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. 

Your Heavenly Trial.

I hope you are not waiting for our Savior to return to be judged by Him. I hope you don't believe you will come face to face with God, with Jesus there as your advocate as if standing in a court of law, God the judge, Jesus your lawyer, you the accused. This isn't going to be how it happens and if you think it is you need to study the word of God right now so you're not caught unaware having been waiting for your court date which will never occur.

Is Jesus our Advocate? Yes. Are we going to be judged by God? Yes. Will you be in a court setting able to plead your case? No. 

We are accused. We need a lawyer/advocate. We will be tried. We will be judged. 

We are not only accused, we are guilty. Our advocate pleads on our behalf, but not pleading our worthiness in the slightest. In fact, our advocate admits outright that we are guilty, and then He asks the judge to let Him stand in our place. Our advocate points to the sacrifice of His own sinless life on our behalf. Our advocate shows where He paid for our personal sins, each and every one. The judge accepts the sacrifice and allows that our advocate took our sins upon Himself and paid their price for us.

We do not know when our trial is because it takes place as we live. When we die, our probation period is over- we've no more opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as our Advocate.  We accepted Him before our death, or we did not. While we live we must accept Jesus as our Savior, our Advocate, only then will we be sure when our trial takes place we are covered by His sacrifice, guilty, yet forgiven! 

When will your trial happen? When will mine? For all we know in the blink of an eye right before Jesus stands up and His work as our advocate is over, before He takes on the crown of King, our trial will occur. We don't know. Just as we don't know if we will die before then. We live our lives without this knowledge for a reason.

Just imagine if you knew when you would be judged for your eternal life. How many people would live their lives very differently. How many would live dangerously until their trial date drew close? How many would live dangerously after their trial? Do you see the preposterous nature of us knowing? There would be no genuine truth, no life lived for love, but constantly for self first. We don't know. We must choose to live in love, to live in Christ and His love4reytg. Our lives now are being molded for heaven. How we live now, how we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit now, is how we will be later. Our spirit with the Holy Spirit, this is our hope. 

All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever, AMEN!!!!!!!

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CHAPTER XIV. THE HOUR OF JUDGMENT

In his sermon at Athens, the apostle Paul said that God "hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained." Acts 17:31. 

According to this, there was a time appointed for the judgment,--a definite day when it would come. 

In Rev. 14:6, 7, the hour of judgment is announced by an angel, of whom the prophet thus speaks:--

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

In regard to this, we notice:--

1. The importance of the message. It is called the everlasting gospel. Being a part of the gospel, whenever it is given it must be heeded. But it has been asked, How can a proclamation of the judgment be any part of the gospel? 

To this we offer two answers: 

1. Every dispensation of God is gracious toward his people. But that which is gracious to the righteous may be everlasting ruin to the wicked. The Scripture says that when Noah and his family went into the ark, "the Lord shut him in." Gen. 7:16. This assured the perfect safety of Noah; but when the Lord shut him in, by the same act he shut all the others out. The psalmist praised him who "overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for his mercy endureth forever." Ps. 136:15. It was no mercy to Pharaoh and his host; they had forfeited the mercy of God. But it was mercy to the Lord's people; it was necessary to rescue them, if their enemies were destroyed. And so, without the judgment, God's people would never receive their reward. 

2. The question is more fully answered by showing the order and nature of the judgment. It is in truth a part of the gospel--necessary to the perfect fulfillment of the purposes and promises of God. The gospel is revealed in Isa. 61:1, 2. These verses read as follows:--  The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn." In Luke 4:16-21, we read that Jesus came to Nazareth, "and as his custom

was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath-day, and stood up for to read." Opening the book of Isaiah, he began to read chapter 61, as quoted above, and read as far as to this sentence, "to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord," and there abruptly stopped. Had he read the next sentence,--"and the day of vengeance of our God,"--he could not have said, as he did in verse 21, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears," because the time had not yet come to proclaim the judgment. But by this we learn that the proclamation of the judgment is a part of the gospel--but a part that was not yet fulfilled in the time of our Saviour's preaching. The apostles of the Lord took up the proclamation just as he gave it at Nazareth. Paul said, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6:2. But to Felix he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come--not is come. Acts 24:25. The preaching of the hour of judgment is come, was necessarily reserved to the last days, when the coming of Christ is near. It has been seen, by the prophecy of the beast with two horns (Rev. 13:11-18), that we are in the last days, and that the last message, given just before Christ comes to reap the harvest of the earth, is based on the facts that are now transpiring. 

The question then naturally arises, Has the first message, of Rev. 14:6, 7, been given? Has a proclamation been made to the world of the nature of this judgment-hour cry. It surely has; a message in this very language was proclaimed to all the world between the years 1836 and 1844. It was very extensively preached in Europe and America, and also in Asia. Publications were sent to every missionary station on the globe. Those who preached it fully believed that it was a precursor of the coming of the Lord, as it really was. Yet they did not understand the nature of the messages connected with it, and immediately following it. This message of Rev. 14:6, 7 is a message of time. It was preached as a message of time by those who proclaimed it. It is true, they overlooked the

connection, and were therefore mistaken in the events that should succeed their work. But that mistake was altogether owing to the fact that they had wrong views of the nature of the judgment itself--the very same views that are even now held by the great majority of Bible readers. It is generally believed that the judgment does not take place until the Lord comes. But a reading of this chapter must convince everyone that that idea is not correct. 

Four events are presented in this chapter, which stand in this order: 

1. The declaration that the judgment is come.

2. The cry that Babylon is fallen. 

3. The warning against the worship of the beast and his image, called the Third Angel's Message. 

4. The coming of the Lord to reap the harvest of the earth. 

This shows that the judgment comes while men are yet here on probation, and that the proclamation of its coming must be made before time closes, that men may prepare for the time when Jesus shall close his priestly work of intercession. The common view that the judgment cannot begin until after Christ comes is certainly incorrect. 

In 1 Cor. 15:42-54, it is shown that the righteous are immortalized in the resurrection. They are raised incorruptible, glorified. In the very event of the resurrection, at the sounding of the trump of God, the change from mortal to immortal takes place, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This refers to the righteous, for they alone have part in the first resurrection. Rev. 20:4-6 says the blessed and holy have part in the first resurrection; but the rest of the dead will not live again for the space of a thousand years. Now, inasmuch as the gift of God through Christ is eternal life, and Jesus brought immortality to light through the gospel, it is absurd to suppose that these blessings will be conferred before the judgment. It is surely absurd to suppose that the great boon of immortality and eternal life would be conferred on the saints of God, and that afterward they should stand to be judged. Again, Christ is specially the advocate of his people, and it is unreasonable to suppose that he would cease his work as an advocate, an intercessor, a priest, before the decision of the judgment was rendered, and leave them to pass through the ordeal of that awful event without a priest, without an advocate. Revelation 14 proves clearly that the judgment precedes the coming of Christ and the resurrection; and the resurrection of the righteous to glory and immortality is proof that the judgment has been fully decided in their favor, while the fact that the rest of the dead remain in their graves during the one thousand years, the fact that they are not raised when the righteous are, is sufficient proof that their cases have been decided against them. They have already been counted unworthy of eternal life, and will be raised to the resurrection of damnation to suffer the second death.

This again is strongly confirmed by Rev. 22:11, 12. At a certain time the Saviour will proclaim:--

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be."

This gives the same order; every case is decided and fixed before the Lord Jesus comes to reward everyone according to his work. As far as the righteous are concerned, the judgment is fully completed before the Lord comes. But not so with the wicked; they are rejected as being unworthy of eternal life; but what shall be the measure of the punishment of each individual--whether with few or many stripes--will be decided by Christ and the saints, during the thousand years in which the unrighteous remain in the graves.  Compare Rev. 20:2-6; 1 Cor. 4:5; 6:1-3. 

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

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. 

1Co 4:5  Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God. 

1Co 6:1  Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 

1Co 6:2  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 

1Co 6:3  Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

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!

The Dead Are Dust.

 We all know people who have died. '… for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' Gen. 3:19 (GOD SAYS THE DEAD ARE DUST because man was made from dust to begin with.) 'And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground…' Gen. 2:7 The Bible also tells us the following about those sleeping in the dust of the earth (the dead) -'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.' Dan. 12:2 Everlasting life or everlasting contempt.

Obviously those who are sleeping in the dust are dead people, those who have returned to the dust they were created from. They sleep in the dust, sleep until they are awakened once more.  If you sleep, you wake from sleeping having only known the time before you fell asleep, not what has occurred while you were sleeping. Many people have woken up to amazing news of things that have happened while they slept. Good things and bad things occur while we sleep, but while we are sleeping we don't know they are occurring. 

When all our dead loved ones wake from their sleep in the dust they are waking up to the reality of eternal life or eternal death. They will have one or the other. This is truth. Until that moment they are woken up they know nothing. Thousands of years could have passed from the moment of one's death and they won't have known that, and it won't have mattered. It won't be as if they are waking up to live in our modern world -they are waking up to rise to meet their LORD in the air! They are rising to go to their heavenly home!  Some might think they rise to their heavenly home upon their death - a lie perpetrated by Satan to deceive. The truth is they are rising some of them thousands, some hundreds of years after they died.  The Bible tells us this- Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:  Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.   

They without us are not made perfect and this is talking even of Abraham! Abraham will rise on the same day as anyone else who has died in the Lord. They will rise together, they will be made perfect together, they will receive their heavenly home together! There will be no mourning not having gone to heaven right upon their death some thousand, hundred, ten, a single year ago, because to them they have… they fell into death's sleep and then woke to heaven's reward, unaware of all the time in between the two facts! They've had NO concept of time passing, none! What a wondrous mystery this all is. The revelation of what death is can bring us such comfort! Comfort knowing our loved ones are truly at peace! They aren't up in heaven looking down on us as we suffer their passing. How terrible that would be. A mother in heaven having to watch her children suffer emotional agony when she dies. Maybe having to watch them be separated and placed into foster care and not good foster homes- we know there are many horror stories of terrible foster homes. Yet, people want to imagine everyone just going on to heaven upon their death, able to witness all the agonies of life below on earth. That is monstrous! That is sadistic That is such a horrific imagining, not the comforting that people have lulled themselves into believing, as Satan has spun his death's lullaby to seduce millions and millions into believing lies not truth. So many say they are comforted knowing their loved one is in heaven, a better place, a peace, not suffering, and they are there with full knowledge of the loved ones below missing them, longing for them, still loving them. How could we ever wish that upon our loved ones?! How cruel are we to want them to know of our agonies here on earth living through all the many ups and downs life throws our way. How cruel to believe our loved ones watch every single moment of our lives below, that is NOT anyone's idea of heaven or rather is should not be anyone's idea of heaven. The sad truth is, that is millions of peoples idea of heaven. God please, open the hearts and minds to truth, Your amazing truth! Please! We want only Your truth to live by!

All through the name of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST 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.

Rev. 1:7 says, "Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they which pierced him." I do not know of any construction of this text which  makes its fulfillment possible without a resurrection of them that pierced him. 

Other scriptures which speak of "all" in such relation are evaded with the declaration that they only refer to all then living. But this text clearly points to his crucifiers, who shall see him at a future time, and of course must have a resurrection. 

Another positive testimony on the resurrection of the unjust is found in Rev. 20; not in a single verse only, but in the harmony of the entire chapter. The first evidence is found in verse 5. After stating that they who had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, lived and reigned, it says: "But the rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished." This is equivalent to a direct statement that they shall live again after the thousand years are finished.

Again, it is said of the re-living of the righteous: "This is the first resurrection." This implies that there will be a second resurrection; and, taken in connection with the previous statement and others in the chapter, it amounts to a certain affirmation that there will be a second resurrection. Again, it not only speaks of a first resurrection, and of the rest of the dead who do not live again until after a certain period, but also of "the second death" that has no power over those who are raised in the first resurrection; therefore, there will be a second death which will have power on them who have their part in the second resurrection. And this is confirmed by verses 14 and 15: "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." This is declared to be the second death. And also by chap. 2:11: "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Three points are proved by this text. 1. There will be a second death. 2. Some will be subject to its power. 3. They will be hurt of it. And thus it appears that if we set aside Rev. 20, on the

subject of the second death, we must set aside chap. 2, also. 

And again, "death and hades delivered up the dead which were in them;" "and whosoever"-of whom? Of them that were delivered up of death and hades-"was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." This is the second death. But it is objected, if death delivered up all the dead, there was then no dead. This has only a degree of technical plausibility; in fact, there is no reason in it. Death is not destroyed while there is a sinner in existence; for the wages of sin is death, and while a sinner exists, death is ever ready to claim its own. But, on the other hand, it is a fact that when death delivers up the dead which are in it, they are not thenceforth dead until death receives them again. Death cannot deliver them up and they still remain dead. But when death receives them again in the lake of fire, which is to them the second death, then it is said that death and hades are also cast therein. For, from that time onward, even to eternity, there are no more subjects for death to prey upon. The work of death ends with the utter destruction of the wicked in the lake of fire. Now in regard to the objection that this is the only scripture that speaks of the second death, I remark that one plain declaration of Scripture is sufficient for those that "tremble at the word;" and this is in perfect harmony with the general tenor of the Scriptures, which largely bring to view a future judgment of "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, to every soul of man that doeth evil;" also there are numerous texts which plainly speak of the same things revealed in Rev. 20. A few I will notice.

John the Baptist compared the wicked to chaff, and said they should be burned up with unquenchable fire. Rev. 20 confirms this statement, and gives the time and order of the event. Mal. 4:1, 3, also speaks of the same day, when "all the proud and all that do wickedly shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall burn them up." There is nothing in Rev. 20 that is not taught here, either directly or indirectly. Directly, in that it says all the wicked shall be burned up in the day that cometh, that is in the coming or future judgment day. Indirectly, in that if all that do wickedly are burned up in that day they must have a resurrection to meet that fate. Many other declarations in the prophecies and Psalms are similar to this.  2 Pet. 3; 7-10 says the heavens and earth which are now are reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men; and in that day the fire shall melt the elements and the earth. This is not figurative language. It agrees with Malachi, and embraces all that is found in Rev. 20. The earth is melted-becomes a lake of fire; it is in "the day of judgment" unto which the unjust are "reserved;" it is the day of perdition of the ungodly, because in that day, and in that lake of fire, they shall be burned up, root and branch-devoured. This destruction in the lake of fire is the second death: the only death to which their probation related; and to fulfill all and any of these scriptures a resurrection of the unjust is necessary. Paul identifies this day of judgment as "the day of wrath," in which "every soul of man that doeth evil" shall suffer "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish." Rom. 2:5-9. And Job, using the same language that Peter afterward used on the same subject, said, "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction," and also, "they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." Job 21:30. Language could not more forcibly express the doctrine of Rev. 20. 2 Thess. 1:9 says the wicked "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." Not, as it has been often quoted, "banished" from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, the possibility of which I cannot conceive; but punished with everlasting destruction, which destruction comes from the presence of the Lord. This destruction is by fire, as scores of texts clearly prove. Rev. 20:9, says the same thing. "Fire"-the agent of this destruction-"came down from God out of heaven and devoured them;" destroyed them; burned them up, root and branch. David says they shall consume away into smoke as the fat of lambs. Ps. 37:20. And thus from the glorious presence of the Lord their destruction comes down. And in regard to that class embraced in "the rest of the dead," Rev. 20:5, in distinction from the blessed and holy, verse 6, and on whom the second death is said to have power, the Saviour said of them, as evil-doers, they shall come forth from the graves to the resurrection of damnation. Paul said of them, there shall be a resurrection of the unjust; and the angel spoke to Daniel of them who sleep in the dust of the earth who shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt.

To Be Continued…

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

State of the Dead

Do you have questions about the state of the dead, or are you sure on your position, so sure you would risk your eternal life upon your belief? Before you answer a quick yes, tell me one thing… can you back your beliefs by irrefutable Biblical fact? Or are your beliefs simply the beliefs of your religion, the beliefs of your father and mother, beliefs inherited. Have you taken your beliefs and had them reinforced by Biblical truth? Not just a verse here and there, but several verses. Not just a parable twisted to mimic a desired reality, a cherished tradition. But a deep dive into proper translations, into the semantics of it all. Not taking the easy way out by believing what you are told. You might not know Hebrew, or Greek, you may not be familiar with the many translations of the Bible, but this shouldn't stop you from being able and willing to learn from others who know- who have made this kind of studying their life's work. Not just a single Biblical scholar but use several. Go to the many Bible commentaries, dictionaries, histories. You have the resources at your fingertips. Most importantly, if you should chose to undergo this sort of study- one that may impact your eternal life, PRAY! Pray that truth and truth only is revealed to you! Pray that any misconceptions no matter how deep rooted are done away with. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide, your only guide. If you want a superficial walk with Christ, that's what you'll have. If you want truth then go beneath the surface - be willing to take something you believe and hold it up to the scrutiny of the word of God!

May the Lord Jesus Christ guide you in all ways, in all things, giving you forgiveness, salvation, eternal life in Him! 

(The following excerpt isn't the beginning of a study on the state of the dead…it's a continuing study on Angels- if you truly desire to study the state of the dead go here… )

https://sites.google.com/site/whostosaywereright2/Home/immortality-of-the-soul-is-it-a-scriptural-doctrine

(Excerpt)

THE JUDGMENT OF THE WICKED

We have seen that the righteous dead are raised from the grave, and the righteous living changed, and all taken to heaven, when Jesus comes. The wicked are slain upon the earth at that time. In Rev. 19:1-10 the saints are seen in heaven, just delivered, singing songs of praise, and partaking of the marriage supper of the Lamb. Verses 11-21 relate the destruction of the nations. The first three verses of chapter 20 say that an angel comes down from heaven, binds Satan, and casts him into the abyss, there to remain one thousand years. Having thus disposed of the wicked and of the devil for a thousand years, John again turns his attention to the saints, and reveals their occupation during this thousand years: 

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived

not again until the thousand years were finished." 

Then there are two resurrections, and they are one thousand years apart. Verse 6 says they are blessed and holy that have part in the first resurrection, and of course they who have part in the second resurrection are the wicked. They are dead and in their graves during the thousand years, but they will live again when the thousand years are finished. Thus we see that the first resurrection, that of the righteous, takes place at the beginning of the thousand years, and the second, that of the wicked, at the end of that time. Rev. 20:1-6.

Of the righteous John says that judgment was given unto them, and that they reigned with Christ a thousand years. What judgment is to be given to them?-It is the judgment of the wicked, an examination of their cases, for the saints are to judge the wicked, and also the fallen angels. Says Paul: "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?" 1 Cor. 6:2, 3. This testimony is very plain and direct, and proves that the judgment of which he speaks is not a judgment in this life. Again he says: "Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts." 1 Cor. 4:5.

When the Lord comes, all secrets will be laid open, and the saints will unite in judging the world; for then they will be perfected and will know as they are now known. 1 Cor. 13:9-12. Daniel speaks to the same effect. He says: "I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High." Dan. 7:21, 22. By all this we see that the saints are in heaven during the thousand years, judging the wicked who have not had a resurrection. All the deeds of the wicked are written in books; these books are opened before God, and they are judged by what is found written in the books. Rev. 20:12. During the thousand years the saints will have access to these records, from which they can see and know what is the just desert of each one of the lost. They will unite with Christ in the judgment and condemnation of the wicked. At the end of this time, Christ and all

the saints will come down to the earth. Jesus will stand upon the Mount of Olives, from which he ascended, and the mountain will part asunder and become a great plain. Zech. 14:4, 5. The holy city comes down and rests upon this plain. The wicked, being raised, are gathered by Satan around the city. Seeing what he has lost, and seeing those over whom he has often triumphed enjoying that glory with the Son of God, rage inflames his heart, and he leads his deceived ones up to the city in battle array. Vain effort! Then the judgment written will be executed upon Satan and all his hosts. Says Jude: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that

are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." Verses 14, 15.

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

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.)

Evil Reality.

 We don't believe it's real. We don't  know anyone who is affected in this way, not personally. We see sensationalized, fictional movies, and read fiction best sellers with this content- but they are just made up stories meant to excite your imagination with something that is harmless, not reality at all. We glorified the subject and make it into weekly tv series, or mini-series on our streaming networks, and we just don't think too much of it all because it's  just not real. Plain and simple it doesn't really exist so we can toy with the subject all we want, in any way we want to. A long running television series pitted demons, angels-good and bad, men and woman affected by them, those fighting against all the evil and this series lasted for a long, long, very long fifteen years. That show ended but there are still many new show out there with the same type of premise- different names, different actors, different scenarios but same bottom line theme underneath all the glitter and makeup. 

Evil in the form of demons, in the form of a real presence of Satan- just doesn't truly exist for the majority of people. The reality has been fictionalized away so very much the truth of it all is lost. We'd sooner sit down and watch these stories of make believe than contemplate any truth of evil. We'd be laughed at if we suggested anything remotely portrayed in these shows could be real. It's harmless so long as we know it's not real, or so that's what we've been made to believe. 

How do we imagine the REAL Satan looks at all these evil themed shows. You say as long as the good has defeated the evil that they are okay, so he can't like the shows because he doesn't want evil defeated? That's possible. Good vs evil… with good winning- this is what we desire.

A Christian wants this very thing in REALITY. God has defeated Satan, only Satan isn't done filling his coffers with followers, and God isn't done preparing places for his saints.  THERE will come a day- we don't know when- but there will come a day when God will declared the cup filled and it cannot be filled any further- evil has gone as far as it will ever go. All those that are God's are sealed as such, and all those that are Satan's are marked as such- and all that remains is for the last horrors of evil's reality to arise and God's sealed will suffer greatly and then….Our Savior Jesus Christ Our LORD will return, calling all His saints, all the sealed to Him.

Reality. There is a lot of reality mixed up with fiction and Satan wants us to be desensitized to the evil and he's done a very good job of that. Do you ever find yourself rooting for the demon side over good? Do you ever just love the supposed good, moral upstanding demons fighting against bad ones? Are you ever happy watching monsters wreak havoc because, they are good monsters? Desensitized to evil, so that we call evil good- and mean evil is harmless when it is anything but.

What a world we live in. What tragic times. Will God find faith on earth when He returns?

Luk_18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 

Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

To ENDURE means having something you need to endure.  This world is corrupted and the disguises once worn by evil have been removed so that they are believed to be good, accepted as good, believe to be good, and truly appear to be good to all who look upon them. Enduring to the end, enduring the deception that overcomes all but the very elect. Praying to be among those who endure, to be one of the very elect this is what we must do.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

2Th 2:9  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 

2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 

2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

May we believe ONLY TRUTH!

May we ENDURE to the END!

All through the power of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST! 

Please Father in Heaven, please almighty God to whom we give all glory and honor, all praise and thanksgiving, please, keep us from all the evil of this world, let us belong to our Savior now and always! Please, this is our prayer, this is our plea!  All in the name of Jesus Christ, now and forever! AMEN!

(Excerpt)

POSSESSED WITH DEMONS

We use the term "demons" because it is the language of the Scriptures; to conform to the language and the facts of the Bible we keep up the distinction between the devil, or Satan, and the demons, the fallen angels, who are under his control. Those who were possessed with demons acted strangely. Sometimes they were exceeding fierce (Matt. 8:28); no man could bind them, no, not with chains; they dwelt among the tombs (Mark 5:3, 4); they would cry out and cut themselves

(verse 5); they would throw themselves into the fire and into the water (Matt. 17:15); they knew Jesus and cried out that he was the Son of God (Luke 8:28, etc.). It is expressly said that these persons were possessed with demons; that the demons had entered into them. And it is manifest that the devil had in some way gained possession, or control, of these persons, so that he and his angels acted through them, and made them act just as he pleased. All their actions were attributed directly to the devil, or to demons, and not to themselves. Mark 9:17-26.

It is well known that there is such a thing as mesmerism, or hypnotism, by which one person of strong nerves and a strong will can so control another of weaker nerves and will as to gain entire possession of him, body and mind. Then the mesmerizer can put his own thoughts into the mind of his victim, and make him speak and act just as he pleases. In short, the person so mesmerized

becomes the passive agent, or medium, of the person who has mesmerized him. And so it is with persons possessed with demons. They have allowed Satan to mesmerize them until he has gained complete control over them, mind and body. Then he and the demons use them as mediums through whom to speak and act.

Modern Spiritualism, the work of spirit mediums, is nothing more nor less than this. The spirits magnetize the mediums, and thus gain control of their organs, and then speak through them.

Judge Edmonds, a noted believer in Spiritualism, speaking of a manifestation through Dr. Dexter, medium, said:- "It was conducted throughout with unusual, and, indeed, unknown violence. He [the spirit] took entire possession of the doctor, not merely his arm."

Professor Brittan, another Spiritualist, says:- "We may further add, in this connection, that the trance mediums for spirit intercourse are equally irresponsible. Many of them are totally unable to resist the powers which come to them from the invisible and unknown realms."-  Telegraph's Answer to Mahan, p. 10. In many cases the spirits treat their mediums just as they did those possessed in the days of Jesus. Here is an example given by Dr. Gridly. Of a Medium he says:-

"These spirits would pinch and pound him, twitch him up and throw him down, yell and blaspheme. They forbade his eating, to the very point of starvation. He was a perfect skeleton; they compelled him to walk day and night, with intermissions, to be sure, as their avowed object was to torment him as much and as long as possible."-Astounding Facts from the Spirit World, pp. 253, 254. Compare this with Luke 8:26-30, and it will be seen that the possessions are identical in nature. There is not a particle of difference between the Satanic possessions in the days of Christ and the spirit control of the present time. When once the demons got control of them, the persons possessed had no power to free themselves from their influence. But Jesus had power over these spirits, and He gave the same power to His disciples, through faith in His name. And at the

present time, the mediums become helpless in the hands of the demons. But they can get no control over those who resist them steadfast in the faith of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 5:8, 9; James

4:7, 8; Eph. 6:10, 11.

Spiritualists themselves assure us that each medium has an attendant spirit, which appears at every call, and can personate any for whom inquiry is made. This gives opportunity for any amount of deception, and it is identical with the doctrine of familiar spirits, so often mentioned in the Scriptures. But consulting familiar spirits was strictly forbidden, the Lord declaring that it was an

abomination to Him. The spirits are demons of darkness, and consulting them leads away from God and from His revealed truth.

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

Satan- The God of This World (2 Cor. 4:4)

 (Excerpt)

(Satan-) HE GAINS POSSESSION OF THE EARTH

Satan, having lost his place in heaven, seemed to have been inspired with the determination to do all the mischief that he could. Man had been created and put in possession of the earth: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." Gen. 1:26. "The heaven, even the heavens, are the the Lord's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men." Ps.115:16. God made man to possess and rule over the earth. It was his to occupy and enjoy. He himself was made of the earth; his destiny was linked with that of the earth. Satan, as the result shows, had a design upon both man and his possession.

Did Satan have anything to do with the fall of man? The Scriptures plainly show that he did. In Rev. 12:9 the prophet speaks of "that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world." If he deceiveth the whole world, he must have deceived our parents in the beginning. John says: "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." 1 John 3:8. In verse 12 he says that Cain "was of that wicked one, and slew his brother."

Then that wicked one was in the world in the days of Cain, and instigated him to kill his brother. "That old serpent" which deceiveth the whole world, deceived Eve. He lied to her, and made her believe that it was for her good to eat of the fruit that they were commanded not to eat. Says Paul, "The woman being deceived was in the transgression." 1 Tim. 2:14. She did not do this deed willfully, but she was deceived. "And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." Gen. 3:13. To argue that it was simply the reptile that did all this is absurd. But when we understand that Satan was there with all his cunning, and used the serpent as his medium to deceive Eve, all is rational and harmonious. And this shows the truthfulness of the saying of Jesus, that the devil was a liar from the beginning. ((Our beginning))

We must not lose sight of the fact that God did not bestow upon man unlimited control of the earth. He did not resign his own right and authority as proprietor of the earth, but constituted man ruler under his directions. Man was the creature, the servant of God. He was appointed to subdue the earth and bring it all into the condition of the garden of Eden. Gen. 1:28; 2:8. God was his Benefactor, his Counselor, his Sovereign. He crowned man with glory and honor (Ps. 8:3-8), and gave him a right to the tree of life (Gen. 2:9, 16, 17). This was given to perpetuate his life, that he might live forever. Gen. 3:22, 23. Notice what man lost by his transgression:-

1. He lost his life. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." "For the wages of sin is death." Rorn. 5:12; 6:23. Death came as the result of sin. If man had not sinned, he would have lived forever. "And the Lord God said, . . . and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden." Gen. 3:22, 23.

The loss of life involves the loss of everything. We may lose many things in life, but when our life is lost, we have no more to lose. Life is the greatest of all gifts and blessings, for all other blessings are comprised in it and dependent upon it. In giving Adam the tree of life in the garden in which he was placed, God made provision for the perpetuation of his life; he might "eat and live forever," By sinning he lost this privilege. 

2. He lost his dominion over the earth. Adam and his posterity did not retain that dominion which was given to him in the beginning. In the beginning every beast, and the fowls, and the fishes, were under his sway. After the fall they became wild, and in many cases became the enemies and destroyers of man. And man became the enemy of his fellow-man. Discord and strife seemed to enter into the hearts of all creatures. Everything became changed from the original arrangement. And the Lord placed a curse upon the earth-upon the dominion which he had given to man. Instead of flowers and pleasant fruits, thorns and thistles sprang up spontaneously, to add to his cares and sorrows. Why was this? In order that we may understand why a curse was placed upon the earth, we raise the inquiry, When man sinned, did the Lord God take back to himself the dominion which he had bestowed upon him? It is true, as was said, that when man sinned he lost everything, but did the Lord withdraw the dominion that he had given him? We do not read that he did. Indeed, we do not believe that he would have put it under a curse if he had taken back to himself all the right with which he had invested man at the beginning. What, then, was the exact nature of the change that took place? Let us examine some facts presented in the New Testament. We have seen that man, in the beginning, turned from his kind Creator, disobeyed His direct commandment, believed the falsehoods of his enemy, and did just what Satan wished him to do. The woman was beguiled to disobey, and the man joined her in disobedience. Now hear the testimony of the Scriptures: 

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey?" Rom. 6:16.

Again: "For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." 2 Peter 2:19. 

They obeyed Satan and became his servants; they were overcome by him, and therefore they were his bond servants. He was the means of their losing their lives, for he had the power of death. Heb. 2:14. When they died, they went into sheol, "the land of the enemy." Jer. 31:15, 16; 1 Cor. 15:26. And he was surely the means of their losing the dominion of the earth, for it was lost by sin. It is evident that Satan gained dominion over man and over the earth; that man, in becoming the bond servant of Satan, let his dominion pass into the hands of his new master. The Lord did not at once destroy Satan for his sin, nor did He at once execute the sentence of death upon man, nor did He take back from the usurper the dominion that was given to Adam, of which he had been defrauded, but He put a curse upon it, and reserved further changes till after the judgment shall pass upon all offenses-until the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. Here we will notice again some of the titles that are applied to Satan. He is called "the God of this world." 2 Cor. 4:4. Jesus Himself calls him "the prince of the world." John 14:30. Paul, speaking of the foes with whom we have to contend, says: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world." Eph. 6:12.

Is it indeed so that Satan is the god, the prince, the ruler of this world? So the Scriptures surely teach. And we have yet more testimony to the same point, and if possible more decisive. Consider the temptation of the Saviour. His adversary is called the tempter, and the devil, but Jesus addressed him as Satan. The devil is a title, but Satan is a proper name. It was not an imaginary being that tempted Him, nor was it the mere impressions or imaginations of His own mind, or the promptings of His passions. All such theories and speculations are but the suggestions of the enemy himself; to enable him to conceal his person and his character. Jesus, having fasted forty days, became hungry. The devil said to Him, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." The tempter appealed to His appetite, made keen by His long fasting, and challenged Him to prove that He was the Son of God. But Jesus refused to gratify his caviling spirit, giving us an example, that we should not bow to the suggestions of Satan, either to meet our own wants or to prove our calling of God. Our relationship to our Heavenly Father should be borne in humility, giving no place to spiritual pride. Jesus quoted that scripture which leads to dependence upon the word of God. But Satan was not to be baffled thus; he, too, quoted the Scripture. But in this another lesson is given us,-not to believe everyone who quotes the Scriptures. Satan quoted the Scriptures correctly, but he misapplied them. The text he quoted has no reference to such an occasion. By reading Psalms 91, anyone can see that it refers to the future time of trouble, when the plagues of God's wrath shall be poured out upon the earth. See Revelation 16. But here Jesus met him with a scripture that is of universal application, and applied especially at that time: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." A fitting rebuke to the tempter was contained in these words. Again the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them. A magnificent sight, that has always proved so captivating to the men of this world! "And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine." Matt. 4:1-10; Luke 4:1-13. 

Now it is written that "the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Ps. 37:11; Matt. 5:5. But they can never delight themselves in the abundance of peace in the present sinful state of the world. Jesus said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation." Great changes must take place before Ps. 37:11 can be fulfilled. "The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth," but not until the curse is removed, and the design of the original gift to Adam is fulfilled. The promise that he should be the heir of the world was made to Abraham and his seed (Gen. 12:1-7, etc.; Rom. 4:13); and that seed was Christ (Gal. 3:16); and the heir is to be the Redeemer of both man and his inheritance, according to the Scriptures. But redemption could only be wrought by the power of His blood; His life was the precious price He was to pay to purchase man from his bondage. But Satan set before Him an easier method of getting possession of the dominion. It had been committed to him, and he gave it to whomsoever he would, and he would give it to Jesus if He would bow down to him. But many make this reply: Satan told a falsehood; he had nothing to give; nothing had been committed to him; neither the kingdoms of the world nor the glory of them were in his power. But if that was so, the Saviour surely knew it. And if He knew that the devil possessed nothing-that he had no power to confer any dominion or glory-then wherein was He tempted? If Satan had them to give, if Jesus could have obtained the dominion of the earth without the dreadful alternative of dying, it would surely be a temptation. If He knew that Satan had no power to fulfill his promise, that his words were an idle boast, there could not possibly be any temptation in the case. But the sacred record sets it down as a temptation, and we believe that it was. To Adam it was given in the beginning; Satan obtained supremacy over man; he took all the title that Adam held, which was but a limited power. The possessor of that power could go no further than God sees fit to permit. By overcoming man, Satan became the prince, or god, of this world.

And this is yet more clearly proved in Rev. 11:14-18. The third woe comes upon the earth when the seventh angel's trumpet is sounded. This is the last of the trumpets, and closes up this dispensation. Under this trumpet it is said: "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ." We are accustomed to recognize the Scripture fact that the Father is to bestow the dominion, the kingdom, upon his Son, Jesus Christ. But this text shows that they become the kingdoms of our Lord, as well as of His Christ. Again, the elders, worshiping him who sits upon the throne, say: "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned." The next verse shows that this is when the time has come to judge the dead and to give reward to all the servants of God. What power but that once conferred upon Adam could the great God take to Himself, and give to His Christ, just before the close of this dispensation? How can the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, except by our Lord dispossessing the great usurper, and taking back to Himself the dominion of the earth? Then He confers it upon the second Adam, who redeems it, removes the curse, and restores man to his own inheritance; in a word, recovers from the enemy all that was lost by the first Adam.

In regard to the present condition of the world, John says: "And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." 1 John 5:19. On this text Dr. Adam Clarke comments as follows:-  

"Lieth in the wicked one,-is embraced in the arms of the devil, where it lies fast asleep, and carnally secure, deriving its heat and power from its infernal fosterer. What a truly awful state! And do not the actions, the tempers, propensities, opinions, and maxims of all worldly men prove and illustrate this? 'In this short expression,' says Mr. Wesley, 'the horrible state of the world is painted in the most lively colors, a comment of which we have in the actions, conversations, contracts, quarrels, and friendships of worldly men. Yes, their actions are opposed to the law of God; their conversation, shallow, simulous, and false; their contracts, forced, interested, and deceitful; their quarrels, puerile, ridiculous, and ferocious; and their friendships, hollow, insincere, capricious, and fickle:-all, all the effect of their lying in the arms of the wicked one; for thus they become instinct with his own spirit and because they are of their father, therefore his lusts will they do."

This is a truthful representation of the world in the aggregate. The children of God in this world are so few that they only form an exception to the general rule. They are not of the world, but are chosen out of the world. Of them Jesus said: "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 15:19. This is conclusive proof that the world is now under the control of

Satan, serving him. If God ruled in this world, to be a child of God would be to do as the world does. But the truth is, this whole world is in rebellion against God, and is serving Satan, God's great enemy. Hence James says: "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4. For a season God permits this in His long-suffering and mercy; in His longsuffering He permits the wicked to fill up the cup of their iniquity; in His mercy he delays the judgments until His elect are prepared for an abundant entrance into His everlasting kingdom. Satan accomplished his purpose when he approached the holy pair in Eden: he destroyed their happiness; ruined an almost countless multitude of their posterity; instilled his own spirit into the hearts of their children; spread crime and bloodshed everywhere; and gained to himself a possession on the earth. But he could not foresee that the Son of God, against whom he had rebelled, would even give His life to purchase all to Himself, and work such a triumph over the enemy of all righteousness as would cause every creature in the universe to rejoice in his destruction. When that day comes, may we be of those who shall join in the triumph of the Lamb of God.

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

AMEN. Please, Lord, we would be Yours! Search our hearts and see if there is any wickedness in them and lead us in the way everlasting! Please! Create a clean heart in us! Satan would destroy us and make us his, please…please, keep us from Evil… ALL by JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD AND SAVIOR! ALL THROUGH JESUS' RIGHTEOUSNESS! YOURS IS THE POWER, THE GLORY, THE HONOR, THE PRAISE, THE THANKSGIVING! ALL TO YOU FATHER, ALL TO YOU! AMEN!