Jesus is the alpha of immortality, and the omega of all mortality. 1 Cor 15:22
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
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And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
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Jesus is saying that He alone has the power and capacity to ascend immortal in body to heaven, because He alone in contradistinction to every other man, derives His origin and source of birth, exclusively from the Father, and has received this commandment from the Father at the very beginning.
So that even during the brevity of His own mortality, He is already engaging the Authority and Power of His inheritance from Heaven by which He alone can displace all opposition to God both in heaven and on the earth, that is to displace the accuser of humanity from any influence in heaven, and bind Satan on the earth, and to set a limit to his brief occasion of power. And then finally constrain him, and every wicked person of humanity, along with death, hell and the grave, after the universal command to immortality is accomplished, to the eternal lake of fire. Rev 20:10, 13-15
What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before?
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There is one point of perspective as given from the earthly realm, and another altogether, as given from a heavenly perspective, and that means only someone who is in heaven may observe and describe from that vantage and perspective with accuracy of perception and declaration. Any true witness is made so, by Him, and through Him, as granted by Him who is immortal in heaven, to enjoy the same vantage and give clarity of His own person and perspective to make Him known. All of the original Apostles had seen Him and taken part of His ministry on earth, both before and after His resurrection. They were all empowered by His Holy Spirit, and directed by His leadership in immortality. This report however, is given from the vantage point of the Throne Room in heaven with a commission to declare it.
John, is given a perspective from the heavenly view, of things past, present, and future, of which no other man had before, been given the authority to report on, as he himself was granted and empowered by commission to do from that vantage and position in heaven, after the ascension of Jesus in the body of His immortality.
On a personal note, in 1981, I was given an open vision of Jesus on the cross, in full living motion. I saw Him while I was wide awake, in the mid day.
I was at home alone which was a rarity in those days, with 4 small children, I came out into the hallway from the master bedroom, the door to my children's room was directly across the hallway, and open.
I decided on my way out, to step into the room for a moment of peace and reflection, being near the children, and even thinking of them would always give me a sense of comfort, and peace, with expectation and hope.
I stepped into the open room, looked around for a moment, and sat down at the edge of the the first bed to my right, suddenly to my left and slightly above me, there was something like a hole in space and time, surrounded by a border like a cloud. I could see Jesus on the cross, in a full life size view of Him from mid body upwards, His face, upper body and outstretched arms, as near to me, and from an elevated perspective, as if I were standing right in front of the cross, slightly off center to His right hand, also appearing, with the spatial sky and background associated above it, as though I were actually there in that moment!
I could also still see the wall behind me, and most of the dimensions of the room, except for the cut away portion of wall and ceiling through which the vision was taking place, like a portal through space and time, I was wide awake, as I said and completely aware of all of my immediate surroundings, and I was keenly aware of my own bodily presence in the room, however, I was unable to physically move at all, during the time of the vision and it was terrifying in the moment, I was unable to physically move during the whole period of the vision, once having set down on the bed, and my face had turned to see it, however, Jesus noticed me staring at Him, as though I was peering into the actual moment, and He turned His face towards me and looked straight at me, as though I had just arrived on that scene, having walked up to stand near the cross. I was locked in His gaze, eye to eye and I could not turn away nor move at all. I really struggled to escape the moment, being terrified and tried to move, at least look away, with all my effort. It seemed like a long time, I was locked in the vision and by His eyes.
As soon as I was able to break free from my physical incapacity, I did, and then I tried to scramble up to leave the room as aggressively as I could. However, immediately before I could get up, I was captured, and incapacitated by another vision. That may be reserved for another blog, sometime.
Anyway, the only first concept, I had of this experience in my terror, was that it was my fault that He was on the cross, and that He must have shown me this to certify His specific knowledge of my guilt, and to convince me of my future punishment for His death. I did not tell anyone about this at first, nor know what to make of it.
Shortly after that time, I discovered in it, by a breaking in of God's conversation of predetermined love for me, and the wisdom of His salvation afforded to me, as the very reason for which Jesus came from heaven to the earth, His only begotten Son, with the full capacity to forgive me, and change me.
And that by His pressing through the cross voluntarily, and willingly, to His own resurrection, He is affording to me, the opportunity, through His willingness to embrace me at the Cross, and wash away all my sin by His own blood, He is also able to keep me, by His resurrection power to grasp me, and seal me, by the gift of His Holy Spirit to me, in His everlasting mercy and grace.
It is with hope, renewed daily, through my continual request of Him, and His benevolent conversation to me, He is giving to me, a continual impartation of the same blessed hope of salvation in immortality as He Himself has already been enjoined by God our Father!!!
And yet, and still, I have this experience and acute memory of His face, and expression of turning towards me, as it was in that moment, ever with me, to reflect upon, and it is a source of deep meditation and continued revelation for me and a constant reminder of the great price by which He affords me continual relationship with Him.
I have grown to understand the expression of deep love in the depth of His eyes, and His knowing what He was doing for me, on behalf of God our Father, even of and in that moment.
The point of my sharing this with you in this blog today, is to support the capacity of God, to reveal what is past, as though you were there in that actual moment, though it happened before you were born, and may also, reveal by His capacity to do so, that which is yet ahead, as though it had already happened, though it is actually yet ahead of you, and merely a glimpse into your glorious future.
In fact in the intervening years I have had many an inform from the Lord that seemed to present, by function of my memory, though I know this is new information to me at whatever moment, I have received it, and become aware with any degree of specificity.
So, when we read the book of the unfolding Revelation of Jesus Christ, we are engaged in this kind of discovery and inform as John is reporting it.
From his visualization even of that which had already happened historically, we can derive and observe a more informed more sure word of prophecy as Peter says, in 2 Peter 1:16-21, by the vantage of heavenly perspective, to compare to what we can also observe historically, to discern more closely what it looked like, looks like, and will look like, on the ground.
I usually advise people to start with Hebrews 12 and Revelation 12 for this very reason of affirmation in a heavenly description of what we can pin down as an historical, intersection of observable and verifiable timeline marker on earth. You can see my blog on that, HERE
So let's get back to Revelation 20.
What we will explore today, is an exposition of that which is described by him, in Revelation 20:1-3.
No one had ever before reported it like this, a perspective of Christ in His preincarnate state descending from heaven, as the express and exclusive messenger of God coming down from heaven to His manifestation and ministry in the flesh, no, not like this from that heavenly vantage and perspective ever before.
Even if they had known, they were not allowed to speak about it, it is John's message to release, and some of what he witnessed in his visitation to heaven, he was not allowed to speak about, but it is reserved for those to whom it is appointed to declare.
Paul was also restrained in the declaration of his experience in heaven, to the specific gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ as he was commissioned to declare it.
Here is the HSCB version of Rev 20:1-3
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The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto his servant John:
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Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw
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John, is given a perspective from the heavenly view, of things past, present, and future, of which no other man had before, been given the authority to report on, as he himself was granted and empowered by commission to do from that vantage and position in heaven, after the ascension of Jesus in the body of His immortality.
On a personal note, in 1981, I was given an open vision of Jesus on the cross, in full living motion. I saw Him while I was wide awake, in the mid day.
I was at home alone which was a rarity in those days, with 4 small children, I came out into the hallway from the master bedroom, the door to my children's room was directly across the hallway, and open.
I decided on my way out, to step into the room for a moment of peace and reflection, being near the children, and even thinking of them would always give me a sense of comfort, and peace, with expectation and hope.
I stepped into the open room, looked around for a moment, and sat down at the edge of the the first bed to my right, suddenly to my left and slightly above me, there was something like a hole in space and time, surrounded by a border like a cloud. I could see Jesus on the cross, in a full life size view of Him from mid body upwards, His face, upper body and outstretched arms, as near to me, and from an elevated perspective, as if I were standing right in front of the cross, slightly off center to His right hand, also appearing, with the spatial sky and background associated above it, as though I were actually there in that moment!
I could also still see the wall behind me, and most of the dimensions of the room, except for the cut away portion of wall and ceiling through which the vision was taking place, like a portal through space and time, I was wide awake, as I said and completely aware of all of my immediate surroundings, and I was keenly aware of my own bodily presence in the room, however, I was unable to physically move at all, during the time of the vision and it was terrifying in the moment, I was unable to physically move during the whole period of the vision, once having set down on the bed, and my face had turned to see it, however, Jesus noticed me staring at Him, as though I was peering into the actual moment, and He turned His face towards me and looked straight at me, as though I had just arrived on that scene, having walked up to stand near the cross. I was locked in His gaze, eye to eye and I could not turn away nor move at all. I really struggled to escape the moment, being terrified and tried to move, at least look away, with all my effort. It seemed like a long time, I was locked in the vision and by His eyes.
As soon as I was able to break free from my physical incapacity, I did, and then I tried to scramble up to leave the room as aggressively as I could. However, immediately before I could get up, I was captured, and incapacitated by another vision. That may be reserved for another blog, sometime.
Anyway, the only first concept, I had of this experience in my terror, was that it was my fault that He was on the cross, and that He must have shown me this to certify His specific knowledge of my guilt, and to convince me of my future punishment for His death. I did not tell anyone about this at first, nor know what to make of it.
Shortly after that time, I discovered in it, by a breaking in of God's conversation of predetermined love for me, and the wisdom of His salvation afforded to me, as the very reason for which Jesus came from heaven to the earth, His only begotten Son, with the full capacity to forgive me, and change me.
And that by His pressing through the cross voluntarily, and willingly, to His own resurrection, He is affording to me, the opportunity, through His willingness to embrace me at the Cross, and wash away all my sin by His own blood, He is also able to keep me, by His resurrection power to grasp me, and seal me, by the gift of His Holy Spirit to me, in His everlasting mercy and grace.
It is with hope, renewed daily, through my continual request of Him, and His benevolent conversation to me, He is giving to me, a continual impartation of the same blessed hope of salvation in immortality as He Himself has already been enjoined by God our Father!!!
And yet, and still, I have this experience and acute memory of His face, and expression of turning towards me, as it was in that moment, ever with me, to reflect upon, and it is a source of deep meditation and continued revelation for me and a constant reminder of the great price by which He affords me continual relationship with Him.
I have grown to understand the expression of deep love in the depth of His eyes, and His knowing what He was doing for me, on behalf of God our Father, even of and in that moment.
The point of my sharing this with you in this blog today, is to support the capacity of God, to reveal what is past, as though you were there in that actual moment, though it happened before you were born, and may also, reveal by His capacity to do so, that which is yet ahead, as though it had already happened, though it is actually yet ahead of you, and merely a glimpse into your glorious future.
In fact in the intervening years I have had many an inform from the Lord that seemed to present, by function of my memory, though I know this is new information to me at whatever moment, I have received it, and become aware with any degree of specificity.
So, when we read the book of the unfolding Revelation of Jesus Christ, we are engaged in this kind of discovery and inform as John is reporting it.
From his visualization even of that which had already happened historically, we can derive and observe a more informed more sure word of prophecy as Peter says, in 2 Peter 1:16-21, by the vantage of heavenly perspective, to compare to what we can also observe historically, to discern more closely what it looked like, looks like, and will look like, on the ground.
I usually advise people to start with Hebrews 12 and Revelation 12 for this very reason of affirmation in a heavenly description of what we can pin down as an historical, intersection of observable and verifiable timeline marker on earth. You can see my blog on that, HERE
So let's get back to Revelation 20.
Write the things which thou hast seen (past), and the things which are, (present) and the things which shall be hereafter (future);
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What we will explore today, is an exposition of that which is described by him, in Revelation 20:1-3.
No one had ever before reported it like this, a perspective of Christ in His preincarnate state descending from heaven, as the express and exclusive messenger of God coming down from heaven to His manifestation and ministry in the flesh, no, not like this from that heavenly vantage and perspective ever before.
Even if they had known, they were not allowed to speak about it, it is John's message to release, and some of what he witnessed in his visitation to heaven, he was not allowed to speak about, but it is reserved for those to whom it is appointed to declare.
Paul was also restrained in the declaration of his experience in heaven, to the specific gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ as he was commissioned to declare it.
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
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Here is the HSCB version of Rev 20:1-3
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Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
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He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil and Satan,[fn] and bound him for 1,000 years.
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He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the 1,000 years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
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Here is a paraphrase of Revelation 20:1,2, of which I am making exposition.
Rev 20:1 An express messenger of God came down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit, death, hell and the grave, and a great chain in his hand, or powerful means of binding Satan.
2 He laid hold of the serpent which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, or more closely during a predetermined period of millennia, all the while Jesus is reigning in Kingdom as Christ in intercession from heaven until a brief period just before His return, when Satan is released to a seat of temporal authority and power on earth again as it was before Jesus bound him up and demolished his seat of power. Jesus has all authority and without His express loosing of Satan at the end of the age for the destruction of the flesh, he could not deceive the nations at all.
Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
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(In 2nd Peter 3 he preaches a contextualization of timing and events related to the 2nd coming of Jesus which results at the end of the Kingdom of Christ as ruling in separation, from the rest of humanity, as the firstborn immortal man, from heaven, or the messianic reign as depicted throughout the bible with a projected beginning, (By His birth in the flesh) and end, (The consummation of the Kingdom of God in dwelling together with humanity in Immortality) as taking place over thousand year days, and a day as a thousand years, this gives character and clarity to the 1000 years mentioned in Rev 20, as a construct for the purpose of the great harvest and discipleship of all the segregated nations while they are yet allowed to endure.)
The power and authority that Jesus exercises on earth as the express image of the Father, is the power and authority of His inheritance from God as His only begotten Son with full access of heavenly support as Christ in the flesh, to confront Satan face to face on the earth, to bind him to the earth and remove his authority and seat of power, and limit his occasion to deceive the nations again thereafter. Jesus during His ministry while yet in the brevity of His mortality, began to initiate Satan's displacement as an angel of light from access to the 3rd heaven in accusation against humanity, and to set a limit on his power to deceive the nations on earth. Luke 10:18
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
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While Christ was in administration of His preeminence from heaven before His incarnation, the law of Moses was given to cultivate an national identity in priesthood of God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called Israel. The kingdom of Christ was modeled most especially by David's tabernacle and in the construction of the first witness temple in model of heaven on earth. When that model of Christ's Kingdom began to misrepresent Christ on the earth, becoming instead a shrine for idolatry, it was destructed.
During the second witness temple of model on earth, Jesus Christ came suddenly into it in His own person and body, as He had promised to do. Malachi 3:1, His bodily death and resurrection is the establishment of the third and final temple, and He sits enthroned in the New Jerusalem.
He established His everlasting Kingdom through the believers of Israel, exalting everyone who had ever believed in Him before, to Heaven with Him in person. And He established His corporate body of priesthood on earth for every believer alive and remaining to His coming, to priest the Nations with Him, by founding the Church.
The Church is set with Him, transferred from the domain of darkness into the present Kingdom of Christ Immortal, called the increasing, Kingdom, and "Israel of God", made up of priests on earth established as the Church by Him, and called Christians by the Apostles, ( 1 Peter 4:16) to disciple together with Him and all of Israel in person and present with Him in heaven, all the remaining nations including the political formation of the present state of Israel to the end of all mortality, and thereby and thereafter ending forever the severability by division of nations, and temporal racial denominations, even including designations whether male or female. (Though nothing is taken away from any of these proper boundaries, or appropriate considerations, as long as the present heaven and earth, and all of mortality is maintained in this current state, by His pleasure.)
After, founding, and establishing the Church and giving a transition period of one generation for all Jewish people that were in that generation to transfer into His Kingdom from heaven, by receiving the witness of the Apostles, to believe that Jesus is Christ and join the Church. He destructed the second witness temple model that had become a seat for Satan. He thereby displaced Satan and bound him from deceiving the rest of the nations for a period of His own election.
Revelation 20 is about the Messianic reign of Jesus Christ from heaven, from the inception of His power, to the end of the age when He will put an end to all mortality and all lesser dominions all together.
This is the only period of Messianic Reign and Kingdom, given to humanity for salvation, today is the day of salvation, and this is the message of the Gospel of God, concerning Jesus Christ, firstborn immortal from the dead, with all power and all authority to raise the rest at His appointed and universal command, when mortality is swallowed up by immortality at His appearing.
This is the only period where mortality is coexisting with immortality. Jesus Christ Himself is the resurrection and eternal life. There is only one period of partnership with Him in the power of His resurrection while as yet human beings are remained, and retained in the proliferation of mortal bodies.
Those who are dying in Christ during the brevity of His predetermined preservation of the present heavens and earth, "as in the days of Noah", are caught up to preservation in heaven, to enjoy Him in person, until immortality is commanded universally over all. They that are first, ascended will be last to receive the body of immortality and they that are "last", who are alive and remain to His appearing are the "first" to receive the body of immortality, at His shout and universal command!
Satan will be loosed for a brief season and another contradictory and opposite to Christ temple model will be constructed as a seat for Satan, on earth to deceive the Nations, that will happen before the Lord returns to try all the people who dwell on the earth, while we are yet in the body of our mortality, whether we will cling to the beauty and loyalty of Jesus as Christ alone, birthed in the virginity of Mary, or as many who are distracted away by another who comes in his own name, though he be a descendant of David in the flesh.
Revelation 17 ...the beast that was, but is not, and will arise again to be demolished in the final destruction is a reference to this truth.
When God the Father spoke, Let there be Light, that WORD is the beloved Son of the Father and the wisdom and model by which all creation was made. Time was created and initiated through Him therefore He is called the Alpha, and the resulting end of time belongs to Him, and His command alone, so He is the Omega.
He is the Light that marked the difference between day and night for the first 3 days of creation even before the Sun and the moon and the stars were created on the fourth day. Which also speaks of His three days in the belly of the earth after His death on the cross, the darkness of sin and death could not consume Him, nor could the corruption of death, take hold on His physical body. But rather He took death captive and rules over it, and rules over all who were ever before consigned to it, so that many came out of it with Him when He came up to His own body to engage it again in immortality. Matt 27:52
So, that even now everyone who believes in Him and is sealed by receipt of His Holy Spirit, born again in newness of life, and secured in blessed hope of likeness to Him in immortality, will never suffer a greater separation from Him at all, by descension, as do the wicked, but are rather gathered immediately at death, upwards, all the closer to Him by ascension to heaven where He is in Person.
Every believer is born again, a new creation in His image and likeness, and is empowered to rule and reign on the earth now, as an ambassador of His majestic and glorious Kingdom as He is ruling and reigning and granting them His authority and power from His exalted position in Heaven. And this is our partnership with His resurrection and power, and with the " Increasing Israel of God" who is already ascended ruling and reigning with Him over the remainder of Nations, even the current State of Israel. Amen!!!
Let's pray together: "Father of Glory, beautiful and glorious redeemer and savior of all who hear and believe in Your testimony and revelation of Jesus Christ! By the power and gift of Your Beloved and only begotten Son by which you demonstrate Your hope that every human being will come to a place of repentance to acknowledge, and to be born again in new creation, transferred from the domain of darkness and confusions, made ready to be sealed by your Holy Spirit as a witness of Your sovereignty in the predestination of salvation by Your benevolent mercy and grace through Jesus Christ in Kingdom alone, who is the initiator and commander of IMMORTALITY over all and the very gift of everlasting life, to as many as call upon His Glorious Name.
Holy Father, Yours is the Kingdom, and the power and the eternal authority, over the resurrection and change to immortality.
Affirm my witness and testimony of You as I am presenting it to all people, and save and affirm all who believe in Your goodness and faithfulness through Jesus Christ, let there be a witness of Your holy presence upon all who read this and call upon your name as a result.
Answer the very intercession of Your beloved Son from heaven, and confirm what was spoken with powerful expression on earth by Him, during the days of His trial and temptation and victory over death hell and the grave, when He said, Father I pray not only for these, who were then with Him as the first eye witness of His glory, on earth, but also for everyone who will believe in Me through their report, witness and testimony.
So let it be true for everyone reading this post, affirm those who believe, mighty God, and draw near to those who are yet undecided, to reveal Your very presence and overflowing LOVE, engage them to receive Your testimony and follow on to baptism and the outpouring of Your promised Holy Spirit for a seal of their redemption. In the wonderful powerful, majestic and only name You have given among men for the manifestation of salvation in the command of immortality to come, Jesus Christ, amen! Amen!"
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