Sunday Bible School
July 27, 2025
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII
Sunday Bible School
July 27, 2025
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII
Summary of the president’s message
The Sunday Bible School on July 27th, 2025, was held live, directly from the Mahanaim in Domingos Martins, Espírito Santo, with the participation of pastors Alexandre Gueiros, Gilson Sousa and Josias Junior.
Message from pastor Gilson Sousa:
We greet all our brethren with the peace of the Lord Jesus! We are starting Sunday Bible School. The subject to be pre-
sented is the book of Revelation: the message of the Holy Spirit resonates in the midst of the Faithful Church, in relation to the prophetic markers that are being fulfilled in our day, in the preparation of the Church for the rapture.
Pastor Gilson Sousa presented the answers given by various brethren to the questions posed, as well as various experiences and testimonies.
Question
Answered through video contribution
Reading Revelation, chapter 3, verse 14, identify the re-
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII
warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16.
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent”. Revelation 3:19.
Question
Answered through video contribution
Reading Revelation, chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, identify the characteristics of the church in Laodicea. Make the prophetic application to the church of our day.
lationship between the Lord Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit in the letter to the church in Laodicea:
Answer:
“...the Amen...” (Work of Redemption) – the SON.
“...the Faithful and True Witness...” (the one who testifies of Jesus) – the Holy Spirit.
“...the Beginning of the creation of God.” (Work of Creation) – the FATHER.
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.”
Revelation 3:14.
Question
Answered through video contribution
Reading Revelation, chapter 3, verses 14 to 22, considering the emphasis of the operation of the Lord, identify the Spirit of Fear in the church of Laodicea. Quote the verse.
Answer: The lukewarm church excluded from the “Body” and the absence of zeal and repentance.
“So then, because you are luke-
Answer: A lukewarm church, rich in material (earthly things) goods and poor in spiritual goods
Prophetic application: In our day, it is the Church that behaves according to the great masses of people, with large temples and involved in big business. Rich in human reasoning and poor in revelation.
“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ –and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked –“ Revelation 3:16-17.
Message from Pastor Alexandre Gueiros:
I would like to make a few specific observations about chapter 3, concerning the churches of Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.
The Lord gave a new push to his work in Sardis. In Sardis, the Lord found some believers. They were only a few.
“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” Revelation 3:4 (added emphasis)
Who were they? They were the faithful remnants. Those who came out of the dark period of the Middle Ages. Sardis means “remaining”. They were those who were about to die. They were few. Some names stood out at this time of the Religious Reformation, such as Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, among others. It was the rediscovery of the Word of God. Historically, we identify in this period the man
who found the treasure hidden in the field. We identify this man as Martin Luther.
The treasure was the Word of God. Luther had some revelations. Many biblical scholars didn't pay attention to the real meaning of some points in the Word. But Luther, moved by the Holy Spirit, opened the Bible and discovered that “the just shall live by faith”, and that “by grace you have been saved...”
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to
Pr. Gilson Sousa conducting the Sunday Bible School
Pr. Alexandre Gueiros conducting the Sunday Bible School
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII
faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith”.” Romans 1:17
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
The Holy Spirit worked marvelously. The result of understanding these verses from God's Word sparked a religious revolution.
When we reached the letter to Philadelphia, we no longer read about “remnant” individuals, but the reference was now to the church there. They were the faithful. The Lord is now addressing his body, the church that is preparing for the rapture. This is very clear in the letter.
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast to what you have, that no one may take your crown.” Revelation 3:11
For the first time, the Lord says: “Behold, I come quickly”. In verse 10, the Lord adds to this by saying:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the Earth.” Revelation 3:10.
The word temptation can be translated as tribulation, or great suffering. The Lord was already announcing, at that time, that the church would not go through the great tribulation that would come upon all mankind.
Philadelphia was a church that the Lord did not blame, just as
he did not blame the church in Smyrna. To Philadelphia the Lord says:
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation 3:8.
We only need the power of the Holy Spirit. The church recognized that it needed the power of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Who is so strong that they can do without the power of the Holy Spirit? No one! We are all dependent on the Holy Spirit! Only through the Holy Spirit can we preserve a life of sanctification and service.
And so, we have reached Laodicea. I'd like to comment on a few verses:
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked –” Revelation 3:17
When a local church goes so
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII
praise God's grace, the source of all the blessing we have. You are also wretched, poor, blind and naked.
And the Lord leaves some advice:
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.” Revelation 3:18 (added emphasis)
far as to say that it is enriched, it reveals self-sufficiency. It's like saying: "I don't need the body of Christ. We're doing very well. We've already built a cathedral; we have good preachers who excite many people with their message. We use all the resources of psychology." Some believe that they should use these techniques to try to move people. They understand that communion with the body of Christ is not necessary. They have no concept of the operation of the five ministries, according to Ephesians 4:11. They think they are rich. But the Lord says: “and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked”.
Some may say: “we have adopted systematic theology”. "We don't need the doctrine of the blood, of the body, of the revealed Word. Our interpreters of Scripture are capable of that. Why do we need the revealed Word?
But the Lord says: "You're wretched" - you've missed out on the wonderful operation of
Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied”. I Peter 1:2.
Gold is the power of the Holy Spirit: it is the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire, because fire illuminates our path. When this happens, the Word of God becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths.
There is no other source of purification and sanctification than the blood of Jesus, because this refers to his Spirit poured out on the cross of Calvary. Who are those who are dressed in white garments? They are those who have washed their garments in the blood of the lamb.
Sanctification is something that the Holy Spirit works, not only at the new birth, but throughout our lives. Peter refers to sanctification, obedience and, finally, the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. We need the sprinkling of the blood daily because we need to be purified every day.
“…elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
The third piece of advice is “to anoint your eyes with eye salve” (in modern language, it would be called eye drops). This is the way the Holy Spirit works through the Word to help us see the good, holy and pleasing will of God. Our eyes need to be opened just as the eyes of the disciples on the road to Emmaus were opened. They had the Scripture, but they didn't have the understanding that Jesus would rise again. Jesus was prophesied in all the Old Testament Scripture, but they didn't understand. It was then that their eyes were opened. When that happened, they began to understand what the Word is beyond the letter.
These blessings are necessary so that we don't find ourselves in the situation of the church in Laodicea.
The Lord refers to Laodicea as lukewarm, focused on material values and things of this earth. The mention of “lukewarm” shows that the church was once hot, full of the Holy Spirit, with the Lord Jesus as the center of worship. But it became lukewarm because it moved away from Pentecost. When this happens, Jesus is no longer the focus of worship and the service; man takes his place. Philadelphia was a church that kept Jesus as the focal point of worship, aware that the only way to reach heaven for eternity was to heed the Holy Spirit's advice. In the parable of the ten virgins, we see that the wise sought to keep their lamps burning, showing their dependence on the Holy Spirit as the only condition for taking part in the wedding. But the foolish ones
did not seek the oil as the only condition for standing before the bridegroom. When the foolish brides presented their argument in front of the closed door, the answer was: “I don't know you”].
the Lord bless us
Erratum (Correction) from the Sunday School Bulletin of July 20th, 2025
Additions to the early and latter rain
In Israel, in biblical times, the "early rain" and the "latter rain" comprised the fall and spring rains, respectively. The early rain was Israel's first rain of the year. This rain was essential for moistening the soil and allowing seeds to germinate. The latter, on the other hand, occurred at the end of the season and was necessary for the ripening of the grains and fruit, preparing them for the harvest. This rain allowed the berries to become fuller for better production. If the rain didn't fall, the berries would be shriveled and, consequently, there would be less wheat produced.
Click here or scan the QR Code below to watch the entire sunday bible school session.
May
Pr. Alexandre Rubem Milito Gueiros President of the Maranata Christian Church
Sunday Bible School
July 27, 2025
The Preparation of the Church for the Rapture - Revelation - Part LVIII