|
TO
OUR CYBER-VISITORS:
Richard WRAPped with us in our second set of
WRAPs in December 2008
. Apparently, he didn't hear what we had to say; so we'll try again.
Again, he sent us a lengthy study which is too long to put up on a WRAP; so
we put up the introduction and our comments.
RICHARD WROTE:
Hi,
Interested in your feedback on the enclosed Bible study concerning who might
be the 7 angels or messengers, 7 spirits, 2 witnesses and 24 elders ???? who
are before God's throne in the book of Revelation.
Your eternal friend in Jesus,
Richard
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WILL GABRIEL SOUND THE 7TH AND LAST TRUMPET AT THE 2ND COMING OF THE SON OF
DAVID AND COULD GABRIEL POSSIBLY BE DAVID?? AND WHO ARE THE 7 ANGELS OR
MESSENGERS WHO STAND BEFORE GOD IN
REVELATION??.............................................. 1-2
WHO ARE THE 7 SPIRITS WHO STAND BEFORE GOD IN
REVELATION??........................... 3-8
WHO ARE THE 24 ELDERS WITH 24 THRONES WHICH ENCIRCLE GOD'S THRONE??..... 8
WHO ARE GOD'S 2 WITNESSES WHO STAND BEFORE
GOD??............................................. 8-10
WILL GABRIEL SOUND THE 7TH AND LAST TRUMPET AT THE 2ND COMING OF THE SON OF
DAVID AND COULD GABRIEL POSSIBLY BE DAVID? AND WHO ARE THE 7 ANGELS OR
MESSENGERS WHO STAND BEFORE GOD IN REVELATION?? ...
DON WROTE:
Hello Richard, I don't want to
scold you, but I am concerned for you–so please
hear what I have to say!!! First of all, I am not an expert
on prophecy–at least, no more than any other
born-again believer who is studying the Word to show himself/herself
approved unto God. The only expert on Biblical prophecy
is the One who wrote it: i.e., the Holy Spirit; and He imparts understanding
of the prophetic portions of the Bible only on a "need to know" basis.
And what does each believer "need to know" about prophecy?
First, the believer needs to know
that God knew the end of His creation even before He created it.
(However, the understanding of God's foreknowledge of the future comes more
as a gift of the Holy Spirit Who abides within each believer than it does
from dogmatic Bible study.) Second,
the believer needs to know the basic promises of the Bible so that
he or she can know what to expect. However, it is not needful for
every believer to understand all that is written about prophecy.
Again, prophecy is God's domain and He is the Only Expert on the matter.
After all, prophecy was given by revelation and will only be understood by
revelation through the Holy Spirit. What is required of every
believer is that they know the prophetic "season" that they live in.
WHY? So that they can be expecting their Lord's return and be busy
about the harvest to which they are called!!! We do not need to be
weighted down by the heavy matters of prophecy to the point that it
occupies our time and effort when our main job is to share/convert souls
to Christ. One can determine how balanced they are in the matter of
prophecy by comparing the time they witness to a lost soul versus the time
spent pouring over the Bible trying to find or to prove prophecy
information.
Let me reemphasize what I said to you in my December WRAP. It is
true that God said we are to study the Word–but
He didn't say we were to do so to become experts on any particular thing;
rather, we are to do so to become WORKMEN that need not be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of Truth! Again, our work is to help God in
His work–and His work is to seek and save the
lost.
Consider the following Scripture:
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it,
because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's
work of what sort it is.
If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward.
If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself
shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
I'm satisfied that the fruit of all Bible
study will pass this test of fire if its motivation is pleasing to
God; however, Paul did warn Timothy of those who were "Ever
learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (II Tim.
3:7)" Consequently, not all Bible
study is pleasing to God or fruitful to the one studying. The
ones Paul was pointing out to Timothy have to do with the self-serving
"religious leaders" of the last days; but the principle can apply to anyone
who is studying the Bible with the wrong motivation: i.e., to prove a
point, to make it agree with their teachings or their denominations dogma,
or just to become an "expert."
Early on in my walk of faith, the Lord
quickened to my heart the words of King David:
Psalms 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting.
If God could say of David that he was a man
after his own heart; and yet, David felt the need for God to search his heart
daily, I figured how much more should this be my prayer? In addition,
we need to heed the Words of Jesus. He made it clear that God did not
see fit to tell even Him when the End-Time would come to pass.
Matthew 24:36
But
of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only.
It is not our job, or even His job to worry
about the end of the world. We need to be busy about our Father's
business for our time is short.
Matthew 4:19
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you
fishers of men.
Matthew 28:19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature.
|
