Chapter 15
Chapter 15
Another way to study the Bible is to take one word and follow it up with the help of a concordance, or take just one word that runs through a book. Some time ago, I was wonderfully blessed by taking the seven Blesseds of the book of Revelation. If God did not wish us to understand the book of Revelation, He would not have given it to us at all. A good many people say it is so dark and mysterious that common readers cannot understand it. Let us only keep digging away at it, and we will start to understand it better. Someone says it is the only book in the Bible that tells about the Devil being chained, and since the Devil knows that, he goes up and down Christendom and says, “It is no use reading Revelation; you cannot understand the book. It is too hard for you.” The fact is, he does not want you to understand about his own defeat. Just look at the Blesseds the book contains:
1. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3)
2. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on! Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them. (Revelation 14:13)
3. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes. (Revelation 16:15)
4. Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19:9)
5. Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)
6. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. (Revelation 22:7)
7. Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14)
Or you may take the eight overcomes in Revelation, and you will be wonderfully blessed by them. They take you right up to the throne of heaven; by them you climb to the throne of God.
I have been greatly blessed by going through the believings of John. Every chapter but three speaks of believing. As I said before, John wrote his gospel that we might believe. All through it is “Believe! Believe!” If you want to persuade a man that Christ is the Son of God, John’s gospel is the book for him.
Take the eight precious things in Peter’s epistles, the seven walks of the epistle to the Ephesians, or the five much mores of Romans 5. Study the three receiveds of John 1 and the eight hearts in Proverbs 23.
Examine the fear of the Lord in Proverbs:
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. (8:13)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (9:10)
The fear of the LORD prolongs life. (10:27)
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence. (14:26)
The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life. (14:27)
Better is a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and turmoil with it. (15:16)
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom. (15:33)
By the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil. (16:6)
The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied. (19:23)
The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor and life. (22:4)
Live in the fear of the LORD always. (23:17)
A friend gave me some key words recently. He said Peter wrote about hope: When the Chief Shepherd appears (1 Peter 5:4). The keynote of Paul’s writings seemed to be faith, and that of John’s, love. Faith, hope, and love were the characteristics of the three men, the keynotes to the whole of their teachings. James wrote of good works, and Jude of apostasy.
For the general epistles of Paul, someone suggested that Paul emphasizes the phrase in Christ. In the book of Romans, we find justification by faith in Christ. Corinthians presents sanctification in Christ. In the book of Galatians, we see adoption or liberty in Christ. Ephesians presents fullness in Christ; Philippians, consolation in Christ. In Colossians, we have completeness in Christ. Thessalonians gives us hope in Christ.