In This Issue

 

• THE TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

• THE REVELATION LETTER

• MORE INFORMATION...

THE TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN

After Jesus had miraculously fed a multitude of 5,000, many of them continued to follow Him – not because of His teaching, but because they got free food. Jesus cautioned them to seek “food” that would sustain them forever as opposed that that which was physical and temporary. They responded by asking what to do that they may work “the works of God.” Jesus answered them that what God wanted them to do was “believe in Him” whom God had sent. Jesus was teaching them of the nature and the will of the heavenly Father. Their part, their job, their work, was to believe Him. See John 6:22-29.

“Therefore they said to Him, ‘What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat."’ Then Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said to Him, ‘Lord, give us this bread always.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.’” (John 6:30-36).

A careful look at this exchange shows that the multitude was still more concerned with physical food that would satisfy them temporarily than with spiritual sustenance that would nourish their souls. Jesus said they must believe on the One sent to them by God. They correctly surmised that He spoke of Himself, so they asked, “What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You?” Note, this is the same crowd that had seen Jesus miraculously multiply five barley loaves and two small fish into enough food to satisfy the hunger of a crowd of over 5,000 individuals, with 12 baskets full of left-overs. Many of them were almost certainly aware of some of Jesus’ other miracles. Yet, they asked Him for a “sign” that they may believe. Obviously, they were not inclined to believe, no matter what He did. They apparently just hoped He would give them more food.

In connection with the “sign” they wanted, they spoke to Jesus of how God had provided food for their ancestors as they journeyed through the wilderness from Egypt to Canaan. They didn’t want Jesus’ teaching, they wanted “real” food, like that their forefathers had received. Jesus responded that the “food” God was providing for their immortal souls was more “real” than the physical nourishment that had sustained the bodies of their ancestors in the wilderness for only one day at a time.

Jesus Himself, through His teaching, is the true bread of heaven. We must take Him and His teaching into our lives to become an integral part of our being. If so, our souls will thrive and never lack for nourishment.

But they did not believe. Hopefully, we will do better.

--Clarence R. Johnson

THE REVELATION LETTER

Several years ago, a siege at a cult’s compound East of Waco sparked a renewed interest in the Revelation letter. Vernon Howell, a.k.a.: David Koresh, the self-proclaimed messiah and group leader claimed to have perfect understanding of the book. However, his mistake was to apply its teachings to modern-day events. He claimed to have special knowledge of the meanings of the Seven Seals and tried to show that the occurrences they depicted indicated the end of the world is now at hand. In his own case, he was correct -- he lost his life when federal agents attempted to storm his compound.

Howell and those like him fail to note many characteristics of the Revelation letter. They take parts of it in an attempt to uphold some peculiar tenets of their doctrine, taking these literally; but they take figuratively those parts that don’t support their beliefs, or which they do not understand. Few dare say they comprehend every facet of the book. However, a reader who carefully reviews its contents in light of events current at the time it was written will have a better picture of its purpose and why it was written as it was.

Revelation is a book of prophecy (1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19). This does not mean its primary design was to predict future events. Prophecy signifies the speaking forth of the mind and counsel of God (W.E. Vine, pg. 221). A prophet proclaimed the Divine message. Foretelling was often a part of the prophecies of the Old Testament, but there was more to the prophets’ messages. Such is the case of the Revelation. Future events from the time it was written are recorded, but a deep and important message to the people who first received it is its underlying theme -- that though they suffered greatly from the forces of evil, they would triumph if they remained faithful (17:4). “I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation...” (1:9) indicates that persecution was in progress at the time he wrote. History reveals that much more was to come shortly.

Chapter one introduces the entire book and supplies the key by which its message can be understood. John, the aged Apostle, in exile on Patmos, received a vision and was told to write what he saw to the seven churches of Asia. THE key word to what he saw and wrote is in verse one, “signified.” He saw signs which depicted events, both present and future, but the future events were near at hand from the time he wrote. These things were to “shortly come to pass.” No hidden indications of events to occur in 20th century Iraq, modern-day Israel, nor Waco, Texas would have any meaning to the seven churches of Asia who received the letter.

The Revelation letter resembles Daniel and Ezekiel in the Old Testament. It is of a type of literature known as “apocalyptic,” denoting an uncovering or disclosing of what had been concealed or hidden. It was written to Christians living in a time of religious persecution by the Roman government. These people were quite familiar with God’s word as taught by the Apostles, as well as the Old Testament. Though no O.T. passage is cited directly, there are perhaps as many as four hundred allusions to it in the letter. Thus, the suffering saints who received it could relate its symbolism to teachings with which they were familiar, and it’s message was “signified” to them. Should their oppressors have come upon a copy, they would not have understood the signs revealing that their victims were promised ultimate victory. When readers today get bogged down in attempting to give literal meanings to all the signs, they cloud the beauty of the picture as a whole with the minute details -- a perfect example of not seeing the forest for the trees. As the letter was delivered in signs and symbols, this rule-of-thumb should be remembered: Never assign a meaning to a symbolic term or event which contradicts plain and simple precepts in other parts of the Bible.

That a great conflict exists between the forces of good and evil is obvious to the serious reader of Revelation. This idea is repeated often throughout all the Bible, even from its earliest pages (cp. Gen 3). The word, “overcome” is repeated over and over in the Revelation, indicating suffering Christians of that day could be victorious over their seemingly insurmountable opposition. The victory was not to be a physical one in which the Lord’s Kingdom would be set up on earth with Jerusalem as its capital. Rather, it was to be eternal and spiritual. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life” (2:10). Neither did it depict a far-distant time when the Kingdom would be established, because the kingdom was already in existence, for John was in it! (1:9).

The Seven Seals

Vernon Howell placed great emphasis on his ability to interpret the Seven Seals (chapters 6 and 8), and he is not alone. If these “scholars” would note explanation found in the text itself, perhaps their various “explanations” would not be so far-flung. Here, as everywhere, the Bible is its own best commentary.

The opening of the first seal revealed a man with a bow and a crown, riding on a white horse, going forth “...conquering and to conquer.” A war was about to begin! With the opening of the second, a rider on a red horse had power “...to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another...” The war has started!

Famine and hunger always accompany great conflicts. From the third seal came a rider on a black horse with scales in his hands. A small quantity of wheat, a preferred grain, and a larger amount of barley, less preferred, was said to sell for a very high price. Oil and wine, luxurious items, could not be afforded. Pestilence, disease, and death often follow famine. The rider of the pale horse of the fourth seal brought these.

Vindication and retribution of the oppressors came when the fifth seal was opened. John saw “...souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony they held...” crying for the avenging of their shed blood. These were told they should wait for a season until other fellow servants would be killed as they were. The opening of the sixth seal provided the desserts for which they pled. After a brief interlude, the seventh seal was opened (chapter 8), and seven trumpets sounded, and further cataclysmic events occurred on earth.

Some might ask, “If the Revelation was written to the seven churches of Asia, and its fulfillment was at hand, why was it preserved for us to read today?” In truth, no part of the Bible was written to anyone in our age. Revelation, as the rest of the Scriptures, was recorded and preserved FOR us (2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Cor 10:11; Rom 15:4). If faced with problems similar to those of the first century Christians, saints today would have the same assurances found in the Revelation letter. Please consider the battle of Armageddon (16:16) does not refer to one last great physical battle, but alludes to battles between good and evil -- between God and the devil -- which have been fought throughout the ages, even down to today.

We are sad that Vernon Howell led almost one hundred people to their deaths. We mourn the loss of innocent children, but we rejoice that they now sit at the right hand of God. We mourn even more the adults who now will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

--Paul Stringer, 4^th & Groesbeck church, Lufkin, Texas

MORE INFORMATION...