Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Letters to the Angels of the Churches in Revelation - Part 1


Introduction to the book of Revelation
This is where we find out who is speaking, what the context is, who is involved, what/who this is about, etc.?

Who is speaking, to whom are they speaking?
Revelation 1:1-2
“1 The Revelation of Yeshua Christ, which Elohim gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of Elohim, and of the testimony of Yeshua Christ, and of all things that he saw.”

Abba gave His Son Yeshua the things which would shortly come to pass, so He could show His servants (His disciples and us). Yeshua sent His angel to John, His servant, to show John these visions.

What we are to do with this information…
Revelation 1:3
“3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”

We are to read and hear the words in this book of prophecy. We are to keep these things that are written in it because “the time is at hand”, meaning it won’t be long until these things happen.

What does it mean to read, hear, and keep the words in this book?
Let’s look at the Hebrew meanings of these words to find out…

“Read” = Hebrew “qara” = to call out to, call (for, forth, upon), cry (unto), invite, mention, (give) name, preach, make proclamation, be announced, pronounce, publish, read, say; read aloud; utter a loud sound.

“Hear” = Hebrew “shama” = attention, obedience; to tell; call (gather) together, consent, consider, be content, declare, diligently, discern, give ear, make to hear, tell, listen, be obedient, obey, perceive, (make a) proclamation, publish, regard, report, shew (forth), make a sound, tell, understand, whosoever (heareth), witness; hear exultantly of their fate; hear with attention, interest, listen to; understand; listen, give heed; consent, agree; obey, be obedient; yield to; hear and answer, hear and deliver; be regarded, obeyed; { he caused the people (accusative) to hear and respond, i.e. he assembled them}.

“Keep” = Hebrew “shamar” = be-ward, be circumspect, take heed to self, keeper, self, mark, look narrowly, observe, to hedge about, Guard; to protect, attend to, preserve, regard, reserve, wait for, watchman.

Who is this book written to?
Revelation 1:4-6
“4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
5 And from Yeshua Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
6 And hath made us kings and priests unto Elohim and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

John is writing to the 7 churches in Asia, letting them know these words come from him, Abba, the 7 Spirits before Abba’s throne, Yeshua (the faithful Witness and 1st begotten of the dead, the Prince of the kings of the earth) Who made us kings and priests unto Yeshua and Abba.

Confirmation of Who this is from…
Revelation 1:7
“7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Yeshua will come with clouds and everyone will see Him, this includes those who pierced Him, everyone on the earth will see Him.

Revelation 1:8
“8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith Adonai, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Abba and Yeshua are the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, They are EVERYTHING – which was, which is, and which is to come – the Almighty.

Who is the one conveying this information to us, what is the context of this information, who is this written to?
Revelation 1:9-11
“9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Yeshua Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of Elohim, and for the testimony of Yeshua Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on Adonai's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.”

John was taken, in the Spirit on Shabbat, to the isle of Patmos. He heard a Great Voice behind him talking like as a trumpet telling him to write this book of prophecy to the 7 churches.

Who/What John saw…
Revelation 1:12-15
“12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.”

John saw Yeshua standing behind him in the midst of 7 golden candlesticks, clothed with a garment down to His food and girt about his legs and hips with a golden girdle. Yeshua’s head and hair were white and His eyes were flames. Yeshua’s feet were glowing hot brass and His voice sounded like a lot of waters (could also mean like a lot of languages).

Revelation 1:16
“16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

Yeshua was holding 7 stars in His right hand and His mouth was like a sharp two-edged sword (His Words “cut both ways” – hurt you to the bone but are healing). Yeshua’s countenance shines bright like the sun in strength.

How Yeshua describes Himself:
Revelation 1:17-18
“17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”

Yeshua, Who was born on this earth as the Son of Adonai, Who walked and taught the Torah to everyone, Who suffered blead and died for out disobedience to Abba’s Word, He is the First and the Last, He is the One Who lived, died, and Who lives ever more. Yeshua is the One Who has the keys of hell and of death, He knows the Way the Truth and the Life because He is the Way the Truth and the Life. He showed us how to “work out our faith” by following Abba’s Torah.

Philippians 2:12
“12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Isaiah 53
“1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of Adonai revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of Elohim, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Adonai hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased Adonai to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Adonai shall prosper in his hand.
11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”


Abba is giving Yeshua, Who is giving to John, the visions of the things which are and which shall be…
Revelation 1:19
“19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;”

The Mystery of the 7 Stars and the 7 Golden Candlesticks:
Revelation 1:20
“20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

The 7 Stars = the 7 Angels of the 7 churches
The 7 Candlesticks = the 7 churches

So Yeshua is surrounded by the 7 churches and in His Hand are the Angels of those 7 churches.

Keep in mind, these letters are from Abba to Yeshua so He could give them to His servants. Yeshua gave them to His angel, and the angel then gave them to John to write down for the churches. I submit to you that these letters were so these churches would know where they stood in Abba’s eyes. They were also for the angels of these churches because the angels are responsible for helping these churches get through the problems they have and helping these churches to correct those problems (as seen through Abba’s eyes, not man’s eyes). We see this in Luke 4 and in Psalm 91…

Luke 4:9-12
“9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of Elohim, cast thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And Yeshua answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt Adonai thy Elohim.”

The promise referred to in Luke is found in Psalm, given to everyone that dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High, who also will abide under the Shadow of the Almighty…

Psalm 91:1, 9-16
“1 He that dwelleth in the Secret Place of the most High shall abide under the Shadow of the Almighty.”
“9 Because thou hast made Adonai, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14 Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My Name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My Salvation.”

Verse 11 above “For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”, was told to those who were following Torah (Adonai’s Ways). I submit to you that the angels were charged to keep watch over the children of Israel who were keeping Torah, and they were charged to help the children to stay in Adonai’s Ways (Torah). These are the ones who love Adonai, who Adonai will deliver and set on high because they follow His Torah and thereby know His Name (Yeshua, His Son). Those are the ones Adonai will answer when they call, the ones He will be with in trouble, the ones Adonai will honor and give long life to and give His Salvation (Yeshua) to. The children of Israel who keep Adonai’s Torah are the ones who have this promise, and all of the promises of Adonai.

Revelation 1:12-13
“…And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man…”

“Candlestick” in Hebrew is “menorah” = noun feminine lampstand; seven-branched lampstand in tabernacle; candlestick.

“Candlestick” in Greek is “luchnia” = a lamp-stand (literally or figuratively) -- candlestick.

Yeshua was standing in the midst of the 7 golden candlesticks. The candlesticks that were made for the sanctuary in Exodus were made of pure gold.

Exodus 25:31-32, 36, 40
“31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:”
“36 …all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.”
“40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.”

How was this candlestick to be made?
·    *     It was to be made of pure gold – Yeshua is pure, perfect, sinless (He followed Abba’s Torah perfectly).
·    *    This candlestick was to be made of beaten work - Yeshua was beaten for our transgressions of the Torah.
·    *  There were to be 3 branches on each side of the candlestick – 6 branches in total.
·    *     All of the parts for this candlestick were to be made of beaten pure gold – one complete piece, not pieces attached to each other.
·    *  This candlestick was to be made according to the pattern Adonai showed Moses of how to make it.

We know that the pattern Adonai showed Moses for how everything for the sanctuary was to be made is a shadow of how things are in Heaven:

Hebrews 8:5
“5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of Elohim when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”

Revelation 21:10-14, 21-23
“10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from Elohim,”
11 Having the glory of Elohim: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
“21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for Adonai Elohim Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of Elohim did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

The New Jerusalem:
·         Has the Glory of Elohim, the Light of the Lamb, Yeshua (vs.11,23).
o   Matthew 7:5-12
“5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

·         A great and high Wall (vs.12) with 12 gates that were the names of the tribes of the children of Israel – the only way through the Wall around New Jerusalem is through one of the 12 gates – through being one of the tribes of the children of Israel (either by birth or by being grafted into one of the tribes).
o   Matthew 7:13-14
“13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

·         The Wall has 12 foundations – the 12 apostles of Yeshua. You can only enter into the New Jerusalem if you are one of the children of the tribes of Israel and your foundation must be of the 12 disciples. Their foundation is Yeshua. Yeshua is Torah in the flesh (John 1:1). So you must be of one of the tribes of Israel and you must follow Torah as Yeshua and the disciples did – Torah must be your foundation – you must build your house on the Rock and not on the sand.
o   Matthew 7:21-27
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

·         There will be no temple therein. Adonai Elohim Almighty and the Lamb Yeshua HaMashiach are the temple of the New Jerusalem (vs.22).
o   Matthew 24:1-2
“1 And Yeshua went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Yeshua said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
o   John 2:19
“19 Yeshua answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

·         Yeshua is the Temple and the Light:
o   John 1:1-5, 9-14
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.
2 The same was in the beginning with Elohim.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
“9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of Elohim, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of Elohim.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

o   John 10:22-30
“22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
23 And Yeshua walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Messiah, tell us plainly.
25 Yeshua answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.”

Yeshua is the Temple, Yeshua is the Light!

Psalm 119:105
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Yeshua is the Torah made flesh – the Lamp. Yeshua is the Light of the Lamp. Yeshua lights our path through Himself. Yeshua is Torah and Light, Spirit and Truth!

John 14:10-21
“10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

1 John 2:3-6
“3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Elohim perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”

We are to follow Yeshua and walk as He walked, in Torah. We can see this in Yeshua’s prayer to our Father, Abba, in Heaven…

John 17
“1 These words spake Yeshua, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true Elohim, and Yeshua HaMashiach, whom thou hast sent.
4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;
21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.
26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.”


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