LHC Midday Word

Sunday, 26 June 2022

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ - Chapter Twenty One

1 Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling-place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death” or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

5 He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’

6 He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practise magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulphur. This is the second death.’

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9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick. 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Revelation 21: “bride” (v.9)

An angel told John, “come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v.9). But he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain, great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem” (v.10).

Clearly John is given a new picture of ‘the church’ as a city, in order to understand better its nature. Now let’s learn more with John’s help. “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (v.23).

And just to repeat the point from chapter 20, “only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (v.27) can “enter” it.

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The New Heaven and New Earth

– Timothy Keller -

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READINGS

The REVELATION of Jesus christ

Chapter Twenty One

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

- Overview -

The Bible Project

Chapter 1 to 11

Chapter 12 to 22

How to Read the Bible

Apocalyptic Literature

Revelation “The Bible in 5”

Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/Oj7WcXVzHpI

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STUDY - LINKS

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

David Pawson

-Part 1-

https://youtu.be/xZP8kbY-Cec

-Part 2 -

https://youtu.be/xn_E5VoeH1w

Part 3

https://youtu.be/OWcgyuQc9Wc

Part 4

https://youtu.be/_A_4PaSsHXE

Part 5

https://youtu.be/91rKSt2B8sc

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Saturday, 25 June 2022

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ - Chapter Twenty

1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient snake, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

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7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

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11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Revelation 20: “books” (v.12)

What are these “books” (v.12)? John describes what he sees in his vision: “I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened … The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books” (v.12).

Note:

[A] the place is the “great white throne” (v.11) of God’s judgement;

[B] the people to be judged are all “the dead, great and small” (v.12);

[C] copious actions are “recorded in the books” (v.12) to judge them by;

[D] so if anyone’s name was not … in “the book of life” (vv.12 & 15), they were “thrown into the lake of fire” (v.15). Lost forever! Unless … !

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READINGS

The REVELATION of Jesus christ

Chapter Twenty

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

- Overview -

The Bible Project

Chapter 1 to 11

Chapter 12 to 22

How to Read the Bible

Apocalyptic Literature

Revelation “The Bible in 5”

Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/Oj7WcXVzHpI

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STUDY - LINKS

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

David Pawson

-Part 1-

https://youtu.be/xZP8kbY-Cec

-Part 2 -

https://youtu.be/xn_E5VoeH1w

Part 3

https://youtu.be/OWcgyuQc9Wc

Part 4

https://youtu.be/_A_4PaSsHXE

Part 5

https://youtu.be/91rKSt2B8sc

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Friday, 24 June 2022

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ - Chapter Nineteen

1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

‘Hallelujah!

Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

for true and just are his judgments.

He has condemned the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.

He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.’

And again they shouted:

‘Hallelujah!

The smoke from her goes up

for ever and ever.’

4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

‘Amen, Hallelujah!’

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

‘Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

both great and small!’

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

‘Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

Fine linen, bright and clean,

was given her to wear.’

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

9 Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’

10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.’

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11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron sceptre.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

king of kings and lord of lords.

17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in mid-air, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.’

19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshipped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

Revelation 19: “worship” (v.10)

If you think the 2nd Commandment only applied to heathen idols, think again. These words comprehensively ban having, honouring or worshipping “anything” (Exodus 20 vv.4-6).

Did you know “greed … is idolatry” (Colossians 3 v.5)? Or that the adoration of a lifeless object, even if a work of art and of high monetary value, is ignorant folly? Or that John’s vision of an angel made him prostrate himself in awe, disposed “to worship him” (v.10)?

However he was sharply reproved, restrained and warned as well, “do not do it! I am a fellow servant … worship God!”

Read Jesus’ comments (John 4 vv.23-24).

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Exodus 20 vv.4-6 You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

John 4 vv.23-24 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.’”