Light in the Evening Time 2
Dear Beloved Brethren,
We have quite some task on our hands this evening. This edition will
seek first to carry out a scanty survey of the last nine of the
eleven editions so far. That done, we would continue from where we
stopped in the last edition of this programme.
You will recall that the third message, which is the first, we would
be reviewing, brought us into the Book of the Revelation of Jesus
Christ. There in that message, under the topic, 'Our First Love', we
had an introductory consideration of the Book of Revelation. It was
Christ in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (which stand for
seven churches) speaking to them, manifesting as it were, the
score-sheets of their performances, in what might be called a typical
day of judgement.
In that message of Christ to the Ephesians Church, He said they have
left their first love. We declare that our first love is Jesus.
Consequently, our first works is devotion to Jesus. Vital fellowship
with Christ is the source of all our growth in grace and our
empowerment for spiritual service. When that aspect of our lives is
anyway affected, then the powerhouse is affected. We are told that
they left their first love and their first works, and consequently
were regarded by God as being in a fallen condition. And we were
called to the fact that our communion with God should receive more
and more attention. It is a busy world and we are caught in the
current of it. But wisdom demands that we should spend more and more
time with Jesus, in fellowship and communion with Him, in prayers, in
worship and in meditation on God's Word.
We skipped the second and third letters to the churches in Smyrna and
Pergamos, and we came in the second message to the church in
Thyatira. And there, under the topic: 'Unholy Ties and Mixed
Worship', we drew attention to the fact moral failure is a problem in
the church, and mixed worship is a growing tendency among Christian
people. By mixed worship, we are making reference to the worship of
the Living God and to the worship of men made in the image of the
Living God. And we said, that is idolatry. We may rightly infer
this from the message to the church in Thyatira: it says, "..you eat
food sacrificed to idols and you commit fornication." (Revelation
3:20). Now, we drew attention to the fact that as God dealt with
Jezebel of the Old Testament, so He will deal with the Jezebel
condition among His people. The proof that we are living in vital
communion with Lord Jesus Christ is in walking in victory over our
moral failures. That was the second message.
Then, the third in the series was a consideration of Christ's message
to the church in Laodecia. There, we subtitled our meditation: 'The
Way of Escape'. For in that message, we were concentrating on the
counsel that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to that church. Laodecia
felt fulfilled, but it was the worst church type. She says, ".I am
rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.". And Jesus
said, ".You do not know that you are poor, wretched, and miserable,
blind and naked." (Revelation 3:17). And then, He goes on to counsel
the church. And, we know that being the seventh church type, it
represents in a very clear manner, the general condition of Christian
assemblies the world over. More and more believers are getting
caught up with materialism today. But we know that as the Word of
the Lord came to them, calling them out of that condition, so also
the Word of the Lord will go forth today, calling people out of its
evil hold. We believe that the Lord will have men and women who
respond to Him, and live according to His will.
In the fourth message,we reached to a critical point. We had seen
the churches from the viewpoint of one observing the goings on from
within them. We had seen the rising and falling and rising again
only to fall. But in the fourth message, we were invited with
Apostle John to come up to the heavenly position, Revelation 4:1 was
the Bible verse we used in that meditation. There, a second division
in the book of Revelation sets in. The first three chapters recorded
"the things that are" and from the fourth chapter, we are told of
"the things which shall be hereafter".
And in that message, we said if what is rebuked and condemned among
the Lord's people is not faithfully heeded to, if the Lord's call to
repentance is neglected, then we are shown what future the people are
heading to. So, what shall be hereafter derives from what things
are. And from that heavenly position, we saw two great streams, two
great divisions, two great lines of things emanating from a common
beginning.
From tha heavenly position, we are made able to see two women, the
one following a faithful course and the other following an unfaithful
course. Then, we also saw two cities, the great city, Babylon, and
the holy city: The New Jerusalem. And since we will be returning to
this point, let us pass on to the next meditation in this series.
Now, it became clear after that ministration that time would have to
be taken to explore the language of Prophecy. This is because the
book of Revelation is given to us in signs, symbols, spiritual
imageries and figurative expressions. And if we were to go straight
into taking those two contrasting pictures that we saw in that fourth
message, many of the viewers might not be able to grasp what is being
taught.
In the language of Prophecy, that we considered in three straight
messages, we looked into such symbols as the moon, the stars, the
trees, grasses and we zeroed in to a consideration of the word:
"day".
Now, considering the symbols of 'day', we are made to understand
that in prophetic scriptures, more often than not the word "day" does
not represent a twenty-four hour period; that is, not solar days are
in view in prophetic scriptures. And we combed the scriptures a bit
to find occurences of the word 'day' where a twenty-four period could
not possibly be associated with the events described. We saw that
the six or seven days of the creation were actually periods spanning
thousands of years. We saw that the day of temptation in the
wilderness was actually a period of forty years. And we saw, drawing
out comment from II Peter 3:8, that in the history of redemption, a
day with the Lord is as a thousand years. There has been six days of
redemptive history. The six thousand years of recorded human history
has witnessed God working in the midst of fallen human race, to raise
up unto Himself a people for His name. In the first six days of
human history, the church, the Bride of Christ, is the principal
focus in God's redemption plan. The church in ministry to the
nations would be the focus in the symbolic seventh day of redemption.
One day is as a thousand years.
Now, we zeroed in on the "day of the Lord" being the crowning time
period in all of the histories of redemption. And we are led to see
that a lot of activities take place within the church just before
what is called the "Rapture". For God is not going to take unto
Himself a church that has failed, a church that has no reflection of
His image, and likeness. And like was observed, we cannot in our
present condition enter into full course.
Beloved Brethren, by the next meeting, when the Lord in His mercies
brings us your way again, we will continue from where we stopped
before the reproduction of this edition - we shall be considering the
sub-topic " COME UP HITHER".
We encourage you in the Lord to pray always that the Lord will
sustain this 'Work of Harvest' that the Lord of the Harvest Himself
might send labourers into 'HIS HARVEST'. Stay blessed in Him who
alone is the Lord of Hosts.
JESUS IS LORD!
Your Brother - 'Segun Ogunfile.
The Writings of Segun Ogunfile 