THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS
PART 2
A REVIEW - ACTS 2:38 AND THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS
// WHEN REVELATION CAME // UNVEILING THE
HEART // "DIDN'T OUR HEARTS BURN?" // HONEY
IN THE MOUTH // REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS IN JESUS'
NAME // BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM // AT
JERUSALEM // NOT REVEALED BEFOREHAND
In Parts 1 and 2 we seen how John the Revelator took the scroll,
given to Him by Jesus, who in turn had taken it from the Father, and ate
it. The book empowered John's spirit to burn in bitterness against sin
and to prophesy to all nations. The Book of Revelation deals predominantly
with sin and the end of all things. All nations must hear of the end of
sin, and how to be saved from it.
| And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little
book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy
belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took
the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my
mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and
nations, and tongues, and kings. (Rev 10:9-11) |
This book represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or
as John put it, the Testimony of Jesus.
| Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my
gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made
manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment
of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
(Rom 16:25-6) |
As John was told to prophesy forth this mystery to all nations,
Paul was said to have received the mystery from God and was to give
it forth to all nations.
Before reading of the book that was given to John in Rev.
10, we read that it was a mystery.
| But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall
begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared
to his servants the prophets. (Rev 10:7) |
Jesus received the revelation given to John (Rev.
1:1) after He suffered, bled, died and rose from the dead.
| And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been
slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of
God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (Rev 5:6-7) |
The lamb was slain and stood. That means resurrection!
So we know that Jesus took that book in the chronological time period after
He resurrected from the dead.
Jesus then opened the mystery that no man could open
beforehand.
| And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who
is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man
in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book,
neither to look thereon. (Rev 5:2-3) |
| And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard,
as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and
see. (Rev 6:1) |
Notice that John was told to come and see the opened
mystery. Before that time no man could open it, let alone see it. But
Jesus opened it and allowed John to come and see. This is fulfillment
of the words in Revelation 1:1 where we read that God gave the revelation
to Jesus who in turn gives it to his servants. John was one of those servants!
This very thing occurred in the Gospels after Jesus rose
from the dead and was ready to depart.
| Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning,
they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared,
and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from
the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord
Jesus. (Luke 24:1-3) |
Jesus had risen from the dead.
The word Revelation is translated in Rev. 1:1 from
the Greek word apokalupto which means to take off the cover
or to remove the veil. It opens, as it were, the understanding
or, as Paul said it in 2 Cor. 3:15, the heart.
Jesus appeared to two disciples who were confused about
his recent death. He opened their understanding, just as He opened
the scroll of revelation which no man could comprehend before that time.
| And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called
Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked
together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that,
while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and
went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.
And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye
have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose
name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem,
and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him
to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it
had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day
is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also
of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And
when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen
a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which
were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had
said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of
heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to
have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning
at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures
the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:13-27) |
Later on, these two people realized to whom they were talking!
And notice their description of what it was like to hear His words!
| And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread,
and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened,
and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one
to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by
the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Luke 24:30-32) |
He opened their understanding. They received revelation!
And they said "Didn't our hearts burn" as He talked with them!
This is exactly what Ezekiel described after he ate the scroll.
| So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in
bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong
upon me. (Ezek 3:14) |
The revelation burned within his spirit as it burned in the
hearts of the two disciples! It burned in John's spirit also as we read
that it made his belly bitter. [The belly symbolizing the
spirit: The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward
parts of the belly. (Prov 20:27)]
This similar event occurred later in the same chapter of Luke,
after the two disciples experienced revelation. Other disciples were gathered
with Jesus.
| And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said
unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled
fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them. (Luke
24:41-43) |
Notice that these disciples believed not. Their hearts
were blinded, for it is the heart that believes. They could not see the
mystery. It was indeed a mystery to them and yet unrevealed! So, Jesus
did something that is indeed noteworthy; He asked for fish and a honeycomb.
What did the little book that John ate taste like? Honey!
Receiving revelation from God is like tasting honey! How sweet is the experience
of having revelation from God! Jesus was demonstrating this same spiritual
truth that we read about in Revelation 10:10 when John symbolically ate
the scroll of revelation. (Remember that eating the book is only symbolic
of what it is like to receive a revelation in one's spirit).
The same two things John experienced after he ate the book
were also alluded to in Luke 24. It tasted like honey and it made his belly
bitter.
After Jesus ate the honey, notice the following words:
| And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto
you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me. (Luke 24:44) |
These are the words. Jesus was saying that the honey
represented His words. Yes, He was proving to them that He was indeed
alive by eating fish and honey, but at the same time He was symbolically
showing them that He received the revelation from God , Himself,
and was going to proceed to give them that revelation as Revelation 1:1
declared. They were going to eat the mystery, and it would
taste like honey, for Jesus was going to open the book and give revelation
knowledge to them.
| Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand
the scriptures, (Luke 24:45) |
There it is! He opened their understanding! Praise God!
They received a revelation. And what we read next is the exact contents
of that revelation -- the mystery hidden from before the ages! -- the mystery
Paul referred to in Romans 16:24-25.
As mentioned previously, a revelation is the impartation of
truths that were previously veiled from understanding. Revelation
reveals that understanding and pulls away the veil.
After John ate the scroll of revelation, what was he told
to do? He was told to prophesy to all nations. Similarly, Jesus
proceeded to explain the Gospel that must be preached to all nations.
| And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold,
I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem,
until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:46-9) |
Repentance, remission of sins in Jesus' name and receiving
the promise were all contained in the mystery. Since the
disciples were made aware of that mystery through revelation from Jesus,
they were called witnesses. (More about this later).
Never before had Repentance and Remission of sins in Jesus'
name been preached! How could it have been preached? It was a mystery
beforehand. It was sealed away from man's understanding. But it would
then begin to be preached in Jerusalem by the disciples to all
nations after Jesus resurrected, just as John was told to prophesy to
all nations.
Not until Jesus arose from the dead, after having bled and
been slain, was the mystery opened. Without having the Lord open
one's understanding, these truths remain a mystery.
Having explained the wonderful parallel between Luke 24 and
Revelation 5, let us once again read the passage in Revelation 5 concerning
this issue.
| And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the
four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been
slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of
God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. (Rev 5:6-7) |
After Christ rose from the dead, He took the book and proceeded
to open it and show John. John was one of the disciples who experienced
the opening of his understanding by Jesus as portrayed in Luke 24.
The mystery was not made known to even the disciples
until Christ opened their understanding. Opening the understanding
of a person is the actual granting of revelation to that individual. And
only Jesus can grant revelation, as Revelation 1:1 states, for only He is
worthy to take the book and open it.
The great message of repentance and remission
of sins in Jesus' name, and reception of the promise, did indeed begin
at Jerusalem. Acts 1 gives the same account we read about in Luke 24,
for Jesus was risen from the dead and ready to depart. Notice His words:
| And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that
they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water;
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. (Acts
1:4-5) |
The PROMISE is the Holy Ghost baptism!
The book of Acts tells us that Jesus told the disciples to
wait at Jerusalem, for they would not only begin to preach this mystery
at Jerusalem, just as Luke 24:47 declared, but they would also receive
the promise, or power, while there, that they might be able
to witness.
Consider the words of Matthew 24:14. The disciples must witness
to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. This is similar to the prophesying
to all nations which John was told to do after eating the book. There was
only one message that was to be spoken to all nations. And that
was the Gospel.
| And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Mat
24:14) |
The book of Acts continues:
| But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come
upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts
1:8) |
It would begin at Jerusalem as Jesus said in Luke
24:47. And they would be witnesses of the mystery! Acts 1.8,
just cited, also records that the mystery should be preached to all
nations; "the uttermost part of the earth," as Luke 24:47 and Matthew 24:14
declared.
So, the disciples left for Jerusalem after Jesus ascended
for they had to begin to preach the message from that location.
| Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet,
which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey. And when they were come
in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James,
and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James
the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
(Acts 1:12-13) |
It was a Sabbath day's journey there. The symbolism should
be carefully noted. They were about to enter the true Rest and true
Sabbath in the form of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Talk about a Sabbath
Day's journey! The Rest of a Sabbath Day of twenty four hours
was to be replaced by the true Rest of the Holy Ghost which the Sabbath
Day merely foreshadowed.
| For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to
this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the
weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isa
28:11-12) |
On the day of Pentecost, that Rest came. The speaking
in tongues which Isaiah referred to is associated with the reception of
the Holy Ghost in Acts 2:4. The Holy Ghost Baptism is the Rest.
However, many would not hear since it can only be comprehended by a heart
opened by Jesus. Unless one's heart is turned to Jesus in faith, the heart
remains veiled. Revelation removes the veil. The term revelation
refers to unveiling.
| But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon
their heart. 2 Cor 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the
veil shall be taken away. (2 Cor 3:15-16) |
The heart must be turned to Jesus, for He alone can impart
revelation. He alone opened the book for He alone was worthy!
Sadly, many cannot hear this truth yet today and
it remains a mystery to them. The term hear means to comprehend.
Notably, the same term is used in the beginning of the book of Revelation:
| The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to
show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; 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. (Rev 1:1-3) |
"Yet they would not hear", said Isaiah.
Some have promoted the thought that hearing simply
refers to physically listening to the reading of the Book of Revelation.
Whether one understands it or not is not the point, they claim. Just to
hear someone read it is a blessing. That may be so, but that is
not what John meant when he wrote the word hear in Rev. 1:3. Hear
is translated from the Greek word akouo, which means to understand.
The same term is used elsewhere in Revelation:
| He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches. (Rev 2:29) |
To hear is to receive revelation and to comprehend
the mystery!
The Book of Acts records the obedience of the disciples
in waiting for the promise in Jerusalem where they would begin
to preach the mystery.
| And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and
it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
(Acts 2:1-4) |
They spoke with tongues! This is what Isaiah foretold
would be the Rest. Truly God's Spirit within a person is the Rest
of God!
They were in Jerusalem. They had received the Rest.
of the Holy Ghost -- a true Sabbath day's journey was made in the Spirit!
But what about the message that must begin to be preached in Jerusalem
to all the world -- the message of repentance and remission of sins in His
name?
| Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what
shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every
one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:37-8) |
In these verses, Repentance was mentioned by Peter
as Jesus told the disciples to preach Repentance. Jesus also told
them to preach "remission of sins in His name" (Luke 24:47). This,
Peter did. This was preached when Peter commanded for all to "be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins."
The power of the Holy Ghost had filled Peter,
and the man of God began preaching with great power to witness, just as Jesus
said he would (Acts 1:8). He preached like he had never preached
before! And in that power to witness, Peter preached Repentance and Remission
of sins in Jesus' Name. Once again, notice that repentance was mentioned
in Acts 2:38. And the remission of sins in Jesus' name was carried out
through baptism in water in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins.
Praise God, the mystery was preached for the first
time! Jesus had not opened the book of mystery and revelation until He
rose from the dead (Rev. 5:7). How could the disciples preach it
before that? Not until He opened their understanding were they made aware
of the message and their duty to preach it. Even so, they had to receive
power to witness forth that mystery before they could actually
preach it. Otherwise, their preaching would not have been anointed.
The Holy Ghost baptism empowered them to witness to all nations
-- to prophesy!
After John was told to prophesy the mystery to all
nations, we read in Revelation 11 about two witnesses. This might
remind us of the words of Jesus who said the disciples would receive the
Spirit as power to witness of the mystery of the Gospel
to all nations beginning at Jerusalem. The two witnesses of this
mystery are personified in Revelation 11.
| And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall
prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
(Rev 11:3) |
What two witnesses are mentioned in the Bible?
| The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God: (Rom 8:16) |
And, of course, the Word witnesses truth to us.
Spirit and Word.
When we see the account of the disciples receiving the
Spirit in Acts 2, and then their initial preaching of the message of repentance
and remission of sins in Jesus' name, we see that which is symbolically
represented in Revelation 11 by way of two witnesses.
Peter was filled with the Spirit, and he began quoting
Joel's prophecy as the witness of the Word.
| But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; . . .
|
The disciples had to receive the Spirit before they could
actually witness to all nations, for the Spirit empowered them to witness
(Acts 1:8). This again is another proof that Acts 2:38 is the very
message of repentance and remission of sins which began to be preached
in Jerusalem. It is the mystery!
The message was not preached before Jesus left the world.
He told His disciples to begin preaching this message at Jerusalem, after
He opened their understanding.
Hence we have the following points which stress that the message
found in Acts 2:38 is the very message Jesus left the disciples to preach:
If you can see and hear this wonderful mystery,
you are indeed blessed of God, for your heart has turned to Jesus and He
has seen fit to remove the veil and impart revelation to your heart!
Acts 2:38 is written in plain English in Bibles across the
land, so why is it that this wonderul truth is so little known today as
the fulfillment of the Gospel in our lives? Why cannot many see
it? The answer is that it yet remains a mystery to many whose hearts are
unopened to Jesus that they might receive any truth He might so desire mankind
to know and obey.
Acts 2:38 fulfills the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
We die with Christ in repentance. We are buried with Him in Baptism (also
Col. 2:12) and we rise into newness of resurrection life with Him by reception
of His Spirit (also Romans 6:4). And this was revealed after Jesus
died, was buried and rose again!
Is your heart unveiled?
| But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is
that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is
not of men, but of God. (Rom 2:29) |
True spiritual Jews are those believers whose
hearts have turned to Jesus and experienced a removal or circumcision of
the veil of flesh covering their hearts from revelation. To be brought
into the ancient nation of Israel, a man had to circumcised , but to be
part of the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16) one must have the veil
circumcised from the heart. May one be accustomed to receiving revelation
and tasting its honey-like sweetness!
Jesus' servants indeed receive revelation.
| The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to
show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent
and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: (Rev 1:1) |
This is real Christianity! Praise the Lord Jesus Christ
for His mighty power of revelation!
