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Revelation–introduction Series
Contributed by Phillip Smith on Mar 6, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: AN INTERACTIVE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION Guided By Phillip Smith
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The Book of Revelation Is A Symbolic Literary Writing.
THE WRITING IS FILLED WITH SYMBOLISM
The learned Christian can identify spiritual nature as it intertwines with physical nature by understanding the symbolic literary writing
IT IS A COMPLETE SPIRITUAL NATURE REVELATION
It discusses how literal physical and literal spiritual combine to fulfill God’s Will in mankind’s lives
IT REVEALS THE SPIRIT REALM UNTIL THE END OF CREATION
Perhaps including the Spirit Realm from the Beginning until the End
REASONS FOR MANKIND’S MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF THIS REVELATION
Mankind, from birth, has been conditioned to identify objects, things, places and people. They immediately, upon birth, start identifying people and things by use of the senses God gave mankind; sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch.
These senses cannot help in recognizing spirits or spiritual activities. Only by the evidence of things not seen can a human recognize spirit and spiritual activities.
HUMANS REQUIRE IDENTITIES
It has become necessary to relate one person, place or thing with another. We each have a last name to identify to whom we belong when two or more have the same name.
The human has been given five senses; sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. We have been conditioned to use these senses to make identifications of people, places and things. We have additional identifiers to distinguish one who has the same identifier with another; in animals, breed identifiers; in humans, middle and last names, etc.; places by size and location.
DIFFICULTY RECOGNIZING SPIRITS
Has anyone been able to identify spirits in The Spirit Nature? Why Not? Why did you not recognize things of the Spirit Realm?
The normal person cannot see Spirit. It is invisible to the naked eye. This is why so many cannot discern Spiritual things from reality.
How can a Christian recognize a spirit if they cannot see it?
Humans have not been conditioned to recognize spirits unless they train, or condition, their minds to recognize attributes of their evidence being manifested in nature. Thus, for most humans, even those who claim religion, have great difficulty identifying the Spirit Realm as it influences mankind.
Let us look at examples of physical things recognized by humans which were of The Spirit Nature.
Biblically, God used physical things for man to see the spirit
Dove
Matthew 3:16 KJV 16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Cloven Tongues Like Fire
Acts 2:3-4 KJV 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The spirit is like the wind, we cannot see it. However, we can see the effects of the wind. So it is of the spirit; we cannot see it, but, we can see the effects of it as Christians
John 3:8 KJV 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Even Jesus had to explain Spiritual things to His disciples in physical things they could correlate and be compared with.
Matthew 13:10-13 KJV 10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
WHO HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR
How often did you read this phrase in scripture? For what purpose was it stated?
Just because you hear something does not mean you understood it. It requires listening and understanding. Jesus said not all will hear–understand. To all men are not all things given; even understanding.
HOWEVER: “Ask and it shall be given unto you.” He who asks not amiss and in good faith shall be given unto.
Asking in good faith needs clarification. Therefore, what is meant by FAITH?
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 KJV
Did you notice, faith is of a spirit nature? The evidence of spirit is not seen. Yet, you can recognize a change from one condition to another. (evidence)
What is hoped for? Is it not Heaven? (a substance not seen) Is it not understanding to develop faith (belief) in the evidence of things not seen?