Yes, particularly as in “Holy Spirit!”

In the Old Testament, in the Hebrew language, “spirit” is “ruach.” And in the New Testament, in Greek, it is “pneuma.”

But the interesting thing here is that in both languages the word means the same thing! That being, “wind.” As in a “breeze.” From a gentle moving of the treetops as in 2 Samuel 5:24 … to a loud, rushing, mighty wind as in Acts 2:2!

Now think of this word picture, one I plan to use the rest of my life. I am walking up the road and the wind is blowing hard against me. The trek is hard, tiring, maybe even exhausting!

Then I turn around and walk the other direction. Walking “with the wind” now! Imagine how easy conditions have become. Every step easier, almost enjoyable!

And that is the blessing of walking in the Spirit, the Spirit of God! If I am going the direction He (the Holy Spirit) is pointing me, leading me, I will enjoy the trip. He is doing all the work, the motivating!

Wow!

Every windy day can now present me an object lesson! On being led by the Spirit, on walking in the Spirit! On never opposing the Holy Spirit!

Get this verse of Scripture too. “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.” Quoting 2 Peter 1:21 … where the verb “moved” literally means “carried along!” Blown by the Holy Spirit! I suspect that writing was effortless, pleasant even!

Blow, Spirit, blow!

And Matthew produced a Gospel!

As did Mark and Luke and John!

Blow, Spirit, blow!

And let me be in “sync” with your Flow!

Are you living today, “with” or “against” the Holy Spirit’s Breath?

Seriously, make things easier on yourself!

Let the Holy Spirit of God propel your life!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

While studying for my Sermon Text this week, I had to learn more about the ancient (false) religion called “Gnosticism.”

One of its basic tenants is that Jesus Christ is NOT the Son of God! That He is NOT God come in the flesh!

John the Disciple, writing near the end of his life, kept saying that Jesus DID come in the flesh, as the literal Son of God!

“Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.” 1 John 4:203

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2nd John Verse 7

His Gospel asserts this deity of Christ as well! For example …

“And the Word (Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Today’s “new religion” denies this Fact!

But truly, the Sonship of Jesus is existentially crucial, fundamental to salvation.

Do YOU know Jesus this way?

If not, here’s how …

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Jesus Himself in John 5:24!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Here are two outstanding Old Testament examples of the noun “dragon” …

Psalm 91:13 … Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

Isaiah 27:1 … In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

These are both symbols, types, of the Devil!

***

The noun “serpent” (in Greek “ophis”) is found 14 times in the New Testament. Revelation has 5 of those occurrences. (More than any other Book!) Here are some of those mentionings …

1^st use … Matthew 7:10 … Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

Matthew 10:16 … Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise (phron’imos = wise 14x only //) as serpents, and harmless (not mixed) as doves.

Matthew 23:33 … Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

1 Corinthians 10:9 … Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

John 3:14 … And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

2 Corinthians 11:3 … But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

***

Class … I am, this time through Revelation, more amazed than ever at the number of souls saved, despite their circumstances!

Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands …

Revelation 7:13-14 … And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Amen!

***

Watch the video lesson …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Our six-verse Text today is another parenthesis! Revelation is so full of them that the exact timeline is hard to discern! This one extends to Revelation 14:20, the last verse of the Chapter!

***

If you missed this in class …

Some Reference (Study) Bibles see seven persons beginning here …

The Woman, Israel!

The dragon, Satan!

The Child, Christ Jesus!

The Archangel, Michael!

The Jewish Remnant!

The Beast out of the Sea!

The Beast out of the Earth!

***

I recently learned that there are seven (7) “signs” (often called miracles) in the Book of Revelation!

Revelation 12:1 and 12:3! Revelation 13:13 and 13:14! Revelation 15:1 and 16:14 and finally 19:20!

Think of the “signs” in John’s Gospel as well!

***

The Man Child (Jesus) was “caught up” to Heaven in verse 5, using the verb “harpazo.” This describes Jesus’ Ascvemnsion.

Watch this verb elsewhere in the New Testament …

Harpazo … often meaning “to take by force!”

Acts 8:39 … And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away (harpazo) Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

2 Corinthians 12:2 … I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth; such an one caught up (harpazo) to the third heaven.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 … Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (harpazo) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Jude 23 … And others save with fear, pulling (harpazo) them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Wow!

***

Watch the class, if you can …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.

Here’s the verse I mentioned in class about us serving our dear Lord for all eternity!

Revelation 22:3 … “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants (doulos = slaves) shall serve (latreu’o = with sort of reward implied) him.”

The parenthetical material simply defines the words more fully. I am NOT adding to the Word of God!

***

After verse 15 … “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” … Jesus always seen as a reigning Monarch!

Even as late as Revelation 19:12 …

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

***

Look also how real worship immediately follows the Proclamation of Jesus’ Kingship!

In other words … look at the nexus between verses 15 and 16 …

Revelation 11:15-16 …  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (Then Verse 16 with its immediate worship, thanks, celebration) … 16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying …!

Amen!

***

Verse 19 may ideally link with Revelation 12:1, preparing us for the wondrous 12th chapter …

Revelation 11:19 … And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Revelation 12:1 … And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars …

The key words … “in heaven.”

***

Clarence Larkin, a noted Bible expositor of bygone years, says …

“The 7^th Trumpet sounding contains everything in Revelation down to chapter 20, verse 3″ …

Revelation 20:3 … And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

***

Dr. John Walvoord, also now with the Lord, adds …

The event the 24 Elders are celebrating is that which is prophesied in Messianic Psalm 2:9 …

“Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Jesus as Victor, Hallelujah!

***

“Four and Twenty Elders” … that exact String of words is found six times in the Book of Revelation! That’s impressive …

Revelation 4:4 and 10, Revelation 5:8 and 14, Revelation 11:6 here and again in Revelation 19:4!

***

The earthly Temple is to be desecrated by anti-Christ, irreverence personified!

2 Thessalonians 2:4 … Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Daniel 8:13 … Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

But the Heavenly Temple is still a place of worshipping God …

***

The 24 Elders, normally seated, dismount their thrones on occasion!

Revelation 5:14 … And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever (Worshipping the Lamb, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah).

Revelation 11:16 … And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying …!

And once more!

Revelation 19:4 … And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

***

Now, for more information, watch the whole video class …

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.