The Evanescent Church

Jon Dellinger

Description

It’s the difference in Heaven or Hell. And in my eyes I would not want my eternal destination hanging on whether I understand the biblical definition of a word or not.

There are two major thoughts behind this book. Primarily, the first three chapters of Revelation show us a timeline that, when followed with regards to each of the seven churches, lets us know that we are clearly in the final days before God the Father sends God the Son to bring his church out of this world as we know it.



The second thought is how the widespread understanding of what true salvation is has shifted, both in definition and in people’s understanding. The meaning of salvation is clear in the early chapters of the book of Acts, and although it has not changed, how people understand it has changed. The words faith and believe have different definitions biblically than in Webster’s or the Urban Dictionary or other references today’s readers may consult.



The great thing is that it’s not too late, unless he comes before this book goes into print. And if he does, maybe it will be far enough along for some of the left behind to finish the work.



It’s the difference between heaven and hell, and I would not want my eternal destination hanging on whether or not I understood the biblical definition of a word.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Personal Growth
• Philosophie et théologie
• Revelation

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 29 mars 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664286436
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

The Evanescent Church
“that thou mayest see”
JON DELLINGER


Copyright © 2022 Jon Dellinger.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8642-9 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8641-2 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8643-6 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922876
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 03/24/2023
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Preface
When I stop to think where this book started, I go back to a conversation I had with my father many years ago. I have always been careful what I read. I mean I don’t trust all writers because there are a lot of books that, I believe, can give you misleading information.
So, I asked my father, since he had been a pastor for many years, about a commentary that I could use that could be trusted. He told me that H.A. Ironsides would never lead me in the wrong direction.
Dr. Ironsides commentaries had been out of print for some time. I had searched for them, or part of them, for quite a while when I mentioned to my son and his wife that I couldn’t find them and asked if they would help me look. Young people are so much better at new ways to find things than I am. I didn’t think much more about it and some time later they gifted me with five of Dr. Ironsides commentaries. One of which was on The Revelation. As I studied it along with my bible, he (Dr. Ironsides) introduced to me the thought that the ‘Seven Churches’ described in the first three chapters weren’t only teaching us about problems in the churches, but that each church represents an actual time period in the current “church age”.
As I studied along, the Spirit of God began to develop in my heart and mind this thought that has become this book. I am not an educated man. I dropped out of school in the tenth grade, so I take no claim to this book other than trying to be a willing vessel for God to use. I have trusted God with my biblical knowledge in which I have been blessed to know what I do.
I began to write, and the Spirit would bring scriptural things to mind that would support and provide understanding to the various scriptural thoughts and verses in these few chapters. I also was so blessed when I found the Bible Hub. Through this site I have been able to use the King James Version of the bible and reference the Strong’s Concordance for clear and precise definitions of the original Greek wording.
So, in all, I have depended on the Holy Spirit most of all, but also my KJV bible, Dr. Ironside’s Commentaries and the Strong’s Concordance for my research for this book. As I was working on this book, I was struggling with what the name of the book should be. I was writing it, but it wasn’t mine. So, I told God He would have to tell me what the name or title should be. I waited for quite some time before He gave me the name for it. As I was studying Dr. Ironside’s Commentary I came across a new word that I did not know. When I looked up the definition it was “tending to vanish like a vapor”. Months later when God was ready, He gave me the title, The Evanescent Church. In providing the name He had chosen I had a clear understanding for the book I had written.
May God be glorified by this book, and may it be, and do, exactly what He wants it to.
Chapter 1

As we enter the revelation of Jesus Christ, many important facts need to be brought into focus so we can make sure we understand as much as possible about why this book was given to us and who gave it to us.
1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
I begin in the first verse with what this book is. The first line tells us that this is the and not a revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the unveiling of Jesus Christ. Next, we see the author revealed, who is none other than God himself. He is the originator of all that is written in this book. The scripture states “which God gave unto him.” So the information in this book has been given by God himself. We also find in these first few words who he gave it to: “him.” So who is “him”? It is better understood when you put the first two segments of verse 1 together. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him.” He gave it to Jesus.
The next segment will tell us why God gave it: “to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” This book is an enlightening given by God himself about his Son, Jesus Christ, and an order of events that are going to happen. Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my father only.” Mark 13:32 states this quote slightly differently. He states, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the father.” In the first part of Mark chapter 13 is a statement made by Jesus about the stones and buildings that impresses one of the disciples, whereupon Jesus says, “there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” In verse 4, Peter, James, John, and Andrew ask him privately “Tell us, when shall these things be?” Jesus tells them many things about how to recognize that the time is near, and verse 32 is part of his finishing statements about that subject.
Here in Revelation, God has chosen to provide for the servants of Jesus a timeline, as recognized by many great men of God, to recognize where and when things will “come to pass;” The Father has given us information that can help us know what to expect as we move closer and closer to the return of the Lord Jesus and the final judgment. Dr. H. A. Ironside introduced me to this thought in his “Lectures on the Revelation.” After studying his lectures, I am now in full agreement.
Verse 1 finishes with “and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” Here God, the Father, identifies his chosen deliverer of this message: “his servant John.”
1:2
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Verse 2 tells us everything that John put in this message. “Who bare record of the word of God,” John has recorded here for us “the word of God” himself. The second thing that you will find in this message is “the testimony of Jesus Christ,”. And there is a third thing in this message: “and of all things that he saw.” These are the three things that John recorded in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave John all the information in this book. John recorded in this book only what was provided by God.
1:3
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.
Verse 3 tells the benefit of this book to all who read. Three things are required to receive this blessing. You must “read” and “hear” the words and keep the things that are “written therein.” The Greek definition of “readeth” is “know again,” of “hear” is “come to the ear,” and of “keep” is “to guard from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon.”
Given “readeth” and “to know again,” it sounds to me as if we should return to this book often. To “hear” is to have it “come to the ear.” Many times in the Bible, we find such a saying from God, as in Matthew 13:13–15:
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophesy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For this peoples heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Verses 16–17 of Matthew 13 provide the uniqueness of the child of God’s ability to hear.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Jesus is telling them that they see and hear in a way that many have wanted to but haven’t been able to forever. They have been given the ability to see and hear by God. Ephesians 3:1–5 says,
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my kno