Chapter 3
The outline of chapter three is very simple. There
are three churches which are covered, the last three churches to complete the
concept of historical trends: the church at Sardis, 3:1-6; the church at
Philadelphia, 3:7-13; the church at Laodicea, 3:14-21. There were many other
churches in the Roman province of Asia but these seven churches were well known
to John and, secondly, they portrayed all of the historical trends that would
occur throughout the Church Age. The times of the Gentiles began with AD 70, and in the first
quarter of the century these things were not defined with regard to historical
trends until John wrote on the Island of Patmos in AD 96.
Verse 1, we start with the encouragement of a future
pastor. The verse deals with the basis for a historical downtrend. Even in
times of historical downtrend pastors who are faithful in teaching the Word are
encouraged by the phrase which begins the study of these local churches. We
begin with the connective use of the conjunction kai,
which is simply translated this time, “and.” Next we have the dative singular
definite article. This is the generic use of the definite article. In the Greek
it is toi, and the generic use is
used to define a category. The category is the clergy, pastors, ministers of
local churches. With this we have a dative singular indirect object from the
noun a)ggeloj, transliterated in the King
James version “angel,” but it really means messenger and that is the use here.
However, it is a technical use for the word “messenger,” it means future
pastors in the church at Sardis. The dative indirect object indicates the ones
in whose interest the information is given. It is to the advantage of every
pastor to have a message from God, and it is to the advantage of the congregation
to have a pastor with a message. The genitive singular of relationship from the
noun e)kklhsia follows, referring here to
the local church as a class room for the perception of Bible doctrine. All
local churches have location, so we have the prepositional phrase to bring that
into view, e)n plus the locative from the
proper noun Sardeij, “Sardis.” Then we have the
aorist active imperative of the verb grafw, this is the mandate. The culminative
aorist tense views the writing of the book of Revelation in its entirety but it
regards it from the viewpoint of existing results: completion of the canon of
scripture, the encouragement of future pastors to teach doctrine, the
completion of the textbook of world history from the time of John to the end of
time. The imperative mood is the imperative of command. The active voice: the
apostle John under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit produces the action of
the verb. So the translation to begin our study: “And to the messenger, the
future pastors of the church in Sardis, write.”
Before we go any further, however, we stop to note
again the principle of the urban interpretation of Rome. Remember that the
Roman republic was an agricultural economy, a collection of small farmers,
first of all living on seven hills and then eventually spreading out. The
people of the republic were a cross-civilisation of three races: Vilanovans, Sabines,
and Etruscans (or Lydians). Sardis was the capital of Lydia. So the aristocrats
of Rome came primarily from the area of Sardis, 700 years before this time.
Rome grew from a city to an Italian state, and eventually a Mediterranean
empire. What has often been categorised as the Roman empire was in essence an
association of cities. Without the Greek civilisation of the fifth century BC and the Hellenistic states
of the Macedonian empire there would have been no Roman empire. The Roman
empire was the logical result of the great Hellenistic states, and before that
the founder of the Hellenistic states, Alexander and his Macedonian empire.
Roman civilisation was an urban civilisation for the city of the Roman empire
was the important entity. In fact the cities of the Roman empire were very much
like states, they were analogous to states in the USA today.
Since the cities were to the Roman empire what
states are to the USA this will help us to understand a principle or two behind this
passage. Cities in the Roman empire were permitted and encouraged to manage
their own affairs with the Roman provincial governor acting as a general
supervisor. The Romans did not crack down, in fact they encouraged independence
in their large cities throughout the empire. The population in the Roman empire
considered themselves citizens of a city more than anything else, thus losing
their racial identity and their racial prejudice. Race was never an issue to
the Romans. The combining of the Sabines and the Vilanovans with the Etruscans
to form the aristocracy immediately eliminated any racial nonsense. The Etruscans,
for example, didn’t hang on to their racial concepts, and the other peoples who
were brought in, the Latins and the Gauls, were not encouraged to bring along
their culture, and they did not. They were proud to be Romans because Rome
didn’t represent a race, it represented a system, an excellent system invented
by Gaius Julius Caesar. Therefore race was never an issue. And race is never an
issue anyway, except where arrogance exists.
The Romans were greater than any people that have
ever lived because of discipline, because of respect for authority, because of
integrity. For discipline, authority and integrity are always associated with
humility. So a Roman citizen considered himself an Alexandrian, an Athenian, a
Corinthian, etc., so that the citizens of the Roman empire generally identified
themselves with a city rather than a race. There was only one culture that was
ever acceptable. You see the Romans had no culture. They started out as shepherds
and farmers on seven hills and they had no culture. Therefore they borrowed a
culture, and that is what preserved the Greek culture to bring about what we
call classical times. Classical times isn’t classical Greek, it is Greek
thought and Hellenistic thought, and the only culture that the Romans ever
accepted was the Greek culture. No nation can survive more than one culture,
and the Romans were many races and many religions but one culture. That is why,
outside of England, very few nations have ever been great for a thousand years.
The British had one culture, though they were many races also.
The spectacular conquest of Alexander the Great and
the consequent period of Hellenistic monarchies after Alexander’s death in 321 BC paved the way for the Roman
empire to be great. The Roman republic was not great — contrary to the opinions
of historians who are liberals, it was the empire that was great. The republic
was merely a foundation in which the empire was built, the foundation of
discipline, the foundation of respect for law which brought about establishment
principles. Rome, therefore became the master of a galaxy of cities throughout
the world, cities which had flourished in Hellenistic times such as Athens,
Corinth, Thessalonika, Pergamum, Ephesus, Antioch, Alexandria, and others. The
republic was not a client nation to God, it was the empire that became a client
nation to God. The direction of the Pauline epistles, of course, indicates
something of Paul’s preference, while John would rate first and foremost the
seven churches which we are studying. To John Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira,
Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea carried the Roman empire during the period of
the Antonine Caesars, the greatest period in Roman history. The prosperity
index, then, of the Roman empire was the status of its cities, their
industries, their free trade, their function of capitalism. Rome had the
greatest system of free trade the world has ever known. They had the greatest
industrial complex of the ancient world. Most important of all, the cities were
the place where the churches came into being. Their were no country churches in
the Roman empire and there was relatively little evangelism in the country, so
that much of the opposition to churches came from country people who came to
town and persecuted. Christianity flourished in the cities, the rural areas
were strongholds for idolatry — the phallic cult, human sacrifice. This is one
reason why they didn’t mind killing Christians when they came to town, they
were accustomed to worshipping with human sacrifice. Evangelism, missionary
activity, and Bible teaching reached its effective peak in the cities of the
Roman empire. Therefore the rapid spread of Christianity and the establishment
of the local churches was a city function. And as goes the believers in the
cities so went the Roman empire as the first client nation to God. It is also
interesting to note that no nation or empire can survive, and the cities in the
empire, without the farmer. But the farming declined and almost disappeared in
the Roman empire, and yet the Roman empire had the finest of food thanks to
Egypt which provided all of the grain for all of the empire. The Roman empire
as the first Gentile client nation to God therefore had its own agricultural
support.
Sardis was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia.
The Lydians were one of the three races that contributed to the Romans. The
Iliad of Homer mentions Sardis under the name of Hyde [pronounced Hydee]. In
the 8th century BC
Sardis was the capital of the powerful Lydian empire, which produced kings like
Creocus, the man who invented money. He invented money out of the most valuable
of all metals, gold. The Jews did not have coined money, they had what is
called talents — bars of metal. The city of Sardis was attacked by some wild
Barbarians called Cimmerians in the 7th century BC. They kept attacking but
because Sardis was a very beautifully fortified town they were never able to
break in, except once, and they were finally driven out. But the Persians and
the Athenians in the next century found a way to break through the great
fortification system of Sardis, one of the greatest forts in the history of
forts. Sardis was destroyed by a great earthquake in BC 17. The emperor Tiberias
rebuilt it and because it was in such a fantastic location in less than two
years it was rebuilt. When they rebuilt the city they took in mind traffic and
so they built some of the finest boulevards and wide streets. The city of Sardis
was famous for the gold taken out of the river which flowed through it, and it
became a centre for making settings for jewelry. They also found out that there
was something in the water beside gold, something that was perfect for dying,
and it became the world centre for textile industries.
In 549 BC Sardis was captured by the Persians; in 501 BC it was captured and burned
by the Ionians, the Athenians who went to Asia Minor; in 334 BC it surrendered to Alexander
the Great, and he admired it so much he didn’t touch a thing. By the way, his
soldiers were so well behaved there wasn’t one rape in town while they stayed
there for six months. He controlled his army very well. He gave the city its
independence which lasted for twelve years to 301 BC when it was conquered by Antiochus
the Great; in 190 BC it became part of the kingdom of Pergamum; in 17 AD it was destroyed by an
earthquake but the emperor Tiberius saw to it that it was rebuilt within a
year; in 295 AD
the Roman province of Asia was broken up and Sardis became part of the capital
of Lydia; in 1402 AD it was conquered and destroyed by the Mongolian hordes, the last of
the descendants of Ghengis Khan, and it never recovered from that.
Sardis was famous for other things, like the phallic
cult. It was the first place in history where gold and silver coins were
minted; it was famous for its fruit, its wool, its carpets, its jewelry; it was
the wine centre of the world at that time. When Cicero visited Sardis he was
impressed with its beauty. Three hundred years later Longus compared it to
Venice in its beauty. It was the number one city for the manufacturing and the
dying of woolen clothes throughout the world.
Next we have the anticipation of the historical
downtrend. We begin with the present active participle from the verb legw, a word which can mean allege, answer, speak, to
say. It has all kinds of related meanings. Here it means to communicate. The aoristic
present tense sets forth an event as now occurring, punctiliar action in
present time. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action. The
indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the
viewpoint of reality — the Lord Jesus Christ is communicating this information
through the future pastors at the church of Sardis to the people of that city
and, by the way, communicating it to us likewise. You must remember that behind
these words and phrases is the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
accusative neuter plural direct object o(dh
is a demonstrative pronoun. It was used originally as the introductory formula
for the Greek translation of the decrees of Persian kings. It is used here as
an introductory formula to our Lord’s estimate of the situation in Sardis. So
we have, “communicates these things.” Remember that the words in Greek are not
in the same order as the English.
The subject is actually found in the relative clause
which starts with the articular present active participle of e)xw, “he who has communicates these things.” The
definite article is used as a personal pronoun, translated “he”, subject: Jesus
Christ. The present tense is a descriptive present; active voice: Jesus Christ
is the subject. The participle is circumstantial to set up a relative clause,
“He who has communicates these things.” Between “he who has” and “communicates
these things” is the beginning of our study of the historical trends again. The
rest of the relative clause is actually quoted from Revelation 1:4, 16, 20.
First of all, from 1:4 we have the seven spirits. The accusative plural direct
object of the verb e)xw is the seven spirits, “He
who has the seven spirits communicates these things.”
The seven spirits
This is a reference to God the Holy Spirit as the
power system of the divine dynasphere. The title of God the Holy Spirit is
taken from the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1,2. In Isaiah 11 we have a prophecy of
the first advent of Jesus Christ.
Verse 1, “Then a shoot [a root that buds, a root
shoot] will spring up,” a prophecy of the first advent. And the root shoot will
spring up from a dynasty which is no longer ruling in Israel, the dynasty of
David. Since the fifth cycle of discipline was administered by Nebuchadnezzar
no member of the royal family has ruled in Israel, so it is called “the stump,”
“from the stump of Jesse,” that is David’s line defunct from the fifth cycle of
discipline; “And a branch from his roots [Christ at the second advent] will
bear fruit [His rule in the Millennium].” So from verse one we have a prophecy
of the two advents. It is because of a failure to properly interpret verse one
that Jews have got into so much trouble in the 2000 years since Christ came the
first time. Their failure to distinguish between the first and the second
advent as in this passage is a part of their trouble. They can’t tell the
difference between the root and the branch, and yet the root and the branch are
one person, Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, the founder of Israel as the root.
In the first advent He manifests Himself to Israel; in the second advent He
comes back as the branch of a tree, the root grows into a great tree.
Verse 2, we have the fact that in the first advent
of our Lord He was sustained by God the Holy Spirit. “And the Spirit of the
Lord,” a reference to God the Holy Spirit, functioning at gate one of the
prototype divine dynasphere, “will rest on him.” So here is the first of the
seven spirits, His title as God. Remember that when Jesus Christ came in the
flesh He was born into a power system; He was filled with the Spirit from
birth. So “the Spirit of the Lord” is #1, the Holy Spirit at gate one.
The second of the seven spirits applying to the Holy
Spirit. He is called “the Spirit of wisdom,” which in the Hebrew is chakmah, which means the application of
doctrine from gate four of the prototype divine dynasphere.
Then we have “and understanding,” and that is the
third of the seven spirits applying to God the Holy Spirit. “Understanding” is binah in the Hebrew; it is the
perception of doctrine at gate four. Without the ministry of God the Holy
Spirit there is no perception of doctrine.
Next He is
called “the Spirit of counsel”, which is tseah
in the Hebrew. It means plan or purpose, hence it is a reference of the
Father’s plan to sustain the humanity of Christ in the prototype divine dynasphere.
So again it refers to the ministry of God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit
sustains the person of Christ during His earthly ministry.
Number five of the seven spirits: “and strength.” In
the Hebrew it is “and of virtue.” It is the Hebrew word geburah, and it refers to both motivational and functional virtue
produced by God the Holy Spirit in the incarnate Christ in His humanity,
resulting in impeccability.
Number six is mentioned next in the verse: “The
spirit of knowledge,” and this is daah,
a reference to our Lord’s ability to interpret the trends of history during the
first advent. By application, the ability of the believer living inside the
divine dynasphere, learning doctrine , applying doctrine, and eventually coming
to understand historical trends.
Number seven of the seven spirits is “the fear of
the Lord.” This is jirah, the fear of
the Lord meaning awe, respect, hence the function of gate five of the divine dynasphere.
So all seven descriptions in Isaiah 11:2 are really
one Spirit, God the Holy Spirit whose divine power sustained the humanity of
Christ in the prototype divine dynasphere, and whose divine power sustains the
believer inside the operational model of the divine dynasphere for the Church
Age.
1. Isaiah 11:1,2 not only prophesies of the two
advents of Christ but emphasises the means for sustaining the humanity of
Christ during the first advent, the power of the Holy Spirit in the prototype
divine dynasphere. The Holy Spirit in the divine dynasphere is seven spirits
but one person.
2. Isaiah 11:2 describes God the Holy Spirit in
seven categorical functions inside the prototype divine dynasphere.
3. Revelation 3:1 indicates that the resurrected,
glorified humanity of Christ at the right hand of the Father still possesses
that prototype divine dynasphere in its power system, God the Holy Spirit.
4. In Revelation 4:5 it states that there is a
relationship between the seven lamps, i.e. the seven local churches of
Revelation 2 and 3, and the seven spirits, i.e. God the Holy Spirit. Therefore
the divine dynasphere and the power of the Holy Spirit has been given to the
royal family of God to be perpetuated throughout this dispensation only. You,
as a believer, have something that is unique. You have the seven spirits, which
means that you have the divine dynasphere available and the power system that
goes with it, God the Holy Spirit, a power never made available to all
believers at any other time in history. God the Holy Spirit sustained,
empowered a few people in the Old Testament; now it is every believer who has
the availability of the Spirit.
5. As long as the divine dynasphere is on earth, for
the duration of the Church Age, there cannot be any prophecy. Prophecy stops
and trends begin, trends depending on whether the believer lives in or out of
the divine dynasphere.
6. This means that the dispensation of the Church is
the Age of no prophecy, only historical trends.
7. The divine dynasphere in the Church Age is the
key to historical trends.
8. The uptrend of history in the Church Age is
influenced by the number of believers living consistently in the divine dynasphere.
9. Hence the believer’s residence and function in
the divine dynasphere determines historical trends for any given generation.
10. Prophecy will not resume until the divine dynasphere
is removed from planet earth. This will not occur until the Rapture, until the
royal family departs.
11. Revelation 5:6 emphasises our Lord’s first advent
under the title of the Lamb slain, and further relates the seven eyes of Zechariah
chapters three and four to the seven spirits in that passage. In other words,
the seven eyes and the seven spirits are synonymous.
12. Just as the Holy Spirit was the power system for
the prototype divine dynasphere so the Holy Spirit is the power system or the
working model of the divine dynasphere in this dispensation.
We have in verse one a principle with our Lord Jesus
Christ: He was tested in all points like as we are. You will never have a test,
a temptation, a justification for bitterness or reaction to life that our Lord
Jesus Christ didn’t face in the 33 years of His first advent. He was tested in
all points like as we are, yet apart from sin, apart from having a sin nature
and apart from any personal act of sin. He started out without the imputation
of Adam’s sin because of the virgin birth, and He started out in the prototype
divine dynasphere, the same divine dynasphere that is given to us. And any time
that we linger outside of the divine dynasphere it is inevitable that we are
going to produce from our own volition a great deal of misery. It is also
inevitable that the Lord will add to self-induced misery by divine discipline.
The point that is emphasised in chapter 3:1 is a very simple one: the Lord used
the power given by God the Father; the same power is available to you in the
divine dynasphere.
God’s game plan for the Church Age — residence and
function inside the divine dynasphere — is actually an invention of God the
Father. He invented it to sustain the humanity of Christ during the first
advent. When our Lord was born He was given the divine dynasphere, and because
there was no genetically-formed old sin nature our Lord was born as Adam was
created perfect. There was one difference: God the Father invented a power
system and our Lord faced the same issue we face in our Christian lives —
either choose for it or against it. Of course, our Lord chose for it. Prior to
the virgin birth no divine dynasphere had ever existed in human history and
whatever provision for spirituality existed in the Old Testament it did not
include what we have today as the royal family of God or Church Age believers.
In verse 1, the one who has the seven spirits is the
Lord Jesus Christ, the one who first used the prototype divine dynasphere with
such great success that it changed the course of human history and leads to
historical trend number 1, Jesus Christ controls history. Our Lord’s function
in His humanity — only the humanity of Christ is related to the divine dynasphere
— is first noted in the scripture as a child in the home. The home is a part of
category #1 truth, the laws of divine establishment; the home is the school by
which children are trained for life. So the home is organised humility for
without humility there is absolutely no orientation to life, no human maturity,
no teachability, and life then becomes a miserable, horrible thing.
Our Lord had parents, and those parents represent
authority. We don’t start out with freedom in life, we are not born free,
nothing is born free. We are born helpless and under a system of authority.
That big “A” for authority is the key to life, it is the key to freedom, it is
the key to the sanctity of property, it is the key to the sanctity of life. Our
Lord was born and He had parents. One was His real mother and one was His step
father, not His real father. Both were descended directly from David. Joseph
was descended from David through Solomon; Mary was descended from David through
Nathan. So we have the principle of enforced humility. No one in this life ever
reaches humility without enforced humility first. Enforced humility means
authority. No one ever reaches teachability, no one ever has capacity for life,
for love, for happiness, for blessing, without humility. Humility is the key to
everything in life, and that is true for the unbeliever as well as for the
believer. Our Lord responded to the authority of His parents.
You must remember that human authority is not always
going to be fair. That is not even the point. You don’t reject authority
because authority is unfair, for to reject authority is to reject life. Life
cannot exist without authority. Many of the people who have authority are
incapable but that is not the issue. Some people never get oriented to life
because they have never been oriented to authority, starting in the home. And
remember the principle of historical trends: We are the products of our own
decisions; decisions create environment, not environment decisions. It is the
positive response to the parent’s authority that leads to learning in life.
Good decisions open the door for greater decisions and more decisions; bad
decisions close the doors and shut down the options in life. The first great
decision you make in life is to obey your parents. Whether they are fair or
unfair is not the issue. That is the basis for genuine humility in life and
genuine humility is the basis for maturity. Maturity has nothing to do with how
many years you have.
Many human beings fail to make the transition from
the home as a child to freedom in life as an adult. They reject parental
authority and policy and purpose, resulting in becoming a physical adult and a
mental child, or they have the soul of a child inside of an adult body. Human
immaturity or lack of enforced and genuine humility cannot make proper use of
freedom but distorts it into a system of evil by rejecting authority in life.
Furthermore, such a person will not and cannot take the responsibility for the
function of his own volition. But our Lord Jesus Christ responded to parental
authority and functioned under gate three of the divine dynasphere, Luke
2:51,52, “and he was subordinate to them [His parents].” Not once was He ever
touched by arrogance.
(A person who has human immaturity or lack of
enforced discipline and genuine humility cannot make proper use of freedom.
They distort it into a system of evil by rejecting authority in life)
Our Lord’s subordination to the Father’s plan
follows the same parallel. The plan of God the Father is organised humility.
The authority of God is the sovereignty of God, and that is enforced humility.
Positive volition to the plan of God is genuine humility. Positive volition can
be summarised by residence and function in the divine dynasphere, the filling
of the Spirit, the daily perception of Bible doctrine and application where
necessary. At the point of His birth our Lord so stated His subordination to
the Father’s plan. Our Lord in the cradle was in hypostatic union, Hebrews 10:5,
“Therefore, when he [the incarnate Christ] entered into the world [virgin
birth], He said, “You [God the Father] do not desire sacrifices and offerings.”
In other words, our Lord was a new priest after the order of Melchizedek, He
was not going to offer animal sacrifices. He would institute the cup and the
bread, but He would not go through any ritual of the animal sacrifices, “but
you have prepared for me a human body … At that time [the first Christmas] I
said, “I have arrived (In the scroll of the book [Old Testament] it stands
written concerning me) to accomplish your plan, O God.” That is the ultimate in
subordination to authority.
Before the cross our Lord faced the intensification
of that test. In Matthew 26:36-42, “My Father, if it is possible [and it
isn’t], let this cup [the cross, His bearing our sins] be removed from me;
however, not as I will, but as you will.” The purity of our Lord’s motivation
is expressed in Philippians 2:5-8, and it is related again to humility: “Keep
on thinking this within you which was also resident in Christ Jesus, who,
though he eternally existed in the essence of God, he did not think equality
with God a profit to be seized and held,” He did not make an issue out of
equality, only arrogance makes an issue out of equality. Humility never gives
equality a thought, “but he deprived himself of the proper function of his
deity [doctrine of kenosis], when he had received the form of a servant, when
he had been born in the likeness of the human race. In fact, although he was
discovered in outward appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of the death, that is, the death of the cross.”
John 15:10, “If you keep my mandates, you will
reside in the sphere of my love complex; just as I [Jesus Christ] have
fulfilled the mandates of my Father, and I reside in the sphere of his love
complex [a synonym for the divine dynasphere].” So our Lord’s emphasis on
doctrine inside the divine dynasphere is a marvelous thing, and the last thing
that He uttered on the cross was the word “doctrine.”
The impeccability of Christ inside the divine dynasphere
becomes a major issue. Impeccability means not liable to sin, exempt by virtue
of being inside the divine dynasphere. As long as one remains inside the divine
dynasphere he is free from sin. When you choose to sin you step outside the
divine dynasphere. Inside the divine dynasphere is purity, integrity, honour,
and as long as one remains inside the divine dynasphere through one’s own
volition the purity factor remains in status quo. Jesus Christ, during the
incarnation, remained inside the divine dynasphere, therefore He did not commit
an act of personal sin. Where the first Adam failed the last Adam succeeded.
The first Adam was temptable and peccable; the last Adam was able not to sin in
His humanity because of the divine dynasphere. Christ was born without a sin
nature, therefore He could not be tempted from within. His temptations came
from without and they were much more extensive than anything we will ever face.
The human nature of Christ was temptable but inside the divine dynasphere His
purity remained intact. Our Lord’s temptations to His humanity not only came
from without but He was tempted by Satan personally. That in itself is
significant, Matthew 4:1. The divine nature of Christ was not temptable. Divine
immutability demands impeccability, God cannot become mutable and turn
temptation into sin. So His deity was not the issue. Christ is God; He is
immutable; He is omnipotent, always has been and always will be. It is
impossible for the deity of Christ to sin, to be tempted, or to be deceived.
While Eve was deceived in her original temptation in the garden our Lord is
omniscient and cannot be deceived by Satan or by sin. The sovereignty of God
cannot change His mind about sin; the perfect righteousness of God cannot be
corrupted by sin; the deity of Christ is not able to sin, James 1:13. The union
of undiminished deity with true humanity meant that Christ was impeccable. The
humanity of Christ was temptable and peccable but remained in purity inside the
divine dynasphere. The deity of Christ was neither temptable nor peccable.
Christ in hypostatic union, therefore, was temptable but impeccable. As God He
was not able to sin; as true humanity inside the divine dynasphere He was able
not to sin. This, then, is the picture of the power of the prototype divine dynasphere.
Translation of Revelation 3:1 so far: “And to the
messenger [future pastors of the church at Sardis] write; He who has the seven
spirits [God the Holy Spirit is the power system of the divine dynasphere]
communicates these things.” The Holy Spirit was given without measure to our
Lord and therefore we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. That is
entrance into the divine dynasphere, gate one. We are commanded: “Walk by means
of the Spirit,” this is functioning at the various gates of the divine dynasphere.
Negatively, we are commanded. “Grieve not the Spirit” — involvement in cosmic
one; “Quench not the Spirit,” involvement in cosmic two.
The Lord Jesus Christ was sustained by God the Holy
Spirit throughout His earthly ministry. John 3:34, the Spirit was given without
measure to the incarnate Christ; Matthew 3:16, the Holy Spirit is mentioned at
the baptism in a special way; Matthew 12:18,28, the Holy Spirit is related to
the ministry of the incarnate Christ. When Christ was being judged for our sins
on the cross the ministry of the Holy Spirit in sustaining Him was set aside.
There is only one time when our Lord was out of the divine dynasphere and that
was for three hours when ”He who knew no sin was made sin for us.” However, the
Holy Spirit participated in the resurrection of the humanity of Christ,
according to Romans 8:11 and 1 Peter 3:18.
From Revelation 1:16 we have the next phrase. We
have e(pta and a)steroj, “seven stars.” By comparing Revelation 1:16 for
the interpretation given in 1:20 it is concluded that the seven stars are the
seven future pastors of the seven churches. Just as a star is a light container
so the pastor must also be a light container. The light that he must contain in
his soul must be Bible doctrine which he has learned through study; the light
must be maximum doctrine resident in his soul to teach the congregation. Hence
we have the phrase, kai touj e(pta
a)steroj,
and this is a part of the accusative plural direct object from e)xw, “and he who has the seven stars communicates
these things.” Translation so far: “And to the messenger [the future pastors]
of the church in Sardis write; He who has the seven spirits and the seven stars
communicates these things.”
We are now ready for the overall evaluation. We have
the perfect i)oda used as a present active
indicative. It is correctly translated, “I know,” but a better translation is,
“I have known.” The present tense of duration is often translated like a
perfect tense because the present of duration denotes what has begun in the past
and continues into the present time — begun in the past through omniscience
feeding the divine computer, the computer of divine decrees, and continues into
the present with a printout of historical trends. The active voice: Jesus
Christ produces the action of the verb, as God, and the indicative mood is
declarative for a statement of absolute and dogmatic fact known to our Lord
Jesus Christ in eternity past.
Next we have the accusative plural direct object
from the noun e)rgon, which means
accomplishments or production. With it we have the possessive genitive singular
from the personal pronoun su, “I have known your
accomplishments,” i.e. your Christian production. Then we have a conjunction o(ti, used after verbs of cognisance to get the content,
“namely that.” This is followed by a present active indicative of e)xw, which is used so frequently
by the apostle John. It means to have or to hold. So we have “namely that you
have.” The present tense is a descriptive present for what is now going on, a
false reputation assigned to the church in Sardis. They have given a false
impression to the world and their false reputation is about to be exposed. The
active voice: the church in Sardis produces the action of the verb. There are
many churches that have false reputations. They are supposed to be great
spiritual churches. In reality they are not and cannot be without the
presentation of Bible doctrine and the communication of the plan of God, i.e.
the divine dynasphere. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of a
false reputation assigned to the church at Sardis.
Next we have the accusative singular direct object
from the word o)noma, which has three related
meanings. It means “name,” it means “person,” it means “reputation.” So we will
translate it, “namely that you have a reputation.” The reputation is that they
are a live-wire church, the present active indicative of zaw, which means to live. The descriptive present for
what is now going on, a false reputation assigned to the church at Sardis that
they are a live-wire church, active in perception and application of doctrine.
The active voice: allegedly the church at Sardis is producing the action. This
is a declarative indicative mood for the reality of a false reputation —
“namely that you have a reputation that you are alive.” A reputation for being
alive implies that the believers in the church at Sardis are positive to
doctrine, living in the divine dynasphere, advancing to maturity and forming a
pivot for the blessing of the first Gentile client nation to God, SPQR.
Principle
1. A false reputation for spirituality and maturity
is a sign of cosmic involvement related to the function of hypocrisy.
2. To live by one’s reputation with people apart
from integrity and virtue is to be a cosmic believer, the most miserable person
on planet earth.
3. The only reputation that counts is the believer’s
reputation with God who cannot be deceived.
4. It is impossible to have a good name or
reputation with God apart from consistent residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere, and that includes consistent perception of Bible doctrine.
5. The believers of Sardis involved in the cosmic system
talk a good fight, which means they have been exposed to excellent doctrinal
teaching, but they have learned the vocabulary without its content.
6. To talk a good fight the believer only has to
know the doctrinal vocabulary, but to fight a good fight, as per 2 Timothy
4:7,8, the believer has to be consistent in living inside the divine dynasphere,
consistent in the perception and application of doctrine to life. Only e)pignwsij-type doctrine results in both spiritual growth and
application to adversity. Adversity is the testing point.
7. It is easy for the cosmic believer to talk a good
fight but it is difficult for the positive believer to fight a good fight.
Talking a good fight is exposure to doctrine, living in the cosmic system while
exposed to doctrine, growing in arrogance and functioning under the principle
of hypocrisy. Fighting a good fight is learning doctrine, living in the divine dynasphere,
growing in grace, applying doctrine to experience. The believer who talks a
good fight makes bad decisions. He is spiritually and mentally lazy, negative
toward doctrine, but gives the impression of being a spiritual giant. His
arrogance is stimulated by approbation from other believers which only stabilises
and crystallises his facade of hypocrisy plus his legalistic vanity.
The false reputation for spirituality and maturity
is a sign of cosmic involvement related to the function of hypocrisy. To live
by one’s reputation with people apart from integrity is one of the signs of
being a cosmic believer and a cosmic believer is the most miserable person on
planet earth. The only reputation that counts is the believer’s reputation with
God. A reputation with people is meaningless unless it is backed by virtue and
integrity. It is impossible to have a reputation or a good name with God apart
from consistent residence and function inside the divine dynasphere, the daily
function of GAP.
The believers of Sardis involved in the cosmic system, therefore, fought the
good fight, which means they have been exposed to excellent doctrine and
doctrinal teaching but they had only skinned off the vocabulary without the
content. They talked a good fight but they did not fight a good fight. To talk
a good fight the believer only has to know the doctrinal vocabulary but to fight
a good fight the believer has to live in the divine dynasphere, perception and
application of doctrine. So only e)pignwsij type doctrine results in
spiritual growth and the application to adversity. Only e)pignwsij-type doctrine develops virtue so that the believer
has an honest reputation with people. It is easy for the cosmic believer to
talk a good fight but it is very difficult for the positive believer to fight a
good fight, so that talking a good fight is exposure to doctrine while living
in the cosmic system but fighting a good fight is the residence and function
inside the divine dynasphere. The believer who talks a good fight makes bad
decisions, he is spiritually and mentally lazy, negative toward doctrine, but
gives the impression of being a spiritual giant. His arrogance is stimulated by
approbation from other believers, which only crystallises and stabilises his
facade of hypocrisy.
Our next Greek word in Revelation 3:1 is the
connective conjunction kai which introduces a fact as
surprising, and when it introduces something as a surprising fact it is usually
translated into the English by the word “nevertheless” or “in spite of that” So
we have to translate, “but in spite of that reputation.” Next is the present
active indicative of the verb e)imi, “in spite of that
reputation you are.” The perfective present refers to a fact which has come to
be in the past but is emphasised as a present reality. The active voice: the
cosmic believers in the church at Sardis produce the action through their
hypocrisy. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of cosmic
believers in the Sardis church passing themselves off as spiritual believers.
With this we have the predicate nominative of the noun nekroj, “you are dead.” This is a reference to believers
living inside of the cosmic system. Hence the death of a cosmic believer, known
as carnality and, when perpetuated, reversionism. This is the one word that
clarifies the entire concept of this verse — “you are dead.” Obviously they are
live physically, otherwise they would not be rebuked by the Lord at this point.
So what does it mean, “you are dead”?
The last part of the verse says, “I have known your
accomplishments, namely that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in
spite of that reputation you are dead.”
The seven uses of the word “death” in the Bible
1. The first
and most obvious death is physical death in the human race which is defined as
separation of the soul from the body. As long as the soul resides in the body
there is life in the individual. This life was imputed by God immediately after
birth to the human soul. When the soul leaves the body the person is physically
dead. Physical death is a matter of the sovereign decision of God based on His
perfect knowledge of all the facts. No believer ever departs by physical death
unless God permits it. Exception: suicide, the superimposition of one’s
volition over God’s.
God can and does prolong physical life. The
conditions under which He does so are described in Psalm 102:19, 20, 23,24;
118:18. God also delivers the believer from death, Job 5:20; Psalm 33:19;
56:13; 116:8. Believers who attain maturity depart from life under the
principle of dying grace, which means dying is one of the greatest moments of
life, it is the moment of great happiness, blessing, and not necessarily
freedom from pain but the negation of pain as a factor. Principle of dying
grace: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints,” this
does not refer to the believer who dies under the sin unto death. Resurrection,
of course, is the victory over death, 1 Corinthians 15. Physical death is the
soul leaving the body, in the case of the believer it is the soul and the
spirit, while resurrection is the soul and the spirit of the believer getting a
new body in the air. This body is permanent and the soul and the spirit live in
that body forever. The body we have now is a body of corruption subject to
death and it will not last forever, but the one we have in the future will.
Also at the last judgment when the unbeliever is
resurrected he is given a body so that when he is cast into the lake of fire
forever and ever that body will suffer maximum pain. The soul of the unbeliever
has a body which will suffer intensive pain forever and ever. The second
resurrection is a bona fide resurrection of the unbeliever, and because he has
rejected Christ in time he is judged — he is not judged for his sins because
all sin was judged at the cross and therefore sin cannot be mentioned at the
last judgment. Instead the issue is all of his good deeds, which will not be
good enough — in eternity on the basis of his works, out of the book of works.
Human good is not good enough to get to heaven. The important thing about
physical death is that the soul never dies; death does not refer to the soul.
Once life is imputed to the soul the soul lives forever. The issue is: Where
does the soul live forever? That issue can be answered only one way: “What
think ye of Christ?” Christ is the issue.
So let’s take an illustration, someone who is the
antithesis of the apostle Paul and who died in Rome at the same time he did, in
about 66 AD.
When Paul died he received an interim body, face to face with the Lord. He was recognisable
in his interim body and for nearly 2000 years he and his friends have been
having a wonderful time in heaven. The is the interlude of blessing. But let’s
take “Brother Nitwit” who also died the same year and was a loser all the way.
He didn’t spend five minutes of his Christian life in the divine dynasphere, he
did everything wrong, he was in the cosmic system from start to finish, he was
one of the world’s greatest losers. When he died the same year as Paul he was
absent from the body and face to face with the Lord. He also had an interim
body; he also had no more sorrows, no more tears, no more pain, no more death,
the old things are passed away. And he also is enjoying and has been enjoying
2000 years of great blessing. But where the difference comes is at the judgment
seat of Christ after the resurrection or Rapture of the Church. That is when
“Brother Nitwit” is going to be ashamed, and that is when Paul is going to have
the order of the morning star and all of the blessings that attend it. So
“Nitwit” forever and ever and ever in his resurrection body is going to be low
on the totem pole. Nevertheless between now and the Rapture the losers have an
interim of great blessing. Death has great connotations for the believer and
the believer with doctrine never fears death; it is the believer without
doctrine who goes out with his fingernails across the blackboard of life,
hanging on for dear life! For the believer whose momentum carries him to gate
eight — the mature believer of the divine dynasphere — death is profit forever
and ever, says Philippians 1:20,21. “According to my intense concentration and
confidence that in nothing shall I be ashamed, but in all confidence, as at all
times [i.e. inside the divine dynasphere] even now Christ will be glorified in
my person, either through living or through dying. For me living is Christ [in
the divine dynasphere], dying is profit.”
We have seen humility as one of the great things in
life, now we see with humility two other factors: concentration and confidence.
Humility, concentration and confidence are the greatest virtues for happiness
in this life. For the believer who spends his life inside the cosmic system,
however, death is horrible. The believer living in the cosmic system dies under
discipline and has the most painful, nightmarish death.
2. The second category of death in the Bible is
spiritual death, probably the least understood, especially when you link it
with the cross. Spiritual death is the penalty of sin and is so given as a
warning to our original parents in the garden. They were warned in Genesis 2:17
that if they disobeyed God and His prohibition, “dying they would die”. That
was spiritual death. They didn’t die physically when they partook of the
forbidden fruit, they died spiritually. But Adam’s original sin which brought
about that spiritual death is imputed to us at birth; it is imputed to our
genetically-formed old sin nature, and when it says the wages of sin is death
in Romans 6:23 it is not talking about your personal sins and it is not talking
about physical death. It is talking about Adam’s sin and it is talking about
spiritual death, separation from God. We are born physically alive, human life
imputed to the soul; we are born spiritually dead, isolated from God; that is
what spiritual death is. Remember our personal sins are not the basis of our
spiritual death, they are the basis of our Lord’s spiritual death on the cross.
When He became a substitute and took our place on the cross these personal sins
were imputed to Him. He had no spiritual death of His own because through the
virgin birth He was born without an old sin nature, therefore Adam’s original
sin couldn’t be imputed to Him because He had no old sin nature. Therefore He
lived a perfect life inside the divine dynasphere and when He went to the cross
He was the exception. The wages of sin is death to all members of the human
race, Christ is the exception. The wages of sin was not death to Him because He
did not sin, but it became death to Him because as our substitute and saviour
our personal sins were imputed to Him and judged. So the spiritual death He had
was not His own. When Christ was on the cross He died spiritually by being
judged for our sins. Later on He died physically because His work was finished.
Christ died twice on the cross that we might be born twice. So the entire human
race is born physically alive and spiritually dead because of the two
imputations that occur at birth. Mankind is not condemned by the imputation of
his own personal sins to himself but by the imputation of Adam’s original sin
to the genetically-formed old sin nature. Condemnation is not the basis of
personal sin, condemnation is on the basis of imputed sin. From birth the
status of the human race is spiritual death, so the first death that comes to
us comes at birth — spiritual death, just as Adam and the woman. We end life
with physical death, the exception of course is the Rapture generation.
The solution to spiritual death is stated also in
Romans 6:23, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord.” Eternal life is not the same as human life. Human life is imputed to the
soul after birth. Eternal life comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. So when we
believe in Christ we are said to be born again, and we now have eternal life.
This eternal life is not imputed to the soul but it is imputed to the human
spirit. Regeneration or being born again is God the Holy Spirit creating a
human spirit for the imputation of eternal life.
Our personal sins were never imputed to us for
condemnation, they were imputed to Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “he [the Father]
made him [Christ] who knew no sin [impeccability of the humanity of Christ
inside the divine dynasphere] to be made sin on our behalf [our sins were
imputed to Him] that we might become the righteousness of God in him [the other
judicial imputation].” Isaiah 53:6, ‘Therefore the Lord [God the Father] has
caused to fall on him [Christ on the cross] the punishment for our sins,” that
is spiritual death.
3. Positional death of the believer is the third
category of death in the Bible. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at
salvation the believer is identified with Christ in His death, burial and
resurrection. Out of the forty things that happen to us at the point of
salvation one is the baptism of the Spirit, one of the five ministries of the Spirit.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit: God the Holy Spirit picks us up and puts us
into union with Christ. We are in union with Christ forever, we can never get
out of being in union with Christ. “In Christ” is a technical phrase in the New
Testament which means two things: current positional truth and retroactive
identification with Christ in His death. This means simply this: When Christ
died on the cross our sins were imputed to Him and judged, but we have two
other things that were not imputed, our human good and our evil which were both
rejected because human good and evil must continue to be an issue throughout
human history. Remember that the angelic conflict is resolved by the function
of human volition and without human good and evil the options do not exist in
human history. So our Lord rejected human good and evil on the cross and was
judged for our sins. Positional death is identification with Christ in His
death, which means that positionally we have rejected human good and evil — not
experientially but positionally. So through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at
salvation the believer is identified with Christ in His death, burial and
resurrection. Positional death, also called retroactive positional truth, is
the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, for just as Jesus
Christ on the cross rejected human good and evil so positionally have all
believers. That is why we only confess our sins for rebound, we do not confess
human good and evil. Experientially the rejection of human good and evil by the
believer is a matter of spiritual growth. Positional rejection of human good
and evil as the policy of Satan, the manifestation of the cosmic system, is a
part of the believer’s residence inside of the divine dynasphere. So positionally
we were identified with Christ in His death, therefore positionally we have
rejected good and evil. Experientially life in the divine dynasphere rejects
human good and evil.
Colossians 2:11,12 is a good passage on this type of
death. “In fact in him you have been circumcised with a circumcision not made
with hands, by the renunciation of the body of the flesh,” that is, the old sin
nature’s functions: evil and human good, “by the circumcision of Christ, having
been buried with him by means of the baptism [of the Spirit]”. The concept is
expanded in Romans 6:1-5.
So retroactive positional truth or positional death
is identification with Christ in His death where He was judged for our sins but
rejected human good and evil, the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world.
Therefore we can only sin outside of the divine dynasphere and only produce
human good and evil inside the cosmic system. Therefore all personal sin places
us immediately outside of the divine dynasphere and simultaneously inside the
cosmic system. If the believer persists in this then cosmic death becomes the
issue.
4. Cosmic death is therefore category #4, the one we
actually have in our passage. Cosmic death is carnality, the function of the
believer’s volition converting temptation into sin. The old sin nature resides
inside the human body. This is why people get old. Time is not the major issue,
the old sin nature residing in the cell structure of the body is.
There is a gate between the body and the soul and
that gate is guarded by the volition of the soul. The old sin nature can only
send up temptation. It is the source of all temptation but it is not the source
of sin, the source of sin is human volition. Temptation knocks on the gate and
if you open the gate and let it through then it becomes sin. You may say you
didn’t know that it was a sin when temptation knocks, but you still wanted it
to enter. Therefore whether it is a temptation regarding a sin of cognisance or
a sin of ignorance it makes no difference, you are responsible because that sin
of ignorance or cognisance could not exist without your volition. This is how
the old sin nature controls the soul, because you open the gate and let it in.
The principle: The believer cannot sin inside the divine dynasphere, so when he
makes that decision to open the gate and let the sin in — he converts
temptation into sin — he is outside the divine dynasphere, and once he opens
the gate and commits the sin from his own free will then he is in the cosmic
system. That is how cosmic death gets started. The decision to sin
automatically places the believer inside the cosmic system. Living inside the
cosmic system classifies that believer not only as carnal but living in
temporal death. For the believer cosmic involvement through sin is always
cosmic death, the believer’s function inside the cosmic system. So when you sin
of your own free will and enter into the cosmic system you are described in the
Bible as dead. That can also be called carnal and you can call it reversionism,
apostasy or anything but in some passages the Bible calls it death, James 1:15;
Ephesians 5:14; 1 Timothy 5:6; Revelation 3:1; 1 John 3:14.
5. The production mortality of the believer. This
category combines the arrogance of Christian service with the function of human
good. It also can include the function of crusader arrogance with the modus
operandi of cosmic panaceas. In other words, this is the production of
Christian service, good works of the believer involving the cosmic system. All
good works in the cosmic system are human good and are called “dead works,”
Hebrews 6:1. Anything related to the cosmic system is outside of the plan of
God, including Christian service and production performed while residing in the
cosmic system. The works, the production, the Christian service of the believer
in the cosmic system is dead, to be burned at the judgment seat of Christ under
category “wood, hay, and stubble” — 1 Corinthians 3:15. All Christian
production will be evaluated at the judgment seat of Christ after the Rapture
of the Church.
6. Sexual death, the inability to copulate. It is
only used in connection with men, and only one man in the Bible, Abraham,
Romans 4:21; Hebrews 11:11,12. The issue of sexual death is very important.
Abraham had children, but none by his wife. Now at age 99 there was a covenant
to be fulfilled and he doesn’t have any child by his wife, Sarah. “Sarah shall
have a son” is the issue. From Abraham’s loins would come a great nation,
Israel. So how is the promise going to be fulfilled, an unconditional promise
to Abraham if he can’t copulate? Here he is 99 and the promise is an
unconditional promise from the Abrahamic covenant. Not only is Abraham unable
to perform sexually but Sarah has passed the menopause so she could not become
pregnant. That is sexual death. Both of them were sexually dead but very much
alive! The promise was that Abraham would have a son by Sarah. If Abraham
believed this he would do the following: cut the foreskin around the phallus
and be ready for the Lord to fulfill His promise. And he did. The Jewish race
is a miracle race. When Abraham had cut off the foreskin that was dead skin,
that was spiritual death gone, and God revived his sexual apparatus as well as
that of his wife, Sarah. And they had a son. After Sarah died Abraham had eight
more sons.
7. The second death is for the unbeliever, and the
unbeliever only. It is the final judgment of those who reject the Lord Jesus
Christ as personal saviour; it is eternal separation from God in a literal lake
of fire created out of the destruction of the universe. It is described as
judgment in Hebrews 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is destined for mankind to die
[physical death], but after this death the judgment [the second death].” That
is why it is called the second death in Revelation 20:12-15, “the dead were
judged from the things which had been written in the books according to their
works … and they were judged each one according to his works.” They were not
judged according to their sins because the sins of the unbeliever were judged
at the cross, so he has to be judged according to his works. The lake of fire
is the second death.
Verse 2, translated, “Be watchful” in the King James
version. A pitiful translation. The present active imperative periphrastic is
what we have. A periphrastic always has two verbs and in this one we have a
participle used with a finite verb to constitute a compound tense form. The
periphrastic combines two verb forms to make a more forceful mandate for
alertness. In view of the overall subject of Revelation chapters 2 and 3, which
is historical trends, the mandate is obvious. The reason for the periphrastic
is emphasis on both linear aktionsart and duration. The actual periphrastic is
composed of two verbs: ginomai and e)imi. These are the two that are always used in a
periphrastic. In this particular case the verb ginomai is used instead of the verb e)imi as the first part of the
periphrastic. Ordinarily, while you have e)imi you might as well know that this is most unusual, as is the mandate.
Usually you have e)imi; this time we have ginomai. With it is the noun gregorew. We start with the fact that we have a present
participle, ginomai, combined with a present
middle imperative of gregorew, which is translated
simply, “Be constantly alert,” but it is stronger than that. In fact the
strength of the periphrastic simply cannot be rendered into English. The
progressive present tense for both the participle and the finite verb is
present linear aktionsart. It is a constant thing; you must be constant all of
your Christian life. Alertness for every possible type of a problem is very
important. Alertness with regard to temptation is basically where it starts;
alertness with regard to your failures and what to do about it — the function
of the rebound technique; alertness therefore to spend as much times as
possible in the divine dynasphere; alertness to make sure that you are not
distracted by others from learning the Word of God, either by the one who
teaches the Word or by people in the congregation, or by your friends who have
nothing whatever to do with the congregation. Distraction is a major problem
and it requires alertness. But the primary alertness we have in this passage
has to do with historical trends which we have studied in detail.
“Be constantly alert,” the active voice of the
participle: the believer must produce the action. The middle voice of the
finite verb, gregorew, is a direct middle in
which the subject acts with a view to participating in the outcome of the
action, participating in the results of residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere. The imperative mood is a mandate for the believers to whom
this was originally addressed and a mandate to Christians in general.
We have a connective kai
because another part of this particular mandate includes a second verb, kai, simply translated “and.” Then the second
mandate, part of the first, the aorist active imperative of the verb sthrizw, and it means to establish, to support, to confirm,
to strengthen, and we are going to translate it “and strengthen” as in the King
James version. But you must understand it means strengthen in the sense of
support or stabilise. The original connotation of the verb was to support
something so that it stands upright and immovable. In other words, this is a
command to the pastor to continue teaching Bible doctrine in Sardis in spite of
the tremendous surge of negative volition on the part of the believers.
One thing that men in the ministry remember is that
people in general are fickle. Crowds inevitably are fickle and unstable and
easily led. That is why, of course, Christianity has mandates with regard to
crowds — not stay out of crowds but to stay away from the influence of crowds,
and of people. Hence the two commands are directed toward the future pastors of
the church at Sardis. Pastors through their own study of the Word must be able
to interpret the historical trends since there is no prophecy to interpret for
the Church Age. All prophecy begins after the Rapture. The historical trends
are clearly delineated and the pastor must be alert to relate historical trends
to the teaching and the application of the Word of God for the benefit of his
congregation. But is says he must also do something else, and it is very
discouraging for a pastor to study the Word of God only to have his message
rejected, ridiculed, refused, or when there is rudeness during the teaching of
the Word of God.
There are two basic categories of negative volition
toward doctrine, both of which are related to the cosmic system. There is the
negative volition of cosmic one, the twenty-six interlocking systems of
arrogance; there is cosmic two, the nine interlocking systems of hatred. Each
one has its own characteristics with regard to negative volition toward God’s
plan — negative volition toward doctrine, negative volition toward anything
that the Lord has provided by way of logistical grace and the options thereof.
The negative volition of cosmic one, gate two — the negative volition gate — is
rejection of Bible doctrine because of preoccupation with self. Preoccupation
with self includes a principle called prejudice. Prejudice is often arrogance,
although not always. When you are preoccupied with yourself and you are
challenged by something in the Word that militates against your background,
your preconceived notions, or something that is contrary to what someone you
love and admire has said. Then you reject it. You are not really rejecting the
overall teaching of the Word as such but because you are preoccupied with
yourself you are rejecting some principle of the Word of God. The second
category is negative volition of cosmic two, gate one. This is antagonism
toward doctrine from rejection of its content and this is a much more serious
type of negative volition. But no matter how widespread negative volition
happens to be in the local church — and every local church has its negative
volition — the pastor must continue to support, to strengthen, to stabilise, to
establish those who are positive to Bible teaching by continued faithfulness in
teaching, no matter how much “booing” there is from the pew. Often a message is
only geared to a small percentage of the congregation because those are the
positive ones.
The constative aorist tense is for action extended
over a period of time, such as doctrinal teaching from the pulpit designed to stabilise,
support, and strengthen those believers in the congregation who are positive.
The active voice: the pastor produces the action and the imperative mood is a
mandate, it is the imperative of command. Translation: “Be constantly alert,
and constantly strengthen, support, stabilise.”
Now we have the object of both verbs. The accusative
neuter plural from the definite article ta
is the generic use of the definite article. The generic use of the definite
article recognises positive believers as a special category to whom the pastor
must be faithful in teaching while there is negative volition present in the
same congregation. It recognises positive believers as a special category which
glorify Christ, provide blessing for the client nation, fulfill the plan of God
for the Church Age, and personally advance to maturity in great blessing from
God in time. The accusative neuter plural direct object from the adjective used
as a substantive, loipoj,
is an adjective but it is used as a noun. It is translated, “the remnant,” the
rest who have positive volition toward doctrine. In Sardis positive volition
was in the minority in that local church. It was a local church where the
majority of the believers talked a good fight but did not fight a good fight.
They listened and picked up the vocabulary but they distorted it into something
that was meaningless. So this is the remnant and the remnant is now described
by the imperfect active indicative from mellw
which introduces a relative clause — “who are about to.” The imperfect tense is
a tendencial imperfect for an action tending toward realisation. It implies
that cosmic involvement has not attained to the point of maximum punishment
from God but the potential is there. In other words, when the majority of any
given congregation are negative toward doctrine it has a tendency to put up a
temptation in front of the positive believers, they have a tendency to go
negative and get into the cosmic system themselves. This is the way it would be
translated: “Be constantly alert, and strengthen the remnant.” The pastors must
persist in teaching to positive believers for without doctrine they are the
potential candidates for the cosmic system. They reside in a congregation where
the majority of the believers are negative toward doctrine and therefore they
are constantly tempted and they are constantly candidates for being influenced
by the mob, influenced by the majority rather than being influenced by the
teaching of Bible doctrine. This is always a problem. If everyone else is
booing sometimes it is easy to join them, and the weak always do. The active
voice means that these are positive believers living in the divine dynasphere
and they have the potential of producing the action of the verb — although they
haven’t as yet — even though there is a tremendous temptation to do so because
they are in the minority. The indicative mood is the potential indicative of
impulse. It is easy in a moment of impulse to get into the cosmic system. Then
we have the aorist active infinitive of the verb a)poqenhskw, and it means to die, “who are about to die.” It is a reference to
cosmic death and implies that from cosmic death comes the sin unto death. The constative
aorist tense contemplates the possibility, the potentiality of positive
believers getting into the cosmic system because so many are in the cosmic
system in that particular local church. The active voice: the believers are
potentially under the influence and distraction of negative believers producing
the action. So we have believers in Sardis who are about to become negative.
The infinitive indicates a conceived result which follows the nature of the
case.
Principle
1. People influence people; believers influence
believers. Our passage says: “Be constantly alert, and strengthen the remnant
who are about to die,” they haven’t and they are still going strong but the
potential is there. When you have a majority of people in the congregation that
are negative toward doctrine it tends to cause those who are positive to become
shaky, and often because they make close friendships with those who are
negative they are led astray themselves.
2. Cosmic believers, especially when they are in the
majority, influence positive believers living in the divine dynasphere, apart
from the protection of faithful doctrinal teaching. They do this through
friendship, flattery, and social life so that social life takes precedence over
spiritual life.
3. Strong believers therefore become weak, and no
matter how strong or talented or great a person may be in any given area
arrogance neutralises that ability. So strong believers become weak when they
become arrogant.
4. Arrogance is easily influenced by evil. That is
because arrogance is preoccupation with self to the exclusion of any form of
truth or any system of integrity.
5. Every positive believer living inside the divine dynasphere
must be constantly alert from perception of doctrine not to be disillusioned or
distracted or misled by cosmic believers. The pastor must be alert in teaching
the Word; the congregation must be alert in the perception of doctrine to make
the right application.
6. The spread of cosmic believers as the majority in
any local church means the potential spread of apostasy through cosmic
involvement.
7. Every cosmic believer in the local church is an
evangelist for Satan and the cosmic system.
8. It is easier for believers to follow their
friends into the cosmic system than to remain faithful to the teaching of Bible
doctrine. The thing that causes this is arrogance in social life.
9. Where arrogance abounds friendship means
influence and influence means cosmic involvement, cosmic involvement means the
sin unto death.
In the next phrase we have an explanation, the
explanatory use of the post-positive conjunctive particle gar, “for.” With this we have the perfect active
indicative of the verb e(uriskw plus the negative o)u, “for I have not found.” The intensive perfect emphasises
the existing results of a completed action, in this case a completed
investigation of the church in Sardis. This is the emphatic method in the Greek
of presenting a fact or a condition. The active voice: the Lord Jesus Christ
produces the action of the verb and the findings are not favourable. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of an unfavourable report
regarding the church in Sardis. With this we have the accusative plural direct
object from e)rgon, which should be translated
here, “accomplishments,” “for I have not found your accomplishments [you
production, your modus operandi].” The “your” comes from the possessive
genitive singular from the pronoun su, “your accomplishments.”
With this we have the perfect passive participle of the verb plhrow, a word which means fulfilled, completed, executed.
It is used in seven ways in the several Greek languages. It is used in the New
testament in this way: for the believer functioning at gate one of the divine dynasphere,
“Be filled with the Spirit” is the same verb. Secondly it is used for the
pastor communicating doctrine or filling up the deficiency of the Word of God
among believers, Colossians 1:25. Thirdly it is used for the humanity of Christ
functioning inside of the prototype divine dynasphere, Luke 2:40. Fourth, it is
used for believers living inside the divine dynasphere, Ephesians 3:19;
Colossians 1:9. Fifth, it is used for
capacity for happiness in the divine dynasphere, 1 John 1:4; Sixth, it is used
for the priestly function of giving, Philippians 4:18; Seventh, it is used for
the results of the believer residing and functioning inside of the divine dynasphere,
Philippians 1:11. Hence the verb plhrow is obviously used for the
execution or the fulfillment of God’s plan for the royal family of the Church
Age. In this context with the negative o)u,
the failure of believes in Sardis to execute, to fulfill, to complete the plan
of God related to residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
Translation: “For I have not found your accomplishments completed [fulfilled,
executed, accomplished].” The English word “completed” seems to be in keeping
with the facts of the context. There exists a remnant, a minority of positive
believers in the church at Sardis. This remnant is functioning inside the
divine dynasphere but is shaky because they are in such a minority and not
consistent enough to avoid distractions caused by the Jezebel cult in nearby Thyatira
and the potential of dying the sin unto death through cosmic involvement. There
is, therefore, an historical downtrend in the city of Sardis. It is caused by
inconsistency and instability of believers who vacillate between positive and
negative volition, between the divine dynasphere and the cosmic system. That
vacillation is instability, therefore nothing is accomplished or completed. The
instability of believers in Sardis has the effect of historical downtrend for
they cannot reside in the divine dynasphere long enough to advance from gate
four to gate eight or complete the achievement of spiritual maturity.
So we have the perfect tense of plhrow. It is what we call an iterative perfect in which
advance to maturity in the divine dynasphere is not progressive, in fact it is
retrogressive. It can also be construed as the perfect of existing state in
which the past is dropped from the thought and attention is focused on the
present status quo. The passive voice: unstable, negative believers involved in
the cosmic system continually vacillate between positive and negative volition
and between the divine dynasphere and the cosmic system, and they receive the
action of the verb, they are not completing God’s plan. The participle is
circumstantial. With the negative it means failure to execute the very purpose
for which they are supported logistically.
Then finally in this verse we have the improper
preposition e)mwpion plus the genitive of Qeoj, and it is translated, “in
the sight of God.” There is a possessive genitive from e)gw, calling it “my God.”
Corrected translation of the entire verse: “Be
constantly alert, and strengthen the remnant [those who still have positive
volition] who were about to die [those who had the potential for cosmic death
and the sin unto death]: for I have not found your accomplishments [your
Christian modus vivendi] completed [fulfilled] in the sight of my God.”
Principle
1. The fulfillment of the Christian way of life and
the completion of the plan of God for our lives must be motivated by that
function of the royal priesthood inside the divine dynasphere. Every believer
is his own priest and therefore, in effect, does not have to be distracted from
the Word by the majority who are negative toward doctrine. The believer must
live his life as unto the Lord. In other words, not live his life as unto
people, the majority, friends, people who lead him away from doctrine.
2. This prepositional phrase emphasises the fact
that no believer can fulfill the plan of God inside the divine dynasphere when
he has false motivation.
3. True motivation is derived from Bible doctrine
resident in the soul causing personal love for God as the motivating virtue and
functional virtue toward man, impersonal love. That impersonal love gives you
the ability to have high regard for people without being influenced by people.
4. The turning of the tide and the reversal of
historical trends is the responsibility of the believer living consistently in
the divine dynasphere and functioning consistently at the various gates.
In verse
three we see the alternatives to turning the tide: historical downtrend, a
reversal of the great blessings that have come in the past to that area from
maximum positive volition.
We belong historically to nearly two thousand years
of Gentile client nations. We live in the times of the Gentiles when no Jewish
nation can be a client nation to God; the next Jewish client nation will be at
the second advent of our Lord and will continue down through and including all
of the Millennium, the last 1000 years of history. But in the meantime this is
the dispensation of the Church and in this dispensation any client nation to
God is especially sensitive to historical trends. We are the products of our
own decisions individually and collectively; as goes the believer, so goes the
client nation to God.
For the believer who spends his time living inside
the divine dynasphere, functioning at gate one, the filling of the Spirit; gate
two, basic impersonal love; gate three, enforced and genuine humility, that
particular believer has capacity for life. The first three gates are in support
of gate four. Gate one is the IQ, the power for the ability to learn; gate two is the
objectivity in learning doctrine; gate three is the teachability in learning
doctrine; gate four is perception and application of doctrine, perception of
doctrine, the function of the royal priesthood; application of doctrine, the
function of the royal ambassadorship. The rest of the gates are the results of
the first three gates in function. Gate five is love of God; gate six: right
man, right woman where pertinent; gate seven: friendship plus advanced
impersonal love; gate eight: the ultimate objective in the Christian life in
which we have constructed the edification complex of the soul and, at the same
time, advance to maturity becoming the recipients of supergrace blessings in
six paragraphs. The believer living inside of the divine dynasphere contributes
to the uptrend of history but the believer living in Satan’s cosmic system —
cosmic one with its 26 gates of interlocking systems of arrogance; cosmic two
with its 9 gates of interlocking systems of hatred — is contributing to the
downtrend of history. We appear to be on a downtrend at the present time, the
three characteristics of the downtrends seem to be applicable at the moment in
our own nation. We are seeing economic depression, social degeneration, and
certainly in our lifetime we have seen military disaster, we have lost two
wars. But the wars were lost here at home where we are the products of our own
decisions.
We recognise from the Word of God that the human
race will never be destroyed by nuclear weapons. The human race will not even
be changed by these weapons. People are born, live and die, and people will
continue to be born and to live and to die. The three categories of truth in
the Word of God, #1, the laws of divine establishment; #2, the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ; #3, Bible doctrine for believers, all deny and brand as
blasphemous what people in the National Council of Churches are doing by
calling for nuclear disarmament.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has declared in Matthew
chapter 24, a doctrine: the perpetuation of warfare. The only one who can stop
warfare is our Lord Jesus Christ at the second advent. It is not true that the
swords will be turned into ploughshares and the spears into pruning hooks in
this dispensation or in the Tribulation. This is only true of the Millennial
reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Furthermore, another distortion: when the Bible
says, “he who carries the sword will perish by the sword,” and it is commonly
taken to mean warfare. Actually, it is dealing with criminality, with a
civilian picking up the sword to kill someone. It is dealing with the subject
of murder and we note that the Word of God advocates that murder should be
punished by death.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in Matthew chapter 24
beginning at verse four, had this to say: “See to it that no one misleads you.”
In time of decline of a client nation religion is always misleading. It is
religion that says: “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace. And the
condemnation of this phrase uttered in the past by the prophets, as uttered
today by many people in many pulpits, has the same connotation — there is no
peace.
“… And you will be hearing of wars and rumours of
wars; see to it that you are not frightened,” there is the issue. Religion is
frightened, it is running scared. And yet the believer in Jesus Christ
understanding Bible doctrine has no fear of these things; “for these things
must take place,” this is one of the historical trends, the perpetuation of hot
and cold wars during the Church Age and in the Tribulation to follow. War will
only be abolished at the second advent of our Lord Jesus Christ; “but it is not
yet the end [of the Jewish Age]. For nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom,” the only exception to this will occur when Jesus
Christ personally rules the earth. As long as Satan is the ruler of this world
there will be wars and rumours of wars.
Isaiah 2:4 tells us what will happen when our Lord
Jesus Christ returns: “And he will judge between the nations, and he will
reprove many peoples; therefore they will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against
nation, neither again will they learn the art of war.” Man will not accomplish
in the dispensation of the Church nor the Tribulation what only Jesus Christ
can accomplish by His personal rule of the earth, beginning at the second
advent. Therefore as a historical trend warfare will continue just as our Lord
Jesus Christ has warned us.
Other passages tell us this fact as far as the
historical trend is concerned. In Ecclesiastes 3:8, “There is a time for war
and a time for peace.” This means that war is often beneficial; that when
people destroy themselves with their cosmic ideas, that when people start to
degenerate beyond the place there the human race can be perpetuated, God used
warfare in order to cleanse the human race of its degeneracy.
Numbers 21:14, “Therefore it is written in the Book
of the Wars of the Lord, Waheb in Suphah
[Jehovah takes in the storm].”
The misnomer of warfare is found in Matthew 26:52,
And Jesus said to him [Peter], “put up your sword; for all who draw the sword
[in crime] shall perish by the sword [in capital punishment].” The sword refers
to capital punishment in Romans 13:4. Therefore we should have a different concept
of the military. Under category #1 truth the military, if it is well prepared,
often prevents war. A strong military establishment is a blessing to a nation,
a protection of its stability. Under the laws of divine establishment
pertaining to divine institution #4 all national freedom comes through military
victory. Two factors are involved in the protection of national sovereignty and
freedom. The first factor is the one we have been studying in detail in
Revelation, i.e. the spiritual factor. The spiritual factor comes from a
principle which has to do today with believers residing in the divine dynasphere.
At the time of the writing of Nehemiah, however, there was no divine dynasphere,
that belongs to the royal family of the Church Age. So there is another factor
as well as the spiritual factor of the life of believers inside the divine dynasphere.
Nehemiah 4:8, “And all of them together [Samaria, the Ammonites, Arabs and the
Philistines] organised a conspiracy to invade and fight against Jerusalem to
manufacture harm against it. But we made intercession to our God [the spiritual
factor], and we established a military security system against them day and
night.” This is a mobilisation plan that put the nation on red alert. Verse 13,
“Therefore I garrisoned troops on the lower slopes behind the walls as a mobile
reserve. On the higher places I stationed troops according to their tribes with
their swords, their spears, and bows… I spoke to the generals, the commissioned
officers, and the men in ranks: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord,
hero warrior and respected one, therefore fight in battle for your fellow
citizens ...” Under the laws of divine establishment three things are sacred:
freedom, property and life — “And it shall come to pass that when the enemies
heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all
of us returned to the wall, each man to his service.” Failure of the military
on the battlefield indicates the failure of a cross section of people, for any
military organisation represents every aspect of society in a nation. Failure
in the battlefield indicates also lack of training, lack of self-discipline,
lack of respect for authority, lack of motivation to courage, lack of spiritual
incentive to remain free, to try to trade some form of apparent human security
for what is real security — freedom. Freedom in the historical trend of this
dispensation is purchased and perpetuated only through military victory. No
nation has survived the fact of defeat. Failure to fight for freedom means
slavery and you cannot fight for freedom unless you are prepared and
professionally trained, and unless the military is given its rightful place
under the laws of divine establishment. Social degeneration is always characterised
by disdain of the military and the police. Jewish military failure during the Chaldean
invasion by Nebuchadnezzar in BC 587 can be attributed to the spiritual and moral
decline of Judah, as portrayed by the book of Jeremiah. God used the military
in action, therefore, to demonstrate the degeneracy and the decline of a
nation. Remember, we are the products of our own decisions individually and
collectively. The issue of national sovereignty, integrity and freedom depends
therefore on which army wins. The Chaldean army won in 586 BC and the Jews lost their
freedom. Even Jeremiah himself, for a short time, was put in chains Jeremiah
40:1.
The second problem has to do with our Lord’s
teachings of the sermon on the mount, which is one of the favourite areas for
the Methodist bishops. They love “turning the other cheek,” but they
misinterpret this, of course. These things are the manifestation of the
doctrine of impersonal love or functional virtue from residence inside the
divine dynasphere and daily perception of doctrine. But these things are only
applicable in social situations, not historical. Furthermore, it is our Lord’s
policy for ruling the world in the Millennium, therefore it has a Millennial
connotation, just like turning swords into ploughshares. In the meantime the
order of the day is quite different and our Lord Jesus Christ makes that very
clear. Our Lord rejected human violence; that is crime, an evil.
In Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you.” The
one who is to fight in this chapter is described by one of His titles as the
God of Israel, Adonai Sabaoth. It is
called Lord of hosts in translation but that is really Lord of the armies. The
Lord approves of armies; He doesn’t approve of disbanding armies. This is the
title of our Lord as Commander-in-Chief. Joshua discovered that he was only a
Chief-of -Staff under the Lord Jesus Christ in that famous section of the Word
of God — Joshua 5:13-6:2. In Zechariah 14:3,4, “The Lord will go forth and
fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.”
Jesus Christ as the Lord of the armies is also a
combat soldier in a very real sense. In the year 701 BC, during the Assyrian
invasion of Sennacherib who came into Judah with one of the greatest armies in
history, Isaiah 37:36 tells us what happened to that army. The Jews were
without any strong military and they were overpowered. And when the coup de grace was about to be
administered by the Assyrian army, this is what happened: “Then the angel of
the Lord [Jesus Christ] went out, and struck down 185,000 of the camp of the Assyrians;
and when the men went and returned early in the morning, behold, all of these
were dead”. Note verse 37: Sennacherib retreated!
The Lord Jesus Christ will break His own record in
the last phase of the Armageddon campaign. In Revelation 19:11, “And I saw
heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and he who was mounted on it is
called Faithful and True [our Lord Jesus Christ]; and in righteousness he
judges and makes war.” Verse 15, “And from his mouth came a sharp sword, so
that with it might smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron;
and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty one.” The winepress
is described in Revelation 14:20, “And the winepress was trodden outside the
city, and blood came from the winepress up to the horses’ bridles, for a
distance of 200 miles.” So this is our same Lord Jesus Christ.
The image of our Lord is very simple. Our Lord is a
warrior; our Lord recognises the difference — after all, He is God — between
legitimate force and violence. Violence is the revolutionary crowd, the Jacobins
of France, the communists of Russia. They use violence to get their way. Force
belongs to the laws of divine establishment. There are three legitimate forces
in this country: first, the military to protect us from enemies without;
secondly, the police officer to protect us from enemies within; thirdly, the
right of the individual citizen to protect his life and property against
criminality. There is legitimate force. On the other hand, violence is crime —
criminality, revolution, terrorism —, the quintessence of evil and is
punishable, and should be punished by death.
In Numbers 1:2,3 our Lord commanded to take a
census: “Take a census of the people of the sons of Israel … twenty years old
and upward.” Why? They needed to know who was eligible for military service. “
… whoever is able to go to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall muster them by
their armies.” The exception to conscription is also given: “When a man shall
take a new wife he shall not go out with the army, nor be called to active
duty; he shall be free to stay home for one year with his wife. He shall give
pleasure to his wife whom he has taken.” The mobilisation plan for Israel is
the book of Numbers, one whole book of the Bible devoted to the military of
client nation Israel! Numbers means mobilisation and everything in the book is
related to the war plans of client nation Israel.
There must exist in a national entity also
professional, capable high-ranking officers whose life is devoted to planning
of warfare, Luke 14:31, “Or what king, when he advances to meet another king in
battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough
with ten thousand men to attack the one coming against him with an army of
twenty thousand?” This is a principle enucleated by our Lord. He makes it very
clear that there must be professional leadership, there must be professional
military establishment.
True motivation for military training is from God
Himself when He said in 2 Samuel 22:35, “He trains my hands for battle, so that
my arms can bend a bow of bronze,” they are in good shape. In Psalm 144:1,
“Blessed be the Lord my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for
battle.” It takes training to do this, and yet some would have us disarm!
Quote from a book on military institutions of the
Romans: “Victory in war does not depend on numbers or mere courage, only
discipline and training will ensure it. We find that the Romans owed the
conquest of the world to no other cause than continual military training,” we
are talking about the first Gentile client nation to God, “exact observance of
discipline, and unwearied cultivation of the arts of war. Without these what
chance would the Roman armies have with their small numbers against the larger
numbers of the Gauls, or what success could they have in opposing the superior
numbers of the Germans. The Spaniards surpassed the Romans in both numbers and
physical strength. We were always inferior to the Africans, the Carthaginians,
in wealth and unequal to them in strategy and tactics,” a reference to
Hannibal. “The Greeks were superior to us in skill, in arts, in all kinds of
knowledge, but to all of these advantages the Romans imposed unusual care in
the choice of their conscriptions and in their military training. They
thoroughly understood the importance of toughening them by continual practice
and training them in every manoeuvre of line and in action. They were strict in
punishing idleness in the military. The courage of a soldier is intensified by
his knowledge of his profession and he only wants an opportunity to execute
what he has been perfectly taught. A handful of men inured to war move to
certain victory, while on the contrary, numerous armies of raw and
undisciplined troops are but a mass of men being dragged to the slaughter.”
So war is a principle from God. For example, in 1
Chronicles 5:19,20, “And they made war against the Hagrites (Arabs) … and they
were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were
given into their hand; for they [the Jews] cried out to God in battle, and he
was entreated for them, because they trusted in him.” Verse 22, “For many fell
slain, because the war was from God.”
The principles of warfare are delineated in great
detail in the book of numbers, “And when Joshua took the whole land according
to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance
for Israel according to the division by tribes; therefore the land had rest
from war,” Joshua 11:23 tells us therefore that victory in warfare means the
perpetuation of peace; not that peace will be indefinite, but victory is
remembered in war long enough to give a period of peace. God Himself has
ordained the principle of peace through military victory in Psalm 46:7-9, “The
Lord of the armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our bivouac. Come, and
behold the works of the Lord, which he has wrought as desolations in the
earth,” Jesus Christ controls history, often through warfare and military
victory; “He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and
cuts the spear in two; he burns the chariots with fire,” He does this through
military.
God protects from evil and warlike nations. Psalm
55:20-23, “He has put forth his hand against those who were at peace with him,”
a reference to an evil nation preparing for war against a nation with whom they
have a treaty; “He has violated his treaty. His [evil nation] speech was
smoother than butter, but his right lobe was at war; his words were slicker
than oil, yet they were from drawn swords.” So what is the good nation going to
do? “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will not allow
the righteous to totter.” And the enemy? “But you, O God, will bring them down
to the pit of destruction; men of bloodshed will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in you.”
Jeremiah describes why often a nation is attacked,
why a nation gets into war. Jeremiah 6:13,14, “From the least of them even to
the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to
the priest, every one manufactures lies,” lack of teaching of truth and lack of
integrity in business always bring about warfare; “And they have healed the
wound of my people superficially, saying, “Peace, peace, but there is no
peace.” So they talk about peace but that’s a lie. The more they talk about it
and the lie is accepted the sooner they are destroyed.
In Hebrews 11:35, however, there was freedom
perpetuated because of this phrase: “they became courageous in battle, and put
to flight the invading armies.”
Leadership is necessary, as we have noted, in war.
“War plans are formed by wisdom and planning,” professional leadership; “and
with wisdom men make war.” Proverbs 24:1-6, “Do not become jealous of evil
men.” It is interesting to note that arrogance destroys whatever leadership
ability people have. It may be business leadership, military leadership, but
whatever leadership exists arrogance destroys it. Arrogance destroys talent or
anything that is good in man, “For their right lobes devise violence [violence
is evil], and their lips talk trouble [personality conflicts mean disaster in
battle]. By wisdom [doctrine in the soul] a house is constructed [the ECS], and by understanding
[doctrine] one prepares himself for war; and by knowledge [of doctrine] the
rooms are filled with something of value [the spiritual blessings of supergrace].
A wise man [military leader] is strong, a man of knowledge increasing his
strength. For by the art of leadership you will execute warfare, for victory is
in the greatness of the one planning strategy and tactics.”
All self and group discipline is dependent upon
respect for authority. That is why a really great leader must also be a
salesman because he must sell people on accepting his authority. The proper use
of authority without the abuse of authority demands integrity. All great
leaders have integrity in their profession. A relaxed mental attitude includes
freedom from mental attitude sins. All great leaders have been free from worry
and anxiety. Strong character of soul accompanied by strong sense of
responsibility is a part of leadership. Professional understanding and
knowledge of all phases of military logistics, strategy, tactics is necessary.
Loyalty as a result of understanding the principle of authority. Objectivity in
living by the principle and not succumbing to personality conflicts. Common
sense, good judgment, fairness, objectivity, understanding of people, executive
ability; the ability to organise, to categorise, to delegate. Health which
includes endurance and nervous stability is also necessary. The concept of
dress, presence, carriage, poise, courtesy, even flair, these are all a part of
the picture. It has been noted that those who are truly great and fulfill these
principles in the military also make good business executives, they do well in
professions and in other fields of life.
The concept of warfare as a means of discipline is
taught in Judges 5:8 — “New gods were chosen [religious reversionism]; then war
was at the gate.” “New gods were chosen” has to do with the fact that the Jews
became idolatrous, and as soon as they did then war was at the gates; “Not a
shield or a spear was seen among forty thousand in Israel,” they were
unprepared for war. Divine rebuke of Asah brings about the same principle in 2
Chronicles 16:8,9, “And were not the Ethiopians and Lybians a great army with
many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered
them into your hand. For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the
earth that he may provide support for those whose right lobe is completely his.
You have acted foolishly in this, O king, therefore from now on you will always
have wars.” Wars, under the principle of historical trends, are brought about
by collective and individual decisions.
And who suffers the most in warfare when you lose?
As a result of violation of the principles of historical trends the ladies
suffer. Isaiah 3:16, “Moreover, the Lord said, “Because the daughters of Zion
are proud [arrogant], and walk with heads held high and seductive eyes, and
walk with short sexy steps, and tinkle the bangles on their feet [a come-on].
Therefore the Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,
and the Lord will make their foreheads bald.” The scabs have to do with loss of
health in time of war and it means they are no longer attractive. The foreheads
bald simply means they are slaves to the enemy. “In the day of disaster the
Lord will therefore take away the beauty of their anklets, headbands, crescent
ornaments, dangling earrings, bracelets, veils,” there is nothing wrong with
these things but in war you lose them all. Verse 24, “Now it will come to pass
that instead of sweet perfume there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a
rope; instead of well-set hair, a plucked-out scalp; instead of fine clothes,
wearing sackcloth; instead of beauty, branded as slaves. Your men will fall by
the sword, and your heroes in battle. Therefore her gates will scream and
mourn; and be deserted she will sit on the ground.”
Tacitus, one of the great Roman historians: “The
tranquillity of nations is not to be preserved without armies. Troops cannot be
maintained without pay, and their pay cannot be made good without taxes.” The
payment of taxes, the proper use of tax money to build up the military rather
than socialism, respect for the military, separation of the military from
politics, upgrading professional training and standards of the military, the utilisation
of science to improve military weapons and concepts, and the improved spiritual
quality not only of the military but the American people is definitely the
answer to these bishops and the communist threat we face.
Warfare is used to illustrate doctrine, as in
Ephesians 6:10ff; warfare and the military is the means of preparing people for
life and future greatness, as per 2 Samuel 5:2, “Previously, when Saul was king
over us, you were the one who led [the armies of] Israel out and in. And
Jehovah said to you, Because you are successful in battle you will shepherd my
people Israel, you will be a ruler over Israel.” David was first successful as
a soldier before he was successful as a ruler, and this is one reason why the
military is so important. Truly successful people in the military will be
successful in any endeavour in life.
The present solution to warfare then is related to
the client nation function, to the pivot of mature believers living inside the
divine dynasphere, to military preparedness. It relates to spiritual functions
as well. Historical trends again: As goes the believer so goes the client
nation to God. A maximum number of believers living in the divine dynasphere
means uptrend, but a maximum number of believers living in the cosmic system
means historical downtrend and discipline to the country from God. It will be
economic depression, social degeneration, military disaster. Peoples and
nations are the products of their own decisions.
The fulfillment of the Christian way of life and the
completion of the plan of God for our lives must be motivated by that function
of the royal priesthood inside of the divine dynasphere. The prepositional
phrase in verse two, “in the sight of my God,” means that no believer can
fulfill the plan of God inside the divine dynasphere if his motivation is
false. True motivation is derived from doctrine and that doctrine must be
resident in the soul. That requires following the procedures that have been
established in the Word for this factor. The turning of the tide and the
reversal of the historical trends is the responsibility of the believer who is
consistent in the perception of doctrine, consistent in the filling of the
Spirit and therefore consistent in living in the divine dynasphere.
This brings us now to verse three where we have the
alternative to reversing the historical downtrend. Please notice: Each one is
responsible for his own life before the Lord. If you could ever understand this
from the many doctrines we have studied you would find that immediately your
life becomes simpler and the issues come into focus. It is very easy to criticise
someone who is wrong, who has made a mistake, and this is all too often the
arrogance demonstrated by born-again believers. This is cosmic involvement and
a state of great instability. It is amazing how no one seems to want to leave
anything to the Lord, and let the Lord decide the rights and the wrongs of
every situation, and let the Lord handle these things as inevitably He will and
He does.
Compassion is not an emotion. Compassion is the
manifestation of integrity, lots of knowledge of doctrine, understanding the
old sin nature, and understanding that even nice people have one. This was a
problem in Sardis. There were truly believers who loved the Word but Christians
in the cosmic system won’t let them alone. Many times Christians in the cosmic
system aren’t saying, “Let’s go down to the idol temple and have a good time,”
they’re saying, “You don’t need all that doctrine, you just need to live a good
life.” And so it is a very subtle and very great problem. What really makes it
difficult is when you have a true friend, someone you truly love under category
#3 love and they just simply have lost interest in the teaching of the Word of
God on a consistent basis. It is very difficult to make the right choice:
doctrine instead of that friend. Most people that have to do it have to turn on
their friends and snarl at them, and say, “You’re going in the wrong direction,
I’m going this way”. No one seems to have the ability to part from someone they
love without getting in the last Word.
Verse 3, the congregation are called upon to
remember something. The pastor was called upon in verse 2 to “be constantly
alert, strengthen the remnant” who were about to die; they were about to get in
the cosmic system. In verse three the first word in reality should be
“Therefore,” even though it is the second word. That is because it is an
inferential post-positive particle o)un, which is “therefore.” Then
we go to the congregation, the present active imperative of the verb mnemoneuw, which means to recall, and it is a reference to
recalling doctrine in this case. The people who are in the cosmic system have
had doctrinal teaching, but more important the positive believers have had enough
to where they need to make an application from doctrine, not from their
personal likes and dislikes, not from their personal prejudices, not from
personal and category #3 love. Recall is necessary for the application of
doctrine to life. Are you going to apply doctrine to life or you personal
feelings? It is very difficult to keep your personal feelings out of your own
life and the only way to do it is perception of Bible doctrine. The present
tense is a customary present for what habitually occurs when the believer
learns doctrine at gate four. He has something to remember, something to apply.
The active voice: the positive believers who have learned doctrine at gate four
produce the action. This is the remnant. They are going to survive, they are going
to have to remember some doctrine. Doctrine is going to have to be more real
than their friends who are negative, their friends who are in the cosmic
system. The only way that doctrine can be more real than friends that you see
every day is recall, memory. The imperative of command for a mandate regarding
the application of doctrine to the situation we find here — a minority of
positive believers in a congregation where the majority are negative and
involved in the cosmic system. “Therefore, recall to mind,” is the way it
should be translated.
Next in
verse 3 we have an interrogative particle, poj.
It is used for a direct question to determine how something has come to be or
how something should happen. It is simply translated by the English word,
“what.” Then the perfect active indicative of the verb lambanw, receive, “remember what you have received.” This
is a reference to Bible doctrine. The consummative perfect presents a
consummated process, the function of GAP, rather than an existing state. This use of the
perfect actually has both the past act and the present result in mind. The past
act is perception of Bible doctrine, the present result is the application of
doctrine where you are pulled in one way but doctrine says it is the wrong way.
And it applies to all kinds of situations where that might occur. In other
words, it is a testing that every believer faces. You are pulled in one
direction because of personal friendship and love, but in reality you need to
be going in another direction. So this is really and answer to what we call in
life, “push-pull,” where the friend in pushing and the doctrine of the Word of
God is pulling. This situation demands a decision and maybe you postpone the
decision. The active voice: the believer who functions at gate four of the
divine dynasphere produces the action of the verb. The declarative mood is for
the reality of a past perception of doctrine demanding a present application.
And please notice: you are to handle your own life, you are to make your own
decisions, you’re not to be influenced by friends or enemies or by what others
think. You are to be influenced by the doctrine you have in your own soul. This
is a private matter between you and the Lord and you must answer to the Lord
inevitably and you must inevitably take the responsibility for your own
decisions.
While lambanw refers to the modus
operandi of GAP
and eventually resulting in getting e)pignwsij doctrine it also refers to
motivation. When you learn doctrine you must be motivated by doctrine. If
doctrine does not become your motivation sooner or later some friend or someone
you love is going to drag you away from the plan of God. So you must not only
learn doctrine but what you learn must become your motivation in life.
With this we have the aorist active indicative of
the verb a)kouw, a verb we have seen many
times before, always with reference to the perception of doctrine. It is used
for positive volition toward doctrine which includes both the recognition of
the authority of one’s right pastor and concentration as a result on the message.
One thing that authority does for people in life: the proper use of authority
keeps you from making an issue out of people and takes you from people to
principle. Recognising the authority of the pastor doesn’t mean liking the
pastor, or loving the pastor, or having any attitude about the pastor. It means
recognition, acceptance of the content of his message, i.e. Bible doctrine. So
in a true situation in learning doctrine, doctrine is the issue, not the one who
communicates. It is not the man it is the message. The personality of the one
who is in authority is never an issue. This is true in business, in the
military, and in any profession. So the true function of authority eliminates
personality conflicts, and often where a personality conflict exists it is
simply that authority has never been related to the purpose of the company, the
organisation, the academic classroom, whatever it happens to be. Therefore you
have a choice inevitably in these situations. You can recognise the authority
and go for the doctrine or you can get your eyes on the person who has the
authority because all authority in life has been delegated to people.
You are either motivated by people or by principle.
That in principle is what we have here: “therefore recall to mind what you have
received,” and if you have received truth in more of its categories: in
category #1, the laws of divine establishment in which authority is defined in
terms of freedom, you have received truth; the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
you may have heard it from an evangelist who is a person, but it wasn’t what
kind of a person he was, it was his content and you responded to the teaching
of the evangelist, the presentation of the gospel. So you don’t make an issue
out of the person who is the evangelist, you make an issue out of the message.
Then we get down to some spiritual growth, a pastor
communicating Bible doctrine. If you make an issue out of the pastor you’ve had
it! All of your life you are going to face the issue: people versus principle.
It is a test that comes periodically. It is not always people versus principle
because all of us find people to whom we are attracted, find people with whom
we are compatible and who share the same principles that we do. But when it
comes to an issue where you are tempted to run down someone, to malign someone,
to judge someone who allegedly has wronged or who really has wronged, the
allegation or the reality is really not the issue. The issue is: Are you going
to live by principle or are you going to live by people? It is amazing that
once you establish the principle your attitude toward people changes to where
you are going to be well liked and well thought of, and before you know it you
will have some real friends.
The principle comes from doctrine, through people,
therefore the consummative perfect tense. The active voice: the believer who is
positive produces the action. With this the aorist active indicative of a)kouw, the culminative aorist views the function of GAP where you learn principle
in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, the
application of the doctrine you have learned. Once you have e)pignwsij in the right lobe you have principle and therefore
you have a launching pad to apply principle to people, so that people are no
longer obnoxious. The positive believer produces the action, the declarative
indicative for the reality of positive volition on the part of a few,
“Therefore recall to mind what you have received [the application of doctrine]
and heard [the perception of doctrine].” The next word is the present active
imperative of terew, guard it [the doctrine].
You guard doctrine and you will have wonderful friends. If you don’t guard
doctrine you’ll live in the cosmic system and you will be a vacillating,
hypocritical traitor to your friends. “Guard it [maintain it, keep it],” by
living in the divine dynasphere. This means to guard it, to keep it in the
sense of not losing it, to keep in the sense of protecting it, of paying
attention to it, of applying it. To keep or guard doctrine as per this mandate
one must reside and function in the divine dynasphere. Therefore it is a
present tense of duration for what has been mandated in the past and continued
into the present. The active voice: believers in this dispensation, royal
family of God, are the recipients of this mandate; therefore they must execute
it. The imperative mood of command is a mandate for the royal family to keep
living in the divine dynasphere.
The pastor must persist in teaching the positive
believers even if they are a minority in his congregation, for without doctrine
they are potential candidates for the cosmic system, “Be constantly alert, and
strengthen the remnant who are about to die [cosmic death, carnality, reversionism,
cosmic involvement].” The problem is that when you are hit with a little bit of
flattery by a negative believer it often becomes binding in this way: arrogance
means loss of discernment. Arrogance not only means that whatever abilities or
talents or greatness you have in this life is neutralised but arrogance
inevitably means loss of discernment.
Principle
1. Moral people are affectionate without being
passionate in category #3 relationships — social life and friendship, whereas
immoral people are passionate without being affectionate in social life.
2. Affection belongs to category #3 love; affection
and passion belong to category #2 love.
3. Affection comes from the soul and is meaningful
in human relationships, of course, when it includes both integrity and capacity
for love.
4. Passion comes from the body and must be
controlled or regulated by integrity of the soul.
5. For the believer integrity of the soul is the
result of living inside of the divine dynasphere and learning Bible doctrine on
a constant basis.
Arrogance destroys the balance of affection and
passion
1. Arrogance cannot discern between passion and
affection.
2. Therefore arrogance assumes that a show of
affection from the opposite sex is an invitation to passion. This is a major
factor in our social degeneration in this country today.
3. Arrogance fails to distinguish between affection
and passion.
4. Only humility can distinguish between affection
and passion.
5. Arrogance assumes that passion is affection. Therefore
arrogance enters into physical relationships without integrity of soul and
capacity for love.
6. Arrogance assumes that affection is passion.
Therefore arrogance becomes aggressive in lust and attempts at seduction.
7. Arrogance is weak and assumes that flattery is
greatness, and there is the analogy. Just as there is a breakdown in social
life of a nation so there is breakdown of spiritual life in a congregation. And
they break down the same way — arrogance. One day you have in social life a lot
of nice people, the next day you have a lot of lascivious maniacs. One day in a
church you have the majority of the people are positive for doctrine, the next
day the majority are negative. And the thing that breaks them down, the
antithesis of metabolising them, and destroys them is arrogance. Arrogance
disintegrates social life and converts it into degeneracy and arrogance takes
positive volition and converts it into negative volition over night. That is
why arrogance is weak; arrogance assumes that flattery is greatness.
8. This is why, going back to the social side, women
imagine that every man is after her, and this is why on the other side of the
fence the minister assumes that he is great when there is no such thing as
greatness associated with the clergy. There is no such thing as looking at a
minister and saying he is great. Why? Because you are looking in the wrong
direction. The content of his message may be good and excellent and
understandable but there is no such thing as a great minister. A “great
minister” is the object of flattery and attention and is under the principle of
public relations. Therefore it is false. A minister who does his job right is
going to be despised, hated, loved, rejected, accepted, you name it, and he is
going to the recipient. That is not greatness, not in a human sense. And you
really never know whether a minister is great or not until the judgment seat of
Christ, but one thing you can be sure of if you have your right pastor is that
the content of his message is meaningful to you. The content of his message,
regardless of how it is delivered, goes home to your soul and becomes
meaningful in clarifying issues of doctrine and straightening out your thinking
with regard to places where you have been false in your application. It makes
the issues of life clear regardless of what category of life is being discussed
by the passage.
9. The pastor must be alert to avoid arrogance and
protect his congregation from arrogance through doctrinal inculcation from the
pulpit. Basically, that is behind the command, “Be constantly alert, and
strengthen the remnant,” meaning that there is still a minority of believers,
therefore persist in teaching them. Even though you may be irritated by the
negativism in the congregation just go right on teaching the Word. There are
positive believers there and those positive believers must be protected from
going the same way as the negative crowd.
Verse 3, “Recall to mind” or “remember” is the
application of Bible doctrine to the situation. “What you have received,” e)pignwsij doctrine received through the function of GAP; “and heard,” the positive
volition toward doctrine. Hearing is perception ; “and guard it,” by living in
the divine dynasphere, for this is the only way that you avoid arrogance, the
greatest enemy of mankind, the basis for the fall of Satan, the basis for
cosmic one and it 26 gates which interlock in different categories of
arrogance. Arrogance is self-destructive, destructive to a group in a
collective situation of any kind, and inevitably arrogance destroys a national
entity, it destroys everything. Arrogance is the basis for all misery and all
unhappiness, everything in life that is totally horrible and unmentionable. And
while people have a tendency to classify sins on the basis of their overt
manifestation it is arrogance which is the root of all of the various
manifestations of it through sin. That is why arrogance is not only a sin but
arrogance is motivating evil. One thing is certain: you cannot be arrogant
inside the divine dynasphere. To be arrogant you get outside of the divine dynasphere.
We have the aorist active imperative of the verb metanoew next. It means to rebound, to change the mind. The
rebound technique is the only way any of us can avoid arrogance. The person who
says that he has never been arrogant is a double liar. First of all he is a
liar and then, of course, he is arrogant. There is no such thing as an
individual who has not converted normal self-consciousness of the soul into
some form of arrogance at some time. The active voice: the carnal reversionistic
or cosmic believer produces the action of the verb. The imperative mood is the
imperative of command, a mandate from God for the believer to leave the cosmic
system and return to the divine dynasphere. So what we have here is not
“Repent, repent,” some emotional claptrap, but it means change your mind and it
is technical for rebound.
Translation: “Therefore recall to mind what you have
received [the application of doctrine] and heard [the perception of doctrine]
and guard it [by living in the divine dynasphere], and change your mind [the
use of the rebound technique to recover from cosmic involvement and reenter the
divine dynasphere].” That is the first sentence in verse three.
Now we have a second sentence that deals with
residence in the cosmic system which is the means of historical downtrend. And
we have a protasis of a third class condition to begin the sentence. That means
we have two words, first of all o)un, an inferential conjunction
translated “therefore.” Then we have with it e)an,
plus the subjunctive which introduces the protasis of a third class condition,
which is a more probable condition or a supposition from the viewpoint of
probability. The alternative to historical uptrend from life in the divine dynasphere
is historical downtrend from life in the cosmic system. Life in the cosmic
system is characterised by arrogance, preoccupation with self , and therefore
inevitable misery and unhappiness. Unhappiness self-induced plus something that
is even worse and that is the inability to derive any pleasure on a permanent
basis from anything that one has or has achieved, or any relationship or any
function in life that is generally associated with happiness. Happiness simply
does not exist in a state of arrogance. The inferential conjunction o)un, of course, draws a conclusion from what precedes.
The inference comes from three mandates of the previous sentence in verse
three: “recall to mind,” “guard it,” and “repent” [rebound].
“If therefore,” with this we have a verb, the aorist
active subjunctive of gregorew, plus the negative mh; “If therefore you are not alert,” the constative
aorist tense for a fact or action extended over a period of time. This use of
the aorist tense contemplates the action of the verb in its entirety, i.e.
phase two of the plan of God. The active voice: the believer must produce the
action of the verb, namely alertness. Alertness is defined in terms of three
mandates again, “recall to mind,” “guard it,” “rebound.” The subjunctive mood
is a potential subjunctive implying a future reference and is qualified by the
element of contingency. The alternative to alertness is divine discipline, and
therefore the apodosis, the future active indicative of the verb h(kw, which means to come but it is quite different from
the verb e)rxomai. E)rxomai is used for coming and going in normal
circumstances; h(kw means to come suddenly, to
come as a matter of a shock, to surprise someone, and so on. The predictive
future anticipates divine discipline. This is the type of “coming” we have in h(kw. The active voice: Jesus Christ, the prince ruler
of the Church, produces the action of the verb, discipline of the arrogant
believer. The indicative mood: the reality of divine discipline to the cosmic
believer.
We should be warned about one thing with regard to
arrogance. People associate arrogance with the wealthy, the successful, the
well-poised, people with very strong personalities, and this has nothing
whatever to do with arrogance. Some of the most arrogant people are poor
people, scum, people who have nothing and who have achieved nothing. Some of
the most arrogant people in the world are people with problems, people who are
downtrodden or depressed. Arrogance is preoccupation with self above and beyond
the normal function of self-consciousness of the soul. No one is free from it
but, strangely enough, when people have good poise, good leadership, and great
ability and achieve, they are considered automatically to be arrogant. That is
not true at all. The reason why people are accused of arrogance is because
people are so arrogant themselves that they automatically transfer a sin that
they know to someone else about whom they are jealous or they have some
feelings of vindictiveness or bitterness or some other form of antagonism.
So the future active indicative of h(kw, “I will come.” This means to come to punish.
Believers are the products of their own decisions. Bad decisions bring
self-induced misery plus divine discipline. The self-induced misery is what you
do to yourself with your bad decisions but the divine discipline is at the
point “I will come.” Then we have an analogy introduced by the comparative
adverb o(j, “as” or “like.” With it we
have the nominative subject to complete the analogy, klepthj, it means thief, “like a thief.” The Bible must be
interpreted in the time in which it was written. Coming like a thief does not
imply stealth, as in modern times. It implies rather suddenness, surprise. Part
of the discipline is always to be surprised by it. Divine discipline comes
suddenly and when least expected. It always seems to surprise the believer and
the believer often rationalises divine discipline into testing, when it isn’t
testing at all. The cosmic believer will be taken by surprise at the suddenness
of his divine discipline. Divine discipline, as it were, takes his breath away.
“I will come to punish like a thief [suddenly, with surprise, when least
expected].” Discipline that isn’t anticipated or expected hurts because you
have not prepared yourself for it either mentally or physically, or in any
other way that you might be able to soften the blow of some personal disaster
in your life.
Then we have the connective use of the conjunction kai, but it is used here to emphasise a fact as
surprising or unexpected or noteworthy, and therefore we translate it,
“furthermore.” Then we have the aorist active subjunctive of the verb ginwskw and with it we have the strongest possible negative
in the Greek, o)u mh,
two negatives make a stronger negative in the Greek. We translate it: “you will
[definitely] never know.” The constative aorist is for a momentary action. The
active voice: the cosmic believer produces the action of definitely not
knowing. The subjunctive of emphatic negation indicates that divine discipline
always catches the believer by surprise because in his arrogance he assumes
that because he hasn’t been disciplined for something he is not going to be
disciplined for something. And it is true that discipline is changed by
rebound. Even if the punishment goes on the cursing is turned to blessing by
means of the rebound technique.
Then we have the object of the verb, the accusative
feminine singular from the interrogative pronoun translated “what,” poioj, “You will definitely not know what.” It is
followed by the accusative plural direct object from the noun o(ra, which has been mistranslated “hour” in the King
James version. O(ra is used for a limited
portion of time. It is like the word “day” in the Greek, which is used for a
period of time; o(ra is used for a limited
portion of time marked out by part of a settled routine, or a train of
circumstances. Therefore you can refer to a season of the year or a time of
day, and it is correctly translated “point of time,” “Furthermore you will
definitely not know what point of time. And then we have the repetition of the
aorist active subjunctive of h(kw, “I will come.” The constative
aorist refers to a momentary action when divine punishment strikes the cosmic
believer. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb as the
administrator of divine punishment to the cosmic believer. The subjunctive mood
is the potential subjunctive qualified by the element of contingency such as
rebound, transfer from the cosmic system to the divine dynasphere. Then we have
the final prepositional phrase, e)pi plus the accusative singular
from the personal pronoun su, and we translate that “to
you,” for the administration of punishment.
Corrected translation: “Therefore recall to mind
what you have received [application of doctrine] and heard [perception of
doctrine], and guard it [by living in the divine dynasphere], and change your
mind [rebound]. If therefore you are not alert, I will come to punish you like
a thief [suddenly and violently], in fact you will definitely not know what
point of time I will come to you for the administration of discipline.”
In the administration of divine punishment to cosmic
believers our Lord Jesus Christ has perfect timing so that the discipline has
maximum effectiveness. Remember that a thief coming suddenly always refers to
violence. Furthermore the divine discipline does not necessarily match the sin,
the human good or the evil which brought it about. In other words, our Lord
waits to spank at a propitious time when we will hurt the most. This, of
course, is for the cosmic believer who remains in that condition. Rebound
changes this as we have seen. Divine discipline is designed to bring the
believer back to the reality of the plan of God. You see, the cosmic believer
loses touch with the reality of God’s plan and purpose for his life. Divine
discipline is to bring him back to the reality of the plan of God. Therefore we
must really suffer in the administration of that punishment. If it doesn’t hurt
there is no reality that God is still around. Much of our suffering comes from
making wrong decisions regarding doctrine and the plan of God related to the
divine dynasphere. When self-induced suffering does not bring us to the point
of rebound and positive volition in the divine dynasphere then God adds divine
discipline which will either make us or break us. It makes us if we become
aware that we have drifted from the plan of God and rebound and get back in
fellowship, but if we remain in the cosmic system then we go into intensive
discipline and eventually the sin unto death which was implied as a result in
the previous verse. After warning discipline from God comes intensive
discipline and eventually maximum discipline, the sin unto death.
Principle
1. The divine timing finds the cosmic believer
unable to cope with punishment. We have noted before that when suffering is for
discipline it is unbearable; if suffering is for blessing it is bearable. When
suffering is for discipline it is accompanied by arrogance and subjectivity,
but if suffering is for blessing it is accompanied by humility and objectivity.
The solution to suffering for discipline is rebound; the solution to suffering
for blessing is the three stages of the faith-rest drill.
2. If we cannot cope we either get better or worse,
we never stay the same. To ignore divine warning through discipline is to
become worse; to recognise the divine warning in discipline and rebound is to
become better.
3. The greatest disaster in life for the believer is
to become insensitive to the hard rein of divine discipline.
4. If we refuse to be led by God’s Word then we will
be led by God’s punishment.
5. It is far better to be led by Bible doctrine than
to be led by divine discipline. To be led by Bible doctrine implies humility
and sensitivity to the Word; to be led by divine discipline implies arrogance,
insensitivity, stupid stubbornness.
6. It is better to take time to learn doctrine than
to lose time in divine punishment.
7. The issue, then, is perception versus punishment.
By residence and function inside the divine dynasphere with the daily
perception of Bible doctrine the person involved chooses for perception and
God’s plan, but by residence and function in the cosmic system, where the
believer is inculcated by Satanic propaganda, the believer chooses punishment
and Satan’s plan.
We live in very strange times, it is very obvious
that believers in client nation USA are definitely not holding up their end. As goes
the believer so goes the client nation to God. A maximum number of believers
moving from gate four to gate eight in the divine dynasphere produces
historical prosperity, but a maximum number of believers living in the cosmic
system produces historical downtrend. Historical downtrend is characterised by
economic depression, social degeneration and military disaster. There is under
the surface in these United States a tremendous collection of terrorist organisations.
Terrorism is, of course, one of the weapons of the communists and lying low
throughout the country at this very moment there is a tremendous volcano about
to erupt. The US
Army is aware of this and has developed its own anti-terrorist techniques.
Generally speaking there is very little that has been done and very little that
is recognised. Of course, one of the tragedies is something that has been noted
in a recent Texas Tribune, May 13, 1982, which discusses the principle of how
the US is in
support of terrorism.
“On the one hand the United States deplores
terrorism and terrorist groups that conduct it. On the other hand the same
United States subsidises the same terrorist groups, not directly of course, but
through the United Nations. That these terrorist groups would wither on the
vine without direct Soviet financial and political aid adds to the lunacy. A
study by the Heritage Foundation underscores the irony. The United States is
directly supporting guerrilla and terrorist groups around the world since 1975
to the tune of $116,000,000 in traceable funds, with other millions buried in
under-the-table transactions. The United States picks up roughly twenty-five
per cent of that tab which gives the Kremlin the giggles.
UN support of guerrillas and terrorists, all anti-West
and oriented toward the Soviet Union, takes many forms. Some of it is in cash outlays
or in gifts of food, housing, health services, communications channels. But far
more important to the terrorists is the good housekeeping seal of approval it
bestows on them. Oddly enough, or not so odd, is the fact that when anti-Soviet
national liberation movements spring up, such as UNITA in Angola, the United
Nations puts a rubber band around its wallet and refuses to help. All of its
aid funds go to anti-Western groups. Much of this aid ends up with the
Palestine Liberation Organisation which supplies training and arms to most of
the world’s terrorist groups. In fact, as the Heritage report points out, just
two years after the mass murder of Israeli athletes in Munich by the PLO the United Nations welcomed
Yasser Arafat as the representatives of the Palestinian people. In fact UN agencies have granted the PLO full observer status. The PLO sits with the international
civil agency where it serves, I kid you not, as an expert on airline hijacking,
one of its fortes. There is indeed evidence that the UN has allowed the PLO to infiltrate the
lavishly-funded UN
relief and works agency, UNRWA. This not only puts a PLO hand in the $200,000,000 annual budget but also
gives Arafat terrorists access to Palestinian refugee camps which, as the
Heritage report notes, serves as valuable recruiting centres, bases for
military training and indoctrination, and as reported by the Lebanese
officials, actually military installations. At one time the Lebanese Government
ringed these camps with tanks and soldiers, but since the civil war and the
Syrian invasion of Lebanon the PLO openly uses these camps for military operations —
at the United Nations expense and ours.
Official UN recognition is enjoyed by these communist-oriented
guerrilla groups. Heritage says the South West African Peoples’ Organisation (SWAPO),
the African National Congress (ANC), and the Pan African Congress (PAC), are in
it. As I have noted, the United States contributes some twenty-five per cent of
the funds donated by the United Nations, making this country the largest
financial contributor to terrorism in the world. The Soviet Union, through East
Germany and Czechoslovakia, sells the terrorists arms for which the United
States indirectly pays. The SWAPO case is interesting. In recent years the United
Nations has given that organisation with a thoroughly documented record of
terrorism some 40-billion dollars, thirty per cent of it from the United
States. Interestingly, Kert Waldheim, when he was the UN Secretary General, refused
to consider evidence of the nine hundred and sixty nine terrorist attacks by SWAPO involving 227 deaths, 385
abductions, and 227 serious injuries. Instead the United Nations focused its
fire on South Africa, a UN member with which SWAPO is at war. And while the United States contributed
the lion’s share to the United Nations’ world food program, whose contributions
to terrorist organisations exceeds that of any other UN agency, the Soviet Union
gave not a ruble. Since the UN secretariat is infiltrated at all levels by the Soviet secret police
it is understandable that money should be lavished on Terrorist and guerrilla
groups which the Kremlin arms and trains, or through the PLO. Why should the American
taxpayer pay for this at a time when the Treasury faces a one hundred billion
dollar deficit? Why should the domestic programs be curtailed so multi-millions
can go to the enemies of the United States?...”
What this does not say is that in addition to this
the National Council of Churches of America is one of the major contributors to
terrorist organisations. This means that there is a lot of failure in many,
many places and the blame of course can be laid to the door of many. But that
is only part of the truth. The fact remains that we live in the dispensation of
historical trends, and at the present time we, the people of the United States
are a client nation to God. Therefore, as goes the believer so goes the client
nation. The believer is the product of his decisions, not his environment.
Decisions create environment, not environment decisions, and we have made
literally hundreds of thousands of bad decisions and we are closing the options
day by day for the perpetuation of this client nation to God. This is the
tragedy that is rectified by the content of Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
We are studying the dispensation of historical
trends. We live in a dead spot, there are no prophecies to be fulfilled at this
time. The first and second advents of Jesus Christ are the major prophecies in
the field of eschatology. Once our Lord Jesus Christ was seated at the right
hand of the Father and once the Church Age began, from that point right down to
the Rapture of the Church there is no prophecy to be fulfilled. This is the
dispensation of historical trends and therefore a dead spot as far as prophecy
is concerned. The next prophecy is the Rapture of the Church. We have also
noted the most important factor of all, the profile of the winner, the one who
receives the highest possible decoration from God at the judgment seat of
Christ, the order of the morning star. We have seen how those believers who
receive the order of the morning star for historical impact are going to be
presented in the court of heaven during the time that the Tribulation occurs on
earth. The discussion of the Tribulation on earth is the subject of Revelation
chapters 6-18. Then when Christ comes back those who hold the decoration of the
order of the morning star have certain special privileges related to the
triumphal procession of our Lord, related to the coronation of the Lord Jesus
Christ as the ruler of the world during the Millennium, and related to the
rulership of various nations during His Millennial reign. But that is only the
beginning of the story for in all eternity those who hold the order of the
morning star are going to be infinitely greater than all other believers.
Right now we are looking at verses four through six
which is a study of the uniform of glory which accompanies the order of the
morning star.
Verse 4, there are two uniforms presented in this verse,
the uniform of honour which is worn by the mature believer today, and the
uniform of glory which is a translucent light worn over the resurrection body
of those believers who receive the highest of all decorations at the judgment
seat of Christ.
We actually begin the passage, not with “Thou hast,”
but with an adversative conjunction, a)lla, literally translated
“but.” It sets up a contrast between the cosmic believers we have been studying
in verses 1-3 and the mature believers whom we now study in verses 4-6. And
cosmic believers are always separated from mature believers. Believers living
in the divine dynasphere are winners; believers living in the cosmic system are
losers, and God always separates the winners from the losers. In this passage
He does so with the adversative conjunction, “but,” setting up a contrast
between the losers of the first three verses and the winners in the next three.
Next we have the present active indicative of the
verb e)xw, “But you have.” This is a
customary present tense, it denotes what may be reasonably expected to occur
when the Word of God is faithfully taught by pastors. The temporal element is
remote in this passage since the status is assumed to be true in the past or
the future as well as the present. This is the meaning of the customary
present, it denotes all facets of time. The active voice: the church at Sardis
produces the action of the verb, which means that some of the believers in the
local church continue to live in the divine dynasphere, even though they in the
minority, and they persist in the perception of doctrine even though there is a
tremendous amount of pressure on them to join their friends who are in the
cosmic system. The church at Sardis still had those who persisted in the divine
dynasphere. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of believers
advancing to maturity in the midst of general apostasy and reversionism. The
general apostasy of the indicative mood is the historical downtrend which
results from believers spinning off from the pivot through living in the cosmic
system. Three categories of historical disaster result: economic depression,
social degeneration, military disaster.
These are the ones who are still holding fast. Next
we have the object of the verb, the accusative plural direct object is composed
of two Greek words. First of all the adjective, o)ligoj, and it means “a few”; with it we have the word o)noma, which has several meanings. It generally refers to
a person. Sometimes it refers to a title. We have already seen how it refers to
the order of chivalry at the judgment seat of Christ. Here is should be
translated “persons” rather than “names.” It is the same problem that we have
with the word o(ra, translated in the King
James by a transliteration, “hour,” but it very rarely ever refers to a
sixty-minute hour. Generally it refers to a period of time, longer than an
hour, shorter than an hour, and it refers to a period of time which has certain
limitations and certain problems. The same thing is true with regard to another
Greek word, h(mera. It is generally translated
“day,” but more frequently than not it does not refer to a day. Rarely does it
refer to a day. It does when talking about the Sabbath but outside of that and
a few other passages it refers to a point of time, like the day of salvation, a
few seconds, and sometimes a thousand and seven years, like the day of the
Lord.
So o)noma is another problem, it is a
technical word and it refers to persons or individuals, and we are going to
translate it “But you have a few persons [individuals].” The fact is that o)ligoj emphasises the fact that those who advance to
maturity in Sardis go from gate four to gate eight and make good decisions
every day in an area saturated with bad decisions. It is possible for you as a
believer not to be influenced by your dear friends and your close friends who
are in the cosmic system, not to be influenced by them socially or sexually or
materially or some of the other systems of cosmic evangelism. It is possible
for you every day of your life to make good decisions but you cannot do it
without having the right priorities, and if Bible doctrine is not number one
priority there is no way that you are going to survive cosmic evangelism.
Cosmic evangelism has turned the majority of believers in the church at Sardis
into reversionists and apostate believers contributing to the downtrend of
history.
The Greek adjective o)ligoj, meaning few, means that these believers in Sardis who advanced to
maturity had to do so on their own motivation and volition without help or
encouragement from others in Sardis. In fact other believers in Sardis were
trying to lure them away. In other words, there was neither encouragement from
Christian fellowship or social life. Instead, positive volition toward doctrine
was ridiculed in Sardis and consistent living in the divine dynasphere often
resulted in social ostracism by the cosmic believers. Therefore the direct
object emphasises the fact that believers who advance to maturity possess very
strong motivation, a good scale of values, the ability to pass the momentum
tests, and the ability to stay relaxed through enforced and genuine humility.
In Sardis peer pressure was strictly human viewpoint which encouraged and
justified cosmic living, while ridiculing the divine viewpoint and those who
were motivated by it. Those who were advancing to maturity, the “few names” as
per the King James version, were truly great and strong people. But you must
remember that their strength came from living in the divine dynasphere.
Next we have the locale for this, the preposition e)n plus the locative of Sardeij.
Principle
1. Sardis was not the ideal environment for
believers with positive volition toward doctrine. Hence it was a good
environment for developing great strength, for rapid acceleration to maturity,
for becoming eligible in the future for the crown of life, the order of the
morning star, the gazebo in the garden, the order of chivalry, the new name on
the white pebble of the resurrection body, and above all, wearing in time an
invisible uniform of the soul, the uniform of glory, and in the future being
distinguished from all losers — the majority of believers in eternity — by
wearing the uniform of glory of translucent light. So Sardis was the perfect
environment for testing one’s motivation and accelerating one’s advance to
maturity. There was no encouragement from the majority and therefore you had to
be motivated by virtue. Motivational virtue is directed toward God.
2. As goes the believer so goes the historical trend
at any point in the Church Age. Your attitude toward Bible doctrine on a daily
basis is the determining factor of historical impact in this dispensation, and
inasmuch as we live in a client nation to God your attitude toward Bible
doctrine determines the downtrends or the uptrends of this country.
3. Residence and function inside the divine dynasphere
means historical uptrend; involvement in the cosmic system means historical
downtrend. This, of course, refers to believers. Believers are either anonymous
heroes or anonymous losers. Nothing is worse for a nation than to have the
majority of believers as anonymous losers.
4. Therefore people individually and collectively
are the products of their own decisions.
5. Decisions create environment, not environment
decisions. Therefore there are no tragedies in history, rather historical
disasters. When a nation falls to whom we are sympathetic we must remember that
prior to the fall of that nation, prior to the absorption of that nation by the
communists, there has been over a period of time negative volition toward truth
in three categories.
6. These disasters are not tragedies since both
individuals and nations are the products of their own decisions.
“But you have a few persons in Sardis,” a pivot of
mature believers living in the divine dynasphere and contributing to the
historical uptrend plus national blessing.
Next we have a relative clause which introduces the
first of the two uniforms in this verse. This is the uniform of honour or the
mature believer in time. It begins with the nominative plural of the relative
pronoun o(j, and the antecedent is a)noma [persons], “But you have a few persons in Sardis
who.” The few persons, of course, are the pivot of mature believers living
inside the divine dynasphere, contributing to the historical uptrend plus
national blessing by association. This is a reference to the pivot of mature
believers. Next we have the aorist active indicative of the verb molunw, plus the negative o)uk,
which means to smear dirt on something, to stain, to defile, to soil, to make
impure. We will simply translate it, “who have not soiled.” The culminative
aorist tense views the mature believer’s residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing
results. The achievement of maturity plus the edification complex of the soul,
maximum historical impact through residence and function inside the divine dynasphere,
the maximum impact of the pivot and, of course, the glorification of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is the manner in which believers fulfill the plan of God as
it relates to the client nation. The active voice: mature believers produce the
action of the verb inside the divine dynasphere. The indicative mood plus the
negative o)uk indicates the reality of
the invisible uniform of honour, life in the divine dynasphere resulting in
spiritual maturity. Believers who are mature wear an invisible uniform of honour
and it is described in the accusative plural direct object from the noun i(mation, and it means clothes, and refers here to the
invisible uniform. With this we have the possessive genitive of a)utoj, “their
uniform of glory,” a)utoj used as a personal pronoun
in the genitive indicating the uniform of glory or honour which belongs only to
the mature believer in time.
The uniform of honour
1. Just as the impact of the mature believer in time
is invisible so is his uniform. The mature believer is the anonymous hero of
history. He will not be revealed for his fame and greatness until the judgment
seat of Christ and he will be very famous in the Millennium as he rules some
nation under our Lord Jesus Christ. In the meantime the believer who is mature
is anonymous and he wears, therefore, an invisible uniform, the uniform of honour.
2. The uniform of honour is the life of the mature
believer living in the divine dynasphere attaining spiritual maturity,
glorifying Christ, having maximum impact on history as he forms part of the
pivot. (I call it the uniform of honour because the modus operandi of the
Christian is the royal family honour code. He executes the royal family honour
code inside the divine dynasphere)
3. Such a believer is not found in the pages of our
history. His influence is nevertheless real but invisible. 4. During the Church
Age the historical impact of the believer is invisible, yet very real under the
principle of blessing by association. Therefore during the Church Age the true
impact of history is unknown to the general public.
5. However at the judgment seat of Christ the
invisible historical impact of the mature believer, wearing the uniform of honour,
will become known to a select group, the elect angels and the royal family of
God.
6. The mature believer will receive certain
decorations: the crown of life, for life in the divine dynasphere; the crown of
righteousness, the execution of the royal family honour code; a new knighthood
in the resurrection body anticipating Millennial chivalry; the highest
decoration that man can receive from God, the order of the morning star, and
with it, the uniform of glory.
7. Furthermore, at the second advent of Christ the
entire population of the world will know and recognise the mature believers by
the uniform of glory and by the fact that they wear the highest of all
decorations, the order of the morning star.
8. The uniform of honour which is invisible in the
Church Age — it is worn in the soul — will be exchanged for the uniform of
glory which will be visible in the Millennium.
9. Those mature believers who receive the order of
the morning star will rule with Christ over Gentile nations in the Millennium.
10. Therefore when the invisible Christ, now seated
at the right hand of the Father, becomes visible at the second advent, the
invisible mature believers of the Church Age will become visible with Him,
manifest to the entire population of the world. The uniform of honour,
therefore, anticipates the visible uniform of glory in the future.
The clothing of dishonour
1. The positive, mature believer lives consistently
in the divine dynasphere. This does not imply perfect life but the daily use of
rebound when necessary, and he wears the uniform of honour.
2. Clothing in natural life represents thinking,
motivation, organisation, and judgment of the individual.
3. Clothing in the spiritual life represents the
Christian way of life, or the carnal way of life of the royal family, whichever
you happen to be. There is a uniform of honour worn by believers in the divine dynasphere
but there is also a uniform of dishonour worn by cosmic believers.
4. In this passage unsoiled clothing represents the
believer living in the divine dynasphere. Hence the uniform of honour,
integrity, virtue in this life.
5. Soiled clothing mentioned here refers to the
believer living in the cosmic system. Hence the uniform of dishonour, the
uniform of carnality, evil and reversionism.
6. The believer living in the cosmic system has
clothing of dishonour and contributes the historical downtrend of the client
nation to God.
7. The believer living in the divine dynasphere
wears the uniform of honour and not only produces personal virtue, integrity
and honour but contributes to the historical uptrend of the client nation to
God.
In the future mature believers are going to exchange
their uniform of honour for the uniform of glory. So that is next in this
verse, the uniform of glory or the mature believer in eternity. We begin with
the intensive use of the conjunction kai, translated, “in fact.” We
move then to the future active indicative of the verb peripatew, which means to walk. It is translated, “in fact
they shall walk,” referring to the mature believer, the believer who advances
from gate four to gate eight, living inside of the divine dynasphere. The
predictive future tense anticipates the judgment seat of Christ, the second
advent, the Millennial reign of Christ, the eternal state. That is when they
will walk in the manner described here. The active voice: mature believers only
produce the action of the verb and they produce it in the future. The
indicative mood is declarative for a future reward of the uniform of glory and
the privileges which are associated with that award. This verse describes the
privileges which belong to the order of the morning star, wearing forever over
the resurrection body the uniform of glory. With this we have a prepositional
phrase, meta plus the genitive of e)gw, “they shall walk with me,” i.e. with our Lord
Jesus Christ who is communicating this information through the apostle John to
us as believers. With this we have a preposition e)n
plus the locative plural of the adjective leukoj,
and it should be translated, “in whites” — “in fact they shall walk with me in
whites,” plural. It describes the uniform of glory which is a transparent
garment, probably made of light, which is worn over the resurrection body as an
unparalleled honour. Not all resurrection bodies have it, in fact probably
relatively few, those who advance to maturity in any given generation.
Principle
1. Our Lord Jesus Christ wears the uniform of glory
right now at the right hand of the Father. He first showed it to Peter, James
and John even before He had received the resurrection body. In other words, the
uniform of glory was modeled at the mount of transfiguration.
2. This is the fulfillment of Matthew 16:28, “Truly
I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here [Peter, James and
John] who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his
kingdom,” a preview of the second advent.
3. While on the mount of transfiguration Peter,
James and John could not see our Lord in His resurrection body but they could
see the uniform of glory which He would wear over His resurrection body in the
future.
4. In Matthew 17:2 the modelling of the uniform of
glory: “And he was transfigured before them; in fact his face shone like the
sun, and his clothes became white as light.” Only a few, those who are mature
believers who advance to maturity in any given generation will wear the uniform
of glory.
5. The robe of Revelation 1:13 is that same uniform
of glory.
6. The uniform of honour is the life of the mature
believer in time and is manifest to the world by functional virtue such as
impersonal love.
7. On the other hand the uniform of glory is the
transparent garment of life which is awarded to the mature believer at the
judgment seat of Christ. It is to be worn only with the highest decoration, the
order of the morning star.
The principle of cosmic evangelism
The basis for cosmic it is found in the mandate
which is given in verse two to the pastor of the local church: “Be constantly
alert and strengthen the remnant.” These are the believers who wear the uniform
of honour, the minority in this congregation. The pastor must persist in
teaching positive believers for without doctrine they are potential candidates
for the cosmic system; “who are about to die,” we have seen that this is cosmic
death, the carnality which leads to eternal loss of reward, not loss of
salvation. It is carnality reversionism and cosmic involvement; “for I have not
found your work fulfilled in the sight of my God,” which is the criticism of
the majority in the Sardis church. They definitely were not advancing to
maturity; they were not completing the plan of God; the plan of God was simply
not fulfilled, and the reason has to do with the principle and the purpose of
cosmic evangelism.
1. Cosmic evangelism is conducted by believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ. They are under the control of Satan and in his power
system, cosmic one, the interlocking systems of arrogance; cosmic two, the
interlocking systems of hatred.
2. Cosmic evangelistic appeal is generally conducted
through arrogance though the arrogance might be disguised by a facade of
flattery, intellectuality, affection or passion.
3. Arrogance is easily influenced by evil, 1
Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil friends corrupt good morals,” and
this includes virtue and integrity derived from residence and function inside
the divine dynasphere.
4. When the mature believer in the divine dynasphere
is led astray by his love for the cosmic believer the resultant arrogance means
loss of discernment; he is dead cosmically.
5. His cosmic friends may be moral or immoral but
the results are the same. He is evangelised for the cosmic system.
6. The moral cosmic believer is affectionate without
being passionate, and with affection lures the mature believer or the believer
living in the divine dynasphere outside and into the cosmic system.
7. The immoral cosmic believer is passionate without
being affectionate, and with his passion lures the mature believer into the
cosmic system.
8. In the first case of the moral cosmic believer
friendship becomes more important than doctrine. You can be lured out of Bible
class daily very easily. All you have to do is to make a friend of a moral
cosmic believer and that friendship will eventually become more important than
doctrine — and you’re gone.
9. In the second case, the immoral believer leads to
the principle that sex becomes more important than doctrine.
10. Affection comes from the soul and is very
meaningful and wonderful only when it includes virtue, integrity and capacity
for love.
11. Passion comes from the body and is meaningful as
an expression of category #2 love only where love, honour, virtue and integrity
also exist.
12. But where love, honour, integrity and virtue
does not exist then you are evangelised by your cosmic friends, or in some
cases, your cosmic lover. Love, honour and integrity can only exist in the
divine dynasphere, in the cosmic system they are destroyed.
The objective of cosmic evangelism
1. The objective of cosmic evangelism is to lure the
believer in the divine dynasphere into the cosmic system. And Satan does not
attack directly, he uses believers in the cosmic system. He uses their
attractiveness, he uses their relationship with you, he uses their friendship,
he uses their morality, he uses their immorality. Just like communism Satan
uses antithetical methods to achieve the same thing.
2. The tool of cosmic evangelism is the lure to
arrogance. The human race is extremely vulnerable and the attention of a friend
or the desire, the lust of a lover, can make a person forget overnight that
number one priority is Bible doctrine.
3. Arrogance cannot discern between passion and
affection. Arrogance cannot relate, then, to love, honour, integrity and
virtue.
4. Therefore arrogance assumes that a show of
affection from the opposite sex is an invitation to passion.
5. Furthermore arrogance assumes that a show of
passion from the opposite sex is a sign of affection or love, and where cosmic
involvement is concerned neither is true. Passion is not love and affection is
not passion. The believer living in the divine dynasphere keeps them in their
proper place.
6. Arrogance cannot distinguish between passion and
affection, sex and love, the unreality of flattery and the reality of virtue, honour
and integrity.
7. Arrogance assumes that passion is affection,
therefore arrogance enters into a physical or sexual relationship without love,
integrity, virtue or honour.
8. Arrogance assumes that affection is passion,
therefore arrogance becomes aggressive and advances lasciviousness, attempted
seduction.
9. Arrogance assumes that flattery is greatness and
the weakness developed makes the arrogant person the slave of the flatterer.
10. Cosmic evangelism is easy once the victim has
been lured into one of the many categories of arrogance, so inevitably
arrogance is a sign of being evangelised for the cosmic system. This is exactly
what has happened in Sardis.
Verse 4b, “In fact they will walk with me in
whites.” This is the uniform of glory. The uniform of honour is parlayed into
the uniform of glory at the judgment seat of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ wore
the uniform of glory first on the mount of transfiguration, and the uniform of
glory will be worn by a few believers who achieve maturity in the future. It will
be worn at the court presentation in heaven during the Tribulation, it will be
worn at the coronation of our Lord after the second advent, it will be worn at
the wedding supper of the Lamb, it will be worn throughout the Millennium. It
is the greatest honour that a human being can receive.
The doctrine of walking
“they will walk with me in whites”
1. Walking is, of course, the function of bi-ped homo
sapien. It is a form of locomotion in which forward progress is accomplished by
hoisting one foot of the body in front of the body, and then placing weight on
that foot, causing the body to move forward. In the New Testament, however,
walking is used as a synonym for spiritual modus operandi. All of the
connotations of walking in the Christian life are covered by the one Greek word
peripatew. There is also the Hebrew
equivalent found in the Old Testament, halak,
used generally in a metaphorical way. There are also at least two other words
translated “walking” in the King James version. One of them is the verb stoixew, which generally connotes marching in ranks and
used primarily by the apostle Paul. The apostle John uses peripatew. There is also one other word and that is o)rthopodiew, and it means to walk straight. With the negative
it is used for cosmic involvement; with the positive it is used for living in
the divine dynasphere.
2. Walking in the New Testament refers to Christian
modus operandi inside the divine dynasphere. For example, walking refers to
residence in the divine dynasphere in 1 John 1:7, “but if we keep walking in
the light,” the believer living in the divine dynasphere. The same connotation
is found in Galatians 5:16, “keep walking by means of the Spirit and you will
not perform any lust pattern of the old sin nature.”
Functioning at the various gates of the divine dynasphere
is said to be “walking in the Spirit.” Also, walking is used for the three
functions at gate four which are described in terms of walking. The first
function of gate four of the divine dynasphere is perception of doctrine, 3
John 4, “ … some of your children keep walking by means of doctrine,” i.e.
perceptive function of doctrine at gate four. Also at the same gate is the application
of doctrine, 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith and not by sight,” and
“faith” refers to the three stages of the faith-rest drill. The third function
of gate four is momentum, Colossians 1:9,10, “For this reason also, since the
day we heard it, we do not cease to pray for you and so to ask that you may be
filled with e)pignwsij doctrine of his sovereign
purpose by means of all wisdom,” application of doctrine; “and spiritual
understanding,” perception of doctrine; “in order that you might walk worthy of
the Lord.” This is passing the momentum test. Walking is also used for the
function of virtue inside the divine dynasphere, Ephesians 5:2, “We keep
walking in love,” “love” here refers to the functional virtue, impersonal love.
1 Thessalonians 2:12, “So that you may walk in a manner worthy of God who
called you into his own kingdom and glory,” the function of virtue inside the
divine dynasphere. Romans 12:13, “Let us walk honourably as in the daytime,”
function of virtue inside the divine dynasphere. Ephesians 4:1,2, “I,
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, continue to encourage you to walk in a
manner worthy of your station in life,” royal family of God; “into which you
have been elected to privilege, with all humility,” function of gate three; “and
courteous thoughtfulness of others, with patience,” regarding the divine dynasphere,
its residence; “showing forbearance,” function in the divine dynasphere; “to
one another in the sphere of the love complex [the divine dynasphere].”
Walking also refers to the three stages of the
faith-rest drill. 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith and not by sight.” The
faith-rest drill is used inside the divine dynasphere, it is also used to pass
momentum testing. The faith-rest drill is used in the cosmic system only to get
out and to recover life in the divine dynasphere, Colossians 2:6, “According as
you have received you yourself Christ Jesus the Lord [by faith], so keep
walking in him.”
Walking also refers to life inside the cosmic system
of Satan, Ephesians 4:17, “This I say therefore, and make emphatic demand by
means of the Lord, that you no longer keep walking as the Gentiles walk in the
futility of their mind [cosmic involvement],” Ephesians 5:15, “Be careful how
you walk, not as unwise [cosmic involvement], but as wise [decisions regarding
the divine dynasphere].”
Once a believer starts living in the cosmic system,
even though he has been saved by faith in Christ and the work of the cross, he
nevertheless continues to be the enemy of the cross in that system, Philippians
3:18,19, describing the walk of the believer in the cosmic system … “whose fame
is by means of dishonour [the uniform of dishonour or soiled clothes worn by
the believer in the cosmic system], who keeps thinking about earthly things
[involvement in cosmic two].” Or, 1 John 1:6 I “If we contend that we have
fellowship with him and keep walking in darkness [the believer in the cosmic
system is walking in darkness] we are lying and do not practice the truth.”
Walking also refers to future reward of mature
believers, Revelation 3:4, “They will walk with me in whites.”
One of our Lord’s titles in the strategic victory of
the angelic conflict is called “the bright and morning star.” Christ is called
the morning star in relationship to His first and second advents. In Numbers
24:17, “A star shall come forth from Jacob [1st advent]”; 2 Peter 1:19, “A
morning star has come up [2nd advent].” The same is found in Revelation 22:16
where He is called the bright morning star. Since the order of the morning star
is the highest decoration that heaven can give to a believer it must be
accompanied by an appropriate garment. That appropriate garment is the uniform
of glory.
So far in verse four this is what we have: “But you
have a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes [the uniform of honour];
in fact they will walk with me in whites [the uniform of glory].”
We have three more words in this particular verse.
We start out with the causal use of the conjunction o(ti,
correctly translated “because.” Here is the reason for the special award for
the uniform of glory. Worthiness in time means glory in eternity; “because they
are,” the present active indicative of the verb e)imi,
the verb to be. This is a perfective present tense, it refers to the fact of
advance to maturity in past time but is emphasised as a present reality, the
reality of a future reward in the resurrection body. This is tantamount to hope3
in the divine plan, X+Y+Z. The active voice: the mature believer living inside
the divine dynasphere produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is
declarative for a reality of future reward to all mature believers.
With this we have the last word in the sentence, the
predicate nominative from the adjective a)cioj,
and it means worthy. They are worthy because they have lived inside the divine dynasphere;
they are worthy because they have been positive toward doctrine on a consistent
basis and have not succumbed to cosmic evangelism; they are worthy because they
have advanced to maturity, passing all of the momentum tests; they are worthy
because they have constructed the edification complex of the soul; they are
worthy because they have glorified our Lord Jesus Christ in time; they are
worthy because they have maximum, yet anonymous, invisible impact in this
dispensation.
The entire translation: “But you have a few persons
in Sardis [the pivot of mature believers] who have not soiled their clothes; in
fact, they will walk with me in whites, because they are worthy.” The mature
believer exchanges the temporal uniform of honour for the eternal uniform of
glory at the judgment seat of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ as the morning star
has a resurrection body enshrouded in white transparent light. While all
believers will have the white pebble or the resurrection body at the Rapture of
the Church, only those believers who achieve maturity through life in the
divine dynasphere will have the uniform of glory covering their resurrection
body. This uniform of glory is made of transparent light and resembles the
highest-ranking uniform worn by our Lord Jesus Christ on His resurrection body.
The uniform of glory is a part of our Lord’s third royal patent as the morning
star. For mature believers with maximum historical impact in time our Lord will
decorate them at the judgment seat of Christ with the order of the morning star
and the uniform of glory. The order of the morning star is worn on that special
uniform only. This decoration plus the uniform of glory also gives the mature
believer special privileges and special fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ
after the Rapture in heaven, on the earth during the Millennium, and forever
and ever in the eternal state.
You will note that while heaven is a perfect place
for ever and ever there is no equality among believers in heaven, just as there
is no equality among angels in heaven. The are archangels and angles; there are
mature believers and there are immature believers; there are winners and
losers. The losers have a resurrection body; the winners have a resurrection
body plus the uniform of glory plus the order of the morning star plus the
crown of life, and there are vast differences. And differences in heaven, a
perfect place, represents the principle of freedom. It is always freedom that
makes the difference. After salvation your attitude toward Bible doctrine is
the determining factor. Positive volition: advance to maturity; negative
volition: you become a loser.
Remember that freedom always results in inequalities
in life. There is no equality in life; there is no equality in eternity;
equality is not necessary for anything. Equality is ego-arrogant propaganda
from the cosmic system. That is why communism uses it successfully and that is
why so many organisations have used equality successfully. Equality does not
mean happiness, it means unhappiness. Equality means loss of freedom. When
people are equal, allegedly, there is no freedom, no function of freedom. The
function of freedom guarantees that some will succeed and some will fail. That
is why volition and freedom, live and let live, is the great issue in the
angelic conflict. All believers will possess the white pebble but only the
mature believers of phase two will wear the uniform of glory and receive with
it the decoration of the order of the morning star.
The difference between all believers in eternity is
determined by the use of their volition in time. The believer possesses freedom
to choose for the plan of God, including doctrine and the divine dynasphere. He
also possesses freedom to choose for Satan’s plan, the cosmic system. As goes
the believer’s volition toward the plan of God in time, so go the rewards and
decorations of eternity, as well as the difference between great happiness and
misery in time. The differences between believers in eternity is not the
resurrection body but the rewards, the decorations and the privileges presented
at the judgment seat of Christ. The elite of Christianity are not visible in
time for our uniform of glory is worn in the soul. Their faithfulness is related
to their spiritual life — consistent positive volition toward doctrine,
consistent filling of the Spirit inside the divine dynasphere, consistent
advance from gate four to gate eight, the construction of the edification
complex of the soul, the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the
elite of Christianity are those believers who exploit to the maximum the divine
provision of logistical grace and parlay right decisions into spiritual
maturity. Right decisions are made for the divine dynasphere and the Word of
God. These positive decisions are right decisions. They have to be, however,
daily decisions which reflect daily right priorities in life. The thousands of
right decisions in time are reflected in the decorations and privileges of both
the Millennium and the eternal state.
The privilege of ultimate happiness in eternity is
related to the gazebo in the garden. The highest decoration for life in the
divine dynasphere is: the crown of life; knighted with the new order of
knighthood, the order of chivalry for eternity; decorated with the order of the
morning star the highest decoration for historical impact in the angelic
conflict; the uniform of glory which accompanies the morning star.
Peter’s account of mount of transfiguration is given
in 2 Peter 1:17-19, “For when he [Christ] received [on the mount of
transfiguration] from God the Father honour,” the uniform of honour was from
His residence in the prototype divine dynasphere; “and glory,” this was the
uniform of glory which anticipated His resurrection, ascension and session;
“such a sound was then made by his majestic glory [God the Father spoke], “This
one [our Lord Jesus Christ] is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased,” some
of us as sons of God are going to have that same accolade in the future; “and
we heard the same voice carried from heaven when we were with him in the holy
mount [the mount of transfiguration]. And we keep on having, however,” right
now the issue is not what you can see. Peter, James and John saw the uniform of
glory, therefore, empirically they understand something that we can only
understand theologically; “a more reliable prophetical doctrine,” more reliable
than the empiricism of Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration;
“with reference to which doctrine you perform honourably,” that is the uniform
of honour, invisible at the moment but parlayed into the visible uniform of
glory in the future; “concentrating in your right lobes on the lamp shining in
the dark place,” the lamp shining in the dark place today is Jesus Christ who
controls history, “until the day dawn [second advent of Christ] and the morning
star [our Lord Jesus Christ] has come,” second advent. What is invisible today
is the anonymous heroes of the time in which we live, but in the future they
will be well-known, they will be the great people of history.
Verse 5, the uniform of glory presented at court.
First of all we have the award of the uniform of glory, and our first two words
are o( nikon. O( is the generic use of the
definite article used to describe a category. The category here: Church Age
believers who attain maturity through residence and function inside the divine dynasphere,
who are persistent in the perception of Bible doctrine. So we simply translate
the definite article, “the.” Next we have the present active participle from
the verb nikaw, and it means to win.
However the problem here is that there are two other uses for the participle in
the Greek. One is ascriptive, where the participle is used as an adjective; the
other is when the participle is used as a substantive. Here we have the present
active participle used as a substantive and this is because there are no other
nouns in the area. It is translated simply, “the winner.” With it we have an
adverb, o(utoj, and it would be
translated, “So the winner”: o(utoj means “so,” and it refers
to what precedes. It can be translated “thus”; it can be translated “so.” In
other words, this is simply a continuation from verse four. The mature believer
decorated with the order of the morning star at the judgment seat of Christ is
the winner.
Next we have we have the future middle indicative of
the verb periballw, and it means to clothe, it
means to wear, it means to attire, “Thus the winner [the mature believer] shall
be clothed.” The predictive future tense anticipates the judgment seat of
Christ when the mature believer receives the uniform of glory as a part of
being decorated with the order of the morning star. The middle voice is a
direct middle in which the believer participates in the results of the action,
being decorated with the order of the morning star plus the uniform of glory
worn over his resurrection body. Remember that the uniform of glory is a robe
of translucent light. It was worn first by our Lord Jesus Christ; in fact it is
worn by Him at the right hand of the Father. The indicative mood is declarative
for the reality of the award of the uniform of glory at the judgment seat of
glory. The uniform of honour is exchanged for the uniform of glory. The uniform
of honour is manifest by the modus operandi of functional virtue and the
fulfillment of the royal family honour code. “So the winner [ the mature
believer] shall be clothed.”
Now we have the prepositional phrase which describes
the uniform of glory, e)n plus the locative plural of
the adjective leukoj plus the noun i(mation, meaning robe or garment. It is translated, “in
whites,” plural.
The occasion for the uniform of glory and the
wearing of the order of the morning star begins at the judgment seat of Christ
where it is awarded. That is when for the first time mature believers will be
decorated and they will wear the order of the morning star and the uniform of
glory. With the order of the morning star they receive the uniform of glory, as
we have noted. The reason for the presentation of this decoration in heaven is
because Jesus Christ has as a part of His third royal patent the title “morning
star.” The order of the morning star, therefore, and the uniform of glory
represent maximum utilisation of logistical grace during phase two of the plan
of God. They also represent maximum time spent inside the divine dynasphere and
the consistency of high priorities given to Bible doctrine so that doctrine
comes first above everything else. Doctrine is the key for advancing to
maturity.
After mature believers receive the order of the
morning star and the uniform of glory they will be presented in the court of
heaven, but only mature believers. Believers who do not attain maturity in this
dispensation are going to have resurrection bodies but they are not going to be
presented in the court of heaven. They are not going to have a chapter in the
eternal history of the human race.
Once the second advent occurs the next item on the
agenda is the fact that the believer in the uniform of glory and the order of
the morning star is revealed to the entire population of the world.
In verse 5 we have covered one phrase: “Thus the
winner,” the mature believer decorated with the order of the morning star at
the judgment seat of Christ, “shall be clothed in white garments,” a reference,
again, to the translucent uniform of glory. The winner is the believer who
lives in the divine dynasphere and functions at the various gates. It is the
mature believer who carries the nation. The loser is the cosmic believer who is
involved in cosmic one with its 26 gates of interlocking system of arrogance
and cosmic two with its 9 gates of interlocking systems of hatred.
We have noticed the resurrection of the Church which
terminates the Church Age, the next prophecy in history. That is point X. Point
Y is the great genuflect in the sky. When a person dies during the Church Age
he is absent from the body and face to face with the Lord. That means that his
soul leaves the body and enters into the presence of the Lord where he receives
a new interim body. This is a period of tremendous happiness for losers and
winners. Losers and winners are not distinguished after physical death in
heaven. Then comes the resurrection of the Church and that is where we start X,
Y and Z. At X the resurrection body is received. The dead in Christ receive
theirs; those who are alive and remain receive theirs, and at point X there is
no distinction among believers as yet. They all have the same resurrection
body. Then at point Y, the big genuflect in the sky, the great time of worship
of the entire assembled royal family of God, and still no distinction between
resurrection bodies. Point Z is where the distinction begins.
The winner is the believer who logs maximum time in
the divine dynasphere, the believer who advances from gate four to gate eight,
who fulfills the principle of integrity and virtue in life manufactured inside
the divine dynasphere. The function of the royal priesthood is directed toward
God, you have to live your life as unto God; the function of the royal
ambassadorship is life directed toward man and circumstances. The result is
that by perception of doctrine there is motivating virtue produced in the
direction of God and functional virtue produced in the direction of mankind.
This is the modus operandi of the mature believer. He builds the edification
complex of the soul through daily perception of Bible doctrine. So the winners
are believers who live in the divine dynasphere, learn Bible doctrine on a
consistent basis, pass the various momentum tests, advance to maturity, fulfill
the plan of God, and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Losers are believers who
live in the cosmic system. They become the servants of Satan, they come
constantly under the control of their old sin nature and carnality, and
constantly under the control of Satan through the cosmic system. Losers are
Christians, then, who fail in time. They do not lose their eternal salvation
because of their failure. However they do occupy an inferior status in heaven,
they have no authority in the Millennium and an inferior status forever and
ever.
The winners are described by the participle nikaw, winner. All historical blessing and prosperity in
the Church Age results from unknown and unnamed believers who live inside the
divine dynasphere and advance to spiritual maturity and form the pivot for the
client nation. These are the anonymous heroes of history. They have used the
hidden manna of Bible doctrine and the provision of logistical grace combined
with the function inside the divine dynasphere to become winners. That is why
in verse 5, “Thus the winner shall be clothed with white garments,” referring
to the uniform of glory. The uniform of honour is parlayed into the uniform of
glory at point Z, the judgment seat of Christ.
Point Z: 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear
before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one of us [each believer in
Christ] may receive what is due him for the things accomplished in the body,”
while he was on earth, a specific reference to phase two of the plan of God,
“whether good or evil [worthless].” The word for “good” is the Greek word a)gathoj, the adjective which means good of intrinsic value,
and it is often used to describe the plan of God, Romans 8:28. The word for
“worthless,” fauloj, has to do with function
inside of the cosmic system.
The loser should be noted first at point Z. There
are two categories at the judgment seat of Christ, all are believers but there
are two categories: those who are losers and those who are winners. The losers
are going to have a period of ashamedness. Romans 5:5 puts it this way: “And
hope [hope3 of Z radical] does not make us ashamed [at the judgment
seat of Christ].” Or, 2 Timothy 2:15, “A workman who needs not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the Word of truth.” And, of course, the implication is that if
you do not rightly divide the Word of truth, perception and application, then
you are going to be ashamed. Or, Philippians 1:20, “According to my earnest
anticipation and hope [hope3 of Z radical], that I shall not be put
to same in anything,” the implication is that losers are put to shame; “but
with all confidence [again, the 3rd hope of Z radical] Christ shall now, as
always, be glorified in my body, whether by life or by death.”
Losers are found in Philippians 3:18,19. While they
have not lost their salvation in that passage they are called “enemies of the
cross,” their end is destruction, they are going to die the sin unto death,
their god is their emotion, their emphasis is on the human viewpoint, etc. In 1
John 2:28 we are given the mandate as believers, “keep residing in it [the
divine dynasphere], that if he [Christ] should appear [Rapture followed by the
judgment seat of Christ], we might have confidence and might not be put to
shame in his presence.” Losers are going to be put to shame in His presence.
Winners are going to receive the crown of life. This
is for living inside the divine dynasphere. And with the crown of life they
will also receive the decoration of maximum impact — Revelation 2:28,
“Furthermore I will give to them the order of the morning star.” And, of
course, the uniform of glory goes with this. The decoration of the morning star
includes the privilege of wearing the uniform of glory, Revelation 3:4, walking
with the Lord in whites. The decoration includes also presentation at the court
of heaven.
The order of the morning star also includes a new
knighthood, the order of chivalry for the royal family or Church Age believer,
Revelation 2:17, “I will give him blessing from the hidden manna [Bible
doctrine], and I will give him a white pebble [resurrection body], and on that
pebble has been written a new title [an honour only belonging to those who hold
the order of the morning star] which no one knows except the one who receives
it.”
The winner also figures in the second advent. After
being presented at the court of heaven he joins up with the other winners of
the morning star to return to the earth. When the Lord returns to the earth
those who hold the order of the morning star and wear the uniform of glory are
going to be there, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, “At the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ with all of his saints,” those who are winners and those who are losers.
They are by this time distinguished. There is no longer the common resurrection
body, the white pebble. Now there is a tremendous distinction between winners
and losers.
Before the
Millennium there will be a coronation such as the world has never seen. Our
Lord Jesus Christ is going to be crowned the ruler of the world. He will give
the rulership of the world to the Father who will immediately give it back to
Him. At that point, once again, there is a tremendous distinction between
winners and losers. There are two kinds of people there who are believers.
There are believers in their physical bodies who will be the nucleus for the
Millennium and believers in resurrection bodies. It is described in Revelation
19:6, the coronation; in Revelation 19:, the wedding supper of the Lamb which
follows.
Verse 6, the coronation, “I heard as, as it were,
the sound of a great crowd of people [Church Age believers in resurrection
bodies] and as the sound of many waters [the Old Testament saints and Tribulational
martyrs have just received their resurrection bodies and they are classified as
“friends of the groom”] as the sound of mighty thunderings [the living and
surviving Tribulational believers who will be the nucleus for the population
explosion of the Millennium], saying, Praise belongs to the Lord because the
Lord God [Jesus Christ] has become king.”
Verse 7, the wedding supper of the Lamb. “Let us be
extremely happy.” There are degrees of happiness always. In the divine dynasphere
there are degrees of happiness, happiness from the filling of the Spirit,
happiness which comes from objectivity, basic impersonal love. Great happiness
and capacity for happiness always depends on humility. No one is ever happy in
a state of arrogance. Then, of course, there is happiness for those who are
positive in perception and application of doctrine, happiness in love for God,
happiness in right man, right woman, in friendship, in maturity. There are also
degrees of happiness in eternity; the same thing applies.
The reason for this is obvious. Once we accept
Christ as saviour we are free to accept or reject Bible doctrine. The issue is
no longer salvation or, What think ye of Christ? The issue is now, What do you
think about Bible doctrine? Positive volition toward doctrine in the divine dynasphere
means good decisions over a period of time resulting in spiritual maturity. But
negative decisions toward doctrine result in becoming a loser.
Heaven is a perfect place and heaven is going to
have winners and losers in varying degrees. So there will be varying degrees of
happiness in heaven. No one is going to be unhappy once they get past the
judgment seat of Christ but there is going to be a tremendous inequality.
Remember that inequality goes with freedom.
Continuing verse 7, “and celebrate with maximum
happiness and give glory to him [Christ is the groom who has just been crowned
ruler of the world] because the marriage of the Lamb [Christ] has come and his
bride [the Church] has made herself ready,” i.e. the judgment seat of Christ,
presentation of the morning star winners and then returning with Christ, “Also
it was given to her that she [the bride, the Church] should be clothed in fine
linen,” all believers in their resurrection bodies. There is no distinction
between winners and losers in this passage but there is in the next phrase;
“bright,” this is part of the limited group who have the uniform of glory and
the order of the morning star; “unsoiled,” morning star winners only. The fine
linen is the ultimate righteousness, resurrection body minus the old sin nature
of the saint, the royal family of God. “And he communicated to me, “Write,
‘Happiness belongs to the ones who are invited to the marriage supper of the
Lamb’ .”
The authority of the morning star in the Millennium
then becomes the next issue. The morning star people are going to stand out at
the coronation, at the wedding supper of the Lamb, and now we go into the
Millennium. The Millennium is a time of rulership by our Lord Jesus Christ. It
is a time, however, of nationalism. The whole system for administering freedom
under the rulership of our Lord is nationalism and the world again will be
broken up into many nations. There will be one client nation to God and that
will be Israel at that time. For the rest there will be Gentile nations and the
principle is that those who hold the order of the morning star are the
anonymous heroes of history. They are anonymous in the Church Age but they will
be well-known in the Millennium. Revelation 2:26-28 — “to him I will give
authority over the nations.” The anonymous heroes of the Church Age will become
famous in the Millennium. And notice: the Lord Jesus Christ “shall rule them
with a rod of iron.” He rules with authority. No one can rule without
authority; no one can control without authority. And He rules: Revelation 20:4,
“And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them [Church Age believers, winners
of the order of the morning star], and judgment was given to them.”
The privileges that belong to the morning star
decoration in the eternal state is a fascinating subject. For example, once the
Millennium is over there is a revolution at its end. Satan is loosed and he
comes back and finds those who reject perfect environment because they have no
capacity for life, love or happiness or blessing. They have rejected Christ as saviour
and therefore Satan will start a revolution, the Gog revolution. After that is
put down there is going to be the nuclear destruction of planet earth by the
Lord Jesus Christ.
The first
thing we notice about privileges in eternity. There is going to be a nuclear
destruction of the universe and a new heavens and a new earth and a new
Jerusalem are all going to be created, and we are going to live forever and
ever in this. And we are going to have degrees of happiness, degrees of
blessing, and inequality will be the order of the day in eternity, just as the
angels are in eternity and there is tremendous inequality among angels.
The privileges: We only have a short time on this
earth and if our priorities are straight we will have no problem. Revelation
2:7, “I will give him the privilege of eating from the tree of life in the
paradise of God.” The tree of life and the paradise of God is open to mature
believers only. By the way, it is going to be located in the new Jerusalem and
you are going to have to have the pass to get in, and if you are not a mature
believer with the coat of arms, the eternal escutcheon of maturity, you can’t
get in. So the gazebo in the garden is where there is going to be a lot of
partying in heaven. But if you are a loser, note that there is a special party
every now and then in the new Jerusalem and it is for morning star holders
only, for those who wear the uniform of glory only, for those who have the
escutcheon of glory only. So there is a great benefit that belongs to a few. It
should be more than a few.
The highest order of eternal chivalry is the new
knighthood of Revelation 2:17, “To the winner I will give him blessing from the
hidden manna [maximum doctrine in the soul], and I will give him the white
pebble [resurrection body] and a new title [knighted with the new title of
knighthood for the order of chivalry in eternity]”.
Then there is a third factor that is very important.
The believer who has the most impact on history is the believer who advances to
maturity, lives in the pivot, and therefore becomes blessing by association
historically to his contemporary. This believer is going to be anonymous now
but the time will come when the low profile will be famous, for in eternity.
Revelation 3:12, “I will make the winner a pillar in the temple of my God.
Furthermore, he will never vanish from history.” This anticipates our study of
this verse. Each believer who is mature and holds the order of the morning star
will have a pillar, a chapter in the permanent history of the human race. He
will be famous as a ruler in the Millennium; he will be famous as having a
permanent chapter in human history.
In the rest of verse twelve we have the eternal coat
of arms and the heraldry of the winners. An escutcheon is simply a coat of arms
often put on some kind of a shield. It has three parts. On the first, “I will
emblazon on him [the mature believer, the winner] the title of my God,” the
title of God the Father as the author of the divine plan. The mature believer
has executed the plan of God in time and, therefore, he has a heraldry and the
title of God the Father. The next part of the escutcheon is next described,
“also the new Jerusalem,” that is, the pass to enter the new Jerusalem of the
eternal state where the tree of life is located; “which shall descend from the
immediate source of heaven and from the ultimate source of God.” Then the third
part of the escutcheon, “also emblazoned with my new name.” That is the third
royal patent of our Lord Jesus Christ which He earned at the cross and the
first advent, and it indicates that mature believers faithfully served the Lord
in time rather than Satan in the cosmic system, the honoured Him, and this is
the way they are recognised in their coat of arms.
Summary: The coat of arms of the mature believer in
eternity has three parts: Dexter — the title of God the Father, indicating the
fulfillment of His plan in time, life in the divine dynasphere, advance to
maturity, construction of the edification complex of the soul; The Middle — the
new Jerusalem simply parlays supergrace blessings of time into surpassing grace
blessings of eternity; the Sinister — the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus
Christ indicating the fact that the mature believer glorifies God in time.
All of this pulls together what we are discussing at
this point in verse 5 — “Thus the winner [the mature believer] shall be clothed
with white garments.”
We now move to the permanence of the uniform of
glory. There are going to be great distinctions in heaven. The use of freedom
in time, the use of volition in time, means inequality in heaven. Heaven is a
perfect place, the circumstances of heaven are perfect and yet there will be
vast differences between believers. Some will have simply a resurrection body
minus the old sin nature. Others are going to have the resurrection body plus
the crown of life, the crown of righteousness, the order of the morning star,
the uniform of glory, the heraldry of glory as well.
Next we have the connective use of the conjunction kai, meaning “and,” followed by the aorist active
indicative of the verb e)xaleifw, which with the strong
double negative means to blot out. The double negative is not a positive in the
Greek, it is a stronger negative. Here we have u)o mh.
Mh is the negative usually
used with the subjunctive, with the imperative, with infinitives and with any
other type verb form where you have a negative, except the indicative. O)u is used with the indicative. When you put them
together they are very very strong. The literal translation is, “not never.” So
we have so far: “and I will not ever blot out” or “I will never obliterate.”
The dramatic aorist tense states a present reality with the certitude of a past
event. This is a grammatical device for emphasising the eternal security of the
believer and applying it to the doctrine of the uniform of glory. The active
voice: our Lord Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb to emphasise the
permanence of all rewards and surpassing grace blessings in eternity. The
indicative mood is declarative plus the strong double negative emphasises the
permanence of rewards and also the permanence of the decision you made when you
personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
With this we have the accusative singular direct
object from o)noma. While o)noma means name it also has other similar meanings in
the Greek. It sometimes means “person” and it quite often, as in the book of
Revelation, refers to a title, a title of knighthood. The heraldry we have
noted briefly and the title of knighthood go together. Anyone who has a title
of knighthood also has a coat of arms and heraldry is the study of the coat of
arms. When the Normans came to England the way in which they recognised their
own troops was by what they wore over the breastplate and what they had on the
shield. To distinguish friend from foe a system of heraldry was used by these
Norman knights. Eventually in the history of England it was picked up by the
Saxons as well and, eventually of course, the amalgamation of the two led to a
tremendous system of heraldry which spread all over western Europe.
The shield became the basis for it all. On the top
was the “chief,” the bottom was the “base,” the left was called “dexter,” the
middle was called “middle,” and then the right was called “sinister.” There are
three different facets to the order of knighthood given to every mature
believer as a reward in eternity and the distinction between believers will be
found in that order of chivalry for eternity. There is an order of chivalry for
the Millennium, there is an order of chivalry for eternity, and the uniform of
glory is permanent; all of this is permanent. This is the concept: “I will
never obliterate his royal title” — not “his name” but his royal title, the
title he has earned as a believer in time, residing and functioning inside of
the divine dynasphere and, at the same time, advancing to maturity from gate
four to gate eight.
Then we have the reference to the book of life, e)k plus the ablative from bibloj,
and with it we have zwh in the genitive. It is
correctly translated “book of life.” “I will never blot his title [his honour,
his awards, his heraldry] out of the book of life.”
The book of life is two things. It is one thing in
time and it is something else in eternity. Basically the book of life is a
registry, it has the names of every member of the human race in time. In
eternity it is the registry of all believers, not all people. When a person
dies without accepting Christ as saviour his name is blotted out of the book of
life so that when you get to eternity the only people who are left are
believers. So in eternity it is the registry of believers; in time it is the
registry of the human race.
The book of life in our passage deals with also with
the new knighthood, the new order f chivalry as well as the registry of the
name. The book of life is related to the function of GAP in Philippians 4:3, “Help
those women who fought at my side in the spread of the gospel; also help with
Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of
life,” meaning they are in there now and they always will be, they will never
be blotted out.
The unbeliever is not registered in the book of
life, according to Revelation 13:8, “And all who dwell on the earth will
worship him, every one whose name has not been written from the foundation of
the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
So you see we have different approaches to the book
of life. Here we anticipate eternity because those who are going to worship in
eternity are those who are still in the registry. If you are not in the
registry you don’t worship God. The book of life is also related to the
historical power of the revived Roman empire in the Tribulation, Revelation
17:8 — “The beast that you saw [revived Roman empire] was [Roman empire in AD 96] and is not [AD 476],
and is about to come out of the abyss [revived Roman empire of the Tribulation]
and to go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will be amazed whose
name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they shall see the beast, that was and is not and will come.”
The book of life is also related to the last
judgment, Revelation 20:12, “And I saw the dead [unbelievers], great and small,
standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened,
which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things that were
written in the books, according to their works.” Here is the principle of the
last judgment. If your name is blotted out of the book of life because you
didn’t accept Christ as saviour there is another set of books on you, the books
of your works, every good deed you have ever done. At the last judgment your
sins will not be mentioned, they were judged at the cross. But the unbelievers
works will be brought up and they will tally up to -R. It will be demonstrated
then that -R cannot have fellowship with +R and therefore this is the basis for
going to the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15, “And if anyone’s name was not
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
In Revelation 3:5 it says: “I will not blot his name
out of the book of life.” This means two things: that no believer can lose his
salvation; that no mature believer can lose his rewards. The registry of the
names of believers in this dispensation will include their royal titles, royal
titles earned by advancing from gate four to gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
Hence the book of life is the registry of all believers in eternity, according
to Philippians 4:3; Revelation 13:8; 17:8; 20:12,15; 21:27; 22:19. In history
all members are registered in the book of life but at the point of their death,
or in the case of the end of the Tribulation the baptism of fire, the
unbeliever is blotted out of the book of life. The believer cannot be blotted
out of the book of life, emphasising the permanence of his eternal state and
the irrevocable eternal rewards which belong to him. So the one who has the
order of the morning star also has a special royal title which distinguishes
him from other believers, and his royal title will not be blotted out, another
way of saying we are not going to all be equal in eternity. There will be
inequality in the perfect environment of heaven and that means that royal titles
will be used for ever and ever, and royal titles belong only to those believers
who advance to maturity and therefore are in the order of chivalry.
Mature believers are going to be presented at the
court of the third heaven after the judgment seat of Christ. The presentation
begins with the intensive use of the conjunction kai. Then we have the future active indicative of the verb o(mologew, “in fact I will acknowledge.” O(mologewis the word translated “confess” in 1 John 1:9, and
we have already seen that it means to acknowledge or cite. Now here is a public
acknowledgment and the one who is going to do it is our Lord Jesus Christ.
There are two ways in which you can be presented at
court. The first way is to actually be brought into the presence of the king
(or the queen) and receive some investiture, be presented and recognised
personally by the sovereign of the land. There is another way. Kings and queens
in the past history of England have had bastards, lots of them. These people
couldn’t even go into court until they were given a coat of arms and a family
name. “I will acknowledge” — that is what Richard II did for his cousins, the Beauforts,
and that is what the Lord Jesus Christ will do for every mature believer; “in
fact I will acknowledge,” the predictive future anticipates and event which
occurs between the Rapture and the second advent in heaven. The believer who is
decorated with the order of the morning star is actually presented at court.
The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb by making the
presentation. Our Lord Jesus Christ presents every morning star-holder
personally to God the Father, “in the presence of the holy angels.” God the
Father knows all people, He is omniscient, but this goes beyond that as an honour.
The presentation is made with the believer wearing the uniform of glory. The
indicative mood is declarative for the court presentation in heaven while the
Tribulation is occurring on earth, Revelation 6-18.
With this we have the accusative singular direct object
from o)noma, which means “name,”
“person,” “title,” “knighthood.” And with it we have a)utoj, which means “his
name,” “his title.” He will be
presented with his title.
Then we have a description of the court of heaven.
It begins with the improper preposition of place e)nwpion, and it has two meanings in this context. With the Father [Pathr] it means in the presence of the Father; with
angels [a)ggeloj] it is “before.” “In the presence of my Father,” genitive of
relationship from e)gw, and that describes the
court of heaven where the believer who is decorated with the order of the
morning star is presented; “and before his angels,” the same word, e)nwpion, this time plus a)ggeloj and the possessive genitive a)utoj. These are the elect angels
who did not go astray when Lucifer started the first revolution in heaven.
So it should read in verse 5: “Thus the winner
[mature believer] shall be clothed in white garments; and I will never blot his
name out of the book of life; in fact I will acknowledge [the presentation of
the morning star winners at the court of heaven] his title [new knighthood
received at the judgment seat of Christ] in the presence of my Father and
before his angels.”
Verse 6, how to achieve all of these things. This is
the articular present active participle of e)xw, “He who has.” The definite article is used for a personal pronoun
referring to the believer in Christ who from the point of salvation on has been
equipped and supported with logistical grace and has made positive decisions
with regard to what he has been given in logistical grace. The present tense is
a static present emphasising the fact that everyone has ears totally apart from
human merit which is analogous to the believer being sustained by logistical
grace for perception of doctrine and perpetuation of momentum. Every believer
has the same opportunity.
God provides for you everything you need to advance.
If you do not it is your decision, not God’s provision. The only reason there
will be losers at the judgment seat of Christ is because people have made wrong
decisions.
Momentum
inside the divine dynasphere is the only means of achieving spiritual maturity
and possessing maximum historical impact. The believer who attains maturity in
the divine dynasphere wears the uniform of glory, is decorated with the order
of the morning star, is actually given a coat of arms a patent which is
registered in the book of life, a royal patent which can never be removed. He
is also in the sphere of maximum happiness forever and ever. The maximum
happiness in eternity is related to the new Jerusalem which hovers over planet
earth in eternity, and access into new Jerusalem is only possible for mature
believers. So there are even places in heaven where forever and ever certain
people are restricted from going.
The uniform of honour in time is therefore parlayed
into the uniform of glory at the judgment seat of Christ. The active voice:
positive believers produce the action of the verb through the exploitation of
logistical grace.
“an ear,” the accusative singular direct object of o)uj, a dual word which in the singular means you
have ears, plural. If it is in the plural it means everyone else has ears. So
we translate: “He who has an ear.” Just as the possession of ears is totally
without human merit so the provision of logistical grace is totally apart from
human works, ability or merit. Possession of ears is a reminder that we as
believers are equipped with grace provision for learning doctrine, we have
spiritual IQ
related to the first three gates of the divine dynasphere. Gate one, the power
for perception of doctrine, the filling of the Holy Spirit; Gate two is
objectivity for perception of doctrine, impersonal love; Gate three is teachability,
which is enforced and genuine humility. Note also that no one hears apart from
human positive volition toward doctrine. The ear, then, represents the grace
system for the perception of doctrine; gate four of the divine dynasphere. It
is perception of doctrine at gate four plus the application of doctrine to
momentum testing which results in advance to maturity and the guarantee of the
order of the morning star in eternity.
Next we have the mandate, “let him hear,” the aorist
active imperative of the verb a)kouw, used not in the present
tense, keep on hearing, but as a constative aorist which gathers up in to one
entirety every moment of positive volition you have in your lifetime. There is
a lesson in the constative aorist: God isn’t looking for hotshots, because no
matter how smart, how talented, how beautiful, how attractive, how great, how
powerful, how anything you might be, it means nothing to God or God’s plan.
God’s plan calls for pluggers. You have to make decisions every day for
doctrine, you can’t make them once in a while. The people who advance to
maturity are all pluggers. Pluggers are the people who really make it. The constative
aorist reminds us of the fact that to advance to maturity you have to plug. You
have to take in doctrine to day, tomorrow, the next day. The active voice: we
have the third person suffix of the verb form and it indicates that positive
believers residing in the divine dynasphere produce the action of the verb. The
divine mandate, however, is addressed to all members of the royal family, not
just some of them. The imperative mood of command is the overall mandate for
the believer of this dispensation, the Church Age, to reside and function in
the divine dynasphere — positive volition, right priorities, perception of
doctrine.
With this we have the teaching ministry of God the
Holy Spirit in the accusative neuter singular from the interrogative pronoun tij, which means “what sort of thing?” Bible doctrine.
And then pneuma, referring to God the Holy
Spirit, “what the Spirit.” And then what sort of thing the Spirit communicates,
which is the present active indicative of the verb legw,
which means to say, speak, communicate, sometimes teach. It comes from the
Greek word logoj which means “word” and
“doctrine” and similar connotations. The customary present tense is for what
habitually occurs when the believer resides and functions inside the divine dynasphere,
in God’s plan. Perception of doctrine at gate four is the function of the royal
priesthood while application of doctrine is the function of the royal
ambassadorship. The Holy Spirit produces the action of the verb, He provides
the necessary spiritual IQ for perception of doctrine. No one is handicapped in learning doctrine
because the IQ
is provided by the Spirit. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality
of the Spirit’s ministry in perception of doctrine. This is again the principle
of power, objectivity and teachability. The power: the filling of the Spirit;
the objectivity: the function of impersonal love at gate two; teachability: the
function of enforced and genuine humility at gate three.
Then there is the classroom, the dative plural
indirect object of the noun e)kklhsia, the local church which is
the classroom. This is a dative of advantage. Not only must all teaching of
doctrine as perception be related to residence in the divine dynasphere but
also in the classroom of the local church. However, we have to be careful here
because a building is not a church. A home can be a church, as in the ancient
world. It is simply a place where believers gather together under strict
academic discipline for perception of doctrine. In other words, good manners
must prevail whether it is face to face teaching or whether it involves
nonresident teaching through some mechanical convenience, a radio, television,
tape recorder, etc. The local church is an academic classroom because it is the
means of communicating doctrine. Therefore perception not only demands the
filling of the Spirit but the recognition of the authority of the pastor,
whether he is coming out of a tape recorder, over the radio, or whatever type
of pastor the individual has, and strict academic discipline is still enjoined.
Translation: “He who has an ear, let him hear
[positive volition toward doctrine] what sort of thing [content of Bible
doctrine] the Spirit communicates to the churches.”
There is a hero that is anonymous today, the hero we
have been studying in great detail, and that is the believer who in residence
and function inside the divine dynasphere advances to spiritual maturity. This
is the one who has the greatest impact on history and this is the
responsibility of the royal family of God living on planet earth during the
dispensation of the Church — a special mission, a special opportunity, the
greatest privilege that anyone could have; first of all to be a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ, to know that you possess eternal life and that your
salvation can never be canceled; to know that you have a mission and a purpose,
not related to anything that will ever be cited for heroism in battle, but
related to something that is far, far greater, for the great heroes of the
Church Age are the anonymous heroes who advance to maturity.
Before we leave verse 6 we must recognise the
importance of humility in our lives. “He who has an ear,” that is the ability
for comprehension, the two frontal lobes, the volition, everything that God has
given you by way of physiology for comprehension; “let him hear” is a mandate
for positive volition toward Bible doctrine on a daily basis, the only way of
advancing to maturity and wearing the uniform of glory forever; “what sort of
thing” is the content of Bible doctrine, and the communicator is the Holy
Spirit. But the Holy Spirit has delegated the responsibility. The Holy Spirit
at gate one acts as our IQ, the power of perception, but the Holy Spirit has delegated the
communication of doctrine to those who are pastors of local churches. That
means that if you are ever going to advance spiritually you are going to have
to listen to some pastor.
Arrogance becomes the basis for the resistance of
the truth. Humility is defined in our study as freedom from the cosmic system.
The cosmic system is arrogance. Cosmic evangelism is one of the most successful
forms of selling the world has ever known, and the reason that it is successful
is that it inevitably appeals to the ego and, in some cases, the arrogance of
the individual who is the victim. So cosmic evangelism is actually an appeal to
arrogance. In some cases arrogance has to be developed in order for the appeal
to be made, but inevitably people who are preoccupied with self, people who are
stuck on themselves, people who really are perfunctory in their attendance and
in their reception of doctrine, are caught up in cosmic involvement.
You have no attitude to Bible doctrine without
humility. We have seen that verse six is the means of advancing to spiritual
maturity, the means of contributing to historical uptrend, the means of
personal blessing by association as well as collective blessing by association.
Humility is defined as freedom from the cosmic
system. The maintenance of humility demands the rebound technique. No one can
recover from cosmic one and cosmic two apart from rebound. Humility is a state
of thinking but humility above all is recognition of true authority in life,
and submitting to that authority regardless of any personality conflict or
unfairness in the function of that authority. Humility must not be confused
with self-effacement or asceticism. Self-effacement and asceticism is
hypocrisy, it is arrogance, it is self-righteous arrogance. They are not only
negative as far as humility is concerned but they are very definitely positive
as far as arrogance is concerned.
Humility is capacity for life; humility is capacity
for love; humility is capacity for happiness and, therefore, humility is the
potential for success for love, for happiness, for greatness. Humility has a
key always so that it is recognizable. It must never be confused with pseudo
spirituality or with self-effacement or with asceticism. The key to humility is
authority. What do you do with authority? What is your attitude toward
authority? We were born to be happy because we were born under the principle of
humility. The physical birth, the life which we received after birth, was given
to us by God, but that life was put into the human soul after birth. Some
people are born with good parents and some people are born with bad parents.
The point is that you, no matter what kind of parents you have, have no control
over that at all — the unfairness that might exist or the fairness, the wisdom
or the idiocy. No one has exactly the same parents as someone else. But we fail
to recognise the really important thing about parents, especially when we are
children, and that is their very existence is the key to whether we start life
with humility or arrogance. When you have too many arrogant people and they
have no capacity for love, for arrogance destroys capacity for love, then they
go in for promiscuity and lasciviousness. Lasciviousness and promiscuity is
born from the fact that people reject authority, that they set themselves up as
an idol. Therefore this arrogance becomes one of the bases for social
degeneration. Why do we have so much promiscuity in life today? Why are things
that were once rejected now acceptable in society? The answer is very simple:
people have become arrogant, and arrogance includes promiscuity.
Granted, some parents are idiotic and they want
their children to “love” them, and they spend all of their time catering to
them and they never discipline them. That is what we call spoiling. You can’t
spoil a child by giving him gifts, you can only spoil a child by withholding
discipline when necessary. We have permissiveness which became a philosophical
application to life and we finally discovered that parents were no longer
acting as parents, and they allowed their children to get away with this or
that, they didn’t spank them because it might injure their “little
personalities”. And we are paying for this now because we have by-passed the
first system of authority. Prisons are overcrowded, and they are for two
reasons: they don’t execute criminals, and parents were permissive when they
had the first crack at the little child.
As a parent you should know what he should touch and
shouldn’t touch; you should know what he should eat and not eat; you know what
he should wear and not wear. Or do you? If you do know a few things then you
should say, “No you can’t do that,” and No is what produces great people, not
Yes. “No, you can’t touch that,” “No, you can’t go with your friends, they’re
idiots and they’re going to get in trouble,” “No, you can’t do this”, “No, you
can’t do that.” “No” is the developer of virtue because “No” and respect for
the word “No” from authority is the basis for beginning humility. And people
who have true capacity for love and true capacity for happiness and success,
who have all of these things and still have the great virtue of humility have
learned to respect authority. They start with the parents and this is the whole
concept of the home. The home is organised humility. The parents are the
authority in the home and therefore enforced humility and positive volition
toward the authority of the parents results in genuine humility, and no one can
make it in life without genuine humility.
No one is born with genuine humility, it is not
inherent, it is acquired through a system related to the laws of divine
establishment. It is important to acquire for genuine humility is the basis for
not only virtue in life but it is the secret to happiness. And it is the only
way in which you can cope with the realities of life, for where freedom exists
there cannot be equality. Where tyranny exists there is a superficial quality,
not a real one. But equality means slavery; freedom means inequality. The great
sign of freedom is the fact that some fail and some succeed. And this is true
in the Christian way of life. Some believers succeed in the Christian life and
some fail. Humility is the basis for orientation to authority and therefore for
orientation to the grace of God.
Since humility must be attained in life God has
provided the potter’s wheel of authority. Romans 9:19-21, “Therefore you will
say to me, ‘Why does he [God] still find fault with us? For who has resisted
his purpose?’ On the contrary, O mankind, who are you who answers back to God?”
Answering back to God is rejection of authority, therefore arrogance. It is a
sign of cosmic involvement. “Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it,
‘Why have you made me like this?’ Or does not the potter possess authority over
the clay, from the same lump to make on the one hand a vessel for the purpose
of honour” There is the invisible uniform of honour in life; “on the other
hand, another vessel for the purpose of dishonour” — cosmic involvement for the
born-again believer.
Whether a person is a vessel of honour or dishonour
depends upon his attitude toward authority and therefore genuine humility. The
potter is God; the potter’s wheel is the principle of authority invented by God
as the environment for freedom. And just as the chicken came before the egg so
authority came before freedom. You cannot authority without freedom; you cannot
have freedom without authority, they must stand together. Freedom without
authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny, and therefore the
potter’s wheel is divine authority delegated under the laws of divine
establishment, and it begins at birth; all of us have parents.
This is why in Colossians 3:20, “Children, obey your
parents in all things, for this pleases the Lord.” Life begins with the
imputation of human life to the target or home, the soul plus the imputation of
Adam’s original sin which is to the genetically-formed old sin nature. God also
provides the basis for overcoming the handicap — authority.
Again, the home is the principle of organizational
humility. In the home are parents, the authority for enforced humility; and
finally from enforced humility comes genuine humility which is the key to
happiness in this life. The parents train the children in the use of restraint
by volition, poise, self-control, self-discipline, the enforced humility by
which one’s volition has maximum function under freedom as an adult. The organisation
of the humility of the home, then, provides environment for blessing in the
future. A lot of people are handicapped because they have rejected the
authority of their parents. Their attitude toward their parents determines
their future. This is the basis for so many people failing in life, they have
rejected authority.
The provision of humility at spiritual birth begins
with the imputation of eternal life. God imputes two things at the point of
salvation. Eternal life is imputed to the human spirit which is created by God
the Holy Spirit, and one half of divine integrity or holiness, God’s
righteousness, is imputed as the recipient of all blessing. So a new authority
comes into the life called grace. Grace is a pipeline that goes from the
justice of God to the righteousness of God in you. All blessing which you
receive comes from God, unearned, undeserved, and it goes to the righteousness
of God so that God is not compromised with regard to His essence. You can’ give
money to be blessed by God; you can’t work to be blessed by God. This grace
system becomes a system of enforced humility. People do not realise that when
they are saved by grace through faith it is the beginning of a whole new system
of authority. The authority in your life becomes grace, you can’t earn or
deserve anything from God. You can have capacity to appreciate what He gives
you and that comes through doctrine. And so we have the same principle of
authority all over again. Enforced humility is the principle of positive
volition toward Bible doctrine and submission to teaching of the Word of God.
Persistent positive volition toward doctrine results in both spiritual maturity
and genuine humility. Spiritual maturity requires two basic virtues: genuine
humility and concentration. Genuine humility is positive volition toward
doctrine which submits to the teaching ministry of the pastor; concentration is
the function of the filling of the Spirit and genuine humility. That is why we
have passages like Proverbs 3:33-35, “The curse of the Lord is on the house of
evil,” that is the home where arrogance is inculcated instead of enforced
humility, “but he blesses the home of the righteous,” organisational plus
enforced humility, “He makes war against the arrogant but he gives grace to the
humble. The wise person [genuine humility] will inherit honour [the integrity
or learning doctrine plus loyalty as a virtue or applying doctrine] but fools
carry away dishonour,” the fool is the person who rejects authority in life.
This is why we have, “God makes war against the arrogant but he gives grace to
the humble,” James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5,6. Humbling yourself “under the mighty hand
of God” is the recognition of divine authority and the manner by which He has
delegated it in life.
So our passage in Revelation 3:6 says, “He who has
an ear let him hear.” This is a call for humility; this is a call for positive
volition; this is a call for a recognition of the authority of the Word of God.
As far as we as believers are concerned there are
three absolutes of humility and honour. They are the parent, the personal volition
and the pastor. The parent: the home, the beginning of life; the pastor: the
new life; the person involved, these are the three absolutes. The parents
relate to the laws of divine establishment; the pastor relates to the
perception of doctrine under the principle of GAP; personal volition relates
to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, positive volition, then you are born again and spiritually you come
under another system. Just as you had your home as organisational humility you
now have the local church or its equivalent as your organisational humility.
Just as parents represented authority for enforced humility, so you have a
pastor with the authority in teaching for enforced humility in the spiritual
life. And just as you responded to the authority of your parents for genuine
humility, so you respond to the teaching of the pastor for genuine humility,
the advance to maturity. Without this, of course, you will never make it in the
spiritual life just as you haven’t in human life. In the environment of the
home the parents are the system of authority; in the environment of the soul
the person’s volition is his authority, so the individual must constantly make
decisions. Just as the individual as a child made decisions in the home to obey
parents, so the individual in salvation makes decisions with regard to doctrine
by which he advances to maturity; without that humility he doesn’t. His
personal volition is regulated by his genuine humility. That is why believers
make good decisions resulting in opening options for greater and greater
decisions, and this is why they make bad decisions destroying those options.
Again it is a matter of residence. Either you reside inside the divine dynasphere
or you reside in the cosmic system.
The perfect example of humility as a virtue of life
is given in Philippians 2:5-8, This is the key to it all, “Keep on thinking,”
humility is a thinking system; “this within you which was also resident in
Christ Jesus, who, though he eternally existed in the essence of God, he did
not think equality with God a profit to be seized and held, but he deprived
himself of the proper function of deity” — doctrine of kenosis, “when he had
received the form of a servant, when he had been born into the likeness of
mankind. In fact, although he was discovered in outward appearance as a man, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of spiritual death, that is,
the death of the cross”. Here is our Lord Jesus Christ, eternal God, the unique
person of the universe. In His humanity He humbled Himself; He was born into a
home; He recognised the authority of His parents and He responded to it. He
became mature very rapidly. He also was born into the plan of God; the plan of
God was organised humility, the authority of God the Father: enforced humility.
God the Father’s plan: Go to the cross; bear the sins of the world. And because
He was positive to the Father’s authority [genuine humility] as He hung upon
the cross bearing our sins and taking our place, doing the thing that makes us
different from everyone else in the universe. That is, because of His work on
the cross, we possess eternal life. And we face an issue: as believers we can
be involved in the cosmic system and be arrogant; we can be involved in the
divine dynasphere with humility. Humility is a daily decision, recognising
certain authorities in life, recognising and appreciating them, using our free
will to recognise the authority of establishment, spiritual authority,
authority in the vicinity of our own personal modus operandi. So the principle
behind verse six never departs from concept humility.
Verse 7 — a mandate to the pastor through the
apostle John from the Lord Jesus Christ, the prince ruler of the Church. All of
the seven letters in Revelation chapters two and three all begin the same way
with the conjunction kai, which has numerous
meanings and several grammatical connotations. Here it is simply a connective
conjunction and it is translated “and.” Next is the dative singular definite
article toi, it is the generic use of
the definite article used to define a specific category. The specific category
is what is classified as the second estate, the clergy, ministers, pastors of
local churches. With this we also have the dative singular indirect object from
the noun a)ggeloj, which is definitely
mistranslated. The problem is that it is transliterated, and this is not
addressed to an angel, it is addressed to a messenger which is the meaning of a)ggeloj. A)ggeloj is used here in a technical sense for a
special messenger, the pastor of the church at Philadelphia. So we translate:
“And to the messenger.” While it is in the singular it will refer to any future
pastors of the church at Philadelphia. At the time John was the pastor, though
not face to face. He was the nonresident pastor. All of that will change when
John departs from the scene and then, of course, they will have a series of
pastors.
“And to the messenger” refers to future pastors and
therefore it is an encouragement to future pastors. Any profession, any job,
any business requires that as a function of leadership there must be
encouragement to everyone who participates. In a business everyone must be
encouraged. People should be motivated for other than monetary reasons to do
the best possible job, whether it is an office boy replacing the rubber bands
and paper clips, or whether it is someone working the machinery, or whether it
is an executive. Every facet of an organisation should receive encouragement to
contribute to motivation. When this is lacking, of course, people become
dissatisfied and become arrogant, and the greatest enemy to efficiency in
business is arrogance. When people become arrogant they become inefficient at
whatever their job profile requires. The motivation in the local church is
related to the content of Bible doctrine. Anything else becomes false
motivation. In the church you live your life as unto the Lord and therefore
one’s motivation has to relate to Bible doctrine. Your motivation for life must
come inevitably from doctrine and this why a believer who is positive toward
doctrine should do well in anything simply because he is motivated to do well.
The motivation is provided for pastors to keep on
teaching doctrine in this phrase, “And to the messenger.” More than that, of
course, the whole trend of history depends upon how well the pastor teaches and
how well the people who hear the teaching respond. The uptrends of history
depend on this factor. So we have a dative of indirect object indicating the
ones in whose interest the information is given. At the same time we also have
the dative of advantage. It is to the advantage of every congregation to have
good doctrinal teaching.
With this we have the genitive singular of
relationship from the noun e)kklhsia, meaning “assembly,” and it
does not connote a building. It refers to an assembly under almost any
circumstance as long as it has the ingredients: two or three are gathered
together and there is a pastor communicating doctrine — “of the church.”
And then we have the prepositional phrase , e)n plus the locative of Filadelfia. Philadelphia was located 28 miles south east of Sardis in Lydia. The
city was founded in BC 189 by Eumenes II who was the king of Lydia, and he founded it in honour of his brother,
Attalus II,
whose faithfulness earned him the title of Filadelfoj. The area is famous for earthquakes. In AD 17 the city was completely
destroyed by an earthquake. It was built on the Cogamus River and stood on a
terrace about 650 feet above the river. Behind the city were famous volcanic
bluffs and across the river was very fertile land which came from volcanic
activity. The volcanic ash had produced a phenomenal vineyard-type soil and
they produced the finest wines of the Roman empire. After the earthquake the
city was rebuilt and called Neo-kaisaria which means “New Caesar.” During the
reign of Vespasian the name was changed to Flavia for the wife of Vespasian.
The city is also called Little Athens because it has magnificent temples and
buildings.
As the centre of the wine industry they worshipped a
god of wine who in the Latin was called Bacchus and in the Greek was called Dionysus.
Philadelphia was also the centre of a very large Jewish population. The church
at Philadelphia had a very long life lasting 1300 years. The church was started
in AD 90 and it
went to AD
1390. Frederick Barbarossa visited the church on his way to the crusades in
1190. Twice Philadelphia was besieged by the Turks in 1306 and 1324 but managed
to retain its independence. Finally in 1390 it was captured by the combined
forces of the Turks and the Byzantines. In 1403 Tamerline captured it and he
built a wall around it with the corpses of the citizens. By that time there was
no church in Philadelphia.
The modern name for Philadelphia, there is still a
town there, is Allah-shehir [The city
of God]. One quarter of the population today is Greek and it is the centre of a
famous Greek Orthodox Church. One of the most famous modern industries in
Philadelphia is that they have one of the greatest licorice factories in the
world. On the terrace above the river where the original city stood are the
ruins of a castle and the walls can still be seen. Among them is the foundation
of the early church and someone decided that one of the pillars ought to be
pushed upright. So if you go that way today and you go to the area where the
church is located there is one pillar standing, and they will quote to you from
the Greek in Revelation and they will try to make you think that it is the
pillar of this passage, but it isn’t at all. The pillar that we are going to
study is in heaven and it is a permanent history book, so it is not quite the
same.
Verse 7 starts out, “To the messenger [future
pastors] of the church in Philadelphia.” And then we have the aorist active
imperative of grafw, “write,” the mandate given
to the apostle John. The culminative aorist tense views the writing of the book
of Revelation in its entirety but it regards it from the viewpoint of its
existing results — the completion of the canon of scripture, therefore the
textbook of history from the time of John to the end of time, the encouragement
of future pastors to teach doctrine, a message about historical trends.
Remember the entire book of Revelation is addressed to the Church.
Later on when we get to chapter six and get into
eschatology and start to study the Tribulation and its various aspects we will
have to explain why so much detail about the Tribulation when we are not going
to be here for it. The answer is very simple: the inevitable results of
removing the Church, the body of Christ, from the earth is to remove the basis
for historical blessing, historical uptrend, historical prosperity. Once the
Church is removed there will be no historical prosperity during the Tribulation.
The reason the Tribulation is such a horrible period of history is simply
because there is no pivot; there are no mature believers, royal family. There
will be a few mature believers in the Tribulation and there will be most
unusual things happening, sensational things, but one of the great principles
that we are going to learn from Revelation chapters 6-18 is that sensationalism
is not spiritual advance. Sensationalism leads to emotionalism; emotionalism
leads to degeneracy. Sensationalism today is out as far as spiritual advance is
concerned; it is those who plug, those who take in doctrine today, tomorrow and
the next day, those who are positive toward the Word of God are the ones who
have the great historical impact. So we have chapters 6-18 to show us that all
kinds of exciting things, like angels evangelising, Moses and Elijah coming
back, demonstrate to us that sensationalism is instability historically. It is
emotionalism. When emotionalism gets out of hand you have historical
disaster.
The aorist tense of grafw
tells us that the result of this is going to be a completed textbook of
history, the message of historical trends, the implication of historical impact
plus the glorification of our Lord Jesus Christ. The active voice: the apostle
John under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit produces the action of the verb,
and this is the imperative of command, a mandate to the great apostle to write.
Now what is the command? The next two words gives us the gist of it, tadh legei. Legei is the present active
indicative of the verb legw, and tadh is the accusative plural from o(de. Legw would come first in an
English sentence because it is the verb, and o(de
would come after the verb because it is the object of the verb. The two
together means simply, “communicates these things.” Obviously we will have to
look for a subject and we will get one later on. The verb is the aoristic
tense, it sets forth an event as now occurring, therefore it is punctiliar
action in present time. The active voice: our Lord Jesus Christ produces the
action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal
action from the viewpoint of realty.
Then comes the accusative neuter plural direct
object, o(de, a demonstrative pronoun
used originally as an introductory formula for the decrees of the Persian kings
translated into Greek. Here is an introductory formula for our Lord’s estimate
of the situation in Philadelphia. The translation so far has neither a subject
nor a relative clause to identify the subject. These will be filled out later.
What we have so far is: “And to the messenger [the future pastors] of the
church in Philadelphia write.”
“communicates these things.” Now who communicates
what? That comes up next. We are going to get a subject. This is both the
subject and the relative clause which modifies the subject. The first line
starts out O( a(gioj o( a)lhqinoj and we have a problem here
which stems from the fact that the word o(
which is used twice as the subject has several possibilities. It is the
nominative masculine singular from the definite article; it is also the
nominative and accusative neuter singular from the relative pronoun o(j. What settles the matter is the fact that the noun
which follows the first two are the nominative masculine singular, hence the
subject is in the first line and the next line will be the relative pronoun.
The subject: O( a(gioj o( a)lhqinoj. The nominative singular of a(gioj is the first part of the subject, o( a(gioj, used here as a substantive although it is an
adjective used as a noun. Specifically it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It
also refers to the Lord Jesus Christ under the concept of His integrity. “Holy”
is used for the integrity of God. The one who is speaking has perfect
integrity, therefore it refers to the fact that Jesus Christ controls history
and that virtue will never be destroyed or overcome in history; and that
historical uptrend depends upon the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ living
inside the divine dynasphere and producing both motivational functional virtue.
It is also a reference to our Lord Jesus Christ, not only in His deity as God,
but as true humanity in the hypostatic union. “Holy” refers in the hypostatic
union to His life in the prototype divine dynasphere producing impeccability
and perfect virtue.
With this we have an appositional nominative a)lhqinoj, also and adjective. It means “truth” or “true
one”. It corresponds to the Hebrew emeth.
Both of these words, Greek and Hebrew, mean stability, perpetuity,
faithfulness, fidelity, true as opposed to false. We can translate it: “the
truthful, trustworthy one,” “The holy one, the truthful trustworthy one [our
Lord Jesus Christ], communicates these things.”
Now we have a subject. All we need is a relative
clause and the relative clause, by the way, is quoted from Isaiah 22:22.
Corrected translation from the Hebrew: “Then I will place the key of the house
of David on his shoulder. When he opens no one will shut, when he shuts no one
will open”. This is quoted as a relative clause now related to the Lord Jesus
Christ, though it was not, in Isaiah, related to our Lord; it was related to a
replacement of a very arrogant, ambitious man by the name of Shebna. King Hezekiah
had appointed as his prime minister, Shebna, a very arrogant, vain person. Shebna’s
arrogance increased as prime minister and he became involved in the cosmic
system and had to be replaced. He was replaced by Eliakim. And the way that
they replaced was they talked about the keys of David. Hezekiah, who was of the
house [dynasty] of David simply took the keys from Shebna and gave them to Eliakim.
Now Eliakim is the prime minister, and when he opens no one shuts, and when he
shuts no one opens. The responsibility and the authority of Eliakim is
described in Isaiah 22:22.
But this verse goes beyond Eliakim as prime minister
of Judah under Hezekiah to our Lord Jesus Christ who will have that same power
and authority after His ascension in heaven, and on earth when He returns for
the second advent. The opening and shutting of doors refers to the highest
power and authority for rulership. The reference to David is the Davidic
dynasty. Hezekiah was in the line of David and so is the humanity of our Lord
Jesus Christ. So it is a reference to David, to the Davidic dynasty in
connection with this context: Hezekiah was in the line of David, therefore he
could delegate authority and he gave the keys of David from one prime minister,
Sehbna, to another, Eliakim. King Hezekiah prophetically represents the Lord
here, and the Lord Jesus Christ is going to do exactly the same thing at the
second advent. He is going to give to all of those who hold the order of the
morning star rulership in this world so that the anonymous heroes of the Church
Age, those who crack the maturity barrier in the Church Age, will in the future
at the second advent be famous and well-known. The Millennium will be one
thousand years of perfect environment on the earth and perfect environment will
include nationalism. Our Lord rules the world under the principle of nationalism,
not internationalism. That means that the key of David is going to be delegated
to every person who wins the order of the morning star through advance to
maturity in this dispensation.
So we have in our context in Revelation 3:7 this
relative clause which referred to King Hezekiah, as it was found in Isaiah
22:22, but here it refers to the King of kings and Lord of lords at the second
advent.
The exegesis is relatively simple. We have an articular
present active participle from the verb e)xw,
and it means to have or to have and to hold. Here it is translated “He who
keeps on having.” The definite article is used as a personal pronoun and refers
to our Lord Jesus Christ in contrast to the context of Isaiah 22:22 where it
refers to Eliakim as the prime minister under King Hezekiah. The present tense
is a static present, it represents a condition as perpetually existing after
the second advent of Christ when the Davidic covenant is fulfilled. The active
voice: our Lord Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb and the participle
is circumstantial. With this participle we have a direct object, the accusative
singular of the noun kleij, translated “key,”
referring to authority. Plus the indeclinable proper noun Dauid, ‘David.’ “Who keeps on having the key of David,” a
reference to the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ which He will have at the
second advent when He comes to fulfill the Davidic covenant, and the delegation
of authority to those believers who hold the order of the morning star. This is
a fulfillment not only of the Davidic covenant but of the system of rulership
which will exist in the Millennium. Authority is necessary even for perfect
environment. Without authority there can be neither freedom nor privacy, nor
the possession of property, nor the legitimate function of life. So authority
is absolutely necessary to guarantee the sanctity of the laws of divine
establishment.
Principle
1. The Lord Jesus Christ rules Israel with that
divine authority called the key of David, an authority which also means He is
delegating the rule of Gentile nations to mature believers of this
dispensation.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ also rules the world with
the authority stated in Revelation 2:26,27. Our Lord Jesus Christ receives
authority from the Father to rule the world and those who receive the order of
the morning star are presented at court. In the presentation at court the name
of the one who holds the title that goes with the order of the morning star is
not blotted out of the record of chivalry and, at that time, every mature
believer is going to be assigned a nation that will exist in the Millennium. So
in this presentation to God the Father and all the holy angels there will also
be the assignment so that at the second advent believers who have cracked the
maturity barrier will eventually go to their assignment and they will rule
under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. They will not only have the order
of the morning star presented in the court of heaven during the Tribulation but
they will carry the key of David.
3. The perfect environment, then, of the Millennium
still demands the function of authority to coexist with man’s volition and the
old sin nature.
4. The recognition and acceptance of authority is a
matter of human volition both in the Church Age and in the Millennium.
5. The only difference is that in the Millennium all
authority will be legitimate since Satan is incarcerated for a thousand years
and the cosmic system will not function during the Millennial reign of Christ.
The genius of Satan and his cosmic system will be absent from the earth during
the Millennium.
6. The acceptability of authority in life is still
dependent on human volition in the Millennium, as illustrated by the Gog
revolution which occurs at the end of the Millennium when Satan is released
from his prison. There will be a great revolution and human volition will turn
against the perfect rule of our Lord.
7. The authority of our Lord Jesus Christ as the
ruler of the world and its delegation to certain ones, like those who hold the
order of the morning star, is still a matter of human volition. Whether people
accept the authority of those who rule them or not is still a matter of their
volition.
8. Human volition under perfect environment will
reject the authority of our Lord and the authority He has delegated under the
concept “key of David.” This is demonstrated by the God revolution at the end
of the Millennium — Revelation 20:7-9.
Man without
truth has no capacity for perfect environment. Negative volition will enjoy
1000 years of perfect environment in the Millennium and still reject the source
of it in the Gog revolution. All historical disaster is the result of
individual and collective decisions for evil. At the beginning of human history
in the garden of Eden the original parents had perfect environment and they
used their free will to reject God’s authority and eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. By so doing they accepted the authority of Satan,
an authority which only existed in the angelic realm over fallen angels, but
that was extended to include planet earth. At the end of human history in the
Millennium people are still, and always will be, the products of their own
decisions. Perfect environment will make no difference, they will still reject
the perfect environment. The reason for this is arrogance, a facet of arrogance
called boredom, preoccupation with self. Crime will be restricted and
restrained by our Lord and therefore they will have to wait until Satan, the
arch-criminal of all time, is released. Strict discipline and law enforcement
is and always has been very necessary to keep the human race in line so that
each one of us can enjoy the freedom to fail or succeed, so that each one can
have his privacy, so that each one can recognise and fulfill the doctrine of
the sacredness of property and the sacredness of human life. We have noted the
principle that no one can rule with a golden sceptre unless he rules with an
iron sceptre. Society will only recognise the sanctity of life, property and
freedom when society is restrained by legitimate authority, by just laws, by
good law enforcement and discipline based on integrity. And under the principle
that the cross came before the crown no one has greater integrity than our Lord
Jesus Christ, and no one is more qualified to rule in the last 1000 years of
human history.
Our closing phrase in verse 7 is a quotation from
Isaiah 22:22. We begin with the articular present active participle of the verb
a)noigw, which means to open. The
definite article does double duty, it is both a personal pronoun and used as a
relative pronoun. The present tense is a futuristic present, it denotes an
event, namely the future rule of our Lord Jesus Christ. It hasn’t occurred yet
but it is regarded as so certain that in thought it is contemplated as already
coming to pass. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb
in the Millennium through the use of His power and authority as the ruler of
this world. The participle is circumstantial for a positive policy and the
mandates of the Millennium.
After a connective conjunction kai we have the nominative singular subject, o)udeij. It is taken from an adjective. It is an adjective
used as a substantive and it is translated “no one.” Then comes the future
active indicative of the verb kleiw, which means to shut. The
future tense is an imperative future, it expresses a mandate involving futurity
as both a Greek and Hebrew idiom. The active voice: the Millennial population
produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is declarative for a
dogmatic statement of fact. Our Lord’s authority in the Millennium is absolute;
He opens the door and no one can shut it.
Then we have the reverse. This time the present
active participle of kleiw with the present active
indicative of a)noigw, so the two verbs are
reversed. It is the same futuristic present of the participle and the same
present active indicative, only it is a customary present this time of a)noigw. The customary present denotes what may be
reasonably expected to occur in the Millennium under the authority and the
rulership of our Lord Jesus Christ. When our Lord shuts a door there is no way
that anyone can open it. This is the function of absolute authority.
Translation of verse 7: “And to the messenger
[future pastors] of the church in Philadelphia write; the holy one [the Lord
Jesus Christ], the truthful trustworthy one, who keeps on having the key of
David, he who opens and no one will shut; and he who shuts, and no one will
open, communicates these things.
Principle
1. In the last half of verse seven we have the
absolute power and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ in the last 1000 years of
human history, the Millennium. At the second advent our Lord Jesus Christ will
execute a coup de tat in which Satan
is set aside as the ruler of this world. Our Lord replaces him and this is an
expression of the perfect absolute authority necessary to give everyone the
same amount of privacy.
2. Our Lord is perfect, perfect in His deity,
perfect in His humanity, perfect in His hypostatic union. Therefore His power
is perfect. It is impossible for our perfect Lord to distort the power He
possesses. Only a perfect person can administer absolute power with perfect
integrity. Our Lord has perfect integrity, His authority functions from perfect
integrity.
3. Our Lord Jesus Christ therefore rules from
perfect integrity and honour. Therefore He does not distort or abuse His power
and His authority.
4. The power factor remains a major issue in
contemporary history. Power and authority is always an issue in the subject of
historical trends.
5. The power factor begins with individuals and
moves from individuals to groups, organisations, governments. Power and
authority are abused and distorted into tyranny through arrogance. Arrogance:
gate one, cosmic one, is motivating evil.
6. Then you have arrogance at the other end. You
have arrogance in society and you have arrogance in authority because an
arrogant society elects arrogant officials. When you have a majority of
arrogant people they gravitate to arrogant candidates so that arrogance is at
both ends. Arrogance is in authority and arrogance predominates in society.
Arrogance abuses power; arrogance abuses authority. And so a people who are
predominantly arrogant inevitably bring upon themselves a dictatorship.
7. No one can assume authority or control of any organisation,
or fulfill that responsibility, while under the influence of arrogance.
8. Arrogance corrupts power; arrogance corrupts
authority, both in individuals and in groups. It isn’t power that corrupts, it
is arrogance that corrupts.
9. Many organisations were founded to correct
abuses, to solve problems of evil, but when these organisations are carried
away by arrogance they distort their power into a system of tyranny.
Illustration: the labour unions. Unions were founded to correct certain abuses,
but they have become powerful and they have turned their power into tyranny.
10. The key to avoiding tyranny in
the use of power and authority is individual humility and integrity. No nation
can survive the arrogance of any group that has too much power, including the
church.
11. Because of that same human impeccability which
qualified our Lord Jesus Christ to go to the cross in the first advent, our
Lord is qualified to rule the world at the second advent.
The emphasis on our Lord’s rulership in this passage
is the fact that He is true humanity and perfect humanity in His resurrection
body. He is true humanity living inside the divine dynasphere, that is the
basis for impeccability in His humanity. As God Jesus Christ is not able to
sin; as humanity in the divine dynasphere He is able not to sin. Not able to
sin plus able not to sin equals impeccability.
Human history began with Adam ruling the world and
human history will terminate with the last Adam [Jesus Christ] ruling the
world. Adam ruled to world under perfect environment and the last Adam will
rule the world under perfect environment. The perfect environment of the garden
terminated with Adam’s fall when he lost the rulership of the world to Satan
and there will never be perfect environment again until the second advent. The
abnormal part of history is the fact that from the fall of Adam to the second
advent of Christ a super angel by the name of Lucifer or Satan rules the world.
Our Lord Jesus Christ as world ruler will come at the second advent. He will
delegate authority to certain ones who are also perfect in their resurrection
bodies. This explains why believers of the Church Age receive a new knighthood
in the order of chivalry, the order of the morning star, the uniform of glory,
and the escutcheon of glory, the heraldry which will give them authority to
rule in the Millennium. Today these believers who advance to maturity are anonymous
heroes but in the Millennium, the last 1000 years of history, they will be the
most famous human beings on earth. They are going to rule with Christ. All
rulers of the Millennium will be in resurrection bodies, the state of ultimate
sanctification, therefore no ruler in the Millennium will be corruptible. The
state of ultimate sanctification means that they are incorruptible, honourable,
ruling with wisdom and integrity under the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There will be no corruption from arrogance or vanity.
Today in the Church Age human leadership is
protected by humility and integrity but in the Millennium human leadership is
protected by the possession of a resurrection body plus the uniform of glory,
plus the order of the morning star, plus the new order of chivalry. Being
famous will not corrupt the anonymous heroes of the Church Age.
Verse 8, “I know thy works.” We begin with the
perfect o)ida used as a present active
indicative. It is correctly translated “I know.” The present tense of duration
denotes what has begun in eternity past and continues into time, the function
of divine omniscience. The active voice: Jesus Christ as God produces the
action of the verb. The declarative indicative is for the reality and the
veracity of God’s estimate of the situation. With this we have a direct object,
the accusative plural from the noun e)rgon, and while it means works
or production it also means accomplishments and it refers to Christian modus
operandi, Christian modus vivendi. The word “your” is the possessive genitive
from the personal pronoun su, and we are going to
translate that, “I know your accomplishments.”
The fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal God
means there never was a time when He did not have a correct estimate of the
situation for everyone who has ever lived. Therefore we need to go back and
review the concept of the verb “I know.” It refers to the divine attribute of
knowledge. Actually the divine attribute of knowledge is divided into three
categories: self-knowledge, omniscience and foreknowledge. All three belong to
God. Since all three members of the Trinity are eternal they have always had
self-knowledge, always had omniscience and have always had foreknowledge. In
our passage it is referring to the self-knowledge, omniscience and
foreknowledge of God the Son.
In the divine attribute of knowledge the first
category is self-knowledge. Under that principle God is eternal and therefore
His knowledge is eternal. God is sovereign, therefore His knowledge is
infinitely superior to angelic or human perception, as well as angelic or human
genius. Time has nothing to do with God’s knowledge. In other words, the future
is as perspicuous as the past. Since God is a person He possesses with this
knowledge self-consciousness and self-determination. Therefore God as a person
acts rationally with His absolute will, His perfection, His divine integrity.
God is Himself and under the principle of self-knowledge therefore He knows
Himself to be beyond comparison with any creature who has ever existed. Because
God is infinite His knowledge has neither boundary nor limitation. Our
knowledge is related to the past or observation of the future through either
rationalism or empiricism with the present, and we speculate about the future.
God’s knowledge has nothing to do with time. What is
going to happen 100 years from now is known perfectly by God — what every
person in the world will be thinking, how they will be motivated, what they
will do, what they will say. God’s knowledge is never complicated by ignorance
or absurdity. One of the greatest problems with human knowledge is that when we
know a little we often assume that a little is a lot. Therefore we add to what
knowledge we have gained arrogance, and therefore limit and destroy any perspicacity
in the future. This is true with Bible doctrine or in almost any subject. This
is why so many people today who are an expert in knowledge in some area
immediately assume that they are an expert about every area, and therefore they
make dogmatic statements that are incorrect, inaccurate and are related to
ignorance. Yet the people who do it are smart in their own field. Example:
These days the press interview some prominent person and quote them as an
expert on whatever the topic happens to be.
So God is
never complicated by ignorance or absurdity. He exists eternally, He is unsustained
by Himself or any other source, and therefore His knowledge is as inalterable
as He Himself is. God cannot change and therefore He cannot change His
knowledge. His knowledge about everything is perfect, not related to time in
any way. God’s knowledge precedes both time and space therefore God’s knowledge
is not subject to either time or space. So when our Lord Jesus Christ speaking
as God says, “I know,” He is referring first of all to this principle: God’s
knowledge cannot be more or less than it is. God’s knowledge is related to His
veracity, His faithfulness, His mercy, His justice, His righteousness. God’s
knowledge exists therefore first of all in self-knowledge. God’s self-knowledge
is related to the other members of the Trinity as well as to Himself. God has
eternally known Himself — in this case it is God the Son; He has also eternally
known God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He has perfect subjective knowledge
of self and all of His attributes of deity plus how they function in
relationship to self and to other members of the Trinity. He has perfect
objective knowledge about the other members of the Trinity.
The second category of God’s knowledge is omniscience,
the one that is pertinent to our passage — “I know your production
[accomplishments].” The omniscience of God is definitely in focus here. While
God’s self-knowledge is related to His own divine attributes and to the other
members of the Trinity omniscience relates to creatures. God knew all about all
creatures long before they were created. It is defined as God’s objective
knowledge of the universe and all of its creatures.
Since the divine decrees establish reality
omniscience includes all that is in the divine decrees plus all that is not in
the divine decrees. In eternity past the omniscience of God knew every thought,
every decision, every action of every creature. The omniscience of God fed that
into the computer of divine decrees but He also knew the alternatives. You
could have gone to three colleges; you chose one. What would have happened if
you had gone to the other two? You could have married five girls but you chose
one. What would have happened if you had chosen any of the other four girls?
God can tell you if you had chosen the other way down to the last generation of
the Millennium. But in the divine decrees we only have the printout of what you
actually think and do, of how you are motivated, what you say, and how that
relates to what other people in your periphery do say and think simultaneously
at any point in history. We have been studying another printout of the divine
decrees called historical trends for the Church Age — the interrelationship of
all peoples at any given time in history.
Remember that time has nothing to do with
omniscience. The future is as perspicuous as the past. The omniscience of God
therefore knows all of the alternatives of history under the category of probables.
So what is reality in history goes into the divine decrees; what is probability
is also known to God but is not entered into the decrees since it didn’t
happen. So you have reality and probability and reality, and all reality goes
into the divine decrees and all probability is known to the omniscience of God.
This is how we distinguish between the omniscience of God and the third
category of divine knowledge which is foreknowledge and which is entirely
different from omniscience. The omniscience of God therefore knows the
alternatives of history under the category of probability. Omniscience
therefore knows in every case what individual decisions might have been
different — what thoughts, what actions. Omniscience includes the actual —
reality fed into the computer — and the possible — the alternatives that could
have occurred but did not occur. Omniscience is defined therefore as follows:
God knows perfectly, eternally and simultaneously all that is knowable, both
the actual and the possible.
God does not interfere. He knows which way your free
will is going to go, what decisions you are going to make but He doesn’t reach
down and turn a button in your soul and say no. God allows us the freedom to
fail or succeed. He provides warning for failure; He provides encouragement for
success. Inevitably therefore logistical grace to the winner becomes supergrace.
Logistical grace for the loser becomes divine discipline. But He never coerces.
So we have then the principle that every minute
detail of both angelic and human history is completely in God’s mind at all
times. Remember that the actual is fed into the computer of divine decrees to
become history while the possible or the probable are decisions and things that
could have been done, could have been made but were not. Therefore omniscience
perceives the free as free, the necessary as necessary, together with all of
their causes, conditions and relations as one individual system of things,
every link of which is essential to the whole. The links are the making of
history; the whole is the historical result.
The third category is the foreknowledge of God. The
foreknowledge of God has to be distinguished from omniscience. Between them
stands the computer of divine decrees, or what actually occurs in human
history. Omniscience programs the computer of divine decrees with historical
facts — thought, decision, motivation, action. Foreknowledge is the printout of
the computer of divine decrees. Nothing is foreknown until it is first decreed.
The decree is was in the mind of God billions of years ago, foreknowledge only
takes cognisance of what actually happens; it is the printout of the computer.
Only the computer of divine decrees establishes reality, which means that
foreknowledge follows as a printout of the decrees. There would be two
categories of foreknowledge in our dispensation, historical trends and what
will happen in the future, called prophecy. Foreknowledge of God makes nothing
certain, it merely acknowledges what is certain, the content of the divine
decrees. God foreknows all things as certainly future because He first decreed
them, that is, He knew them in His mind. The omniscience of God feeds the facts
into the computer of divine decrees while the foreknowledge of God prints out
the facts. That is essentially the difference.
In summary, God’s self-knowledge and omniscience
precede the divine decrees, while God’s foreknowledge is the printout, the
programming of the divine decrees. While the omniscience of God knows every
thought, decision, action, motivation of history, not so the foreknowledge of
God. The foreknowledge of God can make nothing certain, it merely acknowledges
what is certain. And since the divine decrees establish certainty nothing can
be foreknown until it is first decreed. God therefore foreknows all events as
certainly future because He first decreed them from His omniscience.
Omniscience came first, knowing the actual and the possible. Foreknowledge then
follows, dealing with the actual only. While everything was decreed
simultaneously and not by stages the plan of God rationale applies the
foreknowledge of God to situations in life.
Next in verse 8 we have a new sentence beginning.
The new sentence begins with a demonstrative particle i)dou. It is a particle taken from the aorist
middle imperative of the verb o(ra meaning to see. The idiom
is best translated in modern English, “Now hear this,” or “Note well.” Next we
have a perfect active indicative of the verb didomi,
which generally means to give. It also means to place, “I have placed.” With it
we have an improper preposition, e)nwpion,
plus the genitive of su. So we have, “Now hear
this, I have placed before you.” The perfect of existing state is one in which
the past completed action is practically dropped from the thought and attention
is now focused on the existing state. The active voice: God produces the action
of the verb by providing opportunity for historical impact in the Church,
providing the means for historical impact by giving the believer at the point
of salvation 36 things, in this dispensation only, plus the divine dynasphere.
The divine dynasphere is available to the Church Age believer only. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the principle of historical
impact in this dispensation.
Next we have the accusative singular direct object
from the noun qura. Qura is used two ways: for a
door and a shield. The Romans had a shield [qura]
shaped like a door. Here it means door. With this we have the ascriptive use of
the perfect passive participle from the verb a)naoiga, it describes a quality directly related to qura, the substantive, and so it is simply translated,
“I place before you an open door.” The open door always connotes some form of
opportunity for the believer who lives inside the divine dynasphere, who lives
in the plan of God. Furthermore it connotes opportunity provided by the grace
of God. The open door demands spiritual aggression on the part of the positive
believer living inside the divine dynasphere.
The doctrine of the open door
1. An open door is opportunity, grace opportunity,
God-given opportunity, an opportunity related to giving meaning, purpose and
definition to your life, an opportunity that results in happiness and blessing
for the person who fulfills the plan of God.
2. The first door of opportunity in the scripture is
the door of salvation, John 10:9, “I am the door; if anyone enters through me,
he shall be saved; furthermore he shall go in and out, and find pasture
[logistical grace provision for the believer in Christ].” Acts 14:27 puts it
this way: “And so when they had arrived an gathered the church together, they
began to report all the things that God had done with them and the fact that he
had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” This was a church made up of
Jewish people. The fact that Gentiles could be saved apart from Judaism was
foreign to their thinking. The open door of salvation is “Whosoever believeth
in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life,” it is not exclusive.
3. There is a second door of opportunity in life,
the door of communication of truth. The communication of category #2 truth is
the gospel and it is related to an open door, 2 Corinthians 2:12. There is also
the open door mentioned in connection with category #3 truth, teaching doctrine
to believers, Colossians 4:3. There is also the communication of all three
categories of truth in relationship to an open door [Category #1, the laws of
divine establishment for the entire human race; category #2, the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ for unbelievers; category #3, Bible doctrine for believers],
1 Corinthians 16:9.
4. The third door of opportunity in life is the
provision of the divine dynasphere and its resultant historical impact,
Revelation 3:8. The fact that the divine dynasphere is available to you as a
believer is the greatest opportunity for historical impact that individual
believers have ever had in any dispensation of history.
5. The fourth door of opportunity in life is the
door of reversion recovery. In Revelation 3:20, “Now hear this, I have stood at
the door with the result that I keep standing at the door and I knock
repeatedly [warning discipline]; the door of opportunity for rebound and
recovery from the cosmic system often comes through warning discipline, “if
anyone hears my voice and opens the door [the use of rebound], I will come into
him [face to face with him] and have dinner with him, and he with me.” The open
door of opportunity is related to recovery from the cosmic system through the
rebound technique.
6. There are open doors in heaven, Revelation 4:1,
the open door of the Rapture; Revelation 19:11, the open door of the second
advent; the same door of the second advent is related to our Lord’s triumphal
procession in Revelation 19:11-21 as quoted from Psalm 24:7-10, “be lifted up O
everlasting doors.”
“I have set before you an open door.” Next we have
an accusative feminine singular from the relative pronoun o(j, correctly translated “which,” and with the
adjective o)udiej in the nominative singular
subject it is used as a substantive, “which no one.” This covers a great deal
of territory, the human race. Then we have the present active indicative of the
verb dunamai, translated to be able,
“which no one is able.” The customary present tense denotes what habitually
occurs when the Lord opens the door of opportunity. No adverse circumstance of
history or adverse power of Satan and his cosmic system can shut a door of
opportunity opened by God. Today we live in the same circumstances. The door of
opportunity is wide open. It is wide open for change for the better, wide open
for blessing, wide open for the perpetuation of the client nation to God, wide
open for everything that is wonderful and meaningful in life. And the wide open
door simply demands volition, the function of your own non-meritorious free
will, positive volition toward doctrine, residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere. The active voice: the adjective is used as a substantive and
it produces the action of the verb which is the inability of anyone in history
or any force in history or any force of evil to shut the door of opportunity,
only God Himself slams the door. The door of opportunity was open in
Philadelphia nearly 2000 years ago and it is open today. The indicative mood is
the reality of impossibility for anyone to close the door of opportunity in
history. This is the opportunity provided by God in the dispensation of
historical trends which we also call the Church Age. With this we have an
infinitive. Dunamai requires an implied or stated infinitive. The
stated infinitive is the aorist active indicative of the verb kleiw, and it means to shut. Plus the accusative singular
direct object from the intensive pronoun a)utoj,
“it,” used as a pronoun. No one is able to shut “it,” a reference to qura or the door. The aorist tense is a culminative aorist
in which the event is viewed in its entirety but regarded from the viewpoint of
existing results. The existing results include dynamic impact of the mature
believer on the trends of history, a dynamic which is low profile and
invisible, unknown to the people who are making history today as far as
recognition is concerned. The real heroes of history are the anonymous heroes
of history, the believers who daily by their own positive volition toward
doctrine walk through the door of opportunity. The Lord has opened the door of
opportunity and only He can shut it. As long as it remains open it gives us the
opportunity of turning the tide of history completely. You can do more to
change the conditions in this country by your daily attitude toward doctrine than
the President, the Congress, the Supreme Court, than any form of local
government. There is no substitute for positive volition in the dynamics of
history. The dynamic impact cannot be hindered by the power of Satan nor by the
influence of the cosmic system, nor by any dictator, nor by any system of human
evil. The active voice of the infinitive: both angelic and human creatures in
opposition to the plan of God for the Church Age produce the action of the
verb, namely their inability to shut the door of opportunity. They cannot close
the door of opportunity for historical uptrend. Only you can do that by your
negative volition toward doctrine and your refusal to live in the divine dynasphere.
This is the infinitive of actual result and with the relative clause it is
translated into the English except for the intensive pronoun “it,” “which no
one is able to shut.”
We have so far then: “I know your accomplishments
[Christian production, lifestyle, modus operandi]: now hear this, I have placed
before you an open door which no one is able to shut.”
With this open door, the opportunity for historical
impact, there is a threefold explanation. The rest of this verse eight is
devoted to this explanation. The King James version is a pitiful translation at
this point. The Greek does not say “thou hast a little strength.” First of all
we have the causal use of the conjunction o(ti, simply translated “because.” Then we have the present active
indicative of the verb e)xw, “because you have
[possess].” The descriptive present tense is for what is now going on for
believers in phase two, the challenge, the open door, and how we can utilise
the open door of opportunity for historical impact. The active voice: the
believer produces the action of the verb in time only. The indicative mood is
declarative for the reality of the open door of opportunity. This is the
dispensation where history and historical trends are controlled by the attitude
of born-again believers toward doctrine. Negative volition: historical
downtrend; positive volition: historical uptrend; believers fulfilling the plan
of God and residing and functioning inside the divine dynasphere as over
against believers living in the cosmic system. Every uptrend and downtrend of
history in the Church Age depends upon whether believers are living in the
divine dynasphere, advancing from gate four to gate eight, the momentum of the
Christian life, or whether they are living in the cosmic system. So we possess
something. The indicative mood: the reality of the open door provided through
the grace provision of the divine dynasphere and logistical support from God.
The major provision here is time for advancement inside the divine dynasphere.
God has given each one of us since the day we believed in Christ time. This is
one thing we have going for us at the moment. Time is the open door. The door
closes for each one of us when we die or when the Rapture occurs. Then the
opportunity is gone, not only the opportunity for historical impact but the
opportunity for the eternal order of chivalry.
The major provision here is for walking through the
door of opportunity, and the first thing we have is an adverbial accusative of
time from the adjective mikroj. And notice that the
adjective is put with the word “power,” but this is an adverbial accusative of
time and therefore it means “a little time.” It should be translated, “because
you possess a little time.” This is part one in the threefold explanation of
the open door of opportunity. The reason we called it “a little time” is because
between salvation and what time we have left on this earth compared to eternity
is mikroj, it is small. Time is just
a drop in the bucket compared to eternity. When the accusative is used to
indicate a point of time it is part of a continuous period implied in the
context, and this implication is not possible in the locative of time. That is
why we have the adverbial accusative of time. The point is that once you accept
Christ as saviour you may have done a lot of things to destroy your health and
everything else before you believed in Christ but God is fair and there never
has been a believer, and there never will be a member of the royal family of
God in the Church Age, who does not have ample time to fulfill and execute the
plan before his departure either by death or by resurrection. You will have
time but that time is very small compared to eternity. We all have “a little
time.” There is one thing that we must spend wisely and that is time. Time plus
free will equals opportunity. You are going to have a lot of tests to decide
daily what your priorities are. What is more important to you than anything
else in life? Once you straighten out your priorities then everything else will
fall into place and you can make daily decisions which advance you to maturity.
We also have another word, the accusative singular
direct object from the noun dunamij, which means power. This is
where we get our word “dynasphere,” duna [power] and sfaia [sphere], a system of power devised by the Lord for
the royal family of the Church Age. It was used first in prototype by our Lord
Jesus Christ in the incarnation. We possess two things for utilising the open
door of opportunity. First we possess “a little time,” phase two, and secondly,
the divine dynasphere, the power system.
We have a second explanation in the threefold
explanation. We have the conjunction kai which introduces a result
from what precedes. It should be translated here “secondly,” in keeping with
the context of the open door. Remember that the context is giving three reasons
for the open door in the Church Age which no man can shut, the opportunity that
is yours as long as you are alive and breathing. The first reason was the
logistical provision of phase two, logistical grace in the form of two
specifics: time and the divine dynasphere which is the power system for the
execution of the plan of God.
With this, secondly, we have a verb: the aorist
active indicative of the verb terew which means to guard, to
hold, to guard something that belongs to self, to keep. A good way to translate
here is “secondly, you keep [or guard].” The constative aorist tense is for a
fact extended over a period of time, namely phase two, the “little time” we
have. The keeping or guarding of the Word of God includes the function of gate
four, perception and application of doctrine. All momentum in the spiritual
life is directly related to your attitude toward Bible doctrine, perception of
doctrine: gate four, the function of the royal priesthood; application of
doctrine: gate four, the function of the royal ambassadorship. Every believer
must live his own life as unto the Lord. He must have information from doctrine
but no one can do it for him. The active voice: the believer produces the
action of the verb. The positive believer assigns number one priority to Bible
doctrine and therefore immediately he has an organised life. A lot of people
today are just simply disorganised. The most maddening thing in the world is to
be around disorganised people, they are a pain in the neck. What really
determines whether you are organised or not are your priorities in life. Once
you establish what is most important and what is next and what is next, then
you can figure out a way to get dressed in four minutes! So we have the
principle behind all this: the organised life versus the disorganised life; the
stable versus the unstable; the good decision versus the bad decision.
With this we have the accusative singular direct
object from the noun logoj, which means doctrine,
thought, word, truth, “secondly you keep [guard] my doctrine.” What does it
mean to keep or guard doctrine? Doctrine is number one priority, therefore your
first decision should build your life around getting doctrine, whatever it takes.
And you are going to be challenged on your priorities. Doctrine one day might
become second place to some beautiful doll, or some wonderful party that you
couldn’t miss for anything in the world, the party of the century, or whatever
it is. These tests only come to people who are really positive toward doctrine,
so there might be some marvelous party just around the corner just for you, as
a test! With that we have the possessive genitive from the personal pronoun e)gw,
“my doctrine.” So, “secondly, you keep my doctrine.” The second factor then in
operation open door is Bible doctrine, both perception and application as well
as priority in perspective.
The third explanation is found in the rest of the
verse. Kai introduces a further result
from what it precedes. The phrase concludes the threefold explanation of the
open door. First explanation of the open door in terms of logistical grace: the
provision of the divine dynasphere in time. Secondly, the explanation of the
opportunity of the open door, perception of doctrine and resultant momentum.
The third explanation indicates avoidance of the cosmic system, the aorist
middle indicative of the verb a)rneomai, plus the negative o)uk, “you have not denied [repudiated].” The culminative
aorist views life in the divine dynasphere and avoidance of the cosmic system
in its entirety but emphasises it from the standpoint of existing results. You
manage, when you get your feet wet in the cosmic system, to get out in a hurry.
This really means two things. Sometimes you avoid temptation and sometimes you
don’t. When you don’t you rebound. You are consistent in rebound and in
avoiding temptations as you understand the. And you have a dynamic middle voice
emphasising the part taken by the subject in the action of the verb, avoidance
of life in the cosmic system and resultant denial or repudiation of the Lord.
If you stay in the cosmic system long enough you are going to deny the Lord
Jesus Christ. You haven’t lost your salvation, you just simply have reached
rock bottom in the field of reversionism. The declarative indicative is for the
reality of the believer living in the divine dynasphere and avoiding cosmic
involvement. “Thirdly you have not denied my person,” the accusative singular
direct object of o)noma, which means name, person,
knighthood, all kids of things. This means the cosmic believer repudiates
Christ but this denial does not mean loss of salvation. The cosmic believer is
a loser at the judgment seat of Christ but he cannot lose his salvation. The
cosmic believer usually departs from this life under maximum punishment of the
sin unto death but he does not lose his salvation, only his rewards,
decorations, at the judgment seat of Christ.
Verse 9 — the neutralisation of opposition or how
cursing is turned to blessing. Once again we begin with the demonstrative
particle i)dou. The first section of this
verse is Jewish disorientation to the Church Age. You have to remember that the
first client nation in history was Israel. In BC 1440 God called out the first client nation.
He made that a priest nation to Himself even though they had a specialised
priesthood from the tribe of Levi, the family of Aaron. Throughout the course
of the Old Testament history the client nation to God was Israel. They were the
custodians of truth, they were responsible for internal evangelism and then
external evangelism through missionary activity, as illustrated by one of their
greatest missionaries, Jonah. They were responsible for the maintenance
historically of the laws of divine establishment.
Occasionally Israel became very arrogant. With category
#1 truth, with evangelism, with spiritual growth, Israel became extremely
prosperous many times in history, and with prosperity came the test: Do you
maintain the same priorities or not? Is Bible doctrine still number one
priority? Many times they failed simply because of one thing — arrogance. Yes,
they had a marvelous heritage and when you follow the truth in a marvelous
heritage you have prosperity, but when you become arrogant about your marvelous
heritage you have great adversity. And so we have studied from time to time the
function of the cycles of discipline as they related to the first client nation
in history.
But the time came when our Lord Jesus Christ came in
the first advent as prophesied, and in all of these prophecies He fulfilled
each one individually. “He came unto His own but His own received Him not.”
They did not accept Him as the God of Israel and yet even in the first forty
years of the Church Age they still functioned as the client nation to God. They
were warned, however, that if they did not change their attitude toward Christ
and toward Bible doctrine as it related to the dispensation of historical
trends then they would go out under the fifth cycle of discipline.
They had a special warning that Isaiah mentioned in
chapter 28. They were to be warned by Gentiles; they were to be evangelised not
by Gentile individuals but by Jews speaking Gentile languages and speaking them
in a miraculous way, the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues was the last
historical warning to Israel. It was to last only for a short time and it was
directed to Israel as a client nation to God. Jews were evangelised in Gentile
languages, beginning on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and going all the way
to August of AD
70. In August of AD 70 for the last time the Jews were put under the fifth cycle of
discipline. They were removed from history as a client nation to God, the very
purpose for which they were called out of Egypt on the day of the Passover and,
with it, no longer was the gift of tongues ever used legitimately. A brand new
thing began at that time called the times of the Gentiles. The rest of the
Church Age is characterised by two things: historical trends and no prophecy,
and the times of the Gentiles. Both of these run coterminously from AD 70. We live in a time when
there are no prophecies to be fulfilled. We also live in a time when only
Gentile nations can function as client nations to God.
The times of the Gentiles and historical trends are
going to terminate simultaneously with the next prophecy which is the
resurrection or the Rapture of the Church. Then every believer receives a
resurrection body and will participate in the great genuflect in the sky in the
presence of the Lord. Then comes the judgment seat of Christ where believers
are going to be distinguished. Some believers will merely have a resurrection
body — low on the totem pole. Some will have a resurrection body plus the
uniform of glory. Some will have a new knighthood given to them at this time.
Some will have the crown of life, the crown of righteousness. Some will have in
addition to that the order of the morning star and a new escutcheon of glory,
the order of chivalry for the Millennium and for eternity.
We live in the times of the Gentiles and therefore
the tremendous challenge to each one of us. This challenge is brought out by
the demonstrative particle i)dou, which is taken from the
aorist middle imperative of the verb o(ra which means to see. This
particular form in morphology becomes a particle in the Greek. It is translated
in the King James version “behold,” which is slightly anachronistic. So there
are two ways to approach this particular word. The first is to translate it
into the Latin. It actually means note bene,
note this. Or we can translate it “now hear this.” That immediately gets
everyone’s attention and that is the purpose of this particle. With this we
have the late omega form of didomi which is didw, and this is in the present active indicative and
is translated “I will cause.” That brings us back to the fact that Jesus Christ
produces the action of the verb in the active voice, He controls history. The
present tense is a futuristic present, it denotes an event which has not yet
occurred but which is regarded as so certain that in thought is may be contemplated
as already coming to pass. In the active voice not only does Jesus Christ
control history but He produces the action of the verb: the punishment of any
Jew who is cosmic inspired, living in Philadelphia. In other words, the Jews
are living in the cosmic system and God will deal with them, not only at that
time but now. The same thing is true of Gentiles but opposition to the church
in Philadelphia was coming primarily from a very large and a very prosperous
and successful Jewish population. They had become very arrogant because of
their prosperity and they had become very intolerant of others. In their
intolerance they began to persecute the church in Philadelphia and therefore
our Lord gave them the title “the synagogue of Satan”; “synagogue” being a
Jewish word; “Satan” indicating the fact that they are living in the cosmic
system. All of those who reside in the cosmic system, whether Jew or Gentile,
are the servants of Satan. The declarative indicative mood of the verb is the
reality of our Lord’s neutralisation of opposition to the local church in
Philadelphia.
Then we have our prepositional phrase e)k plus the ablative of sunagwgh, plus the descriptive
genitive of the proper noun satanoj, translated “Satan,” “Now
hear this, I will cause those from the synagogue of Satan.” Judaism had been religionised
through involvement in the cosmic system. Moses would not have recognised the
Jews to whom this is addressed, except that he had so many recalcitrants in his
own day. The Jews as a race are very smart and talented people but the problem
with a group who are smart or an individual who is smart is arrogance and
vanity. Arrogance and vanity cancels whatever God-given abilities and talents
one possesses. Judaism in arrogance had taken truth and turned it into
religion. The Jewish truth of the Old Testament became a religion. Religion is
the devil’s ace trump. It is the greatest distracter in history, it is a
blinder of souls, a producer of both blackout of the soul and scar tissue of
the soul. Religion is man’s works trying to gain salvation; Christianity is the
work of Christ providing salvation as a free gift through faith in Christ.
With a maximum number of Jews involved in cosmic one
and cosmic two the Old Testament scriptures had been distorted. The Jewish
nation twenty-six years before they had been removed as a client nation and was
now persecuting. They had learned nothing from history, from historical trends.
One of the great historical trends of the Church Age is the principle that God
will destroy any client nation which fails in its mission to maintain freedom,
to evangelise under principles of freedom, to send out missionaries, and for
believers to grow in grace through daily perception of doctrine. So they had
ignored history. As bright as they were they could not see it because arrogance
is a blinder. You lose whatever you have when arrogance intrudes and they had
learned nothing from what had happened twenty-six years before in August of AD 70. Philadelphia now had a
large population of Jews who were negative toward all three categories of
truth. They were living in the cosmic system. They were motivated by arrogance,
jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, all of which are characteristics
of gate one, cosmic one. And they are called the synagogue of Satan for their
cosmic involvement had made them the servants of Satan.
The Jews were motivated by arrogance and therefore
they made a proclamation which is given in the next phrase, “who say [proclaim,
declare],” the articular present active participle of the verb legw, which can also be translated “allege.” It is a
communicating verb. The definite article is used as a relative pronoun. The
present tense is a customary present, it denotes Jewish racial arrogance when
involved in the cosmic system.
A word about racial arrogance. There is no
ascendancy of race that demands or calls for any form of arrogance at any time
of history. Some races or groups of people have succeeded because of very hard
work or because they were bright. Sometimes the fact that they were bright
meant that they became arrogant about it. Some races have done absolutely
nothing and therefore have demonstrated a general historical stupidity and they
are arrogant about that. The thing that destroys people racially is that they
are either in the top success bracket or they are in the stupid failure
bracket, and both have one thing in common: they are very arrogant. They may be
demanding rights which they already possess through freedom. They may be
dealing out rights which they have won through success. But arrogance is the
leveler, the destroyer. Here the Jews had racial arrogance because of their
involvement in the cosmic system.
The active voice of the participle: the Jews who are
negative toward all three categories of truth produce the action and this is a
circumstantial participle translated therefore as a relative clause. Then we
have the accusative plural of general reference from the reflexive pronoun h( a)utou, correctly translated “themselves.” This is the
accusative of general reference and therefore it acts as the subject of the
infinitive. Translation: “that they themselves are,” the present active
infinitive of e)imi, the verb to be. This is a
progressive present tense, it signifies the action in a state of persistence,
therefore present linear aktionsart. The active voice: racial and religious
Jews, not born again Jews living in the divine dynasphere, who have taken the superiorities
of their race and through arrogance had translated them into a religion called
Judaism. The infinitive of purpose expresses the action of the finite verb,
“who proclaim [declare, allege] that they themselves are.” And then the
accusative plural direct object from the proper noun I)oudaioj, translated correctly “Jews.” Actually they are
claiming that they are true Jews, that they are God’s people and therefore
these “upstart” Christians had no right to come along and try to supersede
anything that the Jews had established in Philadelphia. This is a matter of
arrogance. They use religion as a base for persecution. In the history of the
Church Age the greatest persecutors of people in the past have been religion.
Any religion can come along and be a great persecutor. A recent example is the
persecution of Rhodesia and South Africa by the National Council of Churches
who actually gave money for terrorist activities that finally overthrew the
Governments of those countries. Wherever there is religion there is persecution
and it holds all records for persecution in history.
Next to religious persecutors of people are
born-again believers living in the cosmic system. You will face, sooner or
later, what we call people testing in which you are going to see cosmic
believers persecuting you. They have no right to, they have no reason to; and
yet, they are going to malign, they are going to judge, they are going to
gossip, they are going to persecute you. So you remember this passage because
born-again believers living in the cosmic system are the servants of Satan. The
three sources of persecution in the world today: a. religion; b. the persecutional
system of socialism (communism); c. carnal or cosmic Christians.
When it says that these Jews are “of
the synagogue of Satan” we are not talking about Moses, one of the two greatest
men who has ever lived. We are not talking about Isaiah, Elijah, Zechariah or
David, we are talking about people who were negative toward doctrine, about
people who in their arrogance rejected Christ as saviour, Jews who have all the
potential in the world but are involved in the cosmic system.
Arrogance is the common denominator from the cosmic
system and the only way that you can ever have equality among people is through
arrogance. That is why communism is a system of great arrogance. That is why
socialism is a system of arrogance, a system of arrogance devised by the
arrogant, executed by the arrogant and received by the arrogant. The only way
that people can reach a common area of unity and equality is through arrogance.
Arrogance is the source of all equality movements in this life.
The Jews in Philadelphia had come to the position
that they definitely were going to persecute the Christians. Religion
persecutes the truth. The greatest persecutor of truth is religion. Apart from
religion communism in its various forms is a great persecutor. All of this
persecution comes from arrogance. The Jews came under the concept of religion
and they were very active in attacking the church at Philadelphia. From this
principle we have a historical trend. People and nations, races, cultures,
groups of any kind, start out historically with great vigour and often with the
truth. By following the truth they have great prosperity. And then as the
prosperity test becomes overwhelming they switch from the humility which is
necessary for the truth to function — truth only functions through humility, it
does not function in arrogance — and they become arrogant. And as they become
arrogant they phase out the truth. As they phase out the truth and become
arrogant their prosperity disappears and moves to other areas where truth
exists. Then they become the persecutors of the truth. That is exactly the
pattern we have in the first part of verse nine. From the greatest heritage and
the greatest background in the world it has all been destroyed by arrogance.
And what happens to nations so that nations come and go? It happens to
believers and unbelievers alike in their personal lives. They have some talent,
some ability, some success, some promotion, some greatness, some form of
recognition, until they reach the point of where they can’t stand the
prosperity and they become arrogant.
This gives us the feel for the synagogue of Satan.
The synagogue of Satan can be any religion, any nation, any group of people who
try to interfere with your personal freedom, your privacy, your property, your
God-given rights.
“I will cause those who are from the synagogue of
Satan, who allege that they themselves are Jews.” Our next word is the
connective conjunction kai, the emphatic use of kai. It emphasises a fact that is surprising,
unexpected, namely that all racial Jews or religious Jews are not real Jews in
the Old Testament sense, in the sense of the Word of God; they are not a Jewish
client nation to God. When John wrote the Jewish client nation had died twenty-six
years before. Furthermore, there will not be another Jewish client nation
during the Church Age. During this dispensation we live in the times of the
Gentiles and only Gentile nations are qualified to be client nations. The next
Jewish client nation to God will occur at the second advent when the
unconditional covenants to Israel will be fulfilled. Furthermore, these racial
Jews involved in the cosmic system of Satan are religious and a religious Jew
is not a real Jew from the standpoint of the Word of God. So we could
translate: “in spite of that allegation,” rather than “and.” And then the
present active indicative of the verb e)imi
plus the negative o)uk, “they are not.” They are
not really Jews from the standpoint of the Word of God. Racially, yes;
religiously, yes; from the standpoint of regeneration, no; from the standpoint
of the laws of divine establishment which came from Moses, no. The retroactive
progressive present denotes what has begun in the past and continues into the
present. They are Jews by race but not regeneration. They are Jews by religion
but they are not Jews from the standpoint of the laws of divine establishment,
from the standpoint of their client nation heritage. The active voice: Jews who
are negative in all three categories of truth produce the action of the verb.
The declarative indicative is for a dogmatic statement of fact or Bible
doctrine.
With this the adversative conjunction a)lla sets up a contrast to their allegation. They are
not really Jews, what are they then? That is introduced by the word a)lla which means “but”, in contrast to their
allegation. These Jews are the present middle indicative of the verb pseudomai, which means they are liars. The iterative present
tense, also known as the present tense of repeated action, is used to describe
what occurs at successive intervals or is conceived of in successive periods of
history. The Jews had moments of fantastic greatness, more than any other
nation. They have also had moments of fantastic failure and this is one of them
described here. This is not a motivator for any form of anti-Semitism, this is
simply a recognition of a historical trend. The middle voice is the dynamic
middle which emphasises the part taken by the subject in the action of the
verb. The declarative indicative is a dogmatic statement of a historical trend
that no matter how great you were yesterday, no matter how great a nation is in
the past arrogance is the corrupter and destroyer of the individual or the
nation.
“but they themselves are lying” is the literal
translation and we are going to translate it, “in spite of that allegation they
are not really Jews but they are liars.” They themselves are telling lies.
Principle
1. Jews by birth are only racial Jews, not real
Jews, so that the real issue is never racial. You never make an issue of any
race unless there is arrogance involved.
2. Jewish heritage and culture is the greatest in
world history but it only leads to arrogance apart from regeneration and
spiritual growth from perception of doctrine.
3. All real Jews follow the principle of their
origin and heritage. That is, they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the
God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
4. Cosmic Jews are either revolutionary or religious
or both.
5. Religion attacks the truth of the gospel and
Bible doctrine, while revolution attacks the truth of establishment. So between
religion and revolution they attack all three categories of truth in the Word
of God.
6. The worst Jews — called here the synagogue of
Satan — are those racial Jews who are both religious and revolutionary. Their
cosmic involvement attacks every category of truth in the Word of God.
“Now hear this, I will cause those who are of the
synagogue of Satan who allege [proclaim, declare] that they themselves are
Jews, however in spite of all of that allegation, they are not really Jews but
they are liars.”
This anticipates the next sentence in this verse.
The Jews are living in the times of the Gentiles, the Church Age. This is the
dispensation of historical trends, not the dispensation of Israel. The Jews in
negative volition to truth have failed to understand and apply historical
trends to the Church Age. That is why they get burned occasionally and suffer
from intense persecution. Failure to interpret historical trends guarantees
destruction of segments of society. Therefore by refusing to believe in Christ
for salvation — and that is their privilege under freedom — they refused to
receive Him as their saviour. But then of course this puts them in the cosmic
system where the worst comes out in anyone. They have lost out in time and in
eternity as a result. Many Jews in the Church Age will believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ and they are the exception to what we are studying here. They will
recognise the significance of what has now been taken over by the religious Jew
from Deuteronomy 6:4, “Shamah Yisrael
[Hear O Israel]!”
“Adonai Elohenu [Jesus Christ the Lord is
our God],” the Alpha glory, Jesus Christ is God.
“Adonai echad [Jesus Christ is unique]!”
that is the first advent, the hypostatic union, the God-Man and true humanity
in one person forever.
This is the problem for the Jews. They recognise the
Alpha glory of Jesus Christ. They recognise Him as eternal God. But since the
first advent He is the God-Man; He is echad,
unique, and this is what they reject, the Omega glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
From this rejection is cosmic involvement and from the cosmic involvement comes
the arrogance, the vanity, the pride, the religion. Religion is merely a system
of arrogance just as revolution is a system of arrogance. And so throughout
history in this dispensation the Jews who have rejected truth are either
religious or revolutionists. Both are detrimental to society.
The corrected translation of verse 9
as far as we have gone is as follows: “Now hear this, I will cause those who
are from the synagogue of Satan, who allege that they themselves are Jews,
however in spite of that allegation they are not really Jews, but they are
liars.”
One thing we did not note in closing out that last
phrase is the fact that anyone who lives in the cosmic system becomes a liar.
His life is a lie and therefore it is inevitable that every facet of his life
will be a lie, whether it is conversation or whether it is his own mental
attitude, divorcement from reality, the lie covers the whole situation. It is
impossible for anyone who is in the cosmic system and therefore living a lie to
have any true capacity for happiness, love, blessing, success, prosperity, promotion,
or anything else. Therefore the cosmic system becomes a source of unhappiness
whether people achieve or fail to achieve. And whether it is a believer or an
unbeliever both serve Satan in the cosmic system.
This is the dispensation of the Church, not the
dispensation of Israel, and therefore these Jews are very jealous and resentful
of the fact and principle that in the past theirs has been the most glorious
history of all. The first client nation to God from BC 1440 to AD 70 was Israel. With the
third administration of the fifth cycle of discipline the times of the Gentiles
were ushered in and there will be no Jewish nation as a client nation to God
until the second advent of Christ; at which time our Lord will reassemble all
Israel, there will be the judgment called the baptism of fire, the unbelieving
Jews will be cast into fire whereas the believing Jews will form part of the
nucleus for the Millennium. But in the meantime the times of the Gentiles is
the order of the day and that means that no Jewish nation will ever function as
a client nation to God.
The second concept in verse nine is Jewish
orientation to the times of the Gentiles and the Church dispensation. Again we
have to start out with i)dou, the demonstrative particle
taken from the aorist middle imperative of o(rao,
“Now hear this.” And then we have the future active indicative from the verb poiew, which means to make, perform, to do, to
manufacture, to produce, to bring about, to accomplish. Here it means to cause,
“Now hear this, I will cause.” The predictive future tense anticipates the
fulfillment of 1 Corinthians 14:24 when the Jews are converted through exposure
to the gospel. The active voice: unbelieving Jews at the point of their
conversion or thereafter produce the action of this verb. The indicative mood
is declarative for the reality of Jewish respect for Gentile believers in the
royal family of God, as per 1 Corinthians 14:24,24. “I will cause them” refers
to the fact that Jesus Christ controls history but the object of the verb is
referring to Jews who are converted.
1 Cor. 14:24,25, “But if an unbeliever or someone
who does not understand comes in while everyone is prophesying [teaching
doctrine], he will be convinced by all who teach, he will be judged by all who
teach; in fact the secrets of his right lobe are disclosed so that he will fall
down and worship God, declaring with confidence that God is among you,” setting
up a contrast between the teaching of doctrine and its power and the function
of the gift of tongues which has no power, no meaning, no definition after the
fall of Israel in AD 70.
With this we have the accusative plural direct
object from a)utoj, the intensive pronoun used
as a personal pronoun since the third person personal pronoun of the Attic
Greek did not get into the Koine, a)utoj is used instead. It is
referring to Jews who at the moment are unbelievers living in the cosmic system
of Satan. But in the future many of these are going to believe in Christ
because of a very important principle: believers in Philadelphia, those who
were positive to doctrine, had great wisdom. They didn’t run around and antagonise
all the unbelievers. They didn’t flaunt the truth, they lived the truth and
they proclaimed the truth with great lucidness when necessary, and when the
opportunity afforded. The principle: In time of adversity which includes
discrimination from higher ranks — which includes prejudice from management,
which includes abuse, you do not react to the abuse — you keep on doing your
job as unto the Lord. The result is a fantastic dynamic, dynamic for evangelism
that cannot be duplicated by all of the hoopla Bible school “Brother are you
saved?” nonsense. You keep on doing your job and you don’t quit.
We have a principle here and it comes out of the
fact that many of these Jews who were bullies, who were unfair, who were poor
leaders, who underpaid and abused their employees, because they were arrogant —
in the cosmic system — and as always is the mistake with industrial complex
success they thought money was power, which it isn’t. Christians in
Philadelphia were being persecuted by the wealthy successful classes who were
Jewish people with money. These Jews were using their money, their position in
management, to persecute Christians. But the Christians lived their lives as
unto the Lord because they had some doctrine. And because they lived their
lives as unto the Lord they didn’t bluff, the didn’t succumb, they didn’t
react, they didn’t become arrogant. The real ploy of arrogance in management,
in authority, in power is to bully people until they protest, and the moment
they protest they are arrogant too. It is a system of Satan whereby you have
arrogance evangelism and one of Satan’s great cosmic evangelistic systems is
for arrogant people with power and authority to bully people, either through
religion or some other form, into becoming arrogant too. As long as you do your
job and live your life as unto the Lord you are impervious to bullying, but the
minute that you succumb and cry “unfair” and start to resent, or “I’ll show
you,” then you too are arrogant and you have been evangelised.
“Now hear this, I will cause them.” Then we have an
interruption. We have a conjunction i(na to introduce a final
clause. The final clause denotes a purpose, aim, goal or objective. I(na is translated “that.” This phrase is quoted from
Isaiah 60:14. It is a prophecy of the Millennium when Gentiles come and bow
down to the Jews of the client nation Israel. Isaiah 60:14 finds Gentiles
coming to the Jews as a client nation, but John quotes it to reverse the
situation; not to show the Millennium in its interpretative context but in its
application. He quotes it here in reverse for the converted Jews in
Philadelphia are going to come and do homage to Gentile believers. And the
point is this will be a trend of the Church Age. The persecutor finally
develops a respect for the persecuted and responds to the message of the
gospel.
Isaiah 60:14 was addressed to the Jews. “And the
sons of those who persecuted you,” here the Jews are being persecuted by the Assyrians
and by the Chaldeans, “will come bowing down to you [in the Millennium], and
all those who despised you will bow themselves at the soles of your feet; and
they will call you the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.”
So it is a prophecy in Isaiah; it is an illustration in Revelation 3:9.
Then we have following the future active indicative
of the verb h(kw, which means to come. “Now
hear this, I will cause them [Jesus Christ controls history] that they shall
come,” and this is after their conversion, after they have received some
doctrine. The predictive future tense anticipates that Jewish management
antagonistic toward Christians in Philadelphia will be converted and change
their attitude toward Gentile believers of the royal family of God. Active
voice: certain Jews who will receive Christ as saviour will be terribly
impressed by the fantastic faithfulness of people who are Christians and who
work under their supervision. These Jews produce the action of the verb. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of this prediction. Hence the neutralising
of opposition to Christianity through living their life as unto the Lord and
not reacting to unfairness.
Next we have the connective conjunction kai, and another future active indicative from proskunew, which means to pay homage, to become respectful,
to express respect. It also means to venerate and in certain conditions it
means to worship but it doesn’t mean worship here. It means here to express
respect, or to show respect. And with the improper preposition e)nwpion plus the genitive plural of pouj, “show respect at your feet.” The word “your” is
the possessive genitive of su, the personal pronoun
second person, “your feet,” the feet of the Gentile believers who persisted in
living their lives as unto the Lord no matter how they were persecuted and
treated unfairly.
Since believers and unbelievers have no contact in
eternity and since this context refers to the Church Age it is concluded that
this passage refers to the neutralisation of Jewish opposition in the Church
Age, the dispensation of historical trends. And it is not only Jewish
opposition, it is any kind of opposition. Opposition is opportunity, that is
the principle. But your arrogance, your reaction neutralises the potential.
Evangelism, regeneration, life in the divine dynasphere, the daily perception
of doctrine, causes one to live his life as unto the Lord, motivating virtue.
This in turn neutralises the opposition of persecution. Instead of fighting
opposition to Bible doctrine the believer should stick to the plan of God and
let the plan of God run interference for him. By focusing attention on the plan
of God and perception of doctrine the believer lives his life as unto the Lord
which paves the way for the Lord dealing with the opposition and the antagonism
to you as a believer. Live in the divine dynasphere, let the Lord handle the
opposition. In this way the believer avoids making an issue of himself, he
avoids the trap of arrogance whereby he is evangelised into the cosmic system.
So you must avoid making an issue of yourself and clear the way for the Lord
Jesus Christ to be the true issue. And you can never do it by reacting, you
must respond to doctrine.
This anticipates the final phrase in this verse
which is the fact that people are less likely to tamper with the life of that
one who is loved by God. We begin again with the adjunctive use of the
conjunction kai plus repetition of i(na and it is correctly translated “also that.”
With that we have the aorist active subjunctive of ginwskw, “also that they might know.” The culminative aorist tense views the
event in its entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results:
Jewish respect for Gentile believers, or the persecutor coming to respect the
persecuted. The active voice: Jewish converts produce the action of the verb by
a change of attitude toward Gentile believers whom they formerly despised and
persecuted in Philadelphia. The subjunctive mood is a potential subjunctive, it
implies a future reference and is qualified by the element of contingency.
Next comes the conjunction o(ti introducing the content of the future knowledge of
the persecutor. It introduces the content of the future knowledge when
conversion to Christ and persecution of doctrine inside of the divine dynasphere
has been neutralised where opposition has gone, “also that they might know.”
Next is the word e)gw, the nominative subject
referring to our Lord Jesus Christ, “also that they might know that I.” And
then the aorist active indicative of a)gapaw, “that I have loved,” the
accusative singular direct object from su,
“you.” The culminative aorist tense views our Lord’s love of believers in its
entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, namely the neutralisation
of the opposition. In this case the opposition comes from Jewish unbelievers
whose racial arrogance, therefore prejudice, has resulted in persecution of
Gentile Christians. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the
verb. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of divine love
directed toward Gentile believers of the Church Age, “also that they might know
that I have loved you.”
Corrected translation: “Now hear this, I will cause
those who are from the synagogue of Satan, who allege [proclaim, contend,
declare] that they themselves are Jews, however in spite of that allegation
they are not really Jews but they are liars; now hear this, I will cause them
that they shall come [after their conversion] and express their respect at your
feet, also that they might know that I have loved you.”
Principle
1. Jesus Christ controls history. This means that
all opposition to your life which is genuine must be neutralised by the Lord
for it to be effective. Therefore you must stay out of the way. To stay out of
the way you must continue to respond to unfair and even cruel authority rather
than react to it. Your reaction complicates the situation.
2. This is accomplished in several ways. First, in
context, through conversion and doctrinal inculcation. The opposition is
converted, impressed by your life of faithfulness. This is tantamount to
freedom from the cosmic system as the motivation for persecution. A second way
in which this is accomplished: the function of the overruling will of God as in
operation Balaam, or as expressed in the Abrahamic covenant which says to the
Gentile world, he who persecutes Israel I will deal with. A third way in which
this is accomplished: the wall of fire which functions when the believer lives
inside the divine dynasphere.
3. Opposition or persecution which Jesus Christ does
not neutralise He intends for your momentum testing or your divine discipline,
one or the other, depending on your status location; whether you are living in
the divine dynasphere or living in the cosmic system. If you are living in the
divine dynasphere it is momentum testing, if you are living in the cosmic
system it is divine discipline. 4. Our status location is either life inside
the divine dynasphere or involvement in the cosmic system of Satan.
5. For the believer involved in the cosmic system
the same fact remains true: believers in the cosmic system also provide
opposition and persecution for believers in the divine dynasphere.
6. This opposition from born-again believers can be neutralised
in several ways. First through the administration of the sin unto death of the
cosmic believer. Secondly, they can rebound and through doctrinal inculcation
produce a change of attitude toward you and everyone else. Thirdly, the cosmic
believer becomes so preoccupied with his self-induced misery plus the divine
discipline added to it that he cannot find time to continue persecuting you
while he is so busy being miserable. This principle of Revelation 3:9 is
amplified in Romans 8:28-38.
The last phrase, “that they may know
that I have loved you,” requires that we stop long enough to recognise the
classification of divine love. The ones who are said to be loved in verse nine
are mature believers, those who have advanced from gate four to gate eight of
the divine dynasphere through persistence in the perception of Bible doctrine.
God is eternal, infinite, and therefore God
possesses eternal and infinite love, eternal and infinite justice or integrity.
Anything that God has is beyond the scope of space and time and is perpetuated
forever and ever, not having a beginning nor having an end. God is immutable
and therefore the love of God is unchangeable. It is also compatible with the
perfect essence or the perfect character of God. God is holy, therefore the
love of God possesses perfect integrity or holiness. God’s holiness or
integrity is the basis for the function of divine impersonal love toward
mankind and the function of God’s perfect subjective and objective love toward
the other members of the Trinity.
God has love toward other members of the Godhead and
in the case of our passage He has love where people are concerned. God is love,
always has been love, always will be perfect love; God therefore does not fall
in love. The characteristics of God never change. Furthermore, God does not
increase or decrease in love. God’s eternal love exists with or without an
object.
That tells us something: virtue exists in you with
or without an object, provided you have it, and you do not have it unless you
live in the divine dynasphere and take in doctrine. When love exists in you it
exists as a capacity. You don’t look at someone and say, “I love you,” it is a
capacity that is there, it is virtue and integrity directed toward all. It is
manifest toward all people — impersonal love. In impersonal love there is only
humility. There is no arrogance in impersonal love; there is no racial issue in
impersonal love; there is no social issue in impersonal love. Impersonal love
is directed toward all. It is a system of integrity, you either have it or you
don’t have it.
God is love, His love is not sustained by a worthy
object, by attraction. Integrity says that you treat the repulsive the way you
treat the attractive. You treat them with virtue, honour and integrity which is
in you. The repulsive have none! Whether they are nice to you or not is not an
issue. And what is the origin of this impersonal love? The origin is the love
of God. What makes these Jews of verse nine, after they have been converted,
come and respect the Christians in Philadelphia? Why do they respect them?
Because they discover that God loved them and that impresses them. And how do
they know that God loved them? From the integrity and virtue, the
follow-through, from their own function in the divine dynasphere. So God’s love
is not sustained by a worthy object, by attraction, by promotion, or any form
of physical stimulation. Since God is perfect His love is never motivated by
self-promotion or self-indulgence, nor is God attracted to people because they
can do something for Him.
Obviously God’s love is virtuous. It is devoid of
sin, human good or altruism. It is devoid of evil, it is free from hypocrisy
and human blemish. But mankind tends to superimpose his own concepts of love on
God. This results in misunderstanding of God’s love as well as misapplication
and blasphemy such as, “How can a loving God do this to me?” By saying that man
takes all of his bad decisions and paints them right out. It originate from
man’s failure to comprehend the true nature of God’s love, his cosmic
involvement, his arrogance. There is no personality conflict when you have
virtue. It takes two for a personality conflict and that is what broke through
to these Jews. They were evangelised because the Christians who were working
for them, though they were bullied daily and persecuted, kept right on doing
their job as unto the Lord.
Verse 10,
deliverance from historical disaster. There is always some part of the world
where historical disaster exists. Right now throughout the world people are
suffering some form of disaster. There are born-again believers amid these
disasters. The question arises, then: Do these believers living in a hot-spot,
living in the centre of some form of disaster, have any right to deliverance?
The answer in verse ten is yes. People of all races, all nationalities have
positive believers facing disaster all over the world. Is there a wall of fire
for believers located anywhere in the world who are facing various categories
of disaster, economic depression, social degeneration, military disaster,
violence, criminality? The answer is yes. That is the answer in verse ten. You
may not pick up the answer immediately because of the King James version and
its anachronistic old English. It says, “Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth …”
We have the causal use of the conjunction o(ti, translated “because.” We have the aorist active
indicative of the verb terew, which means to keep, to
guard, to keep in the sense of not losing something, to keep in the sense of
protecting, to keep in the sense of paying attention to something important,
like perception of Bible doctrine in the divine dynasphere. We translate:
“Because you have guarded.” That means to maintain or to keep doctrine by
living in the divine dynasphere. This anticipates what we have in this verse,
and that is, for the believer who resides and functions inside of the divine dynasphere,
no matter what the historical climate may be, that believer has a wall of fire
around him. In the most dangerous place in the world you are perfectly safe.
The wall of fire becomes a major issue for believers and the wall of fire
belongs not to the cosmic believer living in the cosmic system. The aorist
tense is a culminative aorist, it views life in the divine dynasphere in its
entirety but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results: the advance to
maturity and the retention of doctrine in the right lobe. The active voice: the
mature believer produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is
declarative for a statement of historical fact that in every generation there
are always some believers who live in the divine dynasphere and advance to
maturity through perception and application of doctrine, no matter how evil and
how bad or how good and how prosperous that particular segment of history
happens to be.
With this we have the accusative singular direct
object from logoj used here for doctrine, a
synonym for doctrine. We now have the beginning of a passage: “Because you have
guarded [maintained by living in the divine dynasphere] the doctrine.” Then we
have the ablative of means from the noun u(pomonh, which also has a number of meanings, patience, endurance, fortitude,
perseverance, steadfastness. We are going to translate it, since it is the
ablative, “by means of perseverance.” With this we have the possessive genitive
from the personal pronoun e)gw, and correctly translated
“my,” “the doctrine by means of my perseverance.” This is our Lord’s residence
and function inside of the divine dynasphere during His earthly ministry. The
noun u(pomonh connotes courageous
endurance, it refers to residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
God the Father invented the divine dynasphere to sustain the humanity of Christ
during His incarnation. The original divine dynasphere was a Christmas gift
from God the Father to God the Son on the first Christmas day. Because of the
virgin pregnancy and the virgin birth when human life was imputed to the embryo
foetus, Adam’s old sin nature was not imputed. Therefore our Lord was born as
Adam was created, perfect. There was no genetically-formed old sin nature.
There was, however, the simultaneous imputation that is the gift of the
original divine dynasphere. Because of this fact the prototype divine dynasphere
was given at birth and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ occupied the
prototype divine dynasphere. He was filled with the Spirit from birth; He had
perfect impersonal love; He had enforced and genuine humility; at a very early
age through His perception of doctrine in His humanity He advanced from gate
four to gate eight. His love of God was perfect even when He said, “My God, My
God, why hast thou forsaken me”. He was being forsaken because “He who knew no
sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”
Our Lord
had no old sin nature so the source of His temptation did not come from within
but from the outside. And because our Lord was inside of the divine dynasphere
He faced greater temptations and pressures than we will ever face and yet
totally apart from sin. In Isaiah 11:2 we have the prophecy of the divine dynasphere,
“The spirit of the Lord will rest on him”; or Isaiah 42:1, “I will put my
spirit on him,” fulfilled in Matthew 1:18. John 3:34, “For he whom God the
Father has sent speaks the doctrines of God for he does not give the spirit by
measure”; Luke 4:14, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit.”
Our Lord’s function inside the divine dynasphere began at birth and continued
throughout His life time.
Take for example, gate three, enforced and genuine
humility which is the key to capacity for life, the key to happiness, the key
to blessing. You can have the accouterments of blessing without the capacity
for blessing and therefore be miserable. You can be promoted, you can be
successful, you can be prosperous and everything that is associated with
happiness and still be very unhappy. Reason: happiness must depend on capacity,
not on achievement. Therefore, of course, our Lord fulfilled this principle.
Our Lord was born into a home. The home happened to be in the dynasty of David.
Joseph was descended from David through Bathsheba’s son, Solomon; Mary was
descended from David through Bathsheba’s son, Nathan. So He was born into the
dynasty but He was born into organised humility. The parents provided enforced
humility and our Lord responded to the authority of His parents and that became
the principle of genuine humility, gate three of the divine dynasphere.
The home or divine institution #3 is provided by God
for the human race to make the most difficult transition in life: from
authority in the home as child to freedom in life as an adult. Many human
beings fail to make this transition because they reject parental authority,
they reject parental policy. The result is that they become a physical adult
but mentally a child — the soul of a child inside an adult body. Human
immaturity or lack of enforced and genuine humility cannot make proper use of
freedom but distorts it into evil by rejecting authority in life. Freedom and
authority must go together. Furthermore, such a person will not and cannot take
the responsibility for his own decisions. But our Lord Jesus Christ responded
to parental authority — Luke 2:51,52.
The Lord also had another challenge to gate three of
the prototype divine dynasphere. He was born under the plan of God the Father, organised
humility. Therefore He had a divine parent — using the Father for the humanity
of Christ — and the divine parent with all of His essence which included His
sovereignty provided enforced humility. And our Lord continually responded to
the plan of the Father and the will of the Father and that was His genuine
humility, gate three in the prototype divine dynasphere. For example, Hebrews
10:5-9. The first thing that came from our Lord was the statement that He came
to accomplish the Father’s plan. In His humanity He subordinated Himself to the
plan of God the Father. Our Lord’s function inside the divine dynasphere is
found in Philippians 2:5-8. John 15:10 adds to that — “If you keep my mandates,
you will reside in the sphere of my love complex; just as I have fulfilled the
mandates of my Father, and I reside in the sphere of His love complex [divine dynasphere].”
So we have the same concept right here in this
passage, Revelation 3:10. Impeccability is the issue that comes from it.
“Because you have guarded [maintained by living in the divine dynasphere] the
doctrine by means of my perseverance,” our Lord pioneered residence and
function inside the divine dynasphere. That is the major issue when He said:
“My perseverance.” Even though He was tempted far beyond anything we will ever
know or ever face we recognise that He pioneered the way.
The concept
1. The mature believer guards or
maintains Bible doctrine — the doctrine of our Lord’s victory in the first
advent — by using the same means, the same vehicle, the divine dynasphere.
2. Just as the prototype divine dynasphere
sustained our Lord to the point of impeccability so the current divine dynasphere
sustains the believer to the point of spiritual maturity and sustains the
believer in all kinds of historical circumstances. You can have disaster or
prosperity but you are sustained by the same divine dynasphere. The divine dynasphere
works in time of historical prosperity; it also works in time of historical
disaster. In time of disaster it is the wall of fire.
3. Just as the Lord Jesus Christ executed the
Father’s plan at the first advent, and He did it through the prototype divine dynasphere,
so we as Church Age believers, royal family of God, execute the plan of God the
Father through that same residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
4. The ablative of source and the ablative of means
are very close and related grammatically. The ablative of means is not the
regular case for expressing means, that would be the instrumental case. However
when the expression of means is accompanied by the implication of its origin or
its source the ablative is used instead of the instrumental case.
5. The prototype divine dynasphere was used by our
Lord’s humanity to sustain impeccability and fulfill the Father’s plan for
first advent, the strategic victory related to the cross. The cross must come
before the crown; the first advent must come before the second advent. And
between advents our Lord has received the third patent of royalty, the one He
will use at the second advent. Our Lord would not be qualified to bear our sins
on the cross if He had sinned and therefore the importance of the prototype
divine dynasphere as the means of maintaining impeccability.
During the incarnation impeccability means our Lord
did not sin. The first Adam was temptable and peccable in the garden of Eden.
That is, he was capable of being tempted and he was capable of yielding to
that. All he had to do was use his volition and eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil. The last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, was able not
to sin and He was not able to sin because of the hypostatic union. Jesus Christ
is God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and as such He is not able
to sin. As humanity Jesus Christ was inside the divine dynasphere and being in
the divine dynasphere from birth He was able not to sin. The humanity of Christ
was temptable and peccable but through His human volition of soul inside the
divine dynasphere our Lord remained in the purity of impeccability. The deity
of Christ was neither temptable nor peccable, therefore in hypostatic union as
God Christ was not able to sin. He remained inside the divine dynasphere in His
humanity and therefore in the divine dynasphere He was able not to sin.
The corrected translation so far in verse 10,
“Because you have guarded [maintained by living in the divine dynasphere] the
doctrine; which came by means of my perseverance.”
Bible
doctrine came to us, the royal family, through the perseverance of our Lord in
the divine dynasphere. Church Age doctrine results from our Lord’s residence
and function in the prototype divine dynasphere during the first advent and
incarnation. All the doctrine of the Church Age relates to that fact, even as
the divine dynasphere is only available to Church Age believers. Mature
believers and positive believers guard doctrine by means of the same divine dynasphere
now made available to the entire royal family but only used by positive
believers. The plan of God for the Church Age believer cannot be executed apart
from residence and function in the divine dynasphere and this relates to the
individual believer’s advance to maturity, his recruitment for the pivot, his
historical impact related to the client nation, his glorification of our Lord
Jesus Christ. In other words, the anonymous heroes of history during the Church
Age are mature believers living inside the divine dynasphere contributing to
the historical uptrend. The heroes of past dispensations are not
anonymous. Since everything around the first advent is fulfilled there is a
dead spot, in the Church Age there is no prophecy to be fulfilled. The next
prophecy is the event that terminates the Church Age, the Rapture, the
resurrection of the Church. That is why the Rapture was imminent and why it
could have occurred, as Paul said, in his day. That is why the Rapture could
occur tomorrow, the next day, or a thousand years from tomorrow, because all
prophecy concerning the first advent was fulfilled. And since it was fulfilled
the next prophecy doesn’t begin until the Rapture. So we are in a dead spot; we
are between prophecies. So instead of prophecy we live in the dispensation of
historical trends.
The plan of God for the Church Age believer cannot
be executed, therefore, apart from residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
This relates the individual believer’s advance to maturity and that, of course,
is the great issue. This is the only dispensation in which the heroes of
history are anonymous. They are those who continue and persist and persevere
inside the divine dynasphere, therefore guarding Bible doctrine and using it
for momentum and advance to maturity.
Principle
1. The humanity of Christ in hypostatic union was
sustained by the prototype divine dynasphere contributing to the strategic
victory of God over Satan as the ruler of this world.
2. The believer or royal family Christian is
sustained by the same divine dynasphere contributing to historical impact and
uptrend plus tactical victory over Satan as the ruler of this world.
You cannot have in military science a tactical
victory unless first of all you have a strategic victory. It is the strategic
victory that provides the logistics for tactical victory. The strategic victory
was the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. The follow-up tactical
victory is the believer who lives inside of the divine dynasphere during this
Church Age.
We come now to the next phrase in verse 10 which
deals with the wall of fire which God provides for believers living in the
divine dynasphere in time of disaster. It begins with a contraction . It is
made up of two words, the conjunction kai plus the pronoun e)gw, and it is contracted into kagw and is translated “I also.” The future active
indicative from the verb terew is next, “I also will
guard.” The accusative singular direct object from su is correctly translated “you.”
“Because you have guarded [maintained by living in
the divine dynasphere] the doctrine by means of my perseverance, I also will
guard you.”
The gnomic future tense is for a fact of future
performance which may be rightfully expected under normal conditions inside the
divine dynasphere. The statement of fact of performance is the wall of fire
which God has provided for those believers who live in the divine dynasphere.
You can be in the most dangerous spot in the world, the most dangerous
situation that can possibly exist, and if you are living inside the divine dynasphere
you are protected by the wall of fire. Only believers living in the divine dynasphere
have the wall of fire. Believers living in the cosmic system do not have a wall
of fire, all they have is warning discipline and if they ignore that then there
is intensive discipline and eventually the sin unto death, maximum disaster,
maximum pain in dying and being removed from this world. The sin unto death
means loss of all the rewards we have been studying — the uniform of glory, the
new knighthood and the order of the morning star, etc. So where you live your
life determines whether you will ever advance spiritually and execute the plan
of God or not. It also determines the difference between happiness and misery
as a believer. You cannot distinguish the cosmic believer from the unbeliever,
except that some unbelievers are much nicer!
“I also
will guard you,” the active voice: our Lord Jesus produces the action of the
verb, He provides the wall of fire around the believer living inside the divine
dynasphere. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the wall of
fire as a protection for believers who live inside the divine dynasphere. The
wall of fire relates to the divine dynasphere only, there is no wall of fire
for cosmic believers.
With this we have the preposition e)k plus the ablative from w(ra,
and with this we also have the concept of a limited portion of time. It is
translated “from the time” and the word refers to a period marked out by a
train of circumstances and the train of circumstances is historical disaster.
The noun w(ra can refer to sixty minutes
or a few seconds or a period of time in history. It is mistranslated in the
King James version because they transliterated it. It does not refer to an
hour. Generally it refers to a shorter period of time of a much longer period
of time. So it should be noted that w(ra means right time, favourable
time, a fixed time. It also means a “right time” as here, for Jesus Christ
controls history, the first principle of the concept of historical trends. He
administers historical punishment at the right time. Also our Lord Jesus Christ
brings testing into the life of the positive believer for his spiritual
advancement acceleration, the application of Bible doctrine to adversity. There
are two general reasons why Christians suffer; there are actually 24
categorical reasons. We suffer either for discipline or for testing, all
suffering comes under these categories. All divine discipline is related to
cosmic involvement whereas suffering for testing and blessing is related to
involvement in the divine dynasphere. When the believer is in the cosmic system
he is going to have a lot of suffering that he brings on himself. This is
generally the concept of warning discipline and if the suffering does not alert
him to the need to rebound, to recover from the cosmic system, to get back into
the plan of God, i.e. the divine dynasphere, then it goes on to intensive
discipline. If that doesn’t work eventually he goes out under the sin unto
death — but not until he has been used by Satan for cosmic evangelism. Cosmic
evangelism is directed toward positive believers who are advancing from gate
four to gate eight in the divine dynasphere.
Next we have the descriptive genitive of the noun peirasmoj, and it means either testing or temptation. Here it
means testings. The noun is derived from the verb peirazw, which helps us to understand the exact meaning of the noun. Peirazw means to test someone. Of course, the noun
“testing” to determine good or evil comes from the verb — to test someone to
find out if they are good or bad, to find out if they are virtuous or not
virtuous, to find out what they really are because what a person really it is
not when things are going right but when they are under pressure. So the
believer living in the cosmic system is destroyed by historical disaster or
pressure; the believer living in the divine dynasphere is benefited by
suffering, disaster, pressure because he is behind the wall of fire from where
he profits from the testing.
We have here a specific reference to the ten special
persecutions of the Church which we studied previously in chapter two, verse
ten. That is the time of testing, the historical disaster. And this is the wall
of fire that the Lord places around every positive believer living inside the
divine dynasphere. The believer involved in the cosmic system has no wall of
fire and is often punished by God during historical disaster. God used
historical disaster to punish and to often eliminate cosmic believers. Too many
cosmic believers becomes a reverse pivot and if you have too many cosmic
believers the human race becomes self-destructive. The human race actually
would destroy itself were it not for the fact that God eliminates from the
human race X number of cosmic believers every year. Cosmic involvement produces
economic disaster, social degeneration, and military defeat.
With the wall of fire we have another concept:
historical disaster to the client nation. This is based upon our study of the
doctrine of historical trends where if you have a large pivot of mature
believers and a small spin-off of cosmic believers then the nation is blessed,
prospered. But if you have a small pivot of mature believers and a large
spin-off of cosmic believers then the nation begins the cycles of discipline.
The wall of fire still protects even when God removes a nation. When He removed
Israel as the client nation to God in AD 70 He still preserved the small pivot. The pivot is
always delivered. The historical disaster of the client nation is brought up
here because the fifth cycle of discipline of a client nation is the worst
thing that could happen to believers living in that client nation. But the wall
of fire still applies. Even though a nation may be destroyed the pivot of
mature believers is always delivered.
We begin with an articular present active participle
from the verb mellw, and it means “about to
be.” We are going to translate it, “which is about to.” The definite article is
used as a relative pronoun referring to the time of testing or historical
disaster. The customary present tense denotes what may be reasonably expected
to occur both in the personal life of a believer and the function of a Gentile
client nation to God, i.e. testing and discipline. That’s testing for blessing
for those in the divine dynasphere but suffering for discipline for those in
the cosmic system. The active voice: historical disaster or testing produces
the action of the verb, this is a circumstantial participle. “I also will guard
you [believers living in the divine dynasphere] from the time of testing which
is about to ...” Then we have the present active infinitive of the verb e)rxomai, “which is about to occur [to come].” The
futuristic present tense denotes an event which has not yet occurred but is
regarded as so certain in thought that it may be contemplated as already
occurring. The active voice: historical disaster or a time of testing produces
the action of the verb. This is the infinitive of conceived result which
follows the nature of the case, namely the historical trend that both
individuals and nations are the products of their own decisions.
Principle
1. There are no tragedies in history because both
individuals and nations are the products of their own decisions. Tragedy
belongs to drama; disaster belongs to history.
2. Individual decisions produce environment, not
environment decisions; collective decisions produce environment in the nation,
and environment in the nation does not produce the decisions.
3. No one can become mature without taking the
responsibility for their own decisions. Arrogance blames everyone else but
integrity takes the responsibility.
4. As goes the believer so goes the historical
trends at any point in the Church Age. Believers living in the divine dynasphere
— uptrend; believers living in the cosmic system — downtrend. So the uptrend
and the downtrend in the client nation is determined by the daily attitude of
believers toward Bible doctrine.
5. Residence and function inside the divine dynasphere
means historical uptrend while involvement in the cosmic system means
historical downtrend eventuating in historical disaster.
6. People individually and collectively are the
products of their won decisions. This is why decision creates environment, not
environment decision.
7. It all begins with arrogance, personal arrogance,
many many people becoming involved in arrogance. Arrogance blinds the people or
the nation to its own inconsistencies and the consequences of its evil.
8. Arrogant individuals or nations never see the
disastrous consequences of their bad decisions related to the cosmic system and
this is why innovation apart from truth and integrity boomerangs in to
disaster. When Hegel said, “We learn from history that we learn nothing from
history”, he stated the case that arrogance is unteachable. No nation learns
from the mistakes of other nations; no people learn from past history.
With this we have a prepositional phrase, e)pi plus the genitive of o)ikoumenh. E)pi plus the genitive means
“on.” O)ikoumenh does not refer to planet
earth, it refers to some inhabited part of planet earth. While o)ikumenh means the inhabited earth it is used in the New
Testament in a technical sense for the Roman empire. “Which is about to come
upon the Roman empire” is what it means. The Roman empire was the first Gentile
client nation to God of the times of the Gentiles. The times of the Gentiles
began in AD 70
with the administration of the fifth cycle of discipline to Israel. This
introduces the concept of the client nation and how these things come about,
and why a nation can be great in one generation and in the next generation turn
around and be a pitiful nation.
We should note once again that the
Roman empire was the first Gentile client nation to God in history. The time of
the Gentiles is partially coterminous with the Church Age. It had a different
beginning but it ends at the same time. The Church Age has no prophecy, it is a
dead spot as far as prophecy is concerned. The next prophecy in history will be
the removal of the Church by the Rapture which precedes by seven years the
second advent. During this dispensation of the Church we have historical trends
only, no prophecy. Then prophecy begins and the second great sphere of prophecy
deals with the second advent of Christ, preceded by the Rapture, preceded by
the Tribulation — Revelation chapters 6-18. The book of Revelation is a history
of the world from AD 96, the time of John, to the end of time.
In the Church Age we also have the times of the
Gentiles. The times of the Gentiles did not begin at the same time as the
Church Age. The Church Age began circa AD 30; the times of the Gentiles began forty years
later in AD 70.
There were forty years into the Church Age before the Jews were removed as a
client nation to God and the Jews will never be a client nation to God again,
even though Jewish nations exist periodically in history, until the second
advent of Jesus Christ. In the meantime it is impossible for any Jewish nation
to be a client nation. This is the times of the Gentiles when only a Gentile
nation can be a client nation to God. That means, of course, that starting in AD 70 with the administration
of the fifth cycle of discipline to Israel the Jews as the first client nation
in history came to a close. Beginning in AD 70 the Roman empire became the first Gentile client
nation in history.
By the way, during that forty years between 30 and
70 AD, the last
forty years of Israel as a client nation, the Jews were warned constantly by
the use of the gift of tongues. They were evangelised by Gentiles even thought
they were still a client nation, that is, they were evangelised in Gentile
languages. They were warned in Isaiah 28 that when the time comes that you are evangelised
in Gentile languages your time is coming to a close as a client nation to God.
That is exactly what happened. The gift of tongues did not survive AD 70 and no one has
legitimately spoken in tongues since that time.
A priest or client nation is responsible for the
custodianship of the truth. The truth comes in three categories: category #1,
the laws of divine establishment; category #2, the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ; category #3, Bible doctrine to the believer. Before Israel such
custodianship of truth involved divine revelation apart from scripture. There
was no Bible before Israel became the first client nation to God and that was
in the time of Moses. Moses is the father of the Jewish nation as a client
nation or priest nation to God just as Abraham is the father of the Jewish
race. From Adam to Moses there was no Bible and there was, therefore, no client
nation or priest nation to God. Custodianship of truth came as a result of
divine revelation apart from scripture and it involved custodianship given to
various people like Abraham, like Adam. It was an individual custodianship.
Additional custodianship was never assigned until the first client nation was
born in BC 1440
when the Jews came out of Egypt and out of slavery. So the client nation or
priest nation are synonyms and they emphasise a certain responsibility that
belongs to a group of people at any given time in history. For example, when
the Jews became a client nation to God in the time of Moses then Moses began to
receive divine truth reduced to writing. So the canon of scripture was begun
and throughout the dispensation of Israel there was a constant addition to the
canon of scripture until it was completed some 500 years before the Church Age.
Israel was responsible then for the truth and the truth was revealed in the Old
Testament.
The laws of divine establishment are clearly
delineated by the first two categories of the Mosaic law: the first category,
codex #1 actually describes freedom in terms of the decalogue; codex #2 is a
description of our Lord Jesus Christ and the truth of the gospel; codex #3 is a
detailed description of the laws of divine establishment. So in the Mosaic law
itself we have everything necessary for the function of a client nation or a
priest nation to God. Basically the functions were very simple. First of all
there was the function of evangelism inside of the client nation; outside of
the client nation the same thing as a part of missionary function. So there was
the function of missions as illustrated from time to time by various
missionaries in the Old Testament, the most prominent being Jonah. In addition
to that there is the dissemination of truth to the nation and this is
absolutely impossible apart from the laws of divine establishment which
guarantee freedom. So the entire function is encapsulated in the laws of divine
establishment which define freedom plus the sacredness of freedom and
self-determination, the sacredness of property and the sacredness of life.
The most important priest nation in all of history
until the Roman empire was Israel, the only one. In fact in Exodus 19:6 our
Lord revealed through Moses , “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation.” Immediately you understand that when it says “a kingdom of
priests” every person in Israel was not a priest. In fact only a few people
were priests in client nation Israel and they were called Cohen, and it referred to the tribe of Levi only, and in the tribe
of Levi to the same family from which Moses came. So there are two categories
of priesthood in the Old Testament: the specialised priesthood of the Levitical
priesthood, beginning with Aaron, the brother of Moses; secondly, the national
priesthood which was the Jews function as a client nation to God. They were
responsible for the fulfillment of the laws of divine establishment whereby
freedom was maintained, the proper environment for self-determination, and at
the same time property, and at the same time the importance of human life. All
of these things gave everyone the opportunity to choose for or against freedom,
to choose for or against the gospel, and as believers to choose for or against
Bible doctrine. Gentile nations were not client nations to God technically
until Rome came along, until AD 70, the Church Age.
Negative volition toward doctrine destroys the
client nation. This was the warning of the prophet Hosea when in chapter four
verse six he warned the northern kingdom of Israel that they were about to be
destroyed as a client nation. They were suffering from the same problems we
face today, economic problems of one type or another, social degeneration and military
disaster.
Why do these things come upon a client nation to
God? Just as the Roman empire was the first Gentile client nation so we today
are in the line of perpetuation of client nations to God and we are a client
nation to God in the same sense as the Roman empire in the first century was a
client nation to God. What happens to client nations? Hosea 4:6, “My nation
[client nation] is destroyed.” What destroys a client nation in the time of Hosea,
or later on the Roman empire, or even perhaps the United States today? “ … from
lack of knowledge [of doctrine],” the maturity maladjustment to the justice of
God; “Because you have rejected the principle of knowing doctrine, therefore I
will reject you as being a priest to me. Since you have neglected the Torah
[the doctrine] of your God, I, even I, will neglect your citizens.” And the
fifth cycle of discipline was administered at least three times in Jewish
history. The Jewish nation until AD 70 was a client nation to God, minus 70 years.
First of all in BC
721 Sargon II
took Samaria and the northern kingdom ceased to exist as a client nation to
God, and was destroyed and went in to slavery. In BC 586 the southern kingdom of
the Jews, called Judah, was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. This was the second
administration of the fifth cycle of discipline. But after 70 years there was a
recovery of the southern area of Palestine and there was a third Jewish client
nation called Judea, and it fell in AD 70 when Titus and his Roman legions overran
Jerusalem. The failure of Israel resulted in the times of the Gentiles in which
Gentile nations become client nations to God. While Chaldea and the Persian
empire had large groups of coverts technically they were never client nations
to God.
Israel is going to be restored in the future but
that is a prophecy and will not occur until the second advent of Christ. The
prophecy of Israel’s future as a client nation is found in Isaiah 49:5-8, “And
now says Jehovah [God the Father], who formed me [the humanity of the incarnate
Christ] from the womb to be his servant [reference to the first advent] to
bring Jacob back to him,” the first advent was the cross and the cross becomes
the means for the second advent, the crown. By putting the cross before the
crown there will be a future Jewish nation in the Millennium as a client nation
to God. To bring Jacob back to Him is the restoration of Israel as a client
nation at the second advent; “in order that Israel might be gathered to him
(For I [Jesus Christ] am glorified in the sight of God the Father, and my God
shall be my strength [the strength of the divine dynasphere]), He says [decrees
the Father], ‘It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up
the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I [God the
Father] will also make you [Christ] the light of the nations [occurs at the second
advent] so that my deliverance will be to the ends of the earth’,’’ the
deliverance of Israel at the second advent, “So decrees Jehovah, the redeemer
of Israel [Jesus Christ], the Holy One, regarding the despised One [Jesus
Christ, first advent], regarding the One abhorred by the (Jewish) nation [first
advent], regarding the servant of rulers [Jesus Christ in His third royal
patent], Kings shall see and arise, Princes shall also bow down [second
advent]; because of the Lord who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has
chosen you. So decrees the Lord, ‘At the right time I have answered you,
therefore in the day of deliverance [second advent] I have helped you;
consequently I will keep you and give you [the Jewish nation] for a covenant of
the people,” the restoration of Israel is the fulfillment of their
unconditional covenants, “to restore the land of Israel, to make them inherit
the desolate heritages [desolate after the Tribulation].”
The thing that makes a client nation tick, whether
it is Israel in the past and in the future — second advent, or Gentile client
nations in this dispensation of the Church, is the requirement of advance of
believers to maturity. In the times of the Gentiles Gentile nations should do a
far better job of representing the Lord as a client nation than Jewish nations
in the past. The reason is that they are given additional power that did not
exist in the Old Testament. The power is the divine dynasphere. The eight gates
of the divine dynasphere is the function of the Christian way of life, the
modus operandi of the royal family of God. As goes your life as a believer so
goes the client nation. Positive believers mean a strong, vigorous, prosperous
client nation. Negative believers mean a client nation in decline and eventually
going through the five cycles of discipline. The key, then, to the success of
any client nation is the individual attitude of the believers in that client
nation. Historical trends are determined by the volition of the believer.
The promise to Israel as a client nation has
application to us. One of the first promises to Israel as a client nation is
found in Exodus 19:5,6, “Now therefore, if you will obey my doctrine and keep
my covenants [establishment truth], then you shall be my special possession
[client nation] among all the peoples of the earth, for the earth is mine [even
though Satan rules the earth]; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests in a
holy [client] nation.”
Now you will notice what is necessary to function as
a client nation. “Obey my doctrine, keep my establishment principles, then you
are my special possession.” In the past the United States of America has been
the special possession of our Lord. Whether that continues or not depends on
your attitude toward Bible doctrine.
There is a Millennial reference to Israel as a
client nation in Isaiah 61:5-7, “Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,
foreigners will be your farmers and wine producers. But you will be called the
priests of the Lord [not the Levitical priesthood but the entire nation of
Israel]; and you will be spoken of as ministers of our God [all believers in
Israel]. You will eat of the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you
will boast. Instead of your shame [today Israel is under a shame ban from the
Lord, 5th cycle of discipline] you will have a double portion, and instead of
humiliation [historical disaster] you will shout for joy over their portion
[restoration of Israel]. Therefore they [the Jews of the Millennium] will
possess a double portion in their land, everlasting happiness shall be theirs.”
Now the present role of the United States, a Gentile
client nation to God or a priest nation, is very important then. We are taking
up the slack during the time of Israel’s shame or disgrace. The times of the
Gentiles was prophesied by our Lord in Luke 21:20-24. He prophesied in a very
similar passage to where He said there will be wars and rumours of wars “until
I come.” He also pointed out to the Jews that they had dropped their military. Herod
the Great didn’t, he had a magnificent army and he wasn’t attacked, he was a
friend of the Romans. But now that the Roman army was in Palestine the Jews
said, “We don’t need an army.” And this is what happened to them, Luke 21:20,
referring to the Roman army that came in AD 66 and stayed until they destroyed Israel in AD 70, “But when you see
Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know,” the aorist active imperative of the
verb ginwskw, you must know historical
trends. This is a mandate. Learning doctrine and understanding historical
trends is a mandate. The aorist tense is a constative aorist gathering up into
one entirety learning of all mandates. Active voice: believers must know
historical trends. The imperative mood is a mandate to believers, “that her
desolation [fifth cycle of discipline to Israel] is near. Then let those in Judea
flee to the mountains,” a mandate to believers who are mature. Get them out of
the area, “and let those who are in the middle of Jerusalem get out.
Furthermore, let not those who are in the country enter into Jerusalem,” don’t
get into the trap, Jerusalem is going to be destroyed, “because these are the
days of vengeance [justice, 5th cycle of discipline], in order that all things
which are written may be fulfilled,” the prophecies of the end of client nationship
through the fifth cycle of discipline to Israel, “also Jerusalem will be
trampled under foot until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” The times of
the Gentiles will not be fulfilled until the resurrection of the Church, the
Rapture. In the meantime we have a long succession of Gentile client
nations.
Revelation 3:10c, the last phrase: We have an aorist
active infinitive of the verb peirazw, which means to test for
the purpose of determining what you have, of what stuff you are made: good or
evil, what are your priorities? what is important to you in life? what is your
integrity status? And then we have the accusative plural of the definite
article touj, it is part of the direct
object and it is used as a personal pronoun and translated “those,” “to test
those.” The culminative aorist tense views historical disaster in its entirety
but regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, namely the determination
of the believer’s status quo in client nation Roman empire. The active voice:
historical disaster produces the action of the verb and the infinitive of
intended result when the result is indicated as fulfilling a deliberate plan or
purpose. Intended result blends the plan with the result. Then we have the
present active indicative of the verb katoikew, and it means to live, to dwell somewhere and to live there, “to test
those who live,” the descriptive present tense for what is now going on. The
active voice: believers living on the earth at that time produce the action
just as believers living in the United States right now also produce the same
action. The participle is circumstantial. Then we have finally a preposition e)pi plus the genitive of the noun gh and it is a reference to believers in phase two
living on planet earth. It is translated, “to test those who live on the
earth.”
The corrected translation of the entire verse:
“Because you have guarded [maintained by living in the divine dynasphere] the
doctrine which came by means of my perseverance [our Lord’s residence and function
in the divine dynasphere], I will also guard you [wall of fire around the
divine dynasphere] from the time of testing [historical disaster] which is
about to come upon the entire Roman empire.”
Notice the principle of the definite article,
“those.” The definite article refers to believers who are tested by historical
disaster: believers tested by historical disaster at that time and believers
tested by historical disaster today. The most obvious test is the fact that
historical disaster, like historical prosperity, is a test regarding the
believer’s relationship with the plan of God. Whatever the believer’s
relationship with the plan of God happens to be, that determines prosperity or
disaster. The plan of God for this dispensation calls for every believer to
reside and function inside the divine dynasphere, not the cosmic system. In the
cosmic system there is only one thing you have and that is arrogance. Personal
arrogance will destroy your life and overflow into the national entity.
Historical disaster tests believers living in the divine dynasphere and gives
them passing marks, hence blessing in disaster. Historical disaster tests
believers living in the cosmic system and flunks them, which means they are
punished by such disaster, often by the sin unto death. Historical disaster is
a test for Christian residence either the divine dynasphere or in the cosmic
system. The historical disaster then demonstrates that believers in the divine dynasphere
are either winners or believers in the cosmic system are classified as losers.
Verse 11, the perpetuation of spiritual maturity is the
challenge to any circumstance in life. Whether it is adversity or prosperity
you can have happiness and blessing in any circumstances. Inside of the divine dynasphere
there is capacity for life, there is happiness, there is blessing.
The word “behold” in the King James version is not
found in the original text. Next we have the present active indicative of the
verb e)rxomai, and
here it means to come. The verb is often used for both the occurrence of
natural events or fateful happenings. Therefore it is not surprising that e)rxomai is used here for divine discipline for the
believer. Without the adverb, however it would mean something else. The adverb
is taxu, and it means quickly,
rapidly or at once. The present tense of e)rxomai is a pictorial present, it presents to the believers in mind a picture
of divine discipline from cosmic involvement. The active voice: Jesus Christ
produces the action of the verb through the administration of divine punishment
to the cosmic believer. The indicative mood is the reality of divine discipline
even to mature believers who get out of the divine dynasphere and slip into the
cosmic system. If they get into the cosmic system they start out getting into
cosmic two, and then of course cosmic one if they get into gate one which
involves the arrogance and motivating evil factor. If they get in for just a
short time, rebound, and get back into the divine dynasphere they are called
while they are in the cosmic system, carnal. If they stay there and perpetuate
life in the cosmic system the they become reversionists. These are simply
technical terms to describe the length of time and the spiritual disaster to
the individual involved. Corrected translation: “I come quickly” — i.e. to
punish cosmic involvement.
Principle
1. Maturity must be achieved and maintained. Once
you crack the maturity barrier and go from gate four to gate eight it has to be
maintained. The attainment of maturity is no guarantee against cosmic
involvement, you still have free will. Good decisions result in options for
greater decisions and blessing; bad decisions destroy those options. Even
mature believers can make bad decisions.
2. The believer, after the achievement of maturity,
must continue to learn doctrine. He must continue to reside and function in the
divine dynasphere. He must continue therefore to maintain the right priorities
of life. Number one priority must always be Bible doctrine.
3. Many mature believers can pass the adversity
test. All mature believers have learned how to handle adversity. But they lean
so hard into adversity that when they have a change of pace in prosperity they
really don’t know what to do. So many mature believers can pass the adversity
test but they flunk the prosperity test. You do not handle prosperity the way
you handle adversity.
4. Divine blessings must be kept in their
perspective so that the mature believer never forgets the source of blessing.
The source of blessing comes indirectly from God through residence and function
inside the divine dynasphere, daily perception of doctrine at gate four, the
advance to gate eight, passing the eight momentum tests.
5. Forgetting the source of prosperity is easy when
a mature believer changes his priorities. You cannot stay out of the divine dynasphere
very long without changing your priorities. You get so busy with what you are
doing in life and so preoccupied with yourself in life that you forget
something: the life that you have, the time that you have on this earth is
courtesy of our Lord — logistical grace.
6. All too often the mature believer seeks to
maintain his prosperity and perpetuate his material blessings rather than
maintain the source of his prosperity and perpetuate his spiritual maturity
inside the divine dynasphere.
7. Arrogance infiltrates when the mature believer
associates promotion or success with himself rather than with the source, the
source being the integrity of God, divine justice imputing logistical grace to
the indwelling +R, and as you advance to maturity imputing supergrace blessings
to that same +R. The source is the Word of God; the source is life in the
divine dynasphere.
8. Therefore when the mature believer suddenly
becomes involved in the cosmic system the Lord comes suddenly with divine
discipline to warn him of his danger and to bring him back to the reality of
the divine viewpoint.
9. So far we have the phrase “I come quickly,”
referring to warning discipline. We have an other reference to it in chapter
three verse twenty: “Behold, I stand at the door and keep knocking”. Knocking
is also warning discipline. So we have analogies: “I come quickly”; “I keep
knocking.” This phrase refers to warning discipline to the mature believer who
has suddenly become arrogant through involvement with the cosmic system.
“I come
quickly” to punish the mature believer who has moved into the cosmic system.
Now there is a mandate to that mature believer. Rebound is necessary, the
warning should take care of that for a mature believer. But now here is a
warning: present active imperative of the verb kratew,
and it is translated “hang on.” We might say, “hang in there,” the progressive
present tense for action in a state of persistence, continued residence in the
divine dynasphere, “hang in there” in the divine dynasphere, the perpetuation
of the perception of doctrine beyond the point of maturity. The active voice:
the mature believer must produce the action by “hanging in there.” The
imperative of command is for the mandate to perpetuate spiritual maturity
inside the divine dynasphere. Once you’ve arrived, keep going. Keep your
priorities straight.
Next we have the accusative neuter singular from the
relative pronoun o(j, translated “to what.”
Since this is the neuter we translate it, “hang on to what.” Then finally the
present active indicative of e)xw, “to what you have.” The
retroactive progressive present of e)xw denotes what has begin in
the past, residence in the divine dynasphere, the attainment of spiritual
maturity, and continues into the present. The active voice: the mature believer
produces the action by logging maximum time in the divine dynasphere. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the possession of spiritual
maturity through the advance from gate four to gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
So here is the command to hang in there: “hang on to what you have” as a mature
believer.
What does that mean to us?
1. This means avoid arrogance, avoid an erroneous
scale of values, maintenance of supergrace blessings in their proper
perspective. When you get out of fellowship rebound immediately, don’t waste
any time fooling around in the cosmic system.
2. Too often prosperity is parlayed into pride.
3. Prosperity is a sedative making the believer
forget the source of his prosperity.
4. The source is related to the divine dynasphere
and logistical grace provision. But if you get arrogant you become
hypersensitive and hypersensitivity completely blocks out the right priority
which is Bible doctrine.
5. Every breath we take is courtesy of our Lord
Jesus Christ but prosperity has a way of breeding arrogance so that the
believer associates all form of blessing with some form of human merit or human
ability.
6. This results in preoccupation with self, a rationalisation
we call the narcissus syndrome.
7. Cosmic involvement destroys grace thinking,
therefore cosmic involvement causes malfunction of the faith-rest drill so that
the believer forgets.
8. Cosmic involvement means that the believer
forgets doctrine, forgets the right priorities. He forgets the source of
doctrine and his former humility in the divine dynasphere is converted into
arrogance and arrogance into vanity. From there it is a short trip to warning
discipline and disaster.
The reason for all of this is found in the next
phrase, the purpose for the warning mandate. The conjunction i(na introduces a purpose clause, “in order that.” Then
an adjective used as a substantive and therefore the subject, mhdeij, which means “no one.” It refers to cosmic believers
with influence in the Christian community elsewhere. “No one” refers to
believers in the cosmic system, and they have influence through their
personality, through their success, attractiveness, whatever it is. With this
we have the aorist active subjunctive of lambanw, which means to take away, “in order that no one take away.” The culminative
aorist tense views the believer in the cosmic system in its entirety but it emphasises
loss of reward because he was evangelised by other cosmic believers with
influence. The active voice: generally it is a close friend or loved one who is
the cosmic believer who produces the action of the verb, cosmic evangelism, a
Satan-inspired modus operandi using believers to drag people out of the divine dynasphere
and away from doctrine. The subjunctive mood: this is the potential
subjunctive, and the subjunctive plus i(na
introduces a purpose clause. It is a potential subjunctive because it implies a
future reference and is qualified by the element of contingency. In this case
the contingency is your own bad decisions. Your loved ones, your friends, or
someone becomes more important than Bible doctrine.
With this we have the accusative singular direct
object from stephanoj, which refers to reward,
the second highest reward that God can give. Plus the possessive genitive of
the pronoun su, which indicates that those
involved have not yet reached the place of historical impact which brings the
highest decoration, but they at least have the crown of life. By reaching gate
eight they have a crown. Now, by maintenance and moving on in gate eight they
can have the order of the morning star.
Corrected translation: “I come quickly [to punish
and warn the mature believer in the cosmic system]: hang on to what you have
[as a mature believer], so that no one takes away your crown.”
When the mature believer becomes so involved in the
cosmic system that he loses his rewards at the judgment seat of Christ it is
because, generally, of a person. It can be either a person or a thing in life
that is put above Bible doctrine. The principle is a very simple one: people
influence people; believers influence believers; cosmic believers influence
mature believers where mature believers do not separate mentally from their
cosmic friends. When social life is perpetuated with cosmic believers and close
friendships continue it always works the same way. Just as one bad apple spoils
a barrel of good apples, so one cosmic believer lures the other believers away
from doctrine, away from daily perception of doctrine, away from the divine dynasphere.
If you continue to associate with cosmic believers you will shortly adopt their
false scale of values. This is talking about social life, not business life.
So with supergrace prosperity mature believers
become very vulnerable to flattery and attention from cosmic believers. Cosmic
evangelism is conducted by cosmic believers under the control of Satan’s power
system. The cosmic evangelist’s appeal is generally conducted through
arrogance; through the arrogance of either direct flattery or it may be
disguised by a facade of intellectuality or affection or passion, or whatever
it is. So when the believer in the divine dynasphere is led away by his love,
by his affection, by his response to flattery, the result means that he is evangelised
for the cosmic system and loses his rewards.
This is a very important verse that is quite
unusual. An entire system of theology is based upon the concept that we have
here. Wrong decisions are a system of self-punishment. We administer punishment
to ourselves and through erroneous use of our own volition or free will we
manufacture and create our own misery. There is a very fine line in some case
as to when self-induced misery ends and divine discipline begins, but in many
cases where the believer rebounds he has made a good decision whereby he is
able to offset the problems of self-induced misery.
Man makes a fool of himself every time he makes
wrong decisions because these wrong decisions of entrance into the cosmic
system inevitably result in manufacturing his own misery. But most people in
the cosmic system will not take the responsibility for their own decisions or
their own actions and as a result of this they find someone else to blame. And
when you blame someone else for your own failures, your own sins, your own
problems and your own misery, then you have fallen into this very serious
problem. As long as you do not take the responsibility for your own decisions
and actions you are going to remain in the cosmic system with a cosmic
viewpoint. When people reach maturity they often develop a new sensitivity, and
in this new sensitivity of life they often find themselves slipping into a very
serious trap of blaming others for their own failures. This is the background
for this passage.
The principle behind verse 11 and the fact that you
can lose your crown goes back to the fact that the Church Age is the
dispensation of no prophecy. Instead it is a dispensation of historical trends
and that means that all of the prophecies regarding the first advent of Christ
have been fulfilled in detail. The major system of prophecy and the doctrine of
eschatology in the Bible is centred around the first and second advents of our
Lord Jesus Christ. In the first advent we have the strategic victory of the
angelic conflict. In the second advent we have the tactical victory of the
angelic conflict and there is a tremendous amount of Old Testament prophecy
which was fulfilled with the first advent of Christ. Once our Lord was seated
at the right hand of the Father the last of the great prophecies of the Old
Testament regarding the first advent were fulfilled — Psalm 110:1. There He
received His third royal patent and this is the one which is so important to us
and makes this the dispensation for the forming of a royal family for that
royal patent. Also there is no prophecy; we are an interlude between
eschatological events. There will be no prophecy until the Church Age is
terminated by the Rapture or the resurrection of the Church.
In the meantime historical trends are very
pertinent. Church Age doctrine which all revolves around life in the divine dynasphere
is extremely pertinent to us because it includes every principle of application
of doctrine. We apply doctrine to our own personal lives, we apply doctrine to
the great concept of this dispensation which isn’t prophecy but virtue and
integrity. First of all motivational virtue directed toward God in the divine dynasphere
and, secondly, functional virtue toward man and circumstances as a function of
our royal ambassadorship. This is the major emphasis in the period of
historical trends. Once we understand historical trends then we do not get
upset about what we consider to be the great reverses in history, for there
never has been a nation or group of people which is not the product of its own
decisions. Therefore we bring our failures on ourselves. We must take the
responsibility for our own decisions and whether we do this or not it is going
to happen at the judgment seat of Christ, for at the end of verse 11 we have
this phrase: “hang on to what you have
[as a mature believer stay in the divine dynasphere] so that no one takes away
your crown.” The implication is that even after cracking the maturity barrier
you can lose your rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.
It all begins with 2 Corinthians 5:10. All of us are
going to face an evaluation of our spiritual lives in the future. All of us are
going to face an evaluation of what we did with logistical grace. God has capitalised
every believer with logistical grace from the moment of salvation. We are
given, for example, a certain amount of time on this earth; we are given food,
shelter, clothing, everything necessary to function in life; we are given
freedom and opportunity therefore to respond to Bible doctrine or reject it; we
have options in time. We have logistical grace support from the justice of God
imputed to believers to the indwelling divine righteousness, one of the things
we received at salvation. And we are free to make decisions. We have positive
volition toward doctrine and that has to do with good decisions. We have
negative volition toward doctrine and that has to do with bad decisions. All of
these things tie in together so that we as believers are either going to be
highly successful by divine standards or we are going to flunk. Failure does
not mean loss of salvation but failure means loss of rewards at the judgment
seat of Christ. As our passage says, “hang on so that we do not lose our
crown”. This is actually a reference to the crown of life which was previously
mentioned in chapter two and has to do with residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere.
There is no such thing as equality in life; there is
such a thing as equal opportunity. All opportunity comes through freedom and
through free enterprise. The principle here should be very obvious. You and I
find ourselves unequal today but we do have one area where we do have equality.
We do have free will in our souls; we do have volition. We have the opportunity
to make decisions and those who make positive decisions are going to advance to
maturity inside the divine dynasphere. Those who make negative decisions toward
doctrine are going to retrogress into such phraseology as carnality [one
category of cosmic residence] or reversionism [another category of cosmic
residence]. So it all adds up to this: your attitude toward Bible doctrine
after salvation determines your status quo in time and in eternity. On this
earth we have a tremendous difference among believers. Believers who are
positive advance to maturity; believers who are negative or cosmic believers
are failures, they have flunked the Christian life, they have failed to utilise
the tremendous capital made available by the grace of God, logistical grace
support. So we have vast differences in time but these differences are going to
be dramatised in eternity for there we are going to have even greater
differences. In heaven which is a perfect place there are going to be the
mature believers, those who are able to hang on through the daily perception of
doctrine. And they will have the order of the morning star, they will have
various crowns, they will have all kinds of decorations, they are going to
become famous as rulers of nations in the Millennium, they are going to be
famous in the records system of heaven forever, they will have a chapter
devoted to them in the permanent historical records of history. This will be a
record that cannot be destroyed because the records will be in the temple of
heaven.
The loss of reward is the subject of 1 Corinthians
3:11-15, “No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which
is Jesus Christ”. In other words, we are talking about those who are believers
in the Lord Jesus Christ. “When anyone builds on the foundation either gold,
silver or precious stones,” the modus operandi in the divine dynasphere; “or
wood, hay, and stubble,” this is modus operandi in the cosmic system. Modus
operandi in the divine dynasphere is rewardable; modus operandi in the cosmic
system means loss of reward — “Each believer’s production will become evident
[manifest]; for the day [judgment seat of Christ] will show it, because it is
revealed by fire; in fact the fire itself will test what quality each one’s
production is.” So we are not talking about salvation, we are talking about
quality of production. The only production which is rewardable is that which is
related to the divine dynasphere and all production which is related to the
cosmic system is not rewardable, “If anyone’s production which he has built on
it [the foundation of imputed righteousness] remains, he shall receive a
reward. If anyone’s production is burned up, he shall suffer loss of reward;
but he himself shall be delivered, yet so as through fire.” So the believer who
fails is going to be there and that is all. The believer who succeeds is going
to have fantastic rewards.
The doctrine of eternal security is a guarantee that
you are free to use your volition to succeed or fail without ever making a
decision that will take away your salvation. The worst decisions you can make
will never cancel the one decision you made when you believed in the Lord Jesus
Christ. That is irreversible, it is perpetuated forever, it is not subject to
any form of cancellation. You can make no bad decisions that will take away
your salvation. Eternal security therefore becomes a base for freedom, freedom
in the spiritual life, the ability to choose God’s plan as over against Satan’s
plan, the cosmic system. Therefore you should have confidence in time, 1 John
3:21, “Beloved [royal family of God] if our right lobe does not condemn us
[life inside the divine dynasphere] we keep on having confidence before God.”
That principle of confidence then overflows to the judgment seat of Christ.
The cosmic believer loses confidence in God through
his own function of volition but the believer who lives inside the divine dynasphere
gains confidence in God, especially through function at gate four, the
perception and application of doctrine. So while the cosmic believer is losing
rewards at the judgment seat of Christ he will also have a time of discomfort
which we might call shame or embarrassment. The fact that the mature believer
does not have this embarrassment is taught in Romans 5:5; Philippians 1:20.
The divine dynasphere and the judgment seat of
Christ guarantee great blessing for all eternity. They also guarantee special
blessing in time. For example, in James 1:25 the one who looks intently into
the perfect law [perception of doctrine at gate four] that gives freedom,” good
decisions open options for greater decisions and for the believer who lives
inside the divine dynasphere there is freedom and options for more and more
decisions; “and continues to do this” [momentum inside the divine dynasphere],
not forgetting what he has heard [e)pignwsij doctrine is applicable] but doing it [from e)pignwsij comes production], this believer will be happy in what he is doing, so
there is blessing in time for modus operandi inside the divine dynasphere. That
is why James 2:12 says, “So keep speaking and so keep doing as those who are
going to be judged [evaluated] by the law that gives freedom,” Bible doctrine
produces a freedom to make greater and greater decisions. That is why it says:
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Truth comes in
three categories: the laws of divine establishment, there is freedom in
establishment; the gospel, you are free to accept Christ; Bible doctrine for
the believer, and that is what is meant be freedom or liberty here. This
principle, then, becomes a challenge to each one of us to reestablish our
priorities and put Bible doctrine first. There is also the concept of
application of virtue to the judgment seat of Christ, which keeps us from
gossiping and maligning and judging other believers. There are many analogies
in the scripture to the judgment seat of Christ.
The future is what we have in Revelation 3:11, “I
come quickly” is our Lord coming to punish and warn any mature believer in the
cosmic system. When we become the recipients of divine discipline it is a
warning. God’s punishment makes you realise something. It alerts you to the
fact that you are living in the cosmic system. Now you hurt, and God says that
you are going to keep on hurting until you are aware of the fact that you must
rebound. And so the only thing that divine discipline does is to motivate
rebound. Suppose you ignore warning discipline and you are still in that same
arrogant rut of self-pity. Then you get intensive discipline. If you ignore
intensive discipline then you are simply used as an aggressor against other
believers until the Lord takes you out under the sin unto death. And in
eternity you will demonstrate forever and ever that you were too unteachable,
that you couldn’t learn anything. The demonstration will be that you will be a
peon forever; all you will have is a resurrection body.
Note: The worst people in the world are not dumb
people; the worst people in the world are unteachable people. Unteachability is
the first sign of arrogance.
“that no one take away your crown,” crowns are
military decorations. This is the way it is used in the Greek. The word is stefanoj, and the equivalent to it in the Latin is corona, the highest decoration that the
Roman soldier could receive. The Romans had six categories of crowns. In
Christianity Paul has given us only three by way of analogy: the crown of life
for maximum time logged inside the divine dynasphere with the inevitable
results of advancing to maturity; the crown of righteousness for production,
the production of virtue and integrity inside of the divine dynasphere; the
crown of glory which is limited to those who communicate doctrine under some
spiritual gift.
You may be in a position right now where you are
going to have a crown. So notice what it says here: “Hang on!” If you don’t,
you can lose it. That is the principle behind this verse.
The principle is found in Luke 19:12, “He said
therefore, ‘A certain aristocrat went into a distant country to receive a
kingdom for himself, and then return,’ that is analogous to our Lord Jesus
Christ. Going into a far country is the ascension and His return is the second
advent. Immediately we know that this is a reward for Old Testament saints and
does not directly apply to the Church Age, but the analogy is here; there is a
principle behind it, ‘And he called his ten slaves [Old Testament believers],
and he gave them ten minas [money],’ this indicates that God has a different
system for believers in the Old Testament to advance to maturity, but it is the
same principle: logistical grace. Our Lord capitalises the Old Testament
believers just as He capitalises us in logistical grace. But logistical grace
is different in each dispensation. In the Old Testament it does not include the
divine dynasphere and the 36 things we received at salvation. One mina was
given to each servant. That is logistical support of every believer, ‘But his
citizens [client nation Israel] hated him, and sent an embassy after him
saying, “We do not want this man to reign over us,” indicating why our Lord
went into the far country, ‘And it came about when he returned, after receiving
the kingdom [second advent], he ordered that these servants to whom he had
given the money [logistical support], be summoned to him that he might know
what they had gained with it,’ this is the evaluation of Old Testament saints,
‘And the first appeared saying, “Lord, your mina has earned ten times more,”
that is a mature Old testament believer, ‘And he replied to him, “Well done,
good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, take charge
of ten cities” .’
Now we learn something from this. We have already
seen that the holders of the morning star are going to come back with the Lord
and in the Millennial reign of Christ they are going to rule nations, Gentile
nations. But these Old Testament saints are going to rule cities, indicating
that the royal family of God is in the higher echelon of concept than the Old
Testament saints. The point is that they will be ruling cities.
‘And the second
came, saying, “Lord, your mina has made five minas.” And he said to him, “You
are to rule over five cities.” And another came, saying, “Lord, behold your mina
which I kept and laid away in a piece of cloth,” this is the believer who has
eternal salvation and that is all, and it is an illustration of a lot of
believers in the Church Age, resurrection body and nothing to show for it; “For
I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man,” not true. At the time He was
ignored, negative volition; “you take up what you did not put down, and reap
what you did not sow.” This person is even antiestablishment, he is anti-free
enterprise, ‘And he said to him, “By your own words I will judge you, evil
servant,” he is a servant but he is an evil one, he lived in the cosmic system;
“You knew did you that I am a hard man, taking up what I did not lay down, and
reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put the money in the bank, and
having come, I would have collected it with interest?” And he said to the bystanders,
“Take his mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten minas.” And they
said to him, “Lord, he already has ten minas.” And I say to you, that to
everyone who has more it shall be given, but from the one who does not have,
even what he does not have shall be taken away’. He failed to use logistical
grace in time, he will have absolutely nothing but a resurrection body in
eternity. And there is no excuse for it.
So obviously then rewards are related to historical
trends because right in the middle of our historical trends context we suddenly
have this concept. We have already noted that there is the gazebo in the garden
which is the ultimate in eternal happiness. And this is for those who hang on
and gain the order of the morning star, Revelation 2:7.
Those believers who advance to maturity are
anonymous in history at the present time but they will become famous because
they will be kings for 1000 years, the last 1000 years of history. After that,
of course, they will be in the highest order of eternal chivalry forever and
ever.
Verse 11, “I come quickly.” The subject is the Lord
Jesus Christ and it refers to the function of the justice or the holiness of
God in the administration of punishment to cosmic believers; to punish and
warn, not only cosmic believers as such but mature believers who linger too
long in the cosmic system. “I come quickly” means to come with a sense of
surprise, to come violently, to administer terrible punishment. Therefore our
first doctrine that we are going to harvest out of the two verses we have been
studying is the doctrine of divine discipline.
The doctrine of divine discipline
1. Definition. Divine discipline is the sum total of
punitive action taken by the justice of God to correct, punish, encourage,
train and motivate the believer’s free will toward the person and the plan of
God. Divine discipline is distinguished from divine judgment in that discipline
is for believers only, whereas divine judgment is for the entire human race,
all categories under certain circumstances. Believers become involved in the
cosmic system under two categories: carnality, a brief stay in the cosmic
system which is rapidly rooted out by warning discipline; reversionism is a
prolonged residence in the cosmic system, failure to rebound, and generally not
blasted out either by warning discipline or by intensive discipline. Divine
discipline must also be distinguished from self-induced misery. Bad decisions
not only destroy future options in life but they result in originating your own
misery from your own soul totally apart from any divine administration of
punishment. We pay for our bad decisions under the principle that as a man soweth
he shall also reap. Sowing and reaping has nothing to so with divine
discipline, it has to do simply with making bad decisions and facing the
unpleasant results of them. In other words, believers are constantly making
decisions which result in their own misery, unhappiness and discomfort, totally
apart from punitive action from God. All people are the products of their own
decisions, good or bad. Decisions create environment for life, not environment
for decisions. Punishment from God often follows the self-induced misery, it
never precedes it. All wrong decisions, including carnality and reversionism,
relate to cosmic involvement and cosmic function. All wrong decisions in life
are connected with some form of arrogance. The difference then between
self-induced suffering and divine discipline is the source. We personally are
the source of our self-induced misery, whereas God is the source of divine
discipline.
While God is the source of divine discipline, man’s
free will is the source of his self-induced misery, and at the outset it should
be noted that regardless of the category of suffering or discipline divine
punishment of the believer does not imply or include loss of salvation. No
believer can lose his salvation for any reason whatsoever. All divine
discipline, except the sin unto death, is designed to coerce the believer, to
teach the believer, by motivating him to recover from the cosmic system and
slavery to Satan who is the ruler of this world. Therefore, divine discipline
is often beneficial and profitable, but only when the believer responds through
the use of the rebound drill, recovering residence and function in the divine dynasphere.
The principle: believers must accept the responsibility for their own bad
decisions, and further, accept the responsibility for all categories of divine
discipline to which one is subjected.
2. The
principle of divine discipline. While judgment is punitive action from God to
all mankind divine discipline is God’s punishment of believers only, and it is
punishment designed to teach, punishment designed to motivate. All Church Age
believers are royal family of God and God’s punitive action directed toward the
royal family is obviously by definition a family affair, as illustrated by the
relationship between a loving parent and a wayward child, Hebrews 12:5,6;
Proverbs 3:12. Divine discipline to the believer is parental training within
the royal family, it is designed to inculcate humility for without humility
none of us are going anywhere in life. Divine discipline teaches the believer
when he refuses to learn from doctrinal teaching. Therefore we have to classify
divine discipline as the believer learning the hard way: learning through pain,
through hurting in some way.
Divine discipline is a warning that we as believers
are out of bounds as far as the plan of God is concerned. Football is a game
played inside of boundaries on a playing field and it is therefore analogous to
the plan of God. The plan of God is a perfect plan designed to be executed
inside of boundaries. The boundaries are described, of course, in terms of the
divine dynasphere. Just as the referee blows his whistle when the play goes out
of bounds so God blows the whistle on believers when they are out of bounds as
far as His plan is concerned. God’s whistle is a loud whistle, not in the sense
of hurting your ears but simply in the sense that it hurts.
There are two systems, therefore, in learning as
believers. All believers have to learn one way or the other, or both. The first
system of learning is the communication of doctrine from one’s own right
pastor. We might classify that as an unlimited system of learning. The only
limitations are put on yourself by negative volition toward doctrine — refusing
to expose yourself to it or hearing it and rejecting it. So we have an
unlimited system of perception that will take us into the unlimited heights of supergrace
A, supergrace B, or ultra-supergrace; but there is a second way in which to
learn, a limited system — divine discipline. You are limited as to what you can
learn and you are limited as far as your advance is concerned. Divine
discipline is a fantastic teacher and it can only teach one or two things:
rebound, get back into the divine dynasphere, and then once you get back in
there get cracking so that you won’t have to go through this again.
So number one, the unlimited system, is unlimited in
the sense that it results in both spiritual maturity and fantastic blessing.
The second system, the limited system, is learning the hard way through painful
experience. Furthermore, while divine discipline can teach some lessons well
and produce great respect for God’s authority it cannot bring the believer to
maturity, only e)pignosij doctrine can accomplish
that. So we have to call divine discipline, then, a limited system of learning.
Nevertheless, divine discipline is a teacher and often produces teachability.
Therefore it must be regarded as another form of blessing and a glorious
opportunity to exercise one’s options for the grace of God and the plan of God.
And furthermore, divine discipline provides opportunity for believers to
reverse the results of bad decisions and start making good decisions again. If
you cannot learn from the humility of gate three of the divine dynasphere you
can learn from hurting — divine discipline.
So that is
the principle that is so important in our passage, “I come quickly,” says our
Lord. In other words, if you won’t learn from humility you will learn from
hurting. Take your choice. To continue to learn from hurting is only to distort
the purpose for logistical grace and to depart from this life, phase two, in
misery and disgrace called the sin unto death. If you do not learn the lesson
of divine discipline as a believer you will live in the cosmic system until you
are destroyed by divine discipline. One nice thing about limited learning: God
will never stop teaching you if you live in the cosmic system. He will keep
punishing you, giving you warning discipline, intensive discipline, and
eventually dying discipline. One way or another He will persist in teaching.
3. Divine discipline relates also to the general
subject of suffering. There is suffering for divine discipline and suffering
for testing and blessing. That reduces all suffering for the believer to two
categories and in each case there are six principles. Suffering for discipline
has an issue and suffering for blessing has an issue. When you suffer for
divine discipline the issue is sin, carnality, reversionism; the issue for
suffering for blessing is spiritual momentum and supergrace blessings. Then
there is the second approach called status. The status of suffering for
discipline is cosmic involvement; the status for suffering for blessing is the
divine dynasphere.
There is also a third category which is category.
The category of divine discipline is unbearable suffering . God can’t teach you
unless you hurt enough so that He can get your attention, therefore the
category is unbearable suffering; whereas suffering for testing and blessing is
bearable. The fourth category is the viewpoint involved. The viewpoint for
suffering for divine discipline is arrogance and subjectivity. It is very
difficult to teach people when they are subjective and arrogant, and therefore
before you can get their attention God says they must hurt. The viewpoint of
suffering for testing and blessing is humility and objectivity.
Then, of course, there is category solution. The
solution to suffering for discipline is the use of the rebound technique,
whereas the solution to suffering for blessing is the three stages of the
faith-rest drill.
Finally, in each case there is a result. In
suffering for discipline the result is that cursing is turned to blessing, when
we use the solution, plus any suffering left over is now designed for blessing,
whereas the result in suffering for blessing is blessing plus the acceleration
of the spiritual life.
So categorically there is a relationship between
divine discipline and the overall subject of suffering. After the believer
recovers fellowship with God through the rebound technique the suffering may
cease, as per 1 Corinthians 11:31. If the suffering does not cease after
rebound the suffering has a different purpose, blessing, and the believer is
able to bear it under the principle of 1 Corinthians 10:13.
When suffering is designed for punishment or
discipline the believer cannot bear it, but when suffering is designed for
testing the believer can bear it and even derive great blessing from it, but
only inside the divine dynasphere. Therefore once rebound has occurred the
purpose of suffering changes from punishment to testing for blessing, and with
that the believer once again becomes teachable under the unlimited system, the
perception of doctrine at gate four of the divine dynasphere. Only rebound,
then, can change cursing into blessing in the field of suffering. All Christian
suffering in the cosmic system is punitive; all Christian suffering in the
divine dynasphere is testing for the purpose of blessing.
4. The spheres of divine discipline. The first
sphere of divine discipline is punishment in time — Hebrews 12:5-14.
“And so you yourselves have forgotten the principle
of doctrine which teaches you as sons, ‘My son, do not make light of correcting
discipline from the Lord, nor be fainting when you are reproved by him; for
whom the Lord loves he disciplines and punishes [in time] every son whom he
welcomes home.’ Because of corrective discipline, endure [inside of the divine dynasphere];
for as a result God deals with you as sons; for what one [member of the royal
family] is a son whom the Father does not discipline? But if you are without
discipline, of which all believers have become participants, then you are
bastards and not sons. Furthermore, we had our human parents for corrective
discipline and we respected them; therefore to a greater degree you will become
subordinate to the Father of our spirits, and continue living [in the divine dynasphere].
For they [human parents] on the one hand disciplined us for a short time
[childhood] according to what seemed best to them, but he [God] on the other
hand disciplines us for our benefit, in order that we might receive a share of
his integrity [blessing inside the divine dynasphere]. So on the one hand all
discipline while in progress [in time] appears to be an occasion not for
happiness but for sorrow; on the other hand, afterwards [recovery from the
cosmic system through rebound] it pays back with interest prosperous gain
[resumed momentum in the divine dynasphere] to those believers who are trained
[or taught] by the same discipline. Therefore, restore to power [to the divine dynasphere]
the listless hands [analogy to life in the cosmic system] and restore to power
the disabled knees [analogy to function in the cosmic system — a mandate to
rebound], and be making straight tracks by means of your feet [momentum from
gate four to gate eight] in order that the cripple [the believer involved in
the cosmic system] may not be put out of joint permanently [through living in
the cosmic system], but rather be restored [to the divine dynasphere]. With all
the royal family of God keep moving toward the objective [advance to gate
eight] which is prosperity, likewise aspire to integrity without which no man
will see God” — the integrity or sanctification is, of course, salvation
sanctification, reception of +R at the point of faith in Christ.
No divine discipline during the interlude of
blessing between physical death and the Rapture is a very important principle.
Between physical death and the Rapture we go to heaven: absent from the body,
face to face with the Lord. It is a time of great happiness and the interim
body is implied by 2 Corinthians 5:8. There is no difference during that
interim period in heaven. All believers have an interim body which resembles
their body and facial expressions on earth. Each one is recognisable. Then
comes the Rapture, the big genuflect in the sky, and the judgment seat of
Christ. And we at the Rapture receive our resurrection bodies and they are all
the same, there is no difference, and when we all gather as the entire royal
family of the Church Age to worship our Lord Jesus Christ, again there is no
difference. But at the judgment seat of Christ two categories of Church Age
believers become apparent, the losers and the winners. The losers are defined
as believers in Christ who spent most of their Christian lives in the cosmic
system. Winners are those who spent most of their time in the divine dynasphere.
Hence the importance of that phrase from 2 Timothy 2:15, “we should be workmen
that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” That’s
learning the easy way, learning through perception of doctrine, and that is the
key to great blessing.
5. The purpose of divine discipline in time.
Revelation 3:19, “Those whom I love [God’s personal love for all believers
based on their imputed +R], I reprimand [warning discipline] and I punish [intensive
discipline]: therefore be zealous [be motivated by divine discipline], and
rebound”.
The purpose of divine discipline is to motivate the
believer to recover his residence in the divine dynasphere through the use of
the rebound technique. It is a warning that the member of the royal family, the
believer, is out of bounds. God blows the whistle on him. The boundaries of the
plan of God are defined in terms of the divine dynasphere, both residence and
function at eight gates. God uses divine punishment to warn the believer that
the cosmic system is out of bounds and its function will lead to cosmic death.
The believer must recover from the cosmic system to live in the divine dynasphere
to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Inside of the divine dynasphere logistical
grace is exploited to the glory of God, but in the cosmic system logistical
grace is distorted into support from God while you are serving Satan.
The cosmic believer who does not learn the lesson of
divine discipline is eventually removed from this life under the most painful
of circumstances, the sin unto death. Learning the easy way through perception
of doctrine in the divine dynasphere, gate four, exploits logistical grace and
results in spiritual maturity and the fantastic blessings that result thereof.
Learning the hard way through divine discipline can only motivate the believer
to get out of the cosmic system through rebound and therefore it has a limited
though very necessary objective, another way of saying that no believer can
advance to maturity on the basis of mastering the rebound technique.
Rebound is the means of living in the divine dynasphere
while doctrine must be learned once you are inside. The purpose, then, of
divine discipline is to motivate rebound; the purpose of the whole realm of
doctrine is the fulfillment of the divine plan, advancing to maturity, and
glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. The limited objective of divine discipline,
then, can only motivate your recovery from the cosmic system, whereas the
unlimited objective of learning through Bible doctrine is the advancement to
maturity and the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. While divine
discipline has a purpose in bringing the believer back to the classroom for
learning Bible doctrine, bringing him back to the filling of the Spirit which
gives him the ability to learn, it has a limited function. Therefore divine
discipline is never profitable unless the believer will assume the
responsibility for his own personal decisions. Divine punishment causes the
cosmic believer to accept the responsibility for his bad decisions and to
parlay them into something that is acceptable to God through His grace, through
the function of the rebound technique.
Verse 11, “I come quickly” to punish
and warn. The warning here is for mature believers because if mature believers
get into the cosmic system, as inevitably they will, and stay there, there is
no hope for the Roman empire as a client nation to God. The same principle is
facing us today, right now. Mature believers have turned their backs on
doctrine, they have changed their priorities, they have rethought their
position.
We have also studied the phrase, “hang on to what
you have.” Hang on to what you have because your attitude toward doctrine, your
residence and function in the divine dynasphere is the only thing that can save
us. You can’t operate a domestic policy or a foreign policy on principle
without a pivot of mature believers. That is the concept.
Inevitably all nations of the world must make their
own success or failure by their own decisions. The trouble is that ever since
Franklin Roosevelt became the president of the United States we have been
telling other people how to run their business, and Franklin Roosevelt made
decisions that guaranteed that one third of the earth would go into slavery
under communism. That’s arrogance.
“Hang on to what you have.” Do you know what you
have? If you don’t know what you have you can’t hang on to it. The only people
who know what they have are the ones who reside and function inside of the
divine dynasphere. But, even knowing what you have you can lose it. To hang on
to what you have does not require flattery or feeling wanted, it requires
truth. And from truth comes integrity. You cannot hang on to what you have
without Bible doctrine and you can’t hang on to what you have without truth.
That is why we have the divine dynasphere: to give you the plan of God in terms
of its boundaries, in terms of the playing field.
“I come quickly: hang on to what you have,” these
are actually alternatives, the alternative between the divine discipline and
the divine dynasphere. As a mature believer you must continue in the divine dynasphere.
This is the concept of the ultimate objective. To attain and maintain the
ultimate objective, the glorification of Christ, which is spiritual maturity,
daily perception of doctrine, residence in the divine dynasphere functioning at
its various gates. To do this you must have the right priorities and you must
never deviate from the right priorities; doctrine must always be first. There
is more than your personal blessing involved, there is the blessing of your
country, the function of the client nation, the dissemination of truth in other
countries.
We have a phrase coming up: “that no one takes your
crown.” And that is really the key as far as eternity is concerned. But it
could easily have read: “so that no one destroys the client nation, so that no
enemy wipes us out, so that we don’t destroy ourselves,” for truth, and that
means Bible doctrine, is the stabiliser not only in personal life but in
collective lives.
No nation learns from the mistakes of another nation
while involved in cosmic arrogance. This refers to the non-client nation where
there is not a pivot of mature believers nor freedom for perception of truth in
three categories — laws of dive establishment, the gospel, Bible doctrine. The
non-client nation serves Satan and he can only survive by being selfish, by
selfishly considering only its own national interest.
No nation can survive functioning on principle
without a pivot. If a nation doesn’t have a pivot and is not a client nation it
doesn’t have enough truth to survive by using its principle for its foreign
policy and its domestic policy. The only nation that has the opportunity and
the privilege and the luxury of forming its foreign and domestic policy on
principle is the nation categorised as the client nation to God. Principle is
no good as a modus operandi unless you have truth. It takes evangelism and
positive volition toward doctrine for a nation to base its foreign and domestic
policy on principle. Principle is based on truth, therefore truth must be
backed by truth. If you use truth in your foreign policy you must have a pivot
of mature believers thinking truth to concur with that policy when the policy
is tested by defeat, by economic depression, or by social degeneration and
violence. For principle to be the surviving factor in a national entity that
national entity must be a client nation and it must have a pivot of mature
believers. So a nation without positive volition and a pivot of mature
believers is simply not a client nation to God. The Roman empire not only
survived but had fantastic prosperity during the era of the Antonine Caesars,
96-192 AD. They
had this prosperity because of the pivot of mature believers in the Roman
province of Asia.
The function of principle and integrity in a
nation’s foreign and domestic policy is reserved by God under historical trends
for the client nation only. Furthermore, for the client nations who are
positive to Bible doctrine and possess a large pivot of mature believers so
that truth backs both national integrity and the principle by which decisions
are made, you have great blessing from that nation. Therefore you have a
historical trend. Non-client nations can only survive by being selfish, by
placing their own national interests above every other consideration. That is
why Israel is surviving and doing well, in spite of our (US) meddling. Only
client nations to God can function on principle and integrity and survive. And
they survive because they have the pivot. Their survival depends, then, on
Bible doctrine.
The American people today live in a utopia of
arrogance. We are obviously in the cosmic system as a people, there are
exceptions, of course, because we demand that all people adhere to our concepts
of civil rights and democracy. Democracy is next to degeneracy as a form of
government. We are not a democracy, we are a republic. But what made America
great, therefore, was not civil rights and democracy, it was freedom. The real
secret to power in history is not the accouterments of freedom mouthed by
politicians talking about civil rights. The real issue is the source of
freedom, Bible doctrine. That is why our Lord said: “You shall know the truth
and the truth shall make you free.” No truth, no freedom. They go together.
When a client nation to God makes a foreign policy
decision on the basis of principle it must be the application of truth based on
virtue and integrity, or a pivot of virtue and integrity. But when a non-client
nation to God makes a foreign policy decision on the basis of principle it
leads to failure since there is no pivot of mature believers to sustain such a
policy under the principle of historical trends. Only the client nation to God
can function on principle from integrity. Other nations have to be selfish to
survive. By that is meant that when a non-client nation seeks to deliver other
nations from evil they must first count the cost and consider their own people.
We stick our self-righteous nose into the business
of every nation. We ignore the point of doctrine which was stated first in the
Old Testament and then the New. Deuteronomy 32:8, “When the Most High God gave
nations their inheritance, when he separated the children of Adam he
established boundaries for the people,” boundaries for the people of the world
are nations, nationalism, part of the laws of divine establishment “according
to the number of citizens of Israel.” That is when Israel was a client nation
to God. The boundaries were based on the fact that Israel as a client nation
had the truth. They were to live by the laws of divine establishment, they were
to evangelise their own people, they were to teach Bible doctrine and send out
missionaries. Acts 17:26, “He made from one [human race, one blood] every
nation of mankind to live on the surface of the earth, having determined their
appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation.” All nations must have
boundaries and those boundaries must be respected. Every nation must function
on the basis of its own self-determination. No nation has the right to tell
other nations how to run their business. We have the right to evangelise, to
send missionaries where permitted, to reach doctrine where positive volition
exists, but we do not have the right to interfere in the sovereignty of another
nation unless we are at war with it.
Everything depends on the pivot. The pivot is
composed of mature believers, believers can lose their maturity by getting into
the cosmic system. Mature believers have advanced understanding and wisdom
about many things and they can try to take the truth which they have and
superimpose it on others against their will, which is wrong. It is possible to
have the truth as a believer and get arrogant about the truth and make the
wrong application. It is one thing to have the truth and to see where people
are failing, it is something else to superimpose on them against their will
your attitudes, your views, your opinions.
The next phrase which we have noted in part is a
very simple one made up of three Greek words, kratei o( e)keij. The present active imperative of the verb kratew actually means here to hang on. The progressive
present tense is for action in a state of persistence, i.e. continuing
residence in the divine dynasphere, continuing function at the eight gates of
the divine dynasphere, the necessity of historical impact, the concept of utilising
the divine capital for every believer — logistical grace. The active voice: the
believer must produce the action. The imperative of mood of command is for the
mandate which is to perpetuate spiritual maturity and the necessity for the
pivot.
The second word in the mandate for
the mature believer is the accusative neuter singular of the relative pronoun o(j. The relative pronoun becomes the object of the
verb in the accusative. We can translate it “to what,” “Hang on to what.” And
the final word is the present active indicative e)xw,
“Hang on to what you have,” which means that you have everything necessary from
the point of salvation on to fulfill the plan of God, to have historical
impact, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. The retroactive progressive present
denotes what has begun in the past, the attainment of spiritual maturity and the
recruitment for the pivot of mature believers. And it continues into the
present. The active voice: the mature believer produces the action of the verb,
This is a declarative indicative for the reality of the possession of spiritual
maturity, the advance from gate four to gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
The problem
in the case of hanging on is the problem of prosperity. The believers to whom
this is addressed have reached the point of great prosperity. Too often
prosperity is parlayed into arrogance. Prosperity is a sedative making the
mature believer forget the source of his prosperity. The source is related to
the principle of logistical grace, residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
Anytime any group or individual receives prosperity the great danger is to
assume that somehow that prosperity is related to their ability, their
achievement, rather than through the grace of God and His provision. Prosperity
has a way therefore of breeding arrogance so that the people associated with
this prosperity forget the origin of it. This results in preoccupation with
self. Cosmic involvement therefore destroys grace thinking and causes
malfunction of the faith-rest drill, the believer loses his perspective of life
and even though he is a mature believer he is in danger of losing out on the
most fantastic things in eternity. Cosmic involvement means the believer
forgets doctrine, the source of doctrine, and humility is converted into
arrogance, arrogance to vanity, and from there it is a short trip to the
discipline and disaster which we noted in the phrase “I come quickly.”
In the final phrase we have a conjunction i(na that introduces a purpose clause, “that,” “in order
that.” With it we have the adjective mhdeij, used here as a substantive
and such it is translated “no one,” “in order that no one.” It refers to cosmic
believers who have influence on your life, more when you are in prosperity than
at any other time. The source of prosperity is the Lord but once we reach the
point of prosperity it is amazing how old friends, new friends, and all kinds
of friends suddenly appear on the scene to share our prosperity and to flatter
us into the cosmic system. With the subject, the adjective mhdiej used as a substantive, we have the aorist active
subjunctive of the verb lambanw, which means here to take
away something that belongs to you. And it isn’t just the prosperity, it is the
eternal reward. The culminative aorist tense views the mature believer’s cosmic
involvement in its entirety but emphasises the results of loss of reward at the
judgment seat of Christ, which is the greatest disaster that could ever
overtake any believer — to reach maturity and then to get into the cosmic
system through cosmic evangelism and then to lose out for all eternity. The active
voice: generally it is a close friend, someone you love, someone you admire, or
someone who has flattered you into getting your attention. Generally, then,
some close friend or loved one who is a cosmic believer produces the action of
the verb. But remember you are in greater danger as a mature believer in being
led astray by believers, not unbelievers. The subjunctive mood is a potential
subjunctive which with the conjunction i(na
introduces a purpose clause. The potential subjunctive implies a future
reference followed by the element of contingency: this doesn’t have to happen.
Then we have the direct object in the accusative
singular, and this is the noun stefanoj. It refers to the second
highest system of decoration at the judgment seat of Christ. With this we have
the possessive genitive of the pronoun su
which is translated “your” crown, something that is your very own, something
you have achieved through parlaying logistical grace into supergrace through
momentum from gate four to gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
Corrected translation of the verse: “I come quickly
[to punish and warn the mature believer in the cosmic system]: hang on to what
you have, so that no one takes away your crown [eternal reward at the judgment
seat of Christ].”
Hanging on doesn’t mean standing still. No one ever
stands still in the Christian life. Hanging on means to continue to advance and
reach gate eight. When the mature believer becomes involved in the cosmic
system he loses his rewards at the judgment seat of Christ.
The divine dynasphere is the Christian way of life
and the divine dynasphere describes the Christian way of life in terms of its
eight gates. The believer who lives in the divine dynasphere contributes to the
uptrend of history and the believer who lives in the cosmic system of Satan,
the ruler of this world, contributes to the downtrend of history. On that basis
we now move to the next phrase, “I come quickly [to punish and warn believers],”
in this case mature believers in the divine dynasphere. So a mandate is
necessary since we are talking about the pivot, for as goes the pivot so goes
the client nation to God. No client nation to God can function in its domestic
policy or its foreign policy on the basis of principle unless it is backed up
by a pivot of mature believers. The secret to the greatness of any client
nation to God depends entirely upon the pivot. Therefore your attitude toward
Bible doctrine determines the future of this country.
“hang on to what you have,” i.e. hang on to what you
have as a mature believer; you must utilise logistical grace. In addition you
must also be inside the divine dynasphere as much as possible, therefore the
importance of the rebound technique. And then the final phrase, the purpose
clause, “that no one takes away your crown.”
The whole purpose of the book of Revelation is to
show what happens in history from the point of our Lord receiving His third
royal patent to the end of history, with dissertations along the way on the
eternal state. One of the longest paragraphs on the eternal state is found in
the book of Revelation, it covers six whole verses. Our Lord Jesus Christ was
given two titles. One title is the morning star. This emphasises His strategic
and tactical victory in the first and second advents. He was also given a
second marvelous title in connection with His third royal patent — “King of
kings and Lord of lords.” He is the King, starting at the second advent, and as
the King He is the King of kings, and the kings are believers who rule Gentile
nations during the Millennium. He is also the Lord, i.e., of the Old Testament
saints who are going to receive their resurrection bodies at the second advent,
and many of them will become “lords,” ie, they will rule ten cities, five
cities, one city, in contrast to believers who win the order of the morning
star who are going to rule nations. In other words, the believer who is a
winner in time during the Church Age is an anonymous hero but he will be a king
for a thousand years, the last thousand years of history.
The concept of crowns. We have seen that the Greek
word is stefanoj and it is in contrast to diadhma, which is a crown for a king. Stefanoj has a dual connotation. The Greeks used it for
winning in one of the games; the Romans used it primarily as the second highest
decoration in the Roman army, and one that also had with it various types of
remuneration. The Latin equivalent is the word corona. There are three crowns which are awarded.
First there is the crown of life which is that
decoration awarded to the mature believer at the judgment seat of Christ for
consistent residence and function inside the divine dynasphere. It includes
momentum from gate four to gate eight or passing the momentum tests. It also
includes perpetuation of life in the divine dynasphere in time of historical
disaster. It also is used for the production of motivating virtue. The crown of
life is only given to mature believers whose motivational virtue in the divine dynasphere
causes them to pass the momentum tests and attain spiritual maturity at gate
eight. The second crown is the crown of righteousness, a
decoration awarded to the mature believer for production in residence of the
divine dynasphere. This production emphasises functional virtue of the mature
believer directed toward man and circumstances. Functional virtue is the modus
operandi of the believer’s royal ambassadorship. All rewardable production must
originate from residence and function in the divine dynasphere. The believer
who wears the invisible uniform of honour in time will receive the crown of
righteousness at the judgment seat of Christ. The function of impersonal love
is the visible manifestation of the invisible uniform of honour in the
believer’s soul and the ultimate citation is the decoration, the crown of
righteousness. There is some scripture on the crown of righteousness. 2 Timothy
4:7,8, “I have fought an honourable battle [the advance to maturity inside the
divine dynasphere, emphasising the production of functional virtue], I have
completed the course [phase two, the fulfillment of God’s plan for his life in
time], I have retained the doctrine [perception and application of doctrine at
gate four of the divine dynasphere]; in the future [the judgment seat of
Christ] a crown of righteousness is reserved for me, which crown the Lord, the
righteous evaluator, will award me on that day [the judgment seat of Christ];
and not only to me, but also to all who love his appearance.” The crown of life
is awarded for living consistently in the divine dynasphere and from that life
in the divine dynasphere your production — your virtue, your honour, your
integrity, and whatever things the Lord provides for you. Passing the momentum
tests is one of the great principles. The crown of righteousness is awarded for
function is the divine dynasphere and, as such, the fulfillment of the royal
family honour code.
When it says “that no one takes away your crown,”
this also applies to the pastor’s “Distinguished Service Cross,” the crown of
glory. This eternal decoration is awarded to pastors who communicate Bible
doctrine to the royal family faithfully. Study and teach is the order of the
day for pastors and with their residence and function inside the divine dynasphere
pastors must advance to maturity with the same doctrine he teaches to others.
The principle is quite obvious: no pastor can lead his congregation beyond his
own stage of spiritual growth.
Generally there are four categories of pastors in
the time in which we live. First of all there is the cosmic pastor. He lives in
the cosmic system of Satan; he is the servant of Satan. The cosmic pastor is
easy to discover. Sometimes he is a believer and sometimes he is an unbeliever
but he is distracted by social action, crusader arrogance, total disorientation
to reality in life. He is the blind leading the blind and both fall into the
ditch. Then there is the baby pastor, the pastor who has never learned any
Bible doctrine but who is high-profiling his own personality while
low-profiling the Word of God. Because he hasn’t learned any doctrine at best
he evangelises his own congregation every Sunday, at worst he is evangelising
for the cosmic system. The third category is the adolescent pastor. He teaches
some truth but is distracted by various forms of high profile. He is selling
his own personality rather than teaching doctrine and he sells his personality
by running around calling on people, visiting the sick, all of the things that
a pastor is not supposed to do. He is supposed to study and teach, but the
issue is distorted by programs, gimmicks and, of course, a great deal of
ambition. He has ignored the basic principle of the gospel ministry: when a
pastor prepares himself through studying and teaching God provides the
congregation; God uses prepared men. Furthermore, if God doesn’t promote you you
are not promoted. The more believers learn about doctrine the more they focus
on the message of the pastor and not on his personality. A mature pastor is
described by Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unjust to disregard your occupation,
also the love which you yourselves have demonstrated toward his person, having
ministered [doctrine] to the saints and continued such a ministry.” Or
Philippians 4:1, “Therefore my brethren, my beloved ones [the congregation,
believers living in the divine dynasphere], my happiness and my crown, in this
way [residence and function in the divine dynasphere plus persistent positive
volition toward doctrine] keep on being stabilised.” Or in 1 Thessalonians
2:19,20, “For who is our hope or happiness or crown of glorification? Is it not
you [believers in the congregation who advance to maturity], in the presence of
our Lord Jesus Christ [judgment seat of Christ] at his coming [the Rapture]?
For you [the believer who attains maturity] are our glory [the crown of glory
at the judgment seat of Christ] and happiness.” 1 Peter 5:4, “And when the
Chief Shepherd [our Lord Jesus Christ] appears, you [mature pastors] will
receive the unfading crown of glory.”
There is a warning regarding crowns, Revelation
3:11. Also 2 John 8, “Look out for yourselves, that you do not lose your
momentum that you have accomplished, but that you might receive a full reward.”
There is one decoration which is higher than all of
these crowns. This is the ultimate decoration at the judgment seat of Christ,
the decoration that carries all of the privileges in the last one thousand
years of history as well as in eternity, the order of the morning star,
mentioned in Revelation 2:26, “even he who keeps my assignments [fulfilling the
plan of God] until the end [the termination of phase two], to him I will give
authority over the nations.” This is one of those references to the fact that
the mature believer, the believer who persists in advancing to gate eight, this
believer is going to be a king in the last one thousand years of history. This
is rulership of Gentile nations under the Lord Jesus Christ. The rulers in the
Millennium are those believers who received the ultimate decoration, the order
of the morning star, at the judgment seat of Christ.
Three passages of scripture explain the phrase
“morning star.” The morning star is related to our Lord’s strategic victory in
Numbers 24:17, where Balaam said: “I see him [the Lord Jesus Christ in the
first advent], but not now,” the first advent was a long way from Balaam’s time
“I behold him, but not near” [not an immediate event in history]; a star shall
come forth from Jacob [first advent of Christ], and a sceptre shall arise from
Israel [second advent].” The description of our Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation
22:16 adds the concept of the morning star, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to
testify these things to you for the churches.” Revelation was not written for Tribulational
believers it was written for the Church, “I am the root [Jesus Christ as
eternal God] and the offspring of David [Jesus Christ in hypostatic union, the
God-Man], the bright [or glorious] morning star.” Since Bible doctrine is the
mind of Christ, as per 1 Corinthians 2:16, it is related to Christ as the
morning star in 2 Peter 1:19-21, “We keep on having a more reliable prophetic
doctrine,” more reliable than the empiricism of the mount of transfiguration;
“with reference to which doctrine you perform honourably [inside of the divine dynasphere]
by habitually concentrating in your right lobes,” and then we have the
translation of o(j as a particle of actual
quality, and so it is translated “on” rather than “as,” “on a lamp [Jesus
Christ] shining in a dark place [Jesus Christ controls history], until a day
dawn [second advent of Christ ] and the morning star has come up,” a reference
to the second advent of Christ under His title the morning star. The order of
the morning star refers, then, to the highest decoration that can be given. It
is actually sharing in our Lord’s third royal patent, “Knowing this first,
then, that all prophecy of scripture [all eschatological doctrine] does not
originate from one’s own explanation, for prophecy was never produced by the
design, purpose, or will of man, but men communicated from God being carried
along by the Holy Spirit.”
There are special privileges and maximum happiness
for those who win the order of the morning star. First of all, in Revelation
2:7, “To the winner, I will authorise him to eat from the tree of life which is
in the paradise of God.” We have studied this in detail as the gazebo in the
garden. It is located in the new Jerusalem, it represents the concept of
maximum happiness forever and ever, and it belongs to winners only. Maximum
happiness will be for those who have had right priorities in the little time
that we have on this earth. The gazebo in the garden indicates maximum
happiness in the eternal state where degrees of happiness coexist with degrees
of reward. The bottom line of history, however, is that these invisible heroes
of today are going to be the famous people of the last 1000 years of history.
This lesson is taught by sanctified sarcasm in 1 Corinthians 4:8, “You [the
Corinthians] are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become
kings without us.” Paul is a mature believer, he says to the Corinthians, in
effect, ‘You are the kings and what are we?’ — “how I wish that you had really
become kings so that we might rule with you.”
The real issue is stated in 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we endure [this
is consistent and persistent life in the divine dynasphere during time on this
earth], we shall also rule [reference to mature believers who are going to be
kings for a thousand years] with him.” It also adds that if we refuse to live
in the divine dynasphere he refuses us, cosmic believers, rewards, privileges,
decorations at the judgment seat of Christ. In other words, no one can rule
without authority and the authority to rule as kings is delegated by our Lord
Jesus Christ as the ruler of the world in the Millennium. Thus, Revelation
2:26, “So the winner, even he who keeps my assignments to the end, I will give
him authority over the nations.” The basis for mature believers becoming kings
for a thousand years is the strategic and tactical victory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The strategic victory centres around the cross; the tactical victory centres
around the overthrow of Satan at the second advent. Anonymous heroes of the
Church Age become kings by appointment of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
appointment and the authority to rule as a king in the Millennium is related to
the function of the believer’s royal priesthood inside the divine dynasphere.
Therefore, in Revelation 5:10, “And you have appointed them winners and priests
to our God; and they will rule on the earth,” a reference to the Millennium.
The coat of arms and the heraldry of the winner is the subject of verse 12. We
have the eternal reward for maturity and historical impact cited in the coat of
arms and the heraldry of the winner. The first half of the verse deals with a
special historical award, the pillar in the temple reward.
We begin with the articular present active
participle of the verb nikao. It is in the nominative
case and when the participle is not accompanied by a noun it may function as a
noun itself. It is used as a noun and therefore we have something very similar
to a nominative absolute or an independent nominative. When an idea is
conceived as independent of any particular verbal relations the expression of
it may be left standing alone and the nominative case is used. This is
translated therefore “the winner.” Thus employed the nominative names an idea
rather than an object and therefore a nominative absolute translated simply by
the genetic use of the definite article plus the participle, “the winner.” The
subject of this verse is the winner. We have previously defined the winner in
terms of advancing to maturity, the believer who forms the pivot in the client
nation, who utilises doctrine to the maximum and glorifies the Lord Jesus
Christ is phase two. The winner is the believer who lives and functions inside
the divine dynasphere; the winner is the one who parlays logistical grace
provision into spiritual maturity. This is the sixth time we have encountered
the winner in the context of Revelation chapters two and three.
With this we have a future active indicative of the
verb poiew, which means to do, to
make, to produce, and similar meanings. Here it is simply translated “The
winner, I will make him.” The future tense is a predictive future, it
anticipates the judgment seat of Christ plus the decoration of the order of the
morning star, along with the crown of life and the crown of righteousness, the
uniform of glory, plus the new title of knighthood and, of course, in the
future placed permanently in the record section of heaven, the eternal temple
of God. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb at the
judgment seat of Christ. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of
decoration and reward to the mature believer at the judgment seat of Christ.
With this we have a double accusative from personal
and impersonal object. The personal object in the accusative singular from a)utoj. A)utoj is used as a personal pronoun although it is
an intensive pronoun, and it is translated, “The winner, I will make him.” The
impersonal object of the verb is the accusative of the noun stuloj, and it means a pillar, “I will make him a pillar.”
Plus the prepositional phrase e)n plus the locative of naoj, “in the temple.” And then we have qeoj, the genitive of relationship, the possessive
genitive e)gw, “in the temple of my God.”
Corrected translation: “The winner, I will make him
[the mature believer] a pillar in the temple of my God.”
The temple is the record room of heaven and it is
related, of course, to historical trends. For example, Tribulational martyrs
are found in the temple of heaven in Revelation 7:15. The location of the
record room is described in Revelation 11:19, “And the temple of God which is
in heaven was opened; and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple, and
there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder plus an
earthquake and a great hailstorm.” This simply records in heaven some of the
disasters and the punishments of the Tribulation which come from the temple in
heaven as the record department of history. Revelation 14:15, “Another angel
came out of the temple [the historical record department].” Revelation 14:17,
“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a
sharp sickle” Revelation 15:6, “And the seven angels who had the seven plagues
[historical disasters] came out of the temple,” once again, historical disaster
related to the record room of heaven. Revelation 16:17, “And the seventh angel
poured out his bowl upon the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple from
the throne, saying, ‘It is finished’ .” While these passages relate the temple
of heaven to the Tribulation they do make a point for us. The temple of heaven
is the record department of human history, a permanent record department, and
it is going to have a very special place for anonymous heroes, the believers
whose priorities and scale of values is so correct that they never stop once
putting Bible doctrine first in their lives. Nothing is more important to them
than Bible doctrine.
Principle
1. While the temple of heaven is the record
department of history the pillars found in the temple are the permanent records
of Church Age heroes, the believers in this dispensation who advance to
maturity and have maximum impact in history.
2. The Bible must be interpreted in the time in
which it was written, so obviously our interpretation of a pillar in the temple
must go back to the modus operandi of the ancient world where temple pillars
were chapters in history books.
3. Take, for example, a temple where there was
recorded history. The temple of Ephesus was 375 feet long and 180 feet wide, a
rather large record-keeping area. Inside of the temple were 127 pillars on
which were recorded the deeds of famous kings who had contributed to the
construction of the temple. On these pillars were hung priceless gifts,
trophies of the kings involved. There were tablets and records engraved telling
of the deeds of these kings and other heroes. In the analogy the priceless
gifts which were on the pillars depict the decorations, the rewards which
belonged to the mature believer at the judgment seat of Christ. The written
biography depicts the eternal history of mankind with emphasis on the true
heroes of history.
The means by which the believer advances to maturity
and becomes a pillar in the temple of God, a permanent chapter in the history
of the human race, is the daily perception of Bible doctrine. 1 Timothy 3:15,
Bible doctrine is both the pillar and the foundation of the Church: “But if I
am delayed, I write in order that you may know [function of GAP at gate four] how one ought
to conduct himself in the house of God, which keeps on being the church of the
living God, the pillar and foundation even doctrine.” Doctrine taught is the
foundation. And when you respond on a regular basis to the teaching of Bible
doctrine you are going to become a pillar, a permanent chapter in the heavenly
temple, the record centre of all history. The pillar in the Church is the
believer who through daily perception of Bible doctrine and residence in the
divine dynasphere advances to maturity. The pillar of the church in time has a
pillar in the temple of God forever, the reward for historical impact, the
reward for being an anonymous hero. The biography of the winner is simple.
Today a pillar in the Church, unknown, unseen, like his unseen uniform of honour;
tomorrow a pillar in the temple of God forever and ever and ever. The pillar in
the temple of God is the mature believer permanently recorded for his impact on
history through residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
Pillars are used for mature believers in Galatians
2:9, “In recognising the grace that has been given to me, James, Peter and
John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of
fellowship that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.” The
pillar in the church is the mature believer with maximum historical impact in
this dispensation. Therefore as a future reward he has a permanent chapter in
the permanent history of the human race in heaven.
Next we have the permanency of that record. Just as
the person who believes in Christ cannot lose his salvation so the mature
believer with maximum historical impact cannot lose his place in the permanent
history textbook of the world. While the pillars of the temple located in
Philadelphia were destroyed by earthquakes the pillars of the Church, i.e.
believers advancing to maturity, are parlayed into the pillars of the temple of
the eternal God and their record cannot be destroyed.
We begin with the connective use of the conjunction kai, and it simply is going to emphasise what precedes.
So we translate it “Furthermore.” It is going to present a result that comes
from what precedes. With this we have the aorist active subjunctive of e)xerxomai, which means to go out, to go away, to retire. The
verb connotes the occurrence of natural events or fateful happenings. The verb
is also used in the sense of “to end,” “to vanish.” With this we have a very
strong double negative, o)u mh, the strongest you can get.
A double negative is not a positive in the Greek, it is an emphatic negative.
The adverb of place with it, e)xw, which means “outside,” is
a part of the idiom but is not included in the translation. Then we have
another adverb e)ti which means “yet” or
“still” but when used with negatives it connotes something which has stopped,
hence the translation, “no longer,” but with o)u mh
it should be “any longer,” “Furthermore he will not ever get outside any
longer.” It is literal in the translation but it is an idiom and what it means
is, “Furthermore he will never vanish [from history].” The aorist tense of e)xerxomai is a culminative aorist, it views the reward of
being permanently recorded in the history of the world as a winner, and this
permanent historical record includes the winner’s impact, historical impact in
the Church Age plus his rule in the Millennium. The culminative aorist views
this eternal reward from the standpoint of existing results, it cannot be
erased. The mature believer of the Church Age is located in a permanent
historical record centre of heaven. There are going to be a lot of believers in
heaven who have no record of what they did in life, whereas the mature
believers will have the entire story of their new knighthood. The active voice:
mature believers produce the action through a record of achievements in both
the Church Age and in the Millennium, anonymous achievements and well-known
achievements. The subjunctive mood plus the double negative is known as the
emphatic negative subjunctive and it means that the history textbook of heaven
cannot be erased, it will never vanish.
Translation: “The winner, I will make him [the
mature believer, the winner of the order of the morning star] a pillar
[permanent historical record] in the temple of my God; furthermore, he will
never vanish from history.”
The anonymous hero of the Church Age is not only the
famous hero of the Millennium but also the eternal hero in heaven forever. Only
pillars are eternal heroes. The Bible must again be interpreted in the time in
which it was written and permanent or alleged permanent records were kept in
various temples in the ancient world at the time of writing. So this became the
basis for establishing an analogy. The temple of heaven is the eternal record centre
of human history and as the record department of human history each pillar
represents a chapter on a mature believer in the Church Age. First, the
anonymous record of historical impact now made public and preserved forever and
ever in the record section of the heavenly temple. Secondly, the Millennial
history of the mature believer’s reign is permanently recorded and as the
record and history department each pillar in the heavenly temple represents a
chapter devoted to one Christian here, a winner.
That brings
us now to the system of heraldry: knighthood, chivalry, and heraldry of the
Millennial state and the eternal state. By way of introduction, the Greeks and
Romans honoured their heroes with distinctive devices on their shields. So
there was an anticipation of heraldry and chivalry as far back as the time of
the writing of the book of Revelation. Chivalry, by way of explanation, then,
is the integrity and the virtue knights. It is also used in terms of courtesy
which is the expression of humility, gallantry, personal honour and
thoughtfulness of others. Knighthood and chivalry was not only a personal
attribute of honour and integrity but it was a mode of feudal tenure and a
system of manners and decorum; not the superficialities of manners but an honourable
system expressed through manners.
In the first part of verse 12 we have the principle
of the anonymous hero of the Church Age becoming the famous and well-known
person of the Millennium, “The winner, I will make him a pillar in the temple
of my God.” We saw that the temple is the record room of heaven related to
historical trends. The pillar of the Church is the believer who through daily
perception of doctrine achieves spiritual maturity, advancing from gate four to
gate eight. The actual pillar is the record of his life, divided into two
parts. The first part deals with his anonymous function, historical impact, in
the Church Age. The second deals with his fame as a ruler of a Gentile nation
in the Millennium. Just as the person who has accepted Christ as saviour cannot
lose his salvation, so the believer with maximum historical impact cannot lose
his place in history.
In the last half of the verse we have the escutcheon
of the winner, the reward of a special heraldry. Going with the new knighthood
emblazoned on the escutcheon of this person is a special shield, a coat of honour.
The word “knighthood” is from an old German word which is a part of the
Anglo-Saxon culture because Anglo-Saxon was a German tribe and group, along
with the Jutes. The whole system of liberty and freedom which we enjoy in this
country is based upon Anglo-Saxon culture and from it we have the fact that
liberty and freedom was enforced and brought about by the aristocracy of
England called the baronage. The war of the roses ended the barony and
therefore for several hundred years destroyed the freedom in England. It was
fought between the Yorks and the Lancasters, the two major families. The first
age of chivalry is generally accepted as beginning with the crusades and ending
with that war which lasted for thirty years, between 1455 and 1485 and ended
with the Battle of Bosworth where Richard the third, Duke of Gloucester was
killed. He was the last of the Yorks. Henry, Earl of Richmond then became the
first Tudor King as Henry the seventh. The war of the roses received its title
from Sir Walter Scott because the house of York had the white rose as one of
their emblems and the house of Lancaster the red rose.
So the war of the roses destroyed the baronage of
England when one half of the nobility was slain. Those who survived were ruined
financially, their estates were wasted or confiscated, and not a single house
retained its former wealth or influence. The ruin of English nobility jeopardised
English liberty for it was the barons who had forced the Magna Carta on King
John. The Magna Carta was one of the great things that happened to England
during the course of their history when King John signed away a tremendous
amount of his privileges to the baronage. It was the baronage that actually
forced this on King John who was a tyrant, and as a tyrant has completely
destroyed any possibility of freedom existing in England. But this was all
changed very rapidly and in a moment of time by the barons, the nobility of the
land who forced the Magna Carta on the king and thus became the guardians of
liberty. Their system of liberty and integrity were related to chivalry. The
Magna Carta set a precedent for future freedom and liberty, not only in England
but, as a result, in the United States. The barons — the English aristocracy —
for their attitude toward chivalry were the guardians of freedom. Chivalry and
feudalism were actually the basis for freedom and it was not the common people
who brought about freedom. (The scum tried to do it in the French revolution
but they were more interested in power and they were too arrogant to be able to
do it. Scum never produce freedom, their arrogance makes it impossible. The
worst tyrants of all are scum with no power who suddenly obtain it through some
system of violence) It was not until 1688 that with the fall of the Stuart
dynasty that the Magna Carta had its final and great effect.
We begin now with the principle that the mature
believer represents exactly what the baronage of England represented from the
Magna Carta to the field of Bosworth. The baronage of England was actually the
basis for setting up freedom. They gave freedom to the common man; they curbed
the power of the king. They came to a point called contract where they agreed
to serve the king but the king had to accept certain freedoms and recognise the
freedoms and the rights of all of the people of the land. So the common people
owed their freedom in England to the courage of the baronage. As a result of
this the baronage for many years became the protector of freedom. The concept
of chivalry then: Men had honour and integrity which they used to fight for
freedom and therefore they set up a system of heraldry.
The mature believer or winner at the judgment seat
of Christ is going to receive an eternal escutcheon, a coat of arms. There is a
direct analogy here between the tremendous ability of the barons to provide
freedom for the people of England and the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ in
providing freedom for the client nation to God. We have the responsibility of
providing freedom, prosperity and blessing for this nation. As goes the
believer so goes the client nation to God. And while we have no visible
escutcheon we do have a uniform of honour which is the maturity, royal family honour
code, maximum doctrine resident in the soul. In the future the believer who
advances to maturity is going to be recognised in a very special and wonderful
way by receiving an escutcheon of glory.
Basically there are three categories related to the
escutcheon, i.e. the shield which is used for the coat of arms. On the left
side of the shield it is called “Sinister,” which simply means left-handed; it
has no other connotation in heraldry. On the right hand of the shield we have
“Dexter” for the right hand. In the centre, “Middle” was used for the middle
part of the coat of arms on the shield.
We are going to note first of all the “Dexter” as
the first item of heraldry in the eternal coat of arms. We start out with the
adjunctive use of the conjunction kai to add another eternal
reward to the pillar in the temple, the permanent chapter in history. And to
show that you have permanency in history as a mature believer you are given a
coat of arms. In addition to having the chapter, the eternal record in history
in the temple of God there is the manifestation of it in a coat of arms. No
believer, of course, who served Satan in time will have a coat of arms in
eternity. Therefore the adjunctive use of the conjunction. Instead of
translating it “and” we translate it “also” or “in addition to.”
With this we have the future active indicative of
the verb grafw, which means here to write
but the verb also refers to the mechanical activity of writing and therefore it
means to inscribe, to engrave, or emblazon. In keeping with this passage we are
going to translate it “emblazon” — “Also I will emblazon.” “Emblazon” is an
English word which means to inscribe heraldry. It means to inscribe with the
devices of heraldry or to adorn with the figures of heraldry. The future tense
is a predictive future, it anticipates receiving a coat of arms at the judgment
seat of Christ — mature believers only. The coat of arms goes with the
decoration of the order of the morning star and the uniform of glory. The
active voice: Jesus Christ produces the action of the verb by giving to the
mature believer the coat of arms. This coat of arms comes before his rulership
in the Millennium. Every mature believer of the Church Age is going to rule a
Gentile nation in the Millennium. In those nations are going to be cities and
mature Old Testament saints are going to be rulers of cities. Many believers of
this dispensation are not going to have a coat of arms, not going to have a
uniform of glory, not going to have the order of the morning star, not going to
have crowns. The indicative mod is declarative for the reality of the mature
believer receiving a coat of arms, an eternal heraldry, at the judgment seat of
Christ.
With this we have the preposition e)pi plus the accusative singular from the
intensive pronoun a)utoj. Though an intensive
pronoun it isn’t used that way in the Koine. It is used for the third person
personal pronoun and it is translated, “on him.” Then we have the accusative
singular direct object from o)noma which means “royal title,”
title of aristocracy. With that the genitive of relationship of e)gw and we call that the title of my God, the royal
title.
“Also I will emblazon on him [the winner, the mature
believer in time] the title of my God [God the Father, the author of the divine
plan].”
So the Dexter side of the shield has to do with God
the Father who is the author of the divine plan. While our Lord Jesus Christ is
eternal God and coequal with the Father and with the Spirit, He often speaks as
humanity and that is what we have here. In using the phrase “My God” it reminds
us of the cross where He said: “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me.”
When He uttered those words on the cross He was speaking from His humanity for
it was the humanity of Christ that was judged for our sins. As God, Jesus
Christ cannot be judged. So we have therefore a reference to the humanity of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord’s strategic victory of the first advent
resulted in the award of His third royal patent after the ascension. The third
royal patent includes such titles as “King of kings and Lord of lords” plus
“the bright morning star.” And since the Church Age believers of the royal
family are related to our Lord’s third royal patent the mature believer or
winner of the morning star at the judgment seat of Christ receives a coat of
arms as a part of eternal chivalry. The freedom of time, the blessing of time,
the historical impact of time, everything that is important in time comes in
this dispensation from the mature believer only. The cosmic believer has
absolutely nothing going for him.
So emblazoned on the Dexter part of the escutcheon
is the title of God the Father who is the author of the divine plan for the
human race who provided both the divine dynasphere and logistical grace which
are parlayed into something fantastic. Only believers or winners possess this
royal escutcheon and the Dexter is always the same: it indicates that the
individual has fulfilled the plan of God. And just as the baronage of England
was responsible for maintaining the freedom of the English people of all
classes so we have a divine period in terms of dispensations. In this
dispensation all historical impact comes, not from rulers, not from armies, not
from great people; historical impact comes from individual believers who form
the pivot by advancing from gate four to gate eight in the divine dynasphere.
This gives some concept of the importance of Bible doctrine.
Now when believers reside in the cosmic system they
often take the phraseology of Christianity with them. They are full of
self-righteousness and arrogance, they are full of social action, they are full
of self-importance. Whatever they are doing is “to the glory of God,” and all
of that is fake. This occasionally happens in the revival of chivalry.
Chivalry has never died. In fact chivalry existed
long before it was recognised as such in the middle ages. Chivalry has existed
since the royal family came into existence on the Day of Pentecost and the
objectives of chivalry have been defined and redefined by all of the apostles
in the Word of God. The interesting thing is that doctrine is the heart of
chivalry. Doctrine is what gives virtue, honour and integrity to believers, all
kinds of believers. Whether you are acceptable in society or not is not the
issue. The issue is that society cannot exist unless you take personal
responsibility for your own decisions. Bad decisions: you wind up in the cosmic
system and in eternity you are going to be a second class citizen. There are
degrees of happiness, there are degrees of reward, and down at the bottom of
the totem pole are going to be the cosmic believers.
Just as the baronage and the system of chivalry
which came from them was the means of providing and protecting freedom for all
the people in the realm, so you today have a responsibility since the day you
accepted Christ as your saviour. You have the responsibility of growing in
grace, of living in the divine dynasphere, of advancing to gate eight of the
divine dynasphere — the key to freedom, prosperity, spiritual and temporal
blessing, not only in the client nation but throughout the world. Right now the
world is suffering from economic depression, from social degeneration, from
military disaster. That means that in some parts of the world unemployment is
so great and the gross national product is so down that this leads to a
desperation which often leads to more violence. We are seeing problems solved
by violence and when a problem is solved by violence it isn’t solved, it merely
makes ten problems to take the place of the one “resolved” by violence. The
reason things are so bad today is because born-again believers are simply not
advancing to maturity, they are not living inside the divine dynasphere.
Now who has impact in time? Whose life really
counts? As we have already seen, the one who has the crown of life for living
in the divine dynasphere, the crown of righteousness for producing virtue from
the divine dynasphere, the order of the morning star for maximum historical
impact. Names of unbelievers are blotted out of the book of life after the
judgment seat of Christ. In eternity the book of life only has a list of
believers but that listing includes for mature believers their knighthood,
their coat of arms, the whole listing for Millennial and eternal chivalry. Only
believers who are winners possess this royal escutcheon which we are now
studying.
So far we have seen that Dexter has to do with God
the Father who is the author of the divine plan. So Dexter means mature
believers have executed the plan of God during their lifetime on this earth.
They have the right priorities; Bible doctrine is first. And the royal
escutcheon will have Dexter whereas the loser or the cosmic believer of the
Church Age does not even possess any part of this coat of arms, “and I will
emblazon [inscribe a heraldry] on him [the winner or the mature believer in
time] the title of my God [God the Father],” and having the title of God the
Father on the Dexter part of the coat of arms is a reference to the honourable
fulfillment of God’s plan.
The Middle or second item of heraldry in the eternal
coat of arms has to do with the new Jerusalem.
We move on now to the eternal coat
of arms of the mature believer. Chivalry connotes guardian of freedom.
Individuals who understand freedom take the responsibility of making sure that
the common people have it. Freedom starts with leadership, not with the common
man. The mature believer will be awarded with an eternal escutcheon and the
coat of arms indicates achievement. This coat of arms which we are studying
indicates those who have achieved during the Church Age. They are anonymous
heroes now; they will be famous in eternity. There is a new order of chivalry
which will be entered into the book of life. The book of life in eternity will
have the names of only those who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Today
the book of life includes the names of all people, but when a person dies
without personally receiving Christ as saviour his name is blotted out of the
book of life. But there are some names in the book of life of Church Age
believers who because of their residence and function in the divine dynasphere
and because of their advance to maturity are going to have a new knighthood and
are going to be part of a new order of chivalry for the Millennium and the
eternal state. The sign of their achievement is their personal coat of arms
which is described in the last half of Revelation 3:12.
Basically there are three categories related to the
escutcheon, the shield of heraldry, apart from the upper part called the chief
and the lower part called the base. There is the right side called “Dexter,”
the middle called “Middle,” and the left called “Sinister,” sinister from the
Latin and having to do with being left-handed.
In the last half of this verse the mature believer
of the Church Age is described in terms of heraldry, described in terms of his
escutcheon. We begin with the adjunctive use of the conjunction kai, the first word in the last half of verse 12. The
word means “also” rather than “and.” It is to add another eternal reward to the
historical permanence of the invisible, unknown impact of Church Age believers.
In addition to having a chapter in the eternal records of history the winner
will have a coat of arms which distinguishes him forever from other believers
who failed in this dispensation. No believer who served Satan in time will have
a coat of arms, it is for the nature believer only, the one who makes good
decisions. Good decisions open the door for better decisions and increase the
options whereas bad decisions close the doors.
With this we have the future active indicative of
the verb grafw which
means to write and also means the mechanical activity of writing, therefore it
means to inscribe, to engrave, to emblazon. Here the latter is correct.
Emblazon means to inscribe with the devices of heraldry or to adorn with the
figures of honour. The predictive future tense anticipates the award of the
coat of arms to the mature believer which goes with the decoration of the order
of the morning star and the uniform of glory. The active voice: Jesus Christ
produces he action of the verb at the judgment seat of Christ. The indicative
mood is declarative for the reality of the mature believer receiving the coat
of arms and eternal heraldry at the judgment seat of Christ.
With this we have the preposition e)pi. E)pi has different meanings depending upon the case of
the verb which is the object of the preposition. In this case we have the
accusative singular from the intensive pronoun a)utoj
which is used in the Koine Greek for the personal pronoun of the third person.
It is translated “on him” and it becomes the Dexter part of the escutcheon. The
possessive genitive from qeoj plus the genitive of
relationship from e)gw are the next two words, “my
God.” With that, the accusative singular direct object of o)noma refers to a royal title. It can mean name or person
or title and here it refers to title — “the title of my God.” This is the title
of God the Father, the author of the divine plan. The reason that this is
placed upon the escutcheon is because the mature believer has executed the plan
of God in time. God the Father is the author of the plan for the Church Age by
which at the moment of salvation every believer receives 36 things plus the
divine dynasphere, the power for execution. He enters the divine dynasphere at
gate one, the filling of the Spirit; gate two, basic impersonal love; gate
three, enforced and genuine humility. Gate one provides the spiritual IQ for perception of doctrine;
gate two provides objectivity; gate three teachability for the function of gate
four, perception and application of doctrine which is the momentum gate. Gate
five is love of God; gate six, right man-right woman where pertinent; gate
seven, advanced impersonal love; gate eight is spiritual maturity, the
construction of the edification complex of the soul. This can only be
accomplished inside the divine dynasphere. Of course the believer who fails
becomes involved in the cosmic system — cosmic one with its 26 gates of
interlocking systems of arrogance; cosmic two with its nine gates of
interlocking systems of hatred. The cosmic believer is actually said to be the enemy
of the cross in the time in which we live.
So there is a great difference between believers in
time and a far greater difference between believers in eternity. The difference
between believers in eternity is based upon the fact that our Lord invented the
system of human freedom and self-determination in order to resolve the angelic
conflict. And so after salvation our attitude toward Bible doctrine and God’s
plan is the determining factor. Consistent positive volition eventuates in
maturity; consistent negative volition eventuates in cosmic involvement, the
many categories of discipline and self-induced misery. So we have, then, those
who are going to be distinguished forever and ever and the reason is freedom.
Freedom guarantees inequality. There is no such thing as equality where freedom
exists. Heaven is a perfect place and there will be great inequality in heaven
based upon self-determination in time under the principle of freedom.
We start out then with qeoj
in the Dexter part of the shield. It refers to God the Father the author of the
divine plan. While our Lord Jesus Christ is eternal God, coequal and co-eternal
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He often speaks from humanity as in this
passage in using the phrase, “my God.” He speaks from His humanity and from His
third royal patent, the one that broke that back of Satan in the angelic
conflict, the one which resulted from the strategic victory of our Lord Jesus
Christ in the first advent. Our Lord’s strategic victory of the first advent
resulted in the award of His third royal patent. That is why history has
changed; that is why we have the book of Revelation, because at the ascension
our Lord Jesus Christ received a third royal patent the whole course of history
has changed and the history of the world from the time of our Lord’s ascension
until the end of time is the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is a
textbook of world history divided into two categories: historical trends of the
Church Age and the prophecy which follows. The third royal patent includes such
titles as King of kings and Lord of Lords plus the bright morning star. And
since the Church Age believer is royal family and related to our Lord’s third
royal patent the Mature believer of the Church Age receives the coat of arms as
a part of the order of eternal chivalry. And emblazoned on the Dexter part of
the escutcheon is the title of God the Father as the author of the divine plan
for the human race. He provided for both the divine dynasphere and logistical
grace support and therefore since the mature believer is the only believer who
has executed this plan it becomes a part of his heraldry forever.
You must remember that the cosmic believer in
eternity only has a resurrection body. There are degrees of happiness in
eternity. He will be low on the totem pole as far as happiness is concerned. He
can’t lose his salvation but all he has is a resurrection body, and for the
short time he spent earth and the capital support given by our Lord Jesus
Christ in logistical grace he has demonstrated forever by only having a
resurrection body what a fool he was as far as his decisions were concerned.
The loser or cosmic believer of the Church Age does not possess a special coat
of arms nor the inscriptions of heraldry.
“also I will emblazon [inscribe a heraldry] on him
[the winner or mature believer in time] the title of my God,” reference to God
the Father and a reference to the fact that he has achieved — achievement
through God’s grace, achievement through making right decisions, achievement
through the execution of the plan of God in time. He advanced from gate four to
gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
The middle part of the coat of arms, the second item
of heraldry, is a special privilege related to maximum happiness forever and
ever. Again, heaven is a place of degrees of happiness. Just as there are
degrees of happiness in the divine dynasphere there are degrees of happiness in
heaven, and maximum happiness is only open to those who have attained spiritual
maturity through residence and function inside the divine dynasphere. So the
middle part of the winner’s escutcheon is a pass, a pass which permits him
access to the new Jerusalem which in eternity hovers over the earth. This is
not the heavenly Jerusalem but the eternal Jerusalem which is located above the
earth, and in the middle of this eternal Jerusalem is the famous gazebo in the
garden, the paradise of God with the tree of life. And just as a knight had to
show his shield at the drawbridge before he could enter the castle, so the
believer carries on his escutcheon a special pass whereby he can enter into the
new Jerusalem and therefore into the most exclusive parties of eternity, the
parties of maximum happiness. In eternity the believers who failed in time have
no access. They have happiness but that happiness is limited as far as access.
This is for the aristocracy of eternity only, it isn’t for all believers. There
are certain parts of heaven that are excluded from believers who failed in
time, and this is one part of heaven that is — a place associated with maximum
happiness.
We have, then, the genitive of place from the
adjective kainoj, and it precedes the proper
noun ’Ierousalhm, and it means new in
species, new in concept. The new Jerusalem is a place where there is a
happiness never experienced or never known, and cannot be experienced by lower
orders of believers in eternity in resurrection bodies. New in time is a
different Greek word altogether, neoj. But that is not the word
here at all. So kainoj is used here in connection
with Jerusalem. It means that everything in this famous city that is suspended
over the earth is the place of maximum happiness and you can’t get in without
the royal escutcheon. The Middle part is the pass. Therefore we have the
corrected translation of the Middle part of the coat of arms: “also the new
Jerusalem” — a pass to enter the new Jerusalem of the eternal state where the
tree of life and maximum happiness is located. The contrast between kainoj and neoj is the difference between
the Millennial Jerusalem which is new in time and the new Jerusalem, kainoj,which is an eternal Jerusalem.
The concept: Millennial Jerusalem and Eternal Jerusalem
There are two new Jerusalems. One is a neoj Jerusalem, the Jerusalem of the Millennium,
and there is a kainoj Jerusalem, the Jerusalem of
the eternal state. There is a vast difference. You can get into the neoj Jerusalem even if you were a loser in time, but you
can’t get into the kainoj Jerusalem, the eternal
Jerusalem if you were a loser in time.
Under the Millennial Jerusalem we have natural light
but in the eternal Jerusalem there is supernatural light. The eternal Jerusalem
will not exist until the end of time, the end of history, and it is a special
place for special people, the winners of the Church Age. It has supernatural
light, Revelation 21:11, 23; 22:5. According to Zechariah 2:4,5 the Millennial
Jerusalem has no walls, it is protected by the fact that our Lord is present
there from which He rules the world. On the other hand in eternity the eternal
Jerusalem has walls, Revelation 21:12, and the walls give privacy to a superior
type of happiness that will never be experienced by losers in their
resurrection bodies. It is an exclusive place, it keeps out everyone but the
new order of chivalry. On the Millennial side, the Millennial Jerusalem is
related to Israel, the inheritance of Abraham, whereas the eternal Jerusalem is
related to the royal family of God and to the new order of chivalry. In the
Millennial Jerusalem there is a Millennial temple that is described in detail
in Ezekiel chapters 40-48. In the eternal Jerusalem there is no temple. People
who have maximum capacity for happiness don’t need a temple, Revelation 21:3,
22. In the Millennial temple there will be animal sacrifices in the temple, Ezekiel
40-48, but in the eternal Jerusalem there will be no animal sacrifices for the
most obvious reason: ritual without reality is meaningless and the new order of
chivalry needs no ritual to sustain it.
People are impressed by ritual and what goes with it,
and therefore that means that they must depend on some form of outer form for
happiness, which is human and normal. But the eternal Jerusalem is a place of
such fantastic happiness, and the new order of chivalry has such great capacity
for happiness that there is absolutely no animal sacrifice nor any other
ritual. The highest order of believers in eternity do not need ritual, they
have total happiness and total reality in one package. In the Millennial
Jerusalem living water comes from the temple, Ezekiel 47:1; in the eternal
Jerusalem the water of life comes from the throne, Revelation 22:1. In the
Millennial Jerusalem unbelievers live in the city, Zechariah 12:6; 14:11; in
the eternal Jerusalem you not only have only believers but only one category of
believers, winners, in contrast to losers. Those who have their priorities
straight in time are the ones who have access to the eternal Jerusalem.
In the Millennial Jerusalem there are trees for food
and healing, according to Ezekiel 47:7-12, but in the eternal Jerusalem no one
is sick, everyone has a resurrection body, and there is only the tree of life
as maximum happiness and as the highest happiness award of eternity, Revelation
22:2. So the new Jerusalem refers to the eternal Jerusalem in Revelation 21:9-22:5,
one of the few detailed descriptions of the eternal state. Most people mix up
eternity with the Millennium. The “pearly gates” for example, belong to the
Millennium. The tree of life in the eternal Jerusalem is that great happiness
award and the only detailed description of eternity where you have a sequence
of more than five verses is Revelation 21:9-22:5; and that is the new
Jerusalem, the kainoj, not the neoj. The new Jerusalem is a part of the winner’s
escutcheon indicating the fact that he has access at all times to the only
really exclusive part of heaven. The new Jerusalem is the middle part of the
escutcheon, a pass to enter the place of maximum happiness for ever and ever
and ever.
With this we have a description of where this new
Jerusalem originates, the articular present active participle from the verb katabainw, which means to descend, “the new Jerusalem which
descends.” The definite article is used as a relative pronoun referring to the
eternal Jerusalem or the new Jerusalem as the place of maximum happiness beyond
anything anyone has ever known. The capacity for this maximum happiness is a
part of the reward to the new order of chivalry. The present tense combines the
futuristic present with the pictorial present. The futuristic present denotes
an event which has not yet occurred, i.e. the descent of the eternal Jerusalem,
but is regarded as so certain that in thought it may be contemplated as already
coming to pass. The pictorial present presents to the mind an event in the
process of occurring. Suddenly from millions and millions of light years away
there comes to the new earth created by our Lord, and suspended over the
Jerusalem of the earth, a very special city. The active voice: the eternal or
new Jerusalem produces the action. The participle is circumstantial. We
translate it, “which shall descend.” Then we have the prepositional phrase
denoting the source, e)k plus the genitive and a)po plus the ablative. E)k
plus the genitive comes first, e)k plus the genitive of o)uranoj, the word for heaven. It is translated “from
heaven,” and that means from the immediate source of heaven. But a)po plus the ablative means original source, and the
object of a)po is qeoj. It is translated, “from the immediate source of
heaven, from the ultimate source of my God.” E)k
means immediate source; a)po means ultimate source.
That brings us now to the “Sinister” or the third
item of heraldry in the eternal coat of arms. We have an adjunctive use of the
conjunction kai, it is translated “also.”
This introduces the third item of the heraldry involved. On the eternal
escutcheon of the mature believer is the Sinister, the left side. With this we
have the possessive genitive of e)gw, translated “my,” “also
emblazoned,” and then we have “with my new name.” We have the possessive
genitive of e)gw, we have the adjective kainoj again, the accusative of direct object and the word
“emblazoned” which is used in the first part is supplied again. This is
elliptical because by this time the apostle John is getting very excited, “also
emblazoned with my new name,” that is, the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus
Christ. The believer carries on his coat of arms the royal title of our Lord
Jesus Christ because he served the Lord faithfully in time, living in the
divine dynasphere and advancing to maturity. So the mature believer has maximum
historical impact, the blessing of the blessing of the supergrace contract, and
of course, the ultimate glorification of Christ in time. These are the people
who make consistent decisions, who have their priorities straight right from
the start. No matter what happens doctrine is first. Those are the winners and
those are the ones who keep their priorities straight all the time. They are
the unique people of eternity, easily recognised by their uniform of glory, by
their crown of life, their crown of righteousness, by their order of the
morning star. And they are recognised by the fact that they have a happiness
which is infinitely superior to the loser who is glad to be there but whose
happiness and blessing is related to grace, they are there by the grace of God,
they were losers all the way, and there is a vast difference.
Verse 12, “The winner, I will make him [the mature
believer of the Church Age] a pillar in the temple of my God [the permanent
record of historical impact]. Further more he will never vanish from history:
also I will emblazon on him the title of my God [God the Father], also the new
Jerusalem [the pass to enter the new Jerusalem of the eternal state], which
shall descend from the immediate source of heaven from the ultimate source of
my God: also emblazoned with my new name [the thirds royal patent of our Lord
Jesus Christ indicating faithfully serving Him in time].”
We have noted that there is an aristocracy in the
Millennium and the eternal state, the final aristocracy, an aristocracy made up
of Church Age believers only. When our Lord’s title, King of kings and Lord of
lords, was given to Him after the ascension it was broken down into two parts:
our Lord is ruler over the mature believers who will be kings over Gentile
nations; He is Lord over Old Testament saints who will rule ten cities, five
cities, four cities or one city in the Millennium. In other words, those who
succeed in this dispensation are going to rule over those who succeeded in the
Age of Israel. There is a new aristocracy which will function in the last 1000
years of history and then will go into the eternal state. At this point of time
those of you who are alive have the potential of being in that aristocracy but
you cannot live in the cosmic system, you cannot have a fouled up system of
priorities, you cannot ignore the Word of God and fall into this future
category. You cannot lose your salvation but in heaven there are degrees of
blessing and there are degrees of privilege and happiness in the eternal state.
The aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal
state is not based on physical birth, it is based on regeneration. It
potentially starts at the point of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Thereafter the believer is allotted time on this earth and what he does
with doctrine on a daily basis is the determining factor. The aristocracy in
the Millennium and the eternal state is not based in human ability or human
wisdom or human achievement or attractiveness, it is based on advance inside
the divine dynasphere. The final aristocracy of eternity will rule with Christ
in the Millennium and have special privileges, rewards and decorations for all
eternity.
The eternal coat of arms and heraldry of the mature
believer, the winner in the Church Age, is given in the last half of verse 12.
The mature believer, the winner, will be awarded an eternal coat of arms, an
escutcheon of glory. We might call the escutcheon the shield of glory for the
coat of arms will be emblazoned on that shield. There are three parts of the
coat of arms.
We begin with the study of Dexter, the first item of
heraldry in the eternal coat of arms of winners in the Church Age. The
adjunctive use of the conjunction kai is to add another eternal
reward to the pillar. Kai is used in this passage in
order to indicate that you are in the record centre forever, there is a chapter
written about you and about your life — you are anonymous in life now but you
will be famous forever and ever. In addition to that pillar, that chapter in
the permanent record of history, there is something else: you are given a coat
of arms — a place in history plus a coat of arms. The winner will have this
special coat of arms which distinguishes him forever from all the believers who
are losers. No believer who lives in the cosmic system, who is the servant
therefore of Satan, will have a coat of arms in eternity. Nor will he be a part
of the eternal order of chivalry.
Next we have the future active indicative of the
verb grafw. While it means to write
the verb also refers to the mechanical activity of writing. Therefore it can be
translated engraved, inscribed or emblazoned. Here it means to emblazon. That
means to inscribe the devices of heraldry or adorn with the figures of heraldry,
“I will emblazon.” The predictive future anticipates the award of the coat of
arms to the mature believer. This coat of arms goes with the decoration of the
order of the morning star and the uniform of glory. The active voice: Jesus
Christ produces the action of the verb at the judgment seat of Christ. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the fact that anyone of you
who advances to maturity, who becomes a part of the pivot, who has maximum
historical impact through God’s plan will have this coat of arms. “I will
emblazon,” and then we have a prepositional phrase, e)pi
plus the accusative of the intensive pronoun a)utoj,
“on him.” Then we have the accusative singular direct object from the noun o)noma, which means “title” as well as “name.” Therefore
it refers to knighthood, “I will emblazon on him the title.” But this is not
our title on the coat of arms, it is the title called: possessive genitive of qeoj, which is “God.” With it we also have a genitive of
e)gw, the genitive of
relationship, and we translate “the title of my God.” This is a reference to
God the Father who is the author of the divine plan, the fantastic plan for the
Church Age. Inscribed on the Dexter side of the shield is the title of God the
Father, and the Dexter side of the shield indicates the fact that the believer
involved has executed the plan of God for the believer in this dispensation. In
using the phrase “my God” for the first person of the Trinity Jesus Christ is
speaking from His humanity. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the unique person of the
universe. He is eternal God, He has identical essence to the Father and the
Holy Spirit, and each three members of the Trinity are coequal and CO-eternal,
but our Lord is different in that He is also true humanity. He is different
from all humanity in that He is God; He is different from God in that He is
true humanity. During His life on earth He lived inside of the prototype divine
dynasphere. When He speaks from His humanity He calls God the Father “my God.”
The middle part of the heraldry or the eternal coat
of arms is a pass which permits the winner’s access to the new Jerusalem which
hovers over the earth in the eternal state. At the end of the Millennium the
earth is going to be destroyed, as is this universe. There will be new heavens
and new earth. Hovering above Jerusalem in the new earth will be a special
partying place for winners only. This is the place of maximum happiness and it
is called the new Jerusalem. It is in the middle part of the escutcheon because
it is a pass which permits the new order of chivalry access to the new
Jerusalem which hovers above the earth. Losers will not be permitted access to
the new Jerusalem. Inside of the new Jerusalem is the gazebo in the garden, maximum
happiness in eternity. That is the greatest of all partying places of all time,
and just as a knight had to show his shield before the drawbridge was lowered
to permit him access into the castle so the mature believer carries his own
special pass, the coat of arms in the middle part of the escutcheon is the pass
into the new Jerusalem and the tree of life. The genitive of place from the
adjective kainoj is very important. It means
new in species in contrast to naoj, which means new in time.
This is an eternal Jerusalem so kainoj is used. There never was
anything like this before and their never will be again.
The third part of the heraldry in the eternal coat
of arms is the Sinister. We have the adjunctive use of the conjunction kai again, “also.” It introduces the left hand
side of the shield called “Sinister,” meaning left-handed; “also emblazoned
with my new name.” This is the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus Christ, it
indicates that the eternal order of heraldry belongs to the royal family of God
in the Church Age and that believers in this dispensation are eligible. The
mature believer has maximum historical impact in time; he is the anonymous hero
of this dispensation; he has the blessing of the supergrace contract; he has
the ultimate in glorification of Christ in time; he has emblazoned a royal
title of Christ as the mature believer, the one who advances to gate eight of
the divine dynasphere. He has therefore an eternal memorial to the fact that he
logged maximum time inside of the divine dynasphere.
The emblazoned royal title of Christ on the mature
believer’s escutcheon is an eternal memorial to the fact that he served the
Lord Jesus Christ and not Satan; he executed the plan of God, not Satan’s,
while living on this earth; he made right decisions with regard to the divine
provision of logistical grace. Only the mature believer possesses this coat of
arms and bears forever this royal escutcheon of temporal achievement parlayed
into eternal reward.
The corrected translation of the entire verse: “The
winner, I will make him [the mature believer of the Church Age] a pillar in the
temple of my God [a permanent record of historical impact], furthermore he will
never vanish from history: also I will emblazon [inscribe a heraldry] on him
[the winner] with the title of my God [God the Father, the author of the divine
plan], and the new Jerusalem [which is only open to winners], which shall
descend from the immediate source of heaven and the ultimate source of my God:
also emblazoned with my new name [the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which indicates residence and function in the divine dynasphere, Bible
doctrine has number one priority in the life].”
We have noted that there is an aristocracy in the
Millennium and the eternal state, the final aristocracy, an aristocracy made up
of Church Age believers only. When our Lord’s title, King of kings and Lord of
lords, was given to Him after the ascension it was broken down into two parts:
our Lord is ruler over the mature believers who will be kings over Gentile
nations; He is Lord over Old Testament saints who will rule ten cities, five
cities, four cities or one city in the Millennium. In other words, those who
succeed in this dispensation are going to rule over those who succeeded in the
Age of Israel. There is a new aristocracy which will function in the last 1000
years of history and then will go into the eternal state. At this point of time
those of you who are alive have the potential of being in that aristocracy but
you cannot live in the cosmic system, you cannot have a fouled up system of
priorities, you cannot ignore the Word of God and fall into this future
category. You cannot lose your salvation but in heaven there are degrees of
blessing and there are degrees of privilege and happiness in the eternal state.
The aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal
state is not based on physical birth, it is based on regeneration. It
potentially starts at the point of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Thereafter the believer is allotted time on this earth and what he does
with doctrine on a daily basis is the determining factor. The aristocracy in
the Millennium and the eternal state is not based in human ability or human
wisdom or human achievement or attractiveness, it is based on advance inside
the divine dynasphere. The final aristocracy of eternity will rule with Christ
in the Millennium and have special privileges, rewards and decorations for all
eternity.
The eternal coat of arms and heraldry of the mature
believer, the winner in the Church Age, is given in the last half of verse 12.
The mature believer, the winner, will be awarded an eternal coat of arms, an
escutcheon of glory. We might call the escutcheon the shield of glory for the
coat of arms will be emblazoned on that shield. There are three parts of the
coat of arms.
We begin with the study of Dexter, the first item of
heraldry in the eternal coat of arms of winners in the Church Age. The
adjunctive use of the conjunction kai is to add another eternal
reward to the pillar. Kai is used in this passage in
order to indicate that you are in the record centre forever, there is a chapter
written about you and about your life — you are anonymous in life now but you
will be famous forever and ever. In addition to that pillar, that chapter in
the permanent record of history, there is something else: you are given a coat
of arms — a place in history plus a coat of arms. The winner will have this
special coat of arms which distinguishes him forever from all the believers who
are losers. No believer who lives in the cosmic system, who is the servant
therefore of Satan, will have a coat of arms in eternity. Nor will he be a part
of the eternal order of chivalry.
Next we have the future active indicative of the
verb grafw. While it means to write
the verb also refers to the mechanical activity of writing. Therefore it can be
translated engraved, inscribed or emblazoned. Here it means to emblazon. That
means to inscribe the devices of heraldry or adorn with the figures of heraldry,
“I will emblazon.” The predictive future anticipates the award of the coat of
arms to the mature believer. This coat of arms goes with the decoration of the
order of the morning star and the uniform of glory. The active voice: Jesus
Christ produces the action of the verb at the judgment seat of Christ. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the fact that anyone of you
who advances to maturity, who becomes a part of the pivot, who has maximum
historical impact through God’s plan will have this coat of arms. “I will
emblazon,” and then we have a prepositional phrase, e)pi
plus the accusative of the intensive pronoun a)utoj,
“on him.” Then we have the accusative singular direct object from the noun o)noma, which means “title” as well as “name.” Therefore
it refers to knighthood, “I will emblazon on him the title.” But this is not
our title on the coat of arms, it is the title called: possessive genitive of qeoj, which is “God.” With it we also have a genitive of
e)gw, the genitive of
relationship, and we translate “the title of my God.” This is a reference to
God the Father who is the author of the divine plan, the fantastic plan for the
Church Age. Inscribed on the Dexter side of the shield is the title of God the
Father, and the Dexter side of the shield indicates the fact that the believer
involved has executed the plan of God for the believer in this dispensation. In
using the phrase “my God” for the first person of the Trinity Jesus Christ is
speaking from His humanity. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the unique person of the
universe. He is eternal God, He has identical essence to the Father and the
Holy Spirit, and each three members of the Trinity are coequal and co-eternal,
but our Lord is different in that He is also true humanity. He is different
from all humanity in that He is God; He is different from God in that He is
true humanity. During His life on earth He lived inside of the prototype divine
dynasphere. When He speaks from His humanity He calls God the Father “my God.”
The middle part of the heraldry or the eternal coat
of arms is a pass which permits the winner’s access to the new Jerusalem which
hovers over the earth in the eternal state. At the end of the Millennium the
earth is going to be destroyed, as is this universe. There will be new heavens
and new earth. Hovering above Jerusalem in the new earth will be a special
partying place for winners only. This is the place of maximum happiness and it
is called the new Jerusalem. It is in the middle part of the escutcheon because
it is a pass which permits the new order of chivalry access to the new
Jerusalem which hovers above the earth. Losers will not be permitted access to
the new Jerusalem. Inside of the new Jerusalem is the gazebo in the garden,
maximum happiness in eternity. That is the greatest of all partying places of
all time, and just as a knight had to show his shield before the drawbridge was
lowered to permit him access into the castle so the mature believer carries his
own special pass — the coat of arms in the middle part of the escutcheon is the
pass into the new Jerusalem and the tree of life. The genitive of place from
the adjective kainoj is very important. It means
new in species in contrast to naoj, which means new in time.
This is an eternal Jerusalem so kainoj is used. There never was
anything like this before and their never will be again.
The third part of the heraldry in the eternal coat
of arms is the Sinister. We have the adjunctive use of the conjunction kai again, “also.” It introduces the left hand
side of the shield called “Sinister,” meaning left-handed, “also emblazoned
with my new name.” This is the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus Christ, it
indicates that the eternal order of heraldry belongs to the royal family of God
in the Church Age and that believers in this dispensation are eligible. The
mature believer has maximum historical impact in time; he is the anonymous hero
of this dispensation; he has the blessing of the supergrace contract; he has
the ultimate in glorification of Christ in time; he has emblazoned a royal
title of Christ as the mature believer, the one who advances to gate eight of
the divine dynasphere. He has therefore an eternal memorial to the fact that he
logged maximum time inside of the divine dynasphere.
The emblazoned royal title of Christ on the mature
believer’s escutcheon is an eternal memorial to the fact that he served the
Lord Jesus Christ and not Satan; he executed the plan of God, not Satan’s,
while living on this earth; he made right decisions with regard to the divine
provision of logistical grace. Only the mature believer possesses this coat of
arms and bears forever this royal escutcheon of temporal achievement parlayed
into eternal reward.
The corrected translation of the entire verse: “The
winner, I will make him [the mature believer of the Church Age] a pillar in the
temple of my God [a permanent record of historical impact], furthermore he will
never vanish from history: also I will emblazon [inscribe a heraldry] on him
[the winner] with the title of my God [God the Father, the author of the divine
plan], and the new Jerusalem [which is only open to winners], which shall
descend from the immediate source of heaven and the ultimate source of my God:
also emblazoned with my new name [the third royal patent of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which indicates residence and function in the divine dynasphere, Bible
doctrine has number one priority in the life].”
To go from gate four to gate eight
in the divine dynasphere every believer must pass certain tests. Gate one is
the filling of the Holy Spirit, the spiritual IQ for perception of doctrine; gate two is
basic impersonal love, objectivity toward the teaching of the Word of God; gate
three, enforced and genuine humility which is teachability. No one can learn
anything apart from humility. Gate four is the momentum gate, perception of
doctrine from our royal priesthood, application of doctrine from our royal
ambassadorship; gate five, we start out loving God and this is the basis for
motivational virtue and we end up with occupation with Christ if we continue;
gate six, right man-right woman where pertinent; gate seven, the crystallisation
of virtue in your life, and therefore the ability to make friends and keep
them; gate eight, the advance to maturity.
Between gate four and gate eight there are eight
tests to keep you from advancing to maturity. These tests require decisions on
your part. Satan’s trap is the cosmic system, the 26 gates of interlocking
systems of arrogance and the nine gates of interlocking systems of arrogance,
to collect Christians in order to make sure that a pivot does not exist on the
earth. This is one of Satan’s objectives as the ruler of this world: to keep a
pivot from forming anywhere, to remove client nations from historical scenes.
Therefore these tests are designed to keep the believer outside of the divine dynasphere
and to bring him into the cosmic system. No one ever gets to gate eight without
passing these tests.
The eight momentum tests
1. The first of these tests is probably the most
obvious of all — the old sin nature test. The old sin nature is Satan’s inside
agent for temptation; it throws up temptation. Why? Because it gives the old
sin nature the opportunity of controlling the soul of the individual. Guarding
the gate of the soul is human volition and as temptation comes to the gate
human volition can stop it or pass it on through. If it is an unknown sin or a
known sin it makes no difference. Cognisance or ignorance is not an excuse
simply because you wanted to pass it through and you passed it through. The
primary consideration of the old sin nature residing in the cell structure of
the body is temptation. The old sin nature is not the source of sin, human
volition has always been the source of sin. Since sin originates from the
volition of the soul man and is responsible for both his sins of cognisance and
his sins of ignorance. To use his volition to commit a sin places the believer
instantly outside of the divine dynasphere.
The old sin nature test is one that we face
constantly and we can approach it two ways. If we commit the sin then rebound
becomes necessary, But we could also reject the temptation. No one can sin
inside the divine dynasphere, the decision to sin is instant rejection of the
divine dynasphere and it results in cosmic involvement, 1 John 3:4-9.
2. The second of the tests is called people testing.
People testing is part of a greater subject called cosmic evangelism. Many
Christians are led astray because of their love, their admiration and their
friendship for someone else and they now live in the cosmic system. And God
keeps these friends alive just to test you. These are believers and yet they
are serving the enemy. They live in the cosmic system and therefore when you
are moving along you are going to be hit by a second test. These people are
going to come into your life, they are going to try to influence your life, and
therefore they are evangelising for Satan. This is why they are called in
Philippians the enemies of the cross. However, people can only become a distraction
to perception of doctrine and residence in the divine dynasphere when the
believer places human relationship above Bible doctrine, when the believer
places people above doctrine in his system of priorities. We all have a scale
of values which changes from time to time. Circumstances and pressures and many
things may change it. But there is no way that people can distract you from
doctrine unless you as a believer have set aside doctrine as the number one
priority in your life. Social life, sexual life, business life, often takes
precedence over Bible doctrine and life inside the divine dynasphere. Therefore
personal love or personal hatred, animosity or attractiveness, can trap a
believer into the cosmic system. You don’t have to love a person to be evangelised,
there is also evangelisation by hatred. So you must remember that cosmic
evangelism has two antithetical systems for evangelism. If one doesn’t get you
the other will. You either love people to where they become a distraction to
giving doctrine the number one priority or you hate them. The point is, people
are a distraction to doctrine and to the daily perception of doctrine.
Therefore you can either respond to people and get in the cosmic system or you
can react to people and get in the cosmic system. You either love them and
follow them or you hate them and join them. The only protection you have is
impersonal love.
The solution is the function of the believer’s two
commissions in the divine dynasphere. The function of the royal priesthood in
producing motivational virtue directed toward God and the function of the royal
ambassadorship in the production of virtue such as impersonal love at point
gate four.
3. Category number three is thought testing. Thought
testing is generally related to the believer’s negative volition toward
doctrine. This falls into two categories. There is preoccupation with self
resulting in neglect or indifference to doctrine, the function of gate two of
cosmic one. When you get into cosmic one you are preoccupied with yourself. In
gate two you have rejected Bible doctrine because of preoccupation with
yourself, because of arrogance. But when you get into cosmic two this would be
gate one of cosmic two and when you get into this one you are actually
antagonistic toward doctrine. Cosmic two is the area of antagonism toward the
plan of God whereas cosmic one is the area of indifference to the real plan of
God. Thought distraction, then, can be related to one’s arrogance, one’s
preoccupation with self or hypersensitivity. Thought distraction can also
originate from one’s prejudice, one’s inflexibility, unteachability, inability
to take criticism from the Word of God. Many times doubts in thought testing
result from neglect from systematic teaching of doctrine, wrong priorities, or
lack of consistent function in GAP.
All subjects in the Word of God are a part of growth
and your indifference to one subject means that there is something missing in
your thought pattern, and what is missing will ruin you sooner or later. The
entire realm of the Word of God is important.
The solution to thought testing includes rebound and
the three stages of the function of the faith-rest drill with emphasis, of
course, on the rationales, and the use of the believer’s volition and
initiative to reestablish the priorities that God has ordained — motivational
and daily routine in the perception of Bible doctrine.
4. The fourth of the categories of testing is system
testing. All of us are going to be part of an organisation, or we are. Wherever
people are gathered together there is some system involved and so system
testing becomes an issue. The world is filled with bad systems which come into
existence historically because of the genius of Satan and the evil of the
cosmic system. It is not stretching the point to say that some bad systems are
the result of folly. Nothing is foolproof because of course fools are so
ingenious. History is cluttered with bad systems which seek to destroy the honour
and integrity of those in the system. Therefore a bad system always has its
victims. Many organisations are legitimate and have worthy objectives but they
are neutralised by their involvement in the cosmic system. It could be the
government, a professional organisation, a business organisation, but wherever
there are organisations there are systems, and the believer in a legitimate
system becomes the victim of bad management. Personnel and management get into
conflict so that system testing requires the function of impersonal love and
the three stages of the faith-rest drill.
If you have a boss that you cannot stand you are in
at least two categories of testing. It may be that you are out of line
completely. He may have a tremendous sense of integrity and do his job right.
It may be because you are sloppy and because you are a Christian you expect
extra privileges.
You are going to get someone with whom you have a
personality conflict who has authority over you. Many organisations of life are
rotten and corrupt when the leadership of that organisation becomes involved in
the cosmic system. Illustration: the judicial system which favours criminals
and ignores their victims, or judges who gives precedence to sociology over
law. When believers are the victims of a rotten system they must use both
impersonal love as well as the faith-rest drill. In fact to cope with the
injustices of life you have to function under the faith-rest drill. This cannot
be emphasised enough. Some of you forget that the faith-rest drill demands
claiming promises. You may have forgotten the promises. It demands, therefore,
going to the rationales. You may have forgotten the rationales. They may not
have been repeated to you enough to remember. These things demand inculcation
and inculcation demands repetition, just like close order drill. Under pressure
it isn’t what you remember, it is what you cannot forget that you apply. That
takes plugging.
System testing is often a source of peer ostracism.
System testing may find you low on the totem pole and the first thing you may
want to do, and you are wrong, is quit. That is not what you want to do at all.
If the Lord opens a door and puts you in a system and you can’t stand your boss
or you can’t stand the policy, don’t leave it. Most Christians are so stupid
that when they get into system testing what they do is quit. You stick at it
until the Lord shuts the door. Then He will open a better one.
5. The direct attack of cosmic one. This is the
attack of the twenty-six gates. Each one has its own subtle variations.
6. The direct attack of cosmic two, the hatred
complex with its nine gates. This provides nine additional categories of
distraction from momentum and making doctrine the number one priority. The
direct attack of cosmic two is designed to cause the believer to become
antagonistic toward doctrine, toward Christ, toward God’s plan. While cosmic
one basically produces preoccupation with self cosmic two results in that
antagonism which we have studied in Philippians 3:18,19 where the believer
becomes the enemy of the cross.
7. The potential distraction of disaster testing.
There are two categories of disaster testing. The first is the personal
disaster and it is designed for either blessing, acceleration of spiritual
growth, or warning of cosmic involvement. The second is collective or
historical disaster which relates to the bad decisions of others. Individuals
or people who are involved collectively as individuals are the product of their
own decisions and often there decisions merge with others to cause historical
disaster. The problem is that decisions create environment, not environment
decisions.
Collective disaster results from historical
downtrend and historical downtrend results from a maximum number of believers
living in the cosmic system. Personal disaster can result from making wrong
decisions in your own life, you are responsible for those wrong decisions, but
also you can gather with others making wrong decisions and then you have
historical disaster.
When personal disaster results from cosmic
involvement the believer undergoes either warning or intensive discipline. The
cursing is turned into blessing when the believer learns from the suffering and
rebounds. When personal suffering, disaster, adversity, results from life in
the divine dynasphere then, of course, the believer is going to receive great
blessing from it.
8. The potential distraction of prosperity. This is
the one the nation has flunked in the past few decades since World War 2 ended
in 1945. Like disaster testing prosperity testing falls into two categories.
Individual prosperity testing in which some form of testing comes to you as a
believer, in the field of business or promotion, or some type of recognition in
some activity or profession. Every believer who advances is going to receive
personal prosperity.
The question arises: What did you do when you
personally became prosperous? What happened to Bible doctrine then? That is the
issue.
Collective
prosperity testing often results from combining the three categories of
manifest destiny — landed aristocracy, the industrial complex, and the
undeveloped frontier, under the leadership of the industrial complex. That is
what happened to us in the last three decades, we had national prosperity. In
collective prosperity testing the entire segment of society involved becomes
usually hedonistic. Hedonism, of course, is making pleasure the chief function
in life, self-indulgence before everything else. Hedonism is the pursuit of
pleasure in life to the exclusion of truth or doctrine. Hedonism contends that
moral duty is fulfilled in the gratification of pleasure seeking. And, of
course, this means following the instincts of one’s desires and modus vivendi.
The rise of hedonism among believers indicates their failure to pass the
prosperity test. Seeking happiness outside of the divine dynasphere, seeking
happiness through pleasure because you have the prosperity to do so, is a dead
end. The cosmic system can offer many things in this world, success. promotion,
wealth, material prosperity, family name, social and sexual pleasure, anything
that people generally associate with happiness. But it is a dead end. It has no
capacity for happiness going with it. Prosperity related to happiness is one of
the great blessings of the divine dynasphere, but prosperity related to the
cosmic system results in misery, unhappiness, frustration with the accoutrements
and superficialities pertaining to it. Every believer must pass the prosperity
test before he can become a mature believer and enjoy the great blessings
imputed in the supergrace paragraphs. Capacity for blessing of supergrace comes
from the construction of the edification complex of the soul. Prosperity is the
most subtle distraction in life.
No nation can survive the destruction of a
one-culture system. We are receiving a tremendous Satanic attack in this area
right now. No nation which has the establishment principle in freedom can have
more than one culture. We have one culture, it is Anglo-Saxon. You can have
many religions and many races but all races and religions must go back to a
system of freedom based on that culture. So let us notice first of all how
chivalry works into this picture for chivalry was the feudal system of the
landed aristocracy in England which provided freedom for the people of England
by curbing the power of the crown. It occurred on the field of Runnymede on the
Thames, a few miles from London, and the date is very important because it
explains why we, the people of the United States, are a client nation to God
today, 15 June, 1215. There King John granted a list of demands drawn up by
bishops, barons, and some townsmen. These demands were based on the coronation
charter of King Henry I, though they extended to include 63 new articles. The
document from its great length became known as Magna Carta or the Great Charter
and it is one of the most notable documents in all of history. It is the basis
for our culture which, in effect, means our freedom. You see freedom doesn’t
come from business enterprise, that is a different function. And freedom
doesn’t come from the modus operandi of politicians. All freedom which is for
believers and unbelievers comes from the culture of a nation, and a multi-culture
nation has no freedom, it has conflict. People can come in and have the same
freedoms we have but there must not be a toleration of more than one culture.
That is why it is so bad to have multi-lingual education in our schools. People
do better, as it has been demonstrated many times in the immigrations to this
country, if they go into school not speaking our language and be motivated to
learn.
There is a very close relationship between category
#1 truth and culture, and we have now departed from Anglo-Saxon culture. As a
result the problems we face are related to category #1 truth of the Word of
God, for category #1 truth is for believer and unbeliever alike. Many of the
problems of violence and clashing and multi-lingual education demonstrate a
tolerance of other cultures, which is not necessary for freedom. Freedom
tolerates people from other countries but doesn’t have to tolerate their
culture at all, especially if their culture has not produced freedom for
themselves. African, Asian, and even European countries have had long periods
where they have had no freedom. So culture becomes a very important issue in
the laws of divine establishment.
The Magna Carta is very important to our culture for
four reasons. The first reason was the way in which it was obtained. King John
did not grant these freedoms willingly. He could choose whether to grant these
grievances or not. Furthermore he could choose just what he would grant by way
of concessions to the barons as the representatives of the people of England.
So it was forced from the King by a group of chivalrous men, the barons of
England, the great nobility that existed from the first crusades to the field
of Bosworth, the end of the wars of the roses. It was forced from the king by
chivalry. The aristocracy of the present is nothing compared to what they had in
those days. In that system of chivalry they represented the watchdogs of
freedom because the common people, as it were, were under their protection. The
common people in England have never until modern history done anything to gain
their freedom. They were helpless to do so, incapable of doing so. And good
aristocracy is always thoughtful of those who are, in class, inferior to them.
(Not what the liberals are doing it for today in this country; they are doing
it for power and as a matter of political expediency. And they are hypocrites)
So it was forced from the king by chivalrous barons on behalf of freedom; it
was forced on the king by the most influential people on behalf of all the
people. “Government of the people, for the people and by the people” doesn’t
mean that all the people have a say in government because the more people that
have a say in government the worse it is. Only the capable people, the smart
and honourable ones should have the final say in government. A government of
the people doesn’t mean that all the people have a say. Democracy is the worst
form of government, in fact democracy is evil. Republic, by contrast, is a
great form of government. Democracy is evil because the masses are not capable
of chivalry, and that is the principle. Freedom and chivalry go together. It is
always a few who provide freedom for everyone. So it demonstrated that if a
king do not rule as the people wished he could be made to do so, and that is
why Magna Carta is one of the greatest documents in history and in the basis
for our culture in this country. The way in which it was obtained: the barons,
chivalry, a system of chivalry, a system of virtue, a system of honour of a few
great nobles, forced the king into a system of freedom. It therefore
demonstrated that if the king did not rule as the people wished he could be
made to do so. In other words, you cannot have freedom and have absolute
monarchy at the same time — except in the case where the monarch is
enlightened, and that becomes not absolute monarchy but enlightened monarchy
where a man recognises the fact that in order to give all the people freedom he
must allow disagreement, he must allow people to have self-determination as
long as they do not violate criminal law.
This was absolutely unusual. They had chivalry in
France ruined; they had chivalry in Germany; they had chivalry in Spain, but
the nobility of all the countries where they had chivalry were arrogant
eventually, power mad, and abandoned the true concept of chivalry which is
freedom and self-determination, and therefore the protection of the people
under their command. But in England the nobility had the interest of the people
— Magna Carta. So the first reason it is important to us as believers and
client nation is because of the way in which it was obtained. It was not give
willingly by the king but it was done without violence; it was done without
overthrowing the king; it was done without disturbing the function of
government. Therefore it is one of the greatest advances in history and Anglo-Saxon
culture differentiates, for example, from all of the countries south of the USA and going all of the way
through South America where they have constantly redressed their grievances by
violence, by revolution, by a constant overthrow, constant conspiracy. We are
different, and yet because of liberalism we no longer recognise it.
The second way in which Magna Carta was one of the
greatest documents in history is that it saved certain feudal principles of
government from being superseded by the principle of absolute monarchy. In
other words, it protected the people from tyranny. The original principles of
feudal government were a people who had ability and became nobility and had the
best interests of the people under their jurisdiction at heart. It is the same
thing today: people who have style and good manners always treat the help well.
That is simply a sense of responsibility. So feudalism included the idea of an
agreement between the king and his vassals, and agreement that would give them
good government if they gave good service. In this way it saved the feudal
principles of government from being superseded by tyranny. In other words,
Magna Carta was a contract in which the king had no right to break. Hence it
gave ascendancy to chivalry, and out of chivalry came freedom.
The liberal says feudalism is a horrible thing. He
doesn’t know his history. Feudalism is a great thing, it was the only way in
which people could be divided up in groups in the protection of someone who had
the power to protect them and the power to ensure their freedom.
So in the year 1215 freedom became a tremendous
reality in England. This is why England became in the last century the greatest
power in history since the Roman empire, because the aristocracy had a
tremendous sense of responsibility, although there are always exceptions
because there are always people who get arrogant with power, and arrogance plus
power means irresponsibility and tyranny; but the principle was there and the
principle was guaranteed. There was great stability in England for hundreds of
years because they were a class society, all classes were protected. And the
Magna Carta was a contract which the king had no right to break there were now
two parties involved in government, not one. It knocked absolute monarchy out.
In English history we discover the very basis for every freedom we have ever
enjoyed, and it only came from one country. That is why we have Anglo-Saxon
culture. By tolerating other cultures we are destroying the very basis of our freedoms
because freedom is always a contract. The contract of Magna Carta made the king
a responsible person, but whether a king was responsible or irresponsible the
contract stood and freedom stood, chivalry.
Keep these things in mind otherwise you won’t
understand the point. There is and has been another form of chivalry which is
found in this passage and which doesn’t depend on King John or the barons on
the field of Runnymede. It depends on you the believer.
So the feudal theory of contract was revived in
England and the barons through their chivalry and integrity provided freedom
for all of the people under their command. (Their peasantry was called Yeomanry)
It provided a principle of freedom for the Great Charter was an acknowledgement
on the part of King John of the principle of agreement. It provided precedent
whereby the barons had the right as well as the power to call the king to
account. And in this way for the first time in history freedom was not only
guaranteed but there was a check and balance system for freedom.
The third reason why this is one of the great
documents of history, and a part of our own culture: the content was important.
It gave birth to freedom for the common people because it contained definite
agreement to refrain from certain illegal actions. The king had power but he
didn’t have power just to wipe people out at will or to cease people or to
enslave people at will. It was an agreement for the perpetuation of freedom
without destroying authority. That is what is so important about our culture:
it demands the perpetuation of freedom without the destruction of authority. So
whatever the king granted in the charter to the barons they were required to
observe toward men below them — the common people — these benefits. The benefits
of freedom and responsibility therefore spread throughout the nation to all
people without sacrificing anyone’s authority and without solving the problems
of society by violence.
There were certain things that King John promised.
For example, “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or dispossessed, or
outlawed, or banished, or in any way injured. Nor will we attack him or send
against him (send troops) except by the legal judgment of his peers or by the
law of the land,” recognition of law. Even the king is under law. So the
highest authority does not mean that you are excluded from law. Another
statement: “To no one will we sell, to no one will we deny or delay the right
of justice.” You can’t survive in a nation without a good system of jurisprudence.
Although there was very little about trial by jury at that time, or
representation of the people and other valued elements of later English
liberty, yet the tyranny of the king was restricted by the provisions of the
Great Charter so that new rights and freedoms had a chance to grow up. And they
did magnificently. That is why England became different from all other nations
in Europe and elsewhere. And we take our culture, regardless of what race or
religion we are, from Anglo-Saxon culture.
There is a fourth reason. Magna Carta set a
precedent for future freedom and liberty. The precedent was established. It is
lost from time to time but the precedent is there. (We had a precedent set on
the Day of Pentecost, a precedent called doctrinal chivalry, a precedent that
still is functional) The barons, the English aristocracy, from their attitude
of chivalry became the guardians of English freedoms until they were destroyed
by the wars of the roses. The Tudor and Stuart dynasty got back to absolute
monarchy and it was not until 1688 that the last of the Stuart dynasty was
removed and William and Mary came to the throne, and again the power of the
throne was curbed and freedom was again established for all people of all
classes. By restricting royal rights and by the integrity of landed aristocracy
chivalry was parlayed into freedom. The aristocracy of France by contrast — by
example, in the days of Louis XIV, became arrogant and they sought to curtail the
absolute power of the king in order for them to have that power for themselves.
In other words, power without responsibility. Hence, France destroyed
aristocracy by violence in the French revolution, while in England debate and
parliamentary procedure replaced that violence and therefore they had a much
smoother history.
In the concept, then, of manifest destiny the
authority of government eventually moves from the landed aristocracy to the
middle class, because in the industrial revolution it is the middle class that
have the same sense of responsibility, in the last century and this century —
that the barons had on the field of Runnymede. And no nation can have
prosperity under manifest destiny without eventually the industrial complex
taking over. Any government which takes its power from below the middle class,
however, becomes irresponsible, a very important principle, because right now
the press takes the lower classes and interviews them and talks to them and
they get their opinions and they use them in order to try to take power away
from responsible persons. This is why democracy is an evil just as republic as
a form of government is great. Actually democracy is the worst form of tyranny
because it is not even organised tyranny, it is the tyranny of all the people,
and the masses have never had a sense of responsibility and never will. The
best they can produce is the Jacobin mentality and in their lust for power they
have no concept for freedom and no sense of responsibility toward others. That
is why the worst tyrants always come from the lowest class.
So after 1688 the gradual rise of the house of
commons in Parliament and the loss of power by the House of Lords made the
transition to the industrial complex or the middle class leadership. And it was
not until world war one when Lloyd George became Prime Minister that you
finally had the lower class rearing its ugly head and the Labour Party taking
over, and with it the decline of chivalry or the distortion of chivalry.
Chivalry either declined or it was distorted into romantic disorientation and
therefore it caused the baronage to cease as being the watchdogs of freedom.
The reverse trend of history
The reverse
trend of history is the plan of God for the Church Age. It is the reverse trend
because Satan is the ruler of this world. As such he is the tyrant of tyrants
and therefore the reverse trend of history brings freedom in the midst of
Satan’s tyranny.
1. The plan of God for the Church Age reverses the
trend of history where some form of leadership like the barons on the field of Runnymede
or great rulers or middle class industrial complex leaders, or in a few cases
dictators like Gaius Julius Caesar determine the course of history. These
people all have one thing in common: a tremendous sense of responsibility for
those under their command and a contract, a guarantee that people shall have
freedom and the right of self-determination whether they make good or bad
decisions, and that the only bad decisions that are punishable are criminal
decisions. That is freedom, freedom for every race and every class of people in
a nation — only under Anglo-Saxon culture.
2. The course of history in this dispensation, the
Church Age, is determined by the attitude of the individual believer toward
Bible doctrine.
3. Born-again believers are composed of every class
of society with the majority coming from lower classes, as per 1 Corinthians
1:23-31.
4. Democracy is the lowest form of government with
the least amount of responsibility, a total absence of integrity and stability.
There is only one thing worse than democracy and that is anarchy.
5. This is because democracy gives a maximum number
of scum a say in government, and because they are scum they are least qualified
of all human beings to shape any form of government policy.
6. But believers of all coins in life and
distinctions of humble origin or inferior ability are not classified as scum,
except through residence in the cosmic system.
7. In fact God has made all believers of the Church
Age royal family. So no matter what your origin — it may be very humble, it may
be very high — all believers in this dispensation are different from believers
in other dispensations. They were appointed royalty the day they accepted
Christ as saviour through the modus operandi of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore the royal family of God has a mission in
this dispensation, to determine the course of history by their attitude to
Bible doctrine and the plan of God related to the divine dynasphere. That
brings us back to our first principle in historical trends: Jesus Christ
controls history. Jesus Christ has delegated some of that control to the
doctrine: as goes the believer so goes the client nation, so goes the trends of
history in any given generation. Therefore the mission of the royal family of
God is to contribute to historical uptrend and national prosperity through
residence and function inside the divine dynasphere. No longer, then, does
human freedom depend on the Magna Carta of Great Britain or the Constitution of
the United States. No longer does a chivalrous aristocracy watch over the
freedom of the common people. Instead, the watchdog of freedom and the key to
historical blessing resides with lower classes, not forming mobs for the
degenerate process of democracy or for the evil of violence and terrorism and
intimidation, but for the purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Election
is the doctrine of privilege and it is the privilege of you and I as believer,
regardless of our origins, regardless of our abilities or race or any other
factor, to actually maintain the freedoms of our generation through Christian
chivalry, modus operandi in the divine dynasphere and to avoid arrogance and
any other factor in the cosmic system which makes us scum instead of
chivalrous.
1 Corinthians 1:23-31, “But we preach Christ
crucified, to the Jews [negative Jews] a stumbling block, and to [negative]
Gentiles, foolishness, but to those who are elected to privilege [we have
become royal family], both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and
the wisdom of God [so that our system of chivalry is centred in Christ as the
power and the wisdom. The power: He has provided for us the divine dynasphere;
the wisdom: He has provided for us His thinking, Bible doctrine]. Because the
foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than
men [illustration by anthropopathism to indicate a principle that the essence
of God who planned all this is far greater than any system of human wisdom or
ability]. For consider your election to privilege, brethren [royal family],
that there were not many wise according to human standards, not many mighty
[achievers with great ability], not many aristocrats; but God has elected to
privilege the foolish,” the accusative neuter plural from the adjective moroj, from where we get out English word “moron,” “of
the word that he might shame the wise [human wisdom rather than divine], and
God has elected to privilege the weak things of the world that he might put to
shame the powerful things [tyranny], and the lowborn of the world,” and then we
have a perfect participle from e)xouqenew, and that participle means
scum, “and those who are scum, God has elected to privilege those that are not
that he might nullify the things that are,” God uses “are not,” and that means
invisible means, the whole system of chivalry in the royal family, to handle
the things that are visible. The system of our freedom and the historical
trends is invisible, “that no one should boast [be arrogant] in the presence of
God. Therefore you [believer] are in Christ Jesus [regardless of your
background], who became to us wisdom from the source of God [there you have
chivalry], and righteousness,” there is the virtue. This righteousness starts
out as imputed righteousness and to that imputed righteousness comes logistical
grace, the provision of doctrine, and in response to that doctrine the
fantastic virtue, “and sanctification [temporal sanctification through the
provision of the divine dynasphere in phase two], “and redemption [the work of
Christ on the cross became the strategic victory of history and changed the
entire trend of history], that just as it stands written, ‘Let him who does his
glorifying, be glorifying in the Lord’,” in other words, positional truth makes
royal family of God, and royal family of God lives on the earth to glorify the
Lord and change the trends of history in the devil’s world. So it is the
believer in Christ who is the watchdog of freedom. As goes the believer so goes
freedom and prosperity in the client nation. Therefore, regardless of
background all believers are elected for a purpose. The aristocracy among
believers have a mission, so do the humblest of believers who are members of
the body of Christ. It is our relationship with Christ which gives us the
mission in this life, and those who succeed will be decorated at the judgment
seat of Christ.
The greatest
spiritual civil war that has ever existed, where family fights against family,
where brother fights against brother, where father-in-law and son-in-law fight
each other, is the struggle between the believer in the divine dynasphere and
the believer in the cosmic system. The believer in cosmic one and two
eventually winds up as the loser and the believer in the divine dynasphere
winds up as the winner. And while we are all brethren in Christ we are as
different as can be in our attitudes, our modus operandi, in whether we are
fulfilling the plan of God or not. In verse 12 of our passage we notice the
first words, “the winner.” Not all believers are winners and in this life
inevitably the cosmic believer and the believer in the divine dynasphere come
into conflict.
“The winner [mature believer], I will make him a
pillar in the temple of my God,” the permanent historical record of the mature
believers who are the anonymous heroes of the Church Age who will be the most
famous people in history when they rule in the Millennium; “furthermore, he
[the winner] will never vanish from history,” he is in a permanent chapter in
heaven.
We have noted that no nation can be a client nation
to God unless it has one culture only — many religions, many races, but one
culture. Chivalry was the feudal system of the landed aristocracy which
provided freedom for the people of England by curbing the power of the crown.
The Magna Carta was one of the great documents of history. It is fascinating to
note that the Roman Catholic church was never satisfied with being a religion,
it wanted to be the culture and the government. And wherever that church became
the culture instead of merely staying as a religion it caused a terrible vacuum
in history and today there are literally thousands and thousands of people in
South America, Central America and Mexico who are communists because of their
antagonism toward the church. No religion should ever be the culture of the
nation. The culture must always be related to freedom and the culture must have
a relationship to the laws of divine establishment which are for believers and
unbelievers alike. So many religions and many races, but one culture. Once a
nation becomes multi-cultured it destroys itself. The toleration of more than
one culture destroys the freedom of the nation.
Note: The greatest arrogance that exists comes from
the gutter. It comes from the Jacobin mentality.
The aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal
state
1. The aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal
state is not based on physical birth or anything thereafter in the life, it is
based on regeneration, the new birth, which occurred at the moment you believed
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal
state is not based on human ability or human wisdom or human attractiveness,
but on spiritual advance inside the divine dynasphere.
3. The final aristocracy of eternity will rule with
Christ. Those who are given a coat of arms at the judgment seat of Christ,
those who are entered on the lists of eternal heraldry will rule with Christ in
the Millennium and they will have special privileges, rewards, decorations for
all eternity that other believers do not have.
4. The final aristocracy of history is the greatest
aristocracy of history, the only one which avoids any concept of snobbery since
it is not based on class distinction, racial distinction, human achievement or
personal attractiveness.
5. Neither race nor nationality has anything to do
with the aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal state.
6. Included in the new order of chivalry will be
humble folk, famous folk, the attractive and the unattractive of this life, but
they will all have one thing in common: maximum exploitation of logistical
grace inside the divine dynasphere. They have used the divine dynasphere and
Bible doctrine to advance to maturity.
7. Being born again gives every believer
opportunity, it does not guarantee ever believer knighthood forever. It gives
opportunity to use your free will, your volition, to achieve spiritual maturity
and form that eternal and lasting aristocracy which glorifies our Lord Jesus
Christ by its very existence in heaven.
8. While we today associate knighthood and chivalry
as a mode of feudal tenure or a personal attribute of integrity, or a scheme of
good manners, the aristocracy of eternity is associated with the plan of God
for the Church Age believer.
9. Therefore the election to privilege in the Church
Age is the greatest opportunity for becoming part of the order of chivalry in
the Millennium and the knighthood for the eternal state.
And not only at the judgment seat of Christ will
there be the knighting of those who achieve maturity in the Church Age, but
with that new knighthood comes a coat of arms. When a person is made a knight
he takes up a coat of arms which he wears on his shield and on his breastplate
that he takes up from some characteristic of achievement in his life. He also
takes up certain colours that are appealing to him, and therefore we have the
concept of heraldry given in the last half of verse twelve. The mature
believer, the winner, will be awarded an eternal escutcheon, a coat of arms in
addition to the uniform of glory. We might call this escutcheon the shield of
glory for the coat of arms is emblazoned on the shield.
The doctrine of the reverse trend of history
The doctrine of the reverse trend of history is the
plan of God for the Church Age, and not only for the Church Age but for every
believer in the Church Age, God’s plan for your life.
1. The plan of God for the Church Age reverses the
trend of history, and this only happens when some form of leadership, like the
barons on the field of Runnymede or great rulers or the leaders of the middle
class industrial complex. But behind every great man in history there is
somewhere a pivot of mature believers.
2. The course of history in this dispensation, the
Church Age, is determined by the attitude of the individual believer toward
Bible doctrine. No man in history who is great, no man who makes great
decisions in history during this dispensation, no person who is a leader or
group of leaders who function on principle, can make decisions based on honour
and integrity without the invisible backing of a pivot of mature believers.
3. Born-again believers are composed of every class
of society with the majority coming from lower classes, as per 1 Corinthians
1:23-31.
4. Democracy is the lowest form of government with
the least amount of responsibility and with almost a total absence of integrity
and stability.
5. Democracy is evil because it gives a maximum
number of scum a say in government, and because they are scum they are least
qualified of all human beings to shape and form policy in government. When the
scum have a say in government the result is disaster.
6. But believers are from all callings in life, all
areas where distinction is made. Believers are from humble origin and inferior
ability but they are not classified as scum except when they prolong their stay
in the cosmic system. And the fact that God has made all believers of the
Church Age royal family of God through the baptism of the Spirit at the moment
of salvation is the significant factor for historical impact in this
dispensation. In other words, the royal family of God has a mission in this
dispensation. Never before in history has so much depended on so few, the
believers in any given client nation. The mission of the royal family is to
determine the course of history by their attitude toward Bible doctrine and the
plan of God as it relates to the divine dynasphere. The mission of the royal
family of God is to contribute to the historical uptrend and thereby provide
national prosperity through residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
No longer does human freedom depend on the Magna Carta of Great Britain or even
the Constitution of the United States. No longer do we have a chivalrous
aristocracy watching over the freedom of the common people. Instead the
watchdog of freedom and the key to historical blessing resides with people from
all races, all classes, all connotations of human origin; not forming mobs for
the degenerate process of democracy, or for the evil violence of terrorism, or
for some form of intimidation, but for the purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus
Christ who controls history.
A key word from the New Testament helps us with this
concept, the word “election.” Election is the doctrine of privilege in time, it
is the doctrine of privilege and the impact of the royal family. It is a
privilege to belong to the class of society which is classless as far as
historical impact.
The mission is expressed in 1 Corinthians 1:23-31.
Furthermore, it is expressed in terms of demonstrating the fact that yesterday
you may have been scum but with Bible doctrine tomorrow you will be the
unknown, unseen hero of history.
“We preach Christ crucified
[the presentation of category #2 truth, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ],
to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Gentiles foolishness [because of
their negative volition],” Gentile nations can have many races and many religions,
but they can only have one culture. No client nation can survive where many
cultures are tolerated. In contrast to those who reject the gospel there are in
certain nations, especially client nations to God, those who believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ, freedom is the environment for evangelism. Therefore, in
verse 24, “but to those who are elected to privilege.” If you are a believer in
the Lord Jesus Christ, from the moment of your faith in Him you have been
elected to privilege. You have the privilege of determining historical uptrend
or downtrend in this generation; you are the watchdogs of freedom, “both Jews
and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God [the divine dynasphere] and the wisdom
of God [reference to Bible doctrine, which is called the mind of Christ].
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is
stronger than men,” these are anthropopathisms, God is neither foolish nor
weak, “For consider your election to privilege.” As a believer in the Lord
Jesus Christ God has a plan for your life. It is called here election to
privilege, “brethren [royal family of God], that there are not many wise according
to human standards.” There is no place for snobbery in the Christian way of
life. Those who have responded to the gospel often come from the lower classes”
“not many mighty [great achievers], not many aristocrats; but God has elected
to privilege the foolish [the accusative neuter plural direct object from the
adjective moroj, from which we get our
English word “moron”] things of this world that he might shame the wise.” Why
are those with high IQ, pseudo-intellectual high IQ type of people, put to shame? Because genius has a
way of working out plans that look are they are a panacea for life. Smart
people come up with ideas of how everything can be worked out in life, e.g.
liberals who are divorced from reality. How does God “shame the wise”? Because
anyone can make Bible doctrine his number one priority and advance to maturity
and become forever and ever a person in the highest order of chivalry. He can
be a king for a thousand years in the Millennium. And why can he do it? Because
he isn’t disturbed by arrogance at the moment, he is ground into the dust and
therefore there is no problem with arrogance. He is looking for something
greater than he is, stronger than he is, and he finds it in Bible doctrine plus
residence and function in the divine dynasphere. And the thing that saves our
country is not the jackass liberal but the scum of the earth who believe in
Christ and then advance to maturity as members of the royal family of God.
“and God has elected to
privilege the weak things of the world that he might put to shame i)sxuroj, superior persons.” The “superior persons” of this
world have no control over life, and the people that are so respected and so
superior can’t even handle life. God has elected to privilege the weak things,
and you must come to the point where you recognise that you need something more
powerful than yourself, that you have no ability, no wisdom, no greatness or
anything that is going to cope with the ruler of this world and his cosmic
system, “and the a)gonhj [low-born] of the world, and
those who are scum, the perfect passive participle of e)couqenew, which means to reject with contempt, “God has
elected to privilege, the things that are not [nothing in this life], that he
might nullify the things that are.” In this life people have power, people have
fame, people have success people are prominent, they become achievers in some
field or they don’t become achievers but they are well thought of. And God
doesn’t use those people, only a few of them. He uses those who spend their
lives in the divine dynasphere, but He uses them under a new principle: at the
point of salvation He makes them royal family of God; He gives them the divine dynasphere;
He gives them Bible doctrine, and they are the ones who are controlling the
world. If believers fail with Bible doctrine we have historical downtrends; if
believers succeed we have historical uptrends. It is the believers of this
world, regardless of their background, who make the difference, “and the
lowborn of the world and those who are scum, God has elected to privilege,
those who are not, that he might nullify the things that are [the people who
are famous by human standards] that no one should be arrogant in the presence
of God. Therefore, from him [the plan of God] you are in Christ Jesus, who
became to us wisdom,” we have a wisdom that exceeds the wisdom of this world,
Bible doctrine, “from the source of God [Christ, and doctrine which is the mind
of Christ is wisdom from the source of God], and righteousness [imputed
righteousness is the basis of receiving logistical grace] and sanctification
[the royal family is set apart for a purpose, therefore the provision of the
divine dynasphere to accomplish that purpose], and redemption [the work of
Christ on the cross which was the beginning of the strategical victory of the
angelic conflict, that which changed the entire trend of history], that, just
as it stands written, Jeremiah 9:23ff, ‘Let him who does his glorifying, be
glorifying in the Lord’,” positional truth makes the royal family of God. The
royal family of God lives on earth to glorify the Lord and to reverse the
trends of history brought about by the fact that Satan is the ruler of this
world. It is the believer in Christ, then, who is the watchdog of freedom. As
goes the believer, so goes freedom and prosperity in the client nation to God.
Therefore, regardless of
background all believers are elected for a purpose. The scum have a mission,
the aristocrat has a mission, because they are blended into a new family on the
earth, the royal family of God. This is the only dispensation in which there is
royal family; this is the only dispensation in which the baptism of the Spirit
occurs at the moment of salvation. It is not an experience, it is something
that God does for us. He enters us into union with Christ. Therefore we have a
new aristocracy on the earth and that aristocracy has a mission. Part of that
mission is to be the watchdogs of human freedom. It is our relationship with
Christ which gives us the mission of watchdogs in time. Those who succeed will
be decorated at the judgment seat of Christ.
The nest concept, then, is
the aristocracy of the future. The aristocracy of the Millennium and the
eternal state is based not on physical birth but on regeneration, the new birth
which occurs at the moment of faith in Christ. The aristocracy of the Millennium
and the eternal state is not based on human ability, human attractiveness,
human wisdom, human personality or human power, but is based on spiritual
advance inside of God’s power sphere, the divine dynasphere. The final
aristocracy of eternity, the new order of chivalry, will rule with Christ in
the Millennium as kings for a thousand years and will have special privileges,
rewards, and decorations for all eternity. The final aristocracy is the
greatest aristocracy of all, the only one that will completely avoid any
concept of snobbery since it is not based upon class distinction or human
achievement or personal attractiveness. Neither race nor nationality has
anything to do with the aristocracy of the Millennium and the eternal state.
Included in the new order of chivalry will be humble folk, famous folk, the
attractive and the unattractive of this life. But they all have one thing in
common: maximum exploitation of logistical grace inside of the divine dynasphere.
Being born again gives every
believer the opportunity to use his volition to achieve spiritual maturity and
to form that eternal and lasting aristocracy which glorifies our Lord Jesus
Christ forever in eternity. While we, today, associate knighthood and chivalry
as a mode of feudal tenure or a personal attribute of integrity or a scheme of
manners, the aristocracy of eternity is associated with the plan of God for the
Church Age believer. In other words, election to privilege in the Church Age is
the greatest opportunity for becoming a part of the order of chivalry in the
Millennium and the new knighthood of the eternal state. It is the only
opportunity for historical impact in time.
We have been studying
how that you as believers are the watchdogs of freedom, you are at the controls
of this country. As goes your attitude toward Bible doctrine so goes this
country, and many of you are distracted by various forms of social action, by
social life, by wrong priorities for one reason or another. The survival of
this country does not depend on its leadership or on its people in general, it
depends on you as a believer specifically. As goes your priorities in life so
goes the survival of this country, and you certainly have a right to ask yourself
a question: What are your priorities?
Right now we are living on the concept of evil, the
scum concept, and we need now to get back to client nation USA and what we have been in
the past, and what we should be in the future as a client nation to God. But
there is no way we can do this as long as there is anything else in your life
is more important than Bible doctrine. Whatever is more important than doctrine
to you guarantees you a miserable life and, forever and ever as we shall study
in great detail, just where you are going to be in heaven. The winner is the
one who makes Bible doctrine number one in his life.
In verse 13 we have the means of momentum, the basis
for receiving eternal decorations and rewards. We begin with the articular
present active participle of the verb e)xw,
which means to have, “He who has.” The definite article is used as a personal
pronoun referring to the believer who has positive volition toward doctrine and
therefore uses logistical grace support for the daily perception of Bible
doctrine inside the divine dynasphere. Since the day you believed in Christ you
are the recipient of logistical grace. Logistical grace comes from the justice
of God, one half of divine holiness. It is imputed down the grace pipeline to
the righteousness of God which is inside of you [imputed righteousness] and
every bit of air you breathe, every bit of food you eat, your clothing,
everything you have to sustain your life is courtesy of the justice of God. And
whether you are a winner or a loser, whether you fail or succeed, whether you
live in the divine dynasphere or in the cosmic system it still comes from the
justice of God. You and I are nothing without the integrity of God.
“He who has,” the present tense is a static present.
It emphasises the fact that every person possesses ears totally apart from
human merit or ability. Whatever you are today you had nothing whatever to do
with the development of your ears. So it is analogous to the believer through
possessing everything necessary for advance to maturity, namely the divine dynasphere,
various categories of logistical grace, including time. God has given you one
of the most precious things in the world, time. Time demands that you make
decisions to organise your life, to organise your life on the basis of
priorities, on number one priority, Bible doctrine. You also have opportunity.
Time means opportunity: opportunity to advance to maturity, opportunity to live
in the divine dynasphere, opportunity to fulfill God’s plan for your life where
life has meaning, purpose and definition. You have all the opportunities for
making the right decisions. Good decisions open the doors for greater options;
bad decisions close the doors and eventually destroy you.
Momentum from gate four to gate eight, then, is
achieved through the daily perception of Bible doctrine plus the application of
it in the momentum tests. Advancing to maturity mean wearing the invisible
uniform of honour, an invisible uniform worn in the soul. Eventually the
uniform of honour will be exchanged for the uniform of glory at the judgment
seat of Christ.
The active voice: positive believers living inside
the divine dynasphere and learning doctrine consistently produce the action of
the verb through daily positive decisions related to logistical grace. The
participle is circumstantial for the fact that through life in the divine dynasphere
and the faithful perception of Bible doctrine believers attain spiritual
maturity by the utilisation of their positive volition on a daily basis.
With this we have the accusative singular direct
object from o)uj, the word for ears. It
represents again the divine provision of logistical grace to every member of
the royal family of God. The noun o)uj also relates logistical
grace to your personal volition. You have open doors today, you have
opportunities, you have time to fulfill them. Good decisions open the door for
more and greater decisions; bad decisions destroy the options and result in
great unhappiness in the Christian life. Every believer, like every nation, is
the product of his own decisions. Every believer will take the responsibility
for his own decisions at the judgment seat of Christ where positive decisions
will be rewarded with many decorations and great blessings and fantastic
degrees of happiness. Bad decisions in time mean loss of rewards and
embarrassment at the judgment seat of Christ. The vast distinction between
believers in eternity related to the principle of Bible doctrine and believers
in eternity related to the arrogance of the cosmic system is the great
differentiation which will exist permanently in heaven forever and ever. There
will be inequality in the perfect environment of heaven.
The ears portray the believer’s attitude toward
Bible doctrine for you can turn a listening ear or a deaf ear to the teaching
of the Word of God. Spiritual momentum, then, is based on residence in the
divine dynasphere, function at gate four — perception and application of
doctrine. “He who has an ear,” positive volition plus grace provision equals
spiritual momentum. Persistent positive volition inside the divine dynasphere
equals spiritual maturity. Therefore the mandate to all members of the royal
family of God, all believers of this dispensation, the aorist active imperative
of the verb a)kouw, “let him hear.” The aorist
tense is a constative aorist for the daily function of GAP. That means daily decisions
for Bible doctrine. The constative aorist takes positive volition toward
doctrine in this life and gathers it up into one entirety, fulfilling the plan
of God. The active voice: the third person suffix of the verb implies that only
positive believers obey the mandate even though it is directed toward all
believers, positive and negative. The imperative mood is the imperative of
command. This is a mandate to you if you are a believer in Jesus Christ. The
means of execution: the ministry of God the Holy Spirit delegating authority to
the pastor-teacher.
The accusative neuter singular from the word tij, an interrogative pronoun which means, What sort of
thing? It refers to Bible doctrine as the sort of thing that God the Holy
Spirit communicates through the agency of pastors. The purpose of the filling
of the Spirit is to give you spiritual IQ for the perception of doctrine.
Then we have the present active indicative of legw which means to say, to speak, to answer. Here it
means to communicate, “what the Spirit communicates.” The customary present
tense is for what habitually occurs when positive believers make daily
decisions for life inside the divine dynasphere, the perception of doctrine.
The customary present also implies that positive believers maintain
high-priority rating to Bible doctrine and they never lose sight of its daily
importance as spiritual food. Just as you have physical food to sustain your body
so you must have spiritual food to sustain your soul. God the Holy Spirit
produces the action of the verb and the indicative mood is declarative for the
reality of the Spirit’s ministry in the life of the believer, grace provision
without which no one could survive in the devil’s world. The Holy Spirit uses
agents and in this case the agent is the pastor-teacher for communication of
doctrine.
There must also be some form of a classroom and
therefore the last word in this particular verse is the dative plural indirect
object of the noun e)kklhsia, and it has five different
meanings in the Greek but the one here is referring to the local church as the
classroom for learning doctrine. Spiritually the believer must reside in the
divine dynasphere; temporarily he must attend some form of a local church.
Whatever it is there must be some form of a classroom and there must be strict
academic discipline. Hence, not only must all teaching of doctrine be related
to residence in the divine dynasphere but it must also be related to attendance
in the classroom of a local church. The pastor may or may not be a resident
teacher but the people who are listening must concentrate, whether they are in
a home, a building, a room to hear the teaching of Bible doctrine. This emphasises
the importance of good manners and strict academic discipline in the most
important category of worship. Motivating virtue directed toward God is the
basis for concentration and positive volition, while functional virtue directed
toward man is the basis for academic discipline, no talking, no unnecessary
movement, nothing which would be disturbing to others. In other words, good
manners are essential just as concentration under the ministry of the Spirit is
essential in spiritual growth. Concentration and good manners must prevail,
whether Bible teaching is face to face or non-resident; whether sitting in
front of a pastor communicating doctrine, or a tape recorder, or a TV, or a radio, or some other
mechanical form of communication.
There are seven factors in the perception of
doctrine
1. The filling of the Spirit, which is tantamount to
residence in the divine dynasphere.
2. Positive volition toward doctrine from your own
free will, not because someone has coerced, traded out, or pushed.
3. Objectivity toward doctrinal teaching (without it
God the Holy Spirit cannot communicate it to you) for functional virtue inside
the divine dynasphere. In other words, you must approach your pastor, whoever
he is, with impersonal love.
4. Humility, both enforced and genuine, for a
continued teachability when faced with a tremendous variety of subjects where
personal interest may or may not be involved.
5. Recognition of the authority of the pastor, not
for his personality or speaking ability, but for the content of his message.
6. Self-control. That includes poise and continued
objectivity when a subject or a message is not very complimentary to your
person or to your way of life.
7. The persistence of positive volition toward
doctrine in spite of every distraction and ever disillusion.
Verses 14-21, the church at Laodicea. In verse 14 we
have a mandate to the apostle John. We begin with, as in most cases with the
apostle John, the connective use of the conjunction kai,
which is correctly translated “and.” The next word is toi, the dative singular definite article which is the
generic use of the definite article used to define or note a specific category.
The category coming up is the second estate, the clergy, pastors of local
churches. Correct translation: “And to.”
Then we have the dative singular indirect object
from the noun a)ggeloj. It is correctly translated
“messenger”; it is transliterated “angel” in the King James version. The pastor
is God’s messenger, communicator, the one who communicates Bible doctrine. He
doesn’t have any special “in” with God, he is a voice, a communicator. Behind
the voice, of course, there has to be thought and there has to be knowledge. A)ggeloj can be transliterated and it is legitimate where
the angels are in view, but when human beings are involved then it must be
reduced to the concept of messengers — “And to the messenger.” So we have a
dative of indirect object which indicates the ones [the pastors] in whose
interest doctrinal information is provided. It is the pastor who must
understand and communicate. He must be under the ministry of the Spirit; those
who hear must be under the ministry of the Spirit, and this is the order of the
Church Age.
The responsibility puts a pressure on the one who is
a pastor that does not exist anywhere else. That responsibility can be
described in one word: accuracy. The pastor in the study of the Word of God
must be absolutely accurate. Accuracy demands the study of the original
languages. It demands that you take apart every sentence, every word, and that
you “beat your brains out” doing it. There is no short cut. There is no place
in the ministry for anyone who is lazy-minded. If you are physically lazy you
are mentally lazy. It requires a tremendous amount of energy to avoid mental
laziness. So when it says “and to the messenger” this is the responsibility of
the pastor — to study and teach. The teaching is just the tip of the iceberg.
What is required by way of preparation for just one verse is phenomenal. That is,
if you are going to be accurate.
So this is a dative case, indirect object, and it
indicates the pastors in whose interest doctrinal information is provided. The
spiritual gift of pastor-teacher is meaningless without hard work, the hardest
kind of work, mental work. This is also true not only of the ministry but
anything where you have to think for a living. Physical work is easy by
comparison.
The problem is that the spiritual gift isn’t enough,
it is only the beginning and it requires a life time of studying and teaching.
The same can be said for certain other communication gifts. For example,
evangelism. The average evangelist doesn’t spend twenty minutes preparing. All
he does is get two or three “canned” speeches and he never departs from them.
Therefore he is often inaccurate in whatever he is teaching and the average
evangelist today is a very immature believer because he doesn’t really know
enough doctrine to grow up himself.
“And to the messenger of the church,” the genitive
singular of e)kklhsia, the genitive of
relationship. The definite article in the singular is thj, and the genitive of the definite article is
generic, it modifies the noun e)kklhsia and it indicates that the
local church is unique, it is categorically different from everything else in
two ways: first of all it is for believers to learn doctrine and therefore it
is a classroom. It is the classroom that is the basis of all worship. Your
basic worship and your greatest worship is learning Bible doctrine. People
think they are worshipping God because they are full of emotion or because they
are singing or going through some “holy-roller” routine but that isn’t worship
at all. But it is different from all other classrooms in that it demands a
higher form of concentration, of understanding, of good manners, of poise, of
everything that you don’t see in most classrooms. E)kklhsia means an assembly, people gathered together. But it also means one
person is talking; no “sharing,” which has become a system of evil as it has
infiltrated churches.
“Where two or three are gathered together in my
name” has to do not with prayer but with the assembly of the local church, the
classroom. And notice that numbers are certainly not important because “two or
three” certainly doesn’t indicate that numbers are impressive. The impressive
factor is the spiritual growth as a result of assembly worship and not the
actual numbers.
And of course this classroom is in a locale — “And
to the messenger [future pastors of the church],” e)n
plus the locative of Laodikeia, “of Laodicea.” Laodicea
was located in the province of Phrygia, forty miles east of Ephesus on the Lycos
river where three famous Christian cities were located. The city was founded by
Antiochus II
who named it after his wife Laodike. The city was populated first of all with
Syrian citizens of the Hellenistic monarchy of Syria, Greeks, and some
transplanted Jews from Babylon. Many of the Jews who for generations had lived
in Babylon as a result of the Babylonian captivity actually moved to Laodicea,
so it was a very famous Jewish centre. Antiochus ruled the Syrian empire from
261-246 BC and Laodicea
was located on a great highway junction. But it did not come into its own until
about 190 BC
when it became part of the Roman province of Asia. From this point it became a
great industrial centre and very famous for the black wool of its sheep and
also famous as a medical centre because there was discovered there by some
chemists something called Phrygian powder. It was manufactured and distributed
there and so doctors came there and it became a great centre for ophthalmology.
It was also known as a banking centre as well as a medical centre and where you
have banking and medicine you also have to have entertainment, so it was famous
for its race tracks and its theatres.
In about AD 60 the city was destroyed by a great earthquake. It
was a very wealthy city and Rome came in and pronounced it a disaster area and
offered them money to rebuild. The people said: “No, we will not take your
funds, we will do it on our own.” And they quickly rebuilt the city at their
own expense. They were therefore a true industrial complex.
The church in Laodicea had many famous pastors,
Timothy, Mark, Epaphras. Later on in 166 AD, long after this was written, they would have a
pastor by the name of Sagaris who was finally martyred there. In 1071 AD the city was taken by the
Turks but in 1119 it was recovered by the Christians under the command of a
famous soldier of fortune by the name of John Comnemus. In the 13th century it
finally fell into the hands of the Turks permanently and that was the end of
the church in Laodicea at that time.
Zeus of Laodicea was the god that most of the
heathen people worshipped. He is portrayed on the coins as standing and holding
in his extended right hand an eagle. In his left hand he has a spear. Many of
the famous skeptic philosophers came from Laodicea and the city gave origin to
several royal families of the ancient world. The city was finally abandoned
because of earthquakes and is now in a heap of ruins called by the Turks Eski Hissar, meaning the old castle.
During the time of John at the time he wrote in AD 96 the city flourished as a
city of great wealth in the Roman empire. But it really wasn’t the kind of
wealth the Roman empire needed — a pivot of mature believers. Cicero wrote many
of his famous letters while living in Laodicea. Laodicea was a road junction
connecting with Miletus, Ephesus and Pergamum. It also had one real great
drawback and that was that there was no water supply at hand. Water had to be
piped in from a hot springs some distance from the city and they constructed
one of the most ingenious pipelines of the ancient world. They took cubicle
blocks of stone, hollowed them out and then cemented them together. The pipeline
was about three feet in diameter, bored through the centre and cemented end to
end. For all of the tremendous wealth of the city there was one they could
never produce and that was hot water. The hot water that started at the hot
springs some three to five miles away was by the time it got to Laodicea luke
warm. And one of the biggest complaints that people had who lived in Laodicea
was that they could never have a hot bath. The water was lukewarm.
“And to the messenger [future pastors] of the church
of Laodicea.” Now comes the mandate. John is not in Laodicea, John is on the
island of Patmos. He is the pastor of Laodicea, he is non-resident so they are
accustomed to receiving his letters. His messages are read by someone in the
congregation and that is the way they heard John’s messages. In this particular
case, therefore, they are not surprised. It was Ephesus which was accustomed to
the face to face teaching but when John was banished to the island of Patmos
they obviously had to go on the same type of teaching. John as the nonresident
pastor had been put on the island of Patmos by the ruling Caesar and he stayed
there until this Caesar died and was replaced by the beginning of the Antonine Caesars
and then he came back. So people were not deprived of John’s messages and
therefore they continued to grow in a non-face to face situation.
So the mandate to John was grafw, “write.” Write is another means of saying
communicate. It is that non-face to face type of communication. The Bible was
written to people who weren’t there. Spiritual growth comes from perception of
doctrine whether it is face to face or non-face to face. And if must be
remembered that everything we study was originally given to someone non-face to
face. You can grow in a non-face to face teaching situation, sometimes you can
even grow faster — not necessarily, but sometimes. The aorist tense is the culminative
aorist. It views the writing of the book of Revelation in its entirety but it
regards it from the viewpoint of existing results, the completion of the canon
of scripture, the encouragement to future pastors to study and teach. God uses
prepared ministers and God provides hearers for prepared ministers. The active
voice: the apostle John under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit produces the
action of the verb. The imperative mood of command is a mandate to the apostle
John to write the last canonical book of the Word of God.
The next two words are the key to anyone in the
ministry, Tadh legei. Legei is the present active indicative of the verb legw and it means here to communicate. This is an aoristic
present tense which sets forth an event as now occurring. We call that punctiliar
action in present time. The active voice: our Lord Jesus Christ as the prince
ruler of the Church produces the action. The declarative mood represents the
verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. The greatest reality in your life
must be Bible doctrine. If Bible doctrine is not a reality there is no
spiritual growth; if Bible doctrine is not a reality you can’t live your life
as unto the Lord. You see the ideal situation is the one we have in this
dispensation. God has given you your free will, you have your freedom, but God
has also given you a classroom where you can come in privacy and hear the
teaching of doctrine. No one knows your business therefore what hurts you and
hits you hard only you and the Lord know. What challenges you, what blesses
you, what your particular needs are on any given night when you come to hear
doctrine only you know, and that is the way it should be. Therefore under that
principle of the privacy of the priesthood you have privacy for perception of
doctrine, to live your life as unto the Lord, to make your decisions on the
basis of doctrine you receive or to make wrong decisions on the basis of
doctrine you reject.
Then comes the direct object of the verb, the
accusative neuter plural from o(de, a demonstrative pronoun
used originally to introduce the Greek translation of the decrees of the
Persian kings. It is an introductory formula for what is about to be
communicated, our Lord’s estimate of the situation in Laodicea. If there is
anything that is important to us as believers it is to be so consistent in
taking in doctrine on a daily basis that we can understand the Lord’s estimate
of the situation as far as our own personal lives are concerned. Without it we
would be in the dark, we would go off and make mistakes. Without it we would
get the wrong impression of what the Lord’s will is. But with Bible doctrine we
are protected; with Bible doctrine we know what God’s will is. Therefore we
never face a difficult situation, an adversity or a problem, or some form of
prosperity or promotion without first of all having information on how to
handle them. When we do not have that information and face these things it
becomes a beautiful system of discipline because the doctrine was available. We
either weren’t there to hear it or we rejected it, and consequently we make
mistakes. When we make mistakes we have made our own decisions and we hurt. The
more we hurt the more God is dealing with us to get us back on the track.
“And to the messenger [future pastors of the church
at Laodicea] write: Communicate these things … ” Now, of course, we need the
subject. Who communicates these things? It begins with a title in the Greek, o( A)mhn, it refers to our Lord Jesus Christ and it
goes back to the Hebrew version of the word. It is a transliteration here and
the title is used to confirm the acceptance of a task or a mission, the
performance of which needs the will and the power of God. While “Amen” is used
at the end of a doxology to attest the praise of God in response to doxology it
isn’t even used that way here. Here it is used for a title of our Lord Jesus
Christ who is both God and Man in one person forever — doctrine of the hypostatic
union. Both the Hebrew “Amen” and the Greek “Amen” refer to what is sure,
certain and valid. Therefore it becomes very important at this time for this
reason. Our security doesn’t depend upon us but on God. “Amen” is used for the
reality of a system of security above and beyond any human system of security
that man has ever devised. It refers to what is definite, what is sure, what is
valid, what is secure. Hence, o( A)mhn is the title of our Lord
Jesus Christ. It is His title as the One who controls history and the One who
will also terminate history. “Amen,” then, means this: until our Lord sees fit
to terminate it human history cannot be terminated by any system of angelic or
human power. There is no system of sophisticated weaponry or warfare, disease
or natural disaster that will wipe out the entire human race. Human beings are
going to keep right on living on this earth until the end of the Millennium.
How do we know that? The title of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Amen,” the reality of
the history of the human race to resolve the angelic conflict, the reality that
the human race will move to its conclusion through the Church Age, to the
Rapture of the Church, the second advent plus the Millennium reign of Christ. All
of these things will occur. The book of Revelation is an historical textbook
and as far as our word is concerned, “the Amen.” It is a guarantee that the
human race will be perpetuated to the end of human history. Furthermore it is a
guarantee that it will be perpetuated under two principles.
a. Grace precedes judgment. There is never a
judgment which destroys a segment of the human race until first of all that
segment of the human race has an opportunity to repent in the sense of changing
their mind and believing in Christ, believers rebounding and starting to take
in doctrine. This is always illustrated by Noah and the flood. Noah preached
for 120 years before the flood came. That is grace before judgment. And yet the
negative volition was almost universal and the human race was reduced to just a
few people.
b. For those who repent (change their mind), in the
case of the unbeliever repentance is manifest by believing in Christ; in the
case of the believer in the cosmic system repentance is manifest by the rebound
technique; judgment is followed by grace and there is survival. So grace
precedes judgment and grace follows judgment; in the middle we have judgment in
terms of historical disaster. Those who survive historical disaster or judgment
are the ones who heeded the warning of grace before the disaster. That is
survival.
So grace precedes judgment and for those who repent
there is survival; repentance is the secret to survival.
“Amen” is a very important title of our Lord Jesus
Christ and it is the title whereby He says: “I guarantee the continuation of
the human race, and I guarantee your survival in the midst of the greatest
disasters that history can produce if you can utilise the logistical grace
available to you.” Surviving in the devil’s world, surviving under historical
disaster, is a matter of utilisation of logistical grace, the modus operandi of
the faith-rest drill, life in the divine dynasphere. The only wall of fire for
believers is the wall of fire that goes around the divine dynasphere. If you
are a believer living in the cosmic system you have no wall of fire and
historical disaster wipes you out just like it wipes out your counterpart
unbeliever in the cosmic system. Survival depends on life in the divine dynasphere.
So this title, o( A)mhn, is the title of the Lord Jesus Christ controlling history and as the
only one who can terminate history. Generally in the New Testament “Amen” is
also used in a liturgical way. It is the liturgical acclamation in Christian
worship, as found in 1 Corinthians 14:16, or in heavenly worship of the angelic
chiefs of staff of heaven which we will note in Revelation chapters 4 and 5. In
the Hebrew the verb Amen also means
to believe, and therefore it refers to our response to the principle that Jesus
Christ controls history. We simply trust Him under the principle of the
faith-rest drill. We trust the one who controls history for our usefulness in
life, our purpose in life, our happiness in life, our blessing in life, and our
survival in life.
Now we have the beginning of a subject. “The Amen,”
Jesus Christ the only saviour, the one who controls history, “communicates
these things.” This is not the end of our subject, we have other words coming
up in a moment. It should be noted though that Amen in the Hebrew and Amen
in the Greek also means truth, doctrine. The Amen is Jesus Christ as the God of doctrine and this is verified
for us in Isaiah chapter 65:16, “Because he who is blessed in the earth [the
believer] shall be blessed by the God of Amen,” that is what it says in the
Hebrew, “and he who swears [that is, when your word is your bond and you are
saying that something is true] in the earth shall swear by the God of Amen.”
Twice in the Hebrew of this verse we have the title “the God of Amen.” This is
the God of doctrine.
Next we have the continuation of the subject. We
have three appositional nominatives. The adjective pistoj
comes first. Pistoj means faithful. Then we
have a noun martuj which means witness,
someone who makes an accurate deposition. So we have the phrase, “the faithful
witness.” But then since it is a deposition we have another adjective in the appositional
nominative, a)lhthinoj, which means “true,” “the
faithful and true witness.” Our Lord Jesus Christ in His deposition that
history will continue and that believers who are in the divine dynasphere will
survive the greatest of disasters, that’s faithfulness, pistoj. Then the fact that He is true, that He guarantees
these things, that the Bible is true, that doctrine is true, is found in a)lhqinoj. Our Lord Jesus Christ as the one who controls
history has made a deposition and that deposition is given in the book of
Revelation. The deposition is faithfulness to the believers who are in the
pivot, and the deposition is true. The human race cannot be destroyed by outer
space nonsense, nor can it be destroyed by sophisticated weaponry, nor can it
be destroyed by conventional weaponry.
So we have a faithful and true deposition. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is the faithful and true witness. He made a deposition about
history, about God the Father and His plan. Our Lord Jesus Christ is also the
manifestation of the Godhead and as the faithful and true witness He presents a
perfect deposition of world history. As the faithful and true witness Jesus
Christ presents to the world evidence about God, truth about His perfect plan,
evidence about human history, and trends and prophecies as to the course of
human history. Perfect God can only create a perfect plan and the testimony of
God’s plan is given through the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, His first
advent.
Our Lord’s testimony began with His virgin birth:
the fact of His true humanity and the fact of His true humanity residing inside
of the prototype divine dynasphere; the fact that Satan could not destroy the
Lord Jesus Christ because His humanity resided inside of the divine dynasphere
is evidence — the only place of real security for any believer is the divine dynasphere,
the same place our Lord resided during His earthly ministry — His function in hypostatic
union, His impeccability, His work of salvation on the cross followed by His
physical death, resurrection, ascension and session, the award of His third
royal patent which resulted in the Church Age and the calling out of a royal
family, the perpetuation of history so that there could be a second advent, a
tactical victory to follow the strategic victory of our Lord. All of these
things are a deposition to you and to me, a guarantee of our survival in the
divine dynasphere, a guarantee of the perpetuation of the human race, a
guarantee that this textbook of world history called the book of Revelation
will occur in the sequence, in the chronology which is presented in the
chapters that follow.
Verse 14, “And to the messenger [future pastors of
the church at Laodicea] write: the Amen [Jesus Christ as the only saviour and
the God of doctrine, the one who controls history], the faithful and true
witness ...”
Now we come to the third part of that subject “which
communicates these things.” The subject concludes with an appositional
nominative from the noun a)rxh, which while it means
beginning it also means first cause, primacy, ruler, rank. It is taken from the
Greek verb a)rxw which means to rule. The
rulers in Athens were called A)rxonj, and it means here,
“ruler.” It is not the “beginning” of the creation of God but the ruler, the
prince. And then we have the descriptive genitive of ktisij which means creation. It refers not to the word
which was created by our Lord or natural creation, but it refers to certain
types of new creatures. It refers to new creatures in Christ Jesus or the royal
family of God. Plus the possessive genitive of qeoj.
The creatures here belong to God. So we translate: “the ruler of the creation
of God [royal family of God].”
Now we have the full subject: “the Amen [Jesus
Christ as saviour, the God of doctrine], the faithful and true witness [His
deposition regarding the solutions to history], the ruler of the creation of
God.” He is the ruler of the royal family and this is the subject which
“communicates these things.” It took 36 things at salvation plus the provision
of the divine dynasphere to manufacture the creation of God and/or the royal
family. The uniqueness of the Church Age believer is based on the first advent
of Christ and our Lord’s achievement of His third royal patent. The third royal
patent resulted in halting the dispensation of Israel and inserting the Church
Age to call out the royal family. Each one of us has two commissions as royal
family. We are first of all royal priests, that is the intake of doctrine; and
we are royal ambassadors, that is the application of doctrine.
Verse 15, an estimate of the situation. The first
phrase, “I know thy works,” is where it all begins. We have the perfect o)ida used as a present active indicative for the
function of divine knowledge. God knows long before anything happens exactly
what is going to happen. Furthermore, He knows what thinking is behind it, what
motivation is behind it, what decision you finally made. The active voice:
Jesus Christ as God produces the action of the verb. The indicative mood is
declarative for the reality of the veracity of God’s estimate of the situation.
With this verb we have the accusative plural from
the noun e)rgon. Being in the plural it means
works or production or modus operandi, “I know your accomplishments.” God has
known all about us from eternity past, we are just now becoming acquainted with
Him as we learn Bible doctrine, and learn more and more Bible doctrine.
When He says, “I know your accomplishments” we are
looking at God’s knowledge of the Laodicean church, a group of people in that
great city. The accomplishment of believers in the Laodicean church was known
to God under certain categories, therefore we need to categorise God’s knowledge.
God has three categories of knowledge.
The first we call self-knowledge. God is eternal;
His knowledge is eternal. God is sovereign, therefore His knowledge is
infinitely superior to any creature knowledge. Time has nothing to do with
God’s knowledge. There never was a time when God didn’t know everything that
would happen, everything in all of human history. The future, therefore is as
perspicuous to God as the past. And since God is a person He possesses both
self-consciousness and self-determination. Therefore God as a person acts
rationally in compatibility, of course, with His absolute will and perfection.
God is Himself and because God is Himself eternally and infinitely God knows
Himself to be beyond comparison with any being, any creature. Because God is
infinite His knowledge has neither boundary nor limitation. Infinity goes
beyond time and infinity also goes beyond space. So whatever God has by way of
knowledge of Himself it is beyond time and beyond space. Therefore God’s
knowledge is never complicated with either ignorance or absurdity. God existed
eternally, unsustained by Himself or any other source, and therefore His
knowledge is as unalterable as Himself. God cannot change; His knowledge cannot
change. God’s knowledge therefore precedes time and precedes space, therefore
God’s knowledge is not subject to time or space, as ours is.
God knows Himself, and He also knows the other
members of the Trinity. He understands their attributes as He understands
Himself. God’s knowledge of Himself has to be classified as perfect
subjectivity; God’s knowledge of the other members of the Trinity is classified
as perfect objectivity. So in God’s knowledge of God we have subjectivity and
objectivity. And since subjectivity has many imperfections related to arrogance
and preoccupation with self we mustn’t think of subjectivity in terms of human
modus operandi. Subjectivity here refers to perfection. God has perfect
subjective knowledge of Himself. God the Father has perfect objective knowledge
of the Son and the Spirit, and likewise the Son has perfect objective knowledge
of the Father and the Spirit, and so on. God has eternally known Himself. Each
member of the Trinity has perfect subjective knowledge of self and all the
attributes of deity plus perfect knowledge of the other members of the Trinity
and their attributes.
But this particular knowledge is not the one in view
when it says in verse 15, “I know your accomplishments.” What is in view is the
second category, the omniscience of God. While God’s self-knowledge relates to
His divine attributes and the knowledge of the other members of the Trinity
omniscience relates to creatures. In our first category God knows God, God
knows Himself; in our second category omniscience is a technical word which
does not cover all of the areas of God’s knowledge but it deals with creatures.
Omniscience is defined as God’s objective knowledge
of the universe and all the creatures in it, angelic and human. The omniscience
of God is the key to this verse, “I know your accomplishments.” Since the
divine decrees establish reality we cannot separate the divine decrees from the
omniscience of God. The divine decrees is the computer and what the omniscience
of God puts into the computer is every thought every person ever had and, with
that, every motivation that every person ever had, every decision and every
action that every person ever had in history. But omniscience also knows the
things that didn’t happen but could have happened; it knows probability as well
as actuality. Only actuality is programmed in. That is history. What could have
happened but did not is probability, and omniscience knows the probability.
Omniscience, then, is defined: God knows perfectly, eternally and
simultaneously all that is knowable, both the actual and the possible, both the
historical and the probable. The actual is fed into the computer of divine
decrees to become history while the possible or probable are decisions which
could have been made but were not. Every minute detail of both angelic and
human history is completely in God’s mind at all times. Therefore omniscience
perceives the free as free, the necessary as necessary, together with all their
causes and conditions and relations in one indivisible system of things, every
link of which is essential to the whole.
There is one other category called the foreknowledge
of God. The foreknowledge of God must be distinguished from omniscience.
Between foreknowledge and omniscience stands the computer of divine decrees.
Foreknowledge is the printout of history, it does not deal with what is
programmed in. Omniscience programs the computer of divine decrees with
historical facts. Historical facts are made up of your thoughts, your
decisions, your actions. Foreknowledge is the printout of the computer. Nothing
is foreknown, therefore, until it is first of all decreed. Foreknowledge is
therefore limited to what actually comes out of the computer, the unfolding of
history. Foreknowledge has nothing to do with probability or the alternatives.
Foreknowledge of God, therefore, makes nothing certain, it simply acknowledges
what is already certain, the content of the divine decrees. God foreknows all
things as certainly future because He has first of all decreed them in His
omniscience.
Omniscience comes first, knowing the actual and the
possible. Foreknowledge deals only with the actual. While everything was
decreed simultaneously, not by stages, the plan of God rationale applies only
foreknowledge in this particular case. Foreknowledge means what comes out of
the computer. So foreknowledge is applied here as well. God knows our
accomplishments, He knows them as they have unfolded. From the standpoint of
God’s omniscience what He put into the computer He knew billions of years ago,
but His statement now is foreknowledge. God knew what would come out of the
computer. And so both omniscience and foreknowledge as distinct concepts of
God’s divine attributes are involved in the phrase, the perfect active
indicative of o)ida, which we have studied in
verse 15.
Next in verse 15 we begin with a negative estimate
of the situation. It begins with the conjunction o(ti
used after verbs of cognisance to give the content. ”I know you
accomplishments, that ...” Next is the present active indicative of the verb e)imi, the verb to be, “that you are.” The present tense
is a perfective present, it refers to a fact which has come to be in the past
but is emphasised as a present reality. God knows what we are every second that
we spend on this earth. The active voice: believers in the Church Age, namely Laodicea
in AD 96,
produce the action of the verb. The action they produce becomes a pattern for
believers throughout the Church Age who fail. The indicative mood is
declarative for a historical reality.
Next we have two negative adverbs, “neither,” “nor,”
o)ute, o)ute, and with each of these negative adverbs we have a
predicate adjective. The first is yuxroj, and it means “cold”; the
second means hot or boiling, zestoj, “neither cold nor hot” is
the translation. “Cold” is used for the unbeliever. There were some unbelievers
in the Laodicean church. “Hot” refers to believers who have lived inside of the
divine dynasphere and who have utilised logistical grace and have advanced to
maturity. It becomes obvious then that this passage is not addressed to the
unbelievers. In the negative estimate of the situation it is also obvious that
because of the cosmic influence there were quite a number of unbelievers in the
Laodicean church. As a result neither are there any people who have advanced to
maturity. Living inside the divine dynasphere is God’s will for this
dispensation and, of course, it is the only way to advance to maturity.
The use of “cold” and “hot” and “lukewarm” refer to
categories based on the problem in the Laodicean waterworks. The problem had to
do with the kind of pipes they had which were constructed of cubicle blocks of
stone carved out of a quarry and which had a hole bored through them. Each
block was cemented to another and in that way the pipeline was constructed. When
the water left the hot springs it was hot but by the time it had reached Laodicea
it was lukewarm. This lukewarm water was loaded with minerals and therefore not
very palatable, it was insipid. Everyone complained about the water.
The second problem: What happens to intellectuals
when they become arrogant? Arrogance plus intellectuality means
pseudo-intellectuality. Believers living in Laodicea were involved in the
cosmic system and were influenced by pseudo-intellectuality.
Next in verse 15 the apostle John states a
preference with regard to the negative estimate of the situation. His
preference is a positive estimate of the situation where either cold or hot
would help. If they were cold he could give them the gospel; if they were hot
he could give them advanced doctrine; but because they are lukewarm all he can
do is warn them, and that is the most unproductive type of teaching.
The category of problem-solving is given in two
concepts in this passage: those who are cold and those who are hot. But there
is no problem-solving for those who are lukewarm. The lukewarm person is a
believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now there is a road back, a very difficult
road back. It requires that you make daily decisions under the pressures and
the adversities of various categories of divine discipline as well as
self-induced misery. And there are those who will never find that road back
because it is impossible for them to fulfill the principle of rebound, change
their priorities in life, put first things first over a period of time, because
there is no instant solution to the category “lukewarm.”
The word “lukewarm” becomes a very excellent
illustration, an analogy to the fact that the person in this world who is most
disoriented is that believer in the Lord Jesus Christ who is categorised as
lukewarm. The cosmic believer is disoriented to life and there is no instant
solution to any of his problems. He has to take a road back that requires
making decisions that he failed to make in the past: making decisions to rebound,
making decisions for Bible doctrine, etc. Divine discipline is the teacher of
those who will not learn doctrine. It is limited in what it can teach but at
least it does require a concentration from the lukewarm which they do not have
in other areas. The “lukewarm” is going to be described in great detail. The
lukewarm people are often very wealthy, very successful, very famous, very
prominent. They are believers but they have completely and totally failed as
far as spiritual life is concerned.
So we have the apostolic personal preference stated
in the last phrase in which he states beginning with the particle o)feilon, which is translated “I would” or “I wish.” O)feilon introduces an unattainable wish or desire on the
part of the communicator, the apostle John. This is a particle, it used with
the imperfect tense to express present time. It is possible that the particle
of unattainable wish or desire is taken from the aorist tense of the verb o)feilw, which means to wish or desire. We should
understand that this introduces an unattainable desire. The apostle John here
would like to simply give a message where the solutions are obvious but that
only applies where believers are positive toward doctrine and living in the
divine dynasphere. That would represent the category “hot.” Or, if the person
is an unbeliever, there is a message that can be given very briefly regarding
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the way of eternal salvation through faith
in the Son of God, but that isn’t possible with those who are lukewarm; and the
more you personally counsel these people the worse it becomes, because counselling
means that they are depending upon you, they are using your volition as a
crutch. It is impossible for these people on their own to take the hard road
back from being lukewarm. We have studied it as carnality, as reversionism, as
cosmic involvement. These are the people who through their own decisions have
brought themselves to the place of impossible solutions. And where the
solutions are not readily available and require months and sometimes even years
of positive volition and daily decisions, and maintaining the right priorities,
Bible doctrine first, obviously they are not going to take that solution and
they are not going to go that way. Instead they will begin to look for things
to alleviate the pain of suffering under divine discipline or from self-induced
misery. Therefore they become pursuers of pleasure, they try to find interests
in life, they try to find new friends, they try to find an environment of
flattery and acceptability in some social structure whereby some of the pain
from their own bad decisions can be alleviated. And that is the story of at
least eighty per cent of believers in the world today.
The very fact that they are believers means this:
that whatever success they have in life, whatever moment of stimulation and
happiness may come their way, whatever nice group of people they may meet
somewhere, whatever they find by way of a love relationship — category two,
success and approbation from mankind in general —, whatever they may find in
these areas are simply not a solution to their problem. These things are
wonderful for positive believers. Positive believers can enjoy them without
being distracted by them. But there is absolutely no answer and no solution for
the lukewarm believer in the area of seeking pleasure, seeking new friends,
seeking new scenes, changing his environment to something that is more
compatible with flattering and with recognition. There is no solution simply because
the believers involved will not take the hard road back. It is a very difficult
answer because Bible doctrine must be first. You cannot take a believer in the
cosmic system and make Bible doctrine number one priority in his life. Because
of the tremendous instability it is very difficult to reestablish the right
priorities. It takes a tremendous amount of motivation and that motivation
generally has to come from two categories of discipline that we will study in
detail — warning divine discipline and intensive divine discipline.
For recovery it takes the daily use of the volition
to make right decisions. There is only one volitional decision in life that is
permanent and that is the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That
one decision guarantees eternal life and means that you have a relationship
with God forever.
The tragic thing that occurs then is the fact that
in solving any problem in the life it requires consistent daily decisions based
on the right priorities. Therefore the apostle is saying very simply, “would
that you were cold or hot”, then it would be so easy, then the message would be
so simple. But one message today clearly understood is not going to solve your
problem because if Bible doctrine does not become your number one priority and
if you do not log a maximum amount of time in the divine dynasphere there is no
way that you can consistently make the right decisions.
Recovery from the cosmic system is very simple in
principle, the rebound technique, but it requires days and days and even months
of getting back to doctrine on a daily basis, and it is so easy once you have
been in the cosmic system to try it for a week and then go back to the same old
way. Eventually there is something that happens to these people, the sin unto
death.
The apostle’s personal preference is based on the
principle of positive volition. If the Laodiceans were cold they would be
unbelievers and the answer to their problem would be very simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved.” A one-shot decision will answer their problem because the moment you
are born again the past is blotted out. And as far as the Laodiceans being hot,
well they are not. As such they would be believers living inside the divine dynasphere
and now ready for another message of doctrinal teaching, but these things are
meaningless to the lukewarm believer. If the Laodiceans were hot they would be
in the divine dynasphere and ready for the tremendous content of the book of
Revelation, beginning in chapter four.
“I would that you were cold or hot,” how easy it
would be if that were true. The other six churches all have a fine pivot of
mature believers plus a lot of positive believers, with a minimum number of
cosmic believers. They are carrying the Roman empire at this time. They will be
responsible as a large pivot in only one Roman province for one of the greatest
periods of prosperity the world has ever known in human history, the period of
the Antonine Caesars, 96-192 AD.
The real situation, cosmic involvement and the
potential for maximum discipline, is the subject of verse 16, “So then because thou
art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” The
real status quo is given, beginning with an adverb, o(utoj.
It refers to what precedes, and it refers to the apostle’s preference of
status, not the real status quo. With the conjunction o(ti it becomes an idiom to indicate, “Let’s face the
reality of the situation.” O(utoj plus o)ti means literally, “So because the reality of the situation
is now before us.” The reality is given by the simple verb to be in the present
active indicative. This is the Greek word e)imi;
it gives the real situation. The perfective present tense refers to a fact
which has come to be in the past and is emphasised as a present reality in Laodicea.
They are not living in the divine dynasphere; “lukewarm” is the issue in this
verse. How are you going to get people out of status quo lukewarm? Well, we
begin with the phrase, “So because you are.” The active voice: Laodicean
believers produce the action of the verb as cosmic believers. The indicative
mood is declarative for the historical reality of the situation.
Then the predicate nominative gives us our category,
xliaroj, which means something that
was hot but is now cooled off to the point of being insipid and therefore
lukewarm or cosmic involvement. It also refers to the unpleasant taste of the
water. “So therefore because you are lukewarm,” the adjective is used as a
predicate nominative. It has a dual connotation; the status quo of the reversionistic
believer and the status quo from the divine standpoint which has the emetic
connotation. “And neither hot nor cold” is better translated, “in fact neither
hot nor cold.” John makes it very clear that there is no simple solution to
their problem.
Now we have the result of perpetual cosmic
involvement: the emetic condition. The emetic condition is not helpful, it is
destructive. It is the reason why so many believers die horribly, miserably,
before God intends for them to die. It is the story of the sin unto death. It
is the basis for one of the greatest tragedies that could ever occur to you as
a believer. It is also one of the greatest disgraces.
The final phrase of verse 16 begins with the perfect
active indicative of the verb mellw, which means to be about to
be. We translate it: “I am about to.” The customary present denotes what
habitually occurs when believers persist in living in the cosmic system of
Satan. By persisting is meant that they ignore the final teaching that God
gives to all cosmic believers. All divine discipline is a gracious act on the
part of God to try to teach us what we will not learn the easy way. Learning
the easy way is perception of doctrine in the divine dynasphere; learning the
hard way is divine discipline. We also have here a futuristic present denoting
an event which has not yet occurred, namely the administration of the sin unto
death, but is regarded as so certain in thought that it may be contemplated as
already coming to pass. With this we have the active voice: Jesus Christ
produces the action of the verb. God the Father has turned all judgment over to
our Lord Jesus Christ — John 5:22, 27. The declarative indicative mood is for
the reality of maximum discipline to believers who are unteachable. There are
two categories of being unteachable. One is the resistance of doctrine and the
other is related to it, cosmic involvement. And there are two categories of
teaching as far as believers are concerned: the communication of Bible doctrine
by the pastor on the one hand and the administration of divine discipline from
our Lord Jesus Christ on the other hand.
So He says, “I am about to do something,” and what
He is about to do is the aorist active infinitive of the verb e)mew, which means to vomit. The constative aorist
contemplates the administration of the sin unto death in its entirety. They are
not going to die happily, they are going to die in a horribly miserable way.
Vomiting is miserable, so is the sin unto death. It is the last miserable
experience that the cosmic believer has on this earth. The infinitive of actual
result means that the sin unto death is the terrible reality. With this we have
the accusative singular direct object from the personal pronoun su, and this refers to cosmic believers only.
Principle: All problems are unsolvable in the cosmic
system.
The reason you can’t make decisions to solve your
problems in the cosmic system is because in the cosmic system you are the
servant of Satan, the slave of Satan.
Then to make things very clear we have e)k plus the ablative singular of stoma, plus e)gw, “out of [from] my mouth.”
This has nothing to do with loss of salvation, this is simply the last category
of divine discipline. It is your merit badge that you were unteachable. There
is one merit badge that belongs to the Christian who stays in the cosmic
system. You were totally unteachable by the most stringent forms of divine
discipline. God always picks the thing that will hurt you the most and when you
cannot respond to that your only excuse for living is to be used as one of the
aggressors to try to lure other believers out of the divine dynasphere. After
that it is all over. So this is the problem as far as this passage is
concerned.
Corrected translation: “Therefore because you are
lukewarm, in fact neither hot nor cold, I am about to vomit you from my mouth.”
Verse 17, these people who are in this category do
have certain kinds of prosperity, but their success and prosperity does not
bring them happiness. In fact successful people are twice as miserable when
they hurt as unsuccessful people.
We begin with the causal use of the conjunction o(ti, correctly translated “because.” Next comes
the present active indicative of legw. Legw is a verb which comes from logoj which originally meant thought. In other words, legw is merely verbalising your thoughts, which is what
speaking is in most cases, though not all. So when it says “Because you say,”
this is the verbalisation of the thinking of these cosmic believers who are said
to be lukewarm and whose liability is moving in the direction of warning
discipline, intensive discipline and, in some cases, dying discipline. The
descriptive present tense is for what is now going on in Laodicea. It is also
the present tense of duration for what was begun in the past when these
believers were given some prosperity. The implication is that in most cases
first they had the prosperity from living in the divine dynasphere. The divine dynasphere
was the source of whatever prosperity they happened to have. That is when they
were “hot.” Lukewarm means they have cooled off. They were once hot and in the
divine dynasphere; now they are in the cosmic system. Lukewarm always means
that one time it was hot.
Believers in their advance to maturity inevitably
start to get prosperous one way or another. They may have social prosperity,
they may have business prosperity; there are many categories to prosperity but
whatever it is they have prosperity. But the prosperity came to them in the
divine dynasphere. However, they were not able to pass the prosperity test. Now
they still have the prosperity in the cosmic system, it is still there. But the
prosperity in the cosmic system is going to be a means of setting up for
discipline. Prosperous people, like non-prosperous people, are very unhappy
people. Prosperity doesn’t change anything. It may change a few overt
manifestations in life but it doesn’t change the soul. Inside is the same old
person with the same uncertainties, the same problems. The facade is different
but inside is a miserable person.
The active voice: the cosmic believers have flunked
the prosperity test and they are the ones who produce the action of the verb.
The indicative mood is declarative for the historical reality of the situation.
Therefore we have next the word o(ti again. The first one means
“because” but the second one means “quote,” “Because you say, quote.” Now here
is the interesting thing. These people in Laodicea had responded to John’s
ministry after salvation, they had begun to grow in grace. They had been in the
divine dynasphere and had made some tremendous progress in their spiritual
lives so that already logistical grace was being parlayed into the beginnings
of some supergrace manifestations. They had prosperity. Now that they have been
evangelised for the cosmic system they haven’t lost their salvation and, as a
matter of fact, in this case they haven’t even lost their prosperity. But they
have changed their status from life in the divine dynasphere to life in the
cosmic system.
Now this is what they say, and they have problems
which are made by their own volition. You and I have never had a problem in our
lives that our volition somehow wasn’t related to. There are certain categories
of suffering that are designed for blessing and for growth but apart from that
most of the suffering that comes to people comes to them because of their own
decisions. (This is true of adults; it isn’t always true of children) “Because
you say, I am,” the present active indicative of the verb e)imi. The predicate nominative with it is plousioj which means rich, prosperous, wealthy — “Because
you say, I am wealthy.” The progressive present tense is for an action in the
state of persistence, therefore it is linear aktionsart. The active voice: the
cosmic believer who has flunked the prosperity test produces the action of the
verb. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal idea from the
viewpoint of reality. The reality is the continuation of material prosperity
the source of which is the divine dynasphere but its perpetuation in the cosmic
system. This is often the status of cosmic believers who are successful and
prosperous. People forget the source of their prosperity. Prosperity comes to
us because of our residence in the divine dynasphere.
Prosperity testing occurs in two categories: for
individuals in the divine dynasphere and for nations where there is a large
enough pivot for God to prosper that nation. Prosperity testing occurs for a
nation or a city when the three categories of manifest destiny are combined
under the leadership of the industrial complex. This means prosperity for
unbelievers, cosmic believers and believers living inside the divine dynasphere.
Add to this the prosperity of blessing by association and you have a momentum
test. The Laodiceans received their prosperity while living and functioning in
the divine dynasphere and this means that we have here an expression of
arrogance: “Because you say, I am wealthy.” This word plousioj means many things such as success, financial
wealth, promotion, fame, approbation, social prosperity, and many other things.
When some form of wealth or prosperity comes to the believer one of two things
happens. First of all it finds him in the divine dynasphere where the
prosperity begins. Either he remains in the divine dynasphere and the capacity
stays ahead of the prosperity and he is a very happy person , or he becomes
inflamed with arrogance and takes his prosperity into the cosmic system where
it makes him miserable sooner or later.
There is nothing wrong with prosperity but all too
frequently there is something wrong with those who have prosperity. Prosperity
was designed to be a blessing but prosperity can never be a blessing without
the capacity. The capacity comes from the divine dynasphere and when you take
your prosperity into the cosmic system sooner or later it is going to make you
miserable. Wealth or prosperity in the divine dynasphere is a fantastic
blessing but wealth or prosperity in the cosmic system is the Laodicean
syndrome. The believer flunks the prosperity test when riches or wealth change
his priorities so that doctrine is no longer first in his life. That is one of
the great problems with the prosperity test. No believer survives the
prosperity test when wealth, success, riches, promotion, fame and approbation
come between him and Bible doctrine. The prosperity test, then, is far more
subtle and far more difficult than the adversity test. Without capacity for
happiness and prosperity the wealth in the prosperity test, the success in the
prosperity test, the fame in the prosperity test results in a frantic search
for happiness. The frantic search for happiness leads the believer into the
cosmic system and a dead-end street, for true happiness can only be found
inside the divine dynasphere.
“Because you say” — we are talking now about those
believers who are in the cosmic system and who fall into many of the categories
that we have in this passage — “I am rich.” This is the prosperity test and no
one ever goes from gate four to gate eight without facing eight major tests. If
you pass the tests it accelerates spiritual growth; if you flunk the test you
wind up in the cosmic system. Now we are talking here about cosmic believers.
They became wealthy, prosperous, successful, rich while they were still in the
divine dynasphere. But they have left the divine dynasphere and they are now in
the cosmic system. In other words, they flunked the prosperity test. Prosperity
testing occurs not only to individual believers but, of course, nations as
well. Prosperity testing is an historical trend as well as an individual test.
Prosperity testing occurs to a nation or a city when the three categories of
manifest destiny are combined under the leadership of the industrial complex.
This means prosperity for unbelievers, cosmic believers, believers living
inside the divine dynasphere. So there is a kind of prosperity that comes to
all people in a client nation when there is a large pivot. Add to this the
prosperity of blessing by association and you have momentum test number eight,
the prosperity test. Add to this the fact that the Laodiceans were formally
hot, and this is analogous to the fact that they once lived in the divine dynasphere,
they had advanced almost to maturity and in some cases they had moved that far.
The prosperity test, of course, takes many forms and many of them had different
categories of prosperity.
The basic principle that we are going to note out of
this is one that is very important: neither rich people nor poor people, nor
any category in between can handle any form of prosperity without capacity.
Your capacity should always precede, run ahead of your prosperity and that is
only possible inside the divine dynasphere. Capacity must come first. When some
form of wealth or prosperity comes to the believer one of two things will
happen: either he will remain in the divine dynasphere and therefore maintain
his capacity for prosperity and therefore have great happiness in prosperity,
or he becomes inflamed with arrogance and takes his prosperity into the cosmic
system where it makes him miserable. There is nothing wrong with prosperity,
only those who have prosperity. Wealth and prosperity in the divine dynasphere
becomes a fantastic blessing but wealth and prosperity in the cosmic system is
the Laodicean syndrome.
Then we move on to the intensive use of the
conjunction kai. The intensive kai is generally translated “in fact.” And then we have
an additional phrase, the perfect active indicative of the verb ploutew, which means to acquire wealth. “Because you say,
quote: I am rich, in fact I have acquired wealth”. The intensive perfect tense
is used here and it means this: when special attention is directed towards the
results of the action emphasis on the existing facts is intensified. This is a
strong way of saying a thing is. The active voice: cosmic believers have become
very successful in business but they do not have any happiness accompanying it.
The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the fact that they have
flunked the prosperity test. Reason: prosperity will take you into the cosmic
system unless you have the capacity for it when it comes.
The next phrase deals with the principle of flunking
the prosperity test. There are four words: kai
o)uden xreian e)xw. The first word, kai, is simply a connective use of the conjunction, it
means “and.” The present active indicative of e)xw,
“and I have.” The progressive present tense signifies action in progress or a
state of persistence, present linear aktionsart, living in the cosmic system.
The active voice: the cosmic believer produces the action. The indicative mood
is declarative representing the cosmic viewpoint from the standpoint of
historical reality. This is the cosmic viewpoint. The whole system of priorities
and the proper scale of values is set aside when a person says: “I have need of
nothing.”
Next we have the accusative singular direct object
from xreian, which means “need.” Next
the accusative neuter singular from o)udeij, meaning “nothing”. This
implies that the believer does not need Bible doctrine, it implies that he
doesn’t need the divine dynasphere, it implies that he does not need logistical
grace in any form. In other words, what has happened? By shifting into the
cosmic system the believer has lost the right priorities of the divine dynasphere.
When he says: “I am rich and that is all I need,” then he has put wealth above
doctrine and the divine dynasphere. This implies that the believer doesn’t need
Bible doctrine. In effect this is reverse process reversionism. This is
flunking the prosperity test. And in reverse process reversionism where
doctrine used to be number one, now it is reversed and wealth and riches has
become number one. And this changes the priorities and out of this comes a
conclusion from the cosmic system: “I don’t need anything. I am wealthy
therefore I need nothing.” But in the divine dynasphere doctrine makes you realise
that you need the grace of God on a daily and a moment by moment basis.
Principle
1. This statement from a believer in the cosmic
system indicates scar tissue of the soul. Scar tissue of the soul comes from
many things, rejection of doctrine in general, and results in a complete change
of priorities.
2. This is the Laodicean syndrome. The Laodicean
Christians have been exposed to doctrinal teaching in the past. They have been
exposed to the teaching of four great pastors: Epaphras, Timothy, Mark and
John. So they can’t say they haven’t heard. Obviously in the Laodicean syndrome
they have made wrong decisions against the whole realm of doctrine.
3. Therefore this is a reaction from the cosmic
system. The reaction stated here indicates negative volition after first of all
being positive. It indicates that positive volition came first but now they are
negative. Hence these believers have left the divine dynasphere and they have
entered into the cosmic system through flunking the prosperity test.
4. From their own decisions Laodicean believers have
succumbed to cosmic evangelism. This cosmic evangelism was functioning when
they were in prosperity. They didn’t go into the cosmic system when they were
in adversity, they passed the adversity test. But the prosperity test is so
different, it brings a whole new set of pressures, and while they could handle
adversity by the use of the faith-rest drill in prosperity they just kicked the
faith-rest drill out and everything it meant to them.
5. Whatever spiritual advances had been made in the
past these were now neutralised by cosmic evangelism.
6. Those who are making this statement under the Laodicean
syndrome have rejected the authority of pastors like Epaphras, Timothy, Mark
and John. In effect they have rejected their teaching, i.e. the content of
their message.
7. Only positive volition toward the content of
doctrine from inside the divine dynasphere will maintain the right priorities
to avoid the cosmic trap. People change when they become wealthy; people change
when they become poor. People are constantly in the process of changing and the
stability that avoids change for the worse always comes from the divine dynasphere.
8. Only the daily perception of Bible doctrine in
the divine dynasphere will provide the believer capacity for prosperity.
9. Your capacity should always be ahead of your
prosperity otherwise prosperity will lead you into the cosmic trap.
There are two side effects that are very tragic. The
first effect is the blackout of the soul. This is the status of the believer in
negative volition toward doctrine. In other words, in the cosmic system. The
cosmic system of Satan includes two cosmic dynaspheres: cosmic #1, where
doctrine is rejected because of preoccupation with self; cosmic #2, where
doctrine is rejected because of antagonism toward it. The black-out of the soul
finds the believer entering gate two of cosmic one — negative volition toward
Bible doctrine from arrogance or preoccupation with self. He also enters cosmic
two, gate one, in which he is antagonistic toward doctrine. Satan’s kingdom,
the cosmic system, is called the kingdom of darkness in Ephesians 5:11; 6:12;
Colossians 1:13, “He has delivered us [believers] from the domain [kingdom] of
darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love [the
divine dynasphere].” The kingdom of the Son of His love emphasises the divine dynasphere
from the standpoint of virtue. For example, there is motivating virtue which is
personal love toward God; there is functional virtue which is impersonal love
directed toward man and circumstances. So it is called the kingdom of the Son
of His love, referring to the divine dynasphere producing virtue, and since the
domain of Satan is called the kingdom of darkness those believers who reside
and function in the cosmic system are said to walk in darkness, 1 John 1:6;
2:11; John 12:35.
The mechanics of the blackout of the soul are really
described in summary in Ephesians 4:17, “Therefore I explain this, and make an
emphatic demand by means of the Lord, that you no longer walk like as other
Gentiles walk [unbelievers] in the vacuum of their minds.” The word “vacuum, mataiwthj, is the key to this problem that comes to all
believers who are in the cosmic system. Every day and the longer you are in the
cosmic system the more you lose the divine perspective of life, until it is
blotted out completely if you stay there long enough. This means that you no
longer understand establishment or the gospel, or Bible doctrine which is the
means of advancing to maturity as a believer. The blackout of the soul
therefore relates to reversionism.
In stage two of reversionism you have reaction,
which is usually a frantic search for happiness. It comes in several forms,
asceticism of cosmic one. For example, self-righteous arrogance at gate five is
one of the illustrations. This always results in becoming critical of others. The
lascivious trend in cosmic two is found in gate two, degeneracy; gate three,
antiestablishment; gate six, demonism; gate the eight, the old sin nature; and
eventually everything ends up in evil.
The third stage is operation boomerang: the frantic
search for happiness bounces back and you are twice as miserable as you were
before you started out. The frantic search for happiness is intensified with
disastrous results. For example, in cosmic one, gate seven, criminal arrogance;
or gate eight, crusader arrogance; gate nine, psychopathic arrogance; gate ten,
sexual arrogance. In cosmic two, for example, gate two degeneracy or gate nine,
Satan’s policy of evil. Stage three is the emotional revolt of the soul. The
holy-rollers are probably the best illustration. Stage five is negative
volition toward Bible doctrine and in stage six you have blackout of the soul.
If blackout of the soul is not alleviated by rebound — getting back into the
divine dynasphere and learning doctrine. Then eventually you go to stage seven
which is scar tissue of the soul, and from there the stage we have here in the
phrase “I have need of nothing” which is reverse process reversionism. When you
get to the point where your wealth, your success, your prosperity says you need
nothing, then you have abandoned logistical grace and you have abandoned the
divine dynasphere and Bible doctrine. “Having become darkened in your
understanding,” Ephesians 3:18, is blackout of the soul; “having been alienated
from the life of God,” the life of God is the divine dynasphere, and you are
alienated from the divine dynasphere. Why? Because of ignorance.
There was the same problem when our Lord was alive.
You would have thought that everyone would have listened to our Lord and responded,
but that isn’t true. John 12:37, “But though he had performed many miracles
before them, yet they did not believe in him.” Verse 38, “That the word of
Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled when he spoke, Lord who has believed our
message and to whom is the arm of the Lord [Christ] revealed. For this cause
they could not believe for Isaiah said again, He has blinded their eyes.” How?
By simply giving them truth, which they rejected. That is the way you get
blackout of the soul. “Lest the should see with their eyes,” the eyes are
wisdom or perception of doctrine, “and perceive with their right lobe and be
converted and I restore them.” So the problem is always the same, whether it
was when Christ was on earth or at the present time. The blackout of the soul
becomes a major issue and a major problem, John 6:39-45.
There is an answer to this given by Paul in
Ephesians 4:15-18, “But by teaching doctrine in the sphere of the love complex
[the divine dynasphere], you may cause them to grow up by the all things of
doctrinal teaching with reference to him, who is the absolute authority, even
Christ, from whom all the body, being joined together and being taught
categorically by every joint of supply [the pastor is the joint of supply]
according to the operational power [gate one of the divine dynasphere] in
measure” [one pastor for each part of the body of Christ], resulting in an
edification complex belonging to himself in the sphere of the love complex [the
divine dynasphere]. Therefore I explain this, and make an emphatic demand by
means of the Lord, that you walk not longer as the Gentiles walk, in the vacuum
of your mind.”
Again, our passage says: “Because you say, quote: I
am rich, in fact I have become very wealthy, and therefore I have need of
absolutely nothing”. Nothing could be more tragic than to get into this
situation. This is reverse process reversionism which means facing in the
opposite direction and having the exact opposite priorities from what you
should have in life. There are a few verses that should be remembered, like
John 15:23 where our Lord says: “He who hates me also hates my Father.” In
other words, the fact that believers could hate the Lord is almost unthinkable
but it is true where in the cosmic system long enough that is exactly what
happens. And so, 1 Peter 5:8: “Be stabilised [inside the divine dynasphere], be
on the alert. Your enemy, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour.” And he doesn’t personally try to devour you, he has a
system. He reaches out with the twenty-six tentacles of cosmic one and the nine
tentacles of cosmic two. That is why it says in James 4:4, where all of us are
called “female hookers”: “You female hookers, do you not know that the cosmic
system keeps on being alienation from God? Therefore whoever has decided
[options from personal volition] to be a love of the cosmic system appoints
himself the enemy of God.” It says in Philippians 3:18 the same thing: that we
[believers in the cosmic system] are the enemies of the cross. In 2 Timothy
2:26 we have another warning: “And that they should come to their senses.” When
some believer says, “I don’t need any doctrine,” they have to come to their
senses; “from the devil’s trap [the cosmic system], having been led captive by
him with reference to a system” — it is a system, he doesn’t come and
personally overcome you, he has a system for overcoming you.
That is why it says in 1 John 2:18,19, “Little
children, it is the last hour [the entire Church Age]; and just as you have
heard that antichrist is coming [in the Tribulation], even now [in the Church
Age] there are many antichrists having come on the scene … They [antichrists,
believers in reverse process reversionism] have departed from us [they have
left the divine dynasphere, they function inside the cosmic system], at least
they were not with us; for if they had been with us [second class condition:
but they were not] they would have resided with us; that it might be
demonstrated that all believers are not with us.”
So again the principle: the cosmic system completely
changes your attitude about everything.
The principle of momentum testing
1. Momentum testing is designed with two things in
mind: first, opportunity for the application of doctrine learned at gate four.
Now you don’t apply all the doctrine you have learned every day, you apply
different doctrines to different situations and there are some doctrines that
have an application that is quite different, and that is in worship or our
unseen relationship with the Lord. The opportunity for application of doctrine
comes from perception of doctrine, the function of your royal priesthood,
whereas the application of doctrine is the function of your royal
ambassadorship. Momentum is designed so that you will have the opportunity for
application of doctrine. Secondly, momentum testing is designed to accelerate
your momentum.
2. No believer attains maturity apart from momentum
testing, all eight categories.
3. Spiritual growth results from perception of Bible
doctrine, but spiritual growth is accelerated through the application of that
doctrine to the categories of testing.
4. All suffering is divided into two categories:
suffering for testing and blessing; suffering for discipline and punishment.
5. No believer can fulfill the plan of God and
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ apart from momentum testing.
6. Therefore some of the testing in the divine dynasphere
is suffering and some of it is prosperity, but the testing actually exists in
eight categories for the purpose of application and acceleration of spiritual
growth.
7. All categories of testing in the divine dynasphere
are designed for blessing. Therefore whether blessing or prosperity, whether
adversity or some other form of suffering, the divine purpose is for your good.
8. Human volition plays an important part in testing
for the believer must make the right decisions based on his application of
Bible doctrine and his residence in the divine dynasphere.
9. Divine faithfulness also plays a very important
role in testing. 1 Corinthians 10:13 — “Testing has not caught up with you.”
God gives you the opportunity for capacity before the testing, just as He gives
you the opportunity for capacity before the prosperity. Nothing is any good
without capacity. The real secret to happiness is not prosperity, the real
secret to happiness is your capacity for it. Capacity is everything; prosperity
or adversity is incidental; “except the human kind; moreover God is faithful
[there is the wonderful provision of logistical grace], who will not permit you
to be tested beyond your capabilities [your capacity], but with the momentum
testing he will also provide a way out [a solution], so that you can carry the
pressure [whether it is pressure from prosperity or pressure from adversity].”
In going from gate four, the momentum gate, to gate
eight in God’s plan there are eight categories of momentum testing. We have
seen the first three so far: old sin nature testing, thought testing, and
people testing. These three are the beginning of tests and very few people
manage to survive these three so that they can continue their momentum. To pass
these three tests is to give acceleration to your spiritual momentum; to fail
these tests is to become involved in the cosmic system where there is great
unhappiness. Behind all of this is the principle that we must never forget: we
are the products of our own decisions. When we come to the place where we have
made an especially bad decision, and in that decision great catastrophe has
resulted, it is usually a series of decisions that bring us to that point. Bad decisions will destroy your life
and make you miserable and long before any divine discipline comes your way you
will be the product of your own bad decisions. You will be miserable, you will
be unhappy, and you will have brought it all on yourself. Taking responsibility
for your own decisions is a part of growing up, and once you begin to take the
responsibility for your own decisions as a believer you can then start looking
at solutions.
We find that in Laodicea the people were not taking
responsibility for their own decisions. The Laodiceans started out living in
the divine dynasphere and fulfilling God’s plan. Many of them had already
advanced to maturity but somewhere along the line prosperity came along and
they couldn’t pass the prosperity test. As a result of flunking the prosperity
test they moved into the cosmic system. We are now detailing some of the
solutions to failing the prosperity test. In the first three tests we have
noted the solution is rebound in the old sin nature test; the faith-rest drill
is the solution to thought testing; in people testing the solution is
impersonal love.
The Christian way of life actually falls into two
general categories which we might classify as invisible and visible. Under the
concept of invisible we have the warrant of the royal priesthood; under the
concept of visible we have the warrant of the royal ambassadorship. In the
invisible part of the Christian life the priest represents himself to God,
whereas the visible — the ambassador — represents God to mankind. One demands
perception of doctrine (the invisible), the other demands application of
doctrine (the visible). The invisible part of the Christian way of life demands
as a virtue personal love directed toward God. Personal love is only a virtue
when it is directed toward God. Personal love is virtuous in the human race
when it is backed by integrity. The counterpart in the visible function is
impersonal love directed toward all mankind.
All
problem-solving must have a base called virtue. You cannot solve your problem
relationships with people or your problem relationships with the circumstances
of life unless you have virtue. Motivating virtue is personal love for God,
perception of Bible doctrine at gate four. Problem-solving is the application
of that doctrine at gate four in the function of impersonal love. You have to
build up in your own soul a base not only for problem-solving but also a base
for happiness, a base for capacity when you are prosperous. Prosperous people
are just as miserable as any other category unless they have the capacity for
what they should be enjoying. There are two categories of virtue: motivational
and functional. All motivating virtues are manufactured inside the divine dynasphere
and directed toward God; all functional virtues are manufactured inside the
divine dynasphere and directed toward man. Impersonal love is really the index
to your character. It isn’t how personable you are, how attractive you are, how
successful you are. The real secret to your life is your ability to function
under impersonal love, the highest form of human virtue directed toward
mankind. Satan has developed in the cosmic system a substitute. He recognises
the dangers of impersonal love to his cosmic system whether you do or not and
therefor he has set up a substitute called motivational arrogance — crusader
arrogance, the social gospel, social action, etc. Behind it is an attempt to
find a substitute virtue in life for impersonal love. It doesn’t work because
it is functioning from the wrong base, the cosmic system, because what
motivates people in the cosmic system is arrogance. Arrogance has many
different manifestations.
Impersonal love toward mankind is virtuous while
personal love for mankind is virtue-dependant. In other words, if you are going
to perpetuate personal love with other human beings there must be virtue in
your life. Functional virtue is manufactured from residence and function inside
the divine dynasphere, especially at gate four. Impersonal love always emphasises
the virtue, the integrity, the honour of the subject. If the subject has honour,
integrity and virtue then the object of impersonal love always benefits because
the object does not have to seek that love by being attractive, or attentive,
or something that is very important to the subject. Personal love always emphasises
the object and the object can have virtue or no virtue but the object must have
something, however, that the subject likes. Therefore there is a vast
difference between personal and impersonal love. For example, impersonal love emphasises
the integrity of the subject and this, of course, is the basis for
problem-solving using yourself as a base. But the problem with personal love is
that it depends upon the attractiveness of the object and therefore it has not
virtue in itself, it is simply a basis of attractiveness and that, of course,
means a few. The imperative of life is impersonal love; the option of life is
personal love. Impersonal love is directed toward all. The object of impersonal
love is the entire human race, the attractive and the unattractive, whereas
personal love is always directed toward just a few. As a matter of fact
impersonal love is motivated by God but personal love is motivated by rapport.
Therefore there is a great distinction between personal and impersonal love.
Impersonal love is non-discriminating; personal love is very discriminating.
Personal love, by the way, is unfair; impersonal love is always fair.
Impersonal love is unconditional; personal love is conditional. Impersonal love
possesses the highest form of emotion; personal love possesses a limited form
of emotion. Impersonal love is a functional virtue; at best personal love (if
it is going to be perpetuated) is virtue-dependant. In other words, impersonal
love is only a virtue when it is directed toward all mankind. Impersonal love
is manufactured inside the divine dynasphere from perception of Bible doctrine.
But it isn’t the perception that manufactures the impersonal love, the perception
of doctrine manufactures the personal love toward God which motivates
impersonal love. Impersonal love is not sustained by the object of love but by
the doctrinal content of your soul. Impersonal love functions whether the
person is attractive or not, therefore impersonal love does not depend on
rapport with the object nor the attractiveness of the object. For this reason
impersonal love is a virtue, it is directed toward all mankind. It cannot be
corrupted or deceived by flattery or emotion or approbation or exploited by
arrogance. In other words, impersonal love is a relaxed mental attitude from
spiritual momentum. But more than that it is the application of doctrine to
people in circumstances. Therefore impersonal love becomes the antithesis of arrogance,
jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, self-pity, revenge modus operandi,
hatred, guilt subordination, etc.
The object of impersonal love can be an enemy or a
friend, a person who is unworthy or worthy, a person who is attractive or
unattractive, a person who is virtuous or evil. In other words, impersonal love
functions consistently whether faced with animosity and antagonism on the one
hand or love and admiration on the other hand. Just having that stable base of
impersonal love means that you have the ability not to be distracted in your
Christian life by people. One of the greatest dangers you face to spiritual
growth are the people around you, the people in your circumstances. Impersonal
love is not influenced by the attitudes of others toward you, but because of
doctrine resident in your soul and occupation with the person of Christ at gate
five you are on a solid basis for the application of doctrine to those who are
antagonistic toward you. Therefore, you see, impersonal love functions virtuously
toward all because of your honour, because of your integrity, not the beauty,
or the attractiveness of someone else. Impersonal love is not only the
fulfillment of the royal family honour code but it is the means of solving the
problems in your life, and it is your only hope for consistent happiness in
life whether you have disappointing human relationships or prosperity in human
relationships.
The role of personal love should not be ignored at
this particular time. Personal love toward man falls into two categories:
category romance [right-man, right-woman], and friendship or category three
love. Since there is not virtue in personal love for mankind personal love
makes the individual vulnerable to the tragic flaws of life. Personal love for
anyone is a manufacturing system for problems apart from virtue. Personal love
for anyone often makes the individual subjective, hypersensitive, have emphasis
on self. This produces subjectivity and hypersensitivity as manifestations of
arrogance. Personal love for anyone combines your personal problems with
theirs, resulting in the intensification of the stresses in life. Therefore
personal love for another human being often causes subjectivity, arrogance,
loss of good norms and standards, even sociopathic behaviour, psychosis, and so
on. Personal love for mankind is virtue dependent and it can only be sustained
by the virtue of impersonal love toward all.
What
motivates impersonal love? There are two categories depending on their
direction or object: virtue directed toward God which motivates; virtue
directed toward man which results as functional virtue. No one is capable of
fulfilling the requirements of impersonal love toward all mankind unless first
of all he has reached the point of occupation with the person of Jesus Christ.
And if the Lord is more real to you than anything else your priorities are
straight; Bible doctrine is still number one priority. That is so necessary of
you are going to be happy in life. Virtue directed toward God motivates virtue
directed toward man and personal love for God motivates impersonal love for
mankind. Motivating virtue is the motivating virtue of the royal family;
functional virtue is the modus operandi.
God has a playing field, as it were, boundaries for
the way in which the Christian way of life functions. We call it the divine dynasphere;
it is a power system. Gate one is the filling of the Spirit; gate two, basic
impersonal love; gate three, enforced and genuine humility. These three gates
support the momentum function of the Christian way of life which is gate four,
perception and application of Bible doctrine. Gate one is the filling of the
Spirit or the IQ.
The spiritual IQ
is a factor; human IQ is not necessary since momentum demands cognisance of Bible doctrine,
in fact inculcation. Gate two is objectivity in approaching the Word of God so
as to avoid all personality problems and other distractions that keep you from
benefiting from listening to Bible teaching. Gate three has to do with teachability,
both enforced and genuine humility are very definitely a part of orientation to
life.
Gate four, then, is the function of the Christian
way of life. First of all there is the perception of doctrine, the function of
our royal priesthood, and then there is application of doctrine, the function
of our royal ambassadorship. The function of our royal priesthood is directed
toward God. This produces motivating virtue. The application of our
ambassadorship is directed toward people and circumstances. It is the function
of our ambassadorship which generally lags behind in our spiritual growth.
Gate five is love of God and eventually is parlayed
into occupation with the person of Christ. Gate six, right-man, right-woman
where pertinent. The is the most personal and most intimate of all categories
of love in the human race. Gate seven has the crystallisation of virtue and
integrity in the life, also the modus operandi of friendship or category three
love. Gate eight is the objective, the advance to maturity.
We have studied in the past detailed mandates with
regard to our residence and function inside the divine dynasphere. The Laodicean
believers had failed in this matter. Many of them had already advanced to
maturity but they had been distracted and they had gone from the momentum line
into the cosmic system: cosmic one with its 26 gates of interlocking systems of
arrogance; cosmic two with its nine gates of interlocking systems of hatred.
They had been distracted and as a result of this they had failed primarily to
pass the prosperity test, which means most of them had already made great
spiritual advances at the time that they failed. We are noting their attitude
in verse 17 with regard to that particular problem.
All virtue and all significance and all solutions to
the problems of human relationship, social intercourse, are dependent upon the
possession of impersonal love. Impersonal love does not relate to any other
possession you may have. It does not relate to wealth or success in promotion
or any other factors in life that are associated with happiness. It is related
entirely to virtue and to integrity in the life and without impersonal love you
cannot solve the problems in your life. Without impersonal love you get into
gate one, cosmic one, and that of course is arrogance. In gate one of cosmic
one your arrogance will destroy any possibility of virtue residing in your
life. Instead of virtue in the life you have self-pity, preoccupation with
self, all of the things that are related to arrogance. Where you once said to
someone, I love you, now jealousy comes in and through that jealousy the
expression of various forms of evil; for jealousy is simply arrogance and
jealousy and arrogance are simply motivating evils. Therefore whether it is
bitterness or vindictiveness or implacability or revenge tactics or hatred
where were once there were the allegations of love it is an excellent
illustration of the fact that there is no virtue in personal love. The virtue
resides in impersonal love and solving the problems of life related to people
and circumstances demands the possession of virtue, for it is the virtue of
impersonal love that forms the base for solving your problems.
We do not believe in counseling people, and the
reason we do not is because counseling means that you are dependent on someone
else to solve your problems. You do not come to your problems suddenly, you
come to your problems by making decisions. You make decisions with regard to
your scale of values, your priorities in life; you make decisions with regard
to your modus vivendi in life, you associate with certain people, certain organisations,
certain individuals, whatever it is. You make decisions with regard to you
locale in life, you constantly make lot of decisions and then eventually down
the line you make decision X where the problem breaks out in all of its
intensity. Now you have a problem. Then having brought yourself to point X by a
number of decisions, and you are responsible for your own decisions, you go to
someone else and you seek counsel. And this is ludicrous because the good
advice they give you you may or you may not take, but the point is you made the
decisions to get there and you have to make the decisions to resolve the
problem. Therefore you have to have information to make your own decisions. You
not only have to have information but you have to have the integrity to make
the right decisions to solve this problem and either get back to square one or
move on to square X, Y and Z. It all depends on you. You have to get back to
the divine dynasphere. In order to do this you have to take Bible doctrine that
you have learned over the years and you have to apply it. And the problem is:
Why can’t you take all of this doctrine you have learned at gate four, why
can’t you apply the doctrines of the hypostatic union, of divine decrees, the
doctrine of our Lord’s impeccability, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation,
imputation? Why can’t you apply, for example, the doctrine of election which is
so important in problem-solving. The answer is that these doctrine pertaining
to our Lord and to His plan cannot be applied in your life because the system
for application calls for a virtue called impersonal love, and if you don’t
have it you can’t make the application. Impersonal love is the sum total of
your virtue and your integrity applied to all people — not to some people but
to all people — and your attitude toward unattractive people, your attitude
toward people who are antagonistic, your attitude toward those with whom you
have a natural personality conflict is realty the key to your life and your
ability to apply doctrine to experience. If you do not have the attitude of
virtue, honour, love and integrity toward those who are antagonistic toward
you, toward those you would otherwise despise, toward those who irritate you,
then you will never be successful in your personal relationships in life and
you will never enjoy a longtime friendship and you will never have the
perpetuation of love between yourself and a member of the opposite sex.
The existence of arrogance cuts off any possibility
of the application of doctrine to experience. Yet that is why we are here, not
only to learn doctrine and grow but to apply doctrine. That is why God has
given us in the spiritual momentum line eight different momentum tests. We have
to pass those tests to get to gate eight and that is the problem with the Laodiceans,
they had moved up very close to gate eight. Some of them were already there and
then they flunked some of these tests, and so as goes the second momentum test
so goes your life because that is people testing. You can’t live very long in
this life without having contact with other people. If you cannot be objective
about people you cannot be objective about circumstances and therefore you
cannot be objective about life.
While personal love is directed toward mankind in a
selective sense, emphasising the attractiveness of the object and related to a
few people, impersonal love is non-discriminating. It emphasises the virtue,
the honour, the integrity of the subject and it relates to all mankind and
fulfills the mandate, “Love everyone.” Impersonal love is very personal but it
has a different direction, the direction is your own life. You must be
objective, you must have virtue and integrity from life and residence and function
in the divine dynasphere. The pattern of impersonal love as the ultimate
functional virtue, then, is the essence of God or the interaction of divine
attributes in infinite and eternal God and the emphasis on that subject. For
example we have studied before the fact that God is love. God’s love is
perfect, it is infinite, it is eternal, it is based on His integrity which is
His holiness, composed of His righteousness and justice. How can we ever have a
personal love for someone unless you can be fair, there is the concept of
justice, unless you have enough integrity and therefore enough honour to
graciously handle their faults and not take offense. God’s love has always
existed without an object and this in itself boggles the mind because God has
always been love, there never was a time when God did not exist. He has always
been love but He doesn’t have to have an object to be love. That is the secret
to impersonal love: the presence of integrity, the presence of virtue, the
stability of virtue and integrity in the life, which means that God’s love does
not fluctuate, it does not discriminate, it does not depend upon merit or the
attractiveness of the object. The attributes of divine integrity become the
pattern therefore for human impersonal love, love as a virtue. In other words,
for impersonal love as a virtue directed toward all mankind there must be an
attitude of soul, there must be an objectivity, there must be everything found
in the divine dynasphere. God the Father invented the divine dynasphere as a
system for the function of impersonal love.
The functional virtue of impersonal love is the sum
total of the believer’s honour, integrity and objectivity manufactured from
Bible doctrine resident in the soul. There must be doctrine first, there must
be truth. Truth is the basis for the crystallisation of integrity in your life.
The emphasis of impersonal love is always the spiritual momentum and the virtue
of the believer as the subject of love. Therefore impersonal love is
unconditional as far as the object is concerned. It is unprejudiced, tolerant,
courteous, considerate, now matter how great the stress of antagonism. The
relaxed mental attitude, then, of impersonal love is the antithesis of gate
one, cosmic one, where we have arrogance, jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness,
implacability, self-pity, guilt reaction or revenge motivation. Impersonal
love, then, as a virtue is not only manufactured inside the divine dynasphere
but can only function when the believer resides in that divine dynasphere.
Inside the cosmic system any former category of human love becomes hypocrisy.
It really becomes preoccupation with self and in effect it says: “I love you
because of what you can do for me.” That is the hypocrisy of human love, there
is no virtue in that, you love people for all the wrong reasons and there is no
happiness in it.
When it is said that impersonal love is
unconditional it means that it has no merit as a sign to the object. When the
object has no attractiveness is not the issue, that is the issue in personal
love, not in impersonal love. All motivation of course for the function of
impersonal love must originate in your relationship to God as a Christian. That
takes us back to, What is Christianity? It is the function of your royal
priesthood, it is the function of your royal ambassadorship. Your priesthood
functions toward God, your ambassadorship functions toward man and
circumstances. God is invisible to us and is only known through perception of
Bible doctrine, and if He is real to you through the perception of Bible
doctrine so that you love Him on the basis of doctrine — doctrine is the secret
to knowing God and therefore loving Him — then the same principle is applied to
mankind under the same principle of impersonal love. Personal love is a
motivating virtue toward God; impersonal love is a functional virtue directed
toward man. Once you start doing things on the basis of what people do to you,
you are a slave. Someone offends you, you offend them back; someone talks about
you, you do it right back to them. Once you do that you are in the cosmic
system, you are a slave. You are Satan’s slave and you will spend your whole
life responding and reacting and being miserable. People who go from response
to someone who is attractive to reaction to someone who is antagonistic are
unstable and miserable, and if it goes on long enough it can even result in
psychopathic and sociopathic modus operandi.
So impersonal love as a virtue originates from the
motivation of the love of God. Personal love of people is a distraction to your
relationship with God if you put it first. Impersonal love for people is a
manifestation of your love of God. But if in his preoccupation with self, his
arrogance, his hypersensitivity, the believer kicks his enemies in the teeth
and smiles at his friends he is a problem.
So the modus operandi of impersonal love is the problem-solver
of our first three momentum tests. And as a functional virtue which can be
observed and noted by others it is the obvious manifestation of dynamic
spiritual living — that is, impersonal love as a functional virtue. Dynamic
spiritual living is residence and function in the divine dynasphere. The divine
dynasphere is invisible but the function of its virtue is visible and
impressive, the testimony of your royal ambassadorship. This is why impersonal
love is imperative while personal love is optional, and the believer in Jesus
Christ being both a priest and an ambassador has two functions. His priesthood
leads to motivating virtue and his ambassadorship leads to functional virtue
and therefore the two functions of gate four are involved: the perception of
doctrine and the application of doctrine. Perception of doctrine is related to
motivating virtue; application of doctrine is related to functional virtue.
This is the problem-solving process. You must have a base from which to solve
your own problems, sooner or later you must become spiritually self-sustaining.
You don’t have to consult the counsel of others if you are consistent in your
intake of doctrine, what you need is to function the base of impersonal love.
Many times your problems come from the antagonisms of others, real or imagined,
and you have no way of solving these things unless you have virtue, the virtue
of impersonal love. The function of impersonal love is the panacea for
personality conflicts, the solution to the problems of personal relationships
and, of course, human interaction the dynamic impact of functional virtue in
society. For this reason personal love is optional in your life but impersonal
love is God’s mandate. Unconditional
personal love is non-existent for all personal love is conditional and
selective. Man saturated with arrogance, preoccupied with himself cannot
possibly sustain human relationships. Therefore personal love in the human race
depends on virtue. Without honour, integrity, virtue impersonal love will never
be successful or genuine. This expresses the principle that personal love in
the human race is virtue dependent.
The cosmic system has a lot to offer you. It offers
you great unhappiness. For example, the cosmic system often duplicates the
blessings that God provides for the believer in the divine dynasphere, it
offers you wealth, wealth without honour and therefore misery. It offers you
success but success without integrity and therefore unhappiness. It offers you
promotion but it promotes you beyond your ability, your capacity and your
integrity, and therefore the promotion brings great unhappiness. It offers you
approbation without achievement, a hypocrisy designed to make you miserable. It
offers you love without virtue and love without virtue is one of the greatest
frustrations in life and it results in the functions of a frantic search for
happiness. All of these things can be yours in the cosmic system and you will
notice what is missing: capacity — capacity for love, capacity for happiness,
capacity for blessing. So it is really the integrity of impersonal love that
really is the base for solving your own problems. The object of impersonal love
can be known or unknown; the object of impersonal love can be an enemy or a
friend, it can be someone who is attractive or someone who is antagonistic,
someone who is virtuous or someone who is evil. Impersonal love perpetuates its
virtue and integrity and honour without discrimination or without making any
distinctions. Impersonal love cannot be destroyed by hatred.
Our Lord did not react to the injustice of the
cross, the arrogance, the hypocrisy, the self-righteousness and all the evil
functions directed toward His person in hypostatic union. He treated the human
race with impersonal love. This is described at the Praetorium where he picked
up His cross, and therefore the mandate to us: “Take up your cross and follow
me.” What is taking up your cross and following Him? Some form of
self-sacrifice? No. It is the construction of impersonal love in your life, the
construction of virtue through the consistent perception of Bible doctrine.
Personal love for God motivated His impersonal love in going to the cross, and
the cross includes the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. The person
was motivated by a love for God and in bearing our sins we have impersonal love
directed toward the entire human race. That is why the bread of the communion
table reminds us of our Lord’s motivating virtue of personal love toward God
the Father, while the cup reminds us of our Lord’s functional virtue of
impersonal love toward all mankind. Impersonal love, then, follows the precept
that we are never to love people as an entity — category “all” — because of who
and what they are. That would be personal. But under the virtue of impersonal
love we are to love all people because of who and what we are. Believers
motivated by personal love for God and functioning under the virtue of
impersonal love for all are those who have reached the place of problem-solving
in their lives, and with problem-solving comes the stability of great
happiness. Because impersonal love extrapolates honour, integrity and virtue
from residence inside the divine dynasphere it disregards malice, hatred,
hostility, antagonism, implacability, vindictiveness in others. It substitutes
the virtue of impersonal love and therefore tolerance and objectivity toward
all. Therefore impersonal love is strong, it is dynamic, because it does not
depend on approbation. It doesn’t depend upon human recognition or attention or
flattery or patronage, but it depends on Bible doctrine which manufactures the
motivating virtue inside the divine dynasphere. While the motivating virtue of
impersonal love is invisible the function is very visible to all. Sensitivity
is the impact of impersonal love in thoughtfulness of others, it manifests
itself in good manners and willingness to accommodate one’s self to an
individual or group. This is true in business, professional life, academic
life, social life, every category of life. This means that the function of
sensitivity combines the virtue of impersonal love with the virtue of enforced
and genuine humility to make the dynamic person.
What we have today are primarily believers who
cannot apply doctrine and this is, of course, hypersensitivity, the arrogant
function of the believer in the cosmic system. This was the problem with the Laodiceans.
They were lukewarm, they were in category hypersensitivity. Sensitivity is
objective; hypersensitivity is subjective. Sensitivity is virtuous;
hypersensitivity is arrogance. Hypersensitivity is arrogant preoccupation with
self or the subjective function of making false issue out of one’s self.
Hypersensitive people function under the demand syndrome and they use a number
of strategies to get their own way or to control their own periphery or the
people around them. The obsession of self-importance plus preoccupation of
subjective arrogance eventuates in superimposing one’s will or one’s opinion on
a group and simultaneously be insensitive with regard to the opinions of that
group. Hypersensitive people are always insensitive to the feelings of others.
The sensitivity of impersonal love is the impact of this functional virtue: no
hypersensitivity, no arrogant subjectivity which, of course, is divorced from
reality. Sensitivity is a part of impersonal love and it is virtuous, it is
objective, it is totally oriented to reality and used as impersonal love to
deal with reality and to solve the problems of life. The Laodiceans had failed
with regard to this matter.
In verse 17 the
particular test is a prosperity test. There are nine momentum tests in
advancing from gate four to gate eight. Gate four is the momentum gate with its
perception and application of doctrine. Gate eight is the ultimate objective of
spiritual maturity. We have already seen the cosmic perspective and its failure
in the first half of verse 17: “Because you say, quote: I am rich, in fact I
have become very wealthy [prosperity test], and I have need of nothing
[flunking the prosperity test].” We have noted that prosperity testing occurs
for a nation or city or an individual where the three categories of manifest
destiny are combined under the leadership of the industrial complex. The result
of flunking the prosperity test on the part of a client nation of God is very
simple. There is social degeneration, economic decline, and eventually military
disaster.
When some form of wealth or prosperity comes to the
believer one of two things happens to him as an individual. He either remains
in the divine dynasphere and has the capacity for prosperity from perception
and application of doctrine, primarily the application of doctrine, the stabilising
of his priorities, maintaining Bible doctrine is number one in his scale of
values. That is the one who passes the prosperity test. Or he becomes inflamed
with arrogance and he takes his prosperity into the cosmic system where it
makes him miserable for life. His misery is not divine discipline, at least not
at first. His misery comes from his own decisions. Bad decisions are the cause
of misery and unhappiness in life. Each one of us must take the responsibility
for his own decisions and when we fail to do so we fail to recognise that we
bring about most of the trouble we have in this life. We bring it about by our
own personal decisions. God adds to those decisions and self-induced misery
eventually by warning discipline.
Wealth or prosperity in the divine dynasphere in the
divine dynasphere is a fantastic blessing but wealth or prosperity in the
cosmic system is the Laodicean syndrome. The believer flunks the prosperity
test when riches or wealth or promotion or success change his priorities so
that Bible doctrine is no longer number one priority in his life. No believer
survives the prosperity test when his wealth or success or promotion or
approbation comes between him and Bible doctrine. The prosperity test id
therefore far more subtle, far more difficult than the adversity. Without
capacity for wealth and prosperity wealth, riches, fame and approbation result
in a frantic search for happiness, and a frantic search for happiness leads to
the destruction of right priorities and eventually winds up in the cosmic
system, the last place you will ever find happiness. And so the principle we
have been studying: Your capacity should always precede your prosperity,
otherwise prosperity takes you into the cosmic system and great misery.
“Because you say I am rich.” There is nothing wrong
with that. The problem comes from the next phrase: “and I have need of
nothing.” The Laodicean Christians had been exposed to doctrinal teaching from
four great pastors — Epaphras, Timothy, John Mark and the apostle John. The
reaction stated here indicates negative volition after first of all being
positive. These people became successful and as they became prosperous they
suddenly put Bible doctrine way back in the scale of values and they put other
things first. Inevitably they went into the cosmic system so that all of the
great Bible teaching which they had was absolutely useless. And, as we shall
see, many of them will capsize in life — the sin unto death — for their own
decisions had caused the Laodiceans to succumb to cosmic evangelism which
functions during prosperity testing. Whatever spiritual advances had been made
are now negated. Some of them were actually mature believers. This is why they
are described as lukewarm. They had once been hot in a state of maturity, now
they had cooled off. Only positive volition toward doctrine inside the divine dynasphere
will maintain the right priorities to avoid the cosmic trap, and only the daily
perception of Bible doctrine in the divine dynasphere will provide the mature
believer for the necessary capacity for prosperity. And, again, your capacity
should always precede your prosperity, otherwise your prosperity will become a
trap instead of a blessing. That is why we have been studying momentum testing.
We have noted the principles of momentum testing and
then the actual categories. The first test was the old sin nature test, the
second test was people testing -one of the places where you will discover in a
hurry whether you will ever be capable of passing the prosperity test, because
people can only become a distraction to perception of doctrine and residence in
the divine dynasphere (in other words, the plan of God) when the believer
places human relationships above Bible doctrine. So whether it is social life
or sexual life or business life or professional life or any category of life
that you choose to use, whenever prosperity takes precedence over doctrine
because you become too infatuated with people and what they think of you, then
you are in trouble and you have made your own trouble. Personal hatred,
animosity or attraction can trap the believer in the cosmic system. The
solution to people testing is the function of the believer inside the divine dynasphere
and the base of impersonal love. Then the third test is thought testing which
is generally related to the believer’s negative volition toward doctrine.
There are two ways to be negative toward doctrine.
Inside of Satan’s cosmic one there is preoccupation with self; inside of cosmic
two there is antagonism toward doctrine. Often this is a combination,
preoccupation with self plus antagonism toward doctrine. Certain doctrines are
pleasing to you, certain ones are not. We all have areas where doctrine is very
critical of us and therefore we must have humility, we must have objectivity,
we must have the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, and not to take it as a
criticism from the person but criticism from the content of doctrine, therefore
from God Himself. This is the beauty of having the policy in the congregation
of privacy. You come into the congregation as a private individual. If you are
a believer you hear under the privacy of your royal priesthood and you can sit
under the teaching of the Word knowing that no one knows your personal business
or problems. But the point is that if you are ever going to grow there are
certain things where the Bible will be critical of your problem — we all have
different ones — and when we face this criticism as it is communicated you
cannot take it personally as from a person, but we must take it objectively
under the ministry of the Spirit as from God. But the issue of privacy is the
whole issue in the congregation. You must have privacy so that you can take in
doctrine.
Thought testing, then, is generally related to
negative volition. Thought distraction is another way of putting it. Thought
distraction can relate to one’s arrogance or preoccupation with self, or
hypersensitivity. It can also originate from prejudice, inflexibility, unteachability,
which is just another way of saying arrogance. For if you have prejudice and
inflexibility, lack of teachability (which means lack of humility), inability
to take criticism from the Word, this is of course the symptoms of arrogance.
Many times doubts in thought testing result from neglect of systematic teaching
of the Word of God, plus wrong priorities and lack of consistency in the
function of GAP.
Too often the believer is not interested in the variety of subjects found in
the Bible and is motivated to the function of GAP only when the subject may interest him.
The solution to thought testing includes not only
the rebound technique but the three stages of the faith-rest drill.
System testing:
Sooner or later all of us get into systems. If you are in the academic
pipe you are in a system. If you play in a team you are in a system. If you go
to a church you are in a system. If ,you are working in a business you are in a
system. If you function in a professional organisation you are in a system. Any
kind of group of people organised are a system and the world is filled with
both good systems and bad systems. The testing usually comes in a bad system,
but not always. It comes into existence historically because of the genius of
Satan and the evil of the cosmic system. It is not stretching it to say, however,
that some bad systems are only bad because of your approach to them. When you
enter some organisation and you seek to undermine the authority of that organisation,
you seek to destroy the honour and integrity there, then of course that is your
fault. But inevitably all systems are going to react against some person or
some individual and a bad system always has its victims. If you are the victim
of a bad system you face a test. Are you going to be bitter? Are you going to
be vindictive? Are you going to seek to destroy that system? If you have
changed jobs from one business to another, if you have changed professions, and
one system has maltreated you, it is a test. Are you going to allow the rest of
your life to be coloured by what has happened to you in that system? That is
the problem. A bad system always has its victims.
Many organisations are legitimate and have worthy
objectives but they are neutralised by their involvement in the cosmic system
through one of three factors: the problem of personnel, the problem of the
policy, the objectives of the system. First of all you look at the objectives
of the system. When you enter a system the objective is to make money, to make
profit. An organisation will have system of authority. That comes under
personnel. And there are certain policies and you may grumble about the
policies. But you say, “I am a Christian, I don’t have to do those things, I am
above those organisations, I am not going to comply.” That is arrogance and
your Christianity is lived under the rulership of Satan in the cosmic system.
Therefore believers in a legitimate system can become the victim of bad
management. You may have a boss over you who is a nitwit. What are you going to
do? Are you going to comply or not? If you stay in the organisation you must
comply. If you get out of the organisation then get out of the organisation
without disturbing the organisation. You should get out without disturbing the
structure of the organisation. If you stay in the system you have to do your
job as unto the Lord, and “under the Lord” is a little more complicated than
you first realised. It means you are not entitled to any bitterness because of
unfair treatment. You are not entitled to any antagonism because you have been
maltreated. You are not entitled to any of the functions of gate one, cosmic
one, and you have flunked system testing when you become bitter or jealous or
vindictive, or you seek to overthrow or undermine the authority structure in
the system.
The believer in a legitimate system can become the
victim of bad management. That means personality and management conflict so
that system testing requires the function of impersonal love. If you have
impersonal love you are going to pass most of these tests because, you see,
people cannot get to you. You treat people from your integrity and honour
rather than treating them on the basis of their attitude toward you. Many organisations
of life have become rotten and corrupt when the leadership of that organisation
becomes involved in the cosmic system. When believers are the victim of a
rotten system they must use impersonal love when dealing with people and they
must use doctrinal rationales in dealing with situations. There are two bases
then, the one we have studied, impersonal love in dealing with people, and the
doctrinal rationales in dealing with circumstances or situations. One requires
the faith-rest drill, one requires the application of your integrity. Sooner or
later you are going to be unfairly treated by a system and the honour and the
integrity of your soul plus the doctrinal rationales will bring you out with
flying colours. To flunk system testing is a deterrent to the momentum of your
spiritual life, the advance to maturity. To flunk system testing results in the
believer himself becoming a new convert to the cosmic system of Satan through
reaction to injustice rather than response to doctrine. Self-pity, bitterness,
hatred, implacability, vindictiveness, revenge modus operandi, all of which
takes the problem of a bad system out of the Lord’s hands, puts them in yours
and guarantees no solution. System testing, then, is a major source of peer
ostracism and in facing system testing there are the options of separation from
the system or the option of living within the system itself and coping with it
through the function of your impersonal love, which is the base for the
application of doctrine to people, or the function of the rationales of the
second stage of the faith-rest drill: the logistical grace rationale, the plan
of God rationale, the divine attribute rationale, the imputation rationale.
Various doctrines and the rationales are the means of making application of
those doctrines to circumstances.
In most cases of system testing it is living within
the system that is the most difficult and sooner or later you are going to have
to live within a system which is unfair to you, and you should stay with that
system until the Lord’s testing in that field is over. Then if you depart from
that system you should do so without bitterness, without rancour without
complaining about those who have “despitefully used you.” If the rotten system
is a church, and there are rotten system churches — one that does not teach
doctrine, one that involves the communist party or social action — then separation
is the best decision provided you do it properly. The only way to do it
properly is to separate without complaining about the pastor or the people or
the false doctrine. Just simply get out and do not complain. To the extent that
you complain and run these people down you share their discipline.
The direct attack of cosmic one: the 26 gates of
cosmic one, the arrogance system.
The direct attack of cosmic two: the 9 gates of
cosmic two, the interlocking systems of hatred.
Disaster testing: All of us sooner or later
face major disasters. Everything we ever learned, whether it is applied
directly to the situation or directly to ourselves. Every time you learn a
doctrine that doctrine holds two things for you. First of all it is going to
apply to some circumstance in life, and secondly that doctrine is going to
apply to you as an individual. When you learn a doctrine it always has
something you need to know, and that something that you need to know will some
day be applied in the circumstances of adversity. You are going to face sooner
or later the great adversities of this life and when you do the doctrine which
has strengthened you can be applied to the situation. Once you learn a doctrine
as e)pignwsij it becomes a part of you, it
becomes a part of your strength and it gives you something that is necessary
for application in adversity — flexibility, which is absolutely necessary in
adverse circumstances. Every kind of storm requires a different system of
seamanship, and all kinds of storms in your life require different
applications. But none of these applications are any good if you personally are
arrogant. Arrogance destroys application. You must be humble and therefore
flexible; you must search through and find the proper application for the
proper situation. God is going to permit a certain number of disasters in your
life not of your own making. There is testing for blessing, for acceleration of
spiritual growth. Remember, there are two kinds of suffering for the believer:
suffering for discipline and suffering for blessing. The issue in suffering for
divine discipline is sin; the issue in suffering for blessing is momentum —
spiritual growth. The status for suffering for discipline: the believer is in
the cosmic system; the status for suffering for blessing: the believer is in
the divine dynasphere. The category of divine discipline — suffering for
discipline: the suffering is unbearable; the category for suffering for
blessing: it is bearable and actually contributes to your blessing. The
viewpoint of suffering for discipline is arrogance and subjectivity; the
viewpoint of suffering for blessing is humility and objectivity. There is you
application. The solution to suffering for discipline is the rebound technique;
the solution to suffering for blessing is using impersonal love as the base in
dealing with personnel problems and the doctrine rationales of the second stage
of the faith-rest drill for the circumstances of adversity. The result of
suffering for discipline is cursing turned to blessing when the solution is
used, and the result of suffering for blessing is spiritual growth and
acceleration.
Hedonism is a philosophical concept: the pursuit of
pleasure in life to the exclusion of truth and doctrine; the highest function
in life is pleasure. This, of course rearranges one’s scale of values. Hedonism
contends that the moral duty of man is fulfilled in the gratification of
pleasure-seeking instincts as his modus vivendi. The rise of hedonism among
believers indicates their failure to pass the prosperity test.
There is a great deal of pleasure and a great deal
of happiness for all believers but it doesn’t come by first of all seeking
pleasure. It comes from seeking the Lord through Bible doctrine, and then, of
course, there is a tremendous buildup of capacity. Capacity for life, capacity
for love, capacity for happiness must precede prosperity. Seeking happiness
outside the divine dynasphere, then, is a dead end. The cosmic system can offer
anything in this world: success, promotion, material prosperity, fame, social
life, sexual pleasure, anything but happiness. Prosperity related to capacity
for happiness is one of the great blessings of the divine dynasphere but
prosperity related to the cosmic system results in misery, unhappiness,
frustration with all of the accouterments of superficialities of prosperity and
happiness. Again, the principle: for happiness capacity must and always precede
prosperity, otherwise prosperity is distorted into a system of misery.
Principle
1. Every believer must pass the prosperity test
before he can achieve spiritual maturity and before he can enjoy the great
prosperity and blessings of supergrace.
2. Capacity for blessings of the supergrace status
comes from the construction of the edification complex of the soul. Every floor
of the edification complex contributes to your capacity for life, your capacity
for happiness, your capacity for prosperity.
3. Prosperity is the most subtle distraction to life
in the divine dynasphere and therefore the greatest distraction to fulfilling
the plan of God for your life. And, again, there is nothing wrong with
prosperity, it is what is wrong with the people who can’t handle prosperity.
4. Prosperity cannot bring happiness with it unless
the believer is living in the divine dynasphere and consistently taking in
Bible doctrine.
5. Therefore for true happiness and prosperity the
believer must live in the divine dynasphere. He must function at its various
gates, especially gate four [perception and application of doctrine]. Capacity
for life, capacity for blessing, capacity for happiness cannot be separated
from the filling of the Spirit at gate one, from basic impersonal love at gate
two, from enforced and genuine humility at gate three [there is no happiness in
life without humility].
6. Therefore the prosperity test is vitally
necessary before reaching maturity…
7. … because passing the prosperity test
consolidates the believer’s scale of values resulting in stabilising the right
priorities of life, and gives the capacity so that prosperity can be enjoyed.
Capacity must precede prosperity.
8. Passing the prosperity test gives stability to
spiritual maturity. The mature believer never depends on his prosperity but he
always depends on the Source of his prosperity. Prosperity can come or go but
he Source of prosperity is always there, God Himself and logistical grace.
We have noticed eight categories of
momentum tests. We should notice, then, that the mature believer is characterised
by consistent victory in these eight categories of human testing. We should
also note that only the mature believer is qualified to handle these tests on a
consistent basis. This means that all momentum in the Christian life depends on
the categories of testing for its acceleration or for spiritual growth in
advance to maturity. You see, growth is not simply an extension of the frame,
the base, by perception of doctrine. Spiritual growth is the putting on of the
muscle and the power and the strength from the application of that doctrine to
experience. Every category of testing demands that doctrine should have already
been perceived and perception of doctrine means having answers. But the
perception is not the whole story, it is the application of doctrine.
The application of doctrine comes
from two basic functions: the base of impersonal love and the second stage of
the faith-rest drill, reverse concentration in the use of doctrinal rationales.
Impersonal love must be a part of the integrity of your life and the second
stage of the faith-rest drill must be organised into its proper rationales for
instant application of doctrine. Superficial Christians spend all of their
lives trying to apply a verse to a situation and you will never get past the
sophomore stage of the Christian life that way. You have to have verses in
order to give you the ability to think and therefore to apply doctrine. These
verses are to remove fear or panic from your soul brought about by pressure,
but claiming a promise will not take you past stabilising your soul for
thought. It is the reverse thinking that counts and therefore you can claim
promises until doomsday and you will never solve your problems. All stage one
of stage one of the faith-rest drill is designed for is to remove fear. If you
have fear or some extreme emotional activity in your soul you cannot think, and
if you cannot think you cannot apply. Therefore probably the greatest weakness
we have is failure to apply doctrine, failure to use as the base of all modus
operandi impersonal love. You are just simply not passing people testing,
prosperity testing especially. Failure to pass the prosperity test results in
cosmic involvement and, of course, the retrogression of your spiritual life,
whereas passing the momentum tests result s in spiritual growth, the
fulfillment of God’s plan in your life, the advance to the objective of
spiritual maturity and the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one
ever loses by glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ. Passing a momentum test also
results in historical impact, the uptrend of history, blessing by association
and the prosperity of contemporary history. As goes the believer so goes the
trends of history, as we have noted. After reaching gate eight these tests
become the characteristic of the mature believer. The mature believer, ninety
per cent of the time, will pass the eight momentum tests. No believer can
maintain maturity without consistency in facing the momentum tests and
continuing to pass them.
In the next part of verse 17 we begin to see the
real situation when you flunk one of the tests. First of all we notice that
flunking comes from ignorance, just like in academic circles. If you are
ignorant of a subject you flunk it. If you know the subject you pass it in
varying degrees of passing it. Ignorance is the most serious of all spiritual
problems. Not sin, but ignorance! Sin comes from volition and sin can be
handled where there is cognisance of doctrine. Where there is ignorance of
doctrine neither sin nor anything else can be handled properly.
So we have the result of cosmic involvement, the
ignorance of the cosmic believer. We start out with the emphatic use of the
conjunction kai, meaning here “in fact.”
Then we have the perfect o)ida, the perfect form of the
verb used as a present tense for ignorance in this case because with this
present active indicative we have the negative o)uk,
“in fact you do not know.” That is the worst problem in the spiritual life.
Ignorance: not having doctrinal facts, not understanding. The progressive
present tense is for an action in the state of persistence, the ignorance which
comes from the believer living in the cosmic system. Human viewpoint, Satanic
viewpoint results. The active voice: the cosmic believer produces the action of
the verb through ignorance. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality
of the ignorance of the cosmic believer regarding his status quo.
With this we have the conjunction o(ti used after verbs of ignorance to describe the areas
of ignorance involved and the human viewpoint developed from living in the
cosmic system. This is the ignorance of the believer who flunks the prosperity
test in this context. The principle is very simple: ignorance guarantees
failure. We are talking about spiritual life failure, failure to follow the
Lord. No doctrine; no dynamics. No divine dynasphere; no fulfillment of the
plan of God for your life. In place of strength there is weakness and out of
this weakness comes disaster from cosmic living.
The present active indicative of e)imi, the verb to be, follows. It
should be translated: “in fact you do not know that you are.” The present tense
is a descriptive present for the true status of the cosmic believer who flunks
momentum testing. The active voice: the cosmic believer produces the action.
The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of the true status of the
cosmic believer.
There are five words which follow, each word is in
the nominative case and is a predicate nominative after the verb to be. It
describes the cosmic believer in his failure to pass the prosperity test. The
first word is talaipwroj and it connotes no capacity
for prosperity when living in the cosmic system. It is a compound adjective, it
is made up of the verb telaiw which means to endure and
with it we have pwroj means callous or scar
tissue. Therefore when you put the two together it simply means to endure
calluses on your feet. We translate it to be miserable, wretched, distressed.
It also connotes poor in quality, therefore no capacity for prosperity. We will
simply translate it: “in fact you do not know that you are miserable.” You can
be stimulated by some form of pleasure and during the stimulation not know that
you are miserable. The status quo is miserable because you really do not have
the capacity for the stimulation of pleasure nor for any form of prosperity
which brings it about. Capacity must precede prosperity otherwise prosperity
first makes one miserable and then destroys the believer. For the cosmic
believer prosperity becomes a source of misery or wretchedness. Only the
believer living in the divine dynasphere could possibly have the prosperity and
make the prosperity enjoyable — the capacity. There is nothing more miserable
than a cosmic believer with money or some other form of prosperity. He is not
only miserable himself but he generally contributes to the misery of others in
his periphery. Under the historical trend he contributes to the downfall of his
country: as goes the believer so goes the client nation to God. Wealth plus
frustration equals misery, wretchedness. Wealth, frustration and misery result
in conversion to Satanic systems — socialism, communism, hedonism,
lasciviousness and many others of the distorted kind.
The second predicate nominative is a little shorter
word as far as syllables in the Greek — e)leeinoj which means no happiness from prosperity when living in the cosmic
system, just as our first one meant no capacity for prosperity when living in
the cosmic system. This adjective means pitiful or to be pitied. It also means
lamentable or insignificant or despicable, “you do not know that you are
miserable and despicable.”
The third one is ptwkoj. The adjective meant begging
originally, dependent on others for support. It also came to mean poor,
miserable, beggarly, but it also means impotent, loss of strength. When we put
it all together it is: “in fact you do not know that you are miserable [no capacity
for prosperity], and despicable [no happiness from prosperity], and impotent
[poor, beggarly, miserable, connoting spiritual poverty in the cosmic system,
lack of spiritual strength guaranteeing cosmic weakness].”
Number four is the predicate nominative tufloj which means no perception or application of
doctrine. Believers living in the cosmic system could have learned doctrine,
could have notebooks filled with doctrinal principles and cannot apply them in
the cosmic system. From the cosmic system there is no application of doctrine
and you start a recessive concept of forgetting what you knew the longer you
stayed in the cosmic system. We are going to translate it as it is: “blind.” It
is an adjective meaning blindness, here is means mental and spiritual
blindness, blackout of the soul, scar tissue of the soul.
Number five is gumnoj
which is correctly translated “naked.” It means no uniform of honour can be
worn when you live in the cosmic system. The uniform of honour is the invisible
status of the mature believer living in the divine dynasphere. He is fulfilling
the royal family honour code, he is producing virtue and integrity through
residence and function inside the divine dynasphere.
Translation of the entire verse: “Because you say,
quote: I am rich, in fact I have become very wealthy [prosperity test], and I
have need of nothing [flunking the prosperity test]; in fact you do not know
that you are miserable [no capacity for prosperity in the cosmic system], and
despicable [no happiness from prosperity when living in the cosmic system], and
impotent [poor beggarly, miserable, connoting spiritual poverty in the cosmic
system], and blind [no perception or application of doctrine when involved in
the cosmic system], and naked [no uniform of honour when living in the cosmic
system].”
The results, then, of cosmic involvement are obvious
from this translation. The principle is a very simple one and a very short one:
spiritual blindness and nakedness makes the believer helpless as far as God’s
plan is concerned. People who are physically blind and, of course, without
clothing cannot function in society. Disorientation to the plan of God is what
is being said here, but there is more than that being said here. There is no
way that you as a believer are ever going to have any happiness apart from
God’s plan for your life — the divine dynasphere, residence therein. The
function at gate four, perception and application of doctrine, the development
of capacity before you receive the blessing. God often punishes people,
disciplines them, by giving them prosperity without capacity. When people are punished
by adversity they simply grit their teeth and carry on but when people are
punished by prosperity it is devastating. To have prosperity and no capacity
for it is one of the most miserable conditions in the world and this is what
this passage is saying. Without spiritual sight from doctrine and the integrity
plus virtue of the uniform of honour the believer cannot survive in the devil’s
world. You and I as believers cannot survive in the cosmic system. Blessing
when you are in adversity or prosperity comes from being in the divine dynasphere
but when you have either adversity or prosperity in the cosmic system it is the
worst kind of punishment. So God blesses by both adversity and prosperity to
the believer in the divine dynasphere but God punishes by adversity and
prosperity the believer in the cosmic system. Believers in the cosmic system
are slaves to Satan. They are liable for self-induced misery from wrong
decisions, and divine discipline as the only form of spiritual teaching to
which they can respond.
Verse 18. We move now to recovery from the cosmic
system in verse eighteen. Obviously the first problem in recovery is to
rebound. After that to sort out your priorities and decide what is best for you
in life and what should have first place in your scale of values. The problems
that believers face often come from wrong priorities as well as ignorance and
the principle is one we have studied many times before under historical trends:
good decisions result in options for greater decisions and great blessing; bad
decisions destroy those options and eventuate in the sin unto death. Of course
the principle, then, is that every believer, as with every member of the human
race, must take the responsibility for his own decisions. Generally it takes a
lot of bad decisions to get some crisis point which is destructive to your own
life, bad decisions followed by bad decisions followed by bad decisions and
inevitably the person is involved in cosmic one, gate one, in their arrogance
and preoccupation with self and generally try to blame the whole thing on
someone else. We have already seen under the principle of the old sin nature
test that even insanity is no excuse. It takes a lot of bad decisions to get to
the point of being sociopathic or psychopathic. The sooner we learn to be
responsible for our own decisions the better off we are. We are, after all,
going to be held responsible for our decisions as they are seen at the judgment
seat of Christ.
The Laodiceans are not contributing to the uptrend
of history, they are contributing to the downtrend, and all of this can be
changed but it cannot be changed without a revaluation of their scale of values
and rearrangement of their priorities. Therefore the apostle John begins verse
18 with the present active indicative of the verb sumbouleuw, and it means to counsel, to give advice, to advise, and we will
translate it: “I advise.” With it we have the dative singular indirect object
from the personal pronoun us, “I advise you.” This
brings up the whole problem of pastoral counselling and, of course, we know
that there is no place in the ministry for counseling when the ministry
functions under its proper principles. You see, you are a priest, you have the
privacy of your priesthood, you must make your own decisions. You must make
your decisions on the best possible information. Information is given
consistently from the pulpit and therefore if you are going to be spiritually
self-sustaining you reside in the divine dynasphere, you make your own
decisions from two different foundations: from the base of impersonal love
which is virtue and, secondly, from the base of the second stage of the
faith-rest drill which are the doctrinal rationales. The principle of being
counseled then is ludicrous. You have to live your life as unto the Lord, you
do not live your life as unto a pastor. The pastor is the final authority in
the local church but the pastor’s responsibility and the purpose for the
pastor’s authority is to communicate Bible doctrine so that you can make your
own decisions on the basis of facts.
Sometimes you do not have those facts and when you
do not it is because your priorities have been wrong and you have made wrong
decisions. You have neglected Bible doctrine and God often punishes us in
divine discipline by simply giving us a problem or allowing our decisions to
bring us into a situation where if we had listened in Bible class or we had
been in Bible class we would know exactly what the answer is. But not having
been there in the first place or not having been there in the second place
through not listening we therefore missed the lesson that we needed to know.
Everything we learn sooner or later has application, either in our life with
God or our relationship with people and our life in facing circumstances.
So we have
the phrase, “I counsel or advise you.” This seems to contradict what has just
been said but it does not when you remember that this counseling is simply the
presentation of doctrine; this is a part of the Word of God. In other words,
what he is actually saying and the true interpretation is simply this: the Word
of God must be our counsel. We must get our advice from Bible doctrine in the
Word of God. The dative indirect object of the personal pronoun indicates the
one in whose interest the act is performed. All counseling is conducted through
perception of Bible doctrine. In other words, once you learn the doctrine the
application is the counseling. You counsel yourself, you live your own life,
you make your own decisions as unto the Lord, and you function under the
privacy of your own priesthood. Therefore your business remains your business.
The church should be one place where no one knows your business. The church is
the place where you should have privacy and therefore objectivity in the
perception of Bible doctrine.
The present tense of sumbouleuw is the descriptive present for what is now going on, the counseling of
the cosmic believers in Laodicea and the Roman province of Asia. The active
voice: our Lord Jesus Christ counsels the cosmic believer through the apostle
John’s teaching, not through one on one or private or personal counseling. For
the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ there is no need for counseling provided
that he is positive toward doctrine. There is no question about the fact that
believers who live in the cosmic system can stand some counseling from those
who are professionally involved, like a psychiatrist or psychologist, but one
person who is not a professional counselor is a minister. He shouldn’t be.
There is no profit in a minister doing anything but teaching the Word of God.
So the active voice emphasises the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ counsels
through Bible teaching, through doctrine. The indicative mood is declarative
for the reality of divine counsel to believers in the cosmic system. In other
words, this is advice for all of us when we become involved in the cosmic
system.
Principle
1. If you are positive and your priorities place
Bible doctrine first in your scale of values then counsel for you must be Bible
doctrine. This is a part of being spiritually self-sustaining. Your information
in facing the vicissitudes of life should come from doctrine resident in your
own soul otherwise you will never live your own life, other people will live it
for you. You will make decisions but you will make decisions out of the
influence of other people rather than under the influence of doctrine, and
therefore your life will be miserable as long as you live. You must live your
own life before the Lord. You must take the responsibility for your own
decisions, this is a part of even human maturity. Both believer and unbeliever
taking responsibility for their own bad decisions have grown up.
2. Every believer, then, must make his own decisions
and Bible doctrine perceived gives him options for good decisions, good
decisions which glorify the Lord and bring personal happiness into his life,
good decisions that provide historical impact and personal prosperity.
3. The ideal counseling or advice comes from Bible
doctrine resident in your own soul, i.e. e)pignwsij doctrine. Gnwsij doctrine has no
application. This is the major principle of divine guidance in doing the will
of God.
4. There are three categories of counseling from the
standpoint of Bible doctrine. The first is perception and application of
doctrine or the function of gate four of the divine dynasphere. Secondly, there
is counseling through impersonal love. Impersonal love gives you the ability to
face situations with people who are antagonistic, people who are seeking to
destroy you, people who manifest the most heinous animosity, and handle the situation
properly — the application of impersonal love. So counsel comes from the
presence of impersonal love in your soul. As goes your impersonal love so goes
your personal relationships in the human race. Thirdly, there is divine
discipline, punishment from God. God constantly counsels the cosmic believer
through punishment. This is called learning the hard way, and applying doctrine
the hard way. This is a limited academic function.
Being counseled by another believer or a pastor does
have hazards, and there are four hazards that you should understand before you
run off and become the victim of someone else’s counseling. It may be excellent
advice, it may be poor advice. That is not the issue.
a. The believer who is counseling you is someone you
admire, someone that you respect, but they may not be mature and they may give
you wrong advice.
b. Such counseling demands the compromise of your
privacy. The counselor may be a gossip. You were designed in salvation and
being born again never to have to surrender your privacy under any
circumstances. You must live your life as unto the Lord, that is the privacy of
your priesthood.
c. The counselor may have some prejudice which
destroys the objectivity of his advice. So prejudice can result in getting bad
advice.
d. The believer being counseled may start leaning on
the counselor and using him as a crutch, so that the counselor begins to live
his life for him.
Notice: When we talk about counseling we are talking
about personal problems. You have a right to go to the right professional
people for financial counseling, for insurance counseling, for business
counseling. So don’t be stupid about this, we are talking about your personal
problems, not categories in life where counseling is a professional function.
5. It should be noted from this verb, then, that the
Lord counsels or advises but the Lord does not coerce. The Lord mandates but He
does not coerce.
6. The believer must make his own decisions from his
own free will and take the responsibility for his decisions.
7. No matter how one is deceived or how stupid a
person might be in a given situation he must learn to blame himself, otherwise
he cannot learn from his own mistakes. He made the decision because he wanted
to do it that way, and therefore the believer loses ground spiritually every
time he blames someone else for his wrong decisions, his mistakes, and his
sins.
Next we have the aorist active infinitive of a)gorazw. This comes from an Attic Greek word a)gora which means the market place, and so it means to
buy, to purchase, to invest. Here it is translated, “I counsel you to buy
[purchase].” The ingressive aorist tense in which the action signified by the
verb is contemplated at its beginning therefore denotes reentrance into the
divine dynasphere and the function of doctrinal perception and the application
of doctrine. The only way to stay there comes up in this counsel now: “I
counsel you to buy [begin to buy].” You have to begin all over. If you stay in
the cosmic system for any length of time you have forgotten what you have
previously learned and you have to start all over. Once you have the filling of
the Spirit you have objectivity or you have IQ for learning doctrine. Then you interlock
with gate two, basic impersonal love, and you have your objectivity. You have
to have impersonal love to learn doctrine. Impersonal love means that you do
not emphasise the personality of the pastor, you emphasise the content of his
message, and by so doing you remain objective. Then gate three is the enforced
and genuine humility which adds up to one word: teachability. These three gates
support the function of gate four coming up in buying gold — gate four with its
perception of doctrine from your royal priesthood, gate four with its
application of doctrine from your royal ambassadorship. So in the concept of
buying gold we have to begin and we begin all over when we spend any length of
time in the cosmic system and then finally rebound. So the ingressive aorist
denotes entrance into the divine dynasphere and the beginning of doctrinal
perception. If when you reenter the divine dynasphere you are negative toward
doctrine then you will very quickly get right back into the cosmic system. But
this is the road back. The active voice: the cosmic believer produces the
action of the verb through reversion recovery, reentry into the divine dynasphere
and the modus operandi of gate four, perception and application of doctrine.
This is, of course, an infinitive of purpose.
Then, note, we buy from our Lord. The preposition para plus the ablative of e)gw,
“buy from me.” This is the ablative of ultimate source, The ultimate source of
doctrine is the Lord Jesus Christ. In first Corinthians 2:16 doctrine is called
the “mind of Christ.” Then in presenting something of value, the accusative
singular direct object from the noun xrusion, which is not really gold.
It is actually a diminutive from the word for gold which is xrusoj, but we do not have xrusoj
here. Xrusion actually means something of
value, made of gold, something that is actually manufactured from gold, coins
or jewelry. So it doesn’t refer to gold, it refers to something of value
manufactured from gold. The diminutive refers therefore to Bible doctrine or
what is manufactured from the mind of Christ. The diminutive xrusion emphasises the fact that Bible doctrine must always
be number one in our scale of values and number one in the priorities of life,
and that without it we are in a very hopeless situation.
Corrected translation: “I counsel you to buy from me
gold,” something of value manufactured out of gold. In this case it is
analogous to Bible doctrine.
It just so happens that believers living in the
cosmic system are off the gold standard! Cosmic believers have a false scale of
values and have the wrong priorities of life. Bible doctrine is the coin of the
realm for spiritual capitalism. The only way to advance to maturity and fulfill
the plan of God for phase two is to take this advice: the perception of Bible
doctrine.
With this we have a further description of the gold
coming from the perfect passive participle of the verb purow, and it means to refine through heat. The intensive
perfect tense, known also as the perfect of existing state, is the tense of the
finished product. When special attention is directed toward the results of the
action stress on the existing fact is intensified. In other words, the Greek
has an emphatic method for presenting a fact or a condition. Therefore it can
be translated close to the English word “refined”. The active voice: Bible doctrine
in the canon of scripture produces the action. The participle is circumstantial
indicating the reality of the situation. The writing has been tested in every
generation by great antagonism and yet Bible doctrine survives untarnished like
gold. Gold cannot be tarnished; Bible doctrine cannot be tarnished or destroyed
by opposition. The refining is done by a prepositional phrase, e)k [from] plus the ablative of pur [fire].
So the entire translation: “I counsel you to buy
[perception of doctrine and application of doctrine] from me [our Lord Jesus
Christ] gold [something of value] refined by fire [the concept of inspiration
and canonicity]”.
Principle
1. By burning and heating gold in the refining
process the gold is melted and purified by skimming of the slag. The skinning
off of the slag is the skimming off of false doctrine. This is an illustration,
then, of the purity of doctrine, the purity of Bible truth. There is no dross,
there is nothing false.
2. The purchasing of gold is analogous to your function
as a believer at gate four of the divine dynasphere. Spiritual wealth comes
from the accumulation and investment of spiritual capital, and your
accumulation and investment of spiritual capital is your perception and
application of Bible doctrine.
3. The accumulation of spiritual wealth can be
translated into spiritual terms, the daily perception of doctrine inside the
divine dynasphere, the consistent application of doctrine where necessary.
4. The investment of gold or Bible doctrine or
spiritual wealth is the application of that perceived doctrine to experience.
In other words, the principle: you cannot apply what you do not know. Ignorance
can make no application of doctrine. Cognisance is necessary.
5. Doctrine only becomes personal capital through
perception. That doctrine or capital or gold can only be invested through
personal application of that doctrine — gate four. To accumulate capital you
have the daily perception of doctrine; to invest that capital you have the
application of doctrine.
6. The refining process should also be noted —
refined by fire. God the Holy Spirit purifies the Word in the original
languages of scripture through the mechanics of inspiration. This demands
accurate teaching from the pastor and one of the things that should frighten
every pastor: he is personally responsible to the Lord for being accurate. The
pastor is the banker, he provides capital for investment. The banker must not
provide counterfeit currency, he must provide the pure gold of Bible doctrine,
that which has been purified and refined by God the Holy Spirit in the
formation of the canon of scripture through the mechanics of plenary, verbal
inspiration. Refined gold or pure Bible doctrine is the basis for both divine
guidance and the daily dynamics of decision in your life.
“I counsel you to buy [perception of doctrine at
gate four and it’s application] gold [something of value, Bible doctrine] from
me [Jesus Christ] refined by fire [inspiration and canonicity].”
We find gold or pure doctrine is the basis for all
divine guidance in life, and people are constantly seeking to find out what the
Lord’s will is in a given situation. The problem with trying to explain it to
people is that they do not have a basis for understanding the Lord’s will in a
given situation simply because they cannot encompass it in a doctrinal area. So
we must stop long enough to see that in guiding yourself and knowing the Lord’s
will you must have a sphere in which to operate. Therefore we have the
principle of divine guidance. How can you know God’s will in a given situation
if you do not know the principles by which God functions in your life.
Divine guidance is the doctrine of determining the
will of God for your life, and divine guidance is the communication of the
divine will through divine revelation. So obviously we go right back to that
gold we are supposed to buy which is the perception of Bible doctrine. Today
divine revelation is confined to the canon of scripture. In the ancient world
it included direct revelation from God through dreams, visions, dialogues and
other means. These are not open today. God does communicate to us outside of
the Word, we have studied that principle under the doctrine of divine
discipline. Often punishment from God is a system of teaching but, of course, a
limited agenda. Hence the only classification for knowing what the will of God
is is to understand the principles we will note briefly.
First of all, in dealing with the subject, What is
the will of God for your life? You must realise two things: first of all you
have certain things in common for other believers. In other words, God often
has a will for all believers. Secondly, God has a will or a plan for you as an
individual. For example, God’s will for your life is residence and function inside
the divine dynasphere but that is God’s will for everyone’s life, so you are
not alone there. But suppose you are having domestic problems. What is God’s
will for me in a given domestic problem situation? How should I handle it? Well
that isn’t the same God’s will as single people, they are not having that
problem. So we have to look at the problem two ways: what is God’s will for all
of us, and then what is God’s will for me in a given situation — in business,
in social life, in domestic life, in spiritual life, in relationship with
people and with adverse situations, in relationship with prosperous situations.
There are three categories of God’s will which exist
in history. First there is the sovereign will of God. The will of God must be
consistent with His divine attributes and His personality because God cannot
compromise His essence. God is a person, His personality connotes
self-determination and self-consciousness. God recognises Himself as a person
and as such He thinks, He decides, and above all God always acts rationally.
God’s actions are never irrational or irresponsible so you can conclude that
any time you are getting into something where your actions are irrational or irresponsible,
that’s not God’s will for your personal life.
The sovereignty or will of God is manifest in the
decrees of God, the giant computer which we have studied in some detail. We
have noted how there are three categories of divine knowledge. God’s knowledge
of Himself and the other members of the Godhead, the Trinity. That is one type
of knowledge that is always consistent. We have studied it first of all as
perfect subjective knowledge, for example the knowledge of our Lord Jesus
Christ about Himself from eternity past. And then perfect objective knowledge,
His knowledge about God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
A second aspect is called omniscience. Omniscience
takes cognisance of everything that every creature will ever do — angelic
creatures, human creatures, all kinds of creatures. God knew billions of years
ago in the infinity of eternity past every thought, every motive, every
decision, and every action that you and I would ever have. And He entered that
into the computer of divine decrees. He also knew the alternatives, the
potential activities, and the fact that we rejected them. We could have gone to
another city, we could have married a different person, we could have gone to a
different school, we could have done this or that. Omniscience takes both the
potential and the real of history, and He knows both. Now, only what actually
happens was entered into the computer of divine decrees so that the printout is
what we call history. From the standpoint of theology we have studied the
printout as being election, foreknowledge, predestination, and so on. Omniscience
also knows the potential that did not happen and God can tell you in eternity
past what would have happened if you had a choice, if you had married someone
else, if you had gone to a different school, etc.
Then, of course, foreknowledge of God is one of the
printouts. God does not foreknow anything until it is first decreed is the
doctrinal principle we have studied. The divine decrees are the giant computer
and everything is programmed that will ever happen in history and it’s
relationship with everything else. So obviously God has set up certain
principles whereby we can determine what His will is, see the alternatives,
make our decision either for God or for Satan in the angelic conflict.
Everything actually depends on God’s will and nothing is certain apart from
God’s will.
We have also seen the permissive will of God as well
as the directive will of God. The directive will of God: we know what it is and
we fail to do it. Then we go into the permissive will of God. The permissive
will of God says simply this: it is the application of logistical grace. What
is the will of God? He has a directive will. There is only one way and that is
God’s way. But we have free will and therefore we may not want to go God’s way,
so there is the permissive will of God. Basically the difference between the
direct will of God and the permissive will of God is the fact that even though
we do not do God’s will He permits us to stay alive. He continues to provide
logistical grace. Balaam was the great illustration of this. God told Balaam
not to go to try to curse Israel but Balaam finally went anyway and when he did
he immediately came under the category of permissive will of God.
There are certain things that we do that God
overrules. When we are in the permissive will of God as believers it looks like
this. The directive will of God is your function in the divine dynasphere; the
permissive will of God is your function in the cosmic system. But there are
certain things that believers do in the cosmic system and God will not permit
them. He will not permit the destruction of Israel, for example. So we take
believers who want to destroy Israel and they are in the cosmic system — Satan
is the father of anti-Semitism — and when they try to do it God will not permit
it. God punishes Israel, they are His people, He has a right to punish them,
but e doesn’t expect anything from us in that regard. So in the permissive will
of God you are still alive but you are in the cosmic system.
Then there is the overruling will of God. There are
certain things that God protects. Suppose that you are a believer here and you
want to get revenge. You hate some believer and there is no impersonal love, no
virtue in your life. You want to get revenge and you want to destroy a believer
who is advancing from gate four to gate eight of the divine dynasphere. So you
try your best to eliminate them, destroy them, cut them down with gossip,
maligning, etc. But God overrules and He will not permit that because He is
protecting this person in going from gate four to gate eight. That is what we
call the overruling will of God.
These are the three factors with which we work in
knowing the will of God: the directive will of God, the permissive will of God,
and the overruling will of God under which many believers function all of their
lives. (The overruling will of God is that under which God permits them to
live, to attack believers in the divine dynasphere, He keeps them alive
sometimes to use them in momentum testing) We are either in the directive will
of God living in the divine dynasphere or we are in the overruling will of God
living in the cosmic system.
The believer who lives consistently in the divine dynasphere
and advances to maturity contributes to the uptrend of history. The believer
who lives in the cosmic system contributes to the downtrend of history. The
believer living in the divine dynasphere is in the corrective will of God; the
believer who lives in the cosmic system is in the permissive will of God. And
then the believer who seeks to destroy the believer who is honouring the Lord
and that believer he persues goes right on and is protected by God in the wall
of fire area, that is the overruling will of God.
Let’s look at it from the concept of historical
trends. Manifest destiny is the origin of any national entity that becomes a
client nation to God. First of all it starts with a landed aristocracy, very
capable and responsible people who start the ball rolling. But eventually the
landed aristocracy runs out of gas and the industrial complex takes over.
Eventually in a client nation to God you must have the middle class of the
industrial complex run the nation. So you have landed aristocracy, industrial
complex living side by side, and the undeveloped frontier. It is impossible
under the directive will of God for a client nation to be perpetuated with the
landed aristocracy ruling. (Another principle: No nation can ever win a war
against a successful industrial complex) Apart from the leadership of the
middle class industrial complex the undeveloped frontier could never be
absorbed. Apart from that leadership — the Protestant ethic is often how it is
called in history — there could be no material prosperity, there could be no
spiritual prosperity that would inevitably lead to the full function of a
client nation to God, the full function being the sending out of missionaries.
There must be the three factors in manifest destiny:
your landed aristocracy who always start the ball rolling and initiate certain
things in establishment that must exist; your industrial complex middle class
which inevitably must take over and the leadership must come from them; the
undeveloped frontier which must be absorbed into the picture before you can
have a client nation to God fulfilling client nation principles with regard to
freedom, the privacy, the sacredness of property and human life and, therefore,
evangelism, Bible teaching and the true function of missionary activity.
The academic concept of divine guidance is a bit
different. This is the one we have in our passage which says: “I counsel you to
buy from me gold refined by fire.” This brings us to the academic principle of
divine guidance, for in principle all divine guidance depends upon Bible
doctrine in your soul, your function at gate four of the divine dynasphere. The
perception of doctrine must precede the application of doctrine but it is
perception plus application that finally leads to understanding the will of God
in any given set of circumstances, any situation where you have to make a quick
decision or have to make a difficult decision. So we have the principle of
doctrine in the soul.
Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in
the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”. There is
the principle of divine guidance, God doesn’t do it without Bible doctrine.
Isaiah 58:11, “Therefore the Lord will continually
guide you, by satisfying your soul in the scorched places [Bible doctrine], to
give strength to your bones; therefore you will be like a watered garden [water
of the Word], like a spring of water, whose waters do not deceive.”
Proverbs 3:1-6, “My son do not forget my doctrine,
but let your right lobe keep my principles; for length of days, and years of
life, and prosperity, will add to you. Do not let grace and doctrine leave you;
bind them around your neck; write them on the tablets of your right lobe
[perception and application of doctrine]; so you will find grace and good
understanding in the sight o
f God and in the sight of man. Trust in the Lord
with all of your right lobe, do not lean on your human understanding. In all
your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct you paths.” The application of
doctrine, of course, is the final issue in divine guidance.
The principle of the filling of the Spirit at gate
one of the divine dynasphere is also involved. You cannot understand the will
of God unless you are filled with the Spirit. This is another way of saying
that if you are in the cosmic system then obviously you are under the principle
of the permissive will of God, you are not in God’s directive will. Ephesians
5:14 gives us a wonderful concept here: “Therefore, he communicates, Wake up
[learn to do the will of God] you sleeping ones [believers who are in the
cosmic system] and get up from among the dead ones,” prolonged stay in the
cosmic system means the sin unto death; “and Christ will shine on you,” an
analogy to the fact that you can do the will of God. Therefore, beware that you
walk accurately, not as unwise ones [no spiritual common sense] but as wise ones
[application of doctrine to experience], constantly buying time [like buying
gold has to do with the perception of doctrine and the application of it in
doing the will of God], because the days are evil,” this is the day when Satan
rules the world and has a genius system, the cosmic system, for doing so;
“Because of this, stop being ignorant,” you cannot do the will of God in
ignorance; “but constantly and thoroughly understand the will [the policy, the
purpose] of God.”
So divine guidance, then, falls into two concepts:
the filling of the Spirit interlocking with gate four, perception and
application of doctrine, and both are necessary to do the will of God on the
broad scale of your life or to do it on the individual problem situation as
these things arise in your life.
There is then a third principle, the principle of
spiritual growth. The more you know about doctrine the more you grow, the more
you grow the more you know the will of God. That is why 2 Peter 3:18 says: “But
grow by means of grace and knowledge of our Lord and saviour, Jesus Christ. To
him be the glory both now” — “now” means you can do the will of God now and you
can glorify God now; “and to the day of eternity,” that is the time of
receiving the order of the morning star, the uniform of glory, the new order of
knighthood, the wonderful principles related to the order of heraldry and
chivalry bearing the coat of arms of our Lord, all of the things related to the
eternal future and the judgment seat of Christ.
Mechanically there are certain things that are good
in knowing the will of God and doing it, and certain things that are sometimes
a hindrance. There is a place for guidance through prayer but it always is used
by people who know a lot of doctrine and have a number of options open and want
some additional wisdom. Guidance through prayer is the most overworked thing of
all. The person who says, “I don’t know what we should do here, let’s pray
about it” is the person who has lagged behind in learning doctrine, because
divine guidance is really based on the principle of seeing an issue, relating
that issue to the doctrine and the principles in your soul, and making a
decision. It doesn’t call for prayer. Most people who say, “Let’s pray about
it” are people who are in the cosmic system.
Divine guidance and making decisions according to
the will of God require thinking, thinking related to the reality of doctrine
and therefore common sense. There are three categories of doctrine: #1, the
laws of divine establishment; #2, the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; #3,
Bible doctrine for the believer. Now the problem is that most common sense
principles are related to the laws of divine establishment and other principles
are related to Bible doctrine. So between the laws of divine establishment and
Bible doctrine we should know the will of God for any situation. For the
unbeliever the will of God is very simple: category #2 doctrine, the gospel. So
guidance from thinking becomes a great issue: guidance through perception of
doctrine, guidance through application of doctrine. Sometimes, if your heart is
in the right place when you want to do the will of God, God will provide a
valley for you to run down. We call that “providential circumstances.” Guidance
through the ministry of the Word and the function of the Holy Spirit is the
basic system.
One other thing: no one is ever going to do the will
of God without gate three. All good decisions in life are made from either
enforced or genuine humility. You cannot make decisions in arrogance that are
the will of God — ever. And, furthermore, we have already studied gate two as
the base for making application. So the first four gates of the divine dynasphere
are the key to divine guidance.
So far in our verse we have: “I counsel you to buy
from me gold refined by fire,” the greatest purchasing power in the world
belongs to Bible doctrine. Therefore, the purpose clause that follows. Next we
have the conjunction i(na, translated “that” or “in
order that.” I(na plus the subjunctive mood
introduces a purpose clause. What is the purpose here? The aorist active
subjunctive of the verb ploutew, “in order that you may
become rich.” There is a purpose here: wealth, spiritual wealth. The aorist
tense is the ingressive aorist, it contemplates the action of the verb at it’s
beginning. It denotes entrance into a state or a condition whereby there is
going to be great prosperity as a result. It is recovery from the cosmic
system, reentry into the divine dynasphere, continuing one’s momentum at gate
four, moving to gate eight, the point of spiritual wealth. Prosperity is
actually perhaps a better word here, “in order that you may become prosperous.”
Here we have the connotation of spiritual prosperity. Spiritual prosperity does
lead to material prosperity but God gives you the type of material prosperity
that is befitting your situation in life. It may be promotion, it may be money,
it may be property, it may be success in some field or profession. So the ingressive
aorist simply indicates you are now on the right track again because you have
rebounded, because you have left the cosmic system, because you have reentered
the divine dynasphere which is the only place where the plan of God can be
executed. The active voice: the believer who is positive to doctrine and who
rebounds and who therefore lives in the divine dynasphere produces the action
of the verb. He gains capital and purchasing power from his perception of
doctrine at gate four. He becomes rich spiritually, the advance to supergrace
status with it’s six categories of blessing. The subjunctive mood: this is the
concept of the potential subjunctive. Spiritual wealth, advance to maturity, is
a potential. It depends on your daily decisions, it depends upon your
priorities. Therefore the potential subjunctive implies a future reference and
is qualified by the element of contingency.
We have, therefore, the first half of the verse
sounding like this: “I counsel you to buy from me gold [Bible doctrine] refined
by fire, in order that you may become prosperous [spiritual wealth].” From
this, then, comes a motivational and a functional virtue. It begins with the
connective use of the conjunction kai, “and.” It is followed by
the direct object of the verb implied and is composed of two words, the
accusative neuter plural from leukoj, which means “white,” and i(mation which has to do with clothing, “white clothing.”
The implied verb is “to wear,” to wear white clothing, and this is a reference
again to the uniform of honour. It refers to the motivational and functional
virtue developed inside the divine dynasphere. The uniform of honour is
invisible, it is worn in the soul. It is worn by those believers whose
residence and function is advancing to gate eight of the divine dynasphere.
They are passing the momentum tests, they are accelerating their momentum, they
are moving to the place of glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. At the
judgment seat of Christ the uniform of honour will be replaced by something
that is visible, a translucent uniform of light worn over the resurrection
body.
During the Church Age the historical impact of the
mature believer is anonymous and invisible; yet it is a very real principle of
blessing by association. All blessing that comes to this nation comes from
believers who advance to maturity. This is the basis of our prosperity, this is
the basis of our blessing. But these believers are anonymous heroes, they are
not found on the pages of the textbooks of history. And while not recorded in
any historical textbook the mature believer is the anonymous hero of the Church
Age, but his anonymous status will be changed at the judgment seat of Christ.
The court of heaven will evaluate his life on earth under terms of historical
impact. And during the Tribulation he will receive certain decorations and honours,
certain crowns. Higher than the crowns he will receive the order of the morning
star, he will receive the uniform of glory which will distinguish him from
other believers in eternity by the translucent light which covers his
resurrection body. He will receive the new order of knighthood and this new
order of knighthood will be actually registered in the book of life. He will
also be presented at the court of heaven. While other believers will be cooling
their heels in some other part of heaven he will actually be presented at
court. He will receive a coat of arms which he will bear forever. He will then
come back with our Lord Jesus Christ, be present at His coronation, will be
present at the wedding supper, and will then be presented to the entire world as
a ruler of some Gentile nation for one thousand years. So the anonymous hero of
the Church Age will become the public hero of the Millennium.
Beginning, then, at the judgment seat of Christ the
invisible historical impact of the mature believer, the one who now wears the
uniform of honour, will become known by the uniform of glory. He will become
known first of all to the royal family of God at the judgment seat of Christ,
then to the elect angels in the court of heaven while the Tribulation is
occurring on earth, then to the entire world in the Millennial reign of Christ.
Then he will have special privileges which he will have for all eternity. So
wearing the uniform of honour means the construction of the edification of the
edification complex of the soul, it means the production of both motivating and
functional virtue. It means great happiness in life, it means great capacity
for life, it means blessing and, according to this context, it means solving
your own problems, being able to make your own decisions for or against the
plan of God.
The most subtle and the most difficult of all tests
in the momentum field is the prosperity test number eight. People who can
handle adversity very well and who know how to apply the rationales from the
second stage of the faith-rest drill, or know how to utilise the base of
impersonal love from application of doctrine, and who have passed the old sin
nature test, people testing, thought testing, system testing, the test of
cosmic one, the test of cosmic two, and the adversity test, inevitably stumble
when it comes to prosperity. The most difficult thing in the world is to be
able to handle prosperity properly, to maintain your same priorities to handle
the problems that occur.
Prosperity is very subtle in it’s attack upon the
human being because inevitably he is so enthusiastic about his newly found
promotion or success, or wealth, or acclaim, or recognition or fame, that
almost automatically he begins to assign a secondary role to his perception of
Bible doctrine and his function in the divine dynasphere. And as goes the
believer so goes the client nation to God, and inevitably these believers let
down the client nation as well as bringing on themselves tremendous
difficulties. This was the problem with the Laodicean church. The Laodiceans
did not pass the prosperity test. Many of them in business had become very
wealthy, many of them were now highly successful in professional fields. They
now were enjoying in a city of 600,000 people all of the fantastic blessings of
social prosperity, sexual prosperity, material prosperity. They were receiving
the applause and the acclaim of people all around them, society in general, and
as a result they lost their priorities.
The problem is stated for us as we have studied it
in detail in verse 17, “because you say, quote: I am rich, in fact I have
become very wealthy [the prosperity test], and I have need of nothing [flunking
the prosperity test].” The prosperity test causes people to fail to apply
doctrine. We have already seen that this is one of the major problems in the
spiritual life. Learning doctrine is one thing, applying it is something else.
No one can apply doctrine apart from the divine dynasphere, apart from the base
of impersonal love, and apart from the second stage of the faith-rest drill,
the use of the rationales. It is much easier to apply doctrine in adversity
than in prosperity. One of the first things that is neglected in prosperity is
Bible doctrine.
“in fact you do not know,” the greatest problem in
life is ignorance, not having all the facts for perception, not having all of
the facts for application; “you do not know that you are miserable,” when you
do not know that you are miserable, that is the worst kind of unhappiness. No
capacity for prosperity, and no capacity for prosperity comes from living in
the cosmic system. It comes from gate one, arrogance, preoccupation with self,
and the inevitable results — jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, loss
therefore of any inner beauty, loss of impersonal love which is the great key
to capacity. We have already seen that capacity for prosperity must precede
prosperity. To have prosperity without capacity is to be unhappy and to be
miserable. And so, “you do not know that you are miserable,” no capacity for
prosperity when living in the cosmic system; “and despicable,” insignificant,
pitiful, no happiness from prosperity when living in the cosmic system; “and
impotent,” meaning poor, beggarly, miserable, connoting spiritual poverty in
the cosmic system; “and blind” no perception of doctrine when involved in the
cosmic system; “and naked,” no uniform of honour when living in the cosmic
system.
In verse 18 we had to stop and take a look at the
evils of counseling. Counseling is one of the worst things that can ever happen
to you. Unless it is a medical function, not a spiritual function, you do not
need counseling, you need doctrine. You need to learn to counsel yourself. This
means that this counseling must come from doctrine that you have learned. Every
believer must make his own decisions and Bible doctrine perceived gives him the
options for good decisions which glorify the Lord and provide both historical
impact and personal prosperity. The ideal counselor and adviser comes from your
own soul in which Bible doctrine resides, and we have noted that this is a
major principle in divine guidance, knowing the will of God. You are wasting
your time in leaning on someone else for spiritual advice. You were never
designed to be counseled, you were designed to learn Bible doctrine and counsel
yourself.
The white clothes in verse 18 refer to the uniform
of honour which is both motivational and functional virtue developed from
doctrine in the soul. The doctrine in your soul is not only applied to given
situations, it is applied actually to circumstances and people. It is applied
to self in counseling; it is applied to God in personal love. Doctrine in your
soul; personal love for God. Your relationship with God is your capacity for
life. It is applied to self, you do all of your own counseling; it is applied
to circumstances and people, the application of doctrine whereby you can meet
any of the testiness of this life.
We are now ready for the conjunction in which introduces a purpose clause. The construction
of the edification complex of the soul and the production of honour, virtue and
integrity inside of the divine dynasphere, plus the concept of the invisible
uniform, leads to a purpose clause, in plus the subjunctive, “in
order that.” The greatest manifestation of virtue and integrity is the function
of impersonal love. It is a sign of having capacity for life, it is a sign of
being spiritually self-sustaining. You are never spiritually self-sustaining
until you have enough doctrine in your soul to apply it to God who is invisible,
and you have a very deep personal love for God which is motivating virtue. You
also apply that same Bible doctrine to yourself, you do not go to others for
counseling, you do not tell your private business to others, you do your own
counseling. Then, of course, it is applied to circumstances and people which is
functional virtue. This is being spiritually self-sustaining. This is not only
perception of doctrine but application of doctrine inside of the divine dynasphere.
Therefore the positive picture of being spiritually self-sustaining is found in
the aorist middle subjunctive of the verb periballw, “in order that you may clothe yourself.” The aorist tense is the constative
aorist for a fact or action extended over a period of time, phase two of the
believer in this life. This use of the aorist contemplates the action of the
verb in it’s entirety. It takes residence and function inside the divine dynasphere
and gathers it up into a single entirety. The middle voice: the direct middle
refers to the results of the action directly to the agent with reflexive force,
therefore translated “in order that you may clothe yourself.” The subjunctive
mood is potential and implies a future reference and indicates the
qualification based on contingency. Contingency is not making a one-shot
decision. You have to be consistent. This is what is wrong with the Christian
life: everyone wants inspiration, no one wants to make daily decisions. You
don’t want to do something you have to do daily, it is like exercise, you work
out for awhile and you get lazy. You break your routine and stop it. This is
much worse, of course, because it destroys you spiritually.
So you have to constantly make decisions so that
your priorities are never challenged, doctrine first. Result: you have love of
God. There is where you start to become spiritually self-sustaining. There is
your capacity for happiness and your capacity for life. Your objective is gate
eight of the divine dynasphere, the place of spiritual maturity, the ultimate.
That is where we are all going if we stay with it, but you don’t get there by
making one decision. You get there by making thousands of decisions over a
period of time, and right decisions.
So the element of contingency which is resident in
this particular subjunctive mood actually refers to a residence, residence in
the divine dynasphere and all the decisions it takes to stay there or to get
back there, depending upon your situation. The subjunctive plus the conjunction
i(na therefore introduces the
purpose clause. The translation implies a positive purpose related to the
function of your volition. Again, good decisions are daily decisions related to
life in the divine dynasphere and perception of Bible doctrine. Good decisions
provide options for greater decisions; bad decisions are daily decisions
related to involvement and function in the cosmic system. Bad decisions for the
believer destroy his options, terminate his possibilities for any real blessing
from God, destroy his capacity, and often God spanks him, disciplines him, by
giving him prosperity. Remember, there are two ways you can learn. You can
learn from doctrine the easy way or you can learn from divine discipline the
hard way. Divine discipline is designed by God to teach you but it only has a
limited lesson, to teach you to rebound, to teach you to avoid the cosmic
system, to teach you to get back in the divine dynasphere and stay there. But
it is a terrible way to learn and if you do not learn eventually you are going
out under the sin unto death, and it will be horrible.
Death is not the end of the results from bad
decisions because they actually overflow into the judgment seat of Christ,
embarrassment and being ashamed. And then imagine, spending all eternity
wondering why you don’t have a uniform of glory, the uniform of translucent
light that covers the resurrection body; and why you can’t go into the gazebo
in the garden where the big parties are in heaven, and why you can’t go into
the new Jerusalem suspended above the earth.
If you are really going to make it you had better
start now, because you are not going to be ruling anything for a thousand
years, just those who make it; just those who keep on making the right
decisions.
Now we go to the negative side of that same purpose
clause. That is because we have two words first, kai
meaning “and,” and then the negative that goes with the subjunctive, mh. Kai mh,
“and not.” Then with this we have a nominative singular subject, a)isxunh, a word which means shame and embarrassment. With
the generic use of the definite article this classifies this as the shame
related to the judgment seat of Christ. “Nakedness” in the passage refers to no
uniform of honour in time; “shame” refers to how you will feel at the judgment
seat of Christ. Nakedness is used in this passage not for literal nakedness or
lack of clothing, it is used for a spiritual condition. It means you are not
wearing the uniform of honour. And it means simply this: if you are in the
divine dynasphere and advancing from gate four to gate eight then you are going
to be wearing the uniform of honour. But if you are in the cosmic system,
functioning at cosmic one and cosmic two, then you are “naked.” Spiritual
nakedness is something to be ashamed of. If you are spiritually naked you are
going to be ashamed. No one is more confused than a believer who is negative
toward consistent doctrinal teaching.
Then we have a possessive genitive as well as a
genitive of description from the noun gumnothj, and it doesn’t simply mean nakedness, it is disgraceful nakedness;
“and the shame of your disgraceful nakedness,” the disgraceful nakedness
describes the cosmic believer in time. The shame describes what happens to him
at the judgment seat of Christ where he is going to be embarrassed and ashamed.
All of the nakedness of his soul in the cosmic system is going to be revealed.
And then we have the aorist passive subjunctive of fanerow, “may not be revealed.” In other words, if you don’t get with doctrine
then you are going to have the alternative, the shame of your disgraceful
nakedness revealed. You have a choice.
It says in verse 17 it says that the Laodiceans were
blind spiritually. Blind people don’t know where they are going, they can’t
see, they have to depend on someone else. If you have to depend on someone else
for your spiritual life then you are blind. If someone else has to counsel you
then you are blind. All of this is a sign of cosmic involvement.
So an offering is made here, “and eyesalve,” kollurion, a famous medicine, an eyesalve invented in Laodicea.
Now in order that you might appreciate the fact “that the shame of your
nakedness be not revealed at the judgment seat of Christ,” the culminative
aorist views that judgment seat of Christ in it’s entirety and emphasises the
existing results. The believer who is consistent in advancing to maturity, the
believer who is consistent in the perception of Bible doctrine, will never have
any regrets forever and ever and ever. Eternity is a long time; we are here for
just a short time.
So we have the final solution in the eyeslave and we
have a verb here to tell what you do with it. The aorist active infinitive of e)gxriw, and it means to rub it in, “and eyesalve to rub
in.” The constative aorist contemplates the action of the verb in it’s
entirety. It refers to alertness in historical trends extended over a period of
time. In other words, “eyesalve” produces the action of the verb and this eyesalve
represents the ability of doctrine in your soul to understand historical
trends, to understand what is happening in this country now, what is happening
in the Middle East, what is happening in Europe, what is happening throughout
the world. So Bible doctrine does another thing for us. As members of the royal
family of God it is eyesalve. We can see and understand contemporary history.
“to rub in your eyes,” the accusative plural direct
object from o)fthalmoj, which means “eyes.”
Rubbing it in your eyes is the understanding of historical trends, you are no
longer blind as to what is happening in history.
The Laodiceans had no capacity for love, for life,
for prosperity, or for happiness. They were living in the cosmic system and
life in the cosmic system destroys every blessing that God brings your way. And
the regrets are the disgrace, the ashamedness which comes at the judgment seat
of Christ. Like I John 2:28, “And now, dear children, keep on residing in it
[the divine dynasphere]; that if he should appear [the Rapture], we might have
confidence, and might not be put to shame by him at his coming.” The
embarrassment of being put to shame belongs to the cosmic believer who often
has, as the Laodiceans, great capacity for life missing. The prosperity is
there, the capacity is not. Capacity must precede prosperity, and so the
tragedy of these people in our context.
As we come to the end of verse eighteen we note once
again that at Laodicea there was a medical centre. And one of the things that
had been discovered was one of the wonderful Phrygian powders from which eyesalve
was manufactured. It did a fantastic job of helping people with eye problems in
the ancient world. It’s exact nature we do not know but it’s success was well
attested in the Roman world. We have in the Greek of verse 18 the word e)gkriw which means to rub in, to anoint. The constative
aorist contemplates the action of the verb in it’s entirety. It refers as far
as we are concerned not to literally rubbing in a medicine but to alertness
with regard to historical trends in the time in which we live. The active
voice: The kollurion produces the action of the
verb, and this eyesalve represents the subject of historical trends during the
Church Age. The infinitive of purpose indicates that it is imperative that we
as believers understand the historical circumstances in which we live. The
accusative plural direct object from o)fthalmoj gives us the word for eyes
in the Greek — “and eyesalve to run in your eyes,” meaning to understand
historical trends. That is brought out in the final purpose clause, i(na plus the perfect active subjunctive of blepw. The present active infinitive of blepw is the actual verb to see. We translate this, “in
order that you may keep seeing,” seeing in the sense of being able to
understand historical trends. The progressive present tense is for action in
the state of persistence, therefore present linear aktionsart. There never must
be a time in your life when you do not understand historical trends and relate
them properly to doctrine so that you are not discouraged, so that you do not
fall apart, and so that you do not become an arrogant crusader, for the
solutions to the problems of life are not found in arrogant crusading of any
kind, they are found in recruiting for the pivot of mature believers. The
subjunctive mood is the potential subjunctive qualified by the element of
contingency — the understand and application of historical trends. Too many
believers are involved in some form of social action. Too many believers are
spending their lives in the cosmic system trying to straighten out this world
which will not be straightened out by them under any circumstances. The only
hope and the only blessing and the only historical impact of the believer comes
from his residence and function in the divine dynasphere, his maximum
perception of Bible doctrine, his formation of the pivot from which the Lord
blesses the client nation.
Translation of the verse: “I counsel you to buy from
me gold [perception of Bible doctrine] refined by fire [the doctrines of
inspiration and canonicity], in order that you may become rich; and wear white
clothes [the invisible uniform of honour], that you may clothe yourselves
[through residence and function in the divine dynasphere], and that the shame
of your disgraceful nakedness [believer living in the cosmic system] may not be
revealed [at the judgment seat of Christ]; and to buy eyesalve [analogous to
the doctrine of historical trends] to rub in your eyes [perception of
historical trends], in order that you may keep on seeing.”
Buying gold is the perception of Bible doctrine
inside the divine dynasphere, the basis for advancing to spiritual maturity and
resultant spiritual prosperity as well as material prosperity in some form. The
wearing of white clothes is the uniform of honour, the fulfillment of both
motivating and functional virtue. Motivating virtue is the function of the
royal priesthood inside the divine dynasphere. It is directed toward God. All
motivating virtue is directed toward God whether it is worship or morality
directed toward man and circumstances. Personal love is the greatest of the
motivating virtues directed toward God. It’s counterpart is the functional
virtue, impersonal love directed toward man, the treating of man in perfect honour
and in virtue. The concept of confidence in God is a motivating virtue, and
it’s counterpart is courage toward man as the functional virtue. So always in
view here: motivational virtues must precede functional virtues just as
capacity for prosperity and blessing must actually precede the blessing.
Then we have
the rubbing in of the eyesalve which is our understanding of the doctrine of
historical trends. We will stop long enough to review some of the concepts that
are found in the eyesalve, concepts dealing with historical trends. We have see
in some detail that the Church Age is a dead spot as far as prophecy is
concerned. There was a great deal of prophecy in the Old Testament about many
things, and when our Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh the actual prophecies
of the first advent were fulfilled in detail. Once our Lord was seated at the
right hand of the Father and had received His third royal patent then the
dispensation of Israel came to a close very shortly thereafter and the Church
Age began.
The Church Age is a time of no prophecy, it is the
time of rest from prophecy. The Church Age is the dispensation of historical
trends. The next prophecy is the resurrection or the Rapture of the Church, the
subject of Revelation chapters four and five. Chapter four begins with the
Rapture of the Church and then everything is fulfilled on a prophetical basis.
So the Church Age is located between the two greatest prophetical periods of
all human history. The first prophetical period has been fulfilled in
relationship to the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, all of the things
that are entailed in the first advent.
The Church Age is the time of the calling out of a
royal family. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not have a royal family for His third
royal patent. For His first royal patent He had God the Father and God the Holy
Spirit. His title under His first royal patent is Son of God. For His second
royal patent He had the dynasty of David. This is the royalty into which He was
born and His title is Son of David. But for His third royal patent there was no
royal family and therefore the Church Age is the time of the calling out of the
royal family. It is also a time of dispensation of no prophecy, only a time of
historical trends, the next prophetic event being the resurrection of the
Church. Needless to say the dispensation of no prophecy is terminated with a
prophecy, the Rapture or the resurrection of the Church.
Therefore the book of Revelation which we are
studying becomes a textbook of world history, world history as related to our
Lord Jesus Christ and His third royal patent. It starts at AD 96 with the apostle John on
the Isle of Patmos and it terminates with the destruction of the universe and
the creation of new heavens and new earth and a new Jerusalem. Of the two
categories of world history one is now in the process — historical trends. The
second category is prophetical and we will study it at a future time.
Therefore, of course, the divine counsel to learn historical trends is always
mandated, “rub eyesalve in your eyes in order that you may keep on seeing.”
This is the purpose for studying historical trends.
We have already noted some of them.
1. Even though history is the history of man’s
thoughts, decisions, actions, motivations, it is Jesus Christ who controls
history. There are two sources of judgment in history: the sovereign decisions
of Jesus Christ and the erroneous decisions of mankind. The emphasis of
historical trends is on the erroneous decisions of mankind.
2. Therefore, as goes the believer in his decisions
so goes the historical trend at any given point of the Church Age. Residence
and function in the divine dynasphere means historical uptrend, whereas
involvement in the cosmic system means historical downtrend. We as members of
the royal family of God and a kingdom of priests have therefore a tremendous
responsibility to the human race. We have the responsibility of advancing to
maturity.
3. People individually and collectively are the
products of their own decisions. In other words, decisions create environment,
not environment decisions. There are no tragedies in history, there are only historical
disasters. These disasters are not tragedies since both individuals and nations
are the products of their own decisions. The pattern of historical disaster
begins with economic depression, moves both to social degeneracy and military
disaster. In times of historical disaster the truly great people are the ones
who run counter to the flow of traffic. In time of disaster people panic and
they fall apart, and they all run in one direction. They try to hide, they
think in terms of security, and they lose that keenness of making decisions. As
a result they merely contribute to the downtrend in the historical situation.
Decisions are the great issue in life, and one that
has been ignored in life by mankind in general. And it isn’t just one decision,
it is the hundreds of decisions that you make, or thousands of decisions you
make in a given period of time. So the fall of nations is not a tragedy, it is
historical disaster. No nation ever falls apart from the accumulated wrong
decisions of the people living in that nation. While we may be sympathetic with
a nation and say, “What a tragedy,” the historical trend says not a tragedy,
these people are the products of their own decisions. The pattern of historical
disaster then begins with economic depression. It moves to the social
degeneracy which is simply the manifestation of many wrong decisions by many
people in a national entity. God often selects the most evil nation to
administer discipline to the client nations so involved.
4.
Individual subjectivity destroys national objectivity. People are merely
the products of their own attitudes and as such the nation becomes the product
of the attitudes of the people in that nation. Arrogant people result in an
arrogant nation. Arrogant people or arrogant nations never see their own
inconsistencies, only the inconsistencies of others. Jealous people and envious
nations never see their own sins and the production of evil, they only see the
sins and the production of evil of others. This is the normal pattern for arrogance
and involvement in cosmic one.
Therefore always in historical trends many of the
problems we see come from the demand for power, for the demand for power among
human beings always exceeds the need for power among human beings. Under the
laws of divine establishment or category one truth we have studied many times
the various forms of legitimate authority in life. Legitimate authority is
necessary so that each one of us might have his freedom and privacy, and that
there might be the recognition of certain divine gifts — the sacredness of
property, the sacredness of life. Therefore certain types of authority are
necessary. But people who do not have authority and become arrogant seek to
establish themselves as an authority and so the historical downtrend always
includes the demand for power exceeding the need for power. The need for power
is determined, then, by the laws of divine establishment which defines all
legitimate authority in the civil realm. It also defines authority in the
business realm. It defines authority in the spiritual realm and the
professional realm. There is no area of life where authority does not exist.
For example, when the authority of the coach is superseded by the demand for
power by the players, then you have disaster. The demand for power, then, is
always determined by some form of motivational evil in cosmic one and some
functional evil in cosmic two. Legitimate power always functions within the
context of legitimate authority delegated by God through the laws of divine establishment.
That authority is defined for any category of life whether social life or
business life or personal life, professional life, national life. Evil and it’s
destructive power exists to the extent that cosmic arrogance exceeds the
restraints of legitimate power and authority. This principle is true whether in
a football game where the referee loses control, or a national entity where the
government fails to protect the freedom, the privacy, the property, the life of
it’s citizens; the local church where the pastor does not teach Bible doctrine,
or in the home where parents have no control over their children. Since we are
the products of our own decisions and self-determination rather than our own
environment motivational and functional evil in the cosmic system can all be
restrained through gate three of the divine dynasphere, which is enforced and
genuine humility.
Historical trends, then, are related to the conflict
between objective reality in life in the divine dynasphere versus subjective
reality of life in the cosmic system. Believers are not only the products of
their own decisions (not their environment) but the nation in which they reside
is affected by their good or bad decisions. Good decisions relate to life in
the divine dynasphere; bad decisions relate to life in the cosmic system.
Arrogant groups of individuals or nations never see, then, the disastrous
consequences of their cosmic involvement. For that reason, of course, there is
nothing but trouble in the glen, as it were. The problems can obviously be
corrected then by following the mandate at the end of verse 18. Eyesalve has to
do with historical trends and the whole story of it as a doctrine — “Rub it in
your eyes [perception of historical trends] in order that you may keep on
seeing [the application of historical trends to the time in which we live].”
And, of course, preoccupation with self to the exclusion of objective reality
becomes the greatest blindness problem in life. As we saw at the end of verse
17 they were blind, they had no perception of doctrine, they had no concept of
the cosmic system, they did not understand historical trends, they were merely
contributing to historical downtrends. They were said to be blind and naked and
therefore the clothing of one’s self is the development of virtue through
perception of doctrine in verse 18. Anointing of the eyes with eyesalve “in
order that you may see” is the understanding of historical trends and it’s
application to circumstances.
There is no progress in the innovations of society
unless it is backed by truth, and this is true in our personal lives. There is
no progress spiritually unless we can apply doctrine to experience, the second
stage of the faith-rest drill with it’s doctrinal rationales and, above all,
the existence of impersonal love in the life, for it is impersonal love, love
for all, that makes it possible to make right applications. Therefore
innovation becomes a basis for expression of arrogance rather than advance or
progress in life in science. Innovation without truth is historically
disastrous while innovation without a system is destructive. Innovation without
a system includes such things as modern art, religious cults, rock and hard
music, weirdo poetry, everything from Gnosticism to socialism, communism to the
welfare state; all these things are innovations, and innovation therefore
becomes destructive. Nothing could be more destructive to the prosperity of
this nation than the welfare state, than socialism, than communism. Innovation
imposed on others without their consent runs the gamut from arrogance to
tyranny.
Too often, then, history is the story of how the
weak control the strong. Weak, insecure, irresponsible, thoughtless, arrogant
people often (though not always) control procedure and function in people. In
social life they do it, in cultural life, in business, in government, in
churches. Through arrogant self-centredness and preoccupation with self the
weak in society control and manipulate the strong. Weakness is characterised by
one thing: arrogance.
The problem in Laodicea was the practical
application base, not the academic application, those are the rationales. The
practical application base is impersonal love. There is no application to life,
to people, or to circumstances unless you impersonal love as a base. We have already
seen how impersonal love has direction. In part of worship it goes toward God
with personal love. Impersonal love is directed toward people in relationships;
it is directed toward capacity. Without impersonal love you have no capacity
for life, without impersonal love you have no capacity for personal love. Until
you can handle all the people you cannot possibly handle one person or a few
people you call friends. You have no application, no base for it. Impersonal
love is not impersonal, it is the whole system of integrity and honour in your
life. It is unconditional; it is directed toward all alike. The same courtesy
you would give to someone you love, you would give to a stranger because you
have virtue, integrity and honour. Impersonal love toward mankind therefore is
the highest virtue directed toward man. Personal love toward mankind is only virtue-dependant.
Impersonal love is always a virtue; personal love is no virtue at all. It may
sound strange to you but your attitude toward strangers and your attitude
toward enemies and people you do not like is the basis for having wonderful
relationships in life with people. You can’t have personal love without
impersonal love, it is that simple. Impersonal love gives vigour to a
population. We have lost our vigour in this country. Impersonal love is
manufactured inside of the divine dynasphere.
While personal love is directed toward mankind in a
selective way, emphasising the attractiveness of the object and related to a
few, impersonal love is non-discriminating, emphasising virtue, honour and
integrity toward all whether the object has animosity, is a stranger, or a
friend. Impersonal love as a virtue directed toward all mankind can exist only
in the soul. Whether the object is present or absent impersonal love goes right
on and acts as a base. People can’t apply in a practical way the principles of
Christianity to their lives because they have no base, no way of applying, no
channel by which the information in their soul goes out to those who live in
your periphery.
Human personal love is weak and vulnerable to
destruction through arrogance. Therefore it is virtue-dependant in its function
perpetuation and reciprocation. God the Father invented the divine dynasphere
as the only way to manufacture impersonal love, the system by which we make
application of doctrine to experience. The existence of holiness in God as the
subject is the model and the pattern for the existence of virtue in the
believer who takes in doctrine consistently. Therefore the function of
impersonal love is the sum total of the believer’s honour, integrity and
objectivity manufactured from all types of Bible doctrine. And so impersonal
love becomes the major problem-solver in this life. The emphasis of impersonal
love is always spiritual momentum and perception of doctrine. Impersonal love
is always unconditional as far as any object is concerned — unprejudiced,
tolerant, courteous, considerate, no matter how great the stress of antagonism.
Therefore application depends on impersonal love. You cannot be the victim of
gossip, maligning, unfair treatment, unjust treatment; you cannot be the victim
of antagonism and actually handle it, unless you have impersonal love in your
soul.
Inside the cosmic system any form of human love
becomes hypocrisy, it becomes preoccupation with self, it becomes the function
of the Narcissus syndrome. Since the object of impersonal love is the entire
human race impersonal love must not only be virtuous but unconditional.
Unconditional means no merit is assigned to the object. And, again, so many
people are failing in their relationships of human love simply because they
lack this impersonal love.
The bottom side of this base of impersonal love, the
one which applies to people, has something we call sensitivity. How can you
apply truth to people unless you are sensitive to people? Sensitivity is a
system of alertness, alertness in the field of objectivity. Sensitivity is the
impact of impersonal love expressed, then, in understanding others and in
thoughtfulness for others. Sensitivity manifests itself in good manners,
willingness to accommodate one’s self to an individual or a group; and, of
course, it means that you are going to be misunderstood, you are often going to
be called weak and bullied, but that shouldn’t bother you at all if you have
the strong integrity of impersonal love.
Sensitivity, then, combines with the virtue of
impersonal love and with the virtue of enforced and genuine humility to provide
the best possible capacity for life, the capacity which is lacking in the Laodiceans.
By way of contrast hypersensitivity is arrogance. The person who has impersonal
love inside the divine dynasphere has great sensitivity to people. But the
person in cosmic one is insensitive to people and preoccupied with self, and
therefore becomes hypersensitive. Hypersensitivity is arrogant preoccupation
with self, the subjective function of making a false issue out of one’s self.
Hypersensitive people always function under the demand syndrome and use a
number of strategies to get their own way or to control their periphery. The
obsession of self-importance, preoccupation with self to the exclusion of those
around you is the trade mark of hypersensitivity. Hypersensitive people, of
course, are always insensitive to the feelings of others. And, of course,
hypersensitivity and impersonal love cannot coexist and therefore if people
live, especially in cosmic one, and they go in through gate one and function
there, they are never going to be able to apply one ounce of doctrine though
they may know the whole realm of doctrine. There will be no application.
In Christianity in Laodicea there was a conflict in
the sensitivity of virtue and the hypersensitivity of arrogance. Sensitivity
represents functional virtue, impersonal love toward others; hypersensitivity
represents the function of arrogance toward others. Therefore sensitivity
versus hypersensitivity is one of the great battles in Christianity. Those who
live in the divine dynasphere consistently are sensitive; those who live in the
cosmic system are hypersensitive. In the angelic conflict stage of the Church
Age the opposing forces are in one dynasphere or the other and one of the great
battles to be fought every day is sensitivity versus hypersensitivity.
Sensitivity is objective and humble; hypersensitivity is subjective and
arrogant.
Just as there is a relationship between motivational
and functional virtue, as a result of hypersensitivity there exists a
relationship between motivational and functional evil. When confronted with
obvious superiority the hypersensitive believer in the cosmic system seeks to
destroy that superior person or rationalise his own pseudo-superiority. Thus he
divorces himself from reality and intensifies his antagonisms. When confronted
with obvious inferiority the hypersensitive believer becomes a bully and a
tyrant and, again, he divorces himself from reality. This, of course, results
in the destruction of society which results in the destruction of the client
nation. And had Laodicea been the only source of support for the Roman empire
the Roman empire would have gone down in AD 96. But such is not the case, and there were some
people who were ready to learn in Laodicea.
Inside of
many of your souls, though obviously not all, there is a tremendous mass of
doctrine which we call from its Biblical phrase, e)pignwsij. You have learned that doctrine through residence and function in the
divine dynasphere. The key is that when you learn doctrine at gate four you
have to apply that doctrine, and the application of e)pignosij to your life and experience falls into two basic categories. There is
first of all academic application. Academic application of Bible doctrine to
your life is to deal with all circumstances of life, not simply adverse
circumstances, whereas practical application is designed to deal with all the
people with whom you come into contact, good and bad. You cannot apply doctrine
that you have learned as e)pignwsij to circumstances unless you
have a base for doing so, and the base for applying e)pignwsij doctrine academically to circumstances is the second stage of the
faith-rest drill with its rationales, the plan of God rationale, the essence of
God rationale, the logistical grace rationale, all of the various rationales.
And then in practical application you must also have a base, and this is the
one that people don’t understand. You cannot solve people problems for yourself
unless you have the base of impersonal love.
Principle
1. The Church Age is not only the dispensation of no
prophecy but the dispensation of historical trends without prophecy.
2. Only during the Church Age are historical trends
related exclusively to the decisions made by believers in any given generation.
3. In all other dispensations historical trends are
determined by prophecy.
4. This means that decisions of believers and other
believers of other dispensations were programmed into the computer of divine
decrees and the printout was prophecy. Prophecy determines historical trends in
all other dispensations but the Church Age.
5. This is the only dispensation where eschatology
does not determine historical trends; this is the only dispensation where the
believer’s decisions alone determine historical trends. In other words, your
attitude toward Bible doctrine determines the historical trends in this
generation. This means both decision and application, then, are the key to
historical trends in the Church Age. Your decisions as a believer and your
applications of doctrine or failure of application determines historical trends
in the Church Age.
The most important base for decision and application
is impersonal love, the virtue of the Church Age. This virtue compensates for
any lack of equality in any given generation. Equality is always related to
opportunity in the Christian life, and not the results. It is true that we have
a moment of equality at the moment of salvation when forty things are given to
each one of us and that is equality for the moment. But that is a temporary
thing. We all, at that point, have equality of opportunity but from there on it
is a matter of volition. The fact that you have equality of opportunity
guarantees inequality of result. Some are going to be winners because they
reside and function in the divine dynasphere and because they are consistent in
the perception and application of Bible doctrine. Some are going to be losers.
They had their chance at the point of salvation but they used their free will
to fail.
This is the dispensation of no prophecy and it is
the dispensation of equal opportunity among believers — opportunity only. At
the moment of salvation we have the same opportunity as all other believers at
the moment of salvation, but thereafter there is a vast difference and great
inequalities exist because of failure to utilise logistical grace, or success
in the utilisation of logistical grace.
When we talk about love, anticipating verse 19:
“Those whom I love,” people often think of love in terms of sex. Furthermore
they glorify sex as a problem-solver and a happiness maker. But sex does not
solve problems, it is for those who have already solved their problems. To fall
in love without the capacity for love is the greatest single sociological
disaster in life, and people who are constantly searching for an opposite
number therefore stick their necks out and guarantee disaster. They put the
cart before the horse. They have no capacity for love but they are constantly
searching for someone to love. You can’t have a relationship with a member of
the opposite sex without having the capacity first and if you simply focus in
on sex then sex doesn’t solve any problems. Sex merely intensifies the problems
you have. By this is meant there can be no personal love between a man and a
woman unless each one possesses impersonal love — the capacity. Since sex is an
expression of personal love between one man and one woman, obviously the
blessing of category two love and sex depends upon the possession of virtue, honour,
and integrity of impersonal love. In other words, capacity for love precedes
blessing in love.
Capacity, of course, takes us back to impersonal
love and it inserts virtue, honour and integrity in all human relationships.
Those who try to solve their problems through sex intensify their problems. Sex
is not a problem-solver but is an expression of capacity for love when there is
impersonal love in the life. The principle is: capacity must precede any form
of blessing or possible blessing. The real secret is to have the capacity
first, then you enjoy the blessing. Otherwise you do not enjoy the blessing.
The concept itself leads us to the other side of the
fence. We have been considering the concept of love and we have noted the basis
for the Christian way of life as it relates to love. The Christian way of life
is divided into two parts: visible and invisible. The invisible is the function
of your royal priesthood directed toward God, and the problem with so many
people in sex and in other human relationships — where the boss seems to be
unfair, where people are unkind, etc. — is the fact that the only personal love
that has virtue is directed toward God. And with personal love for God, which
is responding to His love for us, then we have something that is fantastic.
That must come first and that comes from the perception of doctrine at gate
four, and that becomes motivating virtue in life. It becomes the only motive by
which there can be happiness and blessing in this life. Then there is the
visible function of the Christian way of life, the royal ambassadorship. This
is directed toward people as the objects of love; but the virtue is in
impersonal love, not personal love, because impersonal love has the virtue, honour
and integrity and becomes the functional virtue. If you have love for God in a
personal way from your perception of doctrine you will have impersonal love for
people as the application of doctrine to experience. And it is the way you
treat all people that will actually determine your ability to single out one
individual of the opposite sex and treat them in magnificent personal love. But
personal love is virtue-dependant.
Verse 19, motivation for recovery from the cosmic
system. We start out with the accusative masculine plural from o(soj, a correlative relative pronoun. This relative
pronoun of quantity and number combines with a conditional conjunction e)an, and the two words together form a simple idiom:
“those whom.” The indefinite pronoun expresses a substantive idea in a general
sense as representing a category, that is o(soj.
Hence, the indefinite pronoun expresses the category without specifying by name
anyone in that category. The idiom is used to state a principle with regard to
believers but to state the principle without naming names, not someone by name
but a category.
The first encouraging thing is that these who have
failed are loved by the Lord just as those who have succeeded, those who are
winners. It is obvious that the Lord loves the winner, the one who advances to
maturity; it is not obvious that the Lord loves the loser, but He does. This
takes us right back to the concept of impersonal love, “I love you because of
virtue, honour and integrity in my soul. I do not love you because you are
attractive or unattractive, I love you because of who and what I am.” The
pronoun here is speaking of God. It is the personal pronoun e)gw in the nominative, first person singular, referring
to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit at different times. Here
it refers to God the Son who is the prince-ruler of the Church and the one who
is dispensing logistical grace in this dispensation. Then we have the verb, the
present active indicative of the verb filew.
This is rather strange when you would expect a)gapaw which is generally used for impersonal love but the point is that if
you have impersonal love directed toward all you are now qualified to have
personal love directed toward a few. Here we are talking about the few in the
sense of losers, believers who live in the cosmic system, believers who are
Christians but not living the Christian way of life. This is not the word for
impersonal love. Why do we have the verb for personal love? Well obviously it
is a reference to divine personal love, and obviously God could not love losers
unless God had virtue, honour, integrity, His perfect essence. And the reason
that God can even love personally a loser is because of His magnificent
essence. So we have a reference to divine personal love directed toward those
who believe in Christ, those who possess God’s perfect righteousness, and while
this is a personal love directed toward them it is based upon virtue —
impersonal love. When God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the subject and
you are a loser and He loves you personally, that should be motive enough to
recover from the cosmic system. Therefore filew
is used instead of the usual a)gapaw.
Translation so far: “Those whom [Church Age
believers] I [the Lord Jesus Christ] love [personal love directed toward those
who possess +R but are losers].”
Verse 19, “Those whom I love,” Church Age believers,
royal family of God. The subject is the Lord Jesus Christ in His personal love
directed toward the few who are believers. The reason for it we will note
later.
There are three classifications of divine love.
First of all there is God’s love for God; secondly, God’s love for man;
thirdly, God’s love for His own policy. So when you think of the love of God
you have to think of the object. God, for example, has a love for the other
members of the Godhead and for His own perfect integrity. God also has a love
for man and for His own policy. These three factors are the principles in the
love of God. And they have to be classified.
God’s love for God is classified two ways. Each
member of the Godhead loves His own perfect essence, His own attributes. That
is called perfect subjective love. He also loves the essence of the attributes
of the other members of the Godhead. That is called perfect objective love.
However, we are not studying it at this moment since it is not pertinent to our
verse. Our verse deals with God’s love for man which is classified into two
categories: God’s impersonal love for all mankind, as manifest by the cross,
and God’s personal love for those who possess His righteousness or those who
are believers in Christ. The concept of God’s love for His policy is classified
as an anthropopathism in contrast to the other concepts or principles like
God’s love for man direct. The anthropopathism, “I love Jacob but I hate Esau,”
is an illustration.
In classifying divine love toward man we have to
look at it from the standpoint of the three phases of the plan of God. There is
salvation or phase one. When you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you receive
forty things and the divine dynasphere. Then there is phase two, the believer
in time beginning with his salvation and terminating with his departure from
this life whether by physical death or the resurrection. Then there is phase
three, the believer in eternity. Each one of these phases of the plan has the
connotation of personal or impersonal love. Divine impersonal love is directed
toward all, for example, in phase one or salvation. God loves the human race.
Illustration: when Christ was on the cross He received all of the sins of the
world, they were all imputed to Him and judged. Divine personal love, however,
is directed only toward those who actually believe in Christ. At the cross
Christ died for all and therefore the love of God for the human race is
impersonal, emphasising the integrity of the subject.
But those who believe in Christ have that which
makes it personal, they have the righteousness of God. So in the classification
of phase one of salvation there is divine impersonal love directed toward the
entire human race; there is divine personal love directed toward those who have
the righteousness of God. And there are two categories of believers who have
this righteousness: believers living in the divine dynasphere who are winners,
and believers who are living in the cosmic system and are losers. So when God
expresses His love He sometimes expresses it categorically to those who live in
the divine dynasphere. In our passage He is going to express His personal love
to those who are losers living in the cosmic system. All of us are blessed by
God because of who and what God is. Divine personal love is directed toward the
few, however, who advance to maturity. In going from gate four to gate eight
the mature believer becomes the object of divine personal love, and the same
thing is true in the third category of God’s plan: phase three, the believer in
eternity.
Our context is referring to divine personal love. We
discovered that when we saw the verb filew, used for divine personal
love and human personal love where man is the subject. We have seen also that a)gapaw is the verb used for impersonal love. So we are
talking about God the Son as the subject and filew
is used to indicate the personal love of the Lord, and therefore is directed
toward the few, those believers who personally accept the Lord Jesus Christ as saviour
under category one. Under category two it is advance to maturity. So obviously
when we have filew we are simply looking at
losers from the standpoint of the fact that while they are in cosmic one they
still have God’s righteousness, they haven’t lost their salvation. While they
are in cosmic two they still have God’s righteousness, and that is the status
quo of the Laodiceans under the phrase, “those whom I love.” In this case it is
personal love because losers have +R.
The present tense is a static present, it represents
a condition as perpetually existing. Because of the imputation of +R at the
point of salvation God personally loves every believer. Active voice: in this
particular context God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, produces the action, and
the indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of Bible doctrine.
That is why you and I are alive. When we fail or when we succeed it makes no
difference as far as His love is concerned, He still loves us with the same
amount of infinite, eternal, and personal love.
The manifestation of this comes in the next verb,
the present active indicative of the verb e)legxw, and it means to convince, to convict, to point out something to
someone, to bring to light or reality. It should be translated here, to
reprimand or to reprove, “Those whom I love, I reprimand.” The present tense is
a customary present, it denotes that which habitually occurs when a believer
becomes involved in the cosmic system and is a loser. Such a believer receives
warning discipline as a means of motivating rebound. The active voice: God
produces the action of the verb through the provision of warning discipline.
When it says, “I reprimand,” it means after you
through your own decisions, your own motives and your own actions have made a
mess out of your life, and you have made yourself miserable and unhappy. Once
you have done that it means that you have prolonged your stay in the cosmic
system and somehow you have to be motivated to get out. You have to be taught
the difference between man and animal. The animal has instinct; man has to be
taught everything. The only time that man becomes instinctive is the time that
man reverts to becoming an animal himself in his soul. He ignores the soul by
the dominance of emotion. Here we have suffering but the suffering is brought
about by your own volition. The only way that you can ever recover is to get
out of the cosmic system and get back in the divine dynasphere, and that calls
for a positive decision. But since, as you live a long time in the cosmic
system, you become instinctive rather than rational. Remember that Christians
in the cosmic system become sociopathic, psychopathic and neurotic. They have
to be taught again, but they have to be motivated to rebound. Therefore warning
discipline is brought about by the Lord, and that is exactly what we have here
when it says, “I reprimand”. The active voice: God produces the action of the
verb by the provision of warning discipline to the believer in the cosmic
system. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality of warning
discipline as a teaching instrument. It is to teach the believer, that is the
whole purpose of divine discipline.
Warning discipline is only the beginning here, for
we have a connective conjunction kai
and then a third present active indicative. This time the verb is paideuw, a word which is taken from the word paij which means a child, and it means to train the child
by punishment, by discipline. So the concept is to discipline with punishment. Paideuw is intensive discipline for the cosmic
believer. The present tense is a customary present which habitually occurs when
the cosmic believer through his own volition gets into the cosmic system and
stays there — no rebound. The active voice: God produces the action of the verb
by providing intensive discipline after warning discipline.
There are three stages to divine discipline.
Stage one is to alert the cosmic believer to his
state of cosmic involvement and to give him the opportunity to rebound. This
discipline is both coterminous and coexistent with self-induced misery from bad
decisions. In other words, it is tacked on to bad decisions. The cosmic
believer manufactures his own unhappiness through his own free will. So there
is warning discipline to give him the motivation to rebound.
Stage two is intensive discipline, the
intensification of divine discipline is administered by the justice of God to
the cosmic believer who fails to heed the warning, “Behold I stand at the door
and knock.” This is continued negative volition and the perpetuation of cosmic
involvement without rebound. This category prepares the cosmic believer for the
administration of the sin unto death.
Stage three is dying discipline, the sin unto death,
in which the believer is removed from phase two. This discipline is manifest at
the judgment seat of Christ through loss of any reward or decoration on the one
hand, and there is embarrassment on the other.
The key to the maintenance of life in the divine dynasphere
is the perpetual use of the rebound technique when necessary. Therefore, in the
last half of this verse there is a mandate to rebound and the only way to
recover life in the divine dynasphere. That mandate for recovery from the
cosmic system follows. First of all there must be motivation and the
motivation, of course, comes from hurting.
All of us have to learn some things the hard way.
Your life can be very easily gauged by the number of things you have to learn
the hard way. Those who have to be disciplined by God constantly, those who
ignore warning discipline and go into intensive discipline, are stupid no
matter how high their IQ. They are stupid because they have to learn everything the hard way.
How do you know when you are stupid? It is C+C=STUPIDITY. Crisis warning
discipline plus crisis intensive discipline equals stupidity. Your stupidity is
measured by the number of crises in your life. This is not talking about
testing, it is talking about God actually having to discipline you. As soon as
the pain of divine discipline is removed then you fall right back into the same
old way, that’s dumb! And it is inexcusable because spiritual IQ is not measured in terms of
human IQ.
People have to be motivated when they fail even as
they have to be motivated when they succeed. People who are going to live their
lives as unto the Lord have to solve their own problems, and they have to be
motivated to solve their own problems by the perception of doctrine. And if
people who fail are ever going to recover they have to be motivated from their
own soul and make the decision from their own free will. That is how
problem-solving gets started. So we have motivation here, the present active
imperative of the verb zhleuw, which means to be eager,
to be zealous, or to be properly motivated. We will translate it, “be zealous,”
but it really means to be properly motivated. The customary present tense is
for what habitually occurs when motivation for rebound is present, either from
warning or intensive discipline, or wisdom from past recollection and
application of doctrine. The active voice: cosmic believers produce the action
of the verb through proper motivation. The imperative mood is the imperative of
command which is a mandate for proper motivation to continue rebound modus
operandi. You have to be motivated to rebound and that is why divine
discipline, otherwise you could simply follow your own destiny with your own
volition and destroy yourself in half the time of divine discipline. You have
to remember that all of the time that you are under divine discipline you are
being kept alive! Under divine discipline the justice of God is still sending
logistical grace to the righteousness of God in your soul. Therefore you are
being faithfully kept alive while you are under divine discipline. Left to your
own devices you wouldn’t be alive. Divine discipline often lessens the
intensity of your suffering. You see, it is our decisions that make us suffer.
Divine discipline is a blessing. It is not designed
just to make us hurt. We hurt so that we will be motivated to get back into the
plan and often divine discipline isn’t nearly as painful as the things we do
ourselves with our wrong decisions. Man suffers more from his own volition than
he does from the justice of God in divine discipline. All God is doing is
motivating us.
The word for zeal in verse 19 indicates the proper
motivation for the use of the rebound technique. The inferential conjunction o)un denotes that what it introduces is the result
of inference from what precedes, “therefore be zealous.” We have the connective
conjunction kai which indicates the fact
that rebound is necessary for motivation from either doctrinal wisdom or divine
discipline, one or the other. Rebound is one of the most essential functions in
your life on this earth. Without rebound there is absolutely no way that you
can maintain any kind of fulfillment of the plan of God, staying inside the
divine dynasphere, and everything related to it.
Next we have, after the motivation, the mechanics in
the verb metanoew. The aorist active
imperative of this verb is generally misunderstood. It means to change the
mind. The subject of changing the mind is always found in the context. The word
“repent” in modern English connotes some form of emotion, feeling sorry for
something you have done, and that is definitely not the connotation in the
Greek. It means to change one’s mind. Here it is a technical word for rebound,
the naming of your sins to God as a function of your royal priesthood in the
cosmic system. The aorist tense is a constative aorist for a momentary action.
Rebound is a function that should not take long. The active voice: the carnal
or the cosmic believer produces the action of the verb by confessing his known
sins to God as the only legitimate priestly function inside the cosmic system.
The imperative mood is the imperative of command, a mandate from God to the
cosmic believer to confess his sins (privately) to God and to leave the cosmic
system. The moment of rebound means that he reenters the divine dynasphere.
The mechanics of recovery from the cosmic system is
the rebound technique only. In the mechanics of rebound the cosmic believer is
free to confess his sins and to recover life in the divine dynasphere or he can
ignore the discipline and the warning which comes from it, the warning of
discipline or intensive discipline, and continue life in the cosmic system.
Life in the cosmic system results in the believer in Christ serving Satan all
of his life. It is a life of terrible misery.
Believers generally misunderstand divine discipline.
On the pain curve we cause our own pain to self by wrong decisions. We produce
our own unhappiness; we are the source of our own misery. The decisions we make
result in bringing pain and misery to ourselves and this pain can intensify
anywhere from, say, zero to one hundred per cent depending on how long you live
in the cosmic system. The cosmic system is merely the circumstances, the
environment of pain. And we make our own decisions that bring about our
suffering, it is not caused by outside sources. The intensity of pain brought
about by our own volition can go all the way to one hundred per cent.
Now divine discipline doesn’t work that way, it is a
different story. In administering divine discipline the Lord may tune in when
we hit forty per cent with warning discipline. Divine discipline is designed to
teach, not to hurt, and it is generally not as painful as the suffering we
bring on ourselves. We bring pain to ourselves by wrong decisions and the pain
intensifies as we accumulate wrong decisions without a break. When the Lord
comes in with warning discipline it is simply a way of saying: “Look, to learn
Bible doctrine you have to be in the divine dynasphere. So you are not in the
divine dynasphere, therefore you cannot learn doctrine, you cannot grow. But
you can get back into the divine dynasphere and this pain is to teach you, to
motivate you, to rebound.” But it is not an intense thing. It will be described
in the next verse as standing at the door and knocking. God spanks us,
reprimands us, as a teaching aid. Unfortunately there is very little that you
can learn through it except to be motivated to rebound. Learning the hard way
is a limited academic subject. Once you ignore warning discipline then the next
time it comes in as intensive discipline. So when you hurt the most in this
world don’t say that God is punishing you.
To get out of the divine dynasphere you have to make
a decision to sin. Let’s say you are in the divine dynasphere and you are a new
believer. Let’s say you are a socialist, or a communist, or some kind of
activist, a terrorist even. Now let’s say that you have been saved for five
minutes and you haven’t committed a sin. The fact that you are a socialist or a
communist or a terrorist or anything else does not knock you out of the divine dynasphere.
Being a communist or a socialist or a terrorist motivates you to sin, but the
only way you get out of the divine dynasphere is sin. It is not what you are,
it is what you do. You can’t get out by being evil. When we are born again we
are generally either evil or full of human good and self-righteousness. You
cannot get out of the divine dynasphere because you are evil, the only way you
can get out of the divine dynasphere is to sin, and when you decide to sin that
is the moment you go outside. Because that decision cannot be made in the
divine dynasphere it has to be made outside and the moment you make a decision
to sin you enter the cosmic system. It is important to understand that the only
decision that gets you out of the divine dynasphere is sin.
Life in the cosmic system results in the believer
serving Satan. Life in the cosmic system is a miserable existence in time, an
embarrassment at the judgment seat of Christ, and means occupying an inferior
status quo both in the Millennium and in the eternal state. So obviously then
rebound is a pivotal factor. You make a decision by which you get out of the
divine dynasphere; you also make a decision by which you get back into the
divine dynasphere.
Rebound is as simple as 1 John 1:9, which in
corrected translation says: “If we acknowledge [admit, name] our sins, he is
faithful and righteous so that he has forgiven us our sins, and cleansed us
from all unrighteousness [sins of ignorance].” Usually when we commit sins of cognisance
somewhere in the background there are also sins of ignorance that are also
cleansed. So rebound is the grace function of the believer which accomplishes
the following results: restoration of fellowship with God; recovery of the
filling of the Holy Spirit; reentry into the divine dynasphere; recovery from
the cosmic system [cosmic one where we are grieving the Spirit; cosmic two
where we are quenching the Spirit]. Rebound, then, is the most basic modus
operandi of the spiritual life and the most important function of the
priesthood outside the cosmic system. Rebound is a part of God’s logistical
grace provision for the fulfillment of the plan of God and the execution of the
Christian way of life. Without this grace provision of rebound the believer in
phase two cannot exploit the positional victory over the old sin nature gained
at the point of salvation through the baptism of the Spirit. And apart from the
rebound technique no believer can function inside the divine dynasphere and
therefore no believer can fulfill the plan of God. There is no execution of
divine mandates apart from life in the divine dynasphere for all of them
require the power of God the Holy Spirit.
All suffering in the Christian life should be turned
to blessing but it is impossible to do this apart from rebound. In suffering
for discipline the issue is sin; in suffering for blessing the issue is grace.
The category for suffering for discipline is unbearable suffering; the category
for suffering for blessing is bearable suffering. The status of suffering for
discipline is arrogant subjectivity; the status of suffering for blessing is
enforced and genuine humility. The solution to suffering for discipline is
rebound; the solution to suffering for blessing is the three stages of the
faith-rest drill.
The greatest opposition to rebound, of course, is
impulsive arrogance, impulsive arrogance of gate three, cosmic one.
Illustration: Matthew 18:23-35. Another great enemy of rebound is the blind
arrogance of gate five of cosmic one, Luke 15:11-32. The third great enemy of
rebound is the iconoclastic arrogance of gate seventeen of cosmic one, 2
Corinthians 2:5-11.
The dispensation in which we live provides the
greatest opportunity for all believers and the greatest challenge that has
existed in all of human history, or ever will. The reason for this is because
this is the only dispensation or era of history in which prophecy has
absolutely no part. Historical trends in all other dispensations determined by
prophecy but in this Church Age there is no prophecy. Therefore the dispensation
in which we find ourselves is one in which everything depends upon the
individual volition of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. As goes your
volition, your decisions, so goes the historical trends in the Church Age. This
is the dispensation of the mystery. It was so-called according to the books of
Ephesians and Colossians because of the fact that there was no prophecy
revealed about this age. In all of the prophecies of the Old Testament there is
a great deal of eschatology regarding Israel as a client nation to God, there
is a tremendous amount of prophecy about the Tribulation, the second advent,
the Millennial reign of Christ, and in these prophecies there is a great deal
of information with regard to historical trends so that it is easy to conclude
that historical trends are determined by prophecy in every dispensation except
this one. It therefore becomes very important in the Church Age to realise that
your daily decisions and your personal decisions are the difference between
prosperity and adversity, and between blessing and cursing as far as the client
nation is concerned. This means that you and I as believers have a tremendous
responsibility in the intensified stage of the great angelic conflict,
generally speaking an unseen conflict. The heroes are, therefore, low-profile
and invisible until the judgment seat of Christ. And those who often determine
your prosperity and mine are those believers who are faithful in the perception
of Bible doctrine and who have advanced to maturity.
By the same token bad decisions mean several things
in this dispensation. It means first of all that most of the pain that you
suffer comes from your own bad decisions and that when you receive divine
discipline it is often less than the pain that you have produced by your own
negative volition.
That brings us now to verse 20 which is not a
salvation verse. It has nothing whatever to do with salvation; it has
everything to do with believers in the cosmic system. It has to do with the
fact that believers make their own pain and by making pain for themselves by
wrong decisions they spread the pain to others. You cannot manufacture pain in
your own life without an overflow into the lives of other people. There are
actually three analogies in this verse. First of all the analogy to warning
discipline; secondly, the analogy to rebound function; and thirdly, the analogy
to life in the divine dynasphere.
The analogy to warning discipline begins with the
demonstrative particle i)dou. It is formed from the
aorist middle imperative of the verb o(raw, “to see,” and rather than
behold it should be translated, “Now hear this.” The perfect active indicative
of the verb i(stemi follows, and it means to
stand, “Now hear this, I stand.” The reason we translate it like an English
present is the intensive perfect emphasises the existing results from the
completed action. When special attention is directed toward the results of the
action the existing fact of warning discipline is intensified. This is the
emphatic method in the Greek of presenting a fact that is, and the fact that it
is warning discipline, and warning discipline is punishment from God. But it is
not suffering or punishment or pain as we bring on ourselves through wrong
decisions and through making poor use of our volition, but rather it is a
teaching aid. So in fact the intensive perfect presents the facts of warning
discipline more forcibly than either the Greek or the English present tense but
translated like the English present. The active voice: Jesus Christ produces
the action of the verb through the administration of warning discipline. The
indicative mood is declarative for the reality of warning discipline. The only
way sometimes to distinguish between warning discipline and pain that you have
brought on yourself is the fact that whatever decisions you have made lead to
the pain. And there may be some sphere where you can hurt in a very intensive
way that is not related to the hundreds of decisions you have made in a given
period of time. Therefore it will be something special that hurts in a very
sharp and special way in your life as a teaching aid.
Then we have the preposition e)pi plus the accusative of qura,“at
the door.” The door is the only escape hatch from the cosmic system. So
immediately our Lord finds believers in this dispensation living in the cosmic
system. The door also means something else. Not only is it an escape hatch from
the cosmic system and therefore being under the direct control of Satan, but
the door is also an opportunity to rebound and to recover from the cosmic
system. Rebound also means reentry into the divine dynasphere which is God’s
plan for the Church Age and for the believer in Christ. The only priestly
function directed toward God on the part of the cosmic believer is the function
of the rebound technique. Hence the door is warning discipline. Christ standing
at the door is knocking, warning, and indicating the grace way of escape. No
believer can escape from the cosmic system, and therefore slavery to Satan,
apart from the rebound technique.
Then we have a present active indicative from the
verb krouw, and it means to knock. The
retroactive progressive present means that warning discipline has begun in the
past and continues into the present. Believers in the cosmic system are slow
learners. Therefore there is a prolonged type of warning discipline. Warning
discipline is the only way that our Lord can get the attention of the cosmic
believer. Warning discipline makes the cosmic believer so miserable that he is
forced to face the reality of his cosmic involvement and, of course, the only
solution which is the rebound technique. The active voice: Our Lord produces
the action of the verb, the warning discipline to rescue the cosmic believer
from the disaster of his status quo. The indicative mood is declarative for the
reality of warning discipline as the first step in motivating rebound and
recovery from the cosmic system.
The corrected translation should bring out the
linear aktionsart, and it is therefore translated: “Now hear this, I stand at
the door and I keep knocking.” Warning discipline is a continuous function.
The doctrine of divine discipline
There is in rightly dividing the Word of truth a
tremendous distinction between the pain and the misery we bring to ourselves by
wrong decisions and the suffering or the reprimand or discipline which comes
from the justice of God. Divine discipline is totally fair; pain and misery
brought about by our own wrong decisions is totally unfair, exasperating,
impossible. Divine discipline teaches but pain brought about by our own
erroneous decisions do not have any teaching content at all.
1. Divine discipline is the sum total of punitive
action taken by the justice of God to correct, to teach, to encourage, to
train, to motivate the believer’s free will toward the person and the plan of
God. All divine discipline is designed to bring you back on the correct course
of the plan of God.
2. Divine discipline is distinguished from divine
judgment in that discipline is a teaching aid for believers only, while
judgment from God is directed toward all categories of humanity, believers and
unbelievers, under certain given circumstances.
3. Believers become involved in the cosmic system
under two categories: carnality, a brief stay in the cosmic system followed by
the use of rebound often encouraged by warning discipline; reversionism, a
prolonged stay in the cosmic system and the neglect of the rebound technique.
4. Divine discipline must be distinguished from
self-induced misery. Bad decisions not only destroy your options in life but
they result in bringing about your own pain through your own function of
volition. So bad decisions not only destroy your future options but they result
in self-induced misery totally apart from the divine administration of
punishment.
5. In other words, believers are constantly making
decisions which result in their own misery, unhappiness, discomfort, totally
apart from any punitive action taken by the justice of God. In other words,
self-induced misery is being unfair to yourself. Divine discipline is God being
totally fair with you.
6. All people are products of their own decisions,
good or bad. Decisions create environment for life, not environment decisions.
7. Punishment from God often follows bad decisions
producing self-induced misery, but God is credited or blamed for a lot of
misery He does not initiate.
8. All wrong decisions, including carnality and reversionism,
relate to cosmic involvement and function.
9. All wrong decisions in life are connected with some
form of arrogance, which emphasises gate one, cosmic one. Therefore gate one,
cosmic one is what we might classify the cosmic recruiter and the motivator for
all evil. Some of the functions of gate one, cosmic one, include arrogance,
jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, self-pity, revenge
motivation, etc.
Now it should become obvious that the difference
between self-induced suffering or pain and divine discipline is the source. God
is the source of divine discipline; man’s volition or free will is the source
of self-induced misery and pain in his life. At the outset it should be noted
that regardless of the category of suffering and discipline divine punishment
of the believer does not imply loss of salvation. You cannot lose your salvation.
All divine discipline, except the sin unto death, is designed to teach the
believer, to correct the believer, to motivate the believer to recover from the
cosmic system and slavery to Satan, the ruler of this world. Therefore, divine
discipline is often very beneficial but only when the believer responds to the
teaching of discipline and is motivated to rebound, thereby recovering
residence in the divine dynasphere.
The principle that comes out of all this is a very
simple one: the believer must accept the responsibility for his own bad
decisions and, further, accept the responsibility for all categories of divine
discipline to which he is subjected. You are divorced from reality to the
extent that you refuse to accept the responsibility for your own decisions.
While judgment is punitive action from God to all
mankind divine discipline is God’s last system for teaching believers only.
Therefore distinguish between judgment and discipline. All believers are
members of the royal family of God and His punitive action directed toward
believers is a family affair — Hebrews 12:5. When God punishes or reprimands
the believer it is designed for his blessing; it is parental training in the
royal family.
There are two systems of learning in the Church Age.
As you learn doctrine you grow in grace. You cannot grow spiritually, you
cannot have any momentum in the Christian life except from perception of
doctrine. The first system of learning in the Church Age is the communication
of Bible doctrine from your own pastor-teacher. This has unlimited academic
potential. Secondly, there is divine discipline from God, which is very
limited. The unlimited concept of learning doctrine from your pastor results in
spiritual maturity and fantastic blessing, but learning the hard way from
divine discipline is learning through pain, and that is of course stupid. While
divine discipline can teach some lessons well and produce great respect for
God’s authority it cannot bring the believer to maturity. Only the perception
and application of doctrine can do that. Nevertheless, divine discipline is a
teacher and often as a producer of humility it results in teachability.
Therefore divine discipline must be regarded as another form of blessing and a
glorious opportunity to exercise one’s options for the grace of God and the
plan of God. Furthermore divine discipline provides opportunity for the
believer to reverse the results of his bad decisions and start making good
decisions for the plan of God and the grace of God. The principle that comes
out of this: If you cannot learn from humility you can learn from hurting.
Divine
discipline is also related to the general subject of suffering, but we should
note that the general subject of suffering comes under three categories. First,
as it is related to human volition, suffering by self-determination. Then, God
comes into the picture to present two other categories of suffering and these
are the ones we want to note: suffering for discipline and suffering for
blessing.
Suffering for divine discipline is involved in the
cosmic system; suffering for blessing involves the divine dynasphere. Suffering
for divine discipline is unbearable suffering in contrast to suffering for
blessing which is bearable and results in blessing. Each category has its own
viewpoint. The viewpoint in suffering for discipline is arrogance and
subjectivity; the viewpoint in suffering for blessing is humility and
objectivity. In each case there is a solution. If you are suffering from divine
discipline the solution is the rebound technique. In this case one of three
things can happen. First of all, all the suffering can cease at that moment. In
other cases the suffering is simply diminished. In the third case the suffering
continues at the same level. If the suffering is either diminished or continues
at the same level it is now diminished in the divine dynasphere or in the same
level in the divine dynasphere. Therefore in the divine dynasphere the purpose
of that suffering is blessing, whereas the purpose of that same suffering in
the cosmic system is cursing. So the use of the rebound technique converts
suffering from cursing to blessing.
Once that same suffering has continued or is
perpetuated either in diminished form or in the intensified form in the divine dynasphere
the solution demands that you go right back to application of that suffering.
And there is an academic application, the base is the faith-rest drill, the
second stage — the rationales. That would apply doctrine to the circumstances
of life. And there is a practical application which takes you to impersonal
love, and that applies to people.
After the believer recovers his fellowship with God
he is back in the divine dynasphere, he is filled with the Spirit. His
suffering may cease, as per 1 Corinthians 11:31. If the suffering does not
cease after rebound the purpose is changed, cursing into blessing, as per 1
Corinthians 10:13. When suffering is designed for punishment or discipline the
believer cannot bear it, but when the suffering is designed for testing and
blessing he can, and out of it comes even great happiness. That, of course, is
related to the divine dynasphere. Again, this emphasises the importance of the
rebound drill. Every opportunity to apply doctrine inside the divine dynasphere
is simply the field training exercise for advance to maturity, but rebound has
to come first. All Christian suffering in the cosmic system is punitive and
painful.
There are certain spheres of divine discipline. Our
first one is punishment in time, which is the general subject of Hebrews
12:5-14.
Corrected translation: “And so you yourselves have forgotten the principle of doctrine
which teaches you as sons, ‘My son, do not make light of corrective discipline
from the Lord, nor be fainting when you are reproved of him’: for whom the Lord
loves he disciplines and punishes [in time] ever son whom he welcomes home.
Because of corrective discipline, endure [inside the divine dynasphere], as a
result God deals with you as sons; for what one is a son whom the Father has
not disciplined? But if you are without discipline, of which all believers have
become participants, then you are bastards [unbelievers], and not sons. Another
point: we have our human parents for corrective discipline, and we respected
that: therefore to a greater degree you will become subordinate to the Father
of spirits, and continue living in the divine dynasphere. For they [human
parents] on the one hand discipline us for a short time [during childhood], and
they did so according to what seemed best to them; but he [God] on the other
hand, disciplines us for our profit in order that we might receive a share of
his integrity [the blessing which comes from residence and function inside the
divine dynasphere]. So on the one hand all discipline while in progress [in
time] appears to be an occasion not for happiness, but for sorrow. On the other
hand, afterwards [recovery from the cosmic system] it pays back with interest
prosperous gain [resumption of momentum in the divine dynasphere] from virtue
to those believers who are trained or taught by that discipline. Therefore
restore to power [the divine dynasphere] the listless hands [analogy to life in
the cosmic system: no energy, as it were], and disabled knees [analogy to
function in the cosmic system]. Be making straight tracks by means of your feet
[momentum from gate four to gate eight] in order that the cripple [the believer
involved in the cosmic system] may not be put out of joint [through living in
the cosmic system], but rather be healed [be restored to the divine dynasphere].
With all the royal family of God keep moving toward the objective [advance to
maturity] which is the state of prosperity [from the supergrace blessings in
six paragraphs].”
This, then, is the concept of suffering for
discipline in time. But there is another category: no divine discipline during
the interlude of blessing after death or after the Rapture. And whether you are
a winner or a loser in time, whether you die under the principle of dying grace
or whether you die under the principle of the sin unto death, this is an
interlude of blessing in which you are in an interim body and recognisable. No
distinction is made between winners and losers.
Then there is a third category for the cosmic
believer in time. There is great embarrassment at the point of the Rapture of
the Church which is followed by the judgment seat of Christ. At this point
there is a great distinction made between losers and winners in time. The
embarrassment of losers at the judgment seat of Christ is mentioned in 1 John
2:28. Winners, on the other hand, are described as those who will not be
embarrassed at the judgment seat of Christ, Romans 5:5.
All wrong decisions, including carnality and reversionism,
relate to cosmic involvement and cosmic function. We get into the cosmic system
by our own decisions, we stay there by our own decisions and in the cosmic
system we cannot make any good decisions except one, namely the rebound
technique. All wrong decisions in life are connected with some form of
arrogance which emphasises gate one, cosmic one as not only the motivating
arrogance but as the system of applying the arrogance we have to life. Just as
in the divine dynasphere we apply doctrine to experience through impersonal
love so in the cosmic system we apply arrogance to life, and we do it through
gate one. The difference between self-induced misery and divine discipline is
definitely, then, the source. The source of divine discipline is God and His
purpose is always to teach us something. But the source of the pain and the
misery and the disasters that overtake us are our own personal decisions, our
own human volition.
In learning doctrine in the divine dynasphere the
whole realm of doctrine is open and the purpose of learning doctrine is
spiritual momentum. But in the teaching of divine discipline the lesson is
limited to one: motivation to rebound, motivation to use your royal priesthood
in the cosmic system to get out. There is only one way you can get out —
rebound.
There are two systems for learning in the Church
Age. Man was designed from birth to learn in contrast to animals which function
on instinct. It is true that man occasionally reverts to animalhood, and he
does so when the emotions of his soul blot out the rationale, the thinking
process of the soul. Emotion was designed to be subordinate to thought, not
thought to emotion. The illustration, of course, is the holy-roller who becomes
an animal and begins to function on his instincts when he says Hallelujah,
Amen, and waves his hands in the air, froths at the mouth, rolls on the floor,
etc. This is instinct and it is animalism. It eliminates thought and as soon as
you eliminate thinking from Christianity you do not have the modus operandi of
Christianity. All spiritual advance and all spiritual momentum is related to
thinking.
The first system of learning is the obvious one, the
communication of Bible doctrine from one’s own pastor-teacher. This is an
unlimited system of learning (limited only by the ignorance of the pastor). The
second system is divine discipline from God, a limited system which teaches one
lesson only: the use of the rebound technique. It is the only way you can get
out of the cosmic system and service to Satan and get back into the divine dynasphere.
Divine discipline, then, must be regarded as another form of blessing and a
glorious opportunity to exercise one’s options for the grace of God.
Learning the easy way requires three things. The
first three gates of the divine dynasphere which must interlock for perception
and application of doctrine at gate four. The first is the filling of the
Spirit [spiritual IQ]; the second is impersonal love for objectivity and concentration on the
doctrinal message rather than on the pastor who teaches it; the third is
enforced and genuine humility without which the believer is unteachable. Divine
discipline is always designed to bring about humility, and humility means
recovery of the thinking rationale necessary to depart from the cosmic system.
If you cannot learn from humility you can only learn from hurting, the limited
lesson of motivation to rebound.
Inside the divine dynasphere logistical grace
provides everything necessary for exploitation of the glory of God. In the
divine dynasphere you glorify the Lord through advance to maturity and you utilise
logistical grace. The cosmic believer, however, who doesn’t learn has to learn
another way — divine discipline.
The three things which happen when rebound occurs:
the suffering from discipline is canceled and the believer enjoys relief for
the moment in the divine dynasphere; or the suffering from discipline is
diminished and its purpose is suffering designed now for blessing; or the
suffering from discipline is perpetuated at the same level of intensity and the
purpose of that suffering is testing for blessing. This is something of the
concept in Job 5:17-18, “Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves, therefore
do not despise discipline from El Shaddai [God’s title for logistical grace in
the Old Testament]. For he inflicts pain [warning discipline], and he bandages
the wound; he wounds [intensive discipline], and his hands heal.”
And of course, the ultimate in this life is to
advance to maturity after you have had a real session of installment
discipline. If the believer rebounds when involved at the point of the sin unto
death — you still have your volition and good decisions can still be made right
up to the point of death. David made a good decision when he was very close to
the sin unto death. His prolonged residence, however, in the cosmic system
resulted in the principle of installment discipline, whereas warning discipline
and intensive discipline do not usually bring about that kind of situation.
When you are approaching the sin unto death and you finally decided to rebound
then there is the problem of installment discipline. Installment discipline can
only occur after rebound and recovery of residence in the divine dynasphere in
this age. It is the alternative to the sin unto death and it means the
punishment is spread out over a period of time. This is why Hezekiah who was
under the sin unto death, when he finally rebounded lived fourteen more years.
It took fourteen years to give him all of his installment discipline. An
installment discipline is no longer punishment it is designed for blessing.
That requires the proper use of one’s volition.
There are three categories of divine discipline
administered to the cosmic believe: warning discipline, intensive discipline,
dying discipline. Certain passages of scripture help us to understand this
issue. For example in 1 Corinthians 11:30, “weak” [warning discipline], “and
sick” [intensive discipline], “and others sleep” [the sin unto death].
In the warning stage of divine discipline the
believer has not been in the cosmic system long enough to have lost doctrinal
content. Therefore recovery of residence in the divine dynasphere generally
means continued momentum. He is a carnal believer and once the carnal believer
rebounds the chances of moving on are very good. It is the one who prolongs his
life in the cosmic system, as per the Laodiceans, who face the problem of
intensive discipline. The intensive stage of divine discipline follows the
warning stage and is much more intense as far as pain, hurt, disaster, than
even self-induced misery. It is the first type of divine discipline
administered that is actually stronger than self-induced misery, pain by your
own decisions. The concept is found in Psalm 7:14, “Behold he [the cosmic
believer] shall have labour pains [warning discipline] of vanity [involvement
in gate one, cosmic one], Because he has become pregnant with frustration
[unhappiness involved in the cosmic system], therefore he has given birth to a
life of deceit [area of intensive discipline].” The final stage of divine
discipline is dying discipline, Revelation 3:16.
The next concept in divine discipline is
self-induced punishment and divine discipline set up in contrast so that you
can rightly divide the Word of truth where pertinent passages occur. Example:
Psalm 7:15,16, “He dug a grave [or shoveled out a grave],” bad decisions
resulting in cosmic involvement, “and he explored it [the perpetuation of
cosmic involvement], therefore he has fallen into the grave [the use of one’s
own volition to create pain in his own life and often in the lives of others]
which he has constructed. His frustration shall then return to his own head,
his violent oppression of others shall descend on the crown of his head.”
Basically this says that most human suffering comes not from God but from the
volition of the individual making bad decisions. These bad decisions result in
both sin and cosmic involvement. If the bad decision is not followed by the
good decision of rebound the believer will remain in the cosmic system until
warning discipline comes. Through negative volition toward doctrine and God’s
plan we often create our own punishment.
“Now hear this, I stand at the door,” the door is
closed but it is a door; it is rebound opportunity, the only decision a cosmic
believer can make to start the road to recovery; “and I keep knocking,” warning
discipline, lower on the pain scale than what you have manufactured for
yourself from the bad decisions that have resulted in prolonged life in the
cosmic system. We have distinguished between the carnal believer and the reversionistic
believer. The carnal believer is the person who sins, gets out of fellowship
and therefore into the cosmic system, but rebounds rapidly and gets out. The reversionist
is the believer who prolongs his stay in the cosmic system and does not
rebound. So obviously this is addressed to the believer who is prolonging his
stay in the cosmic system.
Next we have a conditional clause. We start out with
the protasis of a third class condition in order to give us an analogy to the
rebound function. All third class conditional sentences are introduced by the
conjunction e)an. In the protasis it will be
e)an plus the subjunctive.
Remember a third class condition is a more probable future condition, a
supposition from the viewpoint of reality. For some of you this may be your
status, for others it is not your status. So in a teaching situation part of
the Greek debater’s technique is used. In this case no one is assuming that you
are or you are not. The issue is, What is the principle? not whether you are or
are not. Here we have a debater’s technique used as a teaching principle. Why?
Because this passage doesn’t come along to us and say in the 20th century,
“Look, you are all a bunch of cosmic bums! You are living in the cosmic system,
now get out.” It just says that in any given congregation there may be some
believers in the cosmic system and some who are not. And it is not for anyone
to judge, says the third class condition, let’s just learn the principle. Then,
when it does apply to you you use it. The third class condition gives us the
opportunity of looking at a sticky subject academically.
So we have our first word, it is translated “if.” It
is a supposition from the viewpoint of probability — this will probability
happen to you at some time in your Christian experience. And to make it even
more impersonal and to avoid any idea that you are personally being reprimanded
we have the nominative singular subject from tij,
and the Greeks had a marvelous word for it. This is an indefinite relative
pronoun which means the substantive, and the substantive idea is simply going
to be categorical. It simply represents a category of believer. So we translate
it “anyone.” I doesn’t mean everyone, it means anyone.
Note: Principles of doctrine are far more important
than our personal lives, and when you get touchy and edgy about your personal
life then that means that you are neglecting doctrine and you have lost your
objectivity.
This is really an academic concept so whether it
applies to you or not isn’t really the issue.
Next we have the aorist active subjunctive of the
verb a)kouw, “to hear.” This word is
very important here. It doesn’t simply mean that you are listening to the sound
of a voice, or you hear even what it says, it merely has to do with teachability.
This verb means three things. It means gate one, the filling of the Spirit; it
means gate two, the principle of impersonal love or objectivity in learning; it
means gate three, teachability from enforced and genuine humility. This is
approaching from the standpoint of principle, and even if you are in the cosmic
system you can pick up this principle because it is the one principle you can
learn without being in the divine dynasphere. You have to get out of the cosmic
system and you have to know one principle to do it. You have to make a decision
on that one principle. The principle is rebound, the decision is to do it. So
you can get that much even inside the cosmic system. “If anyone hears” This is
the ingressive aorist tense, which contemplates the action of the verb in its
beginning. It denotes entrance into a state or condition, indicating your
motivation, your action, your function. The active voice: the cosmic believer
is the subject and he produces the action of the verb by responding to warning discipline
or responding to intensive discipline. In this passage it is warning
discipline, knocking on the door. The subjunctive mood is the potential
subjunctive, it implies a future reference from the time of warning discipline
and is qualified by the element of contingency — whether the believer actually
rebounds or not. Again, there is a beautiful pattern to the Christian life. You
have to live your own life as unto the Lord; you are your own priest. Every
believer is his own priest and represents himself before God, and as such every
believer must learn doctrine for himself, no one can learn it for him.
Furthermore, every priest must make his own decisions, positive or negative,
and must do it as unto the Lord. So the whole purpose of Bible class, the highest
form of worship outside of the Lord’s table, is to give you the privilege and
the opportunity of making your own decisions.
Next comes the objective genitive from the noun fwnh. Ordinarily it would be “my word,” logoj, but logoj is doctrine learned in
class; fwnh is doctrine learned the
hard way under pain, the administration of warning discipline. The word fwnh means voice in contrast to logoj which means word. Logoj
is doctrine found in the Bible, fwnh is learning the hard way.
So if you are in the divine dynasphere and consistently learning doctrine at
gate four, that would be “if anyone hears my logoj.”
But if you are in the cosmic system then logoj
is gone, you are in a mine field, you have lost your perspective, you have no
scale of values, and what you are learning is fwnh,
you have to hear His voice. With that we have the possessive genitive of the
pronoun e)gw and it is correctly
translated “my,” “if anyone hears my voice,” a reference to warning discipline,
for God speaks to the cosmic believer through the administration of divine
punishment. It is not as great as the pain level you have achieved through your
own use of volition. Now you know the purpose of warning discipline: it is to
motivate, in one academic field, to use the rebound technique.
Then we have the connective use of the conjunction kai, translated “and,” followed by the aorist active
subjunctive of the verb a)noigw which means to open. The
aorist tense is a constative aorist, it contemplates the function of rebound in
its entirety. You open the door, you make a decision which gives you recovery
from the cosmic system. The active voice: the cosmic believer produces the
action of the verb. He hasn’t lost his salvation, he is still a priest and he
still has the opportunity to straighten out his life. He is still alive and
still capable of making the one grace decision, the naming of his sins to the
Lord whereby he recovers his fellowship with God. Again we have the potential
subjunctive mood: it depends on the volition of the cosmic believer and how he
responds to warning discipline whether he gets out of the cosmic system or not.
With this we have the accusative singular from the
noun qura, generally used for
opportunity, and it is correctly translated “door.” He opens the door. This is
rebound function with emphasis on volition involving good the decision to
recover residence in the divine dynasphere. This is the protasis of the third
class condition. This emphasises probability, therefore the protasis emphasises
supposition from the viewpoint of probability. As long as you are alive, living
in the cosmic system, you can always get out. It is your move! The probability
not only involves the use of your volition but emphasises the fact that as long
as God keeps providing a day at a time in logistical grace you have the option
of recovery. Believers are the products of their own decisions.
Then we have the rest of the sentence, the apodosis,
and the analogy to life in the divine dynasphere. It begins with the future
middle indicative of the verb e)iserxomai,
e)ij means
in or into, e)rxomai means to come, and we
simply translate it, “I will enter,” The future tense is a gnomic future, it
states an absolute fact of doctrine which follows the use of the rebound
technique. The middle voice is the dynamic middle, it emphasises the part taken
by the subject in the action of the verb. The subject is our Lord Jesus Christ
who acts with a view to participating in the outcome of the believer’s reentry
into the divine dynasphere. The indicative mood is declarative for the reality
of restored fellowship, the reality of recovery of life in the divine dynasphere.
Life in the divine dynasphere is described by a prepositional phrase, proj plus the accusative singular of the intensive
pronoun a)utoj. Proj plus the accusative means face to face with; a)utoj is an intensive pronoun in Attic Greek but it
changed its meaning in Koine Greek. We translate “it face to face with him,”
restored fellowship, reentry into the divine dynasphere at gate one, recovery
from the cosmic system and the control of Satan, and it means once again you
are in the sphere of fellowship with God. This is brought out by the next verb,
the future active indicative of the verb deipnew, which means to dine. The predictive future anticipates the
restoration to the divine dynasphere and a full-course dinner of doctrine. The
active voice: God the Son produces the action of the verb through the
logistical provision of Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine provided is the basis
for fellowship with God in time and life in the divine dynasphere. The
indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the
viewpoint of reality. Our Lord provides many courses in the dinner of Bible
doctrine. We are dining with the Lord in the sense that we are learning His
mind, Bible doctrine is the mind of Christ, 1 Corinthians 2:16. The preposition
meta plus the genitive of that
same intensive pronoun, a)utoj, “with him”; “and he with
me,” meta plus e)gw.
Corrected translation: “Now hear this, I stand at the
door [rebound opportunity] and I keep on knocking [warning discipline]; if
anyone [the cosmic believer] hears my voice [rebound motivation from divine
discipline], and he opens the door [rebound function with emphasis on
volition], I will enter face to face with him [fellowship with the Lord through
recovery of residence in the divine dynasphere], and I will dine with him [the
provision of all the realm of doctrine], and he with me [perception of doctrine
at gate four of the divine dynasphere].”
Here then is the principle of learning doctrine
after recovery from warning discipline. There is only one lesson to learn from
warning discipline and that is the importance of rebound when involved in the
mine field, when involved in the cosmic system. Warning discipline, then, is a
teaching aid. It is given from the justice of God not unfairly but in total
fairness. Any pain we manufacture by our bad decisions has no teaching
connotation. It is only the pain which comes from the justice of God in grace
that has teaching connotation. So warning discipline teaches motivation for
rebound. It motivates us to do the only thing we can do in the cosmic system.
All the believer’s priestly functions are directed toward God from his
residence inside the divine dynasphere. The one exception is the function of
the priesthood in the cosmic system producing the rebound technique. Hence
rebound is a private matter between the individual believer and God. When the
Lord continues as the host and we continue as guests at His table — the table
is spiritual food or Bible doctrine — we then parlay logistical grace into supergrace
blessings which glorify the Lord. We dine daily with the Lord and this is a
guarantee of advance to maturity and rectification of the situation. To dine
daily with the Lord is a guarantee of advance to maturity and parlaying supergrace
blessings into eternal rewards. That comes up in the first part of the next
verse. Dining with the Lord can only occur inside the divine dynasphere at gate
four. Inside the divine dynasphere the believer has momentum from perception of
doctrine resulting in having a cup overflowing with blessing.
We are living in a time when
believers are failing to achieve a status called winners, advance to maturity
through the daily function of life inside the divine dynasphere. As goes the
believer so goes the historical trend. All uptrends in history are related to
the believer living in the divine dynasphere; all downtrends are related to the
believer living in the cosmic system.
Verse 21, there is a special reward
in history for those believers who are anonymous heroes of the Church Age, for
those believers who advance from gate four to gate eight, those believers whose
life in the divine dynasphere includes gate 1, the filling of the Spirit; gate
2, impersonal love, the beginning of integrity; gate three, enforced and
genuine humility which is teachability. These three functions support
perception and application of doctrine at gate four. This is the momentum of
the spiritual life. The results are gate five, love of God parlayed into
occupation with Christ; gate six, right man-right woman where pertinent; gate
seven, the crystallisation of integrity in the life, the function of true
friendship; and gate eight which is the ultimate gate, the advance to maturity,
the construction of the edification complex in the soul, the glorification of
the Lord Jesus Christ, the winner’s gate.
We begin with the first two words of
the sentence, the articular present active participle of the verb nikaw which means to win a victory, to be victorious.
However this is a participle which can be translated either in the verbal form
or as an adjective or a substantive. The articular present active participle is
in the nominative case; it is the subject and when the participle is not
accompanied by a noun it may function as a substantive, as here. Used as a noun
the participle becomes a nominative absolute or an independent nominative. When
an idea is conceived independent of any particular verbal relations the expression
of it may be left standing alone in the nominative case and, of course, with
some explanatory phrase added. Thus employed the nominative names an idea
rather than an object. Here it is simply translated “the winner,” the believer
who advances to maturity.
Next comes the future active
indicative of the verb didomi, a grace verb which means
to give. The future tense is a gnomic future for a statement of fact which may
be expected to occur at the judgment seat of Christ. The indicative mood is
declarative for the reality of a reward in a future period of history called
the Millennium.
Then we have the dative singular
direct object from a)utoj, the intensive pronoun in
the Koine Greek for the third person. This is a dative indirect object
indicating the one in whose interest the act is performed,“ The winner, I will
give to him.” And there is a reward which belongs to the winner in history, not
eternity. There are fantastic rewards for the believer in eternity but this is
a reward in history.
Altogether the winner is stated
seven times: Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21. Both now in time and in
eternity believers are classified in two ways. All believers arrive in eternity
either as winners or losers, there is no in between. The winners are believers
who live in the divine dynasphere, who learn Bible doctrine, who pass the eight
momentum tests, advancing to maturity and fulfilling the plan of God. The
losers are believers who live in the cosmic system. They are the slaves of
Satan, they are constantly controlled by their old sin natures, they are
involved in motivational and functional evil, they cannot be distinguished from
unbelievers living in the cosmic system. Losers are believers who fail in time
but do not lose their eternal salvation. However they do occupy an inferior
place in heaven.
Freedom guarantees inequality. The
only equality we have after salvation is equality of opportunity. All believers
have the same opportunity to fulfill the plan of God. In heaven there will be
winners and losers and it will be reflected in eternal rewards to the winners
and lack of reward to the losers. All historical blessing and prosperity in the
Church Age results from unknown and unnamed believers who are simply classified
as “the winners.” They live inside the divine dynasphere, they are constantly
positive toward doctrine and they change the course of history when they form a
large enough pivot. These mature believers who provide blessing by association
also provide historical uptrends and yet they are not recorded in any textbook
of world history. Hence they are unknown, they are anonymous, they are unsung
heroes of history during the Church Age; but they have lived in the hidden
manna provided by logistical grace, the teaching of Bible doctrine, and they have
grown spiritually to fulfill the greatest of all objectives in the Church Age.
It says in Revelation 3:5 that the
winner shall be clothed in white garments, the translucent uniform of light,
the uniform of glory worn over the resurrection body by the holders of the
morning star — “and I will never blot his new knighthood [which accompanies the
order of the morning star] out of the book of life.” He will be registered in
the book of life with all believers but he will be registered with his
knighthood — “in fact I will acknowledge [presentation of the morning star
winners in the court of heaven] his new knighthood in the presence of my
Father, and before his angels.” The order of the morning star, then, includes
the new knighthood, the order of chivalry for the royal family of God. The
winners also are going to return with Christ. They will have special
recognition at the judgment seat of Christ, they are presented in the court of
heaven, then at the second advent they return with our Lord.
The authority of the morning star is
really the subject of our particular passage. We should note that there are
certain privileges related to the winner is eternity. He wears the decorations
forever and ever. It is necessary for him to have the decorations because he is
going to have certain privileges that do not belong to other believers. He has
a coat of arms [Revelation 3:12] which will be recognisable as he approaches
the gates of the super city of eternity, the new Jerusalem suspended above the
Jerusalem on planet earth; a place of great happiness, of great pleasure, the
location of the Paradise of God, the gazebo in the garden, and only winners have
the opportunity of entering that city. It is closed to losers. The highest
order of eternal chivalry is therefore given to the believer who is a winner
forever and ever.
We have noted also in Revelation
3:12 the pillar in the temple, the historical record which exists forever.
Biographies of famous people in ancient history were recorded on the pillars in
temples and this will be true in eternity in the temple of heave, the record
room of eternity. There will be the biography of every believer and it will be
divided into two chapters. The first chapter will deal with his success in the
Church Age as a mature believer, the anonymous hero. Then, when you get to the
Millennium it will have a detailed record of how he was a king for a thousand
years and how successfully he ruled during that time. It is the winner that we
are about to study for the last time. We should have in mind always that God
has special privileges for the winner.
So far we have noted a part of the translation of
verse 21, “The winner, I will give to him [meaning to give reward and
privilege] the reward and privilege of sitting with me on my throne.” We have
the aorist active infinitive of the verb kaqizw,
to sit. The culminative aorist views the reward which is given at the judgment
seat of Christ in its entirety but it regards it from the viewpoint of existing
results. Our Lord Jesus Christ will rule the world during the Millennium, but
as is always the plan of God it is accomplished through various groups we call
nationalities. Nationalism or divine institution #4 is not even changed when
our Lord rules the world. It is the protection of the freedom of individuals to
be a part of a national entity rather than some form of international
government. So it is regarded from the viewpoint of existing results. Those who
reach maturity and win the order of the morning star, the uniform of glory, the
new knighthood and the coat of arms are actually going to rule a nation during
the last one thousand years of history. The active voice: the mature believer
of the Church Age produces the action of the verb during the Millennium. He
sits with Christ on His throne as it says here, which is simply a way of saying
that our Lord has delegated the rulership of Gentile nations in the Millennium
to those believers who achieve maturity in the Church Age. The anonymous heroes
of today will become the famous people of tomorrow. Our Lord delegates
authority for the rule of Gentile nations. The infinitive is the infinitive of
intended result, and the result fulfills a deliberate objective, therefore the
blending of purpose and result. With this we have a prepositional phrase, meta plus the genitive from the personal pronoun e)gw, “with me.” This recalls the second advent of
Christ, the coup de tat that removes
Satan as the ruler of this world and how our Lord replaces him, the coronation,
the wedding supper of the Lamb, the triumphal procession, the baptism of fire,
the many things that are involved and the exciting events of the second advent.
The second prepositional phrase indicates the authority is delegated from
Christ as the ruler of the world. The preposition e)n plus the locative of qronoj plus the genitive of e)gw again and translated “in my throne or on my throne.
The translation makes no difference since it is an idiom which simply indicates
that we are under the delegated authority of our Lord and under His authority
we will be a king or a queen, a ruler for one thousand years. The anonymous
heroes of the Church Age become the most famous people of history and, in
effect, they have the last say, the last function and the last action of human
history. The reason why only believers from the Church Age are selected is a
part of what we have studied as the mystery dispensation.
Continuing now with the principle that all reward at
the judgment seat of Christ is based on the strategic victory of Christ in the
first advent. This is introduced by the comparative particle in the Greek, o(j. This comparative particle always sets up an
analogy. It introduces an analogy between the strategic victory of Christ at
the first advent and His tactical victory and its relationship to the mature
believer of the Church Age at the second advent. With this we have a particle
and a pronoun, the conjunction kai which is the adjunctive use
of the particle here, and with it, again, the pronoun e)gw. They combine to form a contraction but it is
retaining its independent force by the phrase “I also.” The first three words,
then, “as I also.” And here is the analogy, here is the basis for everything
that makes life meaningful to us now and even more so in the future, the aorist
active indicative of that same verb nikaw. The participle is
translated by the substantive, “the winner.”
“The winner, I will give to him the privilege of
sitting with me on my throne, even as I also Have won.”
The verb means to win and it has to do with the
strategic victory of the first advent of Christ. The culminative aorist tense
views the first advent of Christ in its entirety, it regards it from the
viewpoint of its existing results, it adds up to strategic victory. The aorist
tense is punctiliar. In the culminative aorist we have first of all the virgin
birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, how He became true humanity. That leads to the hypostatic
union, the God-Man, the unique person of the universe. That leads to His
function in the prototype divine dynasphere. Then we have from that the
results: the concept of kenosis,
which is a part of His motivation for going to the cross, His absolute and
total perfection which we have studied from time to time. And all of this adds
up to qualification to bear our sins on the cross, to be judged for us,
followed by His physical death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension,
His session at the right hand of the Father where He received His third royal
patent. At the virgin birth He received His second royal patent, His first
royal patent has to do with His being eternal God. The aorist tense then
gathers this into one entirety. But this is a culminative aorist and it emphasises
the existing results. This function of our Lord in the first advent has one
great existing result. It is the strategic victory of our Lord, therefore the
use of nikaw in the aorist tense, “as I
also have won.” This is the strategic victory of the first advent. The active
voice: our Lord Jesus Christ produced the action of the verb. The indicative
mood is declarative for the reality of our Lord’s strategic victory at the
first advent or the incarnation.
To win that strategic victory our Lord Jesus Christ
had to become a member of the human race for Satan had won the rulership of the
world by defeating the first Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam was true
humanity, therefore our Lord had to become true humanity, going back to the
point of defeat. That is why our Lord came not as the God-Angel but as the
God-Man. He had to go back to where the defeat occurred. Now along comes the
second Adam to defeat Satan strategically, providing the basis for the tactical
victory of the second advent, for the second advent introduces a tactical
victory which results from His strategic victory.
From our Lord’s strategic victory of the first
advent three tactical victories actually emerge. The first is the victory of
the Church Age. Certain believers advance to maturity inside the divine dynasphere
receiving those rewards and decorations at the judgment seat of Christ.
Then there is the victory of the tactical victory of
the second advent. Jesus Christ returns to supersede Satan as the ruler of this
world. Christ rules the world for one thousand years and He delegates authority
to mature believers of the Church Age to share His tactical victory by actually
ruling Gentile nations. Even the greatest believers of the Old Testament will
rule nations in the Millennium. The rewards for Old Testament believers who
advanced to maturity are described in terms of cities. Some will rule ten
cities, some will rule five, some will rule none. But the rewards described
related to believers of this dispensation is the rulership of nations. Gentiles
nations of the Millennium are under the authority of those who advance to
maturity in this dispensation.
Then there is a third tactical victory which comes
at the end of the Millennium, the victory of the Gog revolution. When Satan is
released from jail after serving a thousand-year sentence he is able to foment
rebellion against the prefect environment of the Millennium. But again the
victory belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ even though a third of the population
of the earth who have been living in the perfect environment of the Millennium
rebel. Satan is put down at that time and the new heavens and the new earth and
the eternal state are established.
Next we have a connective conjunction kai, translated “and,” followed by the aorist active
indicative of kaqizw,
and it is translated “and have sat down.” The constative aorist this time
contemplates the action of the verb in its entirety and it is a reference to
the session of our Lord Jesus Christ after His ascension of the first advent.
The active voice: our Lord Jesus Christ produced the action, the resurrection,
ascension and session. When He was seated at the right hand of the Father on
Him was conferred the third royal patent.
The conferring of that royal patent by God the
Father to our Lord Jesus Christ changes everything in history. Up until that
time there had been a rather lengthy dispensation called the Age of Israel
which came to a halt. The first obvious reason is the fact that when our Lord
received His third royal patent He did not possess a royal family. In His first
royal patent as eternal God His title is Son of God, His royal family God the
Father and God the Holy Spirit. After the virgin birth He received a second
royal patent: His title is Son of David, His royal family the Davidic dynasty.
But on His ascension the royal patent that is related to His strategic victory
in the angelic conflict His title is King of kings, Lord of lords, the bright
morning star, but there is no royal family. Therefore the Age of Israel is
brought to a halt and at that time the Church Age begins because the Church Age
is the dispensation of the royal family. It is the calling out of the royal
family; it is the forming of the royal family. This is why in this dispensation
only at the point of salvation is there equality. Every believer receives 40
things and has by far the greatest plan and purpose for his life that has ever
existed in all of human history. This is the only dispensation of no prophecy.
Prophecy determines historical trends in all of the three dispensations of the
Old Testament, it determines trends in the Tribulation which follows the Church
Age, and then prophecy determines the historical trends of the Millennium. The
Church Age is the dispensation therefore where all historical trends are
determined by the daily decisions of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
royal family of God determines the uptrends or downtrends of history in this
age.
So we are going to “sit down” in the future. That is
simply an idiom for sharing the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. “The
winner, I will give him the reward and privilege of sitting with me on my
throne [the delegation of authority to rule a nation], as I have won [the
strategic victory of the first advent], and I have sat down [the ascension]
with my Father.” Next we have meta plus the genitive of pater, and e)gw is in the genitive here,
“my Father.” And then we have again one more time the preposition e)n plus qronoj, this time the possessive
genitive a)utoj,“on his throne.”
We share His authority in the Millennium, that is,
those who advance to maturity. And the basis for advancing to maturity is a
passage which we have had again and again, and the exegesis never changes. It
is still the same “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to
the churches” — verse 22.
Notice a few things in closing out this chapter.
Again we have the articular present active participle of the verb e)xw. The definite article is used as a personal
pronoun, it refers to the believer with positive volition toward doctrine, the
one who is going to advance to maturity, the one who is making right decisions.
This is the only category of believer who utilises logistical grace the divine
capital for glorifying our Lord in time. The static present tense emphasises
the fact that every believer has the same opportunity to utilise logistical
grace. The only equality in life is when we personally accept Christ as saviour:
we all have equal opportunity to advance to maturity. But we also have freedom
and we can make bad decisions and wind up under the systems of divine
discipline, or make good decisions and advance to maturity. Just as every
person possesses ears to hear so every believer possesses the means of
perception of doctrine. The reduces the issue to either positive or negative
volition toward the Word of God. All momentum from gate four of the divine dynasphere
and going to gate eight can only be perpetuated through the daily perception of
doctrine. Advancing to maturity, maintaining supergrace status, is the only way
to be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ.
Winners in eternity are going to wear the uniform of
glory, that translucent uniform that will distinguish their resurrection bodies
from all of the losers. The active voice: only positive believers living inside
the divine dynasphere, living doctrine daily, are going to produce the action
of the verb, the exploitation of logistical grace and parlaying logistical
grace into supergrace blessing in time and phenomenal rewards for the last one
thousand years of history and for the eternal state. The circumstantial
participle is for the fact that life in the divine dynasphere and consistent
perception of doctrine exploits logistical grace. It is making good decisions.
“He who has an ear” means that we all have equal opportunity. Spiritual
momentum and blessing, then, is related to positive volition toward Bible
doctrine. God provides the opportunity for doctrine; you provide the volition.
Only your volition is going to make a great deal of difference one way or the
other.