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.
Showing posts with label Elect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elect. Show all posts
Wednesday, 21 December 2011
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.
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.
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
Matthew 25, Parable 3: The Sheep and the Goats
The parable of the sheep and the goats is the last parable in Matthew 25. It is a parable that describes the Great White Throne Judgment of Christ when He returns to the earth. (If you read Revelation, you find out that this is after the Millenium... but that is a different discussion for a different day.) This is how it goes:
"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, andye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.' The shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not.' Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when was we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
This parable is almost exactly the same in form as the second parable in Ezekiel 34; however, God only describes the behavior of the goats in Ezekiel. Here is the parable as it appears there (Ezekiel 34:17-28), the entire parable being in spiritual imagery:
"And as for you, O My flock', thus saith the Lord God; 'Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams [Hebrew: 'ayil' = "male sheep"] and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for My flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore' thus saith the Lord God unto them; 'Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and non shall make them afraid."
So what both parables are saying is that all members of the flock must treat the other members of the flock with respect, and with human decency. Decency dictates that if someone is in trouble, we help them. God's law even dictated that if your enemy was in trouble, that you helped that person. It always gave you the right to defend yourself if an enemy was threatening you, but also to help that person when they are in trouble (and by extension are no threat to you).
This concludes the three parables relating to our behavior in the end times that appear in Ezekiel and Matthew 25. Since we don't know exactly when "the end" will come, if we take heed to the parables during our daily lives, we will be in good standing before God. God bless.
"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, andye took Me in: naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.' The shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed Thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?' And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'
Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in: naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not.' Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when was we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?' Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."
This parable is almost exactly the same in form as the second parable in Ezekiel 34; however, God only describes the behavior of the goats in Ezekiel. Here is the parable as it appears there (Ezekiel 34:17-28), the entire parable being in spiritual imagery:
"And as for you, O My flock', thus saith the Lord God; 'Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams [Hebrew: 'ayil' = "male sheep"] and the he goats. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for My flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. Therefore' thus saith the Lord God unto them; 'Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.
And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and non shall make them afraid."
So what both parables are saying is that all members of the flock must treat the other members of the flock with respect, and with human decency. Decency dictates that if someone is in trouble, we help them. God's law even dictated that if your enemy was in trouble, that you helped that person. It always gave you the right to defend yourself if an enemy was threatening you, but also to help that person when they are in trouble (and by extension are no threat to you).
This concludes the three parables relating to our behavior in the end times that appear in Ezekiel and Matthew 25. Since we don't know exactly when "the end" will come, if we take heed to the parables during our daily lives, we will be in good standing before God. 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.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Lapping Living Water...
In my last post, I covered a reference to God being the Fountain of living waters (Exodus 15:22-26). God calls Himself the Fountain of living waters in Jeremiah Chapter 2. Jesus makes reference to Himself being the Fountain of living waters in John Chapter 4. So what has my blog name got to do with that? I noted in the last post that I believe the living waters are the ways of God, "Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live (Deuteronomy 8:3)," and every word that we need to know is recorded in the Bible.
When we read the Bible, we find that God has repeated over and over that He has chosen a number of people that will rekindle the fires of the Spirit in the end times. Is one of those people you? It may very well be; but that is something between you and Him. You may just want to ask God about it. Though I would say this, that even if you do get a "yes" answer, Paul set a good example for the chosen to follow. When he knew that he was chosen himself, he said, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment; yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:1-4)." Which, to me, says that Paul knew that he had a great understanding of the scriptures and what the purpose of life was, and what he was supposed to do with that knowledge, but he knew also Who to give credit to for the knowledge. He knew that he could understand nothing of the Bible, except that God opened his eyes to it. So, even though he was "chosen", he didn't dare act as though he was any better than anyone else (those who read the Bible know that God hates that type of behavior anyway), because he had no knowledge without God's say so... just like all of us. And the reason that he had that knowledge was to help others out with it... just like all of us.
Those mysteries that he spoke of are found in the Bible - and he ate them up, just like it was his last meal. He loved scripture; his astonishment that others didn't seem to love scripture as much as he did rings through in his writing. And this is where lapping living waters comes in. (The story is found in Judges chapter 7.)
After Israel had entered the promised land, they didn't have kings for quite a long time. Rather, God placed wise people over them to act as judges in matters of dispute and to lead them in war - but God Himself was their King.
Moses was a judge. Joshua was a judge. And Gideon also was a judge.
Just before Gideon was made a judge, some of the foreigners began to cause trouble in Israel. The Midianites ("Midian" is a Hebrew word meaning "strife"), who were descendants of Abraham by his second wife Keturah, and the Amalekites ("Amalek" is a Hebrew word meaning "valley dwellers" or "dwellers in the low land" or, more bluntly, "lowlifes"), who were descendants of Esau, had begun to opress Israel. The Lord told Gideon that he would be the one to deliver Israel - he was chosen - "Gideon" is a Hebrew word meaning "harvester" and symbolizes those chosen of God that will help Him with the spiritual harvest.
When Gideon was ready to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites, there were 32,000 of his tribesmen with him (32 is the number of the covenant with God, and 1,000 is the number of God's grace), but God told him there were too many peope to fight. God was going to deliver Israel by the hand of a few to show His power to Israel and to the surrounding nations. God told Gideon that anyone that did not want to fight could go home - so those who were ready to fly away for fear of the battle left. The amount that left was 22,000, leaving Gideon with 10,000 remaining (10 is the number of the law (or testimony) of God, and 1,000 is the number of His grace). But God said that 10,000 was still too many. So God got the people to all drink from a nearby water source - they partook of the living waters! Those that casually kneeled down and scooped the water with their hands were sent back to their tents, but 300 of the people were so thirsty for the water that they got down on their hands and knees and lapped up the water like a dog - these people were chosen to fight (3 is the number of the Divine nature of God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and 100 is the number of the chosen, the "elect").
300 people against two full armies... 300... against an army of probably thousands, or tens of thousands. All of the 300 were all given a lamp (to let their light shine) and were given a trumpet (to sound the battle cry). And when they blew their trumpets, the armies of the Midianites and the Amalekites fled in terror. Not one hair on the heads of the 300 was harmed.
This is why I named my blog "lapping living waters" - whether I have been chosen or not.... I judge not mine own self. All I know is that once you have tasted the living waters, you too will want to lap it up because it is so refreshing. There are no other waters like it. "Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6)"... and so they shall. What's your water source? God bless.
When we read the Bible, we find that God has repeated over and over that He has chosen a number of people that will rekindle the fires of the Spirit in the end times. Is one of those people you? It may very well be; but that is something between you and Him. You may just want to ask God about it. Though I would say this, that even if you do get a "yes" answer, Paul set a good example for the chosen to follow. When he knew that he was chosen himself, he said, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment; yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord (1 Corinthians 4:1-4)." Which, to me, says that Paul knew that he had a great understanding of the scriptures and what the purpose of life was, and what he was supposed to do with that knowledge, but he knew also Who to give credit to for the knowledge. He knew that he could understand nothing of the Bible, except that God opened his eyes to it. So, even though he was "chosen", he didn't dare act as though he was any better than anyone else (those who read the Bible know that God hates that type of behavior anyway), because he had no knowledge without God's say so... just like all of us. And the reason that he had that knowledge was to help others out with it... just like all of us.
Those mysteries that he spoke of are found in the Bible - and he ate them up, just like it was his last meal. He loved scripture; his astonishment that others didn't seem to love scripture as much as he did rings through in his writing. And this is where lapping living waters comes in. (The story is found in Judges chapter 7.)
After Israel had entered the promised land, they didn't have kings for quite a long time. Rather, God placed wise people over them to act as judges in matters of dispute and to lead them in war - but God Himself was their King.
Moses was a judge. Joshua was a judge. And Gideon also was a judge.
Just before Gideon was made a judge, some of the foreigners began to cause trouble in Israel. The Midianites ("Midian" is a Hebrew word meaning "strife"), who were descendants of Abraham by his second wife Keturah, and the Amalekites ("Amalek" is a Hebrew word meaning "valley dwellers" or "dwellers in the low land" or, more bluntly, "lowlifes"), who were descendants of Esau, had begun to opress Israel. The Lord told Gideon that he would be the one to deliver Israel - he was chosen - "Gideon" is a Hebrew word meaning "harvester" and symbolizes those chosen of God that will help Him with the spiritual harvest.
When Gideon was ready to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites, there were 32,000 of his tribesmen with him (32 is the number of the covenant with God, and 1,000 is the number of God's grace), but God told him there were too many peope to fight. God was going to deliver Israel by the hand of a few to show His power to Israel and to the surrounding nations. God told Gideon that anyone that did not want to fight could go home - so those who were ready to fly away for fear of the battle left. The amount that left was 22,000, leaving Gideon with 10,000 remaining (10 is the number of the law (or testimony) of God, and 1,000 is the number of His grace). But God said that 10,000 was still too many. So God got the people to all drink from a nearby water source - they partook of the living waters! Those that casually kneeled down and scooped the water with their hands were sent back to their tents, but 300 of the people were so thirsty for the water that they got down on their hands and knees and lapped up the water like a dog - these people were chosen to fight (3 is the number of the Divine nature of God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and 100 is the number of the chosen, the "elect").
300 people against two full armies... 300... against an army of probably thousands, or tens of thousands. All of the 300 were all given a lamp (to let their light shine) and were given a trumpet (to sound the battle cry). And when they blew their trumpets, the armies of the Midianites and the Amalekites fled in terror. Not one hair on the heads of the 300 was harmed.
This is why I named my blog "lapping living waters" - whether I have been chosen or not.... I judge not mine own self. All I know is that once you have tasted the living waters, you too will want to lap it up because it is so refreshing. There are no other waters like it. "Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6)"... and so they shall. What's your water source? God bless.
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