The title of this post is taken from Zechariah 2:7, but the reason for this post is very short. I simply want to give the meaning of the word "Babylon" and connect it to what is going on in the world today. The word Babylon in the Bible is the Hebrew word "babel". The word means "confusion" and originates from the events that occurred at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). It comes from the root word "balal" which means "to mix together". So the entire meaning of the word is given in that Babel is "confusion by mixing things together"... or like when you would say, "you have that all mixed up". (It is also very closely related to the English word babble, which is nonsensical speaking.) At that time (in Genesis 11), man had begun to build a tower to the heavens to save themselves from a possible second flood, and God came down and confused all of their languages to prevent them from building the tower too far and taking stock in supplying their own salvation. The story has close connections to what is going on today.
Today people all over the earth are working together to come up with answers to every question under the sun. Nations are working together in the fields of science, politics, education, finance and numerous other areas to advance our civilization to heights that have never before been reached. There is just one problem with that: as cultures come together more and more, the morals and ethics of those cultures are getting all mixed together and the once distinct cultural systems are changing over time. You see a lot of this mixing occurring in the entertainment world and, with all deceitfulness, there are a lot of hard hitting immoral lessons that are being delivered with sugary-sweet, catchy pop beats. We in North America are seeing things that were once considered to be immoral by the very people that founded our nations being thought of as moral under a new ideology - things which are directly opposed to the Word of God. And God has told us, "I am the Lord, I change not (Malachi 3:6);" and again "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law [the Word of God], till all be fulfilled (Matthew 5:18)." So when nations that founded themselves on the laws and precepts of God begin to change what is right, it won't be too long before He's coming down to put a stop to it, just like He did at the Tower of Babel. We're getting closer and closer to that time my friends.
The Bible has clearly laid out what the events are that lead up to the end of this age, so don't be someone who gets carried off into Babylon, which is to say "confusion", because there are people out there who want to mix everything together and confuse it. Examine the Bible, let it be your foundation and your tower, and you won't be lead astray. God bless.
Showing posts with label End of the Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label End of the Word. Show all posts
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
Zechariah 4: Seven Lamps...
There is another reference to the seven churches of the end times in Zechariah. In fact, it is where the image of the seven lampstands in Revelation 1 is drawn from. This is seen in Zechariah 4:
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
A quick word here - there is a bit of ironic speaking in this passage! The word Zerubbabel means "born in Babylon", which means "born in confusion." To be in confusion is like being in a stupor; it's like being asleep. But Zerubbabel was a prince of Israel (of the tribe of Judah, and in the lineage of Jesus - Luke 3:27) who brought Israel out of Babylon to rebuild the Temple of the Lord (see Ezra and Nehemiah). So this part of the prophecy about Zerubbabel is a play on words, in as much as Zerubbabel is synonymous with Israel being wakened out of a sleep.
and said unto me, "What seest thou?" And I said, "I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Here is the seven candlesticks from Revelation 1 - the seven churches of the end times. In this vision, the olive oil which is the fuel for the lamps comes from two particular trees. The meaning of the trees is explained below.
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, "Knowest thou not what these be?" And I said, "No, my lord."
I love it when the prophets have to ask the meaning of the visions that they see, because it means that the prophecy will also be explained to us, the readers!
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
The meaning of Zerubbabel is explained further here. When people today discuss establishing the kingdom of God, we have to pay attention to the methods that they talk about using, because this verse says that the kingdom will not be established by power or by might (i.e. by force) but it will be established by the movement of the Holy Spirit! This is what happened when John the Baptist and Jesus went out and began preaching the Word - the Spirit of God moved in the hearts of those people that believed in Him. Jesus also discussed how it would come about after that time in Matthew 10 and Mark 13, when the Holy Spirit would speak through people.
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerbubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, 'Grace, grace unto it.'"
This passage was taught by Jesus in Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23. The mountain that is being removed is the synagogue of Satan, which is going to be a great mountain in the end days. (Mountains represent nations in spiritual language.) The people of the synagogue of Satan will be crying for grace to the headstone of their nation - he will have told them that he is God - but he is not.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro though the whole earth."
As Jesus said in Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23, if one has faith enough to stand against the synagogue of Satan in the end days, the mountain is going to remove itself. People know the sound of truth, and the people that hear the seven churches preach in the end days will see that the word is upright and straight, as symbolized by the plummet (or "plumbob"). In the time of this prophecy, the plummet was a stone that was hung from a string so that carpenters knew when the walls of a building were straight up and down. So this stone that is hanging from the plummet is the stone that was discussed in the last chapter (see previous post) that has the seven eyes on it. The seven eyes are the watchmen of the end times and the seven churches of the end times. This passage gives the explanation of why the seven churches are not just located in Turkey, but through the whole earth.
Then answered I again, and said unto him, "What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?" And I answered again, and said unto him, "What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?" And he answered me and said, "Knowest thou not what these be?" And I said, "No, my lord." Then said he, "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
The two trees are the two witnesses of the end times, who are discussed in Revelation 11.
This gives another prophecy from the Old Testament that discusses the churches of the end times, and what they are to accomplish in those days. God bless.
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
A quick word here - there is a bit of ironic speaking in this passage! The word Zerubbabel means "born in Babylon", which means "born in confusion." To be in confusion is like being in a stupor; it's like being asleep. But Zerubbabel was a prince of Israel (of the tribe of Judah, and in the lineage of Jesus - Luke 3:27) who brought Israel out of Babylon to rebuild the Temple of the Lord (see Ezra and Nehemiah). So this part of the prophecy about Zerubbabel is a play on words, in as much as Zerubbabel is synonymous with Israel being wakened out of a sleep.
and said unto me, "What seest thou?" And I said, "I have looked, and behold, a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.
Here is the seven candlesticks from Revelation 1 - the seven churches of the end times. In this vision, the olive oil which is the fuel for the lamps comes from two particular trees. The meaning of the trees is explained below.
So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, "Knowest thou not what these be?" And I said, "No, my lord."
I love it when the prophets have to ask the meaning of the visions that they see, because it means that the prophecy will also be explained to us, the readers!
Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
The meaning of Zerubbabel is explained further here. When people today discuss establishing the kingdom of God, we have to pay attention to the methods that they talk about using, because this verse says that the kingdom will not be established by power or by might (i.e. by force) but it will be established by the movement of the Holy Spirit! This is what happened when John the Baptist and Jesus went out and began preaching the Word - the Spirit of God moved in the hearts of those people that believed in Him. Jesus also discussed how it would come about after that time in Matthew 10 and Mark 13, when the Holy Spirit would speak through people.
Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerbubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, 'Grace, grace unto it.'"
This passage was taught by Jesus in Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23. The mountain that is being removed is the synagogue of Satan, which is going to be a great mountain in the end days. (Mountains represent nations in spiritual language.) The people of the synagogue of Satan will be crying for grace to the headstone of their nation - he will have told them that he is God - but he is not.
Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro though the whole earth."
As Jesus said in Matthew 21:21 and Mark 11:23, if one has faith enough to stand against the synagogue of Satan in the end days, the mountain is going to remove itself. People know the sound of truth, and the people that hear the seven churches preach in the end days will see that the word is upright and straight, as symbolized by the plummet (or "plumbob"). In the time of this prophecy, the plummet was a stone that was hung from a string so that carpenters knew when the walls of a building were straight up and down. So this stone that is hanging from the plummet is the stone that was discussed in the last chapter (see previous post) that has the seven eyes on it. The seven eyes are the watchmen of the end times and the seven churches of the end times. This passage gives the explanation of why the seven churches are not just located in Turkey, but through the whole earth.
Then answered I again, and said unto him, "What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?" And I answered again, and said unto him, "What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?" And he answered me and said, "Knowest thou not what these be?" And I said, "No, my lord." Then said he, "These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth."
The two trees are the two witnesses of the end times, who are discussed in Revelation 11.
This gives another prophecy from the Old Testament that discusses the churches of the end times, and what they are to accomplish in those days. God bless.
Monday, 12 December 2011
Zechariah 3: Seven Eyes...
Another place where the seven angels and the seven churches of the end times is refered to is in Zechariah. In fact, Zechariah 4 is the chapter that the image of the seven candlesticks used to represent the seven churches in Revelation comes from. In order to fully explain the references to the churches, I will have to go through chapters 3-4 of Zechariah, with a brief introduction from chapter 2. In chapter two, Zechariah gives a brief exaltation to Jerusalem to celebrate the fact that the Lord would dwell there. The fact is that the Lord did dwell there when He was in the image of Jesus Christ, and will dwell there once again when New Jerusalem descends from heaven (see Revelation 21), but for now, light has been separated from darkness (see Genesis 1:4). This exaltation from Zechariah 2:10-12 sets up the vision that starts in chapter 3.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be My People: thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent Me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation.
Jesus Christ is descended from David, the first king of Israel that was of the tribe of Judah. (Saul was the "first king"... but he was of the tribe of Benjamin.) Jesus inherited the kingdom through this genealogical line, as King, and did not have any children (in the flesh); therefore, the kingdom remains His now and forevermore. The passage above states how the Lord came to dwell with us, as Jesus Christ, and how He will come once again. He is "God with us", or in Hebrew, "Emmanuel" (see Isaiah 7:14). But He was named "Jesus", not "Emmanuel", by virtue of the message delivered from God by Gabriel, His messenger: "And the angel said unto [Mary], "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:31-32)". The reason that the Baby's name was Jesus was also given by the angel, but to Joseph, Mary's husband: "And she bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His People from their sins (Matthew 1:21)." Jesus is the English version of the Hebrew name "Joshua" (pronounced "Yah-shoo-wah"), which means "Jehovah's Savior". The name Joshua is why it was important to connect the ending of Zechariah 2 to the vision in Zechariah 3, because the vision is about the high priest in Zechariah's day, whose name was Joshua, but we find out by the time we get to chapter 6 that Joshua in the vision represents Jesus Christ.
The vision in Zechariah 3 (you can read it for yourself) shows the vision of when Jesus becomes the High Priest of heaven. I will not go into the vision in detail at this time (I will likely come back to it on a different day), but at the end of the vision, the Lord says about Joshua, "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the initquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." The stone with seven eyes is the seven churches in Revelation. They are God's "elect" (and, I assume, anyone who is with them in their cause). The "stone laid before Joshua" is Jesus Christ. He is the "stone which the builders refused [but has] become the head stone of the corner (Psalm 118:22)." That is to say He is "the first stone laid" and the most important one for the foundation. He was, however, rejected by the high priests in power at the time that He walked the earth - they killed Him. The seven eyes are the watchmen of the end times - they represent the seven churches in Revelation who are supposed to be watching for His return (see Mark 13:37). The prophecy is given for the end days (see Micah 4:1), in the time that every person is under their own tree, which is to say that they walk in the name of their own gods: "but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever (Micah 4:4-5)." The seven eyes of the seven churches will be there watching.
The stone with seven eyes is also the same as saying that this stone is the "body of Christ", in that the body is the church. To say in Psalm 118 that the stone itself is Jesus, then the stone is the body. Jesus is also "the Lamb of God", meaning that the lamb's body is Jesus' body. The connection can then be made between the stone with seven eyes and the Lamb because, in Revelation 5, which takes place in God's throneroom, we see a Lamb upon God's throne, and on the Lamb is seven eyes and seven horns. The eyes again are the watchmen of the seven churches, and the horns are the seven angels of the churches. Horns represent persons of power and authority (see Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12). In the vision of the lamb, the eyes and the horns are attached to the Lamb, which is the same as saying that they are a part of the body of the Lamb (or "the body of Christ").
So there you have it. One more reference to the seven churches of the end times found in Scripture. God bless.
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be My People: thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent Me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for He is raised up out of His holy habitation.
Jesus Christ is descended from David, the first king of Israel that was of the tribe of Judah. (Saul was the "first king"... but he was of the tribe of Benjamin.) Jesus inherited the kingdom through this genealogical line, as King, and did not have any children (in the flesh); therefore, the kingdom remains His now and forevermore. The passage above states how the Lord came to dwell with us, as Jesus Christ, and how He will come once again. He is "God with us", or in Hebrew, "Emmanuel" (see Isaiah 7:14). But He was named "Jesus", not "Emmanuel", by virtue of the message delivered from God by Gabriel, His messenger: "And the angel said unto [Mary], "Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:31-32)". The reason that the Baby's name was Jesus was also given by the angel, but to Joseph, Mary's husband: "And she bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His People from their sins (Matthew 1:21)." Jesus is the English version of the Hebrew name "Joshua" (pronounced "Yah-shoo-wah"), which means "Jehovah's Savior". The name Joshua is why it was important to connect the ending of Zechariah 2 to the vision in Zechariah 3, because the vision is about the high priest in Zechariah's day, whose name was Joshua, but we find out by the time we get to chapter 6 that Joshua in the vision represents Jesus Christ.
The vision in Zechariah 3 (you can read it for yourself) shows the vision of when Jesus becomes the High Priest of heaven. I will not go into the vision in detail at this time (I will likely come back to it on a different day), but at the end of the vision, the Lord says about Joshua, "For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the initquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree." The stone with seven eyes is the seven churches in Revelation. They are God's "elect" (and, I assume, anyone who is with them in their cause). The "stone laid before Joshua" is Jesus Christ. He is the "stone which the builders refused [but has] become the head stone of the corner (Psalm 118:22)." That is to say He is "the first stone laid" and the most important one for the foundation. He was, however, rejected by the high priests in power at the time that He walked the earth - they killed Him. The seven eyes are the watchmen of the end times - they represent the seven churches in Revelation who are supposed to be watching for His return (see Mark 13:37). The prophecy is given for the end days (see Micah 4:1), in the time that every person is under their own tree, which is to say that they walk in the name of their own gods: "but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it. For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever (Micah 4:4-5)." The seven eyes of the seven churches will be there watching.
The stone with seven eyes is also the same as saying that this stone is the "body of Christ", in that the body is the church. To say in Psalm 118 that the stone itself is Jesus, then the stone is the body. Jesus is also "the Lamb of God", meaning that the lamb's body is Jesus' body. The connection can then be made between the stone with seven eyes and the Lamb because, in Revelation 5, which takes place in God's throneroom, we see a Lamb upon God's throne, and on the Lamb is seven eyes and seven horns. The eyes again are the watchmen of the seven churches, and the horns are the seven angels of the churches. Horns represent persons of power and authority (see Daniel 7:24 and Revelation 17:12). In the vision of the lamb, the eyes and the horns are attached to the Lamb, which is the same as saying that they are a part of the body of the Lamb (or "the body of Christ").
So there you have it. One more reference to the seven churches of the end times found in Scripture. God bless.
Micah 5: Seven Shepherds...
In the last few posts, we went through the seven churches of the end times. Placed in charge of those seven churches are seven angels. Now, I'm not going to even begin to pretend that I am an expert on the places in Scripture that refer to these seven angels... but I know a couple. Micah chapter 5 is one of those places, and it is what will be examined below.
Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
This is the call to war. A call to war is when a trumpet is sounded, and there are seven trumpets that sound in Revelation. The siege that happens here is in the sixth trumpet and can be read about in Revelation 9:13-21. Revelation 10 is then a chapter that prepares the seven churches for what they are to do: they are given the words of God (the scroll) that they are to speak when they are delivered up to the synagogue of Satan (see Mark 13:11). Now they smote Jesus on the cheek when He was delivered up before Pilate, and this was His example to those who are delivered up at the end time, because they will also smite those delivered up. This is seen in Revelation 11:7-12.
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me That is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This is a prophecy of Christ, as Jesus was born in Bethlehem. What these words means is very poetic to me: "Bethlehem Ephratah" means "fruitful house of bread." Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life." His ministry was and is very fruitful, and those that follow in His ministry are of His house. Jesus also is a direct descendant of Judah (the royal geneology). Luke 3 gives His genealogy from Adam through Abraham, Judah, David and eventually to Heli, who was Mary's father.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travailtelth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth.
The story of the woman who gives birth is found in Revelation 12. This "him" and "his" brothers do come against the children of Israel in Revelation 12:9. The "he" (lower case h) here is the serpent of old, Satan, who will once again attempt to make the tree of knowledge of good and evil appealing. That is to say that he knows the difference between good and evil, and he does evil anyway. His days are numbered. The "He" (capital H) here is Jesus Christ, Who will feed His flock with the truth.
And this Man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian, when He cometh into our land, and when he treadeth whithin our borders.
BINGO!! The reason I came to Micah 5. The seven shepherds here are the seven angels of the seven churches in the end times. They are the seven angels of the churches written to in Revelation 2 & 3. If you remember from my previous posts (or just look below), there were seven angels, and One walking amongst the churches, for a total of eight. The eight "principal men" stated here. This is a direct connection to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3. There is another reference here, but not necessarily intentional. There were eight souls saved on the ark with Noah (1 Peter 3:20). This will be discussed in another post.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
"The remnant of Jacob" is the "very elect" that Jesus refers to in Matthew 24. These are the few chosen by God to declare His name against Satan when he is cast to the earth, as is described above. They will be on a 3 1/2 year mission, similar to that of Jesus Christ to call sinners to repentance. They will stand against Satan in the end days. For people who believe in God, they will be a refreshment, like a rain that was long overdue (though they are just on time). They are the latter rain, and they will have a lot to accomplish, so they will be taught by God and will not be able to wait for men's teaching to guide them.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
The downside for the remnant is that the people who are fooled by the antichrist are going to think that the remnant are blasphemers and heretics. The word "Gentiles" in this passage is "gowy" which is a Hebrew word that is quite often translated as "heathen" and "nations". It depicts anyone that is not a believer in Jesus Christ. Unbelievers will think that Satan is God, so anyone who speaks against Satan will be their enemy. Those people are the "synagogue of Satan" discussed in Revelation 2:9 & 3:9, and because many Christians are not taught today that the false Christ must come before the real Christ, they are in prime position to be fooled and deceived into joining the synagogue of Satan. They are not fed the true word of God as set forth by all His prophets.
The dual nature of the two passages above comes from Proverbs 19:12: "The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion: but his favour is as dew upon the grass." That is to say that being against the King, and His kingdom, is as though you were against a lion, but to be in His favour is to receive His showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).
So here is an appearance of a prophecy of the seven churches of the end times that was written about 600-700 years before Jesus was born. Micah is a fantastic book in total. I encourage you to read it (it's only 7 chapters). God bless.
Now gather thyself in troops, O daughter of troops: he hath laid siege against us: they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek.
This is the call to war. A call to war is when a trumpet is sounded, and there are seven trumpets that sound in Revelation. The siege that happens here is in the sixth trumpet and can be read about in Revelation 9:13-21. Revelation 10 is then a chapter that prepares the seven churches for what they are to do: they are given the words of God (the scroll) that they are to speak when they are delivered up to the synagogue of Satan (see Mark 13:11). Now they smote Jesus on the cheek when He was delivered up before Pilate, and this was His example to those who are delivered up at the end time, because they will also smite those delivered up. This is seen in Revelation 11:7-12.
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me That is to be ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
This is a prophecy of Christ, as Jesus was born in Bethlehem. What these words means is very poetic to me: "Bethlehem Ephratah" means "fruitful house of bread." Jesus said in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life." His ministry was and is very fruitful, and those that follow in His ministry are of His house. Jesus also is a direct descendant of Judah (the royal geneology). Luke 3 gives His genealogy from Adam through Abraham, Judah, David and eventually to Heli, who was Mary's father.
Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travailtelth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth.
The story of the woman who gives birth is found in Revelation 12. This "him" and "his" brothers do come against the children of Israel in Revelation 12:9. The "he" (lower case h) here is the serpent of old, Satan, who will once again attempt to make the tree of knowledge of good and evil appealing. That is to say that he knows the difference between good and evil, and he does evil anyway. His days are numbered. The "He" (capital H) here is Jesus Christ, Who will feed His flock with the truth.
And this Man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men. And they shall waste the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the entrances thereof: thus shall He deliver us from the Assyrian, when He cometh into our land, and when he treadeth whithin our borders.
BINGO!! The reason I came to Micah 5. The seven shepherds here are the seven angels of the seven churches in the end times. They are the seven angels of the churches written to in Revelation 2 & 3. If you remember from my previous posts (or just look below), there were seven angels, and One walking amongst the churches, for a total of eight. The eight "principal men" stated here. This is a direct connection to the churches in Revelation 2 & 3. There is another reference here, but not necessarily intentional. There were eight souls saved on the ark with Noah (1 Peter 3:20). This will be discussed in another post.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men.
"The remnant of Jacob" is the "very elect" that Jesus refers to in Matthew 24. These are the few chosen by God to declare His name against Satan when he is cast to the earth, as is described above. They will be on a 3 1/2 year mission, similar to that of Jesus Christ to call sinners to repentance. They will stand against Satan in the end days. For people who believe in God, they will be a refreshment, like a rain that was long overdue (though they are just on time). They are the latter rain, and they will have a lot to accomplish, so they will be taught by God and will not be able to wait for men's teaching to guide them.
And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
The downside for the remnant is that the people who are fooled by the antichrist are going to think that the remnant are blasphemers and heretics. The word "Gentiles" in this passage is "gowy" which is a Hebrew word that is quite often translated as "heathen" and "nations". It depicts anyone that is not a believer in Jesus Christ. Unbelievers will think that Satan is God, so anyone who speaks against Satan will be their enemy. Those people are the "synagogue of Satan" discussed in Revelation 2:9 & 3:9, and because many Christians are not taught today that the false Christ must come before the real Christ, they are in prime position to be fooled and deceived into joining the synagogue of Satan. They are not fed the true word of God as set forth by all His prophets.
The dual nature of the two passages above comes from Proverbs 19:12: "The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion: but his favour is as dew upon the grass." That is to say that being against the King, and His kingdom, is as though you were against a lion, but to be in His favour is to receive His showers of blessing (Ezekiel 34:26).
So here is an appearance of a prophecy of the seven churches of the end times that was written about 600-700 years before Jesus was born. Micah is a fantastic book in total. I encourage you to read it (it's only 7 chapters). God bless.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Revelation 3: To Him That Overcometh...
And unto the angel in the church of Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.
Paul consistently preached that strengthening the church is one of the two great tasks for Christians; the other is spreading the gospel.
Rememberest therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a theif, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The image of the thief in the night is associated with the return of Christ. Jesus, Paul and Peter all say that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief (Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 5; 1 Peter 4), which is to say unexpectedly (see Matthew 24:43). But think about that for a moment... you need to feel safe before you stop watching for the thief. Matthew 24:24 said that there is one who is coming to deceive everyone, 2 Thessalonians 2 states that the deceiver calls himself God, he may even call himself the "Son of God", so anyone who believes him will feel pretty safe, as though they were protected by God. But God says to that deceiver in Ezekiel 28:9, "Wilt thou yet say before Him that slayeth thee, 'I am God'? but thou shalt be a man and no god in the hand of Him that slayeth thee."
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.
This illustrates how every person is judged by his or her own actions, regardless of who they are associated with.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
White raiment is seen quite often in the Bible. It is also described as linen robes, which are made from flax. Angels are often described as being in white raiment. But it is not until you get to Revelation that the spiritual symbolism of white raiment is explained. The white raiment is explained in Revelation 19:8, where it says that the bride of Christ is "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." The word "righteousness" is "dekaioma" which means "lawful acts" or "righteous deeds". So your heavenly covering is made up of your good righteous acts.
To be blotted out of the book of life means that your name is forever erased from that book. It's like you had never existed. Moses asked God not to blot out the children of Israel after they had worshipped the golden calf in Exodus 32:32. I like that David would use this word to proclaim the Lord's forgiveness in the Psalms when he would talk about God blotting out man's transgressions (see Psalm 51).
And to the angel in the church of Philadelphia write;
Philadelphia is the second church that does not receive any warning from Jesus because they are in good standing with their doctrine (the first was Smyrna - see my last post). The words to this church elaborate on that doctrine a bit more. The word Philadelphia means "brotherly love", and brotherly love is what God wants people to display for each other (see Obadiah - it's only 1 chapter long).
These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name.
The key of David is a key that opens doors of knowledge. Once the knowledge is received, it cannot be taken away. And once the old knowledge is shut out, it cannot be let back in.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The word of patience is that no matter what happens in time - even though heaven and earth should pass away - we wait for the return of the Lord. This is the central message of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In Matthew 24:23, Jesus plainly says about the tribulation period (also known as the hour of temptation), "then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'there;' believe it not." This is because "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13)." So be patient.
Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
"That no man take thy crown" is the same as saying, "don't let anyone take your crown by deceiving you". Satan is the great deceiver and his whole plan is to trick people into turning away from God. This puts one in danger of losing their rewards from God. It's what happened with Adam and Eve, and it's what will be attempted at the end of this age. That's why it is important to listen to the two most emphatic places in the Bible - spoken by The Greatest Authority in the Bible, Jesus, and one of the greatest followers and teachers of scripture, Paul - that both say emphatically "DO NOT BE DECEIVED". Both references I'm talking about put the message very plainly. The first is found in two places which is from the same speech by Jesus; these can be found in Matthew 24:4 and Mark 13:5. The second is found in Paul's letter 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This letter was a follow up to the first letter, because the readers had misunderstood what Paul was saying about the return of Christ (the gathering to Christ). It's very fortunate for us that that happened, so that we also did not misread 1 Thessalonians 4.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven with My God: and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.
This last verse is a verse that is used for many different purposes, by many different pastors, to motivate church members to do many different things. What is true is that God loves a cheerful giver, and loves those that love Him (and show that love by acting on it). However, since this prophecy is given on "the day of the Lord" (see Revelation 1:10), I connect the message to what is happening at that time. To me, it has to do with people that decide to not act then. They neither follow the antichrist, who claims to be the Christ at that time, nor do they make a stand for God. To them, they "have all of their bases covered." To them, if they don't take a stand one way or the other, at least they haven't followed the antichrist, and they should get some credit for that. Jesus makes it very plain here that, if one doesn't make a stand for God then, that person is no more accepted than them that follow the antichrist. This is echoed several times in the New Testament in the saying, "whosoever will save his life will lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall save it" (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33).
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and annoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
The gold that we are to get is wisdom (see Proverbs 16:16). Here, wisdom about the end of the age is better than gold. It must be tried in the fire because of the number of false teachings that exist relating to the end times. White raiment, as we discussed before, is righteous acts: once you have knowledge of what will happen in the end times, you act accordingly. Rightly. Justly. The eyesalve is to be able to see clearly Who is the Christ. That is Jesus. Once these things are in place, you can act in the way that you are supposed to; you can put on the gospel armour and take your stand (see Ephesians 6).
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
God does rebuke and chasten His children like any loving father would. He is The Father. He is the pattern that all loving fathers have been built after. Numerous places in the Bible tell us this: Job 5:17, Proverbs 3:11, Hebrews 12. Correction is required to receive proper instruction, to receive wisdom, to receive gold tried in the fire.
This is the summation of the messages to the churches of the end times. If we can live in accordance with the doctrine now, we will be well prepared for when the end comes. We will be able to overcome, as He overcame, through the strength and knowledge provided by Him. God bless.
Paul consistently preached that strengthening the church is one of the two great tasks for Christians; the other is spreading the gospel.
Rememberest therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a theif, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
The image of the thief in the night is associated with the return of Christ. Jesus, Paul and Peter all say that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief (Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 5; 1 Peter 4), which is to say unexpectedly (see Matthew 24:43). But think about that for a moment... you need to feel safe before you stop watching for the thief. Matthew 24:24 said that there is one who is coming to deceive everyone, 2 Thessalonians 2 states that the deceiver calls himself God, he may even call himself the "Son of God", so anyone who believes him will feel pretty safe, as though they were protected by God. But God says to that deceiver in Ezekiel 28:9, "Wilt thou yet say before Him that slayeth thee, 'I am God'? but thou shalt be a man and no god in the hand of Him that slayeth thee."
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy.
This illustrates how every person is judged by his or her own actions, regardless of who they are associated with.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
White raiment is seen quite often in the Bible. It is also described as linen robes, which are made from flax. Angels are often described as being in white raiment. But it is not until you get to Revelation that the spiritual symbolism of white raiment is explained. The white raiment is explained in Revelation 19:8, where it says that the bride of Christ is "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." The word "righteousness" is "dekaioma" which means "lawful acts" or "righteous deeds". So your heavenly covering is made up of your good righteous acts.
To be blotted out of the book of life means that your name is forever erased from that book. It's like you had never existed. Moses asked God not to blot out the children of Israel after they had worshipped the golden calf in Exodus 32:32. I like that David would use this word to proclaim the Lord's forgiveness in the Psalms when he would talk about God blotting out man's transgressions (see Psalm 51).
And to the angel in the church of Philadelphia write;
Philadelphia is the second church that does not receive any warning from Jesus because they are in good standing with their doctrine (the first was Smyrna - see my last post). The words to this church elaborate on that doctrine a bit more. The word Philadelphia means "brotherly love", and brotherly love is what God wants people to display for each other (see Obadiah - it's only 1 chapter long).
These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name.
The key of David is a key that opens doors of knowledge. Once the knowledge is received, it cannot be taken away. And once the old knowledge is shut out, it cannot be let back in.
Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The word of patience is that no matter what happens in time - even though heaven and earth should pass away - we wait for the return of the Lord. This is the central message of Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. In Matthew 24:23, Jesus plainly says about the tribulation period (also known as the hour of temptation), "then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'there;' believe it not." This is because "he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:13)." So be patient.
Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
"That no man take thy crown" is the same as saying, "don't let anyone take your crown by deceiving you". Satan is the great deceiver and his whole plan is to trick people into turning away from God. This puts one in danger of losing their rewards from God. It's what happened with Adam and Eve, and it's what will be attempted at the end of this age. That's why it is important to listen to the two most emphatic places in the Bible - spoken by The Greatest Authority in the Bible, Jesus, and one of the greatest followers and teachers of scripture, Paul - that both say emphatically "DO NOT BE DECEIVED". Both references I'm talking about put the message very plainly. The first is found in two places which is from the same speech by Jesus; these can be found in Matthew 24:4 and Mark 13:5. The second is found in Paul's letter 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This letter was a follow up to the first letter, because the readers had misunderstood what Paul was saying about the return of Christ (the gathering to Christ). It's very fortunate for us that that happened, so that we also did not misread 1 Thessalonians 4.
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven with My God: and I will write upon him My new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth.
This last verse is a verse that is used for many different purposes, by many different pastors, to motivate church members to do many different things. What is true is that God loves a cheerful giver, and loves those that love Him (and show that love by acting on it). However, since this prophecy is given on "the day of the Lord" (see Revelation 1:10), I connect the message to what is happening at that time. To me, it has to do with people that decide to not act then. They neither follow the antichrist, who claims to be the Christ at that time, nor do they make a stand for God. To them, they "have all of their bases covered." To them, if they don't take a stand one way or the other, at least they haven't followed the antichrist, and they should get some credit for that. Jesus makes it very plain here that, if one doesn't make a stand for God then, that person is no more accepted than them that follow the antichrist. This is echoed several times in the New Testament in the saying, "whosoever will save his life will lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall save it" (Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35; Luke 9:24; Luke 17:33).
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and annoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
The gold that we are to get is wisdom (see Proverbs 16:16). Here, wisdom about the end of the age is better than gold. It must be tried in the fire because of the number of false teachings that exist relating to the end times. White raiment, as we discussed before, is righteous acts: once you have knowledge of what will happen in the end times, you act accordingly. Rightly. Justly. The eyesalve is to be able to see clearly Who is the Christ. That is Jesus. Once these things are in place, you can act in the way that you are supposed to; you can put on the gospel armour and take your stand (see Ephesians 6).
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with Me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
God does rebuke and chasten His children like any loving father would. He is The Father. He is the pattern that all loving fathers have been built after. Numerous places in the Bible tell us this: Job 5:17, Proverbs 3:11, Hebrews 12. Correction is required to receive proper instruction, to receive wisdom, to receive gold tried in the fire.
This is the summation of the messages to the churches of the end times. If we can live in accordance with the doctrine now, we will be well prepared for when the end comes. We will be able to overcome, as He overcame, through the strength and knowledge provided by Him. God bless.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Revelation 1: The Son of Man...
I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
This is where we begin to get into the images that John saw while he was meditating. Popular belief is that John was in Patmos, in prison, meditating on the scriptures, when he was given this vision. The word Patmos means "my killing." It is associated with mortality, and this book of Revelation tells the tale of the end of this mortal age.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."
"The Lord's day" is interpretted in various ways by numerous people. I, however, believe that it is the Millenium where Christ reigns that is spoken of in the book of Revelation. The Lord's day is constantly referred to by the prophets as "in that day" (see Zechariah 2:11 for an example). Peter also tells us, "one day with the Lord is as a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8);" which in turn is a reference to Psalm 90:4: "for a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past." Therefore, if one day is as a thousand years (a millenium), then the Lord's day is the Lord's Millenium.
God's voice sounding as a trumpet was first introduced in Exodus 19, when the children of Israel had come with Moses to the mountain of God, Sinai, "the bush of Jehovah." There God's voice sounded as a trumpet.
The seven churches are the churches of the whole earth because the Lord's gospel has spread to the whole earth. They are all encompassing of all who call themselves Christians, and here is what their names mean:
Ephesus - "those permitted"
Smyrna - "myrrh"
Pergamos - "elevated" - from the root "tower"
Thyatira - "odour of affliction"
Sardis - "red ones"
Philidelphia - "brotherly love"
Laodicea - "justice of the people"
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
The seven golden candlesticks would be seven "menorah" similar to the one that was made for the tabernacle of the congregation - see Exodus 25:31-39. It is also refered to in Hebrew 9:2. Two of these candlesticks make a reappearance in Revelation 11:4. The candle here is not similar to what you and I would consider a "candle" (i.e. a wick surrounded in wax); rather, there is a wick that is partially emersed in olive oil that "wicks" the oil to the end of the candle, and the oil burns to give a flame. Light, in spiritual imagery, is truth; it is what allows you to see everything clearly. These candlesticks shine forth the truth, and it is Jesus that is that truth.
The garment to the foot and the golden girdle are a reference to the clothes that the high priest would wear - see Exodus 28 - but it is also a reference to Daniel 10:5 here: "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz." Uphaz means "desired fine gold". The girdle covers the loins. In terms of spiritual armour, the girdle represents the truth (see Ephesians 6:14). And here, it covers the paps, which is the chest, which symbolizes that which God keeps close to His chest/heart: the truth.
However, there is something a bit deeper here. God keeps His elect - His very special people who include the prophets - in His belt/girt. A parable given in Ezekiel 5 shows that a small portion of hair was bound to Ezekiel's skirt. This is the elect, who would be tucked in the belt, and by extention, tucked away in the truth. So we have here two symbols of truth and two symbols for the elect in the candlesticks and the golden girdle.
His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes weree as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.
These different images are all from Daniel. The hair as white as wool is from Daniel 7:9. It symbolizes that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The eyes (a consuming fire; Deuteronomy 4:24), feet (the brass foot of the laver; Exodus 30:18) and voice (voice of many waters; Ezekiel 43:2) are all from Daniel 10:6. These two verses - Daniel 7:9 and 10:6 - show that the "One" that Daniel is seeing in both visions is the Ancient of days both times. The one thing to note is that in Revelation, Jesus has a voice "as the sound of many waters" whereas in Daniel, He has the voice "of a multitude". These both mean the same thing, in that the language of the Holy Spirit is understood in every human and angelic tongue there is. Revelation actually interprets this in Revelation 17:15, where it says, "The waters which thou sawest... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." So a voice of many waters is a voice that is understood in many languages, just as everyone understood the voice of the Spirit in the Pentacostal event of Acts 2.
And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last: 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.
The sword is the word of God. This can be seen in the gospel armour in Ephesian 6:17. Here it is coming directly out of the mouth of God. The brightness of His glory is compared to the sun; it is also compared to the sun in Malachi 4:2. Jesus also says the righteous will shine like the sun in Matthew 13:43.
John has the same reaction to the vision of this One as Daniel did when he had his vision in Daniel 10:9. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Prophets quite often fall on their faces when this happens (like Job, Isaiah, Ezekiel). I'm pretty sure I would too, if I had the strength even to do that.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Here, Jesus begins giving some translation to some of the spritual images. These translations can be used in other visions (similar to the "waters = peoples" translation). God is consistent - that's how you teach your children, by consistency - so the same message must hold true throughout His word. (That's oversimplifying spiritual imagery, but for the most part it is true.) Stars represent angels in spiritual visions (the name Lucifer, who also is an angel, actually means "light-bearer" or "morning star"). The candlestick represents the church that shines for the Spirit of God.
Awesome imagery. It connects the books of the former prophets (the former rain) to this last book of prophecy (the latter rain). Next we will get into some of the doctrine given in the next two chapters that is important for the end times. God bless.
This is where we begin to get into the images that John saw while he was meditating. Popular belief is that John was in Patmos, in prison, meditating on the scriptures, when he was given this vision. The word Patmos means "my killing." It is associated with mortality, and this book of Revelation tells the tale of the end of this mortal age.
I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."
"The Lord's day" is interpretted in various ways by numerous people. I, however, believe that it is the Millenium where Christ reigns that is spoken of in the book of Revelation. The Lord's day is constantly referred to by the prophets as "in that day" (see Zechariah 2:11 for an example). Peter also tells us, "one day with the Lord is as a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8);" which in turn is a reference to Psalm 90:4: "for a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past." Therefore, if one day is as a thousand years (a millenium), then the Lord's day is the Lord's Millenium.
God's voice sounding as a trumpet was first introduced in Exodus 19, when the children of Israel had come with Moses to the mountain of God, Sinai, "the bush of Jehovah." There God's voice sounded as a trumpet.
The seven churches are the churches of the whole earth because the Lord's gospel has spread to the whole earth. They are all encompassing of all who call themselves Christians, and here is what their names mean:
Ephesus - "those permitted"
Smyrna - "myrrh"
Pergamos - "elevated" - from the root "tower"
Thyatira - "odour of affliction"
Sardis - "red ones"
Philidelphia - "brotherly love"
Laodicea - "justice of the people"
And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.
The seven golden candlesticks would be seven "menorah" similar to the one that was made for the tabernacle of the congregation - see Exodus 25:31-39. It is also refered to in Hebrew 9:2. Two of these candlesticks make a reappearance in Revelation 11:4. The candle here is not similar to what you and I would consider a "candle" (i.e. a wick surrounded in wax); rather, there is a wick that is partially emersed in olive oil that "wicks" the oil to the end of the candle, and the oil burns to give a flame. Light, in spiritual imagery, is truth; it is what allows you to see everything clearly. These candlesticks shine forth the truth, and it is Jesus that is that truth.
The garment to the foot and the golden girdle are a reference to the clothes that the high priest would wear - see Exodus 28 - but it is also a reference to Daniel 10:5 here: "Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz." Uphaz means "desired fine gold". The girdle covers the loins. In terms of spiritual armour, the girdle represents the truth (see Ephesians 6:14). And here, it covers the paps, which is the chest, which symbolizes that which God keeps close to His chest/heart: the truth.
However, there is something a bit deeper here. God keeps His elect - His very special people who include the prophets - in His belt/girt. A parable given in Ezekiel 5 shows that a small portion of hair was bound to Ezekiel's skirt. This is the elect, who would be tucked in the belt, and by extention, tucked away in the truth. So we have here two symbols of truth and two symbols for the elect in the candlesticks and the golden girdle.
His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes weree as a flame of fire; and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters.
These different images are all from Daniel. The hair as white as wool is from Daniel 7:9. It symbolizes that Jesus is the Lamb of God. The eyes (a consuming fire; Deuteronomy 4:24), feet (the brass foot of the laver; Exodus 30:18) and voice (voice of many waters; Ezekiel 43:2) are all from Daniel 10:6. These two verses - Daniel 7:9 and 10:6 - show that the "One" that Daniel is seeing in both visions is the Ancient of days both times. The one thing to note is that in Revelation, Jesus has a voice "as the sound of many waters" whereas in Daniel, He has the voice "of a multitude". These both mean the same thing, in that the language of the Holy Spirit is understood in every human and angelic tongue there is. Revelation actually interprets this in Revelation 17:15, where it says, "The waters which thou sawest... are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." So a voice of many waters is a voice that is understood in many languages, just as everyone understood the voice of the Spirit in the Pentacostal event of Acts 2.
And He had in His right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last: 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.
The sword is the word of God. This can be seen in the gospel armour in Ephesian 6:17. Here it is coming directly out of the mouth of God. The brightness of His glory is compared to the sun; it is also compared to the sun in Malachi 4:2. Jesus also says the righteous will shine like the sun in Matthew 13:43.
John has the same reaction to the vision of this One as Daniel did when he had his vision in Daniel 10:9. Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Prophets quite often fall on their faces when this happens (like Job, Isaiah, Ezekiel). I'm pretty sure I would too, if I had the strength even to do that.
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
Here, Jesus begins giving some translation to some of the spritual images. These translations can be used in other visions (similar to the "waters = peoples" translation). God is consistent - that's how you teach your children, by consistency - so the same message must hold true throughout His word. (That's oversimplifying spiritual imagery, but for the most part it is true.) Stars represent angels in spiritual visions (the name Lucifer, who also is an angel, actually means "light-bearer" or "morning star"). The candlestick represents the church that shines for the Spirit of God.
Awesome imagery. It connects the books of the former prophets (the former rain) to this last book of prophecy (the latter rain). Next we will get into some of the doctrine given in the next two chapters that is important for the end times. God bless.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Revelation Chapter 1: Alpha and Omega...
This is a great chapter. It identifies the narrator (John), the Author of the vision (Jesus), and when it pertains to ("the Lord's day" or "the end of the world"). The first chapter is deep - it refers to many other visions to other prophets, so I will do my best to identify them as we go through:
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Some critics have a hard time believing that the "John" that wrote this book is Jesus' disciple, John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. The reason most often cited is that the writing styles are different. I'm not a fan of this argument, since writing styles are inherently going to change over the period of one's life. If I were to look back on something that I had written many years ago, I'm pretty sure that my style would have changed quite a bit as well - it's inevitable. One thing I do note is that the disciple John never directly referred to himself in any of the other writings (in his Gospel or Epistles) whereas he does in Revelation. That may be, however, because Jesus specifically instructs John to write this book of Revelation, and John may have felt it necessary to identify himself, whereas he didn't in other writings. One thing that supports the same authorship is the language that is used: many of the Greek words in the text are quite commonly only found in John's writings, and not in any other New Testament author's. Nevertheless, John says above that he "bare record" of the word, being Jesus, and of His testimony - meaning to me that he saw it first hand. If we can't believe this is the disciple John, then the author's baring eyewitness to Jesus becomes less believable, and the revelation itself becomes less believable because of shaky credibility to the author. Therefore, I believe that this was John, the beloved disciple, that wrote the book, and the credibility stays intact.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him That loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The seven churches are the different churches of the end times. The geographical area that John is describing is in modern day Turkey. These seven churches actually form a perfect circle, as much as is possible from the highway structure. The circle is the earth, and the number seven represents spiritual completeness. This view that the message is given to the whole earth is supported by the fact that the vision is opened up to anyone "who has an ear to hear", which is repeated seven times in chapters 2 and 3.
The passage above also refers to three earth ages ("aeons") by saying "Which is, Which was, and Which is to come". The first is when Satan rebelled, which is written in the story of the stars in chapter 12. The second is the age that we are in now. And the third is when God creates the "new heaven and new earth", also known as the eternity. The "kings and priests" refers to the fact that God's followers are a "kingdom of priests" as He declared in Exodus 19:6, "and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
There's actually a lot being said in this little bit. "Behold, He cometh with the clouds" is referred to many times in Scripture. However, sometimes it says he comes with the clouds, and sometimes it says he comes with many angels, or saints. They both mean the same thing - the clouds are the "cloud" of saints or witnesses. Paul teaches us this in Hebrews 12:1. This expression, then, refers to two very prominent prophets: Enoch and Daniel. Enoch's story of can be found in Genesis 5:22, in that he walked with God and God took him off of the earth in the same way that He took Elijah (see 2 Kings 2). Elijah and Enoch were the only two people ever recorded to have this honour... and they were both very dedicated prophets. Paul gives a bit more background on Enoch in Hebrews 11:5, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Jude speaks further of the testimony in Jude 1:14, "And Enoch also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." Jude is directly quoting from the Book of Enoch 1:9. (This is a book that was considered to be Scriptural around the time of Christ, but was soon after considered "apocryphal" by the church fathers and excluded from the canon as we see it today.) The image of Jesus coming with the clouds is found in Daniel 7:13. This is what Jesus refers to in Matthew 24:30, Matthew 26:64, Mark 13:26, and Mark 14:62. It's also what the angel is referring to in Acts 1:11. Much of the imagery in Revelation comes from Daniel, as we will see.
The way that we know that "He comes with the clouds" is the same as "He comes with ten thousands of His saints" is explained later in Revelation 19:14, when Jesus returns on His white steed, and the "armies of heaven" are coming with Him.
The later part of the short passage above, about all kindreds of the earth wailing, is a reference to Zechariah 12:9-13, which reads, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadarimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart..." The "that day" here is the Lord's day, the time that John was transported to when he saw the Revelation. Hadarimmon, or "Hadad rimmon" means "mighty of the pomegranates". The word pomegranate, "rimmon", comes from the root "ramam", which means "exalted", or "lifted up". Megiddon, the place known for the famous battle of the end times (Armageddon), means "gathering place of the crowds." This is where Armageddon will take place. It was also where king Josiah, "healed by Jehovah", was killed (2 Chronicles 35:22-25) and all the people of Israel mourned for him there.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty."
This is the declaration of His eternal nature. He is with us always, from beginning to end, in all three earth ages. We must trust in Him.
It looks like I'm going to split this chapter up into two sections due to length. The next part of the chapter also holds many references to other Scritpures, and has some truly fantastic imagery. God bless.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to shew unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John, who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Some critics have a hard time believing that the "John" that wrote this book is Jesus' disciple, John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. The reason most often cited is that the writing styles are different. I'm not a fan of this argument, since writing styles are inherently going to change over the period of one's life. If I were to look back on something that I had written many years ago, I'm pretty sure that my style would have changed quite a bit as well - it's inevitable. One thing I do note is that the disciple John never directly referred to himself in any of the other writings (in his Gospel or Epistles) whereas he does in Revelation. That may be, however, because Jesus specifically instructs John to write this book of Revelation, and John may have felt it necessary to identify himself, whereas he didn't in other writings. One thing that supports the same authorship is the language that is used: many of the Greek words in the text are quite commonly only found in John's writings, and not in any other New Testament author's. Nevertheless, John says above that he "bare record" of the word, being Jesus, and of His testimony - meaning to me that he saw it first hand. If we can't believe this is the disciple John, then the author's baring eyewitness to Jesus becomes less believable, and the revelation itself becomes less believable because of shaky credibility to the author. Therefore, I believe that this was John, the beloved disciple, that wrote the book, and the credibility stays intact.
John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful Witness, and the First Begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him That loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
The seven churches are the different churches of the end times. The geographical area that John is describing is in modern day Turkey. These seven churches actually form a perfect circle, as much as is possible from the highway structure. The circle is the earth, and the number seven represents spiritual completeness. This view that the message is given to the whole earth is supported by the fact that the vision is opened up to anyone "who has an ear to hear", which is repeated seven times in chapters 2 and 3.
The passage above also refers to three earth ages ("aeons") by saying "Which is, Which was, and Which is to come". The first is when Satan rebelled, which is written in the story of the stars in chapter 12. The second is the age that we are in now. And the third is when God creates the "new heaven and new earth", also known as the eternity. The "kings and priests" refers to the fact that God's followers are a "kingdom of priests" as He declared in Exodus 19:6, "and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation."
Behold, He cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.
There's actually a lot being said in this little bit. "Behold, He cometh with the clouds" is referred to many times in Scripture. However, sometimes it says he comes with the clouds, and sometimes it says he comes with many angels, or saints. They both mean the same thing - the clouds are the "cloud" of saints or witnesses. Paul teaches us this in Hebrews 12:1. This expression, then, refers to two very prominent prophets: Enoch and Daniel. Enoch's story of can be found in Genesis 5:22, in that he walked with God and God took him off of the earth in the same way that He took Elijah (see 2 Kings 2). Elijah and Enoch were the only two people ever recorded to have this honour... and they were both very dedicated prophets. Paul gives a bit more background on Enoch in Hebrews 11:5, "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Jude speaks further of the testimony in Jude 1:14, "And Enoch also the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, 'Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." Jude is directly quoting from the Book of Enoch 1:9. (This is a book that was considered to be Scriptural around the time of Christ, but was soon after considered "apocryphal" by the church fathers and excluded from the canon as we see it today.) The image of Jesus coming with the clouds is found in Daniel 7:13. This is what Jesus refers to in Matthew 24:30, Matthew 26:64, Mark 13:26, and Mark 14:62. It's also what the angel is referring to in Acts 1:11. Much of the imagery in Revelation comes from Daniel, as we will see.
The way that we know that "He comes with the clouds" is the same as "He comes with ten thousands of His saints" is explained later in Revelation 19:14, when Jesus returns on His white steed, and the "armies of heaven" are coming with Him.
The later part of the short passage above, about all kindreds of the earth wailing, is a reference to Zechariah 12:9-13, which reads, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadarimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart..." The "that day" here is the Lord's day, the time that John was transported to when he saw the Revelation. Hadarimmon, or "Hadad rimmon" means "mighty of the pomegranates". The word pomegranate, "rimmon", comes from the root "ramam", which means "exalted", or "lifted up". Megiddon, the place known for the famous battle of the end times (Armageddon), means "gathering place of the crowds." This is where Armageddon will take place. It was also where king Josiah, "healed by Jehovah", was killed (2 Chronicles 35:22-25) and all the people of Israel mourned for him there.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "Which is, and Which was, and Which is to come, the Almighty."
This is the declaration of His eternal nature. He is with us always, from beginning to end, in all three earth ages. We must trust in Him.
It looks like I'm going to split this chapter up into two sections due to length. The next part of the chapter also holds many references to other Scritpures, and has some truly fantastic imagery. God bless.
Monday, 7 November 2011
Revelation Chapters 1-3: Blessed Is He That Readeth And They That Hear The Words Of This Prophecy...
I found myself reading Revelation again. I am reading the whole book but wanted to share some thoughts on the first three chapters. One thing that is fantastic is that there are images and thematic elements that reoccur several times throughout Revelation that can be seen in the first three chapters. I'm not sure how much depth I will spend on these over the next couple of days, but I will try to note them.
The Book of Revelation is fantastic. It's subject matter is so complex and yet so simple at the same time. The imagery is what frightens people off from reading the book. I think the key to understanding Revelation is to realize that the imagery is just that, it's imagery. It's how John's brain interpretted what he saw. Sometimes the author didn't even seem to understand what he was seeing - what he knew is that he was instructed to write it down. (This can be seen when the angels around John ask him "what is this that you see?" and John replies ... "Sir, thou knowest," which means to me, "I don't know. Can you tell me?" See chapter 7.) There is also a ton of spiritual imagery, and how one sees something in a spiritual realm is not necessarily how one would see something in a physical realm. It all makes for some very fascinating imagery.
Revelation is the culmination of all prior Scriptures. To truly see the depth of what is being said in the book, one must be familiar with all other previous Scripture in the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament. But the message is simple - it's a message I've noted in many of my previous posts - repent. When you read Revelation, note how many times the word repent is used, and how disappointed God is when people will not repent. That's what He wants. That's why we are here. That's His will. So the message is "repent", and start living the way we were meant to live: love God with everything you have, and love each other as yourselves. Sometimes easier said than done... which is why we have repentance when we don't get it right.
So, if something seems too difficult to understand in Revelation, don't become intimidated by it; instead, lock the image in your mind, pray about it, and when you are reading the other material in the Scriptures, the image will come back and you will gain understanding for it. I've probably read Revelation a half a dozen times, and I still see new things every time I go back to it.
The first three chapters are great because they let you know that you are transported to the end of this earth age, just before Jesus returns, and lets you know the doctrines of the various world churches, and what is good and what is bad about those doctrines. If we can follow the proper doctrine that is given in these chapters, then we should be in good standing with our Father when the end actually comes... that's why the message is given to us. It Reveals what will happen at the "end of the world". It's given for our understanding.
So let's take a look at the beginning of Revelation. God bless.
The Book of Revelation is fantastic. It's subject matter is so complex and yet so simple at the same time. The imagery is what frightens people off from reading the book. I think the key to understanding Revelation is to realize that the imagery is just that, it's imagery. It's how John's brain interpretted what he saw. Sometimes the author didn't even seem to understand what he was seeing - what he knew is that he was instructed to write it down. (This can be seen when the angels around John ask him "what is this that you see?" and John replies ... "Sir, thou knowest," which means to me, "I don't know. Can you tell me?" See chapter 7.) There is also a ton of spiritual imagery, and how one sees something in a spiritual realm is not necessarily how one would see something in a physical realm. It all makes for some very fascinating imagery.
Revelation is the culmination of all prior Scriptures. To truly see the depth of what is being said in the book, one must be familiar with all other previous Scripture in the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament. But the message is simple - it's a message I've noted in many of my previous posts - repent. When you read Revelation, note how many times the word repent is used, and how disappointed God is when people will not repent. That's what He wants. That's why we are here. That's His will. So the message is "repent", and start living the way we were meant to live: love God with everything you have, and love each other as yourselves. Sometimes easier said than done... which is why we have repentance when we don't get it right.
So, if something seems too difficult to understand in Revelation, don't become intimidated by it; instead, lock the image in your mind, pray about it, and when you are reading the other material in the Scriptures, the image will come back and you will gain understanding for it. I've probably read Revelation a half a dozen times, and I still see new things every time I go back to it.
The first three chapters are great because they let you know that you are transported to the end of this earth age, just before Jesus returns, and lets you know the doctrines of the various world churches, and what is good and what is bad about those doctrines. If we can follow the proper doctrine that is given in these chapters, then we should be in good standing with our Father when the end actually comes... that's why the message is given to us. It Reveals what will happen at the "end of the world". It's given for our understanding.
So let's take a look at the beginning of Revelation. God bless.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Matthew 25, Parable 1: The Ten Virgins
A few posts ago I covered Mark 13. This same speech that Jesus gives in that chapter can also be found in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 (with slight variations in each passage). Matthew 24 has probably the most in-depth account of all three passages, and Matthew 25 is a continuation of the speech that contains three additional parables explaining the after effects of the tribulation. I say the after effects because Jesus is very clear that the first parable - the parable of the ten virgins - occurs "then", which is to say after the tribulation described in Matthew 24. The latter two parables describe the judgment that occurs after His return. As I said in a prior post, the parables given in Matthew 25 follow the same pattern of subject matter as Ezekiel 33 and 34. This post will deal with the first parable - the parable of the ten virgins - and some of the references from Old Testament prophecy.
Here is the parable of the ten virgins from Matthew 25:1-13:
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.' Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, 'Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 'lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' Watch ye therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
There are a few different elements to this parable. First, there are the virgins; second, there are the lamps; third, there are the watchmen.
The Virgins
In Scripture, idolatry is equivalent to spiritual adultery. Worshipping other gods was equivalent to breaking the spiritual bond with God and marrying another. The most potent example of this that I can think of is Jeremiah chapter 3. So keeping yourself from idolatry is keeping yourself pure, keeping yourself a virgin. Paul also makes it clear in his second letter to the Corinthians, a letter in which he desperately appears to be attempting to preserve the purity of the church, when he says, "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)." This explains the position of the virgin in the parable. All of the virgins were waiting for the Lord to return... but the requirement that they needed was to know what to expect when He returned, similar to what Paul says. Paul's statement is that Christ's return and what to expect has been plainly stated in the Bible (Jesus had just explained it in Matthew 24 from our example), however, it is other peoples' ideas and doctrines that make it confusing. And Paul says that if you are going to follow them, you might as well admit that you are following them and hope that they can save you, because you are not following what Christ says... which is why He says to the foolish virgins, "I know you not." If you are following someone who does not teach anything about the end times, then that is similar to not having any oil in the lamp. (Further reading on what it means to be a spiritual virgin for Christ can be found in Psalm 45, The Song of Solomon, and Isaiah 50-59.)
The Lamps
The lamp is a source of light. It allows you to see what is going on, what you are doing, and where you are going. Oil is the fuel for the lamp. Oil is the truth. If you have the truth about the end times, you know what to do in a time when most people are in the dark. But what is the truth? Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus is the Word (see John chapter 1). So, the truth is the Word of God. The entire Bible is instruction in how to live your life, and a large part of it is devoted to the end times. To gain an understanding of the Bible is gathering the oil for a time of darkness. Even if you were to just follow what Jesus did during His ministering period of 3 1/2 years in the gospel, you would be doing what you need to do in the end times because those 3 1/2 years are a prophecy of the last 3 1/2 years of this age. That's what the Teacher of all teachers has taught you in the gospel. So, if you can do the same things that He did during that period (that is to say, to love those around you and to help them through thick and thin, as Christ would and has) then you are doing what is required for that time and will help many. And since we don't know when exactly those last 3 1/2 years are... it's best that we try to act as He did every day.
Just as Paul had said, "[if ye] receive another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might [as] well bear with him," the wise virgins say the same thing to the foolish virgins in this parable. They tell the foolish virgins to go back to the people that they had gotten their truth from in the first place, because their sources didn't give them enough truth to get through the whole of the end times. Does that mean you are doomed if you don't know everything about the end times? No. I don't think that at all; and luckily for anyone that reads this, I am not the authority over who is doomed and who is not. But the more truth you have now, the better prepared you are to do what you have to when the end times come. And my passion is to encourage you to get the truth straight from the Word - the simplicity of Christ.
The Watchmen
This is the most downplayed element of the parable, and yet one of the most important. The person who cries out that the bridegroom is coming is the watchman. This is where Ezekiel 33 comes into the picture. There are two different types of watchmen: there are those that the people set up for themselves, and there are those that God has chosen to be on the watch for the things that He has pronounced in the Bible.
God tells Ezekiel this, saying, "Son of man, speak unto the children of thy People, and say unto them, 'When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.'
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked, 'O wicked man, thou shalt surely die;' if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 33:2-9)."
Note the "warning the wicked to turn from his way". This is repentance. This is calling to the people to get them to repent. As I said above about acting like Jesus, Who was the perfect example of how to live in the flesh, Jesus' first message (similar to John the Baptist's) when He went to preach was: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17)." This is where Jesus provided the example for the watchmen.
Isaiah also spoke of watchmen that the people had set up for themselves, rather than those chosen by God; watchmen that did not protect the people, causing Isaiah to say, "All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 'Come ye,' say they, 'I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isaiah 56:9-12).'"
So it is important to know that our own people (the Christian nation) have set up watchmen and shepherds that do not protect the flock. They do not pay heed to the entire Word of God, whereby they would know when to instruct, when to warn, when to protect. Is this every pastor that is out there? No, but it is easy to know these people by the way they preach. Jesus said you would know the tree by it's fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). If you have a pastor that doesn't teach the Word of God - the whole Word of God - because they only want to teach "the easy parts", the parts that everyone can agree on, then you are dealing with one of these greedy dogs. They skip over the warnings that are given, not realizing that the warnings are given to strengthen the flock, so that they will know what to expect (Paul uses this exact method in 2 Thessalonians 2 when he says to take comfort in knowing what is to come). But that is fine. It leaves opportunity for you to discuss their teaching style with them. It leaves opportunity for you to share these passages with them. It leaves opportunity to continue to provide works of love in the church that you are in. It doesn't stop you from continuing to learn the Word of God, to keep gathering your oil, so that you can shine the light of God's Word in the dark hours of the night. So that you can find the way, and lead others, to the wedding when the time is right. God bless.
Here is the parable of the ten virgins from Matthew 25:1-13:
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.' Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, 'Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 'lord, lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not.' Watch ye therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh."
There are a few different elements to this parable. First, there are the virgins; second, there are the lamps; third, there are the watchmen.
The Virgins
In Scripture, idolatry is equivalent to spiritual adultery. Worshipping other gods was equivalent to breaking the spiritual bond with God and marrying another. The most potent example of this that I can think of is Jeremiah chapter 3. So keeping yourself from idolatry is keeping yourself pure, keeping yourself a virgin. Paul also makes it clear in his second letter to the Corinthians, a letter in which he desperately appears to be attempting to preserve the purity of the church, when he says, "I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)." This explains the position of the virgin in the parable. All of the virgins were waiting for the Lord to return... but the requirement that they needed was to know what to expect when He returned, similar to what Paul says. Paul's statement is that Christ's return and what to expect has been plainly stated in the Bible (Jesus had just explained it in Matthew 24 from our example), however, it is other peoples' ideas and doctrines that make it confusing. And Paul says that if you are going to follow them, you might as well admit that you are following them and hope that they can save you, because you are not following what Christ says... which is why He says to the foolish virgins, "I know you not." If you are following someone who does not teach anything about the end times, then that is similar to not having any oil in the lamp. (Further reading on what it means to be a spiritual virgin for Christ can be found in Psalm 45, The Song of Solomon, and Isaiah 50-59.)
The Lamps
The lamp is a source of light. It allows you to see what is going on, what you are doing, and where you are going. Oil is the fuel for the lamp. Oil is the truth. If you have the truth about the end times, you know what to do in a time when most people are in the dark. But what is the truth? Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus is the Word (see John chapter 1). So, the truth is the Word of God. The entire Bible is instruction in how to live your life, and a large part of it is devoted to the end times. To gain an understanding of the Bible is gathering the oil for a time of darkness. Even if you were to just follow what Jesus did during His ministering period of 3 1/2 years in the gospel, you would be doing what you need to do in the end times because those 3 1/2 years are a prophecy of the last 3 1/2 years of this age. That's what the Teacher of all teachers has taught you in the gospel. So, if you can do the same things that He did during that period (that is to say, to love those around you and to help them through thick and thin, as Christ would and has) then you are doing what is required for that time and will help many. And since we don't know when exactly those last 3 1/2 years are... it's best that we try to act as He did every day.
Just as Paul had said, "[if ye] receive another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might [as] well bear with him," the wise virgins say the same thing to the foolish virgins in this parable. They tell the foolish virgins to go back to the people that they had gotten their truth from in the first place, because their sources didn't give them enough truth to get through the whole of the end times. Does that mean you are doomed if you don't know everything about the end times? No. I don't think that at all; and luckily for anyone that reads this, I am not the authority over who is doomed and who is not. But the more truth you have now, the better prepared you are to do what you have to when the end times come. And my passion is to encourage you to get the truth straight from the Word - the simplicity of Christ.
The Watchmen
This is the most downplayed element of the parable, and yet one of the most important. The person who cries out that the bridegroom is coming is the watchman. This is where Ezekiel 33 comes into the picture. There are two different types of watchmen: there are those that the people set up for themselves, and there are those that God has chosen to be on the watch for the things that He has pronounced in the Bible.
God tells Ezekiel this, saying, "Son of man, speak unto the children of thy People, and say unto them, 'When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.'
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, and warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked, 'O wicked man, thou shalt surely die;' if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 33:2-9)."
Note the "warning the wicked to turn from his way". This is repentance. This is calling to the people to get them to repent. As I said above about acting like Jesus, Who was the perfect example of how to live in the flesh, Jesus' first message (similar to John the Baptist's) when He went to preach was: "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17)." This is where Jesus provided the example for the watchmen.
Isaiah also spoke of watchmen that the people had set up for themselves, rather than those chosen by God; watchmen that did not protect the people, causing Isaiah to say, "All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 'Come ye,' say they, 'I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isaiah 56:9-12).'"
So it is important to know that our own people (the Christian nation) have set up watchmen and shepherds that do not protect the flock. They do not pay heed to the entire Word of God, whereby they would know when to instruct, when to warn, when to protect. Is this every pastor that is out there? No, but it is easy to know these people by the way they preach. Jesus said you would know the tree by it's fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). If you have a pastor that doesn't teach the Word of God - the whole Word of God - because they only want to teach "the easy parts", the parts that everyone can agree on, then you are dealing with one of these greedy dogs. They skip over the warnings that are given, not realizing that the warnings are given to strengthen the flock, so that they will know what to expect (Paul uses this exact method in 2 Thessalonians 2 when he says to take comfort in knowing what is to come). But that is fine. It leaves opportunity for you to discuss their teaching style with them. It leaves opportunity for you to share these passages with them. It leaves opportunity to continue to provide works of love in the church that you are in. It doesn't stop you from continuing to learn the Word of God, to keep gathering your oil, so that you can shine the light of God's Word in the dark hours of the night. So that you can find the way, and lead others, to the wedding when the time is right. God bless.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Repent Ye: For The Kingdom Of God Is At Hand...
God has declared the end since the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10). This is a message that is repeated over and over in the Bible. He does this so that we will be prepared for it. It's almost as though you were getting the answers to an approaching test, but it's not a "cheat sheet", because the Teacher is saying, "Here, I've given you the answers, now you just study it real good." That's good news. That's "gospel". And it's true. In fact, the title of this post refers to the beginning of the New Testament. Right when John the Baptist comes out and starts preaching, the first thing he's recorded as saying is, "Repent ye: for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 3:2)." Similarily when Jesus begins His ministry, the first thing He preaches is, "Repent: for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Matthew 4:17)." That means, "this age could come to an end at any moment, henceforth from this moment." People take this further to think that Jesus will appear at any moment and there will not be a tribulation - if you are tempted to think this now, read my last post where God lays out very clearly the events that will happen before the end of this age. Notwithstanding, these first teachings by John and Jesus make it very apparent that "understanding the end times" is a part of understanding the gospel.
The last post laid out Mark 13 in detail, but that was not the end of Jesus' teachings when He was giving that speech. Matthew 24 is the same speech as Mark 13, but Jesus continues teaching lessons about the end times and judgment in Matthew 25. There are three additional parables that give more understanding of what is to come. The parables let you know, once you have a knowledge of what the end times are to bring, what you are supposed to do with that knowledge. It is a continuation of the gospel.
I say it is a continuation because the all of the teachings of Jesus were "gospel" (meaning "good news"), in that they all told of His salvation. Knowing what is going to happen in the end IS good news, though some don't want to look at it that way. People will cut some of that message out and say, "only this part is the gospel," or, "only this is important," while others will add to it, saying, "you also needed this." Do not believe them! (My next post will touch on this.)
John warned against these methodologies in Revelation 22:18-19, saying, "if man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life..." which, in turn, is echoed from Dueteronomy 4:2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it." And it was also taught by figure in the law of how to build an altar (see next post).
Paul also stated the importance of all scriptures when he wrote his second letter to Timothy, saying, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reporoof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17)." So the entire gospel, including the continuation, is important for us to know, especially if you are a person that lives in the "end times". The first parable that Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 teaches you that. I will be going into those three additional parables, but there is some groundwork to lay first, which has been brought up in an online study group of mine; I think it is important in regards to "what you are supposed to do with the knowledge of the end times" and the approach to delivering the message.
The key to this post, however, is knowing that if you are still reading this, you can still repent. God has left repentance open to anyone and everyone up until the very last moment of this age. Please don't take this as me saying that someone can put it off... because we could pass away at any moment. But take this as me saying, if you are reading this and it connects with you, then this is your opportunity to repent, right now, right where you are, get on board this train, and begin the journey into a fantastic life full of blessing. Paul told us how to do it in Romans 10:9, saying, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." That is the first step to wisdom in God. The next was given by God in Ezekiel 18, saying, "if the wicked man will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and will keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live." Don't know what the commandments and statutes are? Jesus put it very succinctly to give you some time to learn them if you are a beginner, saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40)." The golden rule. Treating others as you would be treated will get you through until you learn the rest of the law and the prophets (if that is your goal) and it is key in loving God with all your heart soul and mind. The first baby steps to "perfection", or maturity in God's Word. Spread the good news. God bless.
The last post laid out Mark 13 in detail, but that was not the end of Jesus' teachings when He was giving that speech. Matthew 24 is the same speech as Mark 13, but Jesus continues teaching lessons about the end times and judgment in Matthew 25. There are three additional parables that give more understanding of what is to come. The parables let you know, once you have a knowledge of what the end times are to bring, what you are supposed to do with that knowledge. It is a continuation of the gospel.
I say it is a continuation because the all of the teachings of Jesus were "gospel" (meaning "good news"), in that they all told of His salvation. Knowing what is going to happen in the end IS good news, though some don't want to look at it that way. People will cut some of that message out and say, "only this part is the gospel," or, "only this is important," while others will add to it, saying, "you also needed this." Do not believe them! (My next post will touch on this.)
John warned against these methodologies in Revelation 22:18-19, saying, "if man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life..." which, in turn, is echoed from Dueteronomy 4:2, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it." And it was also taught by figure in the law of how to build an altar (see next post).
Paul also stated the importance of all scriptures when he wrote his second letter to Timothy, saying, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reporoof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17)." So the entire gospel, including the continuation, is important for us to know, especially if you are a person that lives in the "end times". The first parable that Jesus teaches in Matthew 25 teaches you that. I will be going into those three additional parables, but there is some groundwork to lay first, which has been brought up in an online study group of mine; I think it is important in regards to "what you are supposed to do with the knowledge of the end times" and the approach to delivering the message.
The key to this post, however, is knowing that if you are still reading this, you can still repent. God has left repentance open to anyone and everyone up until the very last moment of this age. Please don't take this as me saying that someone can put it off... because we could pass away at any moment. But take this as me saying, if you are reading this and it connects with you, then this is your opportunity to repent, right now, right where you are, get on board this train, and begin the journey into a fantastic life full of blessing. Paul told us how to do it in Romans 10:9, saying, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." That is the first step to wisdom in God. The next was given by God in Ezekiel 18, saying, "if the wicked man will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and will keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live." Don't know what the commandments and statutes are? Jesus put it very succinctly to give you some time to learn them if you are a beginner, saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40)." The golden rule. Treating others as you would be treated will get you through until you learn the rest of the law and the prophets (if that is your goal) and it is key in loving God with all your heart soul and mind. The first baby steps to "perfection", or maturity in God's Word. Spread the good news. God bless.
Friday, 23 September 2011
Let No Man Deceive You By Any Means...
Over the past few days, I've seen and heard the agitation stir up again over "when will the end of the world be?... Is Jesus coming back on October 21st, 2011?... when is the rapture?... will I be taken with Him?..." and so on. These questions are plainly answered in the Bible so that we do not have to be agitated. Here are two places where the events are clearly laid out, and the narrator in both cases says, "do not let any one deceived you about what will happen." The speakers should know - they are two of the most credible sources in the Bible. The first is Jesus - and if you believe that the Bible is true, there is not a more credible testimony in the Bible than Jesus'. The second is Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament. If you can't believe these two, then I don't know who you can believe. The passages are from Mark 13 and from 2 Thessalonians 2.
I will not add any interpretation to the narrative - their words are much better than mine, and I believe that the unaltered text speaks clearly for itself. I would like to point out a couple of facts about the narrative though. I hear people quote the "no one knows the day or the hour of His return" passage all the time - which is true! No one knows the time. However, we can't let someone spin that statement into "we don't know what will be happening at that time," because Jesus and Paul tell us clearly what will be happening. Second, some people may say that the description is too vague to get any meaning out of and that you should just take it with a grain of salt because it was meant to be intentionally vague. Do not believe them! During the course of the Mark 13 speech, Jesus uses terms that tell you to pay close attention to what is being said 12 times. 12 times. That's emphatically saying, "you pay close attention to this." I will underline these instances in the passage. Also, Jesus directly references scripture 7 times in Mark 13 (with many other indirect references) and 3 of those times are from the Book of Daniel. Paul is also citing Daniel in 2 Thessalonians. I will also mark the scriptural references below.
Mark 13
And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answering said unto him, "Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"
And Jesus answering them began to say, "Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in My name, saying 'I am Christ;' and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom [see Isaiah 19:2]: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents [see Micah 7:6], and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not [see Daniel 9:27], (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be [see Daniel 12:1]. And except that the LORD had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
And then if any man shall say to you, 'Lo, here is Christ;' or, 'lo, He is there;' believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken [see Amos 3:7]. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds [see Daniel 7:13] with great power and glory. And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: so ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
2 Thessalonians 2
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God [see Daniel 11:36-39]. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even our Father, Which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
There you have it. Do not be deceived. God bless.
I will not add any interpretation to the narrative - their words are much better than mine, and I believe that the unaltered text speaks clearly for itself. I would like to point out a couple of facts about the narrative though. I hear people quote the "no one knows the day or the hour of His return" passage all the time - which is true! No one knows the time. However, we can't let someone spin that statement into "we don't know what will be happening at that time," because Jesus and Paul tell us clearly what will be happening. Second, some people may say that the description is too vague to get any meaning out of and that you should just take it with a grain of salt because it was meant to be intentionally vague. Do not believe them! During the course of the Mark 13 speech, Jesus uses terms that tell you to pay close attention to what is being said 12 times. 12 times. That's emphatically saying, "you pay close attention to this." I will underline these instances in the passage. Also, Jesus directly references scripture 7 times in Mark 13 (with many other indirect references) and 3 of those times are from the Book of Daniel. Paul is also citing Daniel in 2 Thessalonians. I will also mark the scriptural references below.
Mark 13
And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples saith unto Him, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!" And Jesus answering said unto him, "Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." And as He sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"
And Jesus answering them began to say, "Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in My name, saying 'I am Christ;' and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom [see Isaiah 19:2]: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents [see Micah 7:6], and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not [see Daniel 9:27], (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains: and let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house: and let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be [see Daniel 12:1]. And except that the LORD had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.
And then if any man shall say to you, 'Lo, here is Christ;' or, 'lo, He is there;' believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken [see Amos 3:7]. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds [see Daniel 7:13] with great power and glory. And then shall He send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree; when her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: so ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."
2 Thessalonians 2
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the Temple of God, shewing himself that he is God [see Daniel 11:36-39]. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God even our Father, Which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
There you have it. Do not be deceived. God bless.
Saturday, 10 September 2011
Declaring the End from the Beginning...
This is a follow up to my prior rapture post. It is one of those numerous numerous scriptures that I was refering to that contradicts rapture theory. The message is short and sweet and straightforward. In Isaiah 46:9-10, God says, "I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'" (This reminds me of when Jesus says in Matthew 24, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.") But what did God just say there? I read it as, "I gave you the pattern for the end times from the beginning, in the first story about man, and what happened there will happen again." So what happened there?
The first story of man is the story of Adam. This is how I read the story of Adam: Adam was put in charge of God's creation, he was the prince of the Garden of Eden (the first Adam represents Satan who was "the prince of this world", who failed the test - see John 12:31 - and the last Adam is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and King of Righteousness, who passed the test). Eve represents the bride of the prince in the old Garden, and the bride of Christ in the repetition - so Eve represents the Church in the story (where the original bride failed, the new bride will overcome... for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear). And here are the order of events that went down in the Garden - you can read of it in Genesis chapter 3:
Garden of Eden Final Days of the Earth
1. God gave instruction to man Jesus gave instruction to man before ascending to heaven
2. God goes off out of the Garden Jesus ascends into heaven
3. Time passes Time passes
4. The serpent shows up to tempt man Antichrist shows up to tempt man
5. Adam and Eve believe serpent & sin Many will believe antichrist and sin; some will not
6. God shows up to find man has sinned Jesus returns to find man has sinned
7. Man is given death sentence Man is thrown in lake of fire; the pure go to heaven
That's it. That's the pattern. There is no premature return to find out what man was doing - no wisking him off before the serpent comes. God told Adam what to do if the serpent came. God gave Adam the warning about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He also gave Adam authority over it. He did the same for us - if we will listen to Him.
A short and sweet message about how God declared the end from the beginning. It was His first lesson for us. God bless.
The first story of man is the story of Adam. This is how I read the story of Adam: Adam was put in charge of God's creation, he was the prince of the Garden of Eden (the first Adam represents Satan who was "the prince of this world", who failed the test - see John 12:31 - and the last Adam is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace and King of Righteousness, who passed the test). Eve represents the bride of the prince in the old Garden, and the bride of Christ in the repetition - so Eve represents the Church in the story (where the original bride failed, the new bride will overcome... for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear). And here are the order of events that went down in the Garden - you can read of it in Genesis chapter 3:
Garden of Eden Final Days of the Earth
1. God gave instruction to man Jesus gave instruction to man before ascending to heaven
2. God goes off out of the Garden Jesus ascends into heaven
3. Time passes Time passes
4. The serpent shows up to tempt man Antichrist shows up to tempt man
5. Adam and Eve believe serpent & sin Many will believe antichrist and sin; some will not
6. God shows up to find man has sinned Jesus returns to find man has sinned
7. Man is given death sentence Man is thrown in lake of fire; the pure go to heaven
That's it. That's the pattern. There is no premature return to find out what man was doing - no wisking him off before the serpent comes. God told Adam what to do if the serpent came. God gave Adam the warning about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He also gave Adam authority over it. He did the same for us - if we will listen to Him.
A short and sweet message about how God declared the end from the beginning. It was His first lesson for us. God bless.
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