Signs in Blood Moons and Solar Eclipses

 

Signs in Blood Moons and Solar Eclipses

 

There was a "Super Blood Moon" - May 26, 2021

There will be a "Partial Blood Moon" - November 19th 2021

 

In the Year 2022 there will be two Blood Moons.

One on May 16, and the other on November 8th.

 

A total lunar eclipse occurred on 26th May 2021.

It had a 1.0095 magnitude. It’s Penumbral: 302 minutes, 2 seconds.

The event took place near to lunar perigee; as a result, this “supermoon” was referred to in US media coverage as a "super flower blood moon", and elsewhere as a "super blood moon"

Animations created by software programmers, in collaboration with scientists showed the moon moving west to east, passing into the shadow of earth near the Milky Way. It first entered the outer penumbral shadow, and then the dark umbral shadow.

The eclipsed moon appeared as a faint red disk in the sky due to a small amount of light being refracted through the earth's atmosphere; this appearance gives a lunar eclipse its nickname of a Blood Moon.

 

It was the first total lunar eclipse since the January 2019 lunar eclipse, and the first in a series of an almost tetrad (with four consecutive total or deep partial lunar eclipses).

It was followed two weeks later by an annular solar eclipse on 10^th June 2021 over the northern polar regions of earth.

The total lunar eclipse was visible over the Pacific Ocean, Oceania, and Antarctica in its entirety. Observers located in southern and eastern Asia saw the eclipse at moonrise, whilst observers located in western North America and western South America saw the eclipse at moonset.

 

A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves into the earth's shadow. This can occur only when the sun, earth, and moon are exactly or very closely aligned with earth between the other two, which can only happen at a full moon.

Partial Blood Moon - November 19th 2021

This partial lunar eclipse, will be the last of 2021. It will be visible from North and South America, Australia, and parts of Europe and Asia.

The curvature of this lunar eclipse shadow's path and the apparent rotation of the moon's disk will be due to the earth's rotation.

Only its penumbral phase will be clearly visible.

Areas with lighter shadings left (west) of the center will experience the eclipse after moonrise/sunset. Areas with lighter shadings right (east) of the center will experience the eclipse until moonset/sunrise. Actual eclipse visibility depends on weather conditions and line of sight to the moon.

The magnitude of the eclipse should be 0.974 and its penumbral magnitude will be 2.072.

The total duration of the eclipse will be 6 hours, 2 minutes, while the duration of the partial eclipse will be 3 hours, 28 minutes.

 

An eclipse never comes alone! A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.

 

This partial blood moon will be completely visible over Asia, Australia, and the Americas on Friday, 19 November 2021, and some parts of Alaska and Hawaii on Thursday, 18 November 2021. Some of partial eclipse visible on the north-west and on north of Europe and extreme north-east of Europe (Russia within Europe).

 

A lunar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye, unlike solar eclipses, which have special safety requirements.

 

The partial lunar eclipse of November 19, 2021 will occur on a ‘micromoon.’

 

Blood Moon – May 16 2022

This will be the first of two total-lunar eclipses in 2022.

It will be visible from North and South America, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia. Totality, or the point when earth's shadow is fully obscuring the moon, will last about 85 minutes, according to TimeandDate.Com

Experts say the eclipse will be a dark one with the northern tip of the moon passing through the center of the earth's shadow. They said this will be the first central eclipse of Saros series 131.

This eclipse series began in AD 1427 with a partial eclipse at the southern edge of the earth's shadow when the moon was close to its descending node. Each successive Saros cycle, the moon's orbital path is shifted northward with respect to the earth's shadow, with the first total eclipse occurring in 1950.

Blood Moon - November 8th 2022

A total lunar eclipse will take place on 8^th November 2022.

The moon will pass through the center of the earth's shadow.

 

Scientific-Statistics of this total eclipse are as follows:

Gamma: 0.2570

Magnitude: 1.3589

Saros cycle: 136 (20 of 72)

Totality: 84 minutes, 58 seconds

Partiality: 219 minutes, 50 seconds

Penumbral: 353 minutes, 51 seconds

 

This “blood moon” will occur 13 days before the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, which occurs on 21^st November 2022.

The moon's apparent diameter will be smaller.

 

It will be completely visible over the Pacific, and most of North America, will be seen rising over Australia and Asia, and setting over South America and eastern North America.

What this “blood moon” will look like:

The curvature of the shadow's path and the apparent rotation of the moon's disk will be due to the earth's rotation (or revolution).

The entire eclipse will be visible from start to finish.

Blood moons and solar eclipses are part of GOD's ways of communicating to man.

Specific ‘blood moon prophecies’ unravel secrets of end times events as described in the Bible in Joel, Matthew, Luke, Acts 2:20, and Revelation 6:12.

 

Pastor John Hagee wrote “Four Blood Moons,” that became a best-seller, being more than 150 days in Amazon.com's top 150 by April 2014.

For the week ending March 30, 2014, it was the ninth best selling paperback, according to Publishers Weekly. By mid-April, Hagee's book was No. 4 on The New York Times best-seller list in the advice category. Hagee's book (and subsequent preaching series at his home congregation, Cornerstone Church) claimed that every prior tetrad of the last 500 years coincided with events in Jewish and Israeli history that were originally tragic, yet followed by triumph.

 

Mark Biltz (born June 25, 1956) is an American Christian pastor and author. His publications in the media correlate solar and lunar eclipses with biblical prophecy, and he has published several books on the topic. He is the Washington state director of Christians United for Israel. He began writing about the "blood moon" tetrad phenomenon in 2008, and has come to be known as "the blood moons pastor" or "Blood Moon Biltz". His writings correlate lunar and solar eclipses with the modern State of Israel.

In 2008, he started researching a phenomenon he called the "Blood Moon", correlating data on NASA's website with the Hebrew calendar and the modern State of Israel.

In his book, ‘Blood Moons: Decoding the Imminent Heavenly Signs’ he explains that God uses the sun and moon as signs of coming events. Pastor Mark Biltz suggests a key to understanding the divine link between prophecy, heavenly signs and historical events. Throughout history, Biltz contends that God, “The Master Timekeeper”, has used the heavenly bodies to communicate to us when significant events will happen.

He predicted, based on the Blood Moon Tetrad that “in the next two years from that time, we’re going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world.”

“All these signs, coming together at one time, are potentially the culminating signals that God is closing this chapter of human history,” Biltz said.  “This could be the final curtain call before “the Great Tribulation” mentioned in the Bible.  God has always wanted to warn His people, and the rest of the world, before He intervenes.  What better way to communicate to us than through the universal language of heavenly signs that speak to every tribe, tongue, and nation?”

 

Rabbi Jonathan Bernis and Pastor Mark Biltz reveal the importance of these biblical celebrations and discuss how you too can be aware of the signs of things to come.

Biltz hosts his own show on the PTL TV Network entitled Discovering the Ancient Paths.

 

If you want to understand the timing of The Lord, you have to understand His seasons, feasts and calendar.

 

Click each of the links below read more about John Hagee and Mark Biltz previous publications on Blood Moon - Tetrad (series of four consecutive blood moons)

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2015/09/blood-moon-prophecy.html  

 

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2014/10/four-blood-moons-tetrad.html 

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2015/09/rare-blood-moon.html 

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2014/10/blood-moons-whats-coming-in-2014-2015.html 

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2015/09/coming-super-blood-moon.html 

https://schoolofhispresence.blogspot.com/2015/04/next-blood-moon_2.html 

Some modern-day Jewish Rabbis also understand the significances of blood moons, and solar eclipses. Some Jewish Rabbis said that the "Super Blood Moon of May 26 2021 over Israel was ‘a foreshadow of war.’

The Israel–Palestine conflict this year commenced on the 10^th of same month with an outbreak of violence. Israeli police stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque, and there were rocket fire by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad into Israel, which followed by airstrikes by the Israeli Air Force inside Gaza.

 

Israel has a calendar, given by GOD, based on the cycles of the moon, which is why these blood moons occur on important Jewish festivals. All Jewish months are around 29 days long. For instance the 16th of Tishri in the year 5775 reads 10th of October 2014 in the Gregorian calendar.

The Jews have an ecclesiastical calendar, which starts on the 1st of Nisan, and a civil calendar which starts on the 1st of Tishri, (the seventh month from Nisan) – The 1st of Tishri is Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year.

The sighting of the new moon, meaning the thin crescent moon, in Israel marks the beginning of the month. Full moons occur about 14 days from the sighting of the new moon, halfway into the 29.53 day lunar cycle.

 

In Matthew 24, Jesus (Yeshua) prophesies that in the end times there will be signs in the heavens that will point to His soon Return and lead to the repentance of many:

“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” (Matt 24:29-30 KJV).

 

In the Gospel according to Luke, "blood moons" and "solar eclipses" are referred to as: "fearful sights" and "great signs."

"And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven" (Luke 21:11 KJV).

 

God revealed things concerning the end times, and “the Great Day of The Lord” to Prophet Joel and gave him this prophecy:

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the Great and the terrible Day of The LORD come (Joel 2:30-31 KJV).

In Acts 2, when The Holy Spirit (the Ruach HaKodesh) is poured out, Peter in speaking to the crowd quotes Prophet Joel saying: 

But this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel;

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable Day of The Lord come…”

Acts 2:16-20 KJV

 

In Isaiah 46 God's Word says,

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My Counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure" (vv. 9-10 KJV)

 

And in Isaiah 13:9-10 The Word says:

“Behold, the Day of The LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine” (Isa 13:9-10 KJV).

 

Although it may seem mystical and unscientific to some, the Bible indicates that the sun, moon, and stars do far more than mark physical time; they can reveal what is scheduled to take place on God’s calendar.

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years (Gen 1:14 KJV).

Also, we see celestial signs in action in the New Testament (the Brit Chadashah) when the wise men were led to Jesus by a star!

 

The Remarkable is coming on the horizon!

 

Are You Prepared!

We are for Signs and Wonders!

 

In these "last days," The LORD will show forth His signs and wonders before our very eyes!

 

He brought "the children of Israel" out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.

 

In these "last days", for the world to believe and receive "the Gospel of the Kingdom" ‘en masse’ they require to see 'signs and wonders,' and Heaven will surely execute them!

Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe."

John 4:48 NKJV

 

We are for signs and wonders!

 

"How great are His signs.

And how mighty His wonders!"

 

The Lion and The Lamb

 

"The Lion and The Lamb"

"The Lion of the Tribe of Judah" has prevailed!

He conquered sin, death, the grave, hell, and all of its forces.

He conquered the fallen-angels and He conquered Satan.

 

He is now "The Heir to David's Throne!"

 

He is "The Lamb of God" that takes away the sins of the world.

He was slain and He received Power, and Riches, and Wisdom, and Strength, and Honor, and Glory, and Blessing!

 

He is "The Lion and The Lamb."

As “The Lamb,” He shall overcome the nations – and rule as “Lord of lords, and King of kings.”

As “The Lion,” He shall reign on “the Throne of David.”

THE BOOK OF REVELATION - How It Will All Be Fulfilled!

 

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

How It Will All Be Fulfilled!

 

“The Scroll of Revelation” which is the scroll with ‘Seven Seals’ covers the prophecies and revelations from “The Church Age” (after The Ascension of Christ and The Descent of The Holy Spirit) to "The Eternal Perfect State".

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself breaks the seals of this scroll and opens it.

THE HOLY SPIRIT speaks to the Church, reveals and teaches us the mysteries and events in the scroll.

He gives us the perfect timing and purpose for each event—as well as how they will unfold.

He is The Spirit of Christ.

 

In the Scroll are recorded coming ‘Major-Events,’ mysteries, tribulations, future trouble and conflicts, wars, plagues, woes, future blessings, ‘Trumpet Events,’ the Seals, the Vials, God’s Sovereignty, God’s Wrath, destinies of nations, rise and fall of Empires, Triumph of the True Church, Triumphant Christ, the Antichrist’s Defeat, and Satan’s Defeat.

In it we see: progressive revelation, conditional prophecy, and personal prophecy.

As well as: Revelations and Advancements of God’s Kingdom and Government, Israel’s Endtime Exile, The Coming Messiah, Israel’s Salvation, Return and Exaltation.

 

Here is a chronological list of events in the Scroll:

‘Messages to the Seven Churches,’ The Seven Seals, The Seven Trumpets, The   Seven Vials, ‘Rise of Babylon and the Beast,’ The Great Tribulation, The First Resurrection, The Great Day of God’s Wrath, ‘The Fall of Babylon,’ The Marriage Supper of The Lamb, The Second Coming of Christ, ‘Armageddon,’ ‘the Imprisonment of Satan in the Abyss,’ The Millennial Reign of Christ, ‘the Release of Satan from the Abyss,’ ‘The War of Gog and Magog,’ ‘the Casting of Satan into the lake of fire,’ The Great White Throne Judgment, New Heaven and New Earth, The New Jerusalem, and ‘The Eternal Perfect State’.

Click to read about "The Church Age" 

The Church Age

 

 “The Church Age”

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

And they were all filled with The Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as The Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4 KJV

 

“The Church Age” began after “The Ascension of Christ”— at “The Coming of The Holy Spirit” at Pentecost.

That was the birth of “the True Church” of Jesus Christ on earth.

 

Before Jesus’ Ascension to Heaven, He commissioned His disciples, and promised them: the baptism and Power of The Holy Spirit.

“For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with The Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5 KJV).

“But ye shall receive Power, after that The Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 KJV).

 

The first ‘Descent of The Holy Spirit’ was in Acts chapter 2 (A.D. 33). Within a period of two years (A.D. 33 to 35) the disciples bore witness to Jesus Christ in Jerusalem. They witnessed of Him in Judea and Samaria as the Church grew and expanded for a period of 13 years (A.D. 35 to 48).

And, since then, “The Gospel of The Kingdom of God” has been preached through the timeline of Apostle Paul’s Three Journeys and his trials in 14 years (A.D. 48 to 62) —as well as through other apostles, prophets and saints — as it is to this day, reaching nations and continents, and going-on to “the uttermost part of the earth” (to the end of the earth).

 

“The Church Age” will come to a close in the ‘blessed and holy’ “First Resurrection” (read Rev. 20:6).

Click to Read the Messages to the Seven Churches

Messages to the Seven Churches

 

Messages to the Seven Churches

The Book of Revelation contains ‘special messages’ directed to seven churches in seven specific cities throughout the Roman province of Asia.

These cities were important trade and communication centers, which were connected by major roads in New Testament times.

Apostle John addressed the churches from Ephesus north to Pergamos, then south all the way to Laodicea.

 

These ‘messages’ which were written to “the seven churches” in the form of ‘letters’ (or epistles), collectively, are Christ’s Prophetic Messages and Warnings to God’s people throughout “The Dispensation of The Spirit.”

They are “what The Spirit says to the churches” in these last days.

 

‘The letters’ begin with a Greeting from The Lord Jesus and from The Holy Spirit to the Seven Churches:

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;

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,

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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.

“I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending, saith The Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to Come, The Almighty.”

Rev. 1:4-8 KJV

 

Each of ‘the letters’ written to the seven churches in Asia concludes like this:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches…” (Rev. 2:7 KJV).

(Read also Revelation 2:11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

 

John was in The Spirit on 'The Lord's day' (Rev. 1:10), and heard behind him a great Voice, as of a trumpet, saying:

"I am Alpha and Omega, The First and The Last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea" (Rev. 1:11 KJV).

The Lord instructed him to write in ‘a book,’ what he saw written in ‘a scroll,’ and send it to the seven churches. So, John penned in his own hand-writing these messages in form of letters or epistles, beginning with greetings and encouragement:

Grace and peace from The One Who is, Who always was, and Who is still to come; from The Sevenfold Spirit before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, Who is The Faithful Witness to these things, The First to rise from the dead, and The Commander of all the rulers of the world.

All praise to Him Who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding His blood for us. He has made us His Kingdom and His priests who serve before God His Father. Give to Him Everlasting Glory! He rules forever and ever! Amen!  (Rev 1:4b-6 NLT)

Look! He comes with the clouds of Heaven. And everyone will see Him — even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the earth will weep because of Him. Yes! Amen! (v.7 NLT).

 

After this, John made a presentation of The Resurrected Christ—in the words he heard Him say to him in a loud Voice:

“I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and The Ending,” saith The Lord, “which is, and which was, and which is to come, The Almighty” (v.8 KJV).

 

In verse 9, John stated, “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” (KJV)

In verses 10 and 11, John wrote:

It was The Lord's Day, and I was worshiping in The Spirit. Suddenly, I heard a loud Voice behind me, a Voice that sounded like a trumpet blast. It said, "Write down what you see, and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea" (NLT)

 

Next, after John’s ‘presentation of The Resurrected Christ,’ he expressed vividly “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” Who revealed Himself to him in the Island of Patmos:

And I turned to see the Voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto The Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire;        

And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His Voice as the sound of many waters.

And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, “Fear not; I am The First and The Last:

I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (verses 12-20 KJV).

 

The Apostle by whom these "epistles" were sent to "the seven churches," Biblically, is referred to as "angel."  In Revelation 22:16 The Lord Jesus said,       “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches."

Each of these ‘seven letters’ sent to “the seven churches” was addressed to ‘a human- overseer’ of the church (also referred to as ‘the angel of the church’).

More so, “the angel of the church” (Heavenly angel) takes note of ‘the message’ delivered to the church.

 

The main body of these letters which contain “the Messages to the Seven Churches” are written in chapters 2 and 3.

Click to read more

Message to the Church in Ephesus

 

Message to the Church in Ephesus

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My Name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy First Love.

Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

Rev 2:1-7 KJV

 

Ephesus was a large and important city on the west coast of Asia Minor.

The church of Ephesus was a famous church planted by the Apostle Paul (Acts 19), and afterwards watered and governed by Apostle John.

 

This epistle to the church in Ephesus was sent from "He that holds the seven stars in His right hand." "The seven stars" are “the angels of the seven churches” (see Rev.1:20)

It was sent by The One “Who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks” (lampstands). “The seven lampstands” are “the seven churches” (Rev.1:20).

For each church, there is ‘a chief-angel (angel of the church) in-charge of spiritual supervision over it. Each of these “chief-angels” represent a host of angels of Heaven.

The angel of a church ministers to the church—special “Word of Instruction” from Heaven, and gives his own unique brilliant light to the church.

The churches also were given the ability to burn like lampstands in the world.

 

‘The angel of a church’ also has the assignment of divine security over the church.

God’s Divine Light in "the seven stars" (angels of the seven churches) influences the churches for good. “The angels of the seven churches” are supernatural instruments in His hand, and all the good they do for the Church is done by His mighty hand which hold them.

 

Jesus Christ walks in the midst of “the golden candlesticks” (the seven churches). This intimates His relation to His churches.

He walks in the midst of the churches (the seven golden candlesticks) on earth, observing what is amiss in them and what the state of their spiritual growth is.

His heart desire is to purify His Church and make her ready for “The Marriage Supper of The Lamb.”

 

The church in Ephesus was diligent in duty, and patient.

“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience…” (v.2)

It is not enough that ‘the Church’ be diligent, but we must be patient, and endure hardship as soldiers of Christ.

The Church must have zeal against what is evil, and continually hold on to her ‘First Love’—Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Nicolaitans were an early Christian heretical sect made up of followers of Nicolas, who was possibly the deacon of Acts 6:5. The group is mentioned explicitly only in “the message to the church in Ephesus” (Rev. 2:6), and in “the message to the church in Pergamos” (Rev. 2:14-15) – where it is equated with a group holding "the doctrine of Balaam," who taught Israel "to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality."

Balaam probably was responsible for the cohabitation of the men of Israel with the women of Moab (Num. 25:1-2; 31:16).

In these last days, Jezebel is at war against the Church, and against the State.

The church in Thyatira was corrupted by ‘the spirit of Jezebel’ (see Rev. 2:20).

"Jezebel" is the spirit that lures many people into idolatry mixed with sexual immorality, false prophecy, false teachings, witchcraft, and rebellion against GOD.

It is the spirit that influences people in government to become corrupt, and spread corruption to the fabrics of society—education, politics, security, science, sports, entertainment, business, et cetera.

 

‘The Christian life’ is a warfare against sin, Satan, the world, and the flesh. It is not enough that we engage in this warfare, but we must never yield to our spiritual enemies, but in total dependence on our Lord, fight the good fight, till we gain the victory.

Message to the Church in Smyrna

 

Message to the Church in Smyrna

And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith The First and The Last, which was dead, and is alive;

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Rev 2:8-11 KJV

 

Smyrna was a city of great trade and wealth—a city in western Asia Minor (modern Turkey). Smyrna's superb natural harbor made the city an important commercial center. In spite of keen competition from the neighboring cities of Ephesus and Pergamum, Smyrna called itself "the first city of Asia."

 

In the beginning of this epistle we see, the glorious title of our Lord Jesus, “The First and The Last.”

In GOD’s ancient Plan of Redemption, JESUS CHRIST is “The First and The Last.”

In His Plan of Creation, He is “The First and The Last.”

All that are called and chosen by THE FATHER comes to Him through CHRIST.

 

He is "The Firstborn among many brethren." All that The Father foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to “the Image of His Son” (see Rom. 8:29).

He came as "The Last Adam" and was made “a Quickening Spirit” (read I Cor. 15:45).

When He revealed Himself to John, He said:

“Fear not; I am The First and The Last:

I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen…” (Rev. 1:17-18 KJV)

 

Spiritual riches (treasures of the Kingdom) are usually the reward of great diligence. With them ‘the Church’ is more fulfilling, and her works more enduring than with material wealth.

Those who will be faithful to Christ must expect to go through many tribulations; but Jesus Christ takes particular notice of all their troubles. In all their afflictions, He is afflicted, and He will recompense tribulation to those who trouble them, but to those that are troubled rest with Himself.

 

He knows the wickedness and the falsehood of those who are a part of “the synagogue of Satan,” but, His Church is built on “The Rock.”

He promises us a glorious reward for fidelity “…be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

“The second death” is unspeakably worse than natural death, it is destructive-death—eternal condemnation.

Christ will save all His faithful servants; “the second death” have no power over them, for, they shall be partakers of “The First Resurrection.”