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Grace & Peace: Revelation 90

Douglas Wilson on March 15, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” (Rev. 15:5–8).

The final moments of Jerusalem are upon her. John looked, and the sanctuary was opened, and judgment came out of her. That sanctuary is described in quite an interesting way—the “temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven.” The word for temple may refer to the inner sanctum, the holy of holies, which the tabernacle in the wilderness had, just as Solomon’s temple did. Putting it all together, the angels came out of the holy of holies in the heavenly tabernacle. They came out of the holy of holies, where the testimony was kept—the ark of the covenant, capped with the mercy seat, was called the ark of the testimony (Ex. 25:22). When merciless judgment comes to you from the place of the mercy seat, you know that things are pretty bad.

The angels emerged, bringing the seven plagues with them. They were dressed in pure white linen, and had golden sashes wrapped around their chests. Although they came with the seven plagues, one of the four living creatures gave them seven bowls, filled up with the wrath of God. The wrath belongs to the God who lives forever and ever. The word translated vial in the AV is better rendered as bowl, and appears to match with the earlier bowls filled with incense, that is, the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8). Combine this with the prayers that the saints under the altar offered up (Rev. 6:9), and you can see the convergence of answered prayer and the wrath of God. Earlier they had asked, how long? And now that the bowls are handed out to the angels, God’s answer to their question is now.

The glory of God, and the power of God, were manifested in the temple in the form of smoke. This is what had happened at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness (Ex. 40:34-35), and at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). In this instance, with no one able to enter the heavenly temple because of the smoke, it appears to be a symbolic way of saying that intercession for Jerusalem is no longer a possibility. The judgment is going to fall, and fall heavily now.

Bible Challenge #28

Becky Pliego on March 10, 2018

¡Hola, hola! Welcome to week 27 of the Bible Reading Challenge hosted by Christ Church in Moscow, ID. We are so very grateful for the opportunity the Lord has given us to serve you through this challenge and to be reading the Bible with so many women around the world. Aren’t you grateful to live on 2018 and to take advantage of all this technology to grow in Christ and advance His kingdom? God is clearly using all means possible to make His name known throughout all the nations! Alleluia!

I have been thinking about this wonderful principle of having the Word of God abide in us. We see it throughout the Scriptures, but especially in the gospel of John, in the Psalms, Proverbs, and Ezra and Nehemiah. But what does it mean to have the Word abide in us? Does it mean to read it over and over again so that we can check the boxes of our Bible Reading plan? I am sure you know that the answer has to be something bigger than that. It has to do with believing the Word of God. We read it believing that God will use it to change us. We read it believing that it will give us life. We read it believingthat it will make the simple wise. We read it believing that it will comfort our weary souls. We do not simply read it; we believe it. And when we believe it, it bears much fruit in our lives. In John 5 we read the words of Jesus that say exactly this, “and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

Friend, if you have been reading along but you find unbelief in your heart, know that unless you repent, your heart will continue to be hardened. Cry to God today, repent of your unbelief and ask Him to open your eyes to see Jesus, to give you a new heart that cries, Abba, Father! and to seal you with His Holy Spirit. He will not turn away from your cries. He loves to reveal Himself to those who repent and call on Him. He will always come and meet you and show you the Father. He alone can make His Word take root in you. Come to Christ today!

This week we will start with catch-up day (Yay for catch-up days on Mondays!). If you are current in your readings my suggestion is that you read the epistle of James. In James 5:11 we find the key to understanding the book of Job which we will start reading on Tuesday. I also hope you can watch this week’s webinar (Monday at 10:00 am PST) in which we will be talking more about this.

We will also read Psalms 42 and 56 (wait until you see how well they fit in with the other readings!), Philippians and Romans (ch.1-8). Now why did I choose this order? Why Philippians and why Romans along with Job? Well, we will see in the book of Job that his friends clearly failed to encourage him and to come alongside him, and in the epistle of Paul to the Philippians we will learn from Paul how to walk through suffering with other believers. Another thing that we see in the book of Job is that he is clearly in need of a mediator, someone who would come and declare him righteous. He finds himself in a puzzle, and by the grace of God he believes that His Redeemer lives and will indeed judge his case rightly. And in the epistle to the Romans we will read how we, who are in great need of a Mediator can be made right with God. Job’s Redeemer is our Redeemer too and by grace through faith we too have been declared righteous before God. The Accuser is defeated and in Christ nothing can separate us from the love of God.

As you can already see, this week’s readings will be super encouraging. Persevere in the Word and have a plan to come to it every day!

May our prayer this week be, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Don’t you have the Word of God in front of you to read of His great deeds and steadfast love? Don’t you have His Spirit in you? Hope in God; for I shall again and again and again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” (prayer based on Psalm 42:5)

Under His sun and by His grace,

Becky Pliego and the team of Ladies Fellowship from Christ Church.

Grace & Peace: Revelation 89

Douglas Wilson on March 6, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Rev. 15:1–4).

Seven angels are introduced here, and we are given sort of a prelude to the next round of judgments. Their approach is said to be another “sign in heaven,” and it was a sign that was “great and marvelous.” These are described as the seven last plagues, meaning that we are now talking about the final and complete destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They bring with them the fullness of the wrath of God. This is it.

We will see in v. 6 that these angels come out of the heavenly temple, and so it is not surprising that we also see various aspects of temple worship described, which would include the crystal or glass sea. This is not a lake or an ocean out in front of the temple, but is rather the laver that in the Old Testament was made of bronze, in which the priests would wash themselves. The word here is thalassa, which is the same word used in the Septuagint for the bronze laver (1 Kings 7:23). As the laver was used for purification of the worshipers, the fact that the glass here was mingled with fire probably indicates cleansing in Heaven, as opposed to mass destruction on earth. The original laver for the tabernacle was small, in which the priests would wash their hands and feet (Ex. 30:17-21; 40:30-32). Solomon’s version was huge, resting on the backs of bulls. It probably represented the Red Sea, and the great victory that God had won for Israel there. The heavenly version was greater still, and represented a greater victory still.

Those who had gained the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name—meaning the believers who had stood firm in the Neronian persecution—were given the harps of God and they all stood on the sea of glass in order to be able to sing. They were purified at the laver, and then presented their praise.

We are told that these faithful ones sang two songs. The first was the song of Moses, indicating that Jerusalem was identified with the old Egypt that had fallen under judgment. Just as Egypt had been left a smoldering ruin, so also Jerusalem was going to be left the same way. The second song was the song of the Lamb, and we are given the content of that song.

This chapter began with the sign in Heaven being described as “great and marvelous,” and here that phrase is repeated. They sang that the works of the Lord God Almighty were great and marvelous. He is the King of saints, and His ways are just and true. His name shall be glorified, and they sing that no one will fail to fear Him. And why? Because He alone is the Holy One, and all nations will come and worship before Him. They will do so because His judgments, in all their severity, will be made manifest now.

Just as Miriam and the women with her danced on the shores of the Red Sea, so the faithful ones who stood against Nero will sing as they stand on the Crystal Sea. The thing they share in common is the fact that they know that the songs of the saints in Heaven provide the soundtrack for judgments on earth. The ferocity of God’s judgments when they finally fall upon the insolence of rebellious man is not “a problem” to be apologized for. The ferocity of God’s judgments are here celebrated, and we see that they are the basis for all the nations of men coming to their senses and streaming to the Lord of the nations, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why will the nations come and worship? Because the wrath of God has been made manifest.

Bible Challenge #27

Becky Pliego on March 2, 2018

¡Hola, hola! Are you ready for a new week in this Bible Reading Challenge? Are you behind in your readings? I have good news for you: jump in on today’s reading! Yes, yes, yes, don’t listen to the perfectionist inside of you and just do it. No more excuses, no more putting it off for another day, for another less busy season, just take the Book of God and read it today. Are you current in your readings? Wonderful! We are so happy to know that many of you are. God has been so incredibly kind with us and our project. We are praying for you and trusting that God will continue to work in you as you draw near to Him through His Word.

This past week our friend Rachel Jankovic shared something on our Facebook page that was really good, so I want to share with you this quote from what she wrote knowing that you will find it encouraging:

“Reading the whole Bible gives us that kind of view of God’s work in the world and all of history and in our salvation. We see it as it is – alive, full of beauty and dimension, full of glory. If you distill the gospel into one pamphlet (without loooong genealogies or laws and details) you could think that you have captured the essence. That all of these extra tidbits about beams and things was unnecessary. But when you do this you are drawing the stick figure to stand in place of the real thing. If you want to know God, read His word. See Him! Because the word of God is real and full of all kinds of different angles. It is a living Word. We need to train our minds through constantly feeding on His word to see more and more of what has been revealed to us in it.

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12-14

This passage speaks of scripture not only as a living thing, but as one that is more living than us. It pierces us in ways that nothing human could. In the soul and spirit, in the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And it changes us in a way that no idea could.

So keep on reading! Keep on looking to Christ as you read the sections that feel unimportant. Read in faith, knowing that your heart and mind are being changed such that you can more fully see His glory.”

And so we will take the Book of God and open it prayerfully trusting that God, through our exposure to the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit in us, will change our lives, our loves, and our thoughts.

I also want to share -again- with you today the information about our Grace Agenda Conference on April 13th and 14th in Moscow, ID. Friday, April 13thwe will have a Pre-Conference for women: Women in the Word: What We Learned in The Bible Reading Challenge. The speakers will be Nancy Wilson, Rebekah Merkle, Rachel Jankovic, and myself. You can find all the information here. We really hope you can come!

Now it’s time to talk about our weekly reading, and let me tell you that I am super excited about the books we will be reading this week. We will be reading Ezra and Nehemiah which seem to have been one same book in the Hebrew Canon – and maybe even one with Chronicles. In these books we will see how the promises of God and His faithfulness carry His people through the exile, through the consequences of their sins, and hears their cry of repentance from the land of captivity. A new Exodus is in front of us. The people of God will come back to the Promised land and God Himself will restore their relationship with Him through the exposition of the Word and right worship. We will be, I pray, encouraged to take the Book of God and keep read it diligently and worship Him biblically, because only when we do that can our lives be transformed.

We will also read Psalms 33, 35-41, and Proverbs 15-19. I trust that the Lord will bless your prayer time as you pray these Psalms back to God.

May our prayer this week be, “Your name, oh Lord, is a strong tower. Help us all, your people whom you have cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, to run into it and be safe. And how will we come if it is not through your Word?” (based on Proverbs 18:10)

Have a most blessed week, Friends! See you on Monday at 10:00 PST in our webinar!

Under His sun and by His grace,

Becky Pliego and the Ladies Fellowship team from Christ Church

Grace & Peace: Revelation 88

Douglas Wilson on February 27, 2018

“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11).

“And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs” (Rev. 14:13-20).

The martyrs earlier had been gathered under the altar (Rev. 6:9), and their prayers were on the golden altar (Rev. 8:3). They were blessed, but not exactly at rest—they were given white robes so they could rest “for a little season.” They cried out in a loud voice for God to show His righteous vengeance. But now the times of vengeance have come, the time was complete. Jerusalem was now to be destroyed, and this means that all the saints who die from this point on are blessed. There are seven benedictions pronounced in Revelation, and this is the second of the seven (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). The saints who will die from this point on have the privilege of resting from their labors (v. 13), and their works follow them to their rest. A voice from Heaven declared this benediction, and the Spirit reinforced it.

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