This is taken from a Popular Biblical sermon/lesson for the old and popular reading of the Book of Revelations. It is especially interesting because this once popular reading of the Bible in recent years has declared forbidden to be taught any longer at churches that are converting to what was once "fringe" Dispensationalism:
To those of you who have been taken in, without reading or glossing over the Book of Revelations by Dispensationalists and others hostile and in political opposition to Christianity and Jesus Christ, read Revelations Chapter 5:5 again. In fact, go back to the beginning of the Chapter or even the beginning of the Book and arrive again. It will become very clear, if you put all your preconceived and willful notions aside that the scene is one of a struggle, replicating the life of Jesus, and the Lion of Judah is the Devil, (the Lion seeing who it can devour) making a false claim to what is his. Repeat, the Lion of Judah is the Devil. And Jesus is the Lamb, slain, that rises. Now when you read Rev 5:5 you will see it plainly, that the four beasts and the elders, onlookers, who first believe that the Lion of Judah could prevail and break the Seals and deny Christ and the World His Message. But the Slain Lamb takes the Book and Open the Seals and sits upon the throne.
Sounds familiar doesn't it? The Lion of Judah thought it could hold the Word of God and destroy the Lamb! Instead it was the Lamb who brought to us his word and though slain rose again and assumed His throne. We can look then at Revelations understanding that that as it was then so shall it be.
If you think just depicting the Biblical story of the Passion of Christ would raise a firestorm you should not be surprised that so few are brave enough to acknowledge that Revelations tells us that the same perpetrators of Judah will be there trying to prevail over the Lamb and deny him the unsealing of the Book again! So the tribe of Judah is trying again, and thus fulfilling the prophecy.
The latest lie is that Judah will try to tell you that Jesus was not born of God and instead is "Jesus the Jew". To say that is to BLASPHEMY and to do so disingenuously. It is to say that the Bible lies about Jesus being the Son of God and the miraculous Virgin Birth. It is disingenuous because while we have no genealogy of Mary we do know she is from Galilee,(גְּלִיל - הַגּוׁיִם; lit:Glil HaGoyim) "Place of the Goyim", with much of this name being retained in its present name of Galil or HaGalil, not Judea. (As to the esoteric, so called "Synoptic Problem" of contradictory Gospels of His birthplace during the Roman regional Census of 6 AD still presents him as a Galilean, born in Bethlehem or Galilee or the well known expression from Isaiah 9:1 Galilee of the Gentiles.)
Romans authority had no interest in Christ's origins as a colonial subject of Iudaea regardless of tribe, nor his claims of supernatural birth. Judeans and an influx of Edomites, in particular as Pharisee and Sadducee were the administrative power under the Roman colonial province-nation given name "Iudaea". "Iudaea" and "Judea", in English translations since 1800 been translated as "Jew" regardless of context.
Iudaea named incidentally after Judea, as it administered under the Romans, the territory of all around it including Palaestina, Israel, Samaria, Edom, Galilee and Moab among other non-Judean areas. Only the Greeks and Romans in the towns of Decapolis were not subject to being Jews under Judean authority at the time of Jesus. Jesus being a Jewish citizen under Roman colonial administration allowed him to be tried either for sedition by the Romans or the original charge of blasphemy by Jewish (Judean administered law). However Jesus did not have the protections he would had he been a of the Judean (priestly) class, highlighting the division of the class who used appropriately the emblem of the Lion of Judah that would lead the Lamb of God slaughter through falsehood. Luke 23: "And they began to accuse Him saying, We found this fellow perverting the (province), and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying He Himself is Christ a King."
Even from a non-religious view then, this modern "Jesus the Jew" is a cynical and inaccurate ploy by those with an obvious political agenda: 1. Deny Jesus as Christ, 2. Deny Jesus brought to the world a new message and faith, 3. To make Christians subordinate, 4. To deny all implications of the Gospel and Revelations, the story of Jesus and his message, and the fate of the world, respectively; and thus this denial is a refutation of Christianity.
It is also to deny this central part of the Gospel, or life of Jesus. The charge is that as a subject of Judea he was responsible to Jewish charges. Let us look to the Book of John:
33Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
34Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
35Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
39But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
40Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
How is it then that “Christians” who say “Jesus is a Jew” or “the King of the Jews” (or even more ignobly “A Jewish Carpenter” or “A Jewish 'Rabbi' or Teacher”) freely deny Jesus his own message and do so, “upon the cock crow” each day? Will the betrayal of Jesus by his followers and the persecution by Judah continue on a daily basis then until His Return?
Returning to Revelations then, it is no wonder then, to a Christian then why so few from the tribe of Judah in all of history will be among his companions: "12 thousand" Jews plus the same from 11 other tribes of Israel) will enter his kingdom while "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues" will enter and receive the Lord's blessings and protection.
5:1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
5:2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
5:3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
5:4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
5:7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.
5:9 And they sung a NEW song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
No comments:
Post a Comment