"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." - Rev 3:12
"And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." - Rev 21:22
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Our texts this week are from the beginning and end of the book of Revelation, the first being spoken by our Lord, and the second, a record of what the apostle John witnesses in his vision of the end-times.
On the one hand, this is a beautiful thread linking together the very beginning and end of the book, reinforcing the fact that this was dictated/shown to the apostle in one sitting --- or at least --- it is the same author throughout the text, and He is consistent!
Consistent you say? Text 1 says there is a temple, and text 2 says there isn't going to be one.... which is it????
Well, lets look at the words a little more carefully before we jump to contradictions.... the second text clearly says you can consider the WHOLE CITY as a temple ( "ARE the temple of it") , because a temple is where God and our Lord are...!
They have ever chosen only ONE place to be so nominated in the whole earth.... but it does bring up something interesting...and it is related to what we spoke about last week....
.... namely, All mankind (except the truly wicked, who are not found in the book of Life, the Antichrist, and the false prophet), is eventually resurrected... but different classes of people pick up their bodies at different times....
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When Christ returns a second time (after the Great Tribulation) ... that is the time when those spirits that are in Paradise currently (from Adam, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Elijah... to the last dead and buried Christian before Christs return) ... pick up their new bodies, and the ones still alive to see Christs return with their own eyes, are transformed.
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God [[ 2nd Coming ]] : and the ---dead in Christ shall rise first----:
---Then ---we which are alive and remain-- shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. " -- 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
...... what happens next....??? ......
"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." - Rev 15:1
Lets just say that the people "Left Behind" on the Earth are going to be bombarded with events that make cruise missiles look like firecrackers.... and after that..?
A battle royal from an army in space, fighting an army on earth, in the plains of Megiddo, in the valley of Jezreel!
... and after that,
we have 1000 years of HEAVEN's RULE on Earth... the answer is given to what the Lord prayed, and taught His disciples to ask... THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
To the people that survive this carnage, the new rulers will appear to rule with a rod of IRON. Disobedience is not an option anymore... as we have previously pointed out... and it is in this time, that those who have their resurrected bodies, rule with Christ as priests and kings for 1000 years.
A millennial temple in Jerusalem is the focal point, and it is entirely possible that those who have faithfully served Christ BEFORE AND UPTO the Great Tribulation, are made "pillars" or leaders in this temple.
Why do we say before and upto...? because in Christ's words to the church of Philadelphia (text 1 this week), their faithfulness has earned them the right to be spared the Great Tribulation...
"Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. " - Rev 3:10,11
Here is a promise to people that will not see the 2nd Coming with their own eyes... !!! They are enjoined to be patient, and HANG ONTO THEIR CROWNS... their work is recognized, they will be rewarded.. Hallelujah!!
They will serve in the millennial temple, but more than that, engraved upon these pillars is their ULTIMATE destination... I AM, New Jerusalem, and Christ's NEW NAME...
" And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a ---name--- written, that --no man knew--, but he himself." - Rev 19:11,12
In this world, we are very busy with very many things... go here, go there, do this or that, make money, enjoy life because tomorrow we die... but how often have we stopped to consider the endgame?
We ARE going to die. We ARE going to be judged on the basis of our actions, by Christ or by the LORD. We are LOVED GREATLY by the ONE who has created everything we see around us. We have POWER over all the wiles and deceptions of the enemy and our FAITH is ASSURED by the track record of TRUTH in the Word, its LOGICAL consistency, and our day-to-day experience!
Shouldn't we be having a holy ambition to be among those pillars, to have our millennial mission, and our ultimate address in New Jerusalem? You should rejoice if you are in that family, but the LORDS heart is for more people to be there!!!
If you don't believe us, we will end with Christ's own words after He commissioned seventy disciples (other than the ones we are usually familiar with... )
" And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your ---names are written in heaven. " - Luke 10 : 17-20
Hallelujah!!!!