Holy Spirit

 

Lord, Help Us Keep Our Treasures In Heaven.

 Job- I've heard his name more lately than I like. When we think of Job we think of the undeserved suffering he experienced as Satan did his worst against him. When things happen to us, not little things, not a few things, but a lot of big, awful things Job comes to mind. Job wasn't a sinless man, no human being is, but Job was complete in God. By complete I mean, Job was a man of God, he was upright, morally sound. We know Job sinned, he asks for forgiveness… 

Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 

You repent when you've sinned. Job was God's, Job lived for God. God could use Job as an example of a man who loved Him, and lived for Him. Satan believed the only reason Job could love God was because God had given him so many good things. God favored Job and Satan challenged that the only reason Job loved God so deeply was because of those things he received at God's hand. We know all about Job. We know that Satan was allowed to do his worst against him just shy of taking Job's life and still, Job held fast to God- but not perfectly, not sinlessly. 

When our lives are filled with horrors and we love God, we know that none of those horrors will take God's love from us. We aren't being punished by God, God doesn't hate us. Satan would have us believe that, but it's not true. Tested, refined, but not punished.

So maybe it's good to consider Job's life as the problems of our own accumulate and threaten us with despair. God loved Job, God loves us and nothing will stop that love as long as we love Him and put our faith wholly in Him, our God, our Savior, our Lord forever! We live for heaven's reward in Christ, not for any of this world's cherished treasures. We can only hope that no matter what our lives are or become that we hold fast to the love of Christ above it all. Some might say it's easy to say these things but much harder to believe them as life's problems crush us and they're right- it is easy to say them, harder to believe because Satan wants us to despair and come to hate God. Heaven is where our treasure is, our real treasure and Satan can never take that from us. In all the evil Satan can unleash upon us, He cannot take our Heavenly Treasure, not ever! Please, Lord, please, help us to keep our TREASURES in HEAVEN where they belong. Please, keep us from evil, keep us from despair. All in the name of our LORD, our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST! Now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

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Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, 

Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.  

Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 

Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. 

Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. 

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 

Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 

Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? 

Job 40:9  Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? 

Job 40:10  Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. 

Job 40:11  Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. 

Job 40:12  Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. 

Job 40:13  Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. 

Job 40:14  Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. 

Job 40:15  Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. 

Job 40:16  Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. 

Job 40:17  He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. 

Job 40:18  His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. 

Job 40:19  He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. 

Job 40:20  Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. 

Job 40:21  He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. 

Job 40:22  The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. 

Job 40:23  Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. 

Job 40:24  He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares. 

Job 41:1  Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? 

Job 41:2  Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 

Job 41:3  Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? 

Job 41:4  Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 

Job 41:5  Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 

Job 41:6  Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? 

Job 41:7  Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? 

Job 41:8  Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 

Job 41:9  Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 

Job 41:10  None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? 

Job 41:11  Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 

Job 41:12  I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. 

Job 41:13  Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? 

Job 41:14  Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 

Job 41:15  His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. 

Job 41:16  One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. 

Job 41:17  They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 

Job 41:18  By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 

Job 41:19  Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. 

Job 41:20  Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. 

Job 41:21  His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 

Job 41:22  In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. 

Job 41:23  The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. 

Job 41:24  His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. 

Job 41:25  When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. 

Job 41:26  The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. 

Job 41:27  He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 

Job 41:28  The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 

Job 41:29  Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 

Job 41:30  Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. 

Job 41:31  He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 

Job 41:32  He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. 

Job 41:33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. 

Job 41:34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride. 

Job 42:1  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 

Job 42:2  I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. 

Job 42:3  Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. 

Job 42:4  Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 

Job 42:5  I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 

Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 

Job 42:7  And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 

Job 42:8  Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 

Job 42:9  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. 

Job 42:10  And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. 

Job 42:11  Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. 

Job 42:12  So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

Job 42:13  He had also seven sons and three daughters. 

Job 42:14  And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. 

Job 42:15  And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 

Job 42:16  After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations. 

Job 42:17  So Job died, being old and full of days. 

You Have the Chance to Know Truth.

 Do you believe that the dead communicate with us? Do you go through your day and perhaps see a symbol of something you shared with a dead loved one and believe they are communicating with you through that symbol. Perhaps you believe it's just their way of saying hello, or that they are there to comfort you, that they know what's going on in your life and they are there with you in some way?  I don't know about you but I've seen many memes online that are created with that very sentiment. The sentiment being that the dead loved one is still alive just in another realm. The realm of choice being - heaven, that better place most people seem to want to someday go to when they die. 

Did you know that spiritualism is basically considered communicating with the dead? I personally do not know of anyone who uses a Medium to call on the dead for them. I DO know a lot of people who believe they receive communications of sorts from their dead loved ones.  I say communication of some sort because I don't know anyone who says they talk to their dead loved ones in a literal sense. Sure, they may talk to them, but not with them as if having a real conversation with the dead loved one talking back to them. Still, they believe their dead loved one is listening, that their dead loved one knows this, that and the other thing about them and their life.

What's my point here? My point is, while spiritualism in the sense of people holding seances and trying to communicate with the dead through mediums isn't all the rage in our day and age, it still exists in many various forms, and in the many beliefs of the majority of people. 

Spiritualism- lies upon the foundation of the immortality of the soul- and the immortality of the soul is the concept of eternal life- that we go from losing our physical body to living in a spirit body INSTANTLY upon death.  Don't get me wrong here, I BELIEVE IN ETERNAL LIFE, just not in this sense.

While you may refuse to be called a Spiritualist based upon the fact you don't go to a medium to converse with the dead, you STILL believe as they believe- that the dead are alive, just not alive in their former bodies. You are by default, a Spiritualist, believing in the immortality of the soul, a concept not found in the Bible.

How can our Bible tell us plainly that the dead know nothing, and then people insist they do, that in fact, the dead know everything.  How can our Bible tell us death is a sleep and then people insist the dead are awake and very active in their new awake state most likely not needing any sleep whatsoever? How can our Bible tell us that when Jesus Christ returns the dead that are His will rise to meet Him in the air and people believe they are already with Jesus and have been since their deaths? How can our Bible tell us Jesus remained in the tomb - not rising in any spirit form instantly upon death and yet, people still believe death means instant spirit life- a life Jesus wasn't given instantly upon His death?  

People are deceived. Most are NOT deceived intentionally. They've been given this tradition of man through their churches, through the faith their parents have passed down, through stories on tv, and in books. They believe it because people have used near death (obviously NOT true death) experiences to convince them of this fallacy. Anyone who has ever had a truly horrifying nightmare of crazy convoluted things, or seeing their dead loved ones in the dreams and such can attest to their minds giving them these nightmares, these dream, and yes, some of those dreams have felt extremely real to us. The dreams don't convince anyone that dream images are real, yet people allow people who have NOT truly died to convince them by telling them things they've seen in the near death state.  

As a rule most people who believe in instant heaven upon death are good hearted, well intentioned, loving, kind, wonderful, sincere people. They simply want to imagine those they love who have died are in a better place. They simply want to feel connected to them still because it's so devastatingly heartbreaking to lose their presence in their life. 

The thing is, Satan's first lie to mankind was that they wouldn't die. And guess what, all those who believe in instant heaven after death are believing that lie. 

People can received immense comfort in the Biblical truth of death being a sleep. A sleep. Think about the last time you slept. What happened while you were sleeping? Were you aware of things going on while you slept? Sleep cuts us off from all knowledge, from all interaction. We don't know what's happening while we sleep. We aren't feeling in a conscious way of knowing, while we are sleeping. We have to wake up to become aware again. Death is the best, dreamless sleep ever and when Adam and Eve died and entered death's sleep they lost all knowledge of the thousands of years that have passed since then. The next thing they are going to know is Christ's Returning and calling them from their graves- their dead/sleeping state. Jesus waking them up! How glorious! There was no death awareness, they haven't spent thousands of years watching humanities horrors. For if dead loved ones can see us and comfort us and so on, they can also witness all the trials and tribulations we go through- what heartbreak! 

 Unfortunately people have their eyes glazed over by Satan and are spiritually blind unable to search out the truth of God's word, because they choose to believe the lies and traditions handed down by man. They refuse to listen to common sense, logical reasoning, sound exegesis, clinging instead to their misguided beliefs. These beliefs may very well keep them forever blind to the truth only to recognize it when it is too late to change, too late to accept truth. The scales will fall from their eyes too late when they hear the words of our Lord telling them to get away from Him, that He doesn't know them. He won't know them because they never chose to know the real Him from His word. They will have believed in a false messiah perpetrated by the churches they go to, encouraged by ministers and preachers likewise deluded. The Bible they claim to believe will have been falsely read, falsely interpreted, and they will have been deceived. God is reaching out to all who would truly be His! There will not be a single person lost who didn't turn their back on God's truth when it was offered to them. Not a single person will be able to refute Jesus' claim that He never knew them, they'll know in that moment where and when they rejected Him knowingly, willingly choosing not to follow Him and His truth. They might cry out they were deceived and not to blame, but they'll know they made the choice from their heart and that heart wasn't right with God. 

Don't follow Satan through deception, don't follow Satan unwittingly, you have a chance to know truth.

Please LORD, please, we would KNOW YOU and BE KNOWN BY YOU! PLEASE! Let all the scales on our eyes fall away and let us see Your truth and LIVE in Your truth- by You, for You! Please! We don't want to be deceived, please!  All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!!!!!!! Right NOW and FOREVER!!!!!!! AMEN!

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CHAPTER XIII. THE BEAST WITH TWO HORNS

continued… ((Note- when this was written in the late 1890's Spiritual Mediums and seances and the like were all the rage. Spiritualism since then has taken on a great disguise as noted in the section above))

The foundation of Spiritualism is the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. 

And as nearly all professed Christians regard that as one of the leading doctrines of Revelation, and inasmuch as they had no direct proof for it in the Scriptures, and Spiritualism proposed to demonstrate that it is true, it was easy to foresee that a compromise between the parties would not be difficult to effect. And the consequence is just what was anticipated. Tens and hundreds of thousands of members of all the leading denominations, who would yet be unwilling to be known as Spiritualists, are following it. 

Many hold social circles, where neighbors meet to converse with their supposed friends, and where mediums are developed. These parties suppose that their conduct is innocent; but they do not consult the word of God in regard to the nature of Spiritualism. They take it for granted that it is the spirits of

their lost friends with whom they hold converse, and are unwilling to be aroused from their delusion. If they would turn to the Bible they would learn better. This work is well characterized by the prophet of God, in these words:-- 

"And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter; should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:19, 20. 

Shall men turn away from the word of God, to seek knowledge of the dead? Shall a living man go to inquire of the dead? That is done in these days, but the Scriptures utterly condemn the practice. 

Thus the Lord said to the children of Israel:--

"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer." Deut. 18:10, 11.

A necromancer, literally, and as the original plainly reads, is one who inquires of the dead. The Lord said to his people that they should not learn to do after the abominations of the nations that dwell in the land of Canaan. He then enumerated the prohibited works, as here quoted, and added:--

"For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord; and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee." Verse 12.

The Lord declares that inquiring of the dead is an abomination in his sight; but this practice is the very life and front of Spiritualism. But it has been argued that this law was for Israel, and for no other people, and cannot bind us. But mark this: The Lord did not say that these things were the abominations of Israel. They were the abominable practices of the nations in Canaan, whom the Lord drove out before Israel. And he said it was because of these wicked practices that he destroyed them out of the land. "For," said he, "all that do these things are an abomination to the Lord." And the folly as well as the wickedness of this practice is shown in the Bible, which plainly declares that "the dead know not anything." Eccl. 9:5.

But one replies: If the dead know not anything, as, indeed, the Bible plainly says, what can be the harm of inquiring of them, seeing they cannot hear or know what is said? But the facts of Spiritualism abundantly prove that somebody or something hears and answers the inquiries. The scripture under investigation (Rev. 13:13, 14) says that these miracles are wrought to deceive; and one part of the deception is this, that the spirits consulted profess to be our dead friends, when they are not. God has stored the treasures of knowledge in his word--in the law and in the testimony. They who neglect this word, and seek knowledge from forbidden sources, must expect to be deceived. Jesus, speaking of the last days, the days preceding his second coming, says:--

"There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Matt. 24:24.

They profess to be Christs, sent of God; but they are not. They profess to be prophets, commissioned of God to speak to the world, and to instruct mankind concerning the future, but they are not. They are living spirits, the angels of the adversary, Satan. Compare Matt. 25:41; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6.

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels

2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment

Jud 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

But again it is asked, How can we be deceived? We have heard the familiar tones of the voices of our friends, and some have beheld their very faces. They must be what they profess to be. But this reasoning is not good. All Spiritualists confess that spirits have not material forms nor visible faces. They say that these are materialized for the occasion. And if they have power to assume forms which do not properly belong to the nature of a spirit, they can certainly assume one form as readily as

another, and can personate whom they will. And that they do so we are well assured. The apostle says that Satan is transformed into an angel of light. And if he can assume the form and appearance of an angel of light, it is no marvel that his ministers profess to be the ministers of righteousness; that his angels assume to be Christs and prophets. 2 Cor. 11:14, 15.

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 

2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

To be continued…

100 % Accuracy- Bible Prophecy (Daniel 7 Continued)

 How important is history to prophecy? A person's history at predicting things is important should you be curious about their ability to prophesize, right? If you want to get a prophecy from someone you would look at their track record which would include reading the history of their past interactions. Right now we have things called 'Reviews' on everything from products we might consider buying, to shows we might want to watch, to places you might want to go to eat, drink, sleep, or for recreation. You know what I'm talking about. People scarcely decide to go somewhere new where they are going to spend their hard earned money without checking it out first. We search the internet for reviews- people who have had the experience with the people, places or things we are interested in. Their history with the aforementioned things gives us insight. The more money we are considering spending often determines just how deeply we are going to search out proper reviews. We want to know as much as we can about something before we invest in it. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!  So, what does this have to do with our studying? The reason I hope you are studying is to KNOW TRUTH. The reason I hope you are studying is because we are told by Jesus we will be blessed, and you want to be blessed by Jesus. The reason I hope you are studying is because you know that we are to, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15   I hope you are studying to know the love of God so perfectly given to us in His word.  If you are studying for these reasons then you know the importance of what you are doing. If we can spend sometimes hours reviewing things online before we commit to spending our money, time, effort, how much more time should we be spending studying the Word of God, as we desire to do as our Lord and Savior would have us do?  I'm saying this to impress upon you  the need to NOT look at this study as tedious and too long to read, too much to get into, because that is what Satan wants you to do. Satan wants you to discount the knowledge of history as being completely unimportant when it comes to salvation. Satan would rather have you toss all this knowledge away as meaningless, than have you study to know truth. Prophecy goes hand in hand with history and if we can see from history that there is so far a 100% accuracy rating on prophecies that have come to pass through time, we do not have to have ANY doubt whatsoever that the rest of the prophecies will come to pass just as they've been written.  If you can get a 100% rating in a review with thousands having reviewed something, you would have no doubt about believing what you were setting out to do would be a good thing.  We need to know truth, facts, and prophecy with history reveals that we can know without doubt what lies ahead for mankind.  God help us, bless us as we seek to know His truth and do His will always! 

Continuing on with our study-

Daniel 7:13,14 'I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.'

Jesus receives His kingdom.

Read Luke 19:10-12- 'For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. {19:11} And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. {19:12} He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.'

Obviously this is in the Heavenly Sanctuary, in the heavenly temple, when the close of the priestly work is over, all people, nations, languages shall serve Him. None of the wicked. Jesus goes to a far country to receive for Himself the kingdom and then to return.

READ Daniel 7:15-18 -'I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 16. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. 17. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth. 18. But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'

This vision that troubled Daniel was interpreted for him. He wanted to understand the truth, we too want to understand it all. The one interpreting the vision says, 'These great beasts, which are four, are four kings which shall arise out of the earth.' We understand through history itself of the four great kingdoms that reigned on Earth. It's plain to see if you study history how this is so and has come to pass.

What happens after the fourth kingdom is finally destroyed?

'But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'

God's saints. The righteous in God. Those first in the kingdom are the least here and now, servants.

This will come to pass as well, just as all that was predicted prior to this has come to pass. Nothing can stop the prophecy from being fulfilled.

READ Daniel 7:19,20 - 'Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.'

Daniel wanted to know the 'truth of the fourth beast' the fourth kingdom. He understood the other three beasts previously described but the fourth held some confusion for him. Seriously, it is no wonder that the ancient kingdoms were easy for him to understand, they would not last nearly as long, or be nearly as horrific and unnatural as the fourth beast. The fourth kingdom would last in part clear to the end of time, clear to our day and age.

The first kingdom like a lion- he knew what lions were and the nature of lions.

The second kingdom like at bear- he knew what a bear was and the nature of a bear.

The third kingdom like a leopard- yes, he knew was a leopard was and the nature of a leopard.

And he understood that winds meant strife, that wings swiftness- this wasn't some terrible creature he'd never seen before. Bears with ribs, yes understandable. Leopards with wings, understandable as well. But there is no natural animal symbol for Daniel to compare to the fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, such a creature doesn't exist in any form.

The fourth kingdom like a beast dreadful and terrible, nails of brass, teeth of iron, but what beast holds these elements of cruelty, of fierceness? Daniel hadn't a clue.

Then a little horn would come up out of this beast, thrusting aside three of the ten horns it had on its head. And the horn had eyes! Horns didn't have eyes! This horn had eyes of a man and a mouth! A horn with a mouth speaking proud, arrogant claims.

It wasn't any wonder Daniel wanted to understand this fourth beast, this fourth kingdom better than he did. So in even more symbolic language he is told more about the beast. Symbolic and yet as history is the key to understanding, it is just that, understandable without any mistaking.

READ Daniel 7:21,22 - 'I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.'

The little horn on the fourth beast was going to make war with the saint and prevail against them and it would do so until the Ancient of days was come.

The rise of the fourth kingdom which we know to be Rome, which conquered Greece, and then the division of Rome eventually into ten kingdoms happened between 351-476 AD. History- all history. The ten horns- ten kingdoms all existing at the same time, the little horn- another kingdom but obviously not anything like the other kingdoms.

Kingdoms are political as a rule. Babylon, Medes-Persia, Greece, Rome, ten kingdoms it divided into, all politically gained, all sharing that sameness. has any kingdom come up among the ten kingdoms of the Roman empire since 476 AD? A kingdom different from all the others? Yes? No? The answer is, yes. This kingdom wasn't political in nature but spiritual. This kingdom that was different from all the others was the kingdom of the Papacy. Never before was there such a kingdom, never. This power, this kingdom is proven in its very symbols.

READ Daniel 7:23 - 'Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.'

Truthfully has there ever been a kingdom, a power such as the papacy which had made war unlike any other kingdom? Fifty million martyrs. History proves this cruel persecution. History of the Waldenses, the Albigenses, and Protestants in general, by the papal power.

It is stated on good authority that the persecutions, massacres, and religious martyrs by the church and bishop of Rome, have shed far more blood of the saints of the Most High any other kingdom. Century after century, after century of persecutions.

READ Daniel 7:23-26 - 'Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and. shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 26. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.'

More details of the fourth beast, the fourth kingdom, the fourth ruler.

The little horn- wants attention, wants power. The first bishops of Rome had high rank. Read this-- "All the inhabitants of the earth belong to her," said Julian; and Claudian declared her to be "the fountain of laws." " If Rome is the queen of cities, why should not her pastor be the king of bishops?" was the reasoning these Roman pastors adopted. "Why should not the Roman Church be the mother of Christendom? Why should not all nations be her children, and her authority their sovereign law? It was easy," says D'Aubigne, from whom we quote these words (" History of the Reformation," Vol. I, chap. 1), " for the ambitious heart of man to reason thus. Ambitious Rome did so."

The bishops in the different parts of the Roman empire felt a pleasure in yielding to the bishop of Rome some portion of that honor which Rome, as the queen city, received from the nations of the earth. There was originally no dependence implied in the honor thus paid. " But," continues D'Aubigne, "Usurped power increases like an avalanche. Admonitions, at first simply fraternal, soon became absolute commands in the mouth of the pontiff. The Western bishops favored this encroachment of the Roman pastors, either from jealousy of the Eastern bishops, or because they preferred submitting to the supremacy of a pope rather than to the dominion of a temporal power."

Keep reading- History tells the tale-

Such were the influences clustering around the bishop of Rome, and thus was everything tending toward his speedy elevation to the supreme spiritual throne of Christendom. But the fourth century was to witness an obstacle thrown across the path of this ambitious dream. Arius, parish priest of the, ancient and influential church of Alexandria, sprung his doctrine upon the world, occasioning so fierce a controversy in the Christian church that a general council. was called at Nievea, by the emperor Constantine, A. D. 325, to consider and adjust it. Arius maintained "that the Son was totally and essentially distinct from the Father; that he was the first, and noblest of those beings whom the Father had created out of nothing, the instrument by whose subordinate operation the Almighty Father formed the universe, and therefore inferior to the Father both in nature and dignity." This opinion was condemned by the council, which decreed that Christ was of one and the same substance with the Father. Hereupon Arius was banished to Illyria, and his followers were compelled to give their assent to the creed composed on that occasion. (Mosheim, cent. 4, part 2, chap. 4; Stanley, History of the Eastern Church, p. 239.)

The Arians became bitter enemies of the pope and the Roman Catholic Church, history shows this to be true. While the Arian's would get the upper hand remember what prophecy states- the little horn would uproot three horns. Read this-

From Albert Barnes which seems very appropriate when discussing the papacy overthrowing three Arian kingdoms. '"In the confusion that existed on the breaking up of the Roman empire, and the imperfect accounts of the transactions which occurred in the rise of the papal power, it would not be wonderful if it should be difficult to find events distinctly recorded that would be in all respects an accurate and absolute fulfillment of the vision. Yet it is possible to make out the fulfillment of this with a good degree of certainty in the history of the papacy." - Notes on Daniel 7.

Mr. Joseph Mede believes this- he supposes the three kingdoms plucked up to have been the Greeks, the Lombards, and the Franks; and Sir Isaac Newton supposes they were the Exarchate of Ravenna, the Lombards, and the Senate and Dukedom of Rome. Bishop Newton (Dissertation on the Prophecies, pp. 217, 218) states some serious objections to both these schemes. The Franks could NOT have been one of these kingdoms; for they were never plucked up before the papacy. The Lombards could NOT have been one; for they were never made subject to the popes. Says Albert Barnes, "I do not find, indeed, that the kingdom of the Lombards was, as is commonly stated, among the number of the temporal sovereignties that became, subject to the authority of the popes." And the Senate and Dukedom of Rome could NOT have been one; for they, as such, never constituted one of the ten kingdoms, three of which were to be plucked up before the little horn.

But we apprehend that the chief difficulty in the application made by these eminent commentators, lay in the fact that they supposed that the prophecy respecting the exaltation of the papacy had not been fulfilled, and could not have been, till the pope became a temporal prince; and hence they sought to find an accomplishment of the prophecy in the events which led to the pope's temporal sovereignty. Whereas, evidently, the prophecy of verses 24, 25 refers, not to his civil power, but to his power to domineer over the minds and consciences of men; and the pope reached this position, as will hereafter appear, in A. D. 538; and the plucking up of the three horns took place before this, and to make way for this very exaltation to spiritual dominion. The insuperable difficulty in the way of all attempts to apply the prophecy to the Lombards and the other powers named above is that they come altogether too late in point of time; for the prophecy deals with the arrogant efforts of the Roman pontiff to gain power, NOT with his endeavors to oppress and humble the nations after he had secured the supremacy.

The position is here confidently taken that the three powers, or horns, plucked up before the papacy, were the Heruli, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths; and this position rests upon the following statements of historians.

Odoacer, the leader of the Heruli, was the first of the barbarians who reigned over the Romans. He took the throne of Italy, according to Gibbon (Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. III, pp. 510, 515),in 476. Of his religious belief Gibbon (p. 516) says: " Like the rest of the barbarians, he had been instructed in the Arian heresy; but he revered the monastic and episcopal characters, and the silence of the Catholics attests the toleration which they enjoyed."

Again he says (p. 547)- " The Ostrogoths, the Burgundians, the Suevi, and the Vandals, who had listened to the eloquence of the Latin clergy, preferred the more intelligible lessons of their domestic teachers; and Arianism was adopted as the national faith of the warlike converts who were seated on the ruins of the Western empire. This irreconcilable difference of religion was a perpetual source of jealousy and hatred; and the reproach of barbarian was embittered by the more odious epithet of heretic. The heroes of the North, who had submitted, with some reluctance, to believe that all their ancestors were in hell, were astonished and exasperated to learn that they themselves had only changed the mode of their eternal condemnation."

The reader is requested to consider carefully a few more historical statements which throw some light on the situation at this time. Stanley (History of the Eastern Church, p. 151) says- "The whole of the vast Gothic population which descended on the Roman empire, so far as it was Christian at all, held to the faith of the Alexandrian heretic. Our first Teutonic version of the Scriptures was by an Arian missionary, UIfilas. The first conqueror of Rome, Alaric, and the first conqueror of Africa, Genseric, were Arians. Theodoric, the great king of Italy, and hero of the 'Nibelungen Lied,' was an Arian. The vacant place in his massive tomb at Ravenna is a witness of the vengeance which the Orthodox took on his memory, when, in their triumph, they tore down the porphyry vase in which his Arian subjects had enshrined his ashes.

Ranke, in his History of the Popes (London, edition of 1871), Vol. I, p. 9, says- " But she [the church] fell, as was inevitable, into many embarrassments, and found herself in an entirely altered condition. A pagan people took possession of Britain; Arian kings seized the greater part of the remaining West; while the Lombards, long attached to Arianism, and as neighbors most dangerous and hostile, established a powerful sovereignty before the very gates of Rome. The Roman bishops, meanwhile, beset on all sides, exerted themselves with all the prudence and pertinacity which have remained their peculiar attributes, to regain the mastery, at least in the patriarchal diocese."

Machiavelli, in his History of Florence, p. 14, says- "Nearly all the wars which the northern barbarians carried on in Italy, it may be here remarked, were occasioned by the pontiffs; and the hordes with which the country was inundated, were generally called in by them."

These extracts give us a general view of the state of affairs at this time, and show us that though the hands of the Roman pontiffs might not be visibly manifest in the movements upon the political board, they constituted the power working assiduously behind the scenes to secure their own purposes. The relation which these Arian kings sustained to the pope, from which we can see the necessity of their being overthrown to make way for papal supremacy, is shown in the following testimony from Mosheim, given in his History of the Church, cent. 6, part 2, chap. 2, see. 2 - "On the other hand, it is certain, from a variety of the most authentic records, that both the emperors and the nations in general were far from being disposed to bear with patience the yoke of servitude which the popes were imposing upon the Christian church. The Gothic princes set bounds to the power of these arrogant prelates in Italy, permitted none to. be raised to the pontificate without their approbation, and reserved to themselves the right of judging of the legality of every new election."

An instance in proof of this statement occurs in the history of Odoacer, the first Arian king above mentioned, as related by Bower in his History of the Popes, Vol. 1, p. 271. When, on the death of Pope Simplicius, A. D. 483, the clergy and people had assembled for the election of a new pope, suddenly Basilius, lieutenant of King Odoacer, appeared in the assembly, expressed his surprise that any such work as appointing a successor to the deceased pope should be undertaken without him, in the name of the king declared all that had been done null and void, and ordered the election to be begun anew. Certainly the horn which exercised such a restrictive power over the papal pontiff must be taken away before the pope could reach the predicted supremacy.

Meanwhile, Zeno, the emperor of the East, and friend of the pope, was anxious to drive Odoacer out of Italy (Machiavelli, p. 6), a movement which he soon had the satisfaction of seeing accomplished without trouble to himself, in the following manner. Theodoric had come to the throne of the Ostrogothic kingdom in Moesia and Pannonia. Being on friendly terms with Zeno, he wrote him, stating that it was impossible for him to restrain his Goths within the impoverished province of Pannonia, and asking his permission to lead them to some more favorable region, which they might conquer and possess. Zeno gave him permission to march against Odoacer, and take possession of Italy. Accordingly, after a three years' war, the Heralian kingdom in Italy was overthrown, Odoacer was treacherously slain, and Theodoric established his Ostrogoths in the Italian peninsula. As already stated, he was an Arian, and the law of Odoacer subjecting the election of the pope to the approval of the king was still retained.

The following incident will show how completely the papacy was in subjection to his power. The Catholics in the East, having commenced a persecution against the Arians in 523, Theodoric summoned Pope John into his presence, and thus addressed him- "If the emperor [Justin, the predecessor of Justinian] does not think fit to revoke the edict which he has lately issued against those of my persuasion [that is, the Arians], it is my firm resolution to issue the like edict against those of his [that is, the Catholics] ; and to see it everywhere executed with the same rigor. Those who do not profess the faith of Nicaea are heretics to him, and those who do are heretics to me. Whatever can excuse or justify his severity to the former, will excuse and justify mine to the latter. But the emperor," continued the king, "has none about him who dare freely and openly speak what they think, or to whom he would hearken if they did. But the great veneration which he professes for your See, leaves no room to doubt but he would hearken to you. I will therefore have you to repair forthwith to Constantinople, and there to remonstrate, both in my name and your own, against the violent measures in which that court has so rashly engaged. It is in your power to divert the emperor from them; and till you have, nay, till the Catholics [this name Theodoric; applies to the Arians] are restored to the free exercise of their religion, and to all the churches from which they have been driven, you must not think of returning to Italy." - Bower's History of the Popes, Vol. 1, p. 325.

The pope who was thus peremptorily ordered not to set his foot again upon Italian soil until he had carried out the will of the king, certainly could not hope for much advancement toward any kind of supremacy till that power was taken out of the way. Baronius, according to Bower, will have it that the pope sacrificed himself on this occasion, and advised the emperor not by any means to comply with the demand the king had sent him. But Mr. Bower thinks this inconsistent, since he could not, he says, " sacrifice himself without sacrificing, at the same time, the far greater part of the innocent Catholics in the West, who were either subject to King Theodoric, or to other Arian princes in alliance with him." It is certain that the pope and the other ambassadors were treated. with severity on their return, which Bower explains on this wise- " Others arraign them all of high treason; and truly the chief men of Rome were suspected at this very time of carrying on a treasonable correspondence with the court of Constantinople, and machinating the ruin of the Gothic empire in Italy." - Id., p. 326.

The feelings of the papal party toward Theodoric may be accurately estimated, according to a quotation already given, by the vengeance which the took on his memory, when they tore from his massive tomb in Ravenna the porphyry vase in which his Arian subjects had enshrined his ashes. But these feelings are put into language by Baronius, who inveighs against Theodoric as a cruel barbarian, as a barbarous tyrant, as an impious Arian." But " having exaggerated with all his eloquence, and bewailed the deplorable condition of the Roman Church reduced by that heretic to a state of slavery, he comforts himself in the end, and dries up his tears, with the pious thought that the author of such a calamity died soon after, and was eternally damned! " - Bower, Vol. I, p. 328; Compare Baronius' Annals, A. D. 526, p. 116.

While the Catholics were thus feeling the restraining power of an Arian king in Italy, they were suffering a violent persecution from the Arian Vandals in Africa. (Gibbon, chap. 371 see. 2.) Elliott, in his Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. III, p. 152.. note 3, says- " The Vandal kings were not only Arians, but persecutors of the Catholics; in Sardinia and Corsica, under the Roman Episcopate, we may presume, as well as in Africa."

Such was the position of affairs, when, in 533, Justinian entered upon his Vandal and Gothic wars. Wishing to secure the influence of the pope and the Catholic party, he issued that memorable decree which was to constitute the pope the head of all the churches, and from the carrying out of which, in 538, the period of papal supremacy is to be dated. And whoever will read the history of the African campaign, 533-534, and the Italian campaign, 534 - 538, will notice that the Catholics everywhere hailed as deliverers the army of Belisarius, the general of Justinian.

The testimony of D'Aubigne (Reformation, book 1, chap. 1) also throws light upon the undercurrents which gave shape to outward movements in these eventful times. He says- "Princes whom these stormy times often shook upon their thrones, offered their protection if Rome would in its turn support them. They conceded to her the spiritual authority, provided she would make a return in secular power. They were lavish of the souls of men, in the hope that she would aid them against their enemies. The power of the hierarchy, which was ascending, and the imperial power, which was declining, leaned thus one upon the other, and by this alliance accelerated their twofold destiny. Rome could not lose by it. An edict of Theodosius 11 and of Valerian III proclaimed the Roman bishop 'rector of the whole church.' Justinian published a similar decree."

But no decree of this nature could be carried into effect until the Arian horns which stood in its way were overthrown. The Vandals fell before the victorious arms of Belisarius in 534; and the Goths received a crushing blow in connection with their unsuccessful siege of Rome in 538. (Gibbon, chap. 41)

Procopius, relates that the African war was undertaken by Justinian for the relief of the Christians (Catholics) in that quarter; and that when he expressed his intention in this respect, the prefect of the palace came very near dissuading him from his purpose but a dream appeared to him in which he was bidden "not to shrink from the execution of his design; for by assisting the Christians he would overthrow the power of the Vandals. " - Evagrius' Eccl. Hist., book 4, chap. 16.

Listen again to Mosheim- "It is true that the Greeks who had received the decrees of the Council of Nicaea [that is, the Catholics], persecuted and oppressed the Arians wherever their influence and authority could reach; but the Nicenians, in their turn, were not less rigorously treated by their adversaries [the Arians], particularly in Africa and Italy, where they felt, in a very severe manner, the weight of the Arian power, and the bitterness of hostile resentment. The triumphs of Arianism were, however, transitory, and its prosperous days were entirely eclipsed when the Vandals were driven out of Africa, and the Goths out of Italy, by the arms of Justinian." - Mosheim's Church History, cent. 6, part 2, chap. 5, sec. 3.

Elliott, in his Horae Apocalypticae, makes two enumerations of the ten kingdoms which rose out of the Roman empire, varying the second list from the first according to the changes which had taken place at the later period to which the second list applies. His first list differs from that mentioned in remarks on chap. 2: 42, only in that he put the Alemanni in place of the Huns, and the Bavarians in place of the Lombards, a variation which can be easily accounted for. But out of this list he names the three that were plucked up before the papacy, in these words- " I might cite three that were eradicated from before the pope out of the list first given; namely, the Heruli under Odoacer, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths." - Vol. III, p. 152, note 1.

Although he prefers the second list, in which he puts the Lombards instead of the Heruli, the foregoing is good testimony that if we make the enumeration of the ten kingdoms while the Heruli were a ruling power, they were one of the horns which were plucked up.

From the historical testimony above cited, we think it clearly established that the three horns plucked up were the powers named; viz., the Heruli in A. D. 493, the Vandals in 534, and the Ostrogoths in 553. The effective opposition of the Ostrogoths to the decree of Justinian, however, it is to be noted, ceased when they were driven from Rome by Belisarius in 538.

To Be Continued…..

Truth or Lies- You Need to Decide Which You'll Believe.

 God would have us know His truth. He won't force feed truth to us. He's given us His word and has left it up to us to read, to study, to live its truth. Some of these truths are more complex than others, but there is nothing we can't comprehend that our Lord won't help us to know if we need to know it. To discard hard truths because they are just too confusing to us, without a diligent effort to study to know truth, is something we are accountable for. This study here has been and continues to be a long one. Why is it important? Because we need to comprehend what happens after we die- and to understand what happens we need to know Biblical facts. 1. The dead know nothing-they sleep death's sleep. 2. When Christ returns the dead in Christ will rise. 3. The dead who are not in Christ will live again after 1000 years (during that time the Dead in Christ will have become immortal and live in heaven with Christ). 4. After the 1000 years the dead not in Christ will rise and these are the unjust. 5. At their resurrection they will receive their sentence, then their punishment, and their ultimate second death which is when they are in existence no more in any form, never to be again.  All these are just bullet points that can be backed by extensive Biblical proofs if someone is willing to study. In knowing all this we cannot be deceived by Satan to believe in the immortality of the soul, that there is immediate life after death, that most people go to heaven, that we need not be concerned with facing any real punishment. When we consent to believe in immediately life after death we are in league with Satan who told our first parents they would not die if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Once we consent knowingly to believe that there is no true death where we no longer know anything at all, we aren't guiltless, we are liable and accountable to perpetuating lies. You see, our Savior needn't have died for us if we never die. Our Savior died so we could live again one day in the mansions He is preparing. He died knowing He would one day return for us, not so we could just live in heaven right after we die our first death. The Bible is so clear on this,God tells us that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, none of those well-known Biblical figures are in heaven right now, none have received the promise as of yet and won't, not without all those who are going to be God's, and this takes place when our Savior returns!  So many people choose to turn a blind eye to this, thinking it just doesn't matter. They are deceived! 

God help us to keep studying for truth and only truth no matter how much it destroys our cherished beliefs!

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior now and forever! Amen!!!!!!!

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Resurrection of the Just and Unjust

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. Pray for enlightenment through our Savior, by the Holy Spirit.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

*******  (Note- the following excerpt shows so clearly that people can pervert scripture to mean what they desire it to mean without taking all scripture into consideration. People used by Satan will twist any Bible verse they can to meet their own ends which mean the everlasting destruction of any and all who fall under their delusions. Pray that you may perceive only truth, study deeply, let the Holy Spirit guide you in your search for nothing but God's truth, God's will, God's love. All through our Savior, Jesus Christ.)

Isa. 26:13, 14: "O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us; but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish." 

There are at least two evident reasons why the claim put forth on this text is not warranted. It is not certain that it refers to the resurrection or non-resurrection of the dead at all; but that it only states that the "lords" who had dominion over them should not rise to exercise dominion over them any more. And, were it proved or admitted that it refers to the subject in question, it is yet far from appearing that it is already fulfilled. The same prophet, speaking of the destiny of the wicked, says: "The inhabitants of the earth are burned." Chap. 24:6. This is as definite, and the same in tense, as the text in question; but it remains to be fulfilled. See verses 1-5. The text says, "Thou hast visited and destroyed them." Chap. 24:22, says they shall be gathered as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and "visited after many days." Their visitation and destruction will be in the great day of wrath.

Many texts speak of the destruction of the wicked as already past, if we remove them from the page of prophecy and make history of them; but by so doing, they are perverted, and put in direct conflict with the plainest statements of the New Testament. If we take them as they are, as prophecies, they will harmonize with the words of the Saviour and his apostles, and with all the Scriptures on the subject of "the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." Isa. 43:16, 17: "Thus saith the Lord, . . . which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow." 

Were the passages in John 5; Acts 24, etc., no more intimately related to the subject than this, we should no more be surprised that our opponents should set them aside as figurative or irrelevant. The chariot, the horse, the army, the power, lie down together, they shall not rise; therefore there will be no resurrection of the unjust! (((Lies!))))

Words cannot express our astonishment that such a text as this should be quoted as a plain, literal denial of the resurrection of evil-doers, and John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:5, 6, and others, should be set aside as "figurative," as having no bearing on the subject of the resurrection! 

The power of an army, and the army itself, as an army, may be destroyed without destroying half the individuals composing it. Were they all cut off, so that the army could never again appear, they might all be raised "to the judgment of the great day" without conflicting with that fact. I pray that I may never be found advocating a doctrine which needs to be sustained by such a use of the Scriptures.

Jer. 51:39: "In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, saith the Lord." Does this text forbid the idea, so plainly revealed in the Bible, of the "wicked suffering the second death?" or coming "forth from the graves to the resurrection of damnation," and to utter destruction? Does it even seem to contradict the plain testimonies of the word of God in favor of the resurrection of the unjust? If it does, I have not the ability to perceive it.

Hos. 8:14: "They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall and never rise up again." Do the words "fall" and "rise up" refer to death and the resurrection? It certainly does not appear in the text or context. Or if the words do so refer, may it not refer to the second death in the lake of fire, from which there is no rising? And this is quoted to prove that the evildoers will not come forth from the graves, to a resurrection to judgment and the second death, by the very ones who affirm that John 5:28, 29, do not refer to the resurrection at all! Strange consistency, indeed! And these are the "positive proofs" on that side of the question. (((Such delusion, God preserve us from all untruth!))))

To be continued…

The Book of Daniel Chapter 1 Pt 1

 I went to a series of Prophecy Lectures that were being given at a nearby church in 1982.  I don't have access to the actual material given back then, but there are other studies with a lot of the same information.  The study we are going to go through is more in-depth. We are living now, 42 years after the last known end time prophecy was fulfilled. There are more end time prophecies that have to be fulfilled and the majority of those it appears will happen very rapidly extremely close to our Lord returning. You read those words and what do you think about them? I hope they arouse your curiosity and don't dissuade you from seeking truth. The above facts can be proven, pray for God's guidance, God's grace, God's mercy, pray for the Holy Spirit to be your guide through all of these studies.  Please, open your Bible - whether an actual book of paper, or an online Bible, it doesn't matter- open your Bible and with a prayerful heart begin to study. 

Remember there are going to be blanks for you to fill in by reading from your Bibles- this is to reinforce what you are studying, giving you a real opportunity to look for yourself upon God's word, and not just read something I've put here for you to read.

Daniel Chapter 1

Let’s begin with a bit of historical background on the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel was written by Daniel Himself that cannot be disputed. Ezekiel, a prophet and a contemporary of Daniels has this to say--

READ Ezekiel 14:19, 20. "… though Noah, 1______, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness."

Daniel is ranked up there with who? Noah and Job, two very important Biblical figures.

Ezekiel also has this to say of Daniel--

READ Ezekiel 28:3 "Behold, thou art wiser than 2______; there is no secret that they can hide from thee."

And even Jesus recognized Daniel and did so recognizing him as a prophet of God. 

READ Matthew 24:15, 16. "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by 3_______ ___ ________, stand in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand), then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains."

(The following may read as if you are a Bible scholar, or serious student who knows Biblical history- dates and whatnot. If you do not have this education, I don't, then you may have to pause and look up some facts if you don't want to just accept them as truth. Don't hesitate to do so now, or any time in the future of this study, research.) 

What we know of Daniel begins when he is taken captive in the first year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzer (Babylonian King). The first year that began the seventy years of enslavement, 606 BC when Habakkuk and Jeremiah were giving their prophecies. A short while after that Ezekiel began his prophesizing and then Obadiah, both finishing their prophetic work long before the end of Daniel’s prophesizing.

Three prophets went after Daniel—Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. Both Haggai and Zechariah briefly prophesized in 520-518 BC and then Malachi for a short while in 397 BC. All Biblical history, documented well.

Jeremiah wrote the following prediction--

READ Jeremiah 25:11 -And this whole land shall be a 4___________, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

70 years of captivity was predicted and 70 years of captivity there were.

Daniel was taken captive during that time and at his peak he saw the kingdom decline and even go into other hands. Daniel was given by God knowledge which surpasses any man could have given him. He was honored and loved of God and his words are available to us today to study and learn much from.

He reveals history many centuries into the future to the end of all time. He offers us an account of the timeline of the coming of the Messiah as well. The prophecies of Daniel are amazing as you’ll soon discover.

Historical data tells us that Daniel is supposed to have died at Susa in Persia (today’s Iran), about the year 530 BC, at about 94 years old.

Let us begin--CHAPTER -- I

READ Daniel 1: 1 - In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto 5__________, and besieged it. 2. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.

Starting with an historical background, he states that Jehoiakim was the king of Judah at the time, that Nebuchadnezzer was king of Babylon and that Nebuchadnezzer besieged Jehoiakim’s reign. He also tells us that it was 3 years into the reign of Jehoiakim and that Jehoiakim was given into Nebuchadnezzar’s hands. Nebuchanezzer took some of the sacred vessels from the house of God into Shinar, the country of Babylon.

READ Genesis 10:10 ‘And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.’

Jerusalem’s capture was predicted by Jeremiah, and accomplished, in 606 BC.

READ Jeremiah 25:8-11-- Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations. Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

Jeremiah places this captivity in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, Daniel is in the third. This seeming discrepancy is explained by the fact that Nebuchadnezzar set out on his expedition near the close of the third year of Jehoiakim, from which point Daniel reckons. But he did not fully capture Jerusalem till about the ninth month of the year following; and from this year Jeremiah reckons. (Prideaux, Vol. I, pp. 99, 100 -https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Old_and_New_Testament_Connected_in_t/dvKBrDj1bnAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22fourth%20year%20of%20Jehoiakim%22)

Jehoiakim humbled himself and was allowed to remain as ruler in Jerusalem, tributary to the king of Babylon. This was the first time Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. 

Twice after that because the people revolted, it had to be recaptured by the same king, being dealt with more harshly each succeeding time. Of these subsequent overthrows, the first was under Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim in 599 BC when all the sacred vessels were either taken or destroyed and the best of the people along with the king were led into captivity. The second was under Zedekiah, when the city fought the most formidable fight for control except that by Titus, in 70 AD. During the two year siege the city dwellers had to endure the horrors of extreme famine. The king attempting to escape from the city along with his garrison, were captured by the Chaldeans. The sons of the king were slain before him. His eyes were put out, and he was taken to Babylon; and fulfilled was the prediction of Ezekiel who declared that he should be carried to Babylon, and die there, but yet should not see the place.

READ Ezekiel 12:13 - ‘My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.’

The city and temple were at this time completely destroyed, the entire population of the city and country, with the exception of few, were carried captive to Babylon, 588 BC.

Had the Israelites been faithful to God and kept his Sabbath, Jerusalem would have stood forever. READ Jeremiah 17:24-27 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently 6_______ unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the 7________ day, but 8_______ the sabbath day, to do no work therein; Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain forever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the 9 _____.  But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

TO BE CONTINUED…

The Sealed Book- Opened.

 A book was closed and sealed by God. Why? Why would God close and seal a book? Logic dictates that he didn't want us to understand what was written within. We could still read what had been written but to comprehend the meaning behind what was written was another story. God didn't want us to understand until the 'time of the end'.

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. 

Even to the time of the end.  Why not until the time of the end? Because the words within were specifically for the time of the end.

In 1844 something happened - 178 years ago - NOT a long time. I know you may disagree, because in some respects- it is a really long time ago, but in the grand scheme of things- it really is not a long time. Almost 6000 years this world has been around, 178 years out of 6000 is very little.  When sin entered the world and God told Adam and Eve there would be an enmity put between Satan and them - the plan for Salvation was fully underway. In the year 31AD Jesus was sacrificed on the cross, God's only begotten son was sacrificed for our salvation. About 4000 years after the prophecy of God was given in the Garden of Eden.  Think about that for a moment, the Savior was predicted- 

(Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.) 4000 years before He came and bruised the head of Satan! For perspective 178 years truly is not a long time.  

Jesus told us during His ministry that He would return, and He gave various signs for us to note. He even mentioned Daniel the prophet.

Mat 24:15  When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 

Jesus referred to Daniel's prophecies. Jesus knew that in those prophecies there was information we'd need.  The book was still closed at that point- it wasn't the time of the end just yet. As mentioned above - in the early 1800's there was a great religious revival, not just in the United States but elsewhere, independent of each other. Suddenly the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation were being understood after much in-depth studying! Their mysteries were unfolding…  the time of the end was at hand.  178 years ago. And how long would the time of the end last? We don't know. But to say it's gone on too long when we know how time can be in the grand scheme of things, is to be impatient. And yes, I long for my Savior to return! I long desperately for this! But I'm told this too…

2Pe_3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Our Savior isn't SLACK in returning, He is LONGSUFFERING! He wants all that will come to repentance to do so before mankind's probation is over. 

Jesus wanted us to look to Daniel, and 178 years ago a prophecy came to pass from the Book of Daniel! A very important prophecy, but how many today know this even occurred? Satan wants us blinded to truth, we can't let him keep us blind!  We will be studying more on the Sanctuary being cleansed…

Dan 8:14  And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 

This is what we'll be studying more on because we need to know what the unsealed Book of Daniel means for us in the end times. And whether or not those end times extend a 1000 more years or just 3 more years… we must be prepared and by the grace and mercy of our LORD we will be. 

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!!

Amen!

Not Hurt By the Second Death.

 Rev_2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the SECOND DEATH.

Rev_20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the SECOND DEATH hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Rev_20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the SECOND DEATH.

Rev_21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the SECOND DEATH.

I didn't make up the second death. The second death isn't some fantasy made up by man. The second death is a reality. We all grow up knowing we will die, this is a fact. As I get older this becomes more and more a reality. The knowledge you've lived long in comparison to a lot of people is something that brings you closer to the realization of your own eventual death. The first death. The first death won't be the last death for a lot of people. The second death means they'll be alive to die once again. The second death is the last death. When the very last of those die their second death, and when Satan and all the evil angels are punished and destroyed into nothingness, the death itself will never be again.

Oh what a glorious day, no more death! We MUST overcome and we will NOT be hurt of the second death! Oh by the grace of God, by the mercy of our LORD may we not be a part of the second death! Please, Lord, please, keep us from evil, all evil! Mercy.

All through Jesus Christ our LORD and SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!! Amen!

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Resurrection of the Just and Unjust

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(EXCERPT)

The unjust will be resurrected, some object to this truth. The article we've been studying is vindicating the truth of the resurrection of the unjust- scripturally, logically. Pray for enlightenment through our Savior, by the Holy Spirit.

A Vindication of the Doctrine of the Resurrection of the Unjust

By J.H. Waggoner 

CONTINUING STUDY….

Dan 12:2  And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

1Co 15:18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 

1Co 15:19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 

1Co 15:20  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 

1Co 15:21  For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 

1Co 15:23  But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming

They further endeavor to sustain the claim they make on verse 22 by an argument on the word "perish," in verse 18, thus: If Christ were not raised there would be no resurrection, and all would perish; but it is taught in the Scriptures that they who reject Christ will yet perish; and the meaning of the word perish is illustrated by the fact that all would perish if there were no resurrection; and therefore they that perish will not have a resurrection.

This is an argument presented by them with a great deal of confidence, but I consider it a very feeble one. The word is not changed in signification though they might perish under certain circumstances without a resurrection, and under other circumstances after a resurrection. The wages of sin is death; granted that  the wicked will be raised to be punished for their personal sins, and die a second time, that would not in the least change the meaning of the word death. But the great fault of this argument, and which is, indeed, the great fault underlying that whole system, is that it leaves out of sight the whole subject of personal probation and its consequences.

 It is admitted that if Christ had not come at all there would have been no resurrection, nor would there have been any probation for any of Adam's posterity. They would all have died exactly as they all die now, and exactly for the same reason, but no resurrection would have been admissible as there would have been no probation, and, of course, no personal responsibility; no further reward could have reached them. It is for this cause that Paul makes the future judgment rest on the resurrection of Christ.

Acts 17:31. The promise of a Saviour placed Adam and all his posterity under a new probation, and this and its consequent penalty must be taken into account in determining the reason for the perishing of any thereafter. So the argument on the word perish is worthless because it loses sight of the responsibility attaching to our personal actions. This statement of the error of that argument was publicly met by an esteemed brother of that faith with the following illustration: A boat upset, and the men were in danger of drowning; why? because the boat upset. But another boat put out from the shore to rescue them. Then if they refused to get into that boat, and were drowned, for what would we say they were then drowned? because they refused to get into the boat that came to their rescue. They drowned all the same; but being brought into relation to a new order of circumstances, their death is attributed to the neglect or rejection of these new privileges.

This illustration is as good as anything that could be presented to sustain that view. But as it regards meeting the point, it amounts to just nothing at all. Let us carry it a little further and see. Suppose part of the company had accepted the offered assistance and yet drowned with the others; for what would you say they then drowned? You cannot say they drowned because they refused the proffered aid, for they accepted it. You cannot say they drowned because the first boat upset, for that will destroy all the force of your illustration, which is designed to remove the drowning from its original cause. The illustration does not meet nor remove the difficulty; nor can it be removed. The gospel is the life-boat to save from drowning, or death; but whether or not we accept it we all alike die; and therefore the conclusion is unavoidable that if it accomplishes its object, it saves from a death beyond the present one-the second death. To this the Lord evidently refers in his declaration and appeal. In his declaration that if a man die in his sins he also shall die for his sins; Eze. 18:26; in his appeal to them, thus: "Turn ye, for why will ye die?" Eze. 33:11. If there shall be but one death, seeing that all must die that, the answer to the above question or appeal is easily given, thus-because they cannot help it; they have been subjected to the necessity of dying, and there is no way to escape from that necessity. 

To be continued

Satan Lies, Do You Believe Him?

 If dying isn't a punishment, but just a prelude to an instant eternal reward then why is dying at all such a big deal- other than the fact we leave behind people who love and miss us?

Death is not something we were intended to experience (death in all of its forms). God told the first couple that they would die if they disobeyed him. If death wasn't something detrimental, why would it be used as a punishment? 

Satan lied and said we wouldn't really die and guess what, the majority of people believe him. That death is an end and not just a continuance of life is Biblical truth, God's truth.

The words- 'The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything- Eccl 9:5) It is RIGHT THERE IN GOD'S WORD.  I'm alive, I know I'll die… is that true? YES. Ergo 'the dead know not anything' must be true! If I KNOW not anything once I'm dead as the Bible says, then am I in heaven knowing things? NO!

Death- when we have a complete and utter end of our life- we think no more, we do nothing, we do not have a single thought after we die completely. I'm adding completely because a lot of people say they die when their life is interrupted temporarily - for medical reasons their hearts stop, their breathing stops but they are brought back to a living state. They say they died, but the truth is, they couldn't have died unless there is no coming back- without a miracle that is such as Lazarus. We have a lot of people who are considered brain dead all higher function ended, and so we believe what? All their ability to think is gone. There is no sense even trying to keep them alive because there is nothing of their brain to continue on giving them the thoughts they need to be considered living. We pull plugs, we take them off machines, we let them go- they are dead?

People have been deceived tragically and they don't even care when its pointed out to them. They don't want their cherished beliefs to end, they love those beliefs more than they love truth. They don't like those who bring them truth, they call them liars. They hold on so tightly to those beliefs nothing else matters to them.

Right now it may not seem like such a big deal, we say let them believe in their lies it hurts no one. They say everyone believes differently and God will sort it all out. 

God has given us HIS WORD. God has given us HIS TRUTH. If we ignore His word and His truth do you think will be rewarded for that? If He has sorted it out already and we have access to the sorted out truth right now, do you truly believe that we aren't supposed to know that truth?

I'm waiting for my Savior to return and ONLY when that happens will those who are dead right now be raised up from the dead and given their thoughts back at the same time they are given their immortal bodies. This is salvation, this is our reward, this is our eternal life that Jesus is preparing for those who love Him. 

Ask yourself this question-  if you believed Lazarus was raised from the dead then you have to believe that Jesus took Lazarus out of heaven and put him back on earth, why in the world would Jesus EVER DO THAT?! Wouldn't it have been better for Jesus to have Lazarus come back in his spirit form and tell everyone how wonderful heaven is?  Life immediately after death is NOT REAL! It's a lie!

The danger in believing lies is we no longer are believing truth and Jesus is the way, the truth, the life! 

Jesus left His disciples, His apostles on earth and before leaving He did not reassure them by telling them not to worry, they'd see Him in a little bit when they die, He NEVER said that! He told them that HE WOULD RETURN and that was what their hope would be, in the return of JESUS!

Satan has GRAND delusions planned for the very end times and those delusions are going to include in a huge way the belief in going right to heaven after death and living on. Don't be surprised if Satan's evil demons impersonate your loved ones who have died, what better way than to do that to get you to hold fast to the lies of Satan? The evil spirits will be able to impersonate our loved ones perfectly because they know all the secret things of our lives, just as God's angels, our guardian angels know all our lives every bit of it, every sin and every praise we've given to God- they know it all. How easy it is going to be to cement the lie into the hearts of people who have rejected the truth. They are going to use the evil spirit impersonated loved ones to cry out that they were right, that they are the ones with the truth, but it is ALL just a huge  deception of Satan's. Satan's net is ENORMOUS and he's filling it up with most of the earth's population, filling it up with his lies, his deceptions!

SEEK the truth please! I IMPLORE YOU! If you are reading this and you want the truth of the LORD seek it! Please! Don't believe my words, believe GOD'S words!

All through Jesus Christ our LORD, our SAVIOR now and forever!!!!!!! AMEN!

(Excerpt)

MAN IN PRISON

It is written in the Scriptures that "we must needs die." 2 Sam. 14:14. But this necessity was not according to God's original purpose or arrangement. God is the God of life. He has no pleasure in the death of any of His creatures. Eze. 18:23, 31, 32.

Eze 18:23  Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Eze 18:31  Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 

Eze 18:32  For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. 

He pronounced the sentence of death on Adam, but He had warned him against incurring the guilt that would certainly bring it; He peremptorily forbade his pursuing a course that would result in death. Gen. 2:16, 17. 

Gen 2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 

Gen 2:17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

That the Lord loved man, and had a strong desire that he should live and not die, is shown in the wonderful provision He made to recover man from death. "Sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Rom. 5:12. And "he that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." 1 John 3:8. By his deception and falsehood he led our first parents to sin; but as death inevitably follows sin, he who introduced sin introduced death. Therefore also it is said that he that had power of death is the devil. Heb. 2:14

Concerning the children of Rachel, the Lord promised that they should come again from the land of the enemy. Jer. 31:16. These children were cruelly put to death. See Matt. 2:16-18. Paul says that death is the last enemy. 1 Cor. 15:26. It is the last enemy, for when death overtakes us, no other enemy can reach us. Life is the first and the greatest of all blessings; so death is the greatest and last of all evils. 

They were under the power of death, under the dominion of Satan, for Satan, in introducing sin and death, opened the gates of the grave, that great prison house of mankind.

Sheol, the place of all the dead, is always spoken of as a realm of darkness, gloominess, and terrors; its inhabitants have neither light nor knowledge; all their hopes, their fears, their joys, their sorrows, their thoughts have perished. Let us hear the word of the Lord on this subject:- 

"For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished." Eccl. 9:5, 6. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." Verse 10.  

Job, speaking of the condition of those who fall under the power of death, says: "Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away. His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them." Job 14:20, 21. The Psalmist gives a striking illustration of the realms of death, as follows: "Wilt Thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise Thee? shall Thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? or Thy faithfulness in destruction? shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? "Ps. 88:10-12. And again; "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish" Ps. 146:4. And it is not merely their knowledge and thoughts of, and interest in, temporal things that have perished; they have lost their knowledge of God and their power to praise Him. "For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?" Ps. 6:5. This does not refer to the grave as we consider that term; it speaks of sheol, the place of the dead in general; as Lange says, it refers to that place in which the soul of Christ was not left. Compare Ps. 16:10 and Acts 2:27, 31. We read again; "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." Ps. 115:17. And yet again, where the contrast between the condition and the power of the dead and the living is shown in the most emphatic terms: "For the grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day." Isa. 38:18, 19. 

It was not in the order of God that man should come to such a condition as that described by these texts, or descend to such a state of darkness, gloom, and forgetfulness. It was all the work of the enemy, whose object it was to mar the perfect work of the Creator. Man in the grave is represented as being shut up in its darkness and gloom, as prisoners are shut up in a prison or dungeon. "There the prisoners rest together." Job. 3:18. 

Speaking of punishing the kings and high ones of the earth, the Lord says: "And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit [or dungeon], and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited." Isa. 24:22. Such is the condition of all who go into the grave. 

But many, in all sincerity, believe that only a part of man dies; that a part of him returns to dust, and another part evades the penalty, and continues to live somewhere else, or in some other condition. Of this we find no intimation in the law, nor in the penalty,  nor in the sentence pronounced upon the sin. "The wages of sin is death." "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Rom. 6:23; Eze. 18:4. This being so, the whole question turns on this point, as to how much of man, or what part of man, committed the sin.

All that sinned must die. Recognizing the fact that man is constituted of parts, we cannot say that a part of  him sinned, and a part did not sin. 

While it is true that the wages of sin is death, it cannot be true that the real man, the truly responsible part of man, does not die.

If any part escapes the penalty, it ought to be that part which is the least responsible. But the Scriptures do not countenance such a theory. They, indeed, teach that man is constituted of different parts, but it takes the different parts to constitute the man. The man-the whole man-was involved in the sin, in the fall, and the whole man must suffer the penalty. 

No other doctrine than this is consistent with the scriptures we have quoted. In death there is no remembrance of God, no thanksgiving to Him. Death is the land of darkness and forgetfulness. In sheol there is no device, no knowledge, no affections. When man dies, his thoughts perish. All this we have read in plain terms in the Bible, and we must either believe it or deny it. Which will we do? 

It is this fact which makes the doctrine of the resurrection of such immense importance. Says Paul: "But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain; . . . for if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor. 15:13-19.

Here it is plainly shown that without a resurrection we have no hope beyond this life; and, with out a resurrection, they who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. This is not according to the most popular view, that the dead are already in glory, which makes their salvation and happiness independent of the resurrection.

And again the apostle says, in verse 32:- "If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what doth it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die."

On this text Dr. Clarke makes a very appropriate and truthful comment, as follows:- "What the apostle says here is a regular and legitimate conclusion from the doctrine that there is no resurrection; for if there be no resurrection, then there can be no judgment-no future state or rewards and punishments; why, therefore, should we bear crosses, and keep ourselves under continual discipline? Let us eat and drink, take all the pleasure we can, for tomorrow we die; and that is the end of us forever." In this Dr. Clarke is quite correct. It is, indeed, the legitimate conclusion from the doctrine that there is no resurrection, but it is not the legitimate conclusion from that doctrine according to the more popular view that the dead are already saved in heaven, and glorified without the resurrection. According to the Scriptures man is truly in prison.

Angels: Their Nature and Ministry-  (Excerpt - for continuing study) Revised by J.H. Waggoner.  1891 by Pacific Press Publishing Co.)