Disciples Digital Library

What Satan fears most is Christ crucified and people conforming to that pattern who will follow him wherever he goes .  I have observed that Satan offers a smorgasbord of deceptions, and I doubt that he cares which one you choose. Whatever floats your boat! But regardless of which one you prefer, one trail common to them all is the attempt to steer us away from the Word of God, and especially, from embracing and emulating the crucified Messiah.

SYNOPSIS: Claims that God will reap a great harvest of souls because of the mighty “signs and wonders” the church will perform do not square with Scripture.  I hear a lot of stress these days on seeking “signs and wonders.” Seemingly, church “leaders” are convinced, or they want to convince you, that it is through mighty supernatural “signs and wonders” that God will reap a final harvest of souls before the return of Jesus, an idea that does not fit comfortably with the gospel accounts of the New Testament.

SYNOPSIS: The Prophecy Industry has been telling us for generations that we are the “last generation” that will live to see the return of Jesus.  The End-Time Prophecy Industry has been telling us for generations that we are “the last generation” to exist before the return of Jesus and the many prophetic events expected to precede his arrival.

The  Book of Revelation  presents images that are often jarring and paradoxical, visions that do not conform to popular expectations about how God works or where His redemptive purposes will end. His goals in subjugating His enemies and judging the nations differ radically from many traditional notions and so-called “ human wisdom .” Just as his contemporaries did not understand Jesus of Nazareth, so, too, we often fail to comprehend the “ Slain Lamb ” and how he reigns from the Throne of God.

The visitation of Jesus to the churches of Asia prepares the reader for the visions that follow the seven letters .  In his vision, John sees a glorious figure “ like a Son of Man…in the midst of seven golden lampstands .” In the interpretation, it becomes clear that this is Jesus (“ I was dead, and I am alive forevermore ”), and the “ lampstands ” are identified as the “ seven churches of Asia ” that are under his ever-watchful care.

John was exiled to Patmos because of his testimony – A fellow participant in the Tribulation and Perseverance in Jesus.  Patmos is a small island in the Aegean Sea approximately ninety kilometers from the city of Ephesus. It is eleven kilometers long by seven wide, making it one of the smaller islands of the  Sporades , an archipelago off the west coast of Asia Minor. Roman literature from the period identifies this group of islands as a place where political offenders were exiled - ( Tacitus, Ann. iii . 68; iv. 30; v. 71).

From start to finish, the  Book of Revelation  is addressed to the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .” These congregations do not fade from the picture in the later sections of the Book. While it may include a larger target audience,  Revelation  is first and foremost a message for those Seven Assemblies, and the significance of its visions cannot be understood apart from them.

The last book of the New Testament begins with the phrase, “ Revelation of Jesus Christ .” It is a message for his “ servants ,” namely, the “ Seven Assemblies of Asia .” It concerns “ what things must come to pass soon ,” information that is vital since the “ SEASON IS AT HAND .” Because of its importance, the Book pronounces the man who “ reads it, and they who heed the words of the prophecy, BLESSED ” – (Revelation 1:1-3).

SYNOPSIS  -  In Revelation, “all” means “all.” All rulers and nations that refuse to follow the Lamb render homage to the Beast .  S ome interpretations of the “ beast ” from the  book of Revelation  insist the geographic and political reach of its rule will be limited. Apparently, certain nations will opt out of the final beastly empire and even resist its rule. While most nations will submit, one or two will not. Put another way, in this interpretation “ all ” ceases to mean “all.” - [ World Empire Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash ].

In Revelation, wrath refers to the final judicial sentence of God on His enemies. Tribulation is what the church endures .  The “ wrath of God ” is  NOT  synonymous with “ tribulation ,” and it is identical with the “ plagues ” unleashed by the three series of “ seals ,” “ trumpets ,” and “ bowls of fury .” And despite the devastation of these plagues, impenitent men do not repent. “ Wrath ” refers to the sentence of God on His enemies.

SYNOPSIS  -  A blind man’s eyes were opened, and the man "saved" as Jesus continued “on the way" to Jerusalem and his inevitable death  -  Mark 8:22-26 .  The healing of the blind man in Bethsaida is recorded only in the  gospel of Mark . Bethsaida means “house of the fisher” or “house of fish.” Fishing was its major industry - It was located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee near the entrance of the Jordan River. In  Mark , the preceding three stories pointed out the  spiritual blindness  caused by unbelief, especially the inability to perceive what God was doing in Jesus and who he was.

Mark highlights the unbelief behind the inability of both his opponents and the disciples to perceive exactly who Jesus was  -  Mark 8:1-21 .  Despite all they had seen, the disciples remained dull of hearing and ran the risk of submitting to the same unbelief that characterized the opponents of Jesus, especially the unbelief and hostility of the Pharisees. Regardless of his many miracles, they still could not comprehend who he was, the Messiah of Israel and the savior of the world.

Jesus did not allow scruples over purity regulations to keep him from healing the sick and delivering the oppressed from demonic spirits. Neither Sabbath restrictions nor Levitical rules on ritual purity were intended to prevent human needs from being met, at least, not if the Messiah of Israel was present and implementing the Kingdom of God.

The touch of the Nazarene cleansed a leper from ritual impurity, restoring him physically  AND  religiously. Moreover, Jesus touched the leper  BEFORE  he was cleansed of his ritual defilement. Any concern over contracting “uncleanness” did not prevent the Messiah from healing a son of Israel. In fact, the Son of Man’s touch drove out the disease and the impurity - (Mark 1:40-45).

Jesus delivered a demonized Gentile while traveling through hostile territory, demonstrating his vast authority over Satan  –  Mark 5:1-20 .  The declaration that Jesus had come to the “ other side of the sea ” links this next story to the preceding incident when he calmed the storm. His plan to crossover the Sea of Galilee set in motion the series of events that followed. Having calmed the storm, he next encountered the demonized man who had a violent “storm” raging within – ( Mark 5:1-20 ).

One day, after teaching the multitude, Jesus set out to cross the Sea of Galilee. But a violent storm descended suddenly, frightening the disciples. Storms were common enough on that body of water, and several of the men were fishermen familiar with its moods. Their terror indicated this was an especially severe storm.

The  Gospel of Mark  provides only a few examples of the many parables taught by Jesus (“ Apart from a parable he did not speak to the crowds ”). In them, the dominant theme is the Kingdom of God that invaded the Earth in the ministry of Jesus and continues to grow and produce fruit wherever the Gospel is preached. The “ Son of Man ” taught the Jewish people in parables, but only as they “ were able to hear ,” and this clause stresses the responsibility of the listener to hear and heed his words.