Sat, 02 Aug 2025 00:22:01 -0500WeeblyThu, 31 Jul 2025 15:38:07 GMThttp://www.colossians317ministries.org/blog/a-short-breakDue to an upcoming thumb surgery, the posting for the Revelation study has been postponed

Thank for your patience and prayers]]>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:36:30 GMThttp://www.colossians317ministries.org/blog/revelation-1-part-2​11. Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
He is the Alpha and Omega…the Alpha is the very first letter of the alphabet whereas the Omega is the last letter of the alphabet…so it is an allusion to Christ being the very first and the very last. He has complete and total knowledge of all things from Creation to the last day.
John is instructed to record what he witnessed. John genuinely witnessed these events, not merely imagined or dreamed them.
He is told to send these things to the seven churches which are named. You will want to see that there are many, many instances of “sevens”. Keep your eyes open and as we go through this book, see how many you can find! Not only will you see the word seven as in seven trumpets, seven bowls but look for lists….look for certain words, paragraphs, instances etc in which there are seven or sets of seven.
Also, we will see that there is a reason that the names of the seven churches are in the order that they are given. It is going to show you the history of the church as it moves from one letter to the other. This is just another example that this book, The Bible, was written and inspired outside of time.
 
12. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
 John turned to see who it was speaking….and as he turned, he saw seven golden candlesticks. The word “candlesticks” is more appropriately defined as a “lampstand”. Our modern day candle was unknown at the time.
 
13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
The first image John sees in the visionary description of the Son of man (vv 12–16) is that of “seven golden lampstands.” The image has its general background in Exodus 25 and 37 and Numbers 8, though it is more specifically drawn from Zech. 4:2, 10, as is borne out by three observations: (1) the mention of “seven spirits” in Rev. 1:4 (Zech. 4:6); (2) the interpretation of the lampstand vision of v 12b in v 20, which follows the same vision-interpretation pattern as Zech. 4:2, 10; and (3) the clear allusion to Zech. 4:2, 10 in Rev. 4:5 and 5:6 in close association with allusions to Daniel.
Doing a little research on your part will help bring clarification and understanding. Remember that there are hundreds of allusions to the Old Testament so we’d better get acquainted with it!
So new Israel, the church, is to draw its power from the Spirit, the divine presence, before God’s throne in its drive to stand against the world’s resistance. This is highlighted in Rev. 1:4 and 4:5, where the seven lamps are identified as the Spirit, as in Zechariah 4 (see on 1:4). This emphatic notion of the lampstand connoting God’s presence with the church is confirmed in Rev. 11:4, where the “lampstands … stand before the Lord of the earth.
Clothed with a garment, outer cloak or covering. The word “pap” is translated as the chest area and the “golden girdle” is a waistband.
 
14. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
 OT allusions in vv 13–15 shows that the main features of the Son of man are drawn from Daniel 7 and especially from Daniel 10. Most agree that the significance of this is that Christ is portrayed as a kingly and priestly figure, since the figure in the two Daniel texts has the same features. Part of Christ’s priestly role is to tend the lampstands. The OT priest would trim the lamps, remove the wick and old oil, refill the lamps with fresh oil, and relight those that had gone out. Likewise, Christ tends the ecclesial lampstands by commending, correcting, exhorting, and warning (see chs. 2–3) in order to secure the churches’ fitness for service as lightbearers in a dark world.
Dan. 10:6 depicts the “Son of man” as having “eyes … like flaming torches, so the allusion here to eyes “were as” a flame of fire. This surely denotes Christ as Judge.
 
15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Christ’s feet are described as “like bronze as having been fired in a furnace,” which suggests his moral purity. He is the sinless Son of God. The portrayal of the Son of man’s head and hair (v 14a) is taken from that of the Ancient of Days in Dan. 7:9, while the description of his eyes and feet again follow Dan. 10:6. The mention of the “furnace” (v 15b) again shows the description from Dan. 3:25. Just as Dan. 10:6 ends with mention of the roar of the “Son of man’s” voice, so the portrayal of v 15 where God’s voice is like the roar of many waters is appropriate.
 
16. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Like the seven lampstands, the number of the “seven stars” may also have come from the “seven lamps” of Zechariah 4. In Jewish writings the Zech. 4:2 lampstand is said to symbolize the righteous in Israel and is equated with the wise who will shine like the stars in Dan. 12:3.
The “sharp two-edged sword” proceeding from Jesus’ mouth is based on the prophecies of Isa. 11:4 and 49:2. You can also see Hebrews 4:12.
The last description of the “Son of man” as having a face “like the sun shining in its strength” (v 16c) still follows the Daniel 10 outline, but the actual wording is derived from Judg. 5:31. Also Matt. 17:2 portrays Christ’s face as having “shined … as the sun” at the mount of Transfiguration.
 
17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
The expression “the first and the last” is seen seven times! Three times in Isaiah and four times in Revelation! (another seven). Isa 41:4; 44:6; 48:12; Rev 1:11; 1:17; 2:8, 22:13
Do you want to see another “seven”? Look at the descriptive words of Christ…His hair; His eyes; His feet; His voice; His right hand; His mouth; His sun….that equals 7!
John’s response to the vision in v 17a follows the fourfold pattern found in Daniel 8 and 10, the prophet observes a vision, falls on his face in fear, is strengthened by a heavenly being, and then receives further revelation from that being, which is introduced by a form of the verb “to speak”. This is another clue further identifying John and his message with OT prophetic authority.
 
18. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Jesus lives! He has been alive since his first appearance on Earth, He is now currently alive and He will forever be alive. Yes, he did die but He rose on the 3rd day and is coming again soon! He conquered death and hell for all those who put their faith and trust in Him. Verse 18 reiterates the pastoral point already made about Christ’s death and resurrection in v 5b: those who fear death (or suffering) can be assured that their “perseverance in Jesus” will be rewarded with victory over the grave on the basis that he also has entered history, died, and conquered death. In fact, v 18a is repeated in the letter to Smyrna (2:8–11) in order to make this precise point.
 
19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
What has John seen? He saw THE risen Lord….past tense; He is about to write more for things he is seeing…present tense; and he is going to write things that are about to happen…future tense;
 
20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven
As we move through this study you will notice that the Bible will interpret itself quite often and that is what we see here.
The reason for addressing the churches through their representative angels is to remind the churches (and us), that already a dimension of their existence is heavenly, that their real home is not with the unbelieving “earth dwellers” and that they have heavenly help and protection in their struggle not to be conformed to their pagan environment. And one of the purposes of the church meeting on earth in its weekly gatherings is to be reminded of its heavenly existence and identity by forming its worship on the angels’ and heavenly church’s worship of the exalted Lamb!
Remember that the lampstand is a light bearer…light giver. We as believers are to be an example and to give light to our surroundings and that of the entire world.
]]>Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:30:23 GMThttp://www.colossians317ministries.org/blog/june-30th-2025

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:

This book is called Revelation or more specifically, The Revelation of Jesus Christ. Note that it is singular and is not plural.
God, the Father, gave this revelation to “him”...to Jesus Christ
To show His servants things that “must” come to pass. We are better identified as servants as opposed to believers…there is an active mindset here.
He sent and “sign-ni-fied” it by his angel to John the Apostle; “Signified” is that it was made into signs
Many feel that Revelation is too difficult or scary or that we are simply unable to understand it. None of that is true. Perhaps one reason people are apprehensive to study this book is that of the 404 verses in this Book, there are over 800 allusions to the Old Testament so….maybe if we studied, or at least read the O.T. we’d be in a better position to understand it. As to the Book being “scary”...as you will come to understand, if you are a Christ follower, we have little to worry about as to the fate of the unbeliever and the fate of the world and its system. Another way to look at this title is “Reveal-ation”, again emphasising the revealing nature of the Book.

2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

John wrote what he saw….nothing more….nothing less and it is based on the authenticity and testimony of Jesus.

3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

This is the “only” book out of the 66 in the Bible that has the audacity to say “Read me; I’m special”! Additionally, it is the only book that promises a blessing if it is read….but there are conditions.

1. You have to read the words
2. You have to hear the words
3. You have to “keep” that which is written

Simply reading the words on the page will not suffice and will not grant the blessing. If you read and obey what is written and take it to heart and allow the Holy Spirit to transform you, then you can expect a blessing from God. Otherwise you are just reading words without application.

It says that the time is at hand…Christs return is imminent…it can happen at any moment. Because He is coming “quickly”. Think of a tachometer in your vehicle…the one that measures the RPM’s….the revolutions per minute….that word “quickly” is translated Tachos which is where we get our word “tachometer”.

As things on this earth rev up, things are going to blow up and then we are going to go up!

4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

John is telling us that this is from “him”....Jesus Christ….who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow…He is the One Eternal NonCreated Person.

Notice another “seven”....from the seven Spirits which are before his throne….

We will see as we progress through the Book that many of the terms and symbolism used will be later identified and explained…so hang on….

5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Here we see three identities of Christ and shows us the reality of what He has done for us. We will see these same identities as we move through the study. One thing to keep in the of your mind is to think “lists” and to write them down….so here you would write down the statements that describe Christ. Making a list can prove invaluable as you move through the study.

-the faithful witness….past…..John 14:1-3
-the first begotten of the dead….present…Col 1:15-20
-prince of the kings of the earth….future….Matt 25:31

Think of it as three tenses….the past, the present and the yet future. 

WAS…Col 1:15-17
IS….Heb 67:25
TO COME….Rev 1:7

Did you know that there are three tenses to our salvation? We have a past, present and a future…..Three In One….a representation of the Trinity!!

Our Past…we have been saved, from the penalty of sin…positionally we have been saved. Eph 2:8-9

Our Present…we are being saved, from the power of sin…operationally, our moment by moment salvation by the power of the Holy Spirit. Rom 6

Our Future…we shall be saved, from the presence of sin…our physical redemption. Rom 8:23

6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

“Made us kings and priests” is very interesting….that is because in history and culture, the royal line never crossed over the priestly line….but there were three that were “king” and “priest….the royal line came from the Tribe of Judah and the priestly line came from the Tribe of Levi….but look at Melkisadeck and how he is described….and then look at Jesus Christ how He is described….both are said to be a king and a priest…here is a good area for your study down another path….THEN there is us….us as believers in Christ….the ones who have been adopted into His family….we are kings and priests….

7. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Those which pierced Him…Zech 12:10. EVERY EYE is pretty all encompassing…it does not leave anyone out. There are no exclusions.

8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Remember that Christ is THE Alpha and THE Omega….the alpha is the first letter of the alphabet where as the omega is the last letter of the alphabet….it would be like me saying that He everything from A to Z….He sees everything….He knows everything…Nothing is hidden.

9. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Here we are told that John is the author under the direction of Christ. Just a little bit about our brother John….he wrote the Gospel of John, 1-2-3 John and Revelation. John was a part of Christs inner circle….James, Peter and John….these three are seen together so often through out the Bible. Look at the Mount Transfiguration in Matt 17; look at the raising of Jareus’ daughter in Matt 9; Look at the Olivet Discourse in Matt 24; Look at Getsemine in Matt 26..

Also, when considering His inner circle, who did Christ ask to take care of His own mother? He did not assign her care to anyone in the family but gave the responsibility solely to John! There is a lot of speculation that the book 2nd John was written to her…you do you own homework and come to your own conclusions.

10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

“On the Lords Day”....most will agree that this was Saturday. The “Sabbath” was mentioned in Gen 2. Shabbat is mentioned 16 times and see that the Manna was not given on the Sabbath. We see that the Sabbath was given before the Law was given in Ex 22

Our calendars show Monday to Sunday but that is not what we see in the Bible.

Shabbat is the 7th day. The Millennial Temple will only be open on Saturdays….not on Sunday! But the day that we choose to worship is not a deal breaker. See Col 2:16-17



]]>Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:14:18 GMThttp://www.colossians317ministries.org/blog/welcomeThings are just getting started. Just got the site "up" and getting use to how it all works. Please stay tuned as I will post my first study in Revelation shortly....I am teaching weekly at our apartment complex and we are ready to dive into the letter to the church at Laodecia....I will try to "catch up" on this blog.....thanks for coming in!]]>