The 7 Churches Of Revelation Times Of Fire Download
Jacalyn Loston
After leaving Patmos, he moves on to the ancient city of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum. The remaining churches from The Revelation will be featured in subsequent sequels. The enigmatic seven churches of The Revelation embody the universal church by representing churches of all places at all times. The overall message delivered to the Apostle John through these visions is relevant to every church that has existed or will exist under the umbrella of Christianity. Each church represents the good and/or bad characteristics of churches across the globe.
This review is for part one of the 7 Churches series as Hanauer visits the churches of Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos. John wrote to Ephesus to warn them against false teaching and paganism. To Smyrna, John warns that the church will soon face tough times, and they will be persecuted for their faith. Finally, John encouraged the church of Pergamos as they were a strong, growing church, but warned to not dilute or compromise their faith with paganism.
EHRMAN: Well, not - no, not quite. (Laughter) This is the thing. This is this is really one of the surprising things about this. Two things that I'll say that are surprising about the book. One is that this view that there's going to be a rapture is not in the Book of Revelation. This is something that - it's a modern idea of the rapture. We can actually date it. It was originated in the 1830s, the idea that Jesus will come back, take his followers out, and then it's just the nonbelievers who are going to get all this. In fact, the Christians are still here on Earth. And the second thing is that a lot of them suffer very badly and in the end are thrown into the lake of fire. So believing in Jesus isn't going to be enough because for this author, you have to believe just like he himself, John, believes and practice your faith just like he practices it. And a lot of people in the churches - he tells us people in the churches are going to be destroyed with all the pagans.
Through the Prophet Joel, the Lord speaks about the end times. He mentions what will happen, and how God will pour out His Spirit over all mankind. Joel also mentions signs that will appear: blood, fire, and billows of smoke. Reading this text, I thought at first that the prophet was referring to the increase in violence on the earth and forest fires, but these types of events have shaken the earth time and again. In naming these signs present at the same time in both heaven and on earth, I believe that God is referring to the blood of Jesus, our Redeemer, the fire of the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, and the presence of God the Father, our Eternal Guide through the pillars of smoke.
Now, it was almost some five years later or so, I had been going through many spiritual revelations, and hearing the Lord tell me things; later I left my 9-5 job, and was called by the Lord to preach the gospel some six months later. I committed myself to a lot of days of prayer, and I mean hours upon hours of prayer. I was soon gifted with speaking in tongues, and stayed in my prayer closet even longer. It was sometime after this, I noticed at revivals, and when I deliver a sermon I started feeling a burning sensation inside the pit of my stomach, and I do mean a fire that lingered for days. I knew it had to be the presence of God, but I never heard much discussion on this. In the last year, If a place is having a three-night revival, I'll be blessed if I can attend two. I will feel the burning coming on, then it gets extremely intense and is painful. It is in my chest, right at my heart. It is also on my right side under my ribcage. This burning is the Lord's presence.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood ...
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