For the next few weeks, I'll be breaking down his series in a readable format. It is SO understandable! I'll also be using the King James Version Bible. If you're wondering why, you can scope out my post from a couple of months ago regarding the attack being waged on scripture in the form of other translations. I feel like the King James Version is the truest translation currently available.
I'll post a link to Pastor Anderson's chapter-by-chapter videos at the bottom of each blog so that you can see his message for yourself. I'm SUPER excited to plunge head first into a topic that we are not only fastly approaching, but we very well may already be in the middle of...
Just a side note, there is quite a lot of text here to read. I tried to highlight the hot spots with white font, so if you're overwhelmed by the volume of content, just read what's in white. There is a lot of scripture referenced to reinforce the validity.
ALSO - At the very bottom of the post, I'll always post a "Bottom Line" section. This section will cut straight to the chase and by-pass all of the details for those of you who just want everything summed up short and sweet.
Without further ado, let's get started with Revelations Chapter 1!
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; The very first sentence of the book lets the reader know that the revelation (coming, disclosure, manifestation G602) of Jesus Christ is being showed/written specifically to his servants, US! If this book was to be read by his followers, why in the world would he make it hard to understand?!
Rev 1:1-2 ...and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; What are these seven spirits? Revelations Chapter 3 mentions them as well. Rev 3:1 "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;" Jesus is saying here that he has the seven spirits and the seven stars. Isaiah 11 actually backs this up. Isaiah 11:1-2 "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;" Did you notice the 7 spirits that were mentioned? 1. Spirit of the LORD 2. Spirit of Wisdom 3. Spirit of Understanding 4. Spirit of Counsel 5. Spirit of Might 6. Spirit of Knowledge 7. Fear of the LORD
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| http://boldlyproclaimingchrist.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/trinity-forget-the-words-and-look-at-the-picture/ |
Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. My first comment here is regarding the usage of "and". Pastor Anderson clarifies that in our modern vernacular, we typically interpret "and" as connecting 2 different things, but in the Bible, "and" sometimes describes the same thing... just reiterated in two different ways. Case in point, "God and His Father". They are the same person.
Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Notice that this verse stands completely on it's own as one complete thought. Verses 1-6 were connected and closed with an "Amen". Verse 7 starts a new thought, but it too ends in "Amen". This tells the reader that this is important information, and if you look closely, you quickly realize that this one little verse is the main theme of the entire book of Revelations. The main points are all listed: Christ coming with clouds, every eye shall see him, and the earth is in great distress when he returns.
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| http://www.wnd.com/2014/08/alarms-sound-over-imminent-attacks-on-u-s/ |
Numerous scriptures throughout the Bible describe this exact event.
Matthew 24:21, 29-30 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
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| http://mashable.com/2012/05/18/solar-eclipse/ |
Mark 13:19, 24-26 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
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| http://www.mreclipse.com/Special/LEprimer.html |
Luke 21:25-27 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
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| http://www.majzooban.org/en/news-and-exclusive-content/3778-exploding-meteor-over-russia-injures-more-than-950.html |
Acts 1:9-11 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
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| http://www.catholicwebphilosopher.com/2011/06/tasked-to-be-witnesses-in-world-that.html |
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Now, skipping ahead to Revelations 6, with the opening of the 6th seal we see these same exact events happening: distress on earth, the sun and moon being darkened, stars falling and the tribulation coming to a close as the Son of Man comes to gather His people.
Rev 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
All of these scriptures describe the SAME events, and EVERY one of these passages say that immediately AFTER the Tribulation, these events take place and THEN the Lord returns in the clouds for his people.
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| http://jmilor.startlogic.com/summary.html |
Did you catch that? Christ returns AFTER the Tribulation....
SO, what does the Tribulation entail, anyway? And what does "tribulation" even mean??
Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended
Tribulation = persecution because of the word. In fact, Pastor Anderson implied that tribulation is almost always man's affliction against man, never God's affliction against man. Tribulation has nothing to do with God's judgement.
In fact, John even tells us that he is our companion in tribulation because of the persecution he endured for the word. Rev 1:9 I, John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Christ, himself, said that we would all go through tribulation. John 16:33 In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The tribulation period will consist of the first 5 seals being opened, including the Anti-Christ's reign over the earth and his persecution of the believers. Hence, we will still be here for it. Once Christ returns and gathers the elect, then the wrath of God is poured out on the remnants of earth. The tribulation doesn't last 7 years, it's only the opening act.
Rev 1:10-18 John is immediately translated in the Spirit to this futuristic event in heaven, and he spends these verses describing what the Lord Jesus Christ looks like and the Lord's instructions to him. The mystery of the seven stars and seven goldensticks are actually interpreted in the final verse of Chapter 1 (Rev 1:20).
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| http://trackingbibleprophecy.com/revelation1C.php |
Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; Christ is telling John to write the things which have been seen (past), the things which are (present) and the things which will be in the future. Christ is outlining the book of Revelation in this verse.
- The things which "have been seen" are the things that have been written so far. The events in Chapter 1.
- The things which "are", are the things that Christ wants spoken to the seven churches. A present event that Christ requests John to take note of. (Chapters 2-3)
- The things which "shall be hereafter", are all of the events that happen after that. (Starting in Chapter 4) Rev 4:1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter."
Bottom Line: We will be here during the Tribulation. According to the scriptures, the tribulation doesn't last the full 7 years, it only lasts the first portion. AFTER the Tribulation, the sun and moon are darkened, the stars fall from heaven and the earth is in great distress. That's when Christ returns for his people. Once we are gathered together in heaven, God pours out His wrath on the remnants of the earth.
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