2023/09/11

108. Successors of the Apostles, Part 3

In the last issue, I mentioned that through Jesus' resurrection, the "charge I have received from my Father" (John 10:18) was fulfilled, and "Death and Hades" (Revelation 1:18) were resolved. This time, we will discuss this topic further. 

The "serpent," man's accidental information (cf. blog № 4), first appeared in Genesis, when man became plural, created as male and female. Here, God commanded the man, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die" (Genesis 2:16-17), whereas what the "woman" remembered was as follows: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die'" (Genesis 3:2-3). This contrast shows that in the memory of the two, the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" was replaced by the "tree in the midst of the garden," and the words "neither shall you touch it" were added. 

The confusion in their memory eventually developed into the specific act of "taking" and "eating" of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, with God's words "you shall die" replaced by the words of the "serpent" "You will not die" (Genesis 3:4). Later, they had their first experience of man's "dying" when Cain killed Abel. But at this time, the words "You will not die" were affixed to their memory as human knowledge. For this reason, people must have developed an image of the afterlife, even as they have performed burial rites and acknowledged people's death. 

Jesus reiterated the words "You will not die" as the Word by saying, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26). He overwrote the words of the "serpent" in Genesis with the Word of God. He also attested to this fact by resurrecting after his Passion and Death. 

Jesus, at the last supper, took bread, blessed it, broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26) and gave it to his disciples. The words "this is my body" suggest Jesus' words testifying about himself (cf. John 6:51). Believers, by remembering what it was that Jesus commanded to "take and eat" and by "taking" and "eating" the Eucharist with their own hands following his command, will atone for the two in Genesis who "took" and "ate" against God's command. For believers are the successors to the Word of Jesus. The words of Jesus' testimony are as follows:

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (John 6:51). 

To be continued.

Maria K. M.

 2023/09/04

107. Successors of the Apostles, Part 2

As discussed in the previous article, the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19), which Jesus gave to Peter, was the "key of the bottomless pit" (Revelation 20:1). The "keys" mentioned here are vital to understanding and solving things, as Jesus described them as "bind" and "loose" (cf. Matthew 16:19). 

The above issue started when Jesus, in the Gospel of Matthew, asked his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?"(Matthew 16:15). In response to Peter's answer, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16), Jesus said, "[F]lesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17). These words of Peter were God's timely announcement of the "hour" when Jesus, "the Son of the living God," would manifest himself as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). 

It is written, "From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised" (Matthew 16:21). From those words of Peter onwards, Jesus proceeds towards his Passion and death. 

As he said, "No one takes it [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father" (John 10:18), Jesus, who is God, came down to earth with the "charge I have received from my Father" to undergo suffering and death as a human being. This charge was fulfilled in the Book of Revelation in the "manner of the Spirit of prophecy" as follows: "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one; I died, and behold I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Revelation 1:17-18). 

From this fact, "the charge Jesus has received from his Father" can be paraphrased as "the keys of Death and Hades." Hence, Jesus gave Peter the words of assurance, "I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18), before giving him the "keys of the kingdom of heaven," namely, the "key of the bottomless pit." 

Jesus then underwent the Passion and death and rose again. Through his resurrection, the "charge I have received from my Father" was fulfilled, and "Death and Hades" were resolved. Jesus gave Peter the "key of the bottomless pit," the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" on the premise that he himself would solve the problem of "Death and Hades." This key would solve the problem of man's accidental information (cf. blog №4).

To be continued.

Maria K. M.

 2023/08/28

106. Successors of the Apostles, Part 1

We will move on in our discussion of the Book of Revelation. "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while" (Revelation 20:1-3). 

The description, "coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain," suggests that the "key" the angel holds is that of the kingdom of heaven. That means the "key of the bottomless pit" is the key of the kingdom of heaven. So, we can see that the above description of Revelation is the fulfilment of the following words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew in the manner of the "Spirit of prophecy" with the "key of the kingdom of heaven" as the clue. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:19). 

The "keys of the kingdom of heaven" in these words of Jesus' testimony were the "key of the bottomless pit" that the angel brought to earth from heaven in the Book of Revelation. The "keys" Jesus said he would give Peter could seize "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan," bind him, cast him into the bottomless pit, and lock him up. It keeps the "ancient serpent," i.e., man's accidental information, which occurs where several people are gathered (cf. blog №4), from arising among "those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." 

This scene in Revelation is guided by the "blessedness" of "those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (cf. Revelation 19:9). So, we can say that the expressions "for a thousand years" and "till the thousand years were ended" refer to the time Jesus commanded, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19), the time when the Mass is celebrated. 

As we discussed in the last issue, the place where the Mass is celebrated is where believers who hear the Word were born anew as children of God, from which they came and to which they will return. This place must function as the place where every lust of the believer is most reasonably removed, and it must be the place where the believer can say that they saw the Lord in the Eucharistic Host face to face. For this to happen, it is necessary to seal off man's accidental information which may arise in this place. The successors of the Apostles, having been given the authority to use the "keys of the kingdom of heaven," or the "key of the bottomless pit," which can bind and loose on earth, have a responsibility to exercise that authority.

To be continued

Maria K. M.

 2023/08/21

105. The Flesh of All Men, Small and Great

So far, we have seen that the words, or testimony, of Jesus in the Gospels were fulfilled in the Book of Revelation in the manner of the "Spirit of prophecy." Believers, who are with and in concert with the Holy Spirit, are the ones who are to substantiate this new prophecy. 

While Jesus was on earth, his disciples were protected by the Word that proceeded from his mouth and by the name of the Father (cf. John 17:12). They were safeguarded from "the beast" and the "false prophet." Today believers who hear the Word are protected by receiving the "sword of the Word," which has become the living word again by the Holy Spirit, and by experiencing themselves hearing the Word (cf. blog № 104). That is because they will experience distinguishing "the beast" and the "false prophet" from themselves. This experience is transformed into recognition, assisted by the training of Revelation. Thus, the colour of Jesus' discipleship gradually oozes outwards from them. 

In addition, as Jesus described in his commentary on the Parable of the Weeds, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom" (Matthew 13:37-38), believers are the "seeds that fell on good soil" in the Parable of the Sower (cf. Matthew 13:8). 

These seeds are not of those who mocked and reviled Jesus on the cross, such as the chief priests, the scribes and the elders, nor of those who were curious to hear the words of Jesus who cried out loudly before his death (cf. blog № 99), much less of the centurion, who stubbornly refused his visit out of fear that his involvement with him would be known, saying, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof" (Matthew 8:8), who did not even meet him in person, saying, "But say the word, and let my servant be healed" (Luke 7:7) (cf. blog № 100). 

The believers are Jesus' disciples to whom "it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:11). They are the believers likened to "all men, …, both small and great" (Revelation 19:18) who were fulfilled in the manner of the "Spirit of prophecy" in the Book of Revelation (cf. blog № 101). 

It is essential for believers to constantly ask God to remove from themselves all the lusts consciously and rationally that are created from human knowledge and experience, which they have left untreated. Once these lusts, which they have been pursuing, are devoured by "all the birds that fly in midheaven" (Revelation 19:17), they will come to see what they truly seek. 

The place where every lust of the believers who hear the Word is removed most reasonably is where they were born anew as children of God, the place from which they came and to which they are going. At that place, the Eucharist is brought forth, lifted up like Jesus, and draws all men to himself (cf. John 12:32). Just as Moses had seen the Lord face to face, Jesus' disciples saw the Lord Jesus. And now the believers see the Lord in the Eucharist at that place. 

Maria K.M.

 2023/08/14

104. "The Beast" and the "False Prophet", part 3

In the Parable of the Weeds, weeds were gathered and bound "in bundles to be burned" (cf. Matthew 13:30). Jesus explained the parable, saying, "[T]hey will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire" (Matthew 13:41-42). Similarly, the final description of "the great supper of God" in Revelation tells that "the beast and the false prophet" were captured and "thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulphur" (Revelation 19:20). These facts show that both Jesus' testimony and what was realized in the manner of "the Spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10) (cf. blog № 98) have the same consequence. That is because all these things above originate from man's accidental information likened to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 20:2) (cf. blog № 4). 

On the other hand, "the wheat" is asked to be gathered "into my barn" (Matthew 13:30), and Jesus explained, "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Matthew 13:43). These testimonies by Jesus were fulfilled in the manner of "the Spirit of prophecy" and described, "And the rest were slain by the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh" (Revelation 19:21). "The rest" refers to the faithful who are to substantiate this new prophecy. They need to be killed by "the sword of him who sits upon the horse, the sword that issues from his mouth," namely, the Word. People always take in information and put it into their memory as knowledge or words. Therefore, the faithful need to be slashed by the sword of the Word and killed, so to speak, so that they can distinguish these things held in their memory from themselves, the hearer of the Word. 

From the episode of Jesus admonishing Peter the Apostle in the presence of other disciples saying, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men" (Matthew 16:23), we can understand how important this fact is. In it lies the essential meaning of Jesus' words that followed: "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25). 

It is indispensable for us to accept the sword of the Word to remain "on the side of God, but not of men." Therein lies the Father's will for "eternal life" (cf. John 6:40). Because of this life, Jesus continued: "For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?" (Matthew 16:26).

Maria K. M.

 2023/08/07

103. "The Beast" and the "False Prophet" Part 2

As we have discussed, "the beast" in the Book of Revelation is man's accidental information (cf. Blog № 4) likened to "the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan" (Revelation 20:2) transformed into "knowledge" in a person by taken in by the person. This "knowledge" becomes "words" through the person as its medium. That is the "false prophet." These "words" are built up in a person's mind into a solid memory with seemingly feasible images. The behaviour of the "false prophet," the human "knowledge" that has become the "words" through a person as its medium, was indeed for Jesus, in whom the Word, the divine knowledge, became a man, what "An enemy has done" (Matthew 13:28) in the "parable of the weeds." 

That is, "[W]hile men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away" (Matthew 13:25). So, as we examined last time, "the kings of the earth with their armies" (Revelation 19:19) had become "those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image" (Revelation 19:20) while they were alive. Taking in man’s accidental information and having the "knowledge" of the beast, they made it into "words" and acted out the behaviour of the "false prophet." 

In the parable of the weeds, when the servants said, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?" (Matthew 13:28), the householder said, "No; lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them" (Matthew 13:29). The concern the householder shows here suggests that the "field" in Jesus' commentary, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one" (Matthew 13:37-38), refers to the memory of a person. The fact that Jesus says that "the weeds are the sons of the evil one" and also says that "the enemy who sowed them is the devil" (Matthew 13:39) shows that the "weeds" refers to man’s accidental information. If one takes it, makes it one's own "knowledge," and then puts it into "words," a "false prophet" will emerge. 

The believer who hears the Word can acknowledge the existence of the "false prophet" in his own memory. He can distinguish it from himself, the hearer of the Word. Jesus' experience in the wilderness before he began his public ministry tells us that Jesus, who was divine yet human, also had a memory of man’s accidental information. However, Jesus called it Satan and distinguished it perfectly from himself, the Word (cf. Matthew 4:1-11). Now, amid the complex social structures, we must discriminate the inner "false prophet" from ourselves, who hear the Word, just as Jesus did in the wilderness. To this end, acquiring the worldview of Jesus Christ is essential. The training of Revelation, which is within the New Testament and closely linked to the Gospel, makes it possible. That is because the Word is made alive by the Holy Spirit.

To be continued.

Maria K. M.

 2023/07/31

102. "The Beast" and the "False Prophet" Part 1

In the previous issues, we have discussed the angel's words beginning with "Come, gather for the great supper of God" (Revelation 19:17) in the light of the "scene of the Crucifixion" and the "parable of the sower" and Jesus' own commentary on the parable (cf. blog № 99). In the "scene of the Crucifixion," Jesus' statement, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44), was substantiated (cf. blog № 101). 

The Father draws us so that Jesus "will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). Therefore, if the believer responds to the Father's drawing power and tries to go near the cross of Jesus, he will have the opportunity to undergo the "great supper of God" and to have the "flesh" of his greed devoured by the birds as the angel commanded them. If the believer takes advantage of this opportunity, he will witness in himself what was realised in Revelation in the manner of the "Spirit of prophecy" (cf. blog № 98). 

Now, on the other hand, Jesus said, "I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself" (John 12:32), implying the "scene of the Crucifixion." From this issue on, focusing on these words, we will examine the final description of the "great supper of God," which the author of Revelation saw and wrote after the above angel's words, in the light of the "parable of the weeds," which Jesus told after the "parable of the sower," and his own commentary on it, in the same way as previous issues (cf. Revelation 19:19-21). 

"And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army" (Revelation 19:19). 

As stated in Revelation 1:5, the ruler of the "kings of earth" was Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, they and their armies "gathered to make war against him who sits upon the horse and against his army" because they were "those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image" (Revelation 19:20), i.e., those who were captives of money and entrapped by the monetised economy system, during their lifetime (cf. blog № 46). There will be those who will die a miserable death misled by the beast and the false prophet, like the disciple who handed Jesus over for 30 pieces of silver. The social structure brought by money and its economic system surpasses even human greed and turns human life into a commodity (cf. Revelation 18:12-13).

To be continued.

Maria K. M.