ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (03/19/91)
In a series of articles I am going to present the entire Church history as
phrophezied in Revelation 2:1-3:22. These verses phrophezy concerning the
first Church to the last Church before the Lord returns.
If you would like a list of references on Church history please send me a
note.
Note: This posting is very long. It will be divided into seven parts (there
are epistles to seven Churches.) Each part will consist of one or more
subparts.
Part V of VII - Subpart 2 of 2 of Part V
CHAPTER 3
III. "THE THINGS WHICH ARE" --
THE SEVEN LOCAL CHURCHES
2:1-3:22
E. Church in Sardis --
the Church in Reformation
3:1-6
5 He who (1a)overcomes, he shall be (2)clothed in (b)white garmets, and
I will by no means (3c)erase his nmae out of the (4d)book of life, and I will
(e)confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
(1) To "overcome" here means to overcome the deadness of the Protestant
churches, i.e., to overcome dead Protestantism.
(2) To be "clothed in white garmets" in this promise will be a prize to
the overcomers in the millenial kingdom. What they have been walking in
this age will be a prize to them in the coming age.
(3) the whole verse is the Lord's promise to the overcomers. It will be
fulfilled in the millenial kingdom after He comes back. The name "being
erased out of the book of life" indicates that that name was already written
in the book of life. "The book of life" is a divine record of the names of
those who partake of the blessings God has prepared for them. The names
of all the saints chosen by God and predestined to partake of these blessings
are written in this book (Luke 10:20). These blessings are in three stages:
1) the church, 2) the millenial kingdom, and 3) eternity. The blessings in the
stage of the church, such as forgiveness, redemption, regeneration, eternal
life, divine nature, etc., are the initial portions. All God's chosen ones
whose names are written in the book of life have a share in these initial
portions to begin their spiritual life. If they cooperate with God's
supplying grace, they will mature in life in the church age, and this
early maturity in life will constitute a prize with which the Lord will reward
them at His coming back. That prize will be the entrance into the millenial
kingdom and participation in the divine blessings in that stage, such as
the joy and rest of the Lord (Matt. 25:21, 23; Heb. 4:9-11), the reign over
the nations (Rev. 2:26-27; 20:4, 6), etc., which God has prepared as an
incentive for His chosen ones to go on with Him in the church age. However,
mmany of His chosen ones, after receiving His forgiveness, redemption,
eternal life, divine nature, etc., will not copperate with His grace and go
on with Him. Hence, they are unable to mature in life in the church age
and thus will not be ready at the Lord's coming back to enter into the
millenial kingdom and share in the divine blessings of that age as a prize.
Therefore, during the millenial kingdom their names will be erased from the
book of life. After being disciplined by the Lord and growing in life unto
maturity during the millenial kingdom, they will share in the divine blessings
in the stage of eternity, such as the eternal priesthood with God's eternal
presence, the eternal kingship (Rev. 22:14), the water of life (Rev. 22:17),
etc. Then their names should be written in the book of life again. This
means that all God's chosen ones whose names are written in the book of life
and have been brought into the participation of the divine blessings in the
stage of the church shall "by no means perish unto eternity," (John 10:28,
Gk.), that is, they shall by no means lose the the divine blessings of eternity;
but some, who will not copperate with the Lord in the church age, will be
dispensationally disciplined by the Lord during the millenial kingdom and
miss the divine blessings in that stage.
(4) Gk. scroll.
(a) Rev. 2:7 (b) Rev. 3:4 (c) cf. Exo. 32:32 (d) Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15;
21:17; Luke 10:20 (e) Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8
6 He who has an (a)ear, let him hear what the (b)Spirit says to the
churches.
(a) Rev. 2:7 (b) Rev. 2:7
-----
Robert W. Johnson
Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland
robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet)
robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET)
The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer
and furthermore has nothing to do with my employment.