Hello Kitty asks us to look at the picture and find the things that belong to her: pencils, umbrella, bow, boots, boat and envelope.
Wally asks us to try and spot him in the picture.
Epiphany means ‘showing Jesus to us’
Let us look at the things that belong to Jesus
The shepherds gave him a lamb; the wise men gave him gifts of Gold Frankincense and Myrrh. Jesus was born a king.
The Book of Revelation
Revelation 5: 1- 10
God our Father is seated on his throne holding in his right hand a scroll or book it is sealed with seven seals. In the R S Version of the Bible the angel is described as being strong and asked to all who were present, the twenty four elders and the four living creatures, “Who is going to open the scroll?”
The strong angel, this purposeful angel I felt was inquisitive and wanted to know what is written on the scroll. Peter wrote that the angels had longed to look into these things.
The angels longed to look into this salvation spoken of by the prophets and this angel having strength of character wanted to know what was written on this scroll. 1 Peter 1:12.
One of the elders aware of John’s concerns about the opening of the scroll, revealed to him the name of the one who could open it. “The lion of Judah, the Root of David has conquered, so that he can open the scroll with its seven seals.” 5: 5
The elder was referring to Jesus, the Lamb of God who stood among them as one that had been slain who God had resurrected from the dead, the descendant of David.
The prophesies in the Bible prove the existence of God and reveal the Messiah, Jesus.
Jacob referred to the tribe of Judah as the lion – Genesis 49: 9, 10.
Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah – Hebrews 7: 14
The Root of Jesse – Isaiah 11: 1
Testimony to the churches, “I am the root and offspring of David.” Revelation 22: 16.
The lamb had 7 horns, 7 eyes and 7 spirits of God: the horns symbolically depicting strength and power, the eyes – the symbol of insight and illumination. the spirits of God – the discerning fire of Holy Spirit.
The Lamb took the scroll from God.
Before the scroll with its seals can be opened there are prophesies that Jesus referred to that lead up to the opening of them.
“Jesus said, “For many will come in my name, saying, “I am the Christ,’ and they will lead you astray. And you will hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: all this is but the beginning of the birth-pangs.” Matthew 24:5-7
Jesus called them ‘birth pains’ because of the growing distress that was to be brought upon on the world until, the Messiah returns with the angels and all the company of heaven. When a woman who is having a baby starts to go into labour, the contractions grow in intensity and the pain becomes more severe until the baby is born.
False Messiah’s
Extract from a ‘Study of False Messiah’s’ from the Congregation Shema Yisrael Dublin Web site.
Theudas
Theudas is mentioned in Acts 5:36. In his historical work, Antiquities, Josephus the first century Jewish historian, wrote about Theudas who, around 45 AD, influenced “the majority of the masses to take up their possessions and to follow him to the Jordan River.” He claimed that the Jordan would part for them at his command. Obviously it didn’t, and he and many of his followers paid for their foolishness with their lives.”
Judah the Galilean
Judah the Galilean is mentioned in Acts 5:37. Josephus, made reference to Judah the Galilean, stating: “Judah the Galilean told Jews about ten years before the birth of Jesus that it was shameful for them to be ‘consenting to pay tribute to the Romans and tolerating mortal masters after having God for their Lord'”. It is interesting to note that Judah apparently had a false prophet by the name of Saddok. Very likely Saddok presented himself to the people as being Elijah, who, according to Scripture, was to precede and announce the coming of the Messiah. The pattern of false messiahs having false prophets was to become all too familiar.”
Jacob Frank
In more recent times in the 1726-91 “Polish Jew Jacob Frank gained a reputation as a “prophet” having, it was thought, special powers and inspiration.”
Since the first century names of Jewish men have been recorded who have proclaimed themselves to be the Messiah. (see Congregation Shema Yisrael Web site)
We‘ve seen an escalation in warfare during the last hundred years with two world wars and an increase in earthquakes and volcanic activity. The change in weather patterns has increased the desert regions causing famine and great loss of life.
Only last year 2011 we saw the Arab Spring the civil war and disorder in some of the Middle East countries, nearly every month there was a major catastrophe; earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, a volcanic eruption in Chilli, floods in Australia and the Bahamas and severe famine in Somalia as a result civil war.
The Prophets prophesied birth-pains and they are currently being fulfilled.
In Arnold Fruchtenbaum Book “The Footsteps of the Messiah.” Seventh Printing 1999 when he wrote it, he pointed to prophesies about future events: a civil war in Egypt, and the Middle East unrest.
“An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them. And I will stir up Egyptians against Egyptians, and they will fight, every man against his brother and every man against his neighbour, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.” Isaiah 19: 1, 2.
Israel’s neighbouring Nations’ engaged in internal conflict.
“Israel in their distress they turned to the Lord, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them. In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. They were broken in pieces, nation against nation and city against city, for God troubled them with every sort of distress.” 2 Chronicles 15: 4-6
The Lord wants us to be like Nathanael to observe the prophesies that relate to his coming. John 1: 43-51
In our reading Jesus said to Nathanael “Before Philip called you I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Teacher, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Nathanael had observed that Jesus was referring to a passage of scripture in the Bible that speaks about people sitting with their neighbour under the fig tree.
“In that day, says the Lord of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbour under his vine and under his fig tree.” Zechariah 3: 8-10
Part of the ‘birth pain’ period is the increase in knowledge.
“Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” Daniel 12: 4.
It is true to say that most people are aware of the speed of the increase of knowledge
The advance of science which is amazing and is of great benefit to us all, but there is a down side, our planet is suffering because of the energy required to maintain the expansion.
Another ‘birth-pain’ is Apostasy
Apostasy meaning defection, departure, revolt or rebellion. A Christian who turns away from the faith. Hebrews 6: 4-6
Sadly we shall see this grow as peoples faith will be tested when they see other Christians being persecuted for their faith.
The mainstream churches believe that we are living in the ‘Times and Seasons’ when Jesus could call out his body of believers the church, for the meeting with the Lord in the air. It could happen today, tomorrow at any moment, the time of his call is nearer than we may think. 1 Thessalonians 4: 14-18
“From the fig tree learn its lesson; as soon as the branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things, you know that he is near at the very gates.” Matthew 24: 32-35.
When we hear of these things, were the birth-pains are intensifying, pray, look for Jesus’ return and pray for people to come to faith in Christ as we want them to escape the opening of the seals. Our prayers are being held in the golden bowls full of incense by the elders and the four living creatures and we have the assurance that Jesus calls out the church before the start of the tribulation. ‘Two were working in the field one was taken the other left’.
“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up.” 1 Thessalonians 5: 9 – 11.
Before the seals are opened.
All these birth-pains lead up to the severe pain of the desolating sacrilege, “When you see the desolating sacrilege spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place.” Matthew 24: 15. 2 Thessalonians 2: 3, 4.
Jesus was referring to the antichrist, the counterfeit Messiah, standing in the temple at Jerusalem being worshipped as god.”
After the antichrist is revealed we see the start of the seven year tribulation with Jesus opening the seals, each seal is a judgment.
Over the last month I’ve read several books were the majority of the authors hold the same views on the meaning of the seals.
The first seal – the rider on the white horse carrying a bow without an arrow.
The rider is wearing a crown and he will go out to conquer and to conquer.
This person is generally thought to be the antichrist, the counterfeit Messiah, who on his first appearance is a man of peace, who will conquer the world with his answers to the worlds’ problems. The world is deceived by him. 2 Thessalonians 2: 9-12
The second seal – the red horse, its rider being permitted to take away the peace. The antichrist turns against Israel and makes war against her.
The third seal – the black horse and its rider depicts the consequences of war; there will be famine on a world-wide scale, because of the scarcity of wheat and barley. But medicines will be available as the oil and the wine are not hurt.
The fourth seal – the pale horse and its rider.
The pale horse signifies death on a massive scale, one quarter of the world’s population through war, famine and the wild animals savaging, searching for food.
Some Christians would say that already Jesus has opened some of the seals on the scroll, and they have overlapped the birth-pain period by coming before the desolating sacrilege.
We have an example of this:
In last years uprising in Egypt it was reported that the pale horse and its rider were seen riding through the rioting crowd. There is even a video of it on Youtube, the ghostly image of horse and its rider, eerily making its way through the violent scene.
This is in my view a literal interpretation that is leading many people astray. I understand through study that the horsemen of the apocalypse are imagery. Horses represent speed of which things will happen. The rider, the messenger is revealing the nature of the judgement. The seven seals are judgements which take place after Jesus has returned for his church and the unveiling of the antichrist.
The fifth seal – Christians that will be killed in wars of persecution for their faith in Jesus. These are the people who become Christians after Jesus has called out the church and tragically go through the tribulation.
The sixth seal – Earthquakes and cosmic events, meteor showers, the sun and moon blocked by the dust. People hide in caves to escape the falling debris.
Between the sixth and seventh seal the 144,000 Jews witness for Christ bringing world-wide revival. Revelation 7: 2, 3.
The present day Jehovah Witnesses are another example of overlapping into the birth-pain period.
The Jehovah Witnesses claim to be the 144,000 Jewish descendants of the tribes of Israel and that they will be the only ones in the heavenly kingdom and the majority of those who receive eternal life will be earthly subjects of the kingdom. They also claim that Jesus has already returned with his angels, invisibly in 1914.
60 years later they predicted a date on which they claimed the Day of Wrath would happen and were wrong. Our neighbour in 1975 gave up his job and went out preaching with other Jehovah witnesses that the end was nigh, that the battle of Armageddon would be all over by the autumn of 1975, and it came to nothing.
They ignore the scripture were Jesus said, ”But of that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Mark 13: 32.
From the book, “The Greatest MAN Who Ever Lived.” Published by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York, INC. The Jehovah witnesses believe that Jesus is just a man with extraordinary powers and teachings. However sincere, they do not proclaim Jesus’ divinity that he is the living God revealed in the flesh or the Trinity.
From the book, “Released from the Watch Tower,” by Valerie Tomsett “No where does the Watchtower Society mention that one must receive Christ as a personal saviour.”
Philippians 2:9-11. Romans 10: 9, 10.
The seventh seal – This seal opens a period of silence in heaven, where we read seven angels are given trumpets and were another angel is carrying a bowl filled with incense and prayers of the saints.
It is so important that we pray the prayer that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples, “The Lord’s Prayer” that has been handed down to all who follow Jesus, remembering especially the word’s,“Your kingdom come, your will be done . . . .”
The time is nearer than we think, so as we realise the reality that Jesus could call out the church at any moment our hopes are raised by the Holy Spirit, because all what Jesus and the prophets prophesied will come true.
Don’t be distracted with the world and put off accepting Jesus as your Saviour today.
The pictures below: On a number of occasions whilst I’ve been watching a game of football on TV and I’ve left the room to make a cup of tea and I’ve missed the goal that has just been scored.
I’ve lost sight of the play and missed it, so we can be distracted from continually being focused on our Lord and his business and risk missing out on the call to our meeting with Jesus in the air. 