On September 30th, Holy Spirit prompted me to spend some time in Revelation 3:18. He told me, “Treasure here for all of you.” And He zeroed in on the first phrase in that verse. Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared some of that treasure. Get ready for some more today.

Here is the text: 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

I’ve tried to discover how to buy the gold, why did we need to go to Him to buy it, and what does it mean to buy gold tried in the fire.

Here is what we’ve found so far.

This is the meaning of the word BUY: As believers, chosen in Him and set apart as holy. God gave us the Grace to receive Revelation from Holy Spirit about Life and how to live it. When we Pay Attention to Him, we experience Restoration and Jubilee.

And this is the meaning of the words OF ME: Even during Trial and Testing (if we are Paying Attention to Holy Spirit), we experience our Hidden Relationship in Christ. His word brings life, washing us clean and allowing Holy Spirit to Empower us to Complete the Work of God’s kingdom with Strength.

In part 3 we defined Gold: Gold is manifest through the activity and power of God’s word piercing, pruning, sowing seed and bringing a harvest in our lives. Revelation comes as we pay attention, hear, and follow, God’s word. His word draws us into a deep family relationship with God in His Son.

Today we are going to wrap up this last phrase – Tried in the Fire. [Tried is the original word out of the King James Version, where Refined is in the New King James.]

Looking in Strong’s Concordance, which is based on the KJV, we will first look at the word Tried in the Greek text of Revelation.

Tried is #4448 pyroo. And it means kindle a fire, burn with fire, purge of dross. (Fireworks are called pyrotechnics)

This is a good start but I went to our Hebrew text and found several verses with a similar message.

Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Psalm 66:10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

Tried in these verses is #6884 – ṣārap̄ צָרַף And it means to smelt, refine, test, purge or try.

Let’s see what we can learn from the letters reading from right to left:

Tzade 90 = Humility. Picture-Fishhook. Means: Righteousness, to pull toward, Desire, Trouble, Harvest

Resh 200 = Insufficiency, Poverty. Picture: Head Means: Head, Chief, Beginning, Highest, Most Important, a Person, Human Reasoning vs. Obedience. (When we allow human reasoning to be our master, our head, poverty of the Spirit results.)

Final Pey/Fey 800 = Means: Mouth, to Speak, Open or Beginning.

Tried means: To (Tzade) be pulled toward a harvest of humility and righteousness. Human reasoning (Resh) that doesn’t lead to obedience is overcome and a (Pey) new beginning is established.

Jesus is righteousness personified but He still went through trials beyond what most of us ever endured. For a snapshot take a look at Isaiah 53:3-7.

He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

And He was tempted.

Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Last time we spoke about Gold and how the gold we receive from Jesus’ sacrifice is salvation, redemption, reconciliation to God, wisdom, and adoption as sons. But there is more.

How about the indwelling of Holy Spirit and all He does for us?

But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you. John 14:26 AMP

How about peace?  Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.] John 14:17 AMP

How about endurance?  Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

How about all the fruits of the Spirit that now live in us: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

These are a few of the extras Jesus gained for us when He was tried. Now, He is asking us to buy this purified gold. The Wisemen gave the infant Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh to be used in His future. Jesus is offering us what we need for our lives.

We have been in trying times these past couple of years and it is likely there are more trying times ahead. We will need all these treasures. There is much more to be found in Jesus.

I’ve decided to do one more piece next week. We will pull all of this together and see what the instructions are.

But in closing, consider this: 1 Peter 1:7. Here it is in context.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

Shalom ♥