How to study the book of Revelation, Part 3

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THE OTHER HALF OF THE GOSPEL

“Genesis begins with the fall of man. Revelation concludes with the restoration of man. In Genesis the curse falls on man. In Revelation the curse is "no more." In Genesis are the promises that the "seed of the woman" and the seed of Abraham will destroy the enemy and bless all of the families of the earth. In Revelation, that seed (the Lamb and 144,000), destroys the enemy and blesses all of the families of the earth. This is the kernel of the Gospel.

In another sense Jesus (the "Lamb" of Revelation) is also the kernel of the Gospel. Many fail to see or to acknowledge the SUBSTITUTIONARY sacrifice He made. The Scriptures abound with information which demonstrates that "the man Christ Jesus ... gave himself a ransom (a corresponding price) for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim 2:5, 6)

It was Adam who sinned, and in him died the entire race. It was Jesus, the "lamb of God" which took away that one original sin (singular -- John 1:29; 1 Cor 15:21, 22; Rom 5:19). This fulfilled the standard stated in God's law: A LIFE FOR A LIFE. The death of "the man Christ Jesus" guaranteed the release of Adam (and all in him) from death so that they will be granted a new trial (Ah! there’s that pesky second chance many are in denial of). Some obtain that release early -- now during the Christian or Gospel Age. (Rom 8:1) However most of mankind will obtain that release when the KINGDOM COMES (Matt 6:10) when they will be judged as their work "shall be" (Rev 22:12).

(1) Why did God create the earth and mankind?

(2) What is God doing in the earth today?

(3) What is the Gospel?

(4) What is the Church?

(5) What is the ultimate purpose of the Church?

(6) Are all outside the Church forever lost?

(7) What about the Jew?

Answers to these questions lay the necessary groundwork for an examination of Revelation. Without comprehending God's overall plan for mankind, the study of a subject like Revelation certainly will bear little fruit. Because of this we devote this chapter to a consideration of the Gospel -- the "good news" of the Bible. Please understand that we do not want to delay the examination of Revelation for you; but Jesus cannot be revealed to the mind which does not fully comprehend His purposes. This chapter is designed to review truths long lost sight of – truths which help Revelation make sense.

The title of this chapter, "The Other Half of the Gospel," suggests that what we regularly hear preached as the Gospel is incomplete -- and this is, indeed, the case. An examination of the Scriptural definition of the Gospel will prove that the Gospel is actually "good news" in a fuller sense than most Christians have ever dreamed.

In Gal 3:8 the Apostle Paul makes an interesting statement. He claims that the Gospel was preached to Abraham. This is a concept not generally appreciated -- that the Gospel is also in the Old Testament. Abraham and his descendants believed God and His promises, and their belief, the core of traditional Judaism, is based upon the Gospel which God preached to Abraham. What is this belief?

It is basically this: Messiah will come and bless everyone on earth through the agency of Abraham's children (or seed). This blessing will include resurrecting those who died. (It was because of Abraham's faith in the resurrection that he was willing to offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice to God. Heb 2:17-19)

Paul summed up all of this belief in the words spoken to Abraham, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." Remember, Paul called this very promise "the Gospel." It is a beautiful Gospel, too. It promises that all mankind will be blessed. (See the original promise in Gen 22:15-18.)

Christianity however does not define the Gospel in quite the same manner. The general teaching of Christendom is that only faithful believers will go to heaven when they die. (All others both non-believer and heathen alike are eternally lost. Whether or not this implies eternal torment or some form of separation from God is dependent upon which particular creed you consult.)

A chart to compare these two versions of the Gospel might be helpful:

full

On the surface Judaism seems better, doesn't it? After all, it includes all men in the blessing, whereas Christendom excludes all except Christians. But our examination of the matter is not complete. As we look into it more, remember that we cannot immediately judge either of these definitions of the Gospel as being wrong. Judaism got its belief from God's own prophets; we would, indeed, be presumptuous to ignore that testimony. And Jesus, who was a Jew, never disputed the Gospel as preached to Abraham. But we must acknowledge that the Bible also teaches that faithful Christians will go to heaven. These two versions of the Gospel are not inharmonious. By accepting them both, we learn the full Gospel.”

Continued with next post.

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