Revelation's Berisheet Prophecy

REVELATION

(Second in a series)

 

Starting in 1:4, we happen on our first mention of "7"; seven churches.

> Interesting: 7 days of creation, 7 thousand years of history and 7 churches addressed here. Could there be a connection?

> God worked on creation for six days and rested on the 7th. (A day is as a thousand years to God.) There are listed, in the Bible, six thousand years of man before the second coming of Jesus.

> Many of the ancient church fathers, from the first three centuries AD, taught this theory. Leaders of the church such as Barnabas, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Commodianus, Victorinus, Methodius and Lactantius wrote things like: "Therefore, children, in six days, or in six thousand years, all the prophecies will be fulfilled", "The Sabbath is a type of the future kingdom. . . For 'a day with the Lord is as a thousand years", "Resurrection of the body will be when six thousand years are completed,", and "In the seventh millennium we will be immortal and truly celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles."

 

 

> Could the first six churches listed in Revelation 2 and 3 be the ages of the church? Could the 7th church listed be the age we are presently in?

> From the Hebrew language, take the first word of Gen.1:1 (beginning) and break down the meaning of each letter and the term "In beginning" tells us, "The Son of God, Creator, is coming out of His home and will be part of an epic event that will bring a covenant for the future of mankind". The term "In beginning" (Heb: Berisheet") is all about home and new beginnings.

> The Book of Revelation is about Jesus bringing our new beginning.

 

The Gospel Truth, Pt 1

Grace, through belief in Jesus the Christ, is our law today; love God and love your neighbor.  Mt 22:36  The amazing grace (love, forgiveness, kindness) is what Jesus replaced the law with.  Paul wrote in every one of his letters about God’s grace replacing the law. 

Col 1:26 states the “mystery that has been kept hidden” referring to God’s plan of redemption.  This plan replaces God’s perfect law of the Ten Commandments with the sacrifice of Jesus. 

Are we led by spirit or a written code of law?  Christians who belong to Christ are led by the spirit we receive when we accept Jesus as our Savior.

Spirit did not dwell in men in the Old Testament.  It fell on men.  It came and went as men and women of the Bible needed it.  God supplied when there was a need for strength through Him.  Today, we receive the Holy Spirit to dwell IN us when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  Once given and received, He does not leave. 

The Arc:  God commanded a piece of manna, Aaron’s rod and the Ten Commandments to be placed inside the arc.  They are signs of the rebellion of the Israellites.  The people broke the first commandment even before Moses came down from Mt. Sinai.  The arc is made of wood covered with gold.  Wood is a symbol of man.  The cover, the Mercy Seat, is solid gold, representing diety.  The Mercy Seat is where sacrifices were made - replaced by the sacrifice of Jesus - diety.  The lid, Jesus/grace, covers the law inside; the Ten Commandments.

What about Sabbath?  Jesus broke Sabbath time and again - one of the Ten Commandments.  He was confronted by the Pharisees about breaking the Sabbath.  Jesus said if you break one law, you are guilty of breaking all.  Christ showed us, by example, that the commandments were erased, when He came to fulfill the law, by taking all our guilt and shame, on Himself and nailed our sins, under the law, to the cross. 

Early church did not keep Sabbath.  We do not keep the Sabbath today.  The Sabbath is Saturday - ask any Jew.  Christians keep Sunday.  Sunday was the day Christ rose from death to new life.

If Pharisees were so good at keeping the law, why didn’t Christ get along with them?

Jer 31:33 & 34 Here God tells Jeremiah of a second covenant.  The first with Adam and the second through Jesus. He tells him the law will be written on their hearts.  People will no longer need a written code of law they have to obey because true believers will want to follow the will of God.  Also IICor 3:3

For the Jews who rejected Jesus as their Messiah, animal sacrifices done in obedience to the Old Testament covenant were stopped in A.D. 70, at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the armies of Rome.  Jesus warned of this in the Gospels.

The ten commandments are done away with - Mt 5:17  Jesus fulfilled the law (10 Commandments) and the prophets.  The law is God’s perfect law.  Man is carnal and cannot keep a perfect law - that is why Jesus had to fulfill it and prophecy.  Prophecy cannot be done away with.  It is the will of God.  Jesus fulfilled the prophets by fulfilling the law.  He did it for us.  Once and for all.

Christ teaching:  Mt 5:18 & 19 In verse 18, Jesus explains that He has not yet fulfilled the law because He has not yet died for us.  Christ tells us anyone who sets aside even the least of the laws and teaches it will be called least in heaven. 

He goes on to give an example by explaining murder, adultery and a couple other issues like divorce and oaths.  He begins his explanation by stating the law and then corrects it by saying, “But I tell you”.  Here He is explaining that to even think the wrong is the same as doing the wrong.  What human being (other than Himself) can keep such law?  No one.  He knows that.  That is why He was sent - the perfect man to take the perfect law.

To be continued . . . . .