Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 3:7
3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
Jesus appears as He who has the key of David for the church in Philadelphia to do three great things as follows.
We are learning the third one.
Revelation 3:10
3:10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
On the last days, when Jesus will come a second time, all men in the world will face the temptations that increase up to the antichrist who reigns over the world for three years and six months.
All things in the world such as riches, intelligence, position, and so on cannot help us from the judgment to come. Only Jesus, who holds the key of David, is able to protect us from the temptations up to the days when the antichrist reigns over the world so that we will not become the prey of the antichrist. We will not become the same as the antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2:2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling awaycomes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The antichrist is the falling away. We must not become the falling away or the rebellious, so we will not become the same as the antichrist. The rebellion attacks three places as follows.
God blesses you.
Revelation 3:7
3:7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
Jesus appears as He who has the key of David for the church in Philadelphia to do three great things as follows.
- Opening the door that cannot be shut by anyone [Revelation 3:8].
- Giving victory over the synagogue of Satan [Revelation 3:9].
- Keeping us from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world [Revelation 3:10]
We are learning the third one.
Revelation 3:10
3:10 "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
On the last days, when Jesus will come a second time, all men in the world will face the temptations that increase up to the antichrist who reigns over the world for three years and six months.
All things in the world such as riches, intelligence, position, and so on cannot help us from the judgment to come. Only Jesus, who holds the key of David, is able to protect us from the temptations up to the days when the antichrist reigns over the world so that we will not become the prey of the antichrist. We will not become the same as the antichrist.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3
2:1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2:2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling awaycomes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
The antichrist is the falling away. We must not become the falling away or the rebellious, so we will not become the same as the antichrist. The rebellion attacks three places as follows.
- In the marriage or household.
Malachi 2:15-16
2:15 But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
2:16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."
The facts are as follows.- Unfaithfulness or betrayal.
It is the same as the spirit of Babylon that causes sexual affairs, divorce, remarrying, and marrying-being given in marrying. Consequently, there are the seeds or descendants of giants, namely men in the gigantic desires of the flesh that is abnormal. Such people will be the same as the antichrist.
Keep the righteousness, holiness, and unity of the marriage so that there are spiritual seeds or descendants until we become the bride of God. - The spirit of hatred that causes a quarrel up to murder.
Matthew 10:21-22
10:21 "Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
10:22 "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Do not keep the seed of dislike feelings and not speaking peaceably. The solution is making reconciliation, confessing, and forgiving one another. As a result, the blood of Jesus removes all sins and the love of God is poured out to unite and perfect the marriage.
- Unfaithfulness or betrayal.
- In the service and ministry to God.
The facts are as follows.- Unfaithfulness; even leaving the service and ministry to God.
Hebrews 10:25-27
10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
10:26 For if we sin willfullyafter we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
10:27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.
It becomes a sin that is often not realized. There are two levels of such sin as follows.- Habitual sin, namely one does not regret when he cannot serve and minister to God.
- Intentional sin, namely one deliberately does not serve to the Lord although there is no hindrance. "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"means that it cannot be forgiven or there is everlasting perdition.
- Murmuring in serving and ministering to God because there is no love.
Numbers 16:10-11
16:10 "and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?
16:11 "Therefore you and all your company are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron that you complain against him?"
It means the fleshly ministry that always insists the right like Korah. The service and ministry cannot satisfy God, but make Him grieved. Consequently, there is no satisfaction in his life.
Numbers 16:31-32
16:31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them,
16:32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods.
Consequently, he decreases physically and spiritually until perishes forever.
Isaiah 49:3-4
49:3 "And He said to me, 'You are My servant, O Israel, In whom I will be glorified.'
49:4 Then I said, 'I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, And my work with my God.'
As a result, our work and reward are in the hand of God. There is guarantee for our life assurance from now on up to the beautiful future life and the eternal one. - Unfaithfulness; even leaving the service and ministry to God.
- In the shepherding.
Jeremiah 2:8
2:8 The priests did not say, 'Where is the LORD?' And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me; The prophets prophesied by Baal, And walked after things that do not profit.
Zechariah 11:4-5
11:4 Thus says the LORD my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter,
11:5 "whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sellthem say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich';and their shepherds do not pity them.
The fact found in it is the pastor shepherds the sheep without the love, but in the system of selling and buying only to look for physical advantage. The signs are as follows.- The Table of Showbread was replaced by the tables of the money changers.
Mark 11:15
11:15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
It means that there is no revelation of God's Word, so the pastor does not willingly feed the congregation; even he cannot feed the sheep. Consequently, he cannot do the other duties well.
The sheep do not willingly eat the shepherding Word because they serve and minister to God only to look for physical blessings. - The house of prayer becomes the den of thieves.
Mark 11:17
11:17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
It means that there is no intercession prayer. There is no protection for the sheep, so they will experience the temptation until enter the persecution of the antichrist.
11:7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
The shepherding Word means the true teaching Word or food that is trusted by God to a pastor that he may deliver it to the congregation faithfully, continually, and repetitively to become the spiritual food for them to grow the spirituality to reach the maturity and perfection like Jesus. The shepherding Word is the same as the rod of the shepherd that leads the congregation to make them know what to do.
There are three kinds of the rod of the shepherd as follows.- The rod of mercy or Beauty.
Zechariah 11:7
11:7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
John 19:32-34
19:32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.
19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
Jesus has died with the four main wounds for the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
The fifth wound in the side of Jesus is the biggest and deepest one. The blood and water came out of it as the mercy of God to save the Gentiles. This is the rod of mercy or Beauty.
The sign of blood refers to the Altar of Burnt Offerings or repentance. We stop sinning to return to God.
The sign of water refers to the Brazen Laver or water baptism to result in the new life.
1 Peter 3:20-21
3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
The Gentiles were like dogs and swine, but then they can be lifted up to be the sheep of God.
Ezekiel 20:37
20:37 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;
The rod of mercy brings the sheep to enter the shepherding pen. It refers to the Holy Place of Tabernacle. There are three kinds of equipment in it. They refer to the perseverance in doing three main services to God as follows.- Golden Candlestick or perseverance in doing General Service to have fellowship with Holy Spirit God in the gifts.
- Table of Showbread or perseverance in doing Bible Study Service with Holy Communion to have fellowship with the Son of God in the Word and Holy Communion.
- Golden Altar of Incense or perseverance in doing Prayer Service to have fellowship with Father God in the love.
3:10 "Because you have kept My commandto persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
If we have obedience and perseverance, we will be counted by God. It means that we are preserved and protected by God although we are powerless in the midst of the difficulties in the world up to the time when the antichrist reigns over the world.
We are not scattered. We will not lose our way, but become the possession of God forever. - The rod of Bonds.
Zechariah 11:7
11:7 So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.
Ephesians 4:15-16
4:15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
4:16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The shepherding Word binds the sheep in the shepherding pen.
John 10:16
10:16 "And other sheepI have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
The shepherding pen also binds the sheep with other sheep from other pens to become one flock with one Shepherd or one body with one Head.
If we have obedience and perseverance, we are used in the ministry for building the perfect body of Christ although we are powerless. - The gold reed.
Revelation 21:15
21:15 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
It leads us to enter New Jerusalem or the last shepherding pen.
For example, Esther was powerless, but persevered in the women's quarters that refers to the shepherding pen and had obedience.
Esther 2:3, 15
2:3 "and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women's quarters, under the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them.
2:15 Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
As a result, she had the gold reed and could be appointed as a queen. The gold reed refers to the life renewal from fleshly men to spiritual ones.
Esther 4:16
4:16 "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!"
The life renewal begins from being strong and of good courage. We are not disappointed or hopeless in facing the impossible temptations. We keep on believing and fully surrendering to God. We also keep faithful and obedient. As a result, the Lord will stretch out His hands of mercy and goodness. Such hands hold the key of David to preserve and protect us from the Antichrist. God helps and solves all problems; even the impossible ones. He gives us beautiful and successful future life right in His time. He also sanctifies and changes us until we are as perfect as He is. We are worthy to welcome His second coming on the glorious clouds until we can sit on the throne of New Jerusalem with Him forever.
- The Table of Showbread was replaced by the tables of the money changers.
God blesses you.