Dear Doves:
The following are some selective excerpts, from my verse by verse, studies, on the Book of Revelation.
The Interpretation of
The Revelation of
Jesus Christ
If anyone would like the whole study, please e-mail me, Bob Reynolds @ rwreynolds@tampabay.rr..com and I would be happy to e-mail you a copy, as it is quite extensive.
Revelation 1:4
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;
1:4
John to the seven (7) Means: perfect churches (Means: called out ones, ) that are in Asia: (Asia means: Mire; slime;)
The reason He writes to the SEVEN (The number of perfection) churches, calling us perfect, even though, we may still be in the mire and slime, is because, He sees, the end from the beginning. Isaiah 46:10; We were made in His image, and to uphold His good name He will declare all of us His righteous, though we may not have exercised our faith to be accounted worthy,
Isaiah 57:12;
I will declare your righteousness and your (Temporal) works, but they will not profit you. (Temporal works are done in the flesh of un-confessed sin of lawlessness, not in the cleansed state of practicing righteousness which, produces the eternal works of God, which, He prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10. When we operate in the temporal flesh there is no power of God’s grace to make them eternal, therefore they burn up and do not last. For the quality of each man’s work shall be revealed as though fire. I Corinthians 3:13;)
God desires all of us to receive our full reward, by choosing to have, Now Faith, and practice righteousness, now, while our stay here on Earth. Practicing Righteousness, is FAITH, it is, believing and trusting God, that when we repent and confess our sin, and the sin of our neighbor, it is as if it never happened, and we therefore, are PERFECT before God. Therefore, keeping the whole law. I John 1: 5-9; 3:7-10; He does not wish to have to declare us righteous, He wants us to see our own condition that is why,
He writes to the churches that are in ASIA Which means: SLIME, MIRE.
The story of the Prodigal Son
Luke 15:11-32; tells of the young man being in the pig mire, in verse 17 and 18, it says, when he came to his senses he returned to his father, The boy saw his condition, his brokenness, his sin and where that sin had led him. His father never stopped loving him, but had to let him go his own way, to prove to himself, his way doesn’t work, so that he could choose for himself, his father’s way. Willing to become a servant, his father restored him as a son. Gods Love, patience and mercy, tolerates us to find out, and grants us as much time as we wish to see that, our way doesn’t work, we have see our brokenness for ourselves.
The Book of Revelation is written to All prodigal sons.
Psalms 40:1-4; I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry :2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the mud of the Mire, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. :3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the Lord. :4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to falsehoods.
II Thessalonians 2:10;
Because, they did not receive (Word #1209. Dechomai; Receive: to accept an offer deliberately and readily As distinguished from lambano (Word #2983) which sometimes means to receive as merely a self-prompted action without necessarily signaling a favorable reception. Derivative: apodechoma (Word #588), from apo (Word #575), from, an intens., and dechomai meaning to receive heartily, welcome. (See prosdokao [4328], to anticipate.) Ekdechomai (Word #1551), from ek (Word #1537), from, and dechomai, literally to take or receive from, hence to await, expect, suggesting a reaching out eagerly to receive something. Ekdoche (Word #1561), the noun of ekdechomai (Word #1551), meaning a looking for, expectation) the love of the Truth, so as to be saved. They feed on false doctrines of the false prophets.
The theme of the Book of Revelation is repeated over and over again, which is to keep watch, so that, we may not be deceived. The key to understanding how to avoid being deceived, as Eve was by the serpent in the Garden of Eden, is to hate what God hates and have a sincere hunger and love for what God loves, the Truth, which is of course, Jesus. (John 14:6;)
II Peter 2: 21-22;
For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, (How to Practice Righteousness, through Jesus Christ) than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.:22; But it is happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit (Eating from our own table of thinking, Isaiah 28:7 And even these reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink; the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. Isaiah 28:8 For all tables [Where we eat spiritually] are full of vomit so that there is not one clean place.) again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
God wants us to return to Him from the MIRE, just like the Prodigal Son, who saw his condition, his bestial level to which, he had fallen. He wants us to become righteous, as He is righteous, by practicing righteousness now. (Note: Revelation 1:1; 15:3; 19:2,15; 22:3;)God’s GRACE flowing through them, Adam and Eve were clothed from the inside out with God’s Glory. When they sinned Adam and Eve saw that they were naked, the Glory of God’s fellowship, His grace, His Power that keeps the clothing of Light turned on, had departed from them. As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, they lost their spiritual covering and they knew they were naked. Prior to their fall from God’s fellowship, they were covered by the glory of God, which departed when they chose death rather than life and immortality. Genesis 3:9-11; They could only see the flesh because, they were,
FALLEN FROM GRACE, GOD’S POWER.
Adam had dominion over the beast of the field When Adam sinned, he fell from God’s GRACE to the level he use to have dominion over, he fell to the level of the Beast. (Genesis 1:26; Galatians 5:4-6;)
Romans 1:22-23; Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
And exchanged the glory (Covering of God, splendor, brightness) of the incorruptible (Without death, Sin) God for an image made in the form of corruptible (Sinful) man, and birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. (The Bestial thinking level, not Spiritual)
Philippians 3:21; For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself..
God wants us to see the level, to which we have fallen, from His Grace: that is, His power flowing through us, when we were in fellowship with Him. God wants us to RETURN FROM, Babylon the Great (Trying to please God by works of the flesh; Pride)
Babylon is all that the carnal mind of man devises in the exaltation of Self--the preeminence of Self over God whether in nations, cities, politics, government, science, technology, religion, philosophy, psychology, sociology, commerce, education, entertainment, or church. It is all that is in the world and of the world. It describes the spiritual condition of the church.
THE CARNAL MIND
Spiritual Babylon is primarily characterized by the idolatry of the carnal mind. Carnal is another word for the flesh. "Flesh" often refers to that fallen sin nature of man that is at enmity with God. The carnal mind is all thought, reason, logic, imagination, opinion, and speculation that is associated with the old Adamic mind of fallen man. We practice Babylon when we do things according to our notion rather than God's.
The apostle Paul explained that those who do things according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who do according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit "For to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God." Rom. 8:5-7a.
THE BESTIAL LEVEL KING
In Daniel 4:30-37, The king (Nebuchadnezzar) reflected and said, 'Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?' (King Nebuchadnezzar, informs us in this verse, that this Temple, this tabernacle, this royal residence, in other words, this Church, was built for his glory and majesty, to honor himself. to glorify himself as God II Thessalonians 2:4 He that opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.) and 31, While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared; sovereignty has been removed from you, 32, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beast of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes,.33, "Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was driven away from mankind and began to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like bird claws. 34, "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. 35, All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have you done? 36, At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. 37, Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.(Proverbs 16:18; Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.)Nebuchadnezzar saw and understood that not only did he look and act like a beast but, that His thinking was not Spiritual, without knowledge and understanding. We come to our senses, like Nebuchadnezzar, by seeing our bestial condition The state to which we have fallen.
Grace to you and peace, from He who is and who was and who is to come;
When Jesus came the first time, He came and redeemed us at the very level, to which we had fallen. He came to earth and was born in a STABLE among the BEAST. He was placed in a Manger, which is a feeding troth for the BEAST. He became the food (Bread) of LIFE for all the Beast (Mankind) Ecclesiastes 3:21;
and from the seven (Perfect, complete, endless number of covenant) Spirits that are before His throne; (Sovereignty and authority of God)
Isaiah 11:2;
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
1. The Spirit of the Lord (Love, II John :6, I John 4:16-19;)
2. The Spirit of wisdom (Truth, Job 28:28a; John 4:23,24; James 1:5;)
3. The Spirit of understanding (Discernment, Job 28:28b;)
4. The Spirit of counsel (Remembrance/Restoration, Exodus 18:19;)
5. The Spirit of power (Might, I Corinthians 12:9,10;)
6. The Spirit of knowledge (Revelation, Proverbs 1:7;9:10;)
7. The Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Grace, Proverbs 1:7 Psalm 111:10;)
Ephesians 3:16-19;
that we would be "strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Christ does not necessarily dwell in our hearts just because we have been saved, it is something that must be cultivated through a heart that seeks after the things of the Spirit, constantly lining up with His plumbline of the Word, through practicing Righteousness by confessing our sins and the sin of our people as our own, (I John 1:9; 3:9,10;) to dwell in the Light.
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Revelation 6:6
And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat for a shilling, and three measures of barley for a shilling; and the oil and the wine hurt thou not.
6:6
And I heard as it were a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A measure of wheat (Wheat represent the believers who have fallen asleep. Matthew 13:25; Spirit Salvation only, works burned up. and Barley The Barley ripens first around fruitsfruits (Passover). Barley depicts Overcomers, Practicing Righteousness; fruitsfruit Bride of Christ. Soul as well, Spirit Salvation. I Corinthians 3:12-15;make spiritual bread. Jesus is the bread of Life)for a shilling, and three measures of barley (A Triple portion for the Bride: Father Son and Holy Spirit are One With Love. for a shilling; (A form of money) Spiritual food is scarce and is measured against the Truth. Selling the Spiritual (Note: Revelation 13:17;)
· Barley grain is soft and separated by winnowing; in which the wind blows the chaff away.
· Wheat grain is hard and separated by a tribulum/board tool whereby the husk is crushed. This is where we get the word tribulation from The wheat is threshed by spreading the sheaves on the threshing-floor and letting the oxen walk repeatedly over them.
Please read now, II Kings 7: 1-20; where we find the Gatekeeper of spiritual things, selling flour. The bible is a Spiritual Book, and thus meant to be searched and taken spiritually. We find that the real spiritual meaning of this Chapter is that there is a spiritual famine going on. Those, who got up from where they were, (The four leprous men,Vs.3;) because, they were starving spiritually, found riches, beyond their wildest dreams, why? Because, God provides for us, when we seek to come spiritually higher. He says in the book of Revelation, to come up hither, which, means to come higher spiritually. Don’t stay where you are! They brought back spiritual food for the others, but the Temple Gatekeepers are selling the spiritual meant to be free. (II Kings 7:1 Barley gets double portion; Isaiah 55:1,)
The spiritual food had therefore, become defiled by the flesh. The people were so hungry that they did not examine what they were eating, so as to test the spirit, (They did not measure in the balances held by the word of God, what they were about to eat spiritually) They then trampled the Gatekeeper, fulfilling the prophecy of Elisha. We find the rest of this puzzle in the book of Isaiah. 28:4-8; where they eat the first-ripe Fig, without knowing there is a worm in it. They didn’t know, because, they didn’t line up what they were eating with the word. We find what they were really eating, was vomit. (Food defiled by the flesh. Ezekiel 2:4-3:11;) Served, in places called churches, built with hands. Acts 7:48-53; (NOTE: Revelation Chapter 18. We are to test [measure] every spirit. I John 4:1;)
Isaiah 28:6;
And a spirit of justice to him that sits in judgment, and strength (Grace, Power) to them that turn back the onslaught at the gate.
We need the Grace (Power) of God to repel the onslaught at the gate. Over and over again, God tells us, we are a rebellious and obstinate people, stubborn in all our ways. We don’t want to hear the real truth; we want to think and eat from our own banquet tables, not knowing they are full of vomit. (Food defiled by the flesh. Isaiah 28:8; Ezekiel 2:4-3:11;)
and do not touch the oil and the wine. (These are the results of the crushed fruit, representing the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Symbol of teaching) God is saying, You will not sell the pure, unadulterated word, you will not sell the true fruit of the Holy Spirit.
What you sell is adulterated, defiled with the flesh.
Just as we are to see our brokenness, we must yearn for our own destruction, a destruction overflowing with righteousness.
Isaiah 10:22,23;
For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, Only a remnant within them will return; A destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.:23; For a complete destruction, one that is decreed, the Lord God of hosts will execute in the midst of the whole land)is poured out (Jesus’ Blood was poured out for us) on the one who makes desolate. (WE are the Antichrist who makes our own temple desolate. I John 2:18;)
(Olives [Oil] and grapes [Wine] must be crushed, leaving the flesh behind, to get true Oil and wine.)
Gethsemane Means: The place of my crushing.
Our old man needs to see his brokenness, his crushing . (Note: Revelation 8:6) Just like the beast, which needs to be tamed, a horse is of no good to his master, until he is broken. We need the Lord to break us, in fact kill us, to lead us. We must die to self to live (Abide) in Christ. The fruit of the Holy Spirit only proceeds from our lives, when we are crushed. When olives and grapes (Oil and wine) are crushed their flesh, is left behind as refuse.
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Revelation 13:17
and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, [even] the name of the beast or the number of his name.
13:17
And he provides (The Bestial thinking of the False Prophet is to buy or sell the spiritual that is meant to be free.) that no one will be able to
buy or sell, (The Spiritual)
Matthew 21:12;
And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling (The spiritual) in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling (Charging for that which is meant to be free.) doves. (Spiritual symbol of the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:16; Acts 5:1-10; 8:9;) except the one who has the mark, (Thinking, followed by their own works) or the name of the beast, (The Beast is the Fallen state of Man; Fallen from God’s Grace, His power flowing through us to be whom He made us to be and to do and practice, what He created us to do) or the number of his name. (Self, little h.)
Isaiah 55:1; Come buy from Me that which is free Without money, without costs.
God has always meant His Word to be FREE without cost.
But man, in his bestial thinking, thinks he can do for God. Man thinks that he can produce a tape or book, which he can explain better than being restored to fellowship with the Holy Spirit, by Practicing Righteousness.
Revelation 13:18
Here is wisdom. He that has understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six.
13:18
Here is wisdom. (Godly thinking) Let him that has understanding (Practices Righteousness, so to be restored to fellowship with God and be able to have understanding in the Light of His mysteries and secrets.) count the number of the beast: (his name) (NOTE: Wisdom, Revelation 1:2)
I Samuel 17:4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
II Samuel 21:20
And there was yet a battle in Gath, (Meaning: Winepress, where Goliath was from.) where was a man of great stature, (Height, six cubits) on each hand he had six fingers, and on each foot six toes, twenty-four in number; and he also was born to the giant. Goliath was the picture of the beast, 6 cubits tall; 6 Fingers on each hand; 6 toes on each foot. (I Chronicles 20:6;)
666 for it is the number of a man; OURSELVES
(Goliath, the picture, type and shadow of the Beast, called MAN.) and his number (The bestial Man) is Six hundred sixty six. (666, six, three’s; Man trying to be God without God) 6x6=36 If we add up all digits from 1 to 36, we have a total of 666. 1+2+3+through…36 = 666; (666, three, six’s; 3, # of the Godhead, the Trinity). 6, is the # of Man; 18, # of bondage. Man is trying to be reconciled with God, by his own efforts)
Genesis 6:4;
:4,The Nephilim (Giants, word #5303 Read Genesis 6 and Numbers 13;) were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came unto the daughters of men and they bare children to them: (Reproduced, after their kind.) Those were the mighty men who {were} of old, men of renown. (Reputation, Pride)
Genesis 1:24;
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and the beasts (The Nephilim were reproducing the fallen bestial nature of Mankind.) of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.
Genesis 11:4;
And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, (Prideful, high thinking) whose top will reach to heaven, and let us make us a name; (A reputation, however, Jesus became of no reputation. Philippians 2:7)
THE MARK OF THE BEAST
John 6:66;
As a result of this many of His disciples (Students) withdrew and were not walking (in fellowship) with Him anymore.
This is the bestial nature, when we do not walk in FELLOWSHIP with our creator, we are not practicing righteousness. When we walk in our will and are not walking in His will, then, we are Anti-Christ. (Note: Revelation 2:2, 20; 13:3, 11-18.) It is not, a mark that we are to avoid taking, but, one that we already have, that we must get rid of. A mark of the way we think. Remember, David, killed Goliath, with a stone, (Jesus, our Rock, our Cornerstone) right in the middle of his forehead, where Goliath thought. Then he cut Goliath’s head off. (I Samuel 17:51;) We need to get rid of our stinking thinking!!! We must put on the mind of Christ. The number 6 is man's number. A set of three, in this case, 6’s, 666, copies the Trinity, but with each 6 falling short of the perfect number 7. The counterfeit trinity of the beast refers to man's sinful nature. (SELF)
Isaiah 6:10;
Make the heart of this people insensitive, and make their ears dull, and shut their eyes; otherwise, they will see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, (Spiritually) and return, (Reconciled to fellowship with God, Practicing Righteousness) and be healed.
Return to our Father from the Mire.
YBIC,
Bob Reynolds @ rwreynolds@tampabay.rr.com