Saturday, April 9, 2011

Question 46 -Is the Book of Revelation for the Church?
Let's please stop before beginning this Blogsite and ask God's Spirit to be with us as we continue. Thank You. If the Reader is a Pre-Trib Pastor, you know Pre-Trib says everything in Revelation after chapter 3 is ONLY for a future generation of Jews; Jews after the Church has been Raptured to Heaven. However, Jesus personally said to John, "I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the CHURCHES" (Rev. 22:16). If Jesus said the entire Book of Revelation is for the Churches, shouldn't we continue looking at the workings of Antichrist as they relate to us?

Question to Ponder
Pastor, would it be safe to say that, since Revelation has been such a difficult book for Christians to agree about for the past 2000 years, Satan has contributed to this confusion? Would it also be safe to say that the more confusion about any given Bible subject, the more we can assume Satan is responsible? If Jesus meant that the Book of Revelation is directly for the Church, would it be safe to assume that Satan will bent on the Church not heeding the warnings in Revelation?

Sermon on the Mount
Having asked these Ponderable  Questions, what about the Sermon on the Mount? Pastor, as you know, Pre-Trib has a rather unique position about the Sermon on the Mount. The most prominent Pre-Trib view says the Sermon on the Mount does not apply to the Church. It is said that there is too much, "Law," and not enough, "Grace," in Christ's Sermon. Scattered throughout His Sermon, Jesus repeatedly made reference to obedience to His 10 Commandments. For example, Jesus explained that He was, "Not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets" (Matt.5:17). He then said that, "Till heaven and earth pass, not a jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law" (Vs.18). Then Jesus explained how we must not, "Break even the Least Commandment" (Vs.19). It is clear that the Sermon on the Mount leaves no room for annulling or changing God's Law. However, almost all of Christianity has done exactly this, so how does Pre-Trib deal with it? It is a quiet doctrine that you hear little about, but Pre-Trib has done the same with the Sermon on the Mount as they have done with Revelation. They tell us it is for that, "Future Generation of Jews" after the Rapture.

"Blessed are they that do His Commandments"
In Revelation 22:14, John records Jesus saying to him, "Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City." These words from Jesus are at the center of the Revelation debate. Let's look closer:  If the Reader is a Pre-Trib Pastor, you know that the Scofield Study Bible has a slightly different rendering of this passage. It records Jesus as saying, "Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the City." Scofield Editors claim that the phrase, "wash their robes," is found in earlier manuscripts than the phrase, "do His Commandments." Obviously, at some time after John presented his manuscript for Revelation to the Church, someone didn't like what he recorded; didn't like what Jesus actually said, so, this person copying John's manuscript took it upon himself to take out the phrase and put in a phrase he preferred. Although the phrase change doesn't seem to seriously change the intent of Christ's words, it still forbidden. Let's look. Five verses after the passage we are considering, John wrote the following:

"If any Man Take Away"
 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this Book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book; And if any man shall take away from the words of the Book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, (from the tree of life) and out of the Holy City, and from the things written in this Book" (Rev.22:18-19). Now this should alert everyone not to add to or take away from any word in Revelation, or any Bible passage! Thus, whatever John wrote originally should never have been changed, for any reason. But, the problem gets worse.  Note the words, "Book of Life," in the passage. The Scofield Bible renders the words, "Tree of Life." Many other modern translations also use, "Tree of Life," here, as well as, "Washed their robes," in the previous Scripture passage. 

So what do these Scripture tamperings  have to do with whether or not Revelation is for the Church? Maybe nothing, but it shows that in the very texts in which Jesus told John to write to the "Churches," forbidding adding to and taking away from Christ's words, these texts have been altered. And what does this have to do with Pre-Trib? In the Book of Revelation, and in the Sermon on the Mount, there are several very straight words from Jesus Himself about God's Commandments. According to Dispensationalism, Pre-Trib, these clear statement about God's Law do not fit into this so-called, "Grace Dispensation."  Pre-Trib says, "Grace Frees Us to Disregard God's Law." We will close by asking our Readers to earnestly seek God's Holy Spirit concerning this. The Bible contains over 400 verses stating in some form that we are to obey God and His Commandments. We have a choice. God will help us make the right choice. 

Thanks SO much, Dear Reader,  for your time and interest. 
Your Brother in Christ
Walter C. Martin Jr.

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Check Our Other Websites:

Pre-Tribulation Rapture
Post-Tribulation Second Coming of Jesus
Will We Eat Pigs During the Millennium?

Planet Earth WILL be Destroyed After the 1000 Years!
New Jerusalem - How BIG is It?
Great White Throne Judgment Seat - When and Where
Christ's Kingdom - Millennial or EVERLASTING?

Hell Fire
Is God Torturing People Now
Did Jesus Suffer ALL of Your Hell?
The Rich Man and Lazarus?
Death
The Dead - Dead or Alive - What is Death?
Did Jesus Die YOUR Death for You?
Will Satan Ever Die - Bible Says "YES!"
Testing Our Doctrine About Death
The Dead Stand Before Great White Throne Judgment Seat

The Gnostics Attack the Sabbath
Were Gnostics Really Christian?
Were Gnostics Satan's Implants into the Church?
Is Gnosticism Alive and Well in Today's Churches
Church is Israel - Israel is Church
Is the Church Israel and Israel the Church?
Is the Bride of Jesus the 144 Thousand?
Did Jesus Offer the Jews a Millennial Kingdom in His Ministry?
Will New Jerusalem Sit in Israel? How Big is It?
Christ's REAL EVERLASTING Kingdom is for ALL Believers!

The Sabbath
Is it a Sin to Observe the Sabbath?
Is There a Connection Between the Rapture and the Sabbath?
Will the Sabbath Be Observed By God's People During the Tribulation?
Who REALLY Changed the Sabbath in Early Christianity?
Un-Answered and Un-Answerable Sabbath Questions For Popular Preachers
How to Test Your Doctrine Concerning the Sabbath

Heaven
Marriage in Heaven - Millennial Kingdom?
Strange Animal/Demons the Millennium?
Why Jesus Hasn't Come to Take Us To Heaven?
Teachers of Anomia (Law Annulling)
Good Ministers Teaching Against God's 10 Commandments?
Teaching of Anomia - The Reason Jesus Hasn't Come Yet?
Pre-Trib Rapture and Sabbath
Pre-Trib Rapture and the Sabbath?

Walter C. Martin Jr.
Everlasting Gospel Ministries

These are just a few of the questions we examine in our Websites.
Thank you, Dear Reader,  for checking them. Please feel free to give us your comments and feedback if you look at our Sites.  If you send us your questions or comments, we will try to answer and add your question to these Websites. We will Not give your name or E-Mail address to ANY ONE or ANY Church Group or Denomination! Nor will we send you ANY annoying E-Mails!! It is NOT our purpose to get you to withdraw from your present Church, but to invite you to present things you learn here to your Pastor and Friends.
Let's pray that God will continue sending His Holy Spirit to guide as we prepare for Jesus to come. Thank You!
Your Brother in Christ!
Walter C. Martin Jr