Life Study of Revelation message 8

Message Title: the Seven Lampstands

here is a picture for a rough idea, what is the golden lampstand in the tabernacle, or later in the temple of God

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 

here, the Lord told John that the seven lampstand he saw are the seven churches. this shows us that the golden lampstands are the symbols of the local churches. if we look back to the Old Testament, there are only a few times, where the Bible mentioned about the lamsptand, all of which are related to the building of the tabernacle, or the building of the temple, or the rebuilding of the temple. 

from the above picture, we can see the the lampstand is one stand with seven lamps. this shows us that the Triune God is one in essence, but in expression, He is the Seven Spirits. 

the first time the lampstand was mentioned is in Exodus

Exodus 25:31 And you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand with its base and its shaft shall be made of beaten work; its cups, its calyxes, and its blossom buds shall be of one piece with it. 

then, if we proceed from Exodus to Zechariah, we see that the seven lamps are the seven eyes of Christ and the seven eyes of God. 

Zechariah 3:9 For here is the stone that I have set before Joshua — upon one stone are seven eyes. I will engrave its engraving, declares Jehovah of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 

Zechariah 4:10 For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice when they see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; they are the eyes of Jehovah running to and fro on the whole earth. 

"As we continue on to Revelation, we see that the seven eyes of the Lamb are the seven eyes which are the intensified Spirit of God. Hence, we have a strong basis for saying that the seven lamps are the sevenfold intensified Spirit as the expression of Christ. "

"In Exodus 25 the emphasis is upon the stand, in Zechariah 4 the emphasis is upon the lamps, and in Revelation 1 the emphasis is upon the reproduction. In both Exodus and Zechariah, the lampstand is one, but in Revelation it has been reproduced and has become seven. Firstly, in Exodus the emphasis is on the stand—on Christ. Secondly, in Zechariah the emphasis is on the lamps—on the Spirit. Eventually, in Revelation both the stand and the lamps, that is, both Christ and the Spirit, are reproduced as the churches. In Exodus and Zechariah there are just seven lamps, but here in Revelation there are forty-nine lamps, for every lampstand has seven lamps. Hence, the one lampstand has become seven and the seven lamps have become forty-nine. The lampstands with their lamps in Revelation are the reproduction of Christ and the Spirit. When Christ is realized, He is the Spirit, and when the Spirit is realized, we have the churches as the reproduction. "

Life Study of Revelation message 7

Message Title: the Local Churches 

1. the progress of the divine revelation:

a. concerning God

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let Us make man in Our image, 

God revealed Himself as Elohim, the mighty One

Genesis 2:7 Jehovah God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. 

Jehovah, I am the I am, the ever existing One. 

b. concerning Christ

Matthew 1:21 And she will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins. 

the name Jesus means "Jehovah, the Savior" or "Jehovah, our salvation"

Matthew 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

the title Christ means "the anointed One" 

the Lord is not only Jehovah our Savior, but also God's anointed One, to carry out God's economy. 

c. concerning the Spirit

there are many different aspects of the Spirit revealed in the Bible: the Spirit of reality, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of life, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 

d. concerning the church 

the universal church: as the Body of Christ, the church is universally one. 

the local churches: "The universal church as the Body of Christ is expressed through the local churches. The local churches, as the expressions of the one Body of Christ, are locally one."

2. the progress of the manifestation of God

"God is embodied and expressed in Christ, and Christ is realized and experienced as the Spirit. The Spirit is the very constituent of the church which is the Body of Christ, His fullness. Now the Body of Christ is expressed in all the local churches, for the local churches are the expressions of the universal church. The local churches are the expression of the Body, the Body is the realization of Christ as the life-giving Spirit, and Christ is the embodiment of God. Thus, in the local churches we have God, Christ, the Spirit, and the church. This is why the local churches are so rich. "

3. the way to see God's revelation and to realize God's manifestation 

a. to be separated unto God

b. to be in the human spirit

Revelation 1:10 I was in spirit on the Lord's Day and heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 

John was in spirit to see the throne of God, to see the ascended Christ. he was also carried away in spirit to see the vision of the New Jerusalem, to see the vision of the great Babylon. the key is to be in spirit for us to see the vision in the book of Revelation, like John. 

c. to hear the voice of the Lord

d. to turn to the voice of the Lord

Revelation 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me; and when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, 

it is not enough to just hear the voice of the Lord. we also need to turn and see. we need to turn our being to the right position, the proper position, so that we can see the vision. 

Life Study of Revelation message 6

Message Title:  JOINT PARTAKER IN THE TRIBULATION,KINGDOM, AND ENDURANCE IN JESUS

Revelation 1:9 I John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 

in this verse, John used a not that usual or common phrase "in Jesus". we are more familiar with the phrase "in Christ", which appears several times in the New Testament, especially in Paul's epistles. In Christ, we have redemption. God accomplished salvation for us also in Christ. when we are in Christ, we can enjoy and partake all that God accomplished for us, God's full salvation. but here John says "in Jesus". when the Lord Jesus lived on the earth, He was a man or sorrow, and He suffered a lot, persecution from the Jews, and eventually, He went to the cross on our behalf. Therefore, here, when John talks about partaking in the tribulation, we need to be "in Jesus", in this person, who endured all kinds of suffering and persecution, and who can understand all our weeknesses. The book of Revelation is for those who are suffering tribulation “in Jesus.” This means that those who are waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus must be people who suffer tribulation in Jesus.

a. Jesus has suffered persecution while He was on earth

when the Lord Jesus was on the earth, carrying out God's will, He was persecuted, mainly by Jewish religion. He ate with tax collectors and sinners; He healed people on Sabbath day. all these things caused Pharisees and scribes wanted to deal away with Him. after the Lord died on the cross, His disciples continued to carry out His work, which caused them also to suffer persecution, and eventually became martyrs for the Lord. likewise, today, we, the followers of the Lord Jesus, also need to be prepared to face opposition and persecution. we need to follow the footsteps of the Lord and His faithful servants, not to be afraid of any opposition coming to us. the Lord already told us in the four gospels, the sufferings we will face cannot be greater than what our Master faced while He was on the earth. so we should take courage, and be strengthened in the Lord, taking Him as our endurance.

b. Jesus is now suffering persecution with His followers

this is such a comforting word to all of us. on one hand, the Lord is now sitting at the right hand of God; on the other hand, He is also in each of us, His believers. especially when we are suffering for the sake of the Lord, He is always one with us, not leaving us as orphans. 

Acts 9:3 And as he went, he drew near to Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

Acts 9:4 And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?

Acts 9:5 And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

when Stephen was being stoned, he saw the heaven opened to him and the Son of Man standing. this shows us that the Lord was not indifferent when Stephen was being persecuted. on the contrary, He was with Stephen. when the Lord knocked down Paul (that time was still Saul), He clearly said that He was the One, whom Saul was persecuting. although Saul was arresting the Christians, but to the Lord Jesus, because He is one with all His believers, so Saul was actually persecuting Him. 

c. His followers are also being persecuted in this age, bearing His reproach.

when we are taking the way of the Lord, which is called to enter into narrow gate, and to walk on the constricted way, which leads to life, it is unavoidable that we will face opposition and persecution. there is no big welcome. even though we do not intentionally cause any trouble, but trouble and affliction will come. we should not be surprised because the Lord already told us what will come. so be prepared and come to the Lord to take His all sufficient grace. and we need to be like the apostles in Acts, we should rejoice!!! because we are counted worthy to suffer in the name of the Lord. 

2. joint partaker in the kingdom in Jesus

If we are joint partakers in the tribulation in Jesus, then we are joint partakers in the kingdom. 

a. the kingdom was with Jesus when He was on earth

Luke 17:20 And when He was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, The kingdom of God does not come with observation;

Luke 17:21 Nor will they say, Behold, here it is! or, There! For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

Matthew 12:28 But if I, by the Spirit of God, cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 

b. His believers are born into the kingdom

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 

according to the gospel of John, we enter into the kingdom of God when we are regenerated. 

c. the church life today is the kingdom 

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 

"What is the kingdom? It is the heavenly rule in the divine nature. We all have been regenerated with the divine life. In this life there is the divine nature, and with this divine nature there is a ruling, a reigning, a governing. This governing is both divine and heavenly. We, the regenerated ones, are under this reign today; we are under this government and control. We need to exercise this rule over ourselves. "

d. His believers suffer persecution for the kingdom 

Matthew 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and while speaking lies, say every evil thing against you because of Me.

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

if we are suffering persecution for the sake of righteousness, this proves that we are in the kingdom today. the kingdom ruling does not allow us to go along with unrighteousness like other unbelievers. 

"The more we are in the kingdom, the more we shall suffer and be persecuted. But praise the Lord this suffering is a strong sign that we are in the kingdom. "

Life Study of Revelation message 5

Message Title: The Coming Again of Christ

Christ's second coming have two aspects: the secret and private aspect and the open and public aspect.

1. the secret aspect

a. coming as a thief

Matthew 24:40 At that time two men will be in the field; one is taken and one is left.

Matthew 24:41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one is taken and one is left.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord comes.

Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the householder had known in which watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Matthew 24:44 For this reason you also be ready, because at an hour when you do not expect it, the Son of Man is coming.

As we are working, having no consciousness that Christ is coming, some of us will be raptured. Since He is coming as a thief, we must be watchful. 

b. the time - unknown

Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but the Father only. 

the Bible plainly tells us that even the Son, as the sent One by God, does not the day and the hour of the Lord's coming, only the Father knows. do not try to predict the time, do not listen to any so-called prophecy about the time of the Lord's coming. we just do not know the hour of the Lord's coming back. So we need to be watchful and be prepared all the time since we do not know at what time the Lord is coming. 

c. the place - in the cloud to the air

Revelation 10: 1 And I saw another strong Angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon His head, and His face was like the sun, and His feet like pillars of fire; 

1 Thessalonians 4:17 Then we who are living, who are left remaining, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will be always with the Lord. 

if we read the book of Revelation, we will realize that, the Lord right now is on the throne in the third heaven, and in chapter 10, He will come down from the throne in the air, clothed with the cloud. but if we read chapter 14, the woman and manchild, the man-child will be caught up to the throne of God. and the firstfruits will be standing on the Mount Zion in the heavens. so this shows us the order, first man-child will be caught up, and then the firstfruits, both of which will happen before the Lord comes down in the air. While the Lord is in the air, covered by the cloud, He will mainly do two things. First, He will rapture those believers who have to pass through the great tribulation to get matured; and second, the Lord will set His judgement seat in the air, where the believers will be judged, whether to receive the reward, or to go through the discipline for a thousand years. May we all be watchful to redeem the time to get ourselves ready, so that when the Lord comes back, we will be qualified to receive the reward. 

d. as the reward to the watching believers

Revelation 2:28 And to him I will give the morning star. 

in the Lord's letter to the church in Thyatira, the Lord mentions that He will give the morning star to the overcoming believers. in the book of Malachi, it says that Christ will be the sun of righteousness, with healing in His wings. the difference here between the morning star and the sun is quite obvious. according to the nature law, the morning star only appears or shines in the dark night, until the sun comes out. this means that if we want to get the morning star, we have to rise up very early while the day is still dark. if we come late while the sun is already out, we can only miss the morning star. However, no matter how late you get up, you will still have the sunshine. Therefore, if we are watchful and wait for His coming, He will appear to us as the morning star. This is a promise of a reward. 

2. the open aspect

a. seen by all the tribes of the land

Revelation 1:7 Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the land will mourn over Him. Yes, amen. 

b. the time -  at the end of great tribulation 

at the last trumpet

Revelation 18: 1 After these things I saw another Angel coming down out of heaven, having great authority; and the earth was illumined with His glory. 

c. the place - on the cloud to the earth

Acts 1:11 Who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you beheld Him going into heaven. 

according to Acts chapter 1, the Lord was taken up to the heaven before the eyes of the disciples on Mount Olive, which means that He will also come back in the same way, also on Mount Olive. there is one thing really interesting. when we went to Israel in 2017, of course, we also went to Mount Olive, to see where the Lord will come back. basically, the whole Mount Olive is like the super expensive and fancy, luxurious cemetery. I heard that only wealthy people can afford to buy a tomb here. why they all want to be buried here (that is the reason the price is so high)? because Jews believe that the Lord will come back here, putting His foot on Mount Olive, and they also believe that when the Lord is back, all dead will be resurrected. so they think, "if i am buried here, as close as possible to the Lord in His coming back, I can be resurrected first and be close enough to the Lord." so everyone wants to get the tomb here, and then the price goes up crazy......hehe. anyway, I don't care that much where the Lord will come back openly. My desire, my aspiration is to meet the Lord at His throne, at His secret coming!!!!

d. with His overcoming saints to fight against Antichrist and his army

Revelation 17:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sits on it called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

Revelation 17:12 And His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written which no one knows but Himself.

Revelation 17:13 And He is clothed with a garment dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God.

Revelation 17:14 And the armies which are in heaven followed Him on white horses, dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

Revelation 17:15 And out of His mouth proceeds a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations; and He will shepherd them with an iron rod; and He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

Revelation 17:16 And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King Of KINGS And Lord Of LORDS.