"Now I Saw Heaven Opened"

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns....He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven...followed Him...." (From Revelation. 19:11-14)

 

So called "modern scholarship" has always fascinated me in its presumption.  They relegate the reign of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom to the ethereal, the allegory, or some distant past.  The literal return of Jesus, His Kingdom manifest, "in earth as it is in Heaven," and Jerusalem as, "the City of the Great King," King Jesus, are just parabolic references.  This presumption reaches also to our text and the Book of Revelation in general. 

 

Early Church Fathers say that Revelation was written around 90-95 AD,  but the "moderns," who of course know much more and are more intelligent, say somewhere between 50 and 65 AD.  The real reason they advocate the earlier dates is that they want no prophecy unfulfilled.  Even some evangelical/charismatic teachers say that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD proves that "The Revelation of John" has been fulfilled. But when you take the word of those closest to the writing, you immediately have a problem.  Revelation was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. So now what?!?

 

Speculation has abounded for centuries as to methods of interpreting Revelation.  You can find any interpretation you like from as many commentators and self appointed prophets.  But if you interpret Revelation in light of the rest of Biblical prophecies, you see a common thread.  I think Billy Graham said it best in his film at the 1965 World's Fair in New York, "Man in the Fifth Dimension."  He summed up eschatology by saying, "History is headed toward a dramatic climax."  But it is not a "climax" to be feared, but to be welcomed.  Notice Heaven's anticipation of the close of the age in the early part of the chapter, no fear, just-- "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia!  Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God....And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, 'Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!  Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.'"  What about you?!?

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, let me see, "Heaven opened."  Amen.

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For signs of the close of the age, go to:  www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com

 

   

 "Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

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"If It Seems Slow, Wait For It!"

"Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!  For in one hour such great riches came to nothing."  (Rev. 18:16, 17a)

The Amplified Bible says, "Because in one [single] hour all the vast wealth has been destroyed (wiped out)."  Can it possibly be, "in one [single] hour?!?"  Most Christians look at the world situation and say, "Yes, the signs do reveal that we are near the close of the age."  But in reality, most believe it just still seems as though the catastrophic events of Biblical passages such as our text are too many, too global to be, say,------------------------------ fulfilled in our life time!  The result?-- They go on with "business as usual."

But the prophetic decree of our text, "in one hour," shouts, at the same time, a warning and encouragement to all the earth, that all of history, whether it is 6000 years, or 6,000,000,000 years, all history is headed toward that, "one hour."  In the late 7th century BC, Habakkuk admonished the Jews, "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-- it will not lie.  If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."  Hundreds of centuries later, Paul admonished the Corinthian Church, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all [die], but we shall all be changed--in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.  For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible...."

Habakkuk's encouragement, "Wait for it," does not mean, "Do nothing." The Hebrew word means, "Carve it out, be entrenched in it, adhere to it."  We are commanded to be active in our obedience to Jesus Christ revealed in the Prophetic Word.  Jesus closed His "Olivet Discourse" with the admonition, "And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"-- literally, "Keep awake!"  Watchmen are to be alert, never sleep, always vigilant.  The United Brethren on Zinzendorf's estate had the rule, "No one works unless someone is praying."  It would serve the Church well today to adopt such a rule.  This time/space world is racing toward that---------------------------------- "in one hour!"

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to be faithful to my place "on the wall" to "Watch!"  Amen.
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News to help you, "Watch!"-- www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com



"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2



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"The Time Is At Hand"

"I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan's throne is.  And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells." (Revelation 2:13)

 

"Where Satan dwells"--There is no more ominous passage in all of Scripture.  Our text contains the only reference to "Satan's Throne" in the Bible.  It designates the geographical location of the very Seat of Evil in the earth.  Today this very temple, "Satan's Throne," is in modern day Berlin, Germany.  Pergamum and Berlin are very closely related.  "Of Pergamum an ancient writer said it was 'given to idolatry more than all Asia.'  The high hill behind it was adorned with numerous temples, among which was the great temple to Zeus, who was called Soter Theos, the Savior God.  Pergammum was the first city in Asia to erect a temple to [the Roman Emperor] Augustus.  It was famous for its medical schools; and Asclepius, god of health, symbolized by a serpent, was worshiped there.  Ramsay says, 'Beyond all cities in Asia Minor, it gives the traveler the impression of being the home of authority.'  How appropriate, then, that here...was Satan's throne." (Wycliffe Commentary) 

 

It is a most sobering reality that this "throne room" is now, and has been, in Berlin, Germany, for over 100 years.  If you have been following our years of service to Jesus Christ and His Church, you have seen some photos which we have taken of the actual temple to Zeus, "the savior god," which was taken, stone by stone, to Berlin near the turn of the twentieth century.  I first saw this temple during the communist era in what was then East Berlin.  The first thought I had was of Antipas, "My faithful martyr;" hence, "Antipas Ministries," and, "Antipas Prayer Force."  I need not remind you what came out of Germany in the first half of the twentieth century.  For the first time in 2500 years the world witnessed state sponsored genocide.  The official count is six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, but as the prosecutor at Nuremberg said, "the real number will never be known." 

 

Sarah and I plan to be in Berlin in early November.  This will be the time of the 20th anniversary of the "fall" of the Berlin Wall.  But evil has not fallen.  "Satan's Throne" is still in the Stadtmitte (City Center).  Germany has carved out its own destiny in this act of, not only Zeus worship, but also "Emperor Worship."  It is my firm belief that the Antichrist will arise from this city, and this is why I make regular journeys there to pray "on site with insight."  Keep watching and reading news sources.  You are witnessing the close of the age.  "And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is at hand.'" (Revelation 22) 

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, may we be always faithful to You and Your call.

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You can select prophetic news articles from the "Archive" section located on the right side of the Blog:    www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com
 

Looking Unto Jesus

Hebrews 12:2

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