The Revelation Given To John Through The Angel

The Revelation Given to John by Jesus Through the Angel

Lesson three continued

The Church at Ephesus starter out so well, but by the time John wrote the Revelation it had turned from its first love, the love that stimulated its faith, works, and courage. The people turned to a cold regiment; motivated, not by love, but by habit.[i]

False teaching[ii]was then, as it is now, a tool of Satan to distract the church from its goal. Super apostles emphasize their own importance. Judaizing requires circumcision and adherence to Jewish customs, Montanism was legalistic[iii], and Gnostics make the natural world evil[iv]and advance knowledge to usurp the cross for salvation. The denial that Yeshua came in the flesh is in competition with that he came as Immanuel – God with us. The Ebionites[v] denied the deity of Yeshua.

Yeshua said, “But you do hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans[vi], and so do I.” He didn’t stop warning the Ephesians that they would lose their testimony if they didn’t get back their first love but he praised them for another point where they were in agreement with him.

Since I didn’t find any accurate information from the Bible reference about who this is that the Ephesians are in agreement with Yeshua against, I decided to take the Greek word apart and see if it shed any light on the kind of work these dedicated Ephesians hated.

1. Strong’s translation of Nikolaites: The word comes from a Nicolaite, i.e, adherent of Nicolaus: — Nicolaitane.
2. Strong’s translation of Nicolaos, which comes from two words: Nicolaus, which means victorious over the people; and Laodikeus, a Laodicean, i.e. inhabitant of Laodicia.
3. The Laodiceans thought they had everything and so were very complacent about everything. Yeshua told them what he thought of them. “I Am about to vomit you out of my mouth!”

Perhaps the Nicolaitans came from the kingdom of thingdom where the people were ruled by reasoning and logic and resided quietly in their own little Tranquil Valley; and the Ephesians were fervent for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.  Perhaps the people of Ephesus went door to door with the word of God. They went first to a housing complex. They stopped at the first door and paused to pray for the filling of Rauch Ha Kodesh[vii]to accomplish his will with whoever answered the door. Then they knocked and were met head on by a man who took out an ugly looking knife and threatened to cut their hearts out for naming the precious name of Yeshua. They went away rejoicing that they could speak the word of God with boldness; not fearing what man could do to them because “Greater is he that is in you than that is in the world” was a reality to them.

They paused to pray again at the next door and it was opened by a woman whose language they couldn’t speak; but Rauch Ha Kodesh could speak her language, they left a new-babe-in-Mashiach rejoicing with them.

Later those same fervent Christians stumbled on the kingdom of thingdom. They met at each door by a smiling face, vacant eyes, and a complacent “thank you so much for caring to come by today. Have a nice day now.” How discouraging!

When we look for our reflection in this aspect of the life of the Church at Ephesus, we have been busy testifying and witnessing for Yeshua and meeting a world that just doesn’t seem to care, but we have the answer inverse five. Love for Yeshua that flows from us to each other and the world, like rivers of waters, is a bright light that attracts others to Yeshua. God is love and when we love God we love each other, and the world sees god deeds and glorifies our Father in heaven.

To be continued

 

[i] Revelation 2:4

[ii] Ibid 2:6

[iii]  Tabbernee 2009, pp. 129.

 

[iv]  the belief that all matter is evil and the body is a prison to escape from – First coined in Plato’s Politikos [‘Statement’] as gnostikoi [‘those capable of knowing’], and linking it with knowledge [episteme] (Introduction to Politikos. Cooper, John M. & Hutchinson, D. S. [Eds.] (1997)

[v]  Epiphanius, Panarion, 30, 14, 5.^ Jump up to:^a b Epiphanius, Panarion, 30, 16, 4-5.

 

[vi] —Irenaeus, Adversus haereses, i. 26, §3 Healy, Patrick Joseph (1913). “Nicolaites“. Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

[vii] The Holy Spirit

Running the Race as a Winner Day Twenty-eight

Running the Race as a Winner

Day Twenty-eight

The eternal God is our refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms.[i] He said, “I know you distinctively and you have found grace in my sight. My presence will go with you and I shall give you peace. I will show you my goodness and my character, but I will protect you from seeing more than you are able to bear. I will not fail you. Be strong and of a good courage: don’t be afraid, for I AM with you no matter where you go. You shall know the living God is with you and will not fail you.

 

“I have come to heal the broken hearted, to set the captive free and open the doors of your prison. I have brought joy for you when you mourn; I bring beauty and praise to your life. As far as the east is from the west is as far as I have removed your transgressions from you. My words are life and power and they will work in your life to protect it. Cease from your own effort and rest in me for I alone know your thoughts and intentions. I alone understand each feeling and each desire.”

 

Prayer: Lord, my faith is weak – I believe, reduce my unbelief.  Blessed be your name from this time forth and forevermore. I have thought, O God, on your loving-kindness, in the midst of your people, according to your name, so is your praise to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is full of righteousness; your people rejoice and your Church is glad because of your judgments. You are my God forever and ever. You are my guide even to death. I praise your name.

 

[i] Exodus 33:17-23; Jeremiah 1:5; 9:23, 24: John 10:14; Psalm 34:8

The Revelation Given To John By Jesus Through The Angel

The Revelation Given to John by Jesus Through the Angel

Lesson three continued

The church at Ephesus gets kudos from Yeshua because of their faithful works, persistence and courage[i]. “You have endured and had patience, labored and not fainted for the sake of my name.”

Remember it was Ephesus where the silversmith, a maker of idols, started a demonstration and riot against the Christians that lasted about 2 hours until the town clerk broke it up[ii]. The birth of Christianity in Ephesus was retarded by the ignorance (lack of knowledge) of Alexander, but those who received Rauch Ha Kodesh [iii]after Paul came to them stood fast against those who were disobedient and doubtful, speaking evil of the way of the cross. Neither the crafty opposition nor the intense tribulation they had to bear could keep them from being faithful in upholding the name of Yeshua Ha Mashiach. Everything they did was engineered with respect to maintaining the reputation of the Lord.

As we consider this characteristic of the Ephesians, we must ask ourselves how much we consider the reputation of our Lord before we act or speak. We are ambassadors of the king of glory with our eternal home in the Kingdom of the Redeemed. While we are “stationed” here on this earth for a short time, it is mandated that we represent our King as accurately as possible.

Prayer: Lord, we are the sheep of your pasture and sometimes we run ahead of you into danger and sometimes we get frisky and disrespectful. We obey you but we do it flippantly and don’t stop to meditate on your magnificence – your fame. We find ourselves slipping on wet, slimy stones. O Lord, then may our hearts cry out, “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” You are our rock and we are grounded firmly in you, we who are “in Yeshua Ha Mashiach.” We look forward to that city which is not built with hands, where a place is being prepared for us, but we have this moment today to hold tight to the music of living in your hand with our hands in yours. We are safe and secure in your mighty love. Thank you for your amazing grace. O Lord, help us to remember to watch for those wolves and be careful that we don’t fall into the trap of copying the perverse words of others, who we would be tempted to admire by the world’s standards, until we begin to lead others astray ourselves. Help us to look steadfastly at you and remember where we were redeemed from as well as where our redemption brought us. Open our eyes, Lord, and show us how rich your glory is and what great power it took to offer it to us as an endowment. Help us to remember that when you raised Yeshua from the dead and set him at your right hand in heavenly places, you also quickened us together with our Mashiach and raised us up and made us to sit together in those same heavenly places with him. Lord, we thank you for your presence among us when we assemble – whether in person or over the internet. Give u the wisdom to walk quietly before you and seek your face as we gather to worship. We will leave the things of the world behind and press on toward your high calling to holiness and your great glory. And blessed be the name of the lord god from this time forth and forevermore. Lord, we have been given a great commission and the Bible is our instruction manual and credentials. We represent a great name and a great truth. Help us to be ever mindful of our commission. O Lord, help us to get a grip on the difference between the trash of worldly dogma and the treasures of the perfect law of love. You have loved us with an everlasting love, a love that desires good for us and not evil; a love so great you gave your only begotten Son so that we might have your abundant life of liberty. We know that if we love you we will keep your commandments; and that means we will love each other with the same care that we love and look after ourselves. And we also know that when we learn to love like that we will be walking in the perfect law of liberty. Lord, we constantly trip with our clumsy feet of clay and we see that we don’t even love ourselves, let alone our neighbor. Forgive us, Lord, and teach us to walk close to you, for you are Perfect Love and we desire to have that love reflected off of us to others.

To be continued

 

[i] Revelation 2:2, 3

[ii] Acts 19:24-41

[iii] The Holy spirit

Running the Race as a Winner Day Twenty-seven

Running the Race as a Winner

Day Twenty-seven

Satan is our enemy[i] but he uses other people and other things, even our own sinful natures, to do his dirty work; however, he is the enemy. He is behind all our troubles and heart-aches. He is the leader of the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness of this age: the spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places[ii].

 

Yeshua[iii] is the victory already won over our adversary. He has already defeated every danger and every distress. He is the answer to every problem in our lives.[iv]

 

As winners running this race, we will never underestimate our opponentor our Friend.  We see reality with the eyes of our spiritual understanding as we look at, listen to, and learn of the things of Rauch Ha Kodesh[v].[vi]  We check our own spirits with the word of God[vii], keeping in mind that re-creation takes time[viii]. We continually die to our self-interest[ix]and strengthen our status of life in Mashiach[x]; so we are able to distinguish the demonic influence in our lives from the Divine[xi]. Rauch Ha Kodesh speaks through the word of God and leads us to that which is authentic. He reveals Yeshua and Yeshua is the express image of God the Father. We see the glory of Yeshua through Rauch Ha Kodesh, and when we see the character of our Savior, we see our Father.  There is no division, in what they tell us, for these three who bear witness in heaven and on earth are One – the Father, the Word, and the Spirit in heaven; and the Spirit, the water of Yeshua’s baptism, and the blood of his death on earth.  We, as winners in the race, are reassured by the testimony of our God[xii].

 

Prayer: You are my Rock and my fortress; therefore, for you name’s sake, lead me and guide me, for you are my strength. Into your hands I commit my spirit and my life, for you have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

 

 

[i] I Peter 5:8

[ii] Ephesians 6:12

[iii] Jesus

[iv] Romans 8:37; /Ephesians 6:13-18

[v] The Holy Spirit

[vi] Psalm 91

[vii] Matthew 22:29; John 8:31, 32; Psalm 119:105

[viii] II Corinthians 3:18-4:1

[ix] The wants of the sinful flesh – this earthly tabernacle we dwell in

[x] Christ. Romans 7:4-6; 14-25; I Corinthians 15:31-34

[xi] John 4:1; Romans 8:9, 14-16; 26, 27

[xii] I John 5:7-9

The Revelation Given To John Through The Angel

The Revelation Given to John by Jesus Through the Angel

Lesson three

Letters/Ephesus

The first letter was to the church at Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province that contained the southwestern part of Asia Minor. Ephesus was the center of Paul’s missionary work. It was the greatest harbor in Asia – like New York City is to the coast. Ephesus was the center of the worship of Diana, whose enormous temple housed the gross many breasted squat figure whose many priestess were prostitutes. Ephesus also had many temples to the deified emperors, Claudius and Nero. Witchcraft was rampant. It was inundated with crime and immorality.[i] The decadent environment of Ephesus might be expected to discourage faithful Christianity, but Ephesus Christians were an example of how dramatically the power of God changes a living death into a victorious life of faith and love.  Timothy was the church of Ephesus’ first Bishop.[ii] Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos[iii]went to Ephesus to labor. Christians became so numerous the temples were almost deserted. By the end of the first century, the church was dying. Ephesus is no longer a city.

The letter to Ephesus portrays Mashiach[iv]with the Church held firmly in his hand[v]where we are protected and sheltered. He has complete control over the Church. He walks boldly through the center of seven golden lights which represent the Church.         Security

The mystery of the seven stars, which you saw on my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the messengers[vi] of the seven assemblies and the seven branches of the menorah are the seven congregations.

Yeshua knew those seven stars and lampstands perplexed John, he knew you and I would wonder today, so he explained. Before we ask, he answers. Matthew records an incident where he told the disciples that during the time of the end the stars would fall from heaven[vii]just before the Second Coming. But not all of them will fall, because Yeshua has the stars of the Church firmly in his hand. We remember Yeshua promised that what he held in his hand, no one could remove. Therefore, Yeshua is standing in the midst of the Church with her angels secure in his control.

The world is a very insecure and becomes more unstable as the second law of thermodynamics works its way toward total chaos. Each day that brings us closer to the “final trump” also brings us closer to the day when the heavens pass away with a rushing noise because the elements of all the hosts of heaven have been dissolved with a great heat[viii], when the heavens roll together as a scroll and all their multitude fall down[ix]as the leaf falls from the trees in Autumn. But the good news that Yeshua reminded John of that day, and has been repeated wherever hearts were faint, is that there is security with Yeshua. We can join all the green machines this world has to offer and recycle till we’re blue in the face, but the world evolves ever nearer to total destruction. Our well-being and safekeeping is in Yeshua alone. He who calls the stars by name knows his sheep and gently leads them out to green pastures. He feeds his flock like a shepherd, he gathers the lambs in his arms and gently carries them in his bosom, and softly leads those who have their young.

We have no reason to fear that he doesn’t know what is going on or that we have to work out a plan for serving him as we assemble together. He is right there all the time and will direct our worship and service. He is not far away, we don’t have to beg him to listen to our prayers or yell at him so he will hear our petitions. He will speak to our hearts through the untrained lips of an uneducated, unlearned bungler; or through the lips of a trained orator. We have his assurance that he is there, walking amidst us. It is his Church, his Body, and his Flock. He has written on our hearts, “Be still and know that I AM God.” And we assemble together humbly waiting for power from on high.[x]

 

[i] Barkley, volume I, pages 70-73

[ii] I Timothy 1:3

[iii] Acts 18:19, 24, 26

[iv] Christ

[v] John 10:28

[vi] Angels

[vii] Matthew 24:29

[viii] II Peter 3:10

[ix] Isaiah 34:4

[x] Acts 4:24-31

Running the Race as a Winner Day Twenty-six

Running the Race as a Winner

Day Twenty-six

While we dwell in these earthly tabernacles (our bodies), love[i] is not perfected in our application because our old nature is present in us all. We delight to do the will of God according to the inward man[ii], but there is a law in our flesh making war with our minds, holding us captive to the sin in our flesh. We are wretched and poor but, thank God, through Yeshua Ha Mashiach – our Lord – with our minds, we ourselves sere the law of God, but with our flesh, the law of sin.[iii]

 

We will fear while we behold the Lord through the glass of the Word[iv]and are change, from one characteristic to another, and become perfected in love until the day we see Yeshua with our eyes and are changed in the twinkling of an eye into the images of Perfect Love[v]completed in love.

 

While we wait, we fear enough to desire perfect rest[vi]: the serenity God has promised. We fear lest our works are those which will delay our progress into that rest[vii]. We run the race as winners being diligent to enter into his tranquility[viii]. We hold fast to the living and powerful word of god which is able to show us ourselves, reveal our Lord to us, discern our thoughts and intentions, and prepare us to accept the son-ship of our adoption[ix]. We cast down our burdens and sins, hold tight to the hand of our Father, and are afraid to let go. That is the only fear we retain.

 

Prayer: Lord, you are Perfect Love. You have protected me behind and before, and laid your hand upon me. I will not fret because of evil-doers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. I will trust in you and do good, dwell in the circumstances you have placed me in and feed on your faithfulness. My delight is in you and your will is the desire of my heart. I am committed to you and I trust you. I know that you will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noon day. I will rest in you and wait patiently for you. I will not fret because of him who prospers in his own way and brings wicked schemes to pass. I will cease from anger and forsake wrath because it only causes harm and I know that the earth is yours and the fullness thereof. The meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace, so make me meek. And blessed be the name of the Lord God from this time and forevermore.

 

[i] I John 4:17, 18

[ii] Romans 7:14-25

[iii] Romans 8:2, 3

[iv] Hebrews 4:1; II Corinthians 3:18

[v] I Corinthians 15:52; 49

[vi] Hebrews 4

[vii] Hebrews 4:10

[viii] Hebrews 12:1, 2, 12, 13

[ix] Hebrews 12:16

The Revelation Given to John through The Angel

 

A reflection and a prayer on lesson two.

I looked out over the rim into the vast chasm beyond. Dark afternoon shadows lay soft fingers over the bright red rocks of the walls and onto the ground. It looked dry and barren as far as I could see, and I could see for miles across that vast canyon. I remembered the verse in Romans about the earth groaning and travailing in pain under the curse of sin. Ah, but labor pains bring forth joy, and out of the hidden crevices of that canyon little streamlets of water dripped and the canyon walls brought forth clinging wild flowers in glad expectation of future liberty. Those beautiful plants were rejoicing in the drops of water, and then I saw that the whole chasm was singing praises to its Creator. The sun glistened on the ore in the rocks and sang in branches of trees scattered here and there. There was a mountain lion earnestly employed in bagging a deer for supper; but there was anticipation in the air for the day when the lion will eat straw like a lamb and the wasteland will bloom.

At that time the whole world will be singing praises to the King: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things and for your pleasure they are and were created. The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power and honor with riches, strength, glory, and blessings. Amen. Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, reverence, and sovereignty unto God forever and ever; so let’s be glad and rejoice in him.

Prayer: O Lord give me a prayer of praise in my heart which springs forth every day, in the barren regions as well as the green valleys of life. I want to be like those little flowers springing forth their praises into the cracks of desert walls. Show me how to absorb the moisture of the water of your word so that it springs forth as rivers of living water that the ones around me can drink from and be refreshed. Make my life a living praise to you so others will be attracted to your glory and find life for themselves. Make me like the deer and the lion that both drink hungrily from the brook. You are, to me, as the water that flows from the melted snow on the mountain and replenishes the barren desert with its life-giving streams. I praise your precious Holy Name.

 

Running the Race as a Winner Day Twenty-five

 

Day Twenty-five

At the judgment seat of Mashiach[i]we will know that all our righteousness is wood, hay, and stubble.[ii]We will have a complete understanding of the finished work of our Mashiach.[iii]It is absolute. We will see that only what Mashiach has done in our lives is pure gold and will remain forever.[iv]Now what we perceive about God seems to come to us through a foggy window sometimes; and at other instances, through a clean window fleetingly. Reality is elusive to our mortal senses, and on the rare occasions when it becomes well defined in our muddled minds, it is hard to describe to others.[v]But then (at the judgment seat of Mashiach) we shall clearly understand that tranquility[vi], that perfect peace of the knowledge of the finished work of Mashiach.[vii]

 

He who has begun a good work in us will go on perfecting it until the Day of Mashiach, when His character will be displayed in us, the consummation of our faith.[viii]We will perfectly understand and  hear with our whole heart the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God: the fulfilled hope of his calling.[ix]We will understand what that hope is: what all the attributes of God are that we have inherited for our own.[x]We will be like him for we will see him with flawless perception.

 

We have been laboring to enter his rest. We have been looking at him through the mirror of his word so that we will be changed from glory to glory, one attribute at a time, into his image. But when we see him face to face, we will be like him in the twinkling of an eye. Then our labor will be gone forever and we will rest in the finished work of our Mashiach.[xi]Even so, come Lord Yeshua! [xii]

 

Prayer:  O Lord, my maker, my master, I am your slave, bought with the price of the precious blood of your Son; yet you give me your riches in glory. Make me intelligent to discern you and your will. Open my spiritual eyes to understand exactly what it is you have called me to do, so that I may grasp the immensity of the glorious way of life you have for your followers with endless energy and boundless strength. And blessed be the name of the Lord God from this time and forevermore.

 

 

[i] I Corinthians 3:11-16

[ii]Romans 14:8-12

[iii] Philippians 1:6; John 19:30

[iv] Galatians 5:22-25: Ephesians 1:8;4:11-13: 3:9; Colossians 1:10-12

[v] I Corinthians 13:12

[vi] Hebrews 4:9

[vii] Revelation 5:9-10

[viii] I Peter 1:3-16

[ix] Ephesians 1:18, 19

[x] I Corinthians 15:42-49; Colossians 1:27

[xi] Revelation 22:4, 5

[xii] Revelation 22:20

The Revelation given To John Through The Angel

The Revelation Given to John by Jesus Through the Angel

Lesson Two continued

The Son of Man reminds us[i]that God manifested himself in the flesh and died so we could live. The Son of god reminds us that God in the flesh conquered death and the grave for us. His heart (breastplate) is covered with the symbol of strength made pure in the furnace of affliction. His head is covered with white hair, picturing righteousness even in his thoughts. The piercing fire blaze of his eyes reminds us he sees everything.[ii]His stand is sure because he has walked in the furnace of God’s judgment and emerged victorious.

There is a majestic calm[iii]in the song of a huge waterfall. The voice of the Son of Man, as represented here, is both awe inspiring and beautifully comforting. He is holding the All-inclusive Church in his hand.[iv]We are comforted and secure in his care. His mouth, as a sword, represents his Word which is living and powerful; sharper than any two-edged blade.[v]His face, or his countenance, as James Howell[vi] said, “[Often] the true index of the heart[vii],” represents Yeshua as the Light of the world. Like the sun, when its closest to the earth, Yeshua brings light and life to us from the core of his being.

As Barkley[viii]says, John lived in a time when to be a Christian was an agonizing thing. He fully appreciated the strength, power, comfort, and confidence that we have in the person of Yeshua Ha Mashiach. Our own time is not safe and secure for every Christian. And may not be for us much longer; but we will always be protected and sheltered in the hands of our strong, victorious Savior.

We are intimate friends of the Strong-God. He told John, and tells us through him, “Don’t be afraid. Look at Me. I AM. I AM he who is first. I AM he who is last. I AM infinity. I died (conquered death). I AM alive and always have been and always will be.” Then he showed John the keys to death and the grave, so neither John nor we have anything to fear. Our Strong-God even controls the keys to death and hell. There is NOTHING that can separate us from his care.[ix]

As Bruce Wilkinson says in his book “Beyond Jabez,”[x]” “It is natural to feel fear when faced with the unknown, especially when the obstacles look bigger than ourselves. …Some of the dangers confronting you will exist only in your imagination; on the other hand, you could be called on to risk your life. Whatever the situation, whatever the odds – even when you’re paralyzed with terror – god will never leave you.”

Paul talks about[xi]”The exceeding greatness of his [God’s] mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead” and as the Message puts it, “set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule.”

Bruce goes on to say,[xii] “This very same power that conquered death is available to you.” God knows no limitations.[xiii] And[xiv]”Do you truly believe the power of God is available to you? Do you long to experience the incredible joy and awe of watching as heaven opens its gates to release power for you?” I believe it is important for each of us to be able to answer “yes” to those questions so we can have absolute peace in every center of every storm that comes our way.

David Jeramiah[xv]says, Revelation can knock us out of our complacency, out of our fear of the future, and into confident being.” I pray it does just that for each of us.

 

 

[i] Revelation 1:12-16

[ii] Psalm 11:4-6

[iii] Revelation 1:17-20

[iv] John 10:28

[v] Hebrews 4:12

[vi] James Howell (c. 1594 – 1666) was a 17th-century Anglo-Welsh historian and writer^[1] who is in many ways a representative figure of his age. The son of a Welsh clergyman

[vii] Epistolae Ho-Elianae, or, The familiar letters of James Howell

books.google.com/books?id=x8AsAAAAYAAJ

James Howell – 1907 – ‎England

James Howell … the Prince her colour rose very high, which we hold to be an impression of love and affection, for the face is oftentimes a true index of the heart.

 

[viii] Pages 44,45

[ix] Isaiah 44:6-8; Hebrews 12:22-29

[x] Multohah^© Publishers, sisters, Oregon, 2005, page 84

[xi] Ephesians 1:19, 20

[xii] Page 141

[xiii] Ephesians 3:20

[xiv] Ibid 146

[xv] Escape The Coming Night, page 50

Running the Race as a Winner Day Twenty-four

Running the Race as a Winner

Day Twenty-four

When the book of life is opened

Will your name be found?

Will you shout hallelujah at the trumpet sound?

 

The dead shall stand before the throne.

They never entered life;

They turned their backs on God:

They wear the filthy rags of their own righteousness;

They stand on their dead deeds,

Alone.

 

The dead stand before the throne.

We are not there.

We stepped from death into life.

We gave him our impurity

He gave us his purity.

We gave him our unrighteousness,

He gave us his righteousness.

 

Prayer: Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear you, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy, ad all the nations shall come and worship before you, for your judgments have been made manifest. And blessed be the name of the Lord God from this time forth ad forevermore.