Revelation 10 “No Longer A Delay”

 "And the angel which I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and he swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that are therein, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be no longer a delay.” (vv.5-6)

Here in chapter 10 John continues to relate to us his revelation. But before the seventh trumpet sounds he tells us, “I saw a mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And having a rainbow on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. And he had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. And when he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices” (vv.1-3).

The angel being described here is none other than Jesus Christ, who comes to earth with an open book in His hand, the title deed to the earth (see Rev. 5:5). What the seven thunders uttered after Jesus cried out with a loud voice here in verse 3, we are not told and John was told by God to, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them down” (v.4). Obviously, what we do not know, we do not know! And, should not render a guess.

However, what John witnesses next, is what many have been waiting to hear for thousands of years, "And the angel which I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and he swore by him that lives for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be no longer a delay, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound (the seventh trumpet), the mystery of God will be complete, as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets” (vv.5-7).

Translation, the wait is over! The LORD, who promised His church He would return and establish His kingdom on earth, is about to make good on that promise. And to further establish it, He raises His right hand to heaven and takes an oath (swears by Himself) that, “There shall be no longer a delay," that the time has come for the establishing of the kingdom and the delay is over.

Hallelujah! Jehovah is about to begin His reign.

The Truth: But Peter said, "God is not slack concerning His promises as some men count slackness, but a day is as a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is as a day, and you know that this delay is for redemption purposes, that more people might come in and be a part of the body of Christ"( 2 Peter 3:9 ).

Revelation 9 "The 5th and 6th Trumpets"

 "The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” (vv. 20-21)

Here in chapter 9 we see the Fifth and Sixth Trumpet Judgments. The Fifth Trumpet Judgment is centered on “idolatrous” man, those who did not repent from the works of their hands (v.20), not mankind in general. Here, Satan’s demons are given permission for a five month period of time to torment, but not to kill them (vv.4-5). The chapter describes this torment as so sever that, “men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them” (v.5).

How blind can idolatrous man be to his need for salvation? How harden would his heart have to become, that he would desire death over repentance, and find neither. After seeing the effects to the earth in the previous four trumpet judgments, and now experiencing 5 months of relentless torment, one would think repentance would seem a natural response, or at least a cry to God for deliverance. But, no such cry is recorded, and no repentance voiced.

The Sixth Trumpet Judgment involves the release of four fallen angels. They have been held back for this one hour in which they enter the world to accomplish their mission - to slay a third part of men by fire, smoke, and by the brimstone, out of their mouths (vv.14-17). Sadly enough, scripture goes on to tell us that, “The rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the works of their hands; that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (vv. 20-21). Unbelievable!

Still, God desperately desires to see people who have rejected salvation wake up. And, He will do whatever it takes to get them back on their knees, to finally call out to Him. But, some men have gone beyond what they know to be true and have harden their hearts to the point of blindness, refusing to see the truth. Paul writes in Romans, “The wrath of God will be revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18). To suppress the truth one has to actively work at it, hold it down. Meaning one knows the truth, but purposely works at denying it.

John sums up this attitude perfectly in his gospel by saying, "The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20). My friends I tell you this, you can either come to the light (Jesus) or be consumed by it. Your choice, for these things shall come to pass.

The Truth: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17)

Revelation 8 "The Seventh Seal"

“When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (v.1)

Back in chapter 5 we were told of a Book, held in the right hand of God, with writings on both sides, and sealed with seven seals (v.1). And the question was asked, “Who is worthy to loose its seals and open the book” (v.2)? The question was answered by an elder in heaven saying, “The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seals” (v.5). This was none other than Jesus Christ. 

In chapter 6 He (Jesus) opened the first 6 seals ushering in the tribulation period. Chapter 7 described the sealing of 12,000 men from each of the 12 tribes of Judah (totaling 144,000), who bore witness to all the earth ushering in another great multitude, martyrs, who came out of the tribulation and into the kingdom (Ch.7:9-16).

Now here in chapter 8, Jesus opens the seventh seal which begins the seven trumpet judgments upon the earth. This brings a silence in heaven for about a "half an hour”. I believe this to be a time of solemn realization for what is about to happen. That is, the prayers of the martyred saints are about to be answered through the seven trumpet judgments, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" (Revelation 6:10)

While these catastrophic events are yet future, and while they may or may not happen in our lifetime, the remaining verses of chapter 8 (7-13), describe them in detail. And as the angel in verse 13 says, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, for there three more trumpets yet to sound.” In other words, you do not want to be in that company, but in the company of the Lord.

The Truth: "Watch therefore, and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” (Luke 21:36)

Revelation 7 “Tribulation Saints”

“After these things I looked and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” (vv. 9-10)

In verses 4-8 we are given a picture of a multitude which could be numbered. They speak of the 144,000 "Jews" who will be sealed at the beginning of the Tribulation and represent the passover of the church. These twelve thousand men from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, will have a ministry of "evangelism" during the "Great Tribulation.” And every person on earth (all seven billion), will have an opportunity to hear the "gospel of the Kingdom” (Matthew 24:14), and many will be saved.

The “great multitude” (here in our text) which could not be numbered, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues” are those who came to the faith as a result of their (144,000) ministry. These Tribulation Saints are those who would not take the mark of the beast and became martyrs for their beliefs in God. For their faith, they will sit before the throne of God and dwell with Him (v.15), and rule and reign in His Kingdom to come (Revelation 20:4).

This last minute opportunity of hearing and accepting the gospel during the “great tribulation" is proof that, "He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to salvation “ (2 Peter 3:9 ) - and is paralleled by the conversion of the thief on the cross by Jesus just before His death, again showing His compassion for mankind. 

So why wait, why continue to put off what you know in your heart of hearts is right? Accept Him now and insure your place in heaven, don't be left outside the gates.

The Truth: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Revelation 6 "Who Is Able To Stand?"

Revelation 5 "Who Is Worthy?"

"And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” (vv.1-2)

Here John refers to a book in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne written on both sides (front and back), and sealed with seven seals. This description does not fit how the book of Revelation (or any of the Epistles) would have been constructed. However, it does fit how other kinds of documents might be constructed, especially a title deed to a piece of property where the original owner had to relinquish it due to his inability to meet financial obligations. His debts would then be written on the backside of the deed. And, if at any time during the next seven years could repay the debt, the seals would be broken and the deed returned.

This is significant because because Adam, the original holder to the title deed to the earth (Genesis 1:28), transferred it to Satan with his overt and calculated act of rebellion against God’s word (Romans 5:14). This is why Paul called Satan “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and why Jesus called him, “the prince of this world” (John 12:31). This means the planet God gave to man is no longer under his control, but is under the control of Satan.

So the question arises in John’s vision, Who is worthy?  Who can redeem mans' sinful debt with a sinless life? The answer, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14), the root of David (Isaiah 11:1, 10), has prevailed (lived a sinless, sacrificial life) to open the scroll (Rev. 3:21) and to loose (Rev. 6:1) the seven seals” (v. 5), the God man, Jesus. Hallelujah!

The Truth: "This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1) "From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.” (Acts 13:23) "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) "But you, Bethlehem (Ephrathah), who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel, whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.” (Micah 5:2)

Revelation 4 "The Throne Is Not Empty"

"After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this. And Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne." (vv.1-2)                            

Here in chapter 4, we begin the third and final section of the Book of Revelation as outlined for us in Revelation 1:19, “the things which shall take place hear after.” After what one might ask? After the bride of Christ is complete, after the last person is added to the kingdom, after God’s long-suffering with man has come to its end. At that moment, we will be immediately transformed “in the Spirit” (just as John is here), before His throne, and face to face with God.

Let that sink in for a moment. He has defeated death, He is alive, He is seated on His throne, and will bring us unto Himself transformed. Meaning, for us in our transformed bodies, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more struggles with our flesh. Why? Because “we shall be like Him” (1 John 3:2). In our text, and through out the rest of this book, John will go on to describe many things he saw in his vision while in the spirit. But, the first thing he describes for us is, “the throne" and "the One" seated upon it:

"And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald, and Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal” (vv.3-6).

Of all the symbolism in this chapter, what speaks the loudest to me is that God is on the throne, that He is in control, and worthy to receive all glory, honor, and praise, forever and ever. As the prophet Isaiah said after having a vision of the very throne of God, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5) and over the throne of God the glorious seraphim said, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

It’s as if John is seeing the same thing that Isaiah saw but only describes it with different words. Two witnesses, testifying to the same thing, at very different times in history. The throne is definitely not empty!

The Truth: “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; He has established His throne for justice.” (Psalm 9:7)

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of Your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness” (Psalm 45:6)

“God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne” (Psalm 47:8).

Revelation 3 “Hear My Voice”

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (vv.19-22 KLV)

John’s warning (rebuke) to churches of his time continues in this chapter. He concludes by discussing the three remaining churches. The seventh church John warned was the church of the Laodiceans. This was a “luke warm” ministry (v. 16). They had riches and many things the world had to offer, but they were doing very little for the Lord. God saw them as “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (v. 17). Their failure to do anything for the Lord disgusted the Father (v.16).

Unfortunately, this church reflects many in the age we are currently in. There is more concern for the bottom line, and the social interests of man, than the spiritual needs of the body. Preaching “Thus saith the Lord” is rarely heard anymore, and if it were, many who are use to having their ears tickled would be offended and leave the church, and that would create a decrease in attendance and church income. Physical wealth does not cover up the fact that the majority of churches are not heeding the tugging of the Holy Spirit and in God’s eyes are “… poor, and blind, and naked.”

But, the good news is, no matter the climate of churches today, the door of opportunity for both individual and church revival is still open at this time, if each would just "hear the voice of the Lord", and not mammon.

The Truth: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.”

Revelation 2 "Remember, Repent, Return, Reward"

"Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp-stand from its place—unless you repent. To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God”  (vv.5,7)

Here in chapter 2 of the Book of Revelation, we come to the “things which are,"given to us in our outline in Revelation 1:19. As John begins to address the seven churches of which he was an overseer, we see that his messages have a pattern; remember, repent, return, and reward.

Here in our text Jesus is telling the church of Ephesus to remember when they were first established, the fire they had for the things of God, the passion for His doctrine. He then lovingly corrects them saying, “repent" and do your first works." In other words, recognize the fact that you have fallen away, that other things have become more important, and “return” to what you know in your heart is right and do it!

We've all made mistakes, we’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God, but the only way back is through repentance and His forgiveness. And, as promised to the church of Ephesus, in doing so there is great reward. In this case, "access to the tree of life in the midst of the Paradise of God," the gift of eternal life.

Therefore, if you find yourself drifting away from God, or even way down the road from where you once were with Him, grab ahold of the message here; remember from where you have fallen, repent, and return to God. He will forgive and forget the past, receive you unto Himself, and reward those who overcome through Him.

The Truth: "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1-3)

Revelation 1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

Do not be afraid; I Am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” (vv.17b-19)

The Book of Revelation was written by John (the one whom Jesus loved) on the island of Patmos where he was banished by Domitian (who succeeded Caesar Nero to the throne of Rome) after a failed attempt to boil him in oil for his beliefs. And it was on Patmos that John was given this Revelation of Jesus Christ. Why? because at the time believers were dying as a result of horrendous persecution by Rome for their belief in Jesus, and they needed a revelation (from Jesus Christ) to see that He was in control, and on the throne.

Where did this revelation come from you might ask? We find the answer in verse 1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show His servants - things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John." The pronoun “him” refers back to Jesus Christ. In other words, the Father gave the revelation to the Son. The Son sent His Spirit (angel) to give the revelation to John. And John gave the revelation to us, that we might understand the things that must come to pass. The over simplified message behind the book of Revelation is that, King Jesus is on His throne and in control. That things are going according to the Father’s divine plan, and that Jesus Christ will return to establish His kingdom.

As we make our way through this book, keep in mind verse 19 in which the spirit of God gives to John the outline for the flow of his writings, “write the things which you have seen” (chapter 1 the Lord’s person), “the things that are” (chapters 2-3 the Lord’s people), “and the things yet to come” (chapters 4-22 the plan). By following this divine outline, the Book will unfold easier and you will be blessed by doing so.

The Truth: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keeps those things which are written in it; for the time is near.” (v.3)

Jude “Defending The Truth”

"For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” (v.4)

Jude’s purpose in his letter was twofold: 1) he wanted to expose the fase teachers that had infiltrated the Christian community, and 2) he wanted to encourage Christians to stand firm in the faith and fight for the truth. Jude recognized that false teachers often peddled their wares unnoticed by the faithful, so he worked to heighten the awareness of the believers by describing in vivid detail how terrible dissenters actually were.

But, more than simply raising awareness, Jude thought it important that believers stand against those working against Jesus Christ. Believers were to do this by; remembering the teaching of the apostles (v.17-19), building each other up in the faith (v.20a), praying in the Holy Spirit (v.20b), and keeping themselves in the love of God (v.21).

What a great example for us to follow today on how to “defend the truth.” Yes there will always be those who will look to distort the truth, but we need follow Jude’s exhortation of; keeping ourselves in the love of God, in prayer, in fellowship, and in His Word - Ready to defend the truth. 

The Truth: “Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)

Genesis 50 “Joseph Died”

“So Joseph died, being one hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt.” (v.26)

Joseph, the most Christ-like man in the Bible, died and was placed in a coffin. Although Satan said otherwise (Genesis 3:4), God said, “In the day you eat of the forbidden fruit, you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

Joseph, just like all men, sinned (Romans 3:23) and if the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), is there a way out? Is there any hope? Yes! No matter what you’ve done, what pit you have dug, or what brother you’ve sold out, Jesus has washed away your sin with His blood. Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)

The Truth

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Genesis 49 "Judah, The Deliverer of Israel's Enemies"

 “Judah, your brothers shall praise you; Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; Your father’s sons shall bow down to you. “Judah is a lion’s whelp; From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” (vv.8-10)

Here in our text Jacob is prophetically testifying that Judah would be the tribe to deliver Israel from its enemies - and his blessing supersedes even that of Joseph, for he says that, 'his father’s sons shall bow down to you,’ and then he goes on to say that ‘the scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes.' That future generations would be governed by Judah, and from his tribe (Judah) would come the Messiah, the Prince, the Deliverer, who would become Israel’s invincible Leader. 

Why Judah? He had made some serious mistakes when he was younger, yet Judah’s excellence gradually began to come to light after Jacob had initially sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain. Judah, from then on, was the leader of all of his brothers. But, when Judah offered to give his life for the life of his brother Benjamin, his worth and excellence even exceeded anything that Joseph had done. This selfless act revealed why he would be the one through whom the Messiah would descend.

The word ‘Shiloh’ in our text means “the peaceful one.’ The name ‘Shiloh´ speaks of a man and is a Messianic reference. Due to the word’s primary inference being “peace,” the prophet Isaiah is believed by many to have been inspired to write of the coming Messiah, the prince whose Name would be “Prince of Peace” -"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6-7)

Jesus, the Messiah, from the tribe of Judah, from the root of David, spoken of prophetically here by Jacob and later by Isaiah has become the deliverer of "whosoever believes on His name," through His sacrificial death on the cross, and resurrection to new life. He has become the deliverer of our enemies, and the Savior of our souls. Hallelujah!  

The Truth: “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” (Revelation 5:5)

Genesis 48 "Ephraim Chosen Over Manasseh"

And Joseph said to his father, ‘Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’ But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.'” (vv.18-19)

Here in our text, Jacob was old and about to die, so Joseph brought his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim to him to be blessed. But Joseph thought his father was getting confused and making a mistake when he crossed his hands and placed his right hand on the younger instead of the older during the blessing. After all, the firstborn would normally be the blessed and favored son. 

But the old patriarch, Jacob, was very aware that this reverse blessing was exactly what God intended for Jacob to do. Once again the younger was to be greater. Manasseh’s offspring would be great too, but this passing over of the firstborn for the second-born is one of the striking reoccurring features of the Book of Genesis: Seth instead of Cain, Shem instead of Japheth, Abraham instead of Haran, Isaac instead of Ishmael, Jacob instead of Esau, and here Ephraim instead of Manasseh. It continued on as the human author of Genesis, Moses, was chosen instead of Aaron.

God again and again chooses the weak. God is sovereign and seems often to choose against man’s preference. Could it be that God wants to prevent anyone from thinking that His blessings automatically follow the line of natural privilege? 

The Truth: "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." (1 Cor. 1:27–29)

Genesis 47 "The Days of Joseph's Pilgrimage"

“Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How old are you?’ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.'” (vv.8-9)

Jacob was probably the oldest man in Egypt (130 yrs) and much older than anyone the king had met before. His answer to the Pharaoh's question concerning his age is a fascinating one. He started by directly answering Pharaoh’s question, but then quickly followed up with a witness. He said that his age was great and that his life, like his forefathers, was a “pilgrimage.” He used the word for “a stranger” twice in the sentence, to emphasize the idea. 

 Jacob is telling this young pharaoh here that he was a pilgrim and a sojourner, and that both he and his fathers had lived lives on earth that were touched with the sense of eternity. Sound familiar? As God’s children, we are told to regard ourselves the same way and to recognize that this world is only a temporary home, as Hebrews 11:16 tells us: “they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country.”

When you stop and think about it, life really is a pilgrimage and a journey. As Peter said, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles” (1 Peter 2:11–12). When this life is mistakenly seen as permanent, then all that seems to matter is the here and now. But when we get a clear picture of ourselves standing before God one day, then in the light of eternity, the here and now becomes relatively unimportant. 

The Truth: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matt 6:19) 

Genesis 46 "Jacob Sought The LORD"

"So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac." (v.1)

Here Jacob checks in with God before taking all he had across the border into Egypt. With all his anxiety about seeing Joseph, he would rather have died in Canaan without seeing him, than to enter Egypt without the divine blessing of God with him.

A good habit for all of us to check in with God on the decisions in life - even on the slam dunks!

The Truth:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Genesis 45 "Joseph Reveals Himself and Forgives His Brothers"

 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence. (v.3)

Back in chapter 44 Joseph had set a trap for his bothers to see how they would respond to the youngest, Benjamin, being the victim of a set-up. Joseph planted a silver cup in his brother Benjamin's grain sack, then made a false accusation to see what his other brothers would do. Had they changed? Would they sell the youngest down the river as they had done with Joseph many years before, or had they acquired some integrity through the Spirit working in their lives and change their ways?

Joseph’s brothers again passed the test that he had put before them by Judah offering his life in exchange for Benjamin's. Right then Joseph knew that they were fit to fulfill their roles as the patriarchs God had called them to be.  So Joseph, being overcome with emotion, revealed himself to his brothers (v.3) and asked them to come close to him (v.4). Then he tells them not to be grieved or angry with themselves about what they had done to him twenty years earlier when they had sold him into slavery (v.5), that it all came about because of the Lord’s desire to spare them when the famine struck. In fact, it was to spare life in general that he had been sold into slavery (vv.6-7).

Joseph acts here as a type of Christ in that He forgives the sins of those who had sinned against him, and he does not hold any of their transgressions against them.  Furthermore, he tells them not to grieve or be angry with themselves, which is similar to the work of justification that occurs in the life of a believer when he has received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.   

Oh help us LORD, to learn to forgive others as Joseph forgave his brothers and did not hold their wrong against them. And help us LORD to forgive ourselves once we have been cleansed by Your blood. 

The Truth: "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." (Matthew 6:14-15)

Genesis 44 "Let Me Remain"

“Now therefore, I pray you, let your servant abide instead of the lad a slave to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brothers.” (v.33)

Here in chapter 44 we see that Joseph had one more test for his brothers to pass before he would reveal his true identity to them. He wanted to see how they would handle a threat to their younger brother Benjamin. So Joseph set the trap, asking his servant to set his silver cup (the cup of divination) into Benjamin's grain sack, then over take them on the road and accuse them of stealing. Joseph would then watch to see how they responded to the pressure once they were brought back before him. Would they simply sell their youngest brother down the river a second time (as they had done with him many years before), or had God worked some integrity into their lives? 

Judah passed the test. He easily could have done the same thing they did last time and simply said, “Take our little brother. After all he’s only a half brother anyway, a stepbrother. He’s Rachel’s kid, so it’s no big deal.” However this time Judah is saying, "let me bear the blame (and) ... let (me) remain instead of the lad a slave to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brothers." No wonder it would be prophesied of him, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah..." (Genesis 49:10). 

Perhaps 13 years of guilt had made Judah more compassionate. Truly God had softened this man (and his brothers), into a man willing to give up his own life for someone else's – sound familiar? 

The Truth: "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)