The four Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles were written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Book of Revelation is somewhat different in that it describes itself as a revelation that the Father gave to the Son. The Apostle John served merely as a scribe, writing down the vision as Jesus gave it to him.

There are many books of prophecy in the Old Testament but only one in the New Testament.

In the mind of God the Father is a clear picture of all the events of history—past, present, and future. God gave to Christ in symbolic form the future history of the world. Christ sent His angel with the vision to the Apostle John. John was enabled to write the true future history of mankind.

Not one word of the Book of Revelation is to be changed on pain of torment. This is the history of the world through to its fiery end and re-creation.

Today we are approaching the church of Laodicea. Laodicea is the church that joins with the spirit of the world in emphasizing the rights of people. Even now the burden of Christian preaching and teaching is becoming aligned with the world with the result that Christ is viewed as the servant of people.

It is being taught that God's only thought or desire is to make people happy by answering their prayers. It was regrettable but necessary Christ suffer agony on the cross. It is proper for God to suffer but people must not suffer. God has made man central in the universe and it is God's will to assist man in every way, setting him free so he can attain self-fulfillment.

This is the Christian gospel of today. This is Laodicea. This doctrine originated in Satan.

We find Christ revealing Himself to the nauseating Laodicean church as "the faithful and true witness" (Revelation 3:14).

Laodiceans will attack the Book of Revelation because Revelation is not man-centered. Revelation describes the horrors of the period of time when the vials of wrath are poured on mankind, when the temperature of earth's surface rises above bearable levels and people seek death but cannot find it.

Mankind began its existence in Paradise. Because of sin and rebellion, people in the last days will be gnawing their tongues for pain. How can we account for the dreadful contrast between Eden and the closing days of this age?

There is arising in the world an unwillingness to accept the concept of a final judgment or of punishment for sin. Man will govern his destiny—even to the point of telling God what He can do with man and what He cannot do with man.

The worldwide rebellion against God's judgments and decisions, and elevation of the "rights" of people, will increase in magnitude until the kings of the earth and their armies gather together to make war against Christ and His army of saints.

The poison of self-centeredness is becoming so virulent and widespread that it will reach forward to the end of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, making possible a rebellion against the saints—even after one thousand years of the righteous rule of Christ.

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9)

To be continued.