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Jacob’s Pillow and the Water of Life

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Most of us have read, or at least heard, the story of Jacob’s Pillow, also known as Jacob’s Pillar, but have you actually thought about why this rock was mentioned in the Bible? What is its importance? Jacob kind of made a big deal about it, and even anointed it with oil. He then named the place where it was sitting, and where he used it as his pillow, and called it Bethel, which means House of God, in the Hebrew.

Why would he go to such great lengths for this simple rock on which he laid his head one night? Well, believe it or not, this is not the only place this rock is mentioned in the Bible. In fact, we see it recurring throughout the Bible, all the way to Revelation. Let’s investigate this stone and its significance.

 

(Gen 28:10) And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

(Gen 28:11) And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

(Gen 28:12) And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.

(Gen 28:13) And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

(Gen 28:14) And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

(Gen 28:15) And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

(Gen 28:16) And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.

(Gen 28:17) And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

(Gen 28:18) And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.

(Gen 28:19) And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

(Gen 28:20) And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

(Gen 28:21) So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

(Gen 28:22) And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

We read in the preceding verses that Jacob spent the night near Haran and found a nice spot to get some sleep. While he was asleep, God gave Jacob a vision in a dream, we call this vision Jacob’s Ladder, but we aren’t too concerned with his dream for the sake of this discussion, except make note of what God said in verse 28:15. What we are most focused on is what happened when Jacob woke up the next morning.

Jacob, the next morning, awoke and stood the stone upright, and anointed it with oil and called the location where he found this rock Bethel, House of God. Why was it the House of God, well, of course his dream tells us that it is the gateway to Heaven and we find out later on that this is God’s favorite place on earth. But there is much more to the story.

After he anoints this stone and honors it to the extent that he did, Jacob then, remembering what God told him in his dream that He would never leave Jacob (and consequently his future generations) and would stay with him and bring him (by way of his future generations) into this land, the Promised Land, Jacobs vows that if God would keep His promise for this land and for His protection, then He would be Jacob’s Lord and Jacob would honor Him. Jacob then tells God that this stone he found and anointed and named Bethel, would itself be God’s House. Basically this means God would dwell there. Keep in mind God said He would stay with Jacob (meaning also his future generations) and not leave him.

Let us now follow this stone through the Bible.

 

(Exo 17:1) And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.

(Exo 17:2) Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?

(Exo 17:3) And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

(Exo 17:4) And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

(Exo 17:5) And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.

(Exo 17:6) Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

It may not be immediately clear what this passage above has to do with our topic, but it will soon begin to become more clear.

First of all, we see the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt during the Exodus, following which they all wandered the desert for 40 years on probation (40 means probation in biblical numeric). These people are the descendants of the very same Jacob (later renamed Israel by God) we were just talking about. Now if you know anything about the desert, you know that water is scarce. So, inevitably, the people begin to murmur and complain that they are thirsty and hungry and tired and sore, and so on. So they begin to get an attitude with Moses and asked them where the water was. No one can live without water and they are beginning to think they were better off as slaves in Egypt.

God then gives Moses instructions on what he is to do to water these Israelites to quench their thirst. So God tells Moses to strike the rock in Horeb. Now this isn’t just any rock, as God doesn’t say “a rock.” God tells Moses to strike a particular rock, and water will gush out of it for the people to drink and to renew their lives. Moses does as he is told and the people are refreshed and rejuvenated with life. What rock was this? Well we will continue, and see if we are not told at a later time.

 

(1Co 10:1) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

(1Co 10:2) And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

(1Co 10:3) And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

(1Co 10:4) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

Now here in 1 Corinthians, Paul is telling us a little more about this trip the Israelites took in their exodus from Egypt through the desert wilderness. We read in verse 10:4 about when the Israelites drank the water from this rock, but it gives us a bit more detail. This verse tells us they drank this spiritual drink from the rock, but wait… Is water spiritual? Or physical? Well Ordinarily, water is a physical substance, but as with anything in the Bible, there is also a spiritual lesson we are to learn. Sure they drank actual water from this rock, but of what importance is it to us? We see here that Paul calls it spiritual drink. Well what does water represent spiritually? We’ll find out soon enough.

Take a look though. It also tells us that they drank from a spiritual rock. Well ok this is beginning to take on another dimension. But, what is most important here is that it tells us that this rock followed them. Followed them?! How can a rock follow them? Well the Israelites took many things with them out of Egypt. They had their possessions, and they had many things they took from the Egyptians when they left too. This Rock was Jesus Christ in that it would represent Christ following His people (In fact, it still remains with His people through the kingline of Judah to this day.). Remember back when God said He would stay with Jacob and bring them into the Promised Land? And Jacob made a vow to God that he would honor God if God kept His promise to stay with him (them) and bring them into the Promised Land? Well now we are starting to see that God did just that and kept His promise as He always does. This verse tells us openly that this Rock was in fact God, in the form of the Son.

So now the following verses seem to have much more significance to us.

 

(Eph 2:20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

(Eph 2:21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

(Eph 2:22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the Chief Corner Stone of all truth and all life.

 

(Mat 21:42) Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

This Chief Corner Stone was rejected and continues to be rejected even in building His own church today. As Jesus tells us in Revelation 2 and 3, 5 out of the 7 churches are not righteous in His eyes.

 

(Zec 3:9) For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

Joshua here represents Jesus (Joshua is the English form directly from Yeshua), as the Hebrew name for Joshua is Yeshua, which is the Hebrew name for Jesus. The Greek form of the name Yeshua is Iesous, which then is translated into English with a hard I sound, which is the J in the name Jesus. This Stone, Jesus, has 7 eyes who are the 7000 predestinated elect in the world today. One Day (very soon, after antichrist arrives) Jesus will return to restore the iniquity, or sin, that is in the Holy Land, and that is rampant all over the world. The 7 eyes are deeply incorporated in His plan to restore order as we approach the Great Day of the Lord.

 

(Mat 7:24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

(Mat 7:25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

(Mat 7:26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

(Mat 7:27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Jesus is the Rock upon which we build our house. Our house is our temple which the Holy Spirit inhabits and its Christian foundation must be strong or else this house will easily collapse under the pressure of satan’s flood of lies and deception. If we build our house on sand, you can easily see what will happen in your mind, as you know how the sand on a beach can quickly erode in the surf.

 

(Rom 9:31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

(Rom 9:32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

(Rom 9:33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The same Stone of Christ on Whom we build the church, is the same Stumblingstone that will cause many to fall short because they do not understand His teachings. Jesus always has a deeper message than what can be seen on the surface that you must pray and study in order to truly be blessed by the Holy Spirit to understand. This is why Jesus taught with parables. Many see only what is on the surface in the teachings of the Bible and this causes them to stumble. Not only that, but so many follow after what is traditionally taught instead of reading the Bible for themselves. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you will lose salvation by stumbling due to lack of understanding: this is why there is a Millennium period that starts at Jesus’ return. However, don’t you want to please Jesus by understanding the letter He wrote to us, the Bible? He wasn’t just blowing hot air. Those who understand the Bible and its prophecy will remain faithful all the way to His return. Those who don’t will be deceived by antichrist. It’s that simple.

Salvation comes through grace alone, but whether you study or not determines if you show yourself approved and overcome at the return of Jesus, or whether you must wait until the end of the Millennium to pass the final test and overcome. Don’t let Jesus become a Stumbling Stone to you.

 

(1Pe 2:6) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

(1Pe 2:7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

(1Pe 2:8) And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

And, well, you get the point. Let’s get back to the main subject here, Jacob’s Pillar.

Well let’s look at the clues from Exodus that foreshadow this bombshell. When Jacob anointed this Rock, this was to symbolize the anointing that Jesus Christ Himself had. He first stood the Rock up as a pillar as this position would symbolize the upright, righteous, nature of Jesus Christ. When God said He would stay with Israel, He meant literally as well as spiritually. The Son has always been a part of God from the very beginning. Even though the Israelites had not yet heard of Christ, He was well alive and going strong and there are even many other places where He turns up in the Old Testament. This Rock was to remind Israel that He was with them.

Now, this spiritual water came right out of the Rock and renewed all of their lives. We will continue and investigate what it is that this water is to represent.

 

(Joh 7:37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

(Joh 7:38) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

These rivers of flowing water that flow from the belly of Jesus in the Water of Life. This Water of Life is the source of eternal life which comes only through Jesus Christ.

 

(Rev 22:1) And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Another instance showing the origin of the Water of Life.

 

(Rev 21:6) And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

And yet another…

 

(Joh 4:7) There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

(Joh 4:8) (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

(Joh 4:9) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

(Joh 4:10) Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

(Joh 4:11) The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

(Joh 4:12) Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

(Joh 4:13) Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

(Joh 4:14) But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The flesh body cannot be maintained forever, even by drinking physical water. It only lasts so long and then you get thirsty once again.

 

(Rev 22:17) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

However, once we have drunk from the Water of Life from Jesus, we will never thirst and we may drink from this water as often as we like. This Water of Life brings eternal life to our souls.

 

(Joh 19:32) Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

(Joh 19:33) But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

(Joh 19:34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

Now medically, this water coming out with the blood proves He was dead. However, a deeper lesson teaches us that this Water of Life, at the death of Jesus, begins flowing at this very point from the belly of Jesus. From this point forward, salvation is now open to all who will truly accept Him, to all true Christians. Before the crucifixion, Jesus’ primary target for spreading the Gospel was the Israelites, but after the crucifixion gentiles could also freely be grafted onto the Tree of Life mentioned in Romans 11, if they will drink of His Water of Life.

And now back to the wandering Israelites…

 

(Num 20:7) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(Num 20:8) Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.

(Num 20:9) And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.

(Num 20:10) And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?

(Num 20:11) And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

(Num 20:12) And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

God again told Moses to draw water from out of this Rock, but this second time, God tells Moses not to strike the Rock, but to speak to the Rock. So far, we know that this Rock is Jesus Christ spiritually, but we have not discussed the significance of striking the Rock or speaking to it. When Jesus died on the cross and water mingled with blood came from His belly, this corresponds to the first time Moses drew water from the Rock. Moses smote the Rock, and this smiting represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, after which time the Water of Life would flow from His belly. The second time, Moses is not told to strike the Rock, but to speak to it and this is to signify that we may partake of the Water of Life simply by praying to God. However, Moses didn’t follow God’s instruction, and he struck the Rock instead because he didn’t trust God and believe that it would be enough simply to speak to the Rock, therefore effectively recrucifying Christ, crucifying Him afresh. Jesus Christ died once and He did so once and for all times. This one act was enough to erase the sins of all those who will just accept Him and believe on Him upon repentance. For Moses to strike the Rock once again was an open shame to Jesus Christ Himself, so as a result, God would not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land with his people. Moses shamed Jesus Christ. How do we know?

 

(Heb 6:1) Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

(Heb 6:2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

(Heb 6:3) And this will we do, if God permit.

(Heb 6:4) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

(Heb 6:5) And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

(Heb 6:6) If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

To question whether your sins can be forgiven through Jesus Christ is to shame Him because He died once and for all sins. This one act was enough to cleanse the sins of anyone that would have faith in Him. If a person doesn’t trust his sins can be forgiven, then He is saying that what Jesus did on the cross was not good enough, so maybe He should have been crucified again. They would spiritually crucify Him once again. Can you see how much of an insult that is to Jesus Christ? He loves us and wants us to be free of the burden of sin, but that that to work for you, you must have faith that His one crucifixion was enough. Once someone has had a taste of the Holy Spirit, they have seen enough to accept Him, so it is pointless to ramble on to that person about something they know and have experienced for themselves.

Therefore, if someone keeps preaching salvation to those who have already accepted Jesus Christ, they are also crucifying Jesus afresh themselves. Once you receive Jesus Christ, you are to move on to deeper things than. Once you have the milk of the Word, you must then move onto the meat of the Word. A baby doesn’t stay on the bottle forever. As long as a person is on the milk, the superficial teachings, they are still a child in Christ. As they move onto the deeper, more complex lessons, they mature in God’s Word and become an adult. Eventually they may even be an elder spiritually.

 

This is a very important lesson to learn from something that seems so mundane as a simple rock laying in a field that someone used thousands of years ago for a pillow. Keep searching for the deeper truth in all things. Every single verse in this Bible has a deeper message, below what is superficial, that God wants you to investigate and learn in order to mature in His Word. Keep searching my friends!

Revelation

Revelation 1

The Book of Revelation was the last glimpse we were given by Jesus into the events that will lead up to His return, and beyond. Through John, Jesus revealed many secrets that had never been divulged to that date, and in many ways, this is our guide through the Tribulation. As with every book of the entire Bible, Jesus intended us to read it and understand it completely, as each book is one component of the whole story. Just as with a jigsaw puzzle, it cannot be complete without every piece. Let’s take a look at one of the most controversial books of the Bible.

(Revelation 1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

These things are revealed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to John, to warn His dedicated servants of what will happen over a relatively short period of time at the end of days and leading into the Millennium. These servants are those who are His ambassadors of the Gospel, especially God’s elect, who will understand the deeper meaning of what Jesus would reveal in this book.

(Revelation 1:2) Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

John was shown these things to reveal them to anyone who would read this book. The purpose of the book of Revelation is to reveal or uncover what is written in its pages. These are not meant to be hidden or kept secret, except from those who wouldn’t care enough to study them.

(Revelation 1:3) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Those who study what is written in Revelation will be blessed, or rather well-off and happy, because the things that will be happening in the near future will not come as a surprise. Those who decide it isn’t important to know what is written here will be taken as if by a thief in the night because they will not know the signs of the times.

(1Th 5:1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.

(1Th 5:2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

(1Th 5:3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

(1Th 5:4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

(1Th 5:5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

(1Th 5:6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

(Rev 3:3) Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

If we do not watch, He will come on us as a thief in the night. However, if we do what He tells us, and watch, He will not. We are to be children of the light (truth). Those who do not study, are children of the darkness—both because darkness represents lies, and they will not be able to tell the truth from the lies if they have no studied the truth, and because when you don’t know the truth, you are said to be “in the dark.” We are supposed to look for these signs given in Revelation and in prophecy throughout the Bible.

(Mat 16:2) He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

(Mat 16:3) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

(Revelation 1:4) John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

These seven churches would represent the seven types of Christians in the end times. Only two of these seven are acceptable to Jesus Christ. We will find out the details of these seven churches in the next two chapters, where Jesus will dictate a letter to each church.

(Revelation 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

(Revelation 1:6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

These verses are clarifying the credentials of who is dictating the letters that we are about to read—it is Jesus Christ, the One and Only.

(Revelation 1:7) Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

When Jesus returns, He will come exactly as He left, “in the clouds.” This is a euphemism for something else we will discuss at another time. Every eye will see Him and know that He has returned instantly. There will be no guessing and we won’t be seeing news reports on tv or hearing rumors when Jesus has truly returned. At that moment, every knee shall bow, even satan. We will, at that same time, be transformed into our spiritual bodies, as the flesh will be done away with.

(Act 1:9) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

(Act 1:10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

(Act 1:11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

(Isa 19:1) The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

(Mat 24:26) Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

(Mat 24:27) For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

(Mat 24:28) For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

(Mat 24:29) Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

(Mat 24:30) And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

(Mat 24:31) And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

(Php 2:9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

(Php 2:10) That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

(Php 2:11) And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Revelation 1:8) I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Jesus has always existed and has always been part of God. Jesus is one part of the Godhead, which illustrates the three roles of our one God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He is God Almighty.

(Joh 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(Joh 1:2) The same was in the beginning with God.

(Revelation 1:9) I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

John is our brother in Christ, and he is a companion to us in the Tribulation because he has written all these things that teach us what to expect and help us keep our faith as we enter into it and go through it. At the time he was given and wrote Revelation, he was in a prison colony for his Christian faith, but Jesus’ words live on through his writings until the end of this flesh age.

(Revelation 1:10) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

John was taken to the Lord’s Day, the future time at the end of days, all the way to the return of Jesus and beyond. In order to be taken out of this third dimension, a person may not be in the flesh, because flesh exists only in the physical dimensions. John was taken in the spirit through the fourth dimension, which is independent of time, to be able to move through time. This is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is eternal and therefore is not dependent upon time as it exists in those higher dimensions. In order to enter into (or back into) His Kingdom, we must take on a different form than what we currently have.

(1Co 15:50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

(1Co 15:51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

(1Co 15:52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

(Revelation 1:11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Jesus is about to begin His dictation for John to write to these seven churches.

(Revelation 1:12) And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

These seven golden candlesticks are the seven churches. The fact that they are golden represents that they have the truth of the Gospel, however, they also can determine what they will do with this Gospel and the responsibility they have with it in Christ.

(Revelation 1:13) And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

In the center of this arrangement of candlesticks was the Son of man, Jesus Christ. He is the center of the seven churches, as they are all members of the body of Christ, however, they are not all very good at following His instructions. This garment with which He is clothed is made up of His righteous acts, which are far more righteous than any other soul that has ever lived, so His garments are far more white and pure and beautiful.

This golden girdle is the belt of truth mentioned in Ephesians 6 and is part of the Gospel Armor we are all supposed to put on. Also this belt or girdle covers His chest, “paps”, and this represent His righteousness. The breastplate of righteousness is another part of the Gospel Armor.

(Revelation 1:14) His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

His hair is representing the helmet (or hair) of salvation, because He is the author of salvation, and this hair is white with His purity. His eyes were as flames of fire because God is the Consuming Fire and no iniquity can exist in His presence—it will all burn up—and the eyes are the windows to the soul.

(Revelation 1:15) And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Fine brass represents a something that is hardened and won’t be misshapen because it is so hard and this fine brass is highly polished. This means that He is firmly rooted in His Gospel of peace, therefore He has no need to be further prepared by having His feet shod with the Gospel of peace mentioned in Ephesians 6:15. He is the Gospel and is always in His truth. His voice is like the sound of many waters because it is a loud authoritative voice when He is speaking to John. Jesus means business.

(Revelation 1:16) And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

These seven stars in Jesus’ right hand represent the seven angels of the seven churches to whom these letters will be addressed. They are in the right hand because the right hand signifies power and action. These seven angels are under the direction of Jesus Himself.

The twoedged sword is the Word of God which comes from the mouth of Jesus and is another part of the Gospel Armor, and this item can be used for offense and defense. Jesus Shines like the sun (only brighter) because He is made up of the truth of God and it is brighter than any other thing, especially the darkness of the lies and deception of satan.

(Revelation 1:17) And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

When John saw Him, he had no other desire or inclination than to bow down and worship Him because that is how we react when we see Jesus as we don’t feel worthy to be in His presence. But, Jesus reassured him—John was there for a reason, and under His authority.

(Revelation 1:18) I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Again Jesus is giving His credentials so there is no question from John, or from us, who He is. Jesus is the key to eternal life, and to the Book of Life. Those not found in this book, will end up in the Lake of Fire at the end of the Millennium—they will receive the second (spiritual) death and will cease to exist.

(Revelation 1:19) Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Jesus is about to give John, and us, 21 chapters of prophecy that will suffice until His return…and beyond.

(Revelation 1:20) The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Beginning with the next chapter, and on to the third, we will learn about what Jesus thinks of each of these seven churches and what their fate will be. Pay attention because the uncovering of these truths has just begun.

Topic Discussions

The Parable of the Seed Caster

Do you ever find yourself sharing a kernel of truth with someone and it seems to go in one ear and out the other? Do you ever feel like no one is listening to or learning from your efforts in teaching the Word of God? Jesus gives us The Parable Of the Seed Caster to teach us how we should be sharing His Gospel.

(Mar 4:26) And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

As Christians, we are to sow seeds of Gods truth into the ground, without trying to determine what type of ground it is, as explained in the Parable of the Sower of the Seed. Only God knows who is fertile ground and who is not, and it is God that causes this seed to grow or not.

(Mar 4:27) And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

This sleep isn’t the slumber of those who are spiritually blind–this is the sleep of rest. Once the sower plants the seed, he should leave it alone and not push the point. However, if the person wants to hear more, we can water the seed to quench its thirst. If not, then God will send the rain if that seed is to grow, and it will be in God’s time, because God sets the seasons.

(Mar 4:28) For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

God grows these seeds a little at a time. If we plant a crop and water it some, and sit and watch several times a day, those seeds can seem to take forever to grow. And if you didn’t know any better, you would say that nothing is happening. But we know and have faith that God will allow them to grow and that there is a lot going on before we can even see it sprout above ground. We never question if the process works because we know it and we can see the results all over the earth. We have faith that our seeds will grow too. We should have the same faith when we plant seeds of truth.

(Mar 4:29) But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

All the seeds of a crop grow at slightly different rates, but when harvest time comes around, they all suddenly blossoming and producing fruit and week can see the fruits of the labor. It is just the same in the Kingdom of God–every seed will grow at a different rate, but when harvest time comes, all of those within whom God grew the seeds will be ready to roll and will have their part in the very end as Jesus is about to return.

Have faith and let God grow the seeds.

Topic Discussions

The Parable of the Marriage of the King’s Son

Have you ever wondered why Jesus Christ came in the flesh? And why God divorced Israel? And why not everyone who is an Israelite is saved? Why don’t we take a look at it from the prospective of this parable in which Jesus relates the lesson to His wedding that will come at the time of His return, at the 7th trump.

(Matthew 22:1) And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

Jesus often taught in parables so that only those who are supposed to understand the lesson would understand it fully. Everyone can understand different aspects of a parable, but a parable can be taken much deeper because a parable can be applied fully to completely understand what is being taught. It can be taken even much further than what is said on the surface. God created the world this way so that His creation works in a way that can be a model to the things He wants to teach and what He wants us to understand if we care to investigate much more deeply.

(Matthew 22:2) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

Of course, this wedding is the same as the wedding between our Bridegroom Jesus Christ to His bride, true Christians, the Christian church, those whom please Him. And, obviously, the king is the Father of the Son.

(Matthew 22:3) And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

These servants are dedicated people that God has chosen because He knew they wouldn’t ever stray from Him. These servants are chosen before they are even placed on this earth and He always chooses them to perform tasks for Him. In this case these servants are prophets that are calling those who are known as His people, the Israelites, to serve Him and be His people.

Remember, Christ is a form of God, He is one of the roles God takes and He has always existed since before the creation, but He had not been born in the flesh. He was there in Old Testament times and often referred to as, the son of man, the angel of the Lord or Melchizadek.

(John 1:1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

(John 1:2) The same was in the beginning with God.

(John 1:3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

 

(Eph 3:8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

(Eph 3:9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

In the Old Testament times, God sent His servants, the prophets, to warn the Israelites to turn back to Him, as they had strayed and began to go after idols and pretty much anything that could come between them and God. However, they wouldn’t listen, and continued the same way they were going and doing whatever made them happy.

(Matthew 22:4) Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

The Israelites continued on their path to destruction for many years, so God sent more prophets to warn them one last time to turn back to Him. God wants to give people as many chances as He can to return to Him because He doesn’t want to destroy anyone unless there is no other choice.

 

(2Pe 3:9) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

(Matthew 22:5) But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

Still, the Israelites would not listen. They just wanted to continue doing the things they had always done, and live their lives being oblivious to God.

(Matthew 22:6) And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

Some of God’s servants were even killed by those who didn’t want to be told how to live.

(Matthew 22:7) But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Just as God had wiped out whole cities and civilizations in Noah’s flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because they were so perverted and didn’t care about Him as all, these Israelites He led into captivity, and many were killed, and their cities, such as Jerusalem were destroyed. The people were led away as slaves and the temple was torn down.

(Matthew 22:8) Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

The Israelites, as a whole, weren’t worthy to be wed to Christ, so God divorced Israel from being His bride. Israel (and the southern kingdom of Judah) had committed adultery by putting other things before God, who was supposed to be their Bridegroom. So by being unfaithful to God, they committed acts of whoredom and became a harlot.

(Jer 3:6) The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

(Jer 3:7) And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

(Jer 3:8) And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

 

(Matthew 22:9) Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

From this point, God would come to earth born in the flesh as Jesus Christ so that He could suffer the life of man and die in place of all sinners who would accept Him, so that anyone who would choose to be could be saved from the final death of the Lake of Fire, and receive eternal life.

(1Ti 3:16) And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

(Heb 2:14) Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

(Heb 2:15) And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

(Heb 2:16) For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

(Heb 2:17) Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

(Heb 2:18) For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

This salvation would be offered to all regardless of whether they were of Israel, or were gentiles. Just the same, even Israelites would have to accept Jesus Christ because God had divorced the entire family of Jacob (Israel). Now everyone was on an even playing field regardless of birth and all could attend this wedding as the Bride of Christ if they accept Him as their Bridegroom and remain faithful to Him. Even when we stray, we can be forgiven in His name if we repent.

(Eph 3:8) Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

(Eph 3:9) And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

(Matthew 22:10) So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

So these servants, the apostles, went out spreading the teachings of Jesus, and offering this salvation to anyone who would accept it, no matter what was their background.

(Matthew 22:11) And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

From the time that Jesus returns, we will be clothed by our righteous acts we had while in the flesh. These are white linen robes that are washed clean in the blood of Jesus. This is our wedding garment.

(Rev 19:7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

(Rev 19:8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness (righteous acts) of saints.

(Rev 19:9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

 

(Rev 7:13) And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

(Rev 7:14) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

(Rev 7:15) Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

(Rev 7:16) They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

(Rev 7:17) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

(Rev 16:15) Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

(Rev 3:18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

 

(Matthew 22:12) And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

These who are not wearing these white robes made of linen and washed clean in the blood of Christ will obviously be out of place. There will be many who come to Jesus claiming to be faithful servants, but they will be turned away because they never really knew Him, and He never knew them.

(Matthew 25:10) And while they went to buy (the oil of the Holy Spirit), the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

(Matthew 25:11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

(Matthew 25:12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 

(Luk 13:24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

(Luk 13:25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

(Luk 13:26) Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

(Luk 13:27) But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

(Luk 13:28) There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

 

(Mat 7:17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

(Mat 7:18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

(Mat 7:19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

(Mat 7:20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

(Mat 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

(Mat 7:22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

(Mat 7:23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

(Mat 7:24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And that Rock is Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 22:13) Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

All of these who are not allowed into the wedding will be locked out, but will have a chance to redeem themselves by the end of the one thousand year period, called the Millennium, in which Jesus rules here on earth, and we are allowed to teach those who fell short, so that they may be corrected from how they went astray in the flesh period before Jesus returned.

(Matthew 22:14) For many are called, but few are chosen.

In this period of grace, everyone is called and has an equal chance to accept Jesus Christ, but everyone must accept Him, in order to be saved and allowed into this wedding. And everyone who accepts Him will produce good fruit and therefore be clothed in the proper wedding garment that is made up of this righteousness.

So the moral of the story is to make sure you accept Him and are not naked, bearing your shame, by producing good fruit for Him and earning this fine white linens.

John

To Stone or Not To Stone? John 8:1-11

1 Comment

Some of your bibles will have this chapter of John in parenthesis and that’s because our oldest known copies of this gospel are missing this chapter. This has left some some people in doubt as to it’s validity. Some of the bible’s critics will say that this chapter doesn’t belong and we know that because Jesus was an unlearned peasant and couldn’t possibly know how to write. Of course for this theory to work you would have to discount Luke’s account (which they do) not to mention the last chapter. One of the things they seem to overlook is that while it is true that most of the population was illiterate, that didn’t mean everybody. This is one of the reasons why God set up a Leviticus priesthood whose job it was to read and teach the scriptures. Of course if they had, then there wouldn’t have been so much confusion about the coming Messiah. Why is this important? Because Mary came from a family of priests (We know this because Elisabeth was her cousin and Zacharias was a practicing Levitical priest) so it isn’t a stretch to think that Jesus had received some lessons in reading. Especially since He was constantly telling others to search the scriptures. Why would He say such a thing if He hadn’t done so himself?

All that is well and good, but what does that have to do with this chapter? Aside from Christ writing on the ground probably not much, but it does bring us to the exciting stuff and the reason we know for a fact that this chapter belongs right here and in this spot. Let’s start and I’ll explain.

John 8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

Ok in the last chapter we talked about how it was an overlay of the tribulation and how the completion of the Feast of Tabernacles marks the end of this age. Well folks the Feast of Tabernacles is complete and what marks the return of our Savior? Him touching the Mount of Olives. From here on we are going to see some things that will help you better understand the millennium.

John 8:2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

During the millennium, Christ is in and stays in the temple until the great white throne judgment.

This marks the beginning of the millennium so note how everyone is coming to Him and compare it to:

Isaiah 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

You might be thinking to yourself that this isn’t bowing a knee and I won’t argue the point, but I will have you consider this before we move on:

Romans 14:10-13 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (11) For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (13) Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

John 8:3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, (8:4) They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

Before Christ returns 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us that there will be a great falling away meaning many will fall away from God and turn toward Satan. Turning from God is called idolatry and many times, Hosea in particular, God has used adultery as a physical example of idolatry.

John 8:5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? (8:6) This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

They are trying to trip Christ up. How? If this woman is married, the law in question is given in Deuteronomy 22 (The law listed in Numbers 5 doesn’t apply because they were caught, “in the very act”) so let’s go there.

Deuteronomy 22:22 If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

Alright so this woman needs to die right? She was found, so let’s start chucking rocks right? Not so fast. Where is this guy? The laws say both of them are to be put to death, so if she was caught in the act why didn’t they bring the man also? Shouldn’t he have some stones with his name on it? Seems the Pharisees are being a bit selective with their punishments.

Ok, what about if she is a virgin and only betrothed?

Deuteronomy 22:23-24 If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; (24) Then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour’s wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

It doesn’t say to stone her alone so again where is Mr. Happy Pants? Makes you wonder if he’s one of the town’s big shots.

So with this in mind we know that if Christ were to say stone her, He isn’t following the law in it’s entirety and if He were to say let her go then He is again violating the law. We will find out in a moment how He handles this, but first let’s think a moment about what He wrote.

Many have speculated over the years as to what exactly He writes here and we simply cannot know for certain, but it is probable that He wrote this law, but let’s not forget this is a symbol for the millennium.

Revelation 10 tells us that right after Jesus returns there are seven thunders (thunder is what you hear after the lightning has already done it’s thing) that John was about to write when he is told that they are sealed up and to not write them. I feel that because we are not told what Jesus wrote it links these two events together. Don’t worry if you don’t see that.

John 8:7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Think about these accusers for a moment, Christ is writing, but they don’t care and these are the scribes so they can read, but they are demanding action. Does this remind you of anyone?

Revelation 12:9-11 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

This is what Satan does. Day and night, the second you make a mistake he is there just like he was in Job.

But remember that when you are standing before God, it’s only going to be you and Him so you don’t need to worry about a crowd of people hurrying up to God trying to tell Him what you did, because He already knows and He is going to deal with you on a one to one basis no matter what the holy rollers want to say about it.

John 8:8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. (8:9) And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Here I imagine He is writing down their sins, which when the beam in your eye is pointed out, most people find it hard to face.

Why does it begin with the eldest? Because judgment starts at the pulpit and the elders should know better.

John 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?(11) She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Christ isn’t saying she didn’t do it because He said, “sin no more,” meaning she did it He just isn’t going to enforce it and He isn’t breaking the law because He wasn’t the one that caught her in the act, thus the Pharisees trap didn’t work.

Symbolically she is the bride of Christ so who is it that ultimately has the right to forgive her? The betrothed husband, meaning Christ. Let’s go back to Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 22:13-14 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, (14) And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:

I kind of hate to stop there on a colon, but you can go and read the rest of the thought yourself with lays out the whole process on how to deal with a non-virgin wife, but I want to call to attention the first part where it says IF he hates her. That is a condition and Christ’s love is unconditional meaning He wont hate her even if she has gone astray and by the end of the millennium they will have the opportunity to reunite with their true husband.

The reason He can do this is because God blinds them making them ultimately innocent of what they are doing. If you don’t understand the how, who or why God has blinded some I say for now just lay it aside for now because it’s a topic in and of itself. For now the important thing is to know at the beginning whether it be in the flesh age or in the millennium at the beginning the woman stands accused, but by the end even though she did the deed she is not condemned, but to get to that point there is a process. This process is the millennium.

Topic Discussions

The Parable of the Householder and His Vineyard

Have you ever wondered about God’s plan? Or do you wonder why He exhibits His wrath on those who refuse to revere Him, and instead decide they want to do what feels good to them and disregard and disrespect His message? This parable put forth by Jesus gives us a little taste of His point of view and what will happen in His response.

Jesus gives us this parable that was addressed to the Pharisees who questioned His authority to do the great things that He was doing:

(Mat 21:33) Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

This householder is none other than the Father Himself. He created and established this vineyard, which represents the world in which we live in this flesh age. He put a hedge around this vineyard, which is a border that prevents us from leaving it. Everything we know is inside this vineyard. Everything outside this hedge or fence is not of the physical world. The grapes themselves represent those who live in this world, and the husbandmen are those who are supposed to tend to the grapes and make sure that they are taken care of and grown properly so that there is a bountiful harvest when the time comes. Once the grapes are harvested, they are put in the winepress to make wine. This winepress is reserved for the return of Jesus at the end of this flesh period.

(Rev 14:15) And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
(Rev 14:16) And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
(Rev 14:17) And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
(Rev 14:18) And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
(Rev 14:19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
(Rev 14:20) And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

God the Father also placed a watchtower in this vineyard. The watchmen, those appointed by God to oversee the world and warn the world of what is to come, are placed on top of this watchtower. These are God’s elect who are here to guide the world in the right direction by sharing the truth of God. Many of these elect, or watchmen, are given the role of prophets of God, among other roles.

This vineyard was leased out by God to priests, husbandmen, for them to take care of it, for better or for worse. Notice that these priests are leasing this vineyard and are not servants hired by the householder. They were not chosen or appointed, but chose to take the role, but are held responsible for the crop none-the-less, because the vineyard is still owned by the Householder, and they will be held responsible for the results. After the Householder set up this vineyard, and leased it out to caretakers, He left the vineyard and went outside the hedge that was placed around it, outside this physical world and left them in charge.

(Mat 21:34) And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

As time went on, the vineyard matured and grew closer to harvest time. So the householder sent his personal servants to the vineyard to collect the grapes that were already matured and ready to be picked. A vineyard in the northern hemisphere is generally harvested between late August and early October. September is the main space of time that the harvest occurs. So these servants are sent to collect those early grapes. These early grapes are those who are more spiritually mature and ready to hear a deeper message from God. So God sends these servants, His prophets, to give them His message and help them come closer to Him.

(Mat 21:35) And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

These earlier servants are the earlier prophets who warned of the coming doom that would be seen if God’s children didn’t return to Him. They warned that His kingdom would go into captivity if they didn’t make a correction. Many of these grapes were matured and ready to hear the message and be gathered by the servants of the householder. But the priests had been tending to the vineyard and not doing it justice, so many of the grapes weren’t ready and those people didn’t listen. The priests didn’t like this, and instead they totally disregarded God’s prophets and continued leading God’s children astray, and did what they wanted, which basically amounts to idolatry. They put their own desires between them and God.

(Mat 21:36) Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

Then, because the householder never heard back from his servants, he sent more. So, God sent further prophets to try to guide His children back to Him. They warned that if they didn’t return to Him, there would be consequences. They were again there to gather those who were matured and ready back to God. Of course, the priests didn’t like this idea this time either. They wanted to be the big dogs and run the vineyard their own way and reap the reward. They didn’t want anyone else to receive the credit or the benefits. So they also completely disregarded these servants of God and continued leading His children astray.

(Mat 21:37) But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

Because he also didn’t hear back from the second group of servants, what did he do?

These householders had absolutely no respect for the householder’s servants. So if they should have respect for anyone, it should be his own son. They should revere his son just as they revere him right. After all, his son is his closest kin and representative. If they don’t respect his son, who will they respect? They certainly wouldn’t have reverence for him if they don’t even revere his son. So God sent His Son, this is His representative to man. Whatever way we treat His Son, Jesus Christ, is how we are also treating His Father, our Father, because Jesus is God. For all intents and purposes, the son was the householder. Jesus is the form God takes to present Himself in a form we are able to comprehend. We could never even comprehend our Father in Heaven.

So this son of the householder should have been treated just as they would treat the householder himself. Right?

(Mat 21:38) But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

But, instead, they treated the son even worse. They understood how they should have treated the householder’s son, but they decided to choose to serve their own personal gain. The husbandmen knew that this son would inherit the entire vineyard, but they didn’t want to have to give it up to him eventually.

(Mat 21:39) And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

They figured they could kill the son and take over the control of the vineyard themselves. So they killed God’s Son, His representative on earth. They killed God in the flesh. That should have been the end of it…or so they thought.

(Mat 21:40) When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

When harvest time comes, then the householder returns to see how the vineyard turned out. What do you think the householder will do to those men who were supposed to take care of his vineyard and respect his servants and his own son?

(Mat 21:41) They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

These husbandmen who were so disobedient aren’t going to have a fun time once the householder returns on the Lord’s Day. This flesh world is going to pass away in fervent heat. All that offends will be destroyed and we will enter into a period called the Millennium, a thousand year period in which Christ will rule on earth firsthand.

(2Pe 3:10) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

He will return with a rod of iron and will not be meek as most would expect Him to be. If you accept Christ and submit to Him and listen to His words, and remain faithful to him until He returns as a good servant, then you will be put in charge of this next vineyard crop in the Millennium. If not, then, well just use your imagination.

Hopefully, He will give you a chance to be part of that vineyard crop to become spiritually mature and part of the good final harvest, at the end of the Millennium.

These who He puts in charge of His vineyard in the Millennium are those who He knows will bear good fruit because they have already proven themselves.

(Mat 21:42) Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

This Stone the builders rejected, the Son, is the very Stone that the Kingdom of God is built upon. The cornerstone is a stone that is put in the foundation of a building for its strength. It is a symbol of strength in the building’s foundation, and often, in ancient times, it was even anointed, just as Christ is anointed, and so are His servants. Christ is the most marvelous anointed one. There is no one above Him.

(Mat 21:43) Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

Jesus is getting to the point of this message to these Pharisees He’s talking to. He is telling them they will soon lose the priesthood and it will be given to those who are worthy. This not only applies to those Pharisees, but anyone who considers himself a priest of God, but leads God’s children astray. Do you know any of these? Beware of them.

(Mat 21:44) And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Ultimately if these do not correct their ways, they will be destroyed in the second death of the Lake of Fire at the end of the Millennium.

(Rev 21:8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

(Mat 21:45) And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

The Pharisees knew exactly who Jesus was talking about. It was them, and they hated Him for it. They hated the Son of the Householder. This is the very thing that He just warned them of.

(Mat 21:46) But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

They knew that they could not kill the Son right now though, because so many that were around did, in fact, revere Him.
Though they knew He was talking of them, they still didn’t get the bigger picture, or even heed His warning.

Will you heed His warning and be a faithful servant?

John

Does Jesus need to prove who He Is? John 5:30-35

We return with Christ still speaking to the pharisees. Let’s dig in.

John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

How are you with your judgments? Are you quick to judge? Do your judgments align with our Father’s? Can you be sure what God’s judgments are?

John 5:31 If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.

This is a very old principal that we see used everyday. If someone comes in and says they are great and they can do or have done all these things, what is your first reaction? We reject that person or we wish they would stop blowing their own horn, however if someone else introduces that same person and that person does not have to go on about themselves we are much more likely to listen.

John 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. (33) Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.

This was John the Baptist’s whole mission and he did it spectacularly. How easy would it have been for John to start to take pride in himself? John was Christ’s cousin. How easy would it have been to forget who Christ was, especially before His ministry began? The people flocked to him wandering out to the river Jordan to be baptized and hear him speak. How many people in the world would be able to not begin to think of themselves as great? Is it no wonder then that Christ said in Luke 7:28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Stop and think about that for moment. There are a lot of big names to consider, Elijah, David, MOSES and Christ just placed John the Baptist on the top.

John 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

God does not want to see his children parish and he wasn’t born of woman and crucified on the cross just for kicks. He did it for us. He came here to show us the way for US. For you and for me. His words are important and if you have the desire to be saved I suggest you listen to what he has to say.

John 5:35 He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. (36) But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.

As great as John was, Christ works were greater. Christ didn’t need John to prove who he was. He could make the dead rise, heal the sick and produce endless supplies of food. Even though he could do all these things, this generation rejected him. They beat him, mocked him and cast lots for his clothes. When they took him in the night and Peter smote the ear of one of the guards, he healed it. He healed it. He knew what was coming, yet he stopped enough to heal the man’s ear. Why didn’t that man stop and wonder at His greatness? Wouldn’t you think the man would suddenly turn and fight to defend the life of this innocent man? Are we so much different? How hard is it to stop in the face of a mob and say, “This isn’t right?”

I digress. We will pick this up on the next post and finish this 5th chapter of John. God Bless.

Topic Discussions

Parable of the Sower of the Seed

The Parable of the Sower of the Seed

(Mat 13:1) The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

Jesus was teaching by the sea side and the sea represents the people of the world who don’t have the truth of God.

(Mat 13:2) And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

This ship, here, represents the ark of truth – this is where those who have the truth of God reside, especially during the flood of lies that comes in the great tribulation. Just like in the time of Noah, this ark of truth keeps us safe, where we will float above the waters of the people of the world who buy into the lies of antichrist and his fallen angels. Being above this flood and the waters is to be on a higher level of understanding, and that higher level is the spiritual level. We as true Christians are to live by the spirit.

(Mat 13:3) And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

The sower is the Christian who spreads the seed of the truth of God. This seed is broadcast all over the ground because we never know who will receive the truth and within whom God will allow it to grow – it isn’t our decision to make as to who is worthy to hear it.

(Mat 13:4) And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some of the seeds landed on the wayside, which is the road or path that goes by the field. This road is dirt and clay that is packed very hard from usage – these people are hardheaded and distracted by life. This road is used by merchants and all sorts of people who are to busy trying to attain their ideas of success and doing things that occupy their time to really pay much attention to the Word of God – they put many things between them and God, and these things become idols to them because they are more important to them than God. When the seeds of truth are planted here, they don’t sink into the ground, they just bounce off and the fowls of the air eat them up. These fowls of the air are the fallen angels of satan who influence the minds of those who don’t focus on Christ, the Word.

(Mat 13:5) Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

These stony places are hardheads who will sit still and listen for a while, but are not dedicated enough to stick with their study to have a solid understanding of the deeper truth in the Word. They are stuck on the most shallow level of understanding. Immediately, while they were listening, these ideas made sense, but the roots don’t go deep in their mind.

(Mat 13:6) And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

As soon as they were put under pressure by others who had different views, or who were purposely trying to mislead them, they didn’t have the study of the scripture to back what they were taught and remain standing for what they thought they believed. When antichrist is here, during the second half of the tribulation, your understanding of the truth will be put to the test, and your teacher will not be here to hold your hand.

You will need to build your understanding from guidance of the Holy Spirit and study of scripture, not what others have taught you. We are told to build our foundation for our houses on the Rock, Jesus Christ, and not on the teachings of another man, clay. When we build our house’s foundation on Rock, it will be sturdy and withstand floods and storms. But when we build our foundations on clay, as flood waters and storms come, that clay will soften and our house will sink into the ground and crack and crumble. Your understanding won’t be able to withstand the flood of lies that comes with antichrist and his fallen angels. They will put your beliefs under heat and pressure and cause you to believe what you were taught was wrong all along because you don’t have the knowledge of scripture to back it up.

(Mat 13:7) And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Some seeds will land among people who are surrounded with bad influences. These bad influences will lead you away from any truth that may have flourished if it had been allowed to grow around positive influence. These thorns are evil people in the grand scheme of things because they don’t have the love of God to care about the truth of the Gospel, or want the Gospel to be spread. By default these influences are evil, though they may even seem harmless enough. Don’t hang around those who do not believe in Jesus Christ and love Him as their Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us to not even wish them God speed. We can plant seeds in them occasionally, but don’t spend too much time around them if they don’t love God. You cannot come to the Father, except through the Son, Jesus Christ.

(Mat 13:8) But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

These people are those who are given a deeper understanding from God because they love Jesus Christ and are dedicated to understanding the Gospel of the entire Bible. These people know about what is about to come with the tribulation and the test that the world will be put to, or they want to know all these things and be prepared. These people will be prepared and will never stray from Christ to be deceived into worshipping antichrist. They have, or will have, the Seal of God, which is the complete understanding of the Truth. These people will be examples to the entire rest of the world during the Millennium, but in the mean time, they take their knowledge and understanding and share it with anyone they can. These seeds of truth can bring other people into the light of understanding.

(Mat 13:9) Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Those who are given the ability to understand this message need to pay attention to this and let it sink in. This is a call from Jesus Christ to pay attention to what is being taught here because it is a very important message, as really all scripture is when it is taught on the deepest level. Be this good ground so that God will grow the seeds of truth inside you.

Topic Discussions

Parable of the Ten Virgins

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*[[Mat 25:1-13]] KJV* (1) Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

These are ten Christians who have never yet strayed from Jesus. The virgin represents someone who hasn’t turned to another god, as adultery in the Bible represents idolatry, and marriage represents our relationship with Jesus.

(2) And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

All ten of these Christians are believers and would not choose to stray on purpose. The number 10 represents law and responsibility as it is our responsibility, as Christians, to spend time with Jesus, the Word, and understand His gospel so that we can share the Truth with others and let our light shine. The number 5 represents grace, and though five of them are foolish, they still have grace on their side.

(3) They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

In the Bible, the oil always represents the Holy Spirit. The foolish virgins were believers, yet they had not received the Holy Spirit. Their spiritual eyes were darkened and they had no spiritual understanding of God’s truth. They could have received it if they had diligently sought Jesus through His Word.

For you deeper students, notice the difference between these 5 wise virgins and the 7000 predestinated elect. The 7000 are the wife of God and never slumber, while these wise virgins, like the foolish virgins, do sleep at some point.

(4) But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

The wise virgins are those who had the oil, the Holy Spirit, and their lamps burned bright and shone for all to see. They spread the truth, which is represented by the light of their lamps, everywhere they could.

These wise virgins are Christians who earned their sealing in their lives in the flesh, though they had strayed at least some during satan’s rebellion. These wise virgins will never bow to antichrist.

( *[[Rev 7:3-4]] KJV* (3) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.)

( *[[Rev 14:1-4]] KJV* (1) And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. (2) And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: (3) And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (4) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.)

(5) While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

All ten of these virgins slept while Jesus was away, meaning they had the spirit of slumber, though the 5 wise virgins come out of this slumber, and are given the Truth by the Holy Spirit.

(*[[Rom 11:7-8]] KJV* (7) What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded (8) (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber [stupor], eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.)

(6) And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

The 7th trump, which announces the return of Jesus, was sounding. The return of Christ was approaching.

This is taking place at night, which represents the tribulation. Darkness always represents the deception and lies of satan, as the light represents the truth of God. The tribulation is the period of the strongest deception the earth has ever seen. There will be a flood of lies.

(7) Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

To trim your lamp is to trim the wick and make it shine brighter. They were sharpening their understanding and shining the truth as bright as they could to others.

( *[[Mat 5:14-16]] KJV* (14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.)

(8) And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

The foolish virgins had not prepared for this darkness and were scrambling to get ready. They were too late as they had missed the sealing of the servants of God. Their lamps had gone out because, though they were believers and lived Jesus, they did not love Him enough to study the Word of God, and that Word of God is Jesus. He is the Living Word.

(*[[2Th 2:10-12]] KJV* (10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: (12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.)

( *[[Hos 4:6]] KJV* My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.)

(9) But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

The wise virgins did not give their oil to the foolish virgins for two reasons: it wasn’t theirs to give (as it is a gift from God), and there are only so many who are sealed with His truth. They sent the foolish virgins away into the world to get some oil from the people who do not have the understanding of God. There is no Holy Spirit there, but there is an unholy spirit: that of satan and his fallen angels.

(10) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

The wise virgins remained faithfully waiting for Jesus’ return on the Lord’s Day. When He finally arrives, they are allowed to partake in the wedding and feast with Jesus.

(11) Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

The foolish virgins realize they have missed the boat, and ask to be allowed to be part of the celebration.

(12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

While they were out carrying on they were buying the lies of those who did not serve God. And like those people of the world, they also bought the lie that antichrist sold them, that he was Jesus Christ. In worshipping him, they received the mark of the beast and would not be allowed to the wedding of Jesus to His people at His return. They were shut out.

( *[[Rev 14:9-10]] KJV* (9) And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, (10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:)

Those who receive the mark of the beast will receive some wrath at Jesus’ return, but many will have a chance to be corrected in the Millennium. Pray that those you know who aren’t prepared, will receive that chance.

Those who have strayed because they were deceived, yet are found worthy because they love God, will have a chance to be corrected in the Millennium kingdom that follows the return of Jesus, because of grace through Jesus Christ. But those who partake in the wedding will belong to Jesus and have eternal life from that point.

(13) Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

We are given the signs of the times to know when the Bridegroom approaches, and we are given the tools to figure all but the exact day and hour, though we can get pretty close. And closer it gets we will know for sure, such as when the two witnesses are slain by satan.

( *[[1Th 5:1-8]] KJV* (1) But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (2) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (3) For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.)

( *[[Rev 3:3]] KJV* Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.)

As we are told, Jesus only comes as a thief if we do not know and watch for the signs of the times. Only the children of darkness (lies) will be surprised at His coming. The children of the light (truth) will expect Him and be prepared–they will not be startled at His arrival.

( *[[Mar 13:23]] KJV* But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.)

He has given us all the tools we need to be prepared and not stray and to know the timing of what is about to come.

Fill your lamp with oil before it’s too late. The sealing is very close to complete.