Bible Study With Jairus

 Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 12 The Body of Christ Matures   Revelation 12 depicts a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, being crowned with twelve stars (12:1). This represents the body of Christ, the mature bride. This woman is the wife of the Lamb and represents the New Jerusalem (21:9-10).   When the Bible depicts God in anthropomorphic terms, it mentions that heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:1). This is a description of God's greatness and His magnificent stature. In Revelation 12, the body of Christ (the bride) has grown into “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 ESV) and is mature enough to open heaven, enter God's heavenly temple, usher in the exaltation of the heavenly ark, and bring about the judgment of God (Revelation 11:19). In chapter 12, the body of Christ (represented by the woman) gives birth to a male child (overcoming believers) who will further judge Satan and evil spirits on behalf of the church. Chapter 12 thus becomes an important turning point in the book of Revelation.   This chapter is important for several reasons. First, Satan is so angry that he tries to devour the boy and persecute the rest of the woman's children, which ushers in the apocalypse of the last three and a half years of Revelation. Second, as the bride continues to mature, the labor pains of the rebirth of the universe continue to intensify, birthing the first fruits (the male child). This means the creation and construction of God's new universe (new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem) will soon be complete, and Satan's ultimate failure will soon come to pass. Just as the Israelites exterminated and judged the Amorites after their sinfulness reached its full measure, the church will judge Satan on God's behalf once his sins reach their full measure. Just as the body of Christ grows into Christ who is the Head, Satan and his followers will grow into their full measure of sin.   The great red dragon mentioned in this chapter is the ancient serpent who constantly drinks the blood of the saints. Riding the red dragon is the great prostitute, also known as Babylon the Great, who is also drunk on the blood of the saints and of Jesus' witnesses. Babylon the great is the mother of prostitutes and earth's abominations (17:5-6), while the mother of the saints is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26), and this new Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). Satan is the father of sinners (John 8:44), and God is our heavenly Father. The union between sinners and evil spirits, who take Satan as their life, produces Babylon the Great, who becomes the mother of earth's abominations. On the other hand, the union between God and men who take the life of Christ produces the body of Christ and the bride, who becomes the spiritual mother of all new creation.   After a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, the pupa no longer exists and the cocoon loses its value. In the same way, the whole creation awaits the manifestation of God's sons (Romans 8:19) so it can be freed from its bondage to corruption and obtain the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:20). Once these birth pains are over (Matthew 24:8) and a new creation is born, the old creation shall pass away. This new creation consists of: Christ being the head and the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15) Christ's church being the bride and His body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:23) All things reaching freedom and unity with Christ who is the Head. God being all in all. "When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28). “… one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6).   The Iniquity of the Amorites Mirrors Satan's Iniquity   The story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and conquering the Canaanites in the Promised Land can help us understand the Book of Revelation. God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would live in slavery in Egypt for 400 years (Genesis 15). Why? Even though God had promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan, there were a few reasons why they could not yet occupy it. First, God explicitly told Abraham that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16). God was giving the Amorites an opportunity to repent. Second, God was giving the Israelites the opportunity to multiply in Egypt so that they could grow in strength, maturity, productivity, and rest. When Simeon and Levi killed the people of Shechem, Jacob said that they were outnumbered and that they would be exterminated by the Canaanites. It seems they were not yet strong enough to destroy the Canaanites. When Abraham's family moved to Egypt, there were only seventy Israelites. But in Egypt, they grew in number and in strength. By the time they left Egypt, the population of Israelites has grown to three million.   Although God gave the Amorites opportunities to repent, God knew that Satan would not repent, even when given time. Yet God still allowed Satan's iniquity to reach its full measure before he was punished. For Satan, the evil spirits, and the sinners who follow them, a time will come when their iniquities reach full measure.   Satan is full of sin and bloodshed. The Lord Jesus says that Satan is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) and that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Satan's hands are stained with the blood of saints and mankind. The same goes for the evil spirits and sinners who follow Him. At the end of Revelation 14, angels harvest grapes with sickles and throw them into the great winepress of God's wrath, and blood actually flows from the winepress, as high as the horses' bridles for 300 kilometers (Revelation 14:19-20). This indicates how many they have killed. Babylon the Great is also filled with the blood of the saints (Revelation 17:6). These passages prove Satan's wickedness.   Just as God uses the Israelites to judge the seven tribes of Canaan, God will use us to judge evil spirits. Strictly speaking, we are not the judge. God is the judge, and we just carry out the judgment. In order to carry out God's judgment, we must be mature enough, just as the Israelites had to grow in strength before they could carry out God's judgment on the Canaanites. Christ's body must mature in order to ultimately carry out God's judgment on Satan and the evil spirits.   But is today's church mature enough to carry out the final judgment on Satan and evil spirits? Can we even cast out the demons that live among believers? Or are we like the seven sons of the Jewish priest Sceva? When they tried to cast out demons, the demons said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15) The demons then attacked and wounded the sons of Sceva. Many modern-day churches cannot drive out demons because they are possessed by them. Many people in the world are possessed by demons, yet the church is powerless to help.   In the Bible, Jesus' disciples tried to cast out a mute spirit, but they couldn't. When they asked Jesus why it was so difficult, he said that this type of demon could not be cast out except through fasting and prayer. Only mature believers can cast out evil spirits. If the church today can't even cast out demons, how can we be mature enough to judge Satan and evil spirits? The church's judgment on Satan and the evil spirits will be a large-scale exorcism. This means the church must increase in spiritual authority as we grow into Christ who is the Head. Only then will we be able to carry out God's judgment.   We must learn from the Israelites' experience in Egypt and the wilderness. This will not only help us grow and multiply, but also help us learn the lessons of faith. Like Israel in Egypt, we must grow and multiply through suffering as we become firmly rooted in Christ. Like Israel in the wilderness, we must receive spiritual provision (manna) and draw near to the presence of God (the Ark of the Covenant). Just like the Israelites needed to break free from Egyptian influences and stop yearning for chives, garlic, green onions, cucumbers and watermelons, and fish, we must break free from past influences. In addition, we need to learn the lessons of faith. The first generation of Israelites was destroyed in the wilderness for their disbelief and disobedience, but the second generation entered the land of Canaan under Joshua's leadership and defeated the enemy. In the same way, the church today must overcome sin (foreshadowed by Egypt), and the world (foreshadowed by the wilderness), so it can enter the triumph of the spiritual life (foreshadowed by the conquest of the land of Canaan). As it goes through this three-step process, it will mature enough to judge Satan, angels, and demons.   Satan often tries to incite us to do things we are not yet prepared for. Satan will provoke us to come fight him when it is not yet time. This was the case with Moses. God did call Moses to be the leader of the Israelites and to save them from slavery. But he fell for Satan's tricks and took action before it was God's time. He acted prematurely and killed an Egyptian in his flesh. Because of this, Moses was forced to flee to the wilderness, where he herded sheep for 40 years. It was while shepherding in the wilderness that he encountered the burning bush, which was the manifestation of God's presence. God's presence took root in his life.   We must learn from Israel's 400 years in Egypt and Moses' 40 years in the desert. During these times of exile, we must take the opportunity to root ourselves deeply in Christ, draw from his strength and nourishment, grow into the temple of the Lord, and grow into Christ who is the Head. The church must mature in grace, power, life, and authority so it can finally carry out God's judgment on Satan.   In summary, we are waiting for the Lord to come back. But Jesus is also waiting for our lives to mature so he can return.   A Woman Clothed with the Sun, With the Moon Under Her Feet, and on Her Head a Crown of Twelve Stars   Who is this woman? Some say it is Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. Some say that it is the bride of Christ (Revelation 19) and the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21). First, let us examine the idea that the woman is Mary and the male child she gives birth to is Christ. This explanation seems to make sense. The passage seems to portray what was happening in the spiritual world when Jesus Christ was born. But there are some flaws with this explanation. After the boy is born, he is caught up to the throne of God (12:5). But the woman flees to the wilderness, where she is fed for 1,260 days, or three and a half years. The concept of three and a half years is a prophetic period of time mentioned throughout Revelation and Daniel. Revelation 13 mentions that the first beast is allowed to do whatever he pleases for forty-two months (13:5), or three and a half years. Revelation 11 says the outside court would be trampled by Gentiles for 42 months (11:2). The two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days, which is three and a half years. Daniel mentions seventy sevens: “Know therefore and understand thatfrom the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again…" (Daniel 9:25) "And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shallbe cut off…" (9:26) Daniel speaks of the Antichrist and says, "And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering." (9:27). In other words, these passages all mention three and a half years, which are the first half of the last seven years prophesied by Daniel, while the three mentioned earlier are the latter half. So the three and a half years that this woman is in the wilderness must refer to the end times. If this woman refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the wilderness she flees to refers to Egypt, then why does it reference the three and a half years, which are part of the last seven years during the end times of human history? Besides, if the boy is Christ, how can we explain that the woman flees into the wilderness after the boy is caught up to the throne of God (Revelation 12:4)? Although the dragon's attempt to devour the child can be interpreted as Satan seeking to kill the infant Christ, Joseph and Mary didn't flee to Egypt after Jesus ascended to God's throne after his resurrection. They fled when he was an infant.   The Bible talks about three stages of Satan's rebellion. First, he and one-third of his rebellious followers were driven out of heaven by God. They went from the third heaven to the second heaven. Second, Lord Jesus speaks of Satan falling like lightning (Luke 10:18). Again, the Scripture says that Satan's “tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth…" (12:4). It also says that " the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it" (12:4). "Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus…" (12:17). If the woman is Mary, then the dragon should be fighting with James and Jacob, the brothers of the Lord Jesus. But that is not the case. The rest of the woman's children are those who keep God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus. This indicates that the male child also keeps God's commandments and testimony of Jesus, which means he is not Jesus himself. Perhaps the boy represents the overcomers, martyrs, or raptured saints. In any case, they are the first fruits of overcomers.   Our Mother, the Heavenly Jerusalem   In any case, I believe the woman in the passage is not Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, but a spiritual mother who gives birth to many children. Paul makes it clear that our mother is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26). Paul compares the heavenly Jerusalem to Abraham's wife Sarah and believers to Isaac. But he compares the earthly Jerusalem to Hagar, who "is in slavery with her children" (Galatians 4:25). Paul compares these two women to the Old and New Testaments. Hagar represents the Old Testament and the law that enslaves humankind. We as believers must go through the process of maturing. The law was a guardian for underage children (Galatians 3:24) who were guarded by the law because the gospel of faith had not yet come (Galatians 4:25). When God's people were children, they were not yet free. Paul says, "The heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything" (Galatians 4:1). But God sent Christ to "… send the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:6–7). God wants the church to mature into the glorious freedom of Jesus Christ, so that the glory of God's sons may be revealed. Then the entire creation will be set free (Romans 8:21). It is a process of being born again, growing up, and maturing. Romans 8:16-17 says, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” The Bible uses four Greek words for God's “children” that depict different levels of spiritual maturity. The first one is "Nepios,” which depicts an infant. The infant child of a king cannot take the throne immediately; he must first grow up to maturity. The second word is "paidion," which means a young child or a toddler. Toddlers also need to grow up. The third one is “teknon,” which is used in Romans 8:17 for “children”. It means “teenager or a young adult.” The last one is “huios,” which is the word “sons” in Romans 8:14. This verse says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” These four Greek words show the growth curve of children of God from infants (Nepios) to toddlers (paidion) to young adults (teknon) to fully mature sons (huios). God desires the body of Christ to grow to its full maturity so all creation can be liberated from its bondage. This is exactly what is happening in Revelation 12.   Revelation 12 is the turning point in the book of Revelation. Before long, God will do away with the old creation and welcome a new heaven and a new earth. I don't believe this passage is talking about Christ being born, but about God's sons being glorified. The birth, death, and resurrection of Christ are complete, but His body, the church, is still going through the process of maturing. Their birth, suffering, and rebirth mirror Christ's suffering and usher in the rebirth of the universe that Jesus refers to in Matthew 24. And the bride of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem, will be the mother of the new creation.    

The Spiritual Warfare Behind the Closedown of GTV   “What? Are you crazy?” I replied with anger and puzzlement when my wife told me she wanted to “invest” a large amount of money in the GTV Group and other entities. This happened one night in early 2021 or late 2020. The GTV Group and other entities were promoted by Miles Guo and the Whistleblower Movement he started in 2017.   “Isn't it obvious it's a scam?” I said in my heart. Later, I asked my wife the same question. In my mind, there were many reasons not to pursue this investment. First, I had encountered many financial scams in China that claimed a large and quick return on investment but later turned out to be scams. My parents and one of my aunts were personally affected by these scams. Second, as a journalist, I had reported on many stories of scams and frauds. Third, I was busy with my Doctor of Ministry studies at United Theological Seminary, where I was preparing myself for the ministry God had called me to. God had revealed to me through many prophetic dreams[1] that a great revival was coming to China, and he had called me to be a part of this greatest revival on earth.[2] I didn't want to be a part of any political movements or controversial movements that might hinder me from traveling freely back to China to participate in this movement.   But even though I saw many reasons to avoid this investment, my wife was adamant that we should move ahead. She even threatened to do it on her own if I refused. Through years of experience in marriage, I knew if she wanted to do something, I should pay attention. It may be something very important. I am a naturally stubborn person, but I had learned that God often speaks to us through people in our lives—our friends, our neighbors, and especially our wives. While I was taking my Christian Prophetic Certification Program (CPCP) at Global Awakening, a ministry founded by Randy Clark, one of the prophetic teachers emphasized this very point. He jokingly said that he had read a book titled, I Heard the Holy Spirit, But it Sounded like My Wife. So I had learned the importance of listening to my wife. From experience, I realized that God often stirred my wife's heart to do something I did not yet understand.   So now, as I contemplated investing in GTV, I decided to ask God directly. As a “humble” servant of God, I asked God, “Am I wrong? Or is she deceived by Mile Guo and his movement?” My wife had been following Miles Guo's movement for some months, but I had not been paying any attention to the movement. Guo is a controversial person and I had heard rumors about him. I'd heard that his live interview at VOA was shut down in 2017, as well as other rumors. But I paid very little attention to him, even though God gave me two prophetic dreams about Miles Guo in 2017 and 2019. In the first dream in 2017, I was a reporter who was reporting on a news story related to him. In the second dream in 2019, God gave me a book with Miles Guo's picture on the cover. I wrote these prophetic dreams in my journal but never paid attention to these dreams.   God's Providence For My Calling in Gospel   My argument with my wife grew even more intense. She was so adamant and refused to change. When I brought the question to God, I knelt to pray for God's leading. “Am I wrong or is she deceived?” I asked. That night, or soon after, I had this prophetic dream.   I was taken to Miles Guo's library, and I was led to read a comic book telling about how people will get to heaven. It was a vivid comic book with details about different individuals arriving in heaven. As I scanned through it, I heard a voice saying, “Your wife has read some pages of this book and you haven't read it.”   In another dream, I was riding an airplane with Miles Guo to beautiful gold mines. In a different dream, I was conversing with this mystery man and realized God was writing a book with Miles Guo's picture on the cover, as I mentioned earlier. In this dream, I clearly saw the name of this book, Heaven's Quest (天问). I had the strong impression that God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit had decided to write a new book about China.   After praying over these dreams, I finally got it. God was telling me He was behind this political movement and that this political movement would give Christians a platform for preaching the gospel to China. Gospel preaching would then produce better citizens in China, which would eventually help this political movement establish a democracy in China. At last, I decided to join this movement. I started to utilize the platforms this movement provided to preach the gospel to these democracy-loving people inside and outside of China.   God Revealed to Me that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Is Coming Down In March 2020, I was given another vision. This was the most vivid, three-dimensional vision I had ever had. In it, I saw a great revival taking place in China. The revival was bursting out everywhere! People were dancing, celebrating, and worshiping God all over the streets of China.   In the next scene, I was brought into a heavenly meeting where many saints in glory, including Chinese and Westerners, were meeting. There was a Chinese lady who gave me a tour of the place and she specifically told me that this revival was something she had never seen when she was on Earth.   In the end, the angels bound an evil political spirit. I realized that after the great revival, a great political change would come to China. China would become a democratic nation and they would worship God.   In that dream, I was so surprised to see the evil political spirit bound. I asked the angel in great surprise, “Is this the CCP?” The angel told me, “Yes.” Now, I don't quite know when this will happen in the present physical world, but I believe it is a reality in the spiritual realm. I've talked to a friend who believes that the CCP will be taken down very soon. However, in this dream, I first saw a great revival bursting forth with people dancing on the street. Only then was the evil spirit bound.   God's Revival vs. Satan's Plan to Stop It Even though I didn't know many details about GTV Group and how it was run, I agreed to invest in it since God had revealed to me that this movement was of Him and could become a platform for me to preach the Gospel. So I uploaded all my preaching and sermons onto this platform. But soon afterward, GTV was suddenly closed down. I didn't know why it was shut down and continued hoping that a new version of GTV would be released shortly. But it never was. As a result, I gradually moved my preaching onto the Gettr platform. I began to preach and volunteer on other shows including News Talk.   In the meantime, one of my close friends at church showed genuine concern that I had joined the Whistleblower Movement (New Federal State of China). He asked me to pray more and consider whether I had been misled. So I once again asked for God's confirmation. As I prayed, God gave me another prophetic dream. In this dream, I was clearly shown that many Chinese officials will be converted via our broadcasts. In the dream, these officials held a large tent meeting to celebrate their conversion and show appreciation to Jesus Christ who saved them. As I walked into various tents, I marveled at the size of these tents and the number of people inside them. They were all like the tax collector Matthew in the Bible, full of gratitude for their salvation!   Through countless prophetic encounters with God, I became convinced that the Whistleblower Movement is of God and that platforms such as GTV exist for the purpose of taking down the CCP and spreading the gospel. So I believe there is a spiritual battle behind the closedown of GTV. Outwardly, it may involve compliance with regulations, but spiritually it is about the regime change and the revival coming to China. Satan is trying to utilize some Americans who do not understand this to stop the revival coming to China. I urge the Christian brothers and sisters in America to pray and ask God for guidance on this. I urge them to help the Chinese people to receive the Gospel. In the past, missionaries from the West traveled all the way to China to reach people with the good news of the gospel. But now God has raised up a generation of Chinese Christians that he is using to turn China upside down. Like any movement in history, it may be controversial. But God clearly showed me he is behind this. People in this movement may not be perfect, but God will use imperfect people and even non-believers to carry out His perfect plan.   Please check out my website jbwm.org for more stories on God's revelation to me regarding the revival of China. Feel free to reach out to me at info@jbwm.org. I urge you to help us to awaken the American people for the right cause!   Your dear brother, Sean Song   [1] Please check my testimonies and prophetic dreams at www.jbwm.org. [2] Please see my prophetic dream, https://jbwm.org/dreams-about-china/.

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 10 The Mighty Angel Strengthens Churches that Go Through Birth Pangs   After the sixth seal judgment, God sends an encouraging vision to those who have endured the six seal judgments. The encouraging vision helps them see the positive things God is doing in the spiritual world, including the mass salvation of the Jews and Gentiles. Similarly, God sent an encouraging vision after the sixth trumpet judgment, before the seventh judgment. Again, the vision helped people see the positive things God was doing in the world. This vision included a mighty angel that gave John a little scroll, which he ate. Since the judgments and trials were extremely harsh, God mercifully gave John two encouraging visions to share with others.   The number seven is a number of completion, foreshadowing God's complete plans. God created the world in six days, and on the seventh, he rested. When six days are over, the seventh brings in a new phase of peace. In the West, Sunday is the first day of the week. Jewish people observed the seventh day, Saturday, as their day of rest. Similarly, the seventh seal and the seventh trumpet each ushered in a new stage of God's work. After the seventh seal, God's judgment of the church was complete, and He pivoted to judging the world with the seven trumpets. With the seventh trumpet, God completed his judgment of the world and began to judge evil spirits. God accomplished the phases of his plan one at a time, leading to the finale, the birth of a new heaven and a new earth.   The vision right before the seventh trumpet reveals an important proclamation from the angel: “…there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets” (10:7). What is God's mystery? It is to unite the Jews and Gentiles into a unified bride of Christ. Revelation 19 clearly states that Christ and His bride will have a wedding feast. Revelation 12 tells how the bride gives birth to a newborn male child who eventually will judge evil spirits.   The angel “swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it” (10:6). This verse proves that the purpose of the seventh trumpet is to judge the world and everything in it. When the seventh trumpet judgment arrives, the focus of God's judgment at this time will turn to the evil spirits. He will judge them through the bowl judgments. Now that the bride has been created and her male child has been born, they will judge the angels (1 Cor. 6:3). The judges must take their places. This is why God gives John the little scroll to eat, so he can “prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.” He is calling the bride of Christ to take her place so that the male child may be born and the evil spirits may be judged. God's judgment on the church (as revealed in the seven letters to the churches and the seven seals) and on the world (as revealed in the seven trumpets) will usher in God's judgment on the evil spirits (as revealed in the seven bowl judgments). Then the dragon will appear in Revelation 12, and the beast in Chapter 13. They will deceive people to continue rebelling against God. However, this is their last struggle. God will judge all evil spirits, including them.   The Holy Spirit Judges the Church, the World, and the Evil Spirits.   As I have said before, it's important to look at the overarching ideas in Revelation, not just the details. For example, in Revelation 10, many people pay attention to the details: the mighty angel, the seven thunders, and the mysteries that the seven thunders utter. God tells John not to record the words of the seven thunders, but to seal them. This makes people even more curious. In addition, scholars have different interpretations of the seven thunders. What exactly are they? Some say they are the sounds of God's wrath; some say they are the voice of God that sounds like thunders; some people say the seven thunders are angels. We don't know. We have no clue what the seven thunders are or what they sounded like. But that's not the point here. The point is that God's judgment on the world is almost complete, and the next stage is about to begin. The next stage will usher in the birth of the male child. This child, who represents the overcomers birthed by Christ's bride, will judge the evil spirits.   God's judgment starts with the house of God. The letters to the seven churches are God's judgment on His church. When the judgment is over, heaven opens and God starts to take action from His throne, revealing the seven seals. The seven seals continue to cleanse the church as well as the world. These judgments intertwine with one another, and their target is the church. The vision that takes place after the sixth seal describes the Jews being sealed and the Gentiles being saved. After the seven seals, the seven trumpets come along, continuing the judgment on the church. At the same time, the evil spirits (and the beast from the bottomless pit) show up to kill prophets (Revelation 11). The main target of the seven trumpets is the world. A massive wave of evil spirits comes out in Revelation 12 when the male child is about to be born. A great dragon (12:3), a beast (13:1), and another beast (13:11) come into the picture one by one. The male child by this time has been born and caught up to God and His throne (12:5). A war breaks out and the great dragon is thrown down (12:9). Why is the dragon not thrown down after the child is caught up, and not at another time? Because the overcomers are judging Satan. The church will judge the evil spirits, and the angels will carry out the judgments. Satan becomes even angrier when he is thrown to the ground, and he persecutes the woman and the rest of her children (12:17). This event begins a three-and-a-half-year tribulation.   All these events are allowed by God, for God specifically says that the outer court “is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months” (11:2). Instead of measuring this court, John is asked to “measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there” (11:1). This reveals the three stages of God's judgment that we have just mentioned. The three stages of God's judgment target the church, the world, and the evil spirits. In the same way, the measurement of the temple has three stages: first the temple and altar of God, and then those who worship in the temple. When John measures the temple, he most likely measures the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place (or sanctuary). But the Outer Court is not to be measured yet, because it has been given to the Gentiles. Measurement represents judgment and sanctification; God's judgment brings sanctification. The church is judged first, just as the temple is to be measured first. Next comes the judgment on the world, during which time some people in the world are saved. The evil spirits are the last to be judged, and more people repent and are sanctified during this time. But those who follow evil spirits and refuse to repent will be judged in the same way as the rebellious evil spirits. Finally, heaven and earth are cleansed, which is symbolized by the cleansing of the last courtyard.   The same principle applies to our personal spiritual experience. God first sanctifies and regenerates our spirits (John 3:16). He continues to renew our hearts and change our minds throughout our whole life (Romans 12:1). In the end our bodies are sanctified as well (Romans 8:23). This spiritual principle is clearly present in the structure of the book of Revelation. God's judgment begins with the house of God. Then comes the cleansing of the world, which includes heaven, earth, and the people in it. Finally, the evil spirits are judged, along with the old heaven and earth. Yet throughout the process, people are being saved because God shows His mercy at every step.   The Mystery of God Will No Longer Be Delayed   If we are clear about the structure above, it will be very easy to understand the vision in Revelation 10 and 11. The mighty angel in chapter 10, “wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire” (10:1), “had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land” (10:2). He then “called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring” (10:3). I was taught that this mighty angel was Jesus. But I've recently rethought what I've been taught. The Bible never says this angel is Jesus Christ. I personally believe this is just an angel whose job is to deliver a message announcing God's judgment and work!   God's judgment of the world has yielded considerable results. Just like a little chick pecking through its eggshell, the judgments have prepared the world for birth. The man-child will soon be born, and the universe will be reborn. Labor pains have been going on for some time, and as birth becomes imminent, the labor pains intensify. So the mighty angel comes to strengthen the church during such a difficult time. Angels appeared to Jesus several times during his earthly ministry, such as during his temptation in the wilderness and during his painful struggle in Gethsemane. “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him” (Luke 22:43). Similarly, this mighty angel has come to strengthen and encourage the church that is about to go through the most difficult labor pains of childbirth. When my wife gave birth to my daughter, she was in a lot of pain. I stood next to her and held her hand tightly. I constantly encouraged her and provided moral support. Similarly, this angel appears at just the right moment to encourage the church. He roars at the enemy like a lion. The church, Christ's bride, will soon experience the fiercest attack of all (the three-and-a-half-year tribulation) so God sends a mighty angel to strengthen His church.   The seven thunders speak, but God does not allow John to write down their words. We can only speculate about what the seven thunders are saying. My guess is that the seven thunders are more disasters that will follow the seven trumpets and the seven bowls. However, it is not yet God's time to send these seven thunder judgments. The man-child must first be born so God can judge evil spirits and cleanse the entire universe. After the seventh trumpet is blown, God's wrath falls on the earth (Revelation 11:18). As the heavenly temple opens, the ark of the covenant appears, and there are earthquakes, thunder, and hail (11:19). Perhaps the thunder in this chapter is related to the seven thunders. But of course, this is just my speculation.   John is not allowed to record the words of the seven thunders, but he does record what the mighty angel says. The angel swears “by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay” (10:6). This oath is very interesting, especially because it is made between the sixth and seventh trumpet, when the labor pains and childbirth are about to begin. The entire universe is waiting in expectation for the sons of God to be revealed (Romans 8:19). It's as if the universe is expecting a baby! The church has matured to a stage where its birth can no longer be delayed. The mighty angel comes to support the bride in her pain, and he reports to God that the birth process is moving along productively. In addition, the mighty angel reports the good news to humans: “In the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets” (10:7). After reporting the good news to God, the angel speaks words of encouragement to people.   John Eats the Scroll, Prophesies, and Summons the Bride to Judge Evil Spirits   Prophecies are words of encouragement. Paul says, “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation” (1 Corinthians 14:3). John also writes down the words of another angel: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10). The spirit of prophecy is to bear witness for Jesus. In John's vision, in addition to strengthening the church through the mighty angel, God Himself speaks words of comfort and encouragement.   John hears a voice from heaven that asks him to take the little scroll from the angel who is standing on the earth and the sea. John does so. The angel said, “It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey”. Why would the scroll be sweet in the mouth but bitter in the stomach? While people have different interpretations of this passage, my understanding is that prophetic words are sweet because they come from God's good will. But the process of fulfilling the prophecies is difficult because it involves birth pain and spiritual battles.   Let me give an example from my own life. In January 2016, I received a prophecy telling me that I would have a child that year. I had been praying for a child for ten years before I received this prophecy. When I returned to China in February, I told my family about this prophecy. Everyone laughed at me. After getting back to the United States, the struggle continued. On May 12, God again told me in a dream that I would conceive my child within the next month. After I told my wife and other friends about it, I was strongly attacked by Satan. My wife argued with me and refused to speak with me for two weeks. On May 28, my wife found out that she was miraculously pregnant, and we finally reconciled. The beautiful prophecies I received were sweet, but the birth difficulties and labor pains brought misery.   This is exactly what is happening in Revelation 10. The promises are sweet, but the process is difficult. The birth pangs that Christ's body will experience are much greater than what I went through. This is why the book in John's mouth was as sweet as honey, but it turned bitter in his stomach. The visual imagery describes the sweetness of hope and the bitterness of waiting for that hope to come to fruition.   This chapter concludes by saying, “And I was told, ‘You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings'” (10:11). Who gave John this message? Was it an angel? Once before, an angel has been said to speak from heaven. If the voice from heaven is the voice of the angel, then this interpretation is acceptable. But if the voice from heaven is the voice of God, then God and this mighty angel were the ones who gave John the message.   In any case, the point here is that John is going to prophesy. Just as Ezekiel prophesied to the dry bones and they became a great army, John would prophesy to God's chosen people, especially the overcomers. His prophecy would call forth two great prophets (11:3-12), as well as other believers who would glorify God after the seven thousand deaths in the earthquake (11:13). When the seventh angel officially blows the trumpet, all heaven declares, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (11:15). This prophecy will directly prompt the birth of the male child in Revelation 12, which is a major turning point in the book of Revelation.   God's judgment in the world has produced positive results. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of Christ. The next step is for the bride and the overcomer to judge evil spirits on behalf of the church. Then God will cleanse the entire universe.

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 11 The Maturity of the Church Opens up the Heavenly Temple and the Ark of the Covenant   Revelation 11 talks about John measuring the temple, the altar, and the worshipers. He does not measure the outer court, because it has been given to the Gentiles to trample for three-and-a-half years. The chapter also mentions two witnesses prophesying for three-and-a-half years. Are these two facts related? The three-and-a-half years in which the Gentiles trample the outer court are the last three-and-a-half years of the seven-year tribulation mentioned by Daniel in his vision. However, the three-and-a-half years when the two witnesses prophesy may be the first three-and-a-half years of the tribulation. What is the purpose of the first three-and-a-half years? To prepare for the disasters that will come during the last three-and-a-half years. The last three-and-a-half years of the tribulation are the ultimate judgment of mankind. They are the final labor pains of the universe before it gives birth to a new creation. The birth of the male child in Revelation 12 represents this new creation and initiates one of the greatest transitions in Revelation. When the bride of Christ gave birth to a baby boy (representing the overcomers mentioned throughout the book of Revelation), Satan and his evil angels recognize that these overcomers will judge the evil spirits. Satan and the evil spirits are so furious that they begin to destroy the world. Their anger lasts three-and-a-half years. They persecute the world and resist God's judgment on themselves, which will be carried out through the church. However, their fate cannot be changed. At the end of the book of Revelation, the evil spirits are judged, and Satan and his followers are thrown into the lake of fire.   As we studied last time, God's judgment falls onto the house of God first, then on the world, and finally on the evil spirits. The house of God was judged through the admonitions in the letters to the seven churches, and through the seven seal judgments. The world is judged during the seven trumpet judgments. After the seventh trumpet, the focus of God's judgment turns to evil spirits.     We can see the positive outcome of God's judgment on the world by looking at the encouraging vision inserted between the sixth and seventh trumpets: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). The kingdom of God was born long ago in the hearts of his children; the Morning Star rose in the hearts of his followers (2 Peter 1:19). This internal experience mirrors the experience of worshipers in the Holy of Holies. But the kingdom of God has continued to manifest itself outwardly until the outward, earthly kingdom has also become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ. God's presence has moved outward to the Holy Place.   Finally, after the seventh trumpet sounds, God reclaims the outer court. Although the outer court is temporarily trampled by the Gentiles (the Gentiles are the tools used by evil spirits) for three-and-a-half years, God purges and purifies all of creation and brings in a new heaven and new earth. God's presence moves from an inward kingdom that regenerates people's souls (John 3:16) to an outward kingdom that transforms people's lives (Romans 12:1) to eventually a victorious kingdom that redeems all of creation (Romans 8:23). As the church matures and becomes victorious, God's victory spreads to all of creation, and the temple of God and the Ark of the Covenant are opened.   The Significance of John's Measurement   Why is John given a reed (NKJV) to measure the temple? Perhaps the reed is a living tool that is used to measure the living temple of God built out of living stones (believers). Measurement represents judgment and sanctification. Things that are measured by God have been judged and sanctified by Him. As we mentioned above, John measures the temple, altar, and worshipers, but not the outer court. This shows that God's judgment starts first with the house of God. The temple and the church (the worshipers) will be judged and sanctified first. Secondly, God judges the world, including people who have come to faith but are still deeply trapped in the world. God's judgment on the world will free these people from the domination of the world. Finally, God judges evil spirits. This judgment allows repentant people to be liberated from the domination of evil spirits so they can receive salvation. Those who refuse to repent are thrown into the lake of fire along with the evil spirits. These are God's three steps of judgment and sanctification.   The three courts of the temple also remind us of God's salvation of the soul. God first cleanses the Holy of Holies, which represents the inner sanctuary of our spirits which have been saved by God. He then cleanses the Holy Place, which reminds us of the renewal of our souls. Finally, he cleanses the outer court, which reminds us of the redemption of our bodies.   In this phase, John only measures the temple, the altar, and the worshipers because the time of final redemption of all creation has not yet arrived. At this point, the outer court has been given to the Gentiles to be trampled on for 42 months. These 42 months are the last three-and-a-half years of the seven-year tribulation that Daniel speaks about, also mentioned in Revelation. During this time, the Antichrist will break the covenant and ruin the worship of God (Daniel 9:27). But God will eventually judge all evil spirits and unrepentant sinners.   Perhaps the measurements are also intended to preserve and protect. Perhaps those who have already been judged and sanctified will be protected in the coming tribulation. Although there is much debate in the church about whether Christians will be raptured before or after the tribulation, the Lord Jesus tells overcoming believers in Philadelphia, "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). It is clear that some overcoming believers will be protected from suffering. Additionally, in the fifth trumpet judgment, the locust can only harm “those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads" (9:4). From these passages, it is evident that God protects those who have marks on their foreheads. At every step of God's judgment, some people will be shielded from suffering. Some Christians live their lives in the Spirit, while others are trapped in the world, and still others are deeply drowning in the flesh and sin. At each stage of the tribulation, some will repent and be saved. I believe that when God judges the outer court, some Christians who are deeply involved in the realm of evil spirits (the outer court) will be judged severely so they can repent and be saved. But other Christians may be protected by God from these calamities.   The Significance of the Two Witnesses Who Prophesy for Three-and-a-half Years   While there is debate about whether Christians go through the Great Tribulation, many agree on this fact: Even during the final judgment, God will graciously provide opportunities for people to repent. The appearance of these two prophets is the proof of this fact. Although there are different understandings of who these two prophets are, we know that they will prophesy and testify for God and for Jesus. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). The purpose of their testimony is to bring people to repentance.   These two witnesses, dressed in linen, prophesy for 1260 days. Linen represents righteous deeds. Revelation 19 says that the Lamb's Bride “clothe[s] herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints" (19:8). The two prophets are dressed in righteous deeds. They are the first-fruits and manifestation of the Bride of Christ. They prophesy and testify for three-and-a-half years, encouraging people to repent before the last three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation. In symbolic terms, they are the olive trees, lampstands, and oil of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit.   These two men have the authority to stop rain from falling from the sky, turn water into blood, and strike the earth with plagues (11:6). But in the end, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will kill them (11:7). People who dwell on the earth will celebrate the death of the two prophets because they have been a torment (11:10). How hardened people's hearts have become! They refuse to repent. Later, God raises the prophets from the dead. There is an earthquake, and a tenth of the city collapses, killing 7,000 people (11:12-13). Only then do people repent. The Bible says, "The rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven” (11:13).   Sometimes, God allows people to die in order to bring others to Himself. God did not hesitate to put Jesus Christ on the cross in order to save his lost sheep. Throughout the ages, God has allowed countless martyrs to bear witness for the Lord, all in order to save sinners. The two prophets here are also martyrs, and the story of their death and resurrection will bring many people to repentance and salvation.   The Seventh Trumpet Brings the Transformation of the Era   The visions inserted between the sixth and seventh trumpets give us a glimpse of God's work in the spiritual world. There seems to have been some sort of delay in God's work before the seventh trumpet is sounded, because Revelation 10:6 specifically mentions that "there would be no more delay but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets" (10:7). Sure enough, "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever'" (11:15). This was a major turning point.   At least four times, the Bible mentions the twenty-four elders who worshiped before God's throne. The first mention is when the church is being judged. John sees a vision of heaven being opened. He sees twenty-four elders bowing down before God's throne and saying, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (4:11). During this stage, the elders are saying that God deserves all the praise, even if many people on earth are not yet praising Him.   The second reference to the twenty-four elders is when the Lamb opens the book. The Bible says, "The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (5:8). Here, the twenty-four elders offer the prayers of the saints to God. These prayers advance the work of God. The third time occurs in chapter 11. When the seventh trumpet is sounded, "the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign'" (11:16-17). This vision of the twenty-four elders allows us to see that God's work has reached a new stage. At this stage, "The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth" (11:18). God was judging the Gentiles, the demons, and the wicked ones who destroyed the earth, also known as Babylon the Great. The fourth time occurs after the judgment of Babylon the Great (Revelation 18). "And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, ‘Amen. Hallelujah!'” (19:4) At this point, God's work is nearly complete, and the chant of the twenty-four elders is full of pure praise. These four accounts of twenty-four elders reflect the progress of God's work. This is the first time that I noticed this unique progression. God Opens the Heavenly Temple to Prompt the Final Judgment on Evil Spirits The last verse of this chapter states, "Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail" (11:19). The Ark of the Covenant is often associated with battles. In the Old Testament, the Israelites sometimes took the Ark of the Covenant into battle. Numbers 10:35 says, "And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, ‘Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you'". The Ark of the Covenant represented  God's exaltation and victory over his enemies. We talked earlier about the three steps of God's judgment (the judgment of the church, of the world, and of the evil spirits). In order to judge evil spirits, the overcoming believers must arrive on the scene. This is represented by the birth of the male child in Revelation 12. God has promised that the church will judge angels, but in order to do so, it must mature. The overcoming believers (represented by the male child) will judge evil spirits on behalf of the church. I believe that the moment when the temple opens in heaven marks the beginning of the judgment on evil spirits. On the one hand, God is helping the church in its battle against the enemy by sending lightning, thunder, earthquakes, and hailstones. On the other hand, God is demonstrating that the church has matured sufficiently to approach the Holy of Holies, where it can begin to judge evil spirits on God's behalf. Hebrews 4 tells us that we can enter the Holy of Holies through Christ. Jesus, our great high priest, can sympathize with our weaknesses (4:14-15). Because of this, "let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (4:16). This is a spiritual reality, yet not all believers have accessed the reality of entering the Holy of Holies. Just like God's Tabernacle consisted of three parts (outer court, sanctuary, and Holy of Holies), we each possess a body, soul, and spirit. Even though God has given us access to the Holy of Holies, we often live at a distance from him in the outer court. It is as if we are living far from the Promised land, in Egypt. This represents the flesh. If we draw a little closer to him, we draw near to him in our soul, which represents the sanctuary. It is as if we are wandering in the wilderness, getting closer to the Promised Land. Finally, sometimes we are able to draw near to God in our spirits. We enter the Promised Land and the Holy of Holies. We need to leave the flesh and the world and enter the fullness of spiritual life. Believers must collectively be built into a unified, mature body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12) "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13).   Just like Jesus Christ's victory could open the scroll in God's right hand, the maturity and victory of the church can open the temple of God. Then the Ark of the Covenant will appear, and God will send lightning, rumblings, thunder, earthquakes, and hailstones. We have said many times that the prayers of the saints advance the work of God from his throne. And the maturity of the church can prompt God's final judgment on evil spirits.   Some people spend their time guessing when the Lord Jesus will return. Others become lukewarm and apathetic as the Lord continues to delay. However, there is no need to speculate about when the Lord will return. We are not the ones who are waiting for Him to come. He is the one who is waiting for our lives to mature! Only when the church matures enough to open God's temple will God's final judgment on evil be unleashed. That's why Jesus said He would come soon, but not yet. He longs to return at any time, but the maturity of church is delaying His return.

Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 9 God's Great Love for the Lost, Hidden Within the End-Times Plagues   As God unveils the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments in Revelation 9, the plagues are becoming increasingly serious. In the fifth trumpet judgment, locusts torment people on Earth for five months. The pain is so severe that people wish for death, yet death flees from them. In the sixth trumpet judgment, after the angels are released from the River Euphrates, they kill a third of the human race. But people still do not repent of their idolatry and other sins.   Anyone in their right mind would feel that these plagues were very cruel, and may even wonder why God is so “cruel.” But in fact, hidden within these disasters is God's great love for the lost. Jesus said that the Father loves us just as a shepherd loves his sheep. “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost” (Luke 15:3-6). Jesus said, "Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (15:7).   The purpose of these judgments is to get the attention of sinners! Many people repent and come to know the Lord as a result of hard times. Revelation 9:20-21 indicates that God's purpose in sending the judgment was that people would repent. Therefore, we need to look at the trumpet judgments from the perspective of love. God wanted to wake up sinners, show them their sins, and help the lost sheep return home. This is why he hits them so hard. He spares no effort to get their attention, hoping his lost sheep will return to their heavenly home.   The Angel's Trumpet Brings the Jews Back to the Fold Currently, most Jews do not trust in Jesus. Their eyes are not open to Jesus as their Messiah, and they have fallen into sin and worldliness. But the Bible promises that in the last days, His chosen people will return to Him from all four corners of the earth. In Matthew 24, when speaking to a Jewish audience about the end times, Jesus said the sun would be darkened, the moon would not give its light, the stars would fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens would be "shaken" (24:29). These are the same disasters described in the fourth trumpet judgment (Revelation 8:12). In Matthew 24:31, Jesus goes on to say, "He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other.”   After the trumpet is sounded, will God's chosen people return all at once? Or will the Israelites, who have been scattered all over the world, return gradually to God? I believe that this will be a gradual process.   No one wants to leave their native land, and people have a strong sense of loyalty to their birthplace. I grew up in China, and Chinese people have a strong sense of locality. Many Chinese people would rather die than leave their hometown. In the same way, the Israelites have gotten used to living far from the Promised Land, and are unwilling to leave the places where they live. During World War II, the tragic and brutal suffering that the Jews endured nonetheless motivated many Jews to return to the Land of Israel. In the last days, the final return of the remaining remnant of Israel may take place under similar circumstances during the seventh trumpet judgment. Between the sixth and seventh trumpet judgments, we read about a vision in which many Jews were sealed. Then the seventh trumpet judgment takes place. The plagues' increasing intensity forces the scattered Jews to leave their temporary homes and return to Israel. This is the work of God's hand. I believe these disasters motivate the Jews to continue to return. They also motivate the lost sheep of the Gentiles to repent.   God's Gleaning   My eldest aunt lives in a village near my home. The village lies next to a river, so it has a long sandy beach. Sandy soil is perfect for growing peanuts. During harvest, it was impossible to harvest every last peanut. Some peanuts remained in the sandy soil, and others were accidentally dropped on the sand. People in the neighboring villages who did not have the conditions to grow peanuts would arrive to gather the leftover peanuts after the owner had already finished harvesting. Because the owners had already finished their harvest, they did not care about the remaining peanuts. Meanwhile, as the gleaners dug through the sand to harvest the remaining peanuts, they helped plow and aerate the soil. This benefited the farmers, and they were happy for the gleaners' help. When I was young, I went there with my aunt and some others to gather peanuts. The countless people on the river beach looked like a swarm of locusts. Each of them took a shovel and a bag, turned over a shovelful of sandy soil, and picked up the peanuts left behind on the beach. After a day's work, my aunt and I filled a large bag with peanuts. I still remember this scene vividly.   I believe the fifth plague is a “gleaning” like I described above. The firstfruits have already been harvested (sealed Jews and a large number of saved Gentiles). However, in God's love and mercy, he continues to search for the remaining unbelievers. He gathers those who are still left behind. These locusts from the bottomless pit—whether they are evil spirits or fallen angels—are instruments in God's hands to bring in the harvest. We cannot look at the book of Revelation simply from the perspective of punishment and disaster; we must look at Revelation from the perspective of harvest.   Chapter 13 of Matthew specifically says, "The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels" (13:39). Perhaps the reapers are not only the good angels, but also the evil "locusts" of the fifth trumpet judgment. Because all things work together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28), God could even use evil angels to accomplish his purposes. The plague of "locusts" will continue God's harvest and bring back the remaining lost sheep of Israel, as well as the lost sheep of the Gentile nations.   God Continues to Harvest After Revelation 10   Since locusts are used for God's harvest, the purpose of their painful stings is to motivate people to seek God and repent of their sins. Though this purpose is not explicitly mentioned in this plague, it is mentioned during another plague in this chapter. During the plague of the horseman, God specifically says that "the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts" (9:20-21). God wants to save those who have not yet repented. He hopes that his severe judgment and discipline will motivate them to return to him in repentance. For this reason, his judgment continues to increase in intensity.   At the beginning of chapter 9, the Bible says, "The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come" (9:12). The first woe refers to the fifth trumpet. The locusts will torment men for five months, and men will seek death and not find it. The other two plagues refer to the sixth trumpet, in which a horseman killed one-third of mankind, and the seventh trumpet, which unlocks the seven bowls. Between the sixth and seventh trumpets, God gives John a vision to encourage His people (10:1-6). At the beginning of the seventh trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled (10:7). This mystery is the gospel that God announced to His servants the prophets (10:7). This gospel is that Jesus Christ will become the salvation of mankind and bring about the restoration of all things. John is given a small scroll and a prophecy (10:11) and he measures the temple (11:1-2). Then two witnesses rise up and fight the beast that rises up from the bottomless pit, and the beast conquers and killed them. But God raises them up, and this resurrection demonstrates the truth and the power of God. In addition, the earthquake kills 7,000 people, and "the rest were terrified, and gave glory to the God of heaven" (11:3-13). Through these events, God continues to harvest souls for his heavenly kingdom. The earthquake is the second woe, and the third woe is coming soon (11:14). A voice from heaven says, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (11:15). Why? The woman in Revelation 12 is about to give birth to a male child. The male child typifies the overcomers, who are the body and bride of Christ. It is God's will for believers to become His bride. So the male child is caught up to God and to His throne (12:6), and the devil and his angels are cast down from heaven (12:9). This is the prelude to the plagues of the last three and a half years of the tribulation. This is the turning point of Revelation. Harvest and judgment are two themes that run through the book of Revelation. God's work in the book of Revelation is a process of continuous harvest and judgment, and the purpose of judgment is to harvest more souls.   Are the Locusts and Horsemen Really Locusts and Horsemen or Evil Spirits?   We know that Revelation is full of pictorial symbols and eschatological types. This raises a valid question: Are these locusts and horsemen really locusts and horsemen, or do they represent evil spirits? These locusts are certainly not ordinary locusts, because they are not allowed to harm grass, green things, or trees of any kind, but only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (9:4). They are not like the locusts we see on earth. Instead, they are unique locusts that come up from the bottomless pit during this plague. And the horses in this passage are not ordinary horses, either. They have power in their mouths and tails; their tails are like serpents with heads; their tails can inflict wounds (9:19). Even if these are real horses with human riders, they are certainly not normal horses and normal humans.   This reminds me of the contest between Yahweh and the false Egyptian gods and between Moses and the magicians. When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, Aaron's rod turned into a snake. The magicians could also turn their rods into snakes, but Aaron's rod swallowed their rods. Just like the contest between the snakes represented the contest between God and the false gods, these locusts may represent evil spirits fighting against God. The red dragon in Revelation 12 and the two beasts in Chapter 13 represent a similar contest between Satan and God. I personally believe that the locusts and the horses are not ordinary locusts and horses, and the horsemen are not necessarily human. I don't rule out the possibility that the horsemen are human beings, but I know for sure that they are not ordinary people.   As we work to understand these symbolic images, we must have a supernatural perspective. As the end times approach, both righteous and evil people on earth will draw on the supernatural power of their deity, either God or Satan, to give them strength to fight their enemies. Even though this may seem fantastical, we must believe it by faith. Although we did not personally witness Aaron's rod turn into a snake and swallow the snakes that the Egyptian magicians' rods turned into, we still believe that the biblical record is correct. Similarly, in the last days, believers will gain supernatural powers, and the wicked will also gain supernatural powers. The two witnesses in Revelation 11, and the male child in Chapter 12 who is caught up to God and to His throne to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, both have supernatural powers. The two witnesses even have the authority to shut up the sky so that no rain may fall. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague (Revelation 11:6). The mention of turning water into blood reminds us again of the ten plagues in Exodus.   The events of Revelation must be understood through the lens of the supernatural. The things that happen in Revelation are things we have never seen before. We will only truly understand them when they happen in the future. We should not make assumptions based on our present understanding. We should not conclude that the 200 million horsemen represent China just because China is in the east and has a large population. Many Bible scholars in history have said this, but I think this is incorrect. God is raising up a great revival work in China. God has revealed to me on many occasions that China's revival and evangelization will have a huge impact on the world. I firmly believe that China will become a Christian country full of sheep, not goats. If this happens, China will not become the birthplace of the 200 million future horsemen.   God's Principles of Dealing with Man We cannot fully understand the many things that will happen in the future. But this does not keep us from understanding God's principles of dealing with mankind which are revealed through these events. If we recall how God dealt with Pharaoh, we see an important principle: God hardened Pharaoh's heart so he could multiply His signs and wonders (Exodus 7:3), so that His power would be manifested, and so His name would be proclaimed in all the earth (9:16). This principle also appears in Revelation 9. Despite seeing God's powerful and devastating signs, the people are still hard-hearted and refuse to repent. Why is this? Because even though God has judged the evil spirits in their lives, they have not received Jesus's Holy Spirit to replace the evil in their hearts. As a result, they are filled with even worse evil spirits.   The Lord Jesus Himself gave a good example to illustrate this principle. The Lord Jesus told a story in Matthew 12. He said, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation”(Matthew 12:45).   When we were studying Deliverance Ministries, our teachers often told us that if a person is not willing to accept Jesus Christ as Lord, it is best not to carry out deliverance on him. If we temporarily drive out evil spirits from a person who is not filled with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, the spirits may return. I have personally witnessed some people accepting Jesus Christ and repenting of their sins when they received deliverance, and when we prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we could actually see the spirits coming out of them. The first time I saw a spirit cast out of a sister in Christ, I was amazed. She kept coughing, and then we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill her, and she was eventually filled with the Holy Spirit and fell to the ground.   The plagues in the book of Revelation are like a large-scale deliverance. God is judging evil spirits and demons through the various plagues, and judging those who to a certain degree are possessed by these evil spirits and demons. His purpose is that they would repent of their sins and accept the salvation of Jesus Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. If men repent of their sins and accept salvation, demons will be cast out of them permanently. If they refuse to repent, the demons will return, bringing worse spirits with them.   This principle reveals how God works in people's hearts, and how He deals with evil spirits. Is God the one who is sending worse evil spirits to torment people? Or is it men's unrepentance that is providing opportunities for evil spirits to torment them even more? God is good (Mark 10:18), and God does not tempt (James 1:13). It is man's lack of repentance that is making things worse. Now we can better understand why the Lord said that He hardened Pharaoh's heart. It's not just that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. If Pharaoh had repented, God's mercy would have fallen upon him. But when Pharaoh refused to repent, it brought an even harsher judgment from God. This is the same principle at work in the judgment of the last days.

Bible Study with Jairus - John 21   When God Establishes Us and Deepens our Spiritual Life, We Can Witness His Resurrection   As John wraps up his gospel in chapter 21, he acknowledges that his account of Jesus' life is not comprehensive. He says that if he had written down every event in Jesus' life, “I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (21:25).   However, as he finishes the book, he does tell two key stories: the story of Jesus' appearance to his disciples by the seashore, and the story of Peter's restoration. Obviously, the two stories that were included were carefully selected to serve the author's purpose. So what is the purpose of John 21? While there are many ways to approach John 21, I am going to view it through the lens of Peter's growth and restoration.   Peter later wrote the book of 1 Peter. In chapter 5, Peter teaches his readers to be humble (1 Peter 5:5-6), cast their worries on the Lord (5:7), be watchful, resist the devil (5:8), and overcome suffering (5:9). He assures his listeners, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (5:10). I believe that when Peter wrote these things, he was speaking from experience. In John 21, we see how Peter was humbled, learned to cast his cares on Jesus, resisted Satan, overcame suffering, and was eventually comforted, restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established by Christ himself. Christ established Peter as the foundation of the church.   As we mentioned in the last study, John 20 shows how Jesus appeared to different disciples. Before they could see the resurrected Christ, they had to remove their unbelief, doubt, and other blockages that were keeping them from knowing the risen Jesus. Even today, the Lord is willing to appear to anyone, but we must open our hearts and overcome the obstacles that are preventing us from knowing Him. It takes time for us to get to know the resurrected Christ, but only then can we help others learn to know Him. Peter went through this process, and it took time. Only when he knew the resurrected Christ could he become a true follower of the Lord (21:19) and a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19).   John 21 is a wonderful segue to the next book, Acts. In the first half of Acts, Peter is one of the most important leaders of the church. But he could only fill this role because the Lord had strengthened, restored, and established him in John 21. Only then could Peter be filled with the Holy Spirit so he could bring salvation to 3,000 people (Acts 2:41).   A Deepened Spiritual Life Is Necessary for Witnessing the Resurrected Christ   To experience the resurrected Christ, we must open our hearts. This implies spiritual growth, as seen in John 20-21. Even if we have learned to know the risen Christ, we must deepen our spiritual lives so we can be the nurturing shepherds that Jesus expects us to be. This was the experience of many Bible characters, such as Moses. Moses was called and prepared by God to lead his people out of Egypt. After he tried to rescue one of his people with his own strength and wisdom, he was forced into exile in the wilderness. While shepherding sheep in the wilderness, he saw the burning bush and came to know the true living God. The Lord told him, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). Centuries later, Jesus told the Sadducees, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not God of the dead, but of the living” (Matthew 22:32). Jesus said this to prove the validity of the resurrection. So it's not too much of a stretch to say that Moses had experienced the living God, the God who can make people live again.   Despite experiencing the living God, Moses rejected God's calling. He refused to lead the Israelites out of Egypt because he thought he lacked capability and eloquence. Even after God showed him three miracles, Moses still yelled, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). Finally the Lord became angry (4:14) and tried to kill him (4:24). Only after his wife Zipporah circumcised their son did the Lord let him go. Many are confused about this incident. They wonder why the Lord tried to kill Moses. To be honest, it is not difficult to understand, especially if we compare this incident with Peter's experience. Why? Because it is one thing to see the resurrection, but another thing to experience it. Abraham had the same experience. He had known the Lord since the time God promised him his son Isaac. But it was quite another thing altogether to experience God's resurrection power when God rescued Isaac from death.   Jesus' Repeated Appearances Deepen Our Understanding of the Resurrection   After Jesus' resurrection, He appears to His disciples many times. But why does He appear to Peter and the other disciples while they are fishing? Each appearance of the Lord Jesus deepens our understanding of the resurrection so that we can truly experience the death and resurrection of Jesus in our own lives.   This principle applies to both the Old Testament and the New. Each of God's seven appearances to Abraham deepened his knowledge of God. The first time God appeared to Abram was to call him out of Ur of the Chaldeans (Genesis 15:7). He then appeared to him again in Haran (Genesis 12:1). Both times, God promised to give Abram the land of Canaan. As a result, Abram left the land of idols. Genesis 12:7 records the third appearance where the Lord said to Abram, “To your offspring I will give this land.” The fourth time God appeared to him, he promised to bless Abraham with countless descendants, as numerous as the sand of the seashore (Genesis 13:14-17). God appeared to him for the fifth time after he rescued Lot from the five kings. God told Abram that one of his very own sons would be his heir (15:4). Thirteen years after his biological son Ishmael's birth, God appeared to Abraham again. This time, he changed his name from Abram to Abraham and told him he would become the father of many nations (17:5). The seventh appearance happened after Abraham sacrificed Isaac to the Lord. God once again promised, “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of hisenemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:17-18). Every time God appeared to Abraham, his understanding of the resurrection was deepened. Finally, God inspired Abraham with supernatural knowledge about his descendant, Jesus Christ so that Abraham could look “forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).   Galatians 3:16 says, “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. Notice here that the Scripture uses ‘his offspring' instead of ‘all offspring,'  which indicates one person – Jesus Christ.” And verse 14 says, “So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” Abraham's transformation—from living in a place of idolatry to knowing and waiting for God—was the result of his multiple encounters with God.   Similarly, after Jesus' resurrection, he chooses to appear to his disciples multiple times. Each time they see him, their understanding of Him is deepened, they become more aware of God's will, and they better understand their glorious inheritance in God's calling. When they realize their identity in Christ, they can become what God desires them to be.   We Must Have a Clear Understanding of Our Identity   Why does the Lord Jesus choose twelve disciples? First, it is the will of God the Father. Everything Jesus does on earth is in accordance with the will of the Father. Luke 6:12-13 records, "In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles." Jesus' choice of the twelve disciples is not a random action, but an obedient action based on the will of the Father, which he discerned by praying all night. What is the Father's will? To duplicate Jesus Christ in the lives of his twelve disciples, and then for them to duplicate his life in others.   God's work is not a rapid growth like mushrooms that spring up overnight. Instead, it is a slow process of reproducing himself in others' lives. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God, and the twelve disciples are called to manifest Christ to the world. To spread the life of God to others, the disciples must recognize their identity in Christ so that they can mature and grow in Christ. If these disciples fail to recognize their identity in Christ, they cannot be an accurate representation of Christ's life. Jesus appeared to his disciples multiple times after his resurrection so he could help them recognize their deficiencies and fully understand their identity and calling in Christ. Only then can they experience resurrection in their own lives.   John 21:14 says, “This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.” The first time was when Jesus appeared to them on the first day of the week, when they were hidden behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. “Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you'” (20:19). The second time was eight days later, when the disciples were gathered again, this time with Thomas. “Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you'”(20:26). The first time Jesus appeared to his disciples, he helped them overcome their fear and lack of joy (20:20). A regenerate person is a person of joy. When Jesus appeared to his disciples the second time, he addressed Thomas' unbelief. What is the purpose of the third appearance? Jesus Christ will fill His promise to make Peter a fisher of men.   God Himself Establishes Us and Makes Us Perfect and Strong At one time, Peter had confidently proclaimed that even if everyone else betrayed Jesus Christ, he never would. However, Jesus Christ told him that he would deny the Lord three times before the rooster crowed three times. And this was exactly what happened. Now, Peter is deeply ashamed of it. When he sees Jesus again, he was very embarrassed. But instead of scolding Peter, Jesus nurtures and restores him, and lifts him up again. Peter learns several deep spiritual lessons which we find in the books of 1 and 2 Peter. As a fisherman, Peter may not have been very knowledgeable, yet his two epistles contain rich spiritual lessons. These are Peter's only two epistles in the Bible, so they encapsulate the totality of the spiritual depth that Peter has acquired throughout his life. Although Peter did not have spectacular linguistic abilities, and many commentators do not spend much time interpreting his writings, the spiritual richness of Peter's letters is well worth excavating. The first lesson Peter learned was the importance of humility. First Peter 5: 5-6 says, "... Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you.” Second, Peter learned to trust God. Peter instructs believers to "cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). After seeing the resurrected Lord Jesus three times (once by himself and twice with other disciples) Peter still lacked faith in the risen Christ. He went back to fishing with other disciples, but caught nothing. When Jesus Christ appeared, they caught 153 fish. Through this experience, Peter learned a powerful lesson about trusting God. Third, Peter learned about resisting temptation. Jesus Christ had repeatedly warned Peter and other disciples about Satan's temptation. In Luke 22:31, Jesus said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.” Sure enough, Simon failed when facing Satan's temptation. So Peter shares what he learned through blood, sweat, and tears: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world” (1 Peter 5:8-9). Finally, Peter writes his famous line, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you" (1 Peter 5:10). I love this verse. Whenever I go through trials and failures, I sing a song based on this verse. I believe that God will one day restore, strengthen, perfect, and establish me. Every Failure is the Foundation of the Next Victory John 21 is crucial because it documents Peter's restoration. Without it, the Gospel of John would end on a sad note. Even though Jesus Christ had risen from the dead, the book would end with Peter's failure. This is not the will of God. Jesus Christ has won the victory, and each of us has also won the victory through Him. Jesus wants us to live a victorious life. That is the purpose of his victory. Therefore, the Gospel of John cannot end with Peter's failure. It must end with his restoration. The book of Acts, which follows John, tells about Peter's leadership in the early church. He worked many signs and wonders in Jesus' name. The book of Acts is about the work of the Holy Spirit through his vessels, the apostles. The filling of the Holy Spirit takes a moment, but the preparation of these vessels for his service takes decades or a lifetime. John 21 shows us how Jesus prepared his vessel, Peter, for the birth and growth of the Church and for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised by the Father in the book of Acts. This is the great will of the Triune God. Every failure of ours reveals where we need Christ. When we repent and ask God to transform us, God will be able to remake us in his image. We will become victorious vessels through which the Holy Spirit can work. May we all cherish our failures so we can learn and grow from them.  

Bible Study with Jairus - John 20   How To Deepen Our Knowledge and Experience of the Resurrection of Jesus   Do you know the risen Christ? Have you experienced His presence? Has he appeared to you personally? You may say, “Is it possible to experience the resurrected Jesus and know him personally?” My answer is, “Yes, you can. But you have to remove the obstacles that are preventing you from seeing the risen Jesus.” In John 20, Jesus helped various disciples remove the spiritual blinders that were preventing them from seeing the risen Jesus. When these veils were removed, each of them experienced Jesus' presence and the risen Christ appeared to them. When we properly use our minds, wills, and emotions, we will be allowed to experience the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well.   For example, when we meditate and ruminate on Jesus' words, it often leads to spiritual experiences. Madame Jeanne Guyon once said that when we pray and meditate on the Lord's words, we will certainly be able to enter the presence of God. But if we do not meditate and pray properly, then hindrances in our minds, wills, and emotions will prevent us from knowing and experiencing the resurrection of Christ. For example, the disciples' closed hearts, doubt, fear, and guilt prevented them from seeing the resurrected Lord. Let's look at these stories more closely.   Mary's strong emotions kept her from recognizing Jesus when he appeared to her.   Thomas had to see the Lord's nail marks before he believed. Jesus showed him His nail marks, and only then were the doubts in his mind were resolved.   John believed in the resurrection when he saw the empty cloth that had been around Jesus' face (John 20:8), but there is no record that Peter believed at that time (John 20).   Peter's guilt about his betrayal kept him from fully embracing the risen Jesus.     In John 20 and 21, Jesus helped each of his disciples overcome any obstacles that were keeping them from experiencing the resurrected Christ. With his help, they were each able to experience the Lord's appearance. This is true not only for the first-century disciples, but for all of us. “God is no respecter of persons,” as Peter said in Acts 10:34. Everyone in the Bible who loved the Lord, whether Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, or Solomon, each experienced the Lord's appearance. It is hard to imagine anyone who could love God that much and not experience His personal presence. The experience of his presence only further increases our love for him.   Every disciple present in John 20 knew and experienced the appearance of the resurrected Christ, but each was unable to believe in the resurrection or recognize the resurrected Christ because of some kind of hindrance. As modern-day Christians, we must learn from their experiences so we can know and experience the appearance of the resurrected Christ today.    Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen and Yet Have Believed?   We should desire and believe that we can experience the life-changing presence of the risen Christ. Yet in modern times, many people have belittled the reality of personal spiritual experiences. They underestimate the benefits of pursuing the Lord's appearance. They dismiss these experiences for several reasons. Let's address the reasons for this overcorrection.   Some people say that this type of spiritual experience is only for spiritual giants. When lay people testify that the Lord appeared to them in dreams or visions, others protest that God doesn't appear to common people. But in reality, the Lord desires to appear to everyone. Many Muslims testify that the Lord Jesus appeared to them in dreams which led them to become Christians. They are very ordinary people, not spiritual giants. Yet some people dismiss these experiences for American believers, saying that the Muslims only had those experiences because they lived in countries where the gospel was forbidden. That is the only reason that Jesus chose to preach the gospel to them in this way. This is correct, but it absolutely cannot be used as an excuse to say the Lord only appears to certain special people. Some people point to Jesus' words to Thomas to prove that we do not need to see Jesus. Jesus said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Many people mistakenly understand this verse to mean that those who have the most faith do not desire to see Jesus.   Let's examine these claims. Yes, those who believed without seeing are indeed blessed. But this does not mean that the Lord does not approve of us longing for His appearance. In John 14:21, the Lord Jesus said, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” The Lord said that He will appear to those who love Him. Therefore, if we have not experienced the appearance of the resurrected Jesus, it does not necessarily prove that “Jesus does not appear to ordinary people today.” Perhaps we don't really love the Lord's appearance enough. When we assume Jesus can't appear to us, we lower our expectations. However, Jesus wants us to ask for what we desire. A basic principle in Scripture says that “everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10). James, Jesus' biological brother, agreed: “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:2-3). The Lord promised His presence to those who love Him, so we can be assured that our request to experience His appearance is not wrong or selfish.   Factors Hindering Us From Experiencing the Risen Lord   Eventually, every disciple in John 20 experienced Jesus' appearance. Their experience is instructive for each and every one of us. We need to see how the Lord Jesus helped each of the disciples to move from the expectation of being with Him in His physical presence to being able to experience His resurrected presence in faith and spirit. The disciples needed to learn this lesson in order to experience the resurrected Christ.   Let's take a look at the problems of each of the disciples in John 20 and how these problems prevented them from believing in the resurrection of Christ. Let us look first at Mary, whose love for the Lord caused her to go to the tomb very early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark. There, she saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance of the tomb. She didn't immediately think about resurrection. Instead, she assumed that someone had taken the Lord's body. So she went to tell Peter and John. Peter and John set out for the tomb. John ran to the tomb and saw the linen cloths, but he did not go into the tomb. Peter arrived, went in and saw the linen cloths and the face cloth. The Bible does not mention whether or not he believed at that point. After Peter arrived, John went into the tomb, saw the face cloth, and believed that Jesus was alive (20:8). This passage seems to indicate that the first person to believe in the resurrection was not Peter or Mary, but John.   This account is very interesting. Why was John the first to believe? Why did he believe when he saw the face cloth, but did not believe when he saw the linen cloths initially? The Bible says the face cloth was not lying together with the linen cloths, but was folded up in another place by itself (20:7). Why was the face cloth of Jesus lying in another place? Is it so that John would believe in the resurrection? My personal guess is that John, the Beloved Disciple, was familiar with the Lord's way of folding his face cloth. Just like a person's signature cannot be imitated by others, John knew that no one else could imitate Jesus' signature style of folding a cloth. When John saw the way the Lord folded the face cloth, he knew that it had been done by the Lord Himself, not by anyone else. I believe this was the Lord's personal message to John.   However, John's faith was not yet complete. The verses that follow explain that the disciples did not yet fully believe: "For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead" (John 20:9). The disciples' minds and hearts were not yet fully open, so God would need to open their hearts through their emotions or other means.   The two disciples saw that the tomb was empty. John believed that Jesus was alive, but Peter most likely didn't believe, so he went back home. Why do I say that Peter did not believe? Because the Gospel of Mark records that the angel told Mary after the Lord's resurrection, “Go and tell His disciples and Peter…” (Mark 16:7). So Peter probably did not believe.   Let's return to Mary. Mary loved God, and her deep affection for Jesus moved Him to appear to her before He ascended to the Father. But when the Lord appeared to her, she did not recognize the risen Christ because she was too caught up in emotions. When an angel appeared to her, she didn't realize it was an angel. She just kept on weeping. The Lord appeared to her, but she did not recognize Him either. She did not recognize the risen Lord until the risen Christ called her by name: "Mary.” The Lord awakened her spiritual identity in Christ, and only then did she recognize Christ. Mary was one of the Lord's sheep, and the Lord's sheep know the Lord's voice (John 10:3), so she recognized the Lord when He called her name.   Peter failed to fully experience Jesus' resurrection because of his guilt about his betrayal. The Lord Jesus had appeared to Peter and the other disciples several times. Yet despite these appearances, Peter still went out to fish, as if his relationship with Jesus was a thing of the past. It was then that Jesus appeared to him again and asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" Peter then had his own personal experience of spiritual death and resurrection. Jesus helped Peter finally overcome the guilt.   In John 21, the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples, but they did not recognize Him at first. Similarly, the disciples on the road to Emmaus failed to recognize the resurrected Christ. Only after the Lord broke bread and gave it to them were their eyes opened to recognize Jesus (Luke 24:31). These disciples returned to Jerusalem and told the other disciples what they had seen. While they were still talking, the Lord Jesus appeared to them again. But they thought He was a spirit (Luke 24:37). The Lord Jesus said, “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (24:39). To prove he was real, he ate a piece of broiled fish.   As Jesus opened the disciples' minds to understand the Scriptures (24:45), they finally understood the resurrection. Clearly, the disciples' closed minds were an important factor in their inability to recognize the resurrected Christ. Another factor is that Jesus' resurrection body may have looked different from his natural body. This may be why the disciples could not recognize him. He may have looked different every single time he appeared. Perhaps his appearance was different each time, personally tailor-made for every individual he appeared to. For example, in my personal experience, Jesus has often appeared to me as an old Chinese lady. I never realized she was representing the Lord until the last day of 2017, when she took me into heaven and transformed into Christ.   To prove this point, let's look at John 21. When the Lord appeared to Peter and the other disciples by the sea, John said, “Just as the day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus” (John 21:4). These disciples had seen the risen Christ several times already, yet they still did not recognize the Lord. Most likely, Jesus' appearance was different every time he appeared. For this reason, we need to be discerning so that we can recognize the risen Lord in our spiritual experiences.   There are many reasons that we fail to experience Jesus' presence in our lives, just like the disciples did. Emotions: our lack of desire for the Lord. Mind: accepting wrong concepts and beliefs. Will: stubbornness and self-will. Each of these can hinder us from experiencing the presence of the risen Lord. These obstacles are like electrical insulators, preventing us from experiencing the appearance of the resurrected Christ. It's as if the power is connected to our house, but a small insulator is keeping us from connecting to the power supply. We need to remove those insulators so we can powerfully connect to Jesus.     Our Love for God Is a Response to God's Appearance to Us   The Bible says that Jesus appeared personally to Peter, but God does not describe this meeting in detail. The disciples on the road to Emmaus told the other disciples that the Lord Jesus had appeared to Simon (Luke 24:34), and Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:5, "He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.” According to this passage, Jesus appeared to Peter before he appeared to the twelve disciples (John 20:19-25), so this can't be the same experience recorded in John 21, which occurred after Jesus' appearance to the disciples and Thomas (John 21:1). Clearly, there was a personal meeting with Peter that is not described in the Bible.   Why is there no detailed record of the Lord's appearance to Peter? Jesus Christ gave John a sign with the face cloth so he would know He was alive. The Lord Jesus called Mary's name so that Mary would recognize His voice. The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples and Peter that the Lord was alive. This may have been a prelude to the Lord's appearance to Peter.   The Bible does not record this appearance to Peter in detail, but we know that 1 Peter and 2 Peter are summaries of Peter's experiences with Jesus. Perhaps these two books can give us some perspective. In Peter's epistles, there is no explicit mention of this conversation with Jesus. But Peter did say, "The tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory" (1 Peter 1:7-8). The "revelation" mentioned here can be understood as the future appearance of Jesus Christ. But perhaps it also refers to experiencing Jesus on earth. Peter goes on to say, "you have not seen Him.” He did not say, "I have not seen Him.” Peter had seen Jesus, both in his pre-death body and in his resurrection body. Before the resurrected Jesus appeared to Peter, he had experienced the trials of faith mentioned in this passage. When he passed through these trials and was restored by the Lord Jesus, his faith in Jesus Christ was as precious as gold that had been tested by fire.   The Appearance of Christ Gives Us a Deeper Understanding of the Resurrection   In the Catholic "mysticism" tradition, there are many accounts of Jesus' appearing to people. It's easy to dismiss all of these experiences because Catholics tend to believe in superstitious accounts, such as the appearance of the Virgin Mary. I once translated a Catholic documentary that described the Virgin Mary's appearance to many people. Personally, I think this is just a superstition, like the stories of idols appearing in Chinese idol temples. Martin Luther saw the corruption in the Catholic church and decided to completely deny all such experiences. He overcompensated by taking refuge in rationality. But we must not throw out the baby with the bathwater. We need to distinguish which of these are superstitions and which are real manifestations of the Lord's presence.   After the Reformation, the church began to emphasize the prominence of Scripture and to ignore spiritual experience. This led to a focus on dry dogma. However, the saints in the Bible almost all experienced God's personal presence to some extent.   When Jesus appears to us, it ignites our love for him. At least that has been my experience. After I was baptized in 2002, I lost interest in spiritual things. But during a conference in 2004, the Lord appeared to me and spoke to me personally, calling me to dedicate myself to Him. After that day, I began to love the Lord like crazy.   I believe we need to oppose the false teaching that leads people to ignore personal spiritual experiences. We need to bravely pursue the appearance of Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus promised to manifest Himself to those who love Him (John 14:21). In John 20, Jesus patiently helped each of his disciples overcome their obstacles so they could each experience the presence of the resurrected Christ. He will do the same for each of us today.  

Bible Study with Jairus- Daniel 2 The Relationship Between the "Great Image" in the Book of Daniel and the "Kingdom of Christ" in the Book of Revelation   The book of Daniel discusses a great image that was crushed by a large stone. The stone was cut out of a mountain without human hands. It then became a great mountain that filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:35). Each of these objects is symbolic. The idol represents the rise and fall of the empires in human history. Specifically, it depicts Babylon the Great and its fall (Revelation 18:2). The stone that becomes a great mountain represents the moment when “the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.” The great image and the great mountain are both symbolic images.     The church is the body of Christ, a very real representation and image of Christ. But the false image mentioned in the book of Daniel is created by evil spirits and sin. It is a fake imitation of the body of Christ. It represents Babylon, which is the mother of harlots, and the Tower of Babel, which is the symbol of rebellion against God. God wants to build up the Body of Christ, but the enemy wants to build a false imitation. The Bible says, "For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).   In the wisdom of God, God allows the growth of human kingdoms. The Bible says, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27). These kingdoms exist in temporary space and time. Whether Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom or Pharoah's, Babylon or Egypt, these kingdoms are all tools in the hands of God. God uses them to help people seek him. But neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Pharaoh could overstep God's authority, thinking the kingdom was their own. When God's time came, God tore down their kingdoms and gave them to others. In the same way, when God's time for mankind comes, all the kingdoms on earth will be smashed to pieces and the kingdom of our Lord and Christ will be ushered in. Right now, God allows Satan and evil spirits to deceive people. But when God's time comes, he will judge them permanently. The Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation are closely related.   The Body of Christ is an Image of Christ I once heard a Christian brother testifying about a vision he saw. He saw a vision of the body of Christ, which looked like a huge image of Jesus. The great image looked like a giant human, but every part of the body contained many believers living and dwelling in it. The Bible reveals that we are members of the body of Christ. “For behold, the kingdom of Christ is in the midst of us.” (Luke 17:21). When the life of Christ works within us, then we become a part of the kingdom of Christ. In a sense, the body of Christ is the kingdom of Christ. This is the kingdom that God wants to build, and Christ will rule as king within this realm.   This is God's ultimate purpose. This plan existed even before God created the world, even though it was hidden from humankind for a while. That is why Ephesians 3:9-10 says, “and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”   God intends to help his children grow and mature until they become the mature Body of Christ, which will manifest all the riches of God and reveal His wisdom to all angels and demons in the heavenly places. Since Satan is a created being, he did not know about this plan. When God's plan was revealed, Satan was filled with jealousy. Satan had been an archangel whose job was to lead all things to worship God. But when God chose mankind to represent His image, share his authority, and receive His glory and fullness, Satan became jealous. Satan was upset because this plan did not involve Satan at all! Satan began to rebel against God. He hated mankind extremely much. Satan decided to create a counterfeit Body of Christ. He wanted to defy God's plan, counterfeit God's works, mock God, and try to lure people toward the same eternal punishment that he was destined for.   The Image in the Book of Daniel is a Counterfeit Body of Christ This great image that Nebuchadnezzar saw had a golden head, which represents Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar himself. The Bible doesn't tell us which empires are represented by the arms and chest made of silver, the belly and thighs made of bronze, the legs made of iron, and the feet made of iron and clay. Some biblical interpreters believe that they represent the Medo-Persian Empire, the Macedonian empire, the Grecian empire, and the Roman empire, respectively. The Medo-Persian empire began in 539 B.C. in Babylon; King Cyrus let the Jews return to Jerusalem in 537 B.C. The Roman empire started ruling Israel in 63 B.C. and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This interpretation says that even though the Roman Empire has perished, the Anglo-American empire is now the continuation of the Roman Empire. Other biblical interpreters believe that the image represents Medo-Persia, Greece (Alexander conquered the Persian Empire in 331 B.C.), Rome, and the Anglo-American empire. These scholars point to the Anglo-American empire because of the Rise of the Anglo-American world dominance during the First World War from 1914 to 1918. The Macedonian Empire is not mentioned in this interpretation. I was taught the first interpretation. It divided the Persian Empire into the Macedonian Empire established by Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire formed by the division after his death.   When I think about these two interpretations, I have a question. How do we know the Anglo-American empire is the last great modern empire? What happens if China, Russia, or a prominent country in Africa arises as a world ruler in the future? We can't deny the possibility. China has already risen to power, and it will soon become the most influential country in the world. But China is not part of the Roman Empire, nor is it part of the Anglo-American Empire. In addition to China's political, military, and economic rise, I also believe that China's future revival will bring great spiritual growth, which will influence great changes in Chinese society and politics. China may become a powerful Christian country that could be counted among the influential empires in eschatological history. Even a so-called Christian country (like the United States) does not always act in accordance with God's will, so China could qualify as one of the empires represented by the image. In addition, it's dangerous to assume that the Anglo-American empire is the only modern empire. What about the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Empire that colonized the world, through which Catholicism spread? The British and American empires do not represent all modern empires.   Therefore, I think the two interpretations mentioned above are too linear and too constrained by time and the current course of human history. If the second coming of the Lord is delayed, there may be many more changes in human history. In other words, if we interpret scriptures based on the things that have already happened in human history, we may not get a complete picture. A lot of things haven't happened yet, and even the things that have happened can be interpreted from different angles.   The great image that King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream was a symbolic, prophetic picture that has not yet been completely fulfilled. At that time the only kingdom that existed was Babylon, the head. The other empires had not yet risen to power. If we interpret the last empire as the Roman Empire or the Anglo-American Empire, then why have we not seen an eternal kingdom ushered in during the reign of the fifth king (Daniel 2:45)? Although this verse mentions crushing the image's feet, another verse references striking the entire great image (2:34-35). We know that historically, during the reign of the fifth king of the Roman empire, the Babylonian Empire and Nebuchadnezzar were long gone. Yet in the vision, the golden head still exists when the entire image is destroyed. I believe this word picture is describing the spiritual reality of the five kingdoms rather than their physical reality. Physically, Babylon no longer existed; but spiritually, it was still the head.   What exactly does this head of gold represent? And what about the silver, bronze, iron, and clay mentioned in this verse? These precious metals are a picture of the continuous degeneration of human regimes and their separation from God. Gold represents God's disposition. Because God had direct contact with Nebuchadnezzar, he publicly extolled the God of heaven. But his descendant Belshazzar completely forgot about God and offended Him. The human regimes were already beginning to deteriorate. The next empire was likened to silver, the next to bronze, the next to iron, and the next to clay. In each of these substances, the value was getting lower and lower as the substances contained less and less precious metal. This shows that the human regimes were becoming less and less obedient to God.   Despite their disobedience, human regimes have a measure of God-given authority. God uses human governments as tools to perfect His chosen people. He uses them like a rider uses a mounting block to mount the horse. God uses the nations like scaffolding to support his purposes until his work is complete. For example, King Nebuchadnezzar was God's servant to discipline Israel. After the seventy years of Israel's captivity were over, God raised up Cyrus to lead the Israelites back to Jerusalem. All this happened in God's timing. Just like God had designated a specific length of time for Israel's captivity, God has designated a specific length of time for the entire history of mankind. Again, these human governments serve as scaffolding for God's purposes. During the construction process, the scaffolding takes on the general shape of the building and assists in the construction process. But it is not part of the building itself. After the construction work is completed, the scaffolding will be dismantled. Similarly, to a certain extent, Satan can build imitation kingdoms that imitate God's work. He builds the kingdom of Babylon around the kingdom of God to tempt people to worship Satan. God may allow these kingdoms to exist for a time to serve his purposes, like scaffolding serves the purposes of the builders. But he will eventually tear them down.   The Work of God is to Build the Body of Christ   Human empires are a hybrid between God's will and Satan's infiltration. Paul said, “For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Romans 13:1); On the one hand, these rulers are used by God to maintain justice; but on the other hand, Satan infiltrates human governments and uses human greed to do evil things. I believe that the further down you move on the image (gold, silver, bronze, iron, and mud), the more Satan has infiltrated the good purposes of that human kingdom. I have been taught that feet of iron mixed with clay represent an end-time empire that is half democracy (clay) and half autocracy (iron). There may be some truth to this explanation, but I am more inclined to think that the half-iron and half-clay empire represents an end-time empire that has rejected God even more fully.   The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." This was His reply to His disciples when they asked when the end of the world would come. He then said, "But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (13). Jesus continued, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come" (14). What is the gospel of the kingdom? It is the stone cut out without human hands which struck the great image into pieces. In other words, it is Christ. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus made a very meaningful statement referencing “the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (let the reader understand).” Then Jesus spoke about the Great Tribulation.   Why did Jesus ask his readers to understand the prophecies of the book of Daniel? Because the prophecies in the book of Revelation and the visions of Daniel were all connected. Jesus wanted them to fully comprehend the essence of the imagery, dreams, and visions in Daniel, not just their literal meaning. We must fully understand the essence of what the image of Daniel represents. What is this essence? The essence is that behind human government lies human pride, and behind human pride lies the work of Satan—just like when the ancient people built the Tower of Babel to make a name for themselves. Behind their human pride lay Satan's influence, as he tried to get them to build a tower to worship him. When humans work in pride, they are actually worshipping Satan. The Lord destroyed the Tower of Babel, and he also destroyed the great image mentioned in Daniel. These two stories depict the same theme: destroying idolatry. The big question is: Who is receiving worship? Satan wants to seize people's worship, and God wants to receive humans' worship. The issue of worship lies at the heart of the reason this great image was destroyed.   Satan used human regimes and human pride to garner worship for himself. Even though the nation of Babylon was destroyed long ago, the pride and arrogance of Babylon live on. It is as if the golden head of this great image still exists. The human regimes of the ages have built a great spiritual Babylon. They are a counterfeit version of the body of Christ, and they worship Satan instead of God. However, the great stone that fell from the sky is Christ and His true body, which will completely smash Babylon to pieces. The worship of Satan will be destroyed, and the true body of Christ will be built, ushering in the true worship of God.   As Revelation 18:21 says, "Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, ‘So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more.'” This is why Revelation 19:7 says, "Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready.” This is the greatest mystery in the universe, which is why Paul said, "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness! and without controversy He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, and taken up in glory (1 Timothy 3:16).” Christ was manifested in the flesh, not only to save us from the hold of sin, but also to take us as His Bride and bring us together with Him into glory. This is God's ultimate plan.   Although the fall of Babylon the Great occurred in Revelation 18, the birth of the man-child in Revelation 11 had already laid the foundation for this event. Revelation 18:2 says, "Babylon the Great is fallen!" Revelation 11:15 says, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”   Conclusion: The Great Image is a Furnace   The great image mentioned in Daniel, the apostasy mentioned in Matthew 25, and Babylon the Great mentioned in Revelation all represent one thing: the reign of Satan. Jesus says that in the end times, lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold. Through this lawlessness, Satan steals the glory and worship that God deserves. On the one hand, our human regime is being infiltrated by Satan in an attempt to seize man's worship of God. But on the other hand, God is using those same human regimes to work all things together for the good of His chosen ones. God uses those regimes to bring salvation to his people and maturity to his bride.   When Daniel's friends were thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow to the golden image, Christ was with them and saved them. In the last days, when the Antichrist creates a time of unprecedented distress, the Lord will save those who do not bow to the Antichrist. God uses these human regimes and human suffering to refine his people like a fiery furnace. When God's precious vessels of God are completely forged, the furnace will no longer be necessary. That is why the image representing the kingdoms of this world was eventually crushed, giving way to God's eternal kingdom. Just like Nebuchadnezzar tried God's chosen people in his fiery furnace, God is testing our faith like gold.

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 8   The Prayers of the Saints Advance God's Plans for Judgment on the World   In Revelation 7, we learned how Jesus, the Cornerstone, connects the Jewish and Gentile believers and lays the foundation for the New Jerusalem. The construction of the New Jerusalem is one of the themes of the Book of Revelation.   Another theme is that the newly-built body of Christ will judge evil spirits. Paul says explicitly, “Do you not know that we are to judge angels?”(1 Corinthians 6:3) This judgment of angels culminates in the judgment of Satan and his evil spirits, as they are cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10). This judgment is also pictured in the earlier chapters of Revelation, such as Revelation 8. God's judgment is seen in the sixth seal, as well as in the vision between the sixth and seventh seals. The prayers of the saints are necessary to bring about God's just judgment on humans and angels.     Why Is There Silence in Heaven for Half an Hour?   When the Lamb unveils the seventh seal, there is silence in heaven for half an hour. Why? Because when the seventh seal is opened, it will unveil seven more trumpet judgments. I believe that these judgments are dependent on the powerful prayers of the saints. The saints must cooperate with God's sovereignty through prayer so that the Lamb can open the seven seals. The prayers of the saints are a necessary condition for the advancement of God's kingly work. This is why verse 2 says that when the seven trumpets are given to the seven angels standing before God, they do not blow them right away. Instead, the angel offers up incense, which is the prayers of the saints. Its smoke rises up before God (3-5). Those prayers are necessary to bring about God's judgment. Only after the incense of the prayers ascends to God do the angels prepare to blow the trumpets (6). Only then does God's judgment unfold at last (8:7-13). So it is natural to infer that the prayers in verses 3-5 are the driving force for the blowing of the trumpets in verse 6.   Another reason for the silence in heaven is revealed in Revelation 6. God asked the persecuted saints "to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been" (6:11). These slain saints asked God to take revenge on those who had shed their blood (6:10). But after the judgment of the sixth seal was complete, God waited quietly for the prayers of the saints to fill up the golden censer. This was a gradual process. When the prayers of the saints reached the required amount, the next step of judgment occurred, as recorded in verse 5: “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.” Judgment comes from the throne of God, but the prayers of the saints have great power in bringing it about (James 5:16). Prayer can influence God, who sits on the throne, to carry out his judgment on evil spirits and on the world.   Don't think that the seven trumpet judgments are too cruel. Peter predicts that God will even judge believers: "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'”(1 Peter 4:17-18)   I can say from experience that it is extremely difficult to go through judgment. Years ago, I went through a long-lasting period of God's discipline, and I learned many lessons of obedience through these times. In the end, I was able to praise God for what he taught me. The author of the book of Hebrews says, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him” (Hebrews 12:5). When we experience God's discipline, our knee-jerk reaction is to feel discouraged. When my wife and I were experiencing ten years of infertility, a sister was going through the same difficulty at the same time. She had been barren for many years and had no children. One time, she lamented, “For so many years, nothing has gone well for me. Everybody else is having a good life but me.”   Of course, we felt the same way at the time. But I frequently comforted myself with the words of Hebrews 12:11, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” I knew the Lord was disciplining me because of his love: “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:6). I knew in my spirit that God would use me greatly in the future and in order to prepare for that time, I had to grow in faith and yield my flesh to Him. I had to stop serving Him by my own power. The journey was a slow process. Learning to obey took a long time, and it took even longer to learn to thank God from the heart for His discipline. The process required time, and I kept praying desperately for God's work.   After ten years of God's discipline, I had an internal breakthrough. Though I still hadn't seen God's blessing outwardly, I had surrendered myself to God inwardly. Even though the external difficulties didn't go away, and Satan's attacks often made me burst into tears, I still worshiped and prayed to God from the bottom of my heart. I sang songs and praises to God, even while weeping. At this time, I experienced a miracle in my life. God gave me a miracle baby. In addition, the infertile sister I mentioned earlier also received a son and a daughter.   The judgment of the sixth seal depicts an extremely difficult lesson of God's discipline. Even the martyred saints struggled to learn this lesson. After this difficult lesson, it took them a while to send enough prayers to fill God's censor. God was patient with the process. During the half an hour of silence in heaven, he was waiting patiently to begin his spiritual discipline of mankind as a whole.   This is not a wild guess from me, but a lesson that I have learned through my own spiritual experiences with God Himself. Even though God's word is greater than our personal experience, yet our experiences are necessary to help us better understand His word. We should not only learn His words, but also experience them for ourselves. The spiritual lessons a person learns through experience can help him understand the words of the Bible from a higher spiritual vantage point. In this case, God's discipline reveals his love and patience.   When Jesus was on earth, he lived a life of meekness and patience. No one can immediately utter words of praise when they are slapped in the face. Most people would complain or even curse. For example, when James and John were rejected by the Samaritans, their first reaction was to command fire to come down from heaven and consume their enemies. But Jesus responded differently. His prayer was full of gentleness: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Matthew 11:25-26). Why? Because Jesus knows the loving nature of God the Father. Through suffering, we can learn about God's love, patience, gentleness, and meekness.   Watchman Nee says that when a person goes through suffering, he either becomes spiritually stronger or spiritually weaker. No one goes through difficulties without transformation. He says, “A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened. For this reason, when believers are passing through suffering, they must pay attention and they must realize that maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit.”[1] Through suffering, our hearts become more tender toward God, and we learn more about his attributes. This will equip us to advance God's work through prayer. This can only be accomplished by the overcomers who win a final victory, represented by the male child in Revelation 12. These overcomers are the ones who will judge evil spirits and the entire world on behalf of the church.   The Transition of Judgment   Another reason there is silence in heaven for half an hour is because all of heaven is waiting with bated breath for a huge transition that is taking place in this chapter. As we've mentioned, Revelation 12 is a turning point in the book of Revelation. Revelation 8 is another turning point. The focus of God's judgment is turning from the house of God to the fallen world!   As 1 Peter 4:17 says, God's judgment begins with the house of God. We can see this truth in Revelation. God starts by disciplining the seven churches through His letters to the churches. This leads to heaven being opened. John sees God sitting on the throne with a scroll in his right hand. This scroll contains God's plan for the church, the victorious body of Christ. Although this scroll includes God's judgment for the world, it mostly focuses on God's judgment for his chosen people. This is why the saints in Revelation 6 shout, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10) The saints are undergoing God's judgment, and they are longing for God to judge unbelievers as well.   The vision that follows the sixth seal reveals that a large number of Jews have been saved and that countless Gentiles have turned to Christ. They are the firstfruits chosen by God. Though some people will need further discipline, others have experienced God's discipline process and have matured spiritually. They now sit on the throne with God, judging the world. So we see that the seven seal judgments are focused on helping the church mature so it can bring forth conquerors. However, the seven trumpet judgments are for unbelievers and are brought about through the prayers of the conquerors. This is the difference between the seven seals and the seven trumpets.   This also points to the reason why heaven is silent for half an hour after the Lamb opens the seventh seal. Times are about to change. Why did God stay quiet 400 years after Malachi's last prophecy? Times were changing, Jesus Christ was about to be born, and heaven was holding its breath for the coming of the great era. In the same way, even now, “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). After the sixth seal, God is already beginning to reveal his sons. God's times are changing. His creation is about to be set free. Romans 8:20-21 says, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” All of creation is awaiting the revealing of the sons of God with great anticipation. And after three short chapters, the great production is about to happen in Revelation 12.   My wife went through great difficulties when giving birth to our daughter. Since the delivery didn't go well, we had no choice but to agree to a Cesarean delivery on the spot. I was full of anxiety at that moment. I prayed to God but got no response from Him. I was restless and kept pacing up and down the hospital corridors. When I saw the doctor pull our baby girl out of her mother and pat her buttocks to make her cry, I was so relieved. How can heaven not be silent for half an hour? The earth has been going through birth pangs. The moment of birth has arrived! The drama is about to unfold! It is so exciting! Just like God waited in silence for 400 years while he was preparing to send Christ at just the right moment, God is also waiting in silence at this pivotal junction in human history. He is filled with awe and is waiting with bated breath!   Many people read the book of Revelation as if they were chewing on wax. They are neither excited nor amazed. Why not? Because they cannot visualize this amazing picture in their spirits. We need to be spiritually enlightened, just like Simeon, to whom God revealed that he would see Christ Jesus with his very own eyes before he died. When he saw baby Jesus, he recognized him instantly and glorified and praised God (Luke 2:26-28). Many other people did not have spiritual eyes to see Jesus, so they did not recognize Him. This led to "the fall and rising of many in Israel" (Luke 2:34) because people could not recognize God's work.   The Terrible Judgment of God on Unbelievers   The Bible repeatedly warns that God's judgment on unbelievers in the last days will be great and formidable. Malachi 4:5-6 proclaims, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”  These are the final words of the Old Testament, and they uncover God's principle for the New Testament. God has appointed a day of great terror on which he will judge all human beings, especially unbelievers, with finality. But before that, God will continue to work through His grace and through the Gospel of His Son. He promised to send the Spirit of the prophet Elijah to reconcile people with the Father. The Spirit of Elijah is represented by the Baptism of Repentance proclaimed by John the Baptist. The Lord Jesus says clearly, "But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands" (Matthew 17:12). The Lord Jesus is referring to John, and also alludes to His own destiny.   After the turning point in Revelation 8, the target of the judgment turns to unbelievers. During the transition, God's grace is still available. However, the hardness of the human heart is incredibly great. Even though a third of the human race was killed after the severe trumpet judgments, (Revelation 9:18), people still worshiped various idols. The Bible says, “They did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts” (Revelation 9:20-21). Therefore, God's hand strikes more harshly, and the judgment keeps getting crueler. It's not until the great earthquake happens in Revelation 11:13, killing 7,000 people, that humans finally are terrified and give glory to God in heaven. Later, Revelation 12 describes the birth of a male child who will judge Satan. This child is persecuted by Satan, and the curtain opens on the catastrophe of the last three and half years of the tribulation. But even during the great tribulation, people are still getting saved and overcoming sin. God's grace is still visible and available, even in His judgment.   The Seven Trumpets are God's Judgment upon Evil Spirits   The ten plagues of Egypt were not only God's judgment upon Pharaoh, but also God's judgment on the ten evil spirits they represented. The same principle is found in the seven trumpet judgments of Revelation 8. Here is a fun fact: evil spirits like to live where there is water. Many of the trumpet judgments involve water so that God can judge the evil spirits in the water. Here is a summary of the way God judges evil spirits through the trumpet judgment: The first trumpet is God's judgment upon the earth, because the earth is filled with human beings possessed by evil spirits. The earth is defiled by demons. The second trumpet judges the sea. This is God's judgment upon the evil spirits in the ocean. The third trumpet judges the evil spirits in the rivers. The fourth trumpet, which strikes a third of the sun, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, is God's judgment on the head of all rule and authority. The fifth and sixth trumpets of Revelation 9 release the locusts from the bottomless pit to torment people. In addition, the angel of the Euphrates River is released to bring in mounted troops to kill one-third of mankind.   In the first trumpet judgment, God judges the spirits that are targeting humans. Jesus says that when an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it is unable to find rest in waterless places, so it returns to the house from which it came. When it returns, it brings seven worse spirits with it, so the person ends up worse off in the end than he was in the beginning. Jesus says the same principle is true of the evil days (Matthew 12:43-45). Humankind is created in the image of God, so evil spirits target humans. They possess humans and try to influence them to commit sins. This is why God's judgment starts with driving out evil spirits.   However, when the people who have been released from Satan refuse to allow the Lord to enter their hearts, their hearts will be like empty houses. Even worse spirits will take up residence inside them. This is seen in the locusts that come out of the bottomless pit. Those who refuse to repent and break free from evil spirits will eventually be tortured by unclean spirits that are far worse than the original ones. Their situation will only get worse and worse.   We will learn more about the seven trumpets in our study of Revelation 9.   [1] Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministries, 1991.

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 7   The Cornerstone Brings Together Jews and Gentile Believers   The end of Revelation unveils the beauty of the New Jerusalem, a magnificent city that has been recently constructed. First Peter 2:5 tells us that we as believers are the living stones that compose that spiritual temple, the New Jerusalem: “You, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the cornerstone of the entire structure. First Peter 2:4 states that Jesus is “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” First Peter 2:6-7 also agrees that Christ is the cornerstone. Both Isaiah and Ephesians talk about how Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, unites Jews and Gentiles. As the body of Christ matures at the end of Revelation, the construction of the spiritual temple is completed. Naturally, we would expect to see more about the progress in earlier chapters as well. And that is exactly what we find when we study Revelation. The image of the New Jerusalem from Chapter 21 correlates to the vision in Chapter 7. Chapter 21 says that the New Jerusalem has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:12). The city has twelve foundations, and on them are written the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14). And Chapter 7 describes a vision that takes place between the sixth and seventh seal. It encourages believers to stay hopeful when going through suffering because God is already building his spiritual temple. Let's look at the vision more closely. In this vision, God describes 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel who had been sealed (Revelation 7:3-8). He also introduces “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). This vision is a vivid depiction of the truths revealed in Ephesians 2. The hatred between Jews and Gentiles has been removed. The Israelites and the multicultural tribe are all united before the throne of God. Because Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, believers from every nation can grow together into the temple of the Lord (Ephesians 2:11-22).   We Need to Understand the Overall Structure of Revelation   When we go for a walk in a forest, there are signposts or maps to guide us. If we do not see the signposts or misinterpret the signs, we will get lost. In the same way, when we read the Scripture, it's easy to get lost. Especially when we read a difficult book like Revelation, we often miss the signposts and take the wrong path. There are signposts everywhere in the Bible. But sometimes we fail to see them. Perhaps they are overgrown with moss or shrubs and we must make extra efforts to find them. In the same way, when reading the Bible, we need help from the Holy Spirit to help us find the signposts. In addition, we must not pay too much attention to the details in the Bible, or we will lose the forest for the trees. We will get lost because we fail to see the big picture. Just like you solve a jigsaw puzzle by creating the outer border and the main picture first, we need to see the outline and the big picture in the Bible. Only then will we be able to fit the details into place. So here is an important question: What is the overall picture of Revelation? The overall structure is that God will judge the church and the world in order to mature the bride of Christ (the New Jerusalem) and prepare her for the second coming of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 12, we see a description of the bride giving birth to a male child. Because he knows that the church is destined to judge the angels, Satan's anger grows exponentially after the male child is born. He begins to persecute the church and the overcomers. This event initiates a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. Let's review the structure of the Book of Revelation: Revelation 1-3 describes the Lord's judgment upon the church. The Lord shows John a heavenly vision of God's throne (4-5). After cleansing the house of God, the judgment of the world begins, which is the purpose of the seven seals (chapters 6-8) and the seven trumpets (chapters 9-11). In between the judgments God includes visions to encourage believers to see God's grace and kindness amid suffering and judgment. The vision between the sixth and seventh seals reveals the foundation the New Jerusalem is built upon: Christ. Through Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, the Jews and Gentile believers are united (chapter 7). The vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets encourages believers to see that the mystery of God will be fulfilled (10:7). This is the signpost of Revelation. And this is the overarching structure: judgment comes first, then comes encouragement. Then the cycle repeats itself. After Revelation 12, the battle between Christ and Satan intensifies until it culminates in the Battle of Armageddon. Of course, Christ and His bride win the final victory over Satan and his demons. God puts down the rebellion, destroys all evil in His universe, and invites the New Jerusalem to come to earth. We must see the hidden structure of the Book of Revelation so that we will not get lost as if we were in a forest.   The Vision in Revelation 7 Reveals the Foundation of New Jerusalem Revelation 21 mentions the names of the twelve tribes written on the twelve gates, as well as the names of the twelve apostles written on the twelve foundations. The angel has a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, including its gates and its walls (Revelation 21:15). Those who have worked in construction or visited a construction site know that measuring is an important part of the building process. Whenever the Bible is talking about taking measurements, it is often referring to the building process. Both Revelation 21 and Revelation 11 talk about an angel taking measurements. Revelation 11:1 says, “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there'” (11:1). Here, the idea of measurement may indicate sizing up the building and the building materials. Even though the Book of Revelation contains a lot of judgment, it also contains rebuilding and growth. Paul says it in this way: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). God's judgment demolishes the old creation, while God's renewal builds up the new creation. Although the Bible says that the New Jerusalem came “down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2), it does not exclude the possibility of building it on Earth. The word "parousia" contains both the idea of a public appearance and a hidden manifestation. Jesus Christ will return to earth publicly, but he also manifests himself in more subtle ways within the hearts of his followers. He appears quietly, like the morning star mentioned in 2 Peter 1:19. In the same way, the construction of the New Jerusalem has two aspects. On the one hand, she comes down from heaven; on the other hand, she is built up in each of our hearts. This is what Peter proclaims: "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5). The themes of tearing down and building up are two main themes of the Book of Revelation. They mirror the concepts of judgment and encouragement. God never tears down if he doesn't intend to build up again. God's work does not stop at tearing down or judging. He also rebuilds and encourages his people, the world, and the new creation. We can see this structure clearly at the beginning of Revelation 7. After the first six seal judgments, the four angels at the four corners of the earth were about to harm the earth and the sea (7:1-2). This judgment would have been part of the sixth seal, because it was happening before the seventh seal. However, another angel asked them to hold back the judgment until he sealed God's servants with the seal of the living God (7:3). The severe judgment was temporarily suspended. Chapter 6:12-14 says, "When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth… The sky... was removed from its place.” Jesus uses a very similar description of the end times in Matthew 24: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Matthew 24:29). In Matthew 24:21, He goes on, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." Then verse 31 says, "And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Jesus' words correlate closely to the vision in Revelation 7. After the angel with the seal of God stops the four angels who want to harm the earth and the sea, the chapter never records that the four angels actually executed their plans. Perhaps Jesus was referring to these four angels when he said that unless these days were cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of God's chosen people, God's grace had cut these days short. In addition, Matthew says that an angel will blow a trumpet to gather His chosen Jews together. This corresponds with the opening of the seven seals. Revelation 7 says that 144,000 Israelites were sealed, and their return to God may have begun during the blowing of the seventh trumpet. However, none of the 144,000 came from the tribe of Dan. Perhaps this tribe comes back to God in Revelation 21. This is beyond the scope of our current discussion.   Let's return to our discussion of tearing down and building up. Judgment is not an end, but only a means to an end. The purpose of judgment is to bring people to repentance and gather God's chosen people—not only the Jews but also the saved people from all nations—to himself. Jews and Gentiles are built together on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of the temple. Christ, the Cornerstone, Unifies the Jewish and Gentile Believers Christ is not only the Lamb of God who takes away sin, but he is also the Designer and Architect of the City of God. Speaking of Abraham, Hebrews 11:10 says, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." I believe this city is the New Jerusalem in Revelation. That raises a question: What is the building material? As a spiritual building, the temple is made of living stones. And who are those living stones? Believers! Both Gentile believers and Jewish believers are the living stones that make up this building. The Jewish people rejected Christ as their cornerstone, but he nonetheless became the Chief Cornerstone that united Jews and Gentiles. Acts 4:11 maintains, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." (See also Matthew 21:42.) The Bible refers to Jesus as the cornerstone many times. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laidas a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone.'" The cornerstone refers to Christ, who is the foundation of a spiritual building. Obviously, Jesus Christ is not a physical stone; he is a "spiritual Rock … and the Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4). Jesus is the foundation of the church, and we are the living stones being built upon it. We are being built into a spiritual temple, the dwelling place of God's Spirit. Nowhere is this building process better described than in Ephesians 2. First, Paul reminds the Gentile believers of how they were formerly separated from the promises God made to the Jews (2:12), but how that hostility was removed through Jesus Christ (2:14). They now have access in one Spirit to the Father (2:18). Paul tells them that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone (2:20), "in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (2:21-22). The "whole structure" includes both Jewish and Gentile believers who grow together into a holy temple in the Lord. This temple is the New Jerusalem. Christ, as the cornerstone, must include both Jewish and Gentile believers as he builds his temple. Paul's words can help us understand John's vision in Revelation. If we are not familiar with Paul's writings, our understanding of Revelation will be limited. The Bible is written by different people, but they are all inspired by one Holy Spirit. We must look at the Bible as a whole and interpret the vision in Revelation in the light of the inspiration that Paul saw and received.   The Building of the Foundation in Revelation 7 Is Necessary for the Seventh Seal and the Seventh Trumpet   In the Bible, we see a spiritual principle: God gradually does away with the old as he incrementally brings in the new. He does not get rid of the old too quickly, or the new growth wouldn't have a foundation to stand on. We see this principle in Revelation 7. In the seventh seal judgment and the seventh trumpet judgment, God judges the old creation so he can bring in the new creation. But he will not destroy the old creation before the new creation is fully formed because we still need the old creation to supply the physical needs of our natural existence. In the same way, when we first put our trust in the Lord, the Holy Spirit gives us some sense of repentance, but he doesn't show us all of our problems at once. Instead, as we mature, he gradually reveals more and more sins that we need to deal with. Another example comes from the Old Testament. When God commanded the Israelites to drive out the Canaanites, he didn't allow them to do it all at once. If they had, the wild beasts would have grown and multiplied in the vacated land before they could fully take possession of it (Deuteronomy 7:22). Israel needed to drive out the Canaanites gradually. The Canaanites represent the aspects of the physical body and the physical world that are still useful. In Deuteronomy, the Canaanite's presence served a purpose: to restrain the increase of wild beasts. The same principle applies to us today. We need our physical bodies so we can continue to develop our spiritual lives. Only when we reach heaven or obtain a glorified body will we escape the restrictions of our physicality. Until then, we need our bodies. Although there is no way to escape from the physical body, we can still experience freedom from the bondage of the sinful flesh. Our spiritual maturity determines how well we deal with our flesh. For example, Watchman Nee often held trainings to help brothers and sisters mature spiritually and overcome the flesh. Sometimes when people asked him questions, he would speak out about their spiritual problems very frankly, sometimes even mercilessly. But other times, he refrained from pointing out their shortcomings, instead giving them compliments. People asked, “Why do you have such a strange way of handling questions?” He responded, “Everyone's spiritual life is different. For those who are more mature spiritually, critical words can help them. But for those who are spiritually immature, words of criticism would make them stumble.”   This story illustrates this principle well. Before the old creation can be judged and torn down, the new creation needs to be built up. The seventh seal and the seventh trumpet judgments that take place after Revelation 8 will be even more severe. That's why Revelation 7 is so important. This chapter serves to build up the Jews and the Gentiles and bring them together in reconciliation. As God unites Jews and Gentiles upon the cornerstone, Christ, he lays a solid foundation for the spiritual temple. Only then will the church be able to endure God's harsh judgment on the old creation. We hope that this spiritual principle helps you better understand God's words in Revelation 7.

Bible Study with Jairus —Revelation 6   The Beginning of Birth Pains   In Revelation 6, God reveals the first six of the seven seals. In Revelation 7, God gives John an encouraging vision that takes place between the sixth and the seventh seals. And in Revelation 8, the Lamb unveils the seventh seal and begins to reveal the seven trumpet judgments. The vision that takes place between the sixth and seventh seals encourages believers to notice the positive things that are going on in Heaven, despite their suffering on Earth. And the vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets encourages believers that they will be able to overcome these judgments and enter into their final victory.   In Matthew 24, the disciples ask Jesus, “What will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3 ESV) The Lord Jesus replies, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:6-8 ESV) What are these labor pains? They are the first four seals mentioned in Revelation 6! The first four seal judgments bring war, famine, pestilence and death, just like Jesus described in Matthew 24.   If these signs are the beginning of birth pains, what is being born? I believe the Bride of Christ and her victorious child are about to be born (see Revelation 12). The request of the martyred saints in the fifth seal is the appeal of Christ's bride. God tells these saints that they must continue to endure until the number of martyred saints is completed. When the sixth seal is opened, an earthquake occurs, the sun turns black, the full moon becomes like blood, the stars fall from the sky, the heaven is rolled up like a scroll, and the mountains, seas, and islands are removed from their places. These are labor pains as well, because a new heaven and a new earth are about to be born. In the process, the old heaven and earth will shake violently and eventually pass away. Then God will create a new heaven and a new earth.   These birth pains remind us of a chick hatching from an egg. When the chick is ready to hatch, it pecks through the eggshell that once protected it and comes out of the shell. The old heaven and earth are like an eggshell that formerly housed the growing chick. Once this new life is ready to be revealed, the eggshell is no longer needed.   The Paradox of the Future and the Present Does the book of Revelation reveal things that will happen in the future, or things that have already happened? On the one hand, it does reveal things that will happen in the future. Revelation 1:1 clearly says that one purpose of the book is "to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” This verse is clearly speaking about things that are going to happen in the future. But at the same time, we notice that the whole book of Revelation is written in past tense. Since time does not exist (or is limitless) in the spiritual realm, we must go beyond the limits of linear chronology when we try to understand the prophecies of Revelation. Even though there are events in Revelation that have not happened yet, we can still apply the timeless principles the book reveals.   This concept will help us to better understand the following question about Revelation 6: Does the opening of the seven seals represent a future event, or an event that has already happened? It is obvious that many of the events described in this passage are still future. The stars have not fallen from heaven, the great tribulation has not occurred, and heaven has not moved out of its place. However, I believe that Jesus has already opened the seven seals in the spiritual realm, and it just takes time for these events to unfold in the physical, earthly realm. Many interpretations of Revelation focus too much on assigning meaning to each of the seven seals by linking them to events and chronology. However, this often leads us astray. We are not God, and only God controls time. Jesus warned His disciples not to speculate about the time of the Lord's second coming. If the angels and Jesus himself do not know when Jesus is coming back, how can we presume to know (Matthew 24:36)? Even though we can't assign specific dates to these events, we can make sure we are always ready for His return, watching and praying, so that his return does not catch us off guard (Matthew 24:44). Therefore, the most important thing about Revelation 6 is not the timetable, but the principles that Jesus reveals. The Lord Jesus has commanded us to watch and pray, and this is our most important mission.   An Interactive and Dynamic Book In Revelation 5, we began to discuss the seven seals. The scroll in God's right hand is sealed tightly with seven seals. Only Jesus Christ is worthy to open them. As we read the accounts of the seven scrolls and related visions in Revelation 6, we must not forget that each seal is bringing us one step closer to seeing what is written inside the scroll. The scroll contains the ordained plan of God for man. Until the seven seals are opened, no one can see what is inside.   Maybe the scroll was more than just words printed on paper with ink. Perhaps it was more like a multimedia presentation with moving images. This movie was not just a record of past events, but like a live broadcast happening in real-time. Perhaps it was like the multimedia presentations I often see in my prophetic dreams. Frequently, in a dream or vision, I first see a video playing on a big screen and then I go inside that video to participate in the events it is depicting. Later, I come back out to observe from the outside. For example, in one dream, I first found myself watching a TV program about Chinese people sent to Japan to preach the gospel. Then I entered the TV screen and joined this live event. In the dream, I was walking with the Chinese evangelists as they went from village to village, sharing the good news. In the dream, I saw that their testimony was initially rejected, yet they eventually gained traction and established a stronghold. At first, I was watching them up close and in person. Yet at the end of the dream, I was once again standing in front of the TV and watching the scene from the outside. As you can see, spiritual revelations are not limited by time and distance.   This prophetic dream is about a great future revival in China, after which numerous missionaries will be sent to Japan to bring about a great revival. This dream has not yet been fulfilled in the physical realm. But since God has ordained the revival to happen, it has already become a reality in a sense. God is not bound by time, so this event is already taking place in the spiritual realm. God used the dream to reveal His will to me so that I could prepare for it in the physical realm. Even though I have never been to Japan, I was able to interact with Japanese people and missionaries through my dream.  For this reason, I am considering translating my Bible Studies into Japanese to prepare for this great revival.   The reason I am telling this story is that John must have experienced similar things. He could interact with and observe the events God was revealing in the scroll judgments. Although the events he was seeing were not happening in his physical world, he was able to vividly experience them (like watching a live show). This type of occurrence is very common in the spiritual realm because the Spirit is not limited by time and space.   The Meaning of Four Horses One time, a Buddhist friend asked me how I understood the four horses. My answer was that many people believed the four horses were the representation of the gospel (white horse), war (red horse), famine (black horse), and death by pestilence (gray horse). There is a lot of agreement on these points. But are these horses referring to future events, present events, past events, or all of the above?   My personal understanding is the latter. John wrote Revelation about 90 years after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, when the Lamb won his final victory. Did the Lord Jesus Christ have to wait over 60 years after His crucifixion and resurrection to be worthy to open the scroll in God's right hand? No! He was worthy the moment he was crucified and resurrected. Moreover, the Bible reveals that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Christ was foreordained by God before the foundation of the world, but did not come to earth until much later (1 Peter 1:20). Therefore, Jesus Christ was worthy to open the seven seals of the scroll even before He was crucified by Pilate. He has been worthy since the beginning of time and from eternity past.   We must leave behind our limited, time-based perception so we can better understand the Book of Revelation. These events took place outside of time in the spiritual realm, which is why Revelation was written in past tense. They also are taking place within time at this very moment. And they will happen again in the future. In the spiritual realm, the four horses are always running. In the physical realm, these four horses' running causes things that have happened, things that are happening, and things that will happen in the future.   Let's talk more about these horses and the principles they represent. First of all, the white horse represents the gospel, which always brings conflict. The Lord Jesus says, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law" (Matthew 10:34-35). No person can have a neutral opinion about the gospel; they either accept or reject it. To some people, the Gospel is the “sweet savour of Christ,” but to other people, it is “the savour of death unto death” (2 Cor. 2:15-16). Those who reject the gospel have been influenced by Satan. They not only reject the gospel, but they also oppose those who have decided to accept it.   After my conversion, many spiritual battles took place in my family. For many years, I suffered spiritual warfare regarding my unbelieving family members, especially my unbelieving father and my mother who worshiped Bodhisattvas. It took more than ten years for them to be saved and baptized into the Lord. There are still other relatives who persecute us. These actions are motivated by Satan, for Satan does not want people to leave the realm of darkness and enter the kingdom of light—just as Pharaoh did not want the Israelites to be set free from Egypt.   So how does God respond to these objections? He sent famine, pestilence, and death to Pharaoh because he was being used by Satan and the evil spirits. God judged Egypt over and over again with famine, pestilence, and death before He eventually led the Israelites out of Egypt. Outwardly, these judgments were against Egypt, but spiritually speaking, they were against the hosts of spiritual wickedness in high places. Only after God struck down the firstborn did Pharaoh finally allow God's people to leave Egypt. In the same way, famine, pestilence and subsequent death will bring people freedom from the kingdom of darkness. In an ongoing spiritual cycle, the gospel brings warfare, which in turn eliminates wicked people and the evil spirits behind them. Finally, through war, famine, and pestilence, people are released from the power of darkness into God's glorious Kingdom. That is why the description of the saints under the altar follows directly after the description of the four horses.   The Appeal of the Slain Saints In the book of Acts, the story of Paul's encounter with Jesus follows immediately after the account of Stephen's martyrdom. As is often the case, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Martyrdom can bear much gospel fruit. Paul's salvation was certainly the result of his encounter with Jesus, but it is also the direct result of Stephen's testimony at his martyrdom. Stephen's martyrdom was the seed that later blossomed into Paul's salvation. When Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission sent Western missionaries to preach the gospel in mainland China, they arrived in the middle of the Boxer Rebellion. As a result, many of them were killed. Hudson was severely distressed by this fact, but what he didn't realize at the time was that the blood of these missionaries would eventually bear beautiful flowers and gospel fruits. In one such story, the Boxers tied up a female missionary and brought her to the execution ground. A frightened Chinese man hid in the doorway and peeked in. He saw the Christian sister's face glowing, just like Stephen's did when he was martyred. This man was deeply touched by what he saw and eventually became an evangelist. At that time, there were only a few Christians in China. But now, just 100 years later, that number has increased to about 100 million. The blood of the martyrs has truly been the seed of the church. God loves us so much that besides giving up His only begotten Son, He also allows many to be martyred so the gospel of God and the message of His love for mankind can be spread to as many people as possible.   In the fifth seal, the martyrs cried “with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10) These saints knew that God was righteous and would surely judge those who shed their blood. They knew God would give them justice; they just did not know when. They were not blaming God for not giving them justice, but were asking Him when the "cycle of the four horses" would end. God comforted them by giving them white robes and letting them rest for “a little season until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Revelation 6:11). God is the only one who knows what the total number of martyrs will be, and when it will be complete. Even though we are not omniscient like God, one thing we know for sure: that time is nearer than ever before.   The Conception and Birth of a New Heaven and a New Earth A sister once asked me how to understand the catastrophic scenes in Revelation 6: the sun turning black, the moon turning to blood, the stars falling to earth, the heaven being rolled up like a scroll, and the mountains, hills, and islands being severely shaken (Revelation 6:12-13). I explained that this was a description of birth pains, like a chick hatching from an egg. Before it develops, an egg has three parts: the yolk, the white, and the shell. The yolk contains the life of the chick and provides food to the growing chick. The egg white provides a liquid medium for the growing chick, and the shell provides protection from outside dangers. A chick cannot hatch successfully if any of these parts is missing. By the time a chick is ready to come out, the yolk and the white are both fully absorbed by the chick and the chick begins to peck at its shell. After the chick breaks out of its shell, the shell can be discarded.   Like an eggshell, the old heaven and earth, with their cultures and physical supplies, provide for the material and spiritual needs of human existence. But they will pass away after the new heaven and new earth are born. As the new creation comes into being, the old creation, like an eggshell, will be violently cracked and shaken. Then we will be given a kingdom which cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). These shakings remind us that the new heaven and earth are real and are about to arrive (Revelation 21:1).   (The chick analogy also reminds us of our new life in Christ. Just like a chick looks similar to a hen, we Christians are “little Christs.”)   At the end of Revelation 6, people will say “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (16-17) It is time for God's judgment to come to earth, in answer to the prayers of the martyrs. But God's promise of judgment cannot be fulfilled without the birth of the new heaven and the new earth.   Paul says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). The old creation is a part of all things that work together for good. The old creation is the eggshell or egg white that supports the new chick as it grows. When the new creation is born, everything in the old creation is discarded like a scroll being rolled up (6:14). Why? Because we have turned a new leaf, and the old creation has passed away. We will enter a new creation. Revelation 6 mentions the scroll in the right hand of God. When this chapter ends, the we will turn over a new page and begin a new reality.

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 5   The Prayer Of The Righteous Person Has Great Power   In Revelation 5, John has a vision of God seated on his throne. In his right hand is a scroll which is sealed with seven seals. This scroll reveals God's plans and mysteries for mankind. And this mystery can only be unlocked by the victorious Christ. As the chapter opens, John is weeping because no one is worthy to open the scroll (Revelation 5:4). Why is John weeping? In our study of Revelation 4, we saw that something was missing from the throne room scene that John saw. Though he saw God on his throne, the elders worshiping God, the four living creatures, and thousands of angels, he did not see anything related to mankind. He realized that God's plan for mankind was contained in the scroll in God's right hand. This was the missing puzzle piece. But no one was worthy to open this scroll and find out the mysteries of God.   John, as a human and as an elder of the church on earth, was deeply distressed because no one could unravel the mysteries of God's plan for mankind. He was deeply distressed by the weakness and failure of the church. So one of the elders in heaven told him, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals." (ESV, Revelation 5:5).[1] I have always understood that John received comfort from the fact that Jesus Christ had prevailed and was found worthy to open the seals. Recently, the Holy Spirit has given me additional insight into this passage. In verse seven, the Holy Spirit shifts the focus from the scroll in God's right hand to the prayers that were going up like incense. I believe that these prayers played a crucial role in allowing the scroll to be opened.   As a film director shifts the focus of the camera lens, the Holy Spirit shifted the focus from the "Lamb who took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne" (vs. 7), to "the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders” who were “each holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (vs. 8). Why did he do so? Because the victory of Jesus Christ, together with the prayers of the saints throughout the ages, eventually brought about God's just judgment on mankind and the ultimate revelation of His plan for man. John was not only comforted by the victory of Jesus Christ, but also by seeing how the prayers of the saints had had such an impact. John saw that the church's weaknesses were superficial, while their prayers were deep and effective. The prayers of the saints throughout the ages had been collected by God. As the angels waved the golden censer full of prayers, God delighted in these prayers and the scroll with seven seals was finally opened. James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power.” The prayers of the saints and the power of the victorious Christ finally allowed the scroll to be opened.   Why Is John Weeping?   How would you feel if God had asked you to write to seven churches and point out their problems? Although these seven letters contained words of encouragement from the Lord, they also pointed out many of the churches' shortcomings. John, as one of the apostles, would not only have seen these shortcomings as the churches' problems, but also as his own. As the “Beloved Disciple” and the apostle of the church, he had the spiritual responsibility of shepherding the church. When the church was weak and failed, he, as an apostle, would surely feel responsible for it. So when he finished writing the letters to the seven churches, he must have inevitably felt disappointed with their lack of progress. So why is he weeping? Because the scroll containing God's plan for the church is sealed with seven seals, and no one can open it. And the failure and weaknesses of the church made him feel that no one—not even himself—was worthy to open this scroll. That's why the elders came to comfort him, saying that the victorious Christ was worthy of opening the scroll. The next verse describes the golden bowls of incense, which contained the prayers of many saints. These prayers on earth promoted God's sovereign, kingly work.   The Victorious Christ   Let's examine John's description of the victorious Christ. He is "the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David" (Revelation 5:5). Finally, humankind has shown up in the narrative! Judah is a human tribe, and David was also a man. And of course, the Lord Jesus was a hundred percent man. He, the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45), had been victorious and "could open the scroll and its seven seals" (Revelation 5:5).   What are the seven seals? The seven seals include the seven stages of God's dealings with mankind and the church. We will discuss the seven seals in detail in Revelation 6. But for now, we focus on understanding the victorious Christ.   Revelation 5:6 says, "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." As we were studying this verse, I suddenly noticed the word "between.” This is something I'd never noticed before. What does it mean that the Lamb is "between" the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders?   Is this "between" two-dimensional or three-dimensional? I personally envision the throne room as a three-dimensional cone. The throne of God is at the top of the cone, with the four living creatures also at the top of the cone, circling around the throne of God. The four living creatures are around and on each side of the throne of God (Revelation 4:6). Then the elders' thrones would be circling the bottom of the cone, as mentioned in Revelation 4:4. This is my personal guess.   The fact that the Lamb is in between the throne and the four living creatures has a very profound meaning. The Lamb is Jesus Christ. He is over all things, and he leads all things to God (Ephesians 1:22). The book of Hebrews says, "God appointed Christ to be the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:2-3).   In the throne room, I envision three concentric circles. God's throne is in the innermost circle, like the Holy of Holies. The four living creatures can enter this area. Of course, the victorious Christ can enter it, along with we who rely on the precious blood of the victorious Christ. We can enter the Holy of Holies with confidence and come before God's throne in order to receive mercy, grace, and timely help (Hebrews 4:16). Overcoming believers can also sit on the throne with the Lord, just as Jesus overcame and sat down with His Father on the throne (Revelation 3:21). The second circle is where Jesus Christ is. He is the Mediator between God and man (1 John 1:2) and is our High Priest in heaven. No one can come to God and His throne without passing through Him. Like the veil that separated the Holy of Holies and the sanctuary in the Old Testament, Jesus opened up the way to God. The third circle is where the 24 elders and thousands of angels are. Revelation 5:11 says, "Around the throne and the living creatures and the elders were the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands." Many people seem to be envious of the position of the 24 elders, but I think we have even greater authority in Christ to draw near to God! Can the 24 elders get into the innermost circle? The Bible does not mention that they can sit on God's throne. My personal guess is that they cannot. Either way, we know that we can approach God's throne and even indwell God himself. Instead of focusing on the 24 elders and the thousands of angels before the throne of God, we should focus on the throne of God and the Lamb who stands among the four living creatures. The Lamb is in the outermost circle with the 24 elders, and he is with the four living creatures and on the throne.   This description depicts the tabernacle of God. To the degree that we trust in Jesus' sacrifice and live with confidence in him, we can enter God's tabernacle.   Verse 5:6 says, "And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth." The seven horns and seven eyes represent the seven Spirits of God. There are many different interpretations of the seven spirits. The teaching I'm most familiar with says that the idea of the seven spirits refers to the one Holy Spirit, intensified sevenfold. They say it's like trying to open a bottle cap. When the lid doesn't open, you exert sevenfold pressure to try to open it. Others say that the seven spirits are angels. Revelation 1:4 mentions "the seven spirits who are before His throne.” Some people say that the seven spirits are angels standing before the throne of God.   Personally, I think there are some problems with this explanation. Revelation 5 clearly states that the seven Spirits (the seven horns and the seven eyes) are part of the Lamb. Angels cannot be part of the Lamb, so I believe the seven spirits are manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The Bible clearly states that the "seven spirits of God” were “sent out into all the earth,” which is in line with what the Lord Jesus said in the Gospel of John, "the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name" (John 14:26).   In addition to the Holy Spirit, Jesus is also a spirit. The Bible says, "The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17). 1 Corinthians 15:45 says, "The last Adam became a life-giving spirit" (NASB). This verse shows that Jesus Christ is already a spiritual being. The Father is also a spirit. Jesus Christ clearly stated, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23). This doesn't mean that the Father is the same as the Holy Spirit, but it expresses the truth that the Father is spirit.   This does not mean that we can confuse the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. The Father is the Father, the Son is the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. But they can enter into each other, and they are all spiritual in nature. The Holy Spirit is a spirit by nature. The Lord Jesus Christ and the Father are also spirit, but are not to be confused with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit and the Son are depicted as being before the Father's throne, on the Father's throne, and in the Father. The Father is over all: “For from him and through him and to him are all things” (Romans 11:36). All of the members of the Godhead are spirits, and they can enter into and indwell one other.   We as humans are also spirits. We can also indwell and enter into the Triune God. We have the same nature as God, and we have divine life. These are privileges that the angels do not have. Only mankind can become God's children. This is a great mystery. If we can understand it, we will have a new perspective on the value of mankind.   God's Just Balance   In the Bible, God mentions his "just balance" (Job 31:6, Proverbs 16:11). I read a prophetic testimony that described how the "just balance" in heaven worked. The general idea was that our sins were on one side of the scale, and when our sins became too numerous to record, the judgment on the other side would fall. But if we were willing to repent of our sins and accept God's redemption through Christ's precious blood, “mercy would triumph over judgment” (James 2:13), and God's grace would be given to us. We can clearly see how this principle works in Revelation 5.   The seven seals are God's plan for judgment on humankind, but they are just a means to an end. God's purpose is to bring about our salvation, applying what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf. Through these trials, the church will grow and mature into the body and bride of Christ, leading all things back to Christ and God. The seven seals will also help unbelievers accept the redemption won by Jesus Christ. Those who refused to accept the preaching of the gospel will be exposed to judgment and discipline which will motivate them to repent. As a result, many people will humbly accept the salvation of Jesus Christ. Christ's redemption is finished, but God in his great love will continue applying the work of redemption to individual lives. The seven trumpet judgments will accelerate this process as many people humbly accept His salvation.   In addition to God's discipline, the prayers of the saints are also very important in the process of winning souls to Christ.   The Power of the Saints' Prayers   Recently, many people have called their worship services “Harp and Bowl.” This name comes from Revelation 5:8: "And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." The harp refers to singing, praise and worship. The bowl refers to prayer. So the combination of "harp and bowl" describes the combination of worship and prayer. This is a pattern we see in many church worship and prayer meetings.   Since Jesus Christ has already been victorious, is our prayer still necessary? Do we just need to wait passively, or do we need to actively pray and cooperate with God's work? The answer is almost undisputed. We must actively pray and cooperate with God's work. Our prayers are very important. James said, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power." (James 5:16). The four living creatures and the 24 elders offered worship and prayer as an incense offering before God. The prayers of all the saints throughout the ages were like a "pleasing aroma" to God (2 Corinthians 2:15). This aroma greatly pleased Him and promoted God's sovereign work. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can influence God's kingly work.   I read another testimony that said that when we sing hymns to God on earth, they will be collected by the angels and stored in the angels' harps! The angels will collect the praise and worship of saints on earth and dedicate the beautiful music to God. Therefore, not only the prayers of the saints will be collected in the incense, but the praise and worship of the saints will also be collected in the harps. What an honor that when the four living creatures and 24 elders fall down to worship the Lamb, their offering consists of the praises and prayers of the saints! (Revelation 5:8) Angels are God's ministering spirits, and we are God's beloved!   Remember, the driving forces behind God's work revealed in the scroll are the prayers of the saints and the victory of the Lamb! Both are indispensable!   We Shall Reign on the Earth   Let's look at the prayers of the four living creatures and the 24 elders. The four living creatures and the 24 elders prayed, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10). Please note that I put the word “for” in bold. The reason why the Lamb is worthy of opening the scroll is that He was killed. He redeemed us with His blood and bought us back to God. In God's eyes, we are so precious that He gave His only begotten Son to save us (John 3:16). We must never underestimate ourselves. We will become a kingdom, priests, and kings on the earth. This is our destiny.   This is also the purpose of the seven seals. When the church submits to Christ, God will use His power to make all things submit to Christ, just as the church does. The church, as the firstfruits, leads all things to worship and surrender to God. The church will reign on earth so it can guide all of creation toward the worship of God. John says in verse 13, "And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!'” After the church surrenders to Christ and begins to reign on the earth, all things begin to worship God. Revelation 5 ends with, "The four living creatures said, Amen, and all the elders fell down and worshiped" (5:14). This provides a beautiful picture of the future time when all things will submit to God.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.    

Bible Study With Jairus- Revelation 4   Where Are the Humans?   Revelation chapter 4 records the vision John saw after heaven opened. In previous lessons, we've discussed the seven stages of spiritual growth for the church, which are described in the seven letters to the churches. As we pass through these seven areas of growth and deal with the seven aspects of spiritual problems the Lord reveals in this letter (whether corporately or individually), heaven will be opened to us, as well. Not only will we see God's throne and God sitting on the throne, but we will also see God's actions performed from the throne, namely his dealings with mankind which are revealed by the seven seals and seven trumpets. I believe Revelation chapters 4 and 5 are closely linked.   As I read Revelation 4, I noticed that John saw various visions of God, the twenty-four elders, the seven spirits, and the four living creatures, but there was no mention of humankind. This struck me as odd, because the entire Bible is the revelation of God's plan for mankind. Human beings, especially Israelites, are the apple of God's eye (Deuteronomy 32:10). Man is at the center of God's plan.   So where is mankind in this passage? Humans are not mentioned in Revelation 4, but that does not mean they aren't present. God's plan for mankind is in the scroll in the right hand of God as he sits on the throne (Revelation 5). This scroll can only be opened by the victorious Lamb. We will talk about this scroll next time. The vision in chapter 4 foreshadows the opening of the scroll that contains God's plan for mankind in chapter 5. The fourth chapter of Revelation is a wide-angle shot that gives us a vast image of heaven, and the fifth chapter of Revelation is a close-up shot. In Chapter 5, the lens zooms in on the scroll in God's right hand. Although mankind is not mentioned in Revelation 4, mankind is hidden in the right hand of God, who sits on the throne.   A New Inspiration   In the past, when I read Revelation 4, I always paid close attention to the beautiful realities revealed in John's visions. I focused on the descriptions of God, the twenty-four elders, the seven spirits, the four living creatures, and the angels. But I never realized that mankind was missing from the chapter until recently. One day, I was teaching about this passage in a Bible study. While I discussed the passage out loud, I was praying internally and waiting for enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Many other brothers and sisters in Christ do the same thing while teaching or discussing God's word. We constantly pray for inspiration from God. That's what happened when I was leading a Bible study recently. I was in a constant state of prayer, waiting for God's revelation. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit gave me an idea that I had never thought of before.   This is one of the most common ways that the Holy Spirit speaks to me. When my mind is quiet before God and I am waiting for the Holy Spirit to speak to me, my mind is like a piece of poster board hanging on the wall. When a brand-new idea suddenly enters my mind, it is like a post-it note stuck on the poster board. These new ideas are not things that I've thought of in the past or read somewhere—they are things that have never occurred to me before. When I have a new thought, I pay attention to it and speak it to others with faith. This has often happened during our Bible study meetings over the past few years. As I share these inspirations, I often gain a clearer view of the topic during the process of sharing. As I started teaching, I didn't have a full picture of this chapter, nor was I completely clear about the little inspirations that God gave me. But as I shared them with faith, God gave me more light.   At the beginning of our Bible study, we were discussing the worship of angels, as well as the identity of the four living creatures and the other angels. As I waited prayerfully for the Holy Spirit to speak, I suddenly received an inspiration. I realized that Revelation 4 is like a puzzle with a missing piece. The missing piece is God's plan for mankind contained in the scroll in God's right hand. As mentioned above, Revelation 4 contains a discussion of God, the twenty-four elders, the living creatures, and countless angels, but it contains no mention of mankind.   In the Bible, God reveals three main things: His character, His plan for mankind, and Satan's deceit and final destiny. Aside from God's self-revelation, the most important theme in the Bible is God's plan for mankind. God's plan for mankind is inextricably woven into the entire content of the Bible so that they cannot be separated. Since human beings are at the center of biblical revelation, I knew that man must be in the scene somewhere.   The answer came to me: the mysteries of God's plan for mankind are hidden in the scroll in the next chapter, which contains the plan of redemption that the incarnate Christ would accomplish. The missing piece from Revelation 4 is waiting to be unfolded in detail in Revelation 5. After the puzzle is put together, it will point toward God's next move, the plan of judgment and redemption for mankind revealed by the seven seals and seven trumpets.     Can We See God?   God is the protagonist of the book of Revelation; there is no doubt about this. As Revelation 4 begins, John sees heaven opened, and he sees God sitting on a throne. I believe the image of God depicted in Revelation 4 is God the Father, not the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Lamb described in Revelation 5 is Jesus Christ. But this creates a conundrum: How did John see God, if the Bible says that humans cannot see God and live? John once said, "No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared him" (John 1:18). Paul also said that "no one has ever seen or can see" God (1 Timothy 6:16). Moreover, Moses could only see God's back, not His face, because God says, “Man shall not see me and live" (Exodus 33:20). However, there are also some scriptures in the Bible that mention people seeing God face to face. God says that He spoke to Moses "face to face" (Exodus 33:11), and Moses saw “the form of the Lord" (Numbers 12:8). In addition, at Ford Jabbok, Jacob "saw God face to face and yet his life was delivered.” Plus, "seventy of the elders of Israel saw God, and ate and drank" (Exodus 24:11). Most famously, the Lord Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).   So, can man see God? I personally think that we can see the image of God to a certain degree, but the extent to which we can see God's glory may be limited. Perhaps John's understanding of God's appearance continued to grow over time. Biblical truth is ever-evolving, not static. Although God's principles and disposition are unchanging, God's revelation is progressive. I personally feel that John's understanding and experience of seeing God may have developed over time. Perhaps he had a different understanding when he wrote Revelation than when he wrote the Gospel of John. Let's take a look at John's description: "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" (Revelation 4:3). This is John's description of God's appearance. He doesn't describe God's face directly, but he describes his appearance. We can at least be sure that John saw God's appearance to a certain extent.   Since God began to give me prophetic dreams in 2015, I have seen the appearance of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit many times. I even saw the glorious face of Jesus. I am very eager to see the appearance of the Heavenly Father as well, and I am envious of sisters Lai Wang Xiulan from Taiwan and Anna Rountree from the United States, who described their experiences of seeing the Heavenly Father. I often pray for this to happen to me, but so far I have not had the same experience as they have had. Only a few times have I vaguely seen the appearance of the Heavenly Father. Once, my spirit was lifted up to heaven, and after sharing a short greeting with the Lord, the Holy Spirit led me to enter a door. He told me that the Heavenly Father often passed by there in a vehicle. I immediately saw a wisp of smoke, and the Holy Spirit told me it was traces of the Father flying by. Psalm 18:10 says, "He rode on a cherub and flew; he came swiftly on the wings of the wind.” Isaiah 66:15 says, "For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind.” Although the Father is omnipresent, He has all kinds of mounts and vehicles in heaven. Many people focus on John's description of the Father in Revelation 4 as the only picture of God, thinking that God the Father has glue on his buttocks and can only sit motionless on the throne and receive everyone's worship. This is a wrong concept. God the Father often walks around in heaven. He also makes frequent visits to the earth, including when he warned the Israelites to cover up their excrement so that he would not see anything indecent as he walked through their camps (Deuteronomy 23:14). God the Father is the “one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6). In fact, God the Father visits us far more often than we can imagine. But we don't perceive His presence because our spiritual eyes are not prepared to perceive His secret appearance. In the dream I just mentioned, I was very disappointed. I had seen the Lord face to face, and the Holy Spirit was with me, leading me to visit heaven, so I was hoping to see the Father as well. But I couldn't even see His back clearly, not to mention getting to see a vision of God on the throne as described by John in Revelation 4. So I could not help but feel disappointed.   During another spiritual experience, the Holy Spirit was driving a vehicle to take me into heaven for a visit. I saw a lion and a horse lying peacefully on the same hillside. After crossing the hillside, I saw many people playing in a place similar to a swimming pool. Suddenly, someone said that God was coming to visit us. It immediately started raining rainbows, and everybody was so excited. I didn't see the Father clearly, but I was told that the Father had visited through the mode of the rainbow rain. Revelation 4 mentions a rainbow surrounding God's throne, so we know that rainbows often accompany God the Father's appearance.   In another dream, some believers and I went on a long trek. It was a difficult climb to get to heaven, but we finally got there with the help of Jesus Christ. From a distance, I saw the Heavenly Father and Jesus talking to one another, and I heard them talking about a big performance that was about to begin. God said he was waiting for more believers to join the action. (This may be a sign of The Great Revival to come.) But I only saw them vaguely from a distance and overheard their discussion. I have written more about this dream on Elijah List. You can find a detailed account of this dream by searching for "Shake Off Disappointment and Keep Climbing!" on Elijah List by Sean Song.   I describe these experiences of mine to show that after hearing other people's testimonies, I began longing to see the Father. I had not had these experiences in the past, but after I fervently prayed, I began to have supernatural experiences of seeing the Father. I personally think that we don't need to be limited by our theology. God the Father's decision to appear to us does not depend on our theology, but on his own will. Remember, the Lord Jesus said, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him" (John 14:21). Although this verse is referring to Jesus showing himself to us, not the Father, it reveals a universal principle. Our love and desire for God is a prerequisite for God showing himself to us. In addition, don't forget that the Lord Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Instead of debating about whether or not we can see God, let's focus on developing a pure heart full of love for God.   When I heard other people's testimonies about seeing the Father, I didn't condemn or criticize them. Instead, I prayed from the bottom of my heart: “God, let my heart be as pure as that person's so that I can see You!” I prayed fervently and left the rest to God. Rather than pursuing the experience of seeing God, I pursued becoming a pure-hearted person. Only then did God allow me to see him to a certain extent.   Angels Are Ministering Spirits   In Revelation 19, John saw an angel and wanted to worship him. But the angel rebuked him and told him to worship only God. He explained that angels and human believers are fellow servants, and we all hold to the testimony of Jesus (v. 10). In his epistles, Paul also critiqued the church's teaching on the worship of angels (Colossians 2:18). Hebrews 1:14 clearly says, "Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" Paul also said, "Do you not know that we are to judge angels?" (1 Corinthians 6:3). Clearly, the Bible prohibits angel-worship.   Let's take a look at John's description of the twenty-four elders and of the various angels (including the four living creatures) that were standing before the throne. Most of us agree that the four living creatures are a kind of angel. Ezekiel 1 has a detailed description of the four living creatures, and a similar description of the cherubim in Ezekiel 4. These beings have multiple wings with wheels under their wings and have four faces: the faces of a lion, a cow, a man, and an eagle. The four living creatures described in Revelation 4 are similar. It seems that the four living creatures are a kind of cherubim, angels created by God.   Who are the twenty-four elders sitting on the twenty-four thrones surrounding the throne? Some believe they are the twelve sons of Jacob and the twelve apostles. Personally, I find this statement unreliable. John, one of the twelve disciples, was the one describing the vision, yet he was still alive on Earth. Was he serving as one of the twenty-four elders in heaven while he was still alive on earth? Personally, I think this is untenable. I personally believe that these twenty-four elders may have been another type of creature created by God. I said they were "creatures" and not angels because I can't be sure if they are angels. But I do know that there are many mysterious creatures in existence that are beyond our current understanding. For example, the Bible mentions that Melchizedek has no father, no mother, no beginning no end, and no genealogy (Hebrews 7:3), but he has a physical body and served as the king of Salem and the priest of the Most High God. The Book of Hebrews says Jesus Christ is a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek cannot be an angel, because an angel has no body. He cannot be an ordinary person, because he has no father, no mother, no beginning, and no end. Melchizedek is also not God, because he is a priest of God, nor is he Christ, for Christ is a high priest according to his order. So who is Melchizedek? We do not know. So we can see that there are many kinds of creatures that God has created, and we do not necessarily know about all of them. The Bible doesn't give us a clear answer, because this is not the main point of biblical revelation. What is the main point of biblical revelation? The center of biblical revelation is God's plan from eternity past to one day come to earth, be crucified, and be resurrected so he could woo his bride, the Church, the manifestation of his glory. In other words, the destiny of the church is to become mature and eventually sit on the throne with God (Revelation 3:21). We need to shift our focus from the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures and the other angels in front of the throne to God, who is sitting on the throne with a scroll in His right hand. That scroll reveals the mystery of God's plan for mankind. That is, after we have gone through a process of maturation, we will become the glorious bride who sits on the throne with God. We must not seek to end up in front of the throne; we must seek to be on the throne as overcomers (Revelation 3:21). Many people still have the same mentality as John, feeling that angels are very great and we must worship them, but that is incorrect. We must worship God alone. The purpose of us sitting on the throne with God is not to be equal to God or to accept the worship of all things, but for us to embody the fullness of God's glory, leading all of creation in the worship of God. We are above the angels, not below them.      We are Seated on God's Throne Revelation 4 does not mention God's plan for mankind, but Revelation 5 contains the missing piece of the puzzle. It contains the mystery of God, His hidden plan for the church. Let's dive a bit deeper into this topic by looking at Ephesians. Ephesians 1:9 mentions the mystery of God, which is “a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (v. 10). The church will first submit to God in Christ as the first fruits. After that, all things will submit to God in Christ. The church is Christ's body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (1:22-23). God's plan for the redemption of mankind includes the redemption of all creation: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God (that is, us), for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:19-21). In other words, the mystery of God's plan for man's redemption (which is revealed in the scroll) will eventually lead to the redemption of all things.   God has given humankind an amazing honor. The Bible never says that the twenty-four elders are allowed to sit on the throne with God, but it does say that human believers can sit on the throne with Him (Revelation 3:21). The Bible does not say that angels can abide in God, and God in them, but Jesus said to his human followers, “I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you” (John 14:20). God is a tabernacle into which we can enter, and we are also His tabernacle and dwelling place. Colossians 3 reveals that our life is hidden with Christ in God (3:3). The Bible does mention that before the fall, Satan was a cherub created to cover the Ark of the Covenant, and he was covered in all kinds of precious stones and walked on the holy mountain of God (Ezekiel 28:13-14). But the Bible never says that any angels can receive the life of God like we can. Angels will not become the bride of Jesus Christ, the image of Christ, the brothers of Jesus Christ, or the children of God. But we humans can become sons of God! We are different from angels, and we are higher than angels. Satan is jealous of mankind, so he spreads lies to confuse our minds and prevent us from realizing just how precious our identity in Christ really is.   Conclusion: Our Destiny Is To Be Children of God   Rather than focusing on the angels and other creatures, we should focus on God and on the scroll which contains the mysteries of God's plan for mankind (explored further in Revelation 5). When we look at the vision in Revelation 4, we see that man is not standing before God's throne with the elders, living creatures, and angels. Instead, mankind is seated on the throne with God (Romans 3:21). Man is a child of God, has the life of God, sits on the throne with God, and manifests the glory of God. The purpose of sitting on God's throne is not to be worshiped like God, but to lead all things to worship God. Just like children have the life of their father but are not the same person as their father, Christians share God's life but are not a member of the Godhead.   Saint Athanasius of Alexandria said that God became man so that man could eventually become God. The Local Church Movement goes a step further and teaches that God becoming man is for man to become God in terms of life and nature, and not in Godhead.   This teaching is considered heresy by many Christians. But, in fact, this is not a heresy at all; it is a profound truth. Yet many people's minds have been deceived by Satan to the point that they no longer accept this truth. Again, we must be clear about the fact that man is not to be worshiped as God, even though he sits on the throne with God.   Instead, God's presence is a tabernacle that people can enter, and only those who overcome can sit on the throne with the Lord, just as the Lord sat on the throne with His Father after He overcame (Revelation 3:21). In order to personally experience this divine truth, we must go through a process of sanctification. We must grow incrementally closer to God, as if we were a worshiper entering first the Outer Court, then the Holy Place, and finally the Holy of Holies and the presence of God (Ephesians 2:18). This process of human sanctification is accomplished gradually through the seven seals and seven trumpets mentioned in Revelation 5.    

Bible Study with Jairus- Revelation 3 Part 3 The Lord's Work in the Church in Laodicea Opened the Heavens   Unlike the letters to the other churches, Jesus' letter to the church at Laodicea does not begin with words of praise. Instead, it only appears to contain criticism. To further understand Christ's rebuke to Laodicea, let's look at Christ's words through Paul to the sister church in Colossae. Colossae and Laodicea were only about ten miles apart. The two churches shared each other's spiritual resources, and may well have also shared each other's problems. When Paul wrote to Colossae in 64 AD (about 25 years before the book of Revelation was written around 90 AD), Paul instructed that the epistle he wrote to the church in Colossae should be read in the church of Laodicea. The letter he sent to Laodicea should also be read to the church in Colossae (Colossians 4:16). However, this epistle no longer exists. Because Paul wanted the letter to the Colossians to be read to the church at Laodicea, it's probable that the Laodiceans were struggling with the same things the Colossians were.   The book of Colossians mentions the strengths of the Colossian church and also mentions the areas where they needed improvement. The Bible was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so the rebukes to the Colossians were likely in the same vein as the rebukes to the Laodiceans in Revelation. We can refer to the book of Colossians to understand what Revelation says about Laodicea.   Twenty-five years before the Lord rebuked the Laodicean church in the book of Revelation, God had already warned them through Paul. Yet they had not repented. Neither church worked on their problems. This is why Paul later bemoaned that “all who are in Asia turned away from me” (2 Timothy 1:15). Jesus' strong words to Laodicea in Revelation were a rebuke for their failure to repent. Paul had warned them 25 years earlier, but they had not repented. Instead, they had fallen into a state of lukewarmness.   Jesus promises Laodicea that if they overcome, they will sit on the throne with the Lord (Revelation 3:21). These promises are also consistent with the theme of the book of Colossians. The theme of the book of Colossians is to allow believers to grow up into him who is the Head, Christ. This means we will sit on the throne with Christ (Colossians 1:18). Immediately following the letter to Laodicea in Revelation, we read about John's vision of heaven being opened (Revelation 4). This shows that God's work with the church of Laodicea ushered in the opening of heaven.   Paul's Exhortation to the Colossian Church Let's take a look at the exhortations Paul gave to the Colossian church and the Laodicean church through the book of Colossians. Perhaps this exercise can help us better understand the spiritual situation of the church in Laodicea. Paul begins Colossians 1 by praising the believers in Colossians for their “faith in Christ Jesus and the love they have for all the saints” (1:4). He also reveals that Jesus Christ is “first in everything” (v.18). Paul goes on to say, “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ” (Colossians 2:1-2). This statement reveals very clearly the burden Paul had for the believers in Colossae and Laodicea. He prayed for them to come to a full knowledge of Christ. But did they actually fully know Christ? No, we know that was not the case because Paul mentions in verse 4 that he fears that they will be deceived with enticing words. These enticing words include vain deceit, the traditions of men and the rudiments of the world (v. 8); ordinances (v. 14): meat, drink, holy days, new moon, Sabbaths (v. 16); pious self-denial, worshipping of angels (v. 18) and so on. All these works of the flesh were at work in the church in Colossae and the church in Laodicea. Therefore, after praising their faith, Paul urged them to abandon these deeds of the flesh. Jesus did not need to praise the Laodiceans in Revelation because he had already commended them through Paul in the book of Colossians, which he asked to be read to the Laodiceans as well. The letter in Revelation is just a continuation of this letter, giving further promises and exhortations to the Laodiceans.   In Colossians 3, Paul continues to encourage the believers to set their minds on the things that are above and not on earthly things, because they have been crucified with Christ (3:1-4). He goes on to encourage them to “put to death what is earthly in them: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry, on account of this, the wrath of God is coming on the children of disobedience” (3:5-6). Paul also wants them to put away “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from their mouth” (3:8). He asks them to stop lying (3:9) and to start forgiving (3:12-15). He instructs husbands and wives, parents and children, and earthly masters and servants to love one another (3:18-4:1) and to watch and pray (4:2). These exhortations are the words of the Holy Spirit to both the church in Colossae and the church in Laodicea. This is why Paul urged that the Book of Colossians be read in the church in Laodicea (4:16). The book of Colossians mentions several fleshly actions and attitudes that we must defeat before we can enter into the abundance of spiritual life.   Overcoming the Flesh is the Final Stage of Spiritual Victory I believe there are three stages of spiritual maturity. The first stage is overcoming sin, when new believers overcome sinful habits that characterized their lives before salvation. After salvation, new believers need God's presence and God's word to constantly permeate their souls so they can break free from the sinful habits that try to control their lives. Even though the new believer will still be occasionally overcome by sin and transgression, it is possible to break free from habitual sin. For instance, a drug addict who comes to know Christ can be set completely free from his drug habit. Though he still sins occasionally, he has been freed from the habit of sin. Many Christians have experienced freedom and victory to a greater or lesser degree. Yet some still live in bondage to the shackles of sin. God wants us to be free from sin in our lives. This is the first stage of spiritual victory.   The second stage of spiritual growth is to break free from worldly influence. Even after overcoming sinful habits, a Christian can still be attracted to the world. Many Christians cannot seem to get rid of their attraction to the world, even though they have had victory over sin. There are many stories of Christians in the past who have learned to let go of the world to follow the Lord. For example, a famous evangelist from China, John Sung (Song Shangjie), had gotten a Ph.D. in the United States. But when he received a call from God to return to his country to preach the gospel, he got on a ship and threw his doctoral diploma into the sea. Another Christian tells the story of how he longed for the infilling of the Holy Spirit but couldn't get it. He later realized that he valued his Ph.D. too much. He was proud of his doctorate and valued it more than he valued surrender to God. Because of this, he could not receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit. When he surrendered to God and was willing to give up his Ph.D., God immediately filled him with the Holy Spirit.   The third stage of Christian growth is overcoming the flesh. Being free from the flesh is the hardest challenge of all. Christians may attain victory over outward sin and let go of their love for the world, but it is very difficult to gain freedom from the flesh. Fleshly attitudes like jealousy, competition, and ambition will stand in the way of spiritual victory. In the temple, there was a veil separating the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, and the veil was embroidered with cherubim. The cherubim represented the glory of God and prevented humans from entering the Holy of Holies. In Genesis 3, God stationed cherubim and a flaming sword in front of the tree of life to keep humans away. This is because man's sinful flesh had made it impossible for man to get close to God. But after the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, the veil that divided the Temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying that God's salvation on the cross had solved the problems of sin and the flesh. We can come back to God through Christ.   Although we understand this spiritual fact mentally, we often struggle to experience it.  The phrase "entering within the veil" is often used as a metaphor for breaking away from the entanglement of the flesh and entering into intimate fellowship with God. Some people find it helpful to use the Old Testament tabernacle as an analogy for the stages of spiritual growth. The Old Testament tabernacle is divided into the Holy of Holies, the Holy Place, and the outer court. These three parts are often used to describe a person's spirit, soul, and body, respectively. In our earlier stages of spiritual growth, we are in the outer court, working on overcoming sinful habits of the body. Before entering the Holy Place, we must remove the filth and defilement of the world, just like the priests who had to wash themselves in the bronze laver. We must experience sanctification and inner transformation of the soul (Romans 12:1). Inside the Holy Place are the table of showbread, the golden lampstand, and the golden altar of incense. These represent God's provision, God's illumination, and intimate fellowship with God, respectively. As we experience even closer fellowship with God, we enter within the veil, just like the High Priest entered the Holy of Holies. God punished Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu for entering the Holy of Holies with strange fire. In the same way, our flesh can not enter the Holy of Holies. If we do not overcome the flesh, it will be difficult to enter into God's presence and experience deep fellowship with God.   The Lord's Work in the Church in Laodicea Opened the Heavens The Lord's harsh criticism of the church in Laodicea does not necessarily mean that the Laodicean church was the worst. Remember, the letters to the churches reveal different stages of corporate and individual spiritual growth. It may simply mean that the Laodicean church should have known better. When we speak God's word to others, we often deliver the message differently depending on the level of spiritual maturity of our audience. For instance, when a baby starts to walk, we praise everything he does. A six-year-old child, however, needs more discipline; and a teenager can be held to an even higher standard. In the same way, Jesus' harsh words to Laodicea don't necessarily mean the church was the worst off spiritually. It may just mean God had higher expectations for them.   Revelation 4 says that John saw “a door standing open in heaven.” He saw God on the throne, as well as the visions of the seven seals and the seven trumpets (chapters 5-11). I believe the door of heaven did not open until after John had written the last of the seven letters to the churches. We should all seek to have the door of heaven opened to us so we can see God on his throne and so we can observe his works. Only then can we become overcomers, represented by the male child in Revelation 12.   So how can the door of heaven be opened to us? The letter to the church in Laodicea reveals some clues to us. First, we must become people who are on fire for the Lord. A lukewarm believer will not experience an open door in heaven. I had heard testimonies about people being lifted up to heaven to meet the Lord, and I was very eager for such an experience. Every day at noon when I prayed, I asked God to give me such an experience. Then one night, my spirit really was lifted up to heaven and I saw the Lord. This experience shocked me greatly. A lot of people are so apathetic that they do not even pray for such an experience. But if you do not pray for this experience, you will never have it. The Bible tells us to ask and we shall receive (Luke 11:10). The Lord rewards those who long for His appearing. The lukewarmness of the church (Revelation 3:15-16) does not please the Lord.   Self-righteousness is another barrier that prevents us from experiencing an open door in heaven. Self-righteousness is a common problem among Christians who have been in the church for a long time. I remember an older brother in Christ saying he had always thought he had a lot of Biblical knowledge, and he was proud of his service to Christ in the church. But one day, he attended a conference where the preacher mentioned that we must not be self-righteous. This man was deeply shocked. He realized that he was actually spiritually poor. He had been distracted with his pride and self-righteousness, and the Lord's work had already carried on without him. Because of this, he sold the house he had lived in for decades, moved to a new place, started a new church, and became a vigorous witness for Christ. His testimony inspired many people, including me.   This older man had a teachable heart and a willingness to repent and change course. His life is a beautiful testimony to God's transforming work. But many older Christians find it difficult to break free from self-righteousness. To these people, Jesus says, "I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire" (Revelation 3:18a). Fire speaks of trials and God often allows self-righteous Christians to experience the fire of trials. These trials can purify them and refine their faith, like gold tried by fire.   The Lord went on to say in Revelation 3:18b, “And buy white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen.” Christians are often prideful about their righteousness and service to the Lord. When we are proud or arrogant about the work we do for the Lord, we often are too self-occupied to notice that we have lost our white garment. Just like the Pharisees, we are no longer clothed with the righteousness of God. Like the emperor without clothes, we live in our own deception.   The Lord goes on to say, “And buy salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.” Spiritual blindness is a common theme in the Bible. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their blindness. He said, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt, but now that you say ‘We see,' your guilt remains” (John 9:41). Spiritual blindness comes from pride, and it is often hard to see because it is hidden under the guise of loving God. Compared to worldly pride and other types of pride, spiritual pride is often the type of pride that is the most deeply hidden and difficult to detect. We become blind to our own pride. The main cause of the church's blindness is spiritual pride.   The Lord rebukes and disciplines people filled with pride and tells them to repent. "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent" (Revelation 3:19). Again, this verse confirms that the Laodiceans may not have been the worst of all the churches. God clearly says that he loves the Laodiceans, and that is why he disciplines them. Jesus also says he stands at the door and knocks, and those who hear his voice will open the door, and he will come in and eat supper with them (Revelation 3:20). In the very next chapter, the heavens are opened. At the end of Revelation 3, the Lord wants to sit on his throne with the overcomers from Laodicea (3:21).   Conclusion: The Opening of Heaven in the Spirit In our study, we've reached the end of the seven letters to the churches. The Lord's work in the seven churches has come to an end. We can now enter into the next stage of his work in the book of Revelation. As we read about the experience of sitting on the throne with the Lord, we will surely see heaven open for us as well. The sky will become clear, and we will see God's throne and his working. We will become more spiritually aware of God's will for our lives, as well as his will for the world. Through our spiritual eyes, we will see that everything that happens is under the sovereign control of God. No matter what disasters, discipline, victory, or success may come our way, God is mobilizing all things to accomplish His will.

Bible Study with Jairus- Revelation 3, part 2 The Mission of the Church in Philadelphia is to be a replica of the New Jerusalem   Traditionally, our understanding of the letter to the Church in Philadelphia is limited to noticing a few key facts. We point out that this church was one of the few churches in Revelation that was not criticized by the Lord. We also observe that the word "Philadelphia" means brotherly love, indicating that the people of this church must have loved one another. We often use the idea of the church in Philadelphia as a metaphor for revival. These are all helpful observations. However, let's not forget that the theme of the book of Revelation is to bring forth a mature Bride of Christ who can judge angels, ushering in God's ultimate judgment on the world. Therefore, we know that God's work in Philadelphia will somehow contribute to the maturity of the Bride of Christ. The New Jerusalem, the holy city that descends from heaven, is the Bride of Christ. Revelation 21:2 says that the New Jerusalem is like a bride adorned for her husband. The Lord's promise to the overcomers in Philadelphia is that they will not only become pillars in the temple of God, but they will also have the name of God's city (the New Jerusalem) written on their foreheads (Revelation 3:12). From these verses, we see that God wants the church at Philadelphia to become a model of the New Jerusalem. God also wants his body to mature into warriors who can eventually judge angels. The work of the Lord in the church in Philadelphia brings maturity to the church and defeat to the enemy. Although the church is not yet judging angels, we can tell that the enemy is already losing ground—especially in the church in Philadelphia. For example, Revelation 3:9 says that the Lord will make the false Jews in the synagogue of Satan come to worship at the feet of believers. Demons cannot worship at our feet if they are possessing us or sitting on our heads like monkeys (to borrow imagery from the visions of people with prophetic gifts). How can an evil spirit riding on your head bow down to you? That is impossible. You must first cut ties with evil spirits, cast them out, and distance yourself from them. Only then can they bow down to you. God's work in the church at Philadelphia is to continue to break Satan's ties with believers. Only then will the “synagogue of Satan” be able to bow down before believers. This analogy about evil spirits is not limited to evil spirits alone. Many sinners, including the false Jews mentioned in this passage, have the work of evil spirits behind them. Only when we deal with the evil spirits within these false teachers will they be able to bow at our feet. We will one day reign with Christ, just like Joseph reigned over Egypt. God used famine to humble his brothers so they would repent of their sin and bow at Joseph's feet. Joseph ruled over them as second-in-command, the person closest to Pharaoh's throne. In the same way, faithful believers will be second-in-command to God. The believers in the church in Philadelphia will become the bride of Christ, the New Jerusalem, the ones closest to God's throne. This leads naturally to the next letter to Laodicea, in which we learn that the overcomers will sit on the throne with the Lord (Rev 3:21).   The One Who Has the Key of David, Who Opens and No One Will Shut. At the beginning of this verse, the Lord reveals Himself as "the holy and true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens" (3:7). What does this verse mean? We know that the Book of Revelation quotes about 500 passages from the Old Testament, many of which are woven naturally into the text and not clearly identified. This verse is quoted from Isaiah 22:22. We must look at the context of the book of Isaiah in order to understand the meaning of this verse. Isaiah 13 to 23 contains God's judgments on various nations. These countries that were judged include Babylon (Chapter 13), Assyria and Palestine (Chapter 14), Moab (Chapter 15-16), Damascus (Chapter 17-18), Egypt (Chapter 19), Egypt and Ethiopia (Chapter 20), Babylon and Arabia (Chapter 21), Jerusalem (Chapter 22), and Tyre (Chapter 23). In this context, let us talk in detail about God's judgment on Jerusalem. God's judgment on Jerusalem included the dismissal of the king's steward, Shebna, who symbolized an unfaithful steward (Isaiah 22:19). At the same time, Eliakim, a faithful man, was called to God's service. He was clothed with a girdle, and the government was committed into his hands. He would become the father of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the house of Judah (Isaiah 22:20-21). Eliakim symbolized God's faithful servant. He would receive an anointing and authority from God to do God's work. In this context, God says he will give Eliakim the key of the house of David and lay it on his shoulder. What he opens, none would shut. What he shut, none could open. Since Jesus Christ used this sentence to describe himself in Revelation, we can infer that Eliakim symbolizes Jesus Christ. Eliakim is a type of Christ. As mentioned earlier, Joseph is another type of Christ. Joseph experienced many years of suffering and trials and was even imprisoned in an Egyptian prison. But one day, God opened the door for him to become prime minister of all Egypt. This was an open door that no one could close. When it is God's time, no one can shut the doors he opens. But when it is not his time, no one can open the doors he has not yet opened. During Joseph's trials—being sold into slavery by his brothers, being falsely accused, being forgotten by the cupbearer—God refused to open the door to power. God's time had not yet come. Joseph's experience helps us understand the letter to the church in Philadelphia. God's appointed time had come. He had worked in the church of Philadelphia, and it had reached a certain level of maturity. Therefore, he was opening a door for future growth. Just like Joseph matured through trials, the church of Philadelphia had gained a level of maturity. God would now use the key of David to open for them a door that no one could close. The Key of David in Daily Life In 2001, I left China to study in the UK. Before a year had passed, I had heard the gospel and repented of my sin. In 2002, I was baptized and became a Christian in the US. In 2004, God appeared to me and I surrendered to His service. After this experience, God did not reveal to me exactly how he wanted to use me. Instead, he led me through more than 10 years of study and experiential growth, including many difficult circumstances in the spiritual wilderness. At the beginning of 2017, God ended our ten-year infertility and gave us a miracle baby. On the last day of 2017, the Lord lifted my spirit into heaven and told me that He would use me greatly. At the same time, I received many prophecies from prophets who said that I would do great work for God in the future. Yet I didn't see God opening the door for me to serve Him. Although I also served him in a few ways, they were all very small-scale. As I waited, I was being trained by God. While I was getting my Doctor of Ministry at United Theological Seminary (UTS), I knew I was still preparing for God's service. I continued to receive prophetic confirmation that God has plans for my life. A sister in Christ with the gift of prophecy told me that when she was praying, she saw in her spirit that the enemy had built a wall around me, trying to block the fruits of my service. Not long after that, I also had a dream. In the dream, there was a wall around me. As I tried to tear down the wall and stab the wall with a dagger, a snake slithered away. These prophetic messages told me that there are indeed enemies around me who have erected spiritual barriers in an attempt to hinder my service to God. A few years ago, I was praying for two of my relatives, hoping that they would come to know the Savior and experience real repentance. I fasted and prayed every day at noon for one family member for six months, hoping that he would repent and be saved. I gave another family member the book of heavenly testimony, hoping that he would also be saved. However, after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, and during the months surrounding the 2020 US election, the enemy used the flesh to stir up conflicts among us. Due to these conflicts, my family members moved further away from salvation and repentance. The discord Satan stirred up among us has temporarily prevented them from getting saved. I believe they will eventually be saved. But in the meantime, I wonder, “Why can't I win this spiritual battle?” One reason is that I am not yet full of light and love. I am not yet fully filled with love, reflecting the New Jerusalem. For that reason, Satan is attacking and using my life. God has promised me that one day he will open the door for me to serve Him. He will even use me as a healer of spirit, soul, and body. But before I can be used by God in this way, I must experience the healing of my own spirit, soul, and body. My spirit needs to be uplifted, and my soul and body need to be healed. I need to break away from sin, the influence of the world, the entanglement of the flesh, and the oppression of evil spirits. Only then can I truly experience the infilling and the overflowing of the Holy Spirit, manifesting the rule of righteousness that is characteristic of the New Jerusalem. Only then will I be able to cast out the evil spirits in others. Madam Jeanne Guyon once testified that she wanted to drive out a spirit that was possessing another person. But before she spoke, the spirit went out. The evil spirits knew and feared Jesus and Paul, but they were not afraid of the seven sons of the Jewish chief priest, Sceva (Acts 19:15). In the same way, the spirits are not afraid of me, and I cannot cast out the demons in my relatives. My fasting, praying, and preaching of the gospel only aroused the resistance of the evil spirits inside of them, stirring up their flesh to oppose me. Although I believe that God is still working on them, my job right now is to learn how to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only then will I be able to drive out spirits in others. I once had a dream in which I was taking a shower in a simple outdoor bathroom in my hometown in rural China. As I bathed in lukewarm water with my clothes on, I sang happily. There were some flies around me. Outside the curtain, a group of children was waiting for me to come out. The inspiration I got from this dream is that God wants to use me to help Chinese people (represented by the children) be freed from the ties of evil spirits. However, God must cleanse me first. Bathing with lukewarm water with my clothes on symbolizes the Holy Spirit's cleansing of my heart, words, and deeds. The flies around me represent my past sins, as well as the evil spirits of my family and nation. My joyful singing reminds me that the joy of the Lord is my strength. With God's power, I will eventually be freed from the oppression of evil spirits and become a vessel that brings God's blessing to others. God has confirmed this call to me through the prophecies of many prophets, as well as His direct words to me. But we must become a living copy of the New Jerusalem before we can make the enemy bow down before us. When will God give us the key of David? God will give it to us in His Sovereign time, and he will wait until we each become a living replica of the New Jerusalem. What is the New Jerusalem? So what is the New Jerusalem? As I said, every letter written to the churches reflects a stage of God's work in the book of Revelation. The mention of the “pillar in the temple of God” and “the name of God and the name of the city of God (that is, the New Jerusalem) written on the forehead of overcomers” reflects what is written in Revelation 21 about the new Jerusalem coming down from heaven (21:2). First of all, Revelation 21:11 describes the New Jerusalem, saying, “In the city is the glory of God; its radiance like the rarest jewel, like jasper, clear as crystal.” To become a replica of the New Jerusalem, we must be filled with the glory and the light of God. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overcame it.” Whenever we harbor darkness in our hearts, the enemy gains a foothold in our hearts. Only because Christ had no darkness in him could he say that Satan had no hold over him (John 14:30). Madam Jeanne Guyon was able to cast out demons because she was filled with the glory and light of God. Satan and his evil spirits cannot enter the realm of the New Jerusalem. We must remember that any darkness in our spiritual lives provides a dwelling place for evil spirits. Secondly, according to Revelation 21:12-14, the New Jerusalem demonstrates a unity between Jews and Gentiles. The gates of the New Jerusalem contain the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel (Jews), and the foundations of the city walls contain the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (believers). Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” The word “both” refers to Jews and Gentiles. Through Christ, Jews and Gentiles abandon their hatred toward one another. They can both approach God through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. To become a replica of the New Jerusalem, we must abide in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus Christ, before God the Father. Only when we live in this intimate fellowship with God can we manifest the light of the New Jerusalem. Third, we notice that the walls of New Jerusalem are made of jasper. The city is made of pure gold, and the foundation of the walls is adorned with all kinds of precious stones (Revelation 21:18-20). These precious substances illustrate the final result of God's dealings with the seven churches. Gold is refined by fire, and gemstones are transformed through immense pressure. In the same way, our personal spiritual lives must be refined through fire and pressure so we can be transformed into precious stones in God's sight. Fourth, we learn that the twelve gates are made of twelve pearls (Revelation 21:21). Pearls are produced from the secretion of mussels who have been injured. This demonstrates that suffering and trials can produce beautiful gems in the lives of believers. Lastly, New Jerusalem is filled with the glory of God, and nothing unclean will ever enter into it (21:23-27). From this passage, we learn that the degree to which we are filled with the glory of God is the degree to which evil spirits can be subdued in our lives.   Conclusion: We Need to Become a Replica of the New Jerusalem The letters to the seven churches reveal the seven spiritual stages of God's work in the church. These different stages of spiritual work are an outline of the seven stages of God's work in the entire book of Revelation. If we want to become a replica of the New Jerusalem, we must learn about God's work described in the six previous letters to the churches. We must deal with our sins and return to our first love for God (the work of the Lord in the church in Ephesus). We must overcome the attacks of the spirit of death (the work of the Lord in the church in Smyrna). We must overcome the teachings of Balaam and deal with all the idols in our hearts (the work of the Lord in the church in Pergamos). We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit within (the work of the Lord in the church in Thyatira). We also need to outwardly manifest the righteousness of Christ (the work of the Lord in the church in Sardis). Only then can we become a prototype of New Jerusalem (the work of the Lord in the church in Philadelphia). Finally, we will be enabled to sit on the throne with the Lord (the work of the Lord in the church in Laodicea).

Bible Study with Jairus- - Revelation 3 Part 1 The Epistles to the Seven Churches Reveal Seven Spirit-Filled Stages of the Church and Individual   The Letter to the Church in Sardis Reveals God's Expectation for the Church to Live in Righteousness   The letter to the church in Sardis reveals God's expectation for the church to live righteously. As we learned in our last study, the letter to Thyatira reveals God's expectation that the church members become Spirit-filled kings who can rule the nations with a rod of iron. The letter to Sardis describes the outward manifestation of the inward reality revealed in the letter to Sardis. The infilling of the Holy Spirit (Sardis) and its outworking in righteous living (Thyatira) are two sides of the same coin. Without the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we cannot truly manifest the righteousness of God in our actions. We can only live righteously if we are righteous on the inside. If we claim to have the infilling of the Holy Spirit but do not demonstrate any outward righteousness, then our infilling is unreliable. We need to be justified by faith as well as by works. The letter to Sardis contains some phrases that refer symbolically to people who live in righteousness: Those who have “not soiled their garments" (v. 3) Those “clothed in white” (v. 4) walking with the Lord Those who overcome are clothed in “white raiment.” The imagery reminds us of the description of the righteous Bride in Revelation 19:8, who is clothed in "clean and white fine linen.” The Bible says that "the fine linen is the righteous works of the saints" (Revelation 19:8). The righteous works of these saints are the righteous deeds that they naturally live out and demonstrate after experiencing the infilling of the Holy Spirit. From this letter, we can see that God's judgment on the church has produced positive fruits. The church is growing into the spotless Bride of Christ. The stage of growth described in the letter to Sardis will lead naturally to the next stage of God's work on the church, God's work in the Philadelphia church. The purpose of the Philadelphia stage is to produce the prototype of the New Jerusalem.   The Progressive Spiritual Relationship of the Seven Churches In our last study, I mentioned that the letters to the seven churches are not limited to describing God's work in seven different chronological periods of church history. Nor are they limited to revealing God's different ways of working in the same time period. Instead, it describes the seven stages of spiritual growth as God helps the church grow toward maturity. I believe the letters reveal a pattern of continuous and progressive spiritual growth. As I read the book of Revelation, God enlightened me about this message of progressive growth. I believe that Satan and his evil spirits work differently in every church mentioned in Revelation. But God has given each church unique provisions that help it combat the work of Satan. In this way, each letter exposes a different aspect of the work of evil spirits, and also reveals an aspect of the Lord's provision. God's provision helps the individual church escape the deceptions of evil spirits and “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15) To recap what we have learned, let's briefly review the ways God provided for the unique struggle in each church. In the church of Ephesus, the evil spirit of indifference tempts the Ephesians to abandon the love they had at first. But the Lord reveals Himself as the High Priest who trims the lamps, removes the charred wicks, and anoints the church with oil (the Holy Spirit) to help them return to their first love. After the churches and believers return to their first love, Satan raises up the evil spirit of death to persecute them. This is what was happening in the church of Smyrna. The Lord reveals Himself as the resurrection who could strengthen the church to be victorious over the attacks of the evil spirit of death. When Satan sees that persecution fails to weaken the faith of the church, he sends false teachers (the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans). Just as Balaam tempted the Israelites to sin, these false teachers tempt the church to commit sexual immorality and leave their position of God's blessing. As a response to this temptation, the Lord reveals himself as "the sharp two-edged sword" (Rev 2:12). His word is powerful in discerning and defeating the wiles of the enemy in the church of Pergamum. In the church at Thyatira, Satan raises up the spirit of Jezebel, which is the spirit of the false prophet, to confuse believers. To combat his schemes, the Lord releases the spirit of Elijah to defeat Jezebel. Elijah foretold the death of Jezebel and anointed Jehu to kill Jezebel. In the same way, as believers defeat the evil spirit of Jezebel, they will grow into spiritual kings. God will give them authority to rule over all nations and they will “reign in life.” (Romans 5:17) In this way, the church will mature to such an extent that it can be “filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19) This fullness will naturally be manifested in outward righteousness, which is the work that God is accomplishing in the church in Sardis. The work of God in the church in Philadelphia is to produce the precursor of the New Jerusalem. God's work in the church of Laodicea is to achieve an ultimate victory, allowing us to sit on the throne and reign together with Christ. Each of these letters reveals a stage of spiritual growth, a stepping stone toward God's ultimate purpose for the church. It also represents the seven stages of trials that the Lord sends to the church, the seven ways that evil spirits work, and the seven provisions of God to combat these evil spirits. The Lord's epistles to the seven churches represent God's responses to the seven aspects of the work of evil spirits, helping the church to overcome them. In this way, the Church as a whole (the Bride of Christ) continues to grow in all things into Him who is the head, Christ. God's judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). Only after the house of God has endured judgment can God continue to judge the rest of the world. This is why the seven seals and seven trumpets (Revelation 5-11) are not revealed until after the Lord's letter to the seven churches. The seven seals and the seven trumpets represent God's continued judgment and cleansing of the world, which must take place after God's judgment and cleansing of the church. I believe the letters to the seven churches are the seven stages of God's judgment and cleansing which purify the church and prepare it to enter the next stage of God's work.   Our spiritual growth and skill prepare us to “level up” in our ability to withstand trials. A video game player can only advance to the second level after gaining sufficient skills and abilities to “win” the first level. In the second level, there will be even stronger enemies which will help the player prepare to face the challenges of the third level. Similarly, a child is only allowed on certain Disneyland rides after he has reached a certain height. In the same way, our level of growth or spiritual stature determines whether or not God will allow us to enter the next stage of his work. Only when God's church is mature and cleansed will God be able to begin the process of cleansing the world. In this age, the church is experiencing judgment, cleansing, and trials. The church's degree of maturity determines the timing in which God begins to cleanse the world. If we fail to mature spiritually, God cannot allow us to advance to the next stage of His work, which is judging the world. Just as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years, many churches and believers are wandering in circles. But we must mature spiritually so we can cooperate with God's work and enter the spiritual land of Canaan.   The Hologram Theory: The Seven Churches are a Microcosm of the Entire Kingdom of God Through an inspiration of the Holy Spirit, I understood that the Lord's epistles to the seven churches not only reveal seven stages of growth in the worldwide church, but also reveal a microcosm of God's work in the entire book of Revelation. The church is a microcosm of the kingdom of God. In the future, the whole earth will become the kingdom of our Lord and Christ (Revelation 11:15). But before this can be accomplished, the church must first become the kingdom of our Lord and of Christ, which is why the Lord wrote epistles to the seven churches. He wanted to purify the church and defeat the deeds of evil spirits in the church so the church could fully embrace its status as the kingdom of God. What is the Hologram Theory? In Chinese medicine, the Hologram Theory says that the acupuncture points of our feet correspond to all the acupuncture points on our bodies. If you go for a foot massage, as long as you find the right acupuncture points, you can treat the diseases of the whole body. Similarly, the abdomen also has acupuncture points that correspond to the acupuncture points of the whole body. All diseases in the whole body can be treated by doing acupuncture on the torso. An acupuncturist from our church frequently administers abdominal acupuncture on me, and it works every time to heal my body. What's even more amazing is that the ears also contain acupuncture points that correspond to the acupuncture points on the entire body. Another Christian brother in Christ gives me ear acupuncture to help me regulate my entire body and health. This principle is not only true of Chinese medicine. In Western medicine, understanding one cell can help scientists decipher the mysteries of the human body. The Hologram Theory means a partial and tiny thing, which can reflect a whole and entire picture. As I read the Bible, I realized that the seven stages of God's work in the churches are a microcosm of the work of God in the entire book of the Book of Revelation. Here are a few examples of this phenomenon. The Lord's letter to Laodicea says that the one who overcomes will sit on the throne with the Lord, just as Jesus overcame and sat on the throne with the Father (Rev 3:21). This mirrors the "throne of God and of the Lamb" mentioned in Revelation 22 (22:1). The Lord's epistle to the church at Philadelphia mentions “being a pillar in the temple of God” and that “the name of God and the name of the city of God (that is, New Jerusalem) are written on the overcomers,” both of which are reflected in Revelation 21 as the "new Jerusalem came down from heaven" (21:2). The believers in Sardis are "clothed in white,” walk with the Lord and live righteous lives. This concept is reflected in the bride in Revelation 19. The bride wears fine white linen, which represents the righteous acts of the saints. Jesus' letter to the church in Thyatira mentions an iron rod that governs the nations. This reflects the male child in Revelation 12 who “will rule the nations with an iron rod.” In the letter to Pergamos, Jesus rebuked the evil spirit of Jezebel and sent the spirit of Elijah. This mention can remind us of the two witnesses and prophets released by God in Revelation 10 and 11. The epistle to Smyrna reveals the work of the spirit of death, which can remind us of Revelation 9, where it says, "In those days men desired death, but never died; they longed for death, but death shunned them" (9:6). Not only is life in the hands of God, but death is also in the hands of God. In the letter to Ephesus, Jesus mentions leaving our first love. Perhaps this reference can remind us of the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments, the purpose of which was to encourage humans to return to The One who created them. Humans were created by God, but they have left their first love. These judgments will make them return to God Himself. These examples show that the letters to the churches are a microcosm of the book of Revelation as a whole. In the book of Revelation, God's purpose is to ultimately reveal the male child, the Bride, and the New Jerusalem. But God must first produce a prototype in the microcosm of the church. When all the prophecies of the Book of Revelation are fulfilled, Christ will publicly return to earth in the Parousia. But God has already returned in a hidden way to his body, the church, in a miniature Parousia. Parousia means the appearance and coming of Christ. Before the Lord's public appearance to the whole world, He has already made a hidden, early appearance in the church. The word Parousia has a two-level meaning which includes both the public coming of Christ and the hidden coming of Christ.  For the people of the world, the Lord Jesus has not appeared publicly. But for those who walk with the Lord as Enoch did, God has already appeared to us like the morning star appears before the dawn (2 Peter 1:17). Those of us who walk with God have already experienced the appearance of Jesus. I once heard the story of Miss Margaret E. Barber who was very eager for the Lord's appearance. She lived in the constant hope of the Lord's coming. One day, as she and Watchman Nee were walking along the street, she said to him, "Perhaps, when we reach the corner of that street, the Lord will return.” She lived in great anticipation of the Lord's Parousia (the appearance of the Lord). I believe that because of her love for the Lord, she was already experiencing an internal manifestation of the kingdom of Christ. She already had a practical experience of living in Christ's heavenly kingdom. The epistles to the seven churches demonstrate the seven stages of the Lord's work in the church as he perfects his body so we can enter his heavenly kingdom. How is today's church doing in its spiritual growth? How is your church doing? How are you doing? Can you say that you are already living in the spiritual reality of the kingdom of the Lord? That you are living in the reality of the New Jerusalem? This is the question that we Christians must ask ourselves today. God Wants Us to Live in Righteousness. The Lord's letter to the church in Sardis reveals that God wants us to live in righteousness. How do we live in righteousness? We must experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, which is exactly what God did for the church in Thyatira. The filling of the Holy Spirit and a life of righteousness are two sides of the same coin, as demonstrated in this personal testimony. When I was in the Local Church Movement, I was encouraged to pursue the filling of the Holy Spirit. I was taught that only when we are filled with the Holy Spirit can we be greatly used by the Lord. Only when individual believers experience revival can the church as a whole experience revival. And revival comes from the filling of the Holy Spirit. As a result of this teaching, I began to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit. First, in order to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must confess our sins. As I sought God's infilling, I confessed my sins, repented of the weaknesses of my flesh, and removed the spiritual impurity brought about by the filth of the world. Since sin hinders us from receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must deal with our sins before we can please God. We must deal with our sins because they hinder our fellowship with God and pull us away from our first love, our love for God. Jesus addressed the sin of the church at Ephesus, and we must address our sins as well. Second, in order to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, we must overcome spiritual death. For example, watching worldly TV programs is not necessarily a sin, but it can bring us spiritual death. After watching TV for a long time, our prayers feel dry and dull. We feel like we are far from God and it is difficult to get into the spirit of prayer. This is the work of the spirit of death. Just like God overcame the spirit of death in the church at Smyrna, God can resurrect us from our spiritual death. Spiritual death comes from our sin and from our exposure to the world. The third thing we have to deal with is the influence of the world. The church in Pergamos was a church that was married to the world. The word "Pergamum" means "married, united, and strong tower.” This symbolizes that the church and believers were united with the world, and even allowed God's dwelling place to become "Satan's seat" (Revelation 2:13). We must rid ourselves of worldly influence so we can experience more of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Fourth, to experience the infilling of the Holy Spirit, we must defeat the fleshly strongholds that allow the evil spirits and false prophets to flourish in our midst. Through our strongholds, we allow false prophets like Jezebel to teach "the depths of Satan" (Revelation 2:24) to the church and to believers. Israel's entry into the land of Canaan is a picture of the filling of the Holy Spirit. If we want to experience the filling of the Holy Spirit, we need to defeat the evil spirits and the strongholds they establish, just like Israel under Joshua defeated the Canaanites. Only then can we have victory in the land of Canaan. Fifth, after experiencing the former stages of growth, we can experience God's work in the church at Sardis. That is, we can manifest outwardly through righteous deeds what God has already filled us with inwardly. Jesus said, "A good tree brings forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:17).  Just like a cup only spills the contents that are already inside it, we can only manifest the things that are already filling us. As we “level up” to later stages of growth, we face more direct attacks and challenges from evil spirits. While I was in the Local Church Movement, I experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit to an extent, but I did not experience the full outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the subsequent manifestation that is described in Acts 2. God led me to join the Charismatic movement, where I received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. According to Brother Derek Prince, the most obvious sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not tongues or gifts, but increased troubles. After receiving the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I began to experience more attacks from evil spirits and observed more acts of evil spirits, neither of which I had experienced in the past. When we advance in our experience of the filling of the Holy Spirit, we will definitely experience more attacks from evil spirits. Through these attacks, God is training us to judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3). God's work in Philadelphia and Laodicea also demonstrates the continued work of God through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to become the “New Jerusalem” (the manifestation of God) and to sit “on the throne together with the Lord” (reigning with Christ). Conclusion: The spiritual experience revealed by the letters to the churches not only describes the seven stages of the church's spiritual growth, but also the seven stages that every individual Christian can experience as they encounter the filling of the Holy Spirit. These seven letters represent a microcosm of the entire book of Revelation. We must see these letters from a new perspective. This inspiration from the Holy Spirit is a timely message for this generation. Both the church as a whole and individual Christians urgently need to grow and mature in their spiritual lives.    

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 2-Part 4   Christians Can Defeat the Spirit of Jezebel by Reigning with Christ     The three main roles portrayed in the Old Testament are Priest, Prophet, and King. All of God's people were called to draw near to God, like priests. All God's people are invited to have God reign as king in their lives. This was God's will for Israel, but they were afraid to speak directly to God, as a priest would. They asked Moses to speak to God instead of them (Deuteronomy 5:27), giving up their responsibility as priests. They also rejected God as their king and wanted to have a king like other nations, which God allowed (1 Samuel 8:7). Kings complement priests and prophets complement kings. When the Israelites refused to draw near to God as priests, God raised up a king, David, to shepherd His chosen people. When the king (David) fell into sin, God sent a prophet (Nathan) to help him get back onto the right path of loving God. Herein lies the key to Revelation 2. The letter to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2 mentions the Spirit of Jezebel and the Spirit of the False Prophet. I believe these spirits are related to the failure of Ahab, Jezebel's husband, to be a good king. When Christians stop acting like kings, false prophets like Jezebel will come in and make the king worse. But during these times of failure, there will also be true prophets, like Elijah, who will come in and anoint new kings, like Jehu, and defeat false prophets and ungodly kings. Elijah and Jehu worked together to prophesy against King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. They also helped fulfill these prophecies of judgment. This is true not only in the Old Testament but also in the spiritual reality of the New Testament. The Spirit of Jezebel is operating in the church to produce bad kings like Ahab who cannot manifest the power of Christ. Meanwhile, the spirit of the true prophet Elijah is also operating to make people repent. As Malachi 4:5-6 (ESV) says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction."[1] When people refuse to accept the words of the true prophet, God will strike the land with a decree of utter destruction. The Lord's discipline of the unrepentant people in the church of Thyatira resembles the judgment mentioned in Malachi. The Lord will first send the spirit of Elijah to call believers to repent. But when they refuse to repent, God's judgment will come upon them. When Christians neglect to get close to God, they lose their first love and their priestly status. This is what happened to the church in Ephesus. After a believer overcomes persecution and the spirit of death (church in Smyrna) and the teaching of Balaam (church in Pergamum), he/she gradually matures to the stage of reigning in life. If he/she continues to grow up into the Head, Christ, he/she will be given power over the nations, to rule them with a rod of iron. These believers will be rewarded with Christ, the morning star (Revelation 2:26-28). Believers will also become morning stars since they are the reproduction and manifestation of Christ. This is the heart of the spiritual warfare that took place in the Church in Thyatira. The purpose of the trials in the church of Thyatira was to produce victorious Christians who could reign victoriously in their spiritual lives as they rule and discipline the nations with a rod of iron.     Progressive Spiritual Growth Demonstrated in the Letters to the Seven Churches   As I mentioned before, the seven churches in Revelation could either represent seven churches in different time periods or seven different kinds of churches in the same time period. Through an inspiration from the Holy Spirit, I believe that the seven churches represent the concept of progressive spiritual growth. The progression of themes from the first church to the seventh shows God's continually unfolding work as the church of Christ bands together and builds one another up through God's help and discipline. On the other hand, the letters to the churches show the different evil spirits that continue to ensnare sinners, weaving a spider-like web. Throughout the section, the aspect of growth and the aspect of opposition continue building cumulatively. The church will progressively grow into the mature Body of Christ and produce many overcomers, represented by the male child in Revelation 12. Meanwhile, the evil kingdom will continue growing until it manifests as Babylon the Great, producing false prophets and antichrists. The two kingdoms are like two trains, constantly gaining new passengers, both headed towards a final collision point, which is the Battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is a defining moment in the history of mankind, and even in the history of the universe. Since Armageddon is so important, we can't claim that the rest of the Bible has nothing to do with Armageddon. It's all very relevant and tied together. God's letters to the seven churches are His battle cry that summons His chosen people to participate in the battle of Armageddon.   These letters also prepare and perfect them spiritually for the upcoming battle. The seven letters describe seven aspects in which the churches need to spiritually prepare. It also mentions seven spirits of God and seven stars in Jesus' hands. Jesus Christ's seven character qualities provide seven essential provisions for the churches. He judges and exposes the evil spirits' deception in seven key ways. These difficult exposures will help the church realize its own shortcomings so it can repent, access the seven characteristics of God, and manifest Him fully on earth.   The work of the Holy Spirit and the work of the evil spirits are both increasing in intensity from the first letter to the church to the last. The intensification of one is closely linked to the intensification of the other. God wants to make the church into the body of Christ, a pure bride without blemish. Meanwhile, Satan and the evil spirits want to make the church into the great prostitute, Babylon the Great. Therefore, Satan constantly enlists new and more powerful evil spirits to join his team in opposing the church. But God continues to help the church overcome the attacks of these evil spirits. Through his provision, he helps them overcome trials.   First, the churches and believers overcame the temptation to lose their first love (Ephesus). Then, they overcame persecution and the fear of death (Smyrna). They fought against the teaching of Balaam (Pergamum). Finally, they have arrived at the fourth stage described in the letter to Thyatira. Believers had to learn to resist the attack of the Jezebel spirit in the church. Just as the Israelites experienced more than forty trials in the wilderness, the church also experienced at least seven trials in Revelation 2-3. Trials always bring lessons of faith. We journey through the wilderness to a Holy Spirit-filled place of blessing. The church in Thyatira had matured to a point where it could confront the attacks and trials of the Jezebel spirit. If they could overcome the test of the Jezebel spirit, they would be able to rule the nations with a rod of iron.   The progressive spiritual growth demonstrated in the letters to the churches can be compared to levels in a video game. After you've completed the first level, the enemies in the second level will be even more powerful. But after you defeat the enemies in the second level, you will become stronger. We complete increasingly difficult levels in the “game of life” designed by God to eventually select those who are worthy of an eternal reward. People often say that the greater your anointing from God, the greater will be the attacks from evil spirits. But the greater the spiritual opposition, the greater the anointing that God gives to overcome these attacks. As the Chinese say, “the good always triumphs over evil.” The letters to the churches demonstrate the progressive spiritual growth of the church throughout history.   The Lord Has Eyes Like a Flame Of Fire and Feet Like Burnished Bronze   As the web of evil thickens like a spider web, unsuspecting believers will become prey. Let's compare evil spirits to spiders. Evil spirits catch sleeping believers and tangle them up in their sticky webs of sin and false teaching. To these believers, Jesus reveals Himself as “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” (Revelation 2:18) Evil spirits can deceive some believers, but they cannot deceive the Lord whose "eyes are like a flame of fire.”  The reference to “feet… like burnished bronze" refers to the Lord's judgment. Whether his judgment is against evil spirits or against believers who refuse to repent, God's judgment is severe.   In some ways, the church in Thyatira seemed to be doing well. They were told “I know your works, your love and faith and service, and patient endurance,” and their latter works exceeded the first. (Revelation 2:19) So why did they later accept the teaching of the Jezebel spirit and false prophets? The Jezebel spirit uses these false prophets to do its evil work. The false prophets lure believers to commit sexual immorality and worship idols (Revelation 2:20). The Lord gave these false prophets of Jezebel a chance to repent. But Jezebel refused to repent (Revelation 2:21), so God judged her and threw her onto a sickbed (Revelation 2:22). Those who committed adultery with her and refused to repent were also thrown into tribulation (Revelation 2:22). God would strike down Jezebel's children (her followers), so that the church would know that "I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works." (Revelation 2:23).   What happened that led some believers to follow the Jezebel spirit? We know that the Jezebel spirit is against the spirit of Elijah. And the spirit of Elijah "will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” So the church must have "turned her heart away from the heavenly Father" in order to be deceived by the Jezebel spirit. This explanation makes sense. There are many things that might have turned the believers' hearts away from God. Here are some possibilities: Busyness, both ministry busyness and secular busyness. This may have been what the Lord was referring to in verse 19. The church's schedule was full of works, love, faith, service, endurance, and latter works that exceeded the first. When we are overly busy, we may unknowingly build new idols. even When our ministry is successful, our service to God may become an idol in our lives. Such idols keep our hearts away from God, thereby providing a bridgehead for Jezebel's false teachings to attack us. Another reason why we can be deceived by the Jezebel spirit is our interest in status and power. In the Old Testament, the historical Jezebel helped keep her husband Ahab in power by seizing Naboth's vineyard. It is the same in today's church. When we regard our status, power, reputation and position in the church as more important than the interests of other believers or God, we fall for the tricks of the Jezebel spirit. In every church, there are people who are greedy for power and profit. They are easily deceived and used by the teachings of Jezebel.   But not all the Thyatirans were deceived. There were some who were not in the know, who simply loved the Lord. To these people, the Lord said, "To the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden." (Revelation 2:24).   Overcoming Hidden Weaknesses   We all have hidden weaknesses. These hidden weaknesses include greed, sexual immorality, and the desire for power, money, and fame. As we embark on the path of loving the Lord, we experience unceasing attacks from evil spirits and temptations from the world. John defines the world as “the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life." (1 John 2:16). What eventually makes us fail is the weakness of our inner life that we are often unaware of. These unconscious weaknesses give the enemy a chance to attack us. As the saying goes, “Nothing happens for no reason.” Our goal is to be free from weaknesses, so we can proclaim with Jesus that evil has no claim on us (John 14:30).   We can only be victorious if we overcome first our sins, then the world, and finally our flesh, our ambition and our status. A worship leader I like very much talked about his experience with cheating. His weakness was revealed to the world, which prompted him to do things that he later regretted. After Ravi Zacharias, a well-known apologist died, it was exposed that he molested women. He mentioned that he was under a lot of pressure and could not solve the troubles caused by these pressures, so he turned to molesting women to comfort himself. Many American Christians admit to turning to sex, drugs and pornography in an attempt to find solace when facing pressure from the world. These are the hidden weaknesses we need to overcome. We must allow God to continue to work in our unsanctified souls through prayer and fill us with the love of Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit.   In the process of overcoming our weaknesses through the love of Christ, we often encounter hindrances. The sin of the flesh trips us up and we are encumbered by the strongholds of evil spirits within us. It is difficult to overcome these weaknesses. This was Paul's experience in Romans 7. He said that he kept on doing the evil he did not want to do but didn't do the good he wanted to do. But the story doesn't end in chapter 7. In Romans 8, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set Paul free.   For a long time, I have been struggling to overcome a certain weakness of my flesh. I have frequently prayed for victory but have often failed. This weakness took root because I was poor when I was young. The spirit of poverty built a stronghold within me. I have never been able to overcome the attacks of the spirit of greed. I have prayed so hard, asking God to help me.   Then one night, I had a strange dream. I dreamed that I was flying while stepping on a ball made of dirt. As I stamped my feet to shake off the dust from my feet, I proclaimed with a loud voice, "I will certainly be able to overcome the world and all its attractions through Jesus Christ who strengthens me." Although I often struggle and fail to overcome these weaknesses, I do not give up on praying for victory. I often pray that the Holy Spirit of God will fill me more, so that the unsanctified part of my soul will be sanctified by the life of Christ, and I will experience the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit in greater abundance. Although I am still fighting against the weakness of my flesh and the stronghold of the evil spirits inside of me, the Holy Spirit promises that with Jesus Christ strengthening me, I will surely overcome the world and all its attractions.   But I know that like the Israelites, many believers cannot defeat the enemy and drive the enemy out. When they hit a plateau in their spiritual life or when they experience more obstacles from the strongholds built by the evil spirits, they give up. The weaknesses continue to dwell among them, becoming a snare. Similarly, if we fail to overcome our spiritual weaknesses through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will experience the same snare. The failure of the apologist Zacharias is just one example of this concept. A person may be outwardly successful in his career or spiritual ministry, but still fail in his inner life and testimony.   In addition, our spiritual victory is inseparable from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The "Holiness Movement,” birthed the Pentecostal Movement. This denomination is deeply influenced by the teaching of John Wesley's "Second Blessing.” These believers not only pursued belief, salvation, and satisfaction in Christ, but also pursued sanctification, victory, and a “second blessing” from God. As they pursued a second blessing of victory, some experienced the baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit, leading to the start of the modern Pentecostal Movement. As I have mentioned several times, I was saved in a Local Church Movement where I pursued inner growth. But I observed that many believers could not overcome their spiritual difficulties because they did not have the supernatural help that only came through the Holy Spirit's baptism.   Conclusion   The letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation illustrate the progressive spiritual growth of the church. Just like the Israelites made forty-two stops in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, each church experiences many trials along the way. These trials will make the church more mature, building us into a mature bride of Christ which can overcome the evil spirits and Babylon the Great.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 2 Part 3   The Work of Evil Spirits in The Seven Churches   The book of Revelation reveals that the church and the Body of Christ will judge the evil spirits who cooperate with Satan to deceive and snare people and drag them into hell. First Corinthians 6:3 says that believers will judge angels, and we will also execute God's judgment upon Satan. After the birth of the male child in chapter 12, God eventually threw Satan in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12). This is the ultimate destiny of Satan and the evil spirits. That's why Satan and the evil spirits are strongly opposing the church's maturity and the maturity of the bride, because the church's maturity signals the beginning of their final judgment. For this reason, Satan has sent all kinds of evil spirits into the churches to oppose the victory and maturity of the church. These evil spirits tempt believers and try to snare them into sin and deception.   The letters to the seven churches in Revelation 1-2 not only reveal characteristics of Christ, but also reveal the work of Satan and the evil spirits in every church. By exposing their works, Christ judges not only the church, but also the work of the evil spirits in the church. For example, Jesus not only exposed the lack of love in Ephesians, but he also exposed the evil spirit of indifference operating in their midst. Jesus said that in the end times, "lawlessness will be increased, [and therefore] the love of many will grow cold." (ESV, Matthew 24:12)[1]. When lawlessness increases, righteous things are suppressed, people's expectations are not met, and love grows cold. This is the result of the work of the spirit of indifference in the church. Jesus exposed the spirit of indifference in His letter to the church in Ephesus. When the evil spirits' tricks are exposed, their defeat will not be far away.   Evil Counterfeits   The Bible reveals three major realities about the world: God's nature and work The tricks of Satan and the evil spirits Humans' identity in Christ and our weaknesses.   When we study the Bible we must learn about God, Satan, and ourselves. The book of Revelation is no exception. In the letter to the church in Ephesus, these three things are revealed.   Humans are an object of contention between God and Satan. We were created by God to worship Him, and lead everyone to worship Him. This was once Satan's role. This is why Satan hates us so much. Satan tempts us to sin and tries to convince us to follow him so he can rob us of our worship of God.  We were created as mirrors and vessels. We reflect the light of Christ, see his face, and become like Him, or we accept Satan's infusion of sin and the disguise of sin.   In the letters of Revelation to the seven churches, there are five major things we can learn. The characteristics of Christ The characteristics of Satan and evil spirits; The positive work of Christ in the church, which is what the Lord praises; The negative work of Satan and evil spirits in the church, in which the Lord criticizes The Lord will give us reward if we correct our mistakes. To simplify even more, these chapters discuss the characteristics of God, the acts of Satan, and the condition of man.   When we think about the church, we often focus on God's work and on people's positive testimony or negative witness. But we often ignore the work of evil spirits. And evil spirits will never stand idle. They will design all kinds of snares to lure believers into sin. So we must pay attention to the work of the evil spirits.   The Work of Evil Spirits   How can we learn about the work of Satan and his evil spirits? This is not an easy task. Many liberal theologians don't even acknowledge the existence of Satan and evil spirits. There are also some church members in the United States who think that evil spirits only exist in the third world where idols are still prevalent. But this is not the case. Evil spirits also exist in American churches.   There are different theological explanations about the origins of evil spirits. But we know that the Bible discusses many different kinds of evil spirits, which seemingly rule over different regions and have different functions. Some evil spirits seem to influence politics, such as the spirit of Jezebel. Others seem to be spirits of adultery. The spirit of indifference tempts people to give up on changing the church, and the spirit of legalism shuts down passion for God and focuses instead on dogmatism. We will not be spending a lot of time discussing the sources and types of evil spirits. But we must know enough about the work of evil spirits to know how to spot and avoid their tricks, and to seek God's wisdom to know how to deal with them. If we ignore or do not understand the work of the evil spirits, we will give them the opportunity to work in the church.   For example, the spirit of unforgiveness often use people's unforgiveness to build unforgiving strongholds in their hearts. These strongholds will become the enemy's bridgehead, hardening believers' hearts towards God and causing them to lose their love for others. The Lord Jesus taught us many times that we must forgive others. In addition, if we watch sinful videos or commit sexual sins, it opens the door to the spirit of lust. These are some common ways used by the evil spirits at work.   Why Did the Church in Ephesus Leave Her First Love?   The spirit of indifference was likely at work in the church in Ephesus. Some theologians believe that the Nicolaitans in Revelation 2:6 were an arrogant group of privileged people within the church. They wanted to control the interpretation of the Bible and restrict the saints from functioning independently and reading the Bible on their own. They wanted a monopoly on God's word. In many churches, a small group of privileged people does the majority of the work of the church. Only one pastor preaches the sermons every week. As a result, the other members begin to wither and lack functioning, allowing many people to lose their first love.   This type of behavior is damaging and breeds discouragement and indifference. As members of one body, believers are supposed to be connected directly to Christ, so he can provide for us. However, when a privileged group tries to control God's word and believers, members will lack the direct provision from Christ the Head. They will also lack training of their senses (Hebrews 5:14) and never grow past spiritual infancy.   The spirit of indifference operates in many churches, but many people are unaware of it. When we have been in a church for a long time and friction and misunderstandings continue to grow, we feel a passion to change things. But when a monopolizing group shuts us down, we slowly stop caring. We open the door to the spirit of indifference.   When I was small, I remember having a desire to attempt a certain task. But my family wouldn't let me do it. “You are too young,” they said. I was sad, because I felt capable enough to do it. Since no one encouraged my passions and desires, I stopped bringing the subject up. I was frustrated and no longer talked about my wishes. In the same way, we often hear people in companies or even churches complaining, "I don't want to raise any opinions anymore. They are the ones who have the final say anyway. They don't listen to us at all." Many people are discouraged because their suggestions are not adopted. Therefore, well-managed companies attach great importance to the annual survey of employees. They collect their opinions and adopt reasonable opinions in response. Poorly managed companies, however, don't usually pay attention to and adopt the opinions of their employees. Over time, they lose the loyalty of their employees. Jesus was right when He said, "For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light." (Luke 16:8).   When the monopolizing group focuses on its own interests and shuts down other believers, it prevents them from using their talents. These believers can easily become discouraged and disappointed. Even if they are unwilling to leave the church and their beliefs, they become negative and discouraged. They may even lose their first love.   Randy Clark, a teacher at my seminary, told a story that serves as an excellent example of this point. He mentioned that he leads an annual ministry team that preaches the gospel and serves the church in Brazil. One of his burdens has been to train believers to do the work Jesus taught: healing the sick and casting out demons. He believes that everyone can heal and cast out demons. But when he went to a Brazilian church and tried to do this, he was met with opposition from the pastor. The pastor said, “If you teach all the believers to pray and heal the sick and cast out demons, who will still need us?” The pastor opposed their attempts to train the believers in his church. “Please teach the clergy to do this,” they said. “But we do not want all believers to learn it.”   There are many reasons why believers can lose their first love (2:4). But one of the reasons may be the work of the Nicolaitans, which Jesus hates. It is no accident that this is mentioned here. In verse five, Jesus mentions that believers should remember from where they have fallen. And immediately following this statement, he mentions that he hates the works of the Nicolaitans (2:6). It logically follows that the Nicolaitans may have caused the Ephesian believers to lose their first love.   In historic Catholicism, only the clergy could read the Bible, and only the Pope could affirm the doctrine, which limited the enthusiastic growth of individual believers. After Martin Luther translated the Bible into the common language and the printing press made Bibles widely available, a great revival broke out! But unfortunately, the banal influence of the middle class is still circulating in the church today, even in the Protestant church and some Chinese churches. What a strange and unfortunate situation! When a new servant arises in the church, the long-standing church workers feel threatened. As a result, they begin to suppress these new servants. Evil spirits often take advantage of people's narrow-minded and selfish interests to restrict the growth and functioning of believers. This suffocates the growth of the Body of Christ.   Evil Spirits at Work in The Church In Smyrna   What types of evil spirits were at work in the church in Smyrna? To answer this question, we must return to the church in Ephesus. When a privileged group oppresses the rest of the church, as it may have done in Ephesus, some believers become discouraged. But other believers are able to overcome the persecution of this evil spirit. These faithful believers continue to love the Lord. They do not lose their first love. Now Satan is left with a conundrum: what should he do with these people? He decides to directly persecute them, just like he did with Job. Satan had attacked Job's possessions, property, and family, but Satan had not failed to trust God. Satan concluded that direct persecution would cause Job to curse God. Satan said, "Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life." (Job 2:4). In the same way, Satan launched a direct attack on those who had survived his subtle attack of lovelessness.   The letters to the seven churches build on one another, just like the progressively difficult levels in a video game. After passing one level, the next level is more difficult. In the same way, trials can be progressively more difficult. John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress portrays a man named "Christian" who goes through increasing difficulties and trials in order to eventually reach his destination and find eternal life. In the same way, God allows believers to experience many difficulties on their way to the eternal city of God.   The religious spirit often oppresses believers and tempts them to lose their first love. If believers successfully overcome the religious spirit and stay true to God, Satan may attack them directly to see if they can pass the test. Anyone who can overcome the oppression of the religious spirit in the church will surely suffer persecution. But Jesus tells us that this tribulation will only last ten days. Those who overcome will receive the crown of life (2:10). Not everyone will experience persecution that leads to physical death, but many people will experience the mental and emotional persecution that Paul described in 2 Corinthians 1:8b-9a: “…We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself, felt that we had received the sentence of death..." Many believers have experienced seemingly hopeless situations, yet they have also experienced the hand of the Risen Christ leading them through the valley of the shadow of death. For example, Margaret E. Barber who trained Watchman Nee was misunderstood and envied by her Christian co-workers. They smeared her with lies, dragged her reputation through the dirt, and left her in the church to serve alone. Despite these struggles, Margaret trained Watchman Nee and others and brought a wave of revival into the Chinese church.   As you will recall, the theme of the book of Revelation is to usher in the victorious overcomers and the bride of Christ (chapter 12); judge Satan and his evil spirits; and bring in the New Jerusalem, the New Heaven and the New Earth. Our trials are like a fiery furnace, designed to smelt away the dross and make our faith more precious than gold (1 Peter 1:7).   The Evil Spirits Operating in The Church in Pergamum   Persecution is not always the most effective method of destroying believers. During the early years of the Roman Empire, Satan's persecution of the church reached its climax. Many Christians were burned at the stake or sent into the arena to fight with wild beasts. But instead of losing their faith, they became stronger. Their willingness to die rather than deny Christ strengthened other believers. The blood of the martyrs made Christianity spread more widely. The number of Christians increased even more. Satan saw that his methods were not universally effective. Though believers shrank back as persecution became more severe, still others became stronger.   What would Satan do next? Why not mix the tare with the wheats? He began to introduce the teaching of the Nicolaitans (2:15) and Balaam (2:14). Balaam was a gentle false prophet hired by Balak, King of Moab, to curse Israel. God would not allow Balaam to curse Israel, and blessings poured out of his mouth instead. When Balaam realized he could not call down curses on Israel, he used a trickier method. He could not change God's attitude toward the Israelites, so he decided to change the Israelites' attitude toward God. He sent Moabite and Midianite women to entice the Israelites into committing sexual sin. Since the Lord hates idolatry and fornication, the Israelites lost God's blessings. God sent a plague to punish them. Although God eventually judged Balaam, the Israelites also suffered severely for their sin.   In the same way, Satan deployed a subtle tactic against the believers in Pergamum. The believers had not fallen for the trick of lovelessness (Ephesus), nor had they fallen for the trick of death and persecution (Smyrna). But perhaps he could lure them away with sexual sin and idolatry, like Balaam lured the people of Israel. Satan let loose the religious spirit, the spirit of death, and the spirit of confusion at the same time, allowing them to band together. Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, "And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." What is true in the realm of goodness is also true in the realm of evil. Satan knew that if he could attack simultaneously from several angles, he could seduce more people. He sent several evil spirits to band together against the church. The cooperation of evil spirits and human sinners will eventually become Babylon the Great, which is a combination of religious, political, business and other systems which form a giant snare and attempt to drag the church into hell.   Facing such a united front of evil, believers must recognize that God's word is even sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). If believers do not know how to use God's word as a sword (Ephesians 6:17) or how to put on the whole armor of God to fight against the enemy, they will become prey. Satan continues to use all kinds of evil spirits to weave a sticky net, like a spider web, to bind believers and restrict the church. Like flies that get caught in a spider's web, some believers will fall prey to Satan and evil spirits. But while a spider's web is strong enough to catch insects, it's no match for a human with a broom in his hand. In the same way, God's word will easily conquer Babylon the Great.   Why do some believers get stuck in Satan's spider webs and lose their spiritual vitality? It is because they lack the fellowship with the Lord. The teaching of the Nicolaitans keeps believers from having personal contact with God and His word. It causes them to lose their fellowship with Him and cut off their rich supply directly from the Head, Christ. Furthermore, it discourages them from repenting, asking for God's forgiveness, and receiving the cleansing of his precious blood. When we fall prey to these beliefs, we get stuck.   However, when we draw close to God and study and meditate on His word every day, we will receive the hidden manna (2:17). We will experience spiritual transformation and become a pure white stone which will never be trapped by spider webs (2:17). We will receive a new name. God will know us personally (2:17). God will keep us through all trials. Although thousands of people fall before us, we will not be afraid of evil, because God will keep us safe (Psalm 91:7).   Conclusion   Despite Satan's attempts to destroy the church, God's work continues forward despite all opposition. The tests and attacks by the religious spirit (Ephesus), spirit of death (Smyrna), and the spirits of idolatry, immorality, and confusion (Pergamos) only strengthen the church. As they choose to keep their first love, overcome death, and put away idolatry and false teaching, they build up the body of Christ. The church's progress will eventually lead to the seal judgments and trumpet judgments. Many people will be judged, including the church, since judgment begins at the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). These judgments will further purify the church, separate the wheat from the tares, and reap an eternal harvest of souls. The more the church matures, the more overcomers it will produce. The more Satan's forces band together, the stronger the opposition. The train has left the station. The train of evil and the train of good are headed for a full-force collision at the battle of Armageddon.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus- Revelation 2 (part 2)   God's Provision in Difficult Times   Today we will look at the first three letters to the churches in Revelation 2. As we've discussed, these seven letters are structured like a sandwich, starting with praise, followed by criticism, and finishing with encouragement. But we often overlook the opening sentence of each letter, which reveals something about the nature of Jesus Christ.   The first sentence of each chapter of the Bible is often the key to understanding the entire chapter and paragraph, as it reveals the Holy Spirit's summary of each chapter and section of the Bible. Therefore, we should pay special attention to the first sentence of each chapter and paragraph. This will help us understand the Bible better.   In the letters to the churches in Revelation, Jesus begins each letter with a revelation of a specific aspect of his character. This characteristic of Jesus is specifically related to the church's unique trial or sin struggle.   For instance, the letter to the church in Ephesus first mentions that Jesus “holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands” (ESV, Revelation 2:1)[1]. Just like the Old Testament High Priest trimmed the wicks and added oil to make the golden lampstand shine brighter, Jesus trims the wicks of our hearts (removes our idols) and pours oil (the Holy Spirit) into our lives. First John 2:15 says, "if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him,” so we need Jesus' help to remove these false loves. The seven stars in Jesus' hands are the tools he uses to purify our hearts and make our lamps shine brighter.   The letter to the church in Smyrna mentions that Jesus is "the first and the last, who died and lived again" (Revelation 2:8). The letter goes on to discuss the characteristics of Jesus' resurrection and the ways His resurrection provides for the persecuted church. The letter to the church in Pergamum mentions "a sharp two-edged sword" (Revelation 2:12), which reminds us that "the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). This shows that the church in Pergamum had failed to keep the Lord's word, leading to spiritual struggles. This church needed to learn to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) and resist heresy and wrong teachings so their witness to Christ could truly begin to shine. Jesus reminded each church of an aspect of his character that could help them in their unique circumstances.   Our Specific Weakness Forces Us to Depend on a Specific Aspect of God's Character     Not only do churches have different weaknesses, but every person has them also. We all wish we were perfect, but we each have different flaws and weaknesses. Did you know that each specific flaw and weakness in your life provides a unique opportunity to depend on Christ in a specific way? For example, a person who is good-tempered by nature doesn't need to learn and experience Christ's patience. But a person who has a short temper has a unique opportunity to learn His patience. When we frequently focus on and pay attention to Christ's patience, we will gradually be transformed into his image. We will experience spiritual transformation and become patient people. Friends around us who know that we are quick-tempered by nature will be astonished when they see the transformation Jesus has provided. "Only God could have done this! He is real,” they will say. In this way, we will become effective witnesses for Christ—even more than naturally good-tempered people.   Many times, our past failures and struggles become an excellent opportunity to be a witness for Christ. For example, a former drug addict sinned who has trusted in Jesus Christ and overcome his drug addiction can be a very good witness to other drug addicts. A woman who transitioned to the opposite gender and later regretted it has a unique story to tell. She can bear witness to the pain of changing her gender after believing the lies of the enemy in a way that other people cannot. She can testify to the beauty of the gender that God created in a way that most could never do.   This brings us to a crucial question: Are our eyes focused on our own failures, or are we focused on God's provision in this area? Are we paying attention to the specific characteristics of God's grace that we would have otherwise missed? I am not denying that our failures, weaknesses, and shortcomings cause pain to ourselves and God. I am saying that our primary attention should be on God's specific characteristics that fill the specific gaps of our weaknesses. In this way, our lives will become a mirror that reflects the glory of the Lord, and gradually transforms us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18).   Similarly, when many people read the letters to the seven churches, they focus on the shortcomings of each church, rather than on God's provision to help the churches overcome their struggles. We must focus on the characteristics of God's provision and reflect on the ways God's character can help us in our own shortcomings. Only then can we gradually achieve God's calling and His expectations for our lives. Remember, the first sentence of Jesus Christ's letter to the seven churches reveals an aspect of his character that can help the church with its unique struggles.   He Who Holds the Seven Stars In His Right Hand And Walks Among The Seven Golden Lampstands   One of the duties of the high priest in the Old Testament was to trim the wicks of the golden lampstand. When the wick itself starts to burn rather than burning the oil in the lamp, that wick must be trimmed so that it doesn't start to smoke. Normally, when oil from the lamp penetrates the wick, the wick itself doesn't burn—just like the flame in the burning bush did not burn the bush. When our hearts are full of God's love and his oil, we flourish. But when our hearts love something else, our spirit will be not full of oil, and our fire will be dimmed or nearly extinguished. We will give off a burning smell. Therefore, just like the high priests in the Old Testament walked among the lampstands and trimmed the wicks in the sanctuary, the Lord Jesus will also trim the wicks of the church. As our heavenly High Priest, the Lord Jesus walks among our lampstands to trim away idolatrous love.   No one wants to be trimmed. The place where God prunes us is often the place that our flesh cherishes the most. But if God doesn't prune us, those earthly things we cherish will eventually steal our oil and diminish our fire. God's pruning and discipline allow us to learn the lesson of obedience. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey him (Acts 5:32), so God's pruning allows us to be filled even more with the oil of the Holy Spirit.   Now let's dig into the meaning of the seven stars in the right hand of the Lord Jesus. Although we know they represent the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20), who are the angels? Are they literal angels, or overcoming saints? Are they seven aspects of Jesus' nature that can help the seven churches know how to act here on earth?   We know that in the Old Testament book of Proverbs, "wisdom" is personified as a woman. Proverbs 4:8 says, "Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her." Who is "her"? Yet Isaiah 11:2 prophesies of Christ with similar language: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord." In this passage, “wisdom" refers to the Spirit of God or to an aspect of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The church is the body of Christ, and the seven churches are the seven manifestations of Jesus Christ, the head. Wouldn't it make sense to say that the seven churches should manifest the seven divine characteristics of Jesus Christ or the seven aspects of the Holy Spirit?   For a moment, let's set aside the idea that the seven stars are seven literal angels or seven overcoming saints. Wouldn't it be strange to think of Jesus holding seven angels or seven believers in his hand? Wouldn't it make more sense to see that Jesus holds seven manifestations of the Spirit or seven aspects of his personality: the High Priest, the Resurrection, the Word of God, the Judge, the Living Lord, the Holy One, and the True One, Amen? These characteristics of Christ correspond to the unique needs of each of the seven churches and are designed to help them be set free from their various weakness.   Holding the seven stars in His right hand, Jesus begins walking among the golden lampstands. He first illuminates a shortcoming of the church in Ephesus: they have forsaken their first love. The seven stars are not intended only for the church in Ephesus, but for all seven churches. Whenever the Bible mentions a principle, it is intended to be applied later as well. The seven stars are also mentioned in the letter to Sardis, so it's clear that the seven stars are not only aimed at the church in Ephesus. Nor is the picture of Jesus walking among the golden lampstands aimed only at the church in Ephesus. At the same time, the picture of Jesus holding the seven stars in His right hand and walking among the golden lampstands is an excellent way to show how the problems of the church in Ephesus can be solved. The believers in Ephesus need to forsake the things that keep their hearts away from God, accept the pruning and discipline of the High Priest Jesus Christ, and return to their first love. They must be filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit so their golden lampstand shines brighter and is not removed from its place. If they harden their hearts and refuse to repent, God would remove their lampstand and they would lose their testimony.   The First, The Last; The One Who Died And Lived Again   When going through trials, believers and churches often ask, "God, where are You? Why do You allow these things to happen to me?" Jesus said, "In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Suffering and trials are inevitable, and they bring victory and maturity in a way that a comfortable life does not. A Chinese brother was imprisoned for several years for smuggling and distributing Bibles. Later, he was about to leave for China and immigrate to the United States. A Christian brother was seeing him off. He said, "If you can continue to love the Lord when you arrive in the United States, you will be victorious." The persecution brought about by suffering in China makes people more committed in their faith, while the comfortable life in the United States tempts them to become lax in their spiritual practice.   A dispensationalist view of this passage equates the church in Smyrna with the persecuted church in the early Roman Empire. This is true to a degree, but it's also true that the persecuted church never goes away. The church will always be persecuted. Persecution and suffering are tools in the hands of God to help the church mature. Over the past few years, persecution of churches in Canada, the United States, and Europe has challenged the faith of many Christians. But it has also strengthened the faith of Christians in many European and American countries. Christians in Europe and the United States have been startled by the rampant oppression brought about by leftists and homosexuals, and they have tried to change this situation through political elections. But they encountered many setbacks. I still believe that the church in Europe and the United States will eventually awaken its power and bring about political reversals. But I also believe that persecution will continue to exist for a long time because God knows that persecution benefits the church. Just like cold weather helps plants grow deeper roots, persecution will help the church take root.   People's natural reaction to persecution is to be discouraged and disappointed. But we must learn not to focus on our political setbacks and failures, or on our enemies, or on our disgrace. Instead, we must focus on God's provision and the aspects of his character that can meet our specific needs. Jesus is "the first and the last, who died and lives again." The church in Europe and America is currently experiencing a time of weakness and death. But one day, they will experience resurrection, and they will be able to testify even more powerfully that Jesus Christ is "the first, the last, who died and lived again." The churches in Europe and America will one day put their enemies to shame with the church's powerful testimony of resurrection.   I experienced a time of emotional death and resurrection during my ten years of infertility. My heartbreak and tears were like an emotional death. I walked through the valley of the shadow of death. But I also experienced God's resurrection power. We must believe that our suffering is short-lived. "We will have tribulation for ten days,” but we will eventually receive the "crown of life.” These rewards are not just something we will receive when we die. They can be experienced today.   Sharp Two-Edged Sword   The sharp sword mentioned in this passage refers to the word of the Lord, which is as sharp and decisive as a double-edged sword. When the church ignores the word of God, demonic teachings will prevail. When we deny that the Bible is the word of God or tamper with His word, we gradually allow the church to become Satan's throne (2:13). What is Satan's throne? It's a dominion of lies. God's word is the truth, and when we ignore the truth, lies thrive.   When a church faces difficulty, it is facing the evil work of a specific evil spirit. For example, the church in Ephesus faced the spirit of indifference. Meanwhile, the church in Smyrna faced the spirit of death, and the church in Pergamum faced a spirit of error.   When the spirit of error operates in a church body, truth is distorted. When the truth no longer guides believers, the church will be plunged into darkness. Any believers who continue to hold onto the truth, will be persecuted by false and evil spirits working through false and religious believers. For example, Antipas of the church in Pergamum, who was called a faithful witness by the Lord, was persecuted and killed. The spirit of error always persecutes those who hold to the truth. For example, Jesus and Paul were persecuted by Judaism, and Martin Luther was persecuted by Catholicism.   A church can fail to keep God's word in several ways. Some fail by allowing people to sin and commit sexual immorality, not taking God's word seriously. This church loses God's blessings because it holds to the teachings of the Nicolaitans and of Balaam. Other times, religious teachers hold a monopoly on the interpretation of God's word, even prohibiting people from studying it for themselves. For example, Catholics historically would not allow lay people to read the Bible. Only the clergy could read the Latin Bible, and then the pope would teach doctrine to the people. God wants all believers to be able to read His word.   Fallen churches that have failed to learn and keep God's word must repent. They must study and hold on to His word. If they do not repent, the Lord will come to them with the sword of His mouth. The sword in His mouth represents his words of provision and judgment. The church in Pergamum failed because it did not hold on to His word. But Jesus' sharp double-edged sword, which represents the living Word of God, could bring health and wholeness to the church.   Recently, the Methodist Church, a large denomination in the United States, went through a major split. The reason for the split was that a liberal faction rejected the authority of the Bible and began to support homosexuality. The conservative faction advocated for biblical authority and opposed homosexuality. Even though this church's inception was influenced by John Wesley, a large portion of the denomination has abandoned not only the traditions of John Wesley but also the Bible as a whole.     Conclusion   In the letters that Lord Jesus Christ wrote to the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos, He provided specifically for their individual needs. To the failing and indifferent church in Ephesus, the Lord Jesus revealed that He is the High Priest who holds seven stars in His hand. Just like the Old Testament high priest trimmed the wicks with the scissors in his hand, the Lord Jesus will also prune us and restore us to our first love. To a church that had been threatened with physical death (Smyrna), Jesus Christ revealed that He is the resurrection. To a failing church that was abandoning the word of God (Pergamum), Jesus revealed that He is the living Word of God, like a sharp double-edged sword. When we focus on these characteristics of Jesus Christ, we will be transformed into His likeness. The key to victory is to look to and reflect on Christ, and not just look at our weaknesses.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 2   Transcending Time: The Concept of Time in Revelation   The book of Revelation is written in the past tense, which seems to indicate that the events it describes have already happened. But a lot of the prophecies in the book are still future; we are still waiting for their fulfillment. How can we understand the difference between time and eternity in the book of Revelation?   As we saw in our study of Revelation 1, a lack of understanding of Biblical symbolism can prevent us from understanding the book of Revelation. Similarly, a misunderstanding of the concept of time will limit our understanding of this magnificent book. However, through the Spirit, we can transcend time and space. This will greatly help us understand the book of Revelation.   The denomination where I was saved was strongly influenced by "dispensationalism," a concept taught by Darby and Scofield. These teachers believe that the seven churches mentioned in Revelation 2-3 represent seven different ages. The church in Ephesus represents the original, apostolic church; the church of Smyrna represents the persecuted church in the Roman Empire; the church in Pergamum represents the church's downfall after the establishment of Christianity as the state religion; and the church in Sardis represents the church after the Reformation; the church in Philadelphia represents the great revivals and the rise of the Missionary Era; and the church in Laodicea represents the lukewarm end-time church. Based on this theory, God eventually had no choice but to judge the believers of this age. Only a few believers were victorious.   Teachings like this are circulating in many churches. Some of these teachings are correct, but often, these teachings are too limited by the concept of time. These seven churches may represent seven churches in different periods, but they could also depict seven different postures of the church in the same time period. Furthermore, these letters to the seven churches transcend time. They are the word of God through the Spirit to the church throughout history. Therefore, we must transcend the concept of time and understand the word of God through the Spirit.   How Linear Time Limits Our Thinking   Does the Bible record everything in chronological order? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. For example, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke may have been written in somewhat chronological order, but the story of John is not in chronological order. The stories of John's Gospel are structured to illustrate certain truths. John presents these truths one by one by combining different stories together. So what does the order of the letters to the seven churches convey?   On the one hand, these letters are structured in a certain type of chronological order, because some things have not happened yet, but will happen in the future. Yet the book of Revelation was written in the past tense; in the eyes of the author, it had already happened. How do we understand these time differences?   We know that Jesus was crucified on the cross 2,000 years ago, yet the book of Revelation says that He appeared "as though had been slain,” presumably recently (Revelation 5:6).[1] Later, the Bible says Christ was “slain before the foundation of the world" (13:8). Similarly, 1 Peter 1:2 says that Jesus Christ was "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,” and verse 20 says, "Christ was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you." The Lamb existed long ago and will continue to exist in eternity. But he entered time and appeared to us at a specific time and place. Therefore, from this perspective, time is relative to us. If we imagine time as a circle, then outside time (the circle) is eternity, and inside the circle (time) is the realm where we live as material human beings. Generally speaking, we can't break out of time, just like we can't go beyond the speed of light. But we know that if our speed approaches the speed of light, we will exceed the limitations of time. Einstein's theory of relativity explains this point of view. Similarly, we can break through the limitations of time in the spirit.   We often think that time is linear and sequential. This linear thinking creates a lot of constraints and hinders our understanding of many things. A linear thinker would say, “How can the Lamb be recently killed in Revelation 5 and killed before the foundation of the world in Revelation 13?” If we are limited by linear thinking, we will not be able to understand this paradox. Instead, it is helpful to think of time as a circle. Outside the circle is eternity, and inside the circle is time. The Lord Jesus said that He is the Alpha and the Omega, which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. If we put all the letters of the Greek alphabet in a circle, this can represent time. When time is imagined as a circle, it will help us understand these dilemmas. If time is a circle, the starting point is very near the ending point.   On a school track, runners compete against each other on a circular track. As they run laps around the track, their positions change, and their perspectives on the starting line and finish line also change. For instance, when the runners start their race, the coach's eagle looks huge; but when the runners are halfway around the track, the bird looks very small. Both are correct. It's just that the runner's vantage point has changed. In the same way, when the apostle John saw the slain Lamb in Revelation 5, he felt that He had just been slain, but when he ran forward to Revelation 13, he said that the lamb had been slain before the foundation of the world. This is because John was looking at the lamb from a different distance, perspective, and angle.   The Spirit Can Break the Limitations of Time   We must understand that the limits of time can be superseded. If the runners leave the track after the competition is over, they will be completely outside of the realm of the competition. Time is like a track, a boundary established by God inside which we can seek salvation and learn to know him here on earth.     Here is another example. When NASA recently crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid during a test, it changed the orbit of the asteroid. Time is like the orbit of this asteroid. When hit by an external force, the orbit can change.   Time is also like Highway I-495 which runs around Washington, D.C. As long as we continue traveling on this highway, we circle D.C. But if we take any of the exits, we leave the circle. In the same way, we can exit time. How? We can leave the realm of time in the Spirit.   The Spirit can raise us up to a new realm of experience and give us a perspective that transcends time. When we are free from the limits of time, we can observe the events taking place within time. We will observe them from an outside perspective, like the spectators observe the people running in the track. From a high vantage point, we have a completely different perspective.   The content recorded in the Book of Revelation takes place within time, but the Book of Revelation helps us see from a perspective beyond time. If we try to understand it from within time, we will encounter limitations that lead to misunderstandings. For example, is the church within time or beyond time? On the one hand, Revelation tells the church of the church's birth, growth, and development to spiritual maturity within time. On the other hand, the church is beyond time. The Bible says that "he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4). So, did the Lord speak to the seven churches within time? Or beyond time? If it is within time, were these letters addressed to the seven churches in Asia in the time of the apostle John, or to the church today? Should we treat this timeline as linear or circular? A linear timeline is constantly moving forward and never repeats itself. Circular time is repetitive. Events can be constantly replicated. At the same time, if an event is beyond time, it is not constrained by the limits of time.   I believe that Dispensationalism is too limited in its concept of time. It is too linear. Even though in many ways, the historical development of the church seems to match up pretty well with the messages to the seven churches, in other ways it does not. The first two letters to the churches indeed seem to correspond to the original church which was persecuted by the Roman Empire and the compromising church that joined itself to the Roman Empire and the secular world. But after that, it's more difficult to see the correlation. Dispensationalism correlates the church in Sardis to the church of Reformation, and the church in Philadelphia to the dispensationalist revivals. (Countless dispensational churches consider themselves to be the church in Philadelphia.) Does this mean that everyone who believes they are the church in Philadelphia will later experience the death and fall of their church, as happened to the church in Laodicea? I believe this view is a little too limited by linear thinking.   To a certain extent, church history is no doubt a linear development. But it is also a circle, a realm that can be viewed from inside or from outside. The attitudes of the seven churches in the book of Revelation continue to repeat themselves in churches at different times and in different places. God's people continue to make mistakes, correct their mistakes, and learn, thereby becoming mature. We are God's pottery; God is the craftsman; time is the furnace. The process of being refined in the furnace requires time. After we have been refined and have matured, time will no longer be necessary. We will enter eternity. During the refining process, our dross is discarded and our gold is retained. Dross represents things that dwell within time, and gold represents eternal things, or beyond time. Therefore, in the process of understanding the book of Revelation, we must see which concepts are temporary “dross” that dwells within time, and which ones are eternal “gold” that dwells beyond time. Time is the furnace that will refine us.   While reading the letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation, it's important to distinguish between the commands that are restricted to a certain time period and the concepts that are outside of time. There is a staggering contrast between these two. As I have said many times, Jesus' letters to the churches are presented in a sandwich structure. The first part contains words of praise, the middle section contains words of reproach, and the last part contains words of encouragement. This structure is both outside of and within time. The entire Bible is structured like this. Before Adam's sin in Genesis 3, mankind was perfectly good; although they dwelt within time, people had no sin. The period of time before Genesis 3 also included eternity past, as mentioned in John 1. The middle portion of the sandwich contains Genesis 3 to Revelation 20. After this, Satan is thrown into the lake of fire, time comes to an end, and people will enter into eternity. The last section is the end of the book of Revelation, in which the eternal state resembles the pre-fall Garden of Eden. In a sense, the end of time returns to the beginning of time. The refining fire of time has ended, and time is done away with. Not only does time disappear, but “death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14). Time, death, and Hades are tools in the hands of God to help us enter eternity.   Time is Like Photography: Long and Close Shots   In my prophetic dreams, I have often been taken to heaven, where I have viewed heavenly scenes outside of time. But simultaneously, I continued to live in the material realm of time. How could I experience these spiritual realities while limited by my material body? These experiences taught me that I need to learn to switch perspectives with ease. On the one hand, I will live forever, and I am already beginning my eternal life right now. (Many people think that eternal life starts after death, which is incorrect. Eternal life starts the moment we are saved!) On the other hand, I am temporarily living my eternal life within the constraints of time. So I must be able to switch quickly back and forth between the two different perspectives. I often tell my wife about my dreams of heaven. She says, “You don't even sound like you are living in this world. When presenting your experiences and the things you have learned, you should take into account the different feelings and perspectives of the people around you.”   The Book of Revelation does a great job of speaking about spiritual, timeless realities while also speaking of earthly, time-bound events. These two narratives intersect and switch seamlessly back and forth. One moment, he is discussing things in the spirit, in heaven, beyond time. The next, he is speaking of temporal things on earth. We must be able to switch freely between these two perspectives, just like a camera lens switches freely between close and long shots. Therefore, when reading the book of Revelation, we must understand which events are earthly and which ones are heavenly; which ones are within time, and which ones are eternal. We must learn to see the church in the book of Revelation the same way a geologist sees a gold mine. A geologist does not classify a gold mine by the amount of soil that surrounds the ore, but by the amount of gold. The process in the Book of Revelation is the process of refining the gold to eliminate the useless rock and sand.   When we realize that God's will for the church lies outside of time and within eternity, we can understand our ultimate purpose and direction so that we don't get lost in our current experiences of suffering. And when we look at the temporal needs and weaknesses of the church, we will see the ways we need to be purified so we can cooperate with God's discipline, which removes our dross and makes us spiritually mature. When we read Revelation, we must constantly switch back and forth between these two different perspectives.   Glorious Eschatology   Dispensationalist eschatology and other similar belief systems seem to produce negative results. Many people are restricted by this type of linear thinking. They compare the seven churches in Revelation to the seven ages of the church. The last age is Laodicea, the lukewarm church. God will eventually come to judge the world, take to heaven all the overcomers in the church, and discipline other people. This explanation is partially correct, but it has an overly negative focus. According to Revelation, the last days are extremely glorious. The book of Revelation does contain negative events, such as various judgments, the acts of the evil spirits, and our rebellion; but it is also full of positive visions, encouragement, spiritual harvests, and victory. The appearance of the bride of Christ and spiritual overcomers in chapter 12 is the turning point in the book of Revelation. Later, with the help of God and the angels, the bride of Christ fights against Satan and his army and wins the victory. This not only brings in the glorious millennial kingdom, but also ushers in the end of the age, the new heaven and new earth, and eternity.   We must re-examine our eschatology because many people are deeply influenced by negative eschatology. As soon as there is a sign of trouble, such as disasters, wars, and darkness in the church, they immediately become discouraged, waiting for God to judge them and take them away. They give up trying. This is actually a trick of Satan.   The Lord Jesus taught his followers to pray, “May God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” If God had wanted us to fail in the last days, the Lord Jesus would not have needed to pray this prayer. God's will will eventually be done on earth as it is in heaven. As Habakkuk 2:14 says, "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (see also Isaiah 11:9). Isaiah 60:1-3 also says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."   When the Israelites came out of Egypt, God used a pillar of fire to divide the Israelites and the Egyptians. The Israelites were in the pillar of fire and the Egyptians were in darkness. Whether we are in darkness or in the light of the pillar of fire depends entirely on whose side we are on. If we stand with God and God's elect, we will be illuminated by the pillar of fire. But if we stand with the enemy, we will be in darkness. Unfortunately, many of God's elect have been deceived by the enemy in the last days. They stand in darkness. If your eschatology is negative, dark, and escapist, you may have been deceived by the enemy. You need to pray that God will enlighten you so that you can stand with the right team. In the last days, we should rise and shine. We should not only “shine like a star,” as Daniel said, but also “shines brighter and brighter until full day”! (Proverbs 4:18)     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus- Deuteronomy 7   Do You Have Idols in Your Heart?     In Deuteronomy 7, God gave the Israelites a command to kill all the Canaanites (7:2), but he also commanded the Israelites not to destroy them quickly, lest the wild beasts grow too numerous for them (7:22). I believe God's first command shows the importance of our attitude, and the second command shows the importance of our method.   The theme of Deuteronomy is to teach the second generation of Israel not to worship idols. God says that idolatry and disobedience to God are closely related, even synonymous. For example, when Saul did not obey God's command to destroy the Amalekites, Samuel rebuked him saying, "Rebellion is equal to sorcery; stubbornness is equal to worshiping false gods and house gods" (ESV, 1 Samuel 15:23).[1] Rebellion is disobedience, and sorcery is idolatry. That's why I say that disobeying God is idolatry.   To expose our idolatry, God often gives us a command that seems unreasonable in order to test our obedience. When we obey this difficult command, it shows that God is most important to us and there are no idols in our hearts. But when we refuse to obey Him, it shows that something else is more important to us than God.   It's not difficult to understand why God told the Israelites to kill all the Canaanites. The Canaanites represent the strongholds of evil and idolatry in our hearts. We must remove such strongholds from our lives, throwing aside the sins that entangle us (Hebrews 12:1-3). Obeying God's commands to conquer these besetting sins is often painful and difficult. If we can't overcome these entangling weaknesses, they continue to trap us and drag us into sin. God deals with our attitude as we remove the strongholds of sin from our hearts.   If our hearts are willing to obey God, He will help us overcome evil spirits and idols. This is a matter of method. Our attitude is important, but so is our method. Because of God's wise methods, we can eventually overcome evil spirits and idols.   Obedience To God Is the Criterion For Judging Whether We Have Idols In Our Hearts   As I have said many times, the structure of Deuteronomy is a sandwich. At the beginning, Moses praised the Israelites for learning the lesson of faith in the wilderness. At the end, he blessed the Israelites again. The middle section reiterates the contents of the law and teaches the Israelites not to worship idols. The Israelites learned the lesson of faith in the wilderness, but not the lesson about not worshipping idols. Therefore, God's next step is to test the Israelites and teach them not to worship idols. In addition to commanding the Israelites not to worship idols, God also tests them to see if they will obey His commands.   Let's look at a few other times God tested people to see if they would obey him. In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul was waiting for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice to God, but Samuel did not come on time. Saul waited a week, and his troops were beginning to desert him. So Saul decided to offer the burnt offering on his own. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel came. Samuel rebuked Saul for not waiting for him. Saul then replied, “You did not come on time, the people were scattering from me. The Philistines had also mustered at Michmash to come against me at Gilgal.” (1 Samuel 13:8-12). Samuel said, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." (1 Samuel 13:13-14).   Why was God so offended when Saul did not wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice? Saul was a king, not a priest. Only the priest Samuel could lawfully offer sacrifices to God. Saul overstepped his authority by offering sacrifices.   Why did Saul decide not to wait for Samuel to come and offer the sacrifice? Because he was afraid of his people and of the enemy. His eyes were not fixed on God alone, like David's were. Instead, he reacted to his people's preferences. Saul feared the opinions of his own troops and he feared his enemies, but he didn't fear God.   God deliberately allowed Samuel to arrive late to see whether Saul would obey Him. If Saul decided to obey and wait on God in faith, it would mean that he magnified God above all other priorities. If Saul did not wait, it would show that he feared people more than God. Why did he fear people? Because he was afraid that they would desert him and stop supporting him as king. Being in power was his idol. Later, in order to keep his position of power, Saul tried to kill David on many occasions. This is proof that his position was his idol.   God also tested the Syrian general Naaman to see if he would obey a difficult, seemingly nonsensical command. Naaman had traveled all the way to Israel to ask Elisha to cure his leprosy. But when he arrived, Elisha didn't even come out to speak to him personally. He just sent a messenger to tell him that if he bathed in the Jordan seven times, he would be healed. This angered Naaman. “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper,” Naaman said (2 Kings 5:11). Elisha's behavior was completely different from what Naaman had imagined. Naaman said angrily, “Aren't the rivers in Damascus better than Israel's? Why should I wash in the dirty Jordan river?” Naaman was angry, but his servant persuaded him to obey God. The servant convinced him that washing in the Jordan was an easy assignment; he might as well try it. So Naaman obeyed God, went to the Jordan river, and washed himself seven times. Because of his obedience, God healed him of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:11-14).   God's commands may sometimes seem unreasonable. As Pastor Bill Johnson used to say, “God often offends our minds to reveal our hearts.” His commands may seem unconventional and offensive. But our obedience to these commands reveals whether we are willing to obey God. And our obedience to God reveals whether or not we have idols in our hearts.   God's command to exterminate the Canaanites seemed cruel and difficult to understand. But it would reveal whether the second-generation Israelites were willing to obey God or whether they were still loyal to their idols. The Canaanites represent evil spirits and idolatry and the strongholds they build in man. Therefore, God asked the Israelites to get rid of them.   God often uses the same method today to see if we will obey Him. His difficult commands reveal whether or not we have idols in our hearts. God wants to break down these strongholds. If we don't obey him, these strongholds will entangle us.     Canaanites Represent the Strongholds of Evil and Idolatry.   The Canaanite towns were full of evil spirits and idolatries. God knew that their idolatry would rob the Israelites of their ability to worship God. If the Israelites were to unite with the Canaanites and marry their children, they would join their idolatry and be captured by the stronghold of evil. This is why God commanded the Israelites to destroy the Canaanites, not to marry their children, to break down their altars, to dash in pieces their pillars, to chop down their Asherah poles, and to burn their carved images with fire (7:3-5). The Israelites were to destroy every single idol of the Canaanites.   But the Israelites were reluctant to do so, just like we are often reluctant to give up the sins that entangle us. Why? Because we enjoy the pleasure of sin.   Let's return to the story of Saul. Saul failed God's first test when he did not wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice. Then God tested him again. In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel told Saul that God wanted him to kill the Amalekites because they had resisted the Israelites with all their might when they came out of Egypt. Samuel specifically instructed Saul not to show mercy to the Amalekites, but to kill all men, women, children, and livestock.   Saul followed God's instruction to fight the Amalekites, but he did not follow the command to destroy them completely. He spared Agag, the king of the Amalekites, and the best of the sheep and oxen. They destroyed everything in the city that was despised and worthless, but he saved the good things. Because of Saul's disobedience, God sent Samuel to rebuke Saul. God said he regretted making Saul king. And he spoke the famous words equating idolatry and disobedience: "For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:23).   Many times, our experiences mirror Saul's. God commands us to completely destroy the sin that entangles us. We're happy to destroy the sins that we don't care about, but we hold onto the ones we enjoy. For instance, a brother said he was struggling to overcome the temptation to watch pornographic videos. Clearly, this is an entangling sin that should be destroyed completely.  So why is it so hard to destroy? Because we enjoy it so much. The main reason we cannot overcome a certain sin or weakness is that we still love it. If we truly hated it, we would be able to quickly overcome it.   Deuteronomy 7:25-26 says, "The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God. And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.” God knows we must hate sin in order to overcome it.   Lessons of Faith and Obedience in Our Spiritual Experience   As Christians grow spiritually, God teaches them lessons of faith and obedience. Like the Israelites, we must first learn the lesson of faith, and then move on to the lesson of obedience.   Learning the lesson of faith helps us get to know God, his goodness, and his sovereignty. God's goodness never changes, no matter how our circumstances may change. We will encounter storms in our lives, but the sun always shines above the clouds. In the same way, God's goodness and sovereignty always shine above the difficulties of our lives. God made known his nature to Moses, and he will make known his nature to us (Psalm 103:7). When God appeared to Moses long ago, He revealed his goodness: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6).   Moses knew God personally, spoke to the Lord face to face, and mastered the lesson of faith. But it took a lifetime to learn the lesson of obedience. Near the end of his life, Moses disobeyed God's clear instructions when bringing water out of the rock at Meribah. God disciplined Moses and would not let him enter the land of Canaan (Numbers 20:12).     Like Moses, Christians today often learn the lesson of faith more quickly, and the lesson of obedience more slowly. The lesson of obedience is often harder than the lesson of faith. Personally, I experienced a difficult wilderness experience in which I learned the lesson of faith. Through ten years of infertility, I experienced God's faithfulness and learned to trust him through suffering.   After God had taught me this lesson of faith, he began to teach me the lesson of obedience.  The Lord Jesus appeared to me one day and challenged me to obey Him completely. After being taken to heaven, I heard the Lord say, “Surrender to me completely.” I cried, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Through the mouth of a prophet, the Holy Spirit told me that I was too strong-willed and that I needed to learn to obey God. Many people and things in my environment made it difficult for me to obey. I was struggling so hard. I felt like I could not surrender. But the more disobedient I was, the more severely the Holy Spirit disciplined me. I was really suffering. It was hard for me to fight God's will. When I finally surrendered to God, I realized that obedience is a blessing.     Unfortunately, there are many spiritual leaders who have attained great success and then fallen into great sin. If we observe carefully, we will realize that the root cause of their sin is that they failed to deal with some weakness in their spiritual life. After they become successful, they start slacking off spiritually. This weakness becomes a snare and traps them in sinful patterns. Whether it is David committing adultery with Bathsheba, or apologist Ravi Zacharias committing sexual assault, we can see that their weaknesses were not fully dealt with. They failed to totally destroy the evil strongholds of sin in their lives, just like the Israelites failed to totally destroy the Canaanites. After these men became famous and successful, their weaknesses came back to haunt them. The weaknesses became idols in their hearts. Eventually, they were trapped, snared, and overwhelmed by a lifestyle of sin.   When I first believed in the Lord, I asked God, “Why didn't You allow me to grow up in a Christian home? Why did you allow me to fall into so many sinful failures?” I felt very confused. But gradually, I came to understand that God sovereignly allowed these experiences for a reason. Because I had experienced failure, I had also experienced the process of breaking down idols and learning to obey God. The sins and weaknesses I experienced before salvation showed me the horrific nature of sin and exposed my weaknesses. I saw very clearly the evil strongholds in our family. Because of these early realizations, I believe I am less likely to fall into sin down the road when I'm in the process of fulfilling God's call. I would rather have made mistakes and learned from them than fall into unsuspected sin later on in life. It's better to have my sins exposed early, rather than exposing them later when they would do more damage to the people I am serving. I am truly amazed at God's wisdom.   The earlier our sins can be exposed, the better. We don't need to wait until later for our weaknesses to be exposed.   God's Methods for Overcoming Evil Spirits   After our hearts and attitudes are dealt with, we need to wait for God's leading about the method for overcoming the specific sin we are struggling with. God will lead in different ways for different people, using different methods for different circumstances.   For instance, God gradually removed the Canaanite nations, commanding the Israelites not to destroy them too quickly, in order to prevent the wild beasts from growing too numerous for them (7:22). People generally interpret the beasts here as evil spirits. The Lord Jesus once told a parable about an unclean spirit coming out of a person. It could not find a place to go, so it returned to the person from whom it came. When it saw that the house was swept and put in order, it brought seven other spirits more evil than itself to dwell there. And the state of this person was worse than the first (Luke 11:24-26). The Canaanites represent the strongholds of evil spirits on earth. After destroying the strongholds and casting out the evil spirits, we must invite the baptism of the Holy Spirit into our lives so we can continue to experience transformation. If we do not grow spiritually, our freedom won't last long. The power of sin may return, and we may still fail.   Conclusion   We must rely on the power and leading of the Holy Spirit to defeat the strongholds of idols and evil spirits in our lives. In this way, our weaknesses won't be as likely to become snares in the future. Bless those brothers and sisters who are called by God to deal with their weaknesses and impurities so they can become God's strong warriors.           [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 6   Why do Christian Nations Fall?   Deuteronomy 6 raises some troubling questions. Why did the second generation of Israel fall after they arrived in the land of Canaan? By the same token, why do Christian countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States—which have been greatly used by God in the past—face widespread degeneration of their faith? Why do second-generation and third-generation Christians often abandon their faith?   Deuteronomy 6 gives us insight into this question. I believe that Christians begin to stray away from God, degenerate in their faith, and worship idols when they treat God's grace and God's word as commonplace. Instead, we must keep God's word in our hearts, continue to learn His word, and experience the truth of His word. We must teach God's word to our children through our lives and actions. If we just lecture our children with surface-level rules but never internalize God's word or experience His words personally, they will sense our hypocrisy. This will cause the next generation to inevitably stumble.   The Consequences of Apathy   In Deuteronomy 4, Moses previewed the future apostasy of the second generation of Israelites. He said, "When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger." (ESV, Deuteronomy 4:25)[1]. The second generation of Israel would turn away from God and worship idols because they had “grown old in the land.” In other words, God's blessings had made them apathetic, arrogant, and proud. They needed God to change their environment to remind them to repent. Jeremiah 48:11-12 mentions the same concept: "Moab has been at ease from his youth and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so, his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed. ‘Therefore, behold, the days are coming,' declares the Lord, ‘when I shall send to him pourers who will pour him, and empty his vessels and break his jars in pieces.'” Because the wine was not constantly poured back and forth from jar to jar during the wine-making process, the lees had settled. In the same way, Moab had settled in ease and apathy. The lack of trials in their environment meant shortcomings and fallen nature were never challenged.   Is there hope? Can the second generation overcome the natural apathy of “growing old” in their Christianity?   Standing on the Shoulders of the First Generation   As we've discussed in previous lessons, the first generation of Israelites learned from the previous generation's failure of faith. Rather than doubting God like the first generation did, they entered the promised land with faith.   However, they did not so easily learn from the first generation's failures in the area of idolatry. They inherited the baggage of their ancestors' idolatry. As second-generation Christians today, we should actively inherit the abundant heritage that our predecessors left to us. We need to “stand on the shoulders of giants,” as the saying goes. We should build on what they left behind. Their ceiling should be our floor. We need to not only inherit their positive abundance, but also avoid their mistakes.   Not all second- and third-generation Christians walk away from God. Historically, many second or third-generation Christians have been greatly used by God. For example, when I read the biography of Andrew Murray, I was deeply inspired. Andrew's uncle and father were both pastors. As a child, Andrew was sent to Holland with his brother to study theology, Hebrew, and Greek. After receiving a good education and training, he went to South Africa to become a pastor. There, he was greatly used by God. He knew the Bible very well and was spiritually mature.   When I compared my own biblical heritage to Andrew Murray's, I realized that I had very little Biblical foundation. I was a first-generation and had received no Christian inheritance from my family. I was born into a family of idolaters. Before I was saved at age 27, I experienced the entanglement of sin and the flesh. Rather than receiving a deep Christian education, I was educated in the ways of the world. I felt gypped. I was deeply envious of Andrew Murray's experience. I thought, “If I could have been born into a Christian family and received a spiritual education as good as Andrew Murray's, I might be more useful in God's hands.”   But that wasn't the life path God chose for me. I later realized that God's wisdom allowed me to experience these trials and tribulations so that I could better empathize with Christians who fall into sin. I realized that it was not too late to study the abundant heritage passed down to me through Christian books and resources from those who had gone before.   God wants us to pass on our spiritual heritage to the next generation, so that they can have a better starting point. We must share our experiences of faith and even our failures so they can learn from our example. We must learn how to teach the next generation well.   Lead the Next Generation by Example   I once saw a movie about a second-generation American Christian who rebelled against the hypocrisy she saw in her parents. Though the parents claimed to be generous when in church, they showed their true colors when at home. They refused to give a penny toward God's work. Frustrated, the daughter donated the entire education fund left by her parents to the pastor. When her parents found out, they became very angry and tried to find a way to get the money back from the pastor. The pastor was also a money-grubber. He refused to return the money. He told the parents, "The money donated to the church is given to God and cannot be taken back." The daughter did not see a positive Christian testimony from her parents.   Later, the daughter met some unbelieving friends who were involved with a homeless outreach. She began volunteering with her new friends. The message of the movie is that unbelievers, including homosexuals, demonstrate more true love than Christians. When I watched this movie, I sighed. Unfortunately, this portrayal of American Christian society and family is not far from the truth.   In light of the sad condition of American Christianity, we must pay close attention to Deuteronomy 6. God commanded the Israelites to focus on his word and always keep it in their hearts. Only in this way could they pass his word on to their children. The formula portrayed in this chapter is: First study God's word for yourself, and then pass it on to your children.   Deuteronomy 6:1-2 records the words that Moses taught the second generation of Israelites. "Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it.” Then Moses addresses the teaching of the next generation: “That you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long." This command encompasses both the second generation of Israelites and their children. Throughout the chapter, Moses first tells the second generation of Israelites how to obey and study the word of God, then instructs them about how their children and grandchildren should act.   Deuteronomy 6:5-6 says, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart." In these verses, Moses is addressing the second generation of Israelites. But in verse 7, he says, "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."   In verses 8-9, Moses continued to speak to the second generation of Israelites: "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Forgetting God's word is the first step toward our spiritual downfall. In verses 10-11, Moses reminded the people that their houses, fields, and produce in the land of Canaan were results of the grace of God, not their own effort. Moses reminded the second generation of Israelites in verse 12, "Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery." In verses 6:16-19, Moses continued to remind the second generation of Israelites that they should not put God to the test, like the first generation of Israel did in Massah. Moses reminded them that if they obeyed God's law, He would drive out all their enemies before them. In verses 20-21, Moses continued to talk to them about how to teach their children. He said, "When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?' then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'"   This structure continues throughout the chapter. Moses first taught the second generation of Israelites, who were about to enter the land of Canaan, to obey the law of God. Next, he reminded them to teach their descendants. In my previous readings of this chapter, I had never noticed this generational structure. Now, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I noticed the way this passage is arranged and the truth it points to. Just like the second generation of Israelites, we need to study, understand and obey God's word so we can teach our children to know and obey God's word.   Abraham and Jacob: Two Generations Experience God in Different Ways   Moses knew that the second generation of Israelites would not study the law or obey it. He knew they would not teach their children well. Instead, they would fall into idolatry and turn away from God. Does this mean there is no hope?   I believe that there is hope for the second generation, even when they wander away from God—just like there was hope for Abraham's son, Jacob.   Like Abraham, many first-generation Christians hear the call of God, leave the land of idolatry, and enter the Promised Land. However, second-generation Christians often have the reverse experience. Like Jacob, they start out in the Promised Land but later leave and return to the land of idolatry. Only there do they come face to face with God's presence. It is normal for second-generation Christians to fall away, and God will arrange their circumstances so that they have an opportunity to turn back to Him. Each individual's faith journey is unique. But each generation is cared for by God's loving sovereignty. All things work together for good to those who love Him.   Like Abraham, I am a first-generation Christian who was saved from a land of idolatry. Abraham lived in an idol-worshiping city east of the river, but God called him to leave his homeland and follow Him to a place he did not know. Abraham followed God's guidance by faith and finally entered the land of Canaan that God had prepared for him and his descendants. Like him, many first-generation Christians are entangled in sin, idolatry, and worldliness. But God's presence attractively woos them out of sin and into the Promised Land of hope.   However, later generations of Christians often have the same experience as Jacob did. Although he lived in Isaac's house and received his blessing, he himself did not know God. The God of Abraham and Isaac was not the God of Jacob. Jacob tricked his brother and stole his birthright. He then fled from his hometown and went to live with his idol-worshiping uncle. Years before, Abraham's servant had brought Jacob's mother, Rebekah, from Abraham's idol-worshiping hometown. After Jacob went to live with his uncle Laban, Jacob's wife Rachel stole Laban's household gods. Clearly, idols were still being actively worshiped in Laban's household.   Jacob left to the land of promise and returned to the land of idols. He left God's blessing in the land of Canaan and entered a land of oppression where he would be mistreated and deceived by his uncle for many years. But it was only through these unfortunate experiences that Jacob met God. In the vision of a ladder on the way to his uncle's house and in his experience of wrestling with God on his way back to the land of Canaan, Jacob came face to face with God Himself.   Each of us has a different experience with God. Like Abraham, some people start out in the land of suffering and idolatry, then meet God and enter the land of Canaan. However, others are born in the land of Canaan. Without a personal relationship with God, they walk away from his blessings and return to the land of idols. But God never leaves them alone. He is always with them, waiting for them to return to Him so they can truly know and experience Him.   Like Abraham, first-generation Chinese Christians suffer because of their sins and the oppression of idols and evil spirits. Then they encounter God and are set free.   Like Jacob, some people are born into Christian homes in Christian countries. They do not know God personally through experience. They fall into sin and walk away from God, but his mercy is still watching over them. Like Jacob, they will meet God in a dream and will wrestle with Him at the ford of Jabbok. He will bring them back to Himself.   Conclusion   A recent report by the Pew Research Center stated that at the current rate of decline, the percentage of Christians in the United States will drop below 50% of the population by 2070. This statistic has a far-reaching impact on American politics and society. The article argues that only a great revival can change this downward trend. When Steve Bannon shared the article, he asked a question: “Will the Great Revival change this trend?” When I reposted the link, I stated that I believe it is possible. I firmly believe that a great revival in the United States is coming; God has revealed this to me many times through prophetic dreams. I believe this downward trend will definitely reverse.   We must remember this truth: It was when Jacob was alone and miserable in the wilderness that he met God. In the United States, there are countless second- and third-generation Christians, and those whose families have been believers for many generations. Even if they turn away from God, His mercy toward them will never come to an end. They will eventually come face to face with their loving Savior.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 11   The Spiritual Significance of The Law of Clean and Unclean Food   Leviticus 11 talks about God's instructions for clean and unclean foods. God told the Israelites they were allowed to eat clean animals that had a divided hoof and that chewed the cud. Pigs have divided hooves but don't chew the cud, so they are unclean. Camels chew the cud but don't have divided hooves, so they're also unclean.   We've been taught that a divided hoof represents a Christian's ability to discern between good and evil, and that chewing the cud represents Christians chewing on and pondering the Lord's Word. This is certainly a good spiritual explanation. But when the Lord told this to the Israelites, was He really thinking about how Christians would live and read the Bible thousands of years later? Perhaps we can make this current-day application, but I believe the instructions were primarily addressed to the Israelites at the time.   Christians also disagree as to why the Lord gave the Israelites these dietary laws. Some think that it was for hygiene and health considerations, while others focus on spiritual interpretations, such as the one given above. We certainly do not deny that God's words in the Bible can have spiritual interpretations, but it's also important to consider these words in context.   What was the context of God's instructions about clean and unclean food? For one thing, these instructions come on the heels of an important statement about holiness. When Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were judged by God, he told Aaron that he must be sanctified among those who came near to Him, and He must be glorified before all the people (Leviticus 10:3). In other words, God wanted those who were near Him to break free from the mundane and to live in holiness. In this context, God's instructions about clean and unclean foods were given for the purpose of creating and maintaining holiness. Chapter 12 then deals with cleanliness after childbirth; chapters 13-14 discuss the cleanliness of a leper; and chapter 15 deals with cleanliness related to bodily discharges. God is dealing with the cleanliness of His chosen people step by step. The laws regarding clean and unclean foods were very important to helping the Israelites maintain holiness before God. God gave instructions about clean and unclean foods in hopes that the Israelites, who were near God, could be sanctified before Him.   Why Are There Clean and Unclean Animals?   Some say that unclean animals are scavengers who help clean up the environment, so they are not suitable for eating. For example, many fish without scales eat decaying animals at the bottom of the ocean to help clean up the ecosystem. This is beneficial to the ecological cycle. While this observation is generally true, it doesn't apply in all cases. For example, camels and rabbits are unclean, but they eat grass. Perhaps we need to look deeper to understand the reasons God forbade the eating of certain animals.   After the fall of Adam, everything was defiled and affected by sin, even the animals. In the eyes of God, these unclean animals may have been defiled by their rebellion. But animals are not the source of uncleanness. Rather, after humanity rebelled against God, the whole earth was polluted; the animals were only one part of this pollution. The book of Hebrews says that even the heavens and the heavenly tabernacle needed to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:23). Satan's rebellion polluted even the heavens and the heavenly sanctuary. Such pollution is reflected on earth, defiling the animals along with humankind.   Some angels have fallen, while others have not. We know that at least two-thirds of the angels were kept from rebelling alongside Satan. We also know that Satan can tempt people to sin. Our question is, can Satan tempt animals to sin? Some speculate that originally, animals could speak and could converse with Adam. This speculation says that after Satan's rebellion, God may have removed animals' ability to speak so they would not learn from man's rebellion and curse God alongside Adam. If this speculation is correct, is it possible that some animals became unclean after Satan's rebellion? In Genesis 1, God saw everything that He made and said, "Very good" (1:31). So, does this mean that there is a possibility that God created all animals to be clean animals? And that some animals were tempted to become unclean after Satan's rebellion? We have no way of knowing because the Bible does not record it. But it's a reasonable guess.   Clean Animals Become Sacrifices to Redeem Unclean Animals     The first time God mentioned clean and unclean animals in the Bible was in Genesis 7. The Lord instructed Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean animals (a pair being a male and a female) onto the ark. After the flood receded, Noah took all kinds of clean animals and birds and offered them as burnt offerings on the altar he built. When God smelled the pleasing aroma of the sacrifice, He said in His heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done, and the four seasons shall not cease.” These verses are very interesting. We see that because of man's sin, the earth was cursed and all living creatures began to suffer alongside humankind. But then we see an interesting phenomenon. As Noah sacrificed the clean animals, God was satisfied and the curse was removed.   God allowed seven pairs of clean animals to be on the ark because he knew they would be needed as a sacrifice for redemption. Through his compassion and grace, he also allowed a pair of unclean animals to live on the ark. The clean animals were sacrificed to save the unclean animals.   It's important to understand that it was not the burnt offering that pleased God, but the faith and obedience of Noah. Years later, when the Israelites rebelled against God and worshipped idols, the Lord clearly said, “I am not pleased with the sacrifices of the Israelites.” David also said in Psalm 51 that burnt offerings do not please God, but a broken spirit and a contrite heart do. The Lord Jesus explained that it's not what goes into a person's stomach that defiles a person, but the envy and strife that come out of one's heart. Therefore, true cleansing comes when our hearts are right with God. When our hearts are cleansed, it leads to the sanctification of our souls and the hope of the eventual redemption of our bodies. A clean heart and spirit become a sacrifice so that our soul and body can in turn be saved.   So why did God give rules about clean and unclean animals? In addition to health considerations, I believe that God wanted to point to the meaning of sacrifice. Just as clean animals would become a clean sacrifice for unclean animals, God's Perfect Lamb was offered on behalf of unclean people (Gentiles). Jesus was an unblemished sacrifice that took away sins forever. He was descended from Israel. He was born to redeem all unclean humans and animals. After the Lord Jesus was crucified and resurrected, He not only purified the heavens, but also mankind and all of the universe. That's why God told Peter in a vision that all animals had been made clean. “What God has made clean, do not regard as common,” God said. Why? Because God's work of cleansing through Christ had already been accomplished on the cross.     The Relationship Between Sacrifice and Redemption   God wanted the Israelites to eat holy food in order for them to become holy. God separated them from the common Gentiles and made them clean so they could become an unblemished sacrifice, the channel through which Christ was born. Just as God allowed clean and unclean animals to live side by side on the ark, He allowed the Gentiles a chance to live alongside the Israelites. The Bible says that God makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mark 5:45). God's special elective grace to Israel made them the first ones to be cleansed, but God's common grace allowed the Gentiles to survive as well. Eventually, the Gentiles would be completely cleansed because of Israel's descendant, Christ.   But the Israelites did not understand this relationship. They exalted God's elective grace too much, while ignoring His common grace to the rest of mankind. They became so exclusive that when Paul mentioned that God had turned his grace to the Gentiles (Acts 22:22), the Jews were so angry that they wanted to kill Paul.   This principle is reflected not only in the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, but also in the church. Some Christians are like the Old Testament first fruits. They mature quickly, overcome evil, join the Bride of Christ, and turn into outstanding Christians. Yes, we should celebrate these “clean Christians.” But we must also realize that there are many Christians who mature later. These are also an important part of God's kingdom.   Contrary to many Christians' beliefs, heaven is not the end of a Christian's growth toward spiritual maturity. I believe it is another beginning. Our life on earth is part of the process by which we pursue spiritual maturity, and we should cherish this process. But this does not mean that after arriving in heaven, those who are spiritually immature have no chance to continue to grow. This is a common error in thinking. On the contrary, many people's testimonies of heaven mention that in heaven, everyone is still reading the Bible. They still have the opportunity to learn and grow.   Of course, God cares about our quick maturity. But He also provides opportunities for those who mature late. Just like the clean animals on Noah's Ark and the Israelites in the Old Testament, the first believers who were cleansed in the New Testament will become a sacrifice for the latecomers, allowing all things to be redeemed. Paul mentions in the book of Romans, "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (ESV, Romans 8:19-22). What is the pain of childbirth? The Israelites in the Old Testament experienced these labor pains. After thousands of years of training, they finally gave birth to Jesus Christ, who became the redeeming sacrifice of mankind. In the New Testament, the church also went through the pain of childbirth, giving birth to many other sons of God through Jesus Christ.   A Lesson from the Hoopoe   The hoopoe bird can teach us an important principle. It is the national bird of Israel. This bird is very beautiful, but it is very sloppy and dirty. In Chinese, the hoopoe bird is called "Smelly Aunt.” Despite its beauty, this bird does not pay attention to hygiene and thus is very smelly.   Perhaps the unclean birds and animals in the Bible represent man's rebellion and fallen condition, and that's why the Israelites are prohibited from eating them. On the one hand, they are beautiful, but on the other hand, they are dirty.   Perhaps this is also a picture of the human condition. We are created in the image of God, so we are beautiful. But humans have also defiled themselves through their rebellion, becoming unclean like the Hoopoe. Perhaps every unclean animal represents an aspect of man's uncleanness. Therefore, we need to cleanse ourselves. When we are willing to cleanse ourselves through trusting in Christ, we become a part of spiritual Israel, able to give birth to Christ who can redeem us.   Ignoring our physical diet leads to health problems like obesity. But ignoring our spiritual diet has even more serious consequences. If Christians do not pay attention to their spiritual cleansing, separating themselves from common, fleshly, and sinful pleasure and entertainment, they will be like the hoopoe bird. But when we pay attention to the cleanliness of our spiritual diet, we gradually become a clean sacrifice that can be used by God to help unclean people around us. Not only that, but we can also become the sons of God, revealing His glory and setting all things free. Perhaps the hoopoe is not in bondage by choice; like all of creation, it is in bondage because it was subjected to futility by the fall of mankind (Romans 8:20). I hope that in heaven or in the resurrection, the hoopoe will be absolutely beautiful and will no longer be sloppy and dirty.   I believe that the hoopoe is a picture of the spiritual life of many Christians. On the one hand, they are beautiful because they are saved by Christ. But on the other hand, they're not focusing on holiness. They are as sloppy and dirty as the hoopoe.   May We All Cleanse Ourselves and Be a Blessing to Others So That God is Pleased   When we Christians cleanse ourselves from sin and focus on sanctification, it pleases God as he smells the aroma of our sacrifice. At the same time, our sacrifice can be used by God to be a blessing to others. By choosing the right spiritual food and breaking free from unclean things, we can become a clean sacrifice that pleases both God and man. If we are willing to cleanse ourselves and be put on the altar, God will send fire from heaven to bless our sacrifice greatly. And we will be a blessing to many.

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 4 Leviticus 4 mentions different sacrifices that were used in several different situations. When the priest and the whole congregation sinned, they were to offer a bull, put its blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and sprinkle the blood seven times on the veil of the Holy of Holies. But when a leader sinned, he was to offer a male goat. And when a common person sinned, he was commanded to offer a female goat or a female lamb. In this case, the blood would be sprinkled on the brazen altar in the outer courtyard, not on the veil of the Holy of Holies. Why do these differences exist? The differences in the sizes of the sacrifices and the location where the blood was sprinkled represented different degrees of redemption that were needed for different degrees of sins. This picture also reminds us that when we remove the hindrance of sin from our lives, our fellowship with the Lord will be more intimate. As God cleanses us from sin and helps us through our struggles, he reveals a way to deepen our fellowship with Him.   The size of the sacrifice and the location of the sprinkling of blood Verse 4:2 says, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, If anyone sins unintentionally in any of the Lord's commandments about things not to be done, and does any one of them..."  When an Israelite sinned unintentionally, he was commanded to offer a bull (verse 4:3). Verse 27 says, "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the Lord's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt..." Here, the individual was commanded to offer a female goat. Why this difference in offerings? For an answer, we need to look at the third verse. Verse 3 says, "if it is the anointed priest who sins, thus bringing guilt on the people, then he shall offer for the sin that he has committed..." Following the progression of these verses, we can see that a priest's sin would bring guilt on all the people of Israel. The same thing would happen when an individual Israelite sinned. Even though only one person sinned, whether a common Israelite or a priest, it would bring guilt on Israel as a whole. These sins were serious, and required larger sacrifices, such as a bull without blemish as a sin offering (verse 4:3). Later, we learn that if a leader sinned unintentionally, he needed to offer a male goat without blemish (4:23); if a common person sinned unintentionally, he needed to offer a female goat without blemish (4:28). We can speculate that a male goat was worth more than a female goat, and a bull was worth more than a male goat. Therefore, these offerings of different values showed that different degrees of redemption were needed for different degrees of sins. When a common person sinned unintentionally, the damage and harm he brought to the community were relatively limited. However, because a leader had greater power and influence, the negative impact of his sins was much greater than that of a common person. Hence, a leader's sin required a larger sacrifice. In the same way, a priest was a representative of God. His sin would have an even greater negative impact. If a common person or priest sinned intentionally, it would bring guilt on the entire congregation. This was a more serious situation. Thus, offering a large sacrifice, such as a bull, was needed. Let's read the description of the place where the bull was offered and where the blood was sprinkled: "He shall bring the bull to the entrance of the tent of meeting before the Lord and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord. And the anointed priest shall take some of the blood of the bull and bring it into the tent of meeting, and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the Lord in front of the veil of the sanctuary.” (4:4-6). The "veil of the sanctuary" was the thick veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the sanctuary. The altar of fragrant incense was located near this veil. In addition to sprinkling the bull's blood on the veil, the blood would be put on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense, and poured out at the entrance of the tent of meeting and at the base of the altar of burnt offering. When a leader or a common person sinned, the blood would be sprinkled "on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest will be poured out at the base of the altar." In this case, the blood was not sprinkled on the veil, nor on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense. In other words, the blood was sprinkled near the outer courtyard. The difference in the location of the sprinkling of blood showed that varying degrees of sin needed varying degrees of redemption.   Different sins require different degrees of redemption Joshua 7 records the story of Achan's sin, which led to the Israelites' failure to conquer the city of Ai. Achan's sin brought guilt on the entire nation and caused them to lose the battle against Ai. Only one man sinned, yet his failure brought judgment and destruction to his entire family. In Joshua 7:25 “Joshua said to Achan, ‘Why did you bring trouble on us? The Lord brings trouble on you today.' And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.”[1] Clearly, one person's sin can bring guilt to the entire congregation. The Bible seems to indicate that there are differing levels of sin. The book of First John says that we should not pray for those who commit sins that lead to death (1 John 5:16-17). Achan, Uzzah, Ananias and Sapphira, and Judas were instantly killed for their sins. Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. Judas betrayed Christ. These may be examples of sins that lead to death. The book of Hebrews mentions that the blood of Jesus not only cleansed the sanctuary on earth, but also purified the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9-10). This indicates that some serious sins, such as Satan's rebellion, defiled the heavenly sanctuary. These sins against the heavenly Holy of Holies were judged severely. Leviticus 4 is not discussing serious, intentional sins, but unintentional sins that are redeemable. Nonetheless, the extent of the redeeming sacrifice would vary according to the extent of the damage caused by the sin. Some people sin against the outer courtyard, some against the sanctuary, and some against the Holy of Holies. Many people committed sins against the outer courtyard. All they needed to do was offer a goat, and the blood only needed to be sprinkled on the altar in the outer courtyard. Perhaps the sins of tax collectors and prostitutes would qualify as sins against the outer courtyard. Yes, they sinned, but their sin was unintentional. They did not know God yet. So Jesus treated them as His friends. In Matthew 21:31, Jesus told the chief priests and elders of Israel, "The tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you." Jesus was saying that the tax collectors and prostitutes were more eager to believe in John the Baptist than the chief priests and elders were. If a person sinned the sanctuary, he would sprinkle blood on the veil that separated it from the Holy of Holies. The sins committed by the chief priests and elders could be thought of as sins against the sanctuary. These religious leaders did know God, and the priests even served in the sanctuary. Yet they refused to believe in Jesus Christ, whom God sent to save them. Priests serve in the sanctuary. Jesus was greater than the temple (Matthew 12:6); yet the religious leaders did not believe in him. By refusing to believe in the Lord Jesus, they were rebelling against Him. In effect, they were sinning against the sanctuary. On the other hand, a person who sins the Holy of Holies could be killed. Uzzah is a great example of this occurrence.   The sacrifices mentioned in this chapter remind us of our sinful nature. The bulls, male goats, and female goats offered by the common people were sacrifices that represented different levels of sinful behavior. There is a difference between the sinful nature and sinful behavior. The sins of the priests and the community can remind us of the sinful nature, while the sins of individuals can remind us of sinful behavior. On the one hand, Christ took away our sinful nature and sinful behavior once and for all. This reality is fulfilled in the Spirit. But we also must constantly experience Christ's redemption as we confess our sins to him. In the first two examples, the blood was sprinkled on the veil in front of the Holy of Holies, while in the third, the blood was sprinkled on the bronze altar in the outer courtyard. These sacrifices remind us of our sinful nature and sinful behavior, respectively. In addition to ordaining different types of sacrifices for different types of sin, God also allowed different sacrificial animals for different financial abilities. He offered the people a “sliding financial scale.” God allowed his people to bring female lambs, which were worth less than female goats. Since each person had a different level of poverty or wealth, God took into account their finances when he ordained sacrificial offerings. This shows that God is gentle and compassionate.   Levels of Fellowship with the Lord Why did God ordain different sacrifices for the sins against the outer courtyard, the sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies? With regards to the sin against the outer courtyard, we cited the example of the prostitutes and tax collectors. Sinning against the sanctuary is explicitly mentioned in Numbers 18:1. Here it says that if someone enters the sanctuary in the wrong way, or served wrongfully in the sanctuary, Aaron would take responsibility. God also mentions sins against the Holy of Holies. For example, Aaron's two sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered strange fire to God (Leviticus 10:1-2). This was likely a sin against the Holy of Holies. As sons of Aaron, these men were candidates for the position of High Priest. But since they were not yet ordained as High Priest, they were not allowed to enter the Holy of Holies. When they offered strange fire, they sinned against the Holy of Holies and were consumed by the fire of God. Uzzah also sinned against the Holy of Holies. Only the Kohathites were allowed to carry the Ark of the Covenant, and Uzzah was a descendant of Merari. Numbers 4 clearly states that the Merarites were only permitted to carry the items in the tabernacle as well as in the outer courtyard. Uzzah was killed for touching the Ark of the Covenant. Most likely, he sinned against the sanctuary or even the Holy of Holies. The Old Testament is only a picture of the New Testament reality. This picture shows that the closer the relationship, the more relational harm we cause by our hurt and betrayal. A person who is far from the Lord doesn't bring him as much harm. Unbelievers on the streets may speak disrespectfully against God. While I don't condone this behavior, I believe that these words do not hurt God as much as if a loyal believer said the same words. Since these people have little connection with Him, he disregards their words. But the closer you are to God, the more harm your sin brings to him. The words of your closest friends hurt more than the words of a stranger. When a couple first meets each other, they are strangers. Their words are not as hurtful. But when they have been married for a long time, their words of betrayal or distrust can do great harm to the relationship between a husband and a wife. The same is true between us and God. When we do not belong to God, He demands less of us. He accepts anyone willing to come to Him for salvation. After we know him as Savior, when we sin unintentionally, we bring more hurt to God's heart. But when we who know God intentionally sin against Him, He will treat us more severely. The differences in the size of the offerings and the places where the blood was sprinkled remind us of this truth.   The closer we are to the Lord, the higher are His demands of us. When we first believed in the Lord, he only corrected our external behavior. But as our fellowship with the Lord deepened, the Holy Spirit began to enlighten us about more subtle sins that took place in our hearts. He begins to show us sins we are less aware of, that dwell in our sinful nature. Difficulties and the Answers They Reveal   God doesn't make us aware of a problem without also giving us a solution. Often, that solution is hidden. But if we look for it, we will find it. Our different degrees of sins are our problem, and the different sizes of sacrifices are the solution. God provides a unique provision that matches each unique problem. In the Local Church Movement, I learned a prayer method called Tabernacle Prayer. This type of prayer is also taught by David Yonggi Cho. In this method of prayer, the elements of our prayer match the items in the tabernacle, in the order a priest would encounter them when entering the tabernacle. In this method of prayer, we would first go to the altar to confess our sins and remember Christ's sin offering. Then we would go to the laver to experience the washing of the Holy Spirit and the washing of the water in the word. We reach the table of the bread of the Presence, where we eat, drink and enjoy the Lord. We receive power and illumination from the golden lampstand of the Holy Spirit, and then enter into intercession at the altar of incense. In the Holy of Holies, we experience the Lord Himself as our light, resurrection, food, and life.   Let me explain these specific steps in detail. When we come to the bronze altar in the outer courtyard, we need to offer sacrifices and sprinkle blood to remove our sins. In the Old Testament, the Israelites offered sheep and cattle, but in the New Testament, we are cleansed by Christ's blood. During prayer, we imagine that we are sprinkling Christ's blood on ourselves to cleanse us from all sin. We confess our sins to God, repent, and then ask Him to forgive us. Once we are cleansed by the blood of the Lord, we approach the laver. In the Old Testament, priests washed themselves at the laver so they could serve God in holiness. After we are cleansed from our sins, we must remove the filth and contamination of the world so we can come near to God. We can imagine that we are washing ourselves in the water of the Holy Spirit, who cleanses us from defilement. After we have gone through these two steps, we can imagine ourselves coming to the table of the bread of the Presence. Here, we eat God's holy bread. His word is our food. At this time, we can pray through a verse of Scripture, meditate on it, digest it, and speak it aloud to ourselves. As we do, the Lord's words will give light. When the unfolding of God's words gives light, it imparts understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130). We have now arrived in front of the golden lampstand. The light of the lampstand reminds us of the light of God's word. Both will illuminate the secrets of our hearts. Here, we check the intentions and motives of our hearts. What is our motivation for our thoughts, words, and deeds? We must examine ourselves in the light of the Lord. The next step is entering into intimate fellowship with God through the altar of incense. The altar of incense represents intercession. Revelation 5:8 says that incense represents the prayers of the saints. Here, we enter into Abraham's intercession for Lot. As we reach this point of intimacy with God, we let go of ourselves and begin praying for others. As we continue to have fellowship with God, we pass through the veil into the Holy of Holies, where we meet God and hear Him speak above the mercy seat above the Ark of the Covenant (Numbers 7:89). To pass through the veil, we must experience the cleansing of Jesus' blood. Not only do we need to be cleansed of our sinful behavior, but we must also be cleansed of our sinful nature. Jesus has cleansed us from these sins so we can enter into a deeper fellowship with God. Inside the Ark, there is manna (which reminds us that the Lord is our food, the bread of heaven), Aaron's rod that budded (reminding us of the resurrection), and a tablet with the Ten Commandments written on it (reminding us of the light of God's word). This is the provision of God for our needs. This prayer method allows me to personally experience God's provision. Pastor David Yonggi Cho was asked, “How could you pray for hours when there is often nothing to pray for?” He replied that when he prays the tabernacle prayer, moving from the outer courtyard to the sanctuary and then the Holy of Holies, a few hours will quickly pass by without him noticing. Let's return to the content of this chapter. In it, God revealed how to offer different sacrifices for different sins. Each different sin had a different sacrifice. Each problem had a unique solution. In the same way, God will help us solve the unique and different problems that arise in our fellowship with Him. He will provide resolution to the various obstacles that hinder our fellowship with Him. Remember, whenever you face a problem or temptation, God will provide a unique solution that is perfect for your needs. When you face temptation, God will always provide a way of escape, so that you can overcome it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Leviticus 4 mentions different levels of fellowship we can experience with the Lord. It shows us how to overcome each difficulty we face, so we can enter into deeper fellowship with him.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus – 1 Corinthians 14   God's Principles Regarding Tongues and Prophecy And how to apply those principles to specific situations   When discussing 1 Corinthians 14, several intriguing questions often come to the forefront. The first is, “Is it possible that speaking in tongues is not of the Holy Spirit?” Some people who oppose speaking in tongues say that some tongues are from the enemy. They believe that if you speak in tongues, you are cursing God. How can we make sense of these objections?   In extreme cases, these concerns may be valid. But generally speaking, tongues are a faith-booster. They help increase our faith. Speaking in tongues is also a way for the Holy Spirit to speak through us, so we don't need to fear. Rather, we should follow Paul's teaching: “Each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” (ESV, 1 Corinthians 14:26).[1]   The second question that comes up in the study of this chapter is, “Why did Paul say that women should not speak in church?” (1 Corinthians 14:34). My answer is that we need to distinguish between universal principles of God and specific leading for specific situations. I think verses 1-26 are Paul's explanation of the general principles of prophecy and tongues, while verse 27 starts a section with specific instructions for the Corinthians' situation. This section deals with specific details about tongues, prophecies, and women speaking in the church of Corinth. Matters of principle do not change with time and circumstances, but matters of leading do.   Let's look at these issues a little more closely.     Where do Tongues Originate? A woman was baptized by the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues because of my ministry. But she still felt confused about the issue of tongues. She said, “A pastor who spoke in tongues encouraged me to change how I spoke in tongues, meaning to pray in different tongue. But in my experience, I am only saying a few simple repeated words. Is this normal?” From my own limited experience, I feel this is normal. The tongues we first speak when praying in tongues may be very simple and repeated words, or simple words of praise to God. As Paul said, one of the functions of tongues is to praise or thank God. When Paul mentioned tongues in verse 17, he said, "For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up."   One of the functions of praying in tongues is to give thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." The Bible says we should give thanks in all circumstances and that believers should be "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). But in our actual experience as Christians, it is difficult to pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. We don't give thanks to God the Father very often. This is why the Holy Spirit comes to help us, and one of the ways he does this is through tongues. Many times, we do not know how to pray, so the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). This intercession is sometimes through tongues. When we pray in tongues, our spirit prays but our mind is unfruitful (1 Corinthians 14:14). When we pray in tongues, we give the Holy Spirit freedom to help us pray. We surrender our bodies, and our tongues, to the Holy Spirit in faith, and the Holy Spirit gives us the appropriate words in prayer through our tongues.   The woman also mentioned that some pastors reminded her that speaking in tongues may originate from evil spirits. They threatened her not to pray in tongues. “Of course, it is possible that tongues originate from evil spirits,” I replied. “Sometimes we drive our cars into a ditch. But this does not mean that we cannot drive. I've seen some people who are just learning to drive who are scared to drive on the highway. But when they practiced more, they got the courage to do so. Why? Because their faith and their ability grew. The same goes for tongues. After our faith increases, we will receive an increased ability and more faith to pray in different prayer languages in tongues.”   Tongues is a faith booster     Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a leap of faith. Many evangelical Christians who are against the baptism of the Holy Spirit worry that if they are baptized by the Holy Spirit, they will unintentionally accept evil spirits instead. This teaching originates in fear. Luke 11 clearly says that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13) It clearly says that the Father gives the Holy Spirit when we ask. If we ask the Father to baptize us with the Holy Spirit in the name of Christ, we will surely receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.   All true Christians believe we are saved by faith. We have not seen the Lord, but we believe in Him. This is a leap of faith. Every one of us must go through such a leap of faith in order to be saved. Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is no different. It is the second leap of faith. After we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we need a third leap of faith: believing that when we open our mouths, the Holy Spirit will give us utterance (Acts 2:4). We are responsible for opening our mouths, and the Holy Spirit is responsible for giving us words to say. Because the tongues we speak are often words that our minds cannot understand, it's easy to doubt this promise. When other people inject doubts into our minds—“What if the tongues I speak are from evil spirits?”—our faith will inevitably be shaken. That is why praying in tongues is a leap of faith.   Principles of Tongues and Prophecy     In 1 Corinthians 14:1-26, Paul explains universal principles about prophecy. These general principles do not change with time, place, or circumstances. For example, God is love. This is a basic principle. It will not change with time, place, or circumstances. But even though God is love, and He loves every one of His children, He leads us differently. This is the difference between God's principles and His leading. Let's look first at the principles that Paul gives in verses 1-26.     What is the first principle of prophecy? It is that love and spiritual gifts, especially prophecies, are related. In the first verse, Paul continued the conversation on love that he started in 1 Corinthians 13. We need to pursue love, and we also need to earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. Many have spoken against the pursuit of spiritual gifts and prophecy, saying we should only focus on love. These people want only the fruit of the spirit (including love) and not the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are controversial. But that's not what Paul is telling us here. Paul explicitly mentions that we should pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.   What is the second principle of prophecy? It is that the purpose of prophecy is to build others up, comfort, and encourage them (1 Corinthians 14:3). We certainly need to pursue love in our lives. But how do we help others feel the love of God? This is where prophecy is indispensable. When we prophesy and disclose the secrets of others' hearts, they will fall on their faces and say that God is really among us (1 Corinthians 14:24-25). Why? Because prophecy (including tongues that are interpreted) becomes a tool or a bridge that connects people to God's love.   The essence of the first principle of tongues is to talk to God and love Him. 1 Corinthians 14:2 says, "For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit." If the main purpose of tongues is to talk to God, then Paul's words "I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18), and “If we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you" (2 Corinthians 5:13) are very logical. Paul encourages everyone to pray and talk to God more, and praise God by speaking and singing with our minds or through the language of tongues or spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). This is the first function of tongues. It is wrong to forbid or even discourage speaking in tongues, just because you cannot understand them. The first principle of tongues is to talk to God. This falls under the greatest command: "love the Lord your God with all your heart" (Matthew 22:37; Luke 10:27).   The second principle of tongues is to be considerate of others, especially those who don't understand them. If others don't understand tongues, you still need to give thanks and praise. But those who don't understand the languages will not be built up and may even stumble. In such cases, those who speak in tongues should be restricted. When it's absolutely necessary for them to speak in tongues, they should interpret what they say as much as possible (1 Corinthians 14:6-13; 14:16-19). This principle falls under the second command: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27).   Matthew 22:37-40 records, "Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Here, Jesus clearly said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love others. When we pray in tongues and praise God, it shows we love God. “If anyone loves God, he is known by God" (1 Corinthians 8:3). When we avoid speaking in tongues on certain occasions out of consideration for others, it means we love and care for our neighbors. So these two principles about tongues are actually consistent with the very essence of Jesus' teaching about the Law and the Prophets.   The principles of love and prophecy also fall into the categories of loving God and others. People who pursue love and utter mysteries to God in tongues are those who love Him; people who prophesy are those who love others. Speaking in tongues and praying means you love God; you worship and give thanks to Him. Interpreting tongues means you love others and have taken their needs into consideration so they can understand what you're saying. Therefore, regardless of whether you're pursuing prophecy or speaking in tongues, the fundamental principle is to love God and others. That's why Paul strongly encourages us to interpret what we say while speaking in tongues. The purpose is to be considerate of others and show love to them. But that doesn't stop us from falling madly in love with God in private.   The third principle of tongues is to build ourselves up (14:4). We need to focus on growing spiritually, increasing our faith, and "building ourselves up in our most holy faith" (Jude 1:20).   In 1 Corinthians 14:26 Paul said, "What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” I believe verse 26 is the conclusion of Paul's train of thought. He had stated some general principles about speaking in tongues, prophesying, and pursuing love towards God and others. Now, he summarizes his message: “Let all things be done for building up.” When we gather together as a church, we may use any method that builds others up.   Paul's Specific Leading on Tongues, Prophecy, and Women Speaking   From verse 27 onwards, Paul turns his mind to God's specific guidance to the Corinthian church. Although this specific leading does not violate the basic principles mentioned in the first part, it will vary according to circumstances, time, and situation. Why do I say that from verse 27 onwards, Paul starts talking about God's leading in a particular situation in the Corinthian church? Let's look at this verse. Verse 27 says, "If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret."   I asked everyone in the meeting, “Does this sentence show Paul's general principle about tongues, or is it a special leading for the Corinthian church?” I think it's a special leading. Think about it: how many believers were in the Corinthian church at that time? How long were their weekly gatherings? Let's assume there were 100 believers who gathered for three hours every week. In such a situation, it would be appropriate for only two or three people to speak in tongues. And it was best to interpret the languages being spoken.   Now suppose we are visiting the church of David Yonggi Cho in South Korea. There are hundreds of thousands of people holding meetings together for three days. Should there be only two or three people who speak in tongues in the church? In these circumstances, there would be plenty of time for more speakers to have a turn.   In other words, different circumstances call for different responses. We must interpret these verses in light of the general principles mentioned above, and we must focus on being considerate of others and loving our neighbors. The point of the passage is not the exact number of speakers that we must have in a given service, but that we should conduct orderly meetings that show consideration to others. We cannot always take God's words in their most basic and literal sense.   Throughout the ages, there has been a lot of controversy about how Christians interpret God's words. One of the reasons is that it is difficult to distinguish which words reveal God's principles and which give certain people some specific leading in a specific environment. We must not violate God's principles, nor should we treat God's specific leading as universal truth. For example, when Moses allowed the Israelites to divorce their wives, they mistakenly thought this was a universal principle of God. But Jesus clearly told them that this command was only given because they were hard-hearted at that time. But God did not intend it to be that way from the beginning. The principle established by God was, “What He has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:3-8). The teaching on divorce was God's specific leading, intended for a specific period of time. It was a concession made because of his patience with human weakness.   Is there a specific context to Paul's words in verses 27-40? I think there is. One Corinthian believer must have been wrongly exercising the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. Paul attempted to correct his behavior in this passage. Verse 28 says to keep silent if there is no one to interpret. Verse 29 says that when two or three prophesy, the others must weigh what is said. Verse 30 says that if a revelation is made to another, the others must give him a chance to speak, and the first person must keep silent. Verses 31-33 say that everyone can prophesy—but don't be confused, because the spirits of the prophets were subject to the prophets and God was not a God of confusion. Clearly, these words were meant to clear up confusion in regards to specific situations in the Corinthian church.   Similarly, the instructions about women not speaking in church meetings must have related to a particular situation in the Corinthian church and were not a general principle of God. In other places, Paul praised many of his female coworkers. For example, he praised Phoebe, a deaconess (Romans 16:1). The instruction about women was not necessarily a universal principle of God, but a special leading intended for the chaotic situation in the Corinthian church. When Paul talked about women being silent and not speaking in meetings, he even specifically mentioned: "Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached?" (1 Corinthians 14:36). It is not difficult to guess that there may have been some women in the Corinthian church who were too proud and even thought that the word of God had reached them only. So Paul's criticism may have been directed against this problem.   The second half of verse 34 says, "They should be in submission, as the Law also says." But this is not enough to prove that the law does not permit women to speak. The law does require women to obey men, but there is no law expressly stating that women should not speak. Even though the law originally stipulated that a woman could not inherit her father's land, Zelophehad's daughters appealed to Moses and God, and God added a provision just for them. If there was no man in the family, God said women could inherit the land (Numbers 27). Clearly, God's law does not discriminate against women.   Conclusion   In verse 39, Paul reminds believers to be eager to prophesy and not to forbid speaking in tongues. Verse 40 says that everything should be done decently and in order. This concludes this chapter. I'll reiterate the difference between the sections in this chapter. Verses 1-26 talk about Paul's general principles on how to love God and others when exercising spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and prophesying. Verses 27-38 give specific leading based on the chaotic situation in the Corinthian church. In verses 39-40, Paul returns to giving general principles about prophesying and speaking in tongues. We must understand which sections contain God's universal principles (which cannot be changed) and which contain His specific leading for certain circumstances. We must understand the way God's Holy Spirit leads us in different circumstances. And we should seek to interpret God's word in the most accurate way possible.       [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 18   As we mentioned last time, Paul met Aquila and his wife Priscilla. They were Jews coming from Rome to Italy. Paul had already left Athens and they all came to meet in Corinth. I've said before that their meeting was a turning point in Paul's spiritual life. Why do I say that?We usually think that Paul is an apostle, so he is always better than others and there is no need for him to learn from others. This isn't the case. All of us have a learning process. Even when the Lord Jesus was on earth, He needed to learn to grow in the grace of God and man.  Similarly, Paul also went through a learning process. In our study on Acts 17 last time, we mentioned that Paul may have made a mistake of being rash in Athens. He may have been influenced by the environment possibly having a negative rather than positive effect on evangelism. But in Acts 18, it shows the process by which the Holy Spirit further led and perfected Paul through the circumstances.   Let's take a closer look.   The Holy Spirit patiently leads us into God's will for our lives.   The Lord Jesus said that, “Everything is in the hands of the Father. No two sparrows will fall to the ground without His consent.” (Matthew 10:29). Aquila and his wife Priscilla had just left Rome to Corinth because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul also came to Corinth from Athens. Is it accidental that they met there? No. Everything is arranged by the sovereignty of God. The purpose was to let Paul be further perfected and receive help from others in his ministry.   There is some deeper insight here that the Holy Spirit allowed me to see while reading the Bible.  It takes time for a person to completely follow the Lord and walk on the predestined path that He has laid out for us.  However, often at the beginning we might not have a clear idea about what God's will is or how to obey it; so we spend our time and energy following another path and are unable to unleash the gift that God has given us.  For example, If you are called to minister in music but you spend all of your time learning to paint because you didn't follow your heart, it results in failure and has very little effect for the kingdom.  When you finally understand that music is your gift and you throw yourself into it, you will find that God has opened all the doors.  Another example would be if God called you to be a cartoonist but instead you studied finance because your parents wanted you to be able to support yourself.  When you realize that there is no joy in finance and you return to the industry you love, things will flow and you will be successful in the end.  There are many examples like this.     So was Paul like this?  In modern times we tend to over exalt Paul's writings as though he could never be wrong.  Actually this isn't the case.  Paul is human and has shortcomings. He was on a continuous journey learning to know God in a deeper way.  Even in his old age he admitted that he hadn't completely taken hold of it, but forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, he presses on toward the goal (NIV Philippians 3:13-14).  This shows that Paul was continuously learning. Let's take a look at how Paul gradually learns to obey God's will and walk on the predestined path that God has planned for him.   When Paul recalls his experience of being called by God in Acts 22, he said that the Lord said to him, “Go, I will send you far away to the Gentiles." If you recall the contents of Acts 17, it   said in the beginning that Paul had passed through a couple of towns, and he went on to Thessalonica to preach the gospel in the Jewish synagogue. After being rejected, he went to the Jewish synagogue in Berea to evangelize. In the end, the Jews in Thessalonica had stirred up trouble and he was forced to go to Athens. He preached the gospel to the Gentiles in Athens, but was not very effective. But it doesn't matter. What matters is that Paul had made a great turn here. At that time, Paul didn't exactly do what God told him to.. God's will for him is just what Jesus said to him, “I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (NIV, Acts 22:21). God chose him to be an apostle of the Gentiles, but he couldn't bear the thought of not preaching the gospel to the Jews. If you look at his description in Romans chapters 9-11, he said that he would rather be cursed so the people of Israel could be saved. You can understand Paul's burden for the Jews. But unfortunately, this was not God's call for his life.   The Bible has explicitly stated that God called Peter to be the apostle to the Jews and chose Paul to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13, Galatians 2:8). This is very odd. If you were God, would you choose Paul or Peter to be the apostle to the Jews? If I was God, I might choose Paul because Paul is familiar with the Jewish scriptures and was taught by Gamaliel. He is even a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin. He was also circumcised on the eighth day. No one was more qualified and suitable than him. In contrast, Peter was a fisherman who had didn't have a high level of education. There are scholars who say that Paul's level of proficiency in Greek was far higher than Peter's. But God didn't choose Paul to be the apostle to the Jews. Instead, he chose Peter to be the apostle to the Jews. For the Gentiles, I also think that Peter was more likely to be accepted because he was from Galilee where there were mostly gentiles, and Paul was a strict Pharisee. He was also enthusiastic to persecute the church. So naturally, Paul was more qualified to be the apostle to the Jews than Peter. But God didn't arrange it like that.   There are people who believe that the reason why God arranged it that way is for us not to use what we are naturally good at. He wants us to do things that we are naturally not good at to force us to trust the Lord. We shouldn't do things based on our ability, but by faith and the power of the Holy Spirit.   We all have fleshly and natural choices. Often it's not that we don't know God's will and path for us. Rather, our flesh, human nature, and habits often hinder us so we have a difficult time quickly following God's call  . God understands us, so the Holy Spirit often patiently waits and leads us. But the Holy Spirit often tells us through the environment that "the road is blocked" encouraging us to   "turn back." The same is true of Paul's experience here. We mentioned in the previous message that maybe because of Paul's attempt to persuade people to accept the gospel through debate, it wasn't very effective. But actually, our understanding at that time was not comprehensive enough. In this reading, we can see more light. It was not because Paul's debate had gone wrong, but because Paul wasn't living completely in God's will so God blocked him in all aspects, making his evangelism ineffective.   Therefore, Acts 18 is a turning point. It is recorded in 18:5 - 6 that:   5 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6 But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”(NIV)   It was possibly here that Paul may have recalled what the Lord Jesus said to him, “I will send you far away to the Gentiles to preach the gospel.” He had just realized that God's call to him was to become the apostle to the Gentiles. Even though he was reluctant to leave his fellow Jews  who had rejected the gospel, he had no choice but to go to the Gentiles. In this way, he was forced by the environment to go to the Gentiles to preach the gospel. It looks like he was forced by the environment, but actually it was all the wonderful leading of the Holy Spirit.   Therefore, in Acts 18, it was definitely not accidental for Paul to encounter Aquila and Priscilla from Rome. Rather, it was arranged by God's sovereignty. Think about it. When Aquila and Paul were weaving tents together, don't you think they talked to each other? In the content of their chats, is it possible that Aquila talked about his life experience with the Gentiles in Rome and his experience of dealing with the Gentiles? there's a good possibility some of that was talked about. Paul's experience of evangelizing the Athenians in the previous chapter was not very successful. Maybe one of the reasons is that he didn't understand the Gentiles and was not familiar with how to preach the gospel to them.   Became like a Gentile to win the Gentiles   When some Western missionaries first came to China to preach the gospel, they adopted an aloof attitude, as if to say, we are preaching the gospel, you guys are barbarian idol worshippers, so you have to give up your faith and accept ours. Some of these missionaries often have deep relationships with Western colonizers and officials. They will therefore use Western diplomatic and military power to force the Chinese to open their ports and accept the gospel, which caused a lot of resistance from the local Chinese. Consequently,   preaching the gospel to them was not very effective. But when Hudson Taylor came to China to preach the gospel, he adapted to the Chinese culture. He dressed in Chinese robe and grew a pigtail like the Chinese. He   also lived with the Chinese. His living and eating habits were the same as those of the Chinese, sohis gospel work in China was very effective. He preached the gospel to many places in China.   Paul's experience of evangelism in Athens seems to be somewhat similar to the attitude of Western missionaries when they first arrived in China. Perhaps he was feeling superioras he wastrying to persuade these people to turn away from idols to Jesus Christ through debates. Unfortunately it didn't work out well. Is it possible that after his failed attempts to evangelize that Aquila taught him how to witness to the Gentiles and inspired him?  I believe that Paul was able to get inspiration and learned something from his experience in Athens. He said in 1 Corinthians 9:20-22:   20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. (NIV)   From Paul's words, we can see that Paul had learned how to become a Gentile in order to win the Gentiles. He learned that he shouldn't be aloof when he preached the gospel, and he shouldn't persuade others to believe in the gospel through debate. Rather, he should humble himself and put himself on the level of the Gentiles, live and eat with them, and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in a language acceptable to them.   God's later confirmation   I   had a special experience recently.   I met a prophet who said that God wants me to be a U.S. citizen because this will help me in my service in the future. However, because I am a Chinese citizen and I also have a U.S. green card, it is more convenient to visit China plus I feel that the chance that God will call me to serve in China in the future is huge, therefore, I have been living in the US for a long time and not been naturalized as a US citizen. f  After hearing the prophets words I spent time in prayer but didn't receive any confirmation from God.  I reluctantly submitted my application for US citizenship anyway.   Not long afterwards, I had a prophetic dream. I found that the Chinese characters on my Chinese passport were altered, and a lot of English letters were written, and I saw a seal falling down from above with the words "U.S. Citizen" above. I felt that this was Lord's confirmation that the submitted application was directed by Him. The prophecy of this prophet may be correct. But when I prayed for God's leading, God never gave me any confirmation.   This was my own experience, but actually, I'm also explaining Paul's experience here. When Paul didn't completely live in God's will, he seemed to be running up against a stone wall everywhere he went. His evangelism in the synagogues in Thessalonica, Berea, and Athens was not smooth. Of course, the Lord told Paul before that God's purpose was to send him far to the Gentiles to be a witness for Him. So this was imprinted in Paul's spirit. Therefore, at the beginning of chapter 18, Paul met Aquila and his wife Priscilla who came back from Rome. This might further remind him of the command he heard from the Lord. When Paul swears to turn to the Gentiles from then on, he went next door to the house of Titius Justus. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized (NIV, Acts 18-8:9). Afterwards, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (NIV, Acts 18:9-10). I called this God's later confirmation. When Paul finally walked on the right path that Jesus told him, Jesus appeared to him, confirming that he was walking in the will of God. We often have such confirmation in our spiritual experience. The Lord will give us a prophetic word in the beginning. The Holy Spirit will then secretly lead us, give us limitations and leading through the environment. And finally when we walk on the predestined path that God has laid out for us, God will often prove to us again that we are indeed walking on His predestined path.   Acts 18:11 records that Paul lived there for a year and six months, teaching God's words among them. This sentence is definitely not accidentally recorded here. Rather, the Holy Spirit further confirms that Paul came here to preach the gospel and live according to God's will.   Of course, we are not saying that Paul could'nt preach the gospel to the Jews. In the latter parts of Acts 18, it's even recorded that when Paul arrived at Ephesus, he went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. But I guess perhaps the emphasis of Paul's ministry had turned towards the Gentiles. In particular, chapter 18:19 records that after Paul had reasoned with the Jews in the synagogue in Ephesus, when they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined. This is a clear contrast to what is recorded in 18:11 where Paul stayed there for a year and a half.   Prior to this, Acts 18 also recorded that the Jews had attacked Paul, but the local official did not interfere. After this, Acts 18:18 (NIV) recorded that, “Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila”. But because of a vow he had taken, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea before going to Ephesus. But he did not stay in Ephesus for a long time. He left to go to other places.   The matching of the different parts of the body to Christ's body   In 18:24, it started to introduce a Jew named Apollos. The Bible specifically mentioned that he was an eloquent man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. The Bible didn't use these words to describe Paul. So looking at this description, Apollos had a gift that Paul may not have. In addition to Apollos' eloquence (that Paul may not have), it is specifically recorded that Apollos had vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ (NIV, Acts 18:28). These records are in contrast with the limited effects of Paul's evangelism before the Jews. These have indirectly proved that God's call to Paul was mainly for the Gentiles because God raised up people like Apollos to preach the gospel to the Jews, and it seems that their work was more effective than Paul's.   Of course, the Bible has also recorded the limitations of Apollos, that is, he only knew the baptism of John. But Priscilla and Aquila, who were perfected by Paul, had helped explain the way of God to Apollos more adequately (NIV, Acts 18:26). This again shows that the principle of God's work is through the matching of the body; allowing different members of the body of Christ to match and complement each other.   Paul came to Ephesus again in Acts 19. There he found some disciples of Apollos' ministry who only knew John's baptism; they didn't know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul prayed for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This   also paved the way in the beginning of verses 20-21, where he declined the invitation of Ephesians when they asked him to stay there for a while. Instead, he said that, "I will come back if it is God's will."  (NIV, Acts 18:21). It is something that the Holy Spirit mentioned specifically here so that Paul later can come back to help those who are under the ministry of Apollo's.   Why did God arrange for Paul to come back later? What is the meaning and implication of Paul's making up for the lack of Apollos' ministry in Acts 19? Why is it that   Apollos' ministry only knows John's baptism and not the baptism of Jesus and of the Holy Spirit? This has   profound spiritual significance. We hope to continue sharing our understanding in the next reading.        

Bible Study with Jairus- Acts 17 In the beginning of Acts 17 it tells us that Paul and Silas came to the synagogue in Thessalonica to preach the gospel. Some people were persuaded, but it also led to the opposition of many Jews. The Jews wanted to bring Paul and Silas out to the crowd but could not find them. Because of this, the Jews dragged Jason out who had received Paul and Silas. Because of this, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea, and upon their arrival, they started to preach the gospel in the synagogue. The people there were more open-minded than the Thessalonians. When the Jews in Thessalonica heard about it, they came over to stir up trouble again. The believers then sent Paul to the coast and escorted him to Athens, while Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. When Paul arrived in Athens, he asked the people who escorted him to let Silas and Timothy come over. Then the Bible records: 17:16 (NIV) While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17:17 (NIV) So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 17:18 (NIV) A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. The Christian woman who was leading our Bible Study asked, “Why is it that the Jews of Thessalonica were so opposed to Paul's evangelism and when Paul arrived in Berea, why did the Jews from Thessalonica travel to Berea to oppose Paul? Why is it wherever Paul and Silas went, they went to the synagogue first to preach the gospel? And why is it when Paul arrived in Athens, he still let Silas and Timothy to come over? It seems that Timothy had always been with Paul, but why is it he didn't mention Timothy when he was in Thessalonica and Berea? After the Jews brought Jason to the crowd, why was it recorded in Acts 17:7-8 (NIV) that: "Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil." Why were they thrown into turmoil? There are a lot of questions here but we can only answer one at a time so let's start with why the Jews were thrown into turmoil when they heard Jesus was king. I shared that there was a historical background to this which I learned while I was studying Christian theology. During the time when the Israelites were against Roman rule, there were several different Jewish factions. The Herodians and Sadducees mentioned in the Bible were Roman advocates; but the Pharisees and the Zealots advocated for independence and were opposed to Roman rule. In particular, the Zealots advocated the use of violent and revolutionary means to overthrow Roman rule, and they launched violent uprisings against Roman rule but were brutally suppressed by the Romans. After the brutal crackdown, the Zealots were almost completely exterminated. The Pharisees were basically politically cautious. They didn't fiercely advocate revolution, and thus survived. But the faction that advocated cooperation with the Romans occupied a large part of Israel's upper class. Why were the Jewish crowds and the city officials thrown into turmoil when they heard that Jesus was another king? One of the reasons may be that many Jews advocated cooperation with the Romans. It can be said that they were "Jewish traitors”. So, if Jesus (another king) came and if He was able to lead the Israelites in a successful revolt, would they have to liquidate the history of these traitors? And Jesus is really the king of Israel. Not only were these Jews afraid that He would become king, but even his disciples were hoping that He would really be king in order to lead them to revolutionary success and to drive the Romans out and restore Israel's glory. Looking at these two examples, the identity of the Lord Jesus as a Jewish king does bring hope but it also poses a threat to some groups of people. Although Jesus had already been crucified when Paul preached the gospel, talking about Him as another king of the Jews could have caused another Jewish revolution.  The revolts might have been successful and the Roman advocates would be called traitors.  If the revolution wasn't successful the Israelites would be brutally suppressed by the Romans again.   Therefore, there were valid reasons why the Jews fiercely opposed evangelism. It could even be said that it was a very legitimate reason to protect the Israelites from harm. Those who hold this view believe that the people who were opposing Paul's evangelism were actually protecting ordinary Israelites from the Romans, because the history of the fierce suppression of the Zealots was still fresh in their memory. It may be for these reasons, plus several others, that these Jews from Thessalonica had gone to Berea to oppose Paul's evangelism. In both places, Paul was forced to leave. Please note that the first time Paul was forced to leave Thessalonica and flee to Berea, he was with Silas. The second time Paul was forced to leave Berea and was escorted to Athens while Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. When he arrived in Athens, the one who escorted Paul had taken orders from him and went back to call Silas and Timothy to come over Athens, and left. Here, I guess the person who escorted Paul is just one person, or even if it's a few people, they were all gone. After Paul was left alone, he encountered a lot of difficulties. Herein lays the problem. When American pastors and teachers travel to other countries to preach, they spend many exhausting hours on the plane and then often proceed directly to the place they are to preach.   Many times they are already exhausted when they reach their destination. They need to be strengthened by the Lord before they can finish their sermon. Even though we have airplanes and better traveling conditions, a long flight is still exhausting.  If that's the case, imagine that if you were Paul, and you traveled long distances to evangelize and you were continuously being chased. Now you are alone in Athens, and Athens is full of idols. How would you react? Let's look at Paul's reaction. Acts 17:16-18 (NIV) says that: 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. How should we look at this passage? The church that I was saved in was more in favor of Paul's work. In my spiritual education, Paul was rarely criticized. But when the Lord led me to look at the teachings of some of the Bible teachers outside the traditions of my evangelical church, I heard some criticisms towards Paul. I heard a message from Rick Joyner that there are statistics showing that 80% of the Exegetical and Hermeneutical Work of Bible after Martin Luther's Reformation have been about Paul. Rick saw Paul once in a vision. Paul told him that everyone has highly exalted him. They should not take his work to analyze the four Gospels. Instead, they should use the words of the four Gospels to measure his works. Rick Joyner also said that Paul's life has undergone three stages of growth and change. The initial stage seems to be what he said in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians (NIV), “My immediate response was not to consult any human being.” There seems to be some pride in saying these words; but in the second stage, he claims that “For I am the least of the apostles” (NIV, 1 Corinthians 15:9) and “I am less than the least of all the Lord's people” (NIV, Ephesians 3:8); Later he said, “I am the worst sinner of them all.” (NIV, 1 Timothy 1:15). These verses show that Paul had also undergone a process of constant humility. There is some controversy that arises when reading Paul's work. The controversy revolves around the issue of Paul's teachings being infallible. Paul is a human being and all human beings are bound to make mistakes. But if Paul was used to write the Bible under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, could there be any errors? If you believe that Paul can't be wrong, that doesn't really make sense because humans are bound to make mistakes. If you believe that Paul can be wrong, then how do you decide which subjects he was right or wrong about? This is an issue in particular with the controversy about Paul's prohibition of women preaching. Was Paul wrong to base it on the customs of that time, or were his words the revelation of the Holy Spirit? How we should view Paul's teachings? Whether Paul is right or wrong in this matter has become a big debate in Christian exegesis. But for now, we won't discuss the issue of whether women should or shouldn't preach. We certainly believe that Paul's words are the revelation of the Holy Spirit, but we also believe that Paul went through a learning process because he experienced failure. Although the Biblical education I received did not say that Paul's experience in Athens was a failure, I have heard other Bible teachers mention that Paul's attempt to win people's hearts in accepting Christ through debating at Athens was a failure. They specifically compared what is written in Galatians 3:5 with Paul's experience in Athens. Paul says in Galatians 3:5 (NIV), "So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" Here, Paul specifically mentioned that the Galatians started with the Spirit so that they should not fall into the flesh. He preached the gospel by relying on the Holy Spirit. He had also performed miracles to bring the Galatians to salvation. Let's take a look again at Chapter 17 verses 16-18 (NIV): 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. I agree more with the argument that Paul's debating may not have had good results here. Allow me to explain my thoughts.  As I mentioned earlier, Paul was chased twice by the Jews. He was accompanied by Silas the first time, and the second time; he was accompanied by an escort. When he arrived in Athens, the person who escorted him went back to assist Silas and Timothy so they could come quickly to Athens. In this interval, Paul was alone. Even if Paul possessed remarkable abilities/powers, he would still feel lonely when he was alone. The Bible tells us “How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight?” (NIV, Deuteronomy 32:30). The principle that God established was to partner us with the body of Christ. At this time, when Paul was left alone, he might have faced an attack and incitement of the enemy. My personal view is that after Paul experienced the continuous attacks and rejection of the Jews plus the fact that he was left alone in Athens and saw that the city was full of idols, he became greatly distressed. Then I think he started to reason and ask himself, was he still in the spirit? The Bible does not explain this so we do not know for sure. But the view I mentioned before, that is, the result of Paul's hopes of spreading the gospel to the Athenians through debating did not go very well. So Paul's experience in Athens is regarded as one of his failures. Let me discuss the inspiration that I received during this meeting. It can be said through the word "react" or more appropriately, "to be influenced by the environment". In our spiritual experience as Christians, we should be seated in heavenly places in Christ, but sometimes our flesh or minds are provoked and make us react in our minds and in the flesh. Afterwards, we often regret the experience. I recently listened to a very early message from an American pastor named Jack Deere about the discipline of the Holy Spirit. He mentioned a very interesting experience that he had. He said that he is a pastor in a not so well-off place in the United States. As a pastor, he is often misunderstood and attacked by others. One day, a female Christian, in a church where he served as a pastor, said to him, "You are just serving as a pastor here for the money." He was very angry and he answered her back. Things like this seemed to happen all the time. He asked the Lord, “What is going on?” The Lord said that this is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. He said, “When will it end?” The Lord replied, "When you can treat those who criticize you with a gentle and kind spirit." Jack Deere is a pastor who moved from the evangelical church to the charismatic movement. He is well-known in the Christian world in the United States. He is also one of the few American pastors I know of that teaches the discipline of the Holy Spirit. Supposedly, he's also a person who pursues deeper spirituality, but he shared this experience to let us see that a person who pursues spirituality is often influenced by the environment especially when they are not mature enough. When Jack Deere's spiritual discipline was more mature, he would respond more gently and lovingly to those who criticize him. When a Christian is practicing to be more spiritual, we need to learn not to react to the environment or be influenced by the environment. Instead, we should react to the heavenly reality and our communication with the Lord, and out of our position of sitting together with Christ in heavenly places.  Reacting to the environment or what you see will end up pulling you down to the level of the environment itself. Can Paul's experience here be pulled down by the surrounding environment? We know that Paul is a man with heavenly experience and vision, but there are times that people become weak, especially when he is constantly attacked by Jews, and his co-workers Silas and Timothy are not beside him to assist him. He might have been very knowledgeable since he received training from Gamaliel, and he was good at debating. After he was enraged in the spirit, his soul also became agitated: "You guys know how to debate, I also know to debate. Your philosophy is great. My philosophy is also very impressive." As you can see here, not only did he debate with the Jews and God-fearing people, but he has also debated with the people he met in the marketplace every day, and some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who have argued with him. We are not sure whether Paul is like this, but those who hold the view that Paul has done nothing wrong is untenable because Paul is a human being, and every human being has a process of learning and continuous maturing. In his later years, Paul did not think that he was fully mature yet, saying that “I press on toward the goal to win the prize.” (NIV, Philippians 3:14). If Paul's later years are not fully mature, then Paul's experience should be a process of continuous maturity. The only difficulty is how we see Paul's continuous maturity process with the help of the Holy Spirit, but at the same time not be affected in accepting the fact that the Holy Spirit has spread the Word of God through Paul's mouth. Judging from my limited personal evangelistic experience, many times we encounter some atheist Chinese, who often debate with the people who are preaching the gospel. I personally feel that these debates are often not very effective. The best way is to influence them through prayers and testimonies of love. Of course, among many Christians who advocate Power Evangelism, there are many who use the power of the Holy Spirit to let the atheists be convinced. The debate is usually not very effective. Debates often let us fall to the battlefield of the mind, and debates are things that often happen after we have fallen into a reprobate mind. I slowly learned a lesson, that is, when a person is not ready to accept Christ, or the Holy Spirit hasn't yet reached a point where he has begun to work on the person to open up his/her mind, we don't need to have too much debate with him/her. Instead, we can silently pray for the person with an attitude of give and take in the service of love. It has a better effect as time passes. In addition to this it's important to be spiritually paired with other believers no matter how knowledgeable or spiritual you may be.  Paul knows this very well. But does the absence of Silas and Timothy affect Paul's judgment? Although Paul is an apostle, the Bible clearly says that Silas is a prophet. If Silas is there, will Silas pray to God to get any prophetic revelation on how to do the work of evangelism in the city of Athens? Or if Timothy is there, will he be more eloquent to deliver and preach the gospel? Although Timothy is younger than Paul, we have seen how young people can do many things better in the church. When people who don't know much about God come to church, the effect when the pastor preaches a profound sermon is often not as good as the testimony of a few Christians who have faith in the Lord from the very start. The latter is more appealing to those who have just come into contact with the gospel. This is also my personal point of view. I think that Paul may be more suitable to teach those who want to seek and experience the truth on a deeper level, but Timothy may be more suitable to test the waters first in Athens. Their human hearts are not prepared yet for the idol worshipping people so we should let Timothy pave the way through his words. Or let Silas pray to God to see what strategic or spiritual guidance God has, and then find ways to preach the gospel here. But it seems that it wasn't mentioned here that Paul has received any revelation or God's guidance. Instead, the Bible mentions that he had reacted because he was angry in the spirit. Is this reaction completely from God?  We don't know. But I think that those who hold the view that since Paul was an apostle, everything he did was right and he didn't need to seek God's guidance, and he won't ever make mistakes is untenable. Although Paul was an apostle, he has the ability to make mistakes and will need a process of learning from them. I personally think that Paul should not be in a rush and do things hastily. He should take a rest and wait until Silas and Timothy come to discuss the matter together and then take action. In other words, Paul is too rash here. This may be one of Paul's weaknesses. Of course, our analysis is not necessarily right, but it can provide us with another idea, that is, to understand the process of Paul's growth in God. Paul was a person, not a God. Did he have any shortcomings? It's safe to say that it's very natural for everyone to have weakness. Did Paul have any weaknesses? If what we propose here exposes the weakness of human nature, what is Paul's weakness? What effect does Paul's weakness have on his ministry? We don't know the specific weaknesses that Paul had, but it's impossible for a person not to have any weakness. Even if people don't have obvious weaknesses, they need to be paired with other believers who have different giftings.  Therefore, the pairing of Silas and Timothy to Paul is very important. Of course, we are not totally negating the effect of Paul's evangelism in Athens. Although he wasn't good at convincing the Athenians through debating, he had attracted some people who were seeking the truth. Acts 17:19-21 (NIV) says: "Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?  You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)” You can see that the explanation in verse 21 is that the Athenians and the foreigners who live there are very busy, and they have no time to take care of other things. So these people took Paul and brought him to Areopagus to talk about these new lessons/ideas which stood out to us. Going back to what we mentioned earlier, Paul may not have the silver tongue of Timothy, or the effect of preaching the gospel to the newcomers or those who are occupied by the world's affairs, but Paul didn't fail to attract those who really seek the truth. Paul's personality may be more suitable to people who are diligent seekers of truth. Paul spoke a very famous passage in Acts 17:24-27 (NIV) which says that: "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” We have no intention of belittling Paul, and the experience here is also the highlight of Paul's experience in Athens. But I personally don't think that idolizing Paul or assuming that he doesn't have a process of continuous maturity, is correct. Paul is a human being. When he is continuously attacked and left alone, he will be weak and will be incited by the environment to react. And such a reaction usually pulls us down to the level of the environment or the enemy, letting us lose the commanding heights of victory in Christ. An example is Pastor Jack Deere that I mentioned earlier. When others criticize you, don't rush to react. Instead, rest in the Lord and ask His wisdom and follow his leading to deal these criticisms. Similarly, I think that Paul should not be rash here. He should seek the Lord on how to evangelize Athens which was occupied by idols. He should also wait for Silas and Timothy to come and discuss first before making any decisions. It's not that Paul has no wisdom, but Paul was constantly attacked and alone. He needs to get a good rest and to be taken care of. We have a new couple coming to our Bible study. I hoped to give them a prophetic word before the end of our meeting. I prayed to God and asked Him, “Are there any prophetic words to give and bless them?” I heard the Holy Spirit say two names, Aquila and Priscilla. I prophesied by faith that: I feel that God believes that you are Aquila and Priscilla. They have the same line of work as Paul, but they have also taken care of him. Although Paul is an apostle, the apostles also need to be cared to and helped by people. I feel that God called you to be Aquila and Priscilla to train the Paul of tomorrow, because in this era, God will raise and widely use many Paul-like apostles. God called you to be Aquila and Priscilla to cherish those who are serving as apostles. Whether this person is still your child, or a little brother or sister in your church, God will use you to fulfill them in order to make them become servants like Paul. As we saw in this chapter, Paul also has weaknesses and there are times that he needs help and to be paired with other believers. Paul's encounter with Aquila and Priscilla was a turning point in Paul's spirituality, because the couple, Aquila and Priscilla, is very compassionate. They were tentmakers just as Paul was and they had received Paul. We believe that Aquila and Priscilla have tended Paul to a large extent, so after Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, it could be said that spiritually, he became more mature. How God used Aquila and Priscilla to take care of and complete Paul's ministry, God will also use you two to come along side and complete the Pauls of tomorrow. I prophesied that according to the principle that “everyone can prophesy” (1 Corinthian 14:31), it's not because I am a prophet. I was saved in an Evangelical church, but I learned the gift of prophecy after I first came into contact with the American modern prophetic movement in 2015. Of course, I studied five courses at a prophetic school, and their teachings helped me to go and activate this prophetic gift. I prophesied with inspiration and faith. I don't know if these words are correct for the couple because they didn't give me feedback. However, after other friends who were in the meeting with me verified Acts 18, they began to discover Paul's experience of encountering Aquila and Priscilla. It seems that perhaps, I am speaking by the Holy Spirit. Because when I prophesied, I was not sure when Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, nor was I very familiar with the content of Acts 18. I hope that when we have the opportunity to read Acts 18, we can learn more about how Aquila and Priscilla have tended and helped Paul with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thank you for reading, listening or watching.  

Bible Study with Jairus-Revelation 1   The Perspective of the Apostle John: Christ as Judge   Though I've read the book of Revelation before, I've always found it difficult to understand. I've often felt that the last days discussed in Revelation were still far away from the times we live in. But as I reflected on the pandemic, war and other current events, my most recent study of the Book of Revelation has been more enlightening than ever.  As I studied the book of Revelation at a recent Bible study, I began to feel that the things described in it are not far away from us.   Although I admit that there are still many things in the book of Revelation that I do not fully understand, I feel that the Holy Spirit has given me a better understanding this time. Though I dare not claim that we are experiencing the end of the age depicted in the book of Revelation, I can nonetheless say that the Day of the Lord is very near.   Since 2015, the Lord has revealed to me in visions and prophetic dreams that there will be many great revivals. Many of my dreams featured a great revival of China. But I had absolutely no idea where these revivals would start. Then one day, in a dream, I saw an angel stretching out a huge stick that reached all the way from heaven to the ocean. As the angel began to stir, the waves churned and the ground became unstable. Because of this dream, I realized that a great revival is coming, and it will be accompanied by shaking. God will shake all kingdoms that can be shaken, so that the kingdom that cannot be shaken may be sought and obtained (Hebrews 12:27).   This shaking represents judgment, which is one of the themes of the book of Revelation. After the pandemic, I received inspiration in the spirit that the great revival has already begun. Why do I believe this? Because the great revival begins with cleansing and judgment. This judgment begins in the house of God, and it allows the church to mature. When wheat is about to be harvested, exposure to the sun will help it ripen more quickly. In the same way, exposure to judgment prepares the church for the harvest. God will harvest His sheaves.   This harvest also includes the judgment and harvesting of the weeds. The wheat of God will be gathered into the barn, and the weeds will be thrown into the fire by the angels. All of this takes place because God the Judge has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22).   Although the great revival we are facing may not be the last great revival of the last days, I believe it is nonetheless a preparation for the great revival of the last days. For this reason, I believe that reading the book of Revelation at this moment in history can bring insight and inspiration to our lives today.   The Lord Is Our Judge   We often say that the Lord is both a lamb and a lion. The first time He came to earth, He came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He brought grace and delayed his judgment. Jesus clearly said, "I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." (John 12:47-48).[1] God's word clearly tells us that the Lord will judge those who reject Him on the last day. Revelation, the last book of the Bible, discusses the judgment of the last days. The Lord, as revealed in Revelation, will be the Judge.     The Holy Spirit introduced the drama of the book of Revelation in a very creative way. The Bible is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Holy Spirit inspired people to write the Bible, so the Holy Spirit is its true author. As a writer and playwright, I have often said that the Holy Spirit introduced the drama and He is the best playwright. If we think of the book of Revelation as a movie, and the first chapter of Revelation as the prologue, what would be the best way to introduce the Judge? I personally think that there would be no better way than to surprise the Apostle John with the appearance of the Judge.   John was Jesus' favorite disciple. He often laid in the arms of the Lord and was very familiar with Jesus Christ the Lamb. But just like the disciples whom the Lord Jesus appeared to after His resurrection, John did not recognize the risen Christ at first. Seeing the risen Christ shocked John since he was only familiar with Christ the Lamb. John's visual description of the risen Christ, the Judge, was brand new to John. As the best playwright, the Holy Spirit began the book of Revelation with a vivid and new image of Christ as the Judge, an image that shocked the apostle John.   Revelation Of Jesus Christ   Let's imagine the book of Revelation as a movie. Let's follow the playwright, the Holy Spirit, into this earth-shattering show. Even though the Holy Spirit is the playwright, the idea for this drama came through the collaboration of the three members of the Trinity. Jesus Christ said that He would receive truth from the Father and declare it to the Holy Spirit (John 16:15). In the same way, Revelation 1:1 mentions that the revelation of Jesus Christ came from the Father and was "given by God” to Jesus Christ. God told Him that He should show His servants the things that would soon take place. He communicated the message by His angel to His servant John through symbols (Revelation 1:1).   The characters in this movie script are the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit; the angels, evil spirits, and devils; saints and sinners; Christ and the Bride, who are united with the Lord; the Antichrist and the great prostitute, who is composed of evil spirits and sinners; dragons and beasts; a woman and a male child. These all comprise the pictorial symbols mentioned in verse 1. We must learn how to understand this symbolic language. I believe I have gained new inspiration about some figurative images, including the sickle and Babylon, which we will describe in detail later. As a preview, let me quickly summarize these concepts. The sickle is a gift from God, and it is up to us to sharpen it. Babylon is a united system of evil spirits and sinners, including but far greater than the fallen system of Catholicism. Babylon includes the fallen religious, political, economic, and other systems in this world. This network of systems devours human minds, hearts, and souls.   The language of symbols is the language of pictures. These pictorial symbols often hinder us from understanding the Bible. That's why it's so important to understand these figurative images. If you understand the symbols and visual language, you will better understand the entire book of Revelation. An example of figurative language is the saying, “He was shot by Cupid's arrow.” Of course, we don't mean that a person was actually shot. Instead, we understand that this is a figurative way to say that someone is in love. Although the meaning of this figurative language is clear to us today, it might not be clear to a reader thousands of years from now. No longer familiar with the idiom, people may become confused by the references to “Cupid” and his arrow. Similarly, there are many symbols and much visual language ​​in the Bible which were understandable to the readers at the time when the Bible was being written. However, the meaning has been lost in our current culture, making it difficult for us to understand this visual language.   In addition, many biblical images were based on spiritual inspiration rather than on historical or cultural idioms that were common at the time. For human beings living in the material realm, it can be difficult to put spiritual realities into words. There may be no physical reality that we can compare the spiritual reality to. It is difficult for our natural minds to grasp. In these cases, figurative language and images can help us express heavenly things that are beyond words.   For example, in order to explain how the Holy of Holies in heaven was built, God asked Moses and David to build a tabernacle and a temple that matched the heavenly pattern. The temple itself and the accompanying utensils were pictorial images that represented a heavenly reality. When the high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year to sprinkle the blood, it was an image of the blood of Jesus which restored fellowship between God and man. When Moses approached the mercy seat, saw God's glory, and heard Him speak (Numbers 7:89), it represented our ability to draw near the Holy of Holies with boldness through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16). This pictorial representation shows that in Jesus Christ, we can meet with God face to face.   Since 2015, God has given me dreams that help me express spiritual realities through pictorial images. In my dreams, I have been taken to heaven, paradise, and other places in the underworld. I saw various images and scenes of the lives of the people there. When I would tell my wife about these things, she would ask, “What is the use of these things?” I said, “These visions of the spiritual world have greatly expanded my spiritual imagination, helping me break through many traditional Bible teachings that limit my thinking. These images help me better understand how God speaks through pictorial languages in the Bible.” I believe that the dreams that God gave me were not useless. They helped me better understand the visual language in the Bible. I believe that the more we understand the figurative images in Revelation, the more we will understand the book as a whole. In this study, we will focus on clarifying these images and the message that the symbols are describing.   Preparation to Hear God's Voice In Revelation, John heard Jesus speaking to him personally. If we want to learn how to hear Jesus' voice, we should prepare ourselves like John did. Although some of John's circumstances were brought about by the sovereignty of God and were beyond his control, we can still learn from John's example. We can learn about the importance of preparing our hearts before God.   Cultivating a Quiet Heart   The first way we can prepare our hearts is by cultivating a quiet, undistracted heart. God speaks to us often. But if we are too busy, we may not be able to quiet down enough to hear God speak. For instance, if we are on a crowded bus, and someone steals our wallet, we might not even notice it. But if we are sitting quietly on a balcony, drinking coffee, we could feel the breeze blowing across our faces. That's why it's so important to find a quiet environment where we can better hear God's words. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God." But we are often unable to quiet down because we live in a distracted world. It's easy to imagine that the Apostle John was also very busy. Perhaps he was very busy with his ministry to the seven churches that he later wrote to in the book of Revelation. If he had not been exiled and put in prison, he might have been too busy with ministry to be able to see this vision. God knew how to quiet John's heart and mind to receive his word.   John was exiled to the island of Patmos. In chapter 1 verse 9 he said, "I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus." The island created a quiet environment for John. He was probably exiled because of his faith in Jesus. Now that he had fewer external distractions, he was able to quiet his heart before God and hear his words. On the Lord's day, he became receptive to the Spirit and heard God's voice.   Letting Go of Rigid Thinking. Another way we can hear the voice of God is by letting go of our own rigid thinking. Our past experiences with God tend to generate rigid expectations about future interactions with Him. The Pharisees, who claimed to love God and obey His laws, were completely blind to the coming of God in the flesh. They were so wrapped up in their rigid thinking, which focused on outward obedience, that they didn't recognize Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God. In the same way, our minds, prejudices, and traditions can solidify our thinking so much that we cannot understand God's leading in a new era. In order to become trailblazers who lead the work of God in a new era, we must let go of rigid thinking and receive the fresh guidance and presence of Jesus.   The New Image of The Judge   The Lord Jesus has appeared to me several times in visions, but each appearance was unique. No two visions were identical.   Once, I was taken to China in the spirit. The Lord Jesus appeared to me, robed with light, and laid His hands on my head. After falling to the ground, I got up. But He was gone.   On the last day of 2017, He first appeared to me as an old Chinese lady. Then He took me to heaven in the spirit and changed His form. There, He told me about my calling. Through a glass window, he showed me people going up to heaven. They looked as if they were riding an escalator to heaven. This vision gave me a burden for China's great revival.   Another time, I was taken to Japan in the spirit, and the Lord Jesus appeared to me. He healed my hands, which had been wounded from fishing, with a healing balm drawn from the nail marks on his feet. Yet another time, I was taken to heaven in the spirit and saw Jesus' face and strong muscles up close.  Every appearance has been unique.   Testimonies of people with prophetic experiences abound. I have heard others say that every time the Lord appears, He looks different, depending on the amount of light He emits. Sometimes, he appears as a lion, an eagle, or some other manifestation.   The appearance of the risen Lord can be in many different forms. Perhaps this is why the disciples did not always recognize him when he appeared after his resurrection. When He appeared to the twelve disciples, to the men on their way to Emmaus, to Mary as she wept by the tomb, or to Peter as he fished by the sea, they did not recognize Him right away. In other words, the Lord Jesus Christ often appears in a specific form that communicates an important figurative message.   For example, one day the Lord Jesus appeared to me as an old Chinese lady and led me down the mountain near my hometown. He led me to the entrance of the village. There, I saw some women and children weeping. Then I heard voices saying, “This represents the people in China who are being oppressed by the unfair distribution of wealth.” Suddenly, I saw that a strange currency was about to be unloaded from the bed of a big truck. It seemed to be a huge amount of money, near $200 million. The money was not in US dollars, or CNY. It was in a strange currency. Then I heard voices that said, “The wealth will be redistributed to those who are godly and righteous, so that they can evangelize and transform Chinese society.”   Not long after that, the old lady started to take me to heaven in the spirit. I fought and struggled against her with all my strength, because I was worried that I was being deceived by an evil spirit. But her power overcame me. Then she gave me an enormous push from behind and lifted me to heaven, where she transformed into Jesus Christ. He showed me images of people, similar to the images of saints used in the past, and He asked me if I wished to be like them. I cried, “I am willing in my heart, but my flesh is weak. I still have some fleshly weaknesses that I cannot overcome.”   During this experience, I was shocked to see a cherub flying toward us. What shocked me even more was that the Chinese saints in glory sang a four-verse hymn together to praise God and to bless and encourage me. Sadly, I cannot remember the lyrics of this hymn. But this experience has greatly encouraged me.     Many of these spiritual experiences involved figurative images: God often uses my rural hometown in China to represent China. Coming down from the mountain on the north side of my hometown represents the presence of God who is with me in heaven (represented by the high place on the mountain) and in China (represented by my village). I believe that one day he will lead me back to China. Walking to the entrance of the village represents my future return to China. The crying women and children represent the oppression of the Chinese church and Chinese people. They are oppressed by evil spirits and evil people. The truck represents the gospel and its ministry. The huge amount of strange currency on the truck represents the supply of God's rich gospel, as well as His supply of physical wealth. Only when I arrived at the entrance of the village did I see this truck, which represents the timing of these supplies, which may only become available when I arrive in China to preach the gospel one day. The cherub I saw in heaven signifies a heavenly atmosphere. Being taken behind the glass by Jesus Christ shows us that we can see people going to heaven behind the glass, but they can't see us. This means that everything is in the hands of God; He knows everything. Jesus Christ showed me pictures of people going to heaven one by one. These are also symbols. They represent the great revival that will bring people's saved souls to heaven.   These figurative images greatly shocked my spirit and also gave me a great burden for the future revival of China and the world. Even the Chinese saints who sang hymns in heaven represented the fact that the great revival in China will be a collaboration between God, the saints in glory, and the saints on earth. This deeply inspires me.   This is just one example of a spiritual experience full of visual language that conveyed God's message to me. These images helped me to break through my mental limitations and accept God's call—a calling that I never dared imagine.   Similarly, the image of the Lord Jesus Christ described in Revelation 1 is not a fixed image, but a symbolic image that describes what God will do during the judgment of the last days. The pictures themselves are God's words to the apostle John and the church in the end times. Let's examine the image of the Lord described by the apostle John.   The golden lampstand represents the church (1:20). Walking in the midst of the golden lampstand represents Jesus walking amongst the churches and checking on them. The robe that reaches down to his feet does not mean that the Lord wears a robe every day in heaven. Rather, this symbolic image represents holiness, just like the robe that Joshua put on to cover his filthiness (Zechariah 3:4), or the bright, clean linen that the bride of Christ wore, which represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8).  Once, during a vision, I was standing in line to see Jesus.  While standing in line, I was asked to first put on a robe. This symbol shows us that filthy people cannot see the Lord, but that Jesus bestows on us a robe of righteousness that covers our uncleanness. In figurative visual language, the robe Jesus was wearing in Revelation 1 reminds us of the righteousness of Jesus that covers His body, the church. Although the church is weak and filthy, we are the body of Christ. As such, we are covered by Christ's righteousness. His holiness and His blood cover our sins and weaknesses. Later verses will mention the specific weaknesses of each church, but for now, we are reminded through this symbolic image that it is God cleansing us. We must not forget that we are more than conquerors in Christ.   When I was reading the book of Revelation, I was amazed. The Holy Spirit is truly the best playwright and director! He describes the risen Christ to us like a good director of photography. He starts with a long shot of Jesus wearing a robe, then moves to a medium shot of Jesus with a golden sash, and finally moves to a close shot of Jesus' eyes and hair. The camera focuses on these characteristics one by one, presenting the image of the risen Lord in minute detail.   First, God offers us a wide-angle view of Jesus' entire body, including a robe reaching down to his feet. Next, the camera zooms in to focus on the Lord's chest, with a golden sash around it. Symbolically, his chest represents love. While he was on earth, John had reclined on Jesus' chest and in his arms. At that time, Jesus probably did not have a golden sash around His chest, so this vision must have left a deep impression on John. The golden sash on the chest of the risen Christ stood in stark contrast to John's memory of Jesus' chest in the past. Jesus had always been God in the flesh, but He was mainly revealed as the Son of Man. Even here, the apostle John calls him the Son of Man (1:13). But this appearance more clearly demonstrated Jesus' divinity as well. In the Bible, gold represents God's divine nature. For example, the streets of the New Jerusalem are made of gold. So the focus on the gold sash reminds us of Jesus' deity.   Next, the director's camera focuses on Jesus's hair. This close shot describes His white hair as “white wool, like snow.” These images are symbolic. When Jesus appears to me personally, I often see His hair glowing like His entire body. Sometimes, I don't see His white hair. Some people have seen visions of Jesus with golden curly hair. Each person that sees Jesus, in heaven or in a vision, will not necessarily see the same image John described here. As I said, Jesus is God. He can appear in many forms. John's description of His appearance is mainly a figurative way to convey the specific message He wants to tell the church.   What does his white hair represent? Some say that His white hair represents his eternal nature. I'm not against this explanation. But I feel that the white hair is another way to express his holiness and flawlessness. As the Holy Spirit, our director, reveals more of the risen Christ and the Judge, we are constantly seeing more of His divinity and holiness. In other words, the gentle Lamb the apostle John was familiar with, who was merciful to sinners and tolerant to those who were against Him, has become the Lord who will judge sinners and those who oppose Him. The setting of the Book of Revelation is the last days. Judgment Day is coming soon. Based on the logic of the “director,” we would expect the next shot to reveal more of His judgment. As expected, the next shot focuses on His eyes, which are like a flame of fire. This image speaks of His judgment.   The next scene also points to judgment. The apostle John describes the Lord's feet as like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, which is a common symbol of judgment. The furnace speaks of trial and testing. Bronze represents judgment as well. After Korah's rebellion, God asked Moses to hammer the bronze censers of the rebellious Israelites into bronze sheets to cover the altar, as a lesson for future Israelites.   In addition to pictures, movies also use the language of sound, which can make movies more realistic. Through John's description, we hear the Holy Spirit's depiction of the voice of Christ. It sounded like the roar of many waters. What does the sound of many waters represent? Judgment. We often refer to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, which is like a gentle maternal reminder. However, a strong rebuke from your mother is more like the sound of many waters. It stuns you and motivates you to obey out of fear of punishment.   One time, when I was taken to heaven in the spirit, I experienced the “sound of many waters” for myself. In the vision, I was waiting in line to see the Lord. I was so excited that my heart wanted to jump out of my chest. While waiting, someone gave me a robe to put on and told me to wait there. As I was entering the room where the Lord was, I found that I could not stand up. I fell backward to the ground. Then I heard the voice of the Lord, like the voice of many waters, saying, "Get up.” I immediately gained strength, stood up, and entered the room to meet Him. The voice of the Lord was so rich and powerful that it could not be described in words. The enemy can't mimic His voice. Hearing the voice of the Lord is truly shocking and terrifying!   The seven stars in Jesus' right hand also speak of judgment, because the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (1:20). Jesus not only walks among the churches (represented by the golden lampstands), but He also judges His churches and angels first. The sharp two-edged sword that comes out of His mouth represents His judgment. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” His face is like the sun shining in full strength, which shows that harvest time has come. The sun has facilitated the drying of the wheat.   With each new scene of this powerful drama, emotions continue to build. The apostle John is already completely overwhelmed. The gentle lamb he knew on earth had become the lion of the tribe of Judah. John saw that Jesus was the King. The Father had given Him all authority to execute judgment!   In the next shot, John fell at Jesus' feet as if he were dead. John, the apostle who used to lie in the arms of Jesus like a baby, now fell at His feet as though dead. If even the apostle John could not bear the appearance of the glorified and holy Lord, how could we sinners bear it? No wonder the Bible says that the coming of the Lord will great and dreadful (Malachi 4:5)! We will never be able to stand before Him if we do not repent and are not covered by His holy robe!   The Seven Stars and The Seven Lampstands (The Church) are also Symbolic   The seven stars are also symbols of judgment. Why do I say this? Let's imagine the Lord Jesus walking among the golden lampstands, holding the seven stars in His hand. He expressly states that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and that the golden lampstands are the seven churches (1:20). Although John briefly mentions that he is addressing his letters to the seven churches (1:11), he also expressly states that the letters are written to the angels of the seven churches (chapter 2-3). In other words, the angels of the seven churches are the overcomers of the seven churches. The Lord is speaking to the overcomers in every church.   Daniel said, "And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3). We are all stars, and we must shine like stars. The Book of Proverbs says, "But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day." (Proverbs 4:18). As stars, we must keep shining brighter and brighter until the full dawn appears. Revelation 1 mentions that the face of the Lord Jesus was like the sun shining in full strength. As believers, we are destined to be conformed to the image of Christ, who is like the midday sun. This is not something that one person can do on his own. But when each of us shines like a star, we can collectively become like the midday sun.   A brother made a wise observation. He said, “Elijah, the greatest prophet in Israel's history, appeared during the reign of Ahab, the worst king of Israel. A king is like the moon. If the moon is bright, the stars are less visible. But if the moon is not visible, the stars will shine brightly. In the same way, a good king doesn't need a prophet to remind him to follow God. But during the reign of a bad king, the prophet's star will be very bright.”   This is a great insight. We as the church are the royal priesthood of God. Collectively, we are both kings and priests. When we fall into sin, we no longer give light to the world. The lamp is put under the bushel; the salt loses its taste, and the function of the Old Testament king is destroyed. Therefore, the prophets of this age (the overcomers, also called the angels of the church) must shine more brightly. They must shine like stars and illuminate the dark church and the world.   The seven stars in the right hand of the Lord Jesus are symbolic. After the Lord Jesus was resurrected, He sat down at the right hand of God the Father. Therefore, the right hand of God represents the exaltation of God. Being held in His hand is also symbolic language. It signifies that He is holding the seven stars tightly. He will never let go of the prophets and overcomers of this age (the angels of the churches). God will not give up on his church! God's judgment begins with His church and the angels (overcomers) of His church. The letters in Revelation 2 and 3 were clearly addressed to the angels of the seven churches. This is something I had never noticed before. I had thought the letters were written to the church, but the Holy Spirit shows me that the recipients of the letters were the angels of the seven churches (2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3: 1, 7, 14).   The Lord is calling His overcomers from the seven churches to overcome every weakness and attack of the enemy. If they cannot overcome them, the Lord will remove their golden lampstands from their places. In other words, if the light of the church is weak, and the overcomers can no longer conquer their weaknesses and sins, they will no longer shine like stars. Their golden lampstands will be completely dark.   We will continue to share more symbols and figurative images ​​in Revelation 2 and 3. I hope that this introduction to symbolic images in the book of Revelation will help you understand the entire book of Revelation so you can see where God is moving today.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Summary of Revelation   The Turning Point of the Book of Revelation: The Arrival of the Bride of Christ     The purpose of Revelation is to produce the bride of Christ. When the bride of Christ arrives, Jesus Christ and His Bride will have a wedding feast (Revelation 19). Ultimately, God will judge Satan, evil spirits, and sinners, and cast them, along with death and Hades, into the lake of fire. But until this ultimate mission is accomplished, the negative experiences of judgment exist to help the church spiritually mature and become the bride of Christ. This is what Paul said in Romans 8:28: “For those who love God all things work together for good.”[1]   Chapter 12 is a turning point in the book of Revelation. Before Chapter 12, God is judging the church to bring about its maturity. However, after Chapter 12, the church begins to judge the fallen angels and evil spirits. The Bible says, "Do you not know that we are to judge angels?" (1 Corinthians 6:3). The overcoming bride of Christ (represented by the woman and the male child) will judge angels on behalf of the church. The battle becomes fierce, and the final tribulation begins.    Before his rebellion, Satan's mission was to lead all things to worship God. Later, he rebelled against God and failed to fulfill his mission. God created human beings to replace Satan as the ones who would lead others to worship God. Although Satan tried to tempt man and destroy this purpose, the bride of Christ ultimately triumphs over Satan's temptation. Conquering believers are well qualified to judge Satan and evil spirits.   In Revelation 12, the bride of Christ arrives on the scene. The bride gives birth to a male child (the overcoming believers). To fight against them, Satan's persecution becomes intense, and the tribulation begins. During the tribulation, the battle between Christ with His bride and Satan with his prostitute continues. In the end, Christ and His bride will win the ultimate victory, ushering in the end of the age. This is the summary of Revelation.   The Cycle of Seven in The Bible   Seven is a very important number in the Bible. It reveals the way God has arranged the universe. God created everything in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested. Similarly, he has invited his people to work for six days and to rest on the seventh day (Genesis 3:19).   This cycle of work and rest points to a greater truth. When man first sinned and rebelled against God, they lost their rest in Him. Now, we must accept six days of God's discipline as we learn obedience through suffering. We then hope to find His rest on the seventh day.   This continuous cycle of seven is the basic structure of life. The Old Testament not only teaches us to rest every seven days, but also every seven years. The Israelites were permitted to sow their fields for six years, and in the seventh year, they were commanded to rest. This is yet another example of the cycle of work and rest. It points to the fact that God will lead his people to find rest.   I believe that if the Israelites had kept the weekly Sabbath and Sabbath year, there would be no need for the Year of Jubilee. But this was not the case for the Israelites. Many Israelites lost their land or were sold as slaves before the Year of Jubilee, so God created the Year of Jubilee to save them. After the seven sets of sabbath years came another cycle of seven to reach the Year of Jubilee. After seven times seven years, in the fiftieth year came the Jubilee, where all lands that had been sold must be returned to their original owners and all slaves must be freed. This represents God's ultimate salvation.   Daniel's vision concerning the fate of the Israelites also contained seventy “sevens.” Seven “sevens” represented the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem. Sixty-two “sevens” described the time from when Jerusalem was rebuilt to the time the Messiah was killed. These events have already happened. The last seven represents the last seven years mentioned in the book of Revelation. The next time period, which lasts three and a half years, is the great tribulation. But there is a long period between sixty-two “sevens” and the last “seven”, which biblical scholars call the "Age of Grace." No one knows how long this period lasts, but we know it will be a continual repetition of seven days (Sabbath), seven years (Sabbath years), and 49 years (Year of Jubilee).   In addition, the Israelites had seven feasts every year: the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. We will not discuss the first six feasts here, but we'll take the time to look at the seventh: the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing after the wheat had ripened. This feast represents the wedding feast of the Lamb and His Bride in the Book of Revelation. God is our tabernacle and will be with us forever. Therefore, the seven feasts of Israel also point to God's final plan in the book of Revelation. If we understand the number seven, the seven feasts, and the prophecies containing the number seven, we will better understand the book of Revelation. The end of Revelation is the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.   The Cycle of Seven in The Book of Revelation   The basic structure of the book of Revelation contains several sets of sevens. Let's look at seven of those!   Seven golden lampstands (Revelation 1:12). The golden lampstand is an Old Testament type that prefigures Christ. It is a vessel in the sanctuary of the tabernacle of God. There are seven lamps on the golden lampstand. The high priest is responsible for lighting the lamps of the golden lampstand and refueling them so that the light of the golden lampstand may shine continually. The golden lampstand represents the church (1:20), and seven is a “complete” number, a representation of all churches. Remember, the golden lampstands in the Old Testament were made of gold. Gold represents God's divine nature. So, the seven golden lampstands speak of the eternal, heavenly nature of the church.   Seven stars and seven spirits. I believe the seven spirits are closely related to the seven stars. Why do I say that? First, John's letter to the seven churches is a revelation from God the Father (1:4, The one “who is and who was and who is to come”), the Holy Spirit (1:4, “the seven spirits who are before His throne”), the Lord Jesus Christ (1:5, “Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth”). This heavenly vision is the joint work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When Jesus Christ was walking among the golden lampstands, He was holding seven stars in His right hand (1:16; 1:20). John explained that the seven stars were the angels of the seven churches. Who were the angels of the seven churches? People have different opinions about this. Some people say that they were the overcomers of the churches; others say that they were the angels who represented the churches. I personally feel that the overcomers, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, will appear as seven stars. Why? First, the angels of the church are probably not literal angels. If they were, they could receive commands directly from God. Why would John need to write letters to the seven angels of the churches? Daniel specifically said, "He who turns many to righteousness shall shine like a star" (Daniel 12:3). This is why I believe that the seven stars are believers who turn others to righteousness. Second, when John wrote to the church in Sardis, he mentioned that Jesus had “the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.” In this verse, the seven spirits and the seven stars were placed side by side. Jesus Christ never left his throne, even when he was walking among the lampstands. Therefore, the seven stars in his hand are the same as the seven spirits before his throne. When we read about the Holy Spirit sitting before the throne of God in heaven, he appears as seven spirits; when we read of the Holy Spirit at work in his church on earth, he appears as seven stars. The Spirit manifests himself through the overcomers who are filled with his spirit. Who are the messengers of the church? Are they the overcomers? Or the Holy Spirit? I think that they are the spirit-filled overcomers. Why do I say that the seven stars are the manifestations of the seven spirits? The Holy Spirit is the essence of the church. He is the Comforter sent by the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, who is the head of the church. Jesus is the reality, content, and representative of the church, and the Holy Spirit is the perfecter of the church. Andrew Murray said that the work of the Holy Spirit is to complete what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross in the life of each believer (in the life of the church).   The Holy Spirit is the essence of the church. We come to the Father in one Spirit and have constant fellowship with Him through Christ (Ephesians 2:18). "He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him." (1 Corinthians 6:17). The fellowship of the Holy Spirit is at the core of the church. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14). The church is filled with the fullness of the Triune God. Therefore, the seven stars may represent those who are filled with the Holy Spirit.   Third, the Lord Jesus is the High Priest, who walks among the golden lampstands to trim the wicks and add oil. The seven spirits and the seven stars represent the oil and fire in His hands, so they are all manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as both oil and fire. When we barbecue, we use both firewood, lighter fluid (oil) and a spark of fire to ignite the wood. The spark will turn into fire, and the fire will ignite the fuel and the firewood, which will make the fire stronger. The spark, the fire, the oil, and even the wood (a representation of our sacrifice) are united in purpose. In the same way, the Holy Spirit is the spark that ignites our love, the oil that fans it into flame, and the wood that keeps our passion burning (2 Timothy 1:6). This is why I believe the seven spirits and the seven stars are two aspects of the same Holy Spirit.   Seven churches. This description reminds us of the earthly side of the church. Although the church is infused with the divine gold of heaven, we are still earthly in many ways. Even though Jesus Christ sees the church as a perfect bride without spot and blemish (Ephesians 5:27), on earth it is still full of blemishes, spots, and wrinkles. As Lord of the Church and Lord of Heaven, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God for the sake of his church (Hebrews 12:2). He sees the eternal perfection of the church. But in the here and now, inside of time, the church still needs refinement. That is why Jesus sent seven letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3), to point out areas where they needed refinement.   Seven seals (Revelation 4-8). The fourth seven is closely related to the third seven. The third seven (seven letters to the seven churches) reveals the earthly side of the church and the ways it needs to be refined. The fourth seven (seven seals) speak of seven disasters, seven purifying fires that will burn the church and take away its earthly dross. As Peter said, "So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7). God's judgment revealed in these seven seals is the consuming fire of His seven spirits and seven stars.   Let's examine a few seals in detail. The Gospel (represented by the white horse in the first seal) may be the purifying fire that refines the church in Ephesus. The church in Ephesus had left its first love. Once a church stops preaching the gospel, it will be filled with infighting and internal friction and will gradually lose sight of its first love. Meanwhile, a church that zealously preaches the gospel will often be full of love for God.   Jesus' letters to the seven churches are assessing and diagnosing the seven churches, measuring their spiritual temperature and symptoms to determine the correct remedy. The seven seals are the remedies to deal with the unique and varying problems of the seven churches. I had never noticed this connection before. It was only during our recent Bible study that I received this inspiration from the Holy Spirit. There is no way that Jesus would have mentioned the problems of the churches without providing a solution to the problems in the following verses. Our Lord is a Lord of provision. He not only informs us of our problems but also provides solutions to our problems.   Between the sixth and seventh seals, God gave John an encouraging vision so that the believers would not lose hope. He shared that 144,000 Jews were sealed and that there was a great multitude in heaven serving God. What could be more inspiring? Trials often tempt people to lose their faith, so God specifically asked John to share this encouraging vision between the sixth and seventh seals. Why between the sixth and the seventh? We've previously noted that seven is a number of perfection, completion, and ultimate fulfillment. Not only is there an encouraging vision between the sixth and seventh seals, but there is also an encouraging vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets, and also between the sixth and seventh bowls in the great tribulation. All of these passages follow the same principle.   Seven Trumpets. The seven seals and the seven trumpets take place before the appearance of the woman and the male child in Revelation 12; they usher in the coming tribulation. In other words, the seven seals and seven trumpets help produce Christ's bride and overcomer. The seven trumpets bring more judgments, including the judgment of the land, sea, rivers, sun, moon, stars, those who do not have the seal of God, one-third of mankind, the dead, and so on. The vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets shows that even though God allowed the Gentiles to trample the temple, the two witnesses appeared to testify of God's truth. Believers in trials would learn that God was still sovereign, even if the earthly temple was trampled. They should not be discouraged.   Seven years, 3.5 years of tribulation. The 3.5 years of the tribulation period began after the bride of Christ began to judge evil spirits. Satan tried his best to persecute the church (the woman) because the time for his judgment by the bride of Christ was near. But she gave birth to overcomers (the male child). This birth process is what Jesus referred to as labor pains. At this time, God and angels helped the church fight against the team of evil spirits and sinners led by Satan and gain the victory. Before the Great Tribulation began, God harvested the firstfruits (true believers) while the angels harvested the tares (false believers). Of course, there were also many martyrs. The bride of Christ continued to mature through suffering as Babylon the Great was thrown down.   The book of Revelation can be divided into two parts. Before chapter 12, God helps the church mature through various judgments; after chapter 12, the mature Bride of Christ continues to fight against the enemy and eventually judges fallen angels and evil spirits.   Seven Bowls. These bowls represent the ultimate judgment of God. During the bowl judgments, sores appear on the worshipers of the Antichrist; seas, rivers, and springs turn into blood; the sun scorches people with fire; the kingdom of the Antichrist becomes darkness; the great river Euphrates dries up; a great earthquake takes place; and great hailstones fall. Between the sixth and seventh bowl judgments is a vision that encourages believers. This vision depicts the preparation for the final battle of Armageddon. God reveals his plan and encourages believers that they will be victorious if they persevere.   The Ultimate Seven Brings Jubilee   After the seven bowl judgments, the book of Revelation depicts the destruction of Babylon, the marriage supper of the Lamb, the battle of Armageddon, the imprisonment of Satan, the coming of the millennial kingdom, the last rebellion of Satan, the Great White Throne judgment, the New Heaven and New Earth, the New Jerusalem, etc. At this point, God's judgment is finally complete. Death and rebellion are cast into the lake of fire, and believers reign with God forever and ever. This is the ultimate seven, which is the reality that the Sabbath, the Sabbath year, and the Year of Jubilee point to. It is also the end of human history.   Although I discussed seven sevens in this article, there may be even more sevens in the book of Revelation. The Bible is full of continuous cycles of sevens. Human history is not limited to a linear timeline of 7000 years. Instead, our history culminates with the ultimate Sabbath, an eternity of rest and completion.     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 7 The functions of offerings: Reinforcement and reduction   In past lessons, we've mentioned the significance of the order of the offerings in Leviticus 1:1- Leviticus 6:7, as well as the different order in Leviticus 6:8-7:38. In addition, I believe the different offerings represent different functions. Some offerings (grain offerings, burnt offerings) were for reinforcement, while others (sin offerings and guilt offerings) were for reduction. Let me explain what I mean.   Reinforcement and reduction are concepts in traditional Chinese medicine. Through reinforcement and reduction, we achieve balance. Our body reaches a balance of yin and yang. I believe the essence of the peace offering is achieving a balanced state, in which there is reinforcement and reduction.   Many people may have difficulty understanding this concept. Let me give a metaphor from Western Medicine. When our white blood cells carry away waste and help our bodies fight infection, this is the function of reduction. When our red blood cells carry oxygen, supplying us with life, this is the function of reinforcement.   In the same way, the sin offering and the guilt offering remove our sins and transgressions, helping us “reduce” unhealthy things. The burnt offering and the grain offering, on the other hand, provide positive life and nourishment. The grain offering not only pleased God but also provided food for the priests. The food provided God's life supply to the priests, which is “reinforcement.” The sin offerings and the guilt offerings (“reduction” offerings), as well as the peace offerings, grain offerings, and wave offerings could all be eaten by priests, which is the effect of "reinforcement". Such "reduction" and "reinforcement" allowed the priest to simultaneously cover their sins and receive God's life supply, thus achieving a balance.   Just like we have to maintain the balance of yin and yang within our bodies to keep our bodies healthy, we need spiritual balance to maintain a healthy spiritual body. We need “reduction” offerings to remove our sins and “reinforcement” sacrifices to nourish us with spiritual bread so we can grow and mature.   What are reinforcement and reduction?   Reinforcement and reduction are concepts of traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine believes that a healthy body lies in the balance of yin and yang. The balance of yin and yang is also related to qi. For example, the qi from sun and food is positive whereas qi from cold or wind is negative. If there is more negative qi than positive in our body, it is necessary to reduce the negative and reinforce the positive, so that our body can maintain balance and be healthy.   Although I have only a limited understanding of traditional Chinese medicine, I want to use traditional Chinese medicine to create an analogy. Many people in the West believe that concepts such as yin and yang and qi belong to the metaphysics of Eastern culture. But from my limited understanding, they are a good picture to help us understand spiritual things.   We know as Christians that the church is the body of Christ. Does this body need a balance of yin and yang? When Satan and sin attack us, it reminds us of being assaulted by freezing wind. This negative qi must be reduced. Meanwhile, Christ's redemption (represented by the offerings) represents positive qi. The more Satan attacks, the more we need to nurture an awareness of Christ's redemption.    According to the theory of Chinese medicine, qi exists and operates in our bodies, but it is invisible. The same is true of the Holy Spirit. He is invisible, but he operates within the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Helper sent by the Father in the name of Jesus Christ (John 14:26) to give us heavenly "positive qi.” Through him, we have access to the Father in one spirit (Ephesians 2:18). Through the Holy Spirit, we are convicted of sin (John 16:8). He applies Christ's redemption personally to our lives. The Bible says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:17). His work is in line with the work of Jesus.   Jesus Christ became our redeeming sacrifice which takes away our sins. The Bible says, "the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil” (ESV, 1 John 3:8)[1]. This reminds us of the concept of reduction. The work of reduction comes first, as our sins are removed through Jesus' blood.   In addition, Jesus Christ is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:58). He is the spiritual manna, the holy food for us to eat. This reminds us of the concept of reinforcement. The work of reinforcement is a further step in our Christian growth that manifests the glory of God.   If we understand the spiritual meaning of the five basic offerings, it will help us apply God's truth to our everyday lives. The purpose of the offerings was not external obedience, but internal intimacy with God. The offerings were a living illustration of the removal of sin and the pursuit of fellowship with God. God's purpose was to remove the worshipers' sins so they could return to God and get to know him better. If you have accepted God's gift of redemption through the blood of Jesus, God wants you to maintain fellowship with Him and grow closer to him. In this way, you will be filled with His holiness and glory. Redemption through His blood is the foundation. Intimate fellowship is the goal.     The five basic offerings in the Old Testament can all be categorized as either reduction or reinforcement. The sin offering and the guilt offering are for reduction, that is, taking away our sins. The grain offering and the burnt offering are not only offered to God, but also given to the priests to eat. This nourishing supply reminds us of the concept of reinforcement. Although the burnt offering is burned entirely, it benefits the worshiper by giving them a practical way to please God and receive his blessing. The peace offering represents both reduction and reinforcement at the same time. It not only includes a sin offering and guilt offering (reduction), but also a grain offering and wave offering (reinforcement). These offerings help us achieve spiritual balance.   Many people express doubts about the existence of qi and the concept of yin and yang because they cannot be seen or touched. But those who have experience in traditional Chinese medicine can verify through their experiences that the balance between qi, yin, and yang is real. Qi represents the Holy Spirit. His work is invisible and intangible, but we can feel his presence in our spiritual experience. When the Lord Jesus talked about the work of the Holy Spirit, He also likened it to the wind. He said, "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3:8).   In Chinese acupuncture, practitioners hold the needle in the right hand and rotate it in a clockwise direction to achieve reinforcement. On the other hand, when they want to achieve reduction, they rotate the needle in a counterclockwise direction. Many people in the West accept acupuncture, but they may not know that a different rotation of the needle will have a different effect. Acupuncturists use different rotational methods to help adjust the patient's balance of qi, yin, and yang, which they believe will treat the patient's disease.   Just like acupuncturists seek to achieve balance, we as God's children also need balance. To use an analogy more familiar to a Western audience, our white blood cells remove waste products from our blood, while our red blood cells transport oxygen to our body. In the same way, some offerings (sin offerings and guilt offerings) remove sin and waste from the worshiper's spiritual body, while other offerings (grain offerings, burnt offerings, wave offerings, heave offerings, and peace offerings) please God and supply us with His divine life. The offerings remind us of the importance of not only reducing evil (removing sin) but also increasing goodness as we unite ourselves with God's divine life. When we achieve balance, we will become spiritually healthy.       The function of the burnt offering and the grain offering   Burnt offerings are entirely burned to God to please Him. Whether it was Noah offering clean animals as sacrifices or Abraham offering Isaac, both were to please God. The grain offering contains a portion that is burned to God, and this portion pleases God. But the rest was reserved for the priests as their food, the staff of life. The food was holy in order to help the priests become holy. After we offer burnt offerings to please God, He begins to share food with us through the grain offering. This is the function of reinforcement. But reinforcement is not enough. For example, if a vessel is unclean and if you put food in it, you will contaminate the food. Therefore, the laws of the sin offering and the guilt offering are needed to cleanse the vessel.   The function of the sin offering and the guilt offering   Before you cook a meal, you first wash the dishes, pots, and pans you will be using. In the same way, the sin offering and the guilt offering remove the impurity from our vessel so we can receive the nourishment God wants to give. We must clean and detoxify our vessels first. Only after the poison of sin and transgression has been removed can we receive the nourishing, reinforcing spiritual food that God wants to give us.   Using another metaphor, God wants to remove the weeds from the crop. If we add fertilizer before the weeds are removed, the weeds will get an extra boost. If we put the fertilizer on first, it will be wasted. In the same way, we should remove the sins from our lives before nourishing ourselves with God's spiritual food.   Leviticus 6 ends with the regulations regarding the sin offering, and Leviticus 7 continues to discuss the guilt offering. Although the main purpose of the sin offering and the guilt offering is to reduce, they also reinforce. Both offerings were also used as food for the priests. Speaking of the sin offering, Leviticus 6:26 says, "The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting." Speaking of the guilt offering, Leviticus 7:6 says, "Every male among the priests may eat of it. It shall be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy."   Furthermore, Leviticus 7:8-10 says, “And the priest who offers any man's burnt offering shall have for himself the skin of the burnt offering that he has offered. And every grain offering baked in the oven and all that is prepared on a pan or a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it. And every grain offering, mixed with oil or dry, shall be shared equally among all the sons of Aaron.” I had not noticed before that the priests could use the skins of the burnt offering and eat the bread of the grain offering (reinforcement). These verses show us that God provides for us when we serve him.   As you can see, both the sin offering and the guilt offering have a reinforcing effect as well as a reducing effect. Although a given offering's main goal may be reduction or reinforcement, they all may share both purposes. Let's consider the example of acupuncture once again. When the acupuncturist rotates the needle, he rotates it to the left or the right at each acupuncture point. In different situations, he either reinforces or reduces the qi, to help keep the patient's body in balance. In the same way, God used the offerings to simultaneously take care of sin and provide a blessing to the priests.     The peace offering is all-inclusive     In Leviticus 1-5, the peace offering is discussed in the middle of the list of offerings. But in chapters 6-7, it is mentioned last. I believe it comes last because it is an all-inclusive offering. It includes the sin offering, the guilt offering, the grain offering, the wave offering, and the heave offering. This is one of the reasons why the law of the peace offering is placed at the end of the list of offerings.   The peace offering is all-inclusive. First, it includes the bread of the grain offering (Leviticus 7:12). The sacrifice of the peace offering is also burned on the altar of burnt offering (Leviticus 3:5, 4:10). So, does the peace offering include an offering that removes sins? Though this is not mentioned explicitly, the law of the peace offering comes directly after the law of the sin offering and the guilt offering, so I believe the peace offering is rooted in the atonement.   The peace offering represents completion. After God removes our sin and we receive his life supply, we meet with God in a state of yin and yang balance. The peace offering represents the intimacy that Moses shared with God: "The Lord and Moses met on the mercy seat of the ark, and there the Lord spoke to Moses" (Numbers 7:89). Before Moses could meet God in glory and hear Him speak, the blood must be sprinkled on the mercy seat (Numbers 7:89).   In the same way, we can come boldly to the Holy of Holies (the throne of grace) through the blood of Jesus. We are not only covered by Jesus' blood (the fulfillment of the sin and guilt offerings), but we also hear God speaking to us in glory (the fulfillment of the grain offering). The peace offering includes these two aspects. On the one hand, our sins are removed so that we can draw near to God. On the other hand, we are filled with His divine nature and glory. The peace offering reveals that as God removes our sins and supplies us with his love and provision, we can achieve a state of peace with Him.   The difference between the wave offering and the heave offering   The heave offering and wave offering are discussed in Numbers 8 and Exodus 30. Numbers 8:11 records that Aaron offered the Levites as a wave offering to the Lord. Exodus 30:11-16 states that the Israelites who were numbered were to offer half a shekel as a heave offering to atone for their sins. The rich should not give more, and the poor should not give less. From these two scriptures alone, we can surmise that the heave offering was used for basic atonement, while the wave offering represented further and deeper devotion.   Numbers 18:26 also mentions that the Levites were to tithe on the money they received from the people. They were to offer their tithes as a heave offering to the Lord. God seems to give more regulations regarding the heave offering than he does the wave offering. The Levites could offer their tithe to God as a wave offering, perhaps speaking of deeper holiness and devotion.   There are many similarities between the heave offering and the wave offering. I don't fully understand the differences between them. As God continues to give me an understanding of the spiritual meaning of these offerings, I hope to share the insights he gives me.   Conclusion:   The purpose of the sacrificial regulations was to not only remove sin (sin, guilt, and heave offerings) but also to please God and supply spiritual food to the worshiper (burnt, grain, and wave offerings). The first group of sacrifices reminds us of reduction, which removes the obstacles that hinder our fellowship with God. The second group of sacrifices reminds us of reinforcement, which deepens our fellowship with God. Through eating the heavenly food God gives, we can become partakers of His divine nature and be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. First comes redemption, then transformation. These two aspects are shown clearly in Romans 5:10: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.    

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 5   Moses reiterates the significance of the Ten Commandments   In Deuteronomy 5, Moses restates the Ten Commandments. Today, we will discuss several topics related to God's law: The differences between the Ten Commandments recorded in Deuteronomy and in Exodus Whether God's law will punish our children for their parents' sin to the third and fourth generation How Christians understand the role of the law The differences between His nature and His guidance.   The original intent of the Law was to provide protection for God's people, especially the Israelites, and to ultimately introduce them to Christ. The Law is the guardian that protects us. It is like a sheepfold that protects the sheep through the winter. When Christ came, we were set free from the ceremonial laws, just like sheep are let out of the sheepfold when spring comes. We may bravely step out of those protective ceremonial laws and enter His pasture.   Although we live in the age of grace and no longer in the age of law, many Christians act and think as though they are still restricted by the law. Therefore, it's critically important to understand the spiritual meaning of the Ten Commandments and the Law and to understand the difference between God's nature and His guidance.   Differences between the Ten Commandments in Deuteronomy and in Exodus   The Ten Commandments listed in Exodus 20 are repeated in the book of Deuteronomy, but there are slight differences between the two passages. Here are two differences I've noticed.   First, Exodus 20:10 says, "But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates."[1] In Deuteronomy, the passage reads, "But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.” Deuteronomy mentions an ox and donkey. Perhaps the Israelites acquired some oxen and donkeys during their journey through the wilderness. In addition to the general mention of livestock, Deuteronomy places special emphasis on the ox and the donkey.   Second, Exodus 20:17 says, "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; neither shall you covet your neighbor's wife, or his servant, or his handmaid, or his ox, or his donkey, or all that he has." But Deuteronomy 5:21 reads, "And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's." The word "field" appears in Deuteronomy, whereas it does not appear in Exodus. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt, so they probably owned no land; while wandering in the wilderness, they also owned no land. But when Moses reiterated the commandments in Deuteronomy, the Israelites were preparing to enter the promised land. They were about to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan, where they would begin to own land. Perhaps this is the reason “field” is added in Deuteronomy.   Why do these records of the Ten Commandments contain subtle differences? Perhaps the addition of oxen, donkeys, and land would bring more trials to the Israelites, so they needed more specific instructions. Perhaps these subtle differences reflect changes in culture and time period. We know that many of the Old Testament passages quoted in the New Testament come from the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Old Testament, and there are slight differences between the Greek translations and the original Hebrew texts. God's original intention does not change much, though. The application of His words is relatively flexible in different situations.   Will the law of God punish the sins of our children to the third and fourth generation?   Perhaps you have heard pastors quote Deuteronomy 5:9 to prove that children will be punished for their ancestors' sins. Some pastors say, “When a person sins, encounters misfortune, or has bad luck, it is because their parents or ancestors sinned, as the law of God said: ‘You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.' (Deuteronomy 5:9).” Is this understanding correct?   I believe that in the New Testament, this is not correct. Galatians 3:13 says: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.'” Since Christ became a curse for us, the curse of sin was removed. So how do we respond to the many people who pray to break generational curses during Deliverance and Inner Healing Ministries? Is praying to cut off family ties or generational curses biblical? I think it is. Let's look at this topic from several angles.   Since we are in Christ, all sin is taken away, but each person still has to repent to be saved. Through our act of repentance, we receive Christ's work on the cross and apply it to our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Likewise, when we pray to break a generational curse, we apply Christ's curse-removing work to ourselves.   The modern church does not pay attention to the work of Deliverance Ministries or of prayer to cut off generation curses. By and large, the church has not removed Satan's strongholds in these areas. Satan and evil spirits have established strongholds through human sin. These strongholds may be in the hearts of the sinners themselves or in the hearts of the people who are hurt by them. In other words, it's not that the family curses are still alive, but that our own sins and the sins of our ancestors have opened the door for evil spirits to attack us. It is not that God continues to punish us for the sins of our ancestors, but that evil spirits continue to attack us by taking advantage of the weaknesses brought about by our sins.   An American prophet, Cindy Jacobs, told a story that provides an excellent example of this concept. She said that she was suffering from depression, so she prayed and asked God to heal her. God then inspired her to forgive one of the board members in the church where her father was serving as a pastor. She resented the board member because of what happened in a board meeting that was discussing whether to increase her father's salary. The board member not only refused her father's request, but also said something unpleasant about him. Cindy happened to hear about it and has since hated this man. The Lord revealed to her that her depression was the result of her accumulated hatred toward this person. So, if she wanted to be healed, she would need to forgive this person. In this example, although it was a church board member who hurt her, not her father, the board member can also be counted as one of her elders. His actions or sins hurt her, and her unforgiveness provided the conditions necessary for the evil spirits to build strongholds in her heart, causing her to suffer from depression.   As the Lord instructed her, Cindy apologized and forgive him. And she was healed. The same scenario can take place between us and our parents. Our hatred and unforgiveness give evil spirits an opportunity to attack us. When our parents sin against us and hurt us with their words or actions, our unforgiveness and pain opens the door for spiritual attack. This is not to say that God is punishing us for our parents' sins, but that we must free ourselves from the effects of those sins through active forgiveness. That's why the Lord's Prayer places so much emphasis on the need to forgive others.   Andrew Park, a Korean-American theology teacher at United Theological Seminary, proposed a unique theological theory of "hatred" (or HAN). He said that because the Japanese have hurt many Koreans, many Koreans are full of hatred towards the Japanese, and this hatred has twisted the hearts of many Koreans. He proposed that for sinners, all they have to do is "repent", which is an aspect of salvation. For those who have been hurt by sin, all they have to do is "forgive," which is another aspect of experiencing God's salvation.   Let's look at the history of the Japanese invasion of Asian countries. The Japanese have not repented, so this unrepentance opens the door for evil spirits to attack their descendants. The suicide rate in Japan is very high. Do Koreans also give evil spirits a chance to twist their hearts because they are unwilling to forgive? The answer is yes. This is not to say that God is punishing the sins of the third or fourth generations in Japan and Korea, but that the enemy has come to destroy and kill (John 10:10).   When David sinned, he repented and God forgave his sin. But God still said that his sin gave Jehovah's enemies a great opportunity to blaspheme Him, so his child must die (2 Samuel 12:14). It appears that God punished David's son for his sin. But I believe this is a special case, because Ezekiel 18:20 clearly says, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”   How Christians Understand the Role of the Law in the New Testament   How should Christians understand the role of Old Testament law in our Christian life today? Is the law completely outdated? Or can we still refer to the Old Testament law as we grow in our New Testament faith? The Bible says Christ is the end of the law (Romans 10:4), so should we abandon the Old Testament law? The Lord Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17-18). How do we understand Jesus' words? Many Christians are confused by these questions.   First, the role of the law is to introduce people to Christ and help them find Him. When a person finds Christ, the law's role as guardian is fulfilled. After finding Christ, believers should fix their eyes on Jesus Christ Himself rather than on the law. But this is not to say that the law has lost its effect in helping people know Christ. The law is the word of God, and the word of God reveals His unchanging nature and principles. However, God's leading revealed by His word is always new and fresh. The moral law of God is unchanging, but the ceremonial law can be removed. The so-called ceremonial law mainly refers to the Jewish regulations for keeping the Sabbath. In the New Testament, Jesus demonstrated that he had set aside some of these ceremonial laws. He did not strictly observe the Sabbath; He even healed the sick, saved people, and provided food on the Sabbath.   Second, we must view the law correctly. Although many people have abandoned external laws such as observing the Sabbath, they are still psychologically restricted by the observance of the Old Testament Law. They believe that after they are saved, they must continue to obey God's external laws: they should not have long hair, wear short skirts, use jewelry, or disobey the traditions of the church. Even though they acknowledge the New Testament, their way of thinking is restricted by the Old Testament. Let me cite a simple example. In the Old Testament, priests were the only ones who were allowed to enter the sanctuary and the Holy of Holies. Ordinary Israelites were not allowed to come close to God. However, in the New Testament, all believers have become priests. We all have access to the Holy of Holies through Jesus Christ, and we can all draw near to God. However, Catholics still believe that the members of the clergy are the only ones who can draw near to God, like the Old Testament priests. Only after Martin Luther's reformation did believers realize that everyone could read the Bible and serve God as priests.   In the same way, in the Old Testament, only prophets prophesied, but in the New Testament, Paul says that we can all prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:31). I have seen Paul's teaching being practiced in some of the churches in the Pentecostal Movement. But many traditional evangelical churches cannot accept this. Instead, they emphasize that there are no prophets today; therefore, not everyone should prophesy. Their way of thinking has not changed from the Old Testament way of thinking. In the Old Testament, prophets could only prophesy accurately when the Spirit of God came upon them outwardly. But in the New Testament, the Spirit of God lives within us to inspire us. When He inspires us, we speak this inspiration out loud. Sometimes, we mix our own thoughts and emotions with God's inspiration, so sometimes there may be biases. The mode of the Old Testament Prophecy is "visitational". Samuel and Saul could prophesy only after being baptized by the Holy Spirit. But the mode of the New Testament Prophecy is "habitational." After receiving the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we speak his words out loud. If there are mental and emotional obstacles that cause us to make mistakes, we need to get closer to God so that we can be a better outlet for His words.   These examples help us see that although we live in the New Testament era, we often continue to think in an Old Testament way. Similarly, although some Christians live in the New Testament age, their knowledge of God and His law may still be in an Old Testament mode. In the New Testament age, we still need the Old Testament law, but our level of knowledge of God's law needs to match the level of teaching in the New Testament. The Old Testament Law gives us the spiritual history of the Israelites. It is a rich heritage for us to inherit. But in the New Testament age, when we have the help of the victorious Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit, our knowledge of the law and our historical heritage should no longer be blind acceptance.   Third, we must recognize how Christ enables us to keep the law. Metaphorically, the law is the road, Christ is the vehicle, and the Holy Spirit is the GPS. Let's imagine that we want to get to New York from Washington DC. We have to have a road, such as I-95. But we also need to have a car. Furthermore, we need to know how to get around, so we need a GPS. The law is the road, the limits set by God. We cannot go beyond it, just like we can't cross the shoulder of the road. But we can't get to our destination just by having the road. We must have a car, which is Christ. After God has prepared the road (the law), He provides the vehicle (Christ) at the right moment, because the end of the law is Christ (Romans 10:4). When we are born again, we enter this vehicle. Can we walk from Washington to New York? While technically possible, it would be terribly difficult. Similarly, being justified by keeping the law in the Old Testament is theoretically possible, but most people find it difficult. So, God has prepared the vehicle (Christ) to help us reach our destination. After the ascension of Christ, God also sent the Holy Spirit to guide us to our destination. Although I have the vehicle (Christ), I will not be able to reach New York if I don't know how to get there. So, the Holy Spirit guides us as our GPS.   If someone says that New Testament believers don't need the law because Christ has come, it's like saying that once we have the vehicle, we don't need roads. No, we need roads, vehicles, and also a GPS. God (the Father) is our road, since the law is given by the Father, and the law manifests the Father's goals and purposes. Christ is our redemption and our vehicle; no one can reach the destination (heaven) without Him. Of course, Christ is also our road, because He and the Father are one. But we still need the Holy Spirit as a Comforter or GPS to guide us throughout our lives and keep us from going astray. On a trip to New York, we need the road, the car, and the GPS every minute of our journey. This is a wonderful picture of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working together in our sanctification.   Conclusion:   We must let go of our black-and-white conceptualization of the law. We cannot separate the law of the Old Testament from the reality of the New Testament. We must become partakers of the divine nature (revealed in the law; see 2 Peter 1:4) and be conformed to the image of Christ (see Romans 8:29). We must also be joined to the Lord in One Spirit (the guidance of the Holy Spirit, see 1 Corinthians 6:16).     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 22 The Nature of Radical Conversion: Why Do Some People Change and Some Do Not?   Acts 22 tells us how Paul was radically converted after his encounter with the Lord. Saul had received a letter from the high priest Caiaphas, giving him permission to arrest the Christians in Damascus. But on the road, he encountered the Lord and was converted. His name changed to Paul. Saul, who formerly opposed the gospel, was now a powerful preacher of the gospel. The light of the gospel removed the veil from Saul's heart. However, the next chapter tells us that high priest of Israel was still blinded by the veil. He ordered his servant to strike Paul on the mouth. The High Priest Ananias was not converted. His attitude toward the gospel did not change, because the legalistic religious atmosphere of his day created a veil over his heart. Jesus commanded Paul to leave the hostile religious environment in Jerusalem and preach to the Gentiles, because his testimony would not be accepted in Jerusalem. I believe that abandoning empty religiosity and receiving the light of Christ can help us get rid of the veil that blinds our hearts. It will help us experience a wonderful transformation in our lives. Religiosity Is Like A Veil Covering Our Hearts In Acts, there was a new high priest. The man in charge had changed, but the attitude of the priests toward the gospel had not changed. Both the old high priest and the new high priest persecuted believers. Why is this? It is because the atmosphere of empty religiosity was so strong in Jerusalem. This type of lifeless religiosity formed a veil that covered the hearts of the Israelites so they could not see Jesus' glory or get to know God (2 Corinthians 3:14-16). It was a stronghold of the evil one. Paul knew this very well. He said, "For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (ESV, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).[1] Such strongholds must have existed among the Jews, and these strongholds prevented them from knowing God. Our hearts are like mirrors. Because our hearts are contaminated, we cannot reflect God's light accurately. So it is very important to get rid of empty religiosity and remove the veil from our hearts. This removal involves two changes. First, we need to humble our hearts. But this is often difficult to do, because we are all influenced by the environment. It is very difficult to escape its influence. The religious atmosphere is like a dusty room. If the mirror is placed in this room, dust will accumulate and eventually cover the mirror, preventing it from reflecting light. The same is true of our hearts. When our hearts are constantly influenced by empty religious teachings, the dust of legalism will eventually cover our hearts. In Acts 28, Paul told the Jews who did not believe in the gospel, “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.” For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'" (Acts 28:25-27). Paul said that their hearts had grown dull. There was a veil covering their hearts. Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 3 that when the Israelites read the Old Testament, the veil was still on their hearts. But when their hearts turned to the Lord, the veil was removed (2 Corinthians 3:15-16). The same thing can happen in any Christian community. When we accept too many traditional teachings, these teachings become a hindrance to our knowledge of God's new leading and enlightened truth. Staying Away From Empty Religiosity In Acts 22:18, Paul said, "I saw the Lord say to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'" Why did Jesus tell Paul to get out of Jerusalem quickly? God is very tender-hearted and merciful. He is not only merciful to sinners, but also to those who are stuck in old religious mindsets. They are trapped inside old wineskins, afraid that the new wine will burst the old wineskins. Every new movement of God is often persecuted by those involved in the previous movement. But this does not mean that God will completely abandon the people He used in His previous movement. These people tend to prefer old wineskins; they don't want new wineskins. But new wine must be put in new wineskins; otherwise the old wineskins will burst. In the same way, God will raise up new apostles and move to create new wineskins to store the new wine. This is why he asked Paul to leave Jerusalem, the place which was saturated with religiosity. He didn't want him to be trapped in “old wineskins.” Paul Needed To Leave Jerusalem To Receive The Light Of God I believe that God could have appeared to Paul while he was in Jerusalem, because His light is strong enough to pass through all veils and obstacles as well as all strongholds that prevent us from knowing Him. However, I believe the fact that Paul encountered Jesus while he was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus is very meaningful. Despite the power of God's light, I believe the strong religious atmosphere in Jerusalem still blocked God's light to a certain extent. Galatians 2 tells us that Peter and Barnabas were influenced negatively by the atmosphere of religiosity. Peter used to eat with the Gentiles, but after the people from Jerusalem arrived, Peter was scared. He stopped eating with the Gentiles, and even Barnabas went along with Peter's fear-based response. Clearly, religious culture had a great influence on them. In the same way, it is difficult to break through the grime of tradition and receive the light of God while we are still stuck in a suffocating religious environment. One of the reasons is that long-standing religious teaching covers our hearts with a layer of dust. When we are stuck in one denomination, we are unable to see the light of God's truth shining through other denominations. The teachings we receive may be partly biblical, but also partly based on man's tradition. Human tradition becomes a factor that prevents our hearts from being illuminated by God. It is a grueling process to separate truth from error and to clean the grime off the mirror of our hearts. I went through such a grueling process when I left a traditional evangelical church to study at a charismatic church. My traditions told me that some of the teachings and practices of the Pentecostal Movement were wrong. My church had unknowingly instilled in me the idea that my denomination's teachings were most biblical. But in reality, the teachings of my denomination were a mixed bag. There was truth mixed with traditions and the teachings of man. These traditions and teachings of man greatly limited my thinking and left me unable to learn from and recognize the abundance of other churches. The pride in my own denominational teaching and the fear of being influenced by the wrong teachings of others kept me from stepping out bravely, learning and accepting the abundance of others. But I was forced by my new environment to gradually learn new perspectives. I realized that each denomination has a different kind of abundance. These are all things that I slowly learned after I left my original church and started attending a different church. To supersede the limitations of thinking that one denomination teaches us, we must dare to leave that denomination. Going to another denomination will teach us different perspectives that will help us widen our horizons. I found that many brothers and sisters who did not have the opportunity to study outside their denomination are still stuck in the same mode of thinking and cannot go beyond its limitations. Many denominations do not encourage believers to go to other churches to learn different teachings. They mainly use intimidation to prevent this from happening. They use threats to control believers. They lock believers into their own denominational sheepfold. However, just as plants need to be interbred, believers of different denominations also need to communicate with each other. We need to break down the barriers between us and supersede our denominational limits. We can learn from the abundance that God has bestowed on other members of His body. One day, the Lord appeared to me in a dream and specifically mentioned convergence. He told me that the different denominations should converge. I personally believe that this is His work in this age. During the Covid-19 pandemic, many believers were unable to go to in-person church gatherings. This situation made it difficult for many Christians to understand God's will. Gradually, many believers began to turn to online gatherings and started to listen to sermons from preachers of other denominations. Many heard messages they would never have listened to if they had been busy with in-person meetings. Christians began to listen to the messages and preaching of a variety of pastors. I was saved in the Local Church movement (LCM). Several LCM believers told me that during the pandemic, they privately listened to messages from Charismatic preachers on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues. They even practiced praying in tongues in an attempt to be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive more vitality. Another believer from the LCM told me to send my doctoral dissertation on convergence to a leader of the LCM, hoping that God would inspire him to accept this vision. I believe the Covid-19 pandemic is a big reset from God. God allowed this to come upon us to break the habits and routines the church had been stuck in for many years. At the beginning of the pandemic, many churches hoped that it would end as soon as possible, so that they could get back to normal. But gradually, they discovered they would never be back to normal. Recently, I heard that a Chinese church stopped all online gatherings and asked believers to return to church in person. But many Christians had already been exposed to the teachings of many different pastors during this period. Their eyes had already been opened. Churches may be worried about attrition, but that's not what God is worried about. What God wants to do is to break down the walls between our denominations so that believers can accept convergence. Rigid Thinking and Refusal To Change In Acts 22:1-21, Paul testified about how Jesus appeared to him. Paul told the Jews that the Lord told him to go to the Gentiles to preach the gospel. This made the Jews very angry. They threw off their cloaks and flung dust into the air (vs. 23). The Jews rejected the idea that Gentiles could be saved. They could not receive God's light and new leading because of their rigid thinking.   In the same way, many believers are stuck in rigid thinking patterns. If someone criticizes or goes against their beliefs, they feel threatened. They will do everything in their power to prevent this. For example, I was blessed by some concepts I learned in the Pentecostal Movement, and I shared them with a brother in the LCM movement. He told me, “God's intention is one church, one city so it is wrong for you to leave the LCM to join the Pentecostal Movement.” I told him, “There is much to learn from the Pentecostal Movement.” But because of his rigid thinking, he was unable to accept my testimony. Instead, he condemned me. During my thirteen years in the LCM, I firmly believed in the “one church, one city” teaching. But upon reflection, I found that this teaching did not have the effect the LCM movement desired. The teaching of “one church, one city” did not actually lead to the unity of the body of Christ. Although this teaching is a beautiful ideal, it has not been practically effective. Yet this teaching is one of the most basic dogmas of the LCM as a Christian group. If they abandon this teaching, it may have very negative consequences for the group, and even lead to its collapse. But taking too firm of a stance on this issue will not give the believers the chance to be exposed to truths from other denominations. Such rigid thinking will greatly hinder people from accepting God's new leading. What God is doing in this age is convergence. Keeping the believers in the sheepfold through rigid thinking does not please Him, and will cause churches to lose the presence of the Holy Spirit. I personally think this is one of the reasons why the LCM has become more cold and spiritually dead in recent years. In addition, some people think that "tongues are of the flesh” and that "spiritual gifts are useless". Their rigid thinking patterns prevent them from learning from the truths revealed by God throughout the 100-year history of the Pentecostal Movement. I am not saying that there are no problems that need to be corrected with regard to the teaching and practice of the Pentecostal Movement. But I must say that the root cause of the division between the Pentecostal Movement and evangelicals is that the evangelical church has not been able to recognize God's many new revelations about the Holy Spirit and his work and gifts. Some Evangelical churches are rigid in their thinking. If they systematically study the development of the Pentecostal Movement, accept the truths revealed by God through them, and then continue to critique and improve their Christian brothers and sisters, they will bring about the unity and growth of the church. Therefore, evangelical and charismatic churches must converge. The breakthrough lies in the humility of evangelical churches and their willingness to learn. When we hear a testimony, we often have one of two reactions. If the testimony is thought-provoking, we may allow it to challenge our rigid thinking. Or we may choose to condemn and reject the testimony based on our rigid teachings. Some Jews accepted Paul's testimony, while others rejected it because of their rigid mindsets. Although some people rejected my testimony, others took it into consideration and began to study spiritual gifts privately. God revealed to me in a series of dreams that the LCM would eventually receive the baptism and gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for them to break free from rigid thinking and gain a vision for convergence. Our Hearts Ultimately Decide Everything All of these decisions are determined by our hearts. If our hearts are purely devoted to God, we will not be bound by fixed traditions. Instead, we will be open to bravely learning new things. Although Paul once had a veil over his heart, he loved the Lord with all his heart, and God eventually removed the veil from his heart and brought him into His destiny. But the priests' hearts had grown dull, so they rejected the testimony that God gave them through Paul. This reflects a heart problem. We must test our hearts. Are we afraid of man or God? Are we afraid of going against tradition, or are we afraid of losing our share of God's work in this current age? Our hearts ultimately determine our choices. God judges us according to what is in our hearts. May every Christian bravely break through the rigid thinking patterns handed down to them by their denominations. May we bravely take steps of faith, and not miss out on the greatest work of God in this age: convergence. The great revival is coming. Don't be a part of the group who is opposing God's work. Convergence will bring together the abundance that each denomination has to offer. It will prepare the church to be a vessel for God's great revival. May God have mercy on us.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - 2 Corinthians 1   1 Corinthians Is Spiritual Milk, while 2 Corinthians Is Solid Food   The book of 2 Corinthians helps believers gain a deeper understanding and experience of God as they grow in their spiritual lives. If 1 Corinthians is spiritual milk for infants, then the book of 2 Corinthians is full of solid food that boosts spiritual growth. I believe that 2 Corinthians is a continuation and expansion of the ideas presented in 1 Corinthians.   The book of 1 Corinthians dealt with several problems of spiritual immaturity, such as overemphasis on spiritual gifts (ch. 14), overemphasis on knowledge and truth (ch. 15). People on both sides needed to become more spiritually mature. 1 Corinthians 16 talks about Stephanas, a spiritually mature man. This content bridges naturally into the content of 2 Corinthians.   The book of 2 Corinthians teaches about spiritual maturity. Chapter 3 tells us that when we turn away from the law and toward the Lord, the veil is removed from our hearts. As we learn to know the Spirit of the Lord, we gain freedom. Our hearts become like mirrors that reflect the glory of the Lord as we are transformed into his image (3:16-18). These verses speak of a Christian's deeper experience in his spiritual life.   After Paul dealt with the problems of spiritual immaturity in his first letter to the Corinthians, he began to lead believers into a deeper spiritual life and experience in 2 Corinthians. He told readers that this deeper spiritual life and experience was inseparable from the training of suffering. Paul shared his experiences of suffering many times in 2 Corinthians, telling the Corinthian church how these experiences had led him to become spiritually mature.   Summary of the Last Three Chapters of 1 Corinthians   Let's briefly analyze the link between the last three chapters of 1 Corinthians and the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul dealt with those who were overemphasizing spiritual gifts. He encouraged them to not only pursue spiritual gifts, but also to care about others' feelings and more importantly, to pursue love. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul dealt with those who were opposed to spiritual gifts and who were biased against the truth of resurrection because of their excessive pursuit of knowledge and truth and their lack of experiences of the risen Christ. In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul highly recommended a man named Stephanas. He was baptized by Paul and was one of the first converts in Achaia. Apollos had also preached the gospel in Achaia, where he was helped and welcomed by the brothers. So Stephanas may have been a convert of both Paul's and Apollos' joint ministry.   Of course, there were many problems presented in 1 Corinthians, but when Paul dealt with these problems one by one, he provided solutions to their problems. The solutions were unity and love, which are two important themes of 1 Corinthians. (See the studies on 1 Corinthians for an in-depth explanation of these themes.) In 1 Corinthians, Paul dealt with the believers' spiritual immaturity. The goal of 1 Corinthians was to free believers from spiritual infancy.   2 Corinthians 1 Continues the Train of Thought of 1 Corinthians   The book of 2 Corinthians continues the same train of thought. Although Paul also wrote several other letters to the Corinthian church, God sovereignly allowed them to be lost. However, the book that was preserved (2 Corinthians) continues the train of thought from 1 Corinthians.   In 2 Corinthians 1:1, we read that Paul and Timothy wrote to the church of God in Corinth and to the saints in Achaia. This verse is very interesting. As I mentioned earlier, Stephanas probably became one of the leaders of the Corinthian church. This is very important. When a church has a good leader, things go more smoothly. Since Stephanas was saved in Achaia, he probably had close ties with the saints in Achaia. Perhaps Stephanas played a very important role in bringing change to the Corinthian church.   According to the introduction of the "Comprehensive Bible Prayer Reading Website" (cmcbiblereading.com), the background of 2 Corinthians is as follows:   Paul first came to Corinth during his second missionary journey in A.D. 50-51. He worked with Aquila and Priscilla, preached the gospel there for a year and a half, and established the church (Acts 18:1-18). After Paul left Corinth in A.D. 51, he wrote the first letter to the Corinthian church, telling them to "have no fellowship with fornicators" (5:9-10), but this letter has been lost. During Paul's stay in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, Chloe's people brought a message that there was division in the Corinthian church (verse 11), and the church also wrote a letter to him (1 Corinthians 7:1), hoping that Paul would give them some guidance on problems. Paul may have written a second letter at Ephesus in A.D. 54, and 1 Corinthians as his answer (1 Corinthians 16:8-10; Acts 19:22). Later, the situation in the Corinthian church continued to deteriorate. Paul may have traveled directly from Ephesus to Corinth by boat (2 Corinthians 1:16), making a second brief visit to Corinth (2 Corinthians 13:2; Acts 20:2). The visit was not very pleasant at the time. Afterwards, Paul wrote a third letter that was severe (2 Corinthians 2:4; 7:8), which was delivered by Titus, but was also lost. Later, Titus brought the news to Macedonia, saying that everything was alright (2 Corinthians 7:6-7). Paul was thus overflowed with joy and wrote the fourth letter in Macedonia in A.D. 56, which is "2 Corinthians" (2 Corinthians 2:12-14; Acts 20:1). After this, Paul probably visited the Corinthian church for the third time (2 Corinthians 12:14; 13:1), and wrote the book of Galatians and Romans in Corinth in the winter of A.D. 56-57 (Acts 20:3).   This summary helps us see that although the Corinthian church had some problems, Paul worked tirelessly to help them. Through his efforts, their lives were transformed. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 "But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready.”[1] Paul's words in 1 Corinthians were addressed to the fleshly believers who were so spiritually immature that they could only drink spiritual milk.   What is spiritual immaturity? In addition to the sins of the flesh (competition, sexual immorality and gluttony, mentioned in the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians), spiritual immaturity also includes two additional aspects.   The first aspect is the excessive pursuit of spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 14. Even today, some believers pursue spiritual gifts but neglect love and spiritual growth. The second aspect is the overemphasis on truth described in 1 Corinthians 15. Though these Christians pursued knowledge and truth, they lacked a personal understanding of the risen Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. They may have even been against it. We see this problem in many traditional churches. In Chinese terms, these people are only “cultural Christians.” They lack a personal experience of Jesus.   The first type of church tends not have a solid foundation in God's word and are more are easily deceived by the winds of teaching. The second type of church is often overly concerned with knowledge and truth, which leads to dogmatism and legalism. They often are against the work of the Holy Spirit. And they easily condemn others as heretics. These two extremes cause problems in Chinese churches and American churches alike.   It may surprise you to learn that these errors are a manifestation of spiritual immaturity, not of maturity. Paul told the Corinthians that it was difficult for him to lead them into deeper spiritual life and experience since they were stuck in immaturity. But the path toward maturity was inseparable from God's training through suffering.   A Deeper Spiritual Life and Experience   After the believers' spiritual immaturity was addressed in 1 Corinthians and the lost letters to the Corinthians, Paul could finally give the believers some solid food in 2 Corinthians. The solid food is not only obtained through suffering, but it also provides the sustenance we need to survive suffering. This concept is described in 2 Corinthians 1:3-11.   In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul says that the life of Christ within us gives off the "aroma of Christ" (2:14) to those around us. This aroma brings life to some and death to others. When we testify to others, some believe in Christ and are brought back to life, while others oppose Christ and are left to die. What a privilege it is to represent Christ in this way. Jesus told his disciples, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (John 20:23). This does not mean that we have the authority to forgive like God does. Rather, it means that God has given His authority to the church, and he has entrusted us with a tremendous responsibility. When we as Christians demonstrate a consistent Christian testimony to the world, others often believe in Christ as a result of our witness. When Christians do not have a testimony and do not love one another as what Jesus taught, the world stumbles and cannot see that we are His disciples (John 13: 35).   2 Corinthians 3 tells us that God can remove the veil from our hearts. When our heart turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Our hearts are like mirrors that reflect the glory of the Lord and transform us into His image. This is why Paul said believers are to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).   2 Corinthians 4 talks about treasure in jars of clay (4:7). Although we are weak on the outside, we have a treasure within us, the resurrection life of Christ. Regardless of the difficulties we face in in our external environment, the resurrection life of Christ can help us be victorious.   2 Corinthians 5 tells us that we are new creations in Christ (5:17). Once we are saved, we are new in Christ. Yet many people do not live in the full knowledge and experience of this truth. Instead, they continue to live in past sins. So, Paul taught them not to look at past failures, but to look at the victory that was theirs in Christ.   In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul encourages believers not to associate with idols, because believers in Christ are incompatible with idols and darkness. Instead, believers should pursue holiness (6:14-17).   2 Corinthians 7 continues to talk about the believer's pursuit of holiness. In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul encourages believers to give generously to God's work. In 2 Corinthians 10, Paul teaches believers to destroy strongholds (10:4). In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul tells the believers to remain pure because they are pure virgins betrothed to Christ (11:2). In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul shares his experience of being caught up to the third heaven, and uses his own experience to testify about Christ. In 2 Corinthians 13, Paul explains that Jesus was crucified in weakness, but resurrected in power. When we are weak physically, we can be strengthened spiritually (13:4-9). Paul uses his own spiritual experience to teach the Corinthian believers to enter into a deeper spiritual experience. Paul shares his experiences of suffering as well. These sufferings trained him and helped him become spiritually mature.   Suffering is an Important Ingredient for Spiritual Maturity   Suffering is an integral part of our journey toward spiritual maturity. The book of Hebrews says that even the Lord Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). Hebrews 12 tells us that God's discipline, though painful, bears the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).   Suffering has a positive effect on a person's spiritual maturity, just like the storms encourage trees and vines to grow deeper roots. Once the sun comes out, we can see the benefit of these harsh weather conditions. The deeper the roots of the plant or tree, the more vigorously it can produce rich fruit.   Therefore, after a brief greeting in 2 Corinthians 1:1-2, Paul talks at length about suffering (vs. 3-11). His words about suffering are intense. Paul shares that the suffering he endured in Asia was so great that he felt that he could no longer live (vs. 8). His trust in God, who raises the dead, was the only way he was able to endure this great suffering.   Although Paul also talked about God's comfort to believers who are suffering, this chapter gave some harsh truths. This “solid food” was not easy for immature believers to accept. But the readers of 2 Corinthians had grown considerably in their spiritual lives, and they were able to handle solid food.   The more we mature, the more we are able to handle suffering. After I dedicated myself to God, the difficulties in my life increased. God sent these difficulties to help me crucify my flesh, so that I could learn to experience the cross of Christ. These trials helped me grow spiritually. They helped me become more deeply rooted in the life of Jesus.   Around 2016, I experienced a breakthrough in my personal life. Our prayers were answered by God. Not only did we give birth to a miracle baby, but I also received the baptism of the Holy Spirit that I had been longing for. I once heard Brother Derek Prince say, “The most obvious manifestation of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not prophesying or speaking in tongues, but increasing difficulties.” My experience has proved this to be true. After receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the evil spirits began to attack me even more. My own flesh and the people around me began to attack me, causing never-ending trouble. But these troubles and difficulties were actually tools in God's hands, helping me grow spiritually and learn more humility.   The Holy Spirit Guarantees a Rich Spiritual Life   In 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, Paul tells us that all God's promises are Yes in Christ. Because we are joined to Christ, we are given His Spirit as a guarantee. What does this mean? It means that God's promises are more amazing than we can imagine. He can do more than we ask or think. But when we are spiritual infants, we often do not access these promises or manifest them in our lives.   God has given us many promises to enjoy in Christ. But in order to experience them, we must grow spiritually. The seal of the Holy Spirit within us is like a sample, similar to the soil sample we get when we buy land. We need to not just settle for this sample, but to dig deep into all the riches we have in Christ.   I believe that the United States' spiritual decline is a result of the church's decline, which in turn is a result of the decline of every Christian's faith and spiritual life. The decline in Christians' spiritual lives comes from the fact that they never matured spiritually. They lost the power of their witness; their lights did not shine and their salt lost its flavor (Matthew 5:13-14).   I believe the fundamental reason for the degeneration of American society and the church is that American believers are not mature enough. This is the reason why anti-God forces can run rampant in the United States, even though the majority of the population professes Christianity. The teachings of 1 Corinthians are very important for the spiritual growth of today's Christians, and for breaking away from the fleshly life.   Therefore, we urgently need to study these two letters, 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. In them, Paul reveals a wealth of wisdom that helps us deal with the flesh, leave behind spiritual infancy, and enter a state of spiritual maturity. This is the theme of 2 Corinthians. As we study the rest of the chapters of 2 Corinthians, we will continue to explore how Paul's teachings can help us become more spiritually mature.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 15   What is Baptism For The Dead?   First Corinthians 15:29 is a verse we don't often study. In the midst of this popular chapter on resurrection, we read a puzzling sentence about baptism for the dead. Apparently, there were Corinthians believers who were baptized for the dead. Why did the Corinthian church baptize for the dead? Paul did not criticize this phenomenon, but simply said, “If there is no resurrection, why baptize for the dead?” What does Paul mean?   Let's look more closely at this puzzling verse. First Corinthians 15:29 says, "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?" (ESV)[1].   I believe that different people in the Corinthian church lived out the experience of resurrection in different ways. Paul fully lived in the reality of the resurrection, but other believers lived without any awareness of the resurrection. They were baptized for the dead, believing in some kind of intermediate state after death. Perhaps they mentally assented to the resurrection, but they lacked Paul's real experience of the resurrection.   In addition, I believe 1 Corinthians 15 is a continuation of the themes of chapter 14. Chapter fourteen encourages believers to have balance in the use of their spiritual gifts, and not to use them in excess. Here, Paul continued to talk about balance. Those who pursue knowledge and truth in excess often lack a personal experience of the Lord's resurrection. In this passage, Paul explained his own experience of the risen Lord and encouraged other believers to get to know the risen Lord through experience.   Does Paul's Mention of Baptism For The Dead Mean That He Agrees?   This passage is confusing. Personally, I do not know of any modern church that practices baptism for the dead. One website explains, "There is a lot of controversy among bible scholars about what 'baptism for the dead' is, possibly referring to vicarious baptisms. There may be some believers in the Corinthian church who were baptized on behalf of those who died before they could be baptized. But Paul's mention of this does not mean he agrees. The point was to use this to remind the Corinthians that if there is no resurrection, why do it?"[2]       After reading this passage over and over again, I have concluded that Paul was neutral on this subject. Although I don't see Paul supporting the practice of being baptized for the dead, I don't see him criticizing it either. He is just saying, “If people don't believe in the resurrection, why should they be baptized for the dead?” Let's look at what verse 15:29 says: "Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?"   Personally, I believe that Paul's attitude is at least neutral. In the very next verse, Paul goes on, "Why are we in danger every hour?" The reason Paul was in danger every hour was because of his longing for the resurrection. We see this fact in Acts 23:6, when Paul affirmed to the Pharisees, “I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 23:6 NIV). From these verses, we see that Paul was in danger because of his hope in the resurrection. These verses place Paul's persecution and baptism for the dead side by side, as if they are equally valid. Both relate to ways we practically live out our faith in the resurrection. This is my personal understanding.   Who Didn't Believe in The Resurrection?   The Bible clearly tells us that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection or in spirits, whereas the Pharisees did. Matthew 22 says that the Sadducees challenged the Lord Jesus about the resurrection. They told a story about seven brothers who had successively married the same woman and then passed away.   “Whose wife will she be when she is resurrected?” the Sadducees asked.   Jesus answered, “We will neither marry nor be given in marriage when we are resurrected. Instead, we will be just like angels.” Jesus even quoted the Bible and said, "‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living." His words are very interesting. God is the God of the living. Therefore, in His eyes, whether we live on earth or in heaven after we are resurrected, we are living people.   Now we know that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection. But how did this belief spread to the Corinthian church? We have no way of knowing. Perhaps some Jewish Christians were influenced by the teachings of the Sadducees.   Judging from the passage in Matthew, the Sadducees not only disbelieved the resurrection, but they also failed to believe in the Living God, who is the God of the Living. If they had believed that God is the God of the Living, then they should have understood that people can be resurrected because God is not the God of the dead.   Perhaps the Sadducees lacked knowledge about the resurrection, just like some Christians today. Many people do not know and experience God as a Living God. They stick to dogmas, traditions, and even God's written words, yet refuse to follow His new, living leading. They don't know or understand that God is the Living God.   As I have explained in the past, some parts of God are unchanging. God's words in the Bible reveal aspects of His unchanging nature: love, light, holiness, and righteousness. Yet other parts of the Bible reveal God's circumstantial leading, which changes according to the environment and the wishes of the Living God. When we take these circumstance-dependent words of God and crystallize them into unchanging principles, we often miss His new leading. This has been the case throughout the ages. Not only Jews, but many Christian individuals and groups commit the same mistake.   Understanding the resurrection isn't limited to believing we will one day be raised from the dead. It also means believing that God is a living God today. We cannot dogmatize the Word of God because written words—even the words of the Bible—bring death, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). Knowing the Living God is knowing the Resurrection.   Which believers in the Corinthian church did not know about the resurrection? To whom is Paul speaking in 1 Corinthians 15? I believe 1 Corinthians 15 is a continuation of the train of thought Paul began in 1 Corinthians 14. Chapter 14 discusses those who pursue spiritual gifts. Paul exhorts believers to balance spiritual gifts and spiritual life. Chapter 15 seems to be targeting people who oppose spiritual gifts.   Why do I say that? At first, I didn't understand why the topic of the resurrection was suddenly introduced in chapter 15. One day, while listening to the dramatized audio Bible,[i] I played 1 Corinthians 15. While praying in tongues, I sought the help of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly I thought of a question that seemed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. This question was, "Who in the Corinthian church did not understand the resurrection? Was it those who pursued spiritual gifts? Or those who were against them?"     Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 14 that the purpose of speaking in tongues was to utter mysteries to God (14:2), and that prophecies could disclose the secrets of people's hearts, causing them to fall on their faces and declare that God was truly among them (14:25). Those who pursued spiritual gifts often focused on their experiences, so they often had better knowledge and experience of the risen Lord. But their shortcoming was that they often neglected other people's feelings and put too much emphasis on spiritual gifts. Because of this, Paul gave them some truths to bring balance to their lives. He asked them to be mindful of others' feelings and to pursue love and life.   So why did Paul suddenly start talking about the resurrection in chapter 15? This section was probably targeted toward those who opposed tongues and spiritual gifts. Paul clearly stated that speaking in tongues should not be forbidden (14:39), so apparently there were people in the Corinthian church who wanted to do just that. Why? When believers oppose spiritual gifts and the pursuit of experience, they easily begin to place too much emphasis on knowledge. But when believers overemphasize knowledge, they often lack experiences with the living, risen Lord. So chapter 15 continued to add balance. Those who pursued spiritual gifts in excess needed to balance it with love, and those who pursued knowledge in excess needed to balance it with an experience of the living Lord.   The Word “Testimony” In Hebrew Means "Do It Again"     The word "testimony" in Hebrew means "do it again." In other words, when we share our testimony about God's healing and resurrection, God is very willing to "do it again" in the lives of those who hear us. In other words, Jesus Christ will not only appear to the apostles but will also appear to everyone who desires to know His resurrection. When the Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, Thomas was not there, so he did not believe. He said that he would not believe unless Jesus appeared to him personally. Later, when the Lord Jesus appeared again, Thomas believed. The Lord Jesus said, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29). But this does not mean that God is unwilling to appear to us. On the contrary, although Thomas did not believe at first, he longed for the risen Jesus to appear to him. And Jesus was more than happy to do so.   Paul's testimony about the risen Lord (1-11) served this very purpose. He hoped his testimony would inspire the believers in the Corinthian church so that they too could know and experience the risen Christ. We are blessed if we believe without seeing; but if we have doubts, we can ask the Lord, and the risen Christ will surely appear to us as well. The Bible shares a basic principle: we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2). God also tells us, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7). Why don't some people ask? Because they pay too much attention to absolute knowledge and truth and don't accept the idea that they can experience Jesus personally.   I spent my first thirteen years as a Christian at an evangelical church that valued Bible study, and I gained a good foundation in Bible study. But this church did not focus on spiritual gifts such as healing and prophecy. Neither did it pursue dreams and visions. Therefore, though the Lord did speak to me during the first thirteen years of my Christian life, I never had the experience of being transported to heaven in a vision. Later, I left this church and went to a charismatic church to study spiritual gifts. I was very envious of the people who shared testimonies about being taken to heaven. I often prayed that God would take me to heaven and allow me a glimpse of heaven.   On the last day of 2017, the Lord Jesus appeared to me and took me to heaven. After that, I still hungered for more. I continued to pray that He would give me more experiences of heaven. I was working in Washington DC at the time. I often went out for a walk over my lunch break to pray. As I walked, I prayed in tongues, sang, clapped my hands, praised God, meditated on the words of Scripture, and sang the words of the Bible. I wanted to be in constant prayer and continual fellowship with Him.   One day at noon, as I was walking near the Potomac River, I sincerely prayed, “Lord, please take me to heaven again today.” I prayed this same prayer often, so once I was done praying, I forgot about it. But that night, I found myself in a dream, waiting in line to see the Lord in heaven. I was asked to put on a robe while I waited. My heart was pounding with excitement. Before I got to the door, a huge force knocked me to the ground. I couldn't stand up. Then I heard the powerful voice of the Lord saying, "Get up.” I instantly had the power to stand up. After I got in, I saw the Lord sitting there. He called my name, "Sean.” I heard the Lord of the universe calling my name, and my heart melted. Then Jesus pinched my chin and humorously asked, "No beard?" My meeting with the Lord was short, but it was the nearest I had ever seen Him. I saw His face and His strong muscles. Afterward, a Chinese woman (I guess she was the Holy Spirit in disguise) led me to visit other places in heaven. The whole experience got me so excited I got completely carried away.   Why did I not have the experience of being taken to heaven during the first thirteen years of my Christian life? Why have I been taken to heaven so many times in recent years? How much impact did my encounter with the Lord have on my understanding of the resurrection? Why do evangelical Christians who hyperfocus on knowledge of the Bible lack similar experiences? Why do many believers in the Pentecostal Movement have similar experiences? The differences in teaching bring different expectations to different believers. When we testify of the Lord's resurrection through sharing our experiences, we plant seeds in the hearts of those who hear us. They will begin to long for such an experience. When they ask God, He will give them this type of experience. Such experiences will play a very important role in their understanding of resurrection.   Some believers in the Corinthian church focused too much on knowledge. They were opposed to spiritual experiences such as tongues and spiritual gifts, so gradually they stopped experiencing the Living Lord. This, in turn, affected their understanding of the truth of the resurrection, and they eventually stopped believing in the resurrection altogether.   In the same way, today's liberal churches pursue science and knowledge. They don't even believe in the miracles in the Bible. Yet those who pursue spiritual gifts often pray in tongues and seek the gift of prophecy. They constantly utter mysteries to God and hear Him talk, so naturally, they have more opportunities to encounter the risen Lord. Our spiritual experiences are no substitute for our love for the Lord and our study of biblical truths, and Paul dealt with the tendency to hyperfocus on spiritual gifts in chapter 14. But it's important to realize that the pursuit of knowledge and truth (even science), combined with the denial of spiritual gifts and experiences, will eventually lead to the loss of the truth. That's why Paul reminded the Corinthian believers in chapter 15 to take spiritual experiences seriously.   Biblical truth and spiritual experience are two sides of the same coin. They are the two wings we Christians need in order to take flight. Both are indispensable; neither can be neglected. Today's traditional evangelical churches tend towards a dead spirituality; liberal churches deny the authority of the Bible and God; and charismatic churches that over-pursue spiritual gifts often fail to balance truth and Christian experience. Doesn't that sound a lot like the Corinthian church?   The Truth About the Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of Christians   Paul shared his experience of the resurrected Christ first, before he shared the truth about the resurrection. He did this because the power of testimony is so enormous. Paul mentioned that after the Lord Jesus was resurrected, He "appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (15:5-8)   Then Paul elaborated on the truth about the resurrection. His words about the resurrection are often quoted at funerals. Since the focus of today's devotional is not on the truth of the resurrection, we will not spend too much time talking about these truths here.   In short, resurrection is like sowing a seed. The seed we sow exists in one form, but the resurrected plant exists in another form. Therefore, we must experience the resurrection in order to know the risen Christ and break the limits of our imagination. There was a Chinese Christian who didn't believe in the resurrection. A preacher pointed to the wheat field outside the door and said to him, "The wheat you sowed is a single grain, but the wheat after the resurrection will be heads of grain.” This Christian suddenly understood the truth of the resurrection.   Perhaps the people who were baptized for the dead in the Corinthian church believed in God's resurrection to a certain extent! They buried themselves in water for others, hoping that they would be resurrected in glory. Although they may not have had the same profound knowledge and experience of resurrection as Paul had, they may have understood the resurrection better than those who did not believe in it at all!   Knowing Resurrection Makes Us Steadfast And Abounding In The Work Of The Lord   The last verse of this chapter says, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58) We who serve the Lord are often discouraged, so we need to understand the resurrection and be empowered by the risen Lord. Many people who serve the Lord become exhausted from time to time. But when the Risen Lord appears to them, they will regain their strength. When we truly understand the truth of the resurrection and have experienced the risen Christ, we will abound in the work of the Lord, regardless of our circumstances.   Much of the work we do is sowing. After the seed is sown, someone else will water it; but it is God who makes it grow. As long as we do not become discouraged, we will surely reap a good harvest in the resurrection.     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.   [2] "Comprehensive Bible Reading" (https://cmcbiblereading.com/)   [i] (https://bible.prsi.org/zh-hans/Player)

The CCP is Coming Down! God is Working in China!   In my last post on Elijah List, I shared a prophetic dream I had in March 2020, in which a political spirit in China was bound by angels. At that time, I did not mention clearly who that political spirit was. I was a little hesitant to share this due to fear of persecution. Now, I have peace revealing it. In that vision, I was told that the political spirit is the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), or in the least, the evil spirit behind it. Interestingly, God later led me to join a democratic movement whose goal is to take down the CCP and build a democratic China. This was never part of my plans, but God made it clear to me through a series of prophetic dreams that he wanted me to be part of this movement. By joining, it also opened a way for me to preach the gospel to people who are within this Chinese democratic movement. Suddenly, I found myself with options of preaching every week to thousands of people in China through five or more TV shows by way of social media outlets. With the recent Biden and Xi Jinping's meeting in G20, it seems like everything is back to “normal,” but this is not the spiritual reality. God has a big plan for China.   Is this the CCP? The angel said, “Yes.”   Here is a brief recap of my dream:   In March 2020, I was taken into another vision. This was the most vivid 3D-type of vision I have had thus far. In it, I saw a great revival happening in China. It was bursting out all over! People were dancing, celebrating, and worshiping God all over the streets of China.   In the next scene, I was brought into a heavenly meeting where many saints in glory, including Chinese and Westerners, were meeting. There was a Chinese lady who gave me a tour of the place and she specifically told me that this revival was something she had never seen when she was on Earth.   In the end, angels had bound an evil political spirit and I saw that a great political change would come to China after this great revival. China will become a democratic nation and they will worship God.   In that dream, I was so surprised to see the evil political spirit bound. I asked the angel in great surprise, “Is this the CCP?” The angel told me, “Yes.” Now, I don't quite know when this will happen in the present physical world, but I believe it is a reality in the spiritual realm. I've talked to a friend a few times now and she believes that it will be very soon that the CCP will be taken down. However, in this dream, I first saw a great revival bursting forth with people dancing on the street. Only after did I see that the evil spirit was bound. Let me revisit some other prophetic dreams I had regarding the future of China.   A Wealth Transfer and a Visit to Heaven On the last day of 2017, Jesus visited me in a dream by disguising himself as an old Chinese lady. This lady walked with me down a mountain top on the north side of my village in China. I walked this mountain path many times when I was a child. I've noticed that God often speaks to me with pictorial imagery that relates to my childhood home and other memories. I understand now that he uses my village to refer to China in these prophetic dreams.   In this dream, we walked down to the end of the hill until it reached one of the main streets in my village. In the dream, we called that street “Back Street” which is comparable to the “Front Street” where I lived. They are parallel to each other. My house is located in the intersection of one small street (which has no name) and Front Street. This small street connects to the mountain trail we walked on in my dream. The place Jesus and I reached is the intersection between this small street and Back Street. In the dream, once we reached this corner, I saw Chinese people, specifically Chinese ladies, crying hysterically. Then I heard a voice say, “This is due to the wealth that is not fairly distributed in China, so people are oppressed by those who grabbed the wealth unjustly.” I suddenly saw a big truck unloading a full truck load of money. I didn't recognize the currency. It was not USD or Chinese RMB, but a very strange currency. I did not recall the exact number of the money either, but its value suddenly surprised me. I got the impression that its value was worth two hundred million or more. I received the impression that a wealth transfer will happen in China to help believers in Christ and those who pursue social justice, to reform China.   Shortly after this encounter, on the same night, this old Chinese lady came to take me to heaven. I was struggling with her for a long time because I did not recognize her as the Lord in the beginning, but she overcame me with her power, and I started to fly with her. We flew to the top of China, and I saw that the houses that the Chinese people lived in were like matchboxes. It seemed to me that there were no ceilings. I could see the people who lived in these matchbox type of houses. Then we flew higher and higher to heaven, and I was able to see some wonderful scenes there. I felt a great force pushing me behind my lower back; it was quite a ride flying to heaven. Eventually we landed in a building. I looked in the building and discovered people gathering for a meeting. There seemed to be a preacher standing at the platform as well. Then I was led to stand in another building where I faced a glassy window. I could see through the window that people were coming to heaven one by one as if they were coming upstairs on an escalator in the mall. I was very surprised by this scene. It was at this moment I found out who the old Chinese lady was. As she stood behind me, I asked her, and she jokingly told me that her name was “Christ Lee.” She was still trying to show me her Chinese identity by giving me a Chinese last name. Finally, I recognized her as the disguise of the Lord Jesus Christ.   Once I recognized the Lord, he appeared as Jesus. Suddenly, I saw a cherub flying toward me and I exclaimed, “Is this the cherubim I read about in the Bible?” I was given a positive answer. Then the Lord spoke to me again while he presented several people in front me. It was like seeing pictures in the display of a museum window, but their pictures stood in the middle of the air. The Lord said to me, “Do you want to be like one of them?” I cannot remember who these people were, but I perceived in my spirit they were some of God's generals from the past. I understood that the Lord was asking if I wanted to be used by the Lord like they were used in the past. I was immediately overcome by the thought, and I started to hysterically cry. I spoke back to the Lord, “I am willing in my spirit, but my flesh is weak. I still cannot overcome some weaknesses.” Then I started to hear a group of Chinese saints of glory singing in Chinese. It was the most beautiful melody I have ever heard. I can't recall the meaning of those four stanzas of the Chinese hymn that I heard, but it was surely comforting to me.   This happened on the last day of 2017, and I perceived in my spirit that God has great plans for China's future. A huge wave of wealth transfer, a social justice movement, and the gospel being preached will be released to China.   A Revival and Reconciliation of Chinese Society God also often uses my former Chinese college in my prophetic dreams. One night, in a dream, I was dropped through the chimney of my former school's kitchen. In actuality, there was no chimney in my college at all, so I think this chimney might have represented the preaching of the gospel. And my appearance could be a representation of believers in Christ. Just like Santa came through a chimney with gifts, the gospel will be preached to China as Jesus' best gift ever of eternal life. Unfortunately, the people who were in the kitchen were so shocked by my sudden ‘dropping off' that they strongly resisted me, and I was pushed back. In the next scene, I found a big tree near the roof, so I slid down it to the ground. When I reached the ground, fierce battles occurred, and I was tossed back and forth. Eventually, the victory was won, and I found myself laying in a reclining chair conversing in peace with two friends. One friend was a coworker of mine in China who is currently a communist party member. Another was an alumni friend who lives in the US who is also a Chinese dissident. This scene is prophetic to me as it shows that one day the Chinese society will receive reconciliation among different people. We are taking down the Chinese Communist Party and the evil spirits behind it. Most Chinese people, including CCP members, are good people.   Chinese Dissidents: Thank you for Preaching the Gospel In another prophetic dream, I was riding a bicycle and some Chinese dissidents were chasing after me on bikes. I did not know what they wanted to do to me, so I rode faster. Eventually they reached me and stopped me. The leader of these groups of people said to me, “Thank you for your preaching and the book you wrote. These really helped us to succeed in our pursuit of a Chinese democracy.” I looked at them with astonishment. They were in their middle fifties, and I was in my middle forties. Puzzled, I said to them, “How could I have helped you since I am younger than you?” In the next scene, we were in the Christian Brother House I used to live in near the University of Southern California. It was there that I was baptized to be a Christian. Although the leader's face in my dream resembled only one democratic leader of real life, I know this person was meant to represent the whole Chinese democratic movement. The group of them were chatting with us in a Christian atmosphere.   Later, I realized this was a prophetic dream meant to remind me that God is calling me to preach the gospel to these groups of people and be part of this democratic process in China. I represent believers in Christ in this dream. Our gospel preaching will help China to eventually become a democratic nation and the gospel will be received by many new Chinese people including political leaders.   A Cartoon Book of People Coming to Heaven After this dream, I began to ponder what God would lead me to do with political movements. Though I worked in media in the US and often got the chance to connect with Chinese dissidents, I always kept my distance with political figures or political movements. Yet, in 2017 there arose a different political movement led by a very controversial person. I focused on my schoolwork at United Theological Seminary from 2017-2022, but like many other Chinese people, my wife became influenced by this movement and joined it. I was very much against it in the beginning because I was not sure if she was being deceived, but she insisted on joining the cause to take down the CCP. I earnestly prayed to God for His leading. On the following night, I had this dream.   I was taken into the bookroom of the leader of this movement, and I was led to read a comic book telling about how people will come to heaven. It was a vivid comic book with details for different persons going to heaven. I was scanning through it, and I heard a voice saying, “Your wife has read some pages of this book and you haven't read it.”   In another dream, I was riding an airplane with this leader person to beautiful gold mines. In a different dream, I was conversing with this mystery man and realized God was writing a book with this man's picture on the cover.   After praying over these dreams, I finally got it. God was telling me He is behind this political movement and that this political movement will start a platform for Christians to preach the gospel to China. As a result, the gospel preaching will produce better citizens within China which will eventually help this political movement to establish a democracy in China. After all this, I did join this movement and I started to utilize the platforms this movement creates to preach the gospel to these democracy loving people in and out of China.   The CCP's Days Are Numbered Due to the nature of these prophetic dreams, I did not mention the name of this movement before. I did not want people to think I was promoting this movement, but I feel I was literally chased down by them just as it was in one of my dreams, except this time through my wife. I was “chased” by my wife to eventually join this movement, and God also showed me it is of Him.   I started to share this conviction with other Christian friends, but some Christian friends asked me to rethink my decision due to the controversial nature of this movement. They also questioned the character of the leader of this movement. I prayed to God again seriously because of this. In a dream, God showed me a picture. I was walking around in very big tents that CCP officials set up. They were having a feast to celebrate the fact that they received salvation through Jesus Christ. God showed me though this dream that many CCP officials are watching our broadcast, and many will receive Him through our preaching of the gospel. This greatly encouraged me.   With Xi Jinping's consolidation of power and the threat of war against Taiwan and other places, it seems the world is going through horrible trials. Yet, there is a different spiritual reality. The CCP's days are numbered. God did not show me the dates or the calendar month of the change of the Chinese regime, but just as in my vision, the great revival came first and then the evil spirit behind the CCP was bound. I believe God is using these circumstances to bring a massive harvest in China. Can you imagine how China and the world will look if the CCP no longer existed in this world? This is something we will see shortly if I may be so bold. We don't know when, but the date will suddenly come upon us.      

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 10 God Protects His Glory In Leviticus 10, Aaron's sons were put to death because they presented to God a careless, irreverent offering. This short chapter brings up some startling questions. Why were Aaron's sons killed for such a small misdeed? Why did the Lord discipline them so severely? Although this question is difficult to answer, I believe that Aaron's sons were not the only ones who sinned. Aaron also had problems he needed to deal with. To back up this claim, I want to mention another Old Testament story. In the time of the judges, we see an example of a father being judged for his son's sins. Eli died because his sons were committing sexual immorality with the women in the tent of meeting and stealing the sacrificial meat. Eli was lenient with his sons and did not restrain their wickedness. The Bible says Eli honored his sons more than God. As a result, God sent great disaster to the Israelites. As the Chinese say, parents are to blame for their children's behavior. In the same way, Aaron likely failed to train his sons correctly. His sons' carelessness shows that Aaron himself had not set a good example for them. God was not only dealing with Aaron's sons but was also judging Aaron's uncleanness through the death of his sons. The Lord clearly stated his standards: “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified” (ESV, Leviticus 10:3).[1] God's holiness is a theme throughout the Bible. Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, “no one will see the Lord." The Lord also says, “I will be glorified before all the people.” In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned, God sent cherubim and a flaming sword to block the way to the tree of life. Anyone who violated God's holiness, glory, and righteousness would be killed if they tried to come near the tree of life. God's standard of holiness is high, and his judgment purified Aaron the priest and made him holy. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were burned by God as a representation of sacrifice (see Leviticus 9:23), and God's holiness and glory were manifested. The Responsibilities of Aaron and His Sons Although Aaron failed to set an example for his sons, Nadab and Abihu were also responsible for their behavior. Aaron's sons should not have offered strange fire, nor should they have entered the sanctuary without permission. Though they were responsible for their choice, they made these choices under the sinister influence of Satan himself. The disciple Peter made a similar mistake. At one point during Jesus' ministry, Peter made an extraordinary confession that Jesus was the Son of the living God. But later he relied on his flesh and rebuked Jesus for his self-sacrificial intention to go to the cross. As a result, the Lord bluntly rebuked him and called Peter, “Satan.” In the same way, Satan was trying to destroy God's work in the lives of Aaron's sons. Just like Satan influenced Peter, tempted Eve, and hardened Cain's heart, Satan influenced Aaron's sons' choices. There is a spiritual battle behind Nadab and Abihu's choices. God's discipline for Nadab and Abihu is not the only aspect of this story. During a shadow play, we should not focus only on what's going on in front of the stage, but also understand the story going on behind it. In the same way, we shouldn't just focus on Nadab and Abihu. We must see the reality of this spiritual battle behind their external conflict. Every human conflict is just a reflection of the cosmic battle between God and Satan. We should find out who's behind each struggle. It's Satan and his deception. Satan wanted Nadab and Abihu to challenge God and defile the holiest place on earth. This story took place near the golden altar of incense, near the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The golden altar of incense stood right in front of the veil that separated the sanctuary from the Holy of Holies. The two men were getting dangerously close to entering the Holy of Holies. If God hadn't stopped them, perhaps they would have been even more daring next time, going straight into the Holy of Holies. As we see the essence behind the external story, we see that Aaron's lack of teaching and example gave Satan an opportunity to use Aaron's sons. God sent severe discipline because this incident severely provoked him to anger. The same is true for us today. If our mind is set on the Spirit, we experience life and peace. But when our mind is set on the flesh, it brings death (Romans 8:6). When thinking about things that dishonor God, we allow Satan to use us as pawns in the cosmic battle against God, just as he did with Peter, Eve, Nadab, and Abihu.   How did the men's death glorify God? So the second troubling question we see in this passage is, “Why did God say that killing Nadab and Abihu would glorify his name among the Israelites?” I believe that Nadab and Abihu experienced judgment in place of Aaron. Although their sacrifice was unwilling, they died in their father's place. This reminds us of Jesus, the only Son of God, who willingly went to the cross to be judged for our sins. Therefore, this action sanctified God's name among those who were near to Him. Those whom God calls to serve Him often pay a special price for that service. However, we cannot ultimately compare these men's death with the death of God's Beloved Son for our sins. Christian history often talks about the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, but it rarely talks about the pain of the Father, who gave up His beloved Son. This needs to be addressed. No father can give up his son without suffering. Any time a father sees his son suffering, the father's pain is often even greater than the son's. The father yearns to suffer in place of his son. In the same way, the pain God the Father experienced may have been even greater than the pain experienced by his son. The Father must have yearned to be able to die in his son's place. As Jesus Christ bore our sins on the cross, the Father grieved for His Son. But because God loved us, his children, he was pleased to bruise Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:10). In this passage, Aaron must have had similar feelings. On the one hand, he mourned the death of his own sons. On the other hand, because of God's judgment, Aaron knew that God's name was being sanctified among those who were near Him, so he was content. The fire of the Lord came down to kill Nadab and Abihu. God said that he sent fire so that His name might be sanctified among those who were near Him and so he would be glorified among the people of Israel. Fire from heaven is often related to God's glory. Leviticus 9 says that when the Israelites offered sacrifices, fire from heaven came down and consumed the sacrifices. In this way, God's glory was revealed (9:22-24). The willing, obedient offerings of the people were consumed by the fire of God's glory. But how can God's fire reveal God's glory when Nadab and Abihu were not willing, obedient, innocent offerings? The sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be without blemish, but Nadab and Abihu's sacrifices were imperfect. Even though the analogy is imperfect, Nadab and Abihu's death can still remind us of Christ's death. David, Solomon, and others prefigured Christ, but they were imperfect people. In the same way, these imperfect men can remind us of the perfect Christ. Jesus Christ went to the cross to save us. Did his death glorify God? Yes, Jesus Christ went to the cross to glorify God's name. So I believe that the death of Aaron's two sons glorified God by prefiguring Jesus' death on the cross in the future. Even though God has disciplined Nadab and Abihu with physical death, this does not necessarily mean that they will face eternal death. I believe that Nadab and Abihu will not necessarily perish eternally. Maybe they are already with God. Their death was unfortunate, but it provided a good life lesson for Aaron. Numbers 18:1 says, "The Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.'” Aaron and his sons bore the sins that the people committed against the sanctuary. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu committed sins against the sanctuary, so Aaron had to take full responsibility for their sins. Their judgment taught Aaron a serious lesson. It also served as a stern warning to future generations. Does God sacrifice others to train us? An older brother in Christ once told me, “God sometimes sacrifices one person's life in order to teach someone else a lesson.” “I accept what you are saying,” I replied, “but I don't understand what you mean.” “Let me give you an example,” he said. “When we first started preaching the gospel as young Christians, we made many mistakes. We often did not speak well, and the people we were witnessing to often resented our attempts. Not only did we fail to convert those who were listening to us, but our ignorance may have pushed our listeners even farther from God. God temporarily sacrificed these people's souls in order to train us.” His explanation made sense to me. When we first learn to preach the gospel, we are often overzealous and unwise, leading others to become disgusted with Christianity. However, we need these experiences to help us learn how to preach the gospel. God loves these people and wants them to be saved. But God sees our eagerness to serve him, and he uses these circumstances to train us to preach the gospel.   Similarly, God often allows one person to suffer while another person is learning how to balance church life and family life. A zealous wife who goes to church every day may shortchange her home responsibilities. The resentful husband may oppose and persecute the zealous wife. The less-fervent spouse is sacrificed to the other spouse's learning curve. This exact situation played out in a family I know. Both spouses are Christian, but the wife was overly zealous about serving in the church. She called other Christians every day to remind them to read the Bible. She also attended so many church services that her husband was often at home alone, with no food to eat and no one to keep him company. Understandably, problems arose in their marriage. Eventually, this woman learned to balance church and home commitments. She began to spend more time with her husband and serve him at home, and sacrificed some of her favorite church activities. Slowly, her husband noticed her transformation. He praised her for her growth and balance. Their marital relationship improved greatly. At first, the wife thought that she was being persecuted because she loved the Lord. But in reality, she was causing her husband's suffering. His needs were being sacrificed to her own learning curve. God set up a learning environment in which the wife would grow in obedience and balance. As she changed her perspective, she learned the true essence of spirituality. On the contrary, I have also seen negative examples. These wives ignored their husband's needs and continued to prioritize church activities that they enjoyed. They ultimately did not manifest the Lord's character to their family. When we truly live for the Lord, we obey Him in all things, even when we have to give up activities that we enjoy. From these stories, we can see that God sacrificed Nadab and Abihu in order to teach Aaron a lesson of obedience and holiness. There must have been some areas in Aaron's life where he had disobeyed God and was not holy enough, so Nadab and Abihu paid the price to help Aaron learn these lessons. Why didn't Aaron eat the sin offering? After Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire, Moses commanded Aaron and his two other sons to offer sacrifices and eat them, but Aaron did not do so. Moses couldn't find the goat for the sin offering. When he found out that it had been burned, he got angry and rebuked Aaron's other sons. He reprimanded them for not eating the sin offering. He said, "Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” (Leviticus 10:17-18). Leviticus 6:30 reveals the reason for Moses' anger. The verse says, “No sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire." Leviticus 6:24-26 says, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.” This is what God commanded Moses. When Moses commanded them to eat the sacrifices in this chapter, he specifically stated, "for so I am commanded." (Leviticus 10:13). The only reason not to eat a sin offering was if its blood had been brought into the sanctuary. In that case, the animal was brought into the sanctuary to be burned up. Otherwise, the sin offering should be eaten. Since this goat's blood had not been sprinkled in the sanctuary, it should have been eaten. But Aaron and his remaining sons had burned up the sacrifice (Leviticus 10:16). This was the reason for Moses' anger. Aaron and his two living sons had not obeyed the law that the Lord had commanded Moses. In response to Moses' anger, Aaron said, "Today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?" After Aaron said this, Moses was no longer angry, and he gave his approval (Leviticus 10:20). Why did Moses approve? We can speculate that although the goat's blood was not brought into the sanctuary, some other blood equivalent had been offered. Perhaps the blood of Nadab and Abihu was symbolically offered in the sanctuary. Of course, the two men did not actually bleed, because they were consumed by fire. But Aaron may have regarded his two sons' death as a sacrifice that had entered the sanctuary. As previously stated, these men's death may remind us of the sacrifice of God's only son, Jesus Christ. What was Aaron feeling here? Yes, he was feeling sadness, pain, and self-reproach. Was he also angry and hateful at God? He seemed to be complaining against God himself. People often mistakenly think that Aaron was dissatisfied with God. But this is not necessarily true. As any normal father would, Aaron felt pain, sadness, and self-reproach. That's why he could not eat the sacrifice at that time. His sons had been sacrificed, and he had lost his appetite. If he ate the sacrifice, it would be kind of like eating his son. He just couldn't do it. He chose not to eat. Instead, he burned up the goat of the sin offering. The Bible does not tell us who gave the command to burn the goat of the sin offering. But my guess is that it was Aaron's decision. Although the blood of the goat of the sin offering was not brought into the sanctuary, Aaron probably felt that the death of his sons served as a sin offering; therefore, he could not eat the goat. Moses, who represented God, was pleased with Aaron's explanation. We believe that Aaron's feelings here were not necessarily anger towards God, but rather sadness and pain for losing his sons. His feelings may be a representation of the pain that God the Father would one day experience after giving up His Son on the cross. This may be the reason why Moses approved of his explanation. Conclusion When our uncleanness is judged by God, He is sanctified. When our sacrifices and offerings are accepted by God, His glory is manifested in us. Nadab and Abihu were forced to represent these sacrifices. Aaron burned the goat of the sin offering, even though its blood had not been brought into the sanctuary. This small act showed Aaron's obedience before God. He offered Nadab and Abihu as sacrifices to God and was then approved by Moses, who represented God. When we are disciplined by God, we can choose to respond in rebellious hate or in obedient faith. When we choose to obey, the glory of God is revealed to us. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). Aaron's obedience to God brought glory to God by ushering in a greater filling of the Holy Spirit. Dear friend, are you willing to give up the unholy things you love? You may love pornography, greed, or other fleshly desires. Are you willing to give these things up if the Lord removes them from your life? When God disciplines us, we can either choose to learn the lesson of obedience or become more rebellious. Nadab and Abihu's choices represent those unclean things in our lives. When I say they are the representations of offerings, I am speaking more about our responses to them. Aaron set a good example of obedience to the Lord. His obedience, contrite heart, and lowly spirit were the true sacrifices that God valued the most (Psalm 51). Let me end with a quote from the famous Chinese Christian Watchman Nee: It is important for us to receive God's arrangement in the circumstances. This arrangement is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. To escape God's arrangement just one time is to lose an opportunity to have our capacity enlarged. This will prolong the time required for life to mature in us and will even require us to make up this lesson in order to reach maturity. A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened. For this reason, when believers are passing through suffering, they must pay attention and they must realize that maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit. People may see a person who has matured in life, but they cannot see the accumulated discipline of the Holy Spirit which that person has received secretly day by day throughout the years.[2]   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.   [2]Witnee Lee,  Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministries), 1991, .

Bible Study with Jairus – Leviticus 6 Removing Obstacles that Hinder Our Fellowship with  God   What is the purpose of the laws regarding offerings? God's purpose is to help us remove every obstacle that hinders our fellowship with Him. These obstacles include our sins, shortcomings, and selfishness. After we have removed these obstacles, we can come to the Father in one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). By doing so, we will be filled with His divine nature. Like all laws, the law of the offerings gives us a framework that helps us not stray too far from God's nature. Like the rumble strips on the shoulder of the highway, the purpose of the law is to keep us from driving into a spiritual ditch. These guardrails keep us from sinning and turning away from God. But in order to truly manifest God's nature in our lives, we need to have freedom in Christ. In other words, we need to absorb his external laws into our hearts and spirits. We can only have freedom in Christ when we no longer have to rely on external laws to restrict us. Instead, God's Spirit guides us from the inside. Truly knowing and experiencing Jesus Christ on the inside allows us to manifest God's nature on the outside. When sin stands between us and God, we need to pray, repent, and remove the barriers imposed by our sins, world, and the flesh. We need to ask the Lord to strengthen us in the inner man so we can make progress and experience spiritual breakthroughs. This can only be achieved through constant fellowship with God. The Linen Garments God specifically commanded the priests to wear fine linen while offering burnt offerings. The fine linen represents the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:8) and reminds us of the importance of holiness (Leviticus 6:10-11). The burnt offering was burned all night until morning (verse 9). Each morning, the priests added wood and the fat of the peace offerings to the fire (verse 12). The fire of the altar was not to go out at any time (verses 9, 12, 13). The priest had to wear linen garments when gathering the ashes from the altar (verses 10-11). But when he went outside the camp to throw ashes in a clean place, he had to take off his linen garment. Leviticus 6:10-11 says, "And the priest shall put on his linen garment and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire has reduced the burnt offering on the altar and put them beside the altar. Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place.” (Leviticus 6:10-11).[1] Why did the priests need to put on other garments and take off their linen garments when throwing the ashes outside? The answer lies in the holiness of God. The closer an individual came to the inner sanctuary, the holier they had to become. Ordinary Israelites could enter the outer courtyard, and ordinary Levites could enter the sanctuary. But only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year. When we approach God without respecting his holiness, we face serious consequences. Uzzah was killed when touched the Ark of the Covenant. Uzzah was only permitted to carry the items related to the outer courtyard, because he was a descendent of Merari. He was not allowed to carry the things in the sanctuary, let alone touch the ark of the Holy of Holies. So he died. In addition, Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were burned to death when offering profane incense to God. They were not yet priests, yet they approached God. They may have attempted to enter the Holy of Holies. They died as well. These examples show that when we are not holy enough, we cannot get too close to the Lord. Otherwise, He will kill us. We all understand this logic. But we rarely think about it the other way around. What happens when a person leaves a holier place and enters a less holy place? Inside the camp is holier than outside the camp. We can see that the camp is holy because sin offerings, burnt offerings, and other offerings were made to cover sin. However, the area outside the camp was unclean. The ashes, which were produced when the offering was burned, represented sin (and the death of the sin-bearing sacrifice). However, they also represented redemption. For example, "the ashes of the red heifer" were used to remove the sin and cleanse the Israelites (Numbers 19). To help us understand why the priests took off their linen garments when entering an unclean place to deposit the “ashes of redemption,” let's consider two illustrations. The first illustration is taken from Matthew 7:6: "Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." Our linen garments restrict us from going to an unclean place and sharing our holiness with "pigs and dogs" who don't appreciate our pearls. Sinners who live outside the camp (a picture of life before salvation) can only receive the ashes of redemption (a picture of repentance). Only after they repent can they enter the camp. They must be willing to become humble and receptive and put on clean linen garments before they can enter the sanctuary of God. The linen garment (a picture of the righteous deeds of the saints) must be obtained inside the camp (a picture of receiving salvation). The second illustration is the humility of Jesus. Jesus came down from heaven and humbled himself. "He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8). In other words, he shed his “linen garments” and went outside the camp, a place of disgrace. Hebrews 13:12-13 says, “And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood. Therefore, let us go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.” Every truth has two sides. On the one hand, the Lord said that we should not give what is holy to the dogs. On the other hand, He humbled Himself and ate with tax collectors and prostitutes. The law of the burnt offering reflects God's provision and requirements. God requires us to be holy in order to see Him (Hebrews 12:14). But if we repent and beat our breasts like the tax collector did, we will be justified (Luke 18:9-17). On the one hand, God has strict requirements for drawing near to Him; on the other hand, he gives us the opportunity to repent and to draw near to Him. The main thing that prevents us from drawing near to God is our sins. God sent Jesus Christ to be our sacrifice and mediator so that we could draw near to Him. God removed the sins that prevented us from drawing near to Him. This is the main message of the law of the offerings. God's requirements for approaching Him To get close to God, we must follow his requirements, because He is holy and we are sinful. God gave these laws and stipulations to guide the Israelites while they were still spiritually inexperienced. After they matured spiritually, he gave them more freedom. To understand this, let's look at the example of a dance instructor. A dance teacher begins by teaching the three-step dance routine, then the four-step tango, and so on. After the student masters each of the dance moves successfully, the instructor will set him or her free to improvise. The teacher will no longer limit the student's creativity. He or she can dance as they please. In the same way, God gave strict laws so that the Israelites could understand how to approach him. These spiritually immature people needed to learn how to discipline themselves, build good character and know God better. The law served these purposes. But after this good character has been built and the student knows God personally, he or she is freed from the law to live creatively under the power of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have not reached the level of spiritual maturity that God expects, either as an individual or as a church. God wants to get rid of obstacles that stand between us and Him. Our secret sins, the contamination of the world, and our imperfections of the flesh are like filth and sediment clogging the shower head. Even though there are many small holes in the shower head, the water can't come out because it is blocked. In the same way, the indwelling Christ and the Holy Spirit are powerful. They, along with God the Father, created the world. God is immensely great, but our sins block his powerful presence. Through his redemption, Jesus accomplished everything necessary to open up the way to God. The Holy Spirit is here to help us live for God. Yet the obstacles within us prevent Him from being manifested in our lives. God's law, specifically the law of the offerings, helps us deal with sin. In this way, we can be transformed, break free from the ordinary, and allow God's life to fill us and flow through us. The guilt offering removes transgression The purpose of the guilt offering was to remove transgressions, whether those sins are budding or full-grown. If a person deceived and oppressed their neighbors (verse 2) or lied about something that had been lost (verse 3), they not only needed to restore it (with extra), but also offer a ram without blemish as a guilt offering to God (verse 4-6). When they did so, their sins would be forgiven (verse 7). Many Christians still commit these types of sins. We are all greedy. But unlike nonbelievers, our consciences are disturbed when we break God's law. We lose peace and fellowship with God. We should follow the wisdom of these laws: in addition to returning the wealth we greedily obtained, we should add a fifth to it, and receive the atoning sacrifice of Jesus to cover our sins. Because of our dishonest gain, we should suffer a loss. Why do we need to do this? Because God's presence and peace are more important than the loss of external possessions. The guilt offering teaches us how to cover our transgressions, obtain God's forgiveness, and enter closer fellowship with Him. The discussion of guilt offerings in this chapter is a continuation of the previous chapter. Leviticus 1:7 to Leviticus 6 talks about the five basic offerings (the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering). Leviticus 6:8 to Leviticus 7 discusses the laws regarding these five basic offerings (in a slightly different order: burnt offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, and the peace offering). We talked about the spiritual implications of this order when we were reading Leviticus 1, so I will not repeat them here. This is why chapter 7 talks about guilt offerings in addition to burnt offerings. The law of the burnt offering requires us to be completely dedicated to God We all know that the burnt offering is completely burned up as a tribute to God. Like Abraham offered Isaac, and like Christ offered himself completely to God, we should offer our lives as sacrifices. We should be completely dedicated to God. But often, we are not. Because we are created by God, we should be entirely dedicated to Him, just like the burnt offering, which was totally consumed. If we are saved, we belong to God and are sanctified by Him. Our linen garments represent our righteous acts (Revelation 19:8). They remind us of the holiness that we experience inside God's camp (salvation). Those who are in Christ (inside the camp) have linen garments, but those who are outside of Christ (outside the camp) do not have these linen garments. They can only receive the fine linen by repenting and turning to Christ. Once we are saved, no one can snatch us out of Jesus' hand (John 10:28-29). Yet we need to act like we are saved. The blood of Jesus Christ saves us from sin so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians 5:21). We must not live ordinary lives! We must live lives of holiness as pure as clean, white linen. The law of the grain offering reminds us to let go of weaknesses The grain offering included fine flour, oil, and frankincense. It must not be mixed with leaven. Fine flour represents Jesus' tender nature; oil represents the Holy Spirit; frankincense represents the fragrance of Christ's resurrection. Each of these things helps us let go of the weakness and dross of human nature. For example, I often inadvertently hurt my wife's feelings by my indifference to her emotions. I may not have sinned intentionally, but my flaws (indifference and selfishness) made her feel unloved. In these situations, I need to experience the redemption of the grain offering. I need the virtues of Christ (represented by the fine flour, oil, and frankincense). I also need to experience God's sacrifice (verses 15, 21) and nourishment (verses 16, 18). God's sacrifice is Jesus Christ. As my grain offering, He has carried my imperfections to the cross. God's nourishment is also found in Jesus. Jesus is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:58). Through consuming Jesus' life, I will be transformed and fed by him. The more we feed on Christ, the healthier we will become spiritually, just like the more we eat healthy, organic food, the stronger we will grow. Verses 22-23 specifically point out that if Aaron's descendants were to succeed him as priests, they must offer a special grain offering. This grain offering must not be eaten, but wholly burned and offered to God. This offering was dedicated totally to God. This reminds us that those who approached God must be holy and not ordinary. Just like the fine linen mentioned earlier, those who came near to a holy God must be holy.   The law of the sin offering requires holiness Holiness is mentioned frequently in the passage about the sin offering. "The sin offering that is killed before the Lord is most holy" (verse 25) The priest must eat it in the court of the (holy) tent of meeting (verse 26) Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy (verse 27) The blood-splattered garments must be washed in the holy place (verse 27) The earthenware vessel in which the sacrifice is boiled must be broken, and the bronze vessel must be scoured; every male priest may eat the sacrifice; it is most holy (verse 29) When the blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement, the offering was not to be eaten and must be burned (verse 30). The essence of these verses is holiness. All who are in Christ (inside the camp) must be holy. Those who belong to Christ must also be holy. We learned about this concept when we discussed the fine linen. Those who went out of the holy camp had to take off their fine linen and carry only ashes. The Bible says, “no offering shall be eaten if blood is brought to cleanse the Holy Place” (Leviticus 6:30). Cleansing by blood and ashes is only the first step. It removes the distance between us and God. Now that the distance has been removed through Jesus' sacrifice, we can continually come to the Father in one Spirit through Christ (Ephesians 2:18). We can continually please God. The more we draw near to God through the Holy Spirit in Christ, the more fine linen (righteousness) we have. The fine linen (righteous deeds of the saints) does not just represent the outward works we do for God. It also represents the way God fills us on the inside!   Conclusion The purpose of the laws regarding offerings is to remove the obstacles that hinder our fellowship with God. God wants us to come before Him with confidence and have deeper fellowship with Him. Our Heavenly Father cares about us, and he wants intimacy with us even more than we want intimacy with Him! When parents and children are apart, who misses each other more? Obviously, parents miss their children more. Likewise, the Heavenly Father desires fellowship with us even more than we do. The purpose of the Old Testament sacrificial laws was to remove obstacles between God and his people. When we neglect fellowship with God, it breaks our Heavenly Father's heart. The purpose of God's sacrificial laws was not just to provide external regulations, but to keep people's hearts from straying too far from Him. Drawing near to God is the goal. Only by constantly drawing near to God can we obtain the essence of the law. When we draw near to God, we become who we are in Christ. We experience his law written on our hearts, and we obtain freedom in the Spirit. Removing our sins and entering the camp is only the first step. After we come to Christ through his sacrifice on the cross, we must wear his fine linen (righteousness) and stay in the camp. We must abide in constant fellowship with God. This is what He desires for us to do forever. Let us repent from our sins, put on the garments of his righteousness, and stay in Christ forever. Let us abide in deep fellowship with God!   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 5 Differing guilt offerings reflect differing levels of spiritual maturity. In Leviticus 5, the Israelites were instructed to bring a guilt offering in the following circumstances: Failing to witness in court Touching an unclean thing Touching human uncleanness Making a thoughtless or rash vow In these situations, the worshiper was required to bring a guilt offering. As he did in other passages, God tenderly made allowances for Israelites who were weak and impoverished. Those who could not afford the standard guilt offering were given other options. If the person could not afford a lamb, he could bring two turtledoves; if he could not afford two birds, he could bring a tenth of an ephah of fine flour. Each offering was handled in a unique way. The lamb was slaughtered by the person who offered it (Leviticus 1:11; 4:24). This represents that more mature believers must actively participate in the preparation of their sacrifice. Meanwhile, those who offered birds had the priest's assistance. The priest twisted the birds' necks without severing them. This represents relatively new believers who need the help of spiritually mature people as they offer their sacrifices. These new believers are still not yet free from the connection between the soul and the natural old man, just like the head is not completely severed from the body. The tenth of an ephah of fine flour reminds us of the sacrifices of spiritually immature people. Unlike the lamb and dove, this offering was not a blood sacrifice. This reminds us that those who do not know or believe in God are held to a lower standard. They are only required to act according to conscience (Romans 2:15). However, those who do know God must act in accordance with His law and righteousness. The outer courtyard represents our distance from God. The farther we are from him, the lower is His standard of us. Conversely, the closer we are to God, the higher is His standard in our spiritual lives. The chapter concludes by stating that if someone sins intentionally and acts unfaithfully, he has only one option for a sacrifice: a ram. There is no other choice (Leviticus 5:15).[1] Since these Israelites did know God, were aware of his laws, and yet chose to disobey, they had to offer a larger sacrifice to atone for their sins. This seems to confirm the principle I mentioned above: the greater your knowledge of God, the more you will be held accountable for disobedience. What is the difference between a sin offering and a guilt offering? At times, Biblical authors seem to include guilt offerings as a subset of sin offerings. Other times, the Bible differentiates between the two. Let me share my understanding of these two offerings. I believe the sin offering deals with outward sinful behavior, while the guilt offering deals with our inner disposition. I'll give an example to illustrate. For example, if a person touches a three-foot-tall poisonous plant, he or she will suffer the consequences. This represents the sins we committed before we believed in the Lord: murder, arson, or adultery. When we believe in Christ, it's as if we cut off the plant at ground level. This is what the sin offering accomplishes: cleanses us of past actions. But the root is still there, and it will grow inch by inch. This is when guilt offerings come into play. The guilt offering covers the small transgressions, which are a manifestation of the larger poisonous root within. The poisonous plant may be only one inch tall, but its roots are still large. If you do not deal with it when it is still very small, it will grow into a greater sin - from transgression to sin. In such a situation, you need to offer a guilt offering and a sin offering to obtain redemption. For example, one Christian lady said that when she and her husband are convicted about having a bad attitude toward their children, they quickly try to correct it. If they don't correct it immediately, but only let it fester, the bad attitude turns into worse sins. They go ballistic and lose their temper with their children. They have committed a more significant sin. When they first noticed their bad attitude, they needed a guilt offering; now they need both a sin offering and a guilt offering. It may seem that the guilt offering deals with small things, but it actually deals with the root within. For example, Jesus said, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28). We may not have committed adultery yet, but we have an adulterous heart, which is sinful in the eyes of God. In the same way, the offenses recorded in this chapter seemed small. They were unintentional sins such as refusing to testify in court; touching unclean things (such as animal carcasses); touching human uncleanness; uttering a rash oath. However, if these transgressions were not dealt with in time, they would become more serious. Like yeast, they would spread through the whole batch of dough. The guilt offering dealt with situations where sin was still in its infancy. If someone touches a carcass of an animal without noticing it, he is still guilty (vs 2). However, if a person touches human uncleanness or utters a rash oath, he will not become guilty until he notices what he did (vs. 3-4). In other words, the one who does not know is not guilty. Once he realizes what he did, he will be guilty. Why? When you are unaware of your sin, you are still in darkness; but when you realize what you did, you are enlightened by God. Once you are enlightened, you must repent. We each have many areas of sin and inadequacy. After we are saved, the Holy Spirit does not illuminate every area of darkness immediately. Instead, he does it gradually. It takes many years before the Holy Spirit enlightens us and helps us see our weaknesses. He wisely guides us step by step to realize our sins and weaknesses. Just like the Israelites offered guilt offerings as soon as they realized their sin, we must repent as soon as the Holy Spirit enlightens us about our sin. Guilt offerings and levels of Christian maturity Let's look in detail at the guilt offerings required by God. The first guilt offering mentioned is a female lamb or female goat. The passage clearly mentions that these offerings are sin offerings (Leviticus 5:6). According to Leviticus 1 and 4, anyone who brings a lamb as a sin offering must come before the priest, lay his hands on the lamb's head, and slaughter it before the priest as a sin offering. The priest shall put the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense and pour it out at the base of the altar. Meanwhile, its fat must be burned on the altar. In our study of Leviticus 1-4, we have analyzed the meaning of these sacrifices in detail. In short, the larger the sacrifice, the wealthier the individual. The larger sacrifices represent greater spiritual maturity. The more mature individuals had to take initiative in helping contribute to the sacrificial process, such as the slaughtering of the lambs or bulls. God has lower standards for those who are less spiritually mature or less financially capable. Those who could not afford a lamb could offer two turtledoves or two pigeons. The priest should wring the bird's neck, but not sever it completely. Why is this so? In Genesis 15, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice a heifer, a female goat, and a ram, each three years old, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon. The mammals were cut in half, but the birds were not (Genesis 15:10). I believe that large animals like bulls and lambs represent the offerings of mature believers, who must take more initiative in applying the work of the cross to their lives (represented by cutting up the animals). However, the small offerings represent the less mature. They are not required to take as much initiative. The effect of the cross is the same, but God's standards may be different. For example, we hold new believers to different standards than we hold mature Christians. Similarly, the closer we are to God, the higher is His standard for us. He has lower standards for those who are far away from Him. As long as they are willing to accept Jesus as their friend and are willing to turn to Him in their hearts, He accepts their offerings, such as prayers of repentance and desperation after gambling or taking drugs. They are very limited offerings, but He accepts them. When we are more united to Him, His standard is higher. Why can't the head of the bird be severed completely? Let's look at this verse metaphorically. If we are spiritually immature, our natural fleshy life is often stronger. If our spiritual life is not strong enough to live by faith or by the word of God, then we still need the supply of natural life. A spiritually immature person only needs to offer a relatively small sacrifice. He does not need to slaughter the bull or lamb himself. In other words, the more spiritually mature you are, the more faith God requires from you. The priest wrings off the bird's neck, sprinkles its blood on the side of the altar, and drains the rest out at the base of the altar (Leviticus 5:8-9). This is the same procedure that is used when offering a lamb as a sin offering (Leviticus 1, 4). A bird has less blood than a lamb, so a second bird must be offered as a burnt offering (Leviticus 5:10). Leviticus 1 provides detailed instructions on offering birds as burnt offerings: the priest shall tear the bird open by its wings, but shall not sever it completely. And he shall burn it on the wood as a burnt offering (Leviticus 1:17). If an Israelite is so poor that he can't afford a bird, he can offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a sin offering. This is a sin offering, not a grain offering, so he should not put frankincense and oil on it (Leviticus 5:11). A handful of it is for the memorial portion; it will be burned as an offering made by fire. The remainder shall be for the priests. These laws resemble the instructions regarding birds, but they are adjusted to the needs of the poorest people. No matter how poor a person is, he must give a burnt offering to God. When offering a burnt offering, the worshiper must give a portion that is offered completely to God and burned to ashes. Whether we are rich or poor, God will forgive our sins. But we must draw near to him, trust his sacrifice, give thanks, and worship Him. The closer to God, the higher his standards God provided the guilt offering to show how much he loved his people and how much he valued his fellowship and union with them. He wanted his fellowship with them not to be cut off. The closer we are to God, the greater capacity we have to harm him and break his heart. The more united we are with God, the more likely we are to taint our fellowship with Him because of our sins and flesh. God wants to restore that fellowship. A person who sinned intentionally and was unfaithful to God had only one choice: offering a ram without blemish (15). He made restitution for the holy thing that he had harmed, and he added a fifth of its value to the payment (16). Even a person who sinned unknowingly was guilty. He would bring a ram as a guilt offering and the priest would make atonement for the mistake so he could be forgiven (17-19). The more we know God, the higher are His standards for our lives. Discovering God's hidden truths These chapters of Leviticus can be difficult to understand, especially when we are distracted by our own logic and traditions. Is God hiding something from us? Pastor Bill Johnson once said, “God does not hide things from us. Rather, He hides things for us.” It's like an Easter Egg hunt in the United States. The parent or grandparent hides some eggs in easier spots so that the younger children can find them more easily. But he or she hides other eggs in more difficult places to provide a challenge for the older children. He or she provides more hints for the younger children to help them find the Easter eggs. Not only do the children have fun finding eggs, but the parent also feels very happy. These hints are like these different offerings. For those who are less mature, God provides a low bar and many hints along the way. The more spiritually mature you are, the higher God sets the bar. He sometimes conceals his truths and makes us pay a price as we search for him. The Bible says that “It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.” (Proverbs 25:2). When God hides himself, he gives us hints to help us find him. We will surely find God if we seek Him with all our hearts. When we do, God is pleased, just like the parent is pleased when his children find the Easter eggs he hid. Therefore, the differences in these offerings hint at God's nature. God has different demands and provisions for people with different levels of spiritual maturity. The more we realize God's kindness and tenderness to our weakness, the more we can understand His will. Let's not shy away from passages like this because we are afraid we won't understand. Instead, let's search harder, and we will surely find God.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 16   Stephanas' Example of Love and Unity     I believe the theme of 1 Corinthians is love and unity. Many people think that 1 Corinthians focuses on a negative situation in the Corinthian church, but this is a misunderstanding. 1 Corinthians is like a plain black canvas since it mentions some problems of the Corinthian church. But on the canvas, Paul paints a beautiful picture of love and unity.   Why did Apollos refuse to visit now, and instead would visit later? In 1 Corinthians 16, the Holy Spirit highlighted several verses, including verse 12: “Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers, but it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity.”[1]   Why didn't Apollos want to visit the Corinthians, even though Paul urged him on multiple occasions? Why would he come when he had the opportunity?   First, let's find out more about Apollos. Acts 18:24-25 tells us that Apollos was an eloquent man, who told many people about God, but knew only about John's baptism. He came to Ephesus, and Priscilla and Aquila explained the way of God to him in more detail (18:26). What is the "way of God"? Is it referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit as opposed to the baptism of John? We don't know for sure. Let's look at this verse:   Acts 18:24-28 says, "Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus."   At the beginning of Acts 19, we learn that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul went to that region, passed through Ephesus, and encountered people who only knew about the baptism of John. They did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul laid his hands on them so they could receive the Holy Spirit. Were these the people to whom Apollos ministered? Is this the reason they did not know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? This is a reasonable guess. Now that Apollos was serving in the Corinthian church, did his lack of knowledge of the baptism of the Holy Spirit lead some believers in Corinth to oppose the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues? Is it possible that the different understandings and teachings of Apollos led to the division in the Corinthian church?   First Corinthians 1:12 says, "What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,' or ‘I follow Apollos,' or ‘I follow Cephas,' or ‘I follow Christ.'" This verse reveals that there was a division in the Corinthian church, and this division may have had something to do with the different teachings of Apollos. Perhaps Apollos did not understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or perhaps the "way of God" explained by Priscilla and Aquila did not include the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If the teaching about the Holy Spirit was included in Priscilla and Aquila's explanation, perhaps Apollos couldn't accept this teaching. In any case, judging from Apollos' work in Corinth, it seems that some people may have been influenced by him to oppose spiritual gifts and tongues.   We shouldn't think that the Corinthian church was abusing the gifts of tongues, with everyone speaking in tongues. Some Corinthians still opposed tongues and even advocated forbidding it. That's why Paul said, "Do not forbid speaking in tongues." (1 Corinthians 14:39).   Let's look at 1 Corinthians 3:4-9 again. "For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,' and another, ‘I follow Apollos,' are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building."          From these verses, we can guess that Apollos did not accept speaking in tongues or receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. His different teachings may have had a certain amount of influence on the division in the Corinthian church. But perhaps he was making an innocent error in his teaching. That's why Paul was trying to persuade him. Maybe after Priscilla and Aquila brought up the topic, Paul continued to mention it to Apollos, trying to persuade him to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Even though Apollos did not accept Paul's point of view, Paul still pursued love and unity, which is the theme of 1 Corinthians.   First Corinthians is not saying that we can't eat meat or speak in tongues, or that women can't preach. Rather, 1 Corinthians is about love and unity. Paul gives up his right to eat meat for the sake of love and unity. But he is not against eating meat. Paul gives up speaking in tongues in meetings for the sake of love and unity, but he himself is not against speaking in tongues. He even speaks in tongues more than anyone in Corinth (1 Corinthians 14:18). Likewise, Apollos and Paul may have held different views on the truth, but they did not have a falling out. Instead, Paul had confidence in Apollos and was sure that he would eventually be convinced to believe the truth.   Although Paul and Apollos may have had different understandings of the truth about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he did not let this affect his relationship with Apollos. On the contrary, Paul praised Apollos as the one who watered the seeds he planted (1 Corinthians 3:6). He acknowledged that God gave the growth. Paul not only praised Apollos but also criticized the Corinthian believers for excessively exalting or condemning leaders. Whether it was Priscilla, Aquila, or Paul, all of them were trying their best to help Apollos.   1 Corinthians' ending is filled with sunshine and hope   The Holy Spirit also highlighted 1 Corinthians 16:15-18: "Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints— be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people."   In these verses, Paul highly praised a man named Stephanas, who was certainly not the martyr Stephen. This Stephanas was one of Paul's first converts in Achaia. Paul says in Corinthians 1:16, "I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else." Paul baptized Stephanas himself, which indicates that he was Paul's first convert.   Stephanas, a Christian brother whom Paul praised in this chapter, was the first convert in Achaia (1 Corinthians 16:15). He was baptized by Paul (1 Corinthians 1:16). We know from Acts 18:27 that Apollos also went to Achaia, where he was encouraged and helped by his brothers. Perhaps Apollos played a role in Stephanas's salvation. Paul praised Stephanas in 1 Corinthians 16:15. This verse adds to our understanding of love and unity, which is the theme of 1 Corinthians.   As we've mentioned earlier in Acts 18:27, when Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. He helped a lot of people when he got there. So looking at this verse, perhaps Apollos could take credit for the work in Achaia, even Stephanas's salvation. This is a practical example of Paul planting and Apollos watering.   I had never noticed that Paul exalted Brother Stephanas in this passage. Paul said that Stephanas' household have devoted themselves to the service of the saints, made up for the absence of the Corinthian church, and refreshed the spirits of Paul and the Corinthian believers. So Paul urged the Corinthian believers to be subject to such people and give them recognition. Why did Paul highly recommend believers like Stephanas to those in the Corinthian church? My guess is that Stephanas was the fruit of Paul and Apollos' unity and love.   Many people think that 1 Corinthians focuses mainly on negative problems and the abuse of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church. They think that Paul's main burden was to oppose spiritual gifts such as tongues. But these people misunderstand Paul. Although Paul dealt with the abuse of spiritual gifts in the Corinthian church, he was not against spiritual gifts. Rather, he was taking others' feelings into consideration (even Apollos' feelings), in love and unity.   Therefore, in the last chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul thoroughly recommended Stephanas. He painted a positive picture in the ending of 1 Corinthians, thanking the Lord that the Corinthian church had produced a good leader like Stephanas and that the future of the Corinthian church was very promising.   In verse 19 of this chapter, Paul mentioned that Priscilla and Aquila greeted the believers in Corinth. Perhaps, by this time, Priscilla and Aquila had already returned to Rome. In verse 20, Paul said that all the brothers greeted the believers in the Corinthian church. Verse 21 says that Paul wrote this greeting with his own hand. Verse 22 says, “If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!” In verse 23, Paul blessed the Corinthians, praying that the grace of the Lord Jesus would be with them. In verse 24, Paul said that his love would be with the Corinthian believers in Christ Jesus. This is the end of this chapter, but we can see that it paints a beautiful and positive ending.   The theme of 1 Corinthians is love and unity   In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul mentioned some divisions in the Corinthian church. Some said they followed Paul, others said they followed Apollos, while others said they follow Cephas. But Paul said, in effect, “Only Christ was crucified for us.” He said in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." He said in verse 3:6, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." 1 Corinthians 4:6 says, "I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another."   In chapter 5, Paul deals with sexual immorality. He explains that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6). Paul wanted to deal with those who were sinning and committing sexual immorality. He hoped that everyone would be united in love and not be affected by the sins of individual believers.   In Chapter 6, Paul advocates that during times of contention, a church member should act as a mediator so the church wouldn't need to file lawsuits against other believers. This clearly supports the theme of unity. In chapter 7, Paul discusses marriage. He encourages spouses to live in unity. Even nonbelieving spouses should stay together unless the unbelieving spouse wants to separate. Chapter 8 deals with eating foods sacrificed to idols. Paul says that even though idols are nothing, he suggests not eating foods sacrificed to idols because he cares about people with weak consciences. Chapter 9:22 says, "To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." In order to live in harmony with others and win people who are different, Paul tries to be like them. Paul's life is consistent with the principle of love and unity.   Chapter 10 continues to discuss food sacrificed to idols. Paul talks about the importance of taking other believers' needs into consideration so as not to cause them to stumble. Chapter 11 talks about the Lord's supper. In Corinth, the rich would eat and drink and get drunk, while the poor would come late and see a pile of leftovers. Paul was very angry with the Corinthians and rebuked them. He told them not to turn the Lord's banquet into a meeting that humiliated the poor. These teachings would help the Corinthians maintain a spirit of love and unity.   Chapters 12-14 talk about love, spiritual gifts, tongues, the fulfillment of prophecy, and whether women can speak in meetings. All of these topics relate to love and unity. Believers are free to pursue the gift of tongues, but if speaking in tongues causes others to stumble, they should not speak in tongues in meetings. Instead, they should only speak in tongues in private. I don't believe Paul was against women speaking or asking questions in church. Perhaps some of the Corinthian women were working against the love and unity of the church, so Paul rebuked them. He wanted to silence certain women who were violating the principles of love and unity, but he was not delivering a universal principle that women " are not permitted to speak."   Chapter 15 talks about the truth of the resurrection, which is also in line with the theme of love and unity. Only those who know and experience the resurrection can live in the reality of love and unity.   Does chapter 16 continue the theme of love and unity? Yes.   Conclusion:   In chapter 16 verses 1-3, Paul specifically mentioned that a financial donation was to be sent to Jerusalem. In this passage, Paul was taking love and unity into consideration. He also hoped to bring the financial blessing from the Gentile church to the poor believers in Jerusalem, thus bringing unity between the Gentile and Jewish churches.   Paul wrote the book of Romans while he was in Corinth. There was once a serious racial conflict between Jews and Gentiles in Rome. Even when Claudius ordered the Jews to leave Rome, Priscilla and Aquila traveled from Rome to Corinth and met Paul (Acts 18). Paul had always wanted to go to Rome, but he was determined to go to Jerusalem first to bring the offering from the Gentiles to the poor in Jerusalem. He didn't know if he would make it to Rome alive, so he wrote the book of Romans from Corinth to help the Roman church mediate the disputes and conflicts between the Gentile and Jewish believers.   Paul continued the theme of love and unity in 1 Corinthians 16, extending it to the love and unity between the Gentile and Jewish believers. In verse 3, Paul said, "And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem." This passage reveals that Paul wanted the Corinthian church to participate in the ministry of promoting love and unity between Gentile and Jewish churches.   Paul went on to say that he hoped to live in Corinth for a while, but now he had a lot of work to do in Ephesus, "for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries." (1 Corinthians 16:9). But Paul had already sent Timothy (1 Corinthians 16:10-11). Then Paul mentioned that Apollos would not come now, but would come in the future (1 Corinthians 16:12). Timothy was a role model that Paul highly praised. Paul specifically taught the Corinthian believers not to despise Timothy (1 Corinthians 16:10-11) before highly recommending Stephanas. They were examples of love and unity.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 8   Knowing and Experiencing God's Love   1 Corinthians 8 is about eating the foods offered to idols (vs. 4), but it also discusses the concept of worshiping One God (vs. 6). Some people knew that "idols have no real existence and there is only one God,” and they did not have a problem with eating food sacrificed to idols. But others still lived as if idols were real. They refused to sacrifice to them. People who ate food sacrificed to idols were causing these weaker believers to stumble. Paul called on the believers who possessed this knowledge to be considerate of the believers who didn't have this knowledge, so as not to make them stumble. Paul said, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." (ESV, 1 Corinthians 8:1).   This passage sets a precedent for Christians today as we seek to show more of God's mercy and love, while also keeping ourselves spiritually clean. We Christians must live in freedom. We must not just know facts about God, but personally know and experience knowing his love.   Clean and unclean   An important concept in the Bible is the distinction between clean and unclean. In the Old Testament, God gave the Israelites laws about what foods and practices were clean and unclean: clean and unclean foods (Leviticus 11) touching dead bodies (Numbers 6) childbirth (Leviticus 12) leprosy (Leviticus 13-14) nocturnal emission (Leviticus 15) and so on.   These principles helped the Israelites, especially the Levites who served God, to stay ceremonially clean. Over time, the Israelites continued to add human traditions to God's law. By the time the Lord Jesus came, they had added many cleansing rituals, including the ritual of washing one's hands before eating. This law is not recorded in the Old Testament; it is based on human tradition.   On many occasions, Jesus was involved in arguments about what was clean and what was unclean. One time, a Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus didn't wash his hands before eating. The Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness." (Luke 11: 39) On another occasion, the Pharisees were puzzled that the Lord ate with the unclean people such as the tax collectors and prostitutes (Mark 2:16). But the Lord Jesus rebuked them, saying, "The tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you." (Matthew 21:31). On yet another occasion, Jesus was eating with a Pharisee when a woman came in and anointed His feet with perfume. The Pharisee thought, “If Jesus was a prophet, He should know that this woman is a sinner.” But the Lord Jesus said, “Whoever has been forgiven much, loves much.” Jesus forgave the women's sins and praised her for her faith (Luke 7:36-50). Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. In this story, both the Levite and the priest were afraid of being made unclean by the man who was wounded by the robbers, so they did not rescue him. But the Good Samaritan helped him (Luke 10:25-37). There are many more such stories that illustrate the same point of conflict.   On the surface, it appears that Jesus violated the laws of clean and unclean. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes, touched the leper, didn't wash his hands before eating, helped the wounded and unclean, and healed the sick and cast out demons on the Sabbath. But in reality, Jesus was demonstrating His merciful and loving character in these situations. In other words, keeping oneself clean is important, but failing to love others in order to keep oneself clean goes completely against God's merciful character.   The same thing happens to many Christians today. Some believers don't dare come in contact with sinners for fear of getting themselves dirty; others boldly advocate coming into contact with sinners, or even committing sin with them. These believers claim that they are doing this to "become all things to all people," just like Paul did. Controversies like this are also common in the church.   This conflict can be seen in the way homosexuality is treated in the church. Conservative believers say that homosexuality is a sin, and homosexuality cannot be tolerated in the church. Liberals say that since God is love and we are called to love everyone, therefore the church must accept homosexuals and allow them to become pastors. On the surface, the argument is about whether homosexuality should be condoned, but deeper down, people are wondering how to keep themselves clean while also showing God's love.   The other extreme in the Corinthian church   But there is another extreme in the Corinthian church. Some people not only ate food offered to idols, but also ate in the temples of idols (1 Corinthians 8:10). Their behavior made weak brothers stumble. Paul called this behavior "sinning against Christ" (1 Corinthians 8:12).   Let's go back to the question about homosexuality in American Christianity. An American evangelist criticized some conservative believers who were opposed to homosexuality, saying that many of them lived in legalism and religiosity. Perhaps homosexuality was the only sin they had not personally committed; thus they found it easy to attack homosexuality while condoning their own sin. This evangelist did not believe the church should accept homosexuality, but he wanted to remind the church to show love for sinners. He noticed a phenomenon. When many Christians oppose a certain sin, it gives the impression that they do not love the sinner either. If this evangelist is right, many believers are committing the same mistake the Pharisees did. They neglect to love sinners because they are too focused on keeping the church clean.   On the contrary, other extremely liberal Christians make the same mistake that some of the Corinthians did. They allow homosexuals to be members of their church or even become pastors. Perhaps they intend to love all sinners, including homosexuals. But their actions will tempt weaker believers to assume that the church accepts homosexuality. They will misunderstand God's rules and begin to accept sinful things.   Knowledge of "One God"   Although many people who support the church's acceptance of homosexuality may be unsaved false believers, many of them are true Christians. There are a lot of real, liberal Christians who genuinely believe that all people should be accepted. But I think the teachings they propagate are teachings of the demons, rather than the true knowledge of God. We need to have a true knowledge of God. This knowledge enables us to know God's character, revealed in his law.   The purpose of laws is to provide us with boundaries and prevent us from overstepping them. For example, the outward law teaches us that if we kill someone, we are breaking his law. In addition to outward law, God also utilized prophets in the Old Testament to provide specific leading for specific situations. Today, God provides inner leading to guide us in specific circumstances. In the New Testament, God's law is internalized as the law of the Spirit of our life (Romans 8:2). It guides us from the inside.   We are no longer merely bound by the outward law. Instead, the Holy Spirit leads us internally, helps us obey the law of the Spirit of life that abides in us, and gives us specific and circumstantial guidance in each unique situation. 1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.”   The function of the law is like the yellow line on the side of the highway in the United States. If you cross this yellow line, you will feel a bump. If you are not careful, you may drive off the road or even fall into a ditch. I heard about a couple who were driving at night, got sleepy, drove over the yellow line, and unfortunately died. This story reminds us that it is very important not to cross the line when driving.   Likewise, keeping God's law is very important for Christians. On the other hand, imagine that your car broke down on the highway. You pulled over to the shoulder and started flagging down other cars, asking for help. How would you feel if a driver shouted, “I can't drive over the yellow line!” and just drove away? You would feel dumbfounded.   Many Christians use the same logic when interacting with struggling fellow believers. The Pharisees condemned the Lord Jesus for eating with tax collectors and prostitutes. Jesus replied, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17). Today, many churches are so separated from the world that they have become “ivory towers.” They teach believers not to participate in politics so as not to cause divisions. They don't realize that the mission of the church is to be active in worldly affairs and be light and salt in this chaotic world, rather than worrying about whether they are "divided" or “tainted with political filth.” Teaching believers not to get involved in politics is the teaching of the devil, not the true knowledge of God. If God wanted His chosen people not to participate in politics, He would not have appointed David as king of Israel. He would have let Saul keep ruling as the king, or allowed God's enemies to continue suppressing the Israelites. Yet David not only served as the king of Israel, but also fought many battles. The enemy has distorted the Lord Jesus' teaching about "rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's" (Luke 20:25) in order to drive Christians out of the political arena. Many Christians have accepted and propagated these demonic teachings.   We must recognize what is and what is not true about God. Paul said, "Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:6). There is only one God. Idols have no real existence (1 Corinthians 8:4).   Before we were born, we were immersed in water. We were in the water, and the water was in our lungs. Now, we are immersed in air, and the air is inside us. Similarly, we are in Christ, and Christ is in us. Everything in this world was created in and through Christ; without Christ, we have no life (1 John 5:12). Many people live in Christ's created world, but they are not spiritually in Christ, much less have Christ inside of them. They do not have the true knowledge of God. Those who have true knowledge of God must live in Christ and let Christ live in them. When we lack such knowledge, we will mistakenly treat the teachings of demons as the knowledge of God. Even true Christians may be deceived by the teachings of demons if their knowledge and experience of abiding in Christ are shallow. We must abide in the Lord and allow Him and His words to abide in us (1 John 3:24, John 15:7).   Everything we do must be in Christ. We must be guided by Christ and by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. This is the true meaning of knowing God.   The elevation of knowledge to love   Paul not only taught believers to know about God, but also to know God's love personally and experientially. Paul said, "Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.' This ‘knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God. (1 Corinthians 8:1-3).”   In Jesus' parable in Luke 15, the elder son thought he knew God. He knew all of God's rules and requirements and strictly obeyed them. But after the prodigal son returned home, the elder son got angry. This showed that the elder son didn't truly know and live out God's love.   Let's look at another example. Imagine a couple that has two sons. From an early age, the parents taught their sons not to play in the street, or they might get killed by a car. The elder son strictly obeyed his parents' rules and never went into the street to play. One day, the younger son broke the rules and played in the street. Seeing a car coming, the parents risked their lives to grab their son and pull him out of the way. The elder son became angry. “You are hypocrites!” he shouted. “You don't obey your own rules! Why did you run into the street?” The older son had only head knowledge. He did not truly understand his parents' loving motives for their rules. He did not care whether his brother survived or not.   This unlikely story reminds us of situations that happen all the time in church history. Many times, we don't care whether others spiritually live or not. We only care about having our ego stroked. We care more about being respected and promoting our own ideas and fleshly desires than about saving others' lives.   Rather than just knowing about God, we must know and experience his love. He wants to know us, as well. "If anyone loves God, he is known by God." (1 Corinthians 8:3). And if we love God, we will surely love our brother, because "whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness." (1 John 2:9).   Christians should grow spiritually and be free from legalistic religion   Today's church is facing two dangers. One is the spirit of rebellion, which comes from the outside world. When we rebel, we refuse to know anything about God at all.   The other danger is the spirit of legalism and empty religiosity. This spirit claims to know God but distorts his true character. We must not only know about God, but also know and experience his love personally. We must elevate our knowledge of God to a personal knowledge of his love.   I completed my doctoral program with the Randy Clark Scholars program, a joint program by Randy Clark and the United Theological Seminary. Randy Clark took part in the Toronto Blessing, so I had the opportunity to read a lot about this event. One of the accomplishments of the Toronto Blessing was to promote the teaching about the "Father's Love."   Jack Frost is one proponent of this teaching. He used to be a fishing captain and later became a pastor. He was strict with his children and always focused on winning. Since he had never experienced a father's love since childhood, he didn't know how to demonstrate fatherly love to his children. During the Toronto Blessing, he experienced the Father's love. He asked his children for forgiveness and began to care for them with a father's love. He often testified and shared his experiences in the meetings.   Many who attended the Toronto Blessing meetings were pastors. Because of their lack of knowledge of God's love, they were all living like the elder son in the parable. Since they always worked for God instead of resting in His love, they were burned out. At the meeting, these pastors were revived through their experience of God's love. They spread this revival to all parts of the world. After Heidi Baker and her husband were revived, they planted more than 10,000 churches in Mozambique, Africa.   What is God's love? How do we know God's love? The world does not know God's love because they do not know and accept Jesus Christ. People in the church don't know enough about God's love because they don't allow His life to grow and expand within them. The Lord Jesus said, "No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27).   1 Corinthians 8:6 says, "Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." The Word of God gives us knowledge about God, but it is the Spirit of God who makes God's word real in our lives. Christ is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17) within us, leading us all the way.

Bible Study with Jairus – Acts 13 The Paradox of Salvation: God's Election and Man's Free Will   One of the big questions that frequently arises in Christian circles is the relationship between God's sovereign election and man's free will. Does God choose who will be saved, or is it determined by our own subjective choice? God's Election and Man's Subjective Will Acts 13:48 says, "And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed."[1] How can we understand this verse? How do we know who is appointed by God to eternal life? Are we saved by God's election or by our own free will? One prominent evangelist said that as Christians approach the gates of heaven, they see a sign that reads, “Whoever believes shall have eternal life.” However, after they pass through the door, they turn back and see a sign that says, “You were chosen before the creation of the world.” In other words, before salvation, we make a choice. After salvation, we realize we were chosen. Before a person is saved, debating election is unhelpful. For an unbeliever, the only message is “believe.” Satan wants us to waste time debating who is “chosen before the creation of the world” and miss the salvation that is right in front of us. God chooses us first, and then he works to win our hearts. For instance, God chose Isaac's son Jacob, and eventually captured Jacob's heart (despite his resistance). This story demonstrates the importance of God's unconditional election, despite human resistance. However, our free will also plays a very important role. If we choose to harden our hearts towards God continually, he may allow us to refuse his free gift. Acts 13 gives a good example of this concept. The false prophet Bar-Jesus was strongly opposing the apostles' words. Acts 13:7 says, "[Bar-Jesus] was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God." Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, rebuked Bar-Jesus. He said that Bar-Jesus would become blind, and he did. Astonished, Sergius Paulus believed in Jesus. Sergius Paulus made a choice to believe. In Acts 24, we see another person who was interested in Christ. The governor Felix and his Jewish wife Drusilla enjoyed listening to Paul talk about Jesus Christ (Acts 24:24). Felix understood Christianity and was concerned about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment (Acts 24:22, 25). He was counting on Paul to send him money, so he often sent for Paul and conversed with him. But there is no record that he believed. Instead, Felix left Paul in prison to do the Jews a favor (Acts 24:27). My personal guess is that Felix wasn't saved, while Sergius Paulus was. Why? Did these men make a choice, or did God choose one and not the other? God wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). So in a general sense, God has chosen everyone. But the difference in our hearts—that is, our free will—will bring about completely different results. God does not interfere with our free will. Are we worthy of God's eternal life? If our heart is willing, we will receive God's life. For "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9). Why did the disciples shake the dust off their feet? Acts 13:51 says, "They shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium." Why shake off the dust? Some Bible teachers believe that the power of the Holy Spirit could be transmitted through handkerchiefs, water, Peter's shadow, etc. Similarly, when a believer is in a city that is against God, evil spirits can be transmitted through mediums such as dust. This theory may sound a bit exaggerated. I believe that they shook the dust off their feet as a prophetic act with spiritual implications. For instance, Moses threw a branch into the water, making it sweet. This was a prophetic act. It was God who made the bitter water sweet, but this prophetic act allowed Moses to demonstrate his faith. Baptism is another example of a prophetic act. Baptism is a physical action that shows our attitude or obedience to Christ. It shows that God is baptizing us into Him. Similarly, when the disciples shook off the dust from their feet, it was a visible external act that prophetically expressed the invisible truth. God had drawn the line. This city was clearly in rebellion against him.   Breaking ungodly soul ties Shaking the dust off one's feet is somewhat similar to "breaking ungodly soul ties," a concept taught in the Healing and Deliverance Ministries. This theory teaches that if we have an ungodly extramarital sexual connection with someone or if we watch pornographic videos, we will develop ungodly soul ties with other people and evil spirits. The Bible tells us that when we join ourselves to a prostitute, we become one flesh with the prostitute. But when we join ourselves to the Lord we become one spirit with Him (1 Corinthians 6:16-17). We need to repent, confess our sins, and declare that we are breaking these ties so that the Holy Spirit can help us break free from them. Then we will not be further influenced by the evil spirits entering through these soul ties. If we are not willing to repent, God will not force us to do so. He does not violate our free will. But these ungodly soul ties are the entrance through which the evil spirits continue to attack us. All who oppose the Lord's work are participating with evil spirits; these evil spirits want to drag them into hell. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "The guilty one is not he who commits the sin in darkness, but the one who causes the darkness." Who is the creator of darkness? Satan, of course. Satan and the evil spirits have designed various methods of deception and temptation. They want to harden and darken people's hearts, influencing them to reject salvation. We must break free from Satan and the influence of evil spirits. Then we can be saved and choose faith. Disconnect from Satan and Evil Spirits and Choose Faith The next two stories in this chapter show us that longing for God brings very different results than living in jealousy and selfishness. In this chapter, Paul preaches in the synagogue about Jesus' death and resurrection and the history of Israel (Acts 13:13-43). He explicitly states that Jesus, the descendant of David, is the Savior of Israel (Acts 13:23). The Israelites crucified Jesus because they did not know who he was. But God raised Jesus from the dead. The Bible says, “After the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God." (vs. 43) The hearts of these people were open, and they accepted Jesus Christ. But the next paragraph records the story of some Jews who turned against Paul and Barnabas because of jealousy. The next Sabbath, nearly the whole city came to hear Paul and Barnabas. Verse 45 says, "But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him."  Evil spirits took advantage of these men's jealousy to build strongholds and ungodly links within them. Their hearts began to harden, and they ultimately rejected salvation. Paul told the people that since they rejected the word of God, he must go to the Gentiles to preach the gospel. He said that God had sent him to be a light for the Gentiles and to bring salvation to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:47). Angered, the Jews "incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district" (Acts 13:50). Both Paul and Barnabas shook off the dust from their feet, left Antioch, and went to Iconium. This story is consistent with Jesus' teachings. Jesus told his disciples, "And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.” (Matthew 10:11-15). God gives us free will to test our hearts. He wants to know if we will voluntarily love Him and choose Him. Our heart is important to God. If our heart accepts God, we are worthy of His salvation and will receive His peace. But if our heart does not want God, we are not worthy of His salvation and will be disciplined by Him in the future. Although Satan and the evil spirits have created darkness to deceive us, God has prepared the light of the gospel. The sunlight from on high has visited us, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79). But if we refuse to be guided by this light, we will remain in darkness. Conclusion The question about God's election or man's free will is addressed by several stories in this chapter. God chose us and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our salvation. But we must also choose him with our own free will. God never forces us to change our hearts. But He hopes that we will choose Him and be worthy of His salvation.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 8 Passing the Torch   Acts 8 marks the transition between Stephen's martyrdom (Acts 7) and the conversion of Saul in Acts 9. It tells the story of the gradual transition from the ministry of the first generation of apostles represented by Peter to the ministry of the second generation of apostles represented by Paul. The stories in chapter 8 intertwine Philip's ministry with the ministry of the apostles.   This chapter brings up many questions. Why did God perform so many signs and wonders through Philip, yet did not send the Holy Spirit until Peter and John were present? Why couldn't Philip bestow the Holy Spirit? Why did Philip preach the gospel to the eunuch only after the Holy Spirit's arrival? When Paul was baptized in Acts 9, was he filled with the Holy Spirit at that time?   I believe these intertwined stories pave the way for Paul's appearance. In other words, Philip and Stephen are evangelists, and their anointing is passed on to Paul; Peter and John are apostles, and their anointing is also passed on to Paul. Paul is the culmination of the ministry of Philip and Stephen, as well as Peter and John. Paul was both an evangelist and an apostle.   Stephen's martyrdom led to Paul's conversion   At the end of Acts 7, we learn that Stephen was martyred. As he was dying, he saw the heavens open, and the Lord Jesus standing at God the Father's right hand. At the time of his martyrdom, Stephen prayed for those who persecuted him, asking God the Father to forgive them because they did not know what they were doing.   Paul supported this senseless murder, and he personally witnessed Stephen's martyrdom. He even guarded the clothes of the Israelites who killed Stephen. We believe that Paul was shocked by Stephen's testimony and that this event laid the foundation for the great changes that occurred in Paul after the Lord Jesus appeared to him. The blood of the martyrs is the best testimony.     The sharp contrast between Stephen and Paul continues in Acts 8. Although Stephen was dead, the persecution did not stop. Paul continued to persecute the church: "But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison."[1] (Acts 8:3) The believers from Jerusalem who had been scattered continued to preach the gospel wherever they went.   It is in this context that the story of Philip preaching the gospel is introduced. Both Philip and Stephen were deacons chosen by the apostles to serve meals to widows. Both of them were "men full of the Spirit and of wisdom" (Acts 6:3). Stephen is mentioned in Acts 6 as "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5) and "full of grace and power, doing great wonders and signs among the people" (Acts 6:8). And the description of Philip listed in chapter 7 is very similar - Philip also performed many signs and great miracles (Acts 8:13). Both Stephen and Philip were powerful evangelists whose words were accompanied by signs, wonders and miracles. They had a very similar anointing from God.   Philip's story is not only a continuation of Stephen's legacy, but it led to Paul's appearance. Paul was a vessel specially prepared by God. As Paul gradually entered the stage and became the main character in the book of Acts, the anointing of evangelists such as Stephen and Philip would be passed on to him. Although the Holy Spirit uses different people at different times, the anointing within is the same and it continues.   The interaction between Simon, Philip, and the apostles   People were amazed by the signs and miracles Philip performed when he was preaching the gospel in Samaria. Simon, a local sorcerer, had often amazed people because of his magic. Even so, he was amazed by Philip's miracles. He not only believed in Christ but was also baptized. At this point, the story of Philip's evangelistic ministry ends (verse 13). In verse 14-25, the text records that the apostles Peter and John came to Samaria to lay their hands on the believers and pray. When they did, the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. This amazed Simon more. Simon wanted to purchase this ability to lay hands on people and bestow the Holy Spirit.   When I was reading the Bible, there was one thing that confused me. Why wasn't Philip able to bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit while he was preaching the gospel in Samaria? In modern charismatic churches, many gifted evangelists can lead people to pray and receive the Holy Spirit. Why didn't Philip do it here? Why did he wait until Peter and John came before bringing down the Holy Spirit?   In short, I believe these early leaders in the church possessed two different gifts. One is the gift of evangelism, represented by Stephen and Philip, which was to be passed on to Paul. The other was the gift of apostleship, represented by Peter and John, which would also be passed on to Paul. Although these gifts intertwine, I believe that God allows the gifts to complement each other. Though Philip technically had the power to lay hands on people and bestow the Holy Spirit, it wasn't his role. After all, evangelists and apostles are not the same. They are two distinct gifts mentioned in the Bible. Paul said, "He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). Both of these gifts would be passed on to Paul. Philip's choice paved the way for Paul's appearance.   Did Simon receive the Holy Spirit?   Philip preached the gospel and the apostles bestowed the Holy Spirit. They were greatly used by God and were the channel of His blessing. On the other hand, Simon and the eunuch were the channels to receive this blessing.   Simon, a sorcerer from Samaria, had amazed people for a long time with his magic (Acts 8:10-11). Simon followed Philip and was amazed by his signs and miracles (Acts 8:13). Because Philip performed many signs and wonders, Simon believed and was baptized.   Yet Simon was still trapped by evil. On the one hand, the power of Philip's evangelism brought him out of the darkness and into the light. However, he was not completely set free. When he offered to buy God's gift with money, the apostles told him his heart was not right with God (Acts 8:21).   Being anointed by God breaks our yoke of oppression and our shackles of slavery. Isaiah 10:27 says, "And in that day his burden will depart from your shoulder, and his yoke from your neck; and the yoke will be broken because of the fat." The last sentence "the yoke will be broken because of the fat" is often translated as "destroyed because of the anointing oil". The Lord Jesus quoted Isaiah in Luke 4. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19) God's anointing sets the oppressed free.   The apostles urged Simon to repent so he would not be disciplined by God. Simon did pray, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." (Acts 8:24). The Bible does not record what happened next. Did the apostles pray for him? Did he receive the power of the Holy Spirit? According to some historical records, Simon still practiced sorcery later on. However, no one knows whether these records are reliable. Simon's last recorded words were a request that the apostles pray for him, which demonstrates humility. Perhaps God did forgive him. I personally hope that Simon received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we won't find out until we get to heaven.   Acts 8:25 says, "Now when the apostles had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans." After preaching the Lord's words, the apostles went back to Jerusalem. God's intention was for the gospel to spread from Jerusalem to all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). But the apostles seemed unable to leave Jerusalem, either geographically or conceptually. They still divided people into groups: Jew and Gentile.   God needed to perform an intervention. The Holy Spirit led Philip to preach the gospel to the eunuch from Africa so that the gospel could be preached to the Gentiles. Notice that God's call to Philip was the same as God's call to Paul. When the Lord appeared to Paul, He clearly said to him, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me." (Acts 22:18); "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." (Acts 22:21). This story of Philip's evangelism paves the way for Paul's appearance.   Philip preaches the gospel to the eunuch   Beginning in Acts 9, the ministries of Peter and Paul became intertwined. Peter's ministry represented the first generation of apostles, while Paul's ministry represented the second generation of apostles. The story of Philip recorded in Acts 8 concludes the story of evangelists like Stephen and Philip. Although Acts 21 briefly mentions Philip, the account focuses primarily on Paul's ministry.   As I mentioned earlier, the Jerusalem apostles went to Samaria for a time, and then returned to Jerusalem. They found it difficult to leave Jerusalem. Acts 8:1 says, "On that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles." The apostles had seen God's work and His signs and wonders in Samaria. So why didn't they leave Jerusalem and preach the gospel to Gentile lands? This question is worth pondering.   Just like the apostles found it difficult to break free from Jerusalem, we often find it difficult to break through geographical limitations and limiting mindsets. When we become leaders, we often unknowingly protect our own interests and traditions. It is difficult for us to accept God's new leading. Therefore, God often raises up new people or ordinary people to bring in His new movement.   In this chapter, Philip is open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. The angel said to him, "Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (Acts 8:26). Philip left the beaten track, followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, and went to a place along the wilderness road from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he met a eunuch who had just gone back to Ethiopia after worshipping in Jerusalem. Verse 29 specifically mentions, "the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and join this chariot.'” This eunuch may have been a Jew living in a Gentile land, or a Gentile longing for God. We have no way of knowing because the Bible does not say. But Philip following the leading of the Holy Spirit, indirectly introduced the gospel to Africa. This story confirms that the book of Acts could be aptly named “The Acts of the Holy Spirit,” because it records the work of the Holy Spirit.   But the work of the Holy Spirit requires us to cooperate with Him. And we have free will. We can choose to cooperate with the Holy Spirit or resist him. So to a certain extent, the characters in the Bible can be divided into two types - those who resist the Holy Spirit and those who obey him. May we all obey the Holy Spirit and be greatly used by the Lord.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Exodus 1   The Faith of the Midwives   The book of Exodus contains many powerful examples of faith. The story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt demonstrates God's power and Moses' faith.   Hebrews 11 says that Moses lived by faith throughout his life. He refused to obey the king's edict and was willing to suffer affliction with his people. Moses left the royal family because he glimpsed the glory of Christ and was willing to suffer for the glory to come. God counted his obedience as his faith.   In the same chapter, we see that Moses' parents also demonstrated faith. They hid Moses for three months, valuing his life above their own safety and well-being. Their action was motivated by trust in God.   Although they were not listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11, the midwives who saved the Hebrew babies are examples of faith. In Exodus 1, these midwives paved the way for Moses' appearance and his faith. Their faith provided a powerful example for Moses' parents, and then Moses, to follow.   In the same way, we need to have faith in God. In today's article, we will learn who these midwives were and how their faith paved the way for the salvation of all of Israel. We will also learn how to apply these lessons of faith and courage to the political challenges faced by today's Chinese Christians.   Who were the midwives?   Who were the midwives mentioned in Exodus 1:15? Were they Egyptian or Hebrew?   Although we don't know for sure, I believe they were Hebrews. The ruling strategy of the Egyptian Pharaohs was to use the insiders in the political system to control the outsiders who were not in the political system. As such, these midwives may have held a powerful position. They may have received their wages from Egyptian Pharaohs or from people who had status and authority in Egypt. As insiders, they may have faced intense pressures.   The midwives must have asked themselves, “Should we protect our own interests within the system? Or should we obey and fear God?” These were difficult questions, but the midwives had the right answer. They chose to fear God over Pharaoh. As a result, God gave them families and greatly blessed them.   Satan will use ethnic conflict in any way he can. He only wants to achieve domination. Pharoah first commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill the Israelite boys. When this didn't work, he asked the Egyptians to throw the male babies in the river. However, we must stay true to our faith in God. I encourage Chinese insiders, especially Christians within the system, to trust and fear in God more than in the government. Like the Hebrew midwives, take a stand for truth. One way Chinese Christians can do this is by joining the Whistleblower Movement.     Fellow Fighters of the Whistleblower Movement   The "Whistleblower Movement” is a democracy movement led by Miles Guo, a wealthy Chinese exiled to the United States. Their goal is to overthrow the Communist Party and establish a democratic China. Under his leadership, "The New Federal State of China" was established on June 4, 2020.   Originally, I had absolutely nothing to do with this movement, but my wife began following it in 2020. I was very confused about this movement, so I prayed diligently for God's wisdom. God began to guide me through various dreams, letting me know that the movement came from Him. He told me through a dream that China's democratization and evangelization are closely related. At first, I only knew that God had called me to preach the gospel to Chinese people. I never planned to participate in a democracy movement. But in a dream, God revealed to me that China's democratization will establish a platform (including media platforms) that will help us spread the gospel. At the same time, the Chinese evangelization movement will advance the process of China's democratization and achieve final victory.   In another dream, I was taken into the future. After the success of the Chinese democracy movement, these democrats came to thank me, saying that my gospel message and the books I wrote helped the democracy movement achieve final victory. In March 2020, I had a prophetic vision in which a great revival came to China. In the vision, angels bound the evil spirit behind the Chinese Communist Party. The evil spirit was the same size as a dolphin and was wrapped in a green military uniform. These prophetic dreams and visions showed me that God's intention is to democratize and evangelize China. And God's will for me personally is to participate in this movement and to spread the gospel to Chinese people through this movement.   I won't go into detail about this experience. I'll tell you more about it in a separate article. After a series of events, we finally joined the movement's branch office in Washington, DC, in early 2021. At this time, I found out that a lot of Christians were already involved in this movement. A Christian Bible meeting was already being held in its Washington branch. These Chinese Christians got together to study the Bible together and pray for the participants of this movement. After gathering with them for some time, we felt that we should Livestream the content of our Bible studies to help more Chinese Whistleblower members understand the Bible and Christian beliefs. So, we chose Exodus, a book that tells the story of how the Israelites came out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses.   No picture can better describe the current situation in China. The prophetic appearances of the Lord Jesus, as well as the prophetic words that some prophets gave me, have helped me clearly understand that "the 21st century is the century where China is evangelized." We have the opportunity to be involved in one of the greatest exoduses we've ever had in our thousands of years of Chinese history. Not only Pharaoh (the dictatorship of the Communist Party) will be overthrown, but many Chinese people will be freed from Satan's slavery and walk in the light instead of darkness.     In today's Bible study, I am sharing the inspiration that I received during the Whistleblower Bible studies. At each meeting, many brothers and sisters shared their insights, and the meeting lasts about an hour and a half. In this article, I am recording the inspiration I have received from the Holy Spirit during the meetings. At each meeting, I hope to record the inspirations that the Holy Spirit gives me, so I can disseminate the message through both text and video. I want to help as many people as I can.   The Midwives' Faith was a Prelude to Moses' Faith   Hebrews 11:23-27 records the story of Moses' faith and his parents' faith. These verses say: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible."[1]   This passage describes the faith of Moses and his parents. It is included in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. As mentioned above, the midwives are not mentioned in this chapter. However. I believe that the midwives' faith paved the way for the entire book of Exodus.   Exodus is the story of how the Israelites came out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This is a story of faith. The very first people who exercised faith in the book of Exodus were the midwives. They were not afraid of Pharaoh. They saved the life of the Israelite boys, in direct opposition to the king's command. They provided an example of faith for Moses. In a spiritual sense, midwives' faith actually paved the way for the faith of Moses.   The story of the midwives in Exodus 1 points to the theme of the entire book of Exodus - faith. It was God who led the people out of Egypt, but the Israelites' faith was also very important. Some theologians speculate that not all the Israelites came out of Egypt, but only those who believed in Moses and God. This is of course speculation. But in the New Testament, it is clear that if we do not have faith, we will not receive God's salvation. To be delivered from our own slavery and oppression, we need to exercise faith in God. God's salvation has been freely given to us in Christ through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. But we must receive this salvation by our faith. Our faith is very important.   In addition to faith, it's important to recognize the behavior or works that result from faith. If the midwives had claimed to have faith but failed to protect the Israelite boys, it would be hard to tell they really trusted God. James 2:24 says, "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." James also says that Abraham's faith was shown through his sacrifice of Isaac, and Rahab's trust was manifested when she welcomed the spies. If we say we have faith, but do not act on it, it is very difficult for us to please God.   Satan's Tool of Enslavement: Insiders   In Egypt, the Israelites were a minority. Authoritarians gain control over minorities by winning over a few people into the system, giving them some benefits, and using them as tools to enslave other minority people. “Insider” is a term used in China to describe those who work in the government or in government-sponsored organizations. I am guessing that the midwives were insiders.   The Bible only mentions two midwives, and the Israelites probably had a population of 2-3 million when they came out of Egypt. It would have been impossible for two midwives to deliver all the Israelites. So, it is more likely that these two midwives were the officials that were responsible for all the Israelite midwives. They were the ones who made the policies regarding Israelite births. They may have received salaries from the Egyptian pharaohs and gained considerable status. This is why I call them "insiders.” One of the ways Satan tries to enslave us is by using “insiders” to gain access.   But instead of accepting such temptation or fearing Pharaoh, the midwives feared God. The midwives didn't obey Pharoah. They didn't kill the Hebrew boys. This must have made Pharoah unhappy. The Bible says that God greatly blessed the midwives, but it does not tell us whether Pharaoh persecuted them. It is easy to imagine that they may have been persecuted by Pharaoh. Perhaps Pharoah cut off their money, removed the benefits of the system, or no longer allowed them to hold their positions of importance. None of these are recorded in the Bible, but my speculation makes sense. God gave these midwives families because they feared Him. They may have lost the external rewards from Pharaoh, but God blessed them greatly.     Many Christians in China work within the system. If they face the same situation as the midwives, will they be able to make the same choice? If I am involved in a similar system, will I choose faith? Honestly, such a choice is not easy. But the midwives set a good example for us. They trusted God without fearing Pharaoh. They weren't afraid of losing their benefits within the system.   In the same way, we must remember that not even a sparrow will fall on the ground without God's permission. We must trust in God. In the process of resisting authoritarianism and achieving China's democratization, Chinese Christians working within the system as insiders must learn from the example of these two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.   Satan's Second Tool of Enslavement: Ethnic Conflict   When Pharaoh found out that his first attempt to murder the Israelite boys had failed, he ordered the Egyptians, who did not know God, to persecute God's chosen people. The last verse of this chapter says, “Pharaoh commanded all his people, ‘Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.'” (Exodus 1:22). In effect, Pharaoh said to the Egyptians, “Look, all the problems of our country come from the Israelites. They've occupied our best land, the land of Goshen, which is rich in water and vegetation. They also raise cattle and sheep, which is an abomination to us Egyptians (Genesis 46:34). They even offer sacrifices to their God, Jehovah. Jehovah is not our God. They do not worship Egyptian gods.”   Ethnic conflict is very easy to stir up. It is a tool often used by tyrannical rulers or interest groups. We are created in the image of God. Jesus taught us to love one another. Therefore, all political groups that use ethnic conflicts to achieve their own political goals are servants of Satan. They do it for their own benefit. Their willingness to serve Satan is used to enslave others. Satan uses this method, which is using some people to enslave other people.   Not only is ethnic or racial conflict used by the enemy to enslave people, but Satan also uses greed to enslave others. In Exodus, Pharoah's greed forced him to try to exterminate the Israelites. He first instigated slave labor, making the Israelites build two store cities for Pharaoh (Exodus 1:11). They had to make mortar and brick and do all kinds of work (Exodus 1:14). But they were still growing in number. Pharoah felt that his power and finances were being threatened, so he decided to kill all the boys.   Through many different tactics, Satan persecutes believers and drives them into a corner. When Chinese people are cornered, they often say, "Do you want me to die?" Under such persecution, many people feel they have nowhere to turn. They are driven to the point of despair. Isn't this the situation in today's society?   Moses' Arrival   In difficult situations of persecution, it is inevitable that people start to feel discouraged. When they encountered difficulties, they appeal to God. But just like the Israelites, they feel that God is silent. They think that God is not listening to their prayers. But just like God was working behind the scenes to bring a deliverer for Israel, God is working behind the scenes to help and encourage every persecuted believer today.   Although the Lord clearly told Abraham in Genesis 15 that his descendants would be in slavery in Egypt for 400 years, many Israelites were unaware of God's promise to Abraham. After 400 years of not hearing from Him, they thought they had been abandoned. Yet all this time, God was quietly preparing a deliverer, Moses.   When the Lord appeared to Moses in Exodus 3:7, He said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings." It's not that God did not know the pain of the Israelites. It just wasn't time yet. When the time came, Moses realized that it was God's plan for him to become a shepherd in the wilderness. There, God trained him for the job of leading the Israelites out of Egypt.   Similarly, in this world full of suffering, many Chinese people have lost hope. They think that God has abandoned them. But on the contrary, God is working behind the scenes. In God's time, salvation will come to China. The Holy Spirit clearly told me that a great revival will come to China and that at least 100 million people will be saved. In another dream, I was taken to heaven and saw many saints in heaven having a meeting to discuss the great revival in China. My hostess told me that this great revival would be unlike anything she ever saw while still on earth.   I believe that a great revival will come to China, and countless Chinese people will be freed from Egyptian slavery, be delivered from darkness, and begin to walk in the light. Every one of us Christians can participate in the call to be like Moses. God wants us to collectively participate in bringing deliverance to China. How glorious it is to have the opportunity to cooperate with God to lead countless Chinese people "out of Egypt.” Stay tuned for more Bible studies from Exodus. I will continue to share the contents of our Bible studies through writing and videos.       [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 18   Babylon the Great     Revelation 18 talks about Babylon the Great, an evil system established by various evil spirits and sinners under the hands of Satan, the beast, and the false prophets.   What is the fall of Babylon the Great? Over the ages, this question has led to many arguments and much confusion. I believe that Babylon the Great is a system jointly established by the evil spirits and sinful people under the influence of Satan, beasts, and false prophets.   Why did I say so? I believe that when reading the book of Revelation, we should read the ending before the beginning. Revelation 21-22 mentions the New Jerusalem (new heaven and earth). In Revelation 20, Satan was finally cast into the lake of fire (20:10), after he incited Gog and Magog to rebel (20:8). Satan was locked in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, unable to escape (20:2-7). Before the end of Revelation 19, the beast and the false prophet were thrown into the lake of fire (19:20), along with the kings and armies who they deceived into waging war at Armageddon (19:11-18).   Rebellious spirits always work together with rebellious people. The beast and the false prophet work together with kings and their armies. Their opponents are the riders on white horses, who are Jesus' soldiers, the victorious bride of Christ. Continuing to work backward from the end of Revelation, we read about the marriage between Jesus Christ and His bride (19:7-9). Before this, we read about the heavenly celebration of the judgment of the great prostitute (19:1-3).   Who is this great prostitute, Babylon the Great? We need to approach this question from two aspects. Two forces work against the Bride of Christ (the church): evil people who do not belong to God, and evil spirits. At the end of Revelation, God deals with Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. Earlier, he deals with the various evil spirits who are the servants under these leaders. (The leaders are Satan, the beast, and the false prophet, a counterfeit Trinity).   Reading Revelation in chronological order reminds us of cutting down a big tree. You must first cut off the luxuriant leaves and branches, and then cut down the trunk and roots, one step at a time. Therefore, whether we start our reasoning from the beginning or the end of the book of Revelation, Babylon the Great must be a web or system of evil spirits and evil people working together with these evil spirits. This evil system is like the branches and leaves of a big tree. The branches must be cut down first, before cutting down the trunk (the beast and the false prophet), and finally the root (Satan). Thus, Babylon the Great is an evil system and web built by various evil spirits and sinful people under Satan, the beast, and the false prophet. It's like a spider web of evil that has killed prophets, saints, and martyrs throughout the ages. It's a prostitute who constantly lures people into committing sin and idolatry.   Is Roman Catholicism Babylon the Great?   From this illumination, it seems that Christian scholars' belief that Roman Catholicism is Babylon the Great is inadequate. John used pictorial language when he wrote the Book of Revelation. We must spiritually understand these images. Many of John's statements in Revelation 17 seem to suggest that the prostitute is Roman Catholicism. For instance, the seven mountains mentioned in 17:9 seem to indicate Rome, which was built on seven hills. Protestant exegetical writings are full of these allusions.   Perhaps the Catholic Church is a part of this metaphorical prostitute, but I believe that the prostitute itself is much bigger than Roman Catholicism. Not only will the Catholic Church fall, but other churches will also fall. In addition to the fall of the church, our political and economic systems will also crumble. These fallen systems are a united system established by evil spirits. Evil spirits take advantage of our sinfulness to establish these systems. They also take advantage of fallen systems such as politics, economics, and religion. They organize these factors into a big net, killing God's prophets and chosen people, and trapping the world, like a spider in a web. (A prostitute also similarly entraps passersby.) This web entraps people in sin.   I call this system the “Evil Spirit-Man.” I coined this term to express the collaboration between evil spirits and people. This union exists not only in the field of religion but in all areas of life. The kings of the earth committed adultery with the prostitute in order to gain power. For example, the leaders of many countries are superstitious, consulting mediums and false gods in hopes of gaining power. Even people in Hollywood have resorted to worshiping Satan in order to gain power and become famous. There are numerous reports of this on the Internet.   Babylon the Great is the lair of the evil spirits   Revelation 18:2 says, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird."[1] Babylon the Great is the lair of demons, of every unclean spirit, and of every unclean and detestable bird. The detestable birds must refer to the evil spirits in the air.   Let's look at another passage that mentions birds in a metaphorical sense. Daniel 4 records the second dream of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Daniel warned King Nebuchadnezzar about this dream, "Break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity." (Daniel 4:27). But Nebuchadnezzar did not heed Daniel's advice. His heart became arrogant, so he was driven away from civilization to eat grass like an ox for 7 periods of time. Later, King Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and praised God.   His dream was a warning dream from God. This dream mentioned one detail, "Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it." (Daniel 4:12). In verse 22, Daniel explained that this tree was King Nebuchadnezzar. And because of his power, he was like a big tree, with birds living in its branches. The birds here provide clarity about the birds in Revelation 18:2. Both are referring to the evil spirits. In other words, because King Nebuchadnezzar was arrogant, he worshipped idols and evil spirits and became their tool. Instead of giving glory to God, he lived in pride. Therefore, God commanded, "Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches." (Daniel 4:14) The beasts and birds mentioned here must be referring to evil spirits.   The Lord Jesus told the parable of the mustard seed. He said, "This is the smallest of the hundred seeds, but when it grew up, it became larger than the others, and became a tree, so that the birds of the sky came to perch on its branches." (Matthew 13:32). People have different interpretations of this passage. Some believe that the mustard seed represents our faith. Others believe that this parable represents the changing nature of the church. Even the birds (evil spirits) come to live among its branches.   Here is an illustration of this concept. After the Roman Empire adopted Christianity as the state religion, many false believers joined the church and Catholicism mushroomed into a huge, spreading tree. Even the birds (evil spirits) came to live among its branches. But the true church continued to be persecuted. Keeping in mind Revelation 18 and Daniel 4, I think it is more acceptable to interpret the birds in the parable as evil spirits. The Lord Jesus' parable of the mustard seed may have signaled a change in the church's nature as it morphed into a combination of evil spirits and a sinful religious system. This evil religious system is of course only part of Babylon the Great.   The evil spirits are weaving webs at all places and in all realms   We know that one-third of the angels followed Satan and rebelled against God. These evil spirits are not idle. They are busy. They each have different hierarchies. They govern different regions or areas. For example, Daniel 10 tells us that the prince of the kingdom of Persia hindered the angel from delivering a message to Daniel for 21 days. Only after the angel Michael came to help him was he able to reach Daniel. From this verse, we can see that there may be powerful evil spirits that rule a certain area. They may also manage other subordinate spirits. Even if we do not know about them, there are evil spirits in various regions: the United States, China, Africa, Japan, etc. There may be higher-ranking spirits that govern other evil spirits in a certain area.   In addition to evil spirits in different regions, there may be different kinds of evil spirits in different areas of life. For example, the false god Baal may be animated by a spirit of immorality. Hosea specifically compares faithless Israel to a prostitute and God compares Himself to a husband. Hosea 2:16 says, "And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,' and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal'." This passage seems to indicate that Baal may be a spirit of immorality who deceives Israel, God's wife. Other evil spirits may be especially involved in child sacrifice. For example, the Bible says that the Israelites must not follow the sin of the Canaanites, who burn their sons and daughters in the fire and give them to Molech. (Deuteronomy 12:31, Leviticus 20:2). Similarly, there may be evil spirits who encourage families to resort to abortion. Within Satanism and many other cults, child sacrifice is rampant. There may also be a Jezebel spirit, a false prophet-like spirit who specifically kills and persecutes true prophets.   These evil spirits use people's sins to weave a huge web. Evil spirits use evil people to infiltrate politics (for example, Jesus called Herod a fox), religion (Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism), and other areas of life. In this way, they kill prophets. In addition to using Islam, Buddhism, and other religions to stop people from knowing the true Savior, they also use the economy, culture, and educational systems to enslave people. Even our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified by an alliance between the evil Roman Empire and fallen Judaism. It may seem like Paul and other religious figures in Judaism were the ones who killed Stephen, but their actions were motivated by evil spirits working in and through them. No wonder Stephen prayed for the Israelites who killed him, saying they didn't know what they were doing.   These evil spirits obey Satan. The Lord Jesus said that Satan has been a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Satan, the dragon, gave his authority to the beast (Revelation 13:4), and the beast gave authority to the false prophet (another beast, Revelation 13:11). Babylon the Great, which is a union between evil spirits and evil people, is a prostitute that seeks to seduce people away from marriage with Christ. The Prostitute is a counterfeit Bride of Christ.     The church will judge angels   Paul said that the mission of the church and our mission as Christians is "to judge angels" (1 Corinthians 6:3). As we've mentioned, Babylon the Great is a prostitute, the counterfeit Bride of Christ. She unites with evil spirits like pimps unite with prostitutes. This union creates an "Evil Spirit-Man", which corresponds to the God-Man. The evil angels and sinners will be judged in one fell swoop by the Lord Jesus Christ (the bridegroom) and His bride (the body of Christ).   God wants us to repent and break our association with evil spirits so that we are not judged along with them. We must repent of being used by evil spirits. For example, the Apostle Paul left his slavery to evil spirits. People who do not repent will be thrown into the lake of fire prepared for Satan and the evil spirits (Revelation 20:11-15).   We are not sure if we are now in the last days - the time when God will get rid of all evil spirits from Babylon the Great. But we may be very close to that moment. God may be starting to remove the power of evil spirits from all areas of life. Darkness seems to prevail, but this is simply evidence of the madness and fear of the evil spirits who know they are about to be destroyed. They are launching a great attack on God and His chosen people.   Before God finally judges Babylon the Great, His children must be called out of the various segments and systems which comprise Babylon the Great. Revelation 18:4 says, "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.” The word “her” refers to the system that controls us. We cannot comprehend it entirely from the material realm. It doesn't mean that Christians living in Rome should move out. Or that those who work on Wall Street in New York should not go to work. Rather, it means that we must clear out the sins that make us a part of Babylon the Great. We must reflect on whether there is idolatry or love for the world within us. If there is, we are in the Babylonian system. We must cleanse ourselves, deal with our sins, and return to our first love of God. In this way, we free ourselves from Babylon the Great. If you work on Wall Street, but your heart is loyal to the Lord, you are not part of Babylon the Great. But if not, you may be part of it.   Chapter 18, verses 5-10 describe God's judgment on Babylon the Great. Verses 11-19 describe people wailing over the judgment of Babylon the Great. The apostle John said, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15). Many of us love the world and the things in it. We know how hard it is to overcome the world. It is very painful to give up the world. That is why people wail (verses 11-19). Verse 11 says, "The merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore". The word "cargo" includes all kinds of items and even human souls (verse 13). Even human souls can be sold. Imagine how many Hollywood stars have not only sold their bodies, but have even signed contracts with Satan in order to become famous?   Verse 20 describes saints, apostles, and prophets rejoicing because God has avenged them. This verse indicates that religious Babylon may have been a very important part of the Babylonian system, since it killed many saints, apostles, and prophets throughout the ages.   Verse 21 says that the angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying that Babylon the Great would also be thrown down the same way. Verse 23 says, "And the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery." Babylon the Great had deceived many people. But God would no longer allow them to deceive anyone.   Today, God is judging Babylon the Great and calling His children out   May you have ears to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying today through Revelation 18. As children of God, we should free ourselves from Babylon the Great, from idolatry, and from the things of the world. We should completely free ourselves from these systems and their influence on us. God is calling us to be a part of His bride. We are destined to reign with Christ, as well judge angels and evil men. If you become part of Babylon the Great, you will face nothing but destruction. Don't love the world or money. If you spend your whole life working only for money and the world, you are building a part of Babylon the Great.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus - 1 Corinthians 13   Do sign gifts still exist? Has the gift of prophecy come to an end? The chapter says that gifts of prophecy and knowledge are partial. Love reigns supreme. But does this mean that prophecy and knowledge can be completely discarded? These are questions that come to mind when we read 1 Corinthians 13. Although the chapter is a popular wedding chapter focusing on love, it is also frequently cited to defend the cessation of the sign gifts. Paul introduces his definition of love by talking about the miraculous gifts of tongues prophecy, knowledge, and faith (vs 1-2). Many Christians wonder if these less-important gifts still exist, or if they have been superseded by love. That is what we will explore today.   Will the gift of prophecy come to an end?   The “love chapter” begins by demonstrating the emptiness of prophecy, knowledge, and sacrifice. “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:2) Many Christians believe that these verses downplay miraculous gifts. Some go so far as to say that these gifts have ceased completely. A friend argued with me that signs and wonders no longer exist. He said that the miraculous gifts in the Bible are just like road signs. A road sign is helpful while we are traveling. But once we reach our destination, the sign is no longer needed. In the same way, he said, miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit point to the fact that Jesus Christ is God and the Bible is God's word. However, after the Bible was completed, the miraculous sign gifts were no longer needed. Once we reach the destination, the road signs are no longer necessary. He reasoned that signs and wonders no longer exist in the church today. The logic of this argument seems to make sense, but it is a misinterpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:10. My friend believes that the word “perfect” refers to Jesus' finished work on the cross, as well as the completion of the Bible. However, this interpretation does not fit with the message of the chapter. Instead, the word "perfect" refers to full spiritual maturity. The following verse says, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." Clearly, the word "perfect" refers to full-grown adulthood. And what is one of the biggest signs of our maturity? From my understanding, it's "love". This is why Paul said that whether we speak in tongues, prophesy, or have knowledge and faith, we are useless without love. Paul is saying that we should not pursue spiritual gifts at the expense of achieving spiritual maturity and love.   Spiritual gifts such as prophecy are tools. Its goal is love.   I believe that prophecy and other miraculous gifts are like tools. By itself, a hammer is useless. But used correctly, it will help us pursue our goal: creating something new. In the same way, miraculous gifts are empty on their own. Without love, our gifts of tongues, prophecy, knowledge, or faith are useless. But in skilled hands, these tools can be used to pursue our goal: love. We should not exalt the tool and neglect our goal of love. But neither should we discard the tools just because someone is overusing them. Instead, we should focus on the correct use of the tools which will help us achieve the goal of love. Love is critically important. It is wrong to neglect love and pursue only the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and knowledge. But it is also wrong to be against spiritual gifts. True, Paul criticized the Corinthian believers for seeking gifts at the expense of love. But this does not mean that the spiritual gifts are useless. After wrapping up his discussion of love in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul goes on in 1 Corinthians 14:1, "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy."[1] Clearly, Paul did not think that the gift of prophecy would come to an end because of one's pursuit of love.   After encouraging believers to pursue love, the most important of all virtues (chapter 13), Paul also exhorts the Corinthian believers to pursue spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. Why? Because both are important. Paul doesn't want believers to neglect love just to pursue spiritual gifts. But he also does not want people to oppose these gifts just for the sake of opposing. He actively encourages believers to pursue and develop their gifts, while also pursuing the goal of love. If believers do not make good use of their gifts, it is difficult to achieve love.   Throughout the ages, many Christians and Jews have fallen into two opposite but equally harmful errors. On the one hand, some people exalt the tools and neglect the goal of love. The Lord Jesus spoke frequently about this problem. For example, the Pharisees were unwilling to provide for their parents since they were paying their tithes faithfully. Mark 7:11-13, Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees: "But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”' (that is, given to God) then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do." (Mark 7:13).   The Lord Jesus rebuked the Pharisees another time as well: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.” (Matthew 23:23). Tithing and giving gifts to God are certainly required by God. But it is only a tool. God wants us to use the tool to bring about the goal, which is love. If we omit love, we have completely missed the point of God's command.   Keeping the law is just a tool. The purpose is love. God wanted the Israelites to keep the law so they could be better equipped to love God and others—not just for the sake of following rules. For this reason, when the lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40). Keeping the law is not the goal. It's just a means to help us love God and others better. But if we don't love God and others, and just keep the law for the sake of keeping it, we've got our priorities wrong.   Now, let's look at the opposite mistake. Because legalists misuse these tools, Christians may start to oppose them completely. They may swing to the opposite extreme and completely abandon rules. Since tithing was abused by the Pharisees and some people in the modern church, other believers began to oppose tithing and the church's call for people to give money. But when the Lord Jesus criticized the Pharisees, He told them the solution was to tithe and love, not to abandon tithing altogether. He said, "These (tithing and giving) you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." (Matthew 23:23).   When someone abuses a tool or a gift, we shouldn't deny these tools or gifts altogether, simply because they've been misused. Even the Lord Jesus said, "So do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice." (Matthew 23:3). Clearly, Jesus did not disagree with the teachings of the Pharisees. Although the Pharisees strayed from the goal and exalted the means over the end, the Lord Jesus did not deny the means or tools altogether.   Using Strategic Tools in Furthering our Goal—Love   The misuse of tools (the means to an end) often leads to a lack of love. This is a tactic the enemy has used throughout the ages to interfere with God's plans. Satan uses distractions to keep God's chosen people from pursuing the goal of love.   Love is our strategic goal. And the use of spiritual gifts is a tactic we use to reach the goal. We must be strategically situated. The act of carrying out our strategy must never interfere with the goal itself. If we realize our plan of action is working against our overarching goal, it's time to change strategies!   Just like in times of war, the use of tactics must be subject to the overall strategic arrangement. If the use of a particular tactic interferes with the overall strategic goal, the commander-in-chief will interfere or stop the use of this tactic. But that doesn't mean that the tactic itself is wrong. Perhaps it was just applied at the wrong time and place. Therefore, it interfered with the strategic goal.   When we use our spiritual gifts, we must understand that they are part of our overarching strategy. They are one tactic we can use to reach the goal—loving God and others. Matthew 22:37-40 says, ““You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”   When some believers in the Corinthian church exalted spiritual gifts over the goal of love, they neglected the strategic goal. Paul said that we know in part, and we prophesy in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). Then he says in verse 10, “When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." Paul is discussing the difference between a strategic goal and a tactic. When the goal has been accomplished, we no longer need the specific tactic. Paul is not against the use of specific tactics. Rather, he is calling on the Corinthian believers to use these tactics in conjunction with their unified strategic goal.   Paul says in verse 11, "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways." Paul is saying that if the Corinthian believers exalted spiritual gifts above love, which was the goal of the whole strategic operation, they were acting childish and fleshly. Why? Because they only acknowledged one part of the big picture.   In the same way, church traditions are means to an end. We need to learn from our predecessors and pass on the excellent traditions they started. But we should not rigidly adhere to stereotypes until we become controlled by their traditions rather than by love. Our goal is to serve God better. Learning and inheriting traditions are just a means. We cannot allow means and tools to overshadow our overarching goal.   This is where many churches are deceived by the enemy. They fail to see the overall goal of God because they are bound by past traditions, teachings, and habits. This same problem causes division in churches. We must become spiritually mature. We must get rid of our fleshy and childish ways, so that we can see the overall picture. We need to learn to love God and others more effectively, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.   Use Spiritual Gifts to Promote Love   If we understand that love is the overarching goal and the big picture, then we must learn to make good use of the strategic tools God has given us. These tools include our spiritual gifts. We can use them to achieve our strategic goal.   In a war, even if you have a good strategic goal, you won't get very far without a detailed tactical strategy. If you don't have a detailed plan of how to use each tactic to slowly accumulate military strength through each and every tactical victory, you will not be able to achieve strategic victory. Many small changes are necessary to make the end goal a reality. In the same way, we must use our spiritual gifts in small ways every day to accomplish God's overarching plan.   When the Corinthian believers exalted the spiritual gifts to the exclusion of the strategic goal of love, they showed they were immature and childish. On the other hand, when they opposed and eliminated spiritual gifts just for the sake of opposing them, they were also showing their spiritual immaturity. There cannot be an end result without a practical methodology. You cannot reach your destination without the road. Without the use of a good tactical strategy, the final strategic result cannot be achieved. We must not eliminate the use of spiritual gifts just because some have misunderstood them.   Many churches and pastors today are against spiritual gifts. This shows they are spiritually immature and deceived by evil spirits. The Spirit of Empty Religion deceives them. Satan uses this evil spirit to trick them. If he can get us to stop using our spiritual gifts, he can stop us from achieving our goal of love.   Tongues are a very important gift. Paul said the person who speaks in tongues "utters mysteries in the Spirit" (1 Corinthians 14:2) and builds himself up (1 Corinthians 14:4). Many people avoid using tongues to build themselves up because other believers have used the gift of tongues to promote their fleshly desires. But done correctly, praying in tongues builds up our spirits and our most holy faith (Jude 1:20), and also strengthens us in our spirits. In addition, it can activate many other spiritual gifts in us. If the gift of tongues is a channel of secret communication between God and man, and God's key to activating other spiritual gifts in us, then no wonder Satan hates this gift so much! Satan tries to stigmatize this gift. He convinces people to oppose tongues and deny this important gift.   The gift of prophecy is also extremely important. Through prophecy, we disclose the secrets of people's hearts (1 Corinthians 14:25). When we practice the gift of prophecy, we can understand and disclose the secrets in people's hearts through prayer and God's revelation. As a result, people will be able to encounter God and feel His love and His existence. They will fall on their faces and say, "God is really among you" (1 Corinthians 14:25). Many traditional churches do not properly use the gift of prophecy. As a result, people in their congregations do not experience such powerful personal encounters with God.   God showed his great love by giving up his beloved Son so that the world may be saved. The gift of prophecy is one of the best means to share this message through evangelism. Using the gift of prophecy helps us achieve God's greatest goal of loving the world. Nick Gough, a Ph.D. graduate at United Theological Seminary, wrote a thesis titled, “Postmodern Apologetics: A Charismatic Discipleship Program for Postmodern Missionaries.” In this paper, Gough points out the importance of unlearning old thought patterns and relearning new methods in order to embrace the power of evangelizing according to a charismatic, New Testament model of evangelism. He says, To use traditional apologetics limits one in bringing a person to Christ. There is a culture shift. The use of traditional methods of evangelism is ineffective today. To give an example, a young adult of this author's acquaintance traveled overseas with a well-known campus group. They used a traditional form of evangelism, a type of survey questionnaire that they administered to over five thousand college students in Australia. The intent of this survey was to lead students to Christ. Out of the five thousand surveys, there was no conversion. By way of contrast, this author trained a group of YWAM students who went to Germany to evangelize immigrant Muslims. In four weeks, that group led over five hundred people to the Lord. What is the difference? The group in Germany had divine encounters while praying for the sick and operating in the prophetic. This is an example of a modernist model versus Jesus' charismata model.[2]   We live in a post-modern era. While modernity put too much emphasis on rationality, post-modernism highlights subjective experience. Many post-modern listeners hate dry, theological religious preaching. They feel empty because they are unable to experience God through the preaching. They want to encounter God in their lives.   Therefore, in this current age, God has brought back the gift of prophecy to enable preachers to connect with post-modern people. As prophesied in Joel 2, “God will pour out His Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall dream dreams and your old men shall prophesy.” We must understand that God has revived this important gift in this age. He wants to enable us to use the gift of prophecy to achieve our goal of spreading the message of God's love to the world.   "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted. [2]Dr. Nick Gough, “Postmodern Apologetics: A Charismatic Discipleship Program for Postmodern Missionaries,”(DMin. Thesis, United Theological Seminary, 2013), 10–11.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 4   Have you ever wondered why Deuteronomy 4 brings up cities of refuge, seemingly out of the blue? After Moses' long warning to the Israelites (verses 1-40), he suddenly switches to talking about cities of refuge (verses 41-43). And then he jumps to talking about the Ten Commandments (verses 44-49). Why is it all so sudden?   Through Moses, God was reminding the Israelites that as they became comfortable in the Promised Land, they would soon forget Him. Then God would send trials to discipline them. However, if they returned to Him, they would find Him and not be abandoned. When we disobey God's rules because we are ignorant of his commands, we still need discipline. But we also receive God's mercy, refuge, and help in our times of weakness and sins.   Parents set rules for their children, but children often fail and break the laws. Parents have to punish their children, but they also have mercy and help them. They understand that their children have not yet learned all the rules. God is truly our Heavenly Father. He loves us. He treats us the same way good parents treat their children. The cities of refuge demonstrate God's Fatherly mercy and salvation.   But why discuss the Ten Commandments and the law after mentioning the cities of refuge? When the law becomes real to us, it shows us our sins so we can grow spiritually. Christians can easily become apathetic, like the Israelites. We stay in the same Christian environment for too long. Like the Israelites, we "grow old in the land and act corruptly and make idols" (Deuteronomy 4:25) When we worship idols and turn away from God, he will discipline us and help us. We need a city of refuge (Christ); we also need to continuously study His word (represented by the Ten Commandments) so that his words can become real to us and we can continue to grow and mature in our spiritual lives.   The Purpose of the Law   As we have seen in our previous study of Deuteronomy 1-3, the Israelites learned two important lessons concerning faith and idolatry. The second generation of Israelites inherited a positive heritage of faith from their forefathers, who had wandered for forty years in the wilderness. However, they also inherited a negative predisposition to idolatry, a lesson that neither the first nor second generation had successfully learned.   God is our heavenly Father. He is omniscient. So, He foreknew that we would fail and fall. In Deuteronomy 4, God predicted that the second generation of Israel would worship idols after they entered the land of Canaan. He said through the mouth of Moses, "When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger" (Deuteronomy 4:25)[1]. This sentence is the heart and soul of Deuteronomy 4:1-40.   At the beginning of this chapter, Moses reminded the Israelites, "Listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live" (verse 1). He went on, "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it" (verse 2). He also reminded the Israelites that all idolaters at Baal-Peor were destroyed by the Lord (verse 3). He wanted to remind the Israelites that if they did not obey the law, the rules established by God, they would be disciplined. Moses then went on to remind the Israelites, “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me.” (vs. 5). When the Israelites obeyed God's commandments, the nations would see that they were a “great nation” and a “wise and understanding people.” (verse 6).   Since the law itself was given by God, it is full of His wisdom. If the Israelites could keep the law, the Gentiles would stand back in awe. They would say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people" (verse 6). God's purpose in giving the law was not only to keep the Israelites away from idols, but also to encourage the Gentiles to seek God. As the Gentiles saw the Israelites' wisdom, it would help the nations learn to know God. Since God's love and wisdom are manifested through the law, God Himself was manifested through the keeping of the law.   In verses 6-25, Moses looked back at the process by which the Lord appeared to the Israelites and gave them the law. He reminded the Israelites not to turn away from the law or to turn to idols. Twice, he asked the Israelites to "keep their souls diligently" (verses 9 and 15) and not forget the Lord, who appeared to them and gave them the law.   In verse 26, Moses changed his tone. He called heaven and earth to testify that the Israelites would turn away from God. Because of their choices, his discipline would be unavoidable. God would scatter them among the peoples, where they would become few in number (verse 27). But the purpose of this discipline was to call the Israelites to repent and call on God for help. Moses said in verse 29, "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul." It was in the Israelites' nature to worship idols and turn away from God, but it is in God's nature to be merciful. After he disciplined them, he would allow the Israelites to return to him.   God is merciful by nature. Although He disciplined the Israelites, He would not abandon them. During captivity, Jeremiah meditated on God's mercy: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end." (Lamentations 3:21-22). Although God is merciful, He is also strict. Those who worshiped idols and turned away from God were disciplined severely. But those who held fast to God and his law remained alive (vs. 4). The purpose of the law was to guide, correct, and help people hold fast to God.   City of Refuge: God's Provision and Redemption   In our Bible meetings, we watch and wait for the guidance and illumination of the Holy Spirit, and we always receive words of wisdom from Him. Sometimes the process of sharing and discussing helps us understand things we've never thought of before, just like Jesus explained in Matthew 10:19: "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour." (Matthew 10:19). Although this verse is in the context of persecution, I believe it applies more broadly to any situation in which we are called upon to bear witness to Christ before others. Whenever we share his word, we are witnessing for him. Every time we testify in this way, the Holy Spirit gives us words and inspiration, even as we are speaking. That is what he did for me when I was discussing cities of refuge.   Why is there a sudden mention of cities of refuge in this chapter? It actually has a clear, logical connection to Moses' topic of conversation. In verses 1-40, Moses encourages the people to keep the law and warns them that they will be disciplined for breaking it. But Moses also mentions that if the Israelites return to God during or after the discipline, they will find God. So, the city of refuge continues with the theme of refuge and redemption.   Moses already knew that he would not be allowed to enter the land of Canaan. So it was his duty to set up cities of refuge east of the Jordan. The cities of refuge west of the Jordan would be set up by Joshua after he entered the land of Canaan. This process is recorded in Joshua 20.   The Holy Spirit organized the Bible very logically, but we don't always see the connection immediately. Here, Moses is saying that if the Israelites don't obey the law, they will be disciplined. But when they are disciplined, they will have the opportunity to repent. In this context, the concept of cities of refuge fits perfectly.   My daughter is five years old and is in kindergarten. American kindergartens attach great importance to the development of individual personality, but the disadvantage is that they are too individualistic. She recently learned a catchphrase in kindergarten, "This is my personal choice." The teacher said that every child has a personal choice and others need to respect it. When she comes home, she doesn't follow the rules we set. She watches TV or does other things while eating. As soon as I criticize her, she immediately answers back, "This is my personal choice." When we discipline her and turn off the TV, she cries. We tell her that although she has a personal choice, she must abide by the rules of "not watching TV while eating" and "eating well". Otherwise, she will be disciplined; she won't be allowed to watch TV or eat. When she heard this, she sat in a corner and cried for a while. We asked her if she knew she was wrong and if she would apologize. She said she was wrong and apologized. We hugged her and let her continue eating. While we were disciplining her, we had already prepared a way of salvation or mercy. As long as she was willing to repent, we would accept her immediately.   God is our heavenly Father. He treats the Israelites and born-again Christians the same way a parent treats his/her child. He has to set rules for us, and we have to obey them in order for us to know His nature and become partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). If we don't follow the rules, God will discipline us. But discipline is only a means to an end. The goal is that we would return to Him.   Learning God's Law     Moses mentioned the Ten Commandments in the first part of this chapter, and then discusses the cities of refuge. Why does he then go back to discussing the Ten Commandments again? And why does Deuteronomy 5 continue to go into detail about the content of the Ten Commandments? I believe God wanted his people to study the Ten Commandments, that is, the law of God. When God's law became real to the Israelites, they could manifest God among the peoples. The reason why they worshiped idols and wandered away from God is that they did not deeply know or understand God's law.   At the end of the chapter, the text says, "This is the law that Moses set before the people of Israel. These are the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules, which Moses spoke to the people of Israel when they came out of Egypt." The author then goes on to describe the place and setting where Moses was reinstating the law: "in the land of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon" (verses 46-49). The next chapter goes into detail about the law that Moses reiterated at the end of his life.   When God's people did not study God's law and when God's rules were not real to them, they needed God's discipline. But God's discipline also made a way for them to return to him and continue to learn his law. God's purpose is that they would be transformed by His Word so that His divine nature could be manifested to the nations. That was why Moses reviewed the Ten Commandments at the end of his life.   Discipline, Mercy, and the Word of God   In the church today, there are two extremes. One is legalism. The church is full of rules. Women can't wear pants or use musical instruments. If they do, they are not included as Christians in the church of God. The other extreme is having no laws or discipline of any kind. Believers say, “I don't want you to dictate that I should read the Bible every day. Don't ask me to pray or give. I don't want anyone to control me.” This is a kind of spiritual rebellion and spiritual infancy.   Although we live in the age of the New Covenant and there is no external law, it definitely does not mean that we do not need some form of the law. Even the Lord Jesus said that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. He said, “Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matthew 5:17-18). Clearly, the law is still needed today. But the purpose of the law is not to force us to live in legalism. Similarly, the law should not be treated as dogma. Rather, the purpose of the law is to help us learn to know God's nature and become partakers of His divine nature.   Therefore, Christians still need law and discipline, especially spiritually immature Christians. We all need to accept a certain degree of discipline. God's discipline is rarely discussed in American Christian circles. But it is a doctrine in the Bible. The Holy Spirit will discipline us, especially through circumstances. As he disciplines, he intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26). All things work together for good to those who love God—even discipline (Romans 8:28). God has good intentions. He wants us to return to Him and to spiritually grow and mature.   We must constantly study God's word, including His words in the Old Testament (represented by the Ten Commandments) and in the New Testament. These words will eventually change our lives. His law can dwell in us and become the law of the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2). Today, we are not bound by external rules alone. We have the indwelling law of the Spirit of life that controls and guides us from the inside.   It is a pity that many Christians today do not know much about the discipline of the Holy Spirit. As a result, they do not learn to surrender. If we return to God, His mercy will come to us. We must study God's word consistently so that we can gradually become spiritually mature. When we are spiritually mature, there will be no need for God's external discipline.   In a Christian country like the United States, many people have become apathetic after many generations. The descendants of true, dedicated Christians have “grown old in the land, acted corruptly, and begun to worship idols.” Like the Israelites, Americans need to respond to God's discipline and find their way back to him. May God enlighten your hearts to understand the words of Deuteronomy 4.     [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.  

Bible Study with Jairus - Deuteronomy 3   In Deuteronomy 3, we encounter two stories that are closely connected in theme. First, we read about the defeat of Og, King of Bashan, a story that shows that the second-generation Israelites were learning important lessons of faith. Forty years of wandering in the wilderness had been a growing experience for the second-generation Israelites. After defeating Sihon, king of Heshbon, in the previous chapter, they go on to defeat Og in Deuteronomy 3.   The second story in this chapter is about Moses being forbidden to enter the Promised Land. He was very worried that the second generation of Israel would continue to “worship idols,” the mistake of the first generation. So from chapter 4 onwards, he did his best to exhort the Israelites not to engage in idolatry.   Neither the first generation nor the second-generation Israelites learned their lesson about idolatry. In Deuteronomy, Moses reiterated the law and the history of the Israelites in an attempt to exhort the second generation not to worship idols. The first two chapters of the book contain Moses' review of the faith-filled victories of the Israelites. The third chapter of Deuteronomy transitions to his words of exhortation.   Deuteronomy's "sandwich" structure   Perhaps you have heard of the “sandwich” structure of giving productive criticism. Using this method, you start with praise first, then move to critique, and end with encouragement. It's like a sandwich consisting of a slice of bread and a piece of sausage and another slice of bread.   Jesus used this structure in his letters to the churches in Revelation (Revelation 2-3). His message to the church in Ephesus began with praise: “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary." (Revelation 2:2-3).[1] The Lord is a God of encouragement, so He praised their achievements from the very beginning. This is natural. If we met the Lord and heard His rebuke right at the beginning, it would make us feel very scared. So the Lord begins his letters to the churches with encouragement.   But this does not mean that the Lord did not rebuke them as well. He told the church in Ephesus, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5). After this strong rebuke, Jesus didn't want the church to feel discouraged and disappointed. So He ended his message on a positive note. We find these words of encouragement in Revelation 2:6-7: "Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” God not only used the “sandwich” structure when writing to the church in Ephesus, but he also used it when writing to the other six churches.   If we analyze the structure of Deuteronomy with this structure in mind, we will find that Deuteronomy also utilizes a "sandwich" structure. In Deuteronomy 1-3, Moses praises and encourages the second generation of Israel. Although Moses briefly recounted the story of the ten evil spies and the first generation's unbelief and failure in Chapter 1 (Deuteronomy 1:19-46), most of these chapters' content is positive. Chapter 2 records the Israelites' victory over Sihon King of Heshbon, and Chapter 3 records the story of the Israelites' defeat of Og King of Bashan. Sihon King of Heshbon and Og King of Bashan were two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River. The first generation of Israel was afraid of the giants in the land of Canaan, but the second generation of Israel had begun to defeat them. These compliments from Moses formed first slice of bread in the sandwich.   Deuteronomy 4 to 31 forms the middle of the sandwich. This portion is Moses' exhortation or criticism of the second generation of Israel. Why does he critique them? Although the second generation of Israel learned many lessons of faith, they had failed to learn one important lesson. Like their ancestors, they still worshiped idols. God had clearly told Moses that he would not be able to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 3:26). So Moses delivered a parting message, full of sincere admonitions to the second generation of Israel. This message is recorded in the book of Deuteronomy.   What Moses was most worried about was the second generation's idol worship. Moses feared that Israel would be punished by God for worshipping idols. I will list two verses to demonstrate Moses' clear train of thought, a unifying thread that runs from Deuteronomy 4 to 31.   Deuteronomy 4:16 says, "Beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female." Deuteronomy 31:16 says, "And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them."”   There are many other similar passages that prove Moses' concern about idolatry, but these two are sufficient to make my point. The entire middle section, the “meat” of the "sandwich" structure, is full of Moses' concern and criticism regarding Israel's idolatry. Moses was concerned about their distance from God. Why did Moses go to such lengths to reiterate the law and the history of Israel? Because he wanted to exhort the second generation of Israel not to worship idols.   The third portion of Deuteronomy, the last slice of bread in the "sandwich" structure, is Deuteronomy 32-34. This segment contains Moses' words of blessing and encouragement. Deuteronomy 32 records the song of Moses, his warning and blessing to the second generation of Israel. Chapter 33 contains Moses' prophetic words and blessing to the twelve tribes. In Chapter 34, Moses blessed Joshua, laid his hands on him, transmitted his spiritual gifts, and died.   This concludes the book of Deuteronomy. If you look closely at the book of Deuteronomy, it is a "sandwich" structure. Most of the "meat" in the middle is an exhortation against idolatry.   The Israelites learned lessons of faith   Numbers, which immediately precedes Deuteronomy, is a record of Israel's wandering in the wilderness. The Israelites died in the wilderness for two reasons: "unbelief" (Hebrews 3:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:5) and "rebellion" (Psalm 78:40). Rebellion is idolatry; disobedience is as bad as the worship of false gods (1 Samuel 15:23). This is why the people were punished.   However, during those forty years of wandering, the people learned lessons of faith. The book of Numbers contains many examples of faith. For instance, the book of Numbers ends with the story of the daughters of Zelophehad. Zelophehad died in the wilderness for his own sin, just like every other Israelite. But because his daughters believed God's promises, not only did they win their father's inheritance, but they also eventually entered the land of Canaan, west of the Jordan (Joshua 17). Although they faced many external difficulties and obstacles, the daughters of Zelophehad continued to believe in God's promise. They entered the land of Canaan, as God had promised. This is arguably the best example of the faith of the second generation of Israel.   Deuteronomy 1-3 continues the train of thought that the book of Numbers began. It affirms the lessons of faith that the Israelites had learned. The first generation of Israel was afraid of the giants in the land of Canaan and did not dare enter the Promised Land. But the second generation of Israel no longer feared the giants. With the help of God, they were able to defeat Sihon King of Heshbon and Og King of Bashan.   This chapter records the story of the Israelites' victory over Og King of Bashan. Og King of Bashan ruled the land east of the Jordan River, in the north. Bashan is not along the travel route that the Israelites would normally have taken on their way to Canaan. Instead, the Israelites took a detour in order to conquer the land of Og King of Bashan and destroy all their people.   Deuteronomy 3:11 records that Og was a giant (a Rephaim). The verse states, "For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim." God led the Israelites on a detour so they could see for themselves that God can conquer giants.   Since the second generation cooperated with God in faith, they achieved victory. Moses wanted to negotiate with Sihon King of Heshbon and pass through his land peacefully (Deuteronomy 2:30). But God hardened Sihon King of Heshbon's heart so he could give him into the hands of the Israelites. Moses did not try to negotiate with Og, since Bashan was not on the way to Canaan. But the Lord made it clear to Moses that, just as he had given Sihon king of Heshbon into their hands, he would also give Og king of Bashan into the hands of the Israelites (Deuteronomy 3:2). Both battles were won with the Lord's help, in stark contrast to the story of Israel defeating the Amorites in Deuteronomy 1:37-45.   In each battle that we face, we know that the battle is the Lord's (1 Samuel 17:47). But our faith determines whether the Lord's presence is with us in any given battle. In Deuteronomy 1, the Lord was not with the Israelites because of their unbelief. Because the Lord was not with them, the Israelites were defeated.   But in Israel's battle against Sihon King of Heshbon and Og King of Bashan, the Israelites cooperated with God in faith, so God's presence brought them victory. The Israelites' growth in faith is also reflected in their attitude towards the Canaanite king of Arad in Numbers 21. In this chapter, they asked God if he would give the king of Arad into their hands. If so, they promised to destroy him. So, God gave the Canaanite king of Arad into the Israelites' hands. This is the definition of faith. We believe that God can do the things we can't do ourselves. Then we ask for his help, trusting he will come to our aid. The second generation of Israel learned to trust in God, and God gave them the victory.   The Israelites did not learn their lesson about idolatry.   But the second generation of Israel never learned not to worship idols. They inherited positive lessons of faith from the first generation, but they also inherited some negative baggage: the baggage of idolatry.   Deuteronomy 31:29 says, "For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.”   This verse clearly shows Moses' concern, which he continues to express throughout Deuteronomy. For example, Deuteronomy 4:3 says, "Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor." The story of Baal-peor is recorded in Numbers 25. When King Balak of Moab hired the false prophet Balaam to curse the Israelites, Balaam tricked the Moabite women into committing adultery with the Israelites. The Israelites began to worship Canaanite idols and joined Baal of Peor. This made the Lord very angry. He caused a plague to break out among the Israelites, killing twenty-four thousand people. The plague stopped only when Aaron's grandson Phinehas killed an Israelite man and a Midianite woman.   In Deuteronomy, Moses reminds the second generation of Israel not to make the mistakes that the first generation made. But Deuteronomy 31:29 shows that the second generation of Israel did not heed Moses' warning. They went headlong into the same mistakes as their ancestors. Later, God disciplined them severely for their idolatry by sending them as captives to Babylon. We will further discuss the important topic of idolatry when we study Deuteronomy 4.   Faith and Idolatry in Today's Church   As Christians today, we must imitate the Israelites' faith and learn from their bad example. Paul clearly says that what happened to the Israelites serves as a lesson for us today. He said, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come." (1 Corinthians 10:11). We must learn from the Israelites' experiences.   Let me share some personal experiences that demonstrate how God taught me important lessons about faith and idolatry. I hope these stories will be an inspiration to you.   First, God taught me lessons of faith. I went through a decade of infertility problems. As I continued to pray for a child, I felt like I was in a wilderness. During this time of testing, I did not get a clear answer from God. It seemed like He was hidden. I went through this trial in the wilderness and persisted in my faith in God.     Finally, I received a promise from God: I would be given a miracle baby. After that, God continued to appear to me, revealing his calling for my life. But these miracles only happened after ten years of wilderness experience. My faith had gone through fiery trials. When God answered my prayers and revealed Himself and His plan for me, my faith grew by leaps and bounds.   I learned that no matter what came my way, God has a beautiful plan for my life. I just needed to trust Him. As the Bible says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11). During the difficult trials, I persisted in my faith. He certainly did not put me to shame.   Second, God taught me lessons about idolatry. When I came to the United States, my goal was to get a Master's degree in the United States, then return to China to find a better job. My major was in journalism. My dream was to become a prominent TV host.   But after I arrived in the United States, I came to know the Lord and was saved. Instead of going back to China, I stayed in the United States. As time went by, I found that I wouldn't be able to achieve my dreams at all. I slowly gave up. I realized that my career had been an idol in my heart, but God gradually taught me that He was all I needed.   My biggest idol is myself. Through various experiences, God has dealt with my flesh and my strong will. Through many life struggles, I have gradually surrendered more and more of myself to Him. We all have idols: false gods, money, career, fleshy needs, etc. But our biggest idol is ourselves. We must put ourselves on the altar and allow it to be crucified with Christ. Only then will we be able to get rid of the idols in our hearts and experience a closer union with God. Although God is still working on me in this area, I can testify that God has done a great work in my heart to cleanse me from idolatry.   If we want our lives to be used by God, we must learn these two lessons. We must know that God is good, mighty and loving. We must have faith in Him. At the same time, we must know ourselves. We must know that our biggest idol is ourselves. We must deny ourselves, unite ourselves with Christ, and seek to please him. As we learn these two lessons, we will become channels of God's power and blessing in our lives.                         [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Bible Study with Jairus -Deuteronomy 2     Deuteronomy 2 reminds us that a nation's destiny is in the hands of God. A country's boundaries are set by God for one purpose: so that people would seek him. Acts 17:26-28 says, “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.'”[1] God determines the boundaries of each nation so that people would seek him and find him. But if they refuse to seek God and instead worship idols, they will be judged and even destroyed.   Deuteronomy 2 records the process by which God determined the boundaries of the nations. He not only gave land to Israel (verses 1-3), but also to Esau, Moab, and Ammon (verses 4-22). He records that the Caphtorites, a Philistine people group, destroyed the Avvim of Gaza and settled in their place (verse 23, see also Amos 9:7).   In Jeremiah, God said that He would destroy the Philistines who came from Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4). Later, God did severely deal with them. Samson, David, and others brought vengeance on the Philistines, leading to their eventual extinction. It was God's plan for the Philistines to come out of Caphtor.   On the one hand, God used the Philistines to discipline the Israelites when they turned away from Him. On the other hand, He used the Israelites to punish and discipline them. This principle also applies to Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites. Just like God sovereignly ruled these five ethnic groups, He controls the boundaries and futures of all nations. We must obey God. We must not do evil or worship idols so that we can receive His blessing. Otherwise, we will be judged by Him.   The Amorites are the evil spirits' strongholds   In Genesis 15, God told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years because the sin of the Amorites had not yet reached its full measure. The Amorites were an idolatrous nation that lived in Canaan. God gave them 400 years to repent, but they did not do so. So, after 400 years, God's wrath and judgment fell on the Canaanites, represented by the Amorites. God told Moses that he must destroy the Canaanites (Deuteronomy 9:3-4). And later, when Saul became king, God told him to completely destroy the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:18). When he refused to do so, God handed his kingdom over to David. By this time, God was totally committed to destroying the Canaanites. But earlier, God gave them multiple chances to repent.   Years earlier, God was angry with the Israelites because they refused to go into the promised land. The Israelites were afraid of giants and refused to conquer the Canaanites. God, in His wrath, forced the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years. If you look at the situation from a different angle, you can see that God was giving the Canaanites another 40 years to repent.   The Canaanites heard about the miracles that God performed for the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land. For example, in Joshua 6, Rahab said that she had heard how God dried up the Red Sea and killed the two kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, east of the Jordan River. These stories of God's power made the Canaanites tremble, so she asked the spies to save her and her family. Unfortunately, only Rahab's family repented and was saved. Many other Canaanites still did not repent, so they were eventually destroyed.   The Canaanites had become strongholds of evil, so God had to destroy them. Ironically, Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites were all relatives of Abraham. Edom was the descendant of Abraham's grandson Esau. The Moabites and the Ammonites were the descendants of Abraham's nephew Lot.   These people groups remind us of our sinful flesh. Just like the strongholds of evil spirits must be broken down, our flesh must be cut off. As the Israelites grew stronger as a nation, they conquered the other nations little by little. In the same way, as we grow spiritually, we will gradually experience God's victory over our flesh.   Who are the Avvim?   The Avvim are mentioned in the Bible only twice. Deuteronomy 2:23 says, "As for the Avvim, who lived in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came from Caphtor, destroyed them and settled in their place." And Joshua 13:3-4 says, "From the Shihor, which is east of Egypt, northward to the boundary of Ekron, it is counted as Canaanite; there are five rulers of the Philistines, those of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron, and those of the Avvim, in the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, to Aphek, to the boundary of the Amorites.” The verses show that although this place is called the land of the Avvim, the Philistines already lived here.   Although we don't know specific reasons that the Avvim were destroyed, we know that God cares about every person. Not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from his will. (Matthew 10:29). In addition, Amos 9:7 says, “ ‘Are you not like the Cushites to me, O people of Israel?' declares the Lord. ‘Did I not bring up Israel from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Syrians from Kir?'” The Lord brought the Philistines out of Caphtor, and then the Philistines destroyed the Avvim. This event must have been permitted in God's sovereignty. We can conclude that the Avvim were also a race that God wanted to destroy. According to Joshua 13:3, the land of the Avvim was counted as the land of the Canaanites, so it can be inferred that the Avvim were also Canaanites. Their sins may have been the same as the sins of the other Canaanites.   Why did God lead the Philistines out of Caphtor to destroy the Avvim? Perhaps it was to help the Israelites carry out His plan of destroying the Canaanites. In addition, God may have orchestrated these events so that the Philistines could become a tool in God's hands to discipline the Israelites in the future. After the death of Joshua, as the Israelites continued in idolatry, the Lord no longer drove the remaining Canaanites out of the land. He allowed them to stay so that he could test the Israelites to see whether they would follow His ways as their ancestors did (Judges 2:21-22). The Canaanites and Philistines became tools in God's hands to test Israel.   Why did God destroy the Philistines?   The Bible gives us additional information about the history of the Philistines. Jeremiah 47:4 says, "For the Lord is destroying the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor.” Genesis 10:14 says, "Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom the Philistines came), and Caphtorim." These people groups were all descendants of Ham. The Philistines came from the Casluhim people. In addition, Amos 9:7 says that God led the Philistines out of Caphtor. We can infer that Caphtor is the place where the Philistines lived, though no one knows where Caphtor was located. Some people think it was on the island of Kittim in the Old Testament (Genesis 10:4, Isaiah 23:1), called Cyprus in the New Testament (Acts 4:36, 27:4). But we have no way of verifying this information.   Since God wanted to destroy the Philistines, why did He lead them out of Caphtor and help them destroy the Avvim? In this chapter, the Israelites acquired the land of Canaan, Esau acquired Seir and destroyed the Horites (verse 12), the Moabites destroyed the Emim (verse 11), and the Ammonites destroyed the Zamzummim (verse 20). Each of these people groups received God's help in their conquests. But the Bible never specifically says that the Lord helped the Philistines exterminate the Avvim. Maybe this event was permitted by God but was not God's direct will. Perhaps God was displeased with the Philistines because of their sins. This is why God says in Jeremiah 47:4 that he will destroy the Philistines. The Philistines would not escape punishment; it just wasn't time yet. The sin of the Philistines has not yet reached its full measure. On the one hand, God used the Philistines to discipline and test the Israelites. On the other hand, when the time came, God would use Israel to punish the Philistines.   How do we view the conflict of nations today?   Perhaps you are wondering, “How should Christians view the conflicts between nations today? How do we discern God's will in the current conflicts between nations? Is it God's will for Russia and Ukraine to fight each other?”   I believe that we often cannot see the forest for the trees. Right now, we are too close to the situation to see it clearly. Instead, let's look back in history to help us understand God's will. During the American Revolutionary War, Americans disagreed about separating from Great Britain. One-third of Americans supported staying with Great Britain, while one-third advocated for independence. The rest of the Americans were undecided.   When John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, a pastor in an Anglican church in Virginia, saw that many people in society were opposed to the Revolution, he joined the army. Wearing a pastor's robe, he entered the meeting and began to preach. He quoted Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.”   “There is a time for all things,” Muhlenberg said. “There is a time to preach and a time to fight. And now is the time to fight.” Then he took off his pastor's robe, revealing a military uniform underneath. Later, he recruited hundreds of people to form the 8th Virginia Regiment, which made great contributions to the American Revolutionary War. This story became a legend in the American Revolutionary War. The story of him joining the army was painted on canvas and preserved in museums in the United States.   Later, many Americans agreed that their independence was God's will and would bring many blessings to the world. Since the founding of the United States, the United States has given the most foreign aid to other countries and has become the “biggest exporter” of the gospel in the world. America has indeed become a city on a hill, preaching Jesus Christ as the gospel to the world. But at the time when the United States and Great Britain were in conflict, many people felt confused about the war. But the conflict and America's eventual independence from Great Britain have brought great blessings to the world. Later, it became easier to see what God was doing to bring blessing through this war.   In the battle between Russia and Ukraine, we don't yet know what God is doing. Of course, war is cruel and invasion is wrong, but what is the big picture? The big picture is that God will bring a great revival. War makes us feel vulnerable. It encourages people to seek God. Throughout the ages, there have often been great revivals after wars.   Perhaps God has a bigger purpose that he hopes to accomplish through this tragic war. As I prayed about this, I was reminded of Abraham fighting the kings and saving Lot. The king of Sodom and the other five kings betrayed Chedorlaomer. Then Chedorlaomer and his allies (the 4 kings) fought against them (the 5 kings), leading to their defeat. Lot and his family, who lived in Sodom, were taken captive. When Abraham heard the news, he took his servants to defeat Chedorlaomer and his allies, thus rescuing Lot. Later, the king of Sodom came to meet Abraham and offered to give him gifts. But Abraham refused. Then Melchizedek brought bread and wine. He blessed Abraham and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" Melchizedek was a priest of God Most High. Abraham gave him a tenth of everything (Genesis 14:19-20).   From this passage, we can learn an important lesson. Wars can be used by the enemy to take God's chosen people captive, just like Lot was kidnapped in this passage. But as the saying goes, “The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind him.” God prepared Abraham to save Lot. He also prepared Melchizedek to supply and bless Abraham with bread and wine.   The same can be true of national conflicts today. The enemy hopes to take God's chosen people captive through war. But God will raise up His servants to fight and release His chosen people. Today, I saw Kim Clement's prophetic words released on July 26, 2014. He said that Putin was used by the enemy to attack, take captive or even destroy God's chosen people. However, the prophecy mentioned that God would prevail to release His chosen people. Although Kim Clement has since passed away, perhaps there is something we can learn from this prophecy. The enemy may plan to take God's chosen people captive. But God has a greater purpose. He will save His chosen people—who, like Lot, have been taken captive by the world.   God hardens the hearts of King Sihon and King Og   Deuteronomy 2:24-36 records that God hardened the hearts of King Sihon and King Og so that they could be destroyed by the Israelites. The prophecy by Kim Clement also mentioned that God hardened Putin's heart like he hardened Pharoah's heart. This is not good news. But why did God harden Pharaoh's heart? It was because Pharaoh repeatedly refused to repent. When we repeatedly refuse to repent, God's judgment will come upon us.   If God hardened Putin's heart like he hardened Pharaoh's heart and the hearts of Og and Sihon, then we should expect to see salvation for God's chosen people. When God hardened Pharoah's heart, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea and were saved. When he hardened Og's heart and Sihon's heart, he brought his people into the promised land. On the one hand, judgment will come upon Putin. On the other hand, salvation will come to many oppressed people. May the oppressed people and God's chosen people be freed from captivity.   We must love and seek God   As we've mentioned, God sets boundaries so that we would seek him and find him. God allows wars so that people feel helpless enough to seek him. When people are satisfied with the status quo, they tend not to seek God so urgently. But in times of war, it becomes easier for them to seek God. Many great revivals throughout the ages have begun after wars, so we hope that a great revival will come soon.   We must learn from the experiences of the Israelites, Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, Avvim, and Philistines. When we worship idols and love the world, we are bound to be disciplined by God. Instead, as God's creation, we must seek Him. If we seek God, we will surely find Him. When we find him, we must love the God who orchestrates all events in history to draw us closer to his heart.   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.