Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 13:13-15
13:13. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Verse 11-18 = the beast coming out of the earth or the false prophets.
The false prophets perform the great sign until making fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. This is the demonstration of the power of the false prophets with the physical great signs which are false for deceiving men, including the church, until they fall in the false worship, namely the one to the Antichrist.
The image of the beast or the Antichrist refers to the form of Satan that cannot be seen because he is spirit and always persuades or forces men because he wants to get their worship.
Jesus Christ refers to the form of God who cannot be seen, but He is real in Jesus. He deserves to get the worship and must be worshiped.
God who cannot be seen wants to show Himself in the form of Jesus Christ for the following purposes:
How can we see the form of God in Jesus Christ?
Being holy which is added with the peaceful heart is the same as seeing the real form of God.
Hebrews 12:14
12:14.Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
Our eyes are set upon God only.
2 Chronicles 20:12
20:12. "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
The results are as follows:
God blesses you.
Revelation 13:13-15
13:13. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.
13:14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.
13:15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Verse 11-18 = the beast coming out of the earth or the false prophets.
The false prophets perform the great sign until making fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. This is the demonstration of the power of the false prophets with the physical great signs which are false for deceiving men, including the church, until they fall in the false worship, namely the one to the Antichrist.
The image of the beast or the Antichrist refers to the form of Satan that cannot be seen because he is spirit and always persuades or forces men because he wants to get their worship.
Jesus Christ refers to the form of God who cannot be seen, but He is real in Jesus. He deserves to get the worship and must be worshiped.
God who cannot be seen wants to show Himself in the form of Jesus Christ for the following purposes:
- Our service and ministry to God are not abstract, but real.
- We do not worship the other gods, so we do not fall in the false worship.
How can we see the form of God in Jesus Christ?
- In the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
4:3.But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
It is the same as the true teaching Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword or the sanctification Word which is able to sanctify the hidden sins which are like the hidden cancer that dwells in human life.
2 Timothy 2:17
2:17.And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
The process of the true teaching Word's sanctifying us from the cancer of sins is as follows:- The sanctification from the gall or the heart which is bound by iniquity.
Acts 8:18-23
8:18.And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
8:19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
8:20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
8:21 "You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
8:22 "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
8:23 "For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."
'you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity' = it becomes the poison.
Being bound by iniquity means that one is bound by the will of money or he loves money. All things including the service and ministry to God are measured by money because he relies on money, not God. Having no love to God means that one has no love to other people.
It causes the stinginess and greediness or the idolatry.
Stinginess means that one cannot give.
Greediness means stealing the possession of others, especially God's, namely the tithes and offerings.
Keeping the evil lusts, there must be the uncleanness and bitterness. - The sanctification of the deeds.
Exodus 9:8-9
9:8.So the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh.
9:9 "And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break outin sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt."
The boils refer to the ulcer or cancer.
'ashes from a furnace' = all things that stimulate the lusts in the heart to become the sinful deeds up to the peak, namely the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage.
After committing the sinful deeds because of being stimulated by the ashes from the world, one will ignore the ashes from the Altar of Burnt Offerings or repentance and the Golden Altar of Incense or worship.
Committing the sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in marriage is the same as building Babylon. - The sanctification from the meaningless words such as lies, gossip, slander, and blasphemy to God.
2 Timothy 2:16-18
2:16.But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
2:17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
2:18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
Blaspheming God is the same as justifying the false and blaming at the righteous or true teaching.
The meaningless words also belong to the false teachings as follows:- 'the resurrection is already past' = men do not need the death experience. It means rejecting the cross or the sword. This is the false teaching which resists against the resurrection.
- The Word is made as knowledge. It destroys the faith.
1 Timothy 6:20-21
6:20.O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblingsand contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge--
6:21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
Actually, the Word comes from the revelation of God to make the faith grow.
Faith is higher than the logic, so the logic will also receive when the faith can receive something.
- 'the resurrection is already past' = men do not need the death experience. It means rejecting the cross or the sword. This is the false teaching which resists against the resurrection.
In the holiness, we can worship God in the true worship.
Psalm 29:2
29:2.Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Not experiencing the sanctification, one is worshiping the image of the beast or the Antichrist. - The sanctification from the gall or the heart which is bound by iniquity.
- In the sacrifice of Christ.
Hebrews 10:1,8-13
10:1.For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
10:8 Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law),
10:9 then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
10:11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
10:13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
Verse 1 = the sacrifice of the Trinity of God refers to the animal offering as the shadow of the good things to come.
In the New Testament, the animal offering is fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ which is the real sacrifice of God. Therefore, we can see the real form of God in Jesus, who has been born, dead, and ascended to sit at the right side of the throne of Father God.
This is the complete form of God.
Revelation 5:8-12
5:8.Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
5:11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
5:12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slainTo receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"
After knowing the form of God in the sacrifice of Christ, we can worship Jesus.
The proof is appreciating the sacrifice of Christ.
Thus, if we appreciate and exalt the sacrifice of Christ, we can worship God in the form of Jesus Christ.
Just remember to appreciate the sacrifice of Christ every time you are dry in the worship, especially for us, the Gentiles, who must see the biggest and deepest wound of the side of Jesus out of which blood and water came.
If we remember how Jesus has fought for us, we will be broken-hearted no matter how hard our heart has been, so we can worship Him. It begins from giving thanks. This is the golden key of the worship of the Gentiles to God.
The facts found in worshiping God because of appreciating the sacrifice of Christ are as follows:- We get the redemption or deliverance from sins by the blood of Jesus.
Revelation 5:6,9-10
5:6.And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
5:9. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your bloodOut of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."
We can get the redemption through confessing sins to God and other people, so the blood of Jesus forgives all of our sins. After being forgiven, do not commit sin anymore, but hate the sins!
Ephesians 1:7
1:7.In Him we have redemptionthrough His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
We are redeemed from the following things:- Tribe and nation. It means that we are redeemed from the worldliness or the world with all of its influences such as the business, sorrows, difficulties, and so on which make men far away from God or unfaithful.
Being redeemed, we will be faithful in our marriage, service and ministry to God, and all things.
James 4:4
4:4.Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Being unfaithful is the same as building the Babylon. - People. It means the redemption from the disobedient flesh.
Romans 8:7
8:7.Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Worshiping God, we will be set free from the influence of the flesh, so we can always be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore. - Tongue. It means the redemption from the meaningless words, so we can speak honestly.
Afterward, we are appointed as the priests and kings or the ministers of reconciliation until the Israelites and Gentiles become one.
Revelation 5:10
5:10. And have made us kings and prieststo our God; And we shall reign on the earth." - Tribe and nation. It means that we are redeemed from the worldliness or the world with all of its influences such as the business, sorrows, difficulties, and so on which make men far away from God or unfaithful.
- We are shepherded well and correctly. Sheep has relationship with the shepherding.
Revelation 5:9,4-5
5:9. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
5:4.So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.
5:5 But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."
The lamb and the Lion of the tribe of Judah opened the scroll. It means revealing the Word.
The Lion of the tribe of Judah also bound the donkey to the true Vine. It means bringing the Gentiles to be shepherded well and correctly.
Genesis 49:10-12
49:10.The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
49:11 Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyes are darker than wine, And his teeth whiter than milk.
Not being shepherded, the Gentiles will be the unclean and wild donkey.
John 15:2-4
15:2."Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
15:3 "You are already cleanbecause of the word which I have spoken to you.
15:4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
The relationship between the branches and the vine is in holiness and faithfulness.
The Gentiles who are shepherded well and correctly will be the faithful and holy servants of God, so there will be the sweet fruits sooner or later.
Not being faithful, one cannot be holy.
Genesis 49:11-12
49:11.Binding his donkey to the vine, And his donkey's colt to the choice vine, He washed his garments in wine, And his clothesin the blood of grapes.
49:12 His eyesare darker than wine, And his teethwhiter than milk.
What must be sanctified?- The clothes are sanctified from the sinful deeds.
- 'eyes' = the sight is sanctified so that we do not see all things which are forbidden by God.
- 'teeth' = the mouth is sanctified until we can drink or consume the pure spiritual milk or the shepherding Word.
Amos 4:6
4:6."Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD.
We must be able to consume the solid food which is able to sanctify us, so we can smile or our teeth can be seen. It means the peaceful heart.
- The clothes are sanctified from the sinful deeds.
- Living in the full worship or surrendering to God.
Revelation 5:11-12
5:11.Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,
5:12 saying with a loud voice: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power(1)and riches(2)and wisdom(3), And strength(4)and honor(5)and glory(6)and blessing(7)!"
We worship God with giving the seven things to Him. It means that we do not know what to do, but we only fully surrender to His mercy and we have the peaceful heart.
- We get the redemption or deliverance from sins by the blood of Jesus.
Being holy which is added with the peaceful heart is the same as seeing the real form of God.
Hebrews 12:14
12:14.Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
Our eyes are set upon God only.
2 Chronicles 20:12
20:12. "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
The results are as follows:
- The power for changing us. It begins from being strong and of good courage. We are not moved.
Psalm 16:8
16:8.I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
It means that we are not disappointed or hopeless and we do not leave God, but keep faithful and fervent in spirit in the service and ministry to God. We keep on worshiping God until He has mercy on us.
If we are strong and of good courage, God will stand. It means that He pays attention to, cares, and struggles for us to stretch His powerful hands to us. - The power to perform the physical miracles.
2 Chronicles 20:24
20:24.So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.
He makes war instead of us for finishing all impossible problems. He wipes away all sadness, fear, distress, and so on, so our life becomes peaceful and all things become easy and light. We have the beautiful and successful future life. He also restores the rotten and the destroyed things physically and spiritually so that we can glorify Him.
When Jesus comes a second time, we will be changed to be as perfect as He is for being worthy for welcoming His coming on the glorious clouds. All of us from the four corners of the earth shout for joy saying "Alleluia" up to the eternal worship in the New Jerusalem.
God blesses you.