NUMBER SEVEN: #14 The Seven Identities

There are two sets of Seven Blessings we need to look at. The Seven Blessings for those in Christ Jesus, and the Seven Blessings for those who read the book of Revelation.

THE NUMBER SEVEN | THE SEVEN IDENTITIES

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God, through Jesus, is the source of all blessings, and He has lavished His grace and goodness upon all those who have received indwelling Life through His Son, Jesus Christ. Among the many blessings that God has given us, we can identify seven that are especially great and precious.

 "As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.”' (Acts 13:34)

There are two sets of Seven Blessings we need to look at. The Seven Blessings for those in Christ Jesus, and the Seven Blessings for those who read the book of Revelation. Let’s look at the first set:

1. Salvation through Jesus Christ: God has rescued us from the power and penalty of sin that began in the Garden and given us indwelling eternal life through faith in His Son, who died for us and rose again. The scriptures call this Christ in you. This is the greatest gift of God and the foundation of all other blessings. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 5:11-12)

2. Forgiveness of sins: God has removed our guilt and shame and restored our relationship with Him by forgiving us all our sins through the blood of Christ. He has also given us the power to forgive others by releasing His forgiveness through us, as He has forgiven us. This is the blessing of peace and reconciliation with God and others. (Psalm 103:12; Colossians 1:13-14; Matthew 6:14-15)

3. The presence of the Indwelling Holy Spirit: God has given all authentic indwelt believers His Spirit, who lives in us and works in and through us, to guide us, teach us, comfort us, and empower us. He is the seal of our salvation, the guarantee of our inheritance, and the source of our spiritual gifts and fruits. He is the blessing of God’s indwelling and transforming power. (John 14:16-17; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:22-23)

4. The written Word of God and Jesus as the Word: God has given us His written word, the Bible, which is inspired, inerrant, and authoritative. It reveals His character, His will, and His plan for us. It is the lamp to our feet, the light to our path, and the sword of the Spirit. God placed the Word within us as His Living Word through Jesus being the Word. It is the blessing of God’s truth and wisdom. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:105; Hebrews 4:12)

5. Hope and eternal life: God has given us the Person of Hope to live within the born-again believers, a living hope based on His promises and His faithfulness. He has assured us of His presence, His protection, and His provision in this life, and of His glorious return, His final judgment, and His eternal kingdom in the life to come. He has prepared a place for us in heaven where we will see Him face to face and enjoy His fullness forever. He is the blessing of our future and our destiny. (1 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 8:28-39; John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:1-7)

6. The church and its fellowship: God has given us a spiritual family, the eternal members of the throne room of God, which is the Bride/Body of Christ and the Holy temple of the Holy Spirit. He has called us to love one another, serve one another, and edify one another, as we worship Him, witness for Him, and work for and through Him. He has also given us spiritual leaders, mentors, and fellow believers who help us grow in grace and knowledge of Him. He is the blessing of our community and our ministry. (Ephesians 4:1-16; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:11-14)

7. Trials and tribulations: God has allowed us to experience various trials and tribulations in this fallen world, not to harm us but to test us, refine us, and strengthen us. He uses our sufferings to produce endurance, character, and dependence upon the indwelling Life of Christ and to conform us to the image of Christ. He also comforts us in our afflictions so that we can comfort others with the same comfort we have received from Him. He is the blessing of our growth and our maturity. (James 1:2-4; Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

These are, from my perspective, the top seven greatest blessings of God that the believer is called to celebrate and thank Him for. They are the reasons why we praise Him, trust Him, obey Him, and serve Him. To Him be the glory forever and ever.

As you continue to be a student of the book of Revelation, remember that not everything in the Bible is meant to be accepted by pure intellectual pursuit. Most of it, if not all, will remain a mystery until the individual accepts Jesus into their lives via being possessed by the Holy Spirit. Once that happens, the Holy Spirit will be obedient unto Jesus by delivering an understanding of the words written in the Bible. Understanding the book of Revelation is impossible without the indwelling Life. So, humanly speaking, reading without the Holy Spirit, the book of Revelation will read like a fantasy fiction novel.

For those who consider Revelation to be a love letter from God, you’ll be blessed to know the Bible provides added motivation to embrace its content. A special blessing is poured over the words within this book and those who read it to embrace it. God promises a special blessing to those who study Revelation with a strong intent to know what God means by what God says. While this book is apocalyptic in nature, it is a notation of the fulfillment of all of what God promised His people. The only people who fear in reading it are those who do not understand the love of God. The bottom line is that love equals fulfilled promises.

As a part of these profound apocalyptic revelations are the Seven Blessings of His promises.

1. Those who read the words of this prophecy will be blessed (Rev. 1:3).

2. The 144,000 pure-bloodline Jews who will be saved and perish during the Tribulation will be blessed (Rev. 14:13).

3. The Jews who will keep themselves unstained from the Antichrist’s world system, remain loyal to the authentic Messiah and watch for His return will be blessed (Rev. 19:9).

4. The indwelt believers who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb will be blessed (Rev. 19:9).

5. All those who participated in the first resurrection, born-again indwelt believers, from the crucified Life of Christ forward, will be blessed with the gift of reigning with Him for Jesus’s one-thousand-year reign. (Rev. 20:6).

6. All those who heed and obey the words of the prophecies contained within the book of Revelation will be blessed (Rev. 22:7).

7. Blessed are those who keep the Lord’s commandments and wash themselves in the power of Christ’s love will keep their position in the Tree of Life and be privileged to enter the gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:14).

Anyone who desires to be blessed by God cannot excuse the reading and appropriation of all that is stated in the book of Revelation – read it, apply it, and preach it. If you do, you will see the God who fulfills all His promises. You will see that Jesus Christ wins over all evil. You will discover that the enemy who has taunted humanity since the Garden is cast into the pit of Hell. You will discover that all those who mocked the indwelt believers in Christ, be cast into the lake of fire. You will see that in the end, righteousness prevails. And best of all, you will watch God wipe away every tear from the eyes of the persecuted.

Regardless of what evil comes upon God’s chosen – no matter how dark and depraved the world becomes, in the end, Christ conquers and rules throughout eternity in perfect, everlasting peace. Nothing, I mean nothing, in the Earth, or Hell can ever take away the simple fact that God finished what He started. That is the message of the Number Seven Series.

Jesus is coming back sooner than most people think, and when He does, He will be the man in charge. When the chaos around us moves in like a hellish hurricane, we have only to look inward to the Life of Christ to discover everlasting peace. If that isn’t working for you, you might want to do what Biblical Paul said:

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)  

All self-proclaimed “believers” in Christ are called to examine themselves to see if we are in the faith and to test ourselves to see if Christ is in us (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is not a test of our own merits or abilities, but of our trust and obedience to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. We do not want to fail the test of Christ’s life, which is the standard of God’s righteousness and holiness. We want to live in a way that honors Him, reflects Him, and pleases Him. We want to be faithful to His Word, will, and work. We want to be ready for His return, judgment, and reward. Let us not fail the test of Christ’s life but pass it with flying colors; by His grace and power, ask yourself, am I a follower of Christ or one who is indwelt by Him? This is one test we had better not cheat in. The price of lying to ourselves will have eternal consequences of eternal damnation and darkness.

Thank you for being a part of our Number Seven Series. I implore you to forward the articles and videos to others. You have our permission to use this resource as the Lord leads you. The topic of God’s perfection in the number SEVEN is of great importance. Remember the words of Jesus, those who endure to the end, those shall be saved. Endurance is the key ingredient for living in the End Times. For without it, the cost of failing the test is beyond human comprehension.