The Harvest Is Ripe!

(From radio broadcast of Bro. Julius Adewumi)

You that hear this, if you don't believe the bible, come and see it for yourself. The first book of the bible, Genesis told us how it all began and the last book of the bible, Revelation, told us how it will all end. The rest of the books in the middle shows how the plan of God is manifested and implemented. The whole book of the bible was talking about the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the plan of God from the beginning. He planned that he will redeem mankind through the Lord Jesus Christ , and the bible showed how the Lord Jesus Christ was brought forth to mankind and left, and how he will come again. The whole bible revealed how God will raise up human beings and make them his children. Starting from one man, Adam, who will fall, and he fell. Through his seed God brought forth a perfect seed, the Messiah, who will redeem the whole mankind by his blood, and out of these he will bring forth Sons of God at the end of it all, who will come to the fullness of the stature of Christ. (Heb. 2:10). God will take over this earth and give it to the sons of God, the Saints, and they will live forever and ever, in a new heaven and a new earth where there will be no more death.

The book of revelation will tell us how God has planned the end of all things.

I pray that the Lord will make the reader aspire to be a partaker of the new heaven and the new earth that is coming at the end. John was the scribe of this book .

Rev.1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass."

Right from this verse you should note that the writings are for future things, future from the time of apostle John. That was about 2000 years ago. Future from 2000 years ago, some of them have taken place, and some of them are yet to come. These are all the events expected to close the world.

v.2-3: "and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein for the time is at hand."

If Apostle John could say the time is at hand 2000 years ago, how much more now? The time is really at hand. We are close to the end of time. All the signs we were given to watch have been seen. If you want to move close to the Lord, you better do it now. You better repent now! You better walk straight and move closer to the Lord now! Because the time is short, even shorter than when John wrote this.

v.4-7: "John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.

Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen."

John wrote this opening to the seven churches in Asia. There were churches in those days in those seven cities. However the messages written were not just to those churches. The Lord chose those cities to represent the seven church era, or church ages, from the time of apostle Paul till the end. These messages were sent to the whole church of God. He was writing a book to his body, from the beginning of the church to the end - church dispensations. Every generation that was written to, has a predominant problem the Lord was addressing in that generation and a promise to the overcomer in that generation. The first three chapters were addressing the challenges in all these seven church dispensations. And we are at the last 7^th church-age. We believe that we are in the last generation of the church; and this last dispensation has been going on for even a hundred years now. Each church generation has a characteristic which is due to what is going on in the world around them that has influenced the church. Christ is warning the church about the influences of the world upon the church and also giving promises to those that will overcome all the worldly influences. This is our goal as believers. We are to be in this world but not of this world. The church is to resist every influence of the world upon the believers. You can read chapter 3 and see the Laodecian church age and you will see the influence of the modern world upon the church of the living God spelled out. Of course things that influenced the earlier church ages also are still around. Whether persecution or sin, or false doctrine, those influences on the previous churches are still around. But there will be a predominant influence in each generation on the church.

The problem in one generation may still be present in the next generation. However, the new generation will have some new problems, and new challenges, which the Lord addressed. Your goal and responsibility is to overcome all the worldly influences that try to pull down the believer.

Rev. 1:8: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

Let's analyze this. Who actually was talking here? It was the Lord Jesus Christ. The previous verses in the opening of the chapter, John wrote that 'the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass." But when you see the utterances here, you will note that the scripture is making us to know who the Lord Jesus Christ is. He is God, not just sent by another person as to differentiate him from God, or as if he is just an angel sent by God. Some people are thinking of the Godhead as if God has a wife and a son, like a family business. He is proclaimed as "Son of God" by virtue that he came to the world as a human being. However the spirit in him is the God Almighty himself shrouded in human flesh. (1Tim.3:16). He was not a created spirit put in a body. He was God the creator himself incarnated in the flesh. In this first chapter of revelation he declared himself as Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, the Almighty. Question: Is that God that is "the beginning and the ending", or is that God's Son, if they are two different persons? It is God! Which means, the Alpha and Omega is God, the beginning and the ending is God, not another person. God manifested in the flesh. This is revealed in this chapter. Also, several other passages of the scriptures revealed that it was God that manifested in human flesh, and dwelleth among us. He was pre-named Emmanuel, which means "God with us". (Isaiah 7:14).

There is one God, One Spirit, that has manifested to mankind as the Father in the old testament. In the new testament, he came as the Son of God in the form of a Human being. And now he is the Holy Spirit that indwell every believer. Because the Lord Jesus said, "if I go not away the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you", (Jn. 16:7). When he was here in human form, he was limited inside that body, but he went away so that he can fill the whole body of believers with himself, in the spirit, as the omni-present Spirit. For this, Christ said "where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them". That is the omnipresent Spirit of God. Christ in us the hope of Glory. God Almighty! Not three persons, but one Spirit manifested in three offices.

The revelation was promised by Christ to be revealed to whomsoever the Son wills to reveal it.

Listen to this: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, which was and which is to come, the Almighty." How many Almighties do we have? Three or One? Only One, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one that is, and was and is to come. Who was? When you say anybody "was", means the man must have died, not so? Did God ever die? Yes. Only the Lord Jesus Christ died as a human being in the Godhead. That was God that died for us. That is the reason why he addressed himself as "which was". Secondly, he rose again and is still alive today, therefore he addressed himself also as "which is". Thirdly, the whole world is expecting him to come back due to the utterances of the angels and the witnesses, therefore he addressed himself as "which is to come", the Almighty. There you have your proof, that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who was speaking in that book of revelation chapter one if ever you doubt it.

This bible verse alone should explain to you who the Lord Jesus Christ is. He is God Almighty manifested in the flesh. Let's see what apostle Paul wrote in first Timothy to show us that it is a mystery.

(1 Tim.3: 16) "And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, (Angels beheld Almighty God walking as a human being upon earth), preached unto the Gentiles, (who was preached unto the Gentiles? Jesus Christ!) believed on in the world, received up into glory." That is what the Lord Jesus is revealing to us in revelation chapter one. When he was on earth, he said "No man knoweth who the son his but the father, and no man knoweth who the father is but the son, and whosoever the son will reveal it to." (Lk. 10:22 )

I pray that the Lord will reveal it to you. What we are saying is, God manifested in three manifestations to human being. He manifested as "the father" in the old testament, as the Son in the new testament, and as the Holy Spirit in the believers now.

Look again in the book of the prophets. Ezekiel said he saw one like a man sitting on the throne of God. (Eze.1:26). When Jesus came, he said he is "the son of man" that came down from heaven. (Jn.3:13). Mystery of the Godhead. I pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see this.

Rev.1:9 "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Apostle John will tell us how he was on that day when he received this visitation.

"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadephia, and unto Laodecia".

As I said earlier, these seven churches were chosen by the Lord to represent the seven dispensations of the church ages. That is, seven dispensations from the time of the apostles to the end of the world. What each church age will go through and how they should overcome the challenges. There is promise to those who overcome the challenges.

Rev.1:12 "And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the pap with a golden girdle".

Anytime the scripture mentions that they saw one like unto the son of man, they are distinguishing between an angelic figure that people assume may have wings and anyone that appear looking just like us.

v.14: "His head and his hairs were white as wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

This verse also showed that it was the Lord Jesus Christ that manifested here and not an angel, when he declared that "I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore", to show that he resurrected.

v.19: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."

These symbols of the candlesticks are representing the church-ages, and the stars are representing the major servants of God leading the churches.

The major ministers in every church age are angels in the churches. That is, not only talking of the ministry angels assigned to watch over each major ministry sent by God. The ministers themselves are servants of God, just as angels are servants of God.

Jesus is the first and the last. He is the logo of God.

In verse 18, He also said "and have the keys of hell and of death". What is the fear of mankind? Mankind wants to escape death, wants to escape hell. Jesus said he has the keys. He is our Messiah, friend! Jesus Christ is the only Savior for mankind. He has won the victory over Satan, over death, hell and the grave. If you follow him, you are sure of heaven. If you follow him, you are not to be afraid of hell nor the grave. He said "we have passed from death unto life when we believe in him".

You can go beyond this, if you follow him you can live forever and not see physical death. That is what he meant when he said "I have the keys of hell and of death". What is your fear today? You are afraid of death? Come and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. He can make you live forever if he wants to. He said "verily, verily, I say unto you. If a man keep my saying he shall never see death". (Jn.8:51). The same Lord God Almighty said, "I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death." This is to make you confident that you can follow him and not be afraid of death anymore.

I pray that the Lord will give you the faith to follow and not be afraid of death. Amen!

Accept Jesus as your Lord and savior today and have the hope of eternal life. God bless you.