Revelation (Written)

Saturday, 10 October 2020

Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 3:10

In verse 3:8, Jesus spoke of an open door set before those at Philadelphia. He then noted that they had kept His word and they did not deny His name. In verse 3:9, He then contrasted them to the “synagogue of Satan” – meaning the unbelieving Jews – stating that He loved His faithful believers. With those points in mind, the Lord now says, “Because you have kept My command to persevere.”

The Greek more precisely reads, “the word of the endurance of Me.” This doesn’t mean the words He spoke concerning patience, “but the word of Christ which requires patience to keep it” (Vincent’s Word Studies). This was seen in verse 1:9 when speaking of “the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.” The believers at Philadelphia were patient and did not deny His name, having endured through their various trials. Because of this, Jesus next makes a promise saying, “I also will keep you from the hour of trial.”

The Greek word translated as “from” is ek. In its simplest form, it signifies “out of.” It is a word that suggests “from the interior outwards,” and thus “out from within.” Thus, there is the thought of both “out from” and “to.” When one is kept out from something, they are kept “to” something else. For example, in Matthew 2:15, it says, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

If one is called “out of” Egypt, it signifies that the calling is “to” somewhere else. Therefore, Jesus is saying that He will keep those of Philadelphia “out of the hour of trial.” The implication is that they will not experience (be kept from, but through) the hour of trial, but will be removed (out of/from) the hour of trial. This trial is next described as “which shall come upon the whole world.”

If the trial is coming upon the whole world, and if these believers are to remain in the world, it doesn’t matter how safe they are kept, they will experience the trial to some extent. The entire world is a closed system. Jesus is clearly stating that they will not merely be kept “through” as Noah was on the ark, but “out of” as Enoch was. Noah may have been kept from the deluge, but he still indirectly experienced the effects of the deluge. Enoch was kept from the deluge, and he did not experience any of it.

Understanding this, and as the church of Philadelphia is representative of faithful believers who have kept the Lord’s command to endure, the logical conclusion is that those believers who are alive and have endured right up until the coming hour of trial upon the whole world will be taken out of/from what will then come upon the whole world. How this will occur may be debated, but the fact that the Lord has promised it will occur means that it will be so.

One can see the promise laid out – “have kept my word” (3:8) … “I also will keep you from” (3:10). This then explains the next words which finish the verse, “to test those who dwell on the earth.” A testing of the entire inhabited world (oikoumenēs) will come upon those who dwell on the physical earth (gēs). One can make the logical assumption that if Christ is speaking to faithful believers who have kept His word to persevere, that the test is upon those who have not kept His word to persevere.

As the Lord specifically inserted the thought concerning the “synagogue of Satan,” meaning Jews who are not true Jews, between 3:8 and 3:10, it refers to a time when they will be tested – along with the rest of the world – for a set purpose. That set purpose is revealed in Daniel 9 (and elsewhere) –

“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.” Daniel 9:24

Sixty-nine of these seventy weeks have been fulfilled. One more week, or seven-year period, lies ahead. It is this period that is being referred to as “the hour of trial.” As a note concerning the word “hour,” the word can mean a literal “hour,” but it can also speak of a period of any given time. It is the same as in English when we may say of the day of a wedding, “Today is the hour of her joy.”

It is this latter meaning that is being referred to here. To attempt to calculate the “hour” in relation to a twenty-four-hour day, and then to attempt to pinpoint either the rapture, the second coming, or some other particular marker based on this word is not a sound approach to biblical interpretation and  it is without any basis in reality.

Life application: Though the words of this verse are written to a single church of seven churches, the words are – like all of the other verses of these seven letters – directed to the church as a whole at any given time during the church age.

Therefore, the “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” is certainly referring to the Tribulation period of the book of Revelation. To come to any other conclusion is to deny the entire premise of the book. It demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the timeline given in Daniel 9:24-27. A 490-year period was promised to the nation of Israel in those verses, and they are supported by dozens of other passages in the Old Testament which point to this period; they are directed at Israel.

In this timeline, 483 years have come to pass, leaving 7 years to be fulfilled. These 7 years are the contents of the book of Revelation, beginning with verse 4:2 and continuing until Christ’s physical return in chapter 19. Jesus’ comments about the end times in the gospels, such as Matthew 24, are also speaking of this time and His words are directed to Israel, not the church. The church was still a “mystery” yet to be revealed when Jesus made these comments. They are, therefore, directed to Israel. However, the promise in this verse is made to the church (to whom the seven letters are addressed). Therefore, when Jesus promises He will “keep you from the hour of trial” He means the church.

There are two views on what Jesus means. The first is that He will keep the church in, but carry it through, the tribulation period. The second is that He will take the church out of the world through the rapture. The second option is correct. Nothing else would make literal sense of the other passages in the New Testament which speak of the rapture. It also fills the Old Testament typology where Lot was taken out of Sodom before the destruction took place. It makes no sense to say that Israel would be kept in, but carried through, the tribulation and then to repeat the same promise to the church.

The rapture will happen, and it will be before the tribulation period of the book of Revelation. Get your timeline straight, don’t mix dispensations, and have faith in the plain, clear, and obvious sense of passages which may seem incredible, but which are given to us to be taken in a literal sense. The rapture is the blessed hope of the Christian – and it will happen just as promised.

To see pictures of the event known as the rapture from the Old Testament, this sermon from the Superior Word is well worth viewing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyerjzB2EiI

What a gloriously wonderful promise, Lord Jesus! That you would come for us in the twinkling of an eye and carry us home to be with You is the most precious thought we can carry with us each day. Thank You for Your sure word, Your solid promises, and the security of knowing that we shall live eternally with You in glory. Hallelujah and whooo hooo! Amen.

Friday, 9 October 2020

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9

In the previous verse, Jesus said, “See, I have set before you an open door.” As noted then, that more literally said, “I have given before you a door opened.” Now, using the same verb, He says, “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan.” In this, it more correctly says, “Indeed, I give out of the synagogue of Satan.” The idea is being picked up again from the previous verse.

It is a way of saying, “I have given you an opened door, and I will give you those from the synagogue of Satan to acknowledge this fact.” The Jews claim they have access through the door, but it is – in fact – believers in Christ who do. The opened door is, as noted in the previous verse, probably speaking of access to evangelism. The Lord opens opportunities to spread the gospel, and the gospel is what leads people to salvation. It is the opposite of what the Jews who rejected Christ did –

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

Indeed, instead of bringing their converts to the Messiah and heaven, they led them in the opposite direction to the Adversary (Satan) and to hell (Gehenna). Of them, Jesus next states, “who say they are Jews and are not, but lie.” This is the same basic thought as Revelation 2:9 –

 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

As noted at that time, this does not mean that they actively worship Satan, but that in having rejected Christ, the incarnate Lord (Yehovah), the Lord is not among them. Without Christ, they then – by default – belong to the devil. That is explicitly stated by Jesus in John 8:44 –

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

This is why Jesus added on the words, “but lie.”  They say they are Jews, but they are not. Rather, they lie. Their words follow the words of their father, the devil. It is what Paul then refers to in Romans 2 –

“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” Romans 2:28, 29

Paul’s words are speaking only about people of Jewish descent, but who are either believers in Christ (and who are thus true Jews), or who are broken off from being true Jews. Jews may have the lineage, but those who do not come to Christ Jesus do not qualify for what that lineage was intended to bring about, meaning an internal circumcision of the heart. As noted in the commentary on 2:9, this does not mean that a Gentile becomes a Jew through faith in Christ. Gentiles remain Gentiles and are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. To ensure proper theology, the categories must be maintained.

Of these non-converted Jews who are of the synagogue of Satan, Jesus next says, “indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet.” The word translated as “worship” signifies to kiss the ground when prostrating oneself before a superior, and thus to worship. If Jesus is speaking of these people worshiping Him before the feet of those at Philadelphia, then the word “worship” is correct. However, if He is saying that the prostration is directed to those at Philadelphia, then the word “worship” is incorrect. Only God is to receive worship (see Revelation 22:9).

Either way, the words here are reflective of what it says in Isaiah –

“Kings shall be your foster fathers,
And their queens your nursing mothers;
They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth,
And lick up the dust of your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me.” Isaiah 49:23

“Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the Lord,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 60:14

The very promises made to the people of Israel are given to those in the church – both Jew and Gentile. Jesus’ words are inclusive of Jews who do not come to Jesus, but who instead persecute those in the church. Understanding this, Jesus finishes with, “and to know that I have loved you.”

Again, the promises of the Lord’s faithful love to Israel are transferred to those in the church – both Jew and Gentile. Being a Jew through natural descent does not ensure that the individual will be loved by the Lord. Rather, only those who come to the Son will receive the favor stated here by Jesus.

However, this does not exclude the Lord’s love for national Israel. This is the point of Paul’s words of Romans 9 through 11. Despite unbelieving Jews being cut off from the promises of God, the nation as a whole will never be cut off. Again, to ensure proper theology, the categories must be maintained.

Life application: God is working through history and every promise of the Bible will be fulfilled. The words of the Old Testament, promising that the Gentiles will come bow before Israel (as cited in Isaiah above), will come to pass, but it will only happen after Israel, as a nation, has fallen down in worship of Jesus in the presence of the church.

The time of the Tribulation is coming when the world will align itself against Israel. When all hope seems lost, there will be a conversion of heart and mind in the nation of Israel, and they will call on Jesus as Lord, acknowledging their previous rejection in remorseful repentance (Zechariah 12). When this happens, Jesus will return to the land and set up His millennial kingdom.

None of this is fantasy, but rather it is the reality of what will surely occur. For the church now, we can know that Jesus has loved us and will continue to do so. We are secure in our faith in Jesus Christ. In the end, all will come and worship before Him. No person, even those who have rejected Him, will be exempt. The dividing line for all humanity now is faith in Christ. Some bow willingly now, some will bow later in remorse, but all will come to acknowledge the truth of God in Christ –

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Lord, Your plan for the ages, and for the people of the world, is simply astonishing. You have bound all under disobedience that You may have mercy on all. By simply acknowledging You as Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised You from the dead, we are saved. What an amazing demonstration of Your wisdom and kindness! Amen.

Thursday, 8 October 2020

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Revelation 3:8

Again, as with each church thus far, Jesus says to the church at Philadelphia, “I know your works.” He is fully aware of all that goes on in any given church and at all times. Nothing misses His attention as He walks among the lampstands. Of this church, He continues with, “See, I have set before you an open door.”

The Greek literally reads, “I have given before you a door opened.” What this means is debated. It could be as noted in the previous verse what Paul relayed several times concerning a favorable opening to conduct evangelism. It could be that He has opened heaven to the church as a whole, meaning they are all of the true faith in Christ; none are excluded. Another explanation is that the Lord has opened the meaning of Scripture to them. The first seems the most likely. It is what Paul mentioned several times, and it is a primary purpose of the church.

As salvation is an individual matter, it seems unlikely that the Lord would refer to the church having an open door to salvation, even if all are saved. And Scripture is opened to those who read it, contemplate it, pray about it, and so on. It could even be that the open door is simply a way of saying that they will prosper in any and all of these ways. The church has found the Lord’s favor, and He has opened His door of favor to them. Of this door, whatever the exact meaning is, Jesus says, “and no one can shut it.”

As He said in the previous verse, He is “He who opens and no one shuts.” Once the Lord has opened a door, for whatever reason, it will remain open as long as He determines it to be so. In the case of this open door, the Lord graciously opened it to them saying, “for you have a little strength.”

This could be taken as “a little strength,” or “little strength.” If the former, it means that they may have a source of strength, even though it is weak. In this, the Lord assists them to complete the strength they need. Or, it could be that they are lacking any real strength at all, and the Lord has opened this door to them in their affliction. Either way, the Lord perceives a state of lack. He is either filling it up, or completely assisting them in accomplishing the task by opening this door for them. He further notes that they “have kept My word.”

This is a point of obedience. Believers are saved by faith in Christ. But that salvation is to be worked out in obedience to the word. This is not a point of salvation, but one which shows a love for what is right, and it is a point upon which they will be rewarded. To keep the word of the Lord is consistently considered as pleasing to Him throughout Scripture. This church was faithful to what the Lord expects of His people.

To end the verse, Jesus adds in, “and have not denied My name.” This is one of the highest notes of faithfulness to the Lord. When persecution comes, people may shut up about their faith, hide the fact that they follow Christ, and even deny His name at times. This is a part of the human condition – as is evidenced in Peter’s denial of Him on the night before His crucifixion. For those who stand fast and are willing to acknowledge Him, even in such trying times, the Lord acknowledges it as that which is truly faithful.

The church at Philadelphia is commended by the Lord because what they have done is commendable. It is a note to all who wish to be pleasing to Him.

Life application: Jesus acknowledges that He is aware of the works of the church in Philadelphia. This, in turn, tells us that He is aware of the works of all churches – both good and bad. He is surveying the tasks and devotion of His people and is not simply a sideline quarterback.

Understanding this, let our actions be the epitome of faithfulness to Him. In this, He will certainly be pleased. Should we fail Him, He will remain faithful, because – as Paul says to Timothy –

“If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13

Great and majestic are You, Lord God Almighty! When the world comes against us, You are there strengthening us and giving us the hope of eternal glory. We know that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from the love which You have lavished upon us through Christ Jesus our Lord. Thank You for Your sure and eternal promises! Hallelujah and Amen.

Wednesday, 7 October 2020

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: Revelation 3:7

Jesus now addresses the sixth of the seven churches, beginning with, “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write…” As has been noted, the “angel” is certainly referring to the leader of the church. Of the church in Philadelphia, Vincent’s Word Studies states –

“Seventy-five miles southeast of Sardis. The second city in Lydia. The adjacent region was celebrated as a wine-growing district, and its coins bore the head of Bacchus and the figure of a Bacchante. The population included Jews, Jewish Christians, and converts from heathenism. It suffered from frequent earthquakes. Of all the seven churches it had the longest duration of prosperity as a Christian city. It still exists as a Turkish town under the name of Allah Shehr, City of God. The situation is picturesque, the town being built on four or five hills, and well supplied with trees, and the climate is healthful. One of the mosques is believed by the native Christians to have been the gathering-place of the church addressed in Revelation. ‘One solitary pillar of high antiquity has been often noticed as reminding beholders of the words in Revelation 3:12 : “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God.”’”

Philadelphia means “Place of Brotherly Love,” and it was built by Attalus Philadelphus, the king of Pergamos. It is to the church that meets in this location that the Lord says, “These things says He who is holy.” Here, the word is hagios, signifying “set apart,” “holy,” and “sacred.” Three times, Christ Jesus is called the Holy One in Acts (Acts 2:27, 13:34, and 13:35). There it uses the word hosios. That signifies being holy by sanction. Christ is both holy by sanction and also set apart from sin and from that which is evil. This then corresponds to “the Holy One of Israel,” meaning the Lord of the Old Testament. Christ is the embodiment of this holiness.

Next, He says, “He who is true.” Here, the word is aléthinos – that which is made of truth. It signifies real, or genuine. It is prefixed by an article in the Greek – “The True.” Christ is the embodiment of truth. Of this word, Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“Αληθινὸς is not merely, genuine as contrasted with the absolutely false, but as contrasted with that which is only subordinately or typically true. It expresses the perfect realization of an idea as contrasted with its partial realization. Thus, Moses gave bread, but the Father giveth the true bread (τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἀληθινόν). Israel was a vine of God’s planting (Psalm 80:8), Christ is the true (ἡ ἀληθινὴ) vine (John 15:1). The word is so characteristic of John that, while found only once in the Synoptic Gospels, once in a Pauline Epistle, and four times in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it occurs nine times in the fourth Gospel, four times in John’s First Epistle, and ten times in Revelation, and in every instance in these three latter books in its own distinctive signification.”

Next, the Lord says, “He who has the key of David.” This refers to the type given in Isaiah 22, Eliakim –

“Then it shall be in that day,
That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
²¹ I will clothe him with your robe
And strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
And to the house of Judah.
²² The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
²³ I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place,
And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.” Isaiah 22:20-23

David is given in Scripture as typical of Christ, the ruling king. The house of David anticipates the kingdom of Christ. Eliakim was given promises that he would have authority over this office. Those things described of him by the Lord anticipated the greater fulfillment of them in the coming of Christ. What belonged to the throne and house of David would be managed by Eliakim during his temporary life. But those same things would be transferred to Christ for His eternal reign. Of this position, Jesus continues by saying, “He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.”

It is quoted from Isaiah 22:22 (above). The final authority of all matters over the everlasting kingdom of Christ belongs solely to Him. Anything He determines cannot be undone by another. That authority can be delegated, but the ultimate decision resides in Christ. For example, Christ said the following after Peter declared Jesus to be “the Christ, the Son of the living God” –

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” Matthew 16:17-19

It was Peter who then opened doors and shut doors concerning spiritual matters especially as is recorded in the first chapters of Acts. A similar example of this from Paul’s ministry is found in Acts as well –

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. ⁷ After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. ⁸ So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.” Acts 16:6-10

Paul also speaks of “a great and effective door” which was opened to him (1 Corinthians 16:9). In 2 Corinthians 2:12, he again mentions a door opened by the Lord for preaching the gospel. In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks the believers at Colossae to pray “that God would open to us a door for the word.” As Christ claims authority to open such a door, and as that prayer was to be made to God, it is another purposeful clue to the fact that Jesus is God.

Life application: The church of Philadelphia receives only commendation. It is a sound and faithful church. Because of this and because of their “little strength” that will be mentioned in the coming verse, the letter is addressed from:

“He who is holy” – The Holy One is a title ascribed to Yehovah in the Old Testament. Thus, Jesus is equated with God and is therefore capable of protecting and maintaining His church.

“He who is true” – Jesus is the embodiment of truth, and therefore His words are completely reliable, and the promises He will make to Philadelphia will come to pass.

“He who has the key of David” – Jesus is claiming that He is the ultimate fulfillment of the honors promised to the Messiah. He has all the authority of the kingship in His hand. Therefore, He is the One “who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” In other words, His decisions are final, and all authority belongs to Him. If He accepts a person or a church, nothing can separate them from Him. If He rejects them, then the decision is final and the matter is settled for all eternity for them.

In the ultimate sense, Jesus has complete and sole authority over the door to either life or death for all humanity. Amazingly, He leaves the choice up to us as to which we will walk through. When the decision is made, it is sealed with His blood for salvation or for condemnation.

We choose Jesus! Lord God, be with us in our walk, and be with the churches we attend in our worship and pursuit of You. Help us to make right decisions, and to stand firm even in times of trial or persecution. We know that all power belongs to You, and so we have nothing to fear. Thank You for Your presence being with Your people. Amen!

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’ Revelation 3:6

As in the concluding words of the Lord to those in Thyatira (verse 2:29), these words here, and for the final two churches (Philadelphia and Laodicea), come at the very end of the epistle. However, this statement also preceded the note to those who overcome in the letter to the first three churches.

Regardless of the location, the words beg the reader to stop and consider what has been said. In the case of the letter to Sardis, theirs was a dead church, little was left of value and the Lord encouraged them to strengthen those things. His call is for the church to remember and repent, or he will come upon them as a thief.

The good news, at least for some, was that there were a few people left in the church who held fast to Christ. Of them, a note of the surety of their salvation was provided. He then noted to the whole church that any of them could join those few worthy souls by overcoming. This is the state of things in Sardis, and it is the state of many churches today. They are dead and their end is near if they don’t repent. But even in those bad churches, there may be people who truly love Christ Jesus.

Life application: Although we all have ears, we all don’t always listen. Having a physical attribute is no guarantee that it will be used. If you have ever done something unusual for the first time, for example, water skiing, you will find that the muscles you don’t normally use will hurt the next day. If you’re not used to studying, when you attend a college class for the first time, your brain will feel overloaded. If you are not normally a public speaker and you are asked to give a presentation, you very well may have a sore throat the next day. All of this occurs because you are using a part of you that is not normally exercised.

In the same way, when we don’t pay heed to spiritual things, we get dry, cold, and lethargic in our spiritual lives. Jesus asks us to wake up from this spiritual condition, open the spiritual ears of our souls, and “hear what the Spirit says.”

How many times have you picked up the Bible, read a passage, and put the Bible back down without it changing you at all? The words went into your eyes, passed right around your brain, and disappeared into the ether. Unless we combine the reading experience with the mental and spiritual process of thinking through what is being said, we miss the most valuable part of our interaction with God, His word, and the influence of the Holy Spirit.

When you read the Bible, take a moment to pray and ask God to open the eyes of your heart to a deeper understanding of what He is presenting. Hear what “the Spirit says to the churches.” The words are not only for the individual church being addressed, but for all people throughout the Church Age and in every denomination. Every heart should be open to what God is relating through the pages of the Holy Bible.

Yes, Lord! Open our hearts and give us minds of wisdom to understand the spiritual applications that are being presented in the Bible. If this is truly Your word, and it surely is, then it has the power to change us, to mold us, and to direct us in wonderful ways that will bring glory to You. And therefore, may it be so. Amen.