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Speaking
Engagements •
June 3-5 LEAH homeschool
convention in Rochester, NY. http://www.leah.org •
June 26-30 Homeschool Family Camp
at Camp Spofford, NH. Contact: Tom Oborne oborne@verizon.net. •
July 23-25 Father/Son retreat at
Evangelical Institute of Greenville, SC. There is a limited registration
for this great weekend. If you're in the SE, please join us by registering
online at: http://www.eibibleschool.org/conferences/intro •
July 26-28 Alma will be speaking
at a young ladies retreat at Evangelical Institute in Greenville, SC. You
can join us by going online to: http://www.eibibleschool.org/conferences/intro • July 29-31 Woodlands Homeschool Conference hosted by THSC. Registration online at http://www.thsc.org/convention/General_Information.asp Chariot May 2010 - Norm Wakefield Battling
the Beast of Self, Part 1 Does anyone else sense a greater intensity and conflict broiling in the heavenlies? Does it seem to you like in the past year, a darkness, a heaviness, a hopelessness has enveloped our country? Do you find you and your children fighting discouragement, disillusionment, and worry? Has the spiritual battle intensified, or is it just my imagination? It seems that more marriages are going under, more children are in rebellion, more unrighteousness prevails than I can remember in my lifetime. The world seems to be more aggressive and the church more passive. We are in a war, and the war has come to our doorstep in the United States. I don't mean only a war on terrorism, but a spiritual war like we have never seen before in our lifetimes. Our children and grandchildren will not grow up in a country like we remember. Young parents, such as my own children, express their concern over raising their children in the present spiritual, social, and economic environment. I see the concern in their faces, and notice there is very little excitement about the future. The signs around us are troubling, are they not? In one sense these are not new developments in history. Nothing is new under the sun, and history repeats itself. However, the saints need encouragement, our children need explanation and guidance for life and the times ahead, and our freedom from oppression and love for Christ are testimonies that we know Him. That's why I'm presenting this series of articles from the book of The Revelation. I believe many of my readers will experience a freedom and love for Jesus Christ like never before. God has promised to bless the truth revealed in the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ. I'm excited because I have experienced the freedom and power of what is revealed in Revelation 12-13 as I have applied it to life and to current events. I am confident that when Satan's number one ally is exposed and his defeat is proclaimed, many will also enjoy the glorious work of Christ. Additionally, my prayer and hope is that the lies that Satan has used to relegate the book of The Revelation to the list of confusing Scriptures will be dispelled. May it become one of your most used books to teach your children the basic doctrine regarding Satan, man, sin, and the power of the Lamb of God. I'm
sure that many questions will be raised as you read this series.
Obviously, I don't have the space or time to present a complete commentary
on the entire book of Revelation. You can find a verse by verse teaching
on the book of Revelation on my website www.spiritofelijah.com,
which
will answer many of the questions. There are 39 MP3 messages in the study.
Some may wonder what eschatological position I am presenting. I refrain
from answering that question because I want to focus on the Scriptures
rather than a system of thought. Let's begin with an introduction to the
book of The Revelation. The Date and
Purpose - Revelation 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His
bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and
communicated it by His angel to
His bond-servant John. who testified to the word of God and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is he who
reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things
which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3).
Maybe you've heard the phrase, "Don't miss the forest for the
trees." I think there's also another maxim, "If you miss the forest, you'll
miss the trees." The big picture helps us make sense of the smaller
picture. The focus of this series will be Revelation 12-13, but before we
start there, we need to set some boundaries in interpretation which comes
from the larger context of the book. God gave a revelation to His Son to
give to John via His angel. The Word of God given pertained to things
which "must soon take place." The
timing of these things is addressed again in verse three when John wrote, "for
the time is near." If the Apostle John wrote The Revelation around 95 A.D. as some traditions maintain, these words have no significance. Why? Because nothing happened soon after that date. However, if John wrote his Apocalypse in the mid to late 60's, then they refer to the terrible events of the persecution of Christians, the famine in Israel, and the destruction of Jerusalem which occurred during and soon after Nero's reign. I favor the earlier date because it has a number of substantial supports. Clement of Alexandria (150-220 A.D.) stated clearly that Nero was the Emperor (37-68 A.D.), who banished John to Patmos, not Domitian ("Who is the Rich Man that shall be Saved?", Section 42). Additionally, references to measuring the temple were irrelevant if the temple no longer existed (which would have been the case in 95). Also, Nero was the sixth "king" ruling from the "seven mountains" of which John wrote in Rev. 17:9-10. Lastly, Cerinthus, a first century author, wrote The Pseudo-Apocalypse, which contained many references to John's book. He died well before 95 A.D. Many notable scholars of the last two centuries have been convinced of an earlier date for John's authorship. Moses Stuart, F. J. A. Hort, B. F. Westcott, and F. W. Farrar in the last century, and J. A. T. Robinson, R. A. Torrey, Albert A. Bell, Dr. Leon Morris, and C. F. D. Moule in our own time hold this view. (http://www.andrewcorbett.net/commentaries/revelation/dating-revelation.html). This is important because as we come to Rev. 12-13, instead of looking for an interpretation which fits an end times presupposition, we consider an interpretation that could be affirmed by Paul and the gospels as well as the events of 60-70 A.D. The
Revelation was written to bless its readers by preparing them for
persecution and suffering. This makes the blessing promised to those who
read the book a timeless blessing. A Christian living in any time period
may expect persecution and suffering, so these words of God are applicable
to everyone throughout the history of the church. Are you prepared for the
battles of life in this world? That's the purpose of The
Revelation. What is the common
knowledge between the author and the first recipients? One of the most important rules of Bible interpretation is that Scripture interprets Scripture. When a passage or verse of Scripture is unclear, we find other Scriptures on the same subject that are clear. Also, if authors have a common experience, we draw from one to help us understand another. For instance, that's why we compare the gospels to each other. The writers shared common experiences with Christ or had common knowledge of His life. I think it is important to connect the writings of the Apostle Paul to the writings of the Apostle John because they were co-laborers in Ephesus and the seven churches of Asia. The seven churches addressed by Jesus in The Revelation were either started by the Apostle Paul or an associate, and his letters had been circulating for years amongst those churches. We should expect Paul's writings to be common knowledge shared by both the author and recipients. Furthermore,
some of the members of the seven churches were converted Jews who were
surely familiar with the traditions and festivals of Judaism as were John
and Paul. Therefore, we shouldn't be surprised to find these festivals and
traditions used to describe Jesus Christ and His work. Maintain a heavenly
perspective The use of numbers in The Revelation are important. Are they literal or are they figurative? The answer to this question is dependent upon whether we are going to interpret this book from an earthly perspective or from an eternal, heavenly perspective. I suggest that because John often mentioned that he was "in the spirit" when he "saw" a revelation or a sign that it is best to interpret the numbers from an eternal or heavenly perspective. Furthermore, since the revelations began in heaven (Chapters 1-5) it seems wisest to conclude John was getting "wisdom from above" regarding earthly things. Therefore, it is suggested that numbers be used as they are throughout the Old and New Testament in a figurative sense to convey meaning about God and man. For instance, when the number 2 was used as a factor, it implied authority, such as a truth is verified by the witness of two eye-witnesses. When the number 7 was used singularly or as a factor (70 x 7), it referred to God's perfection. When 6 was used alone or as a factor (666), man and his imperfection was in view. Power was described when 10 was used as a factor (1000, 10,000). The number 12 used as a factor (24, 144,000) communicated completion or totality. When communicating a limited or controlled event, the number 3 or a factor thereof was used. Four communicated extent or scope such as the four corners of the earth. When a combination of factors were used, the message combined those traits, such as 7 x 6 = 42. God's perfect will was being accomplished through the imperfection of man. 12 x 12 x 1000 = 144,000 communicated God's powerful completing work to bring about His will. There are many examples of using numbers in this way in both the Old and New Testaments, so this is not a strange usage. Instead, the Spirit of God was describing the affairs of man and the working of God from an eternal perspective. Much
of what was described in The
Revelation is hard to imagine in a physical sense. Precisely the
point! It wasn't meant to be understood in a physical sense because
spiritual realities were being described and communicated. For instance,
why else would John in Chapter 7 use a unique list of the twelve tribes of
Israel from any other list in Scripture? He wanted his readers not
to think he was talking about the historical twelve tribes of Israel.
Otherwise, they were thinking, "John messed up on the twelve tribes. He
left out Dan, and Joseph wasn't a tribe." The Big Picture
- Revelation 12 In Chapter Twelve, we read about a "war in heaven" waged between "Michael and his angels" and the "dragon." We discover that the "dragon" was Satan or the devil (vs. 9). Satan was defeated which resulted in he and his forces being cast down to the earth. Consequently, God pronounced a warning to the earth and everyone on it. "Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing he has only a short time" (v.12). Another
important character mentioned in Chapter Twelve was "the woman who gave
birth to the male child" referring of course to Jesus. Satan was said to
persecute this woman and to make war with "the rest of her offspring, who
keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus" (vs. 17).
So the woman gave birth not only to Christ, but to all who believe in Him.
Who was this woman? Was it the nation of Israel? Here I choose to bring
the Apostle Paul to the witness stand to help us answer this question.
But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. For it is
written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT,
YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE
DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." And you brethren, like Isaac,
are children of promise (Galatians 4:26-28).
Jesus Christ and those who believe in Him were "children of
promise." Satan has fought against the promises of God in Christ and
sought to do everything in his power to thwart God's promises. The Old
Testament stories and the temptations of Jesus testify to this
foundational reality. The war we battle each day is not about us! It's
about God and His promises in Christ. Satan couldn't stop God from
fulfilling His promise of providing a savior to the world, in fact he
contributed to its fulfillment! For the same purpose, Satan has been
allowed to unleash his anger against the promises of God and His
offspring. God uses him to glorify His power through His Son's work at the
cross on their behalf. You
and your children need to know this! There was a war in heaven between God and Satan, and God won! Satan was defeated and displaced to earth. On earth, he tried to thwart the Promised One, but couldn't. The Savior has come and kept His promise, namely, to save God's people. As Isaiah wrote, "But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand" (Isaiah 53:10). From the beginning of mankind, Satan has been at war with God and His promise in Jesus Christ. All of the persecution and suffering believers experience may be attributed to this war. The earth is the battleground. We were born into a battle zone. Then we were born again by the woman of promise in Christ - born into another kingdom, an unshakable kingdom. Therefore, we are strangers and aliens in this world because we are citizens of heaven. What we see happening on the earth in the political, social, cultural, and economic affairs of life should be explained from a heavenly perspective. The church of Jesus Christ is the testimony of God that His promise has been kept, His kingdom stands, and Jesus Christ has conquered and reigns over Satan, sin, and death. That's why believers are objects of Satan's wrath. Satan is angry and is doing everything he can, in the short amount of time that God has allowed, to nullify God's promises in Christ through lies and deception. Furthermore, if he can't nullify the promises, he will distract and cause discouragement, disillusionment, and doubt regarding those promises through the destructive and chaotic events on earth.
How do you explain to your children the current political affairs
in the U.S. and world? What is your explanation for the dozens of marriage
and moral failures of which you and your children are aware? What
evidences do you see around you of this war? Whose side are you on? Of
which kingdom are you a citizen and supporter? The
Battle of the Beast of Self The purpose of this first article in this series has been to lay the groundwork for our study of The Battle of the Beast of Self in Chapter 13 of The Revelation. Not only must we know the big picture of the battle in the heavenlies that is manifested on the earth in the affairs of man, but we must know Satan's schemes and how he intends to fight this war against the promises of God and her offspring. We'll save the answers to these questions for the subsequent articles. This month, I recommend you read what the Apostle Paul wrote about this war between the two kingdoms carried on in the heavenlies. John also wrote about it in his epistles. Help your children understand the current events of the day and the impending persecution and suffering we can expect in the future. The battle is heating up, and the battle lines are being drawn more clearly than ever before. Teach them the promises of God from the Old Testament regarding Jesus Christ and show them how Satan attempted to thwart God's fulfilling them throughout the history of Israel and in the life of Jesus. Your giving them this foundational doctrine and teaching is vital to their lives, both spiritually and physically. Until next month, stand firm on the promises of God in Jesus Christ. Would you like to be on the Elijah Ministries Prayer Team?The backbone of Elijah Ministries is the prayer team who pray diligently for God to turn the hearts of men to Himself, their wives, and their children. Before I leave to speak, I send out a prayer team invitation to those who will intercede for God to work for His glory in us as a team for the Kingdom. Not only is it a blessing to those whom I speak and myself; but it is also a reminder to the team about the direction of their own hearts. If you would like to enter into the labor together with me, you may go to my website and click on "Prayer Team". Has Norm's Chariot or other resources been an encouragement to you? As a nonprofit organization, Elijah Ministries needs support from people like you in order to function. If God has ministered to you through Elijah Ministries and Norm Wakefield, would you consider supporting the work? You can do so here. (Elijah Ministries is a tax-deductible 501c3 and is financially accountable to an overseeing board of 8 non-paid members from around the country.) The Chariot is also available as a podcast. You can automatically receive the Chariot each month in iTunes by subscribing here. (An RSS capable browser such as Internet Explorer 7 or Safari is required.)
If you
haven't visited our website, www.spiritofelijah.com,
please stop by sometime. You'll find: * Resources to equip you and your family * Previous Chariot articles * Norm's speaking schedule *
Free MP3 downloads * Subscribe to the Chariot Podcast here. * Various resources/pages translated and available in Spanish * An online store to purchase resources and make tax-free contributions by credit card
I invite you to be a part of the
moving of the Spirit of Elijah in your church, community, and the world.
How?
1.
Send this article to other men or families that you know would
benefit from it. You might inform them of the previous articles
available on-line at our website.
2.
Share resources from the Spirit of Elijah Ministries with others.
If Equipping Men or Rising to the
Call have been a blessing to you, then you know it will be
beneficial to others. Either share your resources, tell them about the
resources, or purchase a set or two as an investment in their lives. 3. Share with others what you have learned and put into practice in turning your heart to God, your wife, and your children. If God has done this in you, then He wants to affect others through you.
4.
Join the Elijah Ministries email prayer team and make
intercession for others that their hearts would be turned in revival to
the Lord, their wives, and their children. This can be done on-line at www.spiritofelijah.com.
Norm
Wakefield 05.10 To unsubscribe, click here.
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