Revelation of Jesus Christ

PDF copy of Rev Mar’s sermon on July 26, 2020 can be downloaded here:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ

Revelation 1:1-2

A. Some Clarifications

1. Ano ang ibig sabihin ng Revelation o Apocalipsis (Gr)? Answer: to uncover, to unveil, to manifest; alisan ng takip o talukbong, hawiin ang tabing, ilantad o ihayag o ipakita ang nakatago.

a. The revelation of Jesus Christ – ang inilalantad ni Jesucristo. Samakatuwid ang naglalahad ay ang Panginoong Jesucristo. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God (the Father) gave unto Him, ang paglalahad/paglalantad ni Jesucristo na itong Kaniyang ipinapakitang ito sa Kaniyang alipin na si Juan ay buhat sa Dios Ama. Pansinin na ang Dios Ama ay hindi dumidirecta kay Apostol Juan. Ang kapahayagan ng Dios Ama ay ibinigay Niya sa Dios Anak, ang Panginoong Jesucristo at ang Panginoong Jesucristo ang nagpapakita nito kay Apostol Juan.

b. This is to underscore or underline or stress the point that all prophecies or communications from God the Father to anyone in the world is always coursed to the Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Lahat ng patalastas ay ipinapahayag buhat sa Dios Ama tungo kanino man at sa anoman ay hindi directa doon sa pinapatungkulan sapagkat ito ay pinaparaan ng Dios Ama doon sa Dios Anak. On the other hand, all communications from anyone to God the Father must be coursed through the Lord God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. ( “ For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” [ 1Timothy 2:5 ] )

2. Example:  “God who at sundry times and divers manners spake in the time past unto the fathers through the prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.” ( Heb. 1:1-2 ) Kung ganoon, sa huling mga araw, nangusap ang Dios Ama sa atin sa pamamagitan ng Kaniyang Anak na si Jesuscristo. Ngunit doon ba sa Old Testament (OT), ang nangusap ba sa mga propeta at mga ninuno, gaya nila Moses, Abraham at lahat ng OT characters and writers, ay ang Dios Ama? Tama. Pero paano nangusap ang Dios Ama sa mga propeta na sila ay kinasangkapan upang mangusap ang Dios sa mga ninuno?

a. Sinasabi sa 2 Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Kaya naipasulat ng Panginoong Jesucristo and Aklat ng Pahayag kay apostol Juan ay dahil sabi ni apostol Juan na, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day” (Revelation 1:10). Ang prophecy o kapahayagan ng katotohanan at kalooban ng Dios ay dumating sa mga tao sa pamamagitan ng pag-udyok at pagkilos ng Banal na Espirito sa mga banal na lalake ng Dios upang mangusap sa ating mga ninuno sa Lumang Tipan. Ano ang ipinahayag ng Banal na Espirito sa mga propeta? Ito ay ang salita ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo (Lord of hosts). Sapagkat sa Zechariah 7:12, ang “mga salita na ipinasugo ng Panginoon ng mga hukbo sa pamamagitan ng kaniyang Espiritu.” Sa Bible, ang tinatawag na Lord of hosts ay ang Panginoong Jesucristo. At sa Bagong Tipan ay iniaral ng Panginoong Jesucristo na ang Banal na Espirito ay hindi mangungusap patungkol sa Kaniyang sarili kundi yaon lamang Kaniyang marinig mula sa Panginoong Jesucristo. Sinabi ng Panginoong Jesucristo patungkol sa Banal na Espirito, “Gayon ma’y kung siya, ang Espiritu ng katotohanan ay dumating, ay papatnubayan niya kayo sa buong katotohanan: sapagka’t hindi siya magsasalita ng mula sa kaniyang sarili; kundi ang anomang bagay na kaniyang marinig, ang mga ito ang kaniyang sasalitain: at kaniyang ipahahayag sa inyo ang mga bagay na magsisidating. Luluwalhatiin niya ako: sapagka’t kukuha siya sa nasa akin, at sa inyo’y ipahahayag. Ang lahat ng mga bagay na nasa Ama ay akin: kaya sinabi ko, na siya’y kukuha sa nasa akin, at sa inyo’y ipahahayag.” (John 16:13-15). Kaya ang Espirito ni Cristo na kumasi sa mga propeta at sa mga manunulat ng OT ay inihinga sa kanila ang espirito ng hula (spirit of prophecy) at itong spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 19:10) Kaya ang ipinahayag ng mga propeta at OT writers ay ang spirit of prophecy na siyang patotoo ng Panginoong Jesucristo.

b. Ano ang ipinapahayag ng Espirito ni Cristo? It is the declaration of God’s truth-this is called prophecy. Ang katotohanan na inihayag sa mga propeta ay ang katotohanan ng Panginoong Jesucristo sapagkat Siya ang daan, katotohanan at buhay. Kaya nga ang Espirito ni Cristo, ang Espirito na nasa mga propeta, ay tinatawag na Espirito ng katotohanan (John 16:13). Kaya ang spirit of prophesying o spirit of Biblical proclamation of God’s truth is the testimony of Jesus (patotoo ni Jesus) (Revelation 19:10).

c. Samakatuwid, sa OT, ang Dios Ama ay hindi nangusap ng directa sa mga propeta at OT writers kundi sa pamamagitan ng Banal na Espirito na ang kanilang pangungusap ay ang salita ng Panginoon na Kaniyang ipinadala sa pamamgitan ng Espirito. Halimbawa, sinasabi na noong isulat ni David iyong Psalm 110, si David ay nasa pagkasi ng Banal na Esprito na Siya ring tinatawag na the Spirit of Christ ayon sa sinasabi sa 1 Peter 1:11 na, “inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.”

1) Sa Jn. 5:46-47 sinasabi ng Panginoong Jesucristo, “For had ye believed (the writings of) Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” Kung ang mga Judio ay naniniwala sa isinulat ni Moises, sasampalataya sila kay Jesus sapagkat ang isinulat ni Moises ay ang mga salita ng Panginoong Jesus. Samakatuwid, ang nangusap kay Moises ay hindi ang Dios Ama kundi ang Panginoong Jesucristo.

3) Doon sa Exodus chapter 3, ang Panginoon ay nagpakilala kay Moses na ang Kaniyang pangalan ay “I Am” na nagpakilala rin na Dios ni Abrahan, Isaac at Jacob. Sa Bagong Tipan ay inako ng Panginoong Jesucristo na Siya yaong “I Am” na nakita ni Abraham ang Kaniyang mga araw sapagkat bago pa lumitaw si Abraham sa daigdig, dati nang “I Am” o dati nang nabubuhay ang Panginoong Jesucristo bago malalang ang sanglibutan.

2) At hindi lang kay Moises nagpahayag ng prophecy ang Panginoong Jesucristo kundi sa iba pang mga OT prophets and writers sapagkat ang kanilang isinulat ay patungkol pa rin sa Panginoong Jesucristo. Sinasabi ng Panginoong Jesucristo, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” (Lk 24:44)

3) In addition, all appearances of God in the OT (paglitaw ng Dios sa Lumang Tipan) or what is called theopanies where sometimes the Lord God appeared to people or to creatures in the form of an angel and yet this angel of the Lord turns out to be Yahweh, Lord, in the form of an angel. All theopanies are Christophanies. Lahat ng pagpapakita ng Dios sa OT ay pagpapakita ni Cristo sapagkat si Cristo ay Dios na nagpapakita ng Kaniyang sarili sa mga nilikha. Bagamat sinasabi na ang Dios Ama ay hindi nakita o makikita ng sinoman o kailanman, ngunit itong Panginoong Jesucristo ang Siyang larawan ng Dios Ama na di nakikita o makikita kailanman. .  He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Kaya ang pangungusap ng Dios Ama sa mga propeta ay sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatotoo ni Cristo either personally, direct appearances (theopanies) or by dreams and visions or events (pangyayari). Samakatuwid, ang spirit of prophecy of God the Father ay dumating sa mga OT prophets and OT writers through God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ by the moving of the Spirit of Christ upon the prophets and writers.

3. So whether in the OT or in the New Testament (NT), all of the manifestations and communications of God the Father to this world, past, present and future and forever and ever, will always be coursed through God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and all communications of the created beings to God the Father can only be a valid communication when it is coursed through the Son. No one can by-pass the Son because there is only one Mediator between God and man and that is the Lord Jesus Christ (1Timothy 2:5) because no one can come to the Father except through the Son (John 14:6). Sa Rom. 8:32, iyong “all things” freely given to us by God the Father “in the Son” includes all of revelation, not only as Book of Revelation but the entire Bible as the written revelation of God to us. Kaya iyong buong Bible as a revelation of God and not only the Book of Revelation, has been given to us by God the Father through the Son. So the whole Bible is a revelation of God the Father given to us through God the Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

B. Perspective of the Book of Revelation

4. Kaya sa Aklat ng Pahayag o Apokalipsis, nahawi na ang tabing, nabuksan na ang takip, naalis na ang talukbong, nalantad o nahayag na ang nais ipakita sa atin ng Panginoong Jesucristo na ibinigay sa Kaniya ng Ama. Ano iyon? Kung ano ang mga bagay-bagay na nararapat mangyari sa madaling panahon – “things which must shortly come to pass.” (Revelation 1:1). Samakatuwid, mga bagay-bagay na mangyayari pa lamang, bagamat sa prologue o pauna ng Aklat ng Pahayag ay may nabanggit na nagyari na at nangyayari kasalukuyan. Subalit ang kalakhang nilalaman ng Aklat ng Pahayag ay mga bagay-bagay na mangyayari pa lamang ngunit sa madaling panahon.

a. Ang perspective ng Book of Revelation na ipinasulat ng Panginoon kay apostol Juan ay nasa tatlong kapanahunan: Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter (Revelation 1:19)

1) Things thou hast seen. John saw a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Chapter 1, Past Things – iyong mga nangyari sa nakaraan)

2) Things which are. The Church Age. We are living in the times of things which are – the Church Age. There is the message to the 7 churches. While these are literal churches of Asia Minor they are also types of present churches and another way of looking at them is that each of them represent a certain era of church history. (Chapters 2-3, Present Age – iyong nangyayari sa kasalukuyan)

3) Things which shall be hereafter. Most of the Book is prophecy. (Chapters 4-22, Prophetic things; iyong mga nararapat na mangyayari sa madaling panahon).

b. Sapagkat ang Panginoong Jesus ay Siyang Alpha, the beginning, the first (Revelation 1:8, 18) at Siya ring the Way (John 14:6) at Siya ring Omega, He is the finality, consummation, perfection, completion (Rev. 1:8, 17, 18). So the Lord Jesus is He who is (present), who was (past), and who is to come (future). Therefore ang Jesus na ito ang may sakop sa buong sanlibutan sa nakaraan, sa kasalukuyan at sa darating. How can this be? Because His going forth is from everlasting (Micah 5:2). Ang Kaniyang pinagmulan ay buhat sa kawalang hanggan, i.e., with reference to the past, and He lives forever and ever because He is eternal life. He said, “I am the first and the last; behold, I am alive forevermore.” 

c. He upholds all things by the word of His power ( Heb. 1:3 ). The past, the present and the future are all in the grasp of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is in control of everything at all times. Ang nakaraan, ang kasalukuyan at ang darating na mangyayari sa sanlibutan ay nasa kamay ng Panginoong Jesus kaya hawak Niya sa Kaniyang kamay ang kabuuan o totality of all reality. He is the sovereign Lord o Siya ang may kapamahalaan ng lahat na nangyayari sa buong sansinukob at sa lahat ng kalahatan ng katunayan. Therefore, He is in control of all events in all of reality, He is the sovereign Lord of history. So history is His story. Kaya ang kasaysayan ng sanlibutan ay kasaysayan ni Jesus. Paano Niya ginagawa ito? Jesus tells history in advance. ( Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure [ Isa. 46:10 ] ). So the revelation of Jesus of things which must shortly come to pass is Prophecy, which is telling history in advance. 

C. Survey of the Book of Revelation

5. Ano itong “things which must shortly come to pass”?

a. Chapters 1-3. Sa buong chapters 2-3 ay ipinapakita ng Panginoong Jesucristo kay John ang pangitain (vision) regarding churches. Within the seven churches, 7 historical (because there were actually these 7 churches), representative (because they represent the churches of the different periods of time from the advent of the Lord Jesus Christ until rapture), eschatological churches (because these are the churches in the last days). There are three attitudes of these churches in the last days. Saan ka sa mga ito? 

1) cold-cold ka ba kay Lord? Nanlalamig ka na ba kay Jesus? “…thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent (Revelation 2:4-5). ( “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema.” [1Corinthians 16:22] )

2) lukewarm-malahininga ka ba kay Lord? Kasuka-suka ka sa Panginoon. (Revelation 3:16) This is a church, though claiming to be Christ-centered, yet the Lord is not in their midst, not the focus of their devotions, not in the center of their prayers. The Lord Jesus is knocking and seeking entrance to their gatherings that all their devotions and prayers may be truly addressed to Jesus. (Revelation 3:20)

3) hot-mainit ka ba kay Jesus?  Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity ( Ephesus 6:24 ). To them, the Lord Jesus said, “Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial (Tribulation) that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.” (Revelation 3:10) How is the church kept from the Tribulation that is to come to the whole world? The Church is raptured out of this world.

b. Chapters 4-5 – Rapture of the Church and departure of the saints. John was given a vision of the heavenly worship in the present heavens (Chapters 4-5)  “Come up hither and I will show you things which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1 ) . From Revelation 4:1, the “Church” is no longer mentioned in the succeeding chapters of the Book dealing with events here on earth because the church is already raptured out of this world when we who are alive and remain are caught up (Gr, harpazo) together with the resurrected dead in Christ to meet the Lord in the air. When will rapture take place? In any moment. We are not looking for sign or a prophecy to be fulfilled before the Lord’s coming for His Church. “Be therefore ready for in such an hour you think not, the Son of man cometh.” ( Matthew 24:44 ). Jesus is coming back “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess 5:2). So all believers at this point are no longer on earth but in heaven to appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) and receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. After that we, the saved ones, proceed to be married to the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10). 

c. Sa Chapters 6-18. Meanwhile, here on earth, after the Church is taken out of this world, the convicting influence of the Holy Spirit that is in-dwelling the believers is taken out of the way and there is no more restraining force against wickedness on earth. The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged already (John 16:8-11). The Holy Spirit convicts the world through the Church, the believers in Jesus being the salt of the earth (salt preserves, salt restraints decay) and the light of the world (light drives away dark influence of sin and evil and falsehood) (Matthew 5:13-14). When the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, corruption will set in fast and the man of wickedness, the man of sin, the son of perdition, the beast, the antichrist is revealed. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8) This is one of the reasons why we believe that the Rapture of the Church happens first and then the man of sin, the antichrist, is revealed and the 7-year Tribulation period starts. This is called Pre-Tribulation Rapture. 

The devastation of the earth during the 7-year Tribulation will be so great that people will cry to the mountains and rocks saying, “Hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the  wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of wrath is come and who shall stand?” (Rev. 6:12-17). During the tribulation period, the antichrist will deceive the nations. In the tribulation period, the Lord will pour out His wrath upon the world. It will be so terrible that man will desire to die but will not find death ( “in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.” [Rev 9:6 ] ) . It will be so terrible, you would not want to be left behind from the rapture.

Pagdating sa kalagitnaan ng 7 taon na kasunduang pangkapayapaan sa bansang Israel, tatalikuran ng anticristo iyong kanilang kasunduan at ipapakilala na siya ay dios at siya ay sambahin. Ang sinoman na hindi sasamba ay pupugutan ng ulo. Iyong bulaang propeta na kasama ng anticristo ay ipipilit sa lahat na tumanggap ng tatak ng halimaw (mark of the beast). Ang hindi magpatatak ay hindi makakabili ni hindi siya makapagtinda, hindi tatanggapin sa trabaho o hospital o sa grocery o palengke, hindi makakasakay sa public transport, hindi magkakaroon na titulo ng lupa at bahay. Magiging miserable, taong palaboy, a vagabond all his/her life. 

d. Revelation chapter 19-pangitain ng kaganapan ng battle of Armageddon kung saan nalupig at ibinulid sa dagatdagatang apoy na nagliliyab sa asupre ang anticristo at ang kasama niyang bulaang propeta (beast and the false prophet) at lahat ng nagsitanggap ng mark of the beast at sa mga sumamba sa larawan nito (Revelation 19:20). Doon ay where they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. 

d. In Revelation chapter 20, ang matandang ahas na siyang Diablo at Satanas, ay itinanikala sa loob ng isang libong taon, sa kalalimlaliman, upang huwag siyang makapandaya ng mga bansa sa loob ng 1,000 years of visible and personal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ on the planet earth (The Millennial Reign of the Lord Jesus Christ). After the millennium, satan will be released from the bottomless pit and he will deceive many people which he will form into another army of evil to fight against the Lord Jesus Christ. And the last world war will be fought and the name of that war is the battle of Gog and Magog where satan and his elements will be defeated resoundingly by the blinding glory of the Lord Jesus Christ asserted in all His power and brightness. Satan was then finally thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone where the antichrist and the false prophet were earlier thrown. After the battle of Gog and Magog, all the dead who were not included in the first resurrection will be summoned before the Lord Jesus Christ seated on His great white throne to judge those who received the mark of the beast and worshipped his image. The verdict of the Righteous Judge will be declared at the end of chapter 20. 

How is the final judgment to be held? Simple, it is simply the reading of the Lamb’s book of life. Ito ay pagbasa ng aklat ng buhay ng Kordero at lahat ng mga pangalan na nakatala sa aklat ng buhay ng Kordero, iyon ang mga saved. Iyong hindi nakatala ang kanilang pangalan sa aklat ng buhay ng Kordero ay ibinulid sa dagatdagatang apoy.

Paano masulat ang pangalan mo sa aklat ng buhay ng Kordero? Simple-you commit your all in faith, hope and love in the name of Jesus. Ito ang patotoo ni apostol Pablo sa 2 Timothy 1:12  “…for I know whom I have believed (Jesus), and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day (day of judgment).” Ilagay mo ang buong buhay mo sa pangalan ni Jesus at ang pangalan mo ay isusulat ni Jesus sa Kaniyang aklat ng buhay.

Song: When the roll is called out yonder, when the roll is called out yonder, when the roll is called out yonder, when the roll is called out yonder I’ll be there. Why? Because I placed everything in my life in the name of Jesus. Ngunit ang lahat na pangalan na hindi nakatala sa aklat ng buhay ng Kordero ay ibubulid sa dagatdagatang apoy at asupre na siyang ikalawang kamatayan. 

e. The New Heavens and New Earth. In Rev. 21:1-7, Jesus has made all things new. He has made the new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). That is the final parting of the faithful to the new heavens and the new earth and to the disobedient, to the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death. Kung gusto mong malaman kung kasama ka sa ibubulid sa dagatdagatang apoy, basahin mo ang Rev. 21:8 dahil iyon ang kompanya o barkada at parada ng mga papunta sa impiyerno, kasama doon ang “all liars”. Lahat tayo ay dumaan sa ganitong pamumuhay at kung tayo ay nagpapatuloy sa ganoong pamumuhay hinding-hindi tayo makakapasok sa “new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Ang dating mga langit at dating lupa ay naparam na kaya iisa lamang ang iyong maaaring puntahan – ang dagatdagatang apoy at nagliliyab na asupre. Ngunit hindi kailangang ikaw ay mabulid sa dagatdagatang apoy at asupre. Kailangang magkaroon ka ng katuwiran ni Cristo. Subalit dahil lahat tayo ay nagkasala at walang nakaabot sa kaluwalhatian ng Dios, makakamtan natin ang katuwiran ng Dios mula at sa pamamagitan ng tanging namuhay ng matuwid na pamumuhay, walang iba kundi ang Panginoong Jesucristo. “He (Jesus) who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” ( 2Corinthians 5:21 ). Siyang matuwid ang umako at nagdusa at nagbayad ng ating mga kasalanan upang maibilang tayong matuwid sa mata ng Dios. Paano maibilang tayo na matuwid? Hindi sa sarili nating kabaitan, kabutihan o katuwiran. Lahat ng gawa ng tao ay kulang na kulang upang umabot sa katuwiran at kabanalan at kaluwalhatian ng Dios. Makakamtan natin ang katuwiran ng Dios sa paraan na sinasabi ni apostol Pablo, “Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Philippians 3:8-9). Ang tanging paraan na maibilang ang sinoman na matuwid sa mata ng Dios ay sa pagsampalataya sa Panginoong Jesucristo na hindi bale na mawalan ka ng lahat (isinuko mo ang iyong lahat kay Jesus, kasalanan mo, kalikuan mo at kabutihan mo, pagmamakatuwid mo, galing mo, kabaitan mo, lahat ng kakayahan mo. Samakatuwid, mabubuhay ka dahil kay Cristo, living for Jesus), kahit nawalan ka ng lahat sa buhay mo, subalit nakamtan mo si Jesus at ikaw ay nasumpungan na nasa Kaniya, kung ganoon nakamtan mo na si Jesus na Siyang iyong katuwiran. Those who have been faithful to the Lord and clothed with the righteousness of Jesus will be with Him in the new heavens and new earth where everybody will enjoy the truly blessed life where the Lord shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, there will be no more death, nor sorrows nor crying, no more pain or sickness for the former things have passed away. Wala nang lindol, wala nang Ondoy, wala nang calamidad because everyone will come to the fold of the Lamb who is also the Good, the Great and the Chiref Shepherd.

f. Final State in Eternity. And in Revelation 22:3, “the throne of God and (Gr, “kai”, meaning and, also, even, likewise, moreover, a conjuctive having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force (emphatic sense, Tag, siya rin) of the Lamb (God and Lamb refer to one person with Lamb emphatic as to who is the God mentioned. In other words, God is the Lamb and the Lamb is God) shall be in it; and his servants shall serve Him.” Him is a third person singular, referring to the God who is also the Lamb. (cf. Revelation 4:2, John was in the spirit and he was shown the thone in heaven and saw one sitting on the throne.)

In the next verse, it becomes clearer that the God who is also the Lamb refers to a single Person, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. We read Revelation 22:4, “And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads.” Now, the Trinity is there in the throne; God the Father is there, but He is the invisible God. The Holy Spirit is there manifesting Himself as the glory surrounding the throne (Revelation 4:3) because Jesus said, “He (the Holy Spirit) shall glorify Me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:14). The glory the Holy Spirit is manifesting around the throne is the glory of the Lord Jesus. But the member of the Trinity whose face is seen sitting on the throne, whose name shall be in the foreheads of the saints, the God who is served, is the Lamb upon the throne, no other than the Lord Jesus Christ. What is my point? If in the finality of things unto eternity is that the God we will be directly serving, glorifying, exalting, magnifying is the Lord Jesus Christ, why don’t we start focusing our service, praises and magnifying and exalting the Lord Jesus Christ for this is the calling of the Father that we should have fellowship with the Son (1 Corinthians 1:9) and the Father is pleased with the Son that we should hear Him (Matthew 17:5). The Holy Spirit is also saying, “Today when you hear His voice (the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.” (Hebrews 3:7; 4:7) The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to the truth (John 16:13), but the Truth is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the Trinity wants us to focus our devotion to the second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

6. Saan mo gustong sumama? Sasama ka ba sa barkada ng mga suwail sa Panginoon? Your eternal destiny is the lake of fire and brimstone where you will be eternally enduring the fire, being tormented day and night forever and ever. Kung gusto mo naman mailigtas sa walang hanggang kapahamakan, sumama ka kay Jesus at dadalhin ka Niya sa new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness and you will be enjoying the eternal glory of the Lamb. Kaya kung gusto mong sumama sa Panginoong Jesucristo sa new heavens and new earth, tumalima ka sa 3-fold calling (3 sapin-sapin na tawag) of the Lord Jesus Christ:

a. Come unto me. Hindi ka pinapatungo ng Ama sa Kaniyang sarili kundi ikaw ay tinatawag ng Ama na pumunta at makipagsalong-buhay sa Kaniyang Anak na si Jesucristo. At dinadala ng Espirito Santo ang lahat sa Panginoong Jesucristo. (Matt. 11:28-29; 1 Cor. 1:9; Jn. 16:13) 

b. Follow me. Jesus is calling us to follow Him instead of the world because in the world we gain nothing but lose our soul and Jesus has put such a great value for our soul more than the value of the world. (Matt. 16:24-26) 

c. Abide in me. Ibig sabihin, sasama ka kay Jesus at hindi ka na aalis kay Jesus. Hindi ka sasama sa pastor, hindi ka sasama sa iglesia sapagkat ang pastor o ang iglesia ay hindi makapagliligtas sa iyo. Ang tanging makapagdadala sa iyo sa new heavens and new earth ay walang iba kundi iyong Kordero na nakaluklok sa Trono, walang iba kundi ang Panginoong Jesucristo, ang Kordero ng Dios na nag-aalis ng kasalanan ng sanlibutan at Siyang naghahari magpakailanman. (Jn. 15:1-7) 

The last invitation in the Bible has been extended, “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev 22:17) And the last prayer has been said, “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Rev. 22:20)

Tayong lahat ay kay Jesus sasama and we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever and ever in the new heavens and new earth.

26 July 2020