Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 21:1-8 can be divided into three parts as follows:
As a result, we can enter the New Jerusalem.
We learn about the new atmosphere, namely the fourth.
ad.d. The atmosphere of the truth, holiness, and perfection.
Revelation 21:8
21:8 "But the cowardly(1), unbelieving(2), abominable(3), murderers(4), sexually immoral(5), sorcerers(6), idolaters(7), and all liars(8)shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
The eight sins which drown men to the hell are as follows:
(1) the cowardly,(2) unbelieving--> are resisting against the truth.
(3) abominable, (4) murderers, (5) sexually immoral, (6) sorcerers, (7) idolaters--> are resisting against the holiness.
(8) liars--> is resisting against the perfection.
We are learning the fourth, namely the murderers.
1 John 3:15
3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
The murder refers to the characteristic of hatred. It starts from a dislike until one cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, but he perishes in the hell.
The murder or hatred happens from age to age as follows:
God blesses you.
Revelation 21:1-8 can be divided into three parts as follows:
- [verse 1] The new heaven and earth.
- [verse 2-3] The new man.
- [verse 4-8] The new atmosphere.
- [verse 4] The atmosphere without death.
- [verse 5-6] The atmosphere of heavenly satisfaction.
- [verse 7] The atmosphere of victory.
- [verse 8] The atmosphere of the truth, holiness, and perfection.
As a result, we can enter the New Jerusalem.
We learn about the new atmosphere, namely the fourth.
ad.d. The atmosphere of the truth, holiness, and perfection.
Revelation 21:8
21:8 "But the cowardly(1), unbelieving(2), abominable(3), murderers(4), sexually immoral(5), sorcerers(6), idolaters(7), and all liars(8)shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
The eight sins which drown men to the hell are as follows:
(1) the cowardly,(2) unbelieving--> are resisting against the truth.
(3) abominable, (4) murderers, (5) sexually immoral, (6) sorcerers, (7) idolaters--> are resisting against the holiness.
(8) liars--> is resisting against the perfection.
We are learning the fourth, namely the murderers.
1 John 3:15
3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
The murder refers to the characteristic of hatred. It starts from a dislike until one cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, but he perishes in the hell.
The murder or hatred happens from age to age as follows:
- The age of Father God. It is counted from Adam to Abraham. The representative is Cain who killed Able because he was the evil and lazy servant of God whereas Abel was the faithful and righteous one. Cain was jealous and angry until killing Abel.
Therefore, we must be faithful and righteous in the service and ministry to God until we can please Him; even we can still please Him although we have died. The blood still speaks. - The age of the Son of God. It is counted from Abraham to the first coming of Jesus.
The representative is King Joash who killed Zechariah the priest because of hearing the strange voice glorifying the flesh, but is was contradictory to the true teachings. - The last age. It is counted from Jesus' first coming to the second one.
Revelation 12:17-18
12:17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
12:18 Then I stood on the sand of the sea.
The representative is the Antichrist who does the massacre over the Church.
Why is the church persecuted and killed by the Antichrist?- [Revelation 12:18]It is because the church stands on the sand of the sea which is the place of the Antichrist. It means not being willing to depart to the other side according to the command of God.
Matthew 8:18-20
8:18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.
8:19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go."
8:20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
Departing to the other side means following Jesus wherever He goes or the body's following the Head. It means being active in the revival of the edification of Christ's body that is encouraged by the true teaching Word.
Standing on the sand of the sea refers to being passive or not being willing to enter the ministry for the edification of Christ's body. The consequences are as follows:- Being outside the body of Christ, so there is no pleading of Jesus as the Head. It means being the target of the Antichrist or being persecuted and killed by the Antichrist.
- Being used in the edification of Babylon, the false church, or the bride of Satan that is perfect in the evil and uncleanness to be destroyed in one hour.
Departing to the other side or being active in the ministry for the edification of Christ's body, we must face the two following things:- We must willingly sacrifice our time, energy, thought, and money, up to our whole life to God, except the true teaching Word or Jesus as the Head. The body without the Head will have no direction, but in darkness up to perdition.
John 2:19-21
2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
2:20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
2:21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
Jesus willingly sacrifices all things until He dies on the cross for creating the edification of the body of Christ so that the Gentiles can take part in it. The temple in the Law system (forty six years) is only for the Israelites.
If we remember and appreciate the sacrifice of Christ, we will get the extra power to be able to sacrifice for the edification of Christ's body. - Hindrances, namely the winds and waves in the sea of the world.
The windsrefer to the strange voice, false teachings, gossips, and sins.
The wavesrefer to the impossible problems.
They are blown by Satan with the power of the death for drowning our life in the sea of the world up to the lake of fire and brimstone to perish forever.
Jesus as the Head is responsible for our life. He must help us, so we keep on holding fast and obeying the true teaching Word as well as living in holiness. We are used by God. He is able to solve all impossible problems in our life. We keep on sailing to reach the harbor of peace or we become the perfect body of Christ and the Antichrist cannot see or touch us. We are evacuated to the wilderness and preserved by the teaching Word and Holy Communion. We are lifted up on the glorious clouds for welcoming Jesus' second coming and entering the marriage supper of the Lamb, the One-Thousand-Year Kingdom of Peace, and the New Jerusalem.
- Being outside the body of Christ, so there is no pleading of Jesus as the Head. It means being the target of the Antichrist or being persecuted and killed by the Antichrist.
- [Revelation 12:17] Because of having the commandments of God (the Table of Showbread) and the testimony of Jesus Christ (the Golden Candlestick), but without the Golden Altar of Incense. It means being forced in worshiping God, not being willing to worship God, or the worship does not reach the measurement, namely until the flesh does not speak anymore. Such person will be the target of the Antichrist.
He keeps the loudest voice of the flesh, namely anxiety, fear, and disobedience.
Romans 8:26
8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
In fact, the fleshly man is signified by many weaknesses. The most real weakness of the flesh is being unable to worship God. Consequently, the worship is often changed for covering the disability in worshiping God.
Therefore, Jesus must die, rise, and ascend to heaven for pouring Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is able to help us to enjoy worshiping God:- Holy Spirit lifts up the groanings which cannot be uttered, so we can worship God with the broken heart to submit all our physical weaknesses and the spiritual ones, namely weariness, heavy burden, sins, and problems. We can stretch out our hands to God and He stretches His hands for giving us relief and peace. All things become easy and light.
Romans 8:27-28
8:27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
8:28 And we know that all things work together for goodto those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
God stretches His hands for making all things good in His time. - Holy Spirit helps us to be obedient until the flesh does not speak anymore.
Romans 8:15
8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
The example is Jesus when He was in Gethsemane garden.
Mark 14:33-36
14:33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.
14:34 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."
14:35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.
14:36 And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."
- Holy Spirit lifts up the groanings which cannot be uttered, so we can worship God with the broken heart to submit all our physical weaknesses and the spiritual ones, namely weariness, heavy burden, sins, and problems. We can stretch out our hands to God and He stretches His hands for giving us relief and peace. All things become easy and light.
- [Revelation 12:18]It is because the church stands on the sand of the sea which is the place of the Antichrist. It means not being willing to depart to the other side according to the command of God.
God blesses you.