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”

In continuing with these thoughts on the Book of Revelation, let it be noted that am only here to highlight a few things that will enable us do a thorough study of what the Book is all about Endeavouring to ensure that, we have to see beyond the letters of the word here written, and that which is called historical fulfillment into the reality of what the Father is conveying to us through the Son in the spirit of truth.

For those of us who say this Book should be interpreted literally or that it is already a fulfilled Book. What do we do with passages like this..

Rev.14: 1 “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads”.

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?

“..Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which
are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly me….. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleths
righteousness..”

The need to understand the use of the word AGE (AION) AND WORLD (KOSMOS).
What do we really mean by the term “The end of the world” “The elements shall melt
with fervent heart” “the world to come” etc. Are all these referring to the physical globe? What exactly are the
“Heavens and earth that shall pass away”? What is the nature of the fire that will do this melting? What influence will
it have on us to know that, there is a different between the use of the words AGE and the word WORLD? etc.

AGE in the Greek is“AION” and may refer to a period of time in man’s history, whether having or not having specific dates of demarcation. “space of time” “clearly defined and marked out epoch” “age” and also “life time”, “life” and generation”.

For instance, when we read that Christ” will rule as king over the house of Jacob forever” Luke 1:33,it literally means “to (for) ages”. And the “fig tree” that was also cursed “forever” Math. 21:19 is also for the ages “or “age abiding” which is actually the house of Jacob (Jer. 8:13) referring to the Old Covenant that shall pass away forever. Heb.8: 13.

Another good example, of the meaning of the word, is found in Luke. 20:34-35 which says, “The sons of this AGE marry-but those worthy of that AGE and the resurrection – neither marry nor are given in marriage”. Compare Mk. 10:30. It denotes a long period of time, as in Acts 2:21, 15:18, Luke 1:33. Referring to the time of the prophecies about Christ, before the final fulfillment.

So we can see that, the basic sense of “AION is “AGE” or “PERIOD of EXISTENCE” and it often denotes a long space of time. (Jn.1:45). Liddell and Scots “A Greek-English Lexicon” (P 45) List as a definition of AION: “Space of time” clearly defined and marked out epoch, age, and era. It signifies a period of indefinite duration, or time viewed in relation to what takes place in the period”.

And in this sense, the word AION is very close in meaning to the word WORLD (KOSMOS) which means “an order, SYSTEM OR ARRANGEMENT OF THINGS” In Gal. 1:4 we read of our being “delivered from the present evil world” KJV. “Present evil age” RSV. “Rescued us from the present evil world order” JP Philips. “Present age of wickedness” N.E.B. “Present wicked world” (Jerusalem Bible) “Present wicked system of things” (Int. Linear Trans.)

So you see, what is meant by the WORLD is not the globe, the stars in the galaxy or planets known and unknown.
Neither is it referring to the universes, but rather to the way of life, social structures, cultures, philosophies, political
ideologies, religion and the economic lifestyle of humanity, devised by man himself outside of God. It speaks of the
products of the carnal mind of man, which is enmity and death, Rom. 8:7-8 “for the whole world system, based as it
is on MEN’S PRIMITIVE DESIRES, THEIR GREEDY AMBITIONS and THE GLAMOUR OF ALL THAT THEY THINK SPLENDID” but “not derived from the father” “and we also know that the world around us is under the power
of the evil one? 1 Jn. 2:16; 5:19 (Philips).

Therefore when Paul wrote “quit being fashioned after this system of things, but be transformed by making your
mind over” (Rom. 12:2 (Int. Linear Trans)

it was not the time, period of itself that set the fashion, pattern or models for the people of that time, that he was saying they should change from. But the standards, practices, manners,
customs, ways, outlooks, styles and other features that formed the life style of that age. Walking in the way of the
world, is what the bible says in Eph. 2:2 as “following the course of this world “RSV. “Following the way of this world” Jb “when you followed the evil ways of this present age” N.E.B. “that you drifted along on the stream of this world’s ideas of living, and obeyed its unseen ruler (who is still operating in those who do not respond to the truth of God” .. (Philips).

Therefore “… the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of ALL MEN, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, for he gave Himself for us, that He might rescue us from all our EVIL WAYS and make for Himself a people of His own, clean and pure, with our hearts set upon Living a life that is good” Titus 2:11, 12, 14 (RSV, Philips).

To be continued …

(c) 2015 – Dr. Daivd O. Ogaga

Heb.2: 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

First began to be spoken by the Lord.

What was this Great Salvation that was first began to be spoken by the lord.

In Mark.1: 14 -15, we are told.. “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel”.

So we can see that what Jesus began both to speak first is the message of the kingdom.

It is evident that though John the Baptist went before our Lord to prepare his way, it cannot be properly said that he preached the Gospel; Just as Christ’s preaching was only the very beginning of the great proclamation of this great message

Essentially it was the Spirit of Christ in the Apostles and Evangelists, the men who heard him preach, that opened the whole mystery of the kingdom of heaven to the rest of mankind, especially in the land of Judea as the Father confirmed their words with signs and wonders following that declaration.

So then we read of the Lord bearing them witness and confirming their words with signs following as in …