Rick Joyner's Blog, page 8

Breaking the Cycle: The Book of Revelation

         In Revelation, we see a cycle that is like Israel’s history in the Scriptures. After taking their land and rejoicing in the goodness and faithfulness of God, the next generation forgot Him. A slide into corruption and apostasy resulted, which brought about bondage and suffering. Eventually this would cause the people to repent, and God would save them from their bondage and restore them. Then they would quickly begin their slide into evil, bondage, and poverty until they repented again.

         We see this same cycle in church history and in the church as a whole, including in virtually every church movement. We can even see it with individual Christians. We would be better off if we break this cycle, and the answer to how we do this is in the Book of Revelation, as well as sown throughout the entire Bible.

         As we proceed with this study, this should be one of our main goals: to remain faithful and not just love God, but grow in our love for Him and one another continually without drifting. Loving God is the highest priority of our life, and this is something we must resolve to do. We must also stand for God’s truth and against those things that destroy people. We do this out of a sincere desire to save. As we discussed last week, God prefers mercy over judgment, and so must we. Even though there is a time when mercy will not be received and judgment is inevitable, this is grievous to the Lord and it should be to us as well.

         Of course, we must also keep in mind that all of us have fallen short and have received grace and mercy. However, that is the dividing line. We acknowledged our sin and turned from it, and thankfully received His grace and mercy. However, those who have hardened themselves against the Lord and His mercy and grace have condemned themselves.

         Revelation 16 describes the seven angels with the seven bowls of the final wrath of God poured out on the earth. As we read in verse one, “Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth’” (Revelation 16:1). This seven does not correspond with the unfolding seven timelines of the seven churches, trumpets, etc. However, all unfold after the mark of the beast.

       In the previous chapter of Revelation we saw “the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven opened” (see Revelation 15:5). So this command is coming from the temple of God, but what is the difference between His temple on earth, the church, and His temple in heaven? Because of the principle that the things released in heaven are also released on the earth, and vice versa, it is assumed that the temple of God in heaven is also His church. It is composed of His faithful ones from the beginning. These have finished their course in this life, but they are still engaged by interceding for the events on the earth, as we see in this Revelation.

       A primary purpose of the temple of the Lord is to be a “house of prayer for all nations.” In the last couple of decades, gatherings devoted to continuous prayer and intercession have grown from less than a dozen to over twenty thousand. As this growth continues, we can expect this “loud voice” from the temple to increase.

God is Love—The Book of Revelation

         As we continue our study of Revelation with the coming section that deals with impending judgment and wrath, we must keep in mind that Jesus said the entire law was summed up in just two commandments—loving God first above all things and loving one another. If we truly love God, we will want to please Him and not do the things that displease Him.

 

The law says that we must not steal, murder, or even envy others, but if we love others we will not want to do these things. Jesus replaced all of the “do nots” of the law with the simple positive of loving God and one another. Thus, our goal is not just to keep from sinning, but to do the things that bless God and His people. The “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and this helps us when we are immature. However, there is a higher wisdom that we must grow in as we mature, and that higher wisdom is love.

 

         Recognizing that “God is love” does not negate the judgments of God, or His wrath against evil and those who do evil—these are the things that kill and destroy those He loves. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and just as His jealousy is not like our selfish human jealousy, His love is higher than our love. The wrath and judgments of God are also part of His love—they come as the destruction of those who destroy.

 

         So as we stand for God’s truth, and against those things that destroy the people, we do not do so in our wrath, but rather out of a sincere desire to save. God prefers mercy over judgment. Even though there is a time when mercy will not be received and judgment is inevitable, this is grievous to the Lord and should be to us as well. Abraham, Moses, and many of the prophets of God in Scripture interceded with God not to destroy the people when He was about to do so. This is always in order, but when He is resolute that it must be done, we are called to be in unity with Him in all things. As stated, His wrath against evil and those who do evil are a part of His love. When the grace and mercy that was extended is rejected, we must resolve that we will stand with God, not apologizing for Him or His actions but rather being clear about them. Only then will there be a hope that others might learn that it is a terrible thing to test the Lord and side with evil.

 

         Even though we too have fallen short and have received grace and mercy, there is a dividing line between those who acknowledge their sin and turn and those who do not. Those who harden themselves against the Lord and His mercy have condemned themselves. There is a point when all will be in this “Valley of Decision,” and all will choose their own fate. It is the great grace and mercy of God that He allows us to “judge ourselves lest we be judged” (see I Corinthians 11:31). As we are told in Psalm 32:6,   

 

Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.

 

We cannot wait until the judgments are poured out to repent and align ourselves with God—it will be too late to find Him then. We must be resolute in finding Him now, and repent of anything in our life that would cause His wrath to come. Do this out of love if you can, but out of fear if you must. It is doubtful that anyone ever repented perfectly, but let us do the best that we can and ask for the grace to do better, while continuing to ask for the grace to repent.

Messages of Hope—The Book of Revelation

     The Book of Revelation has some of the greatest promises and messages of hope that the world has ever received. However, just as Israel went through a wilderness that was the opposite of what they were promised, so it is with virtually every promise of God, and also for the promises He has given for restoring the earth. Though we are still in the wilderness, every day we draw closer to the fulfillment of the greatest promise ever given—that He will restore the earth to the paradise He originally created it to be.

     This greatest of all the messages of hope will soon be proclaimed throughout the earth as “the gospel of the kingdom.” Gospel means “good news,” not bad news. Revelation is a prophecy of this coming kingdom when every tear will be wiped away from every eye, when there will be no more dying or pain. No one will ever hurt anyone else again.

     One reason we are doing this study is to get a sense of a timeline. This is so we can know where we are and the coming next steps and events. It is the nature of prophecy to give such timelines in a general way instead of as specific dates. Yet growing in our faith so that we get closer to abide in Him is more important than knowing what will happen. However, we can, and should, do both.

      We should always keep in mind the great promises and the hope that He has given us. However, we must also understand His judgments and wrath. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, we must behold both the kindness and the severity of God to know Him as He is and understand His intervention in the times. The word of the Lord is clear that the wrath of God will come upon evil at the end of this age. In the last text we read from Revelation, we could discern a pattern in the intensity of the wrath poured out by the angels that corresponded with the degree of evil manifesting on the earth.

     As we have covered, sin and evil is defined by God, not man. The Lord is clear in His definitions of these in Scripture, but through such things as political correctness, humanistic definitions have started to eclipse God’s definitions. This is the nature of apostasy, and a great apostasy has gripped most of the nations that recently sought to follow God and His ways. Most of Western Civilization has fallen to the ultimate depravity Isaiah spoke of where “good is called evil, and evil is called good, the dishonorable are honored, and the honorable are dishonored” (see Isaiah 5:20). When we get to that place, destruction is soon to follow. So what can we do?

     The first thing we must do is repent. Even if we do not do these things, we are here to be the salt and light that preserves. This fall into the darkness of our times has happened on our watch. The heathen are just doing what heathen do, but if there is no light to shine into the darkness it is because God’s people have not been the prophetic voice in the world that they are called to be. We must look to ourselves first, as I Peter 4:17 states: “it is time for judgment to begin with the house of God.” How can God judge the world when His own people are guilty of that which is bringing judgment on the world, or have not warned those doomed to suffer His wrath? We can be sure that God will clean up His own house first.

     Studies indicate that the church as a whole is not doing any better than the world in succumbing to evil. However, what we may tend to think of as the church may not be the church at all, but rather the counterfeit church that the Book of Revelation illuminates. There is always a remnant that is true to the Lord.

     We must always keep in mind that we have all sinned and fallen short of the grace of God. Therefore, we have no room to be condescending to those still trapped in evil. Many of the greatest leaders in church history, such as the Apostle Paul, were once the greatest of sinners. Those who are forgiven much tend to love more. God’s heart is not to condemn even the worst sinners, but to save them. If we are walking in the light instead of the darkness it is because we were shown mercy. Our attitude towards those in darkness should never be to consider ourselves better than them, but to consider that we have been shown mercy and seek the same for them.

     Even so, there is a time when judgment and wrath, including destruction, will come upon the earth for the evil that is done. For this reason we must be resolute in resisting sin as well as articulating it and make it clear. However, we cannot do this by the law, but rather by the grace and mercy of the cross. As we see in Revelation, the fear of judgment does not cause men to repent. As Paul also wrote to the Romans, it is the kindness of God that calls men to repentance (see Romans 2:4). We do this with the good news of the kingdom.

     So why do the judgments come? We will be given understanding of this as we continue our study of Revelation.

The Mercy and Compassion of God—The Book of Revelation

     We continue this week with Revelation 15:5-8:

           After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

              And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.

               Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.

               The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to  enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

       As we read in the text last week, and as we see throughout the Scriptures, God will pour out His wrath upon the evil at the end of the age. We are told what that wrath will be, and are given a clear definition of the evil ones who this wrath will be poured out on. As verse 4 in this chapter (the final verse we covered last week) made clear, the nations would come to worship the Lord because of His judgments. As we see in the Book of Acts, one aspect of the Gospel presented by the apostles was the coming Judgment Day. This struck a real fear of God into the hearts of the people and the potentates (see in Acts 24 for an example).  

       God loves all men and desires their salvation. He prefers mercy over judgment. However, when His mercy is refused, His judgment is sure. He will not relent in this because of His love for the world. It is sin that is killing us, and it is sin we must turn from to escape His wrath. Consider this clear word from Galatians 5:19-21:

             Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

             idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,

             envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

       The apostle does not say that those who have done these things will not inherit the kingdom, but rather those who “practice” such things. When we rationalize and justify sin, rather than preaching the biblical truth that sin leads to death, then we allow people to continue living in the condition that puts their eternal life in jeopardy. It will not be a good thing on the Judgment Day to be a teacher who has done this.

       God forgives sin that is confessed and repented of. To repent means to turn away from it. The judgment of God is sure on those who do not repent of the sin as God has defined sin. He can have great patience with those who fight the good fight and resist the sin, even though, as James 3:2 asserted, we all stumble at times. As we are told in Proverbs 24:16, even the righteous “fall seven times,” but then we are told “but they rise yet again.” Our falling does not seem to displease the Lord as much as our getting back up and fighting pleases Him.

       What obviously displeases Him and brings His wrath are those who start calling evil good and good evil, as we see in Isaiah 5. When we start rationalizing sin and say it’s not wrong, we cross a most serious and deadly line. To rationalize or marginalize sin is to blur the only path to life and reconciliation to God, which is repentance and salvation provided by God through the cross of His Son. Therefore, warning about the consequences of sin is the only true mercy and compassion.

         Keep in mind that the first lie of Satan was intended to get Adam and Eve to doubt the clear Word of God. This is still his most effective strategy against God’s people. Do not doubt the Word of God, even about uncomfortable subjects such as God’s judgments and His wrath. To start compromising the Word of God is to do what Adam and Eve did—fall and start down the path of death.

Trusting the Works of the Lord—The Book of Revelation

         This week we will continue our study with Revelation 15:1-4:

   

Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!

Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, for Your judgments have been manifested."

 

As we see in the last sentence, the nations will come to worship the Lord because His judgments have been manifested. It is not random that many false doctrines are being promoted in the church today that demean or even deny the judgments of God. As we see from the pattern of Scripture and history, this is a sure sign that the world is about to experience His judgments. We are told in I Peter 4:17: “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

 

It is difficult for some to understand how a God of love could allow all of the evil on the earth, much less bring the judgments, destruction, and wrath that are prophesied. This is confusing for those who try to interpret God through a human perspective, or their own opinions. As the Lord said through Isaiah: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

 

Some tend to think that God’s emotions and feelings are just like ours, but they are not. Though they may have similarities, they are much higher than ours. When we are told that God is a jealous God, we can interpret as being like human jealousy, which is selfish and self-centered. However, God’s jealousy is higher than ours—it is not so small hearted and selfish. His wrath, anger, and judgments are also not like ours—they are higher.

 

There are biblical warnings about the veil of deception that will come upon the world at the end of the age. Political correctness, or PC, may be the most basic factor in this darkness, and it has made inroads into the church. Many are trying to make God in their image, projecting Him as being like them and thinking like they do. Because of this, they try to sanitize the Gospel according to their perspective to make it palatable to people. This is not only one of the most arrogant things we can do, but it is one of the most destructive. Such may think they are doing good and helping people turn to God by making “the straight and narrow” wider. Rather, they are making the path to destruction much wider and helping people feel better about themselves in a condition in which their eternal life is in jeopardy.

 

The path to salvation begins with repentance from our sin, and we won’t repent of something we have been made to think is okay. God has clearly defined sin and wickedness in His Word. As we read at the end of the Book of Revelation, to take away from His Words, or add to them, will bring a terrible curse. The path of life is a path of truth, and knowing and loving the truth must begin with believing that God’s opinion trumps any human opinion. This is why the first and most deadly lie of the devil was “did God really say that?”

 

Jesus said in John 7:17, “If anyone wills to do His will he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” By this He was asserting that to know the truth begins with the resolve to obey God regardless of our opinions. Those who want to agree with the doctrine first will not know the truth or understand God as He is. Those conditioned by the politically correct mentality cannot comprehend this and will not accept it, which is the veil to knowing the truth. This is the ultimate pride of man exalting his opinions above God’s, and that pride always leads to destruction.

 

This is why in the text from Revelation above they sing “The Song of Moses.” This is the song of trusting the works of the Lord and His judgments, which are always righteous and true.

The Kindness and Severity of God: The Book of Revelation

This week we will cover Revelation 14:13-20:     

 

       And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them."

             Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand.

             And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe."

             Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

             And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle.

             Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe."

             So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God.

             And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.

 

This text begins with how blessed those are who die in the Lord from this time on. The Spirit confirms this because they will be able to rest from their labors, and their deeds will follow them. To those who are earthly minded, it is hard to see death as a blessing, but to those who know the Lord, this life is but “a vapor” that quickly passes. To pass out of this life to the next is their great hope. Those who have truly come to know the Lord and trust in His salvation do not fear death. 

 

We also see that this is the time when the harvest of the earth has come. It comes in two ways: The Lord reaps those who have followed Him, and then an angel reaps those who are destined for the wrath of God. The harvest is when all the seeds, both the good and the evil, sown in man comes to full maturity.

 

Some of the most destructive false doctrines and heresies have come from those who could not “behold now the kindness and the severity of God” (see Romans 11:22). If we cannot see both of these, then we do not know God as He is and are worshipping a God we have made, which is an idol. He is more kind and gracious than any human will ever be, but He is also severe. Drawing His wrath should be the greatest fear of every human being.

 

As we are told in Romans 2:4, it is “the kindness of God” that leads us repentance. Who can truly see His kindness and grace and not worship Him? We will be worshiping and thanking Him forever for His mercy and grace. The fear of His wrath may not draw men to Him, but it has certainly driven many to Him. The first Great Awakening was ignited by a sermon by Jonathan Edwards entitled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Many other great revivals were sparked by preaching on the severity of God. It may be better to be drawn than driven, but it is better to be driven than to not come at all.

 

That being understood, those drawn to Him because of His kindness often tend to think that His kindness is all there is to know about Him. If we do not mature beyond that in our knowledge of Him, we will be prone to embrace “hyper-grace” deceptions. These are in need of studying His judgments and His wrath, which are abundant in both the Old and New Testaments.

 

Likewise, those who have been driven to the Lord by fear of His severity can also be deceived about Him, thinking that He is only a harsh curmudgeon with no humor and no tolerance for sinners. He loves sinners—all of them—and desires for them to be saved. He had much more grace for sinners than He did the self-righteous. He is full of grace and mercy, and He prefers mercy over judgment. However, He has limits, and when those limits are reached, it is a fearful thing to behold.

 

To see Him as He is, we must see Him as utterly kind and utterly severe at the same time. He is severe because He loves us. Love is His nature, but it is a severe love. Think about this: Jesus walked the earth as an exact representation of the Father. He called some of the roughest men that could probably be found to be His disciples. Even after living with Him for three and a half years, these tough characters were still afraid to ask Him a question on the night before He was crucified! He was obviously intimidating, but He could also be so gentle and merciful to children and to sinners.

 

To know God as He is, and to not distort the Scriptures, we must reconcile both God’s kindness and His severity in our hearts, seeing Him as He is and not as we may want Him to be. As we mature, we will come to understand that He is perfect, and so are His judgments.

The Fear of the Lord—The Book of Revelation

This week we will cover Revelation 14:9-12. As we are told repeatedly in Scripture, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, so let us embrace this as the wisdom that it is.

 

Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

"he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

"And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

        

         One warning about the last generation is that they can only hear things that “tickle their ears” or make them feel good (see II Timothy 4:3-4). It is hard to imagine a generation that better fits that description than the one now emerging. They have been conditioned to reject, and even be offended by, anything that challenges the humanistic propaganda they have been fed through education, entertainment, and the media. Previous generations have had their own fits of worldliness and carnality, but never have we seen the kind of violence and outrage that the emerging generation displays toward ideas that challenge their safe spaces and comfort zones. Such a “safe place” mentality could not be a more dangerous place, and this will ultimately lead to the most terrible consequences of all.

 

         Is there anything we can do to help those in such eternal jeopardy? Yes, we can do what Jesus exhorted His followers to do at the end of this age:

 

1) Stand up

2) Look up

3) Rejoice

 

Let’s look at how these can help those trapped in the great veil of deception called “political correctness” that is being cast in these times.

 

Stand up:

 

         We must be bold with the truth and not be affected by how our boldness and clarity will offend many today. It will bring accusations and persecution, but this is an honor and glory for all who follow the King. Find one thing Jesus said or did for which He was not attacked. He said that His followers would be treated the same way. He told us to expect the same if we abide in Him and speak His truth. We are told that “all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (see II Timothy 3:12). Therefore, we should be alarmed if we are not getting accused, slandered, and persecuted. Stand up!

 

 

Look up:

 

         If we know that God approves of us, then we should not care what anyone else on earth thinks. The Apostle Paul wrote, “If I were still seeking the approval of men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (see Galatians 1:10). If we have seen the King on His throne, how can we be impressed with or fear any man? The fear of man, or seeking the approval of men, is the number one factor that will compromise or nullify our service to the King. Look up to Him, not down at men.

 

 

Rejoice:

 

         “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (see Nehemiah 8:10). If our joy is centered in the Lord and His approval, not man’s, we will be strong in the faith and for the truth. Never let anything steal your joy in the Lord.

 

If we have the true and holy fear of the Lord, then we will not fear anything or anyone else on earth. Therefore, to live in the holy fear of God is the greatest liberation from the shackles the world would try to put on us.

 

The only hope for the emerging generation to be free from the shackles of fear and conformity is to see the bold strength of those not bound by it—those who do not live in the fear of man, or anything. Their King's perfect love casts out all perverted, evil fear.

The Gospel of the Kingdom—The Book of Revelation

     I pray that this New Year will be your best year yet—that you will get continually closer to God, and love Him more. I pray that this will also infect all of your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone you have contact with, so that this will be their best year yet too.

 

         Now, back to our study of the Book of Revelation. This week we will continue with an important text for our time, Revelation 14:6-8:

 

And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;

and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."

 

         There is an angel flying in the middle of heaven with an eternal gospel for everyone on the earth. This is the “gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus said must be preached throughout the earth before His return. Here we are given some factors that will accompany this great message that can help us discern its timing:

 

1)   The angel first declared, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because His hour of judgment has come.” So, we can expect this message of His coming judgment to precede the gospel of the kingdom.

 

2)   There is an exhortation to worship Him who made us and the good things we have. This will be a movement of thanksgiving by which we begin to express our appreciation for all He has done for us.

 

3)   Another messenger declares that “Babylon the great” has fallen. This is the demise of the false church, the harlot church that committed adultery with the spirit of the world and seduced the nations with her immorality.

 

With the exception of a great worship movement of the last few decades, it does not seem that any of these elements are yet present in a major way. In some ways it looks like the opposite with the “hyper grace” movement getting so much traction in the body of Christ. However, that is a good sign that the truth about God’s judgments is about to be proclaimed. How is that?

 

Before almost every great message that brought revival and reformation, there would be a counter or false message promoting the opposite to thwart the coming truth. It is like the principle of a “Saul” before a “David.” The false message would help purify the church by drawing out those who could be deceived because “they did not have a love for the truth.”

 

Even psychology has revealed that most people believe what they want to believe more than what the actual facts may bear out. Many who claim to be Christians hold to doctrines that are in direct conflict with the Scriptures. They are obviously either ignorant of what the Scriptures say, or they esteem the desires and opinions of the world above the Word of God. We can expect such to either repent or be pruned away by the message that is coming.

 

This is also referred to as the separating of the wheat from the tares that will take place at the end of the age. In the parable, it is the tares that get bundled together first and taken out. Now is the time to pray for those who are deceived by the false message—that they would have the veil removed and repent of anything they allowed to eclipse the written Word for establishing doctrine. If Jesus, who was the Word, would take His stand on “It is written,” how much more must we?

 

Because of the sure word of prophecy we have in this text in Revelation, we know that an anointed proclamation will bring a true and holy fear of the Lord, and will compel men to give Him glory as they witness His judgments. There is a reason why this is called “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” It will be great for those who are abiding in the Lord and terrible for those who are not.

 

Now is the time to examine our beliefs and be sure they are based on sound biblical truth, not our desires or opinions, or the desires or opinions of those who have preached things that are in conflict with the Scriptures.

 

         The third identifying event of this time is the fall of “Babylon.” This system is also called “the great harlot” because it has become the false church by marrying the spirit of this age instead of waiting as a pure chaste virgin for her Lord. All that claims to be the church, but is not, will soon collapse. Revelation continues to cover this so that its nature and destiny is clear.

 

The Gospel of the Kingdom—The Book of Revelation

     I pray that this New Year will be your best year yet—that you will get continually closer to God, and love Him more. I pray that this will also infect all of your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and everyone you have contact with, so that this will be their best year yet too.

 

         Now, back to our study of the Book of Revelation. This week we will continue with an important text for our time, Revelation 14:6-8:

 

And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;

and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality."

 

         There is an angel flying in the middle of heaven with an eternal gospel for everyone on the earth. This is the “gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus said must be preached throughout the earth before His return. Here we are given some factors that will accompany this great message that can help us discern its timing:

 

1)   The angel first declared, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because His hour of judgment has come.” So, we can expect this message of His coming judgment to precede the gospel of the kingdom.

 

2)   There is an exhortation to worship Him who made us and the good things we have. This will be a movement of thanksgiving by which we begin to express our appreciation for all He has done for us.

 

3)   Another messenger declares that “Babylon the great” has fallen. This is the demise of the false church, the harlot church that committed adultery with the spirit of the world and seduced the nations with her immorality.

 

With the exception of a great worship movement of the last few decades, it does not seem that any of these elements are yet present in a major way. In some ways it looks like the opposite with the “hyper grace” movement getting so much traction in the body of Christ. However, that is a good sign that the truth about God’s judgments is about to be proclaimed. How is that?

 

Before almost every great message that brought revival and reformation, there would be a counter or false message promoting the opposite to thwart the coming truth. It is like the principle of a “Saul” before a “David.” The false message would help purify the church by drawing out those who could be deceived because “they did not have a love for the truth.”

 

Even psychology has revealed that most people believe what they want to believe more than what the actual facts may bear out. Many who claim to be Christians hold to doctrines that are in direct conflict with the Scriptures. They are obviously either ignorant of what the Scriptures say, or they esteem the desires and opinions of the world above the Word of God. We can expect such to either repent or be pruned away by the message that is coming.

 

This is also referred to as the separating of the wheat from the tares that will take place at the end of the age. In the parable, it is the tares that get bundled together first and taken out. Now is the time to pray for those who are deceived by the false message—that they would have the veil removed and repent of anything they allowed to eclipse the written Word for establishing doctrine. If Jesus, who was the Word, would take His stand on “It is written,” how much more must we?

 

Because of the sure word of prophecy we have in this text in Revelation, we know that an anointed proclamation will bring a true and holy fear of the Lord, and will compel men to give Him glory as they witness His judgments. There is a reason why this is called “the great and terrible day of the Lord.” It will be great for those who are abiding in the Lord and terrible for those who are not.

 

Now is the time to examine our beliefs and be sure they are based on sound biblical truth, not our desires or opinions, or the desires or opinions of those who have preached things that are in conflict with the Scriptures.

 

         The third identifying event of this time is the fall of “Babylon.” This system is also called “the great harlot” because it has become the false church by marrying the spirit of this age instead of waiting as a pure chaste virgin for her Lord. All that claims to be the church, but is not, will soon collapse. Revelation continues to cover this so that its nature and destiny is clear.

 

2017 In Review

        Thank you for joining us on this journey of studying the Book of Revelation. We will continue this study next year as we are just getting into some of the most exciting parts of it, many of which give great clarity on what is unfolding in our times. However, I like to use the last WFTW of the year as a special message for the coming year.

 

         There will never be another 2017. Many are thankful for that and are ready to start another year, but 2017 was an awesome year. Every year is for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. He has promised to turn all things into good.

 

As we are told in I Corinthians 10:11, which speaks of the things that happened to Israel in the wilderness, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Every trial that Israel went through in the wilderness was a prophetic map of what every believer must go through to get to their promised land—the fulfillment of their promises. The first major trial they faced was at “the waters of Mira,” or the waters of bitterness. The first thing Israel had to learn if they were going to make it to their promised land was how to turn the bitter waters into sweet, or how to turn every bad thing they endured into a good thing. We must do the same.

 

         To begin 2018 the right way, we need to thank the Lord for 2017 and everything that happened to us in it—both the good and the other that will work for our good. Every bitter thing must be turned into sweetness if we are to continue toward our promised land, the fulfillment of the promises we’ve been given.

 

         Each year, I send a letter to our international publishers. The following are excerpts from this letter that I feel is for all of us:

 

         Every year it seems that we look back and say that the current year was more interesting and challenging than the previous one. As I began to say many years ago, this will continue—meaning that every year is a greater opportunity for the Gospel.

 

The Gospel is “good news.” It is the best news the world has ever heard or ever will hear. We have been given a hope greater than any other religion or philosophy. We are now the main purveyors of hope for the world, and soon we will be the only ones. As we see in Isaiah 60 and other prophecies, when darkness covers the earth, the Lord’s glory will appear on His people. As we read in verse 3 of that text, the nations will then come to the light. The light will win! We must never forget that, and we should become even more encouraged as darkness grows--we are closer to the glory of the Lord being revealed.

 

  My purpose, and a main purpose of MorningStar, is to know the times and what God is doing to prepare His people for the times. A main way we seek to help this preparation is to prepare ourselves for the great harvest, which is already unfolding. The main way to prepare for this is for the church to become the pure, spotless bride that she is called to be--and that our King deserves. The church becoming all it is called to be is a main key to the harvest. It is also a key to the highest calling we have in this life—helping to prepare the King’s bride.

 

In the last two months, I have had two of the most expansive prophetic revelations I have had yet. Each was so expansive that I felt that a lifetime would not be long enough to process them. I was then shown that they are linked to the “eternal Gospel.” I always thought this was the simple Gospel being recounted for eternity, but now I see that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so expansive that we will be learning about it, and be perpetually fascinated by it, for eternity. No other subject in all of creation is as interesting and expansive as that which we are called to publish. How can we not love this job?

 

My prayer for you this year is that you grow “in the hope of His calling”--that hope and vision would be a special diet for you this year, and that you convey it to others wherever you go and through all that you publish and distribute.

 

This is also my prayer for all of you doing this study. I pray that hope and vision will be multiplied to you and that you will be contagious with it, spreading hope and vision in the coming King wherever you go.

 

Rick Joyner