-------------------------<BrethrenVoice>------------------------- [which seeks to be guided solely by the NT Biblical pattern, facilitates free flow of Christian info. To God be the glory!] [eMail Moderator: ben@...] [<GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> archives/read online: http://associate.com/groups/brethrenvoice/ezmlm.cgi] <GLEANINGS-FOR-THE-DAY> <14 January 2003> Contents: ------------ 1) <Devotional> "Perceiving the unique" - Part 1 - Jill Carattini 2) <Bible-Study> "Divine revelation" (Pt-1/2) - Varghese John 3) <Prophecy> "The Redeemer's Return" (Pt-123/123)- A.W.Pink 1) <DEVOTIONAL> <SLICE-OF-INFINITY> "PERCEIVING THE UNIQUE - PART 1" Jill Carattini As you read this today, think about your perception of Jesus. Many agree he was a unique man. Many believe he was a good man. Few deny his impact on history. But perhaps the greatest tragedy in our thinking about Jesus is that it often stops far short from really thinking-thinking critically through words and claims that, if indeed true, would bring entirely new meaning to the word unique. The Gospel of John recounts the story of another who had not fully grappled with the uniqueness of Christ. We are told of a royal official whose son was near death. This man heard Jesus had arrived nearby, so he went to Jesus, begging him to come and heal his son. (Footnote 1: John 4:43 54) This man's perception of Jesus existed hazily within his perception of real things. Imagine his situation: His son lay sick at home, death moments around the corner. Time and space were very real to him. Hearing of Christ's arrival, he left quickly hoping there was "still time." Hence, Jesus' uniqueness was also somewhat real to him. He believed there was something real enough about Christ to mend the peril of the moment. He had most likely seen and undoubtedly heard of Jesus' miracles. Yet, at this moment, time and space were more real to him. Like countless others of his day and ours, his perception of Christ's uniqueness had not fully grasped the profundity of Christ's unique claims. Consumed by weight of time, he begged the face of eternity, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" What happens next is fascinating. Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." And in this defining moment, the man had to decide whether Christ was who he said he was or not. The Gospel simply says the man "took Jesus at his word and departed." Be sure to catch the importance of that phrase. At Christ's word, the man's perception of reality was sharpened. Jesus became more than a good man, more than a miracle worker. Trusting beyond time and space, beyond his eyes, the man took Jesus at his word, and went home to find his son well. The man you may perceive as a unique person in history boldly defined that uniqueness for us. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life, the light of the world, the bread of life. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Dear friend, how would your life be different if you took Jesus at his word? --- Copyright(c) 2003 Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Reprinted with permission. A Slice of Infinity is a ministry of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries _______________________________________________________________________ 2) <BIBLE-STUDY> "DIVINE REVELATION" - PART-1/2) Varghese John .... Unless God reveals Himself, no man can know Him and have fellowship with Him. It is because man is finite and God is infinite. The activity of God in making Himself and His truth known to man is called Divine Revelation. The word revelation means 'disclosure' or 'unveiling'. In Divine Revelation God unveils Himself to mankind. There are two basic types of revelation: General Revelation and Special Revelation. GENERAL REVELATION General revelation is God's communication of Himself to all persons at all times and in all places. It is essential and preliminary to God's special revelation. General revelation is God's self-manifestation in nature, providence and conscience. God's revelation in nature is perhaps the most prominent demonstration of general revelation. Psalm 19:1-6 is a vivid narration of God's revelation to mankind in the heavens as well as on earth. The Psalmist indicates that the revelation is continuous. That is, it occurs 'day unto day' and 'night unto night' (v.2). This revelation never ceases. Furthermore it is a wordless revelation: "There is no speech nor language"(v.3). The scope of this revelation is worldwide: "Their line (sound) has gone out through all the earth" (v.4). No one is excluded from this revelation of God. Wherever man looks in the universe, he sees an order and harmony. For instance, at a distance of ninety-three million miles from the earth, the sun provides exactly the right temperature for man to function on earth. Were the sun closer, it would be too hot to survive, and were it further away it would be too cold for man to live. Romans 1:18-21 further develop the concept of general revelation. "For since the creation of the World His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Divine nature), so that they are without excuse"(Rom. 1: 20). The human race is rendered guilty and without excuse through God's revelation of Himself in nature. This revelation gives mankind an awareness of God but is insufficient to provide salvation. Another means for Divine revelation is God's providential care and control. It is God's goodness in supplying people with sunshine and rain that enables them to live and function in this world (Matt. 5: 45). Paul reminds the people at Lystra that God's providential goodness was a witness to them (Acts 14: 17). God's providential control is evident in His dealing with the nations. God has disciplined His chosen people Israel whenever they were disobedient. Whenever they had repented of their sins He restored them also. He judged Egypt for sinning against Israel (Ex. 7-11); He raised the nations to power and also caused their decline (Dan. 2:21, 31- 43). Further God has revealed Himself through the conscience of man. Romans 2:14-15 indicates that God has placed intuitional knowledge concerning Himself within the heart of man. Man has an innate knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. He also has got a basic sense of accountability to God. That is why man is able to make moral judgement. Even unbelievers feel that they ought to do something though they may not like to do the same. This is because of the law written in their conscience. Paul says while the Jews will be judged according to the written Law, Gentiles who do not have the written law, will be judged according to the unwritten law - the law of conscience or the law written in their hearts. Moreover the conscience acts as a legal prosecutor (Rom. 2:15). Conscience is innate and universal. It is not the product of environment, training or education, though it is influenced by all these factors. Conscience, therefore, may be regarded as an inner monitor or the voice of God in the soul that passes judgement on man's response to different situations. [To be concluded] --- [Reproduced by permission] _______________________________________________________________________ 3) <PROPHECY> "THE REDEEMER'S RETURN" (FINAL) APPENDIX (PART 2 OF 2) Arthur W. Pink .... In the fourth place what is predicted of the first "Beast" in Rev. 13 comports much better with what is elsewhere revealed concerning the Anti-christ, than what is here of the second "Beast." In proof of our assertion we submit the following: Points of resemblance between the first Beast of Rev. 13 and the Man of Sin of 2 Thess. 2-- 1. The first Beast receives his power, seat, and great authority from the Dragon, Rev. 13:2. Compare 2 Thess. 2:9--"Him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2. "All the world" wonders after the first Beast, Rev. 13:3. Compare 2 Thess. 2:11, 12--"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned" etc. 3. The first Beast is "worshipped" Rev. 13:4. Compare 2 Thess. 2:4--"he as God sitteth in the temple of God." 4. The first Beast has a mouth "speaking great things" Rev. 13:5. Compare 2 Thess. 2:4--"who** exalteth himelf above all that is called God." 5. The first Beast makes war upon the saints Rev. 13:7. Compare 2 Thess 2:4--"Who opposeth **all that is called God," that is, he will seek to exterminate and obliterate everything on earth which bears God's name. From these five points of analogy it seems clear that the first Beast of Rev. 13 and the Man of Sin of 2 Thess. 2 are one and the same person. In the fifth place, that the second "Beast" is not" the Man of Sin" appears from the fact that the second Beast causeth the earth to worship the first Beast (Rev. 13:12), whereas the Man of Sin "exalteth himself"(2 Thess. 2:4), and compare Dan. 11:36--"And he exalteth himself." Again,; it has been generally recognized by prophetic students that our Lord referred to the Anti-christ when He said, "I am come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye wlll receive" (John 5:43). If the one here mentioned as coming "in his own name" is the Anti-christ then it is certain that the second Beast of Rev. 13 cannot be the Anti-christ for he does not come "in his own name." On the contrary, the second Beast comes in the name of the first Beast as is clear from Rev. 13:12-15. Just as the Holy Spirit--the third person in the Holy Trinity--speaks "not of Himself" (John 16:13) but is here to glorify Christ, so the second Beast--the third person in the Evil Trinity--seeks to glorify the first Beast, the Anti-christ. If it should be objected that the second Beast is represented as working miracles (Rev. 13:13, 14) and that as the Man of Sin is also said to come "after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thess. 2:9) therefore the second Beast must be the Anti-christ, the answer is, This by no means follows. The power to work miracles is common to each person in the Trinity of Evil. Just as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each perform miracles, so does the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet. Three things are said in connection with the second Beast which correspond closely with the work of the Holy Spirit. First, "he maketh fire come down from heaven" (Rev. 13:13), compare Acts 2:1-4. Second, "he had power to give life unto the image of the Beast" (Rev. 13:15), compare John 3:6--"born of the Spirit." Third, "he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" (Rev. 13:16), compare Eph. 4:30--"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Finally; the second Beast is clearly subordinate to the first Beast. But would the Jews receive as their Messiah and King one who was himself the vassal of a Roman? Was not this the very reason why the Jews of old rejected the Lord Jesus, i.e., Because He was subject to Caesar and because He refused to deliver the Jews from the Romans! In the sixth place, as we have seen, in Dan. 11:36 the Anti-christ is termed "the king" and if a king he must posses a kingdom, and can there be any doubt as to the identity of this kingdom? Will not Anti-christ's kingdom be the very one which Satan offered in vain to Christ? namely, "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them" (Matt. 4:8). That the kingdom of the Anti-christ will be much wider than Palestine appears from Dan. 11:40-42--"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him (the Anti-christ_: and the king of the north shall come against him (the Anti-christ) like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he (the Anti-christ) shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He (the Anti-christ) shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his (the Anti-christ's) hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon (compare other Old Testament prophecies concerning these three powers). He (the Anti-christ) shall stretch forth his hand upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape." From this Scripture it is also clear that the Anti-christ will be at the head of a great army and therefore a political ruler as well as a religious chief. In the seventh place, it is generally agreed among those students of prophecy who belong to the Futurist school that the rider upon the four horses of Rev. 6 is the Anti-christ. If this be the case then we have further proof that the Anti-christ and the Head of the revived Roman empire is one and the same person. This may be seen by comparing three Scriptures. In Rev. 6:8, of the rider on "the pale horse," we read, "His name that sat on him was Death and Hell followed with him." In Isaiah 28:18, those who will be in Jerusalem during the Tribulation period are addressed by Jehovah as follows: "And your covenant with Death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with Hell shall not stand." What "covenant" can this be except the one mentioned in Dan. 9:27 where we read of the Roman Prince (the Head of the revived Roman empire) confirming the covenant with the many for seven years. Now reverse the order of these three passages, and what do we learn? In Dan. 9:27 we learn that the head of the Roman empire makes a "covenant" with the Jews. In Isaiah 28:18 this "covenant" is said to have been made with "Death and Hell." While in Rev. 6:8 the rider on the pale horse (which it is generally admitted is the Anti-christ) is named "Death and Hell." Hence, from whatever angle we approach the subject it is seen that the Anti-christ is the Head of the fourth world-kingdom. Finally, we wish to call attention to the employment of the definite article in connection with the two "Beasts" of Rev. 13. Wherever we read of the Beast, it is the Anti-christ who is in view. In 13:1 we read, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy"--this is the empire itself with its seven mountains and ten kings (see 17:9, 12). But from 13:2-8 it is always "the Beast," the Head of the empire, the Anti-christ. So in 19:20 and 20:10. The Anti-christ is termed "The Beast" in contradistinction to Jesus Christ who is denominated "The Lamb." [Concluded] ---------------------------<BrethrenVoice>--------------------------- Subscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-subscribe@...> Unsubscribe, eMail:<brethrenvoice-unsubscribe@...> FAQs/Faith Statement, eMail: <brethrenvoice-faq@...> <BrethrenVoice> Home: www.brethrenvoice.net <eFellowship> Home: http://groups.msn.com/BrethrenChristiansForum/ "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith." 2 Cor 13:5 "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Jn 8:32