Rev.1: 1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John”

Again we emphasis what we are dealing here in these studies, and that is this none fact, the Book is about the person of Jesus Christ therefore it cannot just be relegated to past history and claimed to have been fulfilled. While it is true that Jesus life has a fulfilled aspect in his redemption work in human history, even so there are fulfilled statements, verses and portions of the Book that really can be seen from historical perspective. Bu the overall concern is the Revelation of a person and his dealing with his Church and humanity and so cannot be said to be fulfilled ultimately, rather it is a progressive fulfilling Book with prophetic insight. It is the work, life of the Anointed Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, in speaking of himself in Luke , he said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

We have people who say that Christ is the anointing,

Rev.1: 1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John”

Now, what is this Book all about going by this simple introduction in verse 1? It is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”. So it’s not the Revelation about some other things but of a person like we said earlier on. But now, let’s get it right, It is not the revelation of “Jesus” — neither is it the revelation of “Christ.” But, and very important please! It is the revelation of JESUS CHRIST! It is a revelation of a compound name if you will. Although you may not be able to separate both Jesus and Christ ultimately forever, but here is a revelation and manifestation of JESUS distinct from that of CHRIST.

The name Jesus simply means Saviour. “Thou shalt call His name Jesus (Yashua, Yahweh is Salvation), for He shall save His people from their sins” (Mat. 1:21). The word says!. So we found that the name Jesus reveals His ‘Saviourship’.

When Jesus asked his disciples,

What is this Book really all about? Is it some dragon and the Antichrist? Is it all just about Israel of old? Almost all phases of Christianity have one thing or the other to say about this Book. There are some who say the Book is already fulfilled in AD 70 because Israel is the Babylon the great mentioned therein, therefore it’s already a fulfilled Book and so we have nothing to do with it. Yes! The word says “ the things that shortly come to pass” surely for the seven churches that he was writing to, he sure visited them, but does that exclude the fact that the Book is an ongoing continuous fulfilling Book,?

For the author himself is ever living and knowing that he was writing to his Body the Church? Is it not possible to have a repeat of these things that happened in those seven churches today, therefore having a repeat of what he promised them then? The promise of giving the tree of life to the overcomer, must it end with those Churches in Asia? Is the tree of life an old tree that has passed away or that is it Christ himself? Is it not true that all that the seven churches overcome could be our

Christian Journeying to maturity as we overcome them and so receiving the promise therein?

“…We, according to His promise; look for new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness “2 Pet 3:13.

So what is this new Heaven and New earth that we expecting or supposed to be looking forward to, that is the world that is to come.

Let us first of all understand that, the coming into being of the New heavens and Earth is as a result of the dissolution of the former heaven – the elements thereof and the earth and the works therein through the revelation of the day of the Lord. Verses 11-12.

Now, Peter took his quotation in the Scripture above about the “New heaven and earth” from Isa 65:17; 66:22. And Miclintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia (Vol.. 10 PP 122-127) commenting on this verse indicates that a new heaven and new earth signify “a new government, new kingdom and new people”.

“…Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths righteousness..”

We have just seen previously what is meant by the shaken of the heavens, so what do we mean by “THE DARKENING OF THE HEAVEN”?

It is simply the failure, of all sources of life and power that man relied upon instead of God. As a matter of fact, in the Bible language, it is often used to represent the removal of prosperous favourable conditions and their replacement by adverse, gloomy prospects and conditions.

“…Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths righteousness..”

THE SHAKING OF THE HEAVENS AND EARTH. HEB 12:26-27

“..Yet once more I shake not the EARTH only but also HEAVEN, … The word, .. Yet once more signified THE REMOVING OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE SHAKEN, as of THINGS THAT ARE MADE (rudiments, elementary principles and man’s ways of life, principalities and powers), that those THINGS WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN (principles of true spiritual worship through the leadership of the spirit Jon 4:24, Rom 8:1-2,14) may remain, wherefore we receive a kingdom which cannot be moved,..” Heb 12:26-28.

“..Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths righteousness..”

“HEAVENS AND THE EARTH SHALL PASS AWAY”. 2PET 3:10 Part 10

“But that day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the HEAVENS shall pass away with a great noise; and THE ELEMENTS SHALL MELT WITH FERVENT HEAT….” 2PET 3:10

From this passage, we can see that the Elements that shall be melted with fervent heat are in the heavens and not in the Earth. . Please keep this in mind as we progress.

One of the confusing aspects of the teaching of the church, in relation to the application of the word “Last Days” as it connects the so called ‘rapture’ is the belief that the PLANET EARTH will one day go up in SMOKE and the ELEMENTS in it such as Gold, Silver, Precious stones, Crude oil in our thinking will have to melt with fervent heat. But may I quickly draw your reverent attention to the fact, that the scripture just quoted above never say the Elements to be melted are in the Earth, but “IN THE HEAVENS”, and this fact makes a whole world of difference, to the meaning and thoughts revealed in the scripture.

HEAVEN, A RULING POWER OVER A PEOPLE

“…Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths righteousness..”

Further definition of heaven.
In Daniel chapter four, is the account of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar wherein he saw a “tree that reached up to heaven”, but eventually was commanded to be “hewn down” leaving only “the stump”, furthermore that the tree be given the heart of a beast for seven years until he acknowledges that “the most high ruleth in the kingdom of men…”.

“….Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths
righteousness..”

“The earth also and the WORKS ARE THEREIN SHALL BE BURNED UP” 2 Peter 3:10b.

Here what is to be burnt up in the Earth are specified, “the works therein”. What then are the works in the earth that needs to be burned up?
Here they are in the Book of Galatians..

Gal.5: 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

So the works are not talking about natural objects as we shall see more clearly later. It is the works that constitute the Adamic life that are to be burned up not nothing more and they are found in human beings, these works are what is what is responsible for the burning up of the Earth – the Adamic man.

But why? , It is so because, man has rejected the sacrificial work of Christ, our propitiator and the redeeming power of the Holy Ghost sent by the Father, in order that our “shut up heaven “might be opened up again. Just as the word declares, “such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and IRON, because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most high; Therefore, He brought down their heart with labour,.. Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works (sacrifice of Christ) to the children of men! For He hath broken the gates (heavens) of brass and cut the bars of iron in asunder….” Ps 107:17
These are the bondages that have caused our true life to be sealed up S of S 4:12, but have now been opened up, through the finished work of Christ, that once again we might enter into the inheritance ordained for man, from the time of creation – “let them have dominion” Gen. 1:26)

So you can see that “heaven” figuratively is a realm of life, therefore when we read, “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” 1 Pet. 13-4.
What we are saying is, our true life which is “inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away”. (Is) reserved (meaning -to guard from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon, in the Grk) in heaven- in the realm of God’s Spirit….”

In other words, our life is being preserved from the spirit realm of God’s heaven. Look at it;-“ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God”, Col.3: 1-3.

Now, that is where you are if you are truly born again. You are in Christ in God, who also is in Heaven; so we do not necessary have to go to a place called heaven to receive our inheritance. Our incorruptible inheritance is the life of God, in case you may be confused about that. And that is the life that is being guarded in the Heavens , God’s realm of the Spirit.

But let me ask you this simple question, when you preserve your food in the deep freezer in the kitchen, do you end up eating it there or you bring it out where it has to be used or eaten? So you see, God’s life in man is to be revealed on Earth. “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,’ “and ‘the Heavenly Jerusalem is seen coming down out of heaven from God” A people, the Church of the first born, that is the heavenly Jerusalem.
. It is here on the Earth that God’s life in man is to be consummated just like it was with Adam in the Garden before the fall. Please don’t you think we need some wisdom in our beliefs again?

SO, WHAT IS HEAVEN AND EARTH? (2PET. 3:10b)
“Fear before Him, all the EARTH: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved” I Chron 16:30 KJV please read from verses 23-33.
Again “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the EARTH” Ps. 96:1 KJV.

“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass” (Deut. 32:1-2) Compare Ps. 50:4.

“Fear before Him all the EARTH”, do you supposed God is addressing the inanimate objects of trees and mountains to fear before him? Was God addressing these objects or a people? A people of course!

As you sit back and meditate, it will become clear to you that, the word “EARTH” refers to a society of people, this is the fact revealed in the above scriptures, especially in Deut. 32:1,for Moses was not intending to teach or talk a physical heaven up there or a literal earth, but rather, the PRIESTHOOD-‘heaven’, and THE PEOPLE-THE REST OF ISRAEL-‘the earth’. So you the priestly class of Israel was the heaven here and the Earth the rest of the Israelites. And that makes up the heaven and the Earth.

Even in Rev 17:5, we are told “mystery Babylon the great, the mother of harlots” is the “ABOMINATION OF THE EARTH”. Meaning the people to which Babylon, the false religious system which she represents, is controlling – “sited upon many waters” in (verse 1) is interpreted to mean “a people, and multitudes, and nations and tongue” in (verse 15).

And again to say that the “inhabitants of the EARTH have been made drunk with the wine (doctrine) of her fornication” (religious perversion) verse 1, indicates the group of people (men) who are still earthly in their nature, the low realm of the beastly Adamic-life.

Apostle Paul explained this when he said, for “the first man is of the EARTH, EARTHY” And “As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy” which is a true “image” as well. I Cor 15:47a, 48a, 49a.

These are they who cannot discern the things of the Spirit because of their earthly – carnal mindedness, who “sleep” and are “drunken in the night” of the religious system of men. See I Cor 2:4, Rom 8:5-7, I Thes 5:7.

Furthermore, when we read that an “… angel came down from heaven, having great power and THE EARTH was lightened with His glory” Rev 18:1. This is no other person than Christ in His redemptive glory lightening up ALL MANKIND-EARTH, for “In Him (The Word) was life and the life was the LIGHT OF MEN (EARTH-MANKIND); that was the true light, which lighteneth everyman that cometh into the World” (Humanity) Jon 1:1-4, 9.

Even the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that he had, wherein he saw a “Tree in the midst of the EARTH” Dan 4:10-11, was interpreted to mean his “Dominion over the nations”-earth. Dan 4:20-22.

It is therefore self-evident from the above analysis that the “EARTH” speaks of a society of people.

So when we read of “The earth also and the WORKS ARE THEREIN SHALL BE BURNED UP” 2 Peter 3:10b, we are talking of the works in the lives of men, human philosophies and traditions that has kept man away from attaining to the goodwill of the lord on the Earth.

To be continued…

(c) 2015 – Dr. David O. Ogaga

….Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths righteousness..”

Gal.1: 4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

But how are we escaping the rot of this present evil world.?
Just as Noah ESCAPED the destruction in his days, finding grace in the sight of God (Gen.6:8) through his belief in God’s word, and eventually sailing through the storm in the Ark even so are we escaping from the present evil corrupt world of the ungodly through pour faith in the living word of God . Mind you, Noah was in the midst of the storm, not up somewhere in heaven, so also are we getting saved today through our faith in Christ (1 Jon. 5:4) our ‘Ark of safety’ and by our putting on God’s divine nature. Look at it “… He promised to SAVE US FROM THE LUST AND ROTTENNESS ALL AROUND US, and to give us His own character” 2 Pet. 1:4 TLB. Please read verses 4-10.
With the imparted Divine Nature of His, we will be able to live a godly life in this present evil world. (Tit 2:12, Phil. 2:12-15, Math 5:14-16) with the darkness of all sort all around us. Isa. 60:1-2.

So our escape is not through any form of ‘rapture’ out of the world. Therefore the prayer of Jesus to the Father is that, His followers be kept safe in this world from the influence of Satan and his power. They are not part of this world any more than I am: make them PURE and Holy through teaching them your words of truth” Jon. 17:15:17, Tlb. Through Holiness and righteousness is by the living world of God.

Again, the destruction is upon the ungodly, the desires of men, let us not forget that, for that is the way it was in the days of Noah, the ungodly were the only ones destroyed, the righteous lived on.

THE PASSING AWAY OF THE HEAVENS 2 PET 3:10A

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the HEAVENS shall pass away with a great noise, and the ELEMENT SHALL MELT with fervent heat, the EARTH also and the WORKS that are therein shall be burnt up” 2 Peter 3:10.
Looking at the above Scripture, what are these heavens and earth that shall pass away?

THE LANGUAGE OF THE PHYSICAL HEAVENS.
Looking at Ps 69:34, it says “Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and everything that moveth therein” See also Ps 19:1-4, telling us of their declaration of God’s power, wisdom and majesty as long as they continue to exist.
In other words, their existence reveals the glory of God in creation, and so the Gospel of God’s creative power is found in His creation – the heavens and the earth, (Rom. 1:20) and they all depends on God for their existence as part of His creation (Ps 148:5-6).
Therefore , we found that, the heavens are used as a simile, relating to things that are everlasting. Therefore, they constitute the best things to describe the peaceful continuous reign of the Davidic Kingdom inherited by Christ. Ps. 72:5-7, Lk. 1:32-33, “… They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure throughout all generations …”.

And so, in text like Ps. 102:25-26 describing heaven as “perishing” and as “being replaced like a worn out garment” should not be understood in a literal sense, otherwise that will also mean that the reign of Christ will “wax old like a garment” However, may we be mindful of the word “AS LONG” in the passage, Ps 72:5-7, suggesting to us, the possibility of change at the will of God, because we do know that through the fall, creation including the physical heavens are all under corruption (state of imperfection), hence we are told
“ … that creation is groaning and travaileth in pain together until now, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, so that creation can be
delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of God’s children, besides we do know that , “that which is seen is temporal… “Rom. 8:20-22, 2 Cor. 4:18.

CAN WE SAY, “HEAVEN” IS A FIGURATIVE EXPRESSION IN THE BIBLE ?
God’s warning to the children of Israel, through Moses as they approach the land of Canaan says “But beware that your hearts do not turn from God to worship other gods, for if you do, the anger of the Lord will be hot against you, AND HE WILL SHUT THE HEAVENS – there will be no rain and no harvest, and you will quickly perish from the good land the Lord has given you”. Dt. 11:16-17tlb. And again “And if you still disobey me, I will punish you seven times more severely for your sins, I will BREAK YOUR PROUD POWER AND MAKE YOUR HEAVENS AS IRON, and YOUR EARTH AS BRONZE” Lev. 26:19tlb. Please compare Dt. 28:23-24, I Kgs. 8:35-36, 2 Chron. 7:13-14.

Considering the above Scriptures, it is self-evident that the “heaven” as used here is a symbol of the controlling power of the life of a people, for if the heaven causes the rain to fall upon the earth it will result in its fruitfulness and so a blessing of abundance will follow, whereas the “shutting of heaven – brass” will cause the earth to be hardened – iron, resulting in famine as a result of a sinful life (please see Jer. 14:1-9), to which only a heart searching repentance prayer to God can turn around. 2 Chron. 7:13-14.
Meaning that, man’s heaven (true spiritual source of life) has been shut up as long as he abides in Adam, resulting in a “cursed ground” (Gen. 3:17) speaking of man’s poverty stricken conditions, as the ground (human labour) will yield nothing but “thorns and thistles: Gen. 3:17-18.

Now, this is only describing to us the true picture of humanity without Christ, for “thou oh man art that earth!” for the earth (you) which drinketh in the rain (Spirit from heaven) that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs (fruits of righteousness) meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God; But that which beareth thorns and briers (fruits of unrighteousness) is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned”. (Heb 6:7-8)

“Once they’ve personally experienced the sheer goodness of God’s Word and the powers breaking in on us — 6 if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can’t start over as if nothing happened. That’s impossible. Why, they’ve re-crucified Jesus! They’ve repudiated him in public! 7 Parched ground that soaks up the rain and then produces an abundance of carrots and corn for its gardener gets God’s “Well done!” 8 But if it produces weeds and thistles, it’s more likely to get cussed out. Fields like that are burned, not harvested” Heb.6:5-8.The
Message..

So you see the parched ground (earth) ready to be burn here is the house of Israel for rejecting the power of the Holy Spirit (Christ) and so producing thorns and thistle, the same effect of the cursed ground in Adam. In other words, they have reverted to their old ways of Judaistic worship, so all that is left is to have them burned, that is destroyed in AD 70 by the Roman soldiers. Hebrew was written to the Jewish believers in AD 63-67.

Therefore, we can see that the earth referred to here is a people and not planet earth that is being burned up or destroyed.? But rather a rebellious people.

To be continued…

(c) 2015 – Dr. David O. Ogaga