Introduction: These transcripts of Kay Arthur's lectures on Revelation (Parts 2-4) are provided as a service to the body of Christ with the written permission of Precept Ministries International. This material is the property of Precept Ministries International and all rights are reserved. The transcripts are for the most part verbatim with deletions identified by the characters (… ). The utilization of italics, bolding, hyperlinks and pop up notes represent editorial additions. Any written additions are identified by the designation "Ed note". Note that all text in blue identifies a link or popup. All reference are the NASB unless otherwise indicated. Please note that these lectures by Kay Arthur supplement the excellent Precept Upon Precept inductive Bible study on the Revelation. Click the following links to view each division of this encouraging study and note that you can also download the first lesson of each of the 4 parts:
- Revelation - Pt 1 - Revelation 1-3, 10 lessons
- Revelation - Pt 2- Revelation 4-22, 12 lessons
- Revelation - Pt 3- Revelation 4-22, 11 lessons
- Revelation - Pt 4 - Revelation 4-22, 14 lessons
If you can find a local Precept class studying Revelation, I would strongly encourage you to join the class, as I know of no other study available anywhere in the world that will equip you so thoroughly to discern the signs of the times and cause you to live expectantly as you look for Christ's Return!
Literal chart summaries
Do you look around and groan because of the sin around you and the sin that you yourself commit? Do you groan over creation? … over all the seeming injustices in the world? … over the state of the United States? Why does God allow this? Why doesn't He intervene and bring it to an end?
THE SCROLL = THE TITLE DEED TO EARTH
ONLY JESUS IS WORTHY TO OPEN IT
Because IT'S NOT YET THE HOUR. He, the Lamb, your KINSMAN REDEEMER, is going to take the Seven Sealed scroll break the seals. Although there is not uniform consensus regarding the meaning of the scroll, Kay believes that this scroll represents the the title deed to the earth (Ed: other respected expositors like John MacArthur, Warren Wiersbe, Henry Morris agree) & that John understood that meaning and that this deed would give back to man what he lost to Satan in the garden of Eden. Revelation 2-3 have a word for OVERCOMERS, those who are truly born again (1Jn 5:4, 5+), remembering that the victory that overcomes the world is our faith (click Jesus' promises to overcomers).
In Revelation 5 Jesus has OVERCOME and steps forth to accept the scroll not as the LAMB but as the LION OF THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, the lion being a symbol of the king of the beasts in the animal world, the one who rules, as Jesus is the rightful heir of David. Why? Because the Messiah was born in the Davidic line. He is also the ROOT OF DAVID, which shows us His humanity since He had His "roots" in the line of David (see Isa 11:1, 10) (Ed note: this also teaches His Deity in that He brought David and David’s line into existence). Worthy is repeated in Rev 4-5. Even angels were not worthy to open the seven sealed scroll because the world was not subjected to them, as taught in the epistle to the Hebrews.
Go to Hebrews 1 where the writer demonstrates Jesus' superiority to angels:
Hebrews 1:3-14+ "And He (Jesus) is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He (Jesus) had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; (When Jesus hung on the Cross, God the Father saw it and was TOTALLY SATISFIED --the word propitiated-- with Jesus' perfect sinless sacrifice and the the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the Lamb of God slain for you and for me. Jesus is seated now at the right hand of God and stays there until Rev 19:11, 12, 13, 14) 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.
5 For to which of the angels did He ever say, "Thou art My Son, Today I have begotten Thee"? And again, "I will be a Father to Him And He shall be a Son to Me"? 6 And when He again brings the first-born into the world, He says, "And let all the angels of God worship Him." 7 And of the angels He says, "Who makes His angels winds, And His ministers a flame of fire." 8 But of the Son [He says], "Thy throne, O God, (so here the author clearly calls Jesus the Son God incarnate. You must believe that & repent or you will die in your sins.) is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 "Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee With the oil of gladness above Thy companions." 10 And, "Thou, Lord, (STILL SPEAKING OF JESUS) in the beginning didst lay the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Thy hands; (so Jesus made the heavens & earth and He gave them to MAN and when He made man, He made him IN HIS IMAGE, both male & female and He gave them DOMINION over the entire earth.) 11 They will perish, but Thou remainest; (refer to Rev 21:1-27 where this comes about) and they all will become old as a garment, 12 And as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up; As a garment they will also be changed. But Thou art the same, And Thy years will not come to an end." 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet"? (again we see the culmination of this truth in Revelation 19-20)
Heb 1:14+ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? (Angels cannot redeem men and they are not worthy to open the scroll.)
The writer of Hebrews adds…
Hebrews 2:5-8+ For HE DID NOT SUBJECT TO ANGELS THE WORLD TO COME, (the world to come is shown in Rev 20-22, Ed note: The “world to come” in rabbinic thought referred to the age when Messiah would rule from David’s throne, especially fulfilled in His millennial reign. The writer points out that God intends to subject the future world to men, not angels) concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified somewhere, saying, "What is man, that Thou rememberest him? Or the son of man, that Thou art concerned about him? (Ed note: quoting from Psalm 8:4, 5, 6, 7, 8+ which although clearly having Messianic overtones is not a direct prophetic psalm about Jesus as many commentaries suggest, but is a psalm about the insignificance and greatness of men, contrasting man's failure with his future position of exaltation) 7 "Thou hast made him (referring to man not to the Messiah) for a little while lower than the angels. Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, and hast appointed him (MAN) over the works of Thy hands; 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet."
Recall that when man was created ALL THINGS were placed in SUBJECTION to his dominion, but the serpent deceived Eve who did not listen to the voice of God but listened to and believed THE LIE of the devil, eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and giving it to Adam and so death entered the world by one man eventually spreading to the whole world by sin. Man lost the title deed. (see related discussion Lecture 6) Jesus was born a man yet fully God, was tempted in all ways but without sin so that He died a perfect sacrifice, was buried, raised and is now SEATED IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
PAUL PRAYS FOR 3 THINGS FOR THE EPHESIAN CHURCH
Ephesians 1:18+ [I pray that] the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know (A) what is the hope of His calling, (B) what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and (C) what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion (referring to angelic powers), and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
In Hebrews 2:1-13+ we see that the "world to come" was not subjected to angels and that is why in Rev 5 there is no angel (or other created being) worthy in heaven, under the earth or on the earth to open the seven sealed scroll. Man is not worthy because of his sin. No angel is worthy because they are really ministering spirits. The world does not belong to them but was given to man. Satan is the usurper who is now the prince of this world.
The writer of Hebrews goes on to reiterate the truth that the earth was initially subjected to man, writing that
"Thou hast put all things in subjection under his (man's) feet." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. (to man) 9 But (and this is our sure hope) we do see Him (JESUS, OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER Who is WORTHY to take the scroll and give back to man what man lost in the Garden of Eden) Who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, (HIS INCARNATION) because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. (BECAUSE THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH and JESUS, OUR SUBSTITUTE, HAS TO DIE) (Hebrews 2:8-9+)
Hebrews 2:14-17+ Since then the children (believers - overcomers) share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; (HOW? By paying for our sins. SIN gives the devil power and this applies not just to unbelievers but to believers. When we step over the line and commit sin, we give the devil a place or a foothold. On the other hand the devil does not have the power of death over believers because Jesus paid for our sins.) 15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest (believers are priests as we learn in Rev 1:6, Rev 5:10, Rev 20:6) in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
In Rev 5 our KINSMAN REDEEMER, the Lord Jesus Christ, takes the TITLE DEED to the earth from His Father.
Play and ponder your Redeemer
- My Redeemer Lives - Nicole Mullen (or here)
- There Is A Redeemer - Keith Green
- See excellent article by Reginald Showers - The Scroll in Revelation 5 The "Title Deed to the Earth"
(1). JESUS REDEEMS US FROM BONDAGE/SLAVERY/SERVITUDE:
We are SLAVES TO SIN as taught in John 8 where Jesus is speaking to the Jews:
John 8:34+ Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 "And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
Kinsman for our purposes is defined as one who is of the same family. And so we as men and women are of the family of MAN and not of ANGELS.
Lev 25:47, 48, 49+ "Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, then he shall have REDEMPTION right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may REDEEM him, or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may REDEEM him, or one of HIS BLOOD RELATIVES from his family may REDEEM him; or if he prospers, he may REDEEM himself." (Ed: click discussion of the year of "Jubilee" in Leviticus 25:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19ff)
Note that the kinsman redeemer is to be a BLOOD RELATIVE, A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY to be qualified to be a Kinsman Redeemer. In the book of Ruth (Click verse by verse notes on Ruth), BOAZ was Ruth's kinsman by marriage but he was not the first in line, as there was a kinsman who was a nearer and who legally had the first right to the role of Ruth's kinsman redeemer. But Boaz fell in love with Ruth and wanted to redeem her so he asked the nearest kinsman if he wished to redeem Ruth but he declined saying that this would jeopardize his inheritance. So Boaz took off his shoe and said ''I will redeem Ruth'' which he did, bringing her into his family as his wife and providing a beautiful picture of the redemption by the kinsman redeemer.
Related Resource: Chart on the Kinsman-Redeemer - The Goel
The question is this -- Can an individual redeem himself? (Ed: Before you answer read Ps 49:7, 8, Ps 48:8NIV) No because he is a sinner and cannot pay the price to be released from bondage to sin. Fallen mankind needed a KINSMAN REDEEMER Who could pay the price. Another man would not suffice because he is also a sinner and a slave to sin. Jesus is the ONLY ONE Who can SET US FREE, the only One Who can be our KINSMAN REDEEMER.
Remember Romans 15:4+ tells us that
whatever was written in earlier times (Old Testament) was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have (hold fast to and cherish) hope (absolute certainty of future good).''
So these teachings in the OT give us encouragement and hope just as do many of the OT teachings which are beautiful pictures of SPIRITUAL TRUTH unveiled in the New Testament.
Rev 5:9 referring to the Lamb of God, says ''Thou wast slain''.
Why? For our sins.
John's description of Jesus in the midst of the throne as a Lamb as if slain, pictures the resurrected body of Christ as bearing the "brand mark" for our sins.
This picture parallels God's word to Israel concerning Zion in Isaiah 49:15, 16 where God asks…
Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed (engraved, Amplified reads "tattooed a picture of") you on the palms of My hands. Your walls (Zion) are continually before Me.
Ed: although God is speaking here in context to Israel, we instinctively compare the reference to the palms of Jehovah’s hands with the "love wounds" borne by Christ for us. This truth is beautifully expressed in the hymn A Debtor to Mercy Alone by Augustus Toplady… click to play..
A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on, my person and off’ring to bring.
The terrors of law and of God with me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood hide all my transgressions from view.
The work which His goodness began, the arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen, and never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now, nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo, or sever my soul from His love.
My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Imprest on His heart it remains
In marks of indelible grace.
—Augustus Toplady
God is saying as a mother will not forget her child, so too He would not forget Israel even though they might forget Him. Why would He not forget them? Because He has ENGRAVED them on the PALMS OF HIS HANDS!
Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy (word study) art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst PURCHASE for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.10 "And Thou hast made them to be a KINGDOM and PRIESTS to our God; and they will REIGN UPON THE EARTH."
So the ''crown to reign'' was lost by mankind lost when Adam sinned in the garden. This crown was then given to Satan. But this crown will soon be removed from Satan and will be given back to man who "shall judge angels''! (1Cor 6:3)
Peter reminds us of the price that was paid for our redemption, writing
that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. " (1Pe 1:18, 19+)
Similarly Paul writes that
In Him (CHRIST) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us… " (Eph 1:7, 8+)
No matter the depth of your sin, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound!
Paul adds that
"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation-- having also believed, you were sealed (Seal speaks of ownership, authenticity, security - Click excellent article on seal) in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, Who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, WITH A VIEW TO THE REDEMPTION (here redemption refers to the redemption of the body at the return of Christ) OF [GOD'S OWN] POSSESSION, to the praise of His glory." (Eph 1:13, 14+)
Related Resource: Dr Wayne Barber's sermons that relate to Redemption
At age 29 Kay was redeemed from the PENALTY of sin (salvation). But her redemption did not cease there, for all believers are being redeemed daily from the POWER of sin as they walk in the Spirit and by grace (sanctification). One day future our redemption will be complete when we receive our new, glorified, resurrection body and we will forever be delivered from the PRESENCE (and pleasure) of sin (glorification). (Related Resource: Three Tenses of Salvation)
Paul speaks about "future tense" redemption in Romans writing that
the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, (Ed: The Spirit is a "foretaste" of glory to come or as described in Eph 1:14+ above He is the down payment which guarantees the final purchase of a piece of property and is analogous to the "earnest money" in a real estate transaction. The Holy Spirit is God’s first installment to guarantee to His children that He will finish His work and eventually bring them to glory) even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Ro 8:20, 21+, Ro 8:22, 23+)
So in Revelation 5 Jesus is standing as the One Who has redeemed all the people from their sin at His FIRST COMING, having purchased them with His blood. And in Revelation 6 we see the beginning of the breaking of the SEALS leading to TRUMPETS and then to BOWLS and each of these events has something to do with JUDGMENT UPON THE LAND. What is God doing JUDGING THE LAND? He is in the process of bringing this earth back to the condition it should have been (before Adam sinned). So as God JUDGES THE LAND, He is exercising the role of our Kinsman Redeemer as He restore to us what we lost in Adam, remembering that the earth was originally subjected to man not to angels (Satan is a fallen angel and a usurper).
Lev 25:10+ 'You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. (THE ONE RETURNING HAVING BEEN A SLAVE)11 'You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in [from] its untrimmed vines… 13 'On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property."
Redeemed men and women can shout ''JUBILEE'' because when the Lord God reigns, we will have returned to us what was once ours. (ED: What is the Year of Jubilee? | GotQuestions.org)
(2). JESUS REDEEMS FOR US OUR LOST LAND:
Lev 25:23+ "The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. 24 'Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land. 25 'If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his NEAREST KINSMAN is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. (WHEN JESUS CHRIST TAKES THE SCROLL & BREAKS THE SEALS HE IS ''BUYING BACK'' WHAT MAN ''SOLD'' TO THE DEVIL).26 'Or in case a man has no KINSMAN, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, 27 then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, (BUT CAN MAN BUY BACK THE EARTH? Obviously not so he needs a Kinsman Redeemer) and so return to his property."
Go to Jeremiah 32: God says He is going to bring the Babylonians against Jerusalem because of their idolatry and will take away the land and give it to the Babylonians. God warns them to repent for if they had done so He would have withheld this punishment. Judah refuses to repent, instead listening to false prophets who are proclaiming "PEACE, PEACE" when there is no peace. In this background, God gives Jeremiah a seemingly strange command to buy land, even though He has declared that the Babylonians will conquer Judah and possess their land.
Jeremiah recounts this event in Jer 32:7-15+ writing that
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, "Buy for yourself my field which is at Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy [it.]"' 8 "Then Hanamel my uncle's son came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, 'Buy my field, please, that is at Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the REDEMPTION is yours; buy [it] for yourself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 "And I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle's son, and I weighed out the silver for him, seventeen shekels of SILVER. ("silver" is a picture of redemption as slaves were often redeemed with silver) 10 "And I signed and sealed the deed, and called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 "Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, and the open copy… 13 "And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, 14 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase, and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may last a long time." 15 'For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land."'
God is telling Jeremiah that He is going to take Judah into captivity but that after 70 years Jeremiah would receive back that which was his because he had a sealed deed of purchase. That's what Jesus has provided for us--A SEALED DEED OF PURCHASE--He was made for a little while lower than the angels that He might redeem what you and I have lost.
When Jesus takes the seven sealed scroll and opens it, He is saying that we are going to reign with Him, the King of kings. This is why the SCROLL is so important.
Jer 32:16+ "After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I prayed to the Lord, saying, 17 'Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee, 18 who showest lovingkindness to thousands, but repayest the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The Lord of hosts is His name; 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS AND ACCORDING TO THE FRUIT OF HIS DEEDS; (In the Revelation Jesus will recompense us according to the fruit of our deeds - Rev 22:12)
Jer 32:25+ 'And Thou hast said to me, O Lord God, "Buy for yourself the field with money, and call in witnesses"-- although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.' " 26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" And all God's children answer "NO! AMEN!"
So there is a TITLE DEED TO THIS EARTH and it has our name on it. When our Kinsman Redeemer breaks the seals on the "title deed" (Rev 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12), it marks the time when we will shortly receive what He has redeemed for us.
(3). JESUS REDEEMS US FROM THE MURDERER:
The NEAREST KINSMAN was also responsible for VINDICATING MURDER, and in this role was referred to as the BLOOD AVENGER.
Numbers 35 which discusses the "blood avenger"
Moses describes the murder of another individual beginning in (Numbers 35:16+ writing that if someone struck another person
"down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. (God believes in capital punishment!)… 19 'The BLOOD AVENGER himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him… 21 or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and [as a result] he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the BLOOD AVENGER shall put the murderer to death when he meets him… 24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the BLOOD AVENGER according to these ordinances. 25 'And the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the BLOOD AVENGER, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil… 27 and the BLOOD AVENGER finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the BLOOD AVENGER kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood."
Moses goes on to add in (Nu 35:29ff+) that
'these things shall be for a statutory ordinance to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 'If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. 31 'Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death… (WHY?) 33 'So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. (CAPITAL PUNISHMENT)
When the SEVEN SEALED SCROLL is broken the BLOOD AVENGER steps forth and as described in the Revelation we see Him bring Satan to his end because Satan is a MURDERER. Jesus describes in John 8:44 as '… the devil… a murderer from the beginning… '' He murdered Adam and all of his seed. So in Revelation 12 (Rev 12:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17) we see Satan kicked out of heaven and coming down to earth filled with wrath because he knows he has only a short time. In Revelation 19-20 we see the demise of Satan as the BLOOD AVENGER fulfills His duty.
John records a vision in Revelation 19:19…
I saw the beast… 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet … these two were thrown alive into THE LAKE OF FIRE which burns with brimstone… 20:10 And the DEVIL who deceived them was thrown into THE LAKE OF FIRE and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
HALLELUJAH! (cp Rev 19:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Our Kinsman Redeemer, having redeemed us by His precious blood, has taken the scroll, beginning the process of redeeming the land. Finally He performs His action as our Blood Avenger on the one who murdered mankind.
In the last section of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus teaches us that that THE LAKE OF FIRE (Rev 19:20, 20:10, 14, 15) was not prepared for man but
'has been prepared for the devil and his angels.' (Mt 25:41)
Yet men will end up in the lake of fire, being tormented night and day, because they refused to listen to the Word of God, the gospel of their salvation, so did not believe the testimony of Jesus Christ. Instead they stubbornly dig in their heels, stand firm and unchanging in their sin and refuse to bow their knee and confess that Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God. In short, unsaved men refuse to be redeemed. What is so sad is that Jesus
is the propitiation (satisfaction or appeasement) for our sins (Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross satisfying the demands of God's holiness for the punishment of sin) and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1Jn 2:2+).
The tragedy is that when men stand before the Great White Throne judgment, there is no need for them to be there and to be cast into the lake of fire which burns with fire and brimstone. IF ONLY they had believed. IF ONLY they would have allowed their KINSMAN to REDEEM them, they would not have suffer eternally with the devil and his angels.
WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON? You may be suffering now but the MYSTERY OF GOD (Rev 10:7 is almost finished and you will then see your KINSMAN REDEEMER and you will sit with Him on His throne and you will rule and reign because He has taken THE SCROLL and BROKEN THE SEALS. Hallelujah! The One Who breaks the seals is our Kinsman Redeemer!
Prayer Father we thank You for the Word of God, for Who You are, for Your great plan of redemption, for the Lamb of God Who was slain before the foundation of the world, slain for us. Father may we prepare to meet our God. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
- Go to Kinsman-Redeemer, Part I
- Click Verse Notes on Ruth & Kinsman Redeemer
- What is an avenger of blood in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org
- What were the cities of refuge in the Old Testament? | GotQuestions.org
Revelation Pt 2: Lecture 7
Wayne Barber
For years Wayne has wondered "What is real prayer?" Most books say ''If you want something, just ask God for it.'' Wayne does not feel like this is what Scripture calls real prayer.
Most of us think of God as a ''Cosmic Bellhop'' and prayer is way in which we push His button and He is supposed to come and do whatever we want Him to do. Others say if you pray hard enough and long enough, God will do it. Is that true? The Psalmist says that He gives you the desires of your heart (Ps 37:4-note). But the process is FIRST that He puts the DESIRES in your heart. As I am seeking Him, He puts the desires in me of how I am to pray, so that I can align my prayers with what He is doing in my life. All things are of Him and through Him (Ro 11:36). Some present prayer as if it is something that STARTS with me, as if I was telling God something He didn't already know, and as if I was getting God to do something He had not already thought about. Prayer is getting in on what God is already up to. Prayer is not me twisting His arm. Prayer is abandoning myself to whatever He wants and then having His desire well up within me and then praying back to Him what is His ultimate desire in my life.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand. 5 And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
1). REAL PRAYER DESIRES ONLY GOD'S PERFECT WILL:
Altar (thusiasterion) is used 7 times in Revelation (see below). In each place it would be good to study which altar? (Thusiasterion - 21v in NT -Matt. 5:23, 24; 23:18, 19 20, 35; Lk. 1:11; 11:51; Rom. 11:3; 1 Co. 9:13; 10:18; Heb. 7:13; 13:10; Jas. 2:21; Rev 6:9; 8:3, 5; 9:13; 11:1; 14:18; 16:7)
In the OT there are TWO ALTARS that were very much involved in Jewish worship experience. Remember that the only way they could approach God was through the tabernacle. Entering the Tabernacle (Click for schematic of Tabernacle) from the east you first encounter a BRAZEN ALTAR, where the sacrifices were made.
Next, the LAVER, made of mirrored glass and filled with water, where the priest would cleanse themselves after the blood sacrifice at the brazen altar.
Then the priest would enter the TENT OF MEETING, which had two rooms, the first being the HOLY PLACE, with 7 candlesticks on the left side, the table of showbread on the right side and GOLDEN ALTAR OF INCENSE directly before the VEIL, which was up to 6'' thick (2 oxen could not pull it apart).
When the priest went inside the veil, he had to take blood and he also had a rope tied around his ankle to pull him out if he died in the HOLY OF HOLIES. Anyone who went in to get him would have been struck dead. Inside the HOLY OF HOLIES was the ARK OF THE COVENANT.
So we have two altars:
a). BRAZEN ALTAR
b). ALTAR OF INCENSE
In Rev 8:3 the text refers to the GOLDEN ALTAR which was before the throne. The INCENSE (refer to Rev 5:8 where INCENSE is clearly identified as THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS). So Revelation 8 is referring to the GOLDEN ALTAR which has something to do with the prayers of the saints in the tabernacle in heaven
Ex 30:1 "Moreover, you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 "Its length [shall be] a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height [shall be] two cubits; its horns [shall be] of one piece with it. 3 "And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it. 4 "And you shall make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make [them] on its two side walls-- on opposite sides-- and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 "And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 "And you shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over [the ark of] the testimony, where I will meet with you. 7 "And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. 8 "And when Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
WHY WAS IT TO BE PERPETUALLY BURNING?
Ex 30:9 "You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a libation on it.
So this is very special, is not to be mixed with anything, is to be burning all the time and for no other purpose than the fact that it was to bring a sweet aroma before Jehovah. We know that the INCENSE is referring to the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS. In Exodus 30 this SWEET-SMELLING AROMA before the THRONE OF GOD was picture of the PERPETUAL ADORATION of the people, a picture of their praise to Him, of their prayers to Him. So the picture is that of a fragrant aroma perpetually rising up before the Lord.
Ex 30:34 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each. (God was were SPECIFIC on what they were to use) 35 "And with it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
Real prayer desires only God's perfect will is and is pictured by smoke arising from the golden altar as prayer and adoration before Him and as a sweet-smelling aroma that God was pleased with. This type of prayer has got to be EXACTLY AS HE SPECIFIED FOR IT TO BE. So in terms of the SPICES, etc, you can't make a measure of one a little more or a little less. You've got to put the measure exactly the way God says it ought to be. So the prayers of the saints that are kept in those bowls in heaven are not prayers prayed outside of His revealed will, but they are prayers that line up exactly the way He specified.
Is every prayer ever prayed by a saint kept in heaven? Have you ever prayed some ''stupid'' prayers. Wayne prayed to die one night. God had a way for him to die but it wasn't what God was praying for! When our prayers line up with His will, not just trying to get God to do something that would please our flesh, there is something special about that.
How many times to we as believers really pray in the will of God? It's more than just coming before Him. It's also ABANDONING yourself to WHATEVER IT IS HE WANTS. I've got to be sure I'm at a point to where God you can take it and do it before I can even know what that perfect will is. Most of think that if we just get a group together and start praying, God is ''bound'' to do whatever we tell Him to do.
The disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and Jesus answers:
Mt 6:9 (note) "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our (do you realize that when you pray, there are other people involved in that prayer and He is not just going to honor it just for me. God sees the needs of the body and when He leads us in prayer, it is ''Our Father'' not just ''my Father'') Father who art in heaven (not like any earthly father so don't judge Him by the way your earthly father is or was… He's a heavenly, holy Father), Hallowed be Thy name. 10 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven… ''
So we are saying ''Lord I don't want MY WILL to be done in HEAVEN but I want Your will in heaven done on earth. You know what You want and Lord I am making myself available to whatever it is. And God You create the desire in my heart. You give me the understanding of what I'm to pray for and as I pray for it, I pray for it with Your glory being my desire.''
Real prayer then is according to God's special specifications. It's exact. You don't add anything to it. You don't take anything away from it. But to get that, you've got to be bankrupt before Him. That is a SWEET AROMA that comes up before the Father and those prayers are the one's that are kept in those censers and not the ''crazy'' prayers we often pray. The prayers n the bowls are those that are in accordance to that which He desires in our life.
2). REAL PRAYER COMES FROM A LIFE THAT IS BROKEN AND PURIFIED
Exodus 30:34 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.
STACTE: gum from a plant used to make perfume and was very sweet smelling.
ONYCHA: a substance from a shellfish from that region of the world.
GALBANUM: gum from a plant with a pungent odor but was necessary to preserve the other sweet smell.
FRANKINCENSE: a sweet smelling gum from the resin of the bark of a tree. All these together made a sweet smelling perfume.
Exodus 30:34 "And with it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 "And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I shall meet with you; it shall be most holy to you.
Think about our individual prayers. Some of the ''greatest'' prayers we pray are times when we have been so broken before God that your prayer was refined like powder. As God takes me through the crucible of experience, He cuts out all the ''junk'' and finally I get to the place where I am just looking at Him. After being broken and crushed, it seems that the prayers that come out of us are much different than before we went into the trial. These prayers come from a broken life.
We are living in a day where we don't talk about BROKENNESS much any more. Our flesh is WICKED. And it's not getting any better. Prayer is one of the disciplines that Wayne thinks is being most abused. If we could just get before God and let God show with His holy searchlight how pre-meditated we are, how we've already got fixed in our mind what we want God to do and we'll settle for nothing less. And how our flesh hangs on for what ''we want, we want, we want'' (like a chant that God hears in heaven!) But Oh, the sweet aroma, when God finally hears someone say ''God it's not what we want but God it's what You want that we want in our lives.'' What a difference that would make.
Can you imagine a church filled with people that just wanted what He wanted?
One of the biggest problems in a church that has grown large is all the opinions of the members. Where are the people that just want what God wants not what they want? Maybe that's why James said to count it all joy when you fall into various temptations because it's in the difficult situations of life that God begins to show you how wicked you really are. And when you start getting right you get salted. Salt was used to purify and preserve the ingredients. So you've first got a PURIFYING EXPERIENCE and then you've got BROKENNESS, a crushing experience. We've got to look at our prayers in light of this exact recipe that God made to begin with. If I'm going to have real prayer in my life it comes first of all from dealing with sin in my life and secondly in being broken of my own fleshly will and just wanting what God wants in my life.
Romans 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, [which is] your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1 notes 12:2 notes)
Why the process of presentation, transformation, renovation?
So that you might prove or test for yourself what is that perfect will of God that's good, acceptable and perfect. How many even know what the will of God is? One of the first things before knowing the will of God is to be willing to do whatever it is. That's the first thing. Many come for counseling to help them. And they give their requests. And Wayne and the staff say what if God doesn't want that? And they say ''See you later'' and they go somewhere else because they don't want what God wants. They want what they want. Real prayer is according to His design. It cannot be changed. It's got to be according to His will, His specifications. But those kinds of prayers only flow out of people who've been purified and people that have been broken. Only in the times of brokenness of my will laid down can I begin to get in touch with what God's will is in my life. It all boils down to a walk doesn't it? Make sure you are willing to hear what God's word says, not just what you want it to say.
God is not a spiritual genie. Faith is believing God regardless of what He does and not only when He does what you want Him to do.
3). REAL PRAYER WILL ONE DAY BE VINDICATED
Wayne feels that this is what Rev 8:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 is showing us that the prayers of those people who really trusted God are ultimately vindicated. These prayers in His will are a SWEET, SWEET AROMA before God as they fill up the golden censer before His throne. Then one day it's like He says to the angel ''Bring Me those prayers and add some incense to them.''
What's the incense?
Not sure but could it be related to the prayers that Jesus our Advocate has been offering as intercession throughout the centuries? When that censer is thrown to the earth and the lightning flashes and the thunder roars, it's like God is saying ''I gave you every opportunity but you wanted My wrath more than you wanted to trust Me. You took the lives of those who prayed these prayers. Now I am vindicating them because they trusted Me. They accepted the Lamb and escaped the wrath. You rejected the Lamb and will have all of the wrath poured out upon you.'' Wayne feels like it makes sense that God Himself is now vindicating the people that have trusted Him all the years since the earth began. What a sweet aroma real prayer is before the throne.
Wayne points out a personal example of how God had to bring him all the way to see sin for what it really was. Even before presenting this lecture he had to call home and make restitution to his family.
Our flesh is wicked folks!
So many times God has to bring us to that low point in our lives that we can see sin and be willing to listen to what else He has to say in our lives. It's a daily process:
Letting God's Spirit break your spirit.
Being willing to be surrendered to Him.
And as you are willing to surrender your rights to Him, you will be constantly faced with the issue of dealing with your sin, almost like spiritual breathing because we deal with potential of sin constantly in our life. Some are saying ''confess your righteousness'' but Scripture teaches us not to confess but to pursue righteousness (1Ti 6:11, 2Ti 2:22-note). You PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS by looking at your flesh and confessing your sin so that His righteousness might be made manifest in your life.
Remember that if you are going to pray, you need to get in touch first with what God wants. The challenge though is in order to get in touch with what a holy God wants, you and I must first LAY DOWN OUR WANTS & DESIRES and clearly SEE THE SIN of our own wickedness. The ''incentive'' for us to pray in line with His will and His desire is to REMEMBER that the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS ARE KEPT IN HEAVEN. God remembers the times we have trusted Him. We should be so grateful of the times we prayed stupid, ignorant prayers.
Don't forget WHO'S we are and don't forget that He wants us to get in line with His will moment by moment of every day.
People say if you just pray and fast for 4 days God will do it. What God will show you in 4 days of fasting is to get you to change your thinking so that you realize what you should have been desiring to pray at the beginning! Then you pray and God does it. And you can never pat yourself on the back because you pray. You ''pat'' God on the back because He's the One Who got your attention and put His desire in your heart and you just simply prayed it right back to the Father. THAT PRAYER IS KEPT IN A GOLDEN BOWL AND ONE DAY WILL BE POURED ON THIS EARTH FOR PEOPLE WHO WON'T TRUST HIM NOW. Then they will realize what they have missed when those 7 trumpets are blown. That's it. ''When I run out, that's it. There's nothing left.''