Annabelle

Q5. What is the significance of the exalted Jesus walking among the lampstands? What does this teach us about the church? What does it teach us about Jesus? Ephesians 5:25-27, comes to my mind as I picture Jesus Christ walking among the lampstands, the churches. Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Also John 15:1-4 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I see Him as the Bride Groom, loving and protecting the Bride He laid down His life to sanctify and cleanse, and also as the vine among the branches. He is among the churches, caring, and inspecting. We know that He in Revelations chapter 2, gives some grave warnings to many of these churches. Ephesians 5:27 says He wants to present the churches to Himself, without spot or wrinkle. That they be Holy and without blemish. So, what is the significance of the exalted Jesus walking among the lampstands? It looks like He is protecting and inspecting. What does this teach us about the church? The churches are lights to the world, Lampstands, purchased, cherished, and inspected by Christ. What does it teach us about Jesus? What comes to me again and again, is that He is a jealous God. He is also the vine, the source of the churches, He has laid down His life for the churches, they belong to Him, and He to them.

Q4. The vision of Christ among the lampstands (1:12-20) is much different than the Carpenter-Teacher who walked the roads of Galilee and Judea. Why? What overall emotions is this vision of Jesus among the lampstands designed to evoke in the reader? Why is this understanding of Jesus important to a balanced faith? The Carpenter-Teacher who walked the roads of Galilee and Judea, was a human being. He was born of a woman, of the line of David, He was the second Adam,(Romans 5:12-21) but He bought back what Adam lost though disobedience. He was equal with God,(Philippians 2:6-11), yet took on the form of man, to redeem us, man, back from satan, and free us from the slavery to sin. He became the sacrificial lamb required by God through the old testament, but this lamb was not the first born unblemished lamb of a flock. This was the first born of God, unblemished by any sin, this was the Lamb of God. The Our triune God, three Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is the most infinite mystery there is. God is One God, but He is three in one. I can not comprehend it with my finite mind, but my spirit redeemed by Christ can! And I know in my spirit, that Jesus was God when He lived among us, but He was also man. He choose to be obedient to the Father. Some how He put away His divinity, and was just a man, but not. Hebrews 4:15 says He was tempted in all points, like we are, but without sinning. Yet, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says that God the Father made Jesus who knew no sin, to be made sin for us. That in Jesus's sacrifice, we might be made the Righteousness of God! To me that means that God sees Jesus when He sees me. The bible says that our own righteousness is as filthy rags, and only Christ shed Blood can cover me so God sees Christ's righteousness when He sees me. Christ was made to be sin while he hung on the cross, and God the Father could not look upon all that sin of the world, past, present, and future, and God the Father had to look away. The pain of that brief separation, must have been terrible, for it's the only time Jesus cried out. "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" When the reason why Jesus came to live here in human form was accomplished, He said, "it is finished". But, did He raise for the dead as man or God? I haven't studied that too much. But now He is the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Alpha and the Omega, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He was equal with God the Father before He became man, and He is equal to God the Father now. My finite mind can't quite grasp it, but my spirit can, and in my spirit, I know that I know!!

Q3. In what countries are Christians presently experiencing tribulation or persecution for the faith? How can the Book of Revelation be a comfort and encouragement to them? I think that the first to come to mind is of course the Middle Eastern countries, but I've read many of the posts to this question, and I agree that in just about every country there is some form of persecution. I especially liked the post of how persecution drives us closer to the Lord. There is an indifference in this country, that I am not immune to. This bible study and others like it are helping me to fight the swamp of indifference that I often find myself in.

Hi, my user name here is Annabelle, that was my mother's name. She went to the Lord in '86, and I always liked her name, so I decided t use it here. Q1. Revelation is written to encourage and strengthen a church facing intense persecution. Why is the theme of testimony and witness so important to that purpose? How is Jesus as the "faithful witness" (1:5) supposed to encourage us? Why are we afraid to be clear witnesses in a culture where we aren't persecuted?