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Oduol Michaels | PentecostalTheology.com
((((Not Edited)))
WHO IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST: –
==== INTRODUCTION: –
Who is the first and the last? In the Bible there is one personality who appears as the first and the last. This is what is written about the first and the last according to the book of Revelation. Apostle Paul heard a voice from behind him on the Lords day, and the first and the last introduced Himself to him:
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, [a]the Beginning and the End,” says the [b]Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Vision of the Son of Man: –
9 I, John, [c]both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,
11 saying, [d]“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches [e]which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”
12 Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
13 and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.
14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire;
15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters;
16 He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying [f]to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.
18 I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of [g]Hades and of Death.
19 [h]Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Revelation 1:8-19.
And:
The Persecuted Church: –
8 “And to the [a]angel of the church in Smyrna write, ‘these things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:
Revelation 2:8.
Therefore:
Jesus Testifies to the Churches: –
12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the [a]Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
14 Blessed are those who [b]do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15 [c]But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Revelation 22:12-15.
So who is the first and the last, and what is the meaning of the first and the last? Many people would interpret the first and the last as a final say, but even if it is the final say: How does this say come about?
(1) ==== MEANING OF THE FIRST AND THE LAST:
Yeshua (Jesus) declared the meaning of the first and the last. He declared that whoever desires to be the first must be the last in the kingdom of God. You know the kingdom of God does not work as the world does. In this world the first is the greatest, but in the kingdom of God the greatest is the last, or rather the least of the servants:
Who Is the Greatest?
33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you [a]disputed among yourselves on the road?”
34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.
35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 9:33-35.
You know many people see the power of God and they fear Him by setting some though in their head that God is very large and humongous. In their heads they hope to see a very big thing, but they do not know the power of God and His ways. God is very simple and powerful against the proud. The only thing that can humble the proud is humility, and this was demonstrated by the death of Yeshua (Jesus):
22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;
23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [a]stumbling block and to the [b]Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1 Corinthians 1:22-25.
Jews were seeking to see a great sign, like some very hot fire coming from heaven to destroy the Romans, and the Greeks were seeking to see prove. Jews were not able to bear fruit because of seeking for a sign, so the kingdom of God was taken from them and given to the Romans. If God was there with them in the wilderness with all those great signs and wonders, and still they did not believe in Him, so the only thing that can change man is to make them study God’s word and they see for themselves what is written.
And that is the reason why this word was produced by the disciples of Yeshua (Jesus) and sealed. God also know that the Gentiles had already made a covenant of lies with death, and they would begin to lie about what they would see. And truly they changed the nature of Yeshua (Jesus) and portrayed Him as a white man, yet He is black according to the record.
That was a lie, but all in all with all that much humility in the Son, Yeshua (Jesus) declared that God the Father is greater than Him. So how great is the Father in Humility if the Son was that great, to walk in humility by coming down from heaven and serving as a bond servant? Who taught Him this manner of character, that He Has all things, yet He walks as if He does not have anything?
The Humbled and Exalted Christ: –
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it [a]robbery to be equal with God,
7 but [b]made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:5-8.
It was God the Father who taught the Son because He declared that His Father Has been working, and He was also working, meaning that God the Father is never asleep, but He works for the interest of all His creatures. “(17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working John 5:17).” So what can God the Father do for the world, that is much more than the death of the Son, who died for the whole world? And this is what the Son Had to declare concerning the Greatest:
The Disciples Argue About Greatness: –
24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.
25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.
Luke 22:24-27.
And:
48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”
Luke 9:48.
But He declared these words:
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
30 I and My Father are one.”
John 10:27-30.
And:
28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
John 14:28.
So you see the kingdom of God goes contrary to the nature of the world. I would like you to picture God the Father as the greatest in terms of humility, and you compare this manner of humility with the death of Yeshua (Jesus). All that suffering and the ability to do something, but He still died because of His friends. “(Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends John 15:13).” What manner of care is this that one dies for His friends while they loose their life?
So if God is love, then love is a sacrifice and not some boast and pomp in power and might. So what shall God the Father do to show the world that He is greater than the Son? He will carry the whole world by visions and bear their sins as though they were His sins. And He shall walk with their thoughts as though they were His until after they reject Him and rebel against Him and He begins to reveal to them their hearts. Then He shall act as they do in darkness, by doing the things that they do in hiding while they condemn in the light:
The Sin-Bearing Servant: –
13 Behold, My Servant shall [a]deal prudently; He shall be exalted and [b]extolled and be very high.
14 Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage[c] was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men;
15 So shall He [d]sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider.
Isaiah 52:13-15.
==== DEFINATION OF WORDS: –
(1). PRUDENTLY: –
The word PRUDENTLY is “SAKAL” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – to have success; (to cross the hands and arms in an extended motion); to have insight, wisdom, understanding; to prosper, successful; the potential capacity to understand and so exercise skill in life, a state caused by proper training and teaching, enhanced by careful observation: – wise.
(2). EXALTED: –
The word EXALTED is “RUM” or “RAMAM” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – (also used with compound proper names)] to be high, rise up; to be proud, haughty; to be full of maggots, be wormy; to exalt, lift high; to be exalted, be lifted up; to cause to lift up, present (an offering); to rise up against, rebel; to be presented, be taken away; to exalt oneself; from the base meaning of being high in spatial position come the figurative extension of being high in status: exalt, and high in attitude: proud, arrogant: – exalted.
(3). EXTOLLED: –
The word EXTOLLED is “NASA” in this context, and it means: – To bear, carry, lift up; forgive; to be forgiven, honored, carried along; to cause to carry, to bring; to exalt one self, lift up oneself; from the base meaning of risen elevation come figurative extensions “to exalt, honor,” as the lifting up of a person, in status, and “to forgive, as the removal of guilt and its penalties; “to lift up the eyes” means” to look up”: – lift up.
(4). ASTONISHED: –
The word ASTONISHED is “SAMEM” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – To be desolate, be appalled; to become desolate, be appalled; to cause desolation be appalled; to bring to devastation, cause to be appalled; to lie desolate; to destroy oneself, be appalled: – desolate.
(5). VISAGE: –
The word VISAGE is “MAREH” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – what is seen with the eye, appearance; by extension: vision, supernatural revelation with a focus on visual communication, but can include verbal context: – appearance.
(6). MARRED: –
The word MARRED is “MISHAT” or “MOSHAT” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – deformity, defect, corrupt, disfigurement, implying ugliness and repulsion: – corruption.
(7) FORM: –
The word FORM is “TOAR” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – Form, shape; beauty, fine- looking person: – form.
(8) SPRINKLE: –
The word SPRINKLE is “NAZA” in HEBREW in this context, and it means: – To spatter; to sprinkle; to leap, spring: – sprinkle.
==== THE WICKED WHO WALK IN DARKNESS: –
These two are the words that I was looking for in context. VISAGE is visions that are visible and MARRED is that those visions are deformed and distorted. He is filthy this person, according to many who are seeing His visions, and they shall tell Him that they are holier than Him. This are the ones who pose as if they are holy before men, but behind the scenes they are the witches who send those filthy visions and ideas to God the Father. This is their saying, and along with it their ways are exposed, and mainly they are women:
15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, and their works are in the dark; they say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”
16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; for shall the thing made say of him who made it, “He did not make me”? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?
Isaiah 29:15-16.
And:
2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts;
3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face; who sacrifice in gardens, and burn incense on altars of brick;
4 Who sit among the graves, and spend the night in the tombs; who eat swine’s flesh, and the broth of [a]abominable things is in their vessels;
5 Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ These [b]are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all the day.
6 “Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will repay— Even repay into their bosom—
Isaiah 65:2-6.
Therefore this is their way to try and instruct God the Father and make Him serve their desires, but they are condemned by the true testimony of what was recorded. Yeshua (Jesus) is waiting for this God who hides His face from the house of Jacob. And witches have bee boxing themselves to say that they can instruct God the Father. Surely tables are turned upside down against them:
16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
17 And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will hope in Him.
18 Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells in Mount Zion.
19 And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?
20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there[a] is no light in them.
21 They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse [b]their king and their God, and look upward.
22 Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.
Isaiah 8:16-22.
And the manner of humility among the Father and the Son is called wisdom. You know it is very hard for anyone to leave their luxury in order to suffer for others. Even our worldly leaders are not that humble, but only one leader like Nelson Mandela is one who proved that a human being can be content and not selfish as many are. And such a character will bind the proud who love high places while they condemn anyone who comes against their self imposed authority.
This is the seed of the woman, in that God the Father and God the Son are masters in their kingdom, yet they walk according to the laws of this kingdom. This is righteousness, in that they sacrifice to exalt their rules above their authority, that when it comes to be subject to their laws and ordinances for the sake of others they do not hesitate to walk according to their rules. And if they want to falter with the rules of the kingdom of God for the sake of the others, they must still give an account of their ways by doing a thorough investigation about their justification.
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