Speaker: Deacon Gideon Pakpahan
Revelation chapter 2-3 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of the Covenant or the last purification for seven congregations at the last days to become flawless and perfect as Jesus is.
We are learning the first congregation in Ephesus.
God honors what the congregation in Ephesus has done, but in the last purification He has a thing against them.
Revelation 2:4-5
2:4 Nevertheless I have this against 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.
God has a thing against them because they left their first love. The results are as follows:
There are three kinds of darkness that will happen to church of God if they do not have the lampstand, as follows:
God blesses us.
Revelation chapter 2-3 refers to the seven sprinklings of blood in front of the Ark of the Covenant or the last purification for seven congregations at the last days to become flawless and perfect as Jesus is.
We are learning the first congregation in Ephesus.
God honors what the congregation in Ephesus has done, but in the last purification He has a thing against them.
Revelation 2:4-5
2:4 Nevertheless I have this against 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.
God has a thing against them because they left their first love. The results are as follows:
- Falling into deep pit as the sheep that falls into a pit or a man whose right hand is withered.
- The lampstand will be removed means living in darkness.
There are three kinds of darkness that will happen to church of God if they do not have the lampstand, as follows:
- The darkness for three days.
Exodus 10:21-22
10:21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darknessover the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”
10:22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
The causes are as follows:- Refusing the true teaching Word.
Exodus 10:20
10:20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. - One does not want to be shepherded.
Genesis 46:34b
46:34 ... — for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”
Matthew 25:6
25:6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
Approaching the second coming of Jesus, we live in dark world. Whatever the obstacle, we must struggle to persevere in three kinds of service in shepherding.
10:23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his placefor three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
The results of entering the darkness are as follows:- They did not see one another= the crisis of love in marriage and church.
Proverbs 20:20
20:20 Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in deep darkness. - Nor did anyone rise from his place= spiritually death.
- Refusing the true teaching Word.
- The darkness at the time of Jesus died on the cross.
Matthew 27:45
27:45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darknessover all the land.
The darkness happens because of the work of redemption of Jesus has been done. The fulfilling is in the book of Revelation, the darkness happens after the redemption of the Son of the Lamb is done.
Revelation 6:12
6:12 I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.
If Jesus’ redemption is still working until now, we must be grateful.
1 Peter 2:1
2:1 Therefore, (1)laying aside all malice, (2)all deceit, (3)hypocrisy, (4)envy, and (5)all evil speaking,
The practice is repenting from five sins that are against the five wounds of Jesus. It is also repenting from the sin of not serving and ministering to God.
Hebrews 10:25-26
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 willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
This darkness means having no light of love of Son of God.
Revelation 6:15-17
6:15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains,
6:16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!
6:17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”
The result is receiving the punishment of God. - The darkness for three and half years at the age of Antichrist.
It means there is no light of love of Holy Spirit God.
Matthew 24:9
24:9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.
There are two possibilities that can happen, as follows:- If one lives in darkness, he will be destroyed together with Antichrist.
- If one is willing to be purified through persevering in shepherding, he will get the light of Father God (sun), the light of Son of God (moon), and the light of Holy Spirit God (stars).
12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Acts 27:20
27:20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.
Three kinds of light are to face the tempest in the midst of sea of world.
Revelation 12:14
12:14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.
The church of God will be given two wings of a great eagle to fly away from Antichrist. We will be lifted up when Jesus comes a second time; we enter a thousand years kingdom of peace, until the New Jerusalem.
God blesses us.