REVELATION l 4:8-11 l "Who owns the Earth?" l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible l Night School

5. Who Owns the Earth?

REVELATION 5:1-7

I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne [in the right hand of God] a book  written  within  and  on  the  backside,  sealed  with  seven  seals  (Revelation 5:1).

The word book in the King James Version is better translated as "scroll" from the Greek.

And I  saw a  strong  angel proclaiming  with  a loud  voice, Who  is worthy  to open the scroll,  and  to  loose  the  seals  thereof? And no man  in heaven,  nor  in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the scroll, neither to look thereon. 

And I wept much, because no man was  found worthy  to open and  to read the scroll, neither to look thereon (Revelation 5:2-4).

The Father  is  sitting upon  the  throne.  In  His  right hand  there  is a scroll.  

It has writing on the inside and on the outside and is sealed with seven seals. 

An angel proclaims with a strong voice, "Who is worthy to take this scroll and to break the seals?"  Because  no  one  is  found  worthy  in  heaven  or  earth  to  take  it,  John begins to sob convulsively.

What  is  the  scroll?  What  are  the  seals?  What  is  their  significance?  

This  scroll must be the title deed of the earth.

When God created  the earth He gave it to man, who was in the Garden of Eden. God said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and  replenish  the earth" (Genesis 1:28). 

He placed  man  in  Eden  to  dress  the  garden  and  to  keep  it.  God  gave  man  one restriction:  don't  eat  of  the  tree  in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  the  tree  of knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  
God  said,  "The  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou
shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:17).

We  don't  know  how  long  man  dwelt  in  the  Garden.  But  one  day  Satan  came, tempted  Eve,  and  she  ate.  She  gave  to Adam  and  he  ate.  They  forfeited  their right to the earth to Satan who had deceived and tempted them.

Know  ye not,  that  to whom  you yield yourselves  servants  to  obey, his  servants you  are  to  whom  you  obey;  whether  of  sin  unto  death,  or  of  obedience  unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16).

By yielding themselves to  the suggestion of Satan (eating of the forbidden  fruit), they  acted  doubly. 

 It  was  a  disobedience  to  God  which  took  them  out  of
fellowship with God, but  it was  also an obedience  to Satan which  brought  them into submission  to Satan.

 At that point man  forfeited  the right  to the earth. 

The title deed of the earth was passed over to Satan, and the world became Satan's.

Jesus came to redeem the world back to God - to buy the "field."

The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath  found,  he  hideth,  and  for  joy  thereof  goes  and  sells  all  that  he  hath,  and buys that field (Matthew 13:44).

The "treasure" in the field is the church.

Jesus died to purchase the earth. It was God's to begin with. God created  it, but He gave  it  to man. Man,  in  turn,  forfeited  it  to Satan,  and Satan  has  been  the ruler of the world ever since.

When  Jesus  came,  Satan  took  Him  up  to  a  high mountain  and  showed  Him  all the kingdoms  of the earth. 

Satan said, "All these  things will I give you [for they are  mine  and  I  can  give  them  to  whomever  I  will],  if  you  will  fall  down  and worship me" (Matthew 4:9). 

Satan claimed as his own the kingdoms of the world and  the power  to give  them over  to Jesus  Christ  -  if  Jesus would  only bow  and worship him.

Jesus  did  not dispute  Satan's  claim.  It was  a valid  claim.  The  kingdoms  of  the world belonged to Satan. 

Don't blame God  for the starvation  in  the world today.
Don't blame God for deformed babies. 
Don't blame  God  for  wars  and  crimes.  

These  have  come  as  the  result  of man's rebellion  against  God.  

You  don't  see  God's  order  in  the  world  today.  

You  see Satan's order. He's the prince of the world.

Jesus,  in  referring  to  Satan,  said  to  His  disciples,  "The  prince  of  this  world cometh, and hath nothing in me" (John 14:30). 

Paul called Satan "the god of this world."  

We  see  the  world  under  Satan's  control.  "The  god  of  this  world  hath blinded  the  minds  of  them  which  believe  not"  (II  Corinthians  4:4).  

Thank  God that He chose us in His love and opened our eyes  to His truth so we might come into His kingdom!

Jesus  came  to  redeem  the world  back  to God.  He paid  the  price of  redemption when  He  died  for  us  upon  the  cross.  We  are  redeemed  not  with  corruptible things such as silver and gold from the former  life but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:18-19). 

Jesus bought the world, but He has not yet taken possession of it.

God  has  placed  all  things  in  subjection  under  Him,  but  we  do  not  yet  see  all things in subjection to Him (I Peter 1:18-19). 

Though Jesus purchased  the world, He  has  not  yet  taken  the  title  deed  to  it  and  claimed  that  which  He  has purchased. He's going to do that very soon.

A very  interesting  Jewish  law  is  encountered  here  -  the  law  of  the  forfeiture  of property. If you as a Jew  lost your property by forfeit,  it remained with  the new owner for a period of years.

 In the appointed year you had the right to purchase your property back as long as you could fulfill the requirements  that were written
in the scroll which was sealed.

Under  Jewish  law,  if  you  yourself  couldn't  redeem  your  property,  a  relative  or near of kin  could  step  in and redeem  it. 

This way  the property  remained  in  the family. If your relative did redeem it, he would be known as the goel (in Hebrew) or "kinsman redeemer."

Now,  if  in  the  seventh  year  no  one  was  able  to  redeem  the  property,  then  it would  remain  under  the  new  ownership.  

You  never  totally  lost  ownership  until this redemption  period was over and you or the kinsman  redeemer were unable to fulfill the requirements of redemption.

On  the  other hand,  if you  could  redeem  it, you  would  call  for  the elders  of  the city to meet with  you before  the  city gates.  

You  would  bring  out  the  scroll  that had all the  requirements  upon  it  and  you would  break  the  seal. 

You'd open  the scroll and  show  your  ability  to pay  the  price,  proving  that  you  had  the  right  to redeem  it.  

You  could  actually  purchase  the  property  back  for  yourself  in  that year of redemption.  

Likewise,  if you were sold into slavehood, you would remain
a slave  for six years,  but  the  seventh  year you  would be  set  free. 

This was  the Jewish law of redemption - being set free.

This  law  is  significant  because  man  was  sold  into  the  slavery  of  sin  about  six thousand  years  ago.  

The  right  of  redemption  will  soon  be  up.  

Satan  has possessed  this place  for about  six thousand years, and we're about to  enter the seventh  thousand-year  era  very  soon.  

This will be  the millennial  reign  of Christ as God redeems that which He purchased through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Man  through  the  years  has  been  trying  to  figure  out  exactly  when  the  six thousand  years  will  come  to  an  end.  

We  cannot  know  for  sure,  but  we  know we're getting close. "No man knows the day or the hour" (Matthew 24:36).

In the heavenly  scene  of Revelation 5  this "scroll"  is the  title deed of the earth.

The  time  has  come,  the  six  thousand  years  have  expired,  and  the  angel proclaimed  with  a  strong  voice,  "Who  is  worthy  to  take  the  scroll?  Who  can purchase  the world  back  from  Satan?" No man was  found  worthy.  

No man  can redeem himself, much less the world.

John  said  that  when  no  one  was  found  worthy,  he  began  to  sob  convulsively. Why? 

Because it meant that the world would go on forever  in Satan's power and control. 

Such a thing was unthinkable in the mind of John.

We  see  the  world  today  and  the  tragic  results  of man's  submission  to  Satan's authority  -  the  sicknesses,  the  sorrows,  and  the  sufferings.  

To  think  that  we would have to go on forever in this condition would indeed be a sad thing.

But "one of the elders said, Weep not: behold,  the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seven  seals thereof" (Revelation 5:5). 

John turned and "in the midst of the throne and of the four  living  creatures,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  elders,  stood  a  Lamb  as  it  had been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the seven  Spirits  of God sent forth into all the earth.

 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne" (Revelation 5:7).

John  sees  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  take  the  book  to  loose  the  seals.

However,  John  saw  Him  not  as  a  lion;  he  saw  Jesus  as  a  lamb  that  had  been slain. 

Evidently,  the marks  of  the  crucifixion  are  still upon  Christ when  He  is  in heaven in glory.

We  know  that  after  His  resurrection  Jesus  had  the  marks  of  the  cross  in  His hands and  feet.  

It  is possible  that He  still had  the marks  of  the  buffeting  upon
His face, because the disciples didn't recognize Him. Mary didn't recognize Him in the garden;  she  thought He was  the gardener. 

The  two disciples  on the road  to Emmaus didn't recognize Him. 

 His face may have been disfigured.  

It may be so even in heaven, for John sees Him as a lamb that had been slain.

Isaiah, prophetically  looking  forward,  said, "Who has believed our report? And to whom  is the arm of  the LORD revealed?"  (Isaiah  53:1).  

Isaiah speaks of  seeing Christ and the shock we'll have at seeing Him. "There's no beauty in Him that we should  desire  Him"  (Isaiah  53:2). 

 It's  very  possible  that,  when  we  first  see Christ, He'll  still be bearing  the marks  of His suffering.   

Isaiah said that as many as  looked  at  Him  were  astonished  because  His  face  was  so  marred  (Isaiah 52:14). 

Jesus  could not be  recognized as a man because  of the beating  that He took.

It's a heavy  thought  to  think  that  Jesus might  still be  bearing  these marks  for our sins. 

We may  see  them  as a  reminder  of  God's  love  for  us,  and  our hearts will go out to Jesus because He suffered so much  for us. We shall ultimately see Him in His glory when He returns with His church to reign over the earth.

Isaiah  also  speaks  about  the  astonishment  of  seeing  Satan.  

They  shall  be astonished who  look  upon  Lucifer,  saying,  "Is  this  the  one who  created  all that trouble on  the earth and  gave me  such a bad  time?" (Isaiah 14:10-19).

  I  think we'll be  astonished when  we  see  Satan  because  of  his  intense  beauty  - one  of the most beautiful beings created by God.

REVELATION l 4:8-11 l "The Heavenly Beings" l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible l Night School

REVELATION 4:8-11

And  the  four  living  creatures  had  each  of  them  six  wings  about  him;  and  they were  full  of  eyes  within:  and  they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy, holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come.  

And  when  those living creatures  give glory and  honor and  thanks  to him  that  sat on  the throne, who lives  for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders  fall down before him that sat on the throne, and  they worship him  that  lives  for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:  for thou hast created all things, and  for thy pleasure they are
and were created (Revelation 4:8-11).

Here  we  get  a  view  of  the  heavenly  scene.  

Study  Revelation  4.  

Fix  it  in  your mind. You don't want  to  look  like a country  bumpkin  on  his  first  trip  to  the  big city when  you  get  to  heaven.  You  don't  want  to  be  looking  around  and  asking
everyone, "What's that!?"

You'll  see  God  sitting  upon  the  throne  with  the  emerald  rainbow  about  the throne. You'll see the twenty-four  lesser thrones for the elders and you'll see the cherubim who  stand before  God  continually  saying, 

 "Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come" - declaring the holiness and eternal character  of  God.  

As  they  do  this,  the  twenty-four  elders  fall  down  upon  the
crystal  sea  which  is  before  the  throne  of  God,  cast  their  crowns  before  the throne, and declare God's worthiness  to  receive  their worship.  God  is worthy by virtue of the fact that He has created all things and that all things were made for
Him and for His pleasure.

Now, like  it or not, God created you for His own pleasure. 

You say, "I don't think it's fair!" Well, that's tough. That's the way  it is.

 Like it or not, that's why you've been created. 

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the  throne, and round  about  the throne, were  four beasts  [proper  translation is "living creatures"] (Revelation 4:6).

These  are  not  beasts  like  wild  or  dumb  animals;  they  are  actually  highly intelligent  created  beings  of  God.  As  they  are  described  in  and  compared  with Ezekiel 1 and 10, we know that these are cherubim about the throne of God.

These  four  living creatures  were "full of eyes  before and behind. 

The  first living creature was like a lion, and the  second was like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle" (Revelation 4:6-7).

Some see  these creatures as manifestations  of Christ  in the Gospels. In the first Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as  the  lion of  the tribe of Judah. 

Mark presents Him as a calf, a beast of burden  representing a suffering  servant.  Luke presents Him  as  the  Son  of  man.  John  presents  Him  as  the  Son  of  God,  the  eagle representing the Divinity.

REVELATION l 4:2-7 l "The Heavenly Scene" l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible l Night School

REVELATION 4:2-7

The Heavenly Scene

"And  immediately  I  was  in  the  spirit:  and,  behold,  a  throne was  set  in heaven, and one sat on the throne" (Revelation 4:2).

Why was John "in the spirit"? Because flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom of  heaven.  

"And  one  sat  on  the  throne."  This  is  the  great,  beautiful  throne  of God. As John looked at God, he didn't see any form.

"And he that sat was to look upon  like a jasper and a sardine  stone" (Revelation 4:3). Jasper is a diamond-like, clear, crystal stone with a purple hue. The sardine stone  is blood  red.  The  sardine  stone  was  the  first  stone  and  the  jasper  stone
was  the  last  stone  that  the  high  priest  in  the  Old  Testament  wore  on  his breastplate  (Exodus  28:17-20).  

"And  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  the throne, in sight like unto an emerald" (Revelation 4:3).

John  saw  God  sitting  upon  His  throne  in  majesty  on  high.  

What  an  awesome sight this must have been! He saw  the brilliance of God  like the brilliance of the jasper and  sardine  stones  -  a mixture  of  clear,  crystal,  purplish hue  with blood
red - and an emerald green rainbow "round about the throne" of God.

"And  round  about  the  throne  were  twenty-four  smaller  seats"  


The  word translated  seats  in  the King  James  is  the  Greek  word  for  "thrones."  "And  upon the thrones  I saw  twenty-four  elders  sitting,  clothed  in white  raiment; and  they had on their heads crowns of gold" (Revelation 4:4).

There  are  many  Bible  expositors  who  believe  that  the  twenty-four  elders  are actually representative  of the church. 

They have white  robes, as does the church in  Revelation  19:8,  which  is  the  righteousness  of  the  saints.  

The  twenty-four elders  also  have  crowns  of  gold  upon  their  heads.  We  the  church  have  been promised the crowns of life, the crowns of righteousness  by our Lord. 

Many Bible expositors  see  the  elders  representing  the  church  on  its  throne,  ruling  and reigning with Christ in heaven. 

This is a very possible interpretation.

It  is  also  possible  that  these  elders  represent  the  saints  from  the  Old  and  the New Testaments  -  the  twelve  tribes and  the  twelve  apostles. 

 It  is  also possible that they're created beings of God like angels and cherubs. These elders may be created  beings  for  the  specific  ministry  of  sitting  on  the  twenty-four  thrones around God's throne. 

We cannot know for sure.


And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and  thunderings  and  voices:  and there were  seven  lamps  of  fire burning  before  the  throne, which  are  the  seven Spirits of God (Revelation 4:5).

Again, I refer you  to Isaiah 11:2  for  the seven-fold working of  the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ (see Revelation 1:4 commentary).

And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the  throne, and round  about  the throne, were  four beasts  [proper  translation is "living creatures"] (Revelation 4:6).

These  are  not  beasts  like  wild  or  dumb  animals;  they  are  actually  highly intelligent  created  beings  of  God.  As  they  are  described  in  and  compared  with Ezekiel 1 and 10, we know that these are cherubim about the throne of God.

These  four  living creatures  were "full of eyes  before and behind. The  first living creature was like a lion, and the  second was like a calf, and the third had a face as a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle" (Revelation 4:6-7).

Some see  these creatures as manifestations  of Christ  in the Gospels. 

In the first Gospel, Matthew presents Jesus as  the  lion of  the tribe of Judah. Mark presents Him as a calf, a beast of burden  representing a suffering  servant.  Luke presents Him  as  the  Son  of  man. 

 John  presents  Him  as  the  Son  of  God,  the  eagle
representing the Divinity.

REVELATION l 4:1 l The Rapture l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible

4. The Rapture

REVELATION 4:1

Here we enter  into the third division of the book of Revelation.  Chapter 4 begins with the Greek phrase meta tauta or "after these things."

After  these  things  [the  things  of  the  church]  I  looked,  and, behold,  a  door  was opened in heaven:  and the first voice which I heard was as  it were of a trumpet talking with me; which  said, Come  up hither,  and  I will  show  thee  things which must be hereafter [also meta tauta - 'after these things'] (Revelation 4:1).

We have now come  to the end of the church history upon the earth and the final message to the churches.

In His messages to the last four churches, Jesus spoke of His second coming. He warned  the  churches  of  His  return. 

 "Behold,  I  come  quickly,"  He  said.  

If  they didn't repent they would be cast into the Great Tribulation. If  they kept the word of  His  patience,  Jesus  promised  that  He  would  keep  them  from  the  hour  of temptation.

"After these things" - after the church has  finished her testimony upon the earth and God is through with us - there shall come from heaven, The voice of  the archangel,  and  the  trump  of  God: and  the dead  in Christ  shall rise  first:  then we  which  are alive  and  remain  shall be  caught  up  together  with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the
Lord (I Thessalonians 4:16-17).

The church will be transported  into heaven  for a seven-year period during which t ime  there  wi l l   be  Great   Tribulation  upon  the  earth.  (For   an  expanded commentary on the rapture of the church, see Snatched Away! by the author.)

After  the  church's  witness  and work upon  the  earth  is completed,  the  trump  of God shall sound. The trumpet sound will be saying to the Christians, the body of Christ, "Come up hither!"

While  in  summer  camp,  I've  heard  the  trumpet  say  "Rise  and  shine!"  and  I've heard the trumpet  say "Go to bed."

 I've heard the trumpet say "Come and eat!", and at football games I've heard it say "Charge!" 

But I'm waiting  for the trumpet to say "Come up hither!" 

I don't know what kind of a trumpet call it will be - but I'll understand it and recognize it the minute I hear it!

When  the  trump  of  God  shall  sound,  the  dead  will  be  raised  incorruptible.  And "we shall all be changed,  in a moment,  in the twinkling of an eye" (I Corinthians 15:51-52),  "caught  up...  to meet  the  Lord  in  the  air:  and  so  shall  we  ever  be
with the Lord" (I Thessalonians  4:17). 

The Bible does not say that we shall be in heaven forever. It says that we shall be "with the Lord."

Wherever  Jesus  is,  that's  where  everyone  who  is  a  Christian  will  be,  because we're all part of the body of Christ. We'll never be separated from Him. 

While He is in heaven, we'll be in heaven. When He comes back to earth, we'll come back to the earth. When He goes into the new heaven and the new earth, we'll go into the new heaven and the new earth.

The  Jehovah's  Witnesses  say,  "I  don't  want  to  go  to  heaven  and  twiddle  my thumbs  for  eternity." 

 Born-again  Christians  don't  intend  to.  We  intend  to  be
there  for  seven  years  while  the  earth  goes  through  the Tribulation. 

We'll  enjoy the Marriage  Supper  of  the  Lamb  in  heaven.  Then  we  expect  to  come  back  to reign with Christ upon the earth. 

We'll reign with Him as kingdom priests on the earth  for  one  thousand  years,  then  enter  into  the  new  heaven  and  new  earth wherein dwells righteousness, and we'll live and reign with Him forever.

If the Lord told me to sit on a cloud and twiddle my thumbs, I'd be the happiest thumb-twiddler  in  all  the  universe!  

I'm  not afraid  of  what  God  has  in  store  for me. I can hardly wait! I'm sure it'll be more exciting than twiddling my thumbs.

 I feel sorry for those people who degrade heaven. They say, "You're always talking about  the  'sweet  by  and  by'  or  the  'pie  in  the  sky.'  

You  should  be  more concerned with the 'here and now'."

It  was  Jesus  who  encouraged  us  and  gave  us  this  glorious  hope.  I'm  looking forward  to  going  to  heaven.  I don't  care what  they  say,  I'm  anxious  to  see  it.

Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place  for you. And  if I go and prepare a place  for you, I will come  again, and receive  you unto myself;  that where  I am, there  ye may be  also"  (John  14:2-3).  

There's  the  clue. Where  Jesus  is,  that's  where  I'll be, and in His presence is fullness of joy.

It  took  seven  days  for  the  Lord  to  create  this  beautiful  world.  He's  been preparing heaven  for two thousand years. Imagine what  it must be  like by now!

And you don't want to go there? Friend, you can stay here  in all this pollution  if you want to, but I'm going up!

I believe that the rapture of the church takes place in verse one of Revelation 4 - after  the  things  of  the  church  history  are completed.  

John  heard  a  voice  as  a trumpet saying,  "Come up  hither, and  I will  show you  things  that  shall be after these things." 

Now John will see the things that shall take place after the church
is gone.

REVELATION l 3:18-22 l Laodicea l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l School of the Bible

REVELATION 3:18-22

Those of Laodicea had their own opinion of themselves.  The Lord had a different opinion of them. 

"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that you may
be rich; and white raiment, that you may be clothed, and that the shame of your nakedness  do  not  appear;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eyesalve,  that  you  may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten" (Revelation 3:18-19).

"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord... for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,  and  scourgeth every  son whom  he receiveth" (Hebrews  12:5-6).

If you're not chastened then you're a bastard. 

You're really not His son. God only chastens  His  sons.  Don't  get  down  on  God  when  He  chastens  you.  Rejoice!  At
least it proves  you're His son. If He didn't care, He wouldn't even bother. 

This is His first cure for being lukewarm.

The  second  cure  for  lukewarmness:  be  zealous.  

Get  out  of  that  lukewarm  rut.

Get  out  of  that  tepid  state.  Become  zealous  for  the  Lord.  The  final  cure  for lukewarmness  is  to open your heart  to God and  repent.

 "Behold,  I stand  at  the door, and knock:  if any man hear my voice, and open the door,  I will come in to him, and will sup with him [or eat supper with him], and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).

The Lord  is  inviting Himself  into  the closest, deepest, most  intimate  communion and  fellowship with  you  -  eating  together  with  you,  partaking  with  each  other, becoming a part of each other by supping together. 

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (Revelation 3:21). 

We'll be ruling with Christ and sitting by Him on His throne even as Jesus has been exalted and is sitting at the right hand of the throne of the Father on high. 

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 3:22).

REVELATION l Laodicea l 3:14-17 l Chuck Smith l Bible Teaching University l VidDevoChurch

REVELATION 3:14-17

Laodicea

The church of Laodicea is the apostate church of the last days.

Write, "These things saith the Amen,  the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14).

In Revelation,  Jesus  is  referred  to as  the true  and  faithful witness  of God.  "The beginning  of  the  creation  of  God"  the  Greek  does  not  signify  that  Jesus  is  a created being, but  that He  is the original cause of  creation. 

 For "all  things were created by Him, and  for Him: and He  is before  all things,  and by Him all  things consist"  (Colossians  1:16-17).  

"All  things  were made  by  Him;  and without  Him was not  any  thing made  that was made"  (John  1:3).  Jesus  is  the  origination  of the creation powers or the origin of God's creation. 

So He is actually  the creative force, and  that's what Revelation  is  speaking  of here - the  creative  force  of  the creation of God.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither  cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:15-16).

The  reason  for  the  lukewarm  conditions:  "Because  you  say,  I  am  rich,  and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" (Revelation 3:17). 

Their trust in materialism has  brought  them  to a lukewarm  state.  "You  cannot  serve God and mammon"  (Matthew  6:24).  

Mixing  the  two  wi l l   lead  you  into  becoming lukewarm.

"You know  not  that  you are  wretched,  and miserable,  and  poor,  and blind,  and naked"  (Revelation  3:17). 

 The  contrasting views  one was  their own  view about themselves,  the other was  God's view about  them.  Jesus said  that you do err if you  judge  yourself  by  men  (Luke  18:9-14).  

Many  times  we  look  around  and judge  ourselves  by  man's  standard.  We  might  think  we're  all  right.  But  man's
standard  isn't  the standard  by which  we're  to  judge ourselves  or  by which we'll be  judged.  

Jesus  Christ  is  the  standard.  

He  demonstrates  to  us  what  God intended man  to  be. Hold  yourself up  next  to  Him and  see how  you  look.  That
will give you an idea of what the true judgment will be like. 

If you say, "Well, I'm better than Chuck Smith" - that's not going to buy you anything!

Jesus  said,  "Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the  righteousness  of  the scribes  and  Pharisees,  ye  shall  in  no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven" (Matthew  5:20).  

You'll  never  make  it  on  your  own  righteousness.  The  only
righteousness  which  is  acceptable  is  the righteousness  which  God  has  imputed unto  you  by  your  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

 The  righteousness  which  is  of  Christ through faith is the only way you'll get an entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

"REVELATION 3:7-13" l BTU - The Book of Revelation l Chuck Smith l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

REVELATION 3:7-13

Philadelphia

The church  of Philadelphia  is  God's  faithful  church  in the  last days. God help us that we would be the church of Philadelphia.

To  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write;  These  things  saith  he  that  is holy, he  that is true, he that hath  the key of David, he  that opens, and no man shuts;  and  shuts,  and  no  man  opens.  I  know  thy  works:  behold,  I  have  set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name (Revelation 3:7-8).

We're  not  really  powerful.  We  have  a  little  strength.  Thank  God  for  the  little strength  that we have. 

"You  have  kept my word."  

God  help us  to be  faithful  to the Word,  to  study  the  Word,  and  to  keep  the  Word  as  the  paramount  issue within  the  church.  And  we've  not  denied  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ;  we've  not
denied Him and who He is.

Behold,  I will make  them  of  the  synagogue  of Satan, which  say  they are  Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee (Revelation 3:9).

In the kingdom age the Jews will know that God has loved the Gentile church.

Because  thou hast kept  the word  of my patience,  I also will  keep  thee  from  the hour of temptation,  which  shall come  upon  all  the world,  to try them  that dwell upon the earth (Revelation 3:10).

Here  is  God's  promise  to  the  faithful  church  to  keep  them  from  the  Great Tribulation.  

In  Luke 21  Jesus  said  as He  was  talking  of  the events  of  the great tribulation, "Pray always,  that you may be accounted worthy  to escape  all these things... and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36).

Behold,  I  come  quickly:  hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more  out:  and  I will  write  upon him  the name  of my  God,  and  the name of the  city of my God, which  is new  Jerusalem, which  comes down  out of
heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:13).

This is the promise that we'll be a pillar in the temple of God. 

We will be actually a  part  of  the  kingdom  age  and  rule  and  reign  with  Him  in  the  New  Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven.