We need to read the following and truly comprehend what it is saying, because we are so caught up living the lies of the last days. We are caught up in believing that gain- believing that what we possess or what we think we should possess, is the sum of our lives. Do we have a relatively "good" life? A roof over our heads, food in our bellies, enough creature comforts to keep us content?
These things we possess reek of our well being, yes? We have to be a least marginally successful because we aren't on the street, we aren't among those not knowing where their next meal will come from, we have "things".
How many, many deluded people believe that their good fortune is because God is being good to them BECAUSE they possess godliness, that those who have what we've determined to be bad fortune are on God's bad side- and not in possession of godliness? Too many equate God's goodness and their godliness with what they've gained.
~
1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
We MUST consent to wholesome words.
We MUST consent to the WORDS of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We MUST consent to the DOCTRINE which is according to GODLINESS.
If we do NOT consent to wholesome words, if we do NOT consent to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, if we do NOT consent to the doctrine which is according to godliness then ….
1Ti 6:4 He is proud,
knowing nothing,
but doting about questions and strifes of words,
whereof cometh envy,
strife,
railings,
evil surmisings,
We are PROUD.
We KNOW NOTHING.
We want STRIFE.
We begin to ENVY.
We begin to RAIL.
WE SURMISE EVIL things.
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds,
and destitute of the truth,
supposing that gain is godliness:
from such withdraw thyself.
The PERVERTED disputes of those with corrupted minds are DESTITUE of the TRUTH!
Those with corrupted minds suppose that to have GAIN IS GODLINESS!
We must stay away from these people!
Did you read that? We aren't to associate with those who seek gain, those who seek to be rich, those who seek possessions and believe that because they obtain those things, or others they know have attained those things that THIS is GODLINESS, when in fact it is CORRUPTED thinking! The EVER longing for more, for money, for things of this earth, that painful gnawing desire is a corrupt desire. We can try and talk ourselves around it by saying it's only logical, only natural, only instinctive, only right to desire to have "things", to have money, to possess riches because in them we believe we find security in life. We've equated all those things to security and bemoan the lack of money, the lack of riches to do all the incredibly things we desire to do with money- of we had it. Why I'd buy three new cars that are all up to snuff, safe to drive, without any - or rather with very few defects- just because it's only natural and right to desire to be safe in the vehicles you drive and my two children could use safe vehicles too, yes? So it's NOT wrong to want the cars - even new used cars- is it? I'd love to be able to cloth myself and children in less raggedy clothes and shoes- that's a good thing too, right? I'd just be over the top and thrilled if I didn't have to worry about paying my bills each month- this isn't wrong to want is it?
The bottom line is the safest car, the newer clothing, the bills have NOTHING to do with salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, nothing. They are possessions and not a single possession, not a single earthly possession is godliness.
1Ti 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
Godliness with contentment.
Godliness- reverence and respect toward God, honor and affection for God, obeying God, devotion to God and the service He has called us to- this is GREAT GAIN and where we should find CONTENTMENT!
We could give away all our riches to charity and make a million people thrilled but is that true godliness? Is all giving of God? NO, it is not! Being able to give others what they desire, being able to spoil and give others things they desire, to treat others special by showing our love through gifts, this is not godliness. Am I saying we can't do any of that? No, we can do it all, but we have to realize that being able to give others things isn't where we need to find our contentment, being able to possess things ourselves should not be a source of our contentment. OUR contentment needs to be in GOD! We have to learn this! We must learn this! We are living in a world caught up in upheaval after upheaval as the four winds are being loosened, as the time of Christ's coming is nearing, as the end of all probation is fast on its way and if we do NOT learn to find our contentment in GOD, then we are going to be completely and utterly swept away by the cares of this life. There will be NO escaping it, no way to not be affected by the things coming upon our earth. If you somehow believe that you will be living the same life you are living today- in the ends times and not be caught up in the great compromise with those who receive the mark of the beast, then you are deluding yourselves. The lives of those who are God's, truly God's will be a life that has to find sole contentment in God, because standing for the absolute truth will be going against all popular opinion, against all government opinion, against the opinion of the masses and if you think that will be pleasant and easy then your eyes are closed and you are blind to the truth. We must find contentment in God and in godliness based solely on God's truth- all His truth. We are being warned to place our treasures in heaven not to keep a single treasure here on earth, not one. If our hearts are in heaven then our treasures HAVE to be in heaven with our heart. It seems all but impossible to imagine being content in dire straits, but this is the lesson we must learn as I said just a moment ago.
1Ti 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world,
and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
THIS IS TRUTH!
As the richest man upon the earth is laid in his grave, he has taken NOTHING with Him into that peaceful sleep. He could be clothed in garments of gold and entombed in precious jewels but he has not taken a thing with him into death's sleep, not one thing. When he wakes at the coming of the Lord it will be either to meet Him in the air- without a single earthly possession, or to be killed and enter death's sleep once more, at the brightness of Christ's coming. There is NOT one thing going with us to heaven upon our Savior's return, not one possession. Our love of God will go with us and without that love we will not go.
So while the truth is I'd love to drive safe cars, I'd love to wear decent (not necessarily fashionable) clothes, and I'd simply adore knowing for a fact all my bills will be paid for the rest of my life- not one of those things will contribute a single thing to my salvation through my Lord Jesus Christ, not a single thing.
I've said it before and I'm going to say it again-
EVERYTHING here and now is temporary to eternity, everything except our Love of God.
Our love of God will join us in eternity with God, our Savior, our King, our Lord, our Heavenly Father!
By HIS GRACE!
*******
The doctrine according to godliness.
2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
SCRIPTURE = DOCTRINE
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We must consent to the doctrine of godliness,
not to the belief that godliness is gain.
We must be content with godliness.
By the GRACE OF GOD ALWAYS!
In HIS LOVE!
Amen.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Prophecy -108
The 19th Chapter of Revelation opens with the third interlude (vers. 1-5) of this second section of the book.
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
The first interlude was placed between the description of the work of the "false prophet" and the Three Angels' Messages (14:1-15).
The second interlude was interfaced with the announcement and the carrying out of the Seven Last Plagues. (15:2-5)
Now the final interlude marks the transition from the end of the prophecy concerning the "Harlot," the wife of the dragon-beast, to the call to "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (19:9).
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The basic message of this interlude is praise to God for His judgment on "the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication." (v.2)
There is heard "a voice" which "came out of the throne, saying, 'Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear His name, both small and great."' (ver. 5)
The One in the midst of the throne is the Lamb "as it had been slain" but is "alive for evermore." (5:6; 1:18)
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
He who sent the message on that resurrection morning through Mary Magdalene, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to your God, and my God" (John 20:17) now calls for universal praise to "our God."
He still identifies Himself with the sons of men who look to the One God and Father of us all. He who emptied Himself for the redemption of man now eternalizes the Example set in time that "God may be all in all." (I Cor. 15:28)
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In the prophetic imagery of the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb, because of its brevity (19:6-9), ...
Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
...we should not overlook its momentous significance.
This is one of the seven Beatitudes of the book of Revelation, and is declared to be along with the promise of "making all things new" (21:5), as "the true sayings of God."
Why are these uniquely marked as the "true sayings of God"?
Making "all things new" marks the end of the incident of sin.
The pain and anguish which this interlude of sin has brought to the heart of God is past, all things can become new, and new in a new dimension.
The Lamb has accomplished His objective to seek and save that which was lost. Now His marriage is come.
First some details:
One of the angels of the seven last plagues shows John, the wife of the Lamb - "that great city, the holy Jerusalem." (21:9-10)
But as with the "wife" of the dragon-beast, "that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (17:18), people are involved.
While the cities are used symbolically, they are also literal, and made up of people. A marriage supper includes not only the "wife" but also "guests." In this brief call there is "a great multitude," as well as the wife "arrayed in fine linen." (19:6, 8)
God's original plan called for man to be only "a little while inferior to the angels." (Heb. 2:7, margin) Created in the image of God, "designed to be a counterpart of God," a high destiny awaited man. He, however, sinned and fell prey to the dragon's "wrath" and jealousy. Now through the "redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24), not only can man be restored, but a group, designated in Revelation as the 144,000, is to be the "wife" of the Lamb, sharing His throne. Lest we read into the description - "his wife hath made herself ready" - a salvation-by-works theology, we need to recall that "those arrayed in white robes" have "washed" them and "made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (7:13-14)
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
What then could the expression mean - "the fine linen (in which the wife is arrayed) is the righteousness of saints"? Is this the full realization of "imparted righteousness"?
If so, then if we desire to be among that group, should we not study to know exactly what it means - "His wife hath made herself ready"?
What is that "readiness" by which the righteousness of Christ can become ours in a personal possessive sense?
John next sees "heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war." (19:11)
This description and that which follows when Christ rides forth as King of kings and Lord of lords is not only replete with Old Testament imagery of the conquering Christ, but also brings together various symbols used in Revelation itself.
When the Lamb opened the book sealed with seven seals, the first seal revealed "a white horse" with a rider who receiving a bow, and a crown, went forth "conquering and to conquer." (6:2)
There were arrayed against him, the forces of evil - human strife, poverty, pestilences, hunger and death.
A price was paid in this warfare.
John sees "souls under the altar" who cry unto God, "How long, 0 Lord?" (6:10)
When the sixth seal is opened, the signs which would herald the coming response of God are noted. Interjected into the vision is the first introduction of the 144,000, followed by the seventh seal - "silence in heaven."
Now in the final confrontation portrayed in the 19th Chapter, all "the armies in heaven followed Him on white horses." (19:14)
There is silence in heaven, but not so on earth.
"Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. ... And He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." (19:15)
A description of this winepress closed the vision connected with the six angels of Revelation 14. "The vine of the earth" - those whose roots have been of the earth earthly - weeds and tares - face the wrath of Him whom they have rejected that He should not rule over them. He now rules them with a rod of iron, and the sword of His mouth destroys them. (See II Thess. 2:8)
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
The "violence" in the overthrow of "Babylon the great" (18:21), the "wrath of Almighty God" (19:15), and "the wrath of the Lamb" (6:16) produce a "blood-letting" unparalleled in time. (14:20)
The "names" noted in this revelation of the Lamb provoke thought.
He has a personal name engraved on His crowns, that He himself alone knows. (v. 12)
His vesture dipped in blood has inscribed upon it the name, "King of kings, and Lord of lords." (vers. 13, 16)
He is also called the Word of God - the Logos.
Once in the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ speaks as "the Son of God" (2:18). Now as He comes forth to "judge and make war" He returns to His original relationship in the Godhead - "the Logos of God" - He who was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2)
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
The language and thought describing the "conquering" King of kings and Lord of lords is found in Isaiah 63:1-6. A thoughtful reading of these verses reveals the "tension" between what He provided as He tread "the winepress alone" and the judgment upon those who reject this great provision of salvation.
Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Isa 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
As the Word of God rides forth to "judge and make war," He does not come unopposed. "The beast and kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army." (19:19) They had been gathered together by "spirits of devils" to "a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Mo'ed," for "the war (Gr.) of the great day of God Almighty." (16:13-14, 16) The "beast" and "the false prophet" are taken and cast "alive" into "the lake of fire." (Gr. 19:20) Daniel speaks of the "beast" which had "the little horn" as being "given to the burning flame." (7:11)
The problem which arises is that "the lake of fire" in which the dragon and the lost are cast does not come till the close of the Millennium (20:9-10). Must a symbolic meaning be given to its use in 19:20, even as the "beast" and "false prophet" are symbols of Systems? The "lake of fire" represents "total annihilation." Is this telling then that with the close of human history at the Second Advent, the systems of earth through which the Devil deceived mankind are ended? After the 1000 years, Satan in person goes "out to deceive the nations of the earth." (20:8)
After the scenes of war and strife, and the final destruction of sin and sinners are revealed to John, he sees "a new heaven and a new earth." He hears from the throne the promise, "Behold I make all things new." He is told - "Write, for these words are true and faithful." (21:5)
AMEN!
Rev 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Rev 19:2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Rev 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Rev 19:5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
The first interlude was placed between the description of the work of the "false prophet" and the Three Angels' Messages (14:1-15).
The second interlude was interfaced with the announcement and the carrying out of the Seven Last Plagues. (15:2-5)
Now the final interlude marks the transition from the end of the prophecy concerning the "Harlot," the wife of the dragon-beast, to the call to "the marriage supper of the Lamb" (19:9).
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
The basic message of this interlude is praise to God for His judgment on "the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication." (v.2)
There is heard "a voice" which "came out of the throne, saying, 'Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear His name, both small and great."' (ver. 5)
The One in the midst of the throne is the Lamb "as it had been slain" but is "alive for evermore." (5:6; 1:18)
Rev 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
He who sent the message on that resurrection morning through Mary Magdalene, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to your God, and my God" (John 20:17) now calls for universal praise to "our God."
He still identifies Himself with the sons of men who look to the One God and Father of us all. He who emptied Himself for the redemption of man now eternalizes the Example set in time that "God may be all in all." (I Cor. 15:28)
1Co 15:28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.
In the prophetic imagery of the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb, because of its brevity (19:6-9), ...
Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
...we should not overlook its momentous significance.
This is one of the seven Beatitudes of the book of Revelation, and is declared to be along with the promise of "making all things new" (21:5), as "the true sayings of God."
Why are these uniquely marked as the "true sayings of God"?
Making "all things new" marks the end of the incident of sin.
The pain and anguish which this interlude of sin has brought to the heart of God is past, all things can become new, and new in a new dimension.
The Lamb has accomplished His objective to seek and save that which was lost. Now His marriage is come.
First some details:
One of the angels of the seven last plagues shows John, the wife of the Lamb - "that great city, the holy Jerusalem." (21:9-10)
But as with the "wife" of the dragon-beast, "that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (17:18), people are involved.
While the cities are used symbolically, they are also literal, and made up of people. A marriage supper includes not only the "wife" but also "guests." In this brief call there is "a great multitude," as well as the wife "arrayed in fine linen." (19:6, 8)
God's original plan called for man to be only "a little while inferior to the angels." (Heb. 2:7, margin) Created in the image of God, "designed to be a counterpart of God," a high destiny awaited man. He, however, sinned and fell prey to the dragon's "wrath" and jealousy. Now through the "redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 3:24), not only can man be restored, but a group, designated in Revelation as the 144,000, is to be the "wife" of the Lamb, sharing His throne. Lest we read into the description - "his wife hath made herself ready" - a salvation-by-works theology, we need to recall that "those arrayed in white robes" have "washed" them and "made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (7:13-14)
Rev 7:13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Rev 7:14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
What then could the expression mean - "the fine linen (in which the wife is arrayed) is the righteousness of saints"? Is this the full realization of "imparted righteousness"?
If so, then if we desire to be among that group, should we not study to know exactly what it means - "His wife hath made herself ready"?
What is that "readiness" by which the righteousness of Christ can become ours in a personal possessive sense?
John next sees "heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war." (19:11)
This description and that which follows when Christ rides forth as King of kings and Lord of lords is not only replete with Old Testament imagery of the conquering Christ, but also brings together various symbols used in Revelation itself.
When the Lamb opened the book sealed with seven seals, the first seal revealed "a white horse" with a rider who receiving a bow, and a crown, went forth "conquering and to conquer." (6:2)
There were arrayed against him, the forces of evil - human strife, poverty, pestilences, hunger and death.
A price was paid in this warfare.
John sees "souls under the altar" who cry unto God, "How long, 0 Lord?" (6:10)
When the sixth seal is opened, the signs which would herald the coming response of God are noted. Interjected into the vision is the first introduction of the 144,000, followed by the seventh seal - "silence in heaven."
Now in the final confrontation portrayed in the 19th Chapter, all "the armies in heaven followed Him on white horses." (19:14)
There is silence in heaven, but not so on earth.
"Out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations. ... And He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." (19:15)
A description of this winepress closed the vision connected with the six angels of Revelation 14. "The vine of the earth" - those whose roots have been of the earth earthly - weeds and tares - face the wrath of Him whom they have rejected that He should not rule over them. He now rules them with a rod of iron, and the sword of His mouth destroys them. (See II Thess. 2:8)
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
The "violence" in the overthrow of "Babylon the great" (18:21), the "wrath of Almighty God" (19:15), and "the wrath of the Lamb" (6:16) produce a "blood-letting" unparalleled in time. (14:20)
The "names" noted in this revelation of the Lamb provoke thought.
He has a personal name engraved on His crowns, that He himself alone knows. (v. 12)
His vesture dipped in blood has inscribed upon it the name, "King of kings, and Lord of lords." (vers. 13, 16)
He is also called the Word of God - the Logos.
Once in the book of Revelation, Jesus Christ speaks as "the Son of God" (2:18). Now as He comes forth to "judge and make war" He returns to His original relationship in the Godhead - "the Logos of God" - He who was in the beginning with God. (John 1:1-2)
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
The language and thought describing the "conquering" King of kings and Lord of lords is found in Isaiah 63:1-6. A thoughtful reading of these verses reveals the "tension" between what He provided as He tread "the winepress alone" and the judgment upon those who reject this great provision of salvation.
Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Isa 63:2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
Isa 63:3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
Isa 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Isa 63:5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
Isa 63:6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
As the Word of God rides forth to "judge and make war," He does not come unopposed. "The beast and kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army." (19:19) They had been gathered together by "spirits of devils" to "a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Mo'ed," for "the war (Gr.) of the great day of God Almighty." (16:13-14, 16) The "beast" and "the false prophet" are taken and cast "alive" into "the lake of fire." (Gr. 19:20) Daniel speaks of the "beast" which had "the little horn" as being "given to the burning flame." (7:11)
The problem which arises is that "the lake of fire" in which the dragon and the lost are cast does not come till the close of the Millennium (20:9-10). Must a symbolic meaning be given to its use in 19:20, even as the "beast" and "false prophet" are symbols of Systems? The "lake of fire" represents "total annihilation." Is this telling then that with the close of human history at the Second Advent, the systems of earth through which the Devil deceived mankind are ended? After the 1000 years, Satan in person goes "out to deceive the nations of the earth." (20:8)
After the scenes of war and strife, and the final destruction of sin and sinners are revealed to John, he sees "a new heaven and a new earth." He hears from the throne the promise, "Behold I make all things new." He is told - "Write, for these words are true and faithful." (21:5)
AMEN!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Prophecy - 107 - Those who cannot stand for truth now, how can they expect to stand then?
Revelation 18, 19
WWN 1995 Oct -- XXVIII -- 10(95) -- EXEGESIS OF REVELATION -- THE TALE OF TWO CITIES -- Part 6 --
So much Adventist tradition has been built around the "angel" of Revelation 18, that it is most difficult to analyze just what is written without reading into the text some aspects of that tradition.
The message of this angel which comes down from heaven "having great authority" is similar to the message of the second angel of Revelation 14 with certain distinct differences.
Babylon has now become "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (ver. 2)
Instead of the proffered wine which Babylon made all nations drink (14:8), the nations now have drunk (perfect tense), and the leaders ("kings") of the earth have committed fornication with her and the "merchants of the earth" have profited by their association. (18:3)
The union between the combined forces of religion - "Babylon the great" - and the governments of earth is complete.
The dire warning is that the power which activates these religious forces is the power of the devil.
To all outward appearances, he has become the undisputed sovereign of the earth.
If we understand the symbolism of this angel the same as the symbolism of the three angels of Revelation 14, it represents a "MOVEMENT" under the direction of this assigned angel of heaven who is given great authority to carry out his mandate.
But when will this take place?
Obviously from the text, it is JUST PRIOR to the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues, because these are spoken of as still future in the context (18:8).
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Yet the message declares that the forces of evil have fixed their abode in Babylon - "Babylon ... is become the habitation of devils." (18:2)
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
This prior event noted in the prophecy is the working of "the spirits of devils" as they gather "the kings of the earth and the whole world" to "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Rev. 16:14) (Keep in mind that Revelation 16:13-16 describes activity in "the last remnant of time" which is the justification of the sixth plague, verse 12. See WWN, 8/95, pp 3-4; also note Great Controversy, pp. 561-562)
The revelation of what the Harlot says in her heart "I sit a queen, and am no more a widow..." (18:7) - clearly defines the time of the message of this fourth angel as congruent with the "harlot" riding forth out of the wilderness on the scarlet colored beast. (17:3-5)
While yet future, it is the immediate future! We can even now see the beginnings of this final confrontation.
Within the two chapters - the 17th and the 18th -certain time references are given.
The ten horns "receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (17:12)
While the harlot's plagues "come in one day" (18:8),
in "one hour is [her] judgment come" (v. 10).
"In one hour" her "great riches is come to nought" (v. 17).
"In one hour is she made desolate" (v. 19).
A close comparison of the wording would indicate that the same time allocated to the reign of the ten horns, is the same amount of time that these horns use to turn on the harlot and make her "desolate." (Compare 17:12, 17 with 18:19)
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
While a prophetic day equals one year (Eze. 4:6), the hour, if reckoned as a 24th part of the prophetic day, would be 15 literal days.
However, hora, the Greek word for hour, can mean a short period of time, rather than a literal 24 hours.
Whatever reckoning of time is used, there is one thing certain - "the final movements will be rapid ones."
It is indicated that those on the side of the Lamb "are called, and chosen, and and faithful." (17:14)
Little do we realize what faithfulness in that hour will mean.
To all appearances, Christ has come.
Spiritual wonders convince the eye.
The third millennium projects unity, peace and prosperity.
For the human instruments to give the warning of the fourth angel will require an absolute confidence in the revelation of the Word contrary to all outward appearances.
For those on the side of the Lamb will have to call the great return to "moral values" the working of Satan disguised as an angel of light.
Those who cannot stand for truth now, how can they expect to stand then?
The 18th Chapter closes with an illustration. A mighty angel takes a millstone and casts it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall the great city be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." (18:21)
Pen cannot describe, the carnage, the anarchy - "the violence" - which will ensue when the inhabitants of earth awaken to the fact that through religious deception they have lost all in the battle of life and have joined forces with Satan against Christ.
*******
Read this again--
'To all appearances, Christ has come.'
Now take a moment and really, really IMAGINE this!
PEOPLE worldwide are going to believe that Christ has come back to earth!!!!!!!
At this point it's all been decided, probation is over and the deception is completed. Is it possible that the impersonation of Christ's coming will be right up there along with the mark of the beast? Seriously. We know all those who receive the mark of the beast are on Satan's side. We know all those sealed by God are will be saved and will NOT be caught up in the mark of the beast or fooled by the impersonation of our Savior's return.
Can you even imagine, seriously imagine having people all around you- hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people believing that Christ has returned and you NOT believing?!
Can you imagine even people of religions that have nothing to do with our Lord and Savior suddenly changing their faith because they believe that Jesus Christ has returned to earth as the Christian faith has foretold? This impersonation will be so real, so incredibly realistic to deceive all but the very elect. Those who aren't sealed, or going to be sealed will be DECEIVED! Completely and utterly deceived.
'Spiritual wonders convince the eye.' This is true! So many will rely on their physical sight and be deceived.
'For the human instruments to give the warning of the fourth angel will require an absolute confidence in the revelation of the Word contrary to all outward appearances.'
CONTRARY to ALL outward appearance! EVERYTHING outward will tell us to believe in this false Christ! And yet if we are going to belong to our Savior we have to rely on the Word of God we've studied and studied and studied. Being swayed by popular opinion for good or bad has become so incredibly popular. In some countries today there are men, women, and even children who are choosing to believe in Christ's truth and they are being put to death, they are suffering unimaginably for their faith which goes far against what the majority of people in their environment believe. But we who don't live like that at all, we who have the fortune of living in a country where religious freedom is supposed to be one of our constitutional rights, will we really be able to stand up for the true Christ in face of an impersonator Christ that has deceived almost every single person around us?
We have to realize that these people- the majority- will believe they are following GOD! When we denounce their God as being false we will be the ones targeted as being God haters! Christ haters! That will be what we are labeled and it's something we need to think about now because if we wait to think about all this another time then it is very, very likely that we will be among the deceived simply because we haven't studied, we don't know the word of truth as God would have us know it, and we will be led astray by words that sound wonderful and sweet, soothing words of peace, of safety, of love. To stand out against all that *good* stuff will be all but impossibly unless we realize in our heart of hearts that the truth is with our Savior in His word of truth, through His righteousness alone and it's not here and now on earth. He isn't coming to take over as prince of this world when He returns, He is calling us to meet Him in the air and live with Him in heaven for 1000 years-- THIS is BIBLICAL! This is TRUTH!
Please Lord help us! Help us stay with you in all truth always! Please Lord keep us from being deceived!
In Your amazing love!
AMEN!
WWN 1995 Oct -- XXVIII -- 10(95) -- EXEGESIS OF REVELATION -- THE TALE OF TWO CITIES -- Part 6 --
So much Adventist tradition has been built around the "angel" of Revelation 18, that it is most difficult to analyze just what is written without reading into the text some aspects of that tradition.
The message of this angel which comes down from heaven "having great authority" is similar to the message of the second angel of Revelation 14 with certain distinct differences.
Babylon has now become "the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird." (ver. 2)
Instead of the proffered wine which Babylon made all nations drink (14:8), the nations now have drunk (perfect tense), and the leaders ("kings") of the earth have committed fornication with her and the "merchants of the earth" have profited by their association. (18:3)
The union between the combined forces of religion - "Babylon the great" - and the governments of earth is complete.
The dire warning is that the power which activates these religious forces is the power of the devil.
To all outward appearances, he has become the undisputed sovereign of the earth.
If we understand the symbolism of this angel the same as the symbolism of the three angels of Revelation 14, it represents a "MOVEMENT" under the direction of this assigned angel of heaven who is given great authority to carry out his mandate.
But when will this take place?
Obviously from the text, it is JUST PRIOR to the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues, because these are spoken of as still future in the context (18:8).
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Yet the message declares that the forces of evil have fixed their abode in Babylon - "Babylon ... is become the habitation of devils." (18:2)
Rev 18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
This prior event noted in the prophecy is the working of "the spirits of devils" as they gather "the kings of the earth and the whole world" to "the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Rev. 16:14) (Keep in mind that Revelation 16:13-16 describes activity in "the last remnant of time" which is the justification of the sixth plague, verse 12. See WWN, 8/95, pp 3-4; also note Great Controversy, pp. 561-562)
The revelation of what the Harlot says in her heart "I sit a queen, and am no more a widow..." (18:7) - clearly defines the time of the message of this fourth angel as congruent with the "harlot" riding forth out of the wilderness on the scarlet colored beast. (17:3-5)
While yet future, it is the immediate future! We can even now see the beginnings of this final confrontation.
Within the two chapters - the 17th and the 18th -certain time references are given.
The ten horns "receive power as kings one hour with the beast." (17:12)
While the harlot's plagues "come in one day" (18:8),
in "one hour is [her] judgment come" (v. 10).
"In one hour" her "great riches is come to nought" (v. 17).
"In one hour is she made desolate" (v. 19).
A close comparison of the wording would indicate that the same time allocated to the reign of the ten horns, is the same amount of time that these horns use to turn on the harlot and make her "desolate." (Compare 17:12, 17 with 18:19)
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
While a prophetic day equals one year (Eze. 4:6), the hour, if reckoned as a 24th part of the prophetic day, would be 15 literal days.
However, hora, the Greek word for hour, can mean a short period of time, rather than a literal 24 hours.
Whatever reckoning of time is used, there is one thing certain - "the final movements will be rapid ones."
It is indicated that those on the side of the Lamb "are called, and chosen, and and faithful." (17:14)
Little do we realize what faithfulness in that hour will mean.
To all appearances, Christ has come.
Spiritual wonders convince the eye.
The third millennium projects unity, peace and prosperity.
For the human instruments to give the warning of the fourth angel will require an absolute confidence in the revelation of the Word contrary to all outward appearances.
For those on the side of the Lamb will have to call the great return to "moral values" the working of Satan disguised as an angel of light.
Those who cannot stand for truth now, how can they expect to stand then?
The 18th Chapter closes with an illustration. A mighty angel takes a millstone and casts it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall the great city be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all." (18:21)
Pen cannot describe, the carnage, the anarchy - "the violence" - which will ensue when the inhabitants of earth awaken to the fact that through religious deception they have lost all in the battle of life and have joined forces with Satan against Christ.
*******
Read this again--
'To all appearances, Christ has come.'
Now take a moment and really, really IMAGINE this!
PEOPLE worldwide are going to believe that Christ has come back to earth!!!!!!!
At this point it's all been decided, probation is over and the deception is completed. Is it possible that the impersonation of Christ's coming will be right up there along with the mark of the beast? Seriously. We know all those who receive the mark of the beast are on Satan's side. We know all those sealed by God are will be saved and will NOT be caught up in the mark of the beast or fooled by the impersonation of our Savior's return.
Can you even imagine, seriously imagine having people all around you- hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions of people believing that Christ has returned and you NOT believing?!
Can you imagine even people of religions that have nothing to do with our Lord and Savior suddenly changing their faith because they believe that Jesus Christ has returned to earth as the Christian faith has foretold? This impersonation will be so real, so incredibly realistic to deceive all but the very elect. Those who aren't sealed, or going to be sealed will be DECEIVED! Completely and utterly deceived.
'Spiritual wonders convince the eye.' This is true! So many will rely on their physical sight and be deceived.
'For the human instruments to give the warning of the fourth angel will require an absolute confidence in the revelation of the Word contrary to all outward appearances.'
CONTRARY to ALL outward appearance! EVERYTHING outward will tell us to believe in this false Christ! And yet if we are going to belong to our Savior we have to rely on the Word of God we've studied and studied and studied. Being swayed by popular opinion for good or bad has become so incredibly popular. In some countries today there are men, women, and even children who are choosing to believe in Christ's truth and they are being put to death, they are suffering unimaginably for their faith which goes far against what the majority of people in their environment believe. But we who don't live like that at all, we who have the fortune of living in a country where religious freedom is supposed to be one of our constitutional rights, will we really be able to stand up for the true Christ in face of an impersonator Christ that has deceived almost every single person around us?
We have to realize that these people- the majority- will believe they are following GOD! When we denounce their God as being false we will be the ones targeted as being God haters! Christ haters! That will be what we are labeled and it's something we need to think about now because if we wait to think about all this another time then it is very, very likely that we will be among the deceived simply because we haven't studied, we don't know the word of truth as God would have us know it, and we will be led astray by words that sound wonderful and sweet, soothing words of peace, of safety, of love. To stand out against all that *good* stuff will be all but impossibly unless we realize in our heart of hearts that the truth is with our Savior in His word of truth, through His righteousness alone and it's not here and now on earth. He isn't coming to take over as prince of this world when He returns, He is calling us to meet Him in the air and live with Him in heaven for 1000 years-- THIS is BIBLICAL! This is TRUTH!
Please Lord help us! Help us stay with you in all truth always! Please Lord keep us from being deceived!
In Your amazing love!
AMEN!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Prophecy -106
Revelation 17
1995 Sep -- XXVIII -- 9(95)(WWN) -- EXEGESIS OF REVELATION -- THE HARLOT AND THE BEAST -- Part 5 --
In 1534, the Luther Bible, in connection with Revelation 17, showed a cut of a woman wearing the triple tiara of the popes and riding a seven-headed dragon. The obvious deduction was that this symbolic woman represented the Papacy. Uriah Smith in his Thoughts on the Revelation, adopts the same basic view. He wrote:
"This prophecy is more definite than others applicable to the Roman power, in that it distinguishes between church and state. We here have the woman, the church, seated upon a scarlet-colored beast, the civil power." (pp. 702-703, 1897 ed.)
This same basic concept from the Reformation has continued to be the traditional Adventist view of the woman and the beast of Revelation 17, with the added focus on what is termed, "the daughters of Babylon." However this designation is NOT found in the book of Revelation.
Looking at Revelation 17 from a exegetical viewpoint, what is its message?
First it is uniquely connected with the time just preceding the Seven Last Plagues.
Of the WOMAN who sits as a "QUEEN," it is declared that "her plagues (shall) come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire." (Rev. 18:8; 17:16)
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Further, it is one of the angels of the Seven Last Plagues who shows to John "the judgment of the great whore." (17:1)
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters
The designation of the angel who unfolds to John these final visions of the book as "one of the angels which had the seven vials" is in itself revealing from different perspectives. (17:1; 21:9)
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
First, "the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him to shew unto His servants ... He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John." (1:1)
Twice during the final revelation by the designated angel as one who was involved in the Seven Last Plagues, John attempts "to worship" him. (19:10; 22:8-9)
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Each time he is told, "See that thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets that have the testimony of Jesus." (Composite of the two previous references)
It was Gabriel who stated to Daniel that "there is none who holdeth with me in these things (the Scripture of truth) but Michael your prince." (Dan. 10:21)
Not only does this confirm Gabriel as "His angel" but also clearly indicates that Gabriel is one of the angels involved in the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues, if not the chief angel.
The question arises, if Gabriel shows to John, "the Lamb's wife" - "that great city, the holy Jerusalem," whose wife is she who is also designated as "that great city." and boasts herself as a "queen"? The use of the word, "holy" is in contrast to the "city" which is "full of abominations." (17:4-5) Is it unholy Jerusalem?
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
One must recognize that in this final section of Revelation there is set forth-
two cities - Babylon arid the New Jerusalem
two women - the one "clothed with the sun" and the one bedecked with gold and pearls
two wives - one, the wife of the Lamb, and the other, the wife of the "scarlet colored beast."
Who is this "scarlet colored beast"?
It has seven heads and ten horns as the serpent-dragon of Revelation 12.
It should be observed that when the beast of Revelation 13, which also had seven heads and ten horns, is described, its bodily differences from the dragon are noted. (13:2)
No such differences are given of the beast of Revelation 17, except the absence of crowns on the heads, and the color change from fiery red to scarlet.
The word for scarlet (kokkinon) is used to describe the color of the robe the Roman soldiers put on Christ in mockery of Him as "King of the Jews." (Matt. 27:28)
No longer are the heads crowned, the dragon IS reigning.
This beast is described as "was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." (17:8)
This past, present and future designation parallels the same description for "the Almighty" who "is, and which was, and which is to come" (1:8); but with distinct differences. In contrast to the One who "is to come," whose kingdom the dragon-beast has challenged, this beast goes into "perdition," or destruction (20:10) The kingdom of God is confirmed by the power of His Christ.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The first section (Chapters 2-11) of the book of Revelation closes with three Woes.
During the time of the Second Woe, "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" is introduced. (11:7) He operates just prior to the Third Woe - which cometh, "quickly."
The final Woe marks the close of all human probation, and the pouring out of "the wrath of God." (11:15 - 19)
If then, the activities of the beast designated in Revelation 11 are amplified in Chapter 17, the time frame for the fulfillment of the events in Chapter 17 is established - "THE LAST REMNANT OF TIME."
"The beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven".
Note carefully, that while the eighth, he is not of the seventh, but of the seven.
He is the power which, though invisible, has operated through ALL seven heads.
Now he assumes openly his claim of rulership of the kings of earth gathered together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Har-Mo'ed. (16:13-14, 16)
This brings us to a review of who are the seven heads.
Various interpretations have been set forth. One must keep in mind that the controversy between the dragon and the woman who gave birth to the Man-Child goes back to the first gospel promise (Gen. 3:15) which is symbolically represented in the vision which introduce the second section of Revelation (12:1-3 ).
Further, the scope of the book included those who sing the song of Moses as well as the Lamb (15:3).
This binding of the Bible together as a unit with Moses standing for the Old Testament times, and Jesus Christ for the New Testament is an established concept. (John 1:17; Heb. 3:5-6)
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Heb 3:5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Thus the warfare of the dragon-beast against the people of God must begin with the persecution of the corporate body by Egypt.
Understanding the definitive declaration of the angel as being expressed from John's point of time (17:10),...
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
... the five which had fallen were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Grecia. One was, Rome - Pagan and Papal - and one yet to come, and he was to "continue a short space."
The reason I suggest the sixth head as pagan-papal Rome as a viable exegesis of this definitive declaration is that in the Book of Daniel, the two are placed as one.
The "little horn" of Daniel 7, ever remains a part of the non-descript beast.
The "little horn" of Daniel 8 represents both phases of Rome.
But what is represented by the "head" that continues a "short space"?
Is it the second beast of Revelation 13, or the "image" formed?
Regardless which power is chosen, following this, the dragon - "that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan" - appears in person asserting his right of rulership - he "is."
We next turn our attention to the woman.
Instead of exisegetically reading into the symbol the traditional concept from the Reformation and the Millerite Movement, let us see just what the Scripture is saying.
The "woman" is designated as "that great city" (17:18),...
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
...or Babylon the great. By pursuing this avenue of revelation, we observe that "that great city" in its fall is to be divided into three parts (16:19).
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Further, there are three symbolic powers, out of whose mouths come "unclean spirits" (16:13-14) which assemble "the kings of the earth and the whole world" to a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Mo'ed, or Mount of the Congregation.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Perceiving this scarlet-colored beast to be the symbolic representation of Satan's literal appearing as the long looked for Messiah of Judaism, and the "Coming King" of Christian tradition, coincides with God's revelation of Lucifer's intent. He purposed in his heart "to sit also upon the mount of the congregation (har-mo'ed), in the sides of the north." (Isa. 14:13) This is defined as mount Zion, "the city of the great King." (Ps. 48:2)
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north
Psa 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Again, you have a contrasting aspect of the prophecy of Revelation.
While the rulers of earth are gathered on earthly Mount Zion, which Jesus declared to be desolate (Matt. 23:38),...
Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
...there is portrayed another gathering on the heavenly mount Sion - the 144,000 with the Lamb (14:1).
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Those who refuse to bow to the false christ, are honored by the true Christ through Whom they overcome and by Whom they are delivered (12:11; 17:14).
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Now let us return to the three parts of Babylon. As we seek to find an answer, we need to keep in mind that any interpretation must be tentative, and can only be truly known as the scroll unrolls.
However, it is interesting to observe that the one which Bible prophecy designates as a key player in the final drama of earth - the Papacy - speaks not only of Jerusalem, but of that city as the source of reverence of three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Attention must also be directed to "the ten horns." (17:12)
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These ten horns are "ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power (authority) as kings one hour with the beast," not with any "head" but with the beast itself when he appears with his "wife." The parallel prophecy is not the ten horns of the nondescript beast of Daniel 7 - these were reduced to seven - but rather with the ten toes of the image of Daniel 2. Again the identification must wait the "final rapid movements" as they reign only "one hour" with the beast.
The text states that these "ten horns" have one mind and shall give their power (dunamis) and strength (exousia) to the beast. One must ask with a bit of wonderment, how do the "spirits of devils" effect such a unity when for more than six thousand long years, Lucifer in his rebellion has sought to create confusion and discord? In fact the very name of "that great city" Babylon has come to mean confusion. The text gives the answer - a Sovereign God "puts in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." (17:17)
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
The oneness of these ten horns leads them to unite in "the war (polemos) of that great day of God Almighty" (16:14).
In this final phase they now join in the last battle of the "war in heaven" where Michael and His angels fought against the dragon, when at its climax there came the cry, "Now is come salvation, and strength (dunamis), and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ." (12:7, 10)
This final battle of the war involves "the remnant of [the woman's] seed."
Trusting in the blood of the Lamb, they remain "called, and chosen, and faithful."
The Lamb, coming forth to rescue His bride, overcomes the ten kings "for He is Lord of lords and King of kings." (17:14; 19:11)
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
When the powers of earth see that they have been beguiled and deceived by the final religious union, "these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." (17:16)
The name of the "whore" that "great city" which reigned over the kings of the earth - "Babylon the Great" - should be given consideration.
The name comes from Babel where God confused the languages and dispersed the "gathering together" of man to defy the God of heaven. (Gen. 11:9) Because of this, the name has stood for confusion. However, Brown Driver & Briggs, in their Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, note that the Assyrian, written Babili, means "gate of god." (p. 93, art. babel) While God uses strong language in describing the departure from truth - harlotry - the deception in reality will be so great that the whole world, apart from a small remnant, will be swept through this delusive "gate of god" to perdition.
*******
In our society today being a harlot means very little, doesn't it? In the United States there is very little stigma left on prostitutes, on whores, on harlots. Yes, there is some, but it's not like it is in what we call Biblical times. And still in other parts of the world prostitutes, harlots, whores are put to death for their sins and we are outraged by it here in the United States. To us harlotry is an easy sin to forgive. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery but that wasn't Jesus ACCEPTING adultery. That was Jesus letting everyone know that we ALL have our sins and we really DO have to look at our own sins and be forgiving, but that does not mean Jesus told us to accept adultery, to accept sinning. In fact our Savior told that woman to GO and SIN NO MORE. So, do I believe harlots should be stoned to death today? No. But does that mean I believe harlotry is acceptable and shouldn't be spoken harshly of? NO! It's wrong, on many, many levels and it is symbolic of Christ and His Church- His people. If His people are betraying Him with another… they are playing the harlot and this is something that will NEVER be acceptable, NEVER! Us playing the harlot is a sin that cannot be ignored, it cannot be glossed over and made to seem acceptable. We've done that, we really have and I do mean there are many, many, many people who believe they are in God's church when in truth they are harlots, they are not God's! They are deceived, so many, so incredibly many are deceived and they will be furious in the end to realize how they were deceived. Yet ultimately that deception, the blame for it lies upon each and every individual's shoulders. Just as the blame lay upon Eve's shoulders, as well as Adam's and they received punishment for their sinning and so too did their deceiver.
We cannot accept the false teachings of the world! We cannot sit back and be complacent towards the betrayal of God's truths if we are then we are guilty of being a part of the harlotry. Laodicean's are lukewarm and they will be spewed out if they remain that way. We cannot… we just cannot accept sin, we have to ALWAYS shun sin, always realize what sin is and know that sinning needs forgiveness. Once we accept sin- we lose that comprehension that we need forgiveness for that sin- and once we get to that point we are no longer asking for forgiveness and if we do not ask for forgiveness we cannot be forgiven.
By the GRACE and MERCY of our God! By the FORGIVENESS and LOVE of our SAVIOR! Through our LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS may we live in HIM always, always!!!!!!!
In His love! Keep us from becoming harlot's, Lord, please! Please Lord, let us be YOURS!
Always YOURS!
Amen!
1995 Sep -- XXVIII -- 9(95)(WWN) -- EXEGESIS OF REVELATION -- THE HARLOT AND THE BEAST -- Part 5 --
In 1534, the Luther Bible, in connection with Revelation 17, showed a cut of a woman wearing the triple tiara of the popes and riding a seven-headed dragon. The obvious deduction was that this symbolic woman represented the Papacy. Uriah Smith in his Thoughts on the Revelation, adopts the same basic view. He wrote:
"This prophecy is more definite than others applicable to the Roman power, in that it distinguishes between church and state. We here have the woman, the church, seated upon a scarlet-colored beast, the civil power." (pp. 702-703, 1897 ed.)
This same basic concept from the Reformation has continued to be the traditional Adventist view of the woman and the beast of Revelation 17, with the added focus on what is termed, "the daughters of Babylon." However this designation is NOT found in the book of Revelation.
Looking at Revelation 17 from a exegetical viewpoint, what is its message?
First it is uniquely connected with the time just preceding the Seven Last Plagues.
Of the WOMAN who sits as a "QUEEN," it is declared that "her plagues (shall) come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire." (Rev. 18:8; 17:16)
Rev 18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Further, it is one of the angels of the Seven Last Plagues who shows to John "the judgment of the great whore." (17:1)
Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters
The designation of the angel who unfolds to John these final visions of the book as "one of the angels which had the seven vials" is in itself revealing from different perspectives. (17:1; 21:9)
Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
First, "the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him to shew unto His servants ... He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John." (1:1)
Twice during the final revelation by the designated angel as one who was involved in the Seven Last Plagues, John attempts "to worship" him. (19:10; 22:8-9)
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Each time he is told, "See that thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets that have the testimony of Jesus." (Composite of the two previous references)
It was Gabriel who stated to Daniel that "there is none who holdeth with me in these things (the Scripture of truth) but Michael your prince." (Dan. 10:21)
Not only does this confirm Gabriel as "His angel" but also clearly indicates that Gabriel is one of the angels involved in the pouring out of the Seven Last Plagues, if not the chief angel.
The question arises, if Gabriel shows to John, "the Lamb's wife" - "that great city, the holy Jerusalem," whose wife is she who is also designated as "that great city." and boasts herself as a "queen"? The use of the word, "holy" is in contrast to the "city" which is "full of abominations." (17:4-5) Is it unholy Jerusalem?
Rev 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
One must recognize that in this final section of Revelation there is set forth-
two cities - Babylon arid the New Jerusalem
two women - the one "clothed with the sun" and the one bedecked with gold and pearls
two wives - one, the wife of the Lamb, and the other, the wife of the "scarlet colored beast."
Who is this "scarlet colored beast"?
It has seven heads and ten horns as the serpent-dragon of Revelation 12.
It should be observed that when the beast of Revelation 13, which also had seven heads and ten horns, is described, its bodily differences from the dragon are noted. (13:2)
No such differences are given of the beast of Revelation 17, except the absence of crowns on the heads, and the color change from fiery red to scarlet.
The word for scarlet (kokkinon) is used to describe the color of the robe the Roman soldiers put on Christ in mockery of Him as "King of the Jews." (Matt. 27:28)
No longer are the heads crowned, the dragon IS reigning.
This beast is described as "was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition." (17:8)
This past, present and future designation parallels the same description for "the Almighty" who "is, and which was, and which is to come" (1:8); but with distinct differences. In contrast to the One who "is to come," whose kingdom the dragon-beast has challenged, this beast goes into "perdition," or destruction (20:10) The kingdom of God is confirmed by the power of His Christ.
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The first section (Chapters 2-11) of the book of Revelation closes with three Woes.
During the time of the Second Woe, "the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit" is introduced. (11:7) He operates just prior to the Third Woe - which cometh, "quickly."
The final Woe marks the close of all human probation, and the pouring out of "the wrath of God." (11:15 - 19)
If then, the activities of the beast designated in Revelation 11 are amplified in Chapter 17, the time frame for the fulfillment of the events in Chapter 17 is established - "THE LAST REMNANT OF TIME."
"The beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven".
Note carefully, that while the eighth, he is not of the seventh, but of the seven.
He is the power which, though invisible, has operated through ALL seven heads.
Now he assumes openly his claim of rulership of the kings of earth gathered together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Har-Mo'ed. (16:13-14, 16)
This brings us to a review of who are the seven heads.
Various interpretations have been set forth. One must keep in mind that the controversy between the dragon and the woman who gave birth to the Man-Child goes back to the first gospel promise (Gen. 3:15) which is symbolically represented in the vision which introduce the second section of Revelation (12:1-3 ).
Further, the scope of the book included those who sing the song of Moses as well as the Lamb (15:3).
This binding of the Bible together as a unit with Moses standing for the Old Testament times, and Jesus Christ for the New Testament is an established concept. (John 1:17; Heb. 3:5-6)
Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Heb 3:5 And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
Thus the warfare of the dragon-beast against the people of God must begin with the persecution of the corporate body by Egypt.
Understanding the definitive declaration of the angel as being expressed from John's point of time (17:10),...
Rev 17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
... the five which had fallen were Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia and Grecia. One was, Rome - Pagan and Papal - and one yet to come, and he was to "continue a short space."
The reason I suggest the sixth head as pagan-papal Rome as a viable exegesis of this definitive declaration is that in the Book of Daniel, the two are placed as one.
The "little horn" of Daniel 7, ever remains a part of the non-descript beast.
The "little horn" of Daniel 8 represents both phases of Rome.
But what is represented by the "head" that continues a "short space"?
Is it the second beast of Revelation 13, or the "image" formed?
Regardless which power is chosen, following this, the dragon - "that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan" - appears in person asserting his right of rulership - he "is."
We next turn our attention to the woman.
Instead of exisegetically reading into the symbol the traditional concept from the Reformation and the Millerite Movement, let us see just what the Scripture is saying.
The "woman" is designated as "that great city" (17:18),...
Rev 17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
...or Babylon the great. By pursuing this avenue of revelation, we observe that "that great city" in its fall is to be divided into three parts (16:19).
Rev 16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Further, there are three symbolic powers, out of whose mouths come "unclean spirits" (16:13-14) which assemble "the kings of the earth and the whole world" to a place called in the Hebrew, Har-Mo'ed, or Mount of the Congregation.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Perceiving this scarlet-colored beast to be the symbolic representation of Satan's literal appearing as the long looked for Messiah of Judaism, and the "Coming King" of Christian tradition, coincides with God's revelation of Lucifer's intent. He purposed in his heart "to sit also upon the mount of the congregation (har-mo'ed), in the sides of the north." (Isa. 14:13) This is defined as mount Zion, "the city of the great King." (Ps. 48:2)
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north
Psa 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Again, you have a contrasting aspect of the prophecy of Revelation.
While the rulers of earth are gathered on earthly Mount Zion, which Jesus declared to be desolate (Matt. 23:38),...
Mat 23:38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
...there is portrayed another gathering on the heavenly mount Sion - the 144,000 with the Lamb (14:1).
Rev 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Those who refuse to bow to the false christ, are honored by the true Christ through Whom they overcome and by Whom they are delivered (12:11; 17:14).
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Now let us return to the three parts of Babylon. As we seek to find an answer, we need to keep in mind that any interpretation must be tentative, and can only be truly known as the scroll unrolls.
However, it is interesting to observe that the one which Bible prophecy designates as a key player in the final drama of earth - the Papacy - speaks not only of Jerusalem, but of that city as the source of reverence of three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
Attention must also be directed to "the ten horns." (17:12)
Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These ten horns are "ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power (authority) as kings one hour with the beast," not with any "head" but with the beast itself when he appears with his "wife." The parallel prophecy is not the ten horns of the nondescript beast of Daniel 7 - these were reduced to seven - but rather with the ten toes of the image of Daniel 2. Again the identification must wait the "final rapid movements" as they reign only "one hour" with the beast.
The text states that these "ten horns" have one mind and shall give their power (dunamis) and strength (exousia) to the beast. One must ask with a bit of wonderment, how do the "spirits of devils" effect such a unity when for more than six thousand long years, Lucifer in his rebellion has sought to create confusion and discord? In fact the very name of "that great city" Babylon has come to mean confusion. The text gives the answer - a Sovereign God "puts in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." (17:17)
Rev 17:17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
The oneness of these ten horns leads them to unite in "the war (polemos) of that great day of God Almighty" (16:14).
In this final phase they now join in the last battle of the "war in heaven" where Michael and His angels fought against the dragon, when at its climax there came the cry, "Now is come salvation, and strength (dunamis), and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ." (12:7, 10)
This final battle of the war involves "the remnant of [the woman's] seed."
Trusting in the blood of the Lamb, they remain "called, and chosen, and faithful."
The Lamb, coming forth to rescue His bride, overcomes the ten kings "for He is Lord of lords and King of kings." (17:14; 19:11)
Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
When the powers of earth see that they have been beguiled and deceived by the final religious union, "these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." (17:16)
The name of the "whore" that "great city" which reigned over the kings of the earth - "Babylon the Great" - should be given consideration.
The name comes from Babel where God confused the languages and dispersed the "gathering together" of man to defy the God of heaven. (Gen. 11:9) Because of this, the name has stood for confusion. However, Brown Driver & Briggs, in their Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, note that the Assyrian, written Babili, means "gate of god." (p. 93, art. babel) While God uses strong language in describing the departure from truth - harlotry - the deception in reality will be so great that the whole world, apart from a small remnant, will be swept through this delusive "gate of god" to perdition.
*******
In our society today being a harlot means very little, doesn't it? In the United States there is very little stigma left on prostitutes, on whores, on harlots. Yes, there is some, but it's not like it is in what we call Biblical times. And still in other parts of the world prostitutes, harlots, whores are put to death for their sins and we are outraged by it here in the United States. To us harlotry is an easy sin to forgive. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery but that wasn't Jesus ACCEPTING adultery. That was Jesus letting everyone know that we ALL have our sins and we really DO have to look at our own sins and be forgiving, but that does not mean Jesus told us to accept adultery, to accept sinning. In fact our Savior told that woman to GO and SIN NO MORE. So, do I believe harlots should be stoned to death today? No. But does that mean I believe harlotry is acceptable and shouldn't be spoken harshly of? NO! It's wrong, on many, many levels and it is symbolic of Christ and His Church- His people. If His people are betraying Him with another… they are playing the harlot and this is something that will NEVER be acceptable, NEVER! Us playing the harlot is a sin that cannot be ignored, it cannot be glossed over and made to seem acceptable. We've done that, we really have and I do mean there are many, many, many people who believe they are in God's church when in truth they are harlots, they are not God's! They are deceived, so many, so incredibly many are deceived and they will be furious in the end to realize how they were deceived. Yet ultimately that deception, the blame for it lies upon each and every individual's shoulders. Just as the blame lay upon Eve's shoulders, as well as Adam's and they received punishment for their sinning and so too did their deceiver.
We cannot accept the false teachings of the world! We cannot sit back and be complacent towards the betrayal of God's truths if we are then we are guilty of being a part of the harlotry. Laodicean's are lukewarm and they will be spewed out if they remain that way. We cannot… we just cannot accept sin, we have to ALWAYS shun sin, always realize what sin is and know that sinning needs forgiveness. Once we accept sin- we lose that comprehension that we need forgiveness for that sin- and once we get to that point we are no longer asking for forgiveness and if we do not ask for forgiveness we cannot be forgiven.
By the GRACE and MERCY of our God! By the FORGIVENESS and LOVE of our SAVIOR! Through our LORD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS may we live in HIM always, always!!!!!!!
In His love! Keep us from becoming harlot's, Lord, please! Please Lord, let us be YOURS!
Always YOURS!
Amen!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Take Heed!
We are warned.
We have to EXAMINE ourselves. We have to TAKE HEED to ourselves. We cannot not expect to simply live our lives in any old manner without any thought and still be God's. We might be able to tell ourselves we can personally care less about being proper, about being godly, about being acceptable to God, and many do feel this way but the truth is, the ABSOLUTE truth is, we'd better care.
We are cautioned.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Watch ourselves because if we aren't watching, if we aren't examining, if we aren't taking heed to ourselves then there is a VERY real possibility that our hearts will be filled with all sorts of things that are ungodly, drawing us further from our Savior not closer to Him.
Do we surfeit?
Are we drunkards?
Could it be said that we are excessive worriers?
This seems to sum up a lot of people in the world- and our way of life.
Surfeiting- over indulgence. We are a country geared towards promoting over indulgence. I don't have to convince anyone who is reading this that this is true. I really do not have to go into any details because it's so well known.
Just this year a 'new study' showed that 1/3 of Americans are not just overweight, but obese. 1/3 of all the people in America! This is NO small number of people.
Surfeiting is popular, over indulging is very popular for many, many reasons and denying ourselves is incredibly unimportant. We feel this need inside us that tells us we have the right to indulge ourselves even to our own detriment. Overweight? Well, no, I don't like it, but there is medicine for a lot of the ailments that come along with being overweight so it's not too bad, right? A sad way to think but it's the mindset of many. Could it kill me? Sure, but I'll go out doing as I please not denying myself and that's what matters, right?
Drunkenness, do you imagine this should include our modern love affair with chemical drugs, recreational indulgences that alter our mindsets? I do. I really do. When a person gets drunk they alter the state of their mind, they CANNOT, absolutely CANNOT think straight, and recreational drugs are for the same purpose, yes?
What about worrying? We have a whole profession that deals with excessive worriers don't we? Psychologists have many, many patients obsessed with worrying. Doctors the world over give out many prescriptions for pills to make people worry less, so tell me does that say anything about the cares of this life and getting caught up in them?
This warning was NOT given to us lightly. We HAVE to take heed to ourselves that we aren't caught up in these very, very, very modern day, very, very, very applicable acts that will cause us to be UNAWARE of our Savior's soon coming.
*
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
They serve their own belly- those who do NOT serve our Lord Jesus Christ! When we serve ourselves we are not following the will of our Savior, we just aren't and yet so many of us are so caught up in self-serving it's not funny.
*
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those whose God is their belly!
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those whose glory is in their shame!
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those who mind earthly things!
There is in DESTRUCTION.
We HAVE to ask ourselves, every single one of us, what place does our belly hold in our life? Don't just shrug this off as being unimportant, please. Our bellies can very well be the focus of our every day life and they really shouldn't be. There is something to be said for finding a FEW well balanced, simple meals and sticking to just them, isn't there? Desiring obsessively to have variety, to find satisfaction and great pleasure in our every day meals isn't something we need to be doing. Yes, we can have our occasional special meals, but to make every day a special meal day has really gotten out of control and in truth our bellies have become our Gods. We've become overwhelmed with having to have the things we desire- just because we want them- we have a craving. Go into a grocery store and tell me that we aren't a nation obsessed with our bellies.
*
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
Mat 24:37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
*
Rom 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
*
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
*
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
*
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Pro 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
*
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
*
Pro 23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Pro 23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Pro 23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
*
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Psa 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
*
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
He said to ALL- that really does include you and I, it does and we can't think otherwise. If ANY MAN- if any person- if any one of mankind will FOLLOW Jesus- they HAVE to deny themselves!!!! And in denying themselves they are taking up a CROSS every single DAY!
It's true! It isn't meant to be EASY! I want to scream that because we are so caught up in things being easy, in things being wonderful because we want to focus on love and we have this image of love being something that makes us feel good. We shun anything that makes us feel bad. We honestly believe we aren't loved when we feel pain from someone. So here we are being told that we have to take up a CROSS, and taking up a CROSS it taking on a burden, it's taking on something that is heavy and painful to bear. And every one of us has to take up a cross and we do that when we deny ourselves, and we deny ourselves when we put our SAVIOR first and ourselves second. We have to read things like…
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
And we have to understand that it is our everyday life that we have to watch and take heed to so that we don't get caught up in selfish SINFILLED desires that will take us further and further from a Savior who so wants to know us. He won't know us if we aren't close to Him, if He isn't our everything!
By the grace of God may we understand! While we are watching and praying for our Lord's soon return, we have to take heed to ourselves, we have to. The world Satan has control over has led the majority of people into his traps. We will be led into those same traps if we stop taking heed.
Please Lord keep us from those traps and help us learn to take heed so we are not caught up in Satan's snares.
By Your mercy! In Your righteousness! In Your PERFECT love!
Amen.
We have to EXAMINE ourselves. We have to TAKE HEED to ourselves. We cannot not expect to simply live our lives in any old manner without any thought and still be God's. We might be able to tell ourselves we can personally care less about being proper, about being godly, about being acceptable to God, and many do feel this way but the truth is, the ABSOLUTE truth is, we'd better care.
We are cautioned.
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Watch ourselves because if we aren't watching, if we aren't examining, if we aren't taking heed to ourselves then there is a VERY real possibility that our hearts will be filled with all sorts of things that are ungodly, drawing us further from our Savior not closer to Him.
Do we surfeit?
Are we drunkards?
Could it be said that we are excessive worriers?
This seems to sum up a lot of people in the world- and our way of life.
Surfeiting- over indulgence. We are a country geared towards promoting over indulgence. I don't have to convince anyone who is reading this that this is true. I really do not have to go into any details because it's so well known.
Just this year a 'new study' showed that 1/3 of Americans are not just overweight, but obese. 1/3 of all the people in America! This is NO small number of people.
Surfeiting is popular, over indulging is very popular for many, many reasons and denying ourselves is incredibly unimportant. We feel this need inside us that tells us we have the right to indulge ourselves even to our own detriment. Overweight? Well, no, I don't like it, but there is medicine for a lot of the ailments that come along with being overweight so it's not too bad, right? A sad way to think but it's the mindset of many. Could it kill me? Sure, but I'll go out doing as I please not denying myself and that's what matters, right?
Drunkenness, do you imagine this should include our modern love affair with chemical drugs, recreational indulgences that alter our mindsets? I do. I really do. When a person gets drunk they alter the state of their mind, they CANNOT, absolutely CANNOT think straight, and recreational drugs are for the same purpose, yes?
What about worrying? We have a whole profession that deals with excessive worriers don't we? Psychologists have many, many patients obsessed with worrying. Doctors the world over give out many prescriptions for pills to make people worry less, so tell me does that say anything about the cares of this life and getting caught up in them?
This warning was NOT given to us lightly. We HAVE to take heed to ourselves that we aren't caught up in these very, very, very modern day, very, very, very applicable acts that will cause us to be UNAWARE of our Savior's soon coming.
*
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
They serve their own belly- those who do NOT serve our Lord Jesus Christ! When we serve ourselves we are not following the will of our Savior, we just aren't and yet so many of us are so caught up in self-serving it's not funny.
*
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those whose God is their belly!
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those whose glory is in their shame!
Enemies of the cross of Christ- those who mind earthly things!
There is in DESTRUCTION.
We HAVE to ask ourselves, every single one of us, what place does our belly hold in our life? Don't just shrug this off as being unimportant, please. Our bellies can very well be the focus of our every day life and they really shouldn't be. There is something to be said for finding a FEW well balanced, simple meals and sticking to just them, isn't there? Desiring obsessively to have variety, to find satisfaction and great pleasure in our every day meals isn't something we need to be doing. Yes, we can have our occasional special meals, but to make every day a special meal day has really gotten out of control and in truth our bellies have become our Gods. We've become overwhelmed with having to have the things we desire- just because we want them- we have a craving. Go into a grocery store and tell me that we aren't a nation obsessed with our bellies.
*
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
Mat 24:37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
*
Rom 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
*
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
*
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
*
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Pro 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
*
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
*
Pro 23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Pro 23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Pro 23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
*
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Psa 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
*
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
He said to ALL- that really does include you and I, it does and we can't think otherwise. If ANY MAN- if any person- if any one of mankind will FOLLOW Jesus- they HAVE to deny themselves!!!! And in denying themselves they are taking up a CROSS every single DAY!
It's true! It isn't meant to be EASY! I want to scream that because we are so caught up in things being easy, in things being wonderful because we want to focus on love and we have this image of love being something that makes us feel good. We shun anything that makes us feel bad. We honestly believe we aren't loved when we feel pain from someone. So here we are being told that we have to take up a CROSS, and taking up a CROSS it taking on a burden, it's taking on something that is heavy and painful to bear. And every one of us has to take up a cross and we do that when we deny ourselves, and we deny ourselves when we put our SAVIOR first and ourselves second. We have to read things like…
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
And we have to understand that it is our everyday life that we have to watch and take heed to so that we don't get caught up in selfish SINFILLED desires that will take us further and further from a Savior who so wants to know us. He won't know us if we aren't close to Him, if He isn't our everything!
By the grace of God may we understand! While we are watching and praying for our Lord's soon return, we have to take heed to ourselves, we have to. The world Satan has control over has led the majority of people into his traps. We will be led into those same traps if we stop taking heed.
Please Lord keep us from those traps and help us learn to take heed so we are not caught up in Satan's snares.
By Your mercy! In Your righteousness! In Your PERFECT love!
Amen.
Whose God is their belly
Luk 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
Mat 24:37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Rom 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that herein serveth Christ is well–pleasing to God, and approved of men.
Rom 14:19 So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another.
Rom 14:20 Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Rom 14:21 It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth.
Rom 14:22 The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.
Rom 14:23 But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Pro 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Pro 23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Pro 23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Pro 23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Psa 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
*******
We talk often about sinning, and there are so many incredibly obvious sins that we don't take time to look at the supposed lesser sins. We like to push those sins aside and focus on the big ones. Recently people I know have been discussing a lot of health issues and then various Biblical verses began to pop up in my Bible reading and I knew I had to study it now.
Ever since I was about ten years old I became overweight. I've easily been on many, many diets and a few of them had good results- that gave me temporary weight loss. I've spent many years focused on my weight and several of them were under the impression that my being overweight is an outward sign of sin. There are outward signs of sinning, this can't be denied. But A LOT of sins aren't seen by others, they aren't OBVIOUS sins. I could walk by a hundred people and not be able to say definitively that they are committing certain sins. I can say definitively that ALL are sinners, but only because my Bible tells me that all people are sinners.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Rom 5:12 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
I cannot say definitively that any one of those hundred people are sinners forgiven by Christ because I don't know if they've given their lives to Christ and have asked for forgiveness from Him. So while I know every single person is a sinner, I don't necessarily know what sins they are guilty of. I could look at an overweight person and automatically reason that they have sinned the sin of gluttony, of defiling the temple (their body), of thinking of themselves more than God, and yes, I could go on and on. So it's rather easy to *pick* on overweight people because they wear the results of their sins upon their excess flesh, something they cannot hide.
Of course a very skinny person could also be a glutton, they could also over eat and defile their bodies, we all know those bulimics who binge and then throw up are guilty of gluttony etc. Yet, those people aren't always overweight, some are in fact quite skinny. We can't see their sin of gluttony but it exists.
Now I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm really not. There is another side of the coin of course- that there are medical reasons some people are overweight - real legitimate medical reasons not made up stories to give overweight people an excuse to be overweight.
Now some will easily say that a smoker is defiling their body, and they'd be correct. So passing by a 100 people and seeing 8 smokers- that would be an outward sign of a sin in the act from those 8 smokers.
Catching people in the act of sinning whatever sin that might be- including lying, boasting, heated temper, selfishness, adultery, murder, gossiping, deceiving, etcetera- can make us aware of that single sin, or even of multiple sins they commit, yet WE CANNOT JUDGE THEIR ETERNAL LIFE, not ever! However, we must look upon our own lives, our OWN sins.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Two conflicting statements? Not really, the Lord's judgment is true, our judgment even of ourselves is not in any way perfect. We must however be able to judge between right and wrong, between what is sin and what isn't sin. If we don't know what sin is, how can we keep from sinning?
We must determine when we sin and when we don't sin, only then can we even ask for forgiveness. Sure we could ask for forgiveness of the sins of ignorance and this is something very real and true, but the sins we KNOW we commit we must not ignore the need to ask for forgiveness for those sins.
Back to the over eating that jumped out at me…
This particular verse-
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Whose God is their belly.
We really, really have to think about this statement.
Do we idolize our bellies? Do we?
How many of us are caught up in the food we eat to the point of it being obsessive? Think about it, really think about it. Does a single day go by without us thinking of our bellies? Sure, God made us to eat daily- right in the Lord's prayer when He was instructing His disciples on the form they should pray He states 'give us this day our daily bread'. Daily bread, daily food. Our bodies are made with signals that tell us when we are hungry and thirsty, and these signals are going off every day. So yes, we are MADE, we were CREATED to feel hunger- our Savior hungered. We were made to desire food daily and so of course we think about food daily. HOWEVER and this is a HUGE however. How we satisfy that desire is the important question. How we eat, not that we do eat is the issue.
I can't help but wonder if our vast menus with our wide, very extensive lists of foods isn't something more detrimental than good for us.
Simple food.
Natural food.
Food that is prepared simply.
Food that requires simple ingredients.
Food that is cooked without any fancy equipment.
You get what I'm saying, I know you do. We in our society have been brought up on a wide variety of foods and we are exposed to 'new' recipes all the time. We are RAISED this way and because of that, we expect to continue this way endlessly. To DEPRIVE ourselves isn't something we want to do. Many will say that you don't HAVE to deprive to yourself when you are eating naturally and simply, but you do if you are USED to eating anything but simply and naturally. You are changing years of habits, years of eating anything you desire- good or bad for you. Seriously, it's such a HUGE change that to try and say otherwise is ridiculous. You can say it, but it's not really true. Changes like that are NOT easy at all.
Our bellies.
People DO allow their bellies to have control over their minds, we just need to decide whether we are among those who do worship our bellies as god.
More tomorrow…by the grace of God.
In His amazing LOVE now and forever!!!
Amen.
Rom 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Rom 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Mat 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son, but the Father only.
Mat 24:37 And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Mat 24:38 For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
Mat 24:39 and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.
Rom 14:16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
Rom 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Rom 14:18 For he that herein serveth Christ is well–pleasing to God, and approved of men.
Rom 14:19 So then let us follow after things which make for peace, and things whereby we may edify one another.
Rom 14:20 Overthrow not for meat’s sake the work of God. All things indeed are clean; howbeit it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
Rom 14:21 It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth.
Rom 14:22 The faith which thou hast, have thou to thyself before God. Happy is he that judgeth not himself in that which he approveth.
Rom 14:23 But he that doubteth is condemned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; and whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Luk 12:27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Luk 12:28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Luk 12:29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.
Pro 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.
Pro 23:20 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh:
Pro 23:21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.
Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Pro 23:1 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee:
Pro 23:2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
Pro 23:3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.
Psa 141:3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Psa 141:4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.
Luk 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
*******
We talk often about sinning, and there are so many incredibly obvious sins that we don't take time to look at the supposed lesser sins. We like to push those sins aside and focus on the big ones. Recently people I know have been discussing a lot of health issues and then various Biblical verses began to pop up in my Bible reading and I knew I had to study it now.
Ever since I was about ten years old I became overweight. I've easily been on many, many diets and a few of them had good results- that gave me temporary weight loss. I've spent many years focused on my weight and several of them were under the impression that my being overweight is an outward sign of sin. There are outward signs of sinning, this can't be denied. But A LOT of sins aren't seen by others, they aren't OBVIOUS sins. I could walk by a hundred people and not be able to say definitively that they are committing certain sins. I can say definitively that ALL are sinners, but only because my Bible tells me that all people are sinners.
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
Rom 5:12 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
I cannot say definitively that any one of those hundred people are sinners forgiven by Christ because I don't know if they've given their lives to Christ and have asked for forgiveness from Him. So while I know every single person is a sinner, I don't necessarily know what sins they are guilty of. I could look at an overweight person and automatically reason that they have sinned the sin of gluttony, of defiling the temple (their body), of thinking of themselves more than God, and yes, I could go on and on. So it's rather easy to *pick* on overweight people because they wear the results of their sins upon their excess flesh, something they cannot hide.
Of course a very skinny person could also be a glutton, they could also over eat and defile their bodies, we all know those bulimics who binge and then throw up are guilty of gluttony etc. Yet, those people aren't always overweight, some are in fact quite skinny. We can't see their sin of gluttony but it exists.
Now I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm really not. There is another side of the coin of course- that there are medical reasons some people are overweight - real legitimate medical reasons not made up stories to give overweight people an excuse to be overweight.
Now some will easily say that a smoker is defiling their body, and they'd be correct. So passing by a 100 people and seeing 8 smokers- that would be an outward sign of a sin in the act from those 8 smokers.
Catching people in the act of sinning whatever sin that might be- including lying, boasting, heated temper, selfishness, adultery, murder, gossiping, deceiving, etcetera- can make us aware of that single sin, or even of multiple sins they commit, yet WE CANNOT JUDGE THEIR ETERNAL LIFE, not ever! However, we must look upon our own lives, our OWN sins.
1Co 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
1Co 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
Two conflicting statements? Not really, the Lord's judgment is true, our judgment even of ourselves is not in any way perfect. We must however be able to judge between right and wrong, between what is sin and what isn't sin. If we don't know what sin is, how can we keep from sinning?
We must determine when we sin and when we don't sin, only then can we even ask for forgiveness. Sure we could ask for forgiveness of the sins of ignorance and this is something very real and true, but the sins we KNOW we commit we must not ignore the need to ask for forgiveness for those sins.
Back to the over eating that jumped out at me…
This particular verse-
Php 3:18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Whose God is their belly.
We really, really have to think about this statement.
Do we idolize our bellies? Do we?
How many of us are caught up in the food we eat to the point of it being obsessive? Think about it, really think about it. Does a single day go by without us thinking of our bellies? Sure, God made us to eat daily- right in the Lord's prayer when He was instructing His disciples on the form they should pray He states 'give us this day our daily bread'. Daily bread, daily food. Our bodies are made with signals that tell us when we are hungry and thirsty, and these signals are going off every day. So yes, we are MADE, we were CREATED to feel hunger- our Savior hungered. We were made to desire food daily and so of course we think about food daily. HOWEVER and this is a HUGE however. How we satisfy that desire is the important question. How we eat, not that we do eat is the issue.
I can't help but wonder if our vast menus with our wide, very extensive lists of foods isn't something more detrimental than good for us.
Simple food.
Natural food.
Food that is prepared simply.
Food that requires simple ingredients.
Food that is cooked without any fancy equipment.
You get what I'm saying, I know you do. We in our society have been brought up on a wide variety of foods and we are exposed to 'new' recipes all the time. We are RAISED this way and because of that, we expect to continue this way endlessly. To DEPRIVE ourselves isn't something we want to do. Many will say that you don't HAVE to deprive to yourself when you are eating naturally and simply, but you do if you are USED to eating anything but simply and naturally. You are changing years of habits, years of eating anything you desire- good or bad for you. Seriously, it's such a HUGE change that to try and say otherwise is ridiculous. You can say it, but it's not really true. Changes like that are NOT easy at all.
Our bellies.
People DO allow their bellies to have control over their minds, we just need to decide whether we are among those who do worship our bellies as god.
More tomorrow…by the grace of God.
In His amazing LOVE now and forever!!!
Amen.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Prophecy - 105- Probation is OVER BEFORE the seven last plagues begin
Continuing from the seminar transcript… (May God bless us! Keeping our eyes, our understanding open to all His truths.)
*******
The second plague.
Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Blood.
Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
A double plague of blood. Now this is interesting, why double blood? Why give them blood to drink? The blood of a dead man. I understand which is a deadly poisonous. Blood, twice.
Let's notice the answer that is given there or what's said there in verses 5, 6, and 7.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, ...
Well where does the angel of the water come in before?
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Alright you have not only the angel of the water but you have an angel at the altar. Now what's the picture on the angel of the altar? Come back to the 18th verse of the 14th chapter.
Rev 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Also you have an angel of the altar in the 8th chap. of Rev. And this angel 8th chap 3rd vs.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Now the prayers are offered but what is below the altar? Or another altar I should say perhaps the 9th vs of the 6th chap.
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held
The blood is given because they have slain God's people and those prayers have come up before God, isn't that the same case with Able?
'Thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground' he told Cain.
Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
God takes cognizance of the blood that is shed so in this instance blood is GIVEN because they have shed blood but interestingly there's something about this, if you'll notice the 17th chap. 17th chap 6th vs.
This woman we're going to look at probably in the next session or tomorrow.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Now what's a martyr? When they give their life, but it's also the blood of the saints. Who's? The saints.
Now let's go back here what did we study, let us compare verses.
Who are the saints?
The remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God the faith of Jesus and we find in the book of Rev. in the 13th chapter there's a death decree issued by what? The image to the beast.
Is that decree carried out? No.
Because God intervenes.
But God charges the accountable as if they had slain the saints.
So you have in this woman in Rev. 17 the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus they have the judgment because the judgments fall ultimately on this woman and her plagues come in one day.
That's right in Matthew the 23rd chapter he charges the Pharisees of that generation with ALL the blood that was spilled from where? From Abel down to .. '
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Upon this generation it would fall, the accountability. Thus the victory of the final generation and the accounting of the last generation are both compounded. So the picture goes.
Alright let's continue on into the picture further Rev. the 16th chap. verses 8 and 9 we find the 4th angel.
Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Alright, here's a plague of the sun. Scorching men with heat these men blasphemed the name of God that had power over these plagues and they repented not.
In here also is the fact that there is also ulcers in this picture - that's a little further on.
Why didn't they repent? They found no place of repentance. The plagues come at the close of probation no place of repentance. The sun that they have worshipped the sun god of heathenism now becomes a curse to them. This is in the case of Elijah. They worshipped Baal and God cursed them. And so you have the same picture, after all they tried to get out of it by bringing in a false prophet and trying to bring fire down from God out of heaven it didn't quite work and so you have this particular picture here as far as this thing is concerned.
Now I want to back up for something because something just came to my mind that I needed to point out in relationship to that first plague in the matter of the shedding of the blood. It says- in her is found the blood of martyrs and of the saints' and that is a result of the death decree the blood of the saints. But these who come under the first plague they worship the image. Now the image issues the death decree doesn't it? So they escape the death decree by compromise, by worshipping the image of the beast. In other words instead of standing as the 3 worthies stood - they bowed. And remember that chapter in Daniel the 3rd chapter there were more Jews there than just the 3 worthies. There was a delegation there from Judea the king there Zedikiah in fact Zedikiah was there himself with his chamberlain. They didn't stand up. They bowed and preserved their skins. But the 3 stood up and preserved their integrity. And God vindicated them and they didn't die even though they went into the fiery furnace. We need to study the book of Daniel too, that experience, because it's helpful.
Alright now we'll come back to the plague.
Let's notice now the tenth and the 11th verses which is the plague of darkness which is the 5th plague.
Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
So when the 5th plague is poured out those who received the 1st plague are still suffering.
But this plague is poured out upon the kingdom of the seat of the beast his kingdom is full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain.
The tongue that had spoken apostasy. That had blasphemed. That had projected error. Some how is touched that it becomes very painful.
They gnawed their tongues for pain.
Whatever the pain is, however the pain goes over the body, plus the sores. And so it says those that get the ulcerous sores are also going to be affected by the tongue pain of this plague. They too have uttered apostasy. They too have projected apostasy. My brother my sister integrity of truth is absolutely vital in this final conflict and the maintenance of that truth because it's the devil that abode not in the truth. And we've got to be able to know what is truth.
Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
And the only way you're going to know that word is to study and find out what it says and not what you would like to have it say and what you want to read back into the word to want it to say.
May we get out from under that curse. We're cursed by trying to read INTO the word of God. When the word of God can speak to us and tells us and warns us that if we get involved in apostasy which is a departure from the integrity of truth what are we going get?
Not only are we going to suffer under the first plague we're going to come under that plague of darkness. God's going to give us what we have propagated and set forth for others.
Isn't it time for us to just wake up? And isn't this a part of the getting ready?
How much more can I plead with you of the necessity of really knowing the word and studying it and following it?
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants the things which must shortly come to pass and He sent and signified it unto His angel unto His servant John by the angel. Do we really believe it? Do we really believe it?
And how much longer are we going to go with our isogetical interpretation of Revelation? And if you think I'm wearing out a word I hope to goodness I wear a rut in your mind with that word. You won't forget it. Get out of this isogetical into the exegetical- read what the word says and see it compare scripture with scripture and find the message. And then when we have counsel and enlightenment from the testimonies let's be honest enough to accept it and see what it's saying.
Now we come to a very interesting part of the plagues starting with the 12th verse.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
And that's all there is to that plague.
The plague talks about the great river Euphrates, it talks about the waters thereof or the water thereof being dried up. And the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Now if you recall at the very beginning of our seminar I said that we were going to use two methods of understanding the prophecy-- the historical protestant method of the historical protestant method of interpretation and typology.
Now typology is a valid method of interpreting the scriptures.
All these things happening to them types, examples, and are written for our admonition.
The sanctuary is a type- the earthly sanctuary is a type of the heavenly.
Typology is interesting and very vital to understand the scriptures.
Now here in this 12th verse what's the typology? What's the type?
The river Euphrates and the drying up of that river that the kings of the east might be prepared.
Now what sat on the river Euphrates the waters of which were dried up in its overthrow.
Ancient Babylon. Literal Babylon. Literal Babylon sat over the river Euphrates- the river went through the middle of the city and the walls were there at the side of it and there were gates across and bridges and those gates could be closed against the enemy.
Cyrus and the Medo-Persian group host came down and diverted the river Euphrates into a lake and went under the bars on a dry riverbed and found the gates (of Babylon) open and went in and that night Belshazzer was killed and Babylon came into remembrance before God.
Now it says here the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up.
Now interestingly we have used the term water and we've said that in prophecy it equals what?
People, nations, and tongues.
And is that a correct interpretation of that verse? Comparing Scripture with Scripture. Are you going to hold to that?
Compared to Rev. 17. Have you read that text and read what it says or are you reading into it? Let's notice now there's a restrictive clause in that verse.
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
It's a restrictive descriptive aspect of waters - The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth-- and who is the whore? Babylon.
Alright then in the 6th plague what did John see? He saw the woman sitting on the waters and those waters dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
That was the 6th plague. Now we'll probably come back to it or I'll answer it if I should forget and you ask me a question we'll discover exactly what that plague is. But let us notice now, why this plague.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
3 unclean spirits like frogs--
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Now in the book of Revelation we're told that the dragon represents the devil and satan - that's clear.
Rev. 20 ...Rev. 12.
Now the symbolism is changing. And the devil and the spirits of devils are pictured as frogs-working miracles, croaking, so forth and so on.
Now let's think a bit. And I had a thing for a number of months, years to figure out, to think through this matter of the frogs.
The frogs catch their prey with their tongues.
See God has a judgment on tongues. Also, the frogs do a lot of sounds and varied sounds and so forth and so on. And I understand that they do it during a mating season, when they're bringing everything together. Tongues. Bringing things together. Spirits of devils. A very apt picture of the modern charismatic movement that's pervaded all religious forces today all religious aspects Catholic, Protestant, even the pagans all you have to do, all you would have had done is attend the seventh assembly of the world council of churches in Canbury, Canbura Australia and the pagan spiritualist manifestations there was something else.
Alright, I want you to notice here these unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
All are religious in nature.
In other words its the intent of the combined religious world led by SATAN to gather the leadership of the world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty in his last attempt to stand against God.
This takes place in probationary time.
Because the sixth plague is God's judgment against it.
Now the question comes is where do they gather them?
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
A place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, now we're faced with a real problem. We're reading English the book of Revelation is written in the Greek, and John is writing the Greek form for a Hebrew word. So what we've got to do is go back from the English to the Greek, to the Hebrew and find out what we have.
In your King James Version you have it simply - Armageddon. In the American Revised Version following very closely the Hebrew as best as they could they said HAR mageddon. It's a compound word. As a compound word there's no question about this part of it. That means mountain- that's clear. (HAR- Mountain)
Now when we come to the second part, mountain of what? Here's where our problem is because we've got to go back into the Hebrew. And interestingly you'll note here on the paper that I've tried to give you in the English language we read this direction along with the Greek. All the letters are in this series. As far as the Hebrew is concerned you read to us as backwards. You read from this side over to this side and that's why I've had to cross arrows in order that you could follow down through.
So what do we have to do? Let's keep in mind that in the Hebrew language there were no vowels. No vowels in the Hebrew language. They had some vowel consonants. But there were no vowels so what we do then we have to cast we have to cut the vowels out of the picture in the Greek. Then we have in the Greek language we have endings the Greeks determined the case by the ending, nomative, the genitive, the dative, and the accusative all had different endings to indicate whether you were using that particular form. And so when we come here we're going to have to cut this part out because this happens to be a Greek ending. So what do we have left? Well we have left here...we have left this, this, and this. We have three Hebrew consonants. And now as we go ba...as you'll notice on your sheet, we go back and backward and we get the Hebrew word Mo-ed. Now this happens to be a vowel consonant... so that's why that's in here. You have your .......and your... but you got a gamma and here you've got an ion and naturally they're not the same letters. But in transliteration and I've got you an illustration there how do you spell Gomorrah? Sodom and Gomorrah. Well I've given you an illustration there and I've showed you the Greek spelling for Gomorrah. And if you'll notice that first Greek letter the gamma and you go over there to the Hebrew word Gomorrah and what do you have? You have an ion. In other words from here to here you have the same kind of a word from gamma to ion and then I've given you down here below this from the Hebrew and English lexicon of the Old Testament the word and the explanation. The word in the old testament which most clearly meets the requirements of the Greek translation Megedon is the Hebrew word Mo-ed.
On the surface there's one problem the middle consonant ion this does not answer to the greek gamma however ? states, 'while the Hebrew was a living language the letter ion which is peculiar to the Semitic tongue an extremely difficult for our organs to pronounce seems to have had a two-fold pronunciation, a soft and a hard sound. The harder ion which the Arabs call gian ? was a harsh sound uttered from the bottom of the throat accompanied by a certain whirring or whizzing so as to resemble the letter 'R' when uttered abruptly with a strong rolling.' Now that's a description I'm not going to give you a demonstration. This the 70 have usually represented by the letter gamma in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Alright now here what do we have? We have this picture of in the Hebrew tongue the mount of Mo'ed. Now we read here in Revelation that it's the Spirits of Devils going forth from the three powers that gather them together to where? A place called in the Hebrew tongue Har-Meggedon. Alright let's go back to Isaiah. Isaiah the 14th chapter. And there in the 14th chapter of Isaiah we find God telling you what's in the heart of Lucifer. Now who's Lucifer? The angelic name of him who became satan. Alright now notice now what God says is in his heart. 12th verse and onward--
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Satan says I'm going to sit upon the mount of the congregation the Hebrew word Har Mo-ed. And they gathered them together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Har Mo-ed, Har Maggedon, mount of the congregation. Then the devil plans to go where?
Jerusalem.
Let me show you that let's go to the 48th Psalms. Psalms 48 what is the sides of the North?
Psa 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Alright what is the picture here in Revelation? The picture in Revelation is that the spirits of devils that gather the kings of the earth to the battle of the great day of God Almighty are going to attempt to set up a new Jerusalem on earth, a mount of the congregation on earth but in the plague God reveals what it is. It's Babylon the great. And thus you have the picture in Rev. 17 of the woman and that city and you have then the wife, the bride of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem which comes down from God out of Heaven at the end of the thousand years.
So you have to choose then between which city- an earthly new Jerusalem or the heavenly new Jerusalem.
Let's just take a look at the overall picture as we're seeing the situation or the general picture as far as the coming of the city is concerned.
What evidences do we have today that the whole thing is starting to center towards Jerusalem? The Lord has given us a series of signs that have taken place and moving on to the objective and the very next sign is in Daniel 11:45 -
Dan 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
...and here Revelations says that just before the plagues come out I mean as the time of the plagues as a basis for God's reaction in the sixth plague, the spirits of devils are gathered the kings of the earth of the whole world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty and he gathers them to a place called in the Hebrew tongue the mount of the congregation. That's the picture.
*******
That isn't the end of the seminar- but he ends it shortly there after to pick it up the at the next session, so I'm going to stop here for now.
I find it incredibly fascinating to view the seven LAST plagues in a cause and effect aspect. Until I'd heard it here I didn't give it too much thought.
The first falls upon those who receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. You do not get the mark AFTER the plague, you have to have received the mark and worshipped the image of the beast prior to the plagues.
The second and third falls upon those who have shed the innocent blood of God's people in THOUGHT and in deed- something that had to be done PRIOR to the plagues.
The fourth and fifth falls upon those whose deeds are ungodly. Again, these are done prior to the punishment.
The sixth plague is set in motion for the evil forces - determined evil BEFORE the plagues- to come into play.
By the time the plagues begin every human beings fate will have been decided. This is so incredibly contrary to what many believe. They expect to bear witness to these plagues and then repent of their ungodly way of life and be saved. They'll hear about the plague of sores in one part of the world - a plague that won't discriminate but fall upon ALL who receive the MARK of the BEAST, and worship the IMAGE of the BEAST. Just imagine it for a moment… a 'a noisome and grievous sore'.
noi·some
adjective
1.
offensive or disgusting, as an odor.
2.
harmful or injurious to health; noxious.
Pasted from
griev·ous
adjective
1.
causing grief or great sorrow: grievous news.
2.
flagrant; outrageous; atrocious: a grievous offense against morality.
3.
full of or expressing grief; sorrowful: a grievous cry.
4.
burdensome or oppressive.
5.
causing great pain or suffering: arrested for causing grievous bodily harm to someone in a bar.
Pasted from
A disgusting smelling, noxious sore that brings great pain and suffering. This isn't a little rash we're talking about. This isn't the occasional sore here and there - bug bite, infected hair, reaction to medication, so on and so forth. This is a GREAT smelly, painful sore- this is rotting flesh sore- not a tiny pimple or small or even large boil occasionally affecting people today.
So there you are let's say in Europe and you read about it a tweet, on your newsfeed, you hear it on the news that suddenly the majority of people in the United States are covered in flesh eating sores and NO medication is stopping the outbreak of this disease, no one who has this disease is dying from the disease itself, but the pain of it, the awful smell of the disease is taking its toll and many are killing themselves because they can't take it-- what would you think?
You'd be horrified and rightly so! People would make the connection- they do it even today when things happen which appear even remotely plague-like. People would be scared and they'd start praying, they'd start trying to change their ways, they'd suddenly up attendance at church a 1000, 10,000 fold. But it will be TOO late!
God is not given us the plagues to show us who is in control- remember Moses and Pharaoh?
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Exo 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
Exo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Exo 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
The Egyptians would KNOW that the LORD is the true God, the Great I AM - because of all those signs and wonders and then ultimately because the children of Israel are set free.
Did those plagues change Pharaoh into worshipping God? NO. Those plagues were given as a result of Pharaoh living without God. Those plagues were NOT falling on innocent people. The plagues fell upon the professed God-less, the professed worshippers of idol, those not descendent from God's chosen people.
The plagues at the end of the world will NOT fall upon any innocent person- they will not fall upon anyone covered by the blood of Jesus and His righteousness. But the plagues WILL fall upon the deserving and it will be TOO late for them to change their minds about God, not that many would be truly inclined. Their only inclination towards repentance at that point is a false repentance- sorry they got caught, not sorry for their deeds, their Godlessness.
The time during our probation is all the time we are given to repent and accept our Savior, when that probation time is over it is over and there is NO changing, no repenting, no accepting of Jesus then.
People just do not want to believe this- it's too bitter a pill to swallow. They believe a truly compassionate God will give them mind-blowing wake up calls on the scale of the miraculous so they know it's time to give up all their sinning and leave a Godly life. It doesn't and it won't work that way and those hoping for that sort of scenario are going to be awfully disappointed. The time to be fully God's is NOW, not a second from now, but right NOW. We don't know when our individual probation is up, we know when it began, but not when it's over. Prophecy followers know that in 1980 the Times of the Gentiles was completely fulfilled. The time for the message to be spread is over- it has been spread and the time now is for individual acceptance of what has been given to us over the many, many years.
God has a prophetic time clock and that time is running out. God has given us plenty of markers of that time clock and it's up to us to pay attention to those markers and know where we stand in the prophetic timeline. THIS generation- the generation that was born in 1980 will NOT pass before Christ returns. All previous generations can pass, but this generation will NOT slip off into a long forgotten generation- Christ will come before that happens.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
In 1980 - 31 years ago. We are in 31 years of the generation that will NOT pass away till all be fulfilled and part of that ALL being fulfilled is the coming of our Savior!
You can scoff all you like, you can laugh it off, you can angrily dismiss everything I've written as hogwash and that's your right. We ALL have the right to choose God or not and that's a choice that can never be taken from us as long as we are living in probationary time. If you die during this time your choice is made. If you wait and probation closes, you've made your choice. The seven last plagues will NOT open your eyes to God with the opportunity to accept Him as Your Savior, the seven last plagues are given- every single one of them from first to last- to those who have made their choice- God or not God. There will be no deciding after the fact, all probation is over.
People hate thinking about stuff like that, they really, really do because it pricks their conscience and they'd rather just stay sleeping soundly in their own little worlds of deception rather than wake up to the truth in Jesus Christ, to the truth of their own accountability towards God.
By the grace of God we will be FULLY HIS and no others!
May we be found under the wing of our Savior's grace and mercy, fully in HIS righteousness, covered in HIS white raiment all through HIS love, when probation is over and the plagues descend.
In Him Always!!!!!
Amen.
*******
The second plague.
Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Blood.
Rev 16:4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
A double plague of blood. Now this is interesting, why double blood? Why give them blood to drink? The blood of a dead man. I understand which is a deadly poisonous. Blood, twice.
Let's notice the answer that is given there or what's said there in verses 5, 6, and 7.
Rev 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, ...
Well where does the angel of the water come in before?
Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Alright you have not only the angel of the water but you have an angel at the altar. Now what's the picture on the angel of the altar? Come back to the 18th verse of the 14th chapter.
Rev 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
Also you have an angel of the altar in the 8th chap. of Rev. And this angel 8th chap 3rd vs.
Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Now the prayers are offered but what is below the altar? Or another altar I should say perhaps the 9th vs of the 6th chap.
Rev 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held
The blood is given because they have slain God's people and those prayers have come up before God, isn't that the same case with Able?
'Thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground' he told Cain.
Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
God takes cognizance of the blood that is shed so in this instance blood is GIVEN because they have shed blood but interestingly there's something about this, if you'll notice the 17th chap. 17th chap 6th vs.
This woman we're going to look at probably in the next session or tomorrow.
Rev 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Now what's a martyr? When they give their life, but it's also the blood of the saints. Who's? The saints.
Now let's go back here what did we study, let us compare verses.
Who are the saints?
The remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God the faith of Jesus and we find in the book of Rev. in the 13th chapter there's a death decree issued by what? The image to the beast.
Is that decree carried out? No.
Because God intervenes.
But God charges the accountable as if they had slain the saints.
So you have in this woman in Rev. 17 the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus they have the judgment because the judgments fall ultimately on this woman and her plagues come in one day.
That's right in Matthew the 23rd chapter he charges the Pharisees of that generation with ALL the blood that was spilled from where? From Abel down to .. '
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
Upon this generation it would fall, the accountability. Thus the victory of the final generation and the accounting of the last generation are both compounded. So the picture goes.
Alright let's continue on into the picture further Rev. the 16th chap. verses 8 and 9 we find the 4th angel.
Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Alright, here's a plague of the sun. Scorching men with heat these men blasphemed the name of God that had power over these plagues and they repented not.
In here also is the fact that there is also ulcers in this picture - that's a little further on.
Why didn't they repent? They found no place of repentance. The plagues come at the close of probation no place of repentance. The sun that they have worshipped the sun god of heathenism now becomes a curse to them. This is in the case of Elijah. They worshipped Baal and God cursed them. And so you have the same picture, after all they tried to get out of it by bringing in a false prophet and trying to bring fire down from God out of heaven it didn't quite work and so you have this particular picture here as far as this thing is concerned.
Now I want to back up for something because something just came to my mind that I needed to point out in relationship to that first plague in the matter of the shedding of the blood. It says- in her is found the blood of martyrs and of the saints' and that is a result of the death decree the blood of the saints. But these who come under the first plague they worship the image. Now the image issues the death decree doesn't it? So they escape the death decree by compromise, by worshipping the image of the beast. In other words instead of standing as the 3 worthies stood - they bowed. And remember that chapter in Daniel the 3rd chapter there were more Jews there than just the 3 worthies. There was a delegation there from Judea the king there Zedikiah in fact Zedikiah was there himself with his chamberlain. They didn't stand up. They bowed and preserved their skins. But the 3 stood up and preserved their integrity. And God vindicated them and they didn't die even though they went into the fiery furnace. We need to study the book of Daniel too, that experience, because it's helpful.
Alright now we'll come back to the plague.
Let's notice now the tenth and the 11th verses which is the plague of darkness which is the 5th plague.
Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
So when the 5th plague is poured out those who received the 1st plague are still suffering.
But this plague is poured out upon the kingdom of the seat of the beast his kingdom is full of darkness and they gnawed their tongues for pain.
The tongue that had spoken apostasy. That had blasphemed. That had projected error. Some how is touched that it becomes very painful.
They gnawed their tongues for pain.
Whatever the pain is, however the pain goes over the body, plus the sores. And so it says those that get the ulcerous sores are also going to be affected by the tongue pain of this plague. They too have uttered apostasy. They too have projected apostasy. My brother my sister integrity of truth is absolutely vital in this final conflict and the maintenance of that truth because it's the devil that abode not in the truth. And we've got to be able to know what is truth.
Sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is truth.
And the only way you're going to know that word is to study and find out what it says and not what you would like to have it say and what you want to read back into the word to want it to say.
May we get out from under that curse. We're cursed by trying to read INTO the word of God. When the word of God can speak to us and tells us and warns us that if we get involved in apostasy which is a departure from the integrity of truth what are we going get?
Not only are we going to suffer under the first plague we're going to come under that plague of darkness. God's going to give us what we have propagated and set forth for others.
Isn't it time for us to just wake up? And isn't this a part of the getting ready?
How much more can I plead with you of the necessity of really knowing the word and studying it and following it?
This is the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants the things which must shortly come to pass and He sent and signified it unto His angel unto His servant John by the angel. Do we really believe it? Do we really believe it?
And how much longer are we going to go with our isogetical interpretation of Revelation? And if you think I'm wearing out a word I hope to goodness I wear a rut in your mind with that word. You won't forget it. Get out of this isogetical into the exegetical- read what the word says and see it compare scripture with scripture and find the message. And then when we have counsel and enlightenment from the testimonies let's be honest enough to accept it and see what it's saying.
Now we come to a very interesting part of the plagues starting with the 12th verse.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
And that's all there is to that plague.
The plague talks about the great river Euphrates, it talks about the waters thereof or the water thereof being dried up. And the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Now if you recall at the very beginning of our seminar I said that we were going to use two methods of understanding the prophecy-- the historical protestant method of the historical protestant method of interpretation and typology.
Now typology is a valid method of interpreting the scriptures.
All these things happening to them types, examples, and are written for our admonition.
The sanctuary is a type- the earthly sanctuary is a type of the heavenly.
Typology is interesting and very vital to understand the scriptures.
Now here in this 12th verse what's the typology? What's the type?
The river Euphrates and the drying up of that river that the kings of the east might be prepared.
Now what sat on the river Euphrates the waters of which were dried up in its overthrow.
Ancient Babylon. Literal Babylon. Literal Babylon sat over the river Euphrates- the river went through the middle of the city and the walls were there at the side of it and there were gates across and bridges and those gates could be closed against the enemy.
Cyrus and the Medo-Persian group host came down and diverted the river Euphrates into a lake and went under the bars on a dry riverbed and found the gates (of Babylon) open and went in and that night Belshazzer was killed and Babylon came into remembrance before God.
Now it says here the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up.
Now interestingly we have used the term water and we've said that in prophecy it equals what?
People, nations, and tongues.
And is that a correct interpretation of that verse? Comparing Scripture with Scripture. Are you going to hold to that?
Compared to Rev. 17. Have you read that text and read what it says or are you reading into it? Let's notice now there's a restrictive clause in that verse.
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
It's a restrictive descriptive aspect of waters - The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth-- and who is the whore? Babylon.
Alright then in the 6th plague what did John see? He saw the woman sitting on the waters and those waters dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
That was the 6th plague. Now we'll probably come back to it or I'll answer it if I should forget and you ask me a question we'll discover exactly what that plague is. But let us notice now, why this plague.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
3 unclean spirits like frogs--
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Now in the book of Revelation we're told that the dragon represents the devil and satan - that's clear.
Rev. 20 ...Rev. 12.
Now the symbolism is changing. And the devil and the spirits of devils are pictured as frogs-working miracles, croaking, so forth and so on.
Now let's think a bit. And I had a thing for a number of months, years to figure out, to think through this matter of the frogs.
The frogs catch their prey with their tongues.
See God has a judgment on tongues. Also, the frogs do a lot of sounds and varied sounds and so forth and so on. And I understand that they do it during a mating season, when they're bringing everything together. Tongues. Bringing things together. Spirits of devils. A very apt picture of the modern charismatic movement that's pervaded all religious forces today all religious aspects Catholic, Protestant, even the pagans all you have to do, all you would have had done is attend the seventh assembly of the world council of churches in Canbury, Canbura Australia and the pagan spiritualist manifestations there was something else.
Alright, I want you to notice here these unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
All are religious in nature.
In other words its the intent of the combined religious world led by SATAN to gather the leadership of the world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty in his last attempt to stand against God.
This takes place in probationary time.
Because the sixth plague is God's judgment against it.
Now the question comes is where do they gather them?
Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
A place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon, now we're faced with a real problem. We're reading English the book of Revelation is written in the Greek, and John is writing the Greek form for a Hebrew word. So what we've got to do is go back from the English to the Greek, to the Hebrew and find out what we have.
In your King James Version you have it simply - Armageddon. In the American Revised Version following very closely the Hebrew as best as they could they said HAR mageddon. It's a compound word. As a compound word there's no question about this part of it. That means mountain- that's clear. (HAR- Mountain)
Now when we come to the second part, mountain of what? Here's where our problem is because we've got to go back into the Hebrew. And interestingly you'll note here on the paper that I've tried to give you in the English language we read this direction along with the Greek. All the letters are in this series. As far as the Hebrew is concerned you read to us as backwards. You read from this side over to this side and that's why I've had to cross arrows in order that you could follow down through.
So what do we have to do? Let's keep in mind that in the Hebrew language there were no vowels. No vowels in the Hebrew language. They had some vowel consonants. But there were no vowels so what we do then we have to cast we have to cut the vowels out of the picture in the Greek. Then we have in the Greek language we have endings the Greeks determined the case by the ending, nomative, the genitive, the dative, and the accusative all had different endings to indicate whether you were using that particular form. And so when we come here we're going to have to cut this part out because this happens to be a Greek ending. So what do we have left? Well we have left here...we have left this, this, and this. We have three Hebrew consonants. And now as we go ba...as you'll notice on your sheet, we go back and backward and we get the Hebrew word Mo-ed. Now this happens to be a vowel consonant... so that's why that's in here. You have your .......and your... but you got a gamma and here you've got an ion and naturally they're not the same letters. But in transliteration and I've got you an illustration there how do you spell Gomorrah? Sodom and Gomorrah. Well I've given you an illustration there and I've showed you the Greek spelling for Gomorrah. And if you'll notice that first Greek letter the gamma and you go over there to the Hebrew word Gomorrah and what do you have? You have an ion. In other words from here to here you have the same kind of a word from gamma to ion and then I've given you down here below this from the Hebrew and English lexicon of the Old Testament the word and the explanation. The word in the old testament which most clearly meets the requirements of the Greek translation Megedon is the Hebrew word Mo-ed.
On the surface there's one problem the middle consonant ion this does not answer to the greek gamma however ? states, 'while the Hebrew was a living language the letter ion which is peculiar to the Semitic tongue an extremely difficult for our organs to pronounce seems to have had a two-fold pronunciation, a soft and a hard sound. The harder ion which the Arabs call gian ? was a harsh sound uttered from the bottom of the throat accompanied by a certain whirring or whizzing so as to resemble the letter 'R' when uttered abruptly with a strong rolling.' Now that's a description I'm not going to give you a demonstration. This the 70 have usually represented by the letter gamma in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Alright now here what do we have? We have this picture of in the Hebrew tongue the mount of Mo'ed. Now we read here in Revelation that it's the Spirits of Devils going forth from the three powers that gather them together to where? A place called in the Hebrew tongue Har-Meggedon. Alright let's go back to Isaiah. Isaiah the 14th chapter. And there in the 14th chapter of Isaiah we find God telling you what's in the heart of Lucifer. Now who's Lucifer? The angelic name of him who became satan. Alright now notice now what God says is in his heart. 12th verse and onward--
Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
Isa 14:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Satan says I'm going to sit upon the mount of the congregation the Hebrew word Har Mo-ed. And they gathered them together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Har Mo-ed, Har Maggedon, mount of the congregation. Then the devil plans to go where?
Jerusalem.
Let me show you that let's go to the 48th Psalms. Psalms 48 what is the sides of the North?
Psa 48:2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
Alright what is the picture here in Revelation? The picture in Revelation is that the spirits of devils that gather the kings of the earth to the battle of the great day of God Almighty are going to attempt to set up a new Jerusalem on earth, a mount of the congregation on earth but in the plague God reveals what it is. It's Babylon the great. And thus you have the picture in Rev. 17 of the woman and that city and you have then the wife, the bride of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem which comes down from God out of Heaven at the end of the thousand years.
So you have to choose then between which city- an earthly new Jerusalem or the heavenly new Jerusalem.
Let's just take a look at the overall picture as we're seeing the situation or the general picture as far as the coming of the city is concerned.
What evidences do we have today that the whole thing is starting to center towards Jerusalem? The Lord has given us a series of signs that have taken place and moving on to the objective and the very next sign is in Daniel 11:45 -
Dan 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
...and here Revelations says that just before the plagues come out I mean as the time of the plagues as a basis for God's reaction in the sixth plague, the spirits of devils are gathered the kings of the earth of the whole world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty and he gathers them to a place called in the Hebrew tongue the mount of the congregation. That's the picture.
*******
That isn't the end of the seminar- but he ends it shortly there after to pick it up the at the next session, so I'm going to stop here for now.
I find it incredibly fascinating to view the seven LAST plagues in a cause and effect aspect. Until I'd heard it here I didn't give it too much thought.
The first falls upon those who receive the mark of the beast and worship his image. You do not get the mark AFTER the plague, you have to have received the mark and worshipped the image of the beast prior to the plagues.
The second and third falls upon those who have shed the innocent blood of God's people in THOUGHT and in deed- something that had to be done PRIOR to the plagues.
The fourth and fifth falls upon those whose deeds are ungodly. Again, these are done prior to the punishment.
The sixth plague is set in motion for the evil forces - determined evil BEFORE the plagues- to come into play.
By the time the plagues begin every human beings fate will have been decided. This is so incredibly contrary to what many believe. They expect to bear witness to these plagues and then repent of their ungodly way of life and be saved. They'll hear about the plague of sores in one part of the world - a plague that won't discriminate but fall upon ALL who receive the MARK of the BEAST, and worship the IMAGE of the BEAST. Just imagine it for a moment… a 'a noisome and grievous sore'.
noi·some
adjective
1.
offensive or disgusting, as an odor.
2.
harmful or injurious to health; noxious.
Pasted from
griev·ous
adjective
1.
causing grief or great sorrow: grievous news.
2.
flagrant; outrageous; atrocious: a grievous offense against morality.
3.
full of or expressing grief; sorrowful: a grievous cry.
4.
burdensome or oppressive.
5.
causing great pain or suffering: arrested for causing grievous bodily harm to someone in a bar.
Pasted from
A disgusting smelling, noxious sore that brings great pain and suffering. This isn't a little rash we're talking about. This isn't the occasional sore here and there - bug bite, infected hair, reaction to medication, so on and so forth. This is a GREAT smelly, painful sore- this is rotting flesh sore- not a tiny pimple or small or even large boil occasionally affecting people today.
So there you are let's say in Europe and you read about it a tweet, on your newsfeed, you hear it on the news that suddenly the majority of people in the United States are covered in flesh eating sores and NO medication is stopping the outbreak of this disease, no one who has this disease is dying from the disease itself, but the pain of it, the awful smell of the disease is taking its toll and many are killing themselves because they can't take it-- what would you think?
You'd be horrified and rightly so! People would make the connection- they do it even today when things happen which appear even remotely plague-like. People would be scared and they'd start praying, they'd start trying to change their ways, they'd suddenly up attendance at church a 1000, 10,000 fold. But it will be TOO late!
God is not given us the plagues to show us who is in control- remember Moses and Pharaoh?
Exo 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
Exo 4:9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
Exo 5:1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
Exo 5:2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
Exo 7:3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
Exo 7:4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
Exo 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
The Egyptians would KNOW that the LORD is the true God, the Great I AM - because of all those signs and wonders and then ultimately because the children of Israel are set free.
Did those plagues change Pharaoh into worshipping God? NO. Those plagues were given as a result of Pharaoh living without God. Those plagues were NOT falling on innocent people. The plagues fell upon the professed God-less, the professed worshippers of idol, those not descendent from God's chosen people.
The plagues at the end of the world will NOT fall upon any innocent person- they will not fall upon anyone covered by the blood of Jesus and His righteousness. But the plagues WILL fall upon the deserving and it will be TOO late for them to change their minds about God, not that many would be truly inclined. Their only inclination towards repentance at that point is a false repentance- sorry they got caught, not sorry for their deeds, their Godlessness.
The time during our probation is all the time we are given to repent and accept our Savior, when that probation time is over it is over and there is NO changing, no repenting, no accepting of Jesus then.
People just do not want to believe this- it's too bitter a pill to swallow. They believe a truly compassionate God will give them mind-blowing wake up calls on the scale of the miraculous so they know it's time to give up all their sinning and leave a Godly life. It doesn't and it won't work that way and those hoping for that sort of scenario are going to be awfully disappointed. The time to be fully God's is NOW, not a second from now, but right NOW. We don't know when our individual probation is up, we know when it began, but not when it's over. Prophecy followers know that in 1980 the Times of the Gentiles was completely fulfilled. The time for the message to be spread is over- it has been spread and the time now is for individual acceptance of what has been given to us over the many, many years.
God has a prophetic time clock and that time is running out. God has given us plenty of markers of that time clock and it's up to us to pay attention to those markers and know where we stand in the prophetic timeline. THIS generation- the generation that was born in 1980 will NOT pass before Christ returns. All previous generations can pass, but this generation will NOT slip off into a long forgotten generation- Christ will come before that happens.
Luk 21:32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.
In 1980 - 31 years ago. We are in 31 years of the generation that will NOT pass away till all be fulfilled and part of that ALL being fulfilled is the coming of our Savior!
You can scoff all you like, you can laugh it off, you can angrily dismiss everything I've written as hogwash and that's your right. We ALL have the right to choose God or not and that's a choice that can never be taken from us as long as we are living in probationary time. If you die during this time your choice is made. If you wait and probation closes, you've made your choice. The seven last plagues will NOT open your eyes to God with the opportunity to accept Him as Your Savior, the seven last plagues are given- every single one of them from first to last- to those who have made their choice- God or not God. There will be no deciding after the fact, all probation is over.
People hate thinking about stuff like that, they really, really do because it pricks their conscience and they'd rather just stay sleeping soundly in their own little worlds of deception rather than wake up to the truth in Jesus Christ, to the truth of their own accountability towards God.
By the grace of God we will be FULLY HIS and no others!
May we be found under the wing of our Savior's grace and mercy, fully in HIS righteousness, covered in HIS white raiment all through HIS love, when probation is over and the plagues descend.
In Him Always!!!!!
Amen.
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