Dear family, brethren, and friends,

Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support in spreading the gospel in the Philippine Islands.  The five days of classes on Revelation and on the final events at the end of time began Monday, August 1, at General Santos City in southern Mindanao.   Jolly Julom was our host and many brethren came from a distance and stayed with him for the week.  They slept on mats on the floor of the church building where Jolly preaches.  His family and other helpers prepared food for them.

The classes were held in a function room at a hotel to get us out of the heat and to provide tables where the men could spread their Bibles, workbooks, and notebooks.  There were 71 gathered from southern Mindanao and I had workbooks and materials for about half of them – the others studied with us on a sit-in basis and took notes as best they could.

Using Dan King’s workbook on Revelation as a guide I started with three lessons introducing the book of Revelation as apocalyptic literature.  Such literature is found in parts of the Old Testament and part of Matthew 24, rich with signs and symbols foretelling God’s care of His people as they pass through times of great trial and distress at the hands of wicked nations and governments.

I taught two additional lessons examining the letters to the seven churches of the Roman Province of Asia in Revelation 2-3 verse by verse.  These churches would face the early onslaught of persecution by the Roman Empire enforcing emperor worship, and this battle by Satan to destroy the church of Christ would spread throughout the Empire.  Christ commended, admonished, and warned the seven churches in preparing them for this fiery trial.  The whole book shows that Christ would ultimately win the victory after Satan’s ferocious attack.

The classes continued Tuesday with 72 in attendance.  Jack Jaco taught Revelation 8-11 and then I took chapters 12-14.  Jonathan Carino arrived yesterday from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur where his mother was buried on Friday at the age of 91.  Today he taught chapters 15-16.

I finished out the day by covering chapters 17-20 as we traced Rome’s persecution of the church, the faith of the martyrs, and God’s judgment in the destruction of the Roman Empire.  The martyrs were vindicated when Rome fell and Satan was so soundly defeated he was bound or prevented from ever creating a great assembly of nations which could systematically persecute and execute Christians.  This complete and perfect victory is expressed as a 1,000 year victory of the saints who rule with Christ.

Premillennial speculators have postulated down through history the immediate return of Christ to set up an earthly kingdom in Jerusalem for 1,000 years.  The Jewish sects and leaders who planned the death of Jesus were likewise obsessed with this false hope of a Messiah to rule on earth in a perfect civil government.  The Bible nowhere made such a promise.  Jesus did not come the first time to set up such a civil state.  He will not return to fulfill the desires of such carnal minded people.

Wednesday morning Jack and Jonathan finished the book of Revelation by covering chapters 21-22.  At 10:00 A.M. we began to study Mike Willis’ workbook Then Comes the End – I started with the lessons on death, the soul, hades, and reincarnation by lunch.  In the afternoon Jonathan discussed the false doctrine of purgatory and Jack taught on the second coming of Christ.  I finished the day with lessons on the resurrection and the destruction of the universe.

The brethren attending the classes have been very attentive.  I have them participate by reading passages and by answering questions.

As the classes continued on Thursday, Jack taught on the final judgment and on Matthew 24-25, while Jonathan taught on hell and on millennial theories.  My topics today were heaven, realized eschatology (the A.D. 70 doctrine), the rapture, and Armageddon.  It is a challenge for both the teachers and the students to have all day sessions from 8:00 AM. to 6:00 PM., but it is rewarding to see a room full of people with open Bibles, workbooks, and notebooks who delight in the study of God’s Word.

Friday morning Jack finished the workbook with the lesson on the 1,000 year rule of Christ, showing again that Revelation 20:1-4 refers to the victory of the martyred saints when Christ destroyed the Roman Empire.  The book of Revelation does not prophesy current political events leading to Christ returning to establish an earthly civil state in Palestine.  For the remainder of the morning I showed how premillennialism undermines the one true hope of the gospel.  It is not a mere harmless opinion but adds many false hopes to the one true hope of the resurrection unto eternal life in heaven.

At the end of the class, I recognized ten men who made very complete notes in their notebooks about verses they understood in Revelation.  Their assignment each evening after supper was to read from Revelation and make brief notes on verses they understood.  These ten men were given first choice in selecting books distributed at the end of the class.

Only today at the end was I able to make time for an open forum.  Most attendees are Christians, but one very attentive fellow was a Baptist preacher.  He asked for clarification on baptism as the last question.  He was satisfied with the answer when I read and discussed Mark 16:15-16.  I hope he will soon obey the gospel.

What a privilege it was to participate in these classes.  I pray the lessons we taught will help to prepare precious souls to have a home in heaven.

In Christian love,

Ron Halbrook

To see good Bible study material, go to:
http://www.HebronChurchOfChrist.com
http://www.biblework.com
http://www.truthmagazine.com
http://www.CEIbooks.com