Lord Jesus seen in manifest Millennial splendor as the root and offspring of David as portrayed in 11:1,2. (See Him exercising end time judgments in verses 3-5). And although Jesus is the Leader of the Church and possessor of the fullness of the Spirit, yet the responsibility for holiness is ascribed to the members of His Church. To be “dead” while living, must mean to have no liveliness. [1Timothy 5:5,6] Is our worship cold and infrequent, our testimony known but quiet to the World, our love for one another cold, our good works hard to find?

VERSE 2 The words of Christ in Luke 21:34-36 apply here… “Take heed to yourselves, lest at anytime your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, so the day come upon you unawares; for as a snare it shall come upon all them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth. Watch thee therefore and pray always, that you might be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass.”

 “I have not found thy works perfect before (my*) God.”  *In the Greek* Here it is not so much what He finds, but what He does not find. Jesus, always subservient to the Father, stands as the Priest in the Temple of His God, and fulfills His will.

VERSE 3 After having heard and received Christ’s Atonement, the Gospel of Grace and Mercy in Jesus, clearly and enthusiastically, and received abundantly, being full of zeal, now the Lord examines it for fruit and finds none. A tree bare and lifeless. Remember, turn again and “observe”/keep the doctrines and practices you had once received. [Hebrews 10:35]

“I will come on thee as a thief…” Here in view is Matthew 24:36-51 (read). In this and the other letters, there is often marked reference by the Lord to His “Coming”. Noteworthy it is not to the time of our dying where He points, warns or encourages throughout the generations, but to that later event. That is to His descent from the 3^rd Heaven to the heavens just above the earth, where the watchful, fruitful living, as seen in type, like Enoch, will ascend. While those faithless unwatchful are left behind to endure the worst of the Tribulation. To these then He would appear as a thief, as He stole away His watchful servants and left them to mourn their loss.

This is as it will be ON the earth in the First-Fruits offering. But under the earth, shortly thereafter, this same sense of loss will be experienced by the many unwatchful and sleepy Christians who have died over the centuries. They too, will be left behind, denied a part in the First Resurrection Harvest, wherein those who had been faithful and fruitful, while living, are then caught up from among the dead, to meet the Lord in the air. That is to say in the first heaven just above the earth. [Luke 20:35; Matthew 25:10-13] The point here in Revelation vs 3, as it is throughout, being the threatened terrible consequence of not overcoming, that looks past the not insignificant accounting experience at death.

Christ speaks to our condition at His Coming, which is to be understood as the most meaningful incentive to the discerning Believer. That which Paul, having been given the knowledge of the mysterious heavenly kingdom reward, looked personally beyond his death experience unto, and was greatly concerned for attaining it. [Philippians 3:10-14] It is not the apprehending or the loss of eternal life that he now greatly pursues, nor where he might abode in the place of the dead when he dies. No, his concern was the attaining of the prize, and to avoid the great future loss he understood to be suffered by the unworthy servant. That of not being a part of those gathered out from among the dead at the Coming of the Lord in the First Resurrection Harvest, and having then no place in that heavenly Kingdom of Christ.

Therein lies the desired Will of God, to find Kingdom worthiness in every Christian. And thus the emphasis of the Lord throughout Scripture is to focus His servant’s attention, (not on where His servant will go at the time of death  which is the wrong emphasis universally taught in Christendom), but more so on his spiritual growth in the way of living after eternal life is secured. This is what greatly matters as it impacts his eternal future state of existence upon Christ’s Return. That is to say that God’s emphasis to the Born-again is on the “prize/reward” (or its loss). That which he has not yet attained.…not the “gift” which he has.

VERSES 4 & 5 In the transfiguration, Jesus Christ’s white clothing sparkled and glistened. His “countenance”/ face brilliantly shone as it changed before the eyes of 3 of His Disciples. As do the countenances and clothes of the Angels of the Lord. [Matthew 28:3] The body is a part of the man and his clothing but a covering. The Transfiguration is a simile of the promised condition of the resurrected worthies who have overcome. The body will then project the condition of the abiding suddenly changed or returning glorious spirit. (Luke 23:46; Ecclesiastes 8:8, 12:7; 1Corinthians 15:52)

In that “…the first man Adam was made a living soul: the last Adam was made a quickening spirit”. The verses of 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 are where Paul explains what Christ has promised here in Revelation (read). “…How are the dead raised up?….what body do they come?…..Paul says the body is like a seed sown, like wheat or grain one body is sown but an entirely different body comes up. And different bodies have different glory. “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead, It is sown in corruption: it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.”

Paul goes on to say “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from Heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have bourne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.” That to which Paul speaks is the body in resurrection. He speaks not of the clothes. But Christ here speaks of the clothes, and that of those in the first resurrection as overcomers. “Thou hast a few names…that have not defiled their garments: and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” THE CLOTHES ARE A REFLECTION OF THE CONDITION OF THE PERSON.

Jude 23 says… “….hating the garment spotted by the flesh.” The flesh affects the outer clothing.

Christ says He is the savior of the body, our individual and by extension our corporate body. He gave Himself for the sanctifying and cleansing of that Body… “That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing: but that it should be holy and without blemish.” With… “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints…..” [Ephesians 5:23-27 and Revelation 197,8]

And so all who are worthy to be a part of the First Resurrection shall be accounted as not having stained their garments upon the earth in unrepented deeds of worldly flesh. There was an often washing of His Word and that by minding the things of the Spirit and the drawing upon His power. Although all whose names are found to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, shall be resurrected much later (Revelation 20:11-15) all OVERCOMERS will be raised 1000 yrs earlier.  “…and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” That is to say, shine in countenance and garment with sparkling brilliance, they will yet differ in First Resurrection glory. [Revelation 20:4-6] This is His right expectation and highest purpose for us. LET US pray and endeavor to live worthily.

THE BOOK OF LIFE The first written reference to this Book is in Exodus 32:32,33. Moses appeals to God, “Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin……and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written”. and God responds: “Whoso hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.”

The sin referenced was a specific sin, that of making and worshiping a god other than God, Thus the strong reference God makes against individuals who had thus just sinned in such a way. The implications are:

1. God has a book of Life, and from the title in Revelation 3:5, we can see it has to do with a greater Life than just natural life.
2. It is a book of individuals.
3. That names therein may be blotted out. And that according to God’s Judgment of individual sin specific against Him. (Although all sin is against God, not all common sin is directed at Him as such was the case here in Exodus).

That our names are written in Heaven is declared in several places. Hebrews 12:23 reveals that the names of the firstborn are written in Heaven,. And in Luke 10:20, where Jesus Christ reveals to His disciples that although they had authority over demons, that it is of greater significance that they should understand one’s name has been written in Heaven.

“Life” is a subject we have discussed considerably in comments on previous verses. “Life” being used as a descriptive term as to the quality in which our state of eternal existence might be afforded, and not a term necessarily exclusive to merely eternal Life. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more (super) abundantly.”  Therefore, to have one’s name blotted out does not necessarily mean to lose eternal Life. It is referring to the higher state of super abundant Life,  as intended for those who being Regenerated/Born-again are inscribed in His book.

It would be hard to believe that Moses was requesting eternal death. Perhaps it would not be too difficult to understand where Moses was coming from when Acts 7:22 is brought to bear on the subject. “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” That being that Moses had some valid, (although no doubt, some of which was misguided) understandings from the historical books of Egypt as to the after life. I.e. the Book of the Dead, which mentions the blotting out of the name of the deceased. And that which we struggle to see might have been matter of fact to Moses, and to which God took no exception. Thus he intercedes for their well-being at his personal loss of higher state and status of Life in the afterlife, not for eternal death.

This Scripture verse’s exhortation (Revelation 3:5) then is the parallel to Revelation 2:11 (of which we have spoken). These are but incentivizing promises and insurances to an overcomer they need not concern themselves with. Neither the second death, nor the blotting out of their name from the book of life. But let the severe implication stand for the merely born again Believer, that although for them eternal life is not what is at risk, the penalty may be severe for being overcome by the flesh. That of the loss of abundant Life, in the staying in the state and place of the Dead. This in contrast to being openly acknowledged by Jesus Christ by name, in heavenly assembly, before the Father and His Angels!

You who are unfaithful today, look to Peter. Who, when he sinned and was confronted, immediately went out from the World and wept bitterly. And may we, like Peter, find forgiveness and restoration and become as he did, faithful unto the promised inheritance. As he went on and wrote by inspiration of the Spirit, “…I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed….”

VERSE 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shuteth, and no man openeth;….”

THE HOLY ONE ….He that is true…speaks in contrast to the unholy one and the liar over whom THE HOLY and TRUE ONE Overcame and will overcome. [Revelation 19:11] Scripture says: “…that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil;…”  Revelation 1:18….. “I am he that liveth, and was dead: and, behold, I am alive for evermore., Amen: and have the keys of hell and of death.”

The keys of Hades are the key of David’s freedom. They open up for him the resurrection, the way for the promises and sure mercies to David. His Seed shall then, at resurrection, rule in both realms, both in the heavens and on the face of the Earth. As also to the NC overcoming Believer, Christ has given the Keys to open the door to heaven’s rule. [Matthew 16:19] The Lord has exclusive power to lock and unlock, to open and close. To open the Gates of the Hades and open the way into the heavens and to shut out from there satan. And later to shut him in for a thousand years, and to open and then to finally shut forever. [Revelation chapter 20]

VERSE 9 The promise is most likely a vindication of caught up Christians into the heaven above. The disbelieving Jews fall at their feet. In the same manner, Gentiles will come and bow down and pay homage to Millennial Jews  who then have precedence on the face of the Earth. Both then favored and loved by God, yet historically persecuted parties are vindicated by God.

VERSE 10 To keep His patience is another way of saying: to have kept My word and denied not My name of vs 8. If satan and his forces are potent in their temptations then and now, so as to fail to overcome, what shall be that superior force of the great day of temptation coming?

Let’s quickly look at a snap shot of that horrendous state of Earth at that time as it is now approaching rapidly. That time consists of 3 ½ years, culminating in the 2^nd Coming of Jesus Christ.

1. There then is present a false Messiah with miraculous powers, that the lost of the World are enthralled enthusiastically, and fanatically with.
2. satan has been cast down upon the Earth and is in rage because his time is short.
3. There then will be World-wide persecution which requires worship the false Messiah or suffer death.
4. There then God’s Wrath will be cascading down upon the Earth in increasing intensity.
5. The time is of greatest delusion 2^nd Thessalonians 2:11.  TO “KEEP Thee”  then means by escape only, for the Word declares this Great Temptation as being on the dwellers of the entire Earth. Whose hearts are where their bodies dwell. Two places of safety are promised, the heaven just above the Earth and the “wilderness” upon the Earth. [Revelation 12:5,6,14]

VERSE 12  Pillars of old are representative of the stature of him who has them quarried. Hewn out of some great mass of rock from the indifferent darkness of underground to be separated, shaped and formed uniquely  apart from what they were. Being set up on high as a memorial, where on them is inscribed in honor, the name of a conquering king  and/or his city and of his god.

It is discovered to us in this verse and other Scriptures, that there is a City/Temple. One never before inhabited by man, whose foundations are made by God, wherein are to stand Pillars, like unto a Temple unto God. The Pillars here promised is the Overcomer, quarried out of the humanity of man, a living stone,. And on him Christ will write the Name of His God, and the Name of the City of His God (which is the New Jerusalem) which cometh down out of heaven from His God. In addition, He will write His new Name upon him. In there, in the Holy presence in the center of Worship for the entire universe, He shall have an eternal place. Fittingly appointed and designed in the Just Wisdom of God, in that place wherein once Lucifer had his most honored appointment, as the anointed cherub. (Ezekiel 28:14-16) These now stand in this most honored place, having withstood the many assaults of him and his rebellious nature. They have overcome in their devotion to Christ in the grace of His Spirit.

VERSE 13 HE THAT HAS AN EAR…….IT IS WELL SAID TO ANYONE WITH AN EAR

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