Spiritcode

This episode explores Revelation chapters 6 and 7, focusing on the opening of the sixth seal and the distinction between human-made suffering and the wider calamities described in the biblical text. It begins with the instability, conflict and economic pressure affecting ordinary people, before considering how these conditions relate to the events described in Revelation.

The sixth seal is examined alongside the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, with further connections to Daniel, Exodus and the story of Noah. The episode also looks at the repeated three-and-a-half-year period found throughout Revelation, the image of the church being carried on eagles’ wings, and the theme of protection during times of upheaval and persecution.

Attention then turns to the great multitude in Revelation 7, the promise of comfort after suffering, and the meaning of Jubilee as a picture of release, restoration and provision. The episode closes with a reflection on patience, discernment and the importance of remaining steady and supportive of one another during uncertain times.

The Spiritual Treadmill and the Life of Grace Or Salvation: Our Two Identities
Scott Kardash
19th July 2026
Introduction: Two Identities
I named this talk "The Spiritual Treadmill and the Life of Grace," and today I want to contrast both of these. The song we heard talked about letting go. That represents the left-hand side... the treadmill that we're on. I had a little alternate title: "From Striving to Flow: Our Two Identities," because we all live out of two identities. It's a matter of moving from one identity, our old self, to our new self. In my view, that is in fact what salvation is all about.
We have a bit of a different view of salvation which has been taught, particularly in the Western church. If we step back and think about it, what actually is the gospel? What is the good news? If someone asked you today, "What's the gospel? What's the good news?" your answer might be a bit different to what's commonly taught... or even preached... today.
Let me give you an example, because some of us might have heard a version of it that goes a little bit like this: "God is sending you all to hell forever. Well, unless Jesus stops him, of course. And that's the good news."
It's a caricature, obviously. No-one actually says it quite like that, but it's a little clip just to give you an example. It's a fear-based gospel presenting an angry God, not a God of love, but an angry and unforgiving God. Now, God tells us to forgive even our enemies, but this view says, no, God can't forgive. There's actually something wrong with this picture.
The Impact of a Fear-Based Gospel
I lived in Japan for three years. Some of you may know that Japan is only about 1% Christian. It's not because there haven't been missionaries going there; there have been. But it has something to do with the Japanese culture, and even the broader Asian culture, where they revere their ancestors. In fact, they have these ceremonies where they practice ancestor worship. When their ancestors were alive, they didn't hear this gospel, so they didn't know Jesus. For them to accept this modern Western gospel message is essentially to condemn all their ancestors to hell forever. So, it goes down like a bit of a lead balloon, as you can imagine. It's not well received.
It can be experienced a little bit like this: picture Jesus knocking on the door of our heart... which is a misquote of Revelation 3:20... and the little guy inside saying, "Well, why should I let you in?" And Jesus replies, "Because of what I'll do to you if you don't." It comes across a bit like a threat. Where is this loving God that we're talking about? I think it's a complete distortion of what the gospel actually is.
Paul's Gospel to the Gentiles
If we look at Paul the apostle, his job was to go and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Jesus preached to the Jews... His mission was for the Jews first, then the Gentiles. So Paul went and preached to the Gentiles. Not many people realise that Paul didn't even mention the word "hell." He didn't even mention it. He wrote most of the New Testament and didn't mention the word hell. He talked about judgment, and Jesus did warn the Jews about Gehenna... which is a physical place outside Jerusalem with a very shady past... and he talked about outer darkness, and John warned about the lake of fire. Paul... I'm sure he will cover the lake of fire in his upcoming Revelation series if he hasn't already, and talk more about its purpose.
But there's a good example in Acts 17 where Paul is preaching on Mars Hill. You might remember when he talks to the men of Athens. He doesn't go up there and say, "Turn or burn forever." He doesn't say that. He says, and I'll quote, "God is not far from each one of us, for we are all God's offspring. The times of ignorance God overlooked. God now commands all men everywhere to repent"... which means to turn to him. "He has appointed a day in which He will be judging the habitable earth in righteousness by a man he has appointed"... which is Jesus. And listen to this: "...offering faith to all by raising him from the dead."
I want to pick up on this phrase later... "offering faith to all." This is something very much in line with what Paul's been talking about.
The Modern Transactional View vs. True Transformation
The common, modern-day process of salvation goes something like this: you'll likely begin with a prayer. More often than not, before you know what's happening, you'll be asked to pray at the end of a meeting. You'll be asked to "repeat after me" and just say these words. The words might include a declaration of future repentance, but that's optional. But repentance isn't something we say we will do; repentance is something we do. It's not a verbal promise, it's an action.
Once you say this prayer, you're then deemed to be saved. People will ask, "When were you saved?" and you'll say, "Well, I was saved on the day I said that prayer." It's a very common view, presenting salvation as a finishing point rather than a starting point. What I want to put to you today is that making that declaration is actually just the starting point.
Here is a bit of a challenge. The proposition is: to be saved from hell, you say this prayer, and you're now saved from eternal punishment. Try to find a passage in the Bible that talks about hell where this is the criteria for not going there. It's pretty hard to find. I can tell you the passages that talk about hell don't talk about some sort of verbal declaration. Under that view, salvation becomes a legal transaction where God is now obliged not to send you to hell forever. You were just lucky enough to find the legal loophole before you died, whilst most won't find it.
Unfortunately, this can lead to an attitude that sin doesn't matter, or "cheap grace," as it's known. Some of the most devastating moral failures occur in church leadership and congregations. I suspect this kind of mindset contributes to the problem. People think, "I said the prayer, I'm saved, I'm not going to hell, so what does it matter?" Sin does matter, because it damages us and it damages the people around us. As we will see later, it's evidence that we're operating out of the wrong, false identity.
Unpacking John 3:16 and Perishing
Here's the classic "ticket to heaven" verse, John 3:16. We can probably all recite it: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that everyone who is believing in him should not perish but have eternal life."
A couple of things here. "Believing" is the translation, but Paul would have covered pistis with you... to have faith. It's talking about having faith. It's not a matter of, "Did I believe hard enough so that I'm not going to perish?" No, it's about having faith. Paul has talked about having faith in Christ to allow the faith of Christ to flow.
People often conflate perishing with judgment and eternal punishment. But actually, this word "perish" in the Greek is apollumi. It's the exact same word used for "lost" in the stories of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son. It doesn't mean "destroyed beyond existence" or "beyond redemption." In Luke 15, which contains those three parables, the father of the prodigal son says, "Listen to this: my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost"... was perishing, same word... "and is found." To perish doesn't mean to cease to exist.
People often conflate judgment with perishing and endless punishment in hell without any hope of redemption. But we're talking about God's righteous judgment, and God's judgment always has a righteous purpose.
What is Eternal Life?
What is eternal life? The picture many of us have had is sitting on a cloud in heaven playing a harp, thinking, "What am I going to do for the rest of eternity? Will it get boring?" Well, actually, your eternal destiny isn't up in heaven. Where is it, Zara? Where will we be eternally?
Zara: New Jerusalem.
Speaker: New Jerusalem, exactly... the new earth. Our destiny is actually here. Jesus will return here as King. Heaven is just a waiting room until he returns. We're not going to stay up there forever sitting on a cloud playing a harp; that is a waiting room.
Fortunately, Jesus defined eternal life for us. He said, "This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." So, eternal life is not about the length of time. We have this Western mentality that eternal life means a long period of existing alive. No, it's about the quality of life. It's about knowing God. The word "eternal" is actually translated from the Greek term aionios, which means "of an age." It doesn't inherently mean endless. But when it got translated into Latin... which is where a lot of Western doctrine comes from... the Latin word used really did mean endless eternity. We've lost some of the nuances of the original language in our English translations.
It is an age of life where God is the source of our life. In Jesus' view, salvation stops being a transaction to avoid punishment and becomes the process we go through to know God and experience this life. Salvation isn't just a one-time event or a prayer; it's a process.
The Post-Pentecost Reality
I think this leads to one of the most startling verses in the Bible. How can we actually know God? Paul tells the Corinthian church that he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. That's quite amazing. When did this become possible? It only became possible at a certain period of human history: after Pentecost. God said, "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh." We now have the Holy Spirit. Prior to Pentecost, they didn't have the indwelling Holy Spirit in the same way; they were dealing with rules, regulations, and laws to try to be good or obedient enough. After Pentecost, we are equipped with the Holy Spirit for a transformation process. We're moving way beyond the concept of just wanting to escape punishment or go to heaven forever. We're talking about a total transformation.
Does anybody remember what I presented last time? It was in November last year. It's all right, because I didn't remember either! Yes, Barbara? Do we have an award for Barbara?
Very good, Barbara. Paul and I did a series on the Ten Commandments, and the summary was about living by the law... what they used to have to do to live up to those commandments. Today, we flip those commandments completely through the Holy Spirit into a transformed life. Instead of "don't steal," it becomes "be a generous giver." Everything is flipped from "don't do this" to "do the opposite." That is the transformed life available to us because we have the Holy Spirit, the spirit that heals and reshapes us.
The Three Dimensions of Salvation
Today I want to build upon that concept and pick up on some of the things Paul has been talking about recently. I'll reuse one chart from my last talk, which highlights the fact that we are spirit, soul, and body.
* Our spirit has been saved in the past... Jesus accomplished that for us.
* Our soul is being saved now... that is present tense, and that's what the healing of the soul is all about. It's the ongoing transformation process.
* Our body will be saved at the resurrection, when we receive our new bodies.
That is the complete salvation process from soup to nuts. To say "I was saved on this date"... well, okay, but that was just the beginning of the journey.
The Two Operating Systems: Striving vs. Dependence
We live in a culture obsessed with life hacks and self-optimisation. It's incredibly easy to drag this exhausting striving straight into our walk with God, treating holiness as a behavioural self-improvement project. Does that sound familiar?
I know kids who are on their devices all the time, with constant, on-demand entertainment. They never have a chance to get bored. I tell them that boredom is a necessary ingredient for creativity. If you're constantly receiving input, you can't be creative because there's no space for it. We can get trapped in the exact same exhausting treadmill... like a hamster wheel... where we're striving to be better and trying to fix our flaws. "Oh, I keep doing this and I need to stop." It becomes exhausting. We are running on the wheel but getting nowhere.
Why does that happen? Because we operate out of two distinct operating systems. The first is the system of self-reliance. Picture a rigid, geometric tree of self-reliance, which represents the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden. On the other side, we have the flowing tree of dependence. As believers, we often operate out of both, but the goal of salvation is to shift from the left to the right.
Living out of the system of dependence results in an organic union and spontaneous fruit, modelling Jesus, who only did what he saw the Father doing. But dependence requires trust... or believing loyalty. It's much harder for us to let go, like the song was saying, and trust. We'd rather be self-dependent and ensure everything is controlled. Andrew was talking about OCD earlier, and that is essentially a striving to control everything around us. We need to let go.
I call the system on the left the "old self." I couldn't think of a name for the one on the right at first. What could the one on the right be called? The "new self." Okay, that's a good label!
Crucifixion, Not Rehabilitation
Looking at the old self, it cannot be upgraded or rehabilitated; it must be crucified. That is a pretty startling statement. When we operate out of the old self... which the Bible often refers to as the flesh... trying to fix it is like trying to dress up a corpse to make it look good. Our old self must die so our new self can live. There is no resurrection without crucifixion. We have to die first before we can be born again.
We all go through two births and two deaths. We are born physically and we die physically. We also have to die spiritually to be born again spiritually. Everybody will go through this process at some point.
Paul talks about this specifically in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Notice he says, "I have been crucified." It's past tense and decisive. Paul talked in one of his recent sermons about this being ontologically true... it is objectively true. It's just that it is often hidden from us, or we fail to acknowledge it. The old system is finished. The old self has been put to death, and we have a new source of life. It is Christ living in us, requiring a present and continuous dependence... a believing loyalty. You can see the echoes of John 3:16 rephrased here: living by faith in the Son of God who loved us.
Dead people don't require a more rigorous rule book; they lack the capacity to be resuscitated. When someone dies physically, their body is still there, but their life force... their spirit... is gone. You cannot rehabilitate a corpse. It is an error to think we can reform the old man. We see many religions trying to do exactly that... trying to perform better, strive harder, and follow rules. That's the old man. We don't need a rehabilitation programme to dress up a corpse; we require an entirely different kind of life. As Paul says in Ephesians 2, we were dead in our trespasses. We need to shift from a corrupted identity to an entirely new species.
On the left, you have a protective castle driven by self-protection, hiding, performance, and control, cut off from the primal source of life. Who is that primal source? Jesus. He is sustaining us all right now. There is nothing about us that he doesn't actively sustain, but we need that spiritual awakening. The model on the right is a creation model, not an evolutionary upgrade of the old flesh. It's a complete paradigm shift. The old self has to die. As Paul told the Corinthians: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."
The Faith of Christ
Let's talk about our faith allowing Christ's faith to flow. Paul previously shared a crude diagram of this, which I've significantly improved, and I'll let him use it whenever he wants! He'll probably listen to this recording, so I'm sure he'll follow up.
In modern translations, many verses are translated as faith in Christ rather than the faith of Christ. That comes down to the theological bias of the translators. Every translation acts like a tightly worded commentary. Because there are far more English words than Greek words, they have to choose the word that fits their doctrine. If they believe it's purely your personal faith in Christ doing the heavy lifting, they will translate the phrase pistis Christou that way. But it is actually the faith of Christ.
Remember what Paul said to the men of Athens: Jesus is "offering faith to all." Paul was saying this to Gentiles who knew nothing about Jesus until Paul opened his mouth. The faith of Christ is the very environment of God's grace. Our faith in Christ is simply the valve. It allows God's faith to anchor us and his Spirit to flow into our spirit, connecting with our soul. Our soul then becomes the expression of our spirit. Relational authenticity and believing loyalty to our King is what biblical faith is all about.
The proclamation of the gospel originally meant the declaration of a new King. That's the good news: we have a new King, so swear allegiance to Him. Isaiah 45 says: "By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance." That is the end state God saw for humanity. It's not forced submission; it's a voluntary allegiance once everyone finally sees who the King of the cosmos actually is.
As Paul writes in Corinthians, once all that is done and Jesus has reconciled the world to himself, he hands the kingdom back to God the Father. That is the ultimate end of the story, where God is "all in all"... all things in all people. In Revelation, you see people in the lake of fire, but that isn't the final chapter. The end of the story is when God becomes all in all.
Inside-Out Transformation
As Peter Carbless would say, when we're "fair dinkum" with God, we step out of the anxiety of daily performance reviews. (I like using Peter for Australian slang because he's Greek... it's a nice flip, he should be teaching us Greek instead of Aussie English!)
Under the old operating system, we try to improve our quality of being through an upward movement. We try to set external boundaries and learn rules, hoping they will eventually change our heart. That's the Ten Commandments approach. You use the rules to manage behaviour.
I tell my kids they have to wake up early, so they set an alarm. Zara had to work at 6:00 this morning at the bakery. Her alarm went off, and what did she do? Went straight back to sleep! She was operating under a rule. She didn't set the alarm because she passionately wanted to wake up; she set it because she had to. The alarm clock became the rigid focus. She wasn't responding to the internal reality of needing to be at the bakery.
God works the exact opposite way. The old man works from the rules upward. God starts at the very top: the quality of being. He begins with an internal infusion of divine life. He joins his Spirit to our spirit. How do we access this? We turn the valve of faith. That transformation then affects our principles. We receive a new nature that naturally understands God's ways, and the external boundaries become completely obvious. We want to do what is right because our core identity has changed, not because we're managed by a checklist. Sin management attempts to fix the perimeter to heal the core. God heals the core, and the perimeter naturally aligns.
True Fruit vs. Dead Works
Let's talk about works. People often say, "I'm a good person." But who is actually good? No-one. We can manufacture good actions out of self-reliance, but they are still dead works. Who is truly good? Jesus. We could copy his actions perfectly, but if they come out of the old self, they are just forced labour. True good works are a natural fruit blossoming out of our new life in him. We become his masterpiece.
Galatians 5:22 says: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."
We can exhibit nice attributes from either operating system, but the source is what matters. If they come out of the old man, they are dead works. This is why the author of Hebrews talks about "repentance from dead works." It's not just repenting of obviously bad things; it's repenting of the good things we tried to manufacture out of our own fleshly identity.
Summary of the Framework
To pull this framework together, let's contrast the two systems:
The Old Man (Flesh) The New Man (Spirit) Self-protective castle New creation & resurrection life Performance-led striving Absolute rest & conjoined union Adam (Dust of the earth) Christ (The life-giving spirit) Pre-Pentecost (External law) Post-Pentecost (Indwelling Spirit) Damaged, unhealed soul Healed, transformed soul False identity / Dead works True identity / Fruit of the Spirit When we operate out of the new man, our desires naturally become his desires. Instead of praying for a new model Porsche because our current one is out of date, we pray into his desires. That's what the Lord's Prayer is all about.
We all have a damaged soul that needs healing. This transition from a damaged soul to a healed soul is what the present process of salvation is. We often believe a false identity ("This is just who I am, I can't help it"), but we need to move into our true identity in him.
I have gathered a lot of scripture that maps this out, and I'll share the slides later. Please be like a Berean: don't just accept what someone says from a pulpit. Check the scriptures to see if these things map out accurately. Look at Ephesians 4, which tells us to put off the old self, renew our minds, and put on the new self. Scripture is full of this paradigm. It is completely different from simply saying a sinner's prayer and assuming you're completely done. This is a call to total transformation.
Application: Presence Prayer
How do we apply these principles? We begin with presence prayer. Paul recently put up a brilliant six-episode series on the Uncreated YouTube channel about this. The goal of presence prayer is to restore us to the exact purpose for which we were created: full communion with God. Jesus prayed, "That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us." That is full, beautiful integration.
Our primary responsibility is simply to open the valve of faith and allow the life of Christ to flow. When you notice yourself slipping into striving, stop. Take a physical breath, open your lungs, and receive his grace like oxygen.
To close, I'll share the Peter Carbless translation of Romans 5: "Therefore, since we have all of our ducks in a row because we are fair dinkum with God, we have peace with God. We stand and we rejoice in the hope and glory of God."
That is what salvation is all about. It's not a transaction you did once at the back of a church building years ago.
My mother used to get up at 3:00 am and sit in a small study chair. Sometimes she had a Bible on her lap, sometimes she didn't. I'd come home at all hours, see her there, and ask, "What are you doing? Are you praying?" She would always say, "No, I'm just waiting on the Lord." She didn't have a laundry list of demands. She was simply waiting on the Lord actively and deliberately. That is what presence prayer is.
Closing Prayer
Let's pray.
Lord, bring us into the full communication and organic union for which we were created—the secure reality where we are already seated together with you in finished victory and absolute rest. We simply thank you as we permit your life to flow through us, naturally growing your beautiful fruit and transforming us into a healing presence for everyone around us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

REVELATION EP5 - Martyrs and Grace and The Bride

Today, we are continuing our deep dive into the Book of Revelation with Episode Five: Martyrs and Grace.

When we look at the opening of the Fifth Seal, we encounter the souls under the altar. But there's a profound theological shift we need to make here. Martyrdom isn't just a historical tragedy; it's a structural witness. In the original Greek, the word for witness is Martys—the two concepts are linguistically identical. It’s about a shared life passing through suffering to display something far deeper.

I’ve wanted to sit down and untangle these theological concepts for years, getting them into proper historical and scriptural order once and for all. In this episode, we do a bit of a reality check on the concept of the "Antichrist." The word actually never appears in the Book of Revelation. More importantly, the Greek prefix anti- doesn't mean "against"—it means "instead of." We're looking at a system of substitution rather than outright opposition, and understanding that linguistic nuance completely changes how we view the prophetic timeline.

We also trace the fascinating convergence of history and theology since the 1517 Reformation. We unpack the architectural blueprint of the six foundational principles found in Hebrews 6—moving from metanoia (a total shift of the mind, rather than just external penance) to the four distinct historical dimensions of baptism, the laying on of hands, and the high-authority realities of resurrection and judgment.

Ultimately, this trajectory points toward telios—the Greek concept of full maturity and completion. It’s not about rigid, moral perfectionism, but a deep, structural reliance on a larger divine framework. It’s a massive paradigm shift that completely changes the way we look at where history is heading.

Revelation Ep 4: Seven Seals - Wars and Much More
In this episode we continue our journey through the Seven Seals of Revelation, taking a closer look at the first four horsemen and considering how they relate to the unfolding events of history.

We explore the White Horse as a picture of Christ preparing His Bride, the Red Horse and the growing loss of peace among the nations, and the contrast between the sword of human conflict and the sword of God’s truth that brings light, discernment and transformation.

The episode also revisits Ezekiel 38, discussing Gog and Magog and why this remarkable prophecy may still point to a future fulfilment, while reflecting on how it fits within the wider biblical story.

Finally, we consider the Black Horse and the Pale Horse in the context of economic uncertainty, war, disease and global instability, before finishing with the encouragement of Psalm 91. Throughout the discussion, the emphasis remains on hope rather than fear, inviting us to cultivate discernment, confidence in God’s faithfulness, and a deeper awareness of His presence as we anticipate Christ’s return together as a church family.

Podcast Summary: Revelation – The Heavenly Prelude and the Opening of the Seven Seals

This episode introduces the opening of the seven seals in the Book of Revelation, beginning with the heavenly throne-room vision of Revelation 4. Before any judgments unfold on earth, John is taken into heaven where he sees God’s throne, surrounded by worship, twenty-four elders, and four living creatures. This scene establishes God’s absolute sovereignty over everything that follows.

The speaker presents the view that John’s heavenly guide is Enoch, based on references in Jude and Revelation, and argues that Revelation from chapter 4 onward describes events that occur after John’s lifetime, supporting a futurist interpretation of the book.

The twenty-four elders are understood to represent God’s covenant leadership—twelve leaders of Israel and the twelve apostles. The four living creatures symbolise key aspects of Christ’s ministry:

• Lion – Christ the conquering King.
• Ox – Christ the humble Servant.
• Man – Christ’s compassionate humanity.
• Eagle – Christ’s heavenly perspective and exaltation.

Revelation 5 introduces the sealed scroll, containing God’s end-time purposes. Only Christ can open its seven seals. Each seal, once opened, remains active until Christ’s return, progressively unfolding God’s redemptive judgments upon the earth.

The speaker gives an overview of the seven seals:

• First Seal – White Horse: Represents the victorious Church, beginning with the Reformation in 1517, restoring the truths of faith and grace and progressively preparing the Bride of Christ.
• Second Seal – Red Horse: Represents war and the removal of peace from the earth, beginning with the world wars and continuing until Armageddon.
• Third Seal – Black Horse: Symbolises economic hardship, inflation, and famine.
• Fourth Seal – Pale Horse: Brings widespread death through war, disease, pestilence, and societal collapse.
• Fifth Seal: The cry of the martyrs for justice.
• Sixth Seal: Cosmic disturbances and worldwide upheaval.
• Seventh Seal: Opens the seven trumpet judgments.

The episode also connects Revelation with Daniel 12, where the prophetic book is sealed until “the time of the end,” identified by unprecedented global travel and a dramatic increase in knowledge. The speaker suggests today’s world—particularly the rise of artificial intelligence—fits this description and highlights the moral responsibility to use knowledge wisely.

Isaiah 29 is presented as another prophecy of a sealed book, linking Israel’s present spiritual blindness with future restoration under the New Covenant. The discussion emphasizes that the final events of Revelation will profoundly affect three groups:

1. The Church, through testing and purification.
2. Israel, through judgment and eventual restoration.
3. The kingdom of the Beast, through God’s final judgments.

The episode concludes by focusing on the hopeful message of the White Horse. Rather than symbolising deception, it is presented as Christ leading His Church through progressive restoration toward becoming the spotless Bride described in Revelation 19. Despite increasing global conflict, God is preparing a triumphant Church that will finish its race in victory before Christ’s return.

THE FLOW OF GRACE AND FAITH 

The Gift of God’s Grace shifts the burden of spiritual growth from us to the divine Creator God – and the very logos DNA design of being a New Creation in Christ makes the pursuit of holiness no longer a behavioural project but the natural manifestation of a new grace-filled nature. Grace is not an add on to become more spiritual - it is the Primal Source and the genetic blueprint of the New Creation.

Ephesians 2:4-10 (ESV)
4. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 
5. even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— Paul says that before Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit all of humanity was in a state of being "dead in trespasses." it is a description of a state of spiritual being - dead-end. We once were lost (vs 1-3) but now are found in Christ. He says we were trying to achieve spiritual output from a dead-end source without the life of Jesus. 
A dead-end nature cannot rehabilitate itself; it require a different kind of life entirely.
If a person does not have a revelation of being reconciled katalasso –being conjoined in spirit with the Spirit of God and made partakers of the divine nature. 
No behavioural modification bridges the chasm between Old Creation consciousness and Spiritual age to age life. This state of total "Deadness" demands faith in the divine intervention that is above and beyond the human system.

6. and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. The Divine Initiative of God was an act of death and resurrection for our sakes that was entirely apart from human faith, obedience, or response. God acted out of love to give his life to humanity. This was the act of universal reconciliation – katalasso – the divine outcome of the incarnation of Jesus and his death and resurrection and sending of the Holy Spirit. But for it to become a conscious reality for us it requires our faith in that act of divine reconciliation.
Paul calls us a New Creation – a creation model and not an evolution model – not trying to improve the old one. 
This is not just some legal status but a spiritual merger where the individual is woven into the life of the Divine. This union is categorized by three specific dimensions of being "Together with Christ". Verses 5 and 6
Made alive together: The new life-essence that terminates the state of deadness.
Raised up together: The elevation into a higher state of being. The word id ontology.
Seated together: The establishment of a new position of authority and rest, centred in the divine life rather than human effort.

7. so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  9. not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

This Gift of Grace shifts the burden of spiritual growth from us to the divine Creator God – and the very logos DNA design of being a New Creation makes the pursuit of holiness no longer a behavioural project but the natural manifestation of a new nature. Grace is not an add on to become more spiritual - it is the Primal Source and the genetic blueprint of the New Creation.

The way this New Creation model works is by shifting from "trying to acquire grace " to "permitting the flow of grace " In the old framework, we try to earn or generate spiritual value. In the New Creation model, we acknowledge that the grace life-force is already in effect. This is the "Logos logic" (vs.8) of Paul – see also in Romans 5.
Romans 5:2. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God 

Faith does not create grace; it accesses a pre-existing faith/grace system because Grace is the gift of the act of Divine Universal Reconciliation.Faith is the how-to of Access: Faith is not an achievement that produces salvation. It is the process of conscious agreement of letting the grace and faith OF Jesus flow from our spirit to our soul. It is the act of not frustrating the grace but allowing Spirit life to manifest through to the human soul as though through a pipeline connection. The operation of our faith is simply turning on the valve of the ‘faith of God’ and not resisting or frustrating the flow of grace – and for this we are accountable.

In the diagram - there is a red and yellow vertical line that represents Jesus bringing his human and divine Holy Spirit life into the life of humanity, represented by a horizontal purple pipeline. At that point there is a yellow circle representing the fullness of the grace (gift) of God’s life. That life begins to flow from left to right as a pipeline of the grace of God right to the end where there is a bubble that represents our soul. 
Halfway along the pipeline there is a yellow circle which represents a ‘faith valve’. That faith valve is where our faith in Christ is able to turn on or off the faith OF Christ and either maintain or frustrate the flow of grace to our soul.

Galatians 2:20 And the life I now live in the flesh (the embodiment of my soul) I live by the faith OF the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness (alignment with God) were through the law, then Christ has died in vain

Our soul bubble at the end will either be filled with a grace-filled hatch of yellow and purple or by stark lines of our own human effort. It is in our soul bubble where we meet the outside world – seen for who we are in our emotional and cognitive and spiritual life, along with the signs of bodily stress or calm. It will reflect a self-willfulness that has frustrated the grace or a self willingness that reflects the grace that puts God on display in our life.

Our faith is not merely a personal belief in Christ, but belief in the faith OF Christ - Christ's own faith and life already operating within us.
Galatians 2:16"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ..." Again:"...that we might be justified by the faith of Christ."
Galatians 3:22 The scriptures have concluded all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to us who believe - our faith participates.
Ephesians 3:12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." (KJV)
Philippians 3:9"not having mine own righteousness... but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."
Romans 3:22"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe."
9. Revelation 14:12 "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
10. Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."
11. Phil. 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good purpose. 
12. Phil 1:6 he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion …because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace.

Our faith is therefore not an independent human achievement but a sharing in the faith life of the Son through the indwelling Spirit. Spiritual health is not about "getting" more of God’s life but about accessing and "permitting the flow of the fulness of God’s life" by turning on the tap of faith for the flow of grace that is already provided. This is perhaps the deepest implication of Paul's repeated phrase, "the faith of Christ”.Top of Form

10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
 
This distinction introduces a new ledger of accountability. Under the old human performance framework, people are judged by their willpower to adhere to external rules in honouring God. Under the New Creation model, the only measure of accountability is our access to the provided age-to-age life. This demolishes self-effort religion, as it proves that a legal pardon only juggles the ledger, whereas an ontological shift (a change in essential being) changes our very nature itself. This internal mechanism of faith naturally leads to the external manifestation of what Paul calls God’s Workmanship (vs.19)

The doing of "good works" is the natural fruit of a new nature rather than the "forced labour" of the old self. In this model, we can function as a "display case" for divine grace. This is the ultimate Workmanship (poema): Holiness becomes the spontaneous outward display of an internal change of a divine/human species, where the divine life is literally woven into the fabric of our spirit in the new mind and the new heart. This integration is the only process capable of the "salvation of the soul"—a feat that legal pardon is structurally unable to achieve. That’s why I run the course.

Old Self Framework (Effort) New Creation Framework (Expression) Frustrating the Spirit through strain
"Being still" and "flowing"
This "Expression Over Effort" model is the subjecting of self-will to God’s will. When this happens the strain of religious performance is replaced by the natural "flowing" of the New Creation. This ceasing of self-will is the terminal point of the old nature and the realization of the soul's salvation. It is called Repentance from dead works. (Hebrews 6:1)
The life of the Creator is woven into the very fabric of our mind (1Corinthians 2:16). This is not a psychological adjustment; it is a structural reality. Please understand!
Superseding the Rehabilitation Myth: We must stop attempting to improve the old nature through more persuasive social rules. What was dead accepts a katalasso reconciled life
Cultivating Permission over Performance: The goal of spiritual growth is the "being still" that allows the life of Christ to become the prime mover, resulting in the natural expression of the New Creation.
The "rest of the New Creation" is realized only when we stop trying to improve the old self and begins letting the New Creation live through us. When the strain of self-resurrection ends, the authentic life of the New Species begins.

 

 

 

JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
The interpretative architecture we bring to a text like Paul’s letter to the Romans is rarely a blank blueprint. Rather, it is a complex structure built from our personal histories, denominational filters, and cultural assumptions. When we engage with the Word, we enter a dialogue where our previous understandings collide with ancient truth. Often, we are so familiar with the vocabulary that we lose the weight of the wisdom.
As a student of the text, you must move beyond the "commonplace" view of the Bible and rediscover a sense of awe for this verifiable record of universal reality. As the source suggests:
"It’s better to have wrong reverence than no reverence... familiarity breeds contempt. We don’t know how to revere this resource we’ve got."
In Romans 5:1, the word "therefore" serves as the architectural bridge between the "cage-rattling" arguments of the first four chapters and the new reality of the Gospel. Paul’s intent in the opening chapters is to "rattle the cages" of both the pagan world and the religious establishment. He levels the playing field by demonstrating that, whether religious or not, we are all a "pack of rat bags" and "muddlers" who have fallen short. The "therefore" signifies that because our own performance has failed to rectify the "shocking mess" of our condition, a new authority has intervened.
With the structural failure of human effort exposed, we transition to the formal proclamation that establishes a new kingdom.
2. The Gospel as Proclamation: Authority Precedes Policy
In the Roman world, an Evangelion (Gospel) was not a religious suggestion or a self-help tip; it was a formal, political announcement. It carried the weight of: "The King is dead, long live the King!" It was the proclamation of who was now in authority. We must distinguish between the "Gospel"—the fact of the King’s Lordship—and "Policy"—the way that King decides to run his kingdom.
The Evangelion (The Core)
The Policy (The Working Out)
Jesus is Lord
The Forgiveness of Sins
Proclamation of Authority
The Reconciliation of the World
The synthesis here is vital: the forgiveness of sins is not a standalone "product" you buy; it is a policy that is only possible because Jesus has been established as Lord. He is the one in charge, and He has decided that the new reality is defined by reconciliation. Policy never exists in a vacuum; it flows from the character of the Sovereign.
This transition from old systems to the new Lordship demands a shift in how we relate to the King—a move from abstract belief to a "fair dinkum" trust.
3. Redefining Faith: From Abstract Belief to "Fair Dinkum" Trustworthiness
Modernity has diluted "faith" into "belief without evidence," but the linguistic journey from the Hebrew Emuna to the Greek Pistis reveals a sturdier concept. In the Australian vernacular, this is being "fair dinkum." It is a "no-nonsense," "no-BS" relationship characterized by loyalty and authenticity.
The architect of this faith was Abraham. Though he was a "muddler" who didn't always get it right, he was fair dinkum with God, and God was fair dinkum with him. This relationship involves three dimensions:
* Trustworthiness/Loyalty: A "no-nonsense" commitment to the person of God, rather than a checklist of doctrines.
* Authentic Connection: An honest, connected relationship where we stop pretending and simply "come home" to the one who knows us.
* The Result (Justification): Having "all your ducks in a row." In the legal/accounting sense, to be "justified" is to have the books balanced and the records set right.
Crucially, the source identifies that this justification is Aorist. Unlike a "daily performance review" where your standing fluctuates based on your behavior, the Aorist tense signifies a once-and-for-all action. It is "locked-in" and completed. You are counted as "safe" and "in the right" because of the fair dinkum quality of your connection to the Lord.
Once our standing is "locked-in," we can move from the anxiety of "Sin Management" to a top-down understanding of divine Law.
4. The Three Dimensions of Alignment: A Hierarchy of Living
We often treat the Bible as a "Manual of Sin Management" or a "Crimes Act," viewing Law from the bottom up. However, the biblical concept of Torah (Greek: Nomos) is far more expansive. Think of it like someone asking, "Which way to Newport?" and you pointing your finger. Torah is the pointing; it is the "directional instruction" or "teaching" that shows the way the river flows.
God’s hierarchy of living moves from the internal to the external:
1. Quality of Life and Being: The internal infusion of divine life. This is the starting point.
2. Principles of Life: The "normative" (from Nomos) discernment of what is helpful or destructive, beyond mere legality.
3. Legal Boundaries: The external rules and regulations—the "Crimes Act" layer.
The "So What?" of this architecture is profound: Humanity tries to fix the Boundaries (external rules) to hopefully one day change their Quality of Being. God works in reverse. He infuses us with His life first. This new Quality of Being gives us the capacity to understand the Principles (the "ways" of God), which finally makes the Boundaries make sense.
This internal transformation is not a burdensome duty; it is the natural byproduct of Grace.
5. Grace as the Manifestation of Joy
The word Grace (Charis) is a member of the "Joy" (Chara) family of words. Grace is not just God "letting you get away with it"; it is the manifestation of God’s delight. When we look at Gifting (Charisma), we see the suffix -ma, which in Greek denotes the "effect" of something.
To understand this, consider the analogy of "Rain-ma." If the rain is God's joy, then the "ma" (the effect) is the wetness, the green grass, and the trees growing.
* Grace (Charis) = The Manifestation of God's Joy.
* Gifting (Charisma) = The Effect (-ma) of that Joy bubbling over in the individual.
God caused you to exist because He thought you were a "great idea." His grace is the joyful blessing of a Father who is genuinely happy you have "come home." Your "gifts" are simply you having fun with God as His joy overflows through your unique personality.
This realization of God's delight brings us to the ultimate state of peace and reconciliation.
6. Summary: The Final Meditation
When we synthesize these redefined terms, Romans 5:1-2 ceases to be a cold legal contract and becomes a narrative of relational homecoming. We move from being "rat bags" in a mess to being sons and daughters with "all our ducks in a row." This isn't because we became perfect religious performers, but because we became "fair dinkum" with a King whose "policy" is joyous reconciliation.
The Reimagined Passage
"Therefore, since we have all of our ducks in a row because we are 'fair dinkum' with God, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access through this 'fair dinkum-ness' into the joyful, bountiful blessing in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God."

 

REVELATION EP 2 SEVEN CHURCHES PROPHETIC DIMENSIONS
Two very well-known and very misunderstood chapters of the Bible in Revelation are chapters two and three of Revelation - The letters to the seven churches. 

These letters are addressed to seven historical congregations in Asia Minor, and they reveal consequential spiritual conditions of rise and decline that appear throughout the Church in every age. Each letter follows a similar pattern: Christ identifies Himself, commends what is faithful, exposes what requires repentance, and promises a reward to those who overcome. Together they present a comprehensive picture of discipleship, warnings correction, and hope.  
Taken together, the seven letters reveal Christ as the Lord of the Church, walking among His people, intimately aware of their strengths, failures, struggles, and victories. They demonstrate that faithfulness is measured not merely by outward success but by love, holiness, perseverance, truth, and dependence upon God. The letters also show that divine judgment begins with God’s own household, yet His purpose is restorative, calling believers to spiritual renewal in Christ and renewed communion with him and with one another. The futurist interpretation of Revelation is strengthened in these letters as Ephesus and Pergamos and Sardis and Thyatira and Philadelphia are all told by Jesus to be prepared for the coming of the Lord ‘behold I come’ in various tones, and Laodicea is told that he is actually standing at the door. The Holy Spirit is currently working to reverse the tragic consequence of many people’s abandonment of faith that has occurred over the years.

The repeated exhortation, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” transforms these letters from ancient correspondence into an ongoing universal call to all. Their central message is that Christ seeks a purified, faithful, overcoming people who will participate in the final triumph portrayed throughout the remainder of Revelation.
There is a fourfold multilayer architecture of how these letters function simultaneously as four distinct dimensions happening here in the one passage of text.

1. They are first century letters to congregations, from Jesus through John.
2. They are a blueprint of the entire church age.
3. They are a prophetic warning to the Church today about the End Times and the Coming of The Lord,
4. They are a spiritual map of the healing and salvation of the human soul. 

This fourth dimension reframes how we personally interact with the letters as this is the inward spiritual application and the mirror of our soul’s journey. In this dimension there is an inward ongoing unveiling of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in us. These seven churches represent seven distinct conditions of the human soul in its journey toward full union with God.
Church Historical Period (approximate) Ephesus Apostolic Church (30–100 + AD) Discernment then loses first love Smyrna Persecuted Church (100+ –303) Trials10 years/Diocletian/worn down Pergamos Imperial Church (313–590 Marriage of church and state (Constantine) Thyatira Medieval Church (590–1517 Pagan superstition/Jezebel) Sardis Reformation Church (1517–1900 faith, division, deadness) Philadelphia Holy Spirit Church (1900 to now) mission faith power love holiness  Laodicia  End-time Church (1900 to now) money, politics, power, celebrity, image 
The church in Ephesus was praised and warned Revelation 2:1 I know your works, your labor, your patience … and you have persevered and have patience, and have laboured and not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 
The next church, Smyrna did become weary through persecution. John wrote vs.8 the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested and have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. Exhaustion of persecution in Smyrna inevitably led to the church in Pergamos (marriage) to accept the protection of the Roman Empie through Constantine and to accept the compromise of the marriage of state and church. This led to the superstitious pagan church of Thyatira being rebuked for allowing the immoral and idolatrous influence of Jezebel. Then followed the church of Sardis which represents the historic stage of reformation of faith under Luther which decayed into dead denominationalism. John wrote “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, 

Then came the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea. These churches both represent the experience of Holy Spirit revival life coming to the church worldwide. Philadelphia type churches and Laodicea type churches both emerged in the 1900 Pentecost Holy Spirit revival, and many people of the many thousands of dying denominations were touched by it. Jesus said at Pentecost ‘you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will become witnesses of me’.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God’ s love and holiness and power and truth and of Gospel mission and witness. Some church movements from the 1900 revival became holiness churches and others became Holy Spirit power churches. Others became doctrinal truth teaching churches and others missionary movements. And there always was and still is the possible drift from Philadelphia love and faith and holiness to Laodicea worldly power and image and complacency. But church history is not destined for abandonment, xand neither is the human soul. We can awaken and recognise any hypocrisy and that awakening sparks the Philadelphia stage of transformation.

The Philadelphia type churches receive encouragement, and though weak in worldly strength, if they remained faithful to Christ, they are promised an open door that no one can shut. 
The Laodicea type churches get rebuked for lukewarm self-sufficiency (the word Laodicea means ‘the opinions of the people). Though they were materially prosperous, Jesus called them spiritually poor and blind. Yet even here Jesus extends a gracious invitation to renewed fellowship: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” Note – 

Philadelphia is the church of brotherly love - the name comes from phileo meaning affection or love – and delfos - brother, so it means brotherly love and this represents a historical movement experiencing genuine spiritual life of an open door of spiritual power - an open door that no human institution can shut. Laodicea has a closed door locked on the inside that Jesus stands at and knocks to be let in
But that brotherly love to one another and to God and the spirituality of grace and Holy Spirit freedom and renewal will operate differently to a religiously structured church like the church of Laodicea - the lukewarm church. And if the spirit of a Philadelphia church does not become compromised, they keep an open door that no one can shut and they receive no rebuke from Jesus.
That brings us back to all of us holding a dynamic history textbook, a ticking prophetic clock and a mirror of our transforming soul all at once. 

And the number of seven churches isn’t an accident. It represents end time completion.
These letters represent an exhaustive range of spiritual conditions found in humanity. everyone has a bit of all seven churches within them - we have a bit of Ephesus a bit of Sardis a bit of Laodicea somewhere within our own soul - this aligns with the apostle Paul's teaching in 1Corinthians 2:11 says that only our spirit can discern what we have in our soul, and he later says examine yourselves whether you are in the faith 2Corinthians 13:5

These seven conditions of the soul are deeply connected to those seven areas of historic church experience and spirituality, and they don't just exist in a vacuum. One spiritual state of a church directly triggered the vulnerabilities of the next stage in a remarkable progression and it does so also in our souls. 

Philadelphia can reflect or mirror a person’s soul or it can reflect an historical movement or a current day church that experiences the genuine spiritual life of an open door of God’s life and love and power - an open door that no human institution can shut.
Laodicea can reflect the soul of worldly religious mindsets and structures of opiniated complacency and self-sufficiency.

The Church of Philadelphia can stay pure by the grace of God at a grassroots level of relational integrity while the Laodicean church may resist that simplicity and freedom. The wealth and image of the Laodicean church that thinks they're rich and need nothing receives a divine diagnosis that is devastating. Jesus says ‘you are wretched and poor and blind and naked - that's a harsh reality check. 

So a question arises for me right here. If one stage naturally triggers the next - as we saw in the exhaustion of persecution in Smyrna leading to seeking relief in the worldly power in Pergamos which led to the superstitious pagan church of Thyatira. Then followed the faith reformation, then the dead religion of Sardis. Then the divergence of Philadelphia and inevitably the worldly power of the opiniated Laodicea. 
Laodicea looms as an historical dead-end doom loop. And is the human soul also doomed to a dead-end doom loop? Where do we get off? 

The answer is we get to choose where we stay on the map and it is unequivocally clear the antidote to the doom loop is to deliberately anchor ourself in the Philadelphia state of life because the text of the Scripture is entirely intentional here. The logos design in this text wants us to feel for our own souls the weight of that possible downward spiritual spiral we saw in the letters to the churches because we are accountable for the state of our own souls. Only the Philadelphia life brings faith and hope and love and freedom. A person can be living a Philadelphia type life in any kind of church if they know how and the Bible tells us how. and you stay free! And the Bible tells us how.
There are people attending a Laodicea type church that are living in a Philadelphia type church life in their soul and there are people going to a Philadelphia type church and living a Laodicea soul life. Only God knows the hearts, and we cannot judge peoples’ hearts – we can simply observe church structure and test the spirit of the church.

2Timothy 2:24 pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

The entire purpose of Revelation unveiling these stages is to expose the recurring cycles whether you are analysing 2000 years of human history or just the last 10 years of your own personal spiritual development. Seeing the pattern and living the spiritual process of the salvation of the soul that marks the church of Philadelphia is the Scriptural way to break the cycle of perishing and completing the cycle of being saved and healed and how to break every chain of bondage.

We're living in days when because of the cultural immorality and chaos and confusion and betrayal that's going on in the world people can feel they’re in bondage to certain kinds of ideologies or feel if they don't believe what the group has as a certain kind of new age or some kind of way of thinking - if they don't join with them politically in their opinions they'll be left out. So they've become joined  to it and that can become a bondage to something that's got nothing to do with what God saying to the world. But we focus on what God's doing and what he’s saying. The end part of that little prayer of presence I presented last week is, Lord I thank you that you own this moment and that in this moment you are restoring and reordering all things out there in the world. I might be thinking in my mind anxiously about the chaos that's happening out there but my prayer is Lord this moment that you own is bringing your never-ending activity of reordering into all of that chaos and that brings me great comfort. The last line is, thank you Lord for including me in your reordering in the spirit - no matter what's going on and what other people are doing and no matter what kind of challenge that's making me feel my own emotional reactions and confusion I know that God is at work saying stay at peace, I am reordering everything. Watch and you will see the result of how I am bringing things to the surface and working these things all together for good to you because you're wanting my will in your life. 

It does come down to a very simple formula of rather than being self-conscious about what's going wrong, being God conscious of what he is now making right. That is his agenda no matter what is happening on the outside or whatever is being shouted from the rooftops and from pulpits, God is speaking to you on the inside and promising you he is reordering your life to be walking with him in his perfect will. 
And we will go through trials - the fire will burn - no pain no gain. The Clippers will be out to chop off the dead branches and they'll get thrown into the fire, and the fire can burn - that's not hell you going to - that's the here and now burning off of the dead wood - the loss of what is not of God. But as that outward part starts to get burned off and perish the inward is being renewed day by day. Amen.
Pul OSullivan – pauloss@me.com

REVELATION Ep1 Full Disclosure

Just as Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of consummation. In it, the divine program of redemption is brought to fruition, and the holy name of God is vindicated before all creation. Although there are numerous prophecies in the Gospels and Epistles, Revelation is the only New Testament book that focuses primarily on prophetic events. Its title The Apocalypse means “unveiling” or “disclosure” or “revelation.” It is also called The Revelation of Jesus Christ. This means both a revelation which came from Christ and a revelation which is about Christ—both are true.

Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, 
2. who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. 
3. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
4. John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, (theme of past present and future) and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 
5. and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 
6. and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7. Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (NB theme of past present and future)
9. I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 
10. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 
11. saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”(turkey not Jerusalem)
12. Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13.  and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. 
14. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; 
15. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; 
16. He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 
17. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. 
18. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death. 
19. Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this. 
20. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches.

The Book of Revelation is the unveiling of who and what Jesus is to the church to the world and to eternity. Scholars have viewed these prophecies through four primary lenses. While each perspective seeks to honour the work of the Holy Spirit, I hold  the Futurist view in this study because it mentions things that have happened in history, inspires faith in the "here and now" of Christ’s absolute authority over and through His Church and it looks forward to the future Second Coming with a living hope.

1. Preterist - depicting the current Roman struggle against the church and not future prophesy throughout the ages of the second coming of Christ. They say he came in 70 AD when Rome destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. But we see in Revelation 1:7 that John was prophesying the Day of The Lord - the Second Coming and judgement.

2. Historical - The struggle of the church against the world system through the ages.

3. Spiritual - depicting nothing literal or historical at all, but purely symbolical.

4. Futurist - depicting events that would surely take place in the church, the world and eternity, after the time of John, and beginning significantly with the opening of the first of the seven seals in chapters 5 and 6 (also see Ch.4 vs 1 – things to come) 
Revelation 4:1… And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”

This leads us to take note of the three divisions of time.
Revelation 1.19 write the things that you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.
1. Things you have seen - chapter 1
2. Things which are - chapters 2 to 4 – the 7 churches.
3. Things with shall be - chapter 4 onwards.

There are three persons involved in this revelation – Jesus – John – The messenger.
I submit to you that the messenger, or angel that gave this prophecy to John is Enoch, and we will now look at some evidence. 

1. Records in Genesis 5 and Hebrews 11 confirm that Enoch is physically in Heaven with God. This creates a theological necessity – Enoch has been given a Divine exemption and is released from the prison of his appointment with death. 
Hebrews 9:27 it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
But he is not the only one! There will be a generation of people who will be caught up from the earth to meet Jesus in the air when he returns.  
Psalm 102:18 This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD…From heaven the LORD viewed the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,

2. The Bible link for Enoch 
Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him - and Jude 14 
Jude 14. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all.
This prophecy of the Second Coming is virtually identical to Revelation 1:7
3. When linked with the messenger’s self-identification in Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 
And ch.22:9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets,
The evidence presents this historical figure as being uniquely commissioned to return and declare the unveiling to John.

The Book of Revelation was written about 95-AD by the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos while he was in exile under the persecution of Domitian. The apostle Peter and Paul had been martyred just previously under the persecution of emperor Nero. This dating mainly comes from early church testimony, especially Irenaeus in the second century, who said the vision was seen “toward the end of Domitian’s reign.” Irenaeus lived from 120 to 202 AD, and the future hope of the return of Christ became the dominant position in both Eastern and Western Christianity and still is. Added to this is the fact that the seven churches in Asia Minor that John writes to would logically have been more developed and established at that time.

The book of sevens 
Revelation 1:4 - John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be to you, and peace, from him which is, which was, and which is to come - and from the seven spirits which are before his throne. (see also vs.20)

Here there are mentioned seven spirits and seven churches, and of great significance later in the book are
1. The 7 seals
2. The 7 trumpets from seven agels
3. The 7 vials

1. The seven seals - the seven seals are seals of a book of events which are to happen worldwide (ch5.1) Which include the revelation of a conquering church, judgments upon the earth, and signs and wonders in the heavens. These events take place progressively and will be studied in detail later. The 7th seal actually contains another series of events called the seven trumpets. 
2. The seven trumpets- The seven trumpets blown by seven angels are also a series of worldwide events that are judgments upon the earth, they are not final judgments but are meant to turn people to God. And the 7th trumpet contains in its blast, the seven vials. 

NB The 5th angel releases locust/scorpion spirits which torment people for five months but those sealed with the Holy Spirit are protected – just as Noah and family were protected for 5 months in the ark.

I met up with some close Christian friends from Inverell at a function this week and I shared that I’d be teaching the Book of revelation this coming Sunday, and they mentioned the passages about the scary demonic locusts that had a sting like scorpions (ch.9). They said that some people thought they were symbolic of fighter planes etc. But we agreed that they were definitely of a spiritual nature, set free by an angel for five months and not allowed to kill those with the seal of God – the Holy Spirit. And the next day, Thursday there was a report from the Whitehouse that the Senate had been asked to disclose information about aliens and UFO’s… Three years ago the USA Senate were asked to disclose that information about aliens and UFO’s, and the topic was quashed, because the number of reports and polarising opinions was causing too much chaos. The same thing happened in the early 70’s in the midst of a move of the Holy Spirit. At that time there were reports from aeronautical scientists and the AirForce and the Military about Roswell and objects seen to be moving at incredible speed. Odd but human-like little aliens were reported to have even been captured or preserved or whatever. That report was shut down many months later under suspicious circumstances.
So now the senate is about to do the disclosure of all the evidence of the various reports from over the years. And conveniently on Thursday there appeared ads of a new release of a movie called ‘Disclosure Day’ directed by Stephen Spielberg about aliens and UFO’s and cosmic chaos in the Heavens. 
I don’t know why the Government and the media and Hollywood or whoever else are hitting the global airwaves with this and trying to control some sort of cultural narrative but it will have a scary chaotic spiritual influence on our current society. It will be deceptive bur will contain enough true documentation to get people all over it with the usual opinions and political and tribal disputes
If I am going to be asked questions I’d like to be as prepared as I can be because there will be distortions and confusion abounding. 
Luke 21:11 Then He said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights (phobitron- frightening things that strike terror) and great signs from heaven.

3. The seven vials - the seven vials are seven final judgments which come up on the earth during the time of the great tribulation.

The key verse- Revelation 1:7 - behold he comes with clouds. And every eye shall see him, and they also who pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen
This is ‘The Day of The Lord’ – which incorporates 
1. The Resurrection of the dead (including they who pierced him, the Romans, the Jews, our sins), 
2. The inauguration of Judgement, 
3. The unveiling of Christ, 
4. Books being opened and 
5. Creation being brought into its final state before God (Romans 8:21) 
All this will occur in stages as we see in the Book of Revelation, in a way beyond our imagination or earthly view, as if of some court case in a grand mammoth court.

This book is an unveiling of the character and program of God and that is what we shall be seeking to understand through the Holy Spirit in our study of Revelation

Paul OSullivan  pauloss @me.com

 

UNIVERSAL PENTECOST  

Passover was first celebrated when Israel escaped from slavery in Egypt when they were told to sacrifice a spotless lamb and sprinkle its blood on their doorposts. They were told to not to do the long baking process of leavening the bread - because of the haste with which they had to flee Egypt. And from that time on Israel celebrated the Passover Feast each year with unleavened bread. Leaven is basically yeast and other ingredients can be added.
The Feast of Passover weekend where Jesus as the Lamb of God died on the cross included Resurrection Sunday where Jesus rose from the dead and offered his blood of sacrifice to the Father. And on that day was also the Jewish Feast of Sheaves which was symbolic of Jesus being the firstfruits of the Resurrection. And Fifty days after that came the Feast of Pentecost (pente = fifty) – a harvest feast for life instead of a blood sacrifice feast for sin.

The Passover and all other sin offerings were required to use unleavened bread because leaven had become the symbol for sin. Paul even admonished the church in Corinth because of their unruly communion services, saying they were celebrating their communion with the old leaven of malice and evil. Their lives should have been an expression of a new leaven of love and life and faith and we’ll see how this came to be our new spiritual reality today.

The appearance of leaven occurred when Israel began to celebrate the Pentecost harvest feast with two loaves of leavened bread. The law commanded them to only use leavened bread in this feast instead of unleavened bread. (Leviticus 23:15). 
This could appear to be a scandalous thing, as only unleavened bread was ritually used with sacrifices, but this leavened bread was prophesying a most significant and radical shift for the nature and being of humanity. That shift occurred on the Sunday of the Pentecost Feast after the death and resurrection of Jesus. His death and resurrection had universally reconciled humanity to Divinity as one in Spirit. And then came this further glorious shift of all flesh becoming indwelt by the Person of the Holy Spirit.

Therefore the leaven of the Feast of Pentecost had been necessarily baked in for humanity to receive Holy Spirit life in Christ. The blood imagery of Passover was replaced by the new leavened bread imagery of Pentecost.
Blood shed by Jesus speaks to us of his life given - Bread speaks of a life shared.  
We move past an initial act of rescue to a continual act of communion with God.

The new leaven symbolises the Holy Spirit being sent to us and for us.This radically changes our lives from having to be empowered by an Adamic sinful nature into now being sustained and empowered by the indwelling Christ through the Holy Spirit. The righteousness and true holiness of God is the basis of our life now and not the bondage to sinful flesh. 
This is the amazing reality of the new Creation humanity – the truth that God does not wait for humanity to be perfected before he accepts them as his family. Universal Reconciliation has done away with need for unleavened bread and blood sacrifice for sin. Separation has ceased because sin no longer is the separation between us and God. He accepts humanity as leavened by grace and being transformed by the Holy Spirit within his love that works by faith. Resistance to believing this is the only problem, and the Holy Spirit has been sent to convict the world of that sin of unbelief (John 16:7).

But why only two loaves at Pentecost – wouldn’t the truth of the Trinity assume three loaves for Pentecost? No – because The Holy Sirit was not yet sent upon all flesh, Old Covenant theology did not teach about the Trinity. And during the Old Testament era only two Persons of the Trinity, the Father and the Christ Messiah represented the present and future hope of humanity, and the Holy Spirit's influence was limited to operating only through specific chosen individuals like prophets, kings, and priests and judges like Sampson, Gideon etc. Not mankind

But the reality of the Trinity was presented in the Old Testament by so many types and shadows of a hidden threefold expression of God. There was the sun and moon and stars of the heavenly creation, the threefold architecture of Noah’s Ark as the two lower decks and the upper compartment from where the dove of the holy Spirit flew out after the flood. There was the plan of the tabernacle and the temple with the outer court the inner court and the Most Holy Place (in the shape of the cross incidentally). It was all there but hidden.

The most striking threefold manifestation of the Trinity which included  blood sacrifice and unleavened bread occurred when Abraham was met by three angels at an encampment where he was with his wife Sarai and his servants and his cattle. He greeted the three messengers as My Lord and not my lords, so in his addressing the three men as Adonai indicates that he had a revelation (called a theophany) of God as the three persons of the Trinity. He told Sarai to bake three loaves of unleavened bread for the men to eat and ordered his servant to slay a calf of sacrifice. The men then told him that Sarai would have a son and that through him Abraham would become the father of many nations and that all the families of the earth would be blessed. This blood sacrifice and the unleavened loaves pre-empted the first Passover feast in Egypt by 400 years and pre-empted the feast of the universal spiritual Pentecost after Jesus died on calvary by 2000 years. 

But the Jewish Feast of Pentecost on that day fifty days after Jesus died and rose again sacrificed the usual two loaves of leavened bread. The astonishing revelation is that 
The two loaves become three on the day! The third person of the Trinity was revealed as tongues of fire on that Pentecost! The shift from two to three loaves represents the full unveiling of the Trinity's work in the world and the unprecedented outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all humanity.
The prophetic progression to three loaves was also encrypted in the New Testament by Jesus in Matthew 13 where he teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is like leaven hidden in three loaves of bread until the whole lump becomes transformed. The word “hidden” is fascinating. It is always written as krypto but Jesus used the Greek word egkrypto which is used nowhere else in Scripture. Encryption means not only hidden but encoded - the idea of something deeply embedded within and concealed internally until it transforms everything around it.
This numerical shift from two to three prophesied the arrival and indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. This transition illustrates the complete work of the Trinity: The Father is the source of the loving promise of adopting us as his unique and individual children through Jesus. Jesus is the sinless sacrifice and the "first fruits" of the resurrection. The Holy Spirit with tongues of fire represents the purifying and sanctifying fire of the trials of our faith and the empowering of our transformation into the likeness of God. The Holy Spirit concluded the third loaf reality, as His presence was finally poured out upon all flesh.
Ultimately, this third loaf blessing is the establishment of the New Covenant. It marks a profound shift from the Old Testament—where the law was written on tablets of clay to a reality where the Holy Spirit writes the law directly onto human hearts. In fact the day of the Feast of Pentecost for Israel was also the exact same day that they celebrated the anniversary of the Law written on stone tablets with Moses at Sinai.
That is how the Holy Spirit works. The old covenant operated through external rules written on stone but in the New Covenant the Spirit writes the law upon the heart and the Kingdom grows within. 

This the grace in the New Covenant heart. In His expanded, New Covenant role, the Holy Spirit operates as an intensely personal guide and advocate. He universally convicts the world of unbelief and righteousness and the judgment of God upon Darkness. The Holy Spirit empowers those who believe and leads us into all truth, and spreads God's love into and through our hearts. He takes the teachings of Jesus and interprets them for us as individuals in highly personal ways, ensuring that people can hear and understand God ‘s voice regardless of their cultural or circumstantial or religious background – they all heard him that day in their own tongue. Ultimately, this continuous filling of the Holy Spirit empowers the Church to expand the Kingdom of God and express the Trinity of God to the world.
The world changes when hearts change and this is why that Universal Pentecost mattered so deeply. Christianity is not institutional look good religion - it is divine life flowing through human vessels. Religion tries to conform people externally while the Spirit transforms people organically from the inside.
Leaven works quietly and slowly and patiently, yet eventually it affects the entire loaf. Sometimes we become discouraged because transformation feels slow, but inner fermentation movement is evidence that life is active. You may not see dramatic change every day but if the Spirit is within you and you say yes to his work, something holy is expanding. God is more patient and thorough with your process than you are.
Paul OSullivan  pauloss@me.com