Servias Ministries Blog

How long will it take to be taken up… harpazo’d?

Paul recorded by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Corinthians chapter 15:

50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my Beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

What is the twinkling of an eye?  It is the time it takes for light to pass through the lens in your eye.  At the current measurable speed of light and the measurable distance in the thickness of an eye lens, the calculated time is 10^-43 seconds.  This is the smallest unit of time possible.  Quantum physicists have discovered this Truth in recent years so it is not surprising that FATHER would give us such a hint of the mystery hidden in times past.

From our perspective, it will be instantaneous, and mankind will be surprised at the disappearance of a notable segment of the global population.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st John chapter 3:

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Jesus is not restricted to four dimensions.  When He is revealed, we shall be like Him and will no longer restricted to those four dimensions either.  Scientists discovered the reality of more dimensions decades ago.  As science progress, it only serves to acknowledge the Absolute Truth of Scripture.

Paul recorded by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 5:

1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation (G3613 oikētērion ) which is from Heaven,

Jude wrote by The Holy Spirit:

1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode (G3613), He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

This habitation is where the angels in Jude 6 fell from.  We will have no earthly restrictions once we are changed in the twinkling of an eye.  All who focus their hope on Jesus will always be purifying themselves, just as Jesus is pure.  It is vital that we protect our hearts from the worldly.

There are seven raptures in Scripture.

1. Enoch was caught up.

Moses wrote by THE SPIRIT in Genesis chapter 5:

23  So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 11:

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Enoch was not a Jew.

•  Elijah was caught up.

It is recorded by THE SPIRIT in 2^nd Kings chapter 2:

11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into Heaven.

•  Jesus was caught up.

Mark recorded what he saw in Mark chapter 16:

19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 1:

9  Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven.”

John recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 12:

5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His Throne.

• Philip was caught up.

Luke again recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 8:

39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

•  Paul was caught up.

He recorded by The Holy Spirit in 2^nd Corinthians chapter 12:

2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago-whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows-such a one was caught up to the third Heaven.

3 And I know such a man-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-

4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible Words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

•  The Body of Christ is caught up.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Thessalonians chapter 4:

15  For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

18 Therefore comfort one another with these Words.

Paul had no reluctance to affirm what will happen as he already had such an experience himself.

•  John was caught up.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 4:

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

FATHER often uses seven examples to assure us of HIS Divine Intent.  People want to believe in UFO’S and aliens yet they have difficulty in believing the reality of being caught up by THE CREATOR of the universe.  They are simply blinded to the Absolute Truth of FATHER’S Word!

Jesus comes back to the earth twice, once for His Bride (before the great tribulation) and separately for Israel (at the end of the seven year period).

Because of many teachings discounting Israel and redefining their irrevocable covenant applying to the church, most believers have not properly understood certain aspects of Scripture.

Why would Paul, an expert in The Mosaic Law, be selected to bring forth the mystery of the church and much of the revelation of the New Testament?  Israel consistently failed to walk in the Fear of THE LORD which caused them much suffering.  The Book of Judges demonstrated their deliverance multiple times only to revert back to unrighteousness.  However, FATHER’S Word is irrevocable and can be fully trusted.  It is absolute Truth!  Their experience should be considered as patterns for our instruction.

Jesus walked the earth as a Jew and fully understood the Law AND Its Intent.  Several of His parables defied Mosaic Law which indicated that there was a separate group of people who would become His Bride.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 13:

10  And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

To whom had Jesus been preaching?  The Jews, including the scribes and Pharisees.  He healed on the Sabbath.  He forgave sins.  He and His disciples pluck heads of grain on the Sabbath.  He told the lame man to take up his bed on the Sabbath.

Jesus made it abundantly clear in Matthew chapter 12:

3  But Jesus said to them (the Pharisees), “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:

4 how he entered the House of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

5 Or have you not read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?

6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.

7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.

8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 13:

33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Leaven was seen as unlawful for the Jews to use to make bread.  This parable applied to the Gentiles who would have The Word preached to them throughout the earth so that they could receive salvation through their adoption by FATHER.

Matthew chapter 13:

44   “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The field is the world and Jesus gave His Life for the entire world, not just the Jews.

45  “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,

46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

A pearl is not kosher or clean in the eyes of the Jews yet Jesus sold all He had (i.e. His Life) and give It for such a treasure (the world).

47  “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,

48 which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just,

50 and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

The fish were not limited to Jews, but all men were separated into two groups: the just and the wicked.  FATHER’S justice will determine every person’s outcome.  We have the decision whether to submit to His Righteousness or pursue the world and its trappings.  We determine our outcome.

Finally, Jesus concluded with:

51 Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

52 He responded, “Every scholar of the Scriptures, who is instructed in the ways of Heaven’s Kingdom realm, is like a wealthy home owner with his house filled with treasures both new (Gentiles) and old (Jews).”

Revelation chapter 4 begins “the hereafter” where the Bride is now with Our Lord Jesus Christ and will observe the seven-year tribulation from Above.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Thessalonians chapter 4:

16  For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these Words.

And in 1^st Corinthians chapter 15:

51  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Paul understood the harpazo event and urged us to continue in our labor AND retain The Fear of THE LORD in all we do and think.  He had been caught up to the third Heaven and saw both the Love and the judgment (the Holy fire) of Our Heavenly Father.

Isaiah recorded by The Holy Spirit in Isaiah chapter 26:

19  Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.

20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, Until the indignation is past.

21 For behold, the LORD comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain.

And in Zephaniah chapter 2:

3 Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’s anger.

And in Psalm 27:

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the House of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His Temple.

5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His Tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.

If we were not to be removed from the great tribulation, The Holy Spirit would not have moved upon Paul, Isaiah, Zephaniah, and David to record the above.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:

1  “Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in Me also.

2 My Father’s House has many dwelling places. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am.

4 And you already know the way to the place where I’m going.”

Where is Jesus today?  In the Throne Room in the midst of Heaven.  Where are the dwelling places prepared for us?  In Heaven, not on the earth during the time of trouble!

It is written by THE SPIRIT in Jeremiah 16:

9  For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and the voice of the bride (the true church).

10 “And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, ‘Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?’

11 then you shall say to them, ‘Because your fathers have forsaken Me,’ says the LORD; ‘they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law.

12 And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.

13 Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.’

We must keep in mind there are four groups to consider:  The true church (the Bride), the religious (Jesus never knew them), the unsaved (those who rejected Christ), and Israel who have denied Christ as their Messiah.

Revelation chapter 4 begins “the hereafter”.

The word revelation means: the unveiling, revealing, to fully expose.  I would suggest that this Book is to be classified as the ultimate Book of Love.  Why?  Jesus provides us with what is to come for His Bride as well as those who reject Him in some manner.  He wishes that none would perish.  No other book promises a special blessing to the reader.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in Revelation chapter 1:

17  And when I saw Jesus, I fell at His Feet as dead. But He laid His Right Hand on me, saying to me,

“Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.

18 I am He Who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.

19 Write the things which you have seen (past), and the things which are (present), and the things which will take place after this (meta tauta).

20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My Right Hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

Jesus gave us the outline of the Book of Revelation:

Chapter 1               the past

Chapters 2 & 3      the present

Chapters 4 – 22     the future

Further, He defines the lampstands as being the churches.  The purpose of a lampstand is to provide light, and its light comes from the oil contained which is The Holy Spirit.  No Presence of The Holy Spirt, no light!

Revelation Chapter 4:

1 After these things (meta tauta) I looked, and behold, a door standing open in Heaven. And the first Voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this (meta tauta).”

I am convinced that the harpazo has occurred as of verse 1.

John is now in the Throne Room and in the future (meta tauta) and describes what he saw and heard:

2  Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a Throne set in Heaven, and One sat on the Throne.

3 And He Who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the Throne, in appearance like an emerald.

4 Around the Throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

5 And from the Throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

John recorded what he saw thirty-five times.  The term “I looked” is recorded seventy times in this Book.  The phrase “I beheld” was recorded seven times, “I heard” was recorded twenty-three times.  This was not a vision, but a reality beyond the restriction of the time dimension.  Jesus said “I will show thee” and that is exactly what He did!

Isn’t noteworthy that The Beloved Disciple is the one selected to record this Book of Love which occurred beyond the time dimension!

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 13:

16  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Jesus authored letters for John to write and send to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 for our personal application, encouragement, and warning.

Each church had a primary focus stated by Jesus Himself.

Ephesus                 Neglected Priorities

Smyrna                  Satanic Opposition

Pergamos               Worldly Compromise

Thyatira                 Flee Pagan Practices

Sardis                    Watchfulness, Diligence

Philadelphia           Loyal Ambassadorship

Laodicea                Repent & be committed

I have based my life on the reality that The Word of GOD is the absolute Truth in all areas.  FATHER means what HE says, and says what HE means!

To allegorize means interpret or represent symbolically.  I have heard and read countless positions attempting to totally interpret HIS Truths into allegories.  Once you add man’s interpretation to The Word, you will change the Divine Intent and effectively call GOD a liar.  You are then walking on thin ice.  Are there multiple levels of understanding and application of HIS Word?  Yes, but we must not reinterpret The Word to fit our own intent or motive.  This is why it is vital that each of us allow The Holy Spirit to be a witness of The Truth when preached.

Embracing Truth is the issue!

At the end of each Epistle to the seven churches, we are given a warning:

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches…”

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 13:

10  And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;

15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear;

17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

Contained within each parable is a Truth to be embraced.  If you accept and embrace the Truth, you will be given more Truth.  If you reject the Truth given, it will be taken away.

I have a great concern that many believers’ hearts have grown dull and have lost their first Love.  They no longer pray in THE SPIRIT and are accepting society’s redefining of Truth.  Idol Worship has exponentially grown through the entertainment media.  Meanwhile, the poor get poorer, and the rich get richer.

Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in chapter 13:

34  All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My Mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

The subject of the parables in Matthew chapter 13 are not found in the Old Testament.  These Truths had been kept secret from the foundation of the world.  This is also true of the final book: The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  This final book is the culmination of FATHER’S Plan for mankind.  This is why we shall receive a special blessing when we read it.

Paul was given the privilege of revealing the mystery as he wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 3:

1  For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles-

2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,

4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His Holy apostles and prophets:

6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the Gospel,

7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His Power.

The mystery of our adoption was not given to the Jews, for their eyes and ears were shut.  You and I have become fellow heirs and partakers of His Promise in Christ.  It is imperative that you understand that there are two groups of inheritance: the twelve tribes of Israel and the true church.  FATHER has not forsaken Israel or changed HIS Mind concerning HIS covenant with Abraham.  Believers have mistakenly taken on Israel’s inheritance as their own.  Don’t worry, an adopted child has the same privileges and inheritance as a begotten child.

John recorded seven letters to the churches given to him by Our Lord Jesus Christ!

These seven churches provide a concise summary of the church age at multiple levels.  In their specific order, they provide a history of the last 2,000 years.  They provide the condition of those churches at the time they were given.  Further, they reveal seven different conditions found in churches today.  They also reveal the conditions of believers at the individual level.

The churches who thought they were doing well. weren’t.  The churches who thought they were not doing well, were.  Each church was somewhat surprised.

The Beloved Disciple recorded what Jesus spoke in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 specifically for the benefit of you and me.  In every epistle, He declared “I know thy works” which is also the case for us as well.  There is nothing hidden from Him.

To anyone who reads, HEARS, and keeps this Revelation is promised a special blessing:

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the Words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

No other Book of the Bible declares a special blessing like this.  The time is now!  We need to quit spending time on nonsense.  Nonsense is communication, via speech, writing, or any other symbolic system, that lacks any coherent meaning. Sometimes in ordinary usage, nonsense is synonymous with absurdity or the ridiculous. 

The world wants us to focus on anything other than the Absolute Truth given to us Our Heavenly Father.

Jesus spoke in John chapter 14:

1  “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus said to him, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus declared that He would come again for us, His Bride.  I assure you that He is not going to let His Bride suffer for seven years through the great tribulation and then present His Bride bruised and battered to Our Heavenly Father.

In these two chapters, Jesus warns us seven times:

Revelation 2:

7   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”‘

11  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”‘

17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”‘

29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.“‘

Revelation 3:

6  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘

13 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘”

How many times do you and I need to be warned to heed the Words of Jesus?  Notice once again that He says “churches”, not just “church”.  His Words apply to all churches and every believer, no matter what their spiritual state.  Nobody can claim ignorance or have an excuse.

Jesus declared to anyone found in the Laodicean church:

Revelation 3:20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My Voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Jesus was on the outside wanting in.  If we truly open the door to our hearts, He will enter in and dine with us.  He wants our individual commitment and stands at the door waiting (in spite of the church).

Gabriel spoke to Mary in Luke chapter 1:

30  Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”

Where is the throne of David located?  It is on earth, not Heaven.  This clarifies what Jesus spoke in Revelation chapter 3:

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His Throne.

Jesus will ultimately return to rule and reign on earth where He will sit on His Throne as promised to Mary.

The seven lampstands (the churches) are now in Heaven beginning in chapter 4.  Chapter 4 begins with the phrase meta tauta.  This phrase is translated after this which denotes the future.

Chapters 4 through 22 give the specifics of the future.  The true church is now in Heaven and observing the seven-year tribulation referenced many times in Scripture.

John recorded a letter to the church at Laodicea given to him directly by Jesus.

There are 404 verses that contain over 800 implied or indirect references from the Old Testament.  The architecture of the entire Bible made up of 66 books and 40 authors transcends the dimension of time thus It could only be written by Our Heavenly Father and for our benefit.

The word Laodicea means ruled by the people.  Who is supposed to be ruling the church?  Jesus Christ!

Nobody wants to be associated with the church of Laodicea.  Jesus had no concerns with the churches at Smyrna or Philadelphia.  He had nothing good to say about Sardis or Laodicea as we will see.

The Beloved Disciple recorded what Jesus spoke in Revelation chapter 3:

14  “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

Amen means true and verily.  He IS the Faithful and True Witness thus there is no question of what He is saying to this church AND to us, as the case may be.  There is no misunderstanding about the condition of this church and its erroneous mindset.

Paul expresses the preeminence of Jesus Christ as he wrote by The Holy Spirit in Colossians chapter 1:

15   He is the Image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created that are in Heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. \

18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

If Jesus Christ is not the focus of ministry in the church, they have moved to the “lukewarm” state and will suffer judgment.

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.

16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My Mouth.

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’-and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-

These people were driven by pride and were self-absorbed.  Sadly, this can easily point to the U.S., Great Britain, and other members of the G7.  This church thought it was doing well only to be surprised by Jesus’ expressed concerns.

Temporary prosperity does not necessarily translate to spiritual prosperity.  This Truth prompts me to emphasize the need to give tithes and offerings.  The tithe is our acknowledgment of FATHER’S true ownership of all the wealth on and in the earth.  By giving HIM our firstfruits, we acknowledge HIM as Our GOD.  Do we need bigger churches while the poor are in need of food and clothing?  Or widows in great need while those around them have excess?

Jesus spoke in Matthew 6:19  “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

He tested the rich young ruler with this Truth and the young man preferred temporary riches over permanent treasures in Heaven.  This is the state of many, especially in America.  Question: Why can you no longer find The Holy Spirit and His Gifts operating in most churches?

James wrote by The Holy Spirit in James chapter 5:

1  Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.

Both Jesus and James spoke indictments to those who are among the rich on earth.

Jesus is rejecting those in Laodicea by “spewing them out of His Mouth”.  He also made this point in Matthew chapter 7:

21  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your Name, cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Back to Jesus’ letter:

18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

19 As many as I Love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My Voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Their blindness and nakedness were not incurable.  They need to be refined in HIS Gold.  The Fear of THE LORD is HIS Treasure (Isa 33:6)  HIS Law, testimony, and statutes are more desired than gold (Psa 19:7-11).  Their blindness is curable by The Holy Spirit.  Where is Jesus with respect to Laodicea?  On the outside of “the door” (as is The Holy Spirit).

Repent!

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His Throne.