The Lord Leaves the Reformed Protestant Church and Moves to His New Church

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Abstract: We will draw truth from the Bible Commentary of Emanuel Swedenborg “Apocalypse Revealed” Edited by Alice Spiers Sechrist (1968) of Chapter 10 of the Book of Revelation. We have just completed a Bible Commentary within a Bible Commentary on the subject of the Roman Catholic Religion. This is found in the Holy Bible in Revelation chapter 17,18 and a few verses in chapter 19.

In this post, we will attempt to show that even the Reformed Protestant Christian Church is not immune from unacceptable errors in Church doctrine. In Jesus’ revelation shown to the Apostle John, we will show that this error is so grievous, that it has resulted in the formation of a new Christian church. May His name be glorified forever.

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Key to blog text; 

Bold highlighting = Important terms and concepts. Blue highlighting = Words, terms, and concepts containing primarily a spiritual sense or TRUTH. Red highlighting = Words, terms, and concepts containing a sense directly related to The Lord Himself or LOVE. Gray highlighting = Words, terms, and concepts relating to Evil and Hell.  Italic letters in (parentheses) = My emphasis.

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The Angel and the Little Scroll – Revelation Chapter 10:1-6

“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:” (Revelation 10:1)

“And the angel” (The Apostle John saw standing) is the Lord Jesus even though it says an “angel“. This is supported by two facts.  

Angels are nothing more than raised Christians from the world and allowed to enter the gates of the Lord’s kingdom. And angels are called angels because the spirit of the Lord is in them, and them in Him. Without that spirit of life, they are spiritually dead. And the words “rainbow” and “cloud” associated with this angel could only mean the Lord who alone has such descriptions of His Holy Character,

“I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. And… when I (see it) …in the cloud, I will remember… the eternal covenant…” (Genesis 9:12-17).

In Revelation 10:6, it says the angel “swore by Him who lives forever and ever”. Only Jesus Christ can uphold an oath or promise that is true (for He is TRUTH itself). As it says in the following Bible verses;

“I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”  (Isaiah 45:23)

“But if you will not hear these Words, I swear by Myself, says Jehovah, that this house shall become a ruin.”  (Jeremiah 22:5)

“Jehovah of Hosts has sworn by Himself, saying, Surely I will fill you with men as with locusts; and they shall lift up a shout against you.”  (Jeremiah 51:14)

“The Lord Jehovah has sworn by Himself, says Jehovah, the God of Hosts: I despise the glory of Jacob, and hate his palaces, and I will shut up the city and all its fullness.”  (Amos 6:8)

“The Lord Jehovah has sworn by His holiness that the days shall come on you that He will lift you up with meat hooks, and your sons with fishhooks.”  (Amos 4:2)

“Therefore hear the Word of Jehovah, all Judah that lives in the land of Egypt. Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says Jehovah, that My name will no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord Jehovah lives.”  (Jeremiah 44:26)

“Jehovah has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no more give your grain to be food for your enemies; and the sons of strangers will not drink your wine for which you have labored.”  (Isaiah 62:8)

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“And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,” (Revelation 10:2)

Jesus Christ “had in His hand a little book open:” This means the Holy Bible or what is also called the “Word”. Jesus taught that He does not judge men but they judge themselves at the end of life. He taught this in the Book of John,

“And if any one hears My Words (the Holy Bible) and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I do not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My Words (the Holy Bible) has one who judges him; the Word (the Holy Bible) that I have spoken, the same (the Holy Bible) shall judge him in the last day.”  (John 12:47-48)

The next part of Revelation 10:2 says, “he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,” It is important and interesting to see that this is nearly the complete opposite of the parable of the goats and the sheep that Jesus taught,

“The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.” (Matthew 25:32-33)

We know that “sheep” are the good people who follow Jesus, and the bad people are those who ignore Him and are called the “goats.”

In Revelation 10:2 it says when Jesus came down to the world “he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,”. The right foot of Jesus is set down upon the “sea”, and the left foot upon the “earth.” In the Bible, the “sea” is the large number of people who love the Lord and try to do what the Bible tells them to do. And the “earth” means the smaller number of people in the church who have been gifted with a greater understanding of the Bible.

So we can see by using a comparison of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:32-33 and those in the Christian Church called in Revelation 10:2, the “sea” is found on the “right” and those in the Christian Church called the “earth” are found on the “left.”  One group has been found acceptable (“sea” on the right) and one group has been found unacceptable (“earth” on the left).

What the Apostle John is seeing here is indicating that those in the reformed Christian church called the “earth” or those that have been given a greater understanding of the Holy Bible are in great error in their teaching of the Bible and the teaching of the kingdom of God, because they are found on the “left”.

But those in the reformed Christian church called the “sea” who are more simple in mind are found on the “right” because they accept the words of Jesus found in the Bible and try to follow them in their daily life.  

The “earth” has become proud in their understanding of the Bible, and thinks only they have the meaning of the Kingdom of God. The “sea” humbly only tries to follow the words of the Lord found in the Bible.  

One part of the Christian reformed church in the world has been found in error and lacking in understanding of the doctrine of the Bible which is the “earth”. And one part of the Christian reformed church in the world has been found acceptable in the sight of the Lord because even though they are simple-minded they follow the Lord in the simple faith of what He teaches in the Bible and they are called the “sea”

So we can see by using a comparison of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:32-33 that those in the Christian Church called in Revelation 10:2, the “sea” is found in the “right” and those in the Christian Church called the “earth” are found on the “left.”  Just like the “sheep” and the “goats” they will be separated. One part of the Lord’s church has been examined and it is found deficient, it has not measured up.

What the Apostle John is seeing here is indicating that those in the Christian church called the “earth” or those that have been given a great understanding of the Holy Bible and may have at one time may be called born again are in great error in their teaching of the Bible and the teaching of the kingdom of God, because they are found on the “left”

But those in the Christian church called the “sea” who are more simple in mind are found on the “right” because they accept the words of Jesus found in the Bible and try to follow them in their daily life.

The “earth” has become proud in their understanding of the Bible, and thinks only they have the meaning of the Kingdom of God. The “sea” humbly only tries to follow the words of the Lord found in the Bible.

One part of the Christian reformed church in the world has been found in error and lacking in understanding of the Bible which is the “earth”. And one part of the Christian reformed church in the world has been found acceptable in the sight of the Lord because even though they are simple-minded they follow the Lord in the simple faith of what He teaches in the Bible and they are called the “sea”

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“And he cried with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. And when he had cried, seven thunders spoke their sounds.” (Revelation 10:3)

“And he cried with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.” Much like the scene in the movie “The Lion King”, and the roar of Mufasa, the Lord is expressing great emotion in this verse.

We also know from Revelation 5:5 that Jesus Christ is called “the lion of the tribe of Judah”,

“And one of the elders said to me, Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals of it.” (Revelation 5:5)

Swedenborg says, “A lamentation (grief) over this is what the angel’s roaring like a lion symbolizes; for a lion roars when it sees its enemies and is attacked by them, and when it sees its young or its prey carried off. The same is comparatively the case with the Lord when He sees His church carried off by devils.” All throughout heaven this roar is heard. The Lord’s great love for His church cannot take away from His great truth and righteousness. Justice has to prevail. And that is what “lion of the tribe of Judah” symbolizes, the absolute truth of His character and it does not contain any lies. The hyaenas (devils) have carried away a part of His church.

“And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” (Revelation 10:4)

While the Apostle John has been writing down the things shown to him and what must happen, he is interrupted by the Lord, “saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” He has been told that the things the Lord has spoken must not be repeated to the church on earth, at least not yet.

“And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted his hand to the heaven,” (Revelation 10:5)

The Apostle John now sees the Lord Jesus who is the head of the Christian church, “lift His (right) hand to the heaven,”

“and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created the heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there should no longer be time.” (Revelation 10:6)

As commented in Revelation 10:1, The Lord Jesus Christ is swearing by Himself and making an oath.

“that there should no longer be time.” As in the previous verses of chapter 10, the Lord is explaining and showing the Apostle John that the reformed Protestant church has been weighed in the balances and is found wanting. The doctrine of this church has serious issues and has been judged.

The word “time” has a signification or meaning of an end in this case. For the Lord said, “…no longer be”. Time and space are not found in heaven, but only a spiritual appearance as such to the angels. So there is no question that the Lord is speaking of something on the earth which is existing in time and space.

For the Lord has expressed a deep sadness that His Righteousness and Truth must prevail in judgment over deception and lies. This reformed Protestant church can no longer exist on the earth in the condition it is in.  

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