Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2-3 in the pattern of the Tabernacle refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It equals to the seven letters that are aimed to the seven churches of the Gentiles or the congregation in the last days. The seven sprinklings of blood means the flesh suffering together with Jesus, or the last sanctification to the seven churches of the Gentiles until they are perfect and blameless as Jesus. Jesus is the Heavenly Bridegroom or the Head and we are the Heavenly bride or the body who will not be separated from Him forever.
There are seven churches of the Gentiles who experience the last sanctification. We learn the first one in Revelation 2:1-7, that is the church of Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-5
2:1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2:2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
2:3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
2:4 Nevertheless I have thisagainst you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
In Revelation 2:1, the appearances of Jesus to the church of Ephesus are as follows.
In Revelation 2:2-3, Jesus as the High Priest really cares and appreciates what the church of Ephesus has done for Him, and all that we have done for Him. He does not understate or forget anything.
But He also corrects what is wrong in Revelation 2:4-5. Jesus reproaches, corrects, and sanctifies the church of Ephesus from their weakness, that is leaving the first love. It hurts when we are reproached, but the aim of God is so we become perfect as the Heavenly bride. We can become the belonging of God that cannot be interfered by anything.
The lack of the church of Ephesus is leaving the first love.
The first love is God’s love through the sacrifice of Christ. Thus, the last sanctification to the church of Ephesus or to all of us is we must return to the first love. In Tabernacle, it is shown by the Altar of Burnt Offering. In the past, the Israelites must bring the animal offering to be burnt on it as the sin offering. Now, it has been fulfilled by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The practices of returning to the first love are as follows.
God blesses us.
Revelation 2-3 in the pattern of the Tabernacle refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of Covenant. It equals to the seven letters that are aimed to the seven churches of the Gentiles or the congregation in the last days. The seven sprinklings of blood means the flesh suffering together with Jesus, or the last sanctification to the seven churches of the Gentiles until they are perfect and blameless as Jesus. Jesus is the Heavenly Bridegroom or the Head and we are the Heavenly bride or the body who will not be separated from Him forever.
There are seven churches of the Gentiles who experience the last sanctification. We learn the first one in Revelation 2:1-7, that is the church of Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-5
2:1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:
2:2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;
2:3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
2:4 Nevertheless I have thisagainst you, that you have left your first love.
2:5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
In Revelation 2:1, the appearances of Jesus to the church of Ephesus are as follows.
- Jesus walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. It means Jesus as the High Priest is doing the ministry of reconciliation for the church of Ephesus (now He is doing it for all of us). He as the High Priest really cares all of us physically and spiritually.
- Jesus holds the seven stars, meaning He as the High Priest longs for the church of Ephesus or all of us not to fall. He wants us to become His belonging and it cannot be interfered by anyone else, including Satan, until we belong to Him forever.
In Revelation 2:2-3, Jesus as the High Priest really cares and appreciates what the church of Ephesus has done for Him, and all that we have done for Him. He does not understate or forget anything.
But He also corrects what is wrong in Revelation 2:4-5. Jesus reproaches, corrects, and sanctifies the church of Ephesus from their weakness, that is leaving the first love. It hurts when we are reproached, but the aim of God is so we become perfect as the Heavenly bride. We can become the belonging of God that cannot be interfered by anything.
The lack of the church of Ephesus is leaving the first love.
The first love is God’s love through the sacrifice of Christ. Thus, the last sanctification to the church of Ephesus or to all of us is we must return to the first love. In Tabernacle, it is shown by the Altar of Burnt Offering. In the past, the Israelites must bring the animal offering to be burnt on it as the sin offering. Now, it has been fulfilled by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The practices of returning to the first love are as follows.
- Ministering God with obedience and doing His will.
Matthew 7:21-23
7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
7:23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The result is the door of Heaven is opened and we enter it forever. It is the peak of successfulness in our ministry to God. If the door of Heaven is opened, all the doors in the world will be opened too. There will always be a way out from every problem, even the impossible one.
God does not see the greatness of our ministry, but He sees our obedience to the Word.
A ministry that seems great without obedience to the Word equals to practicing lawlessness. - Being faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering God until the end line, that is until we die or until He comes a second time.
Romans 12:11
12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
From where can we get a fervency in spirit?- Repenting, as the sins are burnt on the Altar of Burnt Incense.
We stop sinning to return to God. If there is sin, we will not be strong enough to serve Him. - The encouragement from the true teaching Word, that is the Word whose secret is revealed through one verse explains the other verses in the Bible.
Isaiah 50:4
50:4 “The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who isweary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned.
Because the Word is eternal, a ministry that is encouraged by the Word will also be eternal.
Romans 1:27
1:27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Being faithful and fervent in spirit is illustrated as the lust to Jesus as the Heavenly Bridegroom. We are really passionate in ministering God and do not want to be hindered by anything. If one does not have the lust to God, he will have the lust to the Babylon, meaning falling in sins up to the peak of sins, that is sins concerning eating-drinking and marrying-being given in a marriage.
We get the Word and the sacrifice of Christ through perseverance in Bible Study Service. Therefore, every servant of God must absolutely persevere in Bible Study Service and Holy Communion. We must eat the Word and the Holy Communion to sanctify our life and give us new spirit so we can keep being faithful and fervent in spirit in ministering Him. - Repenting, as the sins are burnt on the Altar of Burnt Incense.
- Being honest and letting “yes” be “yes” and “no” be “no”.
It equals to standing up on the sacrifice of Christ.
Titus 2:7-8
2:7 in all things showing yourself to bea pattern of good works; in doctrine showingintegrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
2:8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.
We must be honest in the matter of the true teaching Word and in the ministry. Thus, we can be honest in the marriage and finance matters.
Hebrews 13:4-5
13:4 Marriage ishonorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
13:5 Let yourconduct bewithout covetousness; becontent with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
If we can be honest in all those things, we will be honest in every matter. It equals to having the first love.
God will never leave an honest people, as the body is never separated from the Head.
Proverbs 15:8
15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked isan abomination to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright isHis delight.
God will answer the prayer of an honest people. We always worship Him, surrender our life and cry out to Him.
When we are obedient, faithful and fervent in spirit, and honest, miracle will happen every time we pray to God.
We do the things as follows in a worship prayer.- We confess that we are only as clay. We are unworthy and do many faults. We are powerless and worthless.
Psalm 95:6
95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Clay is the food of the serpent or Satan, meaning one will fall and rise in sins up to the peak of sins.
Genesis 3:14
3:14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:“Because you have done this, You arecursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
In a worship prayer, we surrender our life into the merciful hands of the Creator. Thus, we will experience His caring power that is able to create the things that have not existed yet. He is able to care our marriage and create the new wine in it. The hands of the Creator are also able to create us as the vessel of glory that is used in the revival of building the body of Christ. The broken vessel can be recreated as the new one to be used by God. - We confess that our life is as sheep for the slaughter. There is but a step between us and death.
Psalm 95:7
95:7 For He isour God, And we arethe people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice:
Revelation 7:17
7:17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
The merciful hands of the Shepherd will guide us to the living fountains of waters. God pours His love and Holy Spirit so we experience peace and calm, and everything becomes easy and light. God guides us to beautiful and successful future. He wipes our tears and guides us to the New Jerusalem.
Isaiah 41:14
41:14 “Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you,” says the Lord And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 66:24
66:24 “And they shall go forth and look Upon the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, And their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”
Our life is as a worm that actually should be in the hell. We need the hands of the Redeemer to set us free from sins, to sanctify and renew us from the flesh man to become the spiritual one. Jacob means liar, but he could be renewed to Israel that means winner. We will receive new name to enter the New Jerusalem forever. Jacob also struggled for his family when he would meet Esau. He also struggled to face the fear in him. Let us always struggle until we receive new name and enter the New Jerusalem forever.
- We confess that we are only as clay. We are unworthy and do many faults. We are powerless and worthless.
God blesses us.