Revelation 4 ~ worship Him

Map showing Patmos, near Turkey

 Upward Path to John's Cave, Island of Patmos

Interior showing the stone bed used by John in the 4 meter cave.

Early mosaic of John writing Revelation, near the entrance of the cave.

Entrance to the Cave of the John - who is historically recorded by local historians as living here even in the second century.

 View from the cave - now, now, now - we know why John lived in this Cave!

Looking up at the entrance, The John's Cave on the island of Patmos. Patmos is part of Greece, located in The Aegean. Some time in 81 to 96 A.D., John was exiled to Patmos by the Roman Emperor Domitian, Eusebius records Christians were persecuted toward the end of Domitian's reign. John was unable to be killed by Domitian in front of the whole coliseum. According to historians.

Here in the 4 meter Cave of the Apocalypse, John lived & slept on a stone bed. Historically, this is where Revelations is written. Critics of Revelation often feel that Revelation comes without Biblical background, which is not correct. 

Apocalypse is the Greek word for revealing or disclosure.

(Looks rather like Hobbits. JRR Tolkein must have seen this place.)

Revelation 4

1 After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne. 3 And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. 4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, and rumblings [voices or sounds] and peals of thunder, and before the throne were burning seven torches of fire, which are the seven spirits of God, 6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.

And around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with the face of a man, and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!”

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”

According to Church tradition, John was the only disciple to live to be old - reported as having opinions that the other Gospels were accurate and battling for the Truth of God's Love. What did Jesus say about this:

John 21:20-25
20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23 Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

24 This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

John, still according to Church tradition, survived unharmed Emperor Domitian literally throwing John into a boiling cauldron of oil. Domitian had no other way to put John away other than exile.

Unsurprisingly, God had use of John's long life and they wrote one of the most memorable books of the Bible, with the most glimpses of heaven. Small wonder Heaven confuses us with the descriptions of such splendor.

Critics of Revelation believe John must have found wild mushrooms as he was having these visions. Nothing could be more wrong, these unusual details were also written thousands of years before Revelation met John's parchment. The prophets who also saw such splendor were: Moses, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, Isaiah and Jesus Himself.


Exodus 19:19-20
19 and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

20 The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain.

Zechariah 4:2
And he said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I see, and behold, a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it, and seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it.


Ezekiel 1:28
Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.

Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.


Isaiah 6:2-3
Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Father God, the earth is full of Your glory. Help us each day to see the goodness of your many blessings, the glimpses You give us of heaven. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

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1 Kings 13:1-10 ~ And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’

Angel, by Walter Rane

Kings 13:1-10

And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel.
Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings.

2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’”

4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself.

5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

6 And the king said to the man of God, “Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before.

7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

 


Some Background History:

Shema servant of Jeroboam Bulla or Seal

While still young, Jeroboam was promoted by Solomon to be chief superintendent of the slaves. Upon hearing the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:29-39), he began to conspire to become king; but was discovered, fled to Egypt, remaining under the protection of Pharaoh Shishak. Upon the death of Solomon, Rehoboam assumed the throne. The 10 northern tribes revolted against Solomon's son and asked Jeroboam to become king. Rehoboam's poor conduct helped Jeroboam, and Jeroboam was accordingly proclaimed "King of Israel".

Jeroboam fortified Shechem as the capital of his kingdom. and in Dan and Bethel,built "golden calves," which he set up as symbols of God, pulling worship away from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, but to bring their offerings to his shrines.

He became distinguished as the man "who made Israel to sin."

This miracle made no abiding impression on him.He was in constant war with the "House of Judah."

Translocate
verb (used with object), trans·lo·cat·ed, trans·lo·cat·ing.
to move or transfer from one place to another; cause to change location; displace; dislocate.
Saint Pio (Pius) of Pietrelcina was said to have translocated to be with people in prayer. This information is not readily available in his saint literature. It would be difficult to prove and might cause someone to cry out "seize him" in order to ascertain the situation. This didn't work out well for Zechariah in Luke 1 either.

What a unique reaction. Usually people have fear and trembling when dealing with Mighty Acts of God. The Scriptures do not record God trying again with Jeroboam. The Word of God, He sent forth, was fulfilled.

Isaiah 55:11
So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

 
Father God, You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Your Word will be fulfilled. You know our names and Write our Days in Your Book of Life.

Wonderful are your works! Our souls acknowledge the Truth. Our frames were seen by You as we were being made in the depths, our unformed substances are written in Your Book of Life. Our days are formed by You! We as Your Blessings, Guide us and Lead us. In Jesus. Amen.

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Jeremiah 10:23 ~ plan his course

Many of the godspeaks.com Billboards don't have the exact phrase in the Bible.

Most of us are looking for a "Street" Sign.
And Today's jargon works wonders for getting to the point.


Maps - on the smart phones - they just tell you where to go.

Psalm 119:19
I am but a pilgrim here on earth: how I need a map—and your commands are my chart and guide.

What would happen if you didn't go there?

Jeremiah 10:23
O Lord, I know it is not within the power of man to map his life and plan his course—

My answer would be - I've learned over the years - decisions are like flowcharts - one leads to another. A little bit like the old 'Life' board game. We want to stay on the path. "Give us this day." The Path is bumpy, but a meaningful life is sometimes the road not taken. Not all who wander are lost!

Ezekiel 21:19-20
Son of dust, make a map and on it trace two routes for the king of Babylon to follow—one to Jerusalem and the other to Rabbah in Transjordan. And put a signpost at the fork in the road from Babylon.

Or let's avoid the Son of Dust Road and take

Joshua 18:5-6
The scouts will map it into seven sections, and then I will throw the sacred dice to decide which section will be assigned to each tribe.

How interesting that a map is like Julius Caesar - "Let the dice fly!"

And Like this Gentleman -

Genesis 22:5
Abraham leaves Beersheba as he left Haran many years earlier. God calls and he leaves. It is as simple as that. No map. No directions. Just an unwavering trust that God will lead him where he needs to go. Mount Moriah becomes one of the most important places in all of the promised land, the one place in the world set apart for the worship of the one True God. According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, Solomon builds his temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, not far from where God tests Abraham.


We all have an idea where we are going. Romans 1 tells us the Holy Spirit says so. Abraham knew he was being called forth. Paul tells us he will have to wait to see how it goes with him. Creation waits for the revealing of the Sons of God. There are hints.

I'm Pro Life. A loved one had an abortion during college and was a school teacher - she never had children. Her marriage didn't afford her the opportunity.

I'm Pro Life. I know grown people who had a parent who fought for their existence.

I'm Pro Life. My son was born six weeks early and almost died. The joy of Christmas day and finding out he would live.

I'm Pro Life. One of my family friends had a baby in High School. She later married the father and took care of him as he was so much older than she was. Their daughter is her only child. She loves her two grandchildren - the daughter who lived - and married again. A life worth leading. A life worth saving.

I'm Pro Life. I had a stillborn daughter and was advised to have a late term abortion. Urged. I had my daughter even though I was told her amniotic fluid would kill me. I held my smiling three pound Isabelle and say her complete joy at being only awake in the arms of the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus. My daughter lives in Heaven.

I'm Pro Life. I volunteer for PACN. Saving lives and bringing hope to "People" for 27 years.

I wish, I wish, I wish
       we had a video of each crying woman
as she finds she has an unplanned pregnancy. Surely a brain tumor has this many tears.

And the video would show the faces of the Mothers we see for the next year. Joyous Women doing Valiant Work. They glow. They beam. They baby talk. They do homework. They speak of accomplishments. And the cradles, cribs, exercise mats the baby loves - because they earned it doing parenting, self-esteem, Bible, budget, pre-natal, development, breast feeding, potty training, relationship, Love Languages, stress management homework they told us they wanted to focus on.

They earn their way forward - for Love.

They glow. They bask. They lug a car seat. They tuck socks, passies, little stuffed animals, crackers, blankets, little shoes, and Big Dreams.

For, dear brothers, you have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. Galatians 5:13

And the other road? It's a hard road. The heart hurts. A hurting heart can make loud noises. A hurting heart can tell a Person that they are cold. A hurting heart can tell a Person for a life time they are being punished. PACN offers classes on recovery to the moms and dads who wonder where the other path would have gone. We are volunteers who all have a reason this place touches the soul.

(Lately, twice in two days I've heard of abortionists who tell the expectant mom it sounds as if she is miscarrying and let the matter be taken care of by the  RU486 Abortion Pill. No evidence was present of miscarriage. I was speaking with a Judge and he said, "Well that's to ease their path." And I asked him if he wanted his health care to be given with a lie. He replied, "No! Good point.")

Our God does something. He Forgives and Loves. Sometimes, it's easier to pick the higher, harder path. The other path can be filled with many more regrets than He would ever give.

Do we trust God?

His Storehouses of Blessings never run dry. It's my profound joy to tell you Good News. God equips us for our lives. Each day I see Overcomers. I see People Going Forth. Doing His Work. With Joy. God Still finds His Creation - Good.

We speak of awe and wonder of Moses. Joshua was pretty fantastic. Getting in there and working forward in difficult circumstances.

Joshua 18:8
As the men started on their way to map out the land, Joshua instructed them, “Go and make a survey of the land and write a description of it. Then return to me, and I will cast lots for you here at Shiloh in the presence of the Lord.”

Life is a lot about "Expectations!"

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Matthew 18:2-4 ~ The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 18

2 And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, 3 and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."



Psalm 131:2
But I have calmed and quieted myself, I am like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child I am content.

Matthew 18:2
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.

Matthew 18:4
Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Mark 10:15
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it





Here is a "Wonder" more than a Biblical Fact.

Based upon Biblical Fact.

Jesus had a spirited conversation with the Sons of Zebedee. The fishermen known to be called Sons of Thunder

( Not the cell phone age :""Did You Catch Many Fish Today? WHERE???""WHAT BAIT DID YOU USE? ARE YOU GOING TO THE SYNAGOGUE TODAY? ")

 Brothers - Disciples - James and John, the Sons of Zebedee, ask Jesus for His permission to sit at the right hand side of the Almighty God, Maker of All Things. And to sit by Jesus, Light of the World, Word of God, God's Only Son -  ...by His right side.

Now, here is the thinking. I would bet, with Wonder, The Right Hand Side of God - next seat to Jesus, contains ...

- Not the man who gave Jesus a party - Matthew.

- Not the Pharisee who came to see Jesus at Night.

- Not the people who gave Jesus dinner - Lazarus, Mary and Martha.

- Not the man who delivered Jesus from being stoned as an infant. The Gospels twice remember  - the good example of Joseph later in life. (What about the left hand side - Maybe!)

- Not the disciples who left when they heard the New Covenant was Eating and Drinking the Body of Christ.

- Not the beloved Disciple who was adopted and given Mary as his Mom.

- Not Moses, who was rather rash and failed to bring on in - The Exodus.

- Not Peter, who was given breakfast, and the Keys to the Gates of Heaven (The 12 Gates Never Close, remember with me, these men were in their young adult years!)

 - Maybe the one who gave Jesus the beautiful robe - to fine to be shredded - made in one full piece. Who felt a sword pierce her heart.

Sooo. I bet you are reasoning with me.

- God loves Heart. I betcha the Person who was given the right hand seat of God - offered up service to His Plan and His Will - with humility. I betcha the Person was Written in God's Word as having a heart pierced for God. (Yes, we Know Jesus sits at the Right Hand of GOD, I'm saying the next seat.)

Luke 2:35
"So that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

- This Person would want to wade into the fray to "Save Jesus!"

- This Person would never desert Jesus. Staying all His Life.

~ This Person might boss Jesus - a little.

- This Person would put their own plans aside and go through embarrassment to bring Jesus into the world.

- This Person would teach Jesus how much a child does Love. Having experienced first hand - how much a child Loves. Jesus would go forth to teach the millennium generations of the World how deeply innocent and trusting a child is. The desire to please in being submissive and how much a child sees with Faith.

John 19
but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.…

The Mayo Clinic Doctors say this was a spear that created this fluid because of heart failure as well as extreme trauma. The Spear would have traveled up through His heart and lungs. This is the only medical explanation for this fluid.

The Seat next to the Lord - would have a lot of influence. Jesus would Say who is in charge. 

Luke 11:27
As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."

He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

Jesus went on to say His Mother and Brothers Are Doing His Will. The Book of Acts agrees. Wholeheartedly.

And Jesus did explain the hierarchy.

Luke 10:27
"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind."

Philippians 2
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth 


Matthew 27
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”




Because... those who knew Jesus, knew His family and knew the Holy Spirit said -

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God
and one mediator between God and mankind,
the man Christ Jesus.
He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

This is an important Bible Verse to this post. God, when He created Adam, before the rib was taken, God has Mother and Father attributes. God has maternal aspects, Eve was taken from Adam. Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit is where we put all our hope and joy and Love. God is Love.

1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Ephesians 2:4
God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved!)


Alleluia. Thank You Father, You are the One we look to. The Only One Who is Good.

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Scripture for Today Blogspot Post on the Biblical Mary.

Luke 2 ~ His Mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

 

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