Prophesy: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit to Steve Pardue Matthew 24:36 (NIV) No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Matthew 24:42-44 (NIV) Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 (NIV) Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 2 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV) First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." Amos 4:12c (NIV) prepare to meet your God, O Israel. It is time to prepare the Bride for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that this prophesy will aid you in that preparation process. Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) "Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION *. Copyright * 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. "The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society." The maps are used by permission of: (c) Hammond Incorporated, Maplewood, New Jersey, license # 12,216. copyright February 3, 1993 THE CONTENTS OF THE PROPHESY The Prophetic Call Jesus' teaching concerning His Second Coming Your only protection against false prophets is the Holy Word of God The Devil will misuse the Holy Word of God in order to deceive The counsel of the Holy Spirit is essential for understanding the Holy Word of God The 7,000 years of measured time Jesus will proclaim a "Jubilee" at His coming The Two Orders to rebuild Jerusalem will result in the Two "Comings" of Jesus The Second Coming of Jesus will occur after the Man of Lawlessness is revealed The Man of Lawlessness is the Antichrist The Seven Year Tribulation will begin with the revealing of the Antichrist Daily sacrifice must first be re-established in order for the Antichrist to stop it The empire of the Antichrist will begin forming prior to the Tribulation At Mid-Tribulation the Antichrist will set himself up in the Temple as God The Antichrist will persecute the saints The Antichrist will have the support of the False Prophet and Organized Religion The Antichrist and False Prophet will be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation Your church - theocracy or democracy The closing Gentile church age The revealing of the Great Whore The destruction of the Great Whore The division of the natural family, and the bonding of the family of Christ The emerging of the Two Witnesses Jesus is our Passover Lamb The second person of the Trinity is YHWH-Jesus Old Testament Prophesies of Jesus Christ that were fulfilled in the New Testament The historical account of Joseph is a fore glimpse of Jesus Christ with His Jewish brothers A comparison of Moses plagues and the Seals, Trumpets, and Bowls of Revelation The destruction of the United States of America The destruction of Russia Jesus will come with "thunder and lightning" Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven Jesus will come with His angels Jesus will come when the seventh trumpet sounds loud and long Jesus will come at the pouring of the seventh bowl of wrath Jesus will come on one day - "the great and terrible day of the Lord" Jesus will come in the sight of all the people Jesus will come "like a thief in the night" (a surprise, suddenly) The martyred dead, and then the live Christians will rise to meet Jesus "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man" Jesus will descend to Jerusalem in judgment, destroying those gathered at Armageddon Jesus will descend to Jerusalem to set up His earthly kingdom Jesus will descend to Jerusalem for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Jesus will descend to begin His One Thousand Year (Millennial) Reign on the earth Are you prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Have you been Born Again? Jesus is the Son of God Only Jesus' Blood has the power to cleanse your sins Jesus requires repentance Jesus requires confession Jesus requires you to ask Him into your heart and life as your God Jesus requires compliance with God's law The mercy of God has a deadline God has revealed himself in a greater measure throughout time A Holy God is worthy of, demands, and will have a Holy people for His Holy city Man was originally designed to love and adore God, and to have God love and adore him God is purifying and developing the Bride of Christ through the gifts of the Holy Spirit Eternal life - can it be lost? - The expanding light of God has illuminated some theologies previously thought to be from God If for any reason you ignore God's message of love, you will deserve Hell ** The Prophetic Call ** There is a clear and distinct difference in Christian Organized Religion and the Body of Christ. As I see Christian Organized Religion plunging into apostasy, and the Body of Christ sound asleep, my heart has been broken. The Lord gave me this Scripture: Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. I do not know how the Holy Spirit selects different individuals for specific tasks. I know that He does, and I know that the reason why He does is for the edification of the Body of Christ. I am sure that Jesus gives us a burning desire to serve in the areas in which we are called. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (NIV) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. The Holy Scriptures state that the Body of Christ is destroyed for two reasons; lack of knowledge, and lack of vision: Hosea 4:6a (NIV) my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Proverbs 29:18a (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish; Proverbs 29:18a (NIV) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; I asked the Lord what I could do to help the Body of Christ. Habakkuk 2:2-4 (NIV) Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Daniel 12:10 (NIV) Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. The prophets are instruments of God through which the Holy Spirit can flow. 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV) Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Many of the prophets did not understand about what they were writing. Daniel 8:27 (NIV) I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill for several days. Then I got up and went about the king's business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding. It was not necessary for the prophets to understand about what they were writing. Some of the prophecies were not given for their day. It was only necessary that they write exactly as the Holy Spirit directed them. Malachi 2:7 (NIV) "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty. The prophecies were written for the edification of the church of the particular age effected by the prophesy. Revelation 22:16 (NIV) "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NIV) Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Different prophets wrote Scriptures that give different views. One view may be panoramic, one view of minute detail; somewhat like an architect's drawings. One view may be drawn from a distance, one view from close up. As all of the architect's drawings must mesh perfectly and compliment one another in order to accomplish his plan, so must the Scriptures mesh perfectly, and compliment each other in order to accomplish God's plan. They do. It is certainly easy to believe that these prophets wrote exactly as the Holy Spirit directed. History has proven, and is proving that, more than 40 different writers, across a period of about 2,000 years wrote concerning the 7,000 years of measured time. All of the writers, and all of the Scriptures mesh perfectly. The Holy Word of God is truly magnificent. The Holy Spirit has revealed to me that all Christians operating in the gifts of the Spirit will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NIV) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, Matthew 5:11-12 (NIV) "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. John 16:1-4 (NIV) "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. In Jesus' day, it was not "the tax collectors and the prostitutes" (Matthew 21:31,32) who were persecuting the Christians. It was Organized Religion. So will it be in the coming days. ** Jesus' teaching concerning His Second Coming ** As we seek to understand more about what the Holy Scriptures teach concerning Jesus' Second Coming, I think it most prudent to concentrate initially on what the blessed Savior said concerning His Second Coming: Matthew 24 (NIV) Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" 4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains. 9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time. 26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. 29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. 45 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" The very first thing the Wonderful Counselor states is a warning: 1. Watch out that no one deceives you." verse 4 He re-states the warning three additional times in this particular discourse: 2. "For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." verse 5 3. "many false prophets will appear and deceive many people." verse 11 4. "For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect." verse 24 In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus reiterates no other single thought so many times. There is only one defense against the very pressing danger of false prophets and deceivers. Your only protection is the Holy Word of God! ** Your only protection against false prophets is the Holy Word of God ** Humanity has been given five senses to procure information for analysis and review by the mind. The only other possible avenue for gaining information is a spirit. The Word of God tastes, smells, looks, sounds, and feels the same throughout the Old and the New Testament. In our humanity, we sometimes read something in the Word of God, whereby our lack of understanding makes it appear that there is contradiction. Know that it is a lack of our understanding. If a Scripture is not in compliance with the total of all other Scriptures, it is because of misinterpretation on the part of you or the translator. For the Scriptures to mesh and comply completely, totally, and exactly with each other requires a very narrow, restrictive and precise interpretation, that produces an exact truth that "only a few" (Matthew 7:14) understand and comply with. The sinful self will of man desires a broad, vague, ambiguous and confusing interpretation that does not focus on the sin in his life. Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. If your theology is "wide," or "broad," and understood and complied with by the many, you are on the road to HELL. You must decide now on what you will build your faith. There are many beliefs. There is only one truth. The Holy Word of God is Truth. What a person believes in no way impacts whether something is true. Proverbs 14:15 (NIV) A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. History has proven that people will believe anything. You must decide from whom, or upon what you will base your beliefs. Are you going to believe the Holy Word of God, or are you going to believe science, tradition, history, intuition, or anything else? Will you stand with the Word of God when it is contradicted by anything? Considering that science, tradition, history, intuition, and everything else has been wrong on many occasions, and that the Word of God has never been wrong, this should be an easy decision. Failure to make a decision to believe the Word of God is a decision. If you have not irrevocably decided to stand firm, strong and steadfast on the Holy inspired Word of God, then I counsel you to spend no more time with this prophesy, or the Word of God, as it will do you little good. James 1:5-7 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; You must learn what the inspired Holy Word of God says. Isaiah 28:9-10 (KJV) Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: You must be able to discern truth by the Word of God. You must judge the teachings of man by the Word of God. You must be very harsh and very critical of any prophesy that does not comply with the entire Word of God. Judge what you have been taught, and what you believe with the Word of God. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NIV) Test everything. Hold on to the good. 1 John 4:1 (NIV) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. The traditions of man will aid false prophets in deceiving people, as we may have already been taught heresy by someone in whom we have a great deal of confidence and consequently more readily accept a distortion of the Holy Scriptures. Matthew 15:3-6 (NIV) Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6 he is not to 'honor his father ' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. tradition: 1. an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) 2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction - Websters Dictionary You must not trust in the traditions that you have been taught by any man. Isaiah 2:22 (NIV) Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he? You must consume the Word of God. Every thought must be brought into compliance with the Word of God. You must build your faith on Jesus Christ and the Word of God. The Holy Word of God is your only hope. Satan has many "theologians" attacking the plenary inspiration by the Holy Spirit of the Word of God in various ways. One of the ways he is attacking is by putting forth the heresy that some or all of the Word of God is a myth, and not to be taken as a historical record. Another facet of his multi-pronged attack is to put forth heretical writings or myths as truth. Satan alleges that the Truth is a myth, and that myths are truth. The Quran and the Book of Mormon are examples of myths put forth by Satan as truth. The first eleven chapters of Genesis, the book of Job, the book of Jonah, the virginity of Mary, the deity and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and many other absolute truths are targets of Satan, alleging they are myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NIV) 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. If Satan can get you to compromise your faith in the Word of God in the smallest, minute sense, he will start you on the road to apostasy. He will ultimately get you to discredit the entire Word of God. Isaiah 7:9c (NIV) If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all." If you allow Satan to undermine your faith in the infallible Holy Word of God, you are left with no anchor, no baseline, and nothing stable on which you can stand. You are left awash, and defenseless, with no guide, no direction and no place to turn. You will have nothing. When you are given the option to believe the Holy Word of God; or the publication or speech of any person, or any historical or technical document; stand firmly, stubbornly, and steadfastly with the Holy Word of God. "Watch out that no one deceives you." The warning screams its haunting message across 2,000 years. Your only defense is the infallible Holy Word of God. As God revealed Himself to Samuel through His word, so God will do for each person: 1 Samuel 3:21 (NIV) The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word. Jesus has promised that you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Deuteronomy 4:29 (NIV) But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Luke 11:9-10 (NIV) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. There are incomprehensible depths of wisdom, knowledge, understanding and truth in the Word of God. Every single letter of the Scriptures is important. Matthew 5:18 (KJV) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Proverbs 30:5 (NIV) "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Isaiah 40:8 (NIV) The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Matthew 24:35 (NIV) Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. Many of the truths of the Scriptures are visible only to those filled with the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The world is blind to these truths. Matthew 15:14 (NIV) Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." Because the world cannot see these truths, their claim is that these truths do not exist. The thinking of the world has invaded the church. One of the symptoms of this last Laodicean church age is blindness: Revelation 3:17 (NIV) You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I do not allege that any Christian has perfect understanding. We can, however, "See through a glass darkly." (I Corinthians 13:12) We see darkly, but the world and the Laodicean church is totally blind. Some blind, worldly, Laodicean "theologians" have alleged that there is only a single truth in any of the parables spoken by Jesus. Their inability to see manifold spiritual truth has forced them to draw the conclusion that none is there. A rich panorama of truth can be extracted from everything the Savior said. One of the Scriptures where this is very quickly and easily shown is: Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Note that in the general grouping of the angels, sheep and goats, the Son of Man is only referenced as "He." In verse 34, and verse 40, when "the sheep" are addressed exclusively, Jesus is titled "The King" in both instances. In verse 41, and verse 45, when "the goats" are addressed exclusively, Jesus is titled only "He" in both instances. To the sheep on His right, Jesus is "The King," but to the goats on His left, Jesus is only "He." Jesus is not their king. In verse 40, where Jesus says "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine," He references "the sheep" as His brothers. Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. In verse 45, where Jesus says "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these," He does not reference the goats as His brothers, because they are not. Matthew 12:48-50 (NIV) He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." ** The devil will misuse the Holy Word of God in order to deceive ** The devil is very subtle and crafty, and will minutely change the Word of God to slightly misdirect a person. The end result of the uncorrected misdirection will always be hell. Genesis 3:1a (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:1a (KJV) Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. In the temptation of Adam and Eve, the devil twisted the Word of God into a lie. Genesis 3:1-7 (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die, "the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. In the temptation of Jesus, the devil used the Holy Word of God out of context in order to accomplish his purpose. Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. The devil and his false prophets will come as angels of light. They will appear to be ministers of holiness, righteousness, and truth, while they purposely twist and distort the Holy Word of God in order to deceive and damn people to hell: 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (NIV) And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. ** The counsel of the Holy Spirit is essential for understanding the Holy Word of God ** Without the Holy Spirit, the truth of the Word of God is hidden. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. Matthew 11:25 (NIV) At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. From a theological position, there is little that a person learns apart from the Holy Spirit that is worth knowing. Matthew 13:10-17 (NIV) The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" 11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. When founding your faith on the Holy Word of God, request the Holy Spirit to lead you into the truth.(Singular) Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV) 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 14:26 (NIV) But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Luke 24:45 (NIV) Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 1 John 2:27 (NIV) As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him. Ephesians 3:4-5 (NIV) In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. John 15:15 (NIV) I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. Daniel 2:21b-22 (NIV) He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. 22 He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. Daniel 12:10b (NIV) None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. As you read and study this message and the Word of God, I ask you to prayerfully consider these Scriptures. Request the Holy Spirit to open your heart to His truth. James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Proverbs 2:6 (NIV) For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Ephesians 1:17-19 (NIV) I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Luke 11:9-13 (NIV) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Daniel 10:12 (NIV) Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. Amos 3:7 (NIV) Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets. ** The seven thousand years of measured time ** There are exactly and only 7,000 years of measured time in God's eternity. Our generation comes at the conclusion of the 6,000 years of man attempting to rule himself. God has given mankind time to prove that he cannot rule himself. After the 6,000 years of man's rule, there is the 1,000 Year Reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem. Biblical historians have correctly stated that mankind has been on this earth for 6,000 years. In the book of Genesis, chapters 5 and 11 plot on a time line that will bring you to a point where secular recorded history begins. Accurate recorded history is in agreement with the chronological order of the Bible. Thus the Bible proves to be historically correct. Seven is God's number, six is man's number. There are 6,000 years of time allocated by God for man to rule this earth. These are the "Six Days" of man. There are 1,000 years of time allocated by God for Jesus to rule this earth. This is "God's Day", or the "Sabbath Day" of rest given to the earth. We are given glimpses of this truth and principle throughout the Word of God. 2 Peter 3:8 (NIV) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Psalm 90:4 (NIV) For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. In Genesis, the chapter one account gives six days for God to create this world and man. These are the "Six Days" of man. God rested on the seventh day. Genesis 1:27 (NIV) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.... Genesis 1:31 (NIV) God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day. Genesis 2:1-3 (NIV) Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Leviticus 23:3 (NIV) "'There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a Sabbath to the LORD. Exodus 20:8-10 (NIV) "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. Exodus 23:12 (NIV) "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed. Exodus 24:15-16 (NIV) When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. Exodus 35:1-3 (NIV) Moses assembled the whole Israelite community and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do: 2 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it must be put to death. 3 Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day." This number principle of six and seven applies to days, years, and centuries throughout the Holy Word of God. Leviticus 25:1-4 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, 2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the LORD. 3 For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. 4 But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest, a sabbath to the LORD. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards. Exodus 21:2 (NIV) "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. Exodus 23:10-11 (NIV) "For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11 but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. In Joshua, chapter six, seven priests with seven trumpets and the people marched one time around the walls for six days. On the seventh day, the people marched seven times around the walls, and after a long trumpet blast, the walls fell. That man's number is six is again stated in Revelation 13:18: Revelation 13:18 (NIV) This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. After the "Six Day's" of man, we have the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ from Jerusalem on this earth. This is the "Sabbath Day's" rest of God. Revelation 20:1-6 (NIV) And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Man's 6,000 years is additionally broken into three divisions: 2,000 years from Adam to Abraham - First Covenant (Genesis chapter 17) 2,000 years from Abraham to Christ - Second "New" Covenant (Hebrews chapter 8) 2,000 years from Christ till now God spent 2,000 years working primarily with Jews after the Abraham Covenant, referenced in Genesis chapter 17. God has now spent 2,000 years working primarily with Gentiles after the Jesus Christ Covenant, referenced in Jeremiah chapter 31:31-34, and Hebrews chapter 8:4-13. Jews and Gentiles have proven to be very similar in their response to God. In view of the abundant light that Christianity has had in the last 2,000 years, and increasingly has, the responsibility they bear is awesome: Luke 12:47-48 (NIV) "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. ** Jesus will proclaim a Jubilee at His coming ** At the Jubilee, all the debts were canceled, all the slaves were set free, all the land returned to its rightful owner. This is a physical example of the spiritual truths that are fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and will be finished at His Second Coming. The debt of sin is canceled, the slaves of sin are set free, and the rulership of the earth will return to Jesus Christ and His Bride forever. (Jubilee's start on the Day of Atonement.) (Atonement, AT-ONE-MENT, AT ONE WITH GOD, when God and humanity come together. When Jesus Christ returns for His Bride, there will be AT-ONE-MENT.) A Jubilee occurs every 50 years. The 6,000 years of man will exactly complete 120 Jubilees. The root 12 in the number 120 is significant in that the number 12 denotes a completion number for man. There were 12 children of Israel, creating 12 tribes of Israel; and 12 disciples of Jesus. Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, Leviticus 25:8-55 (NIV) "'Count off seven sabbaths of years--seven times seven years--so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. 11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. 12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields. 13 "'In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property. 14 "'If you sell land to one of your countrymen or buy any from him, do not take advantage of each other. 15 You are to buy from your countryman on the basis of the number of years since the Jubilee. And he is to sell to you on the basis of the number of years left for harvesting crops. 16 When the years are many, you are to increase the price, and when the years are few, you are to decrease the price, because what he is really selling you is the number of crops. 17 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. I am the LORD your God. 18 "'Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. 20 You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" 21 I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. 22 While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. 23 "'The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. 24 Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. 25 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. 26 If, however, a man has no one to redeem it for him but he himself prospers and acquires sufficient means to redeem it, 27 he is to determine the value for the years since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own property. 28 But if he does not acquire the means to repay him, what he sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and he can then go back to his property. 29 "'If a man sells a house in a walled city, he retains the right of redemption a full year after its sale. During that time he may redeem it. 30 If it is not redeemed before a full year has passed, the house in the walled city shall belong permanently to the buyer and his descendants. It is not to be returned in the Jubilee. 31 But houses in villages without walls around them are to be considered as open country. They can be redeemed, and they are to be returned in the Jubilee. 32 "'The Levites always have the right to redeem their houses in the Levitical towns, which they possess. 33 So the property of the Levites is redeemable--that is, a house sold in any town they hold--and is to be returned in the Jubilee, because the houses in the towns of the Levites are their property among the Israelites. 34 But the pastureland belonging to their towns must not be sold; it is their permanent possession. 35 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. 37 You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. 38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God. 39 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave. 40 He is to be treated as a hired worker or a temporary resident among you; he is to work for you until the Year of Jubilee. 41 Then he and his children are to be released, and he will go back to his own clan and to the property of his forefathers. 42 Because the Israelites are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt, they must not be sold as slaves. 43 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. 44 "'Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. 45 You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. 46 You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly. 47 "'If an alien or a temporary resident among you becomes rich and one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells himself to the alien living among you or to a member of the alien's clan, 48 he retains the right of redemption after he has sold himself. One of his relatives may redeem him: 49 An uncle or a cousin or any blood relative in his clan may redeem him. Or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50 He and his buyer are to count the time from the year he sold himself up to the Year of Jubilee. The price for his release is to be based on the rate paid to a hired man for that number of years. 51 If many years remain, he must pay for his redemption a larger share of the price paid for him. 52 If only a few years remain until the Year of Jubilee, he is to compute that and pay for his redemption accordingly. 53 He is to be treated as a man hired from year to year; you must see to it that his owner does not rule over him ruthlessly. 54 "'Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 55 for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 27:17-24 (NIV) If he dedicates his field during the Year of Jubilee, the value that has been set remains. 18 But if he dedicates his field after the Jubilee, the priest will determine the value according to the number of years that remain until the next Year of Jubilee, and its set value will be reduced. 19 If the man who dedicates the field wishes to redeem it, he must add a fifth to its value, and the field will again become his. 20 If, however, he does not redeem the field, or if he has sold it to someone else, it can never be redeemed. 21 When the field is released in the Jubilee, it will become holy, like a field devoted to the LORD; it will become the property of the priests. 22 "'If a man dedicates to the LORD a field he has bought, which is not part of his family land, 23 the priest will determine its value up to the Year of Jubilee, and the man must pay its value on that day as something holy to the LORD. 24 In the Year of Jubilee the field will revert to the person from whom he bought it, the one whose land it was. Ezekiel 46:17 (NIV) If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. Deuteronomy 15:9 (NIV) Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. Deuteronomy 31:10-11 (NIV) Then Moses commanded them: "At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose, you shall read this law before them in their hearing. Exodus 21:2 (NIV) "If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. Deuteronomy 15:12 (NIV) If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. Jeremiah 34:14 (NIV) 'Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you. After he has served you six years, you must let him go free. Deuteronomy 15:1-3 (NIV) At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the Lord's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. Nehemiah 10:31 (NIV) "When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts. Deuteronomy 15:12-18 (NIV) If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. 13 And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. 14 Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. 16 But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant. 18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because his service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. ** The two orders to rebuild Jerusalem will result in the two "Comings" of Jesus ** The "Seventy 'sevens' of Daniel 9:24-27 give much insight into prophetic truth. Written more than 600 years before the first "Coming" of Jesus, Daniel prophesied that the orders to restore and rebuild Jerusalem would set events in motion that would culminate in the Two "Comings" of Jesus Christ. His first "Coming" occurred two thousand years ago at His birth. Daniel 9:24-27 (NIV) "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. 25 "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. 26 After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. 27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." There are three time periods referenced: a. seventy "sevens" b. seven "sevens" c. sixty-two "sevens" The "sevens" referenced are seven year periods. There have been only TWO orders in history to rebuild Jerusalem. This coincides with the TWO "Comings" of Jesus Christ. The first time an order to rebuild Jerusalem occurred in approximately 445 B.C. under King Artaxerxes recorded in Nehemiah 1:1-4, and 2:1-8. Nehemiah 1:1-4 (NIV) The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 2:1-8 (NIV) In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 7 I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?" And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. Sixty two, "seven year periods," or 434 years after Artaxerxes gave the order to rebuild Jerusalem places us at 11 B. C. With the discrepancies in the calendar, and possible historical (not Biblical) miscalculations of the exact year, we are placed at the time of Christ's birth; the time of His first "Coming." Daniel 9:26 (NIV) After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. After the "sixty two sevens," the "Anointed One" was cut off. Jesus Christ was crucified, Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. In 1948, the second decree in history to "restore and rebuild Jerusalem" occurred, when the Knesset voted to rebuild all Israel and Jerusalem. Seven - "seven year periods" (49 years) from 1948 puts us at 1997. This is not a prophecy for 1997, as there is still the seventieth - "seven year period" to account for. The sixty two - "seven year periods," and seven - "seven year periods" referenced in Daniel 9:25 totals sixty nine - "seven year periods," not the seventy - "seven year periods" referenced in Daniel 9:24. The seventy - "seven year periods" referenced, isolates the seventieth - "seven year period" as a third separate "seven year period." Daniel 9:27 references the antichrist's "seven year period," and the "abomination that causes desolation" in the middle of the "seven year period." "abomination that causes desolation," is something unclean in accordance with Levitical law being sacrificed in the Jewish Temple, or a Gentile sacrificing in the Temple. From a Biblical perspective, there are two classes of people in this world; Jews, who are descendants of Jacob (Israelites), and Gentiles (sometimes referred to as Greeks). In a perfect parallel to the two "Comings" of Jesus Christ, there has already been one "abomination that causes desolation," just prior to Jesus first Coming, and there is still an "abomination that causes desolation" to come, just prior to Jesus' Second Coming, making a total of two. ** The Second Coming of Christ will occur AFTER the man of lawlessness is revealed ** 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NIV) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to Him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. Someone had obviously been saying that Jesus had already returned. It had unsettled the church. The Holy Spirit is edifying the church through Paul. The Holy Spirit references a crisis point in time. That crisis point is when the man of lawlessness is revealed. Since the Holy Spirit has given the church a crisis point to look for, He will also make us aware of what reveals the man of lawlessness. If we do not know what reveals the man of lawlessness, the crisis point referenced is of no use. The Holy Spirit states clearly that Jesus' Coming, and "our being gathered to Him," will not occur until after the man of lawlessness is revealed. The man of lawlessness is the antichrist. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of His coming. The destruction of the antichrist, and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, will occur SIMULTANEOUSLY. Jesus Christ will destroy the antichrist at Jesus Christs' Coming, WHEN WE ARE "GATHERED TO HIM." The antichrist is destroyed at the END of the seven year Tribulation period. We are "gathered to Him" at the END of the seven year Tribulation. In accordance with 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, God has directed the Holy Spirit to start releasing His restrictions on the flood of lawlessness that desires to surge forth. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. Only the Holy Spirit is able to hold back the secret power of lawlessness. Only God the Father is able to direct the blessed Holy Spirit. The blessed Holy Spirit has held most godless leaders and godless people in check from the complete godlessness that their evil hearts desire. There have been exceptions allowed in God's permissive will. Our world could not have continued to exist if the Holy Spirit had not held godless people in check. As we move towards the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the blessed Holy Spirit will continue to withdraw His restrictions, allowing evil people to achieve the godlessness that their hearts desire. This fact is evidenced every single day in the newspaper, and will continue to grow worse, as the Holy Spirit continues to withdraw His restrictions. Politicians and world leaders that heretofore would not have considered some of the social changes they now direct, have become bold in their godlessness. This withdrawing of the Holy Spirit's restrictions will produce a cataclysmic increase in wickedness. Matthew 24:12 (NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, It has been wrongfully alleged that the Holy Spirit will be removed from this world at some time during the Tribulation period. The Holy Spirit will be here through the entire Tribulation period, as there will be Christians here through the entire Tribulation period, and the Holy Spirit has been given to the Christians forever. Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." If there were no live Christians here during the Tribulation, there would be no live Christians for Jesus to return for. Where there is a single Christian, there you will find the blessed Holy Spirit. ** The man of lawlessness is the antichrist ** 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 (NIV) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (NIV) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. He is the "abomination that causes desolation," revealed by a seven year covenant (agreement) with the Jews that allows re-establishment of daily sacrifice. Daniel 9:27 (NIV) He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." He is the "abomination that causes desolation," spoken of by Jesus in Matthew, Mark, and Luke: Matthew 24:15-21 (NIV) "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. Mark 13:14 (NIV) "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Luke 21:20 (NIV) "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. He is the leopard beast with ten horns and seven heads. Revelation 13:1-10 (NIV) And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. 9 He who has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Daniel 7:7-8 (NIV) "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. 8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. Daniel 7:19-21 (NIV) "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws--the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, Daniel 7:23-26 (NIV) "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. 24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. 26 "'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Daniel 8:9-12 (NIV) Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. Daniel 8:23-25 (NIV) "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. Daniel 11:32-33 (NIV) With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33 "Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered. Daniel 11:36-45 (NIV) "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. Isaiah 19:4 (NIV) I will hand the Egyptians over to the power of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them," declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty. (See Daniel 11:42,43) Revelation 19:20 (NIV) But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Revelation 20:10 (NIV) And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. The antichrist will be a governmental leader, and will ultimately set up a One World Government. He will be presented as a great man of peace. He will be Arabic, and Muslim (Gentile). We know by Revelation 11:1-2 and Luke 21:24, that the antichrist will be a Gentile. Only a Muslim (Gentile) would be able to allow the Jews to re-establish daily sacrifice in Jerusalem. If any other person attempted it, there would be "Jihad." Revelation 11:1-2 (NIV) I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. Luke 21:24 (NIV) They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. The forty-two months referenced in Revelation 11:2, is the same three and one half year period that the antichrist will set himself up in the Temple as god after he halts daily sacrifice. ** The Seven Year Tribulation will begin with the revealing of the antichrist. ** He will be revealed to the discerning Christians by a seven year contract that allows the re-establishment of daily (blood) sacrifice by the Jews (Daniel 9:27). Whoever is able to make the covenant (contract) that allows re-establishment of daily sacrifice is the antichrist. At that precise moment in time, we will be in the Tribulation. The seven year clock of the Tribulation will have started. Daniel 8:9-14 (NIV) Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled-- the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated." There are four things listed in the vision, and a time table given for them: 1. "the daily sacrifice" 2. "the abomination that causes desolation" 3. "the surrender of the sanctuary" 4. "the host that will be trampled underfoot" The time table is "2,300 evenings and mornings." We operate under the Gregorian calendar of 365 days per year with a leap day every four years. 365 days time 7 years totals 2,555 days. Daniel operated under the lunar calendar of 12 periods with 30 days, totaling 360 days per year, with a leap month every 7 years. 360 days time 7 years totals 2,520 days. Since portions of the prophecy of Daniel were written for us, and our understanding, and not for Daniel, and his understanding, we can conclude that the time table in those portions is based on our calendar. There are 2,555 days in the seven year period allocated by Daniel 9:27 for the Tribulation, but only "2,300 evenings and mornings" referenced in Daniel 8:14, for daily sacrifice. This 255 day time gap, or 8 1/2 months is the time that will be required for the rebuilding of the Temple, after the antichrist confirms the "covenant." The "seven" referenced in Daniel 9:27 is the Seven Year Tribulation period spoken of in Jeremiah 30:5-7, and Matthew 24:21-22. Matthew 24:15 (NIV) "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- Jeremiah 30:5-7 (NIV) "This is what the LORD says: "'Cries of fear are heard--terror, not peace. 6 Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? 7 How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. Matthew 24:21-22 (NIV) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. We know that Matthew 24:21-22 is referencing the seven year Tribulation period of Daniel 9:27 because in the middle of that "seven" we have "the abomination that causes desolation" - the antichrist setting himself up in the Temple and proclaiming himself God. Antiochus Epiphanes is a for glimpse of the antichrist and created an "abomination that causes desolation" when he desecrated the Temple approximately 160 B.C. for a 3 1/2 year period. Antiochus Epiphanes was the King of Syria. The King of Syria will be the antichrist. Hafez Assad, the present King of Syria is the most brilliant, deceptive, and cunning man in the middle east. Hafez Assad's second son Bashar Assad is being groomed to succeed him. When Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait, Saddam was condemned by a substantial portion of the world. At the time, when the world was distracted by Saddam, Haffez Assad took complete control of Lebanon by killing all of his Christian resistance. He was not only never questioned by the world, he remained a powerful force of the coalition that attacked Saddam. Syria has long been reported by the C.I.A. as being heavily involved in state-backed international drug trafficking. Haffez Assad has been in control of world terrorism for more than a decade, with minimal world condemnation. His puppets have included at various times; King Hussein of Jordan, Yasser Arafat - spokesman for the P.L.O., Moammar Gadhafi - King of Libya, as well as lesser known people, important only in the area of world terrorism. Jerusalem Today ** Daily sacrifice must first be re-established on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem, in order for the antichrist to stop daily sacrifice ** God's justice has always required a blood sacrifice for atonement for sins. After Adam and Eve committed the very first sin, they realized that they were naked. Genesis 3:6-7 (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. The Lord God then took animal skins and clothed them. An animal had to die to cover the nakedness that became apparent to Adam and Eve after they sinned. Genesis 3:21 (NIV) The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Cain, their first born child, offered a sacrifice of grain, but Able offered a sacrifice of meat. (An animal had to die to atone for sin.) Abel's sacrifice was accepted. Genesis 4:2b-5 (NIV) Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Hebrews 9:22 referencing Leviticus 17:11 demands a blood sacrifice for atonement for sins. Hebrews 9:22 (NIV) In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Leviticus 17:11 (NIV) For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life. For two thousand years, there has been no blood sacrifice accepted by the Jews. There has been no temple in which to sacrifice. There has been no accepted atonement for sins. Matthew 24:1-2 (NIV) Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." In 70 A.D. the Romans under Titus conquered Jerusalem. Tradition says that Titus thought there was gold hidden in the Temple walls, hence, in his search, "not one stone here will be left on another." The Temple was totally destroyed. For two thousand years, the Jews have not had king or prince, sacrifice or sacred stones, ephod or idol. Hosea 3:4-5 (NIV) For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. The Blood sacrifice of Jesus was rejected by the Jews. For two thousand years there has been no atonement for sins. The Orthodox Jewish people recognize that there has been no atonement. There must be the reinstitution of daily sacrifice by the Jewish people. The problem is that the place where tradition states that daily sacrifice must be re-established is on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem, and is occupied by "The Dome of the Rock," a Moslem Mosque. This is the most important piece of real estate in the world. The significance of Jerusalem and Mount Moriah has been recorded throughout history. It was on Mount Moriah where Abraham first gave tithes to Melchizedek, the King of Salem (JeruSalem). Hebrew tradition holds that Melchizedek was Shem, son of Noah. Melchizedek was a fore glimpse of Jesus Christ the true priest of God Most High, and King of Jerusalem. Genesis 14:18-20 (NIV) Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. Hebrews 5:6-10 (NIV) And he says in another place, "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." 7 During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:20 (NIV) where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:1-10 (NIV) This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means "king of righteousness"; then also, "king of Salem" means "king of peace." 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. 4 Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5 Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people--that is, their brothers--even though their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6 This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 And without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8 In the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9 One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10 because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor. Psalms 110:4 (NIV) The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." The sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah referenced in Genesis chapter 22 is a fore-glimpse of Jesus and the Crucifixion: * Isaac was stated as his fathers only son (Genesis 22:2). Jesus is His Fathers only son. * There was a substitution of the sacrifice. Jesus was substituted for the lamb, which was a substitute for mankind. * There was an actual sacrifice. Jesus was actually sacrificed. * Historians have stated that Isaac was 33 years old. Jesus was 33 years old at His crucifixion. * Isaac was 3 days dead in his fathers mind. Jesus was 3 days dead. * Isaac carried the wood on which he was to be sacrificed. Jesus carried His own cross. Genesis 22:1-19 (NIV) Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." 3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you." 6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" 8 Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together. 9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided." 15 The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." 19 Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV) By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 19 Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. Jacob's dream, according to Rabbinic Scholars, was on Mount Moriah. Genesis 28:10-22 (NIV) Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven." 18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth." God had instructed Moses on a Temple to come Deuteronomy 12:5 (NIV) But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 2 Chronicles 7:11-12 (NIV) When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace, 12 the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 840 B.C. - Solomon built the First Temple on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 3:1 (NIV) Then Solomon began to build the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the place provided by David. Mount Moriah is the same location where the Lord God appeared to his father David. 1 Chronicles 21 (NIV) Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are." 3 But Joab replied, "May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord's subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?" 4 The king's word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 5 Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. 6 But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king's command was repulsive to him. 7 This command was also evil in the sight of God; so he punished Israel. 8 Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing." 9 The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, 10 "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'" 11 So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice: 12 three years of famine, three months of being swept away before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD--days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me." 13 David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men." 14 So the LORD sent a plague on Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell dead. 15 And God sent an angel to destroy Jerusalem. But as the angel was doing so, the LORD saw it and was grieved because of the calamity and said to the angel who was destroying the people, "Enough! Withdraw your hand." The angel of the LORD was then standing at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 16 David looked up and saw the angel of the LORD standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand extended over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell facedown. 17 David said to God, "Was it not I who ordered the fighting men to be counted? I am the one who has sinned and done wrong. These are but sheep. What have they done? O LORD my God, let your hand fall upon me and my family, but do not let this plague remain on your people." 18 Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD. 20 While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves. 21 Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground. 22 David said to him, "Let me have the site of your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the LORD, that the plague on the people may be stopped. Sell it to me at the full price." 23 Araunah said to David, "Take it! Let my lord the king do whatever pleases him. Look, I will give the oxen for the burnt offerings, the threshing sledges for the wood, and the wheat for the grain offering. I will give all this." 24 But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." 25 So David paid Araunah six hundred shekels of gold for the site. 26 David built an altar to the LORD there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. 27 Then the LORD spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. 28 At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, he offered sacrifices there. 29 The tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the desert, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time on the high place at Gibeon. 30 But David could not go before it to inquire of God, because he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 22:1 (NIV) Then David said, "The house of the LORD God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel." 586 B.C. - Solomon's Temple on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzer. 2 Kings 25:8-17 (NIV) On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. 9 He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. 10 The whole Babylonian army, under the commander of the imperial guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had gone over to the king of Babylon. 12 But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields. 13 The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the LORD and they carried the bronze to Babylon. 14 They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. 15 The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls--all that were made of pure gold or silver. 16 The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the LORD, was more than could be weighed. 17 Each pillar was twenty-seven feet high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was four and a half feet high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar. 2 Chronicles 36:17-19 (NIV) He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and spared neither young man nor young woman, old man or aged. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. 18 He carried to Babylon all the articles from the temple of God, both large and small, and the treasures of the Lord's temple and the treasures of the king and his officials. 19 They set fire to God's temple and broke down the wall of Jerusalem; they burned all the palaces and destroyed everything of value there. 520-515 B.C. - The Temple was rebuilt on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem under Zerubabbel. Haggai 1 (NIV) In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "These people say, 'The time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'" 3 Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" 5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." 7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." 12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: "I am with you," declares the LORD. 14 So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius. In 37 B.C., Herod the Great, adds to Zerubabbel's Temple located on Mount Moriah, to such an extent that this Temple became known as "Herod's Temple." This was the Temple of Jesus' day. Jesus Christ - Crucified on Golgotha - adjacent to Mount Moriah: Matthew 27:33, Mark 15:22, Luke 23:33, John 19:17 In 70 A.D., the Romans under Titus destroyed "Herod's Temple." The "Wailing Wall," or "Western Wall" is the walled enclosure that was around "Herod's Temple," and is not actually a wall of the Temple building. "The Dome of the Rock" on Mount Moriah is a Moslem Mosque that tradition says is built over the exact spot where: * Isaac was to be sacrificed * Jacob's dream occurred * The Lord God appeared to David * The Holy of Holies of Solomon's Temple was located * The Holy of Holies of Herod's Temple was located * Mohammed left the earth Three world religions revere Father Abraham, Jerusalem, and Mount Moriah as holy: 1. Christianity 2. Judaism 3. Islam Ishmael, the slave son of Abraham is the father of the Arab nations, where Islam is so prevalent. God's Word in Genesis 17:20, and Genesis 16:12, has certainly been fulfilled. Genesis 17:20 (NIV) And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. Genesis 16:12 (NIV) He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers." Genesis 25:18 (NIV) His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt, as you go toward Asshur. And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers. The antichrist will be Islamic, as only a Muslim would be able to allow the Jews to re-establish daily sacrifice on Mount Moriah. The Bride of Christ will be made up of a blending of individuals from Judeo-Christianity. The false prophet will be able to blend all of Organized Religion; Christianity, Judaism, and Islam into one world religion with "sectarian" differences. The only person capable of doing this is the Roman Catholic Pope. Organized Religion will have a common God, and the antichrist will become that God. Revelation 13:8 (NIV) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast --all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. The Dome of the Rock on Mount Moriah, Jerusalem ** The empire of the antichrist will begin forming immediately prior to the Tribulation, and will be complete by mid-Tribulation. ** The antichrist will first be revealed by confirming a contract that will allow daily sacrifice by the Jews. At the time of the "seven year covenant," the antichrist (governmental leader) will be forced to negotiate with Israel because he will not yet have achieved complete world leadership, and because of Israel's military power. The Arab oil producing countries to date have refused to recognize Israel as a nation. The antichrist in developing his coalition of power will not personally want to recognize Israel as a nation, but will be forced because Israel will remain as a military power until this time. The antichrist will be forced to recognize Israel as a nation, and will allow them to practice their religion by re-establishing daily sacrifice. One of the by-products of the "covenant" that allows the re-establishment of daily sacrifice by the Jews, is the firming up of a coalition of ten Arab/Muslim countries, and seven world leaders or kings. The peace contract will necessitate an agreement among Arab oil producing countries to allow the re-establishment of daily sacrifice. This Arab/Muslim coalition will then pool their oil resources to control the world. Revelation 12:3 (NIV) Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. Revelation 13:1 (NIV) And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. Revelation 17:3 (NIV) Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. Daniel 7:19-22 (NIV) "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws--the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. We are given the definition within the Word of God of "horns" and "heads:" Daniel 7:24 (NIV) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. Revelation 17:12 (NIV) "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. Revelation 17:9-11 (NIV) "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. The four ancient world empires were created militarily. Historically, whoever controlled the worlds military, controlled the world. Today, whoever controls the world's oil, controls the world. Today, with some maneuvering, O. P. E. C. could control the world. After negotiating the covenant that will allow re-establishment of daily sacrifice, the antichrist will start his rise to complete world leadership by gaining control of a percentage of the worlds oil. This will catapult the antichrist to world power as he cripples the world financially. Once he gains a percentage of the worlds oil, he will control the world. From this point, he will direct a One World Government and the mark of the beast: Revelation 13:16-18 (NIV) He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. In knowing that the antichrist will be the King of Syria, some light has already been shed on other countries that will ultimately be involved in the kingdom of the antichrist: Daniel 8:9 (NIV) Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. Saudia Arabia, a Moslem country, is located due south of Syria. It is a huge oil producer, member of O. P. E. C., and must certainly be included in any coalition that would control the oil of the world. Saudia Arabia will be in the kingdom of the antichrist. Iraq and Iran, both Moslem countries, are each located due east of Syria. They also are huge oil producing countries, members of O. P. E. C., and will also be included in the kingdom of the antichrist. Lebanon is the only country that is directly "toward the Beautiful Land" from Syria, and has already fallen to the King of Syria. The coalition of Saudia Arabia, Iraq, and Iran is adequate to completely cripple the world when they ration oil. Saudia Arabia, Iraq and Iran are the three horns that will fall to the King of Syria. Daniel 7:8 (NIV) "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully. Daniel 7:20 (NIV) I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell --the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. Daniel 7:24 (NIV) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. The antichrist will also control the Moslem countries of Egypt, Libya, and Sudan (in which is the Nubian Desert). Daniel 11:42-43 (NIV) He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. The antichrist will not control the Moslem country of Jordan (Edom, Moab, and Ammon) which has made a treaty and peace with Israel. Daniel 11:41 (NIV) He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. Though Egypt has a treaty with Israel, she has maintained less than "open armed peace." The seven heads are other kings or countries that will be involved in the empire of the antichrist. The seven heads and ten horns are referred to as two separate parts of the whole. The reason that these are always referenced in this manner is that they will never fully blend into a single unit. The ten horns are Islamic kings or countries. The seven heads will be represented by Christian kings or countries. The role of Israel, the only country that practices Judaism as a national religion is very clear. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are the only significant religions in the Tribulation and final showdown. Daniel 2:31-45 (NIV) "You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue--an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. 36 "This was the dream, and now we will interpret it to the king. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold. 39 "After you, another kingdom will rise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron--for iron breaks and smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, so the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay. 44 "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy." As Daniel stated, the head of gold was the Babylonian world empire. It was followed by the Medo-Persian world empire. The Medo-Persian world empire fell to Alexander the Great and the Greek world empire. The Roman empire was the final world kingdom prior to the empire of the antichrist. The Roman empire was the empire of iron. The power of the Roman empire has evolved into the power of the Roman Catholic Church. Man was created from the dust of the earth. The substance used in forming the final kingdom was clay, a product of dirt. This final kingdom will be something that man created. Islam certainly complies with the requirement of something that man created. Islam is a bastardized Judeo-Christianity. The prophets of Islam are the exact same prophets of Judeo-Christianity (other than Muhammad himself) with the exception of Ishmael, the father of the Arab world, and slave son of Abraham. There is no lineage of Ishmael stated after Ishmael, in fact the descendants of Jacob (Israel) are revered as prophets including Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon, Zacharias, Elijah, right on down to Jesus and John the Baptist. What logical, honest person could accept an entire lineage of another family, religion, or culture with a single exception as in the case of Ishmael. Ishmael sticks out like a pecan limb growing on an orange tree. While it appears that the turbulence in the Middle East is uncontrollable by anyone, scripture has proven that men of diverse positions can instantly change, and ally in an attempt to defeat God's plan. Luke 23:12 (NIV) That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies. Acts 4:27 (NIV) Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. ** At Mid-Tribulation, the antichrist will set himself up in the Temple as God ** In the middle of the seven year Tribulation period, the antichrist will be revealed to all Judeo-Christianity when he sets himself up in the Jewish Temple and calls himself God. Much of the Tribulation hinges around the movements of the antichrist. The last half of the Tribulation is a three and one-half year period that is referred to in several ways throughout the Scripture: a. "a time, times, and half a time" b. "1290 days" c. "forty-two months" d. "the middle of that seven" 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NIV) Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? 6 And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. 7 For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. Revelation 13:1-10 (NIV) And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" 5 The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. 9 He who has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Daniel 7:24-26 (NIV) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. 25 He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. 26 "'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Daniel 8:9-25 (NIV) Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. 10 It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. 11 It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled--the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated." 15 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. 16 And I heard a man's voice from the Ulai calling, "Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision." 17 As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. "Son of man," he said to me, "understand that the vision concerns the time of the end." 18 While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet. 19 He said: "I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. 20 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia. 21 The shaggy goat is the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes is the first king. 22 The four horns that replaced the one that was broken off represent four kingdoms that will emerge from his nation but will not have the same power. 23 "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. Daniel 9:27 (NIV) He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." Daniel 11:36-45 (NIV) "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. 37 He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all. 38 Instead of them, he will honor a god of fortresses; a god unknown to his fathers he will honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He will attack the mightiest fortresses with the help of a foreign god and will greatly honor those who acknowledge him. He will make them rulers over many people and will distribute the land at a price. 40 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. 41 He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. 42 He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. 43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Nubians in submission. 44 But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. 45 He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. The "time of wrath" referenced in Daniel 11:36 is the seven bowls of wrath spoken of in Revelation. In verse 41 "the Beautiful Land" is Israel, in verse 45 "the beautiful holy mountain" is Mount Moriah between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. Daniel 12:11 (NIV) "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Matthew 24:15-21 (NIV) "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel --let the reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. Mark 13:14-20 (NIV) "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. Luke 21:20 (NIV) "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Psalms 79 (NIV) A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. 4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; 7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. 8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. 9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. 10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. 11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. 12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. 13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. ** The Antichrist will persecute the saints ** The antichrist will sell his Arab, Muslim brothers on the re-establishment of daily sacrifice by the Jews in the interest of "brotherhood." It will appear briefly that peace can come to the Middle East, and make the central figure appear to be a miracle worker, or God himself. The true Christians, versed in the Scriptures, and leaning on the Holy Spirit, will not be fooled, and will refuse their allegiance. Organized Religion will accept the "One World Religion." The world position will be "we have endured 3,500 years of war in the Middle East, and now that we have peace, there exists 'a radical element' of Christianity that does not want peace." This "radical element" is the true church, the Bride of Christ. Scripture has proven that persecution can start instantly. Acts 8:1 (NIV) And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Some of the "radical element" will be viewed by Organized Religion as "unlearned" and "ignorant." Acts 4:13 (KJV) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. The educated members of the "radical element" will be viewed as "insane." Acts 26:24 (NIV) At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." Even Jesus' family thought He was out of His mind: Mark 3:20-21 (NIV) Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." As in Jesus' day, it will be alleged that this "radical element" is "demon possessed." Matthew 10:24-25 (NIV) "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! Matthew 11:18 (NIV) For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' John 8:48-49 (NIV) The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" 49 "I am not possessed by a demon," said Jesus, "but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. This "radical element" will be hated by Organized Religion and the world. 1 John 3:12-13 (NIV) Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. John 15:18-19 (NIV) "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 17:14 (NIV) I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. Proverbs 29:10 (NIV) Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity and seek to kill the upright. Matthew 10:22 and Mark 13:13 (NIV) All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Luke 6:22 (NIV) Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. How long has it been since someone in Organized Religion had enough zeal and intensity in the Holy Spirit to be hated by the world? Christian Organized Religion, to its detriment, and as proof of its decadence and deviation from Jesus Christ, has become totally acceptable to society. The world, including Organized Religion will attempt to bring this "radical element" under control by extermination. The saints will be persecuted for three and one half years. Matthew 24:9-10 (NIV) "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, Matthew 10:21-22 (NIV) "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. John 16:1-4 (NIV) "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you. Daniel 7:20-22 (NIV) I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them, 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Daniel 8:12-13 (NIV) Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled--the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" Daniel 8:23-25 (NIV) "In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern-faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. 24 He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. 25 He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. Daniel 12:7 (NIV) The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." Psalms 79:1-11 (NIV) A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. 4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; 7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. 8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. 9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. 10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. 11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. Revelation 13:7 (NIV) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. Revelation 13:10 (NIV) If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. Daniel 7:25 (NIV) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. Revelation 7:9-14 (NIV) After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 20:4-5 (NIV) I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection The persecution of the saints will be physical only. The antichrist will not be able to touch our spirit or soul. Romans 8:35-39 (NIV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Daniel chapter 3 is a fore glimpse of the Tribulation period. Nebuchadnezzer symbolizes the false prophet in setting up an image and requiring worship by all men. Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego are symbolic of the Bride of Christ in refusing to worship the image. The fire that is "seven times hotter" is symbolic of the seven year Tribulation period. The Bride of Christ will go through the fire, but the Holy Spirit will be with them. Daniel 3:24-25 (NIV) Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, "Weren't there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?" They replied, "Certainly, O king." 25 He said, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods." No one without the power of the Holy Spirit will be able to resist the antichrist. Revelation 13:8 (NIV) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast --all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. Revelation 13:16-18 (NIV) He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. Do not delude yourself into thinking you can delay making a decision for Jesus Christ and then at the crisis moment be able to resist the "mark of the beast." Jeremiah 12:5 (NIV) "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? If you do not have the courage to bow your head in the public and thank God for your food, where there is religious freedom, how will you ever take a position for Jesus when you stand before the devil incarnate? The Word of God states that at the crisis moment, like Peter, you will fail! (Matthew 26:31-45, 69-75; Mark 14:27-31, 66-72; Luke 22:31-34, 54-62; John 13:31-38, 18:15-18, 25-27) The great difference is that Peter had time for repentance, YOU WILL NOT! Revelation 14:9-12 (NIV) A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. Revelation 16:2 (NIV) The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. Revelation 19:20 (NIV) But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Revelation 20:4 (NIV) I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The tragedy of the confusion put forth by Satan to deceive people concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is that some "Christians" have hidden behind the lies that state that they will not be persecuted, and have become convinced that they will have an easy route to heaven. Jeremiah 14:13-14 (NIV) But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.'" 14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. People have played fast and loose with God, not preparing themselves for the persecutions that will come. When the persecutions do come, their initial reaction will be shock and disbelief, confusion and anger directed toward God, and Christian Organized Religion. In most cases, it will take a period of time before they realize that God through His Holy Word never lied to them. They believed the teachings of man, and never judged the teachings by the Word of God. Unfortunately, during their emotional instability, without the power of the Holy Spirit, they are no match for the devil, and will accept the mark of the beast, and be DAMNED FOREVER. The Colosseum in Rome where many Christians were fed alive to lions as sport after they refused to recognize the Roman Emperors as god. This is a fore glimpse of the persecution of the Christians under the false prophet (Pope-Rome) for refusing to recognize the antichrist as God. The power of the Roman Empire became the power of Organized Religion under Constantine in 323 A. D., and that lineage has descended and is alive today in the Roman Catholic Church. ** The Antichrist will have the support of the False Prophet and Organized Religion ** The false prophet (Pope, religious leader) will blend organized Christianity, Judaism, and Islam into One World Religion, with the differences in worship being viewed as "denominational differences." The false prophet (Pope) will allege that we all look to father Abraham and worship the same God, but we simply call him different names. Jews call him God, Christians call him Jesus, and Muslims call him Allah, but he is the same God. There is a softening now, by the leadership of these three religions, of the religious lines between these religions. In historic fashion, the serpent is the most subtle beast of the field. This beast (false prophet) will look like a lamb, but speak like a dragon. He will look like Jesus, but he will speak like the devil. His words will not be vile and profane, or he would not look like Jesus. His logic, theology, and teaching, will be subtle, deceitful, and damning like the devil. Revelation 13:11-18 (NIV) Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666. Revelation 16:13 (NIV) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Revelation 19:20 (NIV) But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Revelation 20:10 (NIV) And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Christian Organized Religion is alleging that the great "sin" of mankind is failure to accept another persons religion. Absolute truth in the religious arena is considered narrow minded, ignorant, a form of bigotry, and conducive to hate crimes. This "accept anything" thinking does not parallel the "narrow," (Matthew 7:14) exact and precise requirements of God. John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Saint Peter's Basilica, within Vatican City in Rome Vatican City is home of the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope, ("Vicar of Christ" - initially self proclaimed by Pope Innocent III 1198-1215, and now proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church). Vicar of Christ (1570) : the Roman Catholic Pope vicarious 1 a: serving instead of someone or something else b: that has been delegated <- authority> 2: performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another : substitutionary Webster's Dictionary ** The Anti-christ and False Prophet will be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation ** 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NIV) Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. Daniel 7:26 (NIV) "'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Daniel 8:25 (NIV) He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power. Daniel 11:45 (NIV) He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. Revelation 19:20 (NIV) But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Revelation 20:10 (NIV) And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. ** Your church - theocracy or democracy? ** One of the reasons for the decadence of Christian Organized Religion is socialistic humanism. Christian Organized Religion has become social organizations guided by man. There is no desire, nor knowledge of a need of Jesus Christ. There is not even a real belief that Jesus Christ exists as an actual entity. Man has become a God unto himself. Man desires to place himself on the throne of God and worship himself. Sinful man also desires other people to worship him. This was Lucifer's original sinful desire, and has evidenced itself again in the heart of sinful man. Genesis 3:4-5 (NIV) "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV) You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." John 8:44 (NIV) You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Websters Dictionary defines a theocracy as government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. Democracy is government by the people. Acts 6:1-7 is the Biblical basis for the establishment of a church board. Acts 6:1-7 (NIV) In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. In the ideological, God communes with a God called, anointed minister, concerning the direction for the body of Christ. This is not in the individual case, as we know that when the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom: Matthew 27:51 (NIV) At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Every individual had the opportunity to go into the Holy of Holies. The salvation of your individual soul is personally with Jesus Christ. The structure of the Body of Christ referenced is only for the collective body. God dictates to a man, called by God, Ephesians 4:11(NIV) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, and anointed by God. Exodus 40:15 (NIV) Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." This man spends his time in Bible reading and prayer. Acts 6:2 (NIV) So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Acts 6:4 (NIV) and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." Through this communion, God dictates direction for the church. The anointed man of God then communicates with the body of elders or church board for the implementation of this God directed plan, with its many ramifications and sub-directions. This church has harmony, as all the believers are one in heart and mind. Acts 2:1 (NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Acts 4:32 (NIV) All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. God had united this church in purpose, focus, and direction. They are pulling together to accomplish God's purpose. Self will has given way to God's will. Direction comes from God through the pastor, to the people. The other form of government is democracy - the people rule. In this form, a Body Politic, (Webster says: "characterized by shrewdness in managing, contriving, or dealing: sagacious in promoting policy: shrewdly tactful") usually a small nucleus of the church board, dictates to the pastor, the direction for the church. In God's perfect order of things, He would never call a man for a special purpose, anoint him, and then bypass him to deal directly with the people. - No, this church is ruled by man. Self will by an elite group. God's will has succumbed to self will. Politics directs this church. Because politics directs this church, it is doomed to being political. The pandering, pork barrel, manipulative control of people direct this church. "I will help you keep your job with its associated control, if you will help me keep mine." This is required in order to garner enough votes or power, either on the board, or in the church to maintain control. This situation breeds all of the evils associated with politics - in compromise, placating the issues, double talk, hypocrisy and outright lying. James 3:16 (NIV) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. This is not a church; this is a social organization, and produces divisions, cliques, and elitism. These cliques can polarize around family lines, tenure, finance, education, or intellect. The pastor of this type church is not a preacher directed by God, he is a politician, a puppet of the people - with his highest goal being to keep all factions assuaged by whatever means necessary so that he can remain. Proverbs 26:28 (NIV) A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. Micah 3:11 (NIV) Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us." Sometimes this puppet-preacher even deludes himself into thinking he is in control, as he is allowed to make minor decisions that Body Politic deign to allow him to make. If he ever tries to give real direction to this church, he soon realizes that he cannot, and if he continues to press, he will be removed. Usually he is removed in a "behind the back" telephone attack of vague, insignificant, trumped-up pseudo-charges by the "saints" of the church. Some pastors have served for long periods of time at churches because everyone understands the unwritten rules, and accepts them. Satan controls this church. (Revelation 3:14-20) Many preachers today parallel the Levite that was used by Micah and the Danites in Judges chapters 17 and 18, in condoning idolatry and whoring themselves to the highest bidder. Your church is either directed by God, (heaven downward) or it is directed by man. (earth upward) If you find that this message makes you uncomfortable - Pray. If you recognize your church as a social organization - Pray for God's direction. If you recognize yourself as being involved in the Body Politic - Repent! ** The closing Gentile church age ** Romans 11:25 (NIV) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. When the full (complete) number of Gentiles that are going to be saved have been, the curse of the hardening of the Jewish hearts will be over. From this point forward, a Gentile will not desire nor be able to turn to Jesus Christ. Christendom will not accept that we are in the Tribulation Period until "the abomination that causes desolation." At this time - Mid Tribulation - Christendom as a whole will realize, and a cry will ring out "We really are in the Tribulation," 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' (Matthew 25:6-10), but it will be too late for the Gentile. Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV) "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. 11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' 12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' 13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Ten Virgins - all saved - virgin denotes a form of purity or abstinence. Lamp - symbolic of light (knowledge of God) Oil - symbolic of the Holy Spirit On the part of the unwise virgins, there was an apathetic indifference, and an unawareness that they were insufficient. The wise virgins went to extra trouble to insure that they had an abundant supply of oil (Holy Spirit). All of the virgins were asleep-verse 5 It is the condition of Organized Religion and the Bride today. At Midnight-verse 6 In the middle of the darkest night, in the precise middle of the Tribulation, at the blackest point of the blackest night, "the abomination that causes desolation" will precipitate the cry "Here's the Bridegroom, come out to meet Him." There is a period of time from when the cry goes forth, until the bridegroom arrives-verse 10. The door was shut for those unprepared-verse 10. I have viewed this for years as an abrupt deadline to Gentiles. The Holy Spirit showed me that it is a gradual decline, and we are already in the advanced stages of that decline. When was the last time your church had a revival with life-changing results? In the last years, how many people have been saved off the streets from a life of sin and converted to a life of holiness in your church? How many backsliders have been reclaimed in your church? Do you hear of revival anywhere in America, in any church, of any denomination, that is impacting people to leave a life of sin and live a life of holiness? What caused the Jewish rejection? God did not turn from the Jews until they had rejected God. We are also tuning God out. He can no longer get our attention. We have so occupied our minds with the things of this world, that we can't hear Him when He calls. Matthew 13:22 (NIV) The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Our society is voraciously feeding on filth: * Sex - in this beautiful, loving, God given relationship, man is acting like an animal * Pornography - brought into our homes on television and rental of VCR tapes * Homosexuality * Child molestation * Drugs - cocaine/crack turning neighborhoods into shooting galleries * Alcohol - 60% of traffic deaths are alcohol related * Tobacco 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV) Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. * Cannibalism * Greed - The Keating Five Senators - We all are disgusted with our political leadership because of their lack of moral fiber and character. The sad thing is that they are re-elected because they are a reflection of the people. * Hatred for hatred sake - rampant in our society 1 John 4:8 (NIV) Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. * Gang violence * Racial strife among Blacks, Hispanics, Orientals, Whites, Indians, Arabs, Jews Our society is gorging itself on SIN. The decadence of our society has invaded the church; Matthew 24:12 (NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, What caused the Jewish rejection of God? They had the most articulate set of religious laws in the history of mankind, so they did not have to listen to God; no obedience, just sacrifice. In their rebellious hearts, they completely missed the essence of God. So we say that we are not like them - We say that we are not under law but under grace. Then we establish an implied unwritten law: 1. Attend church. 2. Read your bible. John 5:39-40 (NIV) You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 3. Pray. 4. Pay your tithe. (This is the one area of righteousness where Organized Religion selectively retains the Old Testament law, preaches it consistently, and demands that the letter of the law be complied with. This is necessary in order to worship their god of materialism and to acquire the wealth referenced in Revelation 3:17.) 5. Get along with the church administration. Then we feel pretty good about ourselves. We do not desire any more of God. We are afraid He might require something that we do not want to surrender. We are religious enough. If you do not have a desire for more of Jesus Christ, - more light, - THEN YOU ALREADY HAVE MORE LIGHT THAN YOU ARE WALKING IN. If you have light (knowledge of God) that you are not walking in, you are in a backslidden state, and headed for hell. 1 John 1:6-7 (NIV) If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we do not walk in the light, as He is in the light, we do not have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, does not purify us from all sin. People in Organized Religion today under Christianity are very similar to people in Organized Religion 2,000 years ago under Judaism. There is simply less observance of the law. You say: "We are experiencing growth in the countries formerly behind the iron curtain." Matthew 23:15 (NIV) "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. ** The revealing of the great whore ** The Gentile church age began in Acts and continues to Mid-Tribulation. Peter recounts the occasion in Acts chapter 11. Acts 11:1-18 (NIV) The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them." 4 Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: 5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 8 "I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.' 9 "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again. 11 "Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, 'Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.' 15 "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are letters to the respective Gentile church ages. The final church, the one we are living in, is referenced in Revelation 3:14-19: Revelation 3:14-19 (NIV) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. The singular focus and the glaring fault of this church is the accumulation of WEALTH. The Laodicean church lives and thinks exclusively in the physical realm. Their goal is to accumulate physical assets, and to be egotistically self sufficient. This church practices idolatry through self worship, and worship of materialism. These people delude themselves about their beautiful and elaborate universities, colleges, sanctuaries, buildings, and parsonages, exactly like the Jews deluded themselves about the Temple at the time of Christ. This church has lost any belief that a spiritual realm even exists. Jesus directed the functions of His church in Matthew 28:18-20: Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." There is not one mention of the accumulation of wealth in Matthew 28:18-20. Wealth is not required to perform Jesus' directions. In a direct contrast to Jesus' day, today, the Catholic Church is the richest organization in the world. The church is the Bride of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV) I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. Revelation 19:7 (NIV) Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Isaiah 62:4-5 (NIV) No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. A whore is a bride who sells herself for money. Hosea 9:1 (KJV) Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou has gone a whoring from thy God, thou has loved a reward upon every cornfloor. Hosea 4:12 (KJV) My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God. Rome sits on seven hills. Revelation 17:9 (NIV) "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. The great whore referenced in Revelation 17:1,15 is the Roman Catholic Church: Revelation 17:1 (KJV) And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: "sitteth upon many waters" It is a world-wide organization. Revelation 17:15 (KJV) And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. "peoples, and multitudes, and nations and tongues" It is an international organization. Revelation 17:5 (KJV) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. The Lutheran Church came out of the Catholic Church. The Anglican Church came out of the Catholic Church and in America became the Episcopal Church. The Methodist Church came out of the Anglican Church, and the Nazarene Church came out of the Methodist Church. The Baptist Churches evolved from the "radical reformists," or "Anabaptists," also from the Catholic Church. The very identification "Protest-ant" connects them to their mother, the Catholic Church. They are like an adolescent who rebelled against the teaching of their parents and then grew up and became exactly like the parents they rebelled against. Tragically, the MOTHER WHORE is the Catholic Church, the daughter HARLOTS are the rest of Christian Organized Religion, all of which came out of the Catholic Church. This brings us into full compliance with Revelation 3:14-19. Hosea 4:12c (NIV) A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. How will you know in these last days when a church crosses the line? When the focus of the church shifts from Matthew 28:18-20 to Revelation 3:17 it will have crossed the line. When the focus shifts from Jesus Christ, saving the lost, and holy living to "acquired wealth," that church will have become a whore. Most of the churches in our world have already crossed the line. Matthew 24:12 (NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. You say, "You have been very unfair with Organized Religion. You have failed to consider the wonderful things that they do. Organized Religion operates hospitals to help the sick. These hospitals have God's Holy Word printed all over the walls." The prostitute does perform services. Have you considered the "bill for services rendered" when the prostitute finished. You will pay for every glass of water. Hospitals are one of the most profitable forms of business in the world. If these "profit centers" were truly an arm of ministry, they would be placed in destitute countries where no one can afford to pay. The Vatican has the finances to address the world health, as well as the localized famines that exist. The cost of health care is a world problem. Some societies structure the payment to the hospitals by the government. The cost is still born by the people. In many cases the length of your hospital stay and the amount of your care will directly coincide with the limits of your insurance. If you think that these hospitals are an arm of Jesus, consider what will happen if your insurance runs out, and you cannot pay. ** The destruction of the great whore ** The antichrist and his coalition of Arab/Muslim states will initially imply "brotherhood" with Christian Organized Religion. In his ascent to power, this will be politically necessary. When the antichrist achieves world power, he will no longer need Christian Organized Religion. He will always hate Christian Organized Religion, but will veil his hatred until he has achieved world power. He will then give vent to his hatred, and destroy Christian Organized Religion. Revelation 17:16-17 (NIV) The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. Revelation 14:8 (NIV) A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries." Isaiah 21:9 (NIV) Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: 'Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!'" Christian Organized Religion has become a tool of deceit used by the devil. Christian Organized Religion will cease to exist immediately after Mid-Tribulation. When the antichrist sets himself up in the Temple, "the abomination that causes desolation," the day of the Gentile will be forever closed. There will no longer be a need by the devil to deceive Gentiles. Their doom will be sealed. All of the false religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism, Mormonism, etc.) around the world will cease to exist after Mid-Tribulation, as these were designed by the devil to doom people, and the Gentiles doom will be sealed. The false religions will have run their course, and served their purpose. Some of the deceived will finally admit that they have been playing games, but it will be too late. They will realize that they have been lied to theologically. They will recognize that the social organizations they thought were churches have failed to prepare them for the Tribulation. They will realize that the donations that they have made to the great whore are useless in purchasing them salvation. The only Organized Religion that will exist after Mid-Tribulation will be the worship of the antichrist. The false prophet will force the inhabitants of the earth to worship the antichrist. Executive Order will dictate the closing of all Christian churches. There will no longer be any people in Christian Organized Religion. Most in Christian Organized Religion have relied on the approval of man and the approval of Organized Religion as proof to themselves of their own righteousness. They have leaned on a broken crutch. At this crisis time, the crutch will be stripped from their hand and they will lie crippled, helpless, and FOREVER DAMNED. Jeremiah 8:4-22 (NIV) "Say to them, 'This is what the LORD says: "'When men fall down, do they not get up? When a man turns away, does he not return? 5 Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away? They cling to deceit; they refuse to return. 6 I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle. 7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD. 8 "'How can you say, "We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? 9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have? 10 Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 11 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. "Peace, peace," they say, when there is no peace. 12 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when they are punished, says the LORD. 13 "'I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.'" 14 "Why are we sitting here? Gather together! Let us flee to the fortified cities and perish there! For the LORD our God has doomed us to perish and given us poisoned water to drink, because we have sinned against him. 15 We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror. 16 The snorting of the enemy's horses is heard from Dan; at the neighing of their stallions the whole land trembles. They have come to devour the land and everything in it, the city and all who live there." 17 "See, I will send venomous snakes among you, vipers that cannot be charmed, and they will bite you," declares the LORD. 18 O my Comforter in sorrow, my heart is faint within me. 19 Listen to the cry of my people from a land far away: "Is the LORD not in Zion? Is her King no longer there?" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their images, with their worthless foreign idols?" 20 "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." 21 Since my people are crushed, I am crushed; I mourn, and horror grips me. 22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? The rebellion of the Children of Israel under Zedekiah and subsequent judgment is a fore glimpse of Christian Organized Religion after Mid-Tribulation. Jeremiah 21:3-8 (NIV) But Jeremiah answered them, "Tell Zedekiah, 4 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am about to turn against you the weapons of war that are in your hands, which you are using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonians who are outside the wall besieging you. And I will gather them inside this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath. 6 I will strike down those who live in this city--both men and animals--and they will die of a terrible plague. 7 After that, declares the LORD, I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the people in this city who survive the plague, sword and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to their enemies who seek their lives. He will put them to the sword; he will show them no mercy or pity or compassion.' 8 "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. Amos 7:7-9 (NIV) This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. 8 And the LORD asked me, "What do you see, Amos?" "A plumb line," I replied. Then the Lord said, "Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 9 "The high places of Isaac will be destroyed and the sanctuaries of Israel will be ruined; with my sword I will rise against the house of Jeroboam." Amos 8:1-3 (NIV) This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. 2 "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 3 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies--flung everywhere! Silence!" Christian Organized Religion has listened to lying prophets instead of God. Jeremiah 5:30-31 (NIV) "A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end? Isaiah 9:14-16 (NIV) So the LORD will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day; 15 the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. 16 Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray. Micah 2:6 (NIV) "Do not prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these things; disgrace will not overtake us." Micah 2:11 (NIV) If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' he would be just the prophet for this people! Micah 3:5 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "As for the prophets who lead my people astray, if one feeds them, they proclaim 'peace'; if he does not, they prepare to wage war against him. These Laodicean ministers within Christian Organized Religion are not receptive to correction, and thereby identify and label themselves by Proverbs 9:7-8. Proverbs 9:7-8 (NIV) "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. 8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Micah 3:11 (NIV) Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD and say, "Is not the LORD among us? No disaster will come upon us." Isaiah 30:9-14 (NIV) These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord's instruction. 10 They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!" 12 Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, 13 this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. 14 It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern." Jeremiah 23:30 (NIV) "Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me. Jeremiah 28:8-9 (NIV) From early times the prophets who preceded you and me have prophesied war, disaster and plague against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true." Hosea 9:7-8 (NIV) The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired man a maniac. 8 The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. Ezekiel 34:1-10 (NIV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them. 7 "'Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because my flock lacks a shepherd and so has been plundered and has become food for all the wild animals, and because my shepherds did not search for my flock but cared for themselves rather than for my flock, 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. One of the influences of Satan through the Eastern Religions, and the "New Age Movement" on Organized Religion has been to minimize the reality of Jesus Christ as an actual being. These religions will not have a problem accepting the antichrist. They have been taught that God is in you (humanism); you are God. It will not be a hard stretch to believe that God is in the antichrist; he is God. The Mormon church, a cult under the guise of Christianity, openly teaches that you can become a God. They will not have a problem accepting the antichrist, as their cult doctrine states that man can become a God. They will simply believe that the antichrist has become one. The "New Age Movement," and the Mormon church are two cult doctrines that cut directly across, and are perfectly perpendicular to the Holy Word of God. To state that man is God, or can become God is the desire, thinking, and teaching of the devil. This plague will become more prevalent, and will infect much of theology as our society deteriorates. Those who do not know the True and Living God, who have no clear understanding of God, and who have no clear definition of what God is, will certainly not have a problem accepting the antichrist as God. ** The division of the natural family, and the unification of the family of Christ ** We are given a natural love by God for our physical families to propagate the species. This love is only for this physical world, as when we are in heaven, there will be no marrying and giving in marriage, and no need for propagation of the species. Matthew 22:30 (NIV) At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. The natural love for our physical families will be replaced by our love for Jesus Christ and the family of God. Ephesians 2:19 (NIV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. After Mid-Tribulation, when the antichrist sets himself up in the Temple and requires the "mark of the beast," our physical families outside of the Body of Christ will turn on us. Matthew 10:34-38 (NIV) "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law-- 36 a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' 37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:21-22 (NIV) "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Jeremiah 12:5-6 (NIV) "If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan? 6 Your brothers, your own family-- even they have betrayed you; they have raised a loud cry against you. Do not trust them, though they speak well of you. The first family of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, are a reflection of the division created within the physical family by pursuit of righteousness. 1 John 3:12-13 (NIV) Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. If your physical families are of "the world," do not be surprised when they also hate you. The persecution of the Body of Christ will bond them together with the Holy Spirit in a love so strong that it will supersede our love for our physical families so as to cause it to cease to exist. We will recognize that our physical families had an opportunity for Jesus Christ and rejected Him. Our love for Jesus, and the family of God, will be so strong that we will no longer consider our physical families to exist. Our relationship with our physical families will be no stronger than the relationship we might now have with someone who was born in the same city. In heaven we will realize that we have nothing in common with anyone who has rejected the Love of Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:14-15 (NIV) "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. On this earth we have most in common with the family of God. During the Tribulation, the Body of Christ will function and assist one another for physical and spiritual needs. Black market buying will become a necessity. When "no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark," (Revelation 13:17a) the interaction between the Body of Christ through the Holy Spirit will be the greatest, and for some the only source of supply for their physical needs. For this reason, it is very important to develop the bond within the Body of Christ now. In Heaven, our euphoric worship of Jesus Christ will eliminate all previous knowledge of our physical families. Isaiah 65:17 (NIV) "Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Mount Carmel on which Elijah called down fire from heaven and destroyed the prophets of Baa ** The Two Witnesses ** Jesus makes many references to two major sub-headings of the Bible; the Law, and the Prophets. Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Moses always represents the Law, Elijah always represents the Prophets. The Mount of Transfiguration is an example of this. (Matthew 17:1-4, Mark 9:2-5, Luke 9:28-33) Matthew 17:1-4 (NIV) After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Luke 9:28-33 (NIV) About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) At Mid-Tribulation, the antichrist will take over the Jewish Temple and Jerusalem, for his 3 1/2 year reign of terror. He will call himself God, and require worship by all men. Organized Religion under the false prophet will have joined with the antichrist. It will appear that God and His plan have been defeated. Just prior to this time, two prophets will emerge to confront the antichrist, and false prophet. These two prophets will be contemporary men that will be given the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah. Revelation 11:3 (NIV) And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." God does not need to give the historic Moses and Elijah power. God has already given the historic Moses and Elijah power. They had power 3,500 years ago in the physical state, and they are now in glorious splendor. Luke 9:30-31 (NIV) Two men, Moses and Elijah, 31 appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Hebrews 9:27 references the natural order of man: Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, There have been only two men in history who never died: Enoch, whom God took; Genesis 5:24 (NIV) Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Elijah who left in a chariot of fire. 2 Kings 2:11 (NIV) As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. It has been speculated that because of Hebrews 9:27, Enoch and Elijah would return as the two witnesses, and die. Considering, however, that Lazarus, Tabitha, and Eutychus died twice, we can only conclude that this scripture references the natural order of man, and is not meant to be restrictive. Lazarus, Tabitha, and Eutychus are obvious exceptions to this rule. "Moses," the Levite, (Exodus 2:1-10) will be a Jew; "Elijah" the Tishbite, who was "of the inhabitants of Gilead" (I Kings 17:1) will be a Gentile. Like Moses, these men will have the power to turn the waters into blood, and strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. Like Elijah, they will have a 3 1/2 year ministry to the Jews, will be able to stop the rain, and cause plagues like the one referenced in 2 Chronicles 21:12-15,18-19. 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 (NIV) Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: "This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. 14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.'" 2 Chronicles 21:18-19 (NIV) After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers. For 3 1/2 years the antichrist, the false prophet, and the world will try to kill these two witnesses, but will be unable to. The confrontation between "the Man of God" and the antichrist will be very similar to the confrontation between Moses and Pharoah. The confrontation between "the Prophet" and the false prophet will be similar to the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal referenced in I Kings chapter 18. It will also be very similar to the confrontations between Jesus, John the Baptist, and Organized Religion of Jesus' day. At God's time, the two witnesses will be killed, and will lay dead in the streets of Jerusalem for 3 1/2 days, with the world refusing them burial. The world will celebrate a Christmas-like euphoria, sending gifts to one another, delighting in their death. After 3 1/2 days, they will come to life, and ascend to Heaven, while the world looks on. Revelation 11:1-13 (NIV) I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. 6 These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want. 7 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8 Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10 The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. 13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. Zechariah 4 (NIV) Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" 5 He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied. 6 So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. 7 "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'" 8 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 9 "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 10 "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth.)" 11 Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" 12 Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" 13 He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. 14 So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV) "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Elijah's name means "Jehovah is God," and in his original ministry, his function was to proclaim and prove that Jehovah is God. John the Baptist, a contemporary man in the spirit of Elijah, was sent prior to Christ's first coming to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord," (Luke 1:17) and proclaim "Jesus is God." "Elijah's" ministry will be to prepare the Bride of Christ and proclaim to the Jewish people that "Jesus is God." Luke 1:17 (NIV) And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." John 1:21-25 (NIV) They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" Matthew 11:12-14 (NIV) From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Matthew 16:14 (NIV) They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Matthew 17:10-13 (NIV) The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist. Mark 9:11-13 (NIV) And they asked him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" 12 Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him." Jesus wording in Matthew 17:10-13, and Mark 9:11-13 is interesting in view of the fact that John the Baptist had already been beheaded. Jesus speaks in the future tense, then the past tense in both accounts. When Jesus is speaking in the future tense, He is referencing the "Elijah" that is to come. When Jesus speaks in the past tense, He is referencing the "Elijah" that has just been beheaded. "Elijah comes and will restore all things" is a reference to the removal of the curse upon the Jewish people. "Elijah's" ministry will coincide with the rejection of the antichrist as the Jewish messiah, and the Jewish acceptance of Jesus Christ. Malachi 4:5-6 (NIV) "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 references the coming of "Elijah" before that "great and dreadful day of the LORD." There is only one such day. It is when Jesus Christ returns in judgment. The late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr.J.H. Hertz comments about Malachi 4:5,6: "he shall turn the heart" The heart was considered the seat of thought as well as emotion. "Elijah" will therefore effect a reconciliation between the old and the new, not merely by awakening a sympathy of one for the other, but by endowing them with a full understanding of the religious obligations unitedly held by both sections. "of the children to the fathers" It is the home divided against itself, the estrangement of the youth from the elders, that especially fills the Prophet with pain and horror as something unnatural - a curse which, if unremoved, must blight the land. First reconciling parents and children, Elijah will turn the hearts of both to God. This is especially interesting dialogue from a man that believes in neither Jesus Christ, the New Testament, nor a curse. I must conclude that as Christianity came from Judaism, hence the father-children concept, Elijah will "restore all things" by returning the Jews to Righteousness and Holiness through the knowledge that Jesus is God, and thus end the curse of heart-hardness that has plagued the Jewish people for 2,000 years. "Elijah" will also turn the Christians to compliance with the Law. (Righteousness) "Elijah's" final ministry will be "to make ready a people prepared for the Lord," (prepare the Bride of Christ by teaching Righteousness and Holiness) and proclaim "Jesus is Lord God." (Adonay Elohim, Y H W H) It is certain that both "Moses" and "Elijah" will live and preach Righteousness, and Holiness. John the Baptist's message was very clearly of two distinctly different crisis works of grace: (1)Repent and (2)be baptized. Acts 13:24 (NIV) Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. Acts 18:24-25 (NIV) Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. John the Baptist, forerunner to Jesus the first time, proclaimed two distinctly different works of grace: Repentance - which is justification; and Baptism - which is cleansing. John stated that his baptism was incomplete, but prophesied that Jesus' baptism would be complete with the Holy Ghost and with fire. John's baptism was a physical water baptism paralleling the water baptism (or cleansing) of the physical world during the time of Noah. John prophesied that the baptism of Jesus would be a spiritual baptism of the Holy Ghost and spiritual fire paralleling the baptism (or cleansing) of the physical world by fire at the end of time. Note the two "Comings" of Jesus, two distinctly different spiritual baptisms that cleanse from sin, paralleling two distinctly different total destruction's of the physical sinful world. Luke 3:16 (NIV) John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Acts 19:1-5 (NIV) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. The reason that John's baptism was with water and was incomplete is that Jesus had not yet been baptized into death, and had not yet conquered sin. The baptism of John was the only baptism available until the Cross. The Holy Spirit could not dwell in a vessel that had not been cleansed from sin, and so could not dwell in the heart of any man until the God/Man Jesus came. The Holy Ghost could not be given until after the Crucifixion. Thank God and Jesus Christ for the Cross. Romans 6:1-18 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Elijah's final message will be to repent and be baptized into the Holy Ghost, allowing the Holy Ghost to burn the sinful self will out of your heart spiritually. Deuteronomy 4:24 (NIV) For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. Isaiah 49:1-7 is the final "Elijah" talking about his call from Jesus. We know that this is not Jesus, because he is talking to the LORD who is Jesus. We know that this is the third "Elijah," because at the time of the first and second "Elijah's," the Jews had not rejected Jesus, and thus have a need of restoration, and God had not yet turned to the Gentiles "and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others." (Romans 11:17) Isaiah 49:1-7 (NIV) Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor." 4 But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand, and my reward is with my God." 5 And now the LORD says-- he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength-- 6 he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." 7 This is what the LORD says-- the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel-- to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you." The "sharpened sword" that comes out of "Elijah's" mouth, referenced in Isaiah 49:2, is the very same sharpened sword that comes out of Jesus' mouth referenced in Revelation 1:12-18, and Revelation 19:11-16. It is the Holy Word of God referenced in Ephesians 6:10-18, and Acts 4:12. The point of the "arrow" referenced in Isaiah 49:2 is also the same Holy Word of God. Revelation 1:12-18 (NIV) I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 19:11-16 (NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Revelation 2:12 (NIV) "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. "Elijah" will consume and be consumed by the Holy Word of God. Revelation 10:8-11 (NIV) Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." 9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." 10 I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11 Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." Ezekiel 2:9-3:3 (NIV) Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. 3:1 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. Jeremiah 15:16 (NIV) When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty. Both "Moses" and "Elijah" will come from preparational obscurity. Like the actual Moses and Elijah, there will be no prior notice, until at God's time, suddenly they will be on the scene. Today, as I write this message, these prophets are already in preparational obscurity. Elijah's original work can be viewed: 1 Kings 17-19 (NIV) Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." 2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the LORD came to him: 9 "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?" 11 As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread." 12 "As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread--only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it--and die." 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'" 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. 17 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. 18 She said to Elijah, "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!" 22 The LORD heard Elijah's cry, and the boy's life returned to him, and he lived. 23 Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, "Look, your son is alive!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of the LORD from your mouth is the truth." 18:1 After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." 2 So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, 3 and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. 4 While Jezebel was killing off the Lord's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.) 5 Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals." 6 So they divided the land they were to cover, Ahab going in one direction and Obadiah in another. 7 As Obadiah was walking along, Elijah met him. Obadiah recognized him, bowed down to the ground, and said, "Is it really you, my lord Elijah?" 8 "Yes," he replied. "Go tell your master, 'Elijah is here.'" 9 "What have I done wrong," asked Obadiah, "that you are handing your servant over to Ahab to be put to death? 10 As surely as the LORD your God lives, there is not a nation or kingdom where my master has not sent someone to look for you. And whenever a nation or kingdom claimed you were not there, he made them swear they could not find you. 11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' 12 I don't know where the Spirit of the LORD may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn't find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the LORD since my youth. 13 Haven't you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the LORD? I hid a hundred of the Lord's prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, 'Elijah is here.' He will kill me!" 15 Elijah said, "As the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today." 16 So Obadiah went to meet Ahab and told him, and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, you troubler of Israel?" 18 "I have not made trouble for Israel," Elijah replied. "But you and your father's family have. You have abandoned the Lord's commands and have followed the Baals. 19 Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel's table." 20 So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the Lord's prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. 23 Get two bulls for us. Let them choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire--he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good." 25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. 27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 31 Elijah took twelve stones, one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." 32 With the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to hold two seahs of seed. 33 He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it on the offering and on the wood." 34 "Do it again," he said, and they did it again. "Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. 35 The water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench. 36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. 39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD--he is God! The LORD--he is God!" 40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize the prophets of Baal. Don't let anyone get away!" They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. 19:1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, "May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them." 3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. "I have had enough, LORD," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 5 Then he lay down under the tree and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, "Get up and eat." 6 He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 7 The angel of the LORD came back a second time and touched him and said, "Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you." 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. 17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." 19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. "Let me kiss my father and mother good-by," he said, "and then I will come with you." "Go back," Elijah replied. "What have I done to you?" 21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant. 1 Kings 21:17-29 (NIV) Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood--yes, yours!'" 20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. 21 'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel--slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' 23 "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' 24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 25 (There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.) 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son." 2 Kings 1:1-17 (NIV) After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!'" So Elijah went. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you come back?" 6 "A man came to meet us," they replied. "And he said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!"'" 7 The king asked them, "What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?" 8 They replied, "He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite." 9 Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'" 10 Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. 11 At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, "Man of God, this is what the king says, 'Come down at once!'" 12 "If I am a man of God," Elijah replied, "may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. 13 So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. "Man of God," he begged, "please have respect for my life and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14 See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!" 15 The angel of the LORD said to Elijah, "Go down with him; do not be afraid of him." So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. 16 He told the king, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!" 17 So he died, according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 2 Kings 2:1-15 (NIV) When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to Bethel." But Elisha said, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," Elisha replied, "but do not speak of it." 4 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So they went to Jericho. 5 The company of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, "Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?" "Yes, I know," he replied, "but do not speak of it." 6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; the LORD has sent me to the Jordan." And he replied, "As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you." So the two of them walked on. 7 Fifty men of the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his cloak, rolled it up and struck the water with it. The water divided to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dry ground. 9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?" "Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit," Elisha replied. 10 "You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said, "yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours--otherwise not." 11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!" And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them apart. 13 He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14 Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over. 15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha." And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 2 Kings 9:25-37 (NIV) Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, "Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD made this prophecy about him: 26 'Yesterday I saw the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.' Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD." 27 When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, "Kill him too!" They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam, but he escaped to Megiddo and died there. 28 His servants took him by chariot to Jerusalem and buried him with his fathers in his tomb in the City of David. 29 (In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.) 30 Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31 As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, "Have you come in peace, Zimri, you murderer of your master?" 32 He looked up at the window and called out, "Who is on my side? Who?" Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33 "Throw her down!" Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. 34 Jehu went in and ate and drank. "Take care of that cursed woman," he said, "and bury her, for she was a king's daughter." 35 But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36 They went back and told Jehu, who said, "This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel's flesh. 37 Jezebel's body will be like refuse on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, 'This is Jezebel.'" 2 Chronicles 21:12-15 (NIV) Jehoram received a letter from Elijah the prophet, which said: "This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: 'You have not walked in the ways of your father Jehoshaphat or of Asa king of Judah. 13 But you have walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and you have led Judah and the people of Jerusalem to prostitute themselves, just as the house of Ahab did. You have also murdered your own brothers, members of your father's house, men who were better than you. 14 So now the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives and everything that is yours, with a heavy blow. 15 You yourself will be very ill with a lingering disease of the bowels, until the disease causes your bowels to come out.'" 2 Chronicles 21:18-19 (NIV) After all this, the LORD afflicted Jehoram with an incurable disease of the bowels. 19 In the course of time, at the end of the second year, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great pain. His people made no fire in his honor, as they had for his fathers. Mount Sinai upon which God gave Moses the Ten Commandments Moses original ministry can be viewed in the first five books of the Bible, and particularly in his confrontations with Pharoah, referenced in Exodus chapters 6 through 12. Exodus 6-12 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." 2 God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'" 9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage. 10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." 12 But Moses said to the LORD, "If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?" 13 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. 14 These were the heads of their families : The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon. 16 These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi according to their records. 20 Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg and Zicri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. 23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans. 25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan. 26 It was this same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions." 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron. 28 Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you." 30 But Moses said to the LORD, "Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?" 7:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it." 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' then say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,' and it will become a snake." 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the desert. But until now you have not listened. 17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.'" 19 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt--over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs'--and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars." 20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. 22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile. 8:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs. 4 The frogs will go up on you and your people and all your officials.'" 5 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, ' Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'" 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt. 8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." 9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "I leave to you the honor of setting the time for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile." 10 "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God. 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile." 12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground,' and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats." 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats came upon men and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. And the gnats were on men and animals. 19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said. 20 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the water and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they are. 22 "'But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen, where my people live; no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know that I, the LORD, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will occur tomorrow.'" 24 And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials, and throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies. 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land." 26 But Moses said, "That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us." 28 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me." 29 Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, 31 and the LORD did what Moses asked: The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go. 9:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship me." 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field--on your horses and donkeys and camels and on your cattle and sheep and goats. 4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'" 5 The LORD set a time and said, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land." 6 And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh sent men to investigate and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land." 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on men and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses. 13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every man and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'" 20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt--on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields--both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. 27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he said to them. "The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer." 29 Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord's. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God." 31 (The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.) 33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh's heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses. 10:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD." 3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians--something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'" Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. 7 Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?" 8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the LORD your God," he said. "But just who will be going?" 9 Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the LORD." 10 Pharaoh said, "The LORD be with you--if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. 11 No! Have only the men go; and worship the LORD, since that's what you have been asking for." Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence. 12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts will swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail." 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail--everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me." 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 19 And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go. 21 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness will spread over Egypt--darkness that can be felt." 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or leave his place for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind." 25 But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD." 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die." 29 "Just as you say," Moses replied, "I will never appear before you again." 11:1 Now the LORD had said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely. 2 Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold." 3 (The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.) 4 So Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt--worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7 But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, 'Go, you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave." Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh. 9 The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you--so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country. 12:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover. 12 "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. 14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat--that is all you may do. 17 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. 18 In the first month you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread." 21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. 24 "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' 27 then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 The Israelites did just what the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. 29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. 31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." 33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. 37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people went up with them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked cakes of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves. 40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord's divisions left Egypt. 42 Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come. 43 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the Passover: "No foreigner is to eat of it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat of it after you have circumcised him, 45 but a temporary resident and a hired worker may not eat of it. 46 "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. 48 "An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it. 49 The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you." 50 All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions. Elijah was a fore glimpse of John the Baptist, and the "Elijah" that is to come. Moses was a fore glimpse of Jesus, and the "Moses" that is to come. Exodus is an historical account. Exodus is also a very clear fore glimpse of the confrontations between the antichrist and "Moses," and the false prophet and "Elijah." Pharoah is symbolic of Satan, and Egyptian slavery is symbolic of Sin. ** JESUS IS OUR "PASSOVER LAMB" ** 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. * Passover is a fore glimpse of our redemption. * The Lamb was to be observed from the 10th day until the 14th day. * The Lamb was to be without defect. * All the people must slaughter the Lamb. Exodus 12:3-6 (NIV) Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. * Passover was the principle feast of the Jews for 1400 years. * There is deliverance for those covered by the Blood. * Nothing of the Lamb is to be left till morning. * The Lamb was to have no broken bones. * The same regulations applied for alien and native born (Gentiles and Jews). * The priests sacrificed a lamb in the Temple at twilight. * The people slaughtered a lamb in their homes at twilight. Matthew 27:25 (NIV) All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Numbers 9:1-14 (NIV) The LORD spoke to Moses in the Desert of Sinai in the first month of the second year after they came out of Egypt. He said, 2 "Have the Israelites celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. 3 Celebrate it at the appointed time, at twilight on the fourteenth day of this month, in accordance with all its rules and regulations." 4 So Moses told the Israelites to celebrate the Passover, 5 and they did so in the Desert of Sinai at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. 6 But some of them could not celebrate the Passover on that day because they were ceremonially unclean on account of a dead body. So they came to Moses and Aaron that same day 7 and said to Moses, "We have become unclean because of a dead body, but why should we be kept from presenting the Lord's offering with the other Israelites at the appointed time?" 8 Moses answered them, "Wait until I find out what the LORD commands concerning you." 9 Then the LORD said to Moses, 10 "Tell the Israelites: 'When any of you or your descendants are unclean because of a dead body or are away on a journey, they may still celebrate the Lord's Passover. 11 They are to celebrate it on the fourteenth day of the second month at twilight. They are to eat the lamb, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. 13 But if a man who is ceremonially clean and not on a journey fails to celebrate the Passover, that person must be cut off from his people because he did not present the Lord's offering at the appointed time. That man will bear the consequences of his sin. 14 "'An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the Lord's Passover must do so in accordance with its rules and regulations. You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born.'" The Jewish day starts in the evening because of the wording of Genesis 1:5: Genesis 1:5 (NIV) God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. "Palm Sunday" was on the 10th of Abib, five days before Passover. Jesus the Passover Lamb is brought into the community, on the same day that the Passover lambs were brought into the community. John 12:12-15 (NIV) The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." On Monday, Jesus cleared the Temple. Mark 11:15 (NIV) On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, From Monday until Passover, as the Passover lambs were observed in the community to assure their perfection, Jesus is questioned extensively, looked at, and observed. They attempted to catch Him in a fault. He taught many parables. He responded to all questions. He is "without defect." He is perfect. Even Pilate could find no fault in Him: John 18:38 (KJV) Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. Mark 12:34 (NIV) When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. The Passover Feast began at twilight Thursday night, the 14th of Abib, with Jesus and His disciples slaughtering the Passover lamb at the last supper. John 13:1 (NIV) It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. Before twilight Friday night, Jesus will be in the grave. The Passover lamb and Jesus the Passover Lamb were both slaughtered the same day. Jesus left the Passover Feast to go to the Mount of Olives. At the Mount of Olives, He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Luke 22:44 (NIV) And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Jesus was then arrested by the temple guards and the crowd sent by the chief priests and elders. Jesus was sent to Annas first. John 18:13 (NIV) and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. John 18:22 (NIV) When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded. John 18:24 (NIV) Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest. Matthew 26:67 (NIV) Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him Luke 22:63 (NIV) The men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him. A trial at night was illegal. Early Friday morning, as soon as it is light, Jesus is given a mockery of a trial. Matthew 27:1 (NIV) Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. Matthew 27:2 (NIV) They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. Pilate sent Him to Herod. Luke 23:7 (NIV) When he learned that Jesus was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Luke 23:11 (NIV) Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. Herod sent Him back to Pilate. John 19:1-3 (NIV) Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. Matthew 27:30 (NIV) They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Isaiah 50:5-7 (NIV) The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. 6 I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. Matthew 27:31 (NIV) After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. John 19:17 (NIV) Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Matthew 27:45 (NIV) From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. Psalms 31:5 (NIV) Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. Deuteronomy 21:23 (NIV) you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day, because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God's curse. You must not desecrate the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Psalms 35:19-21 (NIV) Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. 20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land. 21 They gape at me and say, "Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it." Psalms 69:1b-4 (NIV) Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God. 4 Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. Psalms 69:19-21 (NIV) You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you. 20 Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none. 21 They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. Zechariah 12:10-11 (NIV) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. Psalms 34:20 (NIV) he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Zechariah 11:12-13 (NIV) I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter. Zechariah 13:7 (NIV) "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. Psalms 22:1b-18 (NIV) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4 In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5 They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: 8 "He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him." 9 Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast. 10 From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. Isaiah 52:13-15 (NIV) See, my servant will act wisely ; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-- 15 so will he sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. Isaiah 53 (NIV) Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. The crown of thorns was placed on His head. The thorns were about 2 inches long, wood like, and very sharp. They beat on the thorns with the staff. Some of the thorns broke off. Some of the thorns slid down His skull opening up the scalp allowing the blood to flow. Some of the thorns dulled themselves as they attempted to penetrate the skull. A head wound bleeds freely, so we know that blood spurted everywhere over this sacrifice. They pulled the beard from His face. Patches of skin and meat came with the beard. His head was beaten by fists and rods. A scourging in Roman times was 39 lashes. A "cat of nine tails" was used, with each tail having a piece of metal or bone imbedded in the end of it. After the soldier struck Jesus with the lash, he dragged the lash across His body. The piece of metal or bone shredded the flesh as he dragged it across. Thirty nine lashes was the legal limit, because 40 would kill a man. Because this was a "cat of nine tails" it was actually 39 times nine, or 351 lashes. Sometimes the prisoners were disemboweled by the beating. This was a society that had gladiators, men who fight to the death in the coliseum for sport. This society would later turn hungry wild animals loose on Christians in the arena. These cruel and hardened soldiers made sport of the flogging. The objective was to do the most damage without killing a man. Forty lashes would kill. A wrongfully placed lash could disembowel the prisoner. The objective was to strip the meat from the prisoners bones without killing him. The lashes would be concentrated on the shoulders, arms and ribs and down the spinal column. Use of the lash in those areas protected by bone was less likely to kill the man than in the soft flesh of the stomach and kidney areas. There are 32 vertebrae down your backbone. Four main nerves come out of each vertebrae. The nerves are about the size of a piece of spaghetti. The two in back are associated with sensory perception. The two nerves towards the inside are associated with motor control. There is greater protection given to the nerves for motor control due to God's placement. The nerves associated with sensory perception are about 1/2 inch deep. Many of these nerves were exposed during the beating. The pain would be like when you expose a nerve in your teeth. The pain would be excruciatingly horrible. You say "He couldn't have taken this." Remember that this Man/God went 40 days without food and water and then faced Satan. The rib bones were exposed by the beating. His bones are out of joint. His arms are pulled out of socket. As He hangs, His strength gives out and He sags. This cuts off the air to His lungs. His body surges reflexively upward, gasping for air, tearing the nails in His hands and feet. This process continues for hours. In crucifixion, death came when the muscles became so fatigued that they would no longer function reflexively, and the person would suffocate. This is the most cruel form of death ever devised. Isaiah 52:14 (NIV) Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness-- Jesus has become a bloody mass of meat, indistinguishable as human. John 19:28-30 (NIV) Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Mark 15:39 (NIV) And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. You say "tell us the rest of the story." I can't. Only you can determine what is done with Jesus the Christ. If you do not accept Him, He is still on that cross. Why this horrible occurrence? Because Sin is horrible. Prices are paid in the form of money as an exchange for things of equivalent value. The price for my sin was that Jesus Christ had to die on a cross. What does that tell you about God's perspective of sin? Why did Jesus pay this price?--Because God loves me as much as God loves Jesus Christ. John 15:9 (NIV) "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. John 17:23 (NIV) I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:26 (NIV) I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." God is love. Sin is rebellion against God. Sin is hatred of God. Sin is hatred of your fellow man. Sin is hatred of yourself. God cannot ingest rebellion or hatred into His system Habakkuk 1:13 (NIV) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Repent - Feel sorry for your sin; turn from your sin. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Acts 3:19-20 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Believe - That Jesus is the Son of God; that His sacrificial blood has the power to cover your sins. John 3:36 (NIV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Confess - Your sins to Jesus and ask His forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Confess - To others that Jesus Christ is your Lord. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV) Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." Receive - Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and God. John 1:12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ** The second person of the Trinity is YHWH - JESUS ** I know of no other person who is able to so clearly articulate, unknowingly the contrasts of God the Father (Elohim) and God the Son (Jesus - Adonay Elohim), as the late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr. J. H. Hertz in his comments concerning Genesis 2:4: LORD God. Heb. Adonay Elohim. The two most important Names of the Deity are here used. 'Lord' is the usual English translation of Adonay. Adonay is the prescribed traditional reading of the Divine Name expressed in the four Hebrew letters Y H W H- which is never pronounced as written. This Divine Name is spoken of as the Tetragrammaton, which is a Greek word meaning 'the Name of four letters'. The High Priest of old pronounced it as written, on the Day of Atonement during the Temple Service; whereupon all the people fell on their faces and exclaimed, 'Blessed be His Name whose glorious Kingdom is for ever and ever.' The Heb. root of that Divine Name means 'to be'; Adonay thus expresses the eternal self-existence of Him who is the Author of all existence. A possible rendering, therefore, for Adonay is 'The Eternal', and this has been adopted in some Jewish versions of Scripture. The other and more general Divine Name is Elohim. Whereas Adonay is used whenever the Divine is spoken of in close relationship with men or nations, Elohim denotes God as the Creator and Moral Governor of the Universe. The Rabbis find a clear distinction in the use of these two terms: Adonay (LORD) describes the Deity stressing His lovingkindness, His acts of mercy and condescension and revelation to mankind; while Elohim (God) emphasizes His justice and rulership. The Midrash says, 'Thus spake the Holy One, blessed be He: If I created the world by Mercy alone, sin will abound; if by Justice alone, how can the world endure? I will create it by both.' In the first chapter of Genesis, which treats of the Universe as a whole, Elohim ('God') is used; but in the second chapter, which begins the story of man, that Divine Name is no longer used alone, but together with Adonay ('LORD God'). There was soon need for the exercise of the Divine mercy. The pronunciation of the name Y H W H was given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai, and was passed from High Priest to High Priest. It was pronounced only once a year on the Day of Atonement. The High Priest had bells sewn on his garment. When he went into the Holy of Holies, if he was found unworthy he was struck dead. If the bells stopped ringing, the people knew he had died. The pronunciation of this name was lost with the destruction of the Temple in A.D.70. In Torah, to name something is to exercise dominion over it. Adam is an example of this, as he was given dominion over the beasts, and the fowls, and was allowed to name them. The Jewish people, having lost the exact pronunciation of this name, would never speculate as to the correct pronunciation, because to do so would be to name God. This would be assuming a position of dominion over God. Other people, in an attempt to pronounce this name added vowels to change it to YAHWEH. The name Yahweh is some disgusting sacrilegious figment of a man's imagination. In the beginning God. (Elohim, denoting God as the Creator and Moral Governor of the Universe, emphasizing His justice and rulership. - Rabbi Hertz) This is God the Father, the first aspect of the Trinity. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. LORD God (Adonay-Elohim is used whenever the Divine is spoken of in close relationship with men or nations, denoting His lovingkindness, His acts of mercy and condescension and revelation to mankind. - Rabbi Hertz) This is God the Son, the second aspect of the Trinity. The LORD God is first referenced in Genesis 2:4. Genesis 2:4 (NIV) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 10:30 (NIV) I and the Father are one." The Spirit of God is the third aspect of the Trinity (God the Holy Spirit). Genesis 1:2 reveals the Holy Spirit. The plural aspects of the singular God are already revealed by the second verse of the Holy Word of God. Genesis 1:1-2 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The plurality of the single God, is again revealed in Genesis 1:26. The Godhead is communicating between Themselves. If God was talking to angels at this time, it would make angels equal and creators with God. Genesis 1:26 (NIV) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." The singular, yet plural aspects of God are beyond human comprehension. A singular white light directed into a prism reflects many different colors. This is a physical example of the spiritual truth that God would teach us. Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Y H W H is used whenever the Divine is spoken of in close relationship with man or nations, describing His lovingkindness, mercy, condescension, and revelation to mankind. Hebrews 13:8, and John 1:1-2 give us insight into theological truth. Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. John 1:1-2 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. Acts 4:12 (NIV) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV) Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Since Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, and Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved, and the fact that Philippians 2:11 clearly states that Jesus Christ is Lord (Adonai, Y H W H) then we know the correct pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton Y H W H. The correct pronunciation of the name through which God would be in close relationship with man or nations, or describe His lovingkindness, mercy, condescension or revelation IS JESUS! IT COULD BE NO OTHER THAN JESUS! To the "wise and learned" (Matthew 11:25) who have sought through language mechanics to know exactly how Moses chose to scribe a name in Hebrew, 3,500 years ago, after the language has been practically dead for 2,000 years; - please explain to me today about the mechanics of the pronunciation of xylophone and zucchini. The high priest Caiaphas, and his father-in-law Annas, the former high priest; John 18:13 (NIV) and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. knew the pronunciation of Y H W H. They knew it was Jesus. They may not have known that this Jesus was the Messiah, but they did know that God's name and this Man's name were the same. They shielded the people from the truth because of personal motivation. When the Holy Spirit revealed this to me, the Holy Spirit asked me in view of the saints ruling the earth: 1 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV) Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Revelation 20:4 (NIV) I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. What would my judgment be if Annas and Caiaphas were brought into my court. I concluded that it would only be fair if Annas and Caiaphas were compelled to review the individual hell of all they cost the Hebrew people through 2,000 years of pogroms, holocausts, and personal hell, and then were sent to Hell with those whom they had caused to be there. The Holy Spirit asked me, "Will justice allow a lesser sentence for Christian ministers who shield the people from the truth?" The United Pentecostal Church has taken a "Oneness" position that denies the existence of the Trinity. They consider the acceptance of the Trinity to be poly-theistic, or having many gods. Their position is that when you see Jesus, there is no Father, there is no Holy Spirit. When the Father speaks, there is no Son. Their thinking is that God exists only in a singular form at any given time. No one on the earth fully understands how God can be one, and yet three. I know that I do not have a complete understanding of the Trinity. Complete knowledge and understanding is not necessary or even possible in understanding the Trinity. The great tragedy in taking the "Oneness" position is that a person must place a haze over their eyes to the Word of God, or they could not keep this "Oneness" position. If there is no Trinity, who was God speaking to in the "us" of Genesis 1:26? Genesis 1:26 (NIV) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." How did God the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove, and whose voice from heaven was claiming to be God the Father? Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV) As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Who was Jesus praying to in the garden of Gethsemane? Matthew 26:39 (NIV) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Who was Jesus praying to on the Cross? Matthew 27:46 (NIV) About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" These are just a few of the many scriptures in the Word of God that completely destroy the "Oneness" theological position. The greatest tragedy in assuming the "Oneness" position is not that a person does not understand the Trinity, as no one fully does. The tragedy is the self induced haze that must be placed over the eyes concerning the Holy Word of God in order to maintain the "Oneness" position. This haze does not restrict itself to the "Oneness" position, but darkens the persons understanding of the entire Word of God. I would urge extreme caution in any position that forces a person from the literal interpretation of the Word of God. Unfortunately the same haze is placed over "Pre" and "Mid" Tribulationists. To move from the literal interpretation of the Word of God into the interpretations of man can and will be DAMNING. ** Many Old Testament prophesies of Jesus Christ were quoted in the New Testament ** "Elijah" would come just prior to Jesus Malachi 4:5 (NIV) "See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. Malachi 3:1 (NIV) "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. Isaiah 40:3-5 (NIV) A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD ; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." Matthew 3:3 (NIV) This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Matthew 11:10-14 (NIV) This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' 11 I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. 13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Mark 1:2-3 (NIV) It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" Luke 3:4-6 (NIV) As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" Luke 7:27 (NIV) This is the one about whom it is written: "'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.' John 1:23 (NIV) John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" Jesus would be come from David's family 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (NIV) When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'" Psalms 89:3-4 (NIV) You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.'" Selah Psalms 110:1 (NIV) Of David. A psalm. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Psalms 132:11 (NIV) The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: "One of your own descendants I will place on your throne-- Isaiah 9:6-7 (NIV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 11:1 (NIV) A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. Matthew 22:44 (NIV) "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' Mark 12:36 (NIV) David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' Luke 1:69-70 (NIV) He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), Luke 20:42-44 (NIV) David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' 44 David calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" John 7:42 (NIV) Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" Jesus would be born in Bethlehem Micah 5:2 (NIV) "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Matthew 2:6 (NIV) "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" John 7:42 (NIV) Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?" Jesus would be born of a virgin and called Immanuel Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Matthew 1:23 (NIV) "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." Bethlehem's children would be killed at His coming Genesis 35:19-20 (NIV) So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb. Genesis 48:7 (NIV) As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem). Jeremiah 31:15 (NIV) This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." Matthew 2:16-18 (NIV) When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." Jesus would live in Egypt Hosea 11:1 (NIV) "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Matthew 2:14-15 (NIV) So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." Jesus would live in Galilee Isaiah 9:1-2 (NIV) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Matthew 4:13-16 (NIV) Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-- 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles-- 16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Jesus would include Gentiles in the Salvation plan Isaiah 42:1-4 (NIV) "Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. 3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope." Matthew 12:15-21 (NIV) Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick, 16 warning them not to tell who he was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope." Jesus would proclaim a Jubilee Isaiah 58:6 (NIV) "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Isaiah 61:1 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, Luke 4:16-21 (NIV) He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Jesus would heal people of disease and sickness Isaiah 53:4 (NIV) Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. Matthew 8:16-17 (NIV) When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases." Jesus would teach in parables Isaiah 6:9-10 (NIV) He said, "Go and tell this people: "'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Psalms 78:2 (NIV) I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-- Matthew 13:11-15 (NIV) He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15 For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' Matthew 13:34-35 (NIV) Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world." Jesus would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey Isaiah 62:11 (NIV) The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" Zechariah 9:9 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Psalms 118:26 (NIV) Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. Matthew 21:1-9 (NIV) As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away." 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5 "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'" 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Hosanna in the highest!" John 12:12-16 (NIV) The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, 15 "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him. Jesus would be rejected Psalms 69:4 (NIV) Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me. I am forced to restore what I did not steal. Psalms 118:22 (NIV) The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; Isaiah 6:10 (NIV) Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Isaiah 29:13 (NIV) The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Isaiah 53:1 (NIV) Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? Matthew 15:1-9 (NIV) Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" 3 Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6 he is not to 'honor his father ' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" Matthew 21:42-46 (NIV) Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone ; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? 43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Mark 7:6-7 (NIV) He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' Mark 12:10-11 (NIV) Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone ; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" Luke 20:17 (NIV) Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone '? John 12:38-40 (NIV) This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" 39 For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn--and I would heal them." John 15:25 (NIV) But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.' Jesus realized that His arrest and crucifixion was fulfilling prophesy Matthew 26:54-56 (NIV) But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver Zechariah 11:12-13 (NIV) I told them, "If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"--the handsome price at which they priced me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD to the potter. Matthew 27:3-10 (NIV) When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 4 "I have sinned," he said, "for I have betrayed innocent blood." "What is that to us?" they replied. "That's your responsibility." 5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 6 The chief priests picked up the coins and said, "It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money." 7 So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. 8 That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: "They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, 10 and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me." Jesus would be betrayed by a friend Psalms 41:9 (NIV) Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. John 13:18-30 (NIV) "I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.' 19 "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me." 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28 but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night. Jesus the shepherd would be struck Zechariah 13:7 (NIV) "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones. Matthew 26:31 (NIV) Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' Mark 14:27 (NIV) "You will all fall away," Jesus told them, "for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' Jesus would be given vinegar and gall Psalms 69:21 (NIV) They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst. Matthew 27:34 (NIV) There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. John 19:29 (NIV) A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. Jesus dying words were prophesied Psalms 22:1 (NIV) For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? Psalms 31:5 (NIV) Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. Matthew 27:46 (NIV) About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Mark 15:34 (NIV) And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Luke 23:46 (NIV) Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. Jesus would die with transgressors Isaiah 53:9 (NIV) He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:9-12 (NIV) He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Luke 22:37 (NIV) It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors' ; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment." Jesus the Lamb would not have a broken bone Exodus 12:46 (NIV) "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. Numbers 9:12 (NIV) They must not leave any of it till morning or break any of its bones. When they celebrate the Passover, they must follow all the regulations. Psalms 34:20 (NIV) he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. John 19:31-37 (NIV) Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." They would pierce Jesus side Zechariah 12:10 (NIV) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. Psalms 22:16 (NIV) Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. John 19:37 (NIV) and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." They would cast lots for His garments Psalms 22:18 (NIV) They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing. John 19:24 (NIV) "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. Jesus would be buried by a rich man Isaiah 53:9 (NIV) He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Matthew 27:57-60 (NIV) As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. 58 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. 59 Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Jesus would rise from the dead on the third day Psalms 16:10-11 (NIV) because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Hosea 6:2 (NIV) After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Jonah 1:7 (NIV) Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. Genesis 22:4 (NIV) On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Matthew 12:40 (NIV) For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Luke 24:46 (NIV) He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, Acts 2:25-32 (NIV) David said about him: "'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' 29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Acts 13:33-35 (NIV) he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.' 34 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.' 35 So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' ** The historical account of Joseph referenced in Genesis chapters 30 through 50 is a fore glimpse of Jesus Christ, and His relationship with His Jewish brothers ** Genesis 37 (NIV) Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. 5 Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." 8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. 9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." 10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?" When Joseph came to power in Egypt, Genesis 46:29 reflects that Jacob never did bow down to Joseph. As Joseph was a fore glimpse of Jesus Christ, Genesis 37:9-10 is a spiritual reference to Jacob bowing down to Jesus. Because Genesis 37:9-10, as relates to Jacob; never occurred in the physical realm; we must look to the spiritual realm for the fulfillment of the dream. 11 His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind. 12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them." "Very well," he replied. 14 So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, "What are you looking for?" 16 He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?" 17 "They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. 19 "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. 20 "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams." 21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his life," he said. 22 "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. 23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe--the richly ornamented robe he was wearing-- 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it. 25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. Joseph was rejected by his own brothers, his own flesh and blood, the Children of Israel, and given to the Gentiles. Jesus was rejected by His own brothers, His own flesh and blood, the Children of Israel, and given to the Gentiles. Joseph was sold into Egypt which represents SIN, for "20 shekels of silver." Jesus was sold into SIN for our transgressions, for "30 pieces of silver." (Matthew 26:15, 27:3) 29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. 30 He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn now?" 31 Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. The sacrifice of Jesus as a sin offering is here portended in the slaughter of a goat. After coming out of Egypt, God directed two goats be brought into the Temple on the Day of Atonement referenced in Leviticus chapter 16. One goat was to be slaughtered as a sin offering. The sins of Israel would be confessed over the other goat, (scapegoat) who would then carry them off to a solitary place (Egypt). In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus returns at His Second Coming in a robe dipped in blood. Revelation 19:11-13 (NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 32 They took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son's robe." 33 He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces." 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said, "in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him. After viewing his robe, Jacob thought that Joseph was dead. The Children of Israel still consider that Jesus is dead. After interpreting Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph is made second in command in Egypt. Genesis 41:40 (NIV) You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." Jesus is second in command only to God the Father. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18-20) Only with respect to the throne is Jesus second to God the Father. Both Joseph and Jesus were thirty years old when they began their ministry: Genesis 41:46a (NIV) Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Luke 3:23a (NIV) Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. The Children of Israel were held in custody for three days, and then released. Jesus was held three days in death, and then was released. Genesis 42:17 (NIV) And he put them all in custody for three days. Mark 8:31 (NIV) He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. The Children of Israel held themselves responsible because of the blood of Joseph. Genesis 42:21-22 (NIV) They said to one another, "Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that's why this distress has come upon us." 22 Reuben replied, "Didn't I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn't listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood." The Children of Israel have been held responsible for the Blood of Jesus Christ. The Jewish people have paid a very high price for the words and actions of their forefathers. Matthew 27:25 (NIV) All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Psalms 79:1-8 (NIV) A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. 4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; 7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. 8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. The Jewish race has been, and will be the most persecuted group of people in the world. In Luke 11:48-51, and Matthew 23:33-36, the Greek word "******" has been incorrectly translated into the word "generation." It is correctly translated "race." All of the blood did not fall on that generation. History has proven that it fell on the Jewish race. It is probable that the translators were attempting to avoid being labeled racists, and were more interested in being socially "correct," than in being biblically and historically honest. Luke 11:48-51 (NIV) So you testify that you approve of what your forefathers did; they killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49 Because of this, God in his wisdom said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.' 50 Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all. Isaiah foresaw the exact situation that occurred to the Jewish people under Nazi Germany: Isaiah 3:18-24 (NIV) In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces, 19 the earrings and bracelets and veils, 20 the headdresses and ankle chains and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, 21 the signet rings and nose rings, 22 the fine robes and the capes and cloaks, the purses 23 and mirrors, and the linen garments and tiaras and shawls. 24 Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-dressed hair, baldness; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding. The Children of Israel would not be allowed into Joseph's presence unless his brother and their brother (Benjamin) was with them. Genesis 43:3-5 (NIV) But Judah said to him, "The man warned us solemnly, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.' 4 If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down, because the man said to us, 'You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.'" Genesis 44:23-26 (NIV) But you told your servants, 'Unless your youngest brother comes down with you, you will not see my face again.' 24 When we went back to your servant my father, we told him what my lord had said. 25 "Then our father said, 'Go back and buy a little more food.' 26 But we said, 'We cannot go down. Only if our youngest brother is with us will we go. We cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' The Children of Israel will not be allowed into God's presence unless Joseph's brother and the Children of Israel's brother (Jesus) is with them. Luke 13:34-35 (NIV) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" After the uniting of Joseph and all of his brothers, they had a feast. Genesis 43:16 (NIV) When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house, "Take these men to my house, slaughter an animal and prepare dinner; they are to eat with me at noon." After the uniting of Jesus and all of His brothers, there will be the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV) Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." The Children of Israel did not recognize Joseph on the FIRST trip to Egypt, but he recognized them. Genesis 42:8 (NIV) Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. The Children of Israel did not recognize Jesus at His FIRST coming, but He recognized them. Luke 19:41-44 (NIV) As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." At the Children of Israel's second trip into Egypt, Joseph revealed himself to them. Genesis 45:1-4 (NIV) Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it. 3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence. 4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! Prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, Jesus will be revealed to the Children of Israel. From Mid-Tribulation Jesus Christ will turn back to the Jewish People. The hardening of the Jewish hearts will be over. Romans 11:25 (NIV) I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Romans 11:23-24 (NIV) And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Hosea 3:4-5 (NIV) For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. Deuteronomy 4:27-31 (NIV) The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you. 28 There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. 29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Luke 13:34-35 (NIV) "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Psalms 79:8 (NIV) Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Joseph's brothers were shepherds. Genesis 46:32 (NIV) The men are shepherds; they tend livestock, and they have brought along their flocks and herds and everything they own.' Genesis 47:3 (NIV) Pharaoh asked the brothers, "What is your occupation?" "Your servants are shepherds," they replied to Pharaoh, "just as our fathers were." Jesus is the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 (NIV) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Psalms 23 (NIV) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Genesis 48:15 (NIV) Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, Israel was called to shepherd, or bring God to the world. Exodus 19:5-6 (NIV) Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." Instead of being shepherds to the world, the Children of Israel killed the Lamb of God. In order for the false prophet to bring Judaism, Christianity, and Islam together, there has been and will continue to be an attempt to soften the responsibility of the death of Jesus Christ. Egypt, symbolizing the world, detests shepherds, or those that bring God to the world. Genesis 46:34 (NIV) 'Your servants have tended livestock from our boyhood on, just as our fathers did.' Then you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds are detestable to the Egyptians." Genesis 43:32c (NIV) Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians. The Jewish people rejected the real Christ. Three and one-half years after the "covenant" that allows re-establishment of daily sacrifice they will reject the antichrist. The false prophet will blend all of Organized Religion into one world religion, with a common God. At mid-tribulation, the antichrist will become that common God. The Jews will reject him. The antichrist will turn on the Jewish people. "The woman" referenced in Revelation 12 is Israel. One half of the Jewish people will flee from Jerusalem to Jordan (Edom, Moab, Ammon) at the caves of Petra which were formerly occupied by the Edomites. (descendants of Esau) Daniel 11:41 (NIV) He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. Revelation 12:6 (NIV) The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Revelation 12:14 (NIV) The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. Matthew 24:15-22 (NIV) "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel- -let the reader understand-- 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Mark 13:14-19 (NIV) "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong--let the reader understand--then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now--and never to be equaled again. Luke 21:20-23 (NIV) "When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. Zechariah 14:1-5 (NIV) A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. 4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. 5 You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. Zechariah 14:1-5 warrants close scrutiny at this point for clarification. There are places in the scripture where a time gap occurs. One of them referenced by Jesus is Luke 4:18-20. Luke 4:18-20 (NIV) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, Jesus is reading the passage from Isaiah 61:1-2. Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, Note in Luke 4:18-20 that Jesus stops reading the passage from Isaiah in mid sentence. The reason Jesus does not continue reading is that there is a 2,000 year time gap in that sentence. It is the year of the Lord's favor. "The day of vengeance of our God" does not come for 2,000 years until His Second Coming. There is another time gap in scripture between Daniel 11:35, and Daniel 11:36. Daniel Chapter 11 written around 600 B.C. so closely describes the wars of the Egyptian and Syrian Kings around 323 to 146 B.C., that the devil has alleged that Daniel was written after these wars occur. This particular passage is closely detailing the wars of the "King of the South" and the "King of the North." Without notice or transition, at Daniel 11:36, we have a 2300 year time gap. We are looking at another king. He is neither the "King of the South," nor the "King of the North," because in Daniel 11:40 this king is at war with the "King of the South" and the "King of the North." The king referenced in Daniel 11:36 to 11:45 is the antichrist. There is also a time gap in mid-sentence of Zechariah 14:5. Zechariah 14:3 references the wrath of God being poured out on the sinners after Mid-Tribulation as per all other scriptures. Zechariah 14:4 can only be taken figuratively for this reason: We know that Jesus could have called at least twelve thousand angels while He was on earth. Matthew 26:53 (NIV) Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? We know that one angel on one given night destroyed 185,000 men. (I am sure that this angel was not overworked with the task.) 2 Kings 19:35 (NIV) That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! Simply and mathematically put, we know that if Jesus came with His angels (He has at least 12,000) without any of His own omnipotent power, the angels alone would have the ability to destroy at least 2 billion, 220 million people in one night. Now if that kind of firepower was turned loose at that time on the sinners, why would the Christians need to flee? That is enough firepower to destroy everyone in the world before the Christians could get out of town. (Do not think that the Christians need to flee to avoid being hurt by "friendly fire." Consider that in Egypt, "the death angel" killed very discriminately the "first born" only from every household that was not covered by the blood.) Exodus 12:29-30 (NIV) At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. Zechariah 14:4 can only be a figurative touching of His foot to the Mount of Olives, and references an earthquake after the "abomination that causes desolation" that will aid the Jewish people in escaping to Petra. There is about a three and one half year time gap in the fleeing and when the Lord comes. This brings us into full compliance with the rest of God's Word. When the Jewish people arrive in Petra (Edom, Moab, Ammon), the devil through the antichrist will be unable to destroy them because the place has been prepared by God, and is militarily impenetrable. Revelation 12:6 (NIV) The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. Revelation 12:14 (NIV) The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach. The antichrist will then attempt unsuccessfully to drown the Jewish people by diverting the Euphrates River into the caves in Edom, Moab, and Ammon. (Jordan) Revelation 12:15-16 (NIV) Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. Revelation 16:12-14 (NIV) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. The antichrist will control Jerusalem for 3 1/2 years. The present negotiating, political maneuvering and positioning of world and religious leaders will culminate in the loss of Jerusalem to Israel. Zechariah 14:1-2 (NIV) A day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided among you. 2 I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Luke 21:24 (NIV) They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. Psalms 79:1-12 (NIV) A psalm of Asaph. O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble. 2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants as food to the birds of the air, the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth. 3 They have poured out blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there is no one to bury the dead. 4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors, of scorn and derision to those around us. 5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? How long will your jealousy burn like fire? 6 Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the kingdoms that do not call on your name; 7 for they have devoured Jacob and destroyed his homeland. 8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. 9 Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake. 10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Before our eyes, make known among the nations that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants. 11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you; by the strength of your arm preserve those condemned to die. 12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord. Revelation 11:2 (NIV) But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. Daniel 11:41 (NIV) He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. Daniel 11:45 (NIV) He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him. Revelation 13:5-6 (NIV) The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. Daniel 8:11-12 (NIV) It set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. 12 Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. Daniel 7:25 (NIV) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. Daniel 12:11 (NIV) "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. The Jewish people have always looked for miraculous signs, the Gentiles have always looked for logic and wisdom to prove that Jesus is the Christ. The Gentiles have been given the most perfect logic system and the greatest wisdom ever in proving that Jesus is the Christ. From Mid-Tribulation forward, the Jews will get the miraculous signs. 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 (NIV) Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. John 4:48 (NIV) "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." Acts 2:17-21 (NIV) "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' In God's perfect order of things, the Gospel started in Jerusalem with the Jews, then traveled the whole world for 2,000 years. Jesus will finish the Gospel message in Jerusalem with the Jewish people right back where He started. The Gospel will have made a perfect and complete circle. The order of God is truly magnificent. Luke 24:46-47 (NIV) He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When 144,000 Jews are saved, the wrath of God will start. Revelation 7:1-4 (NIV) After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. It is the persecution of the saints that will incite God to wrath. Exodus 3:7-9 (NIV) The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ** Comparison of Moses plagues, and the seals, trumpets, and bowls of Revelation ** There is a distinct difference in the persecution of the saints, and the wrath of God. (Consider that the last seven plagues of Moses did not affect the land of Goshen. Consider that the death angel was able to kill only the firstborn in every household. God has proven that He is able to very selectively control His power.) The confrontation between God (through Moses and Aaron) and Pharoah with the associated plagues are a very clear fore glimpse of the confrontation between God (through the two witnesses) and the antichrist in the Tribulation. Consider that the plagues of Moses very closely parallel the trumpets and the bowls of wrath. Psalms 91:7 (NIV) A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Moses' Plagues Seven Trumpets Seven Bowls 1. Moses threw staff 1. Hail and fire 1. Ugly and painful down, magicians threw mixed with blood sores broke out on down, Moses' staff hurled upon the people who had the ate theirs. earth, 1/3 of mark of the beast, Exodus 7:10-12 earth burned up, and worshipped his 1/3 of trees, image. all green grass Revelation 16:2 burned up. Note Moses #8 Revelation 8:7 2. Water in the Nile 2. Huge mountain all 2. Sea turned into turned to blood, fish ablaze fell into blood like that die, river stinks, sea, 1/3 of sea of a dead man, Egyptians not able to turned to blood, every living thing drink. 1/3 of the living in the sea died. Exodus 7:14-18 creatures in the Revelation 16:3 Note Trumpet #2, sea died, 1/3 Note Moses #2, Bowl #2 ships destroyed. Trumpet #2 Revelation 8:8,9 Note Moses #2, Bowl #2 3. Streams and canals, 3. Great star ablaze 3. Rivers and springs ponds and reservoirs fell on 1/3 rivers became blood turned into blood, and streams, turned Revelation 16:4 blood in buckets, and them bitter, Note Moses #3, jars, magicians many people died. Trumpet #3 duplicate. Revelation 8:10,11 Exodus 7:18-24 Note Moses #3, Note Trumpet #3, Bowl #3 Bowl #3 4. Nile and whole country 4. 1/3 sun struck, 1/3 4. Sun given power teem with frogs, moon, 1/3 stars to scorch people magicians duplicate. so that a third of with fire, seared Exodus 8:1-15 them turned dark, by intense heat, Note Rev. 16:13 1/3 of the day cursed God, (page 121) without light, refused to repent. 1/3 of the night. Revelation 16:8 Revelation 8:12 Luminaries affected, Luminaries affected, see Moses #11, see Moses #11, Trumpet #4, Bowl #5 Bowl #4,5 5. Dust into gnats, 5. Star that had 5. Poured out on the magicians could fallen given key throne of the beast, not match. to the Abyss, smoke his kingdom is Exodus 8:16-19 rose and darkened plunged into sun and sky, out of darkness, men gnawed smoke came locusts their tongues in who were given power agony, cursed God, to torture, not kill refused to repent. those who had the Revelation 16:10 mark of the beast Luminaries affected, for 5 months see trumpet #4, men will seek death, Bowl #4, it will elude them, Moses #11 they had as their king the devil. Revelation 9:1 6. Swarms of flies, not 6. Release of four 6. Euphrates is dried in land of Goshen. angels, preparation up to prepare for Exodus 8:20-32 for Armageddon. the kings of the Revelation 9:13 east, preparation for Armageddon. Revelation 16:12 7. Plague of livestock, 7. The kingdom of 7. Voice from the not in land of the world has throne: "It is done", Goshen. become the lightning, thunder Exodus 9:1-7 kingdom of and great earthquake, Christ, and He Jerusalem split into will reign three parts, God forever and ever. remembers Babylon Time for the Great. judgment, and Revelation 16:17 rewarding the See Trumpet #7 saints, and destroying those who destroy the earth. Revelation 11:15 See Bowl #7 8. Plague of boils on men and animals. Exodus 8:8-12 9. Plague of hail, worst in history of Egypt, beat down everything, stripped every tree, not in land of Goshen Exodus 9:13-35 Note Rev. 16:19-21 (below) 10. Plague of locusts cover ground, devour what is left. Exodus 20:1-20 11. Plague of darkness, Goshen had light, luminaries affected. Exodus 10:21-29 12. Death to first born, no death to those covered by the blood. Exodus 11,12 Revelation 16:13 (NIV) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Revelation 16:19-21 (NIV) The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. When the antichrist sets himself up in the Temple as God, he will be allowed to persecute the Christians. Because of the persecutions of the Christians, God will pour out His wrath on the antichrist, his kingdom, and the world. This wrath will take the form of seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, and seven thunders. The seven seals will start with the antichrist coming to power. Revelation 6:1-2 (NIV) I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. After the antichrist comes to power, men will be uncontrolled in their wickedness. Man has been killing man since Cain. This will be a time of wholesale murder that will make World War II and the Holocaust pale in comparison. Matthew 24:21-22 (NIV) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At the second seal, peace will be completely taken from the earth: Revelation 6:3-4 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. The third seal will bring complete famine on the earth. Prior to this time, the earth has experienced only localized famine. This famine will be complete and world wide: Revelation 6:5-6 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!" World War II reportedly resulted in the death of 6 million Jews, and 9 million Gentiles, or a total of 15 million people. The fourth seal will result in the death of 1.5 billion people by murder, famine, and plagues. The A. I. D. S. virus is a fore glimpse of the plagues that will be released on the earth because of man's sin. Wild animals have always had a fear of man because man was given dominion over them. Because man has deserted his place in God's order, the wild animals will lose their fear of man. Wild animals will turn on man. Revelation 6:7-8 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. The fifth seal reveals the souls of Christian martyrs: Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. The sixth seal will affect the luminaries: Revelation 6:12-17 (NIV) I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" The seventh seal will release the seven trumpets: Revelation 8:1-2 (NIV) When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. From this point the Wrath of God will come upon the earth like waves of the sea. The trumpets and the bowls of God's wrath will come simultaneously, but in sequence like waves on the seashore. Revelation 8:7 (NIV) The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. Revelation 16:2 (NIV) The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The second trumpet and the second bowl will result in the entire sea turning into blood, one third of the ships being destroyed, everything in the sea dying. Revelation 8:8-9 (NIV) The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Revelation 16:3 (NIV) The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third trumpet and the third bowl will impact the rivers and streams in the same way that the oceans have already been affected. God will give the antichrist and his regime blood to drink. Revelation 8:10-11 (NIV) The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. Revelation 16:4 (NIV) The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. The fourth trumpet and the fourth bowl will affect the luminaries. One third of them will be turned dark, but the heat of the sun will intensify so that people are scorched with fire. Revelation 8:12 (NIV) The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. Revelation 16:8 (NIV) The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. The fifth trumpet and the fifth bowl will release the devil and his demons to torture those who have the mark of the beast. His kingdom will be plunged into darkness. Men will gnaw their tongues in agony. Revelation 9:1-11 (NIV) The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. Revelation 16:10-11 (NIV) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. The seal of God will be placed on those within the Body of Christ; all those who do not have the mark of the beast. This is another confirmation that the Body of Christ will still be here. Ezekiel 9:2-6 (NIV) And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." 5 As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple. The sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl will prepare the world for the battle of Armageddon. The four angels released will result in one third of the 4 1/2 billion people left on the earth being killed. This amounts to another 1.5 billion people. At that point in time, three billion people, or one half of the six billion people in all of mankind living today will have been killed. Revelation 9:13-20 (NIV) The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. 20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Revelation 16:12-16 (NIV) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. The seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl both result in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Revelation 11:15 (NIV) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Revelation 16:17 (NIV) The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" The caves in Petra, Jordan prepared by God for the Jews that are fleeing from the antichrist ** The destruction of the United States of America ** Isaiah prophesied concerning the fall of literal Babylon. Literal Babylon was destroyed by the Medo-Persian Empire in 536 B.C. Isaiah 47 (NIV) "Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate. 2 Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. 3 Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one." 4 Our Redeemer--the LORD Almighty is his name-- is the Holy One of Israel. 5 "Sit in silence, go into darkness, Daughter of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms. 6 I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke. 7 You said, 'I will continue forever-- the eternal queen!' But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen. 8 "Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, 'I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.' 9 Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. 10 You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, 'I am, and there is none besides me.' 11 Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you. 12 "Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. 13 All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. 14 Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. 15 That is all they can do for you--these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you. Revelation chapter 17 is a spiritual Babylon. It is Christian Organized Religion. Revelation chapter 18 begins "After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven." This is a different Babylon. This is a figurative Babylon because in approximately 70 A.D. when John wrote Revelation, literal Babylon had already been destroyed, never to be restored, fulfilling the prophesy of Jeremiah 51:64. Jeremiah 51:64 (NIV) Then say, 'So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring upon her. And her people will fall.'" The words of Jeremiah end here. Revelation chapter 18 is a commercial Babylon. - It is the United States of America. We are given fore glimpses throughout the Word of God. Literal Babylon is a fore glimpse of figurative Babylon. Literal Babylon is a fore glimpse of the United States of America. There are many similarities in literal Babylon referenced in Isaiah 47 and figurative Babylon referenced in Revelation 18. Revelation 18 (NIV) After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3 For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." 4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torture and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, 'I sit as queen; I am not a widow, and I will never mourn.' 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!' 11 "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more-- 12 cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; 13 cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. 14 "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.' 15 The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! 17 In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! 20 Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.'" 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. 22 The music of harpists and musicians, flute players and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again. No workman of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. 23 The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. 24 In her was found the blood of prophets and of the saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth." Verse 2 "She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird." Every newspaper in America carries daily horoscopes. Magicians are invited into homes through television, the schools, and into churches. Astrologers have been reported in the White House. Palm readers, tarot card readers, enchanters, diviners, mediums, and sorcerers are common in most cities. Fortune cookies are the lark of chinese restaurants. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NIV) Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 2 Chronicles 33:6 (NIV) He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Revelation 21:8 (NIV) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Revelation 22:15 (NIV) Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Verse 3 "the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." Was there ever a nation in which this was more true? Verse 5 "for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes." ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST HORRIBLE SINS IS ABORTION, bringing about the demise of LAW AND ORDER Ecclesiastes 8:11 (NIV) When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Certainly, no one desires interference or intrusion into their private lives by any form of government. However, we must ask ourselves if we desire a society of law and order or a society of chaos. The Los Angeles riot answers this question clearly. How far do we allow the government to go in establishing Law and Order - What must be included in the Cardinal Rules? MURDER - THE STEALING OF SOMEONE'S LIFE MUST BE PRIMARY! If I take the position that to murder my child is a personal matter, can I then take the position that to murder my brother is a family matter? Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. In Genesis chapter 4 we are given the first historical example of murder. God Almighty - the Creator, Lawgiver, Judge, Advocate, and Wonderful Counselor of all the Universe established laws pertaining to murder thereafter. Genesis 9:5-6 (NIV) And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. Is it lawful for a woman to involve her body with someone else and then retain complete control - murder the child because of personal inconvenience? An equivalent horror would be murder by the father because he did not desire to pay child support. The only just position is that a woman retains complete control of her own body - until she involves other people. After involvement with other people - any action impacting those involved must be agreed upon by the affected parties; All three of them! Psalms 127:3 (NIV) Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. It has been alleged that 31 million babies have been murdered in America since Roe v. Wade. These murders continue at the rate of 1.5 million children per year. Every four year presidential term that elapses, produces the equivalent deaths that Adolph Hitler produced with all of his demonic, hate filled, destructive machinery and system. Since Roe v. Wade, every single term United States President, Supreme Court, and the Congress they worked with have equaled the total murders committed by Adolph Hitler with his legal system, judges, and subordinates. Names of killing centers that have become synonymous with terroristic murder like Auschwitz/Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Majdanek, Sobibor and Chelmno have been eclipsed in their horror by the killing centers of Washington D. C., New York City, Reno, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. There are now more abortions annually in our nations capital than there are babies born. Hitler, heinous in his destruction of 6 million Jews, shrinks in comparison to America - swimming in the blood of 31,000,000 of her own babies. Genesis 4:10 reflects our plight. Genesis 4:10 (NIV) The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Numbers 35:33 (NIV) "'Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. On only two occasions in Biblical history have babies been specifically targeted for mass-murder: At the birth of Moses Exodus 1:22 (NIV) Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live." At the birth of Jesus Matthew 2:16-18 (NIV) When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more." And again today, in the United States, the babies are being mass-murdered. Verse 18 "Was there ever a city like this great city?" Has there ever been another country like the United States of America? * America brought the world into the industrialized age. * America brought the world flight. * America brought the world space flight. * America brought the world into the nuclear age. * America placed men on the moon. Verse 19 "all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth!" Verse 23 "Your merchants were the world's great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray." How many conflicts and wars have been fought because of the personal interests, power, and control of the military-industrial complex based in the United States? There is no mention of a "King of the West" in the battle of Armageddon, or in any prophecy. America is not there. When the antichrist confirms his covenant for one "seven," he will be forced to deal with Israel because of her military power. At the time of this writing, Israel has always run under the wing of the United States. The antichrist will deal directly with Israel, not the United States, because Israel will be truly independent. The United States will have ceased to be a power in the Middle East to be reckoned with. She will retain her nuclear power until her destruction, but America has lost her moral fiber, her will, and her character. America will have lost the respect of the world. Literal Babylon was destroyed by a coalition of Medes and Persians from the north. Figurative Babylon will be destroyed in a nuclear holocaust by a coalition of nations that will comprise "the King of the North". The "King of the North" at the Battle of Armageddon is the battered and loose alliance of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It is Russia. Jeremiah 50:3a (NIV) A nation from the north will attack her and lay waste her land. Jeremiah 50:9a (NIV) For I will stir up and bring against Babylon an alliance of great nations from the land of the north. Jeremiah 50:24 (NIV) I set a trap for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it; you were found and captured because you opposed the LORD. Matthew 26:52 (NIV) "Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. There has only been one country in history that used the sword of nuclear weaponry on another country. It is the United States of America. The United States will retain some semblance of a society until the time of the sixth bowl of wrath, and then will be destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Revelation 18:8-10 (NIV) Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. 9 "When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. 10 Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!' Revelation 18:17-19 (NIV) In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!' "Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. 18 When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, 'Was there ever a city like this great city?' 19 They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: "'Woe! Woe, O great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin! Isaiah 13:19 (NIV) Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of homosexuality (Genesis 19:1-29). Homosexuality is a particularly detestable sin, as it violates all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Homosexuality is expressed hatred against God whose crowning creation is mankind. God gave humanity its highest physical interrelationship within the confines of marriage when "two become one flesh." (Matthew 19:5) God gave humanity this interrelationship physically as a pattern of what God desires with humanity spiritually. Homosexuality violates God's ultimate creation while simultaneously perverting God's ultimate physical relationship. God loves humanity so much that He gave His very own Son as a sacrifice in order to bring God and humanity together. Homosexuality is a perversion that grieves God. Leviticus 18:22 (NIV) "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Leviticus 20:13 (NIV) "'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NIV) Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Jude 1:5-7 (NIV) Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Isaiah 3:9 (NIV) The look on their faces testifies against them; they parade their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! They have brought disaster upon themselves. Deuteronomy 22:5 (NIV) A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this. Jesus Christ created man and woman to be distinctly different. Satan has been very successful in minimizing the differences. In the early 20th century, short hair on a woman was considered a sign of rebellion. In the 1970's, long hair on a man was considered a sign of rebellion. Society has now accepted this blurring of the sexes, but the rebellious message is as clear as it was when the Holy Spirit through Paul discussed it 2,000 years ago. 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (NIV) Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. 5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head--it is just as though her head were shaved. 6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7 A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. 11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice--nor do the churches of God. Every directive from God is important. Violation of this directive has aided in the confusion of society. The Word of God is very clear. Homosexuality is expressed hatred of God by the commission of the act. Homosexuality is a debasement or hatred of self by the person committing the act. Homosexuality is a debasement or hatred of your neighbor on whom the act is being committed. Through homosexuality, the devil manipulates a person to violate God, violate their neighbor, and violate themselves. With the new permissive view of homosexuality, it is not surprising that Isaiah parallels the United States of America, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Isaiah 13:19 (NIV) Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. In addition to God's directive on the length of hair for men and women, there are other spiritual forces pressuring the way people dress. It is amazing how mankind does things with Biblical roots and does not understand why. Natural man is motivated by spiritual forces of which he is unaware. Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Deuteronomy 15:17 reveals that a hole in the ear lobe denotes slavery for life. If you have a hole in your ear lobe, you are symbolically a slave. Most symbolic slaves garnish the holes in their ear lobes, knowing no shame. Deuteronomy 15:12-18 (NIV) If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him go free. 13 And when you release him, do not send him away empty-handed. 14 Supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to him as the LORD your God has blessed you. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today. 16 But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, 17 then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant. 18 Do not consider it a hardship to set your servant free, because his service to you these six years has been worth twice as much as that of a hired hand. And the LORD your God will bless you in everything you do. The descendants of Ishmael, slave son of Abraham had a tradition of holes in their earlobes: Judges 8:24b (NIV) (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) The slavery issue is a physical view of a spiritual principle that Jesus desires to teach us. John 8:34-36 (NIV) Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:32 (NIV) Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Romans 6:16-22 (NIV) Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 1 Corinthians 9:19 (NIV) Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 1 Corinthians 9:21 (NIV) To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. Galatians 5:1 (NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:13 (NIV) You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NIV) Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 9:15 (NIV) For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV) Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Psalms 142:7 (NIV) Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me. Psalms 146:7 (NIV) He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, Proverbs 11:21 (NIV) Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free. Isaiah 42:6-7 (NIV) "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 1 Corinthians 7:22-23 (NIV) For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ** The destruction of Russia ** Russia (The king of the North) will be destroyed by Jesus Christ at His Second Coming when Russia marches through the Caucasus Pass into the valley of Megiddo at the Battle of Armageddon. Daniel 11:40b (NIV) "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. Daniel 11:44 (NIV) But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. Joel 2:20 (NIV) 'I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.' Surely he has done great things. Revelation 16:13-16 (NIV) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Ezekiel 39:1-24 (NIV) "Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD. 7 "'I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of. 9 "'Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up--the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel. 10 They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign LORD. 11 "'On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog. 12 "'For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign LORD. 14 "'Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground. At the end of the seven months they will begin their search. 15 As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 (Also a town called Hamonah will be there.) And so they will cleanse the land.' 17 "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: 'Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls--all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,' declares the Sovereign LORD. 21 "I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them. 22 From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. Revelation 19:17-18 (NIV) And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." Revelation 19:21 (NIV) The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. ** Jesus will come with "thunder and lightning" ** The confrontation between Moses and Pharoah, and the persecution of the children of Israel is a fore glimpse of the confrontation between the antichrist, and the false prophet, against the two witnesses and the Bride of Christ. So also God descending on Mount Sinai following the Egyptian tribulation is a fore glimpse of Jesus descending at His Second Coming following the great Tribulation. Exodus 19:16 (NIV) On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Isaiah 29:6 (NIV) the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. Psalms 18:12-14 (NIV) Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. Psalms 97:4 (NIV) His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. Psalms 144:6 (NIV) Send forth lightning and scatter the enemies; shoot your arrows and rout them. Matthew 24:27 (NIV) For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Luke 17:24 (NIV) For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NIV) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Zechariah 9:14 (NIV) Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, Revelation 11:19 (NIV) Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. Revelation 16:17-18 (NIV) The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. Job 26:14 (NIV) And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?" Daniel 10:6 (NIV) His body was like chrysolite, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. Ezekiel 1:13-14 (NIV) The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. Matthew 28:3 (NIV) His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ** Jesus will come on the clouds of Heaven ** Exodus 19:9 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said. Exodus 19:16 (NIV) On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Psalms 18:9 (NIV) He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. Psalms 97:2 (NIV) Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Daniel 7:13 (NIV) "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. Matthew 24:30 (NIV) "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. Matthew 26:64 (NIV) "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Mark 13:26 (NIV) "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. Mark 14:62 (NIV) "I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Luke 21:27 (NIV) At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Acts 1:9-11 (NIV) After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Revelation 1:7 (NIV) Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. ** Jesus will come with His angels ** The fact that it is the angels that come with Jesus at His Second Coming further clarifies when and how He comes. These Scriptures again sew all prophetic passages into one. Matthew 16:27 (NIV) For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. Matthew 25:31 (NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. Mark 8:38 (NIV) If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." Luke 9:26 (NIV) If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 1 Thessalonians 3:13 (NIV) May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones. 2 Thessalonians 1:7b (NIV) This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. Jude 1:14 (NIV) Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones Revelation 19:14 (NIV) The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Note that the armies of heaven are dressed "white and clean" (Revelation 19:14), and the two angels of Acts 1:10 are dressed in "white." Acts 1:10 (NIV) They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. The fine linen of the saints, however, is "bright and clean." Revelation 19:8 (NIV) Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) The adornment of the angels is "white." The adornment of the saints is "bright." The adornment of the saints will be superior to the adornment of the angels. ** Jesus will come when the SEVENTH (LAST) trumpet sounds loud and long ** The trumpet is a common thread that ties the prophetic scriptures into one and gives us a clear view of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, so that we are not surprised by this event. "But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief." (1 Thessalonians 5:4 NIV) Exodus 19:13 (NIV) He shall surely be stoned or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on him. Whether man or animal, he shall not be permitted to live.' Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain." Exodus 19:16 (NIV) On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:19 (NIV) and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. Leviticus 25:8-10 (NIV) "'Count off seven sabbaths of years--seven times seven years--so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years. 9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. Isaiah 27:12-13 (NIV) In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. 13 And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. Joel 2:1 (NIV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- Zephaniah 1:15-16 (NIV) That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. Zechariah 9:14 (NIV) Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, Matthew 24:31 (NIV) And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV) For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. There are only seven trumpets; "the last trumpet" is the seventh trumpet. Here we get confirmation of all other prophetic scriptures and know that Jesus will come to claim His bride at the end of the Tribulation period. 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NIV) in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. Revelation 11:15 (NIV) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever." Trumpets were used on many occasions for purposes that will also occur at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: * To assemble the people * To proclaim a king * To go into battle * At times of rejoicing * To summon soldiers * To announce God * On the Day of Atonement * At the Jubilee * At the dedication of the temple * In worship * In triumph * At the laying of the foundation of the temple * When God came to His Temple Leviticus 25:9-10 (NIV) Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan. Numbers 10:1-10 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses: 2 "Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. 3 When both are sounded, the whole community is to assemble before you at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 4 If only one is sounded, the leaders--the heads of the clans of Israel--are to assemble before you. 5 When a trumpet blast is sounded, the tribes camping on the east are to set out. 6 At the sounding of a second blast, the camps on the south are to set out. The blast will be the signal for setting out. 7 To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the same signal. 8 "The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. 9 When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the LORD your God and rescued from your enemies. 10 Also at your times of rejoicing--your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals--you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God." Judges 6:34 (NIV) Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 2 Samuel 15:10 (NIV) Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, 'Absalom is king in Hebron.'" 1 Kings 1:34 (NIV) There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!' 1 Kings 1:39 (NIV) Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!" 2 Kings 9:13 (NIV) They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, "Jehu is king!" 1 Chronicles 16:42 (NIV) Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song. The sons of Jeduthun were stationed at the gate. 2 Chronicles 15:12-14 (NIV) They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 2 Chronicles 7:6 (NIV) The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord's musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever." Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing. 2 Chronicles 20:28 (NIV) They entered Jerusalem and went to the temple of the LORD with harps and lutes and trumpets. Ezra 3:10-11 (NIV) When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel. 11 With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. Nehemiah 4:18-20 (NIV) and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" ** Jesus will come at the pouring of the Seventh Bowl of Wrath. ** Revelation 16:17 (NIV) The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" ** Jesus will come on one day - "The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord" ** That day will be Great for those who are ready, Terrible for those who are not. The Holy Word of God continues to dispel the myths and confusion put forth by Satan to deceive. Isaiah 2:11-21 (NIV) The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. 12 The LORD Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), 13 for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, 14 for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, 15 for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, 16 for every trading ship and every stately vessel. 17 The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day, 18 and the idols will totally disappear. 19 Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. 20 In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. 21 They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. Isaiah 27:1 (NIV) In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea. Joel 2:1 (NIV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand-- Joel 2:11 (NIV) The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? Joel 3:14 (NIV) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Zephaniah 1:14-15 (NIV) "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, Zephaniah 1:18 (NIV) Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth." Zechariah 14:6-9 (NIV) On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. 7 It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime--a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. 8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. Malachi 3:2 (NIV) But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 1 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:5 (NIV) hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:10 (NIV) so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, Philippians 2:16 (NIV) as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 (NIV) for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 2 Thessalonians 1:10 (NIV) on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 (NIV) not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Peter 3:10 (NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 2 Peter 3:12 (NIV) as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 1 John 4:17 (NIV) In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ** Jesus will come in the sight of all the people ** Satan, the author of confusion, has put forth the lie that only the Christians will see Jesus when He comes to claim His bride. The Holy Word of God clarifies this issue. Exodus 19:11 (NIV) and be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Psalms 97:4 (NIV) His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. Matthew 24:30 (NIV) "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. Mark 13:26 (NIV) "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 1 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV) Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 2 Thessalonians 1:7b (NIV) This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 1 Peter 1:7 (NIV) These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:13 (NIV) Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 4:13 (NIV) But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. Colossians 3:4 (NIV) When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 1 Timothy 6:14 (NIV) to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13 (NIV) while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 2 Timothy 4:1 (NIV) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. Hebrews 9:28 (NIV) so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. 1 Peter 5:4 (NIV) And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 John 2:28 (NIV) And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 1 John 3:2 (NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Revelation 1:7 (NIV) Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. Revelation 1:7b "Even those who pierced him" can only be taken in the sense that anyone who is not living for Jesus Christ pierces Him anew. This complies with the rest of the Scriptures that state that He will be in the sight of saint and sinner alike. The actual men that pierced him will not return to life until the great white throne judgment after the One Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ on this earth. Revelation 20:11-13 (NIV) Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Revelation 1:7c "all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him." Revelation 1:7c is referencing the "earthly man" of 1 Corinthians 15:47-48. The Christians will obviously be delighted at Jesus' Second Coming. 1 Corinthians 15:47-48 (NIV) The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. ** Jesus "will come like a thief in the night" (a surprise, suddenly) ** Isaiah 29:5-6 (NIV) But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. Malachi 3:1 (NIV) "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. Matthew 24:43-44 (NIV) But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Luke 12:39-40 (NIV) But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4 (NIV) for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 2 Peter 3:10 (NIV) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Revelation 3:3 (NIV) Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Revelation 16:15 (NIV) "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." ** The martyred dead, and then the live Christians will rise to meet Jesus in the air ** 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 (NIV) Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Including: a. The martyred Christians from every tribe, people, and language who came out of the tribulation, Revelation 7:9-14 (NIV) After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. b. Those Christians that were martyred due to their testimony (some during the tribulation), Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. c. Those Christians that were beheaded during the tribulation, Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV) I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. d. Those who allowed themselves to be martyred in order to obtain a better resurrection. Hebrews 11:35 (NIV) Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Psalms 50:5 (NIV) "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." The scripturally based fact that only the martyred dead will be raised to life at Jesus Second Coming gives us light into John 14:1-3, another widely misunderstood Scripture. The martyred dead will be raised to life, to rule with Jesus Christ during His one thousand year reign on this earth. John 14:1-3 (NIV) "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. The "prepared place" referenced in John 14:1-3 does not appear until after the one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on this earth has been completed, and the great white throne judgment has occurred. Revelation 21:1-3 (NIV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. Another Scripture that is often coupled with John 14:1-3, is 1 Corinthians 2:9-10. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (NIV) However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 actually references spiritual truths revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, but is often referred to by those still dwelling in the physical realm as referencing the splendor of the mansions Jesus has prepared for us. These people are worshiping themselves, and the creation of heaven rather than the Creator of heaven. This is idolatry, and is SIN. I defy any man to show me a set of house prints from heaven that was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. In writing the song "Mansion Over The Hilltop," Ira Stanphill reveals the idolatry that was in his heart at the time. It is a song that focuses totally on self indulgence (self worship) and a worship of the creation rather than the Creator. Then the live Christians will rise to meet Jesus Matthew 24:31 (NIV) And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Mark 13:27 (NIV) And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens. 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NIV) I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." Individuals, not groups, will make up the Bride of Christ. Matthew 24:39b-41 (NIV) That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. One could not conclude that 50% of the people will be saved. Luke 17:34-35 (NIV) I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." In the Laodicean church, Jesus addresses individuals. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. It will not be any organized church, but individuals, who are saved out of the Laodicean church that make up the bride of Christ. The only Organized Religion that will exist will be involved in a worship of the antichrist. Christians shall put on the imperishable - Not restricted by physical limitations, as Jesus was after His resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:50-55 (NIV) I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" Philippians 3:21 (NIV) who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Colossians 3:4 (NIV) When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 1 John 3:2 (NIV) Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ** "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:36-39; Luke 17:26-27) ** Matthew 24:36-39 (NIV) "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. A surface reading of Matthew 24:36-39 appears to contradict the view that the Holy Spirit through John gives in Revelation concerning the conditions prior to, and at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: Revelation 16:10-11 (NIV) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. Revelation 6:15-17 (NIV) Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" Revelation 9:3-6 (NIV) And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. A Holy Spirit led scrutiny of Matthew 24:36-39 will reveal rich manifold truth. Jesus topic statement was in reference to the fact that men had become wicked. The wicked were totally unaware of what was going to happen to them, and THE DAY the Christians were removed, total destruction came. This is an identical situation to what will occur at the Second Coming of Christ. Genesis 6:5-8 (NIV) The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Genesis 6:11-13 (NIV) Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. Man's concern was only for his physical needs (food, water, sex), with no concern for his spiritual condition: Matthew 24:38 (NIV) For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; During the time of Noah, after men had become corrupt and wicked, God destroyed the sinful world by water. There had never been rain before the flood. The earth was watered by surface streams. Man had no clue that God would rain a watery death down. Genesis 2:4-6 (NIV) This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens-- 5 and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground, 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground-- Sinful man has little clue of the fiery eternity that awaits him at death, or at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Luke 17:26-30 (NIV) "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 "It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 "It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. Genesis 19:24 (NIV) Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah--from the LORD out of the heavens. Revelation 14:9-11 (NIV) A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." Revelation 20:9-10 (NIV) They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 21:8 (NIV) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." Psalms 11:5-6 (NIV) The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. Job 18:5-21 (NIV) "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out; the flame of his fire stops burning. 6 The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out. 7 The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down. 8 His feet thrust him into a net and he wanders into its mesh. 9 A trap seizes him by the heel; a snare holds him fast. 10 A noose is hidden for him on the ground; a trap lies in his path. 11 Terrors startle him on every side and dog his every step. 12 Calamity is hungry for him; disaster is ready for him when he falls. 13 It eats away parts of his skin; death's firstborn devours his limbs. 14 He is torn from the security of his tent and marched off to the king of terrors. 15 Fire resides in his tent; burning sulfur is scattered over his dwelling. 16 His roots dry up below and his branches wither above. 17 The memory of him perishes from the earth; he has no name in the land. 18 He is driven from light into darkness and is banished from the world. 19 He has no offspring or descendants among his people, no survivor where once he lived. 20 Men of the west are appalled at his fate; men of the east are seized with horror. 21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man; such is the place of one who knows not God." ** Jesus will descend to Jerusalem, with the sword of judgment and fire, coming from His mouth, destroying those gathered at Armageddon. ** As men have become corrupt and wicked again, God will destroy the wicked by fire when He gathers them into the valley of Megiddo at the Battle of Armageddon. At the Battle of Armageddon, Kings from the North, South, and East will attack the antichrist in the Valley of Megiddo. God is a God of perfect order. The only order in this universe is found in God. There is little order in the dominion of Satan. After establishing a One World Government, and a One World Religion in which the antichrist is God, the structure will fail, and result in the parts of the antichrist's kingdom attacking him. They each belong to their father the devil, and they want to carry out their fathers desire. Each of the parts will desire to be God just like their father the devil desires to be God. This will result in the parts of the kingdom of darkness gathering in the valley of Megiddo to attack the antichrist. When they are gathered in the valley with the antichrist, Jesus Christ will return and destroy them all. The destruction of the forces of evil will result in blood running as high as a horses bridle for 1800 miles. Revelation 13:1 (NIV) And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. Isaiah 27:1 (NIV) In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea. Revelation 16:12-16 (NIV) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Daniel 11:40 (NIV) "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. Daniel 11:44 (NIV) But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. Ezekiel 39 (NIV) "Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand. 4 On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. 5 You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. 6 I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD. 7 "'I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the LORD am the Holy One in Israel. 8 It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD. This is the day I have spoken of. 9 "'Then those who live in the towns of Israel will go out and use the weapons for fuel and burn them up--the small and large shields, the bows and arrows, the war clubs and spears. For seven years they will use them for fuel. 10 They will not need to gather wood from the fields or cut it from the forests, because they will use the weapons for fuel. And they will plunder those who plundered them and loot those who looted them, declares the Sovereign LORD. 11 "'On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those who travel east toward the Sea. It will block the way of travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon Gog. 12 "'For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and the day I am glorified will be a memorable day for them, declares the Sovereign LORD. 14 "'Men will be regularly employed to cleanse the land. Some will go throughout the land and, in addition to them, others will bury those that remain on the ground. At the end of the seven months they will begin their search. 15 As they go through the land and one of them sees a human bone, he will set up a marker beside it until the gravediggers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 (Also a town called Hamonah will be there.) And so they will cleanse the land.' 17 "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: 'Assemble and come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel. There you will eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls--all of them fattened animals from Bashan. 19 At the sacrifice I am preparing for you, you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk. 20 At my table you will eat your fill of horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind,' declares the Sovereign LORD. 21 "I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay upon them. 22 From that day forward the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them. 25 "Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will now bring Jacob back from captivity and will have compassion on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name. 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety in their land with no one to make them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will show myself holy through them in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they will know that I am the LORD their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them to their own land, not leaving any behind. 29 I will no longer hide my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD." Joel 2:18-20 (NIV) Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people. 19 The LORD will reply to them: 'I am sending you grain, new wine and oil, enough to satisfy you fully; never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations. 20 'I will drive the northern army far from you, pushing it into a parched and barren land, with its front columns going into the eastern sea and those in the rear into the western sea. And its stench will go up; its smell will rise.' Surely he has done great things. Revelation 14:17-20 (NIV) Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18 Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. Joel 3:1-16 (NIV) 'In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land. 3 They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine that they might drink. 4 'Now what have you against me, O Tyre and Sidon and all you regions of Philistia? Are you repaying me for something I have done? If you are paying me back, I will swiftly and speedily return on your own heads what you have done. 5 For you took my silver and my gold and carried off my finest treasures to your temples. 6 You sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks, that you might send them far from their homeland. 7 'See, I am going to rouse them out of the places to which you sold them, and I will return on your own heads what you have done. 8 I will sell your sons and daughters to the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, a nation far away.' The LORD has spoken. 9 Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!' 11 Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD! 12 'Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. 13 Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow--so great is their wickedness!' 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. 15 The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. 16 The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. Revelation 19:11-20:3 (NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great." 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. 20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. Psalms 110:5-6 (NIV) The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. Zephaniah 1:14-18 (NIV) "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. 15 That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, 16 a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. 17 I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth." Isaiah 30:27-33 (NIV) See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. 28 His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. 29 And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. 30 The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. 31 The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. 32 Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm. 33 Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze. Deuteronomy 29:22-28 (NIV) Your children who follow you in later generations and foreigners who come from distant lands will see the calamities that have fallen on the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it. 23 The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur--nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in fierce anger. 24 All the nations will ask: "Why has the LORD done this to this land? Why this fierce, burning anger?" 25 And the answer will be: "It is because this people abandoned the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, the covenant he made with them when he brought them out of Egypt. 26 They went off and worshiped other gods and bowed down to them, gods they did not know, gods he had not given them. 27 Therefore the Lord's anger burned against this land, so that he brought on it all the curses written in this book. 28 In furious anger and in great wrath the LORD uprooted them from their land and thrust them into another land, as it is now." Zechariah 14:12-16 (NIV) This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths. 13 On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other. 14 Judah too will fight at Jerusalem. The wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected--great quantities of gold and silver and clothing. 15 A similar plague will strike the horses and mules, the camels and donkeys, and all the animals in those camps. 16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Psalms 18:3-19 (NIV) I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. 4 The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 5 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. 7 The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. 8 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 9 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 10 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him-- the dark rain clouds of the sky. 12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. 15 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalms 21:8-12 (NIV) Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. 9 At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. 11 Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; 12 for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow. Psalms 50:3-6 (NIV) Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. 4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." 6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah John 5:22 (NIV) Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, Psalms 97:3-7 (NIV) Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. 7 All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols-- worship him, all you gods! Isaiah 29:5-8 (NIV) But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant, 6 the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. 7 Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night-- 8 as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he awakens, and his hunger remains; as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion. Isaiah 34:1-10 (NIV) Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it! 2 The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. 3 Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. 4 All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree. 5 My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. 6 The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat-- the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. 7 And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat. 8 For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. 9 Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! 10 It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. Isaiah 66:15-16 (NIV) See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. Joel 2:11 (NIV) The LORD thunders at the head of his army; his forces are beyond number, and mighty are those who obey his command. The day of the LORD is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it? Zechariah 9:14-15 (NIV) Then the LORD will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south, 15 and the LORD Almighty will shield them. They will destroy and overcome with slingstones. They will drink and roar as with wine; they will be full like a bowl used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. Matthew 16:27 (NIV) For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV) Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 2 Thessalonians 1:8 (NIV) He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 2 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV) And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. 2 Timothy 4:1 (NIV) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV) Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. James 5:7-9 (NIV) Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 1 Peter 5:4 (NIV) And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. Jude 1:14-15 (NIV) Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him." The antichrist's forces will be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Satan who will have possessed the antichrist, will be bound, but allowed to live for a thousand years longer. The destruction of the Assyrian army of Sennacherib is a for glimpse of the destruction of the forces of Satan at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Sennacherib a shadow of Satan, was allowed to live. 2 Kings 19:35-36 (NIV) That night the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning--there were all the dead bodies! 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. The valley of Megiddo, location of the Battle of Armageddon ** Jesus will descend to Jerusalem to set up His earthly kingdom ** Job 19:25-26 (NIV) I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; Psalms 68:29 (NIV) Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. Isaiah 18:7 (NIV) At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers-- the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty. Isaiah 24:23 (NIV) The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV) "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7:27 (NIV) Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' Joel 3:16-21 (NIV) The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel. 17 'Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. 18 'In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias. 19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. 21 Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.' The LORD dwells in Zion! Zechariah 14:8-11 (NIV) On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. 10 The whole land, from Geba to Rimmon, south of Jerusalem, will become like the Arabah. But Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place, from the Benjamin Gate to the site of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. 11 It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure. 2 Timothy 2:12a (NIV) if we endure, we will also reign with him. Revelation 5:10 (NIV) You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth." Revelation 12:5a (NIV) She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. Revelation 19:15a (NIV) Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." Revelation 20:4-6 (NIV) I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. ** Jesus will descend to Jerusalem for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb ** Isaiah 25:6-9 (NIV) On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 9 In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." Matthew 25:10 (NIV) "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Luke 12:36-37 (NIV) like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV) I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. Ephesians 5:23-32 (NIV) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. Revelation 19:6-9 (NIV) Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) 9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God." ** Jesus will descend to Jerusalem to begin His One Thousand Year (Millennial) Reign on the earth ** During the present days of very mild turbulence, and very mild seas, we must discipline ourselves to concentrate on Jesus Christ. As a seasick man must not concentrate on the turbulent waters around him, but on the flat calm of the horizon, so during the difficult days ahead, we must focus on Jesus Christ, and the flat calm of the millennial horizon. Hurricane force winds and waves are coming. Psalms 72 (NIV) Of Solomon. Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2 He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. 3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. 4 He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. 5 He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. 6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. 7 In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. 8 He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. 10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. 11 All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. 12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. 15 Long may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. 16 Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. 17 May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. 18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 19 Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. 20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. Isaiah 2:1-5 (NIV) This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 4:2-6 (NIV) In that day the Branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel. 3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV) Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-- 2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 3 You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. 5 Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 16:5 (NIV) In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it-- one from the house of David-- one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness. Isaiah 25 1-10 (NIV) O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago. 2 You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners' stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. 4 You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall 5 and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. 6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7 On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. 9 In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." 10 The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; Isaiah 24:23 (NIV) The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously. Isaiah 26:1-2 (NIV) In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. Isaiah 30:18-26 (NIV) Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! 19 O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." 22 Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!" 23 He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. 24 The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. 25 In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26 The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted. Isaiah 32:1-5 (NIV) See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice. 2 Each man will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land. 3 Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. 4 The mind of the rash will know and understand, and the stammering tongue will be fluent and clear. 5 No longer will the fool be called noble nor the scoundrel be highly respected. Isaiah 32:14-20 (NIV) The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, 15 till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. 16 Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. 17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. 19 Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, 20 how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free. Isaiah 33:15-24 (NIV) 15 He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-- 16 this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. 17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. 18 In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?" 19 You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. 21 There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. 22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us. 23 Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder. 24 No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven. Isaiah 35 (NIV) The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. 3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4 say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7 The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. 8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9 No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10 and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 60 (NIV) "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4 "Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5 Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come. 6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the LORD. 7 All Kedar's flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple. 8 "Who are these that fly along like clouds, like doves to their nests? 9 Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your sons from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor. 10 "Foreigners will rebuild your walls, and their kings will serve you. Though in anger I struck you, in favor I will show you compassion. 11 Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, so that men may bring you the wealth of the nations-- their kings led in triumphal procession. 12 For the nation or kingdom that will not serve you will perish; it will be utterly ruined. 13 "The glory of Lebanon will come to you, the pine, the fir and the cypress together, to adorn the place of my sanctuary; and I will glorify the place of my feet. 14 The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet and will call you the City of the LORD, Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 "Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one traveling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the joy of all generations. 16 You will drink the milk of nations and be nursed at royal breasts. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold, and silver in place of iron. Instead of wood I will bring you bronze, and iron in place of stones. I will make peace your governor and righteousness your ruler. 18 No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. 19 The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. 20 Your sun will never set again, and your moon will wane no more; the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will end. 21 Then will all your people be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor. 22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly." Isaiah 61 (NIV) The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 62 (NIV) For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. 2 The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord's hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. 6 I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth. 8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: "Never again will I give your grain as food for your enemies, and never again will foreigners drink the new wine for which you have toiled; 9 but those who harvest it will eat it and praise the LORD, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary." 10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. 11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" 12 They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted. Jeremiah 3:14-18 (NIV) "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband. I will choose you--one from a town and two from a clan--and bring you to Zion. 15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16 In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land," declares the LORD, "men will no longer say, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17 At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18 In those days the house of Judah will join the house of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your forefathers as an inheritance. Jeremiah 23:5-8 (NIV) "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness. 7 "So then, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' 8 but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land." Jeremiah 31 (NIV) "At that time," declares the LORD, "I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they will be my people." 2 This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the desert; I will come to give rest to Israel." 3 The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. 4 I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful. 5 Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. 6 There will be a day when watchmen cry out on the hills of Ephraim, 'Come, let us go up to Zion, to the LORD our God.'" 7 This is what the LORD says: "Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, 'O LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel.' 8 See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. 9 They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son. 10 "Hear the word of the LORD, O nations; proclaim it in distant coastlands: 'He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.' 11 For the LORD will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they. 12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD-- the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. 13 Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. 14 I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD. 15 This is what the LORD says: "A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because her children are no more." 16 This is what the LORD says: "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD. "They will return from the land of the enemy. 17 So there is hope for your future," declares the LORD. "Your children will return to their own land. 18 "I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me like an unruly calf, and I have been disciplined. Restore me, and I will return, because you are the LORD my God. 19 After I strayed, I repented; after I came to understand, I beat my breast. I was ashamed and humiliated because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' 20 Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him," declares the LORD. 21 "Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns. 22 How long will you wander, O unfaithful daughter? The LORD will create a new thing on earth-- a woman will surround a man." 23 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: "When I bring them back from captivity, the people in the land of Judah and in its towns will once again use these words: 'The LORD bless you, O righteous dwelling, O sacred mountain.' 24 People will live together in Judah and all its towns-- farmers and those who move about with their flocks. 25 I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." 26 At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me. 27 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. 28 Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. 29 "In those days people will no longer say, 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' 30 Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be set on edge. 31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD. 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." 35 This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-- the LORD Almighty is his name: 36 "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me." 37 This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD. 38 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when this city will be rebuilt for me from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 The measuring line will stretch from there straight to the hill of Gareb and then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown, and all the terraces out to the Kidron Valley on the east as far as the corner of the Horse Gate, will be holy to the LORD. The city will never again be uprooted or demolished." Ezekiel 37:15-28 (NIV) The word of the LORD came to me: 16 "Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, 'Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.' Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, 'Ephraim's stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.' 17 Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand. 18 "When your countrymen ask you, 'Won't you tell us what you mean by this?' 19 say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph--which is in Ephraim's hand--and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah's stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand.' 20 Hold before their eyes the sticks you have written on 21 and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. 22 I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 24 "'My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. 25 They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. 26 I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and increase their numbers, and I will put my sanctuary among them forever. 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. 28 Then the nations will know that I the LORD make Israel holy, when my sanctuary is among them forever.'" Daniel 2:44-45 (NIV) "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. 45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands--a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces. "The great God has shown the king what will take place in the future. The dream is true and the interpretation is trustworthy." Daniel 7:22 (NIV) until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom. Daniel 7:27 (NIV) Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' Joel 2:21-27 (NIV) Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the LORD has done great things. 22 Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches. 23 Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil. 25 'I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-- the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm -- my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed. 27 Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the LORD your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. Joel 3:17-21 (NIV) 'Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. 18 'In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley of acacias. 19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. 20 Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. 21 Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.' The LORD dwells in Zion! Micah 4:1-8 (NIV) In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. 2 Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 3 He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 4 Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken. 5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever. 6 "In that day," declares the LORD, "I will gather the lame; I will assemble the exiles and those I have brought to grief. 7 I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation. The LORD will rule over them in Mount Zion from that day and forever. 8 As for you, O watchtower of the flock, O stronghold of the Daughter of Zion, the former dominion will be restored to you; kingship will come to the Daughter of Jerusalem." Zephaniah 3:8-20 (NIV) Therefore wait for me," declares the LORD, "for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out my wrath on them-- all my fierce anger. The whole world will be consumed by the fire of my jealous anger. 9 "Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10 From beyond the rivers of Cush my worshipers, my scattered people, will bring me offerings. 11 On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me, because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never again will you be haughty on my holy hill. 12 But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. 13 The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid." 14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. 16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. 17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." 18 "The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. 19 At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame. 20 At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD. Zechariah 2:8-13 (NIV) For this is what the LORD Almighty says: "After he has honored me and has sent me against the nations that have plundered you--for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye-- 9 I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me. 10 "Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD. 11 "Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. 12 The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling." Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 14:16-21 (NIV) Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 20 On that day HOLY TO THE LORD will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord's house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the LORD Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty. Malachi 1:11 (NIV) My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. Matthew 19:28 (NIV) Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Matthew 25:31-34 (NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. Matthew 26:29 (NIV) I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom." Luke 22:28-30 (NIV) You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 1 Corinthians 6:1-3 (NIV) If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? 2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Revelation 12:5a (NIV) She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. ** ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST? ** ** HAVE YOU BEEN BORN AGAIN? ** John 3:1-22 (NIV) Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." 9 "How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. 10 "You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11 I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." 22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. Adam, a perfect man without sin, sinned. In doing so, Adam brought sin to all mankind. Every man is born in sin, and starts sinning. Psalms 58:3 (NIV) Even from birth the wicked go astray; from the womb they are wayward and speak lies. Romans 3:23 (NIV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, God is perfect Love. God is perfect Mercy. God is also perfect Justice. In God's perfect justice system, a perfect man, without sin, was required to die as a sacrifice to compensate for Adam's sin (and humanity's), and balance God's scales of justice. No human, without the power of the Holy Spirit can live without sin. So, the system required God himself to come to earth, live a perfect life, and die as a sacrifice for man's sin, allowing man to be reinstated in a relationship with God. Jesus is God, and did this. Luke 19:10 (NIV) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Romans 3:22-26 (NIV) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Romans 4:25-5:1 (NIV) He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:8-19 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Romans 8:3 (NIV) For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 (NIV) By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NIV) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (NIV) All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Galatians 1:3-4 (NIV) Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Colossians 1:19-22 (NIV) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV) For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men--the testimony given in its proper time. Titus 2:11-14 (NIV) For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Hebrews 7:25 (NIV) Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 9:26-28 (NIV) Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews 10:10 (NIV) And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 3:18 (NIV) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, 1 John 2:2 (NIV) 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 3:5 (NIV) But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 1 John 4:10 (NIV) This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life, and was sacrificed on the cross to cover man's sins with His sacrificial blood. All that is required to claim this unmerited favor is to believe in your heart that Jesus is God, His sacrificial blood has the power to cleanse you from your sins, repent of your sins, confess them in prayer to Jesus, and ask forgiveness of them, comply with His law, which includes baptism, and ask Him into your heart and life as your God. ** Jesus is the Son of God ** Matthew 8:28-29 (NIV) When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Matthew 16:13-17 (NIV) When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. Matthew 27:54 (NIV) When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, "Surely he was the Son of God!" Mark 1:24 (NIV) "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" Mark 3:11 (NIV) Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." Mark 5:7 (NIV) He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" Mark 14:61-62a (NIV) But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" 62 "I am," said Jesus. Mark 15:39 (NIV) And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" Luke 1:35 (NIV) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 4:34 (NIV) "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!" Luke 4:41 (NIV) Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ. Luke 8:28 (NIV) When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!" Luke 22:70 (NIV) They all asked, "Are you then the Son of God?" He replied, "You are right in saying I am." John 1:1-18 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. John 1:34-36 (NIV) I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" John 1:49 (NIV) Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." John 5:18 (NIV) For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. John 10:28-30 (NIV) I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." John 11:25-27 (NIV) Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." John 20:28-31 (NIV) Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Acts 9:20-22 (NIV) At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. Romans 1:1-4 (NIV) Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 John 5:1-5 (NIV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. ** ONLY Jesus Christ's sacrificial Blood has the power to cleanse your sins ** Because Jesus Christ was the only Perfect Blood Sacrifice, it is only through His intercession that we are allowed atonement (at-one-ment) with God. John 14:6 (NIV) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 3:36 (NIV) Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Because Jesus' blood is so precious, so powerful, and so pure, it has the ability to cover a compilation of the most heinous, despicable sins instantly; just as quickly as it covers the smallest, most minute sin. Psalms 103:12 (NIV) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Matthew 1:21 (NIV) She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 9:1-8 (NIV) Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7 And the man got up and went home. 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men. Mark 2:1-12 (NIV) A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . ." He said to the paralytic, 11 "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Matthew 26:26-28 (NIV) While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Luke 1:76-77 (NIV) And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, 77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, Luke 5:20 (NIV) When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." Luke 7:48-49 (NIV) Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" John 1:29 (NIV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 8:24 (NIV) I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." Acts 10:43 (NIV) All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." Acts 13:38-39 (NIV) "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. Romans 5:9 (NIV) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Ephesians 1:7 (NIV) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV) For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ** Jesus requires repentance ** Repent of your sins, confess them to Jesus in prayer, and ask Him to forgive them. Repentance - That divinely wrought conviction of sin in the heart that the soul is guilty before God, and resolute turning away from sin in which the sinner identifies himself with the gracious act of God in redeeming him. Repentance involves both a change of mind about sin, and a change of heart-attitude toward sin. It is at the time of renunciation of sin and an acceptance of the Holy Spirit's enablement to Holy Living. Repentance is necessary for salvation. Jesus asserted that it was a necessary condition Matthew 3:2 (NIV) and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 3:8 (NIV) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 4:17 (NIV) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." while both Paul and Peter identified it with true salvation Acts 20:21 (NIV) I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (The New Compact Bible Dictionary - Zondervan) Repent 1 to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life 2a to feel regret or contrition b to change one's mind. (Webster's Dictionary) Matthew 3:1-6 (NIV) In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Matthew 3:11 (NIV) "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Matthew 4:17 (NIV) From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Mark 1:14-15 (NIV) After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" Mark 6:12 (NIV) They went out and preached that people should repent. Luke 3:3-8 (NIV) He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God's salvation.'" 7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. Luke 5:32 (NIV) I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 13:3 (NIV) I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Luke 15:7-10 (NIV) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. 8 "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 3:19 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, Acts 5:31 (NIV) God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. Acts 8:22 (NIV) Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. Acts 11:18 (NIV) When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life." Acts 13:24 (NIV) Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 19:4 (NIV) Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." Acts 20:21 (NIV) I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. Romans 2:4-5 (NIV) Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV) Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, Hebrews 6:1 (NIV) Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, ** Jesus requires confession of your sins ** In the Levitical Law, the High Priest was required to offer blood sacrifices as an atonement for sins, and confess man's sins to God. Leviticus 5:5-6 (NIV) "'When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned 6 and, as a penalty for the sin he has committed, he must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for him for his sin. Leviticus 16:20-21 (NIV) "When Aaron has finished making atonement for the Most Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting and the altar, he shall bring forward the live goat. 21 He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites--all their sins--and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. On the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest went into the Most Holy Place, he was a fore glimpse of Jesus Christ, the true High Priest and intercessor who sits at the right hand of the Father. Hebrews 9:1-14 (NIV) Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. 2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand, the table and the consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover. But we cannot discuss these things in detail now. 6 When everything had been arranged like this, the priests entered regularly into the outer room to carry on their ministry. 7 But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. 8 The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still standing. 9 This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. 10 They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order. 11 When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. 12 He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! Hebrews 6:19-20 (NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. When Jesus was crucified, the veil of the Temple dividing common man from the Most Holy Place was torn in two from top to bottom, signifying that God, not man had torn the veil. Mark 15:37-38 (NIV) With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was a declaration by God, that man was now allowed into the Most Holy Place through the Blood of Jesus Christ for man's own personal individual confession. Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Man no longer required an earthly priest to intercede for him. He was now able to confess his sin directly to Jesus as the intercessor High Priest. 1 John 1:9 (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Proverbs 28:13 (NIV) He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Confession of sins to God is a requirement of salvation, as well as confession that Jesus Christ is your God. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV) Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." 2 Corinthians 9:13 (NIV) Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. Jesus requires baptism. Mark 1:8 (NIV) I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 16:16 (NIV) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Luke 3:16 (NIV) John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John 3:22 (NIV) After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. John 4:1-2 (NIV) The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. Acts 8:36 (NIV) As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" Acts 10:47 (NIV) "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." Acts 22:16 (NIV) And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' 1 Peter 3:21 (NIV) and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Baptism - The word baptizo in Jewish usage first appears in the Mosaic laws of purification Exodus 30:17-21 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Moses, 18 "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it. 19 Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it. 20 Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made to the LORD by fire, 21 they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come." Leviticus 11:25 (NIV) Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. where it means washing or cleansing. Jews baptized proselytes. John's baptism was connected with repentance so that Jews might be spiritually prepared to recognize and receive the Messiah, and it differed from the baptism of Jesus: Luke 3:16 (NIV) John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John 1:26 (NIV) "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. Christian baptism symbolizes union with Christ: Galatians 3:26-27 (NIV) You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. remission of sins: Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. identification with Christ in His death to sin and resurrection to new life: Romans 6:3-5 (NIV) Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. and becoming a member of the body of Christ: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NIV) For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. The blessings of baptism are received by faith: Romans 6:8-11 (NIV) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (The New Compact Bible Dictionary - Zondervan) ** Jesus requires you to ask Him into your heart and life as your God. ** Matthew 7:7-12 (NIV) "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 10:37-39 (NIV) "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV) At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:34-38 (NIV) Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." Luke 9:23-25 (NIV) Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? Luke 11:9-13 (NIV) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" John 5:24-27 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. John 6:40 (NIV) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:25-59 (NIV) When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." 42 They said, "Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, 'I came down from heaven'?" 43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves," Jesus answered. 44 "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" 53 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. John 12:25-26 (NIV) The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. John 12:44-50 (NIV) Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. 47 "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49 For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." Acts 16:30-31 (NIV) He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." Romans 10:9-13 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ** Jesus requires compliance with God's law ** God's law is summed up in the umbrella policy stated in Matthew 22:37-40, and Mark 12:28-31: Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." God's law is further stated in the Ten Commandments, and in the directions and guides throughout the Bible. Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV) "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 18:21-35 (NIV) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 25:31-46 (NIV) "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Luke 19:8-9 (NIV) But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. John 13:34-35 (NIV) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 14:21-23 (NIV) Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?" 23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 15:9-10 (NIV) "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. Salvation requires more than "lip service." Matthew 7:21 (NIV) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 21:28-32 (NIV) "What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.' 29 "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. 30 "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. 31 "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Luke 6:46-49 (NIV) "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." Romans 2:13 (NIV) For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. James 1:22-25 (NIV) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. 1 John 2:3-6 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. It is impossible for man to be saved without God. Matthew 19:24-26 (NIV) Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" 26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." ** The mercy of God has a deadline ** No person has ever committed so heinous a sin that the love of Jesus would not pursue them. No person has ever been in a condition that the love of Jesus did not desire to reach out to them. Jesus in His complete love left the splendor of heaven to come to a stable, live a perfect life in a cruel world, and die on a cross to restore our relationship to God. His love endures forever. There is no record in the Bible of any man attempting to turn to God who was unable to. Jesus gives many parables in the Holy Word of God emphasizing how much He wants to forgive and allow a person to return to God. Matthew 18:12-14 (NIV) "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Luke 15:11-24 (NIV) Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them. 13 "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 17 "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20 So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:7 (NIV) I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:10 (NIV) In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." The blessed Lord will certainly comply with the same directions for forgiveness that He gives to Peter in Matthew 18:21-22. Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV) Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. In Hebrews 6:6, the Greek word "anastaurountaz" translated "crucifying," denotes a continuing of the crucifixion. If they continue crucifying, there is no repentance. Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Jesus Christ goes to great lengths in His Holy Word to reveal the infinity of His forgiveness. There is, however, a tragedy that must be warned against. When the Holy Spirit speaks to a person, and that person says "no", a callousness is built up that makes it increasingly difficult to hear the call of the Holy Spirit. If a person continues to rebel against the calling of the Holy Spirit, that person builds a wall, brick by brick, until they have completely shut God out. At that point, there will be no desire for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, because that person will not be able to hear His call. These unfortunate people play with fire until they sear their conscience. 1 Timothy 4:2 (NIV) Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. This will be the state of every unholy Gentile at Mid-Tribulation when the full number of Gentiles have come in. ("And the door was shut." Matthew 25:10) Genesis 6:3a (KJV) And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, You will have crossed the deadline. Many Gentiles have already crossed the deadline, many more will cross it before Mid-Tribulation. By mid-Tribulation all Gentiles will have become holy, or crossed the deadline. Proverbs 1:20-33 (NIV) Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: 22 "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? 23 If you had responded to my rebuke, I would have poured out my heart to you and made my thoughts known to you. 24 But since you rejected me when I called and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand, 25 since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke, 26 I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when calamity overtakes you-- 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you. 28 "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. 29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, 30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm." Isaiah 63:9-10 (NIV) In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. If you still have a genuine desire for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, it is because you can still hear His call and you still have a chance for redemption. John 6:44 (NIV) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. DO NOT WASTE YOUR PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY. The most tragic statement of all eternity is prophesied in Jeremiah 8:20 in the desperation of a doomed man: Jeremiah 8:20 (NIV) "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved." ** God has revealed Himself in a greater measure throughout time as man's understanding allowed it. ** Acts 17:30 (NIV) In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Ephesians 3:4-5 (NIV) In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. Man had been darkened in his thinking, and was unable to accept much light. There is a progression of light, starting in Genesis and continuing and expanding into eternity. The progression and unfolding of light is referenced by Jesus and the Holy Spirit: Luke 10:24 (NIV) For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it." 1 Peter 1:10-12 (NIV) Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. The first law given by God to man is referenced in Genesis 2:16-17. Genesis 2:16-17 (NIV) And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." It is the "Adamic Law." One law given to Adam and Eve. God's will is pitted against man's will. Man sinned. At the same time, the "Intuitive Law" was in place. The "Intuitive Law" is what is apparent to man without any specific instruction from God. Romans 1:18-23 (NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles . Man has known certain things about God since the beginning of time. When Cain killed Abel, he knew it was in violation of this "Intuitive Law." That is why he lied to God about the murder. Genesis 4:9-10 (NIV) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Following the flood, God began to give more definition to the law. The law God gave to Noah is referred to as the "Noahatic Law". Genesis 9:4-6 (NIV) "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. 5 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. 6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. The "Noahatic laws" were very simple. Jewish tradition says that the people were tearing the limbs off animals and eating them raw. God in His infinite love dictated against this cruel treatment. He also articulated the law against murder. Genesis 6:9 (NIV) This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Righteous 1 Acting in accord with divine or moral law : Free from guilt or sin Webster's Righteousness relates only to compliance with the law. The word righteous comes from the root word right. It strictly references the law. Good and bad have degrees, as in good, better, best - bad, worse, worst. Right and wrong have no degrees. It is black or white. Genesis 9:20-21 (NIV) Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. His actions in view of our light would be in question, but he was "blameless among the people of his time" because he did not know any better. "Noah was a righteous man", he was in full compliance with the "Intuitive and Noahatic Laws." Another example of a righteous man was Lot. Genesis 19:30-38 (NIV) Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. 32 Let's get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father." 33 That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 34 The next day the older daughter said to the younger, "Last night I lay with my father. Let's get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father." 35 So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. 36 So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. 37 The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab ; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 38 The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi ; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. 2 Peter 2:7 (NIV) and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men How could Lot be considered "a righteous man"? This same Lot who selfishly chose the well watered plains of Jordan with no concern for the welfare of his uncle Abraham; Lot who moved his family into Sodom; Lot who ultimately lost his estate, his wife and his family; Lot, "a righteous man," was righteous, because he was in full compliance with the "Intuitive and Noahatic Law". He never had the light and the understanding that we have. Lot had no law concerning alcoholic beverages or getting drunk, and was not held responsible for the incestuous relationships that occurred without his knowledge while he was in a drunken condition. As God continued to enlighten man, He gave him more guidelines to live by, or law. On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, or the Decalogue, as well as the Levitical Laws contained in the Pentateuch. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) Exodus 20:1-17 (NIV) And God spoke all these words: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." The law was a skeleton of things to come. It was a guideline; a set of rules to help man in his living and in understanding God. Matthew 5:17-19 (NIV) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial laws. The health laws that were pertinent to a nomadic people without refrigeration are not pertinent to us. We are however obligated to obey all health laws that are pertinent today. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV) Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. Jesus gave the brightest light and the completion of the Law in Matthew 22:37-40. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." God had been working to get man to understand this law since Adam. It is the same law referenced in Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18. Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV) Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Leviticus 19:18 (NIV) "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. The written law was nailed to the cross. The essence that it was teaching is still in effect- Love God, Love your fellowman, Love yourself. There is an implied love of self, if you must love your fellowman as much as you love yourself. The light gets no brighter than Matthew 22:37-40. Man's understanding however was still in a darkened state. The first Holiness convention was attended by the apostles and elders; Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament; and Peter and James, also writers of the New Testament. We are given an insight into how little they understood. Acts 15:5-29 (NIV) Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16 "'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' 18 that have been known for ages. 19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath." 22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. 23 With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul-- 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. In considering whether Christians should comply with the law, they agree that we are not under law but under grace. Then they go right back and establish a new law. "The Four Commandments." Acts 15:29 (NIV) You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. The law that they established was not even good law. This was not law given by God on Mount Sinai, this was law created by man at a church meeting. This is certainly a biblical example of why we must listen to God rather than the teachings of any singular man, or denominational group. Paul, in agreement at this time, later refutes the first portion of "The Four Commandments", as he gains sight of a higher law. 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 (NIV) So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. Paul had become enlightened by the Holy Spirit at the time he was writing portions of the New Testament. He concludes that an idol is nothing, but love for his brother is everything. Paul at this point, can see the light of Matthew 22:37-40. The law of Love. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Every righteous person has the power to comply with the law of Matthew 22:37-40. If you do not have the power to comply with the law, you are not righteous. Righteous: Acting in accord with divine or moral law, Free from guilt or sin Webster's Hebrews 5:13-14 (NIV) Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. If a person does not understand about righteousness, they are at best a baby in Christ, and at worst a messenger of Satan, sent to damn your soul. This is not the person to feed your soul. No "Calvinist" understands about righteousness. The highest understanding of any "Calvinist" is at best milk for babies. The Holy Spirit through Paul clearly states this in Hebrews 6:1-3. Hebrews 5:13-6:3 (NIV) Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 6:1 Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. A substantial portion of the Body of Christ is still feeding on babies milk. The Holy Spirit through Paul gives six examples of babies milk: 1. "the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death" 2. "faith in God" 3. "instruction about baptisms" 4. "the laying on of hands" 5. "the resurrection of the dead" 6. "eternal judgment" These are clearly stated as babies milk. Until you have been well nourished on these good things, and moved on to the deeper truths in the Holy Word of God, you are at best a baby in Christ. "Calvinistic theologians" never move beyond any of these, because their theology will not allow them to. In Galatians 5:2-3 Paul again states that we are not under the written law or the external law, but the law of love. Galatians 5:2-3 (NIV) Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV) Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Mark 2:27 (NIV) Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. John 1:17 (NIV) For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:8-9 (NIV) What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. ** A holy God is worthy of, demands, and will have a holy people for His holy city. ** Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. Leviticus 11:44 (NIV) I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. Leviticus 19:1-2 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. Leviticus 20:7-8 (NIV) "'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Leviticus 20:26 (NIV) You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Matthew 5:8 (NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:48 (NIV) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. What is this "Holiness" spoken of without which we cannot go to heaven? There are certain keys that unlock the great truths of the Word of God, and make them instantly simple. Some definitions and a clear understanding of terms are necessary for further insight into truth. Holiness - The idea of holiness originates in the revealed character of God, and is communicated to things, places, times and persons engaged in His service. Its ethical nature grows clearer as revelation unfolds, until the holiness of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, of the Church as a body, and of individual members of that body, fills the New Testament horizon. Holiness is interwoven with righteousness and purity. To seek holiness apart from the other qualities of a Christlike life, is to wander from the way of holiness itself. (The New Compact Bible Dictionary - Zondervan) Righteous: Acting in accord with divine or moral law: Free from guilt or sin Faith: Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Grace: Unmerited divine assistance Sin: Words cannot express how important it is that you have a clear definition of sin. Your understanding of sin could in some part determine whether you spend eternity in heaven or hell. God will destroy the present heaven and earth because there has been sin in them. Satan sinned in heaven before he fell; Adam and his descendants sinned on this earth. God, in His holiness, must have a dwelling place and a people untarnished by sin. Revelation 21:1-5 (NIV) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Habakkuk 1:13 (NIV) Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Revelation 21:27 (NIV) Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. Anything less than the Holy Word of God in defining sin is dangerous. 1 John 3:4 (NIV) Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. Sin is twofold in nature: Sin is an act. Sin is a state of being. In 1 John 3:4 we clearly see sin in its twofold nature. We see sin for its acts; "Everyone who sins breaks the law," and we see sin for its state of being "in fact, sin is lawlessness." Words ending in "ION" such as "action" refer to an act: * justification * regeneration * sanctification * expansion * contraction Words ending in "NESS" generally indicate a state of being: * holiness * righteousness * godliness * darkness * deafness * blindness * lawlessness Lawlessness is the state of being lawless. Since "sin is lawlessness", let us review the law: Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." The law of Love is an umbrella policy that covers all previous laws - Love God, Love your fellowman, Love yourself. Webster's dictionary defines sin as the "deviation of God's law". John Wesley defines sin as "a willful transgression against the known law of God". In both these instances, sin is defined for its' acts. Sin will produce acts, but SIN IS PRIMARILY A STATE OF BEING. To define sin for its acts is to define a disease for its symptoms. To consider sin for its results, or acts, is 250 year old antique theology. Sins as acts are viewed in Galatians 5:19-21: Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. SINS AS ACTS COME FROM SIN AS A STATE OF BEING! SIN IS THE REBELLIOUS, DESTRUCTIVE, TWISTED SELF WILL IN THE HEART. Man is born with the rebellious, destructive, distorted self will. It is our will in defiance of God's will. Christ is not God, self is God. God created Adam in the image of God with a clean freewill, thereby giving Adam the option to worship and commune with God. Adam rebelled against God's law and consequently twisted or distorted his freewill into a rebellious destructive self will. Self may choose on particular issues, or at particular times, to defer to Christ, but sovereignty rests with self. At the crisis, self will assume command. We can see this displayed in people of all ages, but especially in the very young and the very old who are less likely to mask their true emotions. Anyone who lives their life only for self becomes a very unhappy, and very ugly person. By direct contrast, anyone who gives of themselves to others is very fulfilled and becomes a very beautiful person. God desires to return you to that beautiful condition whereby you can truly worship and commune with Him. God desires to restore your will to the clean freewill Adam had prior to his fall. No Christian wants the disease of a rebellious, destructive, twisted self will in their heart. Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 15:16-20 (NIV) "Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'" Luke 6:43-45 (NIV) "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Sin is the diseased self will. We inherited this genetic disorder in our hearts from Adam. Hebrews 12:12-13 refers to sin as a lame body part. In the original Greek text, the word "cwlon" translated "lame" denotes a twisted or dislocated body part. Hebrews 12:12-13 (NIV) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. SIN IS THE REBELLIOUS, DESTRUCTIVE, TWISTED SELF WILL IN THE HEART. Self desires to be God, and totally control self. It is the very same desire that the devil has. It was what caused the devil to fall from heaven. The devil wants to be God. Sinful man has the same heart as the devil. Man is born with the same spirit as the devil, evidenced in the destructive, distorted, twisted self will that desires to "steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Man also desires to worship himself, worship created things rather than the Creator, and man desires to have people worship him. The devil has weaved the common thread of self being or becoming God in the heresies of Humanism, Mormonism, Hinduism, and some of the descendants of the eastern religions. Isaiah 14:13-14 (NIV) You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." John 8:44 (NIV) You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Ephesians 2:1-10 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Sin is a degenerative process. The degeneracy of Sin will not stop in this lifetime. Sinful people in hell will continue to degenerate into infinity. Most people in the world view demonic possession as a horrendous thing, and it is. The Christian World views demons with their heinous, destructive, perverted, gory awfulness as the most terrible beings in all of creation, and they are. Satan and the fallen angels who have become demons were at one time completely Holy. There was no hint, trace, nor preclusion to sin in them. Then, they individually determined in their hearts to rebel and to do their will instead of God's will. Man is born with the exact same spirit as Satan and the demons. Rebellious man is on the exact same path, with the exact same rebellious destructive self will as Satan and the demons. The only reason that the demons seem more awful is that they have had 6,000 years to degenerate. Carnal people are at various speeds of degeneracy. Some carnal people exhibit only a small degree of deterioration across their lifetimes, while others become completely decadent in a short period of time. The rate of speed varies, however, all rebellious beings are headed to the same place. Every person who has not been born again will degenerate beyond the heinous awfulness that demons are today. When carnal man looks at a demon, he is looking at himself in 6,000 years. Thank God, thank God, thank God, for Jesus Christ. Do you think that the Holy Spirit can inhabit a vessel that is simultaneously being inhabited by the same spirit that the devil has? The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in an unholy vessel. The Holy Spirit does not in any degree dwell in a person who has only repented, because the spirit of self will is still in the persons heart, and the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in the same vessel with the spirit of the devil. You may have either the Holy Spirit of God, or the same spirit that the devil has. You cannot have both. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NIV) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. Matthew 6:24 (NIV) "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NIV) Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Mark 3:23-26 (NIV) So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. Do you really think God will allow the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will to enter His holy heaven? The New Testament is the story of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The salvation process begins with the Holy Spirit drawing you to God: John 6:44 (NIV) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. The Holy Spirit in His infinite mercy and justice, draws every person to God. John 12:32 (NIV) But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." Isaiah 55:6-7 (NIV) Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. John 6:40 (NIV) For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Romans 10:13 (NIV) for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Matthew 22:9 (NIV) Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (NIV) This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. At the act of repentance/justification, when you repent of your sins, your sins are covered by the sacrificial Blood of Jesus Christ. The previous acts of sin are covered by the Blood. Justification is JUST-AS-IF you had never sinned. However, the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will remains in your heart. Soon, self imposes will over God's will, and you sin again. The Holy Spirit continues to draw you to God, exactly like He did prior to the crisis act of repentance/justification. After the initial act of repentance, when you sin (and you will, because you still have the rebellious self will in your heart), if you repent, and confess your sins, Jesus intercedes to the Father exactly like in your first act of repentance, and you are forgiven. 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. The Holy Spirit will continue to draw you into an area where the sinful self will is exposed. You may not initially realize that this sinful self will exists until the Holy Spirit exposes it. Romans 7:7-25 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. During the salvation process, after the act of repentance/justification, the Holy Spirit will draw you to a place where the self will in your heart will be exposed. He will be faithful to take you to your personal point of rebellion. You will then be given the option to release that thing in your life that is more important to you than God. If you do not surrender your last god to Jesus Christ, your salvation process stops. Many people reach that point in their lives where the Holy Spirit touches there singular last God, and they stop and will go no farther. This "many" is the same word used in Matthew 7:13,14: Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Christian Organized Religion is FULL of people who have come up against light and refused to walk in it. These "many" people rebel and say "I am religious enough". These people will go to hell, having never paid the price to be born again. The rich young ruler is an example of a person who had complied with all of the law, but when Jesus pointed out the man's singular last god, the man refused to go any further. Mark 10:17-22 (NIV) As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Thank God and Jesus Christ for Romans 8:1-2. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. During the salvation process, after repentance, when all your sins are under the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's grace covers you, as He continues to draw you to the crisis act of the crucifixion of the self will. After the initial crisis act of repentance; as long as you do everything that you know in order to serve Jesus Christ, continue to repent as you sin, and continue to seek a closer communion with Jesus Christ, you are covered by God's grace. 1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. The complete infilling of the Holy Spirit comes with the crucifixion of self will. Self will is crucified with Christ and arises unto life with Christ without the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will. Self will must be crucified. This crucifixion of the self will results in the death of the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will in the heart. We must release ALL of our self to God. At the crucifixion of the self will, the Holy Spirit of God will indwell a person. John 12:24 (NIV) I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Galatians 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 5:24 (NIV) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Romans 6:1-18 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey --whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Our will is completely subjected to Christ's will. We must come to the place where we are in total subjection to the will of the Holy Spirit. We must ask the blessed Holy Spirit, and by faith BELIEVE that He will remove the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will from our hearts. We must totally release ALL of our self will to God's will, or He will not come into our hearts. Matthew 5:8 (NIV) Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Luke 11:9-13 (NIV) "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Mark 3:35 (NIV) Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother." John 4:34 (NIV) "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 6:38 (NIV) For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. God could have forced man to worship Him, but that would not be love anymore than a forced relationship in the physical realm is love. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane reveals that the Spirit filled believer retains his free will. That will is in subjection to God's will. Jesus never knew sin, yet He had His clean free will. His free will was in complete subjection to God's will. Mark 14:35-36 (NIV) Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." Jesus came to earth without a rebellious, twisted self will. He lived a sinless life and died as a sacrifice, thereby balancing God's scales of justice. He conquered death and arose unto life. When we allow our rebellious, twisted self will to be crucified with Christ, we are restored with a clean free will - identical to that of Jesus Christ. Luke 6:40 (NIV) A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher. When the distortion of the self will is removed, we are restored to the pre-Adam-sin state of a clean free will. That clean free will must be kept in complete subjection to God's will daily. 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NIV) I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (NIV) Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Matthew 26:41 (NIV) "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." In the natural man, with his rebellious, destructive, twisted self will; there is also sin against God, your fellow man, and yourself where you do not even know it. Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? The heart is desperately wicked, and people do not even know it. They are in rebellion against God on matters that they are not even aware of. Without the crucifixion and eradication of the distorted self will, and the complete infilling of the Holy Spirit, a person still cannot keep from sinning. Peter, prior to Pentecost, is an example of this. (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75; Mark 14:27-31, 66-72; Luke 22:31-34, 54-62; John 13:31-38, 18:15-18, 25-27) Jesus can, in this life, save from all sin. He frees the Holy Spirit filled believer completely from the dominion of sin in both its aspects. (sins as acts, and sin as a state of being) If the inbred sin, the state of being lawless, the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will is destroyed, there will be no acts produced by the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will. When Jesus Christ removes the wicked, rebellious, destructive, twisted self will and restores a person's heart to the condition it was in prior to Adam's fall, there will be no acts produced by the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will in the heart. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV) You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. No person in this life ever gains the ability to abstain from sin without continuous communion with Jesus, thereby acquiring strength from Him. That is why abstinence from sin is the only proof of our relationship with Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. It is only through a constant, vigilant attention to Jesus Christ, and a total reliance on Him that we have the strength to abstain from sin. Psalms 25:15 (NIV) My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare. With your will subjected to Christ's will, you will be able to Love God, Love your fellowman, Love yourself. You are no longer in a state of lawlessness. You are in a state of righteousness - full compliance with the law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. John 13:34-35 (NIV) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Mark 11:25 (NIV) And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Luke 6:32-35 (NIV) "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 1 John 3:14 (NIV) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 John 2:9 (NIV) Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 1 John 4:16-21 (NIV) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. I do not know your heart. Do not let Satan, the destroyer, deceiver, liar, and thief, trick you out of your heritage. Only Satan stands between you and holiness. Jesus Christ, in showing His ultimate respect for humanity, will not force His will on anyone. If you refuse to allow the Great Physician to restore you, He will allow you to take your lame and dislocated part, and hobble away. The road away from Jesus Christ always leads down to hell. You will be stubbornly and rebelliously hobbling to hell. Matthew 5:48 (NIV) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Perfect 1 a: being entirely without fault or defect : flawless Websters Dictionary If Jesus gave us directions in an area where we could not go, He would be a mocker, and not a Savior. Will the perfection referenced in Matthew 5:48 give you a perfect head? Will it give you perfect knowledge, or perfect understanding? The obvious answer is no. If this were true, Christians would know how many inches it is to the moon at any given precise moment in time. Christians would be omniscient like God. It does, however, improve your thinking. John 16:13 (NIV) But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. Proverbs 2:6 (NIV) For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. James 1:5 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Psalms 111:10 (NIV) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Will the perfection referenced in Matthew 5:48 give you a perfect body? The obvious answer is no. It does however drastically reduce your chances for a lot of health problems: * A.I.D.S. * Venereal disease * Lung and throat cancer (caused by smoking) * Sclerosis of the liver (caused by drinking) and within the framework of the Word of God is given instructions for the healing of diseases. James 5:14-18 (NIV) Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. Mark 16:17-18 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Matthew 10:7-8 (NIV) As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Does the perfection referenced in Matthew 5:48 free the Spirit filled believer from further temptation? No, Jesus was tempted in all things, yet was without sin. Jesus was tempted exactly like Adam and Eve, and all believers, in the three major ways. Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Those three ways are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Sinful man worships himself, worships created things, and desires to have other people worship him. The interlocking and meshing of the Holy Word of God is truly magnificent. Genesis 3:6 (NIV) When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food (worship of self) and pleasing to the eye, (worship of created things) and also desirable for gaining wisdom, (desire to have others worship oneself) she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 1 John 2:16 (KJV) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, (worship of self) and the lust of the eyes, (worship of created things) and the pride of life, (desire to have others worship oneself) is not of the Father, but is of the world. Even though Jesus is fully God, and is worthy of worship, he was also fully man and had to resist temptation as a man because the devil was directing Him to satisfy His needs and desires outside of God's law. Matthew 4: 1-11 (NIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." (worship of self) 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" (desire to have others worship oneself) 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. (worship of created things) 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. After the complete infilling of the Holy Spirit, a person has the power not to sin. The Intercessor is still working for you, but His mercy is displayed in giving adequate grace and power to overcome the temptation. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13a (NIV) No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 1 Corinthians 10:13 states that you will not be tempted in any way that Adam and Eve, Jesus, and all mankind have not been tempted in. 1 Corinthians 10:13b (NIV) And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. Does God not allow you to be tempted "beyond what you can bear" physically? or spiritually? We know that Jesus was crucified, and many Christians have been killed including most of His disciples. Therefore we know that "beyond what you can bear" does not relate to the physical realm, but to the spiritual realm. Jesus will not allow a Holy Spirit filled believer to be tempted to the point where they cannot hold out, and must sin. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond that point where you cannot withstand the temptation to sin. 1 Corinthians 10:13c (NIV) But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. To "stand up" under the temptation is to not fall under the temptation. It is to not sin. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you do not ever have to sin. You can be freed from sin. James 1:14 (NIV) but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed The word "evil" is not in the original Greek text given by the Holy Spirit through James. It was added by Satan through a corrupt, "Calvinistic" translator in order to make the Word of God comply with his theology. The text from the original Greek reads: James 1:14-15 but each one is tempted when, by his own desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Jesus was tempted in all things just as we are and HE had no evil desire. Temptation comes when desires are to be satisfied in a way outside of what God ordained, or unholy desires come into our minds. Some of these desires are introduced to our minds by Satan with the suggestion to satisfy them in the way WE WANT TO, or contrary to God's law. If we continue to dwell on how we can satisfy these desires outside of what God ordained we will succumb to the temptation. We do not have to succumb to the temptation and sin. Through Jesus Christ, we can resist the devil, and put these thoughts out of our mind. James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Jesus was able to overcome the temptation because He had no rebellious, destructive, twisted self will. When the Holy Spirit restores a person to the pre-Adam-sin state of a clean freewill, that person will be able to overcome temptation exactly like Jesus. 1. The lust (desire) of the flesh (sinful man's worship of himself) a. food b. sex c. sleep Satan will attempt to incite the believer to satisfy these very natural needs in a way that is outside of God's law, or to an excess. 2. The lust (desire) of the eyes (sinful man's worship of creation rather than the Creator) a. idolatry b. materialism 3. The pride of life (sinful man's desire for others to worship him) a. what people think of us - Galatians 1:10 These are the three areas of temptation. This is not a list of the acts, as sin is the rebellious, destructive distortion of self will in the heart, and its acts are infinitesimal. The problem the Jews encountered was that they attempted to build a framework of law that would encapsulate an infinity of acts of sin. It is impossible. Abstinence from sin after the infilling of the Holy Spirit remains the responsibility of the individual. If the Holy Spirit assumed the responsibility to keep us sin free after His infilling, that would be a predestination or eternally secure position. He gives the prompting, counsel, power, and wisdom, but the individual is allowed to make decisions that move him to greater temptation, desire, and subsequent sin. If an individual gives in to the first, he will not find the strength to combat subsequent greater temptations as his desires move him closer to sin. Every person will fight temptation to sin. The wise Spirit filled believer will fight temptation at it's earliest stage if possible, and not start down the road of desire. You can resist the devil at the earliest temptation level, or you can attempt to resist him at the subsequent desire level. If an individual is aware that they have a weakness in a particular area, they have a responsibility to stay out of that area. Hebrews 12:12-13 (NIV) Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. If you accept the guidance of the Great Counselor, He will aid you in recognizing and avoiding temptation at it's earliest level. This will require a constant subjection of our free will to God's will. 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NIV) I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us analyze the acts of sin listed in Galatians 5:19-21. Again, this does not begin to be a complete list, but is representative examples. Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. In each act of sin, consider whether the tempter will be attacking your imperfect head, your imperfect body, or your perfect heart. Temptation that relates to sin that pertains to your imperfect head, or your imperfect body, will be more difficult than temptation that relates to your perfect heart. Your perfect heart will be your strength. Your imperfect head, and your imperfect body will be your natural weakness. * sexual immorality - yes - A natural desire given by God for the propagation of the species. Satan will try to get you to fulfill this in a way outside of God's law. * impurity and debauchery - Less able to tempt, because there is no physical or mental desire to live low * idolatry - yes - The physical desire for a better life style-home, vehicle, materialism, is a veiled worship of self. The temptation comes in how we achieve materialism, or how important it becomes to us. * witchcraft - No physical or mental draw in a heart full of love. No draw at all. * hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy - low temptation level because there is no physical or mental draw. These are heart problems and are cured with the infilling Spirit of Love. * drunkenness - possible high level because of physical dependence, or a habitual (head) desire for alcohol. * orgies - low level -while it is sexually based - a natural desire- its essence is a debasing of self and others. A hatred of self and others, including God. In a heart of love, there is no draw for hatred of self, others, or God. Habits are head problems, and could possibly continue to be a focus of strong temptation for the believer until the habit is broken. An example of this is tobacco and alcohol. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Garbage in - Garbage out syndrome. We can give Satan great aid by putting garbage in our minds through television, the newspaper or publications. James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. In the Levitical law, there was a sin offering and a guilt offering for unintentional sins against God's commands. Leviticus 4:1-3 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Say to the Israelites: 'When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands-- 3 "'If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. Leviticus 4:13 (NIV) "'If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, they are guilty. Leviticus 4:22 (NIV) "'When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty. Leviticus 4:27 (NIV) "'If a member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the Lord's commands, he is guilty. Leviticus 5:14-15 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses: 15 "When a person commits a violation and sins unintentionally in regard to any of the Lord's holy things, he is to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel. It is a guilt offering. In the case of the Sin Offering and the Guilt Offering, the sin was unintentional, and a violation of God's ceremonial law. Thank God that, because of the precious Blood of Jesus Christ, we are not under the ceremonial law; we are under grace. Romans 6:14 (NIV) For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV) When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Galatians 3:10-13 (NIV) All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Hebrews 8:10 (NIV) This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Hebrews 10:1-18 (NIV) The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4 because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7 Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, O God.'" 8 First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9 Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16 "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. The Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt is a very clear fore glimpse of the salvation process. Egyptian slavery is symbolic of the slavery of sin, Pharoah is symbolic of Satan. The blood of the Passover Lamb was placed on the doorposts the very night that the Children of Israel came out of Egypt (SIN). The blood of Jesus covers our sins in the crisis act of repentance or justification (Just as if I never sinned). God brings His children out from under the complete dominion of Pharoah (Satan). God called Israel out of Egypt - God calls His children out of sin. God called Jesus out of Egypt and He calls all of mankind out of sin. John 6:44 (NIV) "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. Hosea 11:1 (NIV) "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Exodus 4:22 (NIV) Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, Matthew 2:14-15 (NIV) So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." The crossing of the Red Sea is symbolic of the first act of cleansing, termed repentance or justification. The Red Sea is symbolic of the red Blood of Jesus. Your past life is behind you and your sins are covered by the Blood. After crossing the Red Sea, the law was given, and a complete change of lifestyle in every way was dictated. This represents the complete change of life after the initial act of repentance. A complete new set of rules; morays and folkways govern your life. The desert wandering was necessary because the children of Israel had Egyptian slavery (SIN) ingrained in them. They were not ready to go into Canaan. This symbolizes the pursuit of holiness after the initial act of repentance/justification. The desert wandering is symbolic of the process where the blessed Holy Spirit reveals the gods in a persons life. The individual must remove or crucify each of these or his salvation process stops. Most people wander in the wilderness until they die, and never go into Canaan. Hebrews 3:7-12 (NIV) So, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did. 10 That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' 11 So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" 12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:16-19 (NIV) Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed ? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. When the last god has been destroyed, you are able to receive the Holy Spirit into your heart. Moses had to die before going into Canaan, because he represents the Law, and the Law can never take you into Canaan (holiness). The name of Joshua in Hebrew is the same as Jesus in the Greek. As Joshua led his people into Canaan, so Jesus leads His children into Canaan (holiness). Through the precious blood of Jesus we are allowed into Canaan (holiness). Hebrews 4:1-11 (NIV) Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2 For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 3 Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." 5 And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts." 8 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. The Jordan river represents the second definite work of grace, the second crisis act, which is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan. Jesus was baptized in the Jordan. Within the wilderness, the struggles are primarily with self. After crossing into Canaan, the wars are fought with Satan. There is greater growth in the Holy Spirit after crossing the Jordan, because the struggle with self is over. Self has died. Canaan (holiness) is the land of promise, the land of plenty, the land flowing with milk and honey. Numbers 13:23-27 (NIV) When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. 25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. 26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. Now as then, most people do not believe that we can go into the land of Canaan. Their unbelief will not allow them to go into Canaan (holiness). They do not believe that we can live without Sin. The Children of Israel were looking at their own physical limitations and did not have the faith to believe that God would deliver them into Canaan. Today, most people look at their own inability to abstain from Sin, and do not have the faith to accept Jesus Christ in the very purpose that He was crucified for - our deliverance from Sin. Then and now, God struggles with a faithless people. Numbers 13:28-14:9 (NIV) But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan." 30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." 14:1 That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" 4 And they said to each other, "We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt." 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." ** Man was originally designed to love and adore God, and to have God love and adore him ** Man was originally created to commune with; to love and adore God, and to have God love and adore him. We were designed to love God, love our fellowman, and love ourselves. Compared to love, all other aspects of creation are totally insignificant. There is no greater joy or fulfillment than when man is functioning in the way he was originally designed to. Every person has a drive in them to love and adore God, and to have God love and adore them. There are some pleasures, drives and joys created and given by God solely for the reproduction of the species: * the love of a mother for her child * the desire of a father to provide * sex All these are simply for the continuation of mankind. The purpose of mankind is to praise, worship and commune with God. This relationship is frequently, parabolically and literally paralleled to Christ and the church, and a husband and wife relationship. The physical interrelating of a husband and wife is the earthly pattern of the spiritual interrelating that Jesus desires with us. Ephesians 5:23-32 (NIV) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. Matthew 25:10 (NIV) "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Luke 12:36-37 (NIV) like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV) I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. Isaiah 62:4-5 (NIV) No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah ; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. In a marriage, we are sometimes given a very hazy glimpse of the relationship that Jesus desires with His bride. In the courting process, sometimes we develop a love and adoration for our intended spouse. We see that sparkle in their eye that says "I love and adore you." This feeds something in our emotions and in our self that we did not know existed, and is more beautiful than anything in our lives. After the marriage, as we began to know our spouse, the humanity of our spouse begins to shine through; and that love and adoration is tempered to an extent with reservation. 1 Corinthians 7:28 (NIV) But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. In the very best marriages, that love and adoration resurfaces periodically throughout the partners lifetimes. This love and adoration is a distant view of the love and adoration that Jesus desires with us. In a marriage, we feed emotionally on these brief moments of love. In all marriages, when these brief moments of love and adoration ebb and flow, there is a temptation within both partners to fulfill this desire for love and adoration outside of God's law. In marriages that are not built on Jesus Christ, and the Holy Word of God, the temptation oft times gives birth to desire, the desire gives birth to sin, and the marriage dissolves. The person does not even realize that what they are really pursuing is not going to be found with another human. What they are pursuing is what they were originally created for. They are pursuing the love and adoration of God, and His love and adoration for them. Physical intercourse is a very rough fore glimpse of the spiritual intercourse that Jesus Christ desires with His bride. Spiritual intercourse cannot occur until you are equally yoked with God, and you are Holy as He is. Leviticus 11:44 (NIV) I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. Leviticus 19:1-2 (NIV) The LORD said to Moses, 2 "Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: 'Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. Leviticus 20:7-8 (NIV) "'Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. 8 Keep my decrees and follow them. I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Leviticus 20:26 (NIV) You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV) But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." God would certainly not give directions in the physical realm that He does not personally comply with in the spiritual realm. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NIV) Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." 17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." 18 "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Mark 3:23-26 (NIV) So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 1 Corinthians 10:21 (NIV) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons. The salvation process is not complete until a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. You cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit until your self will has been crucified. Only then can the Holy Spirit of God fill you. God does not know you in the Biblical sense until you have had spiritual intercourse with Him. After Adam and Eve were cast out of God's presence in the Garden of Eden, and were no longer able to have sweet communion with Him, the very first thing they did was have physical intercourse. They were trying to replace the spiritual intercourse that they had with God. Genesis 4:1 (KJV) And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. If you are tarnished with sin, and have the rebellious destructive self will in your heart, God cannot be united with you. In Matthew 7:22-23, God never knew these people. He never had spiritual intercourse with them. They were "evildoers" (sinners). Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:26-37 (NIV) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." Jesus the Spirit Man was conceived by the Holy Spirit. We were conceived physically by our earthly father Adam. If we are conceived spiritually it can only be through the Holy Spirit. We must be spiritually conceived by the Holy Spirit as Jesus was physically. His physical conception was a for glimpse of the spiritual conception of those born again. 1 Corinthians 15:44-49 (NIV) If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. If we have been conceived by the Holy Spirit, we are a child of God, and a brother to Jesus Christ. John 1:12-13 (NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Matthew 25:40 (NIV) "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matthew 12:48-50 (NIV) He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." The greatest prayer that was ever prayed was recorded in John chapter 17. It was Jesus High Priestly Prayer. It was the culmination of His earthly ministry to His disciples and His followers. It was the zenith of His life. It is the most precious jewel of literary history. It was given as Jesus resolutely turned and headed for Calvary. It was when He prayed to God for Himself. It was when He prayed to God for His disciples. It was when He prayed to God for His church. It was when He prayed to God for me. John 17 (NIV) After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name--the name you gave me--so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. 20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." Note the reciprocity, the interrelationship between man and God - "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us - I in you and they in me - the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." The reason that the Bride of Christ must be pure is this interrelationship. This "in Christ-in God" demands purity. In the physical, at marriage, "The two will become one flesh." In the spiritual, at the infilling of the Holy Spirit, "The two will become one spirit." 1 Corinthians 6:14-17 (NIV) By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17 But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit. A person is not born again until they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Conception comes with intercourse both in the physical and in the spiritual realm. In the physical life, a person can only be born through physical intercourse. In the spiritual life, a person can only be born through spiritual intercourse. A person is not born again until the Holy Spirit has inhabited their heart. Conception can occur only when the Holy Spirit infills a person. The Holy Spirit cannot inhabit a vessel in any degree that is being inhabited by the spirit of the devil. The Holy Spirit draws a person to God through the entire salvation process, but cannot inhabit the person until the spirit of the devil is removed. At the crucifixion of self will, the Holy Spirit can inhabit the vessel. Conception by the Holy Spirit can only occur when the Holy Spirit can indwell the person. A person who is not filled by the Holy Spirit has not been born of the Spirit. A person who is not filled with the Holy Spirit is not Born Again. John 3:3-7 (NIV) In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' In an interacting relationship with God, your spirit is so attuned to the Holy Spirit that you request nothing that does not originate from the Holy Spirit. Because He originally willed the desire, He will certainly answer the prayer. Romans 8:26 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. John 15:7 (NIV) If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. Jesus requires faithfulness in a marriage. He does not require you to tolerate marital unfaithfulness in the physical realm: Matthew 5:32 (NIV) But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. Christ will not tolerate marital unfaithfulness (sin) in the spiritual realm either. Spiritual unfaithfulness and physical unfaithfulness are both adultery. Christians are the bride of Christ. Sinners are people that sin. Every human was born a baby, but every human is not a baby. Every human was born a sinner, but every human is not a sinner. To put a sinner in the bride of Christ is to put Jesus Christ with a whore. Can you picture Christ coming in all of His glory and splendor taking a bride dressed in brown? Revelation 19:11-16 (NIV) I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Are you seeking greater depth in Jesus Christ? Do you desire intimate communion constantly? Do you desire to be filled with all the fullness of the love of Christ? Does your soul demand, desire, ache, and throb for intimacy with Jesus Christ? Jesus gave His best, His all. Would justice permit us to come into the relationship with less? One of the horrors of hell for some is when they realize that all God wanted is that they love. 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. The Word of God is the story of love. Romans 5:8 is the greatest love story ever told. Romans 5:8 (NIV) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ** God is purifying and developing the Bride of Christ. ** God's love is partially displayed in the panorama of gifts that He gives to His children. God's only Son, grace, eternal life, righteousness, and the blessed Holy Spirit are all specifically stated as some of God's gifts. James 1:17 (NIV) Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. Hebrews 6:4-5 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, Jesus is the heavenly gift referred to, because in John 6:35, He refers to Himself as the bread of life. This heavenly gift is the bread that must be tasted and eaten. John 6:35 (NIV) Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. Jesus is the Word of God referred to because of John 1:1. John 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- Ephesians 3:7 (NIV) I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV) Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. Revelation 22:17 (NIV) The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 5:15-17 (NIV) But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Acts 1:4 (NIV) On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. Acts 2:38 (NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:45 (NIV) The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. Acts 11:17 (NIV) So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! God loves the church beyond human comprehension, and has given the believers gifts from the Holy Spirit for the edification of it. These are the gifts from the Holy Spirit (those things given by the Holy Spirit), and are distinctly different from the gift of the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit Himself). 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. Romans 12:6 (NIV) We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 1 Corinthians 7:7 (NIV) I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Hebrews 2:4 (NIV) God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. Romans 1:11 (NIV) I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- 1 Corinthians 1:7 (NIV) Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. One of the gifts spoken of in God's Holy Word is the gift of tongues. There are three different kinds of speaking in tongues referenced in the Holy Word of God. The first kind is referenced in Acts 2:1-11, when on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given, evidenced in part by the speaking in tongues. The miracle of Pentecost is that every man heard in his own language. This was a miracle where every man completely understood the speaker. The position that the statement: "these men are full of new wine" was precipitated by the speaking of an unknown tongue is strictly a matter of a very loose and unfounded interpretation. It is more credible to believe that the comment was precipitated by the complete and indescribable joy, euphoria, and wild uproar of the believers being infilled by the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-11 (NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" The second kind of speaking in tongues is referenced by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Paul is discussing the various gifts of the Holy Spirit, including the gift of tongues, and the gift of interpretation. These are gifts to be used publicly for the edification of the church, and to prove to unbelievers that God is present. Paul states clearly that every Holy Spirit filled believer does not individually have all of these gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:4-30 (NIV) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. 12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? The third kind of tongues referenced in the Holy Word of God is spoken of by Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. This is an unknown tongue whereby the believer speaks to God for the believers own personal edification. This tongue is not understood by anyone else, and is a "prayer language" between the believer and God. This unknown tongue is clearly for private use. The two previous kinds of tongues referenced are clearly not given to every believer. This "prayer language" could possibly be available for every believer if they pursue it. It is not the scriptural evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I speak what I know. I do not at this time have this particular gift; I am filled with the Holy Spirit because I live a Holy Life, which I and you know is impossible without the complete infilling of the Holy Spirit ( 1 John 2:3,4). 1 Corinthians 14 (NIV) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit. 3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified. 6 Now, brothers, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the flute or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. 11 If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. 12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 13 For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 16 If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say "Amen" to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue. 20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 In the Law it is written: "Through men of strange tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord. 22 Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. Tongues are a sign for unbelievers only if there is an interpreter present. The reason is that the unbeliever does not know God, and does not believe in His power. If God speaks through a believer in an unknown tongue, and the interpretation is given in proper order by someone else, the unbeliever is forced to accept that the power of God is present and working through men. Prophecy however, is for believers, because the believers already know that the power of God is present and working, and they are expecting a word from God. They do not need to be convinced through tongues and interpretations that God exists, and works through men. If there is not an interpreter present when the unknown tongue is spoken, the unbeliever will be unconvinced and say that "you are out of your mind", as per verse 23. 23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, 25 and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, "God is really among you!" 26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two--or at the most three--should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God. 29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the congregations of the saints, 34 women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. 36 Did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 38 If he ignores this, he himself will be ignored. 39 Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. This "prayer language" is again referenced in Romans 8:26: Romans 8:26 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. It is significant to note that Peter and John, after the day of Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God boldly, with no mention of an unknown tongue: Acts 4:29-31 (NIV) Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. There are places in scripture where the Holy Spirit is referencing all three kinds of speaking in tongues: Mark 16:17-18 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." There are places in scripture where it is not clear what kind of unknown tongue was being spoken. It is possible that there was an interpreter present, however, it seems more likely that the body of Christ in its infancy had not yet been brought to the order referenced in 1 Corinthians 14. The book of Corinthians was written after the book of Acts. At the time of the writing of the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit had not been able to give the light, understanding and directions that He was able to give through Paul in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14. Acts 10:44-47 (NIV) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." Acts 19:1-7 (NIV) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. 4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. We have three options for the sources of all "unknown tongues." The first option is God. The scripture is clear that there is "unknown tongues". The second option is the devil. With the exception of a Holy Life, the devil is able to counterfeit every evidence of the Holy Spirit. The third option is emotion. In this case, a person allows themselves to be carried to an emotionally supercharged state. Because of man's original purpose, with the desire for worship involved, the emotions can be impacted to a greater extent than at any other time. Many Pentecostal churches today whip their people up into an emotional frenzy whereby the people can be confused between emotion and the Holy Spirit. Adolph Hitler was most effective in using the method of whipping his people into an emotional frenzy through endless repetition of the same phrases of hate. The far eastern religions of Buddhism, Taoism, and Transcendental Meditation also use vain repetition, chanting and meditation in order to vacate the mind, and release the emotions. In the case of the Pentecostal churches, this is a harmless release of emotions with this qualification: A person can only be filled with the Holy Spirit if they are Holy. If a person is living in sin, speaking in tongues, and communing with a spirit, the spirit they are communing with is not the Holy Spirit. There is only one biblically referenced proof of the infilling of the Holy Spirit: 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. If a person is walking in all the light that they have, and is speaking in tongues through pure emotion as they seek a closer walk with Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit will protect them. 1 John 1:6-7 (NIV) If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If however, they back up from light, and backslide, they lose the protection of the Holy Spirit, and are subject to the infilling of an evil spirit, whereby they continue the emotional release of talking in tongues, but the communion and praise is with and to a demon. Luke 11:24-26 (NIV) "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." The tragedy at this point is that the person may be deceived into believing that everything is right with God because they are still speaking in tongues. It is the same tragedy for the person who genuinely has the gift of tongues, and backslides. Once God gives one of the gifts of the Spirit, He will not take it. Romans 11:29 (NIV) for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. No person can rely on the gift that the Holy Spirit has given them as proof of their salvation. Your faith must be built on the Giver of gifts, and not the gifts themselves. If a person has been given the ability to prophesy, evangelize, preach, teach, or minister in any of the gifts of the Holy Spirit; he will be able to continue to function in that gift even though he falls into sin, and ends up in hell. This explains why some well known preachers are able to continue to preach while living a life of sin. Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (NIV) Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. If you have relied on your continued ability to minister with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and have become deceived into thinking that God will accept sin in your life, know that HE WILL NOT. Though people are saved, and the church is edified through your ministry, if you do not repent, YOU WILL END UP IN HELL. Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to an extent that we ask for, and develop: 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV) Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 1 Corinthians 14:12 (NIV) So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church. 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV) For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 1 Timothy 4:14 (NIV) Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. In most Pentecostal churches today, the gift of tongues is being overemphasized to the detriment of the other gifts. Jesus Christ desires a whole body with wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miraculous powers, prophesy, discernment, tongues, and interpretations. If one particular gift is overemphasized, it is to the detriment of the development of the other gifts that are available. Since the gift of tongues is the least of the gifts, Satan has been successful in stunting church growth through this emphasis. It has left most Pentecostal churches as unorganized, diseased, ignorant, illiterate, faithless, weak, crippled bodies, unable to function in the way God ordained, and defenseless against the attack of Satan. With the body of Christ functioning in its proper way, the emotional manipulation of man will be replaced by the joy, euphoria, and ecstasy brought about by the Holy Spirit imparting wisdom, imparting knowledge, increasing faith, healing people, performing miracles, prophesying, giving discernment, and speaking through tongues and interpretations. 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 (NIV) Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. In the Word of God, we are given comparisons, and contrasts between the physical realm, and the spiritual realm. 1 Corinthians 15:44b-49 (NIV) If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. Throughout the Word of God, we are given examples physically of truths that Jesus desires to teach us spiritually. An instance of this is referenced in Ephesians 5:23-32, where the physical interrelating of a husband and wife is used to show us the spiritual interrelating that Jesus Christ desires with the individuals in His church. Ephesians 5:23-32 (NIV) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church. The examples of healing in the Word of God are given as physical proof that Jesus is the Son of God and can heal the spirit. Matthew 9:1-7 (NIV) Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2 Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7 And the man got up and went home. "Most" of the theology of Christian Organized Religion today is based on the deception of Satan credited to John Calvin and labeled "Calvinism". (This word "most" is the same word used in Matthew 24:12) Matthew 24:12 (NIV) Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, One of the concepts of "Calvinism" is predestination. The devil would have us believe that your eternal destiny is set before time began. Because of the sovereignty of God, you cannot in anyway control where you will spend eternity. After life, you are brought before God's justice bar, and sent to eternal punishment for what you had no control of. A God of justice will certainly have a better justice system than that. If it is God's will to save everyone, it is also God's will to heal everyone. There is no place in the Word of God that speaks of a person coming to Jesus Christ, or His disciples, that was desiring physical healing that was not ultimately healed. There is no place in the Word of God that speaks of a person coming to Jesus Christ, or His disciples, that was willing to pay the price for spiritual healing that was not ultimately healed. In our guidebook for life, there is not one single example given for failure, either in the area of physical healing, or spiritual healing. To take the position that God does not desire to heal everyone is to take the position that God does not desire to save everyone. This is not a scripturally based position. 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. So why can't Christians go to the hospital, pray, and have everyone be healed? For the same reason that Christians can't go to the hospital and pray, and have everyone be saved. Some people do not want to be saved. Some people do not believe that Jesus can save them. Some people do not believe that Jesus desires to save them. Some people do not know about Jesus. Some people are not saved because of a lack of prayer and fasting. As God sometimes uses human instruments to aid spiritual healing, so God sometimes uses human instruments to aid physical healing. Some people do not adhere to the instructions of their physicians. Some physicians do not know enough about what they are trying to do. Some physicians do not care about their patients. A large number of physicians are more concerned with their own personal lifestyles and finances than with the health of their patients. So also is it in the spiritual realm. Most ministers are very much like most physicians. The scripture is very consistent, and very clear. John 14:12-14 (NIV) I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. If we are instructed to do what Jesus was doing, we must take His report on what He was doing: Matthew 11:4-5 (NIV) Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. We can take direction from Jesus Christs' counsel to the twelve. Matthew 10:7-8 (NIV) As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. We can take direction from the Holy Spirit's description of all believers. Mark 16:17-18 (NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." The scripture states: James 5:14-16 (NIV) Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. The scripture does not state: Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And pray that the Lord's will be done. The scripture does state: Revelation 22:18-19 (NIV) I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. The last church age is referenced in Revelation 3:14-19: Revelation 3:14-19 (NIV) "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. In this last Laodicean church age, there is a clear difference in "Organized Religion", and "the church". The Body of Christ is the true believers in many denominations that make up "the church". There is a distinct difference in elders ordained by Organized Religion, and elders ordained by God. If it were not so, there would be no stinging rebuke from the Savior when He states that this last church age makes Him want to vomit. When you are attempting to comply with James 5:14-18, insure that you are calling elders ordained by God, and not elders ordained by Organized Religion. It is certain that a person who is not sure whether it is God's will that you be saved is disadvantaged in praying for your salvation. It is also certain that a person who is not sure whether it is God's will that you be healed is disadvantaged in praying for your healing. Matthew 13:58 (NIV) And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matthew 17:14-20 (NIV) When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." 17 "O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." If there is no physical or spiritual healing, it is not because of the desire, or capabilities of the Great Physician. I challenge you to get a concordance, look up the word "healing" and allow your faith to be strengthened. Romans 10:17 (NIV) Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. The Bethesda Porch in Jerusalem where Jesus healed the invalid ** ETERNAL LIFE - CAN IT BE LOST? ** If the rebellious, destructive, twisted self will is removed, can it ever be restored? In considering the security of eternal life, we must look at three cases: The case of the first Adam, the case of the second Adam (who was Jesus Christ), and consequently, the case of every man. In the case of Adam, he was created with eternal life. Adam was a perfect man, without a dislocated joint, with no inbred sin, and with no bent to sinning. The moment he was created he had communion with God. He was given a rule by which he could keep eternal life: Genesis 2:16-17 (KJV) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Adam sinned. As Satan introduced the spirit of disobedience to Eve, he will do it to every believer. Did Adam physically die the day he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? The answer is no. Adam lived 130 years totally, and begat sons and daughters after leaving the garden of Eden. The very day Adam disobeyed God, he died a spiritual death. He was banished from the presence of God. Decide in your heart that you will have your will over God's will, and you are instantly back in a state of rebellion. One disobedient decision, even prior to the act of sin, will restore you to a state of rebellion. In recognizing your frame, the mercy of God will allow you time to realize that something is His will. Psalms 103:13-14 (NIV) As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. Once however, you realize that something is God's will, you must comply or you will be in rebellion. If God had predestined that Jesus in his humanity could not fall, the devil did not know it, or he would not have wasted time tempting Him. If Jesus was eternally secure, then the temptation of Jesus was a deceptive and futile exercise: Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. If Jesus could not have fallen, then He could get no credit for what He accomplished. If Jesus was locked in and could not have sinned, then He would not be exalted by God for what He did. If Jesus could not have fallen; then He was a lifeless robot with no will of His own, showing no love for lost mankind, simply carrying out an order. He, like we, have free moral agency. At this point in time, we are free to worship God, or to not worship God. If Jesus could not have fallen, He did not know it, or at the Garden of Gethsemane He would not have prayed "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me." Matthew 26:39 (NIV) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Jesus was exalted because of what He personally accomplished. Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus personally accomplished eternal life for all men who would receive it. Jesus restored to the human race what Adam had lost from the human race. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NIV) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:44b-49 (NIV) If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being" ; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven. 48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven. Romans 5:12-19 (NIV) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The third case to be considered is the case of every man. God gives clear teaching in His Holy Word concerning whether a man can fall. Deuteronomy 11:13-17 (NIV) So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today--to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul-- 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. 16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. 17 Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Deuteronomy 30:11-20 (NIV) Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?" 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV) "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 2 Chronicles 15:1-2 (NIV) The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. Isaiah 7:9b (NIV) If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" Isaiah 63:9-10 (NIV) In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. 10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them. Ezekiel 18 (NIV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? 3 "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. 5 "Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or lie with a woman during her period. 7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 8 He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. 10 "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. 12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. 13 He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head. 14 "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: 15 "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. 16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17 He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. 18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. 19 "Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. 21 "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? 24 "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. 25 "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. 27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 30 "Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Matthew 5:13 (NIV) "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Matthew 24:45-51 (NIV) "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Luke 11:24-26 (NIV) "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first." Jude 1:5-7 (NIV) Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. If you do not sin, you are a son forever. You have eternal security. If you do sin, you are not a son, you are a slave, and have no permanent place in the family. John 8:34-35 (NIV) Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. The Holy Spirit through Paul in Romans 11:17-24 draws an analogy between the Jews, who are God's covenant children and a cultivated olive tree; and the Gentiles, who are here described as a wild olive tree. He states that the Jews were cut off after they rejected Jesus Christ, and states that God will not spare Gentiles if they reject Jesus Christ. Romans 11:17-24 (NIV) If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. 22 Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. 23 And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! 1 Corinthians 3:16 references Holy Spirit filled people, and their punishment for Sin: 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NIV) Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. Paul was certainly filled with the Holy Spirit, and yet he knew that he could fall. 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (NIV) Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. The writer of the Hebrews is crystal clear in stating that Holy Spirit filled people can fall from grace: Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Jesus is the truth of Hebrews 10:26. Knowledge of the truth is knowledge of Jesus. Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Hebrews 10:28-31 (NIV) Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. The Holy Spirit through Peter is again very clear on whether a man can fall from grace. 2 Peter 2:20-22 (NIV) If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." God in His Holy Word clearly teaches conditional eternal security. We are eternally secure as long as we do not sin. 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. John 15:10 (NIV) If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 1 Corinthians 15:2 (NIV) By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 1 John 1:7 (NIV) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 2 Peter 1:10 (NIV) Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, What a person has been taught, or even what they believe, is only significant if it aligns with the Holy Word of God. What God says in His Holy Word, He has said consistently and throughout time. The Holy Word of God is perfectly consistent throughout. In any case where something in the Word of God appears inconsistent, it is due to a deficiency on the part of our understanding. God has responded to rebellion in a consistent and constant manner since time began. 2 Peter 3:17 (NIV) Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. Jude 1:5-7 (NIV) Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. The expanding light of God has illuminated some theologies previously thought to be from God. "Once saved - Always saved" The premise "once saved, always saved" is supported by the fact that once you are born to your physical father, you always remain a child of his forever. You may be a good child, or a bad child, but you always remain his child. This distortion is based on an earthly understanding of human physical relationships, and an effort to superimpose them on spiritual relationships. The spiritually discerning Christian realizes the fallacy in this. physical life - when you are conceived Psalms 139:13-16 (NIV) For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. spiritual life John 3:3 (NIV) In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." physical death Hebrews 9:27 (NIV) Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, spiritual death Spiritual death is separation from God. It is the death Adam incurred the day he sinned and was cast out of the Garden of Eden. When we are born physically, we are "spiritually dead," because of our father Adam. The lie "once saved, always saved" is more than 2,000 years old, was perpetrated by the devil, and used by Organized Religion, and the learned scholars of Jesus' day. It is the same lie the Pharisees used in telling Jesus they were religious because they were descendants of Abraham. They were attempting to impose a physical law on a spiritual relationship. Jesus destroyed their distorted analysis and interpretation when He said it was false, and those hiding behind it were the children of the devil. Jesus said they weren't sons of God, they were slaves to sin. (See page 135 concerning slavery.) Luke 3:7-9 (NIV) John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." John 8:31-47 (NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." 39 "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! 46 Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? 47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." It is interesting that simultaneously, Jesus addressed the lie "man sins every day in word, thought, and deed." John 8:34-35 (NIV) Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. Apparently, this lie of Satan was connected to the "once saved, always saved" lie 2,000 years ago. As Solomon said, "there is nothing new under the sun." Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 (NIV) What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. The Holy Spirit addressed sin through Paul: 1 Corinthians 15:34 (NIV) Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God--I say this to your shame. Paul and John's remarks concerning a man prior to the crisis act of righteousness are frequently used by "Calvinistic theologians" as their biblical proof: Romans 7:14-24 (NIV) We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 1 John 1:8 (NIV) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. "Calvinistic theologians" fail to show that Paul and John both conclude with the cure for the problem in Romans 7:25-8:4; and I John chapters 2-5 and particularly in I John 3:4-6. Romans 7:25-8:4 (NIV) Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 1 John 3:4-6 (NIV) Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. "Calvinism" is the theology of the people who are: "having a form of Godliness, but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:5) The only power in Christendom today that is being denied is the power to live a sinless life. The devil is able to counterfeit every power except one. The power of God, manifested in Moses was counterfeited by Satan to an extent. (Exodus 7:11,22) Exodus 7:11 (NIV) Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Exodus 7:22 (NIV) But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh's heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. The power of God, manifested in the gifts of the Spirit is counterfeited by Satan. Certainly anyone in a charismatic church knows this. Anyone who would attempt to defense the position that the gift of tongues is the irrefutable evidence of the Holy Spirit, realizing how often it is practiced by those living in sin, is exposing their blindness. The power to bring back to life is even counterfeited by Satan. Revelation 13:3 (NIV) One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Revelation 13:12 (NIV) He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. The only power Satan cannot counterfeit is the power to live a sinless life. Because he cannot counterfeit it, he contends that it does not exist. (2 Timothy 3:5) This great power is manifested in the crisis act of righteousness, spoken of throughout Romans. There is only one irrefutable evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Biblically referenced proof. It is recorded in 1 John 2:3-4. In every other case, the person is deceived. 1 John 2:3-4 (NIV) We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. John 13:34-35 (NIV) "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 15:9-17 (NIV) "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other. 2 John 1:5-6 (NIV) And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." JOHN CALVIN, I DO NOT KNOW YOU AND I CANNOT JUDGE YOU PERSONALLY. WHAT IS BEING CREDITED TO YOU AS YOUR THEOLOGY IS A LIE FROM THE DEVIL, A HERESY THAT WILL DAMN MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO HELL. ANY MAN WHO TEACHES THAT GOD'S GRACE GRANTS A LICENSE FOR IMMORALITY IS GODLESS, AND HIS TEACHING IS FROM THE DEVIL. Jude 1:4 (NIV) For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 (NIV) And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve. John Calvin built his theology strongly emphasizing the sovereignty of God. This is an issue that no one takes dispute with. James 2:19 (NIV) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. Why "Christian" people desire to study the teaching of Satan put forth as "Calvinism" has ceased to be a mystery to me. These people want to retain the sin in their lives. They deceive themselves into thinking that God will accept sin and them. They delight in their sin and do not want to give it up. In many cases they consider the sin that they retain to be very small, and not important enough to keep them out of heaven. They do not realize that any sin is proof of a rebellious, destructive, twisted self will that will send them to Hell. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NIV) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. To deny that man can live without sin is to deny what Jesus Christ accomplished. It is to deny Jesus Christ Himself. 1 Corinthians 15:12-22 (NIV) But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. "Grace" that covers willful present sins is no different than "once save, always saved." Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Ezekiel 18:4 (NIV) For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. Ezekiel 18:24 (NIV) "But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die. Ezekiel 18:26 (NIV) If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. Ezekiel 33:12-13 (NIV) "Therefore, son of man, say to your countrymen, 'The righteousness of the righteous man will not save him when he disobeys, and the wickedness of the wicked man will not cause him to fall when he turns from it. The righteous man, if he sins, will not be allowed to live because of his former righteousness.' 13 If I tell the righteous man that he will surely live, but then he trusts in his righteousness and does evil, none of the righteous things he has done will be remembered; he will die for the evil he has done. Proverbs 14:12 (NIV) There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12 was a haunting scripture to me, as I hoped that I wasn't one of the disillusioned who actually believe they are going to heaven, but are not. Then the Holy Spirit comforted me with the knowledge that throughout the Bible, spiritually speaking, only one thing ever leads to the room of death. It is the hallway of SIN, and the hallway of unrepented sin always leads to one place - the room of DEATH. This sad victim is the person that Satan has deceived into believing he can continue sinning and go to heaven. Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV) Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' There is power in the name of Jesus to do many wonderful things, even though you don't know Him. The word knew used here is in the biblical sense of the word. The answer to the mystery of Matthew 7:22-23 is in the last word. These people were "evildoers" (sinners) because they never knew Jesus in the biblical sense of the word. Hebrews 6:4-6 (NIV) It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6 if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Hebrews 6:4-6 is certainly a denunciation of "once saved, always saved." The devil would have us believe that your eternal destiny is set before time began. You cannot in any way control where you will spend eternity. After life, you are brought before God's justice bar, and sent to eternal punishment for what you cannot control. A God of justice will certainly have a better justice system than that. To state that Jesus Christ chooses who He will love without regard for that individuals free will is to imply that Jesus Christ is a spiritual rapist. It is heresy. The Word of God teaches that because of God's omniscience, He knew before time began where every individual would spend eternity. To believe that God was surprised by the fall of Adam is to not believe in God's omniscience. It is a faithless position that leaves a person without the assurance that God will not be surprised by the future events of their own life. It would be a frightening position to think that God does not expect and plan for everything in our lives. He does not control our destiny, He simply is aware of it, and attempts to get people to prepare, and make changes for their own benefit. God knew Adam would fall before time began, and He predestined to bring humanity back to God through Jesus Christ. God knows where a man will spend eternity, but man determines where he will spend eternity. Consider the contrasting net effect on humanity of the two diverse poles of theology. If I have misunderstood the Word of God concerning predestination, (I know that I have not) I have not lost anything because my eternal destiny was already set. If, however, someone believes the teaching of the devil and is discouraged into a fatalistic inaction, he will spend an eternity in Hell. Isaiah 28:15 (NIV) You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." Isaiah 28:18 (NIV) Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. The devil would have us believe that we cannot keep from sinning. Since we "cannot keep from it," accept the inevitable, and continue sinning. The Word of God is very clear. 1 John 5:18 (NIV) We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. Consider the contrasting net effect on humanity of these two diverse poles of theology. If I have misunderstood the Word of God, and am deluded about sin in my life, I have lost nothing, because "no one can live without sin." If however I have correctly understood the Word of God, anyone sinning is going to hell. Matthew 13:41-42 (NIV) The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Consider the contrasting desire of the Devil and God. John 10:10 (NIV) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. The devil first puts forth the lie, "Your eternal fate is predestined, do not concern yourself with eternal life." If your eternal fate is predestined, why is the devil troubling himself to tell you anything? His crowd would already be predetermined. He could not effect the outcome in any way. He would not waste his efforts on you if his efforts were futile. When a person receives life in Jesus Christ, the devil puts forth the lie "your eternal salvation is guaranteed, you cannot fall from grace." Then the devil tempts you to sin. If after salvation, you could not fall from grace, the devil would immediately cease tempting you, as his battle would be completely lost. You are tempted to sin, because he knows that you, like Adam, can fall from grace. The devil puts forth the lie, "man sins every day in word, thought, and deed," and he then tempts you to sin. If "man sins every day in word thought and deed," the devil would not waste his time tempting anyone to sin, as everyone would sin anyway. The fact that the devil tempts you is proof that the devil knows that you can live without sin. If the devil's lies were true, he would not need to tempt anyone. The devil continues tempting because he knows that the lie he is putting out through a lot of "Calvinistic theologians" is pure excrement. He knows it, unfortunately, most of them don't. Which theology is most risky? Which theology will prove catastrophic? Which theology is from the devil? We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. - John 9:31 (NIV) There are those who delay making a decision for Jesus Christ, and so delude themselves into believing that they have not made a decision. They have, and the decision is NO. There are those who hide behind human tradition and what they have been taught - refusing to accept the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (NIV) They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. In days of Rome, the messenger with bad news was often killed. There are those who look at the humanity of the messenger and think that by killing the messenger you have killed the message. The messenger is absolutely insignificant, simply a courier. The message is not one of law, but the greatest most significant love story of eternity. Hebrews 2:2-3 (NIV) For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Hebrews 10:28-31 (NIV) Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. ** If for any reason you ignore God's message of love You will deserve eternal punishment - You will deserve Hell. ** * Hell: the word used in the King James version of the Old Testament to translate the Hebrew word "sheol," signifying the unseen state. * Hell: the word used in the King James version of the New Testament to translate the Greek word "Hades" signifying the unseen state. * Hell: translation of the Greek word "tartarus," signifying the infernal region. * "Sheol" translated "grave," or "death," or "hell" in the King James version. The English revisers insert the Hebrew word "sheol" in places where "hell," "grave," and "pit" were used in the Authorized version with three exceptions. * Gehenna: The valley of Ben Hinnom. After the Old Testament period, Jewish apocalyptic writers began to call the valley of Ben Hinnom the entrance to hell, later hell itself. * The Abyss prison of disobedient spirits, bottomless pit, the deep. Numbers 16:30-33 (NIV) But if the LORD brings about something totally new, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them, with everything that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have treated the LORD with contempt." 31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, with their households and all Korah's men and all their possessions. 33 They went down alive into the grave, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community. Deuteronomy 32:22 (NIV) For a fire has been kindled by my wrath, one that burns to the realm of death below. It will devour the earth and its harvests and set afire the foundations of the mountains. 2 Chronicles 28:1-3 (NIV) Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. 2 He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and also made cast idols for worshiping the Baals. 3 He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his sons in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 2 Chronicles 33:1-6 (NIV) Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. 4 He built altars in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever." 5 In both courts of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6 He sacrificed his sons in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced sorcery, divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger. Jeremiah 32:32-35 (NIV) The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done--they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline. 34 They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin. 2 Kings 23:8-10 (NIV) Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates--at the entrance to the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which is on the left of the city gate. 9 Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests. 10 He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. Jeremiah 7:31-32 (NIV) They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire-- something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. 32 So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. Job 7:9 (NIV) As a cloud vanishes and is gone, so he who goes down to the grave does not return. Job 24:19 (NIV) As heat and drought snatch away the melted snow, so the grave snatches away those who have sinned. Job 26:5-6 (NIV) "The dead are in deep anguish, those beneath the waters and all that live in them. 6 Death is naked before God; Destruction lies uncovered. Psalms 6:5 (NIV) No one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave? Psalms 11:5-6 (NIV) The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. 6 On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. Psalms 30:9 (NIV) "What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Psalms 49:14 (NIV) Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. Proverbs 5:1-5 (NIV) My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, 2 that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3 For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4 but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. Proverbs 7:27 (NIV) Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. Proverbs 15:24 (NIV) The path of life leads upward for the wise to keep him from going down to the grave. Proverbs 21:16 (NIV) A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead. Proverbs 23:13-14 (NIV) Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. 14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. Isaiah 5:14 (NIV) Therefore the grave enlarges its appetite and opens its mouth without limit; into it will descend their nobles and masses with all their brawlers and revelers. Isaiah 14:9-11 (NIV) The grave below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you-- all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones-- all those who were kings over the nations. 10 They will all respond, they will say to you, "You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us." 11 All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. Isaiah 28:15 (NIV) You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." Isaiah 28:18 (NIV) Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. Isaiah 30:33 (NIV) Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze. Isaiah 33:14 (NIV) The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" Isaiah 38:10 (NIV) I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?" Ezekiel 32:21-23 (NIV) From within the grave the mighty leaders will say of Egypt and her allies, 'They have come down and they lie with the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.' 22 "Assyria is there with her whole army; she is surrounded by the graves of all her slain, all who have fallen by the sword. 23 Their graves are in the depths of the pit and her army lies around her grave. All who had spread terror in the land of the living are slain, fallen by the sword. Ezekiel 32:26-27 (NIV) "Meshech and Tubal are there, with all their hordes around their graves. All of them are uncircumcised, killed by the sword because they spread their terror in the land of the living. 27 Do they not lie with the other uncircumcised warriors who have fallen, who went down to the grave with their weapons of war, whose swords were placed under their heads? The punishment for their sins rested on their bones, though the terror of these warriors had stalked through the land of the living. Matthew 3:10-12 (NIV) The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:27-30 (NIV) "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 8:11-12 (NIV) I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Matthew 13:30 (NIV) Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.'" Matthew 13:38-42 (NIV) The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. 40 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 13:49-50 (NIV) This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 18:8-9 (NIV) If your hand or your foot causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Matthew 22:12-13 (NIV) 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. 13 "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew 23:33 (NIV) "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Matthew 25:28-30 (NIV) "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Matthew 25:41-46 (NIV) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." Mark 9:43-48 (NIV) If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 44 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 46 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Luke 3:17 (NIV) His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Luke 8:30-31 (NIV) Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "Legion," he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. Luke 16:19-31 (NIV) "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" Luke 19:27 (NIV) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.'" 2 Thessalonians 1:7b-9 (NIV) This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. James 3:6 (NIV) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 2 Peter 2:4-10 (NIV) For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; Jude 1:6-7 (NIV) And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. Revelation 6:8 (NIV) I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth. Revelation 9:1-6 (NIV) The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. Revelation 9:11 (NIV) They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. Revelation 11:7 (NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Revelation 14:9-11 (NIV) A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." Revelation 17:8 (NIV) The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. Revelation 19:20 (NIV) But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Revelation 20:1-3 (NIV) And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. Revelation 20:10 (NIV) And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Revelation 20:12-15 (NIV) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 21:8 (NIV) But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." In Hell, you will be in the company of: All unrepentant murderers, most murdered; Edi Amin, those people whose organs he had surgically removed so he could eat them in their presence before they died; Attilla the Hun; Charles Manson and his followers, Sharon Tate and her friends; Gacy the homosexual killer, probably most of the 30 boys he killed and buried; Jimmy Hoffa, his murderers, his victims; the homosexual men of Sodom and Gommorah; the entire organization of "ACT UP"; most of those who will die of A.I.D.S.; homosexual priests, preachers, lesbian women, transexuals; drug kings like Ochoa, and the politicians he paid, and the politicians he killed; drug dealers, and their victims, still needing a fix, and crazy because of it; Al Capone, Lucky Lucianio, Carlos Marcellos, Joe Bonnano, and their entire organizations; Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Pharisees, scribes, a disciple, popes, general superintendents, district superintendents, bishops, cardinals, evangelists, preachers, deacons, laymen; the Ayotollah Khomeini, Sadegh Gotzbeda, all terrorists; Jim Jones, those he deceived and brutalized; those like the unpenitent thief, and the rich young ruler who came so close, but lost; preachers who did not preach the truth, those damned because of it; teachers who did not teach the truth, those damned because of it; hypocritical Christians who failed to witness with their lives, those damned because of it; fathers who did not teach their children of Christ, older children who never knew; mothers who did not keep Christ at the center of the home, older children who never knew; brothers and sisters who failed to walk in the light, those damned because of it; those who sat on the church pew all their lives, and never accepted Jesus as their God; all who hate, the sexually immoral, the impure, the sensuous, the idolaters, witches, the jealous, those subject to fits of rage, the selfishly ambitious, the dissenters, the fractious, the envious, the drunks, those who participate in orgies, the lustful, the greedy, the malicious, the slanderers, the people who use filthy language, the liars, people who were lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, the abusive, those disobedient to their parents, the ungrateful, the unholy, those without love, the unforgiving, the brutal, those without self control, the rash, the conceited, the lovers of pleasure rather than God, those that deny the power of Jesus Christ, the persecutors, the deceivers, thieves, false testifiers, the lewd, the arrogant, the wicked, the evil, the depraved, the gossips, the God haters, the insolent, the senseless, the faithless, the heartless, the ruthless. Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3:5-10; 2 Timothy 3; Matthew 15:19,20; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 1:28-32 The haters and the hated will have an opportunity for vengeance, with no retreat, no asylum, no rest, no refuge, no death, and no end. People will fight to the death, but there will be no death. Then the Judgment: The wrath, scorn, and righteous hatred of a loving God who sent His only Son that you might have life, but you rejected Him. Luke 19:27 (NIV) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.'" Then death and Hades and the devil, demons, the false prophet, and the Anti-Christ are thrown into the lake of fire. Countless fallen angels, more powerful than humans, especially vengeful because when they fell, there was no redemption for them, and they will know that you had an opportunity they never had of redemption, and refused to accept it. They also know that God created them to serve you, and they will delight in doing the opposite. They will terrorize you. Hebrews 1:14 (NIV) Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? No water, no food, no comfort, no love, no joy, no peace, no patience, no kindness, no goodness, no faithfulness, no gentleness, no self control, no compassion, no humility, no forgiveness, no righteousness, no godliness, no brotherly kindness, no faith, no hope, no charity, no redemption. The torment will be so powerful, it will create smoke that will go up forever and ever. Revelation 14:11 (NIV) And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." Your taste and smell senses are closely associated, so you will smell and taste the smoke of burning sulfur, and human flesh. Human flesh has a smell different from all other smells. At the Nazi death camps, they sometimes structured their slaughter due to the wind which would drive the smell towards less populated areas. Some of the burning flesh will be your own. You will feel the eternal burning of fire, and worms will crawl all over your skin, but the worms die not. You will hear the screams of the eternally lost, the screams of the devil, the screams of demons, the screams of the tormented, your own screams, the screams of your loved ones, but they will not love you, there will be no love there. They will hate you. You will see the heinous awesome, awfulness of hell, and all that are in it, and all you knew who didn't make heaven, and cruel, grasping, snarling demons, and all that's going on through eyes that are tearing from the dense smoke of burning sulfur and burning human flesh ... FOR ETERNITY! Revelation 1:12-18 (NIV) I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Bibliography 1. Websters Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA 2. The New Compact Bible Dictionary, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1967 3. New International Version of the Holy Bible, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan Publishing House, 1983 4. The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, Dr. J. H. Hertz, C. H. Soncino Press, London, 5748-1987