Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 6:5-6
6:5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."
The opening of the third seal is the same as the third punishment to the world from the Holy Spirit. That is the revival of the black horse, creating physical and spiritual famine over the world, especially of the word of God. The result is that every human, including the unfaithful and disobedient children of God, will fall and rise no more. It means that they are not satisfied, but look for profane pleasure, and fall in sin up to the peak (eating-drinking sin, and marrying-being given in marriage sin). They live and enjoy in sin until cannot repent anymore, thus they will perish in hell forever.
Therefore, we must prioritize the right food, the true teaching Word, in our service, namely savouring and obeying the Word, so we will not fall into the future famine.
The ways out are as follows:
ad. 3. Do not harm the wine.
The sweet wine refers to the happiness of Heaven.
We must have it so that we do not dry spiritually, not being thirsty or hungry. As a result, we do not look for profane pleasure and not doing sin up to the peak. We always live in righteousness, holiness, up to the perfection.
How can we have the sweet wine? By working in the vineyard, meaning to serve and minister to God in the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the same as the ministry of building the perfect Jesus' body.
The requirements of working in the vineyard are as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation 6:5-6
6:5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see." So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."
The opening of the third seal is the same as the third punishment to the world from the Holy Spirit. That is the revival of the black horse, creating physical and spiritual famine over the world, especially of the word of God. The result is that every human, including the unfaithful and disobedient children of God, will fall and rise no more. It means that they are not satisfied, but look for profane pleasure, and fall in sin up to the peak (eating-drinking sin, and marrying-being given in marriage sin). They live and enjoy in sin until cannot repent anymore, thus they will perish in hell forever.
Therefore, we must prioritize the right food, the true teaching Word, in our service, namely savouring and obeying the Word, so we will not fall into the future famine.
The ways out are as follows:
- To own a denarius or the wage of working in the vineyard.
- Do not harm the oil of the ointment of the Holy Spirit.
- Do not harm the wine.
ad. 3. Do not harm the wine.
The sweet wine refers to the happiness of Heaven.
We must have it so that we do not dry spiritually, not being thirsty or hungry. As a result, we do not look for profane pleasure and not doing sin up to the peak. We always live in righteousness, holiness, up to the perfection.
How can we have the sweet wine? By working in the vineyard, meaning to serve and minister to God in the true teaching Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the same as the ministry of building the perfect Jesus' body.
The requirements of working in the vineyard are as follows:
- God gives us a wide opportunity to work in the vineyard.
Matthew 20:1-7
20:1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
20:2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
20:3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
20:4 and said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
20:6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'
20:7 They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.'
God does not want us standing idle. It means that God does not want us not to serve and minister to Him, because it is the same as having faith without works. The faith is empty or dead as Satan's.
God gives three opportunities to work in the vineyard as follows:- Early in the morning. It was the first opportunity whose base is wage or promise.
It is for the Israelites or the chosen congregation of God. - At the third, sixth, and ninth hour. It refers to the cross of Jesus.
Mark 15:25,33-34
15:25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him..
15:33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, Ps. 22:1; Matt. 27:46"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
Jesus was willing to die at the cross with four main wounds at His hands and feet. It is for the salvation of the lost Israelites and hiring them as labors in vineyard.
Matthew 15:24
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
This second chance is for the lost Israelites. - At the eleventh hour.
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 on the cross with four main wounds, but He was willing to be pierced by a Gentile soldier. Thus, it became the fifth wound or the biggest and deepest one of which the blood and water came out. More than the love of God, it is the greatest grace of God to save the Gentiles and to give us the opportunity to work in vineyard.
It is the third opportunity based on God's grace to Gentiles.
Matthew 15:21-28
15:21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."
15:23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."
15:24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Actually, the Gentiles are drinking the bitter wine that is the same as being demon-possessed, so they suffer personally and in the marriage. Therefore, the Gentiles shall make use of the last opportunity through eating the crumbs. It means as follows.- The sacrifice of Christ or the fifth of which the blood and water came out.
The sign of blood means to believe Jesus as the only Saviour and to repent especially from the Gentiles' character which is like dog or vain words and pig or unclean deeds, also from worries.
The sign of water refers to the water baptism.
Romans 6:4
6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Colossians 2:12
2:12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
The true water baptism is that one who has died from sin must be buried in water with Jesus to be raised with Him in the new life. - The shepherding Word that is repeatedly preached to sanctify our lives from the character of dog and pig and also from worries. Being sanctified, we are encourage to serve or work in the vineyard.
Philippians 2:13
2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure..
When the shepherding Word is preached, God is encouraging us to serve in vineyard according to His will and willingness. Therefore, let us be willing to serve and minister to God. We are moving from the bitterness to the happiness of Heaven. The more we are used by God, the happier our lives are.
If we reject the Word, someday there will be no more opportunity to work in the vineyard.
- The sacrifice of Christ or the fifth of which the blood and water came out.
- Early in the morning. It was the first opportunity whose base is wage or promise.
- God wants His laborers in the vineyard to obey His will or being obedient to the true teaching Word.
Matthew 21:28-31
21:28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.'
21:29 He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.
21:30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.
21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.
It is the same as the service of love. Without it, everything will go in vain, be useless, and be destroyed forever.
The fact found in the service of love is being willing to sacrifice time, power, thoughts, even our own will.
John 21:3-4,7
21:3 'Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
21:4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.
Peter has served and ministered to God with his own will. It is the same as being disobedient to God or without love. The result is failure, meaning being disgraced and doing sin up to the peak. There is only bitter wine or the bitterness of life up to being destroyed forever.
John 21:5-6
21:5 'Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No."
21:6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. " So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.'
The way God helps us by repeatedly preaching the true teaching Word to sanctify our hearts and minds. If we are obedient, we will be in the great merciful hands of God. He is able to preserve our lives in this world up to the age of antichrist. He is able to help us and resolve any impossibilities. - God wants His laborers to reap sweet grapes and wine, then bring it to the marriage supper of the Lamb when Jesus comes the second time.
Matthew 21:33-34
21:33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
21:34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
Job 1:1-3
1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.
1:2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him.
1:3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
Job is an example of a sweet grape physically and spiritually. That is not enough because he should become the sweet wine. He must go through trials or the sprinkling of blood or the suffering in the flesh because of Jesus.
Job 32:1-2
32:1 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
32:2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God.
Job must be squeezed from self-truth, namely covering sin by blaming others, God, and the true teaching Word.
Job 42:5-6
42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.
42:6 Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes."
It continues until Job confesses that he is only like clay which is powerless and surrenders only to God. As a result, we are in the hands of God as the Potter who creates us to be the glorious vessel. The life renewal starts from our word. Thus, the hands of God are able to create everything good in our lives.
God blesses us.