This is a section from Ray's paper on "How Hard is Getting Saved."
There was so much information in it but I decided to bring this part out. It gives a clear message to the elect, and explains how the elect can understand Revelation.
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=3849.msg29185 -----------------------------
1 John 5:9-10 “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He has testified about His Son. He who believes on the Son of God (this is the Lord) has the witness in Himself. He who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he does not believe the record that God gave of His Son.” (In many bibles it will say, “he that believes not the TESTIMONY…” My margin says testimony) “Because he believes not the testimony of the son of God, and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son, has life, and he that has not the Son of God, has not life. These things I’ve written unto you that you believe on the name of the Son of God.”
Now, "call upon the name of the Lord." "if you call me Lord do what I say…" "believe on the name of the Lord," “These things I have written that you believe on the name of the Lord, the Son of God!” What do you do if you believe on the Lord? What’s the problem with those who don’t? It says, if they don’t believe the “testimony” that God gave of His Son. They don’t believe that! They won’t be in the Kingdom of God because they don’t believe the testimony that God gave of His Son! What is that testimony? (sighs) Get ready…
Revelation 1:1-2 “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”
Those who do not believe the testimony that God gave of His Son, they are the ones who won’t be in the Kingdom of God. “For this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.” His testimony of His Son, and “These things were written that you believe on the name of the Lord.” And you’ve got to believe this testimony of Jesus Christ that His Father gave Him.
Now that’s not it’s own interpretation, remember? You have to match spiritual with spiritual. What is that testimony? “The revelation of Jesus Christ which GOD gave onto Him….and He bare record of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ” It’s the same words!
The Book of Revelation is the testimony of Jesus Christ!
Now, what are we going to do with all this?
Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein.
If you’re going to call upon the name of the Lord, you have to do what the Lord says. And in John we read that if you’re going to call upon the name of the Lord you’ve got to believe the testimony that His Father gave concerning Him. And Revelation says, this is that testimony. 22 chapters.
John was so sad when they were going to open the seals of this book. Why was he so sad? Why would John be so sad about that?
Revelation 5:2-4 KJV
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
Why would he cry? What’s so important about these seals that John would weep like a child? Because he just wrote, you’ve got to keep what’s in there! And now we can’t even open them.
That’s a catch-22. I’ve got to do what it says, but I don’t know what it says! Who can open this up?
The Son of God, He can. This is His testimony, He knows how to open it. So He opens up the seven seals, and then there’s seven trumpets, and then there’s seven plagues.
(There is a large section that I left out here because of length, but it has a lot in it and would be worth it to read)All these things take a lifetime. We’re going to live “the seals”. A third part of the men died: that’s a third part of the man in us that is going to die. A third part of the carnality. God works in increments, you see. He wipes out some of the trees, and then He burns the grass…what is the trees and the grass? These are all things in us. We have islands, and mountains, and trees, and grass. All of these are belief systems and ideas and doctrines and philosophies of life and all these things. And they are all going to be burned out and broken down and destroyed. All of those seven seals, seven trumpets, seven plagues: they are all things that must happen in our lives.
You say, “Well I don’t remember any trees being burned down…” First of all, you won’t even know some of it is happening until it’s over.
Some of you will remember, I have this in my Lake of Fire Series: “And I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day and I heard a voice BEHIND me as the voice of a trumpet and I turned to see the voice that spoke to me and being turned I saw…” (Rev. 1:10) You won’t see some of these things until they are behind you. You’re going to have to look behind you to see where you came from, to see where God has been taking you. Some of us wouldn’t want to live tomorrow if we knew what was coming, you know. Be thankful that you don’t know everything that’s coming. Be thankful that you only have to take one day at a time. You don’t want to know what every day has to hold. Take it one day at a time as God presents it to you.
And there will come a time, when you can look behind you, as I can, and see where God’s been taking you all these years. You’ll see it plain as day. I could sit here for hours and tell you all about it. I can tell you about trees and grass and mountains coming down, I know what it means. It’s all one. All this stuff . Are you getting it? It’s all one thing. Whether you believe on Christ, or enter the door of Christ, or call upon the name of Christ, or accept His grace through the faith of Christ…it’s all one thing. It’s all Christ coming to you, living His life in you!