Eugene Prewitt: Book of Revelation

Eugene Prewitt

Ouachita Hills College

Respect for Messengers and Revelation’s Overcomers

Revelation 2 and 3

Laodicea

Revelation 4 and 5

The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast, Part 1

The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast, Part 2

The Judgment and its Hour

Second Angel’s Message

Rev 14:11 to 15:1 and 16:15

Our Father in heaven, I ask that by the power of your Spirit, that you'd help us to understand the Holy Bible as we study it.

I thank you and I ask for that gift in the name of Jesus.

Today we're beginning an overview, beginning an overview of Revelation 2 and 3.

And we're beginning by observing something that is consistent in every 1 of the 7 messages of the 7 churches.

1 item is that the messages are given not directly to the churches, but to the messengers of the churches, and unto the angel of the church of Ephesus, unto the angel of the church of Smyrna.

To the messenger, here's the message to the messenger of each church.

The first point I want to bring out is that though we ought to be kind to every living human, though what we do to the least of our brethren is something we have done unto Jesus, though Jesus identifies himself with every living person, more particularly he identifies himself with his messengers.

So that an insult given to 1 of God's messengers is an insult received as if given to Jesus himself.

I want to read to you some statements there from the Bible.

It will save us some time in turning pages if we read it from the handout.

We're looking at Matthew 25, verses 40 and 45.

And the king shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, and as much as you have done it unto 1 of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, "...and as much as you did it not unto 1 of the least of these, "...you did it not unto me." There's the first point we made.

Jesus identifies himself with how many persons in humanity?

He identifies himself with everyone in humanity so that you cannot be rude to the uncultivated.

You cannot harbor a grudge against your brother or your sister and I mean literally brother and sister you cannot be contrary in action or thought to 1 of the people in the web of humanity without it being received as if done to Jesus.

And when you do something kind for someone, it is received as if you had done something kind for Jesus.

If I were to ask the question, how would you get closer to Jesus?

Would this truth present an answer to you?

What might you do to get closer to Jesus?

You would go and love the people that you meet on the street.

By seeking out people to show them kindness, you draw closer to Jesus and qualify yourself to be on the right side of the sheep and the goats division.

He that receiveth you, this is speaking to the apostles, receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

And in the same story as found in Luke it adds, and he that despiseth you, despiseth me.

And Matthew continues, he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.

And he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." So in the first passage, Jesus identifies himself with everyone in humanity.

But more particularly, who does he identify himself with?

That's right, his prophets, his messengers, his righteous men.

More particularly, he identifies himself with them.

The next passage, 1 Thessalonians 4, Furthermore then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as you have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so you would abound more and more, for you know what commandment we gave you by the Lord Jesus." It's interesting, how did he give the command?

That's right, the command that was given through God's messenger is as if it is from Jesus.

He that despiseth, he therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man but, what does it say?

God, who also hath given unto us his Holy Spirit." This is the point that God's messengers pray for and receive the power of his Holy Spirit.

And when they are treated with disrespect, God relates as if his spirit has been treated with disrespect, even to the point of denying that the disrespect was directed against the human agent.

I'd like you to read the next paragraph on your own later, but I'm going to skip it and go to the Revelation 1.16.

Would you summarize the beginning statement that you said in reference to that particular...

It was kind of like a main statement that you made on this 1.

The third passage, what I'm saying is that we're despising...

Because Jesus fills men with his Holy Spirit, then when we resist or treat the messengers with disrespect, we're treating his spirit with disrespect.

And Jesus had in his right hand 7, what does it say?

It's explained in this same passage, the stars are messengers.

And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was as the sun, shining in his strength.

The mystery of the 7 stars, which thou sawest in my right hand, and the 7 golden candlesticks.

The 7 stars are the messengers of the 7 churches, and the 7 candlesticks which thou sawest are the 7 churches.

And then chapter 2 verse 1, unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, these things saith he that holdeth the 7 stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the 7 golden candlesticks.

The summary of these 3 passages is that Jesus presents his messengers as if they are specially held in his hand, as if they are his prized possession.

Maybe some of you in that first handout in this semester wondered what T-I-H-I stands for.

In other words, this is a quality that Jesus uses later to describe himself, when he introduces himself to the 7 churches.

1 of his identifying characteristics is he's the 1 that holds his messengers and dwells with his church.

He walks in the midst of the golden candlestick.

Typically in this class, we're not studying the writings of Ellen White, but I want to read to you something here that illustrates the truth we've just noted in the Bible.

I have been carrying a great burden for the people in Battle Creek.

Last night I was laboring most earnestly in prayer.

That Ellen White, the prophet, what kind of labor did she do?

She labored in prayer and how did she do it?

The commission was given me by the Savior.

It is not you they have rejected, but me their Savior.

You have nothing to retract of the messages that you presented during the General Conference held at Oakland and during the Berrien Springs meeting.

You have nothing to regret in the words you have spoken and written to the leading medical missionary workers.

I have for you still more decided messages to bear.

Those who have made light of the messages that I have given my messenger to bear have insulted the 1 who gave the messages.

Our people, this is not quoting Jesus any longer, our people need to humble their hearts and confess their sins and be converted.

They need to fear and tremble lest God's Spirit be withdrawn from them and they be left to hardness of heart and blindness of mind because they have rejected the word God has given them.

The messages that God has sent have been born line upon line, precept upon precept.

There's more you could read there, but the summary of what I wanted you to understand is that it's a solemn thing how you relate to God's messengers.

Because who is speaking through the messengers?

When we make light of God's messengers, we wound the spirit, we injure our own soul.

Generous provision is made for veterans who have fought for their country.

These men bear the scars and life-long infirmities that tell of their perilous conflicts, their forced marches, their exposure to storms, their sufferings in prison.

All these evidences of their loyalty and self-sacrifice give them a just claim upon the nation they have helped to save, a claim that is recognized and honored.

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Series

Eugene Prewitt: Book of Revelation

Respect for Messengers and Revelation’s Overcomers

Transcript

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