Reference Notes

Gulf

The Gulf is a large impassible expanse that is established between the good side of Heaven and the bad side, and it is a creation that exists only in this present age, the second heaven and earth age, and will cease too exist after this earth age. On the good side of Heaven, those there are in the presence of God and have no wants or needs. Those people have lived life the way they were supposed to live it and followed God’s ways and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

On the bad side of the Gulf, known as Hades in the Greek and Sheol in the Hebrew and translated as Hell, all those who have not overcome the ways of the world, before their deaths in the flesh, are put. This is a holding place in which those people are away from the presence of God. These people burn with shame and thirst for the Water of Life that would have come to them with their sincere acceptance of Jesus Christ.

There is no way for someone to simply pass from one side of this Gulf to the other, however, after Jesus was crucified and before He was resurrected, He went to the gates of Hell and preached to those souls there to allow them to accept salvation (Jonah 1:1-3:10, 1Pet 3:18-22, 4:1-6). Although this expanse is presently not able to be traversed, each side is not so far away that one cannot see to the other side and know what goes on there. It is also likely that many of those currently held in Hell will receive a chance to correct their ways in the Millennium, especially if they had never gotten a chance to hear the Gospel while in the flesh.

Those on the side called Hell see what they are missing in that they are not themselves in the presence of God, and because they can see this, they grieve that they had not made the right choices while in the flesh. The people on the heavenly side can see those on the hellish side and see their suffering of not having God with them. Knowing the love of God, but feeling that God is totally apart from you is the worst feeling in the world, and this is the punishment that all on the side of Hell will feel. For those who are on the bad side, the Gulf is their separation  from God and all goodness and love; and for those on the good side, this Gulf is a separation from any suffering or sadness. (Luke 16:19-31)

 

Reference Notes

Godhead

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The Godhead (as it is called in the Bible, Romans 1:18-21, Colossians 2:9), or Trinity (as many Christians refer to it), is our one and only God (Exodus 20:1-3, Deuteronomy 5:6-7, 6:4-5), but He has three forms that He takes depending on the situation, and He always is in all three forms simultaneously. For example, take H2O: H2O can take the form of ice, water and steam, and it can take all three forms at the same time, in different places. They are all H2O, and they can even change from one form to another in any given place, but all three have their own unique properties. The same is true with the Godhead.

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God (Matthew 28:18-20), and God is one, as there is only one true God, but God is such that He can be anywhere and everywhere at the same time, and perform different roles and take different forms depending on the situation.

The Godhead of God has always existed in all three parts together, since the beginning (John 1:1-14). The Father is effectively the Brains of this operation–He is the part of God that is the creative mind. We see the Son mentioned throughout the Bible, even in the Old Testament, as He is the part of God that interacts with man in a form that is able to be comprehended by man. He was in the fire with Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. He visited Ezekiel in numerous occasions. Abraham paid tithe to Him, as He was known as Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness (Genesis 14:18-20, Hebrews 7). He wrestled with Jacob before He renamed him Israel (Genesis 32:24-32). And so on. It was even this form of God, the Son, that created the world (Genesis 1, John 1:3-4, Ephesians 3:8-12). The Son sits at the right hand of the Father, and this is a euphemism meaning that the Son performs the actions of the Father–the right hand signifies power and work and completion of actions.

The part of the Godhead, called the Son, was born into the flesh as Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 2 Corinthians 4:11, 1 Colossians 2:6-12, Timothy 3:16), and went through this flesh life in order to gain first hand experience, and because He would not put us through something that He is not also willing to go through. This is the sign of the ultimate Leader. Through this experience in the flesh, He would better be able to relieve all our suffering and temptation we go through in these flesh bodies (Hebrews 2). Because of all this, Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.

The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (John 14:16-31) that Jesus sent to the world after His crucifixion, and it is this part of the Godhead that fills us when we truly accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us as Christians to keep us on the right path to please God. And it is the Holy Spirit that will speak through the mouths of His elect during the Tribulation to fulfill God’s plan.

Topic Discussions

The Lord’s Prayer

How many times have we said the Lord ’s Prayer since we were children? But have you ever thought about what its words actually mean? Let’s break it down so that we are able to say it sincerely and know what it is that we are praying.

The Lord’s Prayer was given to us by Jesus during what we call the Sermon on the Mount, which took place on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, and is written to us in Matthew 5-7.

 

(Mat 6:5-8) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

From the start, Jesus is telling us not to show off when we pray. We aren’t to pray to God to give ourselves glory, or convince people of how pious we think we are. It is good to pray with fellow Christians, but it is even more intimate and personal when we pray to our Father privately, when it is just between us and Him. We are to truly think about and feel what we are saying, and not say empty vain words, that don’t mean anything to us. The simpler the better, because using many words causes our prayers to lose their meanings, because we are thinking more about the flowery language we want to use, rather than just being plain and direct with our Father, who is unimpressed by our high levels of education. He already knows what we need and is really just looking for us to be genuine and honest with Him. KISS—Keep It Simple S…and Solitary.

 

(Mat 6:9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

This is how Jesus is telling us to pray to our Father—yes to our Father—and give Him all the glory. Even Jesus prayed to the Father, not to Jesus. He is telling us who to pray to. Although Jesus is a form of God, the form that He fills, the Son, is a different office or role of God, and you are to pray to the office of the Father, in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ. Praying in the name of Jesus Christ, or in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, shows our credentials as Christians.

The Trinity, or Godhead (as it is called in the Bible), is God, but He has three forms that He takes depending on the situation, and He always is in all three forms simultaneously. For example, take H2O: H2O can take the form of ice, water and steam, and it can take all three forms at the same time, in different places. They are all H2O, and they can even change from one form to another in any given place, but all three have their own unique properties. The same is true with the Godhead. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all God, and God is one, as there is only one true God, but God is such that He can be anywhere and everywhere at the same time, and perform different roles and take different forms depending on the situation.

Wherever God is in His full Glory is Heaven. This is where the full Godhead resides. At this time, Heaven exists in a higher dimensional plane than that which we currently occupy, which is why flesh cannot inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. It simply isn’t possible for us to enter into that dimension of Heaven the way we are, physical, 3-dimensional beings. But this is where God is and it is more real than anything we can know while in these flesh bodies. Occasionally, God will take one of His children there, in the spirit, to give us a vision or a glimpse into the future for a particular reason to serve His purpose, and this is illustrated in the Bible at various time, such as when John was taken in the spirit (for the book of Revelation), but this can only happen when one is in the spirit and leaves his flesh behind.

The name of God, YHVH, pronounced Yahaveh, is a very holy name that we see throughout the Old Testament in the Hebrew script; however, when translated to English, His name is generally rendered as “LORD,” in most translations. This name is so sacred, that it should not be used lightly—it is hallowed, or holy, meaning that it so pure that it is to be set apart. We are to have the kind of relationship with our Father that we are told to have with our own parents, except in much more reverence. Would we ever address our own parents by their first names? Occasionally we see that, but it is unusual and generally shows a lack of respect to them. We call them father or mother, or something similar. The same goes for our Father in Heaven. I would not recommend that you address our Father by His name Yahaveh, as Jesus also did not address our Father as Yahaveh. Jesus is our example of how to be a good Chrsitian. The only time we should use His name is when we are speaking of Him on a third person level and when we have a good reason, in my humble opinion. Will you be punished for it if you do? I don’t think so, and God is the only one who truly knows your heart. To me this is just a good measure to avoid using His name in vain, as we are told not to do. When we use His name, we should not take it lightly.

 

(Mat 6:10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

God’s Kingdom of Heaven is with Him. It is wherever He is. The whole universe is His, but on the Lord’s Day, immediately following the tribulation, is the Second Coming, and Jesus will be returning, and His Millennial, thousand-year, Kingdom will be coming with Him, from which He will rule on earth. God will be here on earth in the form of the Son at that time, but after the Millennium, the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven will resume, in which God will be on earth in His full Glory. We are not going anywhere to experience the Kingdom of Heaven—it is coming to us. His Kingdom will come!

And His will will be done in His Kingdom on earth, just as it is in Heaven. There will not be any more rebellion or selfishness, we will all live in harmony and peace, which is His will.

 

(Mat 6:11) Give us this day our daily bread.

This line, as with all scripture, has more than one significance. Of course, it is asking for our Father to continue to provide us our nourishment physically, in the form of food to keep our bodies healthy. But, more deeply, this is asking Him to provide deeper, more meaningful understanding of His scriptures. His Word, is represented by bread throughout the Bible. Don’t we want to understand His Word more clearly and deeply? This is the reason we continually study His Word. Is it not? We should always be learning from it, as no one has complete understanding of the Bible—not until we understand each and every verse on all three levels to which they are written. And no one will ever have that perfect understanding while in the flesh.

 

(Mat 6:12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

This step is a very important one in every prayer we say, and we will find out a little more just after the prayer. But in order for God to forgive us of our sins and blot them out, we must also be willing and able to do the same for those who sin against us as we have against Him.

He will forgive us of all our sins if we do this and we ask for forgiveness in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But we must first truly and sincerely accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

(Mat 6:13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

It is also a good idea to ask God to protect us from and lead us away from the temptations that cause us to want to go against Him and sin, as well as to keep us away those who would tempt us to sin, and those who would cause us harm. God knows what we need and He knows our hearts and how we don’t want to stray from Him, but He still likes a dialogue with us because that is why He created us, to keep Him company and to please Him. He likes us to ask Him for help to stay on His proper course, and He will help us if we sincerely ask Him.

His power and His glory will always exist and it will always be supreme, and this Kingdom will always be His. There is no power or glory that will surpass His and this will stand forever. We have read the book and we know how it ends. Satan loses and will ultimately perish in the Lake of Fire, along with all those who are not listed in the Book of Life. There is nothing for which to be afraid, as we are told to fear, or revere, not he who has the power to destroy our flesh, but He who has the power to destroy our soul. The kingdom is His and all we have to do is to sincerely seek His help to stay on the right track to enter into it.

 

(Mat 6:14-15) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Jesus is emphasizing here just how important it is to forgive those who sin against, so that our Father will see that we are worthy of being forgiven for our own sins against Him. Jesus, at another spot, gave us the Parable of the King and His Indebted Servant, Matthew 18:22-35. This parable perfectly illustrates the attitude we are taught to have toward those who would sin against us or owe us any debt.

Many people have difficulty with this step, but it is an essential one, and I urge you to begin its practice as soon as possible if you would like God’s blessings in your life.

 

Jesus gave us this outline for a proper and effective prayer to our Father, but we don’t have to say it word-for-word. However we choose to pray to our Father, it is imperative that we are very sincere, honest, humble, and truly feel what we are saying to Him, otherwise these are all just vain babblings, and have no meaning at all, and are like smoke in His nose. Sincerely approach our Father’s throne—He is our heavenly Father, and is to be revered more than anyone on earth.

God bless.

 

Topic Discussions

He That Endures To The End…

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Today it is a popular trend as Christians to believe in and teach a thing called rapture, however, is this really what the Bible says if you truly closely investigate the scriptures? The Rapture Theory says that one day, before the tribulation starts, that the church will suddenly disappear and go to meet Jesus in the sky and be taken to Heaven. It implies that once this happens, suddenly cars will become driverless, and aircraft will become pilotless and people will vanish from whatever they are doing, while complete chaos will ensue back on earth, as those who remain enter the tribulation. Does The Bible really teach this? Or is this simply a tradition that has been passed down over the past couple centuries unquestioned? Well, let us see what the inspired Word of God has to say about what the end times have in store for true Christians.

 

(2Th 2:1) Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

(2Th 2:2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

This letter Paul is writing to clear up a few confusions in the church of Thessalonica. He is speaking here about the time of the return of Christ.

 

(2Th 2:3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

This day, the Day of the Lord, the day Jesus returns, will not come until there first is a falling away of the church, which is an apostasy of most of the church , meaning that they will stray from their original beliefs. Well how can this happen? We will find this out very shortly.

After this falling away, but still before the return of Jesus, the man of sin, who is the son of perdition, the only one who had specifically been sentenced to perish in the Lake of Fire, will be revealed to those on earth. This son of perdition is none other than satan.

 

(2Th 2:4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Satan, Lucifer, as you will remember, is the cherub whom God appointed to cover the mercy seat. He wanted to rise himself above God and be worshipped. When he comes to earth as antichrist, before the Day of the Lord, he will sit himself in God’s temple claiming to be God so that he may be worshipped by all who don’t know better according to God’s Word.

 

(2Th 2:5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?

(2Th 2:6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

Paul here is asking, “Haven’t you been paying attention? Don’t you remember what I’ve already told you?”

The word ‘withholdeth’ means to retain in your memory. He is telling them and us not to forget what he has said and what is explaining once again in this letter.

 

(2Th 2:7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

This mystery of wickedness is already in the world, and only he who retains this knowledge in his mind will stand until satan, as antichrist, is taken out of the way by Jesus at His return.

 

(2Th 2:8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

When Jesus returns, as told in Zechariah 14, all those who are wicked and the things that offend Him will He destroy by God’s consuming fire.

 

(2Th 2:9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

(2Th 2:10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Even antichrist will be destroyed at the time of Jesus’ return, both antichrist and his beast system, leaving satan in only his prime form to be locked away for the entire Millennium, until his final short release. Also those who were deceived into worshipping him will be destroyed in the flesh, and this will leave them only a mortal spiritual body, which is liable to die at the end of the Millennium in the Lake of Fire, if they do not receive the proper correction during the up-coming thousand-year reign of Christ on earth.

 

(2Th 2:11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

(2Th 2:12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

These people who did not have enough love of the truth to study the Bible will be sent strong delusion by God so that they will believe these lies of satan. The ultimate goal is not that they will be destroyed, but that they will learn from these mistakes during the Millennium, and pass the final test when satan is released one last time to deceive the world (per, Ezekiel 44 and Revelation 20).

 

 

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

The spiritual kingdom of Heaven inhabits a different dimension than we do, and therefore we, in our physical flesh bodies, cannot possible enter that realm in a physical form. This kingdom is of a higher dimension than what we are currently aware as flesh people. These flesh bodies are corruptible, which means that they will all receive injuries and die and decay; and incorruptible bodies cannot receive injuries and decay. Although incorruptible bodies cannot rot as a dead body, they can be destroyed, but only by God and only at one time, after the Great White Throne Judgment. That spiritual death is called the second death and will be the end of the line for many. Recall this verse: (Mat 10:28) And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. This “Him” spoken of is of course God and we are to revere Him.

 

(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.

Paul is explaining this mystery to us and it is something that is not known by many Christians even today. He is saying that not everyone in the flesh will die, and this is because those of us who are true Christians and have not strayed from Jesus by worshipping antichrist will be changed in the twinkling of an eye into our spiritual, incorruptible bodies, which cannot die. As this is happening, those who have strayed and have received the mark of the beast and stood with antichrist will be destroyed in a physical sense.

When does this happen? It happens at the last trump, which is the 7th according to Revelation 11. Also According to Revelation 9 and 13 (666, the 6th seal, 6th trumpet, 6th vial), antichrist will be arriving at the 6th trump, which is not only not the last trump but comes before the 7th trump.

 

(1Co 15:53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In order to inherit the kingdom of God, which is the final goal of all Christians, we have to put on this immortality. Those who have overcome by the time that Jesus returns, on the Lord’s Day, will receive immortality then. Those who overcome at the end of the Millennium will receive it at the end of that thousand years.

 

(1Co 15:54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

When everyone who has overcome at the end of the Millennium has received immortality, and those who were not found in the Book of Life are thrown into the Lake of Fire, then death will be swallowed up and there will never again be suffering or death because we will finally be entering God’s eternal Kingdom of Heaven (Revelation 21-22). Those who will be thrown in the Lake of Fire are only those whom God has given ample opportunity to straighten up their acts and follow the right path. Peter says that God is very patient because He does not want any one of His children to perish.

 

Let’s move on to 1 Thessalonians:

 

(1Th 4:15) For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

 

The word ‘prevent’ used here means to come before. What this verse is then saying is that those who are alive in the flesh body when Jesus returns will not rise before those who have already died. Those who have died have already risen to be with God (as illustrated in Luke 16).

 

(1Th 4:16) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

 

At that trumpet, Jesus will return, and it will be with those Christians who came before as His army. Again, those who died as faithful Christians will have died first will have risen first.

 

(1Th 4:17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Those of us who are still alive and have remained faithful to Jesus through the tribulation, as we are instantly changed into incorruptible eternal spiritual bodies, will be gathered together in one large group by Jesus.

 

(1Th 4:18) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

This is a very comforting thought to those who will be threatened by antichrist and those whom serve him.

 

Let’s now take a look at what Jesus says about the end of days:

(Mat 24:5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

There have been and will continue to be many who say they are the Savior, until antichrist arrives, whether they say they are Jesus, or various other messiahs of the religions. But as we have seen above, there are certain things that must take place before Jesus returns.

 

(Mat 24:6) And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

The reports of wars around the world will increase, especially in proximity to the city of Jerusalem.

 

(Mat 24:7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

The nations will continue to build animosity toward each other, and there will be starving people (as well as people starving for the, bread of life, the Word of God as told in Amos 8), and diseases (including the metaphorical diseases of false biblical teachings), and earthquakes all over the world, even where they are very unusual.

 

(Mat 24:8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.

These are many of the things that lead right into the time of the great tribulation.

 

(Mat 24:9) Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Those who refuse to follow the world system described in Revelation 13, and who do not worship antichrist and his image because they know that he is not Jesus, but that he is antichrist, will be delivered up to testify why they will not do these things. Very few in the world will know better than to worship him. These people are called God’s elect—7000 of which have been chosen since before the foundation of the flesh age was laid, and 144,000 of which are chosen while in the flesh, and some gentiles as well who have been chosen by God.

 

(Mat 24:10) And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Those who will not bow to satan/antichrist will be turned in as they are observed not following the edicts of antichrist. This will be very similar to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3. This story is a direct ensample (or example) of what the faithful church (Smyrna and Philadelphia, Revelation 2 & 3), those who will not bow to antichrist, can expect to experience during the tribulation.

 

(Mat 24:11) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

There will be people who will be prophesying for antichrist by the spirit, however, it won’t be by the Holy Spirit, but by satan’s unholy spirit. Yet because, as we are told, the whole world will be deceived, they will also follow these so-called prophets and be lead right to receiving the mark of the beast.

 

(Mat 24:12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

The love of most in the world has been growing colder and colder for years, but as sin begins to overflow, just like it did in Sodom and Gomorrah, people will become even more self-centered and dedicated to what makes them feel pleasure.

 

(Mat 24:13) But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Only those who endure this until the end of the tribulation, which we will soon read, is the time that Jesus will finally return, will be justified at the time of His return. The rest will have to go through the Millennium to learn the difference between the holy and the profane, Ezekiel 44.

 

Let’s take a look at what He said in the book of Mark:

(Mar 13:9) But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

Again, those who will not worship antichrist will be delivered up before councils to testify why they will not bow; it will be a testimony for the sake of Jesus Christ.

 

(Mar 13:10) And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Before that time, the Word of God will have been spread around the world, but if there is any question as to the authenticity of the Gospel anywhere in the world, it is about to be cleared up.

 

(Mar 13:11) But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

When God’s own elect are delivered up in front of these committees, the Holy Spirit will literally speak through the mouths of each one as they are questioned, and those delivered up are not to even think about what they would say beforehand. This testimony will be very similar to the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and everyone in the world will be able to understand what is being said simultaneously though they all speak different languages. This speech by the Holy Spirit will be powerful enough to convince anyone who hears it, unless they are the most dedicated to antichrist, and no man could possibly do this under his own power.

 

(Mar 13:12) Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

Those who are delivered up will even be turned in even by well-meaning friends and family who expect antichrist to treat them with leniency and to help them to see the error of their ways.

 

(Mar 13:13) And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

As we were told in Matthew, those who endure all of this and remain faithful to Jesus will be justified upon His return.

 

 

(Mat 24:21) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

After this, the tribulation will intensify as antichrist is angered and as the vials, starting in Revelation 16, begin to be poured on those who are steadfast in worshipping him. This will be the toughest time for mankind.

 

(Mat 24:22) And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

The tribulation will be so tough that God’s elect will be the only ones who can withstand the temptation of satan (which is why God chose them to live at this time), but if Jesus had not shortened the length of this time, which was originally 7 years, even the elect would fall to the temptation. God knows everything and He never changes from the beginning to the end, but I believe that the original period of the tribulation was given as 7 years as an illustration to us that this 7 years would conclude spiritual completion of the flesh period. Seven, in biblical numerics, means spiritual completion.

 

(Mat 24:23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.

(Mat 24:24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

These false prophets and false saviors and false teachers will be so convincing that even God’s own elect (the cream of the crop, his elite warriors in the flesh) could be deceived if the time remained 7 years.

 

(Mat 24:25) Behold, I have told you before.

This should be nothing new to someone who is familiar with God’s Word.

 

(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.

If someone needs to tell you that Jesus has returned, then it isn’t Jesus at all.

 

(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.

Just like we can see lightning from many, many miles away, the whole world will know when Jesus returns at that 7th trump.

 

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

Just like when there is a dead body in the desert, and you can see the buzzards swirling around overhead from miles away, you will know Jesus has returned, even if you are on the other side of the earth.

 

(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.

As the world is going through its toughest trials it has ever seen and the tribulation is coming to a close, suddenly, at that last trump, Jesus will be seen full of glory in the sky by everyone on earth. As this happens, the supernatural powers of the earth, satan and his fallen angels, will be shaken from power, and his 7 world nations of the one world government will fall.

 

(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.

At this time Jesus will gather His elect from anywhere in the world unto Him.

 

Now that we are getting the picture of God’s timetable for the end times, let’s shift gears and look at God’s elect to determine if there is any question as to these being anyone other than God’s most faithful children.

 

(Rom 8:29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Those who God chose from before the foundation of this earth (in other words, from the time of satan’s rebellion in the first earth age), or the katabole, in the Greek (in which satan was deposed from his position), because of how they made a stand against satan, were predestinated for a particular role in this flesh age. This is their destiny. These people are the chosen vessels to spread God’s Word and His deeper mysteries. These predestinated ones are those who will most closely conform to the image of Jesus, though no flesh man is perfect or will ever meet the bar that Jesus has set.

 

(Rom 8:30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

These predestinated ones are those whom God calls to do His will on earth. These same people are the only ones who have already been justified before they were ever born in the flesh because God knows where they stand. He knows they are the only ones He can trust because they have already been battle hardened and proven.

 

(1Pe 1:1) Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

(1Pe 1:2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

The elect are chosen because of God’s foreknowledge of them, meaning that He knew them well by how they had served Him. Their spirits were sanctified or made holy or special in His eyes at that time. He knew that they would remain faithful to Him in their lives, except for a few special cases, we will discuss at a future date.

 

(Rom 11:4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

In this chapter of Romans, Paul was reviewing an instance in which Elijah was worried about those who were against him as a prophet of God and against God Himself. God reassures him that He has 7000 of His most loyal children who have not bowed a knee to Baal, which refers to and represents satan, during his rebellion, as these 7000 are reserved until the end. They were to be born in the last generation as a part of God’s plan.

 

(Rom 11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

However, even before the last generation, God also has servants He has chosen and predestinated to serve His purpose as part of His election.

 

(Rom 11:6) And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

(Rom 11:7) What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

(Rom 11:8) (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

These elect are guaranteed grace because God already knows that they will choose Him, which they always do, and therefore He may intercede automatically in their lives to make sure that everything goes as planned for them according to His plan. Although the elect are God’s most faithful and have already been justified, they still need grace and to repent when they sin, because their works in the flesh cannot cover their sins, just as they cannot for any other person–but God knows that they always will repent.

The Israelites of the modern day, which have been scattered all over the earth, to be reunited once and for all when Jesus returns (per Ezekiel 37), do not automatically have grace as a whole. If those of the descendants of Israel want salvation, they cannot do it simply by following the law perfectly because that is impossible. This is why we have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, because it is no one can live perfectly. Thus, we have grace through Jesus and forgiveness of sins upon repentance. The election, however, automatically receives salvation because they have already been justified by God as He knows their hearts, and therefore He can trust them to do His will and can trust them with the truth of His mysteries (discussed in the article Study to Show Yourself Approved). The rest are blinded from these truths because they haven’t proven they can handle the responsibility that comes with it.

Romans 11 goes on to explain the purpose for which these others are blinded. This will provoke them to learn their lesson in the Millennium. However, many can come out of this spiritual blindness to receive eyes to see if God finds they are able to bear it.

 

Now we can see that these elect mentioned throughout the Bible are God’s most faithful and have been faithful since before this flesh age began. This should make it clear that God’s elect, His faithful Christians, will be here throughout the entire tribulation. Now let’s discuss the two witnesses through whom God’s Holy Spirit of truth will flow to God’s elect during the tribulation.

 

(Zec 4:1) And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,

 

(Zec 4:2) And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof:

These seven lamps are God’s 7000 predestinated elect, and these lamps shine the light of God’s truth to the world. These differ from the 7 candlesticks in Revelation 1 as these are not the candlestick, but are seven candles themselves which all set on one golden candlestick. This means that these 7000 are all united in one mind, agreement on the truth, as gold represents the truth. These lamps are fed by pipes leading to one bowl, again one truth.

 

(Zec 4:3) And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof.

On each side of this bowl are two olive trees which feed these seven lamps the golden oil which represents the Holy Spirit and the fact that it is golden means that it is God’s truth.

 

(Zec 4:4) So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

(Zec 4:5) Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

 

 

(Zec 4:11) Then answered I, and said unto him, What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?

(Zec 4:12) And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves?

(Zec 4:13) And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.

(Zec 4:14) Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

These two anointed ones are two servants of God, the two most trusted through whom all truth will come during the second half of the tribulation. For further detail, we will travel to the book of Revelation, chapter 11.

 

 

(Rev 11:1) And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

This chapter takes place during the 6th trumpet, which is the time of antichrist, and the temple of God is being measured to see where it stands as far as the ways of God.

 

(Rev 11:2) But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

The court without represents those who are not circumcised of the heart, meaning they are not true Christians. These are those who are gentiles in their hearts, even if they are descendants of Israel. True Christians are the temple of Christ as their bodies are temples. Though antichrist will literally occupy a temple, this is a vision and this is what it means symbolically. Satan and his fallen angels and these spiritual gentiles (many of whom are made up of the false jews mentioned in Revelation 2 & 3) will be desecrating the temple where antichrist dwells, as well as those whose hearts of those who are not dedicated to Jesus. The time period mentioned is equivalent to the 3 and a half years of the pre-shortened tribulation time period.

 

(Rev 11:3) And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

The two witnesses will be here the entire time in which antichrist is here and will witness for Christ roughly the same amount of time, however they will precede him by about 6 days, based on the difference between the lunar month of 29.5 days (evil side of prophecy) and the solar month of 30 days given here in days (the good side of prophecy), plus the fact that they will be killed 3 and a half days before Jesus returns as we will shortly learn.

 

(Rev 11:4) These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

In this verse, John confirms that these are the same olive trees mentioned in Zechariah 4 and they are two candlesticks each representing the two good churches of Revelation 2 & 3 (Smyrna and Philadelphia) using the candlestick symbology of Revelation 1.

 

(Rev 11:5) And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

(Rev 11:6) These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Aside from their literal meaning, the two witnesses will have the ability two spiritually slay, by God’s consuming fire, those who would seek to kill them either physically or spiritually, by the swords of their mouths which are the Word of God. And they will also have the power to shut the rain from heaven which is the spiritual growth in understanding that takes place in our minds as God grows seeds of truth into understanding of the mysteries of God.

 

(Rev 11:7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

(Rev 11:8) And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

Once their time is up, the beast which came from out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9, satan as antichrist, will kill the two witnesses, and their dead bodies will lie rotting in the streets of the city of Jerusalem, which by then is a city of sin no better than the historical city of Sodom.

 

(Rev 11:9) And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

(Rev 11:10) And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

As the two witnesses’ bodies lie lifeless on the ground in Jerusalem, the world will celebrate because these two men have tormented everyone who has been dedicated to antichrist and come against them in anyway. The world will view them like a plague, and they will believe this plague is over.

 

(Rev 11:11) And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

(Rev 11:12) And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

But, suddenly, after 3 and a half days, life will be restored to these two dead bodies and they will rise up, to the dismay of the world, and they will be called into heaven.

 

(Rev 11:13) And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

(Rev 11:14) The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

As the witnesses are called up to heaven, the earth will begin to enter into chaos as we are about to hear the 7th, and final, trump—the trump at which Jesus returns and those who have remained faithful will receive their incorruptible eternal bodies, and the rest will be destroyed physically as told in Zechariah 14.

The first woe was the 5th trump, in which the first half of the tribulation takes place, and the second woe was the 6th trump, in which the second half of the tribulation takes place. At the end of this second woe, antichrist will gather his armies and surround God’s elect desiring to destroy them (the battle of Armageddon), but at this very time, the third woe will come, and Jesus will return with His army to wipe out the evil forces on earth, and the 7000 of satan’s fallen angels who are here at that time will be physically destroyed. These 7000 in this verse are synonymous to satan’s own predestinated elect.

 

(Rev 11:15) And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It is at this point that the 7th trump sounds and the tribulation ends and Jesus returns for His second coming. It is at this time that His Millennial reign will begin, from which time He will rule on earth forever, from the Millennium and continuing into the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven in third earth age, Revelation 20-22.

 

As we have read, nowhere in the scriptures of the Bible is there any time for a secret rapture of God’s most obedient. They will be here on earth in the time leading into the tribulation, through the tribulation, and forever as Jesus returns to rule on earth. It is essential, especially at this time, that all Christians investigate thoroughly God’s Word to divide the traditions of man from the truth in God’s Word. We should never take any man’s word for anything. We will all be held responsible for what we know, and if we never really search the scriptures, we cannot truly know what is written therein. I pray that all Christians will dive into the scriptures to know the truth for themselves.

God bless.

 

 

 

Topic Discussions

Study to Show Yourself Approved

(2Ti 2:15) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

What does this mean?

You might say to yourself, “Why do I need to study in order to be approved by God? Once I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior, doesn’t that mean I am saved and guaranteed eternal life?”

And you would be correct, those who truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior are saved, but that’s not what we are talking about here. Salvation means that you will not suffer the second death by being thrown into the Lake of Fire. However, there is a long period that precedes the Great White Throne Judgment and the possible sentence of the Lake of Fire. This time is the 1000-year period we call the Millennium.

Now, if we truly accept Jesus Christ and love Him, would we not want to spend as much time with Him as we possibly can? Sure we would, and this is why we study the Bible–it is the Word of God. And do you not know that Jesus is the Word, the Living Word?

(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.

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

(Joh 1:4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

(Joh 1:5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(Joh 1:6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

(Joh 1:7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

(Joh 1:8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

(Joh 1:9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

(Joh 1:10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

(Joh 1:11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

(Joh 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

(Joh 1:13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

(Joh 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

We are told here that Jesus is the Word of God in the Flesh. And the Word is God, and always has been. So if we truly love Jesus, He expects us to spend time to get to know Him, and we do this by studying the Bible.

In the above verse from 2 Timothy 2, the word ‘study’ is translated from the Greek word ‘spoudazo’ which means to give and honest effort or to be diligent. This is what we are being told to do in reading God’s Word. If we do not put this honest effort into studying and knowing God’s Word, then we are allowing ourselves to be deceived by satan and his flood of lies because we won’t know any better. Thus, if we do not have a love for studying God’s Word, then God will send us strong delusion so that we would believe a lie–as we see below:

(2Th 2:9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

(2Th 2:10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

(2Th 2:11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

(2Th 2:12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Now, this is not a final condemnation; it is for a specific purpose. When someone is allowed to believe the lies of satan while he is here as antichrist, they will believe he is Jesus, and they will then worship him and receive the mark of the beast. These people who have gone astray from Jesus by following antichrist will have the Millennium to be taught right from wrong and to be disciplined. The shame and humiliation of having been duped by satan so seriously, and being told by Jesus to get away because He never knew them, when He returns, will jolt them awake and will suddenly sober them up to the fact that they need to take the Millennium very seriously…if they care what He thinks. This will cause them, because they truly love Jesus, to do what they need to do to be prepared to withstand the last deception of satan, which is at the end of the Millennium.

Another reason that it is necessary for us to study is that many things in God’s Word are given as deeper truths that are only able to be understood by those who have been given such understanding from God–and this is not a sign of intelligence, but rather a sign of who God feels He can trust with this understanding. With this gift of understanding comes much responsibility. This is the very reason that Jesus taught in parables.

(Mat 13:10) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

(Mat 13:11) He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

(Mat 13:12) For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

(Mat 13:13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

(Mat 13:14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

(Mat 13:15) For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

(Mat 13:16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

(Mat 13:17) For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
(Luk 12:47) And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

(Luk 12:48) But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Now there were certain people who have been selected before birth, based on what God knows of their worthiness because of how they had proven themselves already. These are the 7000 predestinated elect of the last generation and the remnant whom God placed throughout the ages. Aside from these who are predestinated, understanding may be given by God to those whom God sees have proven themselves to His standards and whom He knows will be able to handle the responsibility of having this understanding. Those who are not given this understanding have not proven themselves yet, and therefore are blinded, meaning they have no eyes to see spiritually. And, again, this is for a reason, that they will learn the proper lesson that they need to be prepared at the end of the Millennium.

(Rom 11:4) But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.

(Rom 11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

(Rom 11:6) And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

(Rom 11:7) What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded

(Rom 11:8) (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

(Rom 11:9) And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:

(Rom 11:10) Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.

(Rom 11:11) I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

(Rom 11:12) Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?

This understanding therefore, can be given to a person, any person, Israelite, or gentile, whomever is part of the Olive Tree of Israel (described in the later verses of Romans 11), if they diligently and humbly seek this understanding from God. Through this understanding, those who are blinded will be motivated to see the error of their ways and correct their path during the Millennium.

Now that we have covered the commandment we, as Christians, are given to know Jesus through the Word, we will look at the forms that the knowledge of God takes.

We saw above how Jesus taught deeper lessons to those who are able to receive them, such as to His apostles, but there is more to it than that. Below, we will look at the various levels that God’s Word is conveyed simultaneously. For this you will need to engage your eyes to see, and your ears to hear.

(Joh 21:15) So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

(Joh 21:16) He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

(Joh 21:17) He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

To the naked eye, this will look like Jesus saying the same thing three times over, but upon closer inspection, you will see this is not the case.

In the first verse, you can see that Jesus is telling Peter to feed His lambs, which are baby sheep, but in the two following He says sheep. Moreover, the first time, in which Jesus says to feed His lambs, the Greek term ‘boskow’ is used, and this word means to graze or to put out to pasture. This is a passive action of feeding. This is referring to those baby sheep, or babes in Christ, who can only handle the most basic understanding of God’s Word. This does not take a lot of effort to teach or learn these ideas.

In the second verse, the first in which Jesus says to feed His sheep, the Greek term ‘poimainow’ is used, and this word means to tend to as a shepherd–it is an active term for feeding. These sheep are those who are maturing in understanding and can now begin to handle some meat of God’s Word, just as a baby who moves on from a bottle to solid food. This takes the most effort to teach because these sheep, or young adults in Christ, are not yet self sufficient and still need plenty of guidance (we always need guidance from God by the Holy Spirit, but I mean guidance by a teacher), such as by Peter in this case.

Finally, in the third verse, Jesus says sheep, but uses the Greek term ‘boskow’ once again, which is to put out to graze. This third group of sheep are the elders in Christ. These are the sheep who have the deepest level of understanding. These sheep can work directly with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit only, to gain the deepest understanding. This means the shepherd can put the food (the lesson in God’s Word) out there and these sheep know just what to do with it and are able to fully digest it.

One thing that we need to understand is that the beauty of God’s Word is that every verse of the Bible teaches on all these levels simultaneously. One thing can be said, and people on each of these three levels will be able to learn something new from it every time.

Below are a couple sets of verses written by Paul, one of the best teachers of these principles in the Bible.

(1Co 3:1) And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

(1Co 3:2) I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
(Heb 5:11) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

(Heb 5:12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

(Heb 5:13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

(Heb 5:14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Here we see why Paul is so good at teaching this lesson. This is what Jesus said to one of Paul’s companions the day Paul was stopped by Jesus on the road to Damascus:

(Act 9:15) But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

These three categories illustrate the three levels of teaching Paul was charged to do–the gentiles, the kings, and the children of Israel. These would equate to those of the most basic level–the gentiles (non-Christians in this case), the second level–the kings of the ethnos (those gentile Christians who will eventually be given full understanding when they are ready) and this is on the same level as young adults in Christ who do not have that deeper understanding yet, and the deepest level–the children of Israel (who are those Israelites who have been predestinated as God’s elect) and this would include any kings of the ethnos who have graduated to the toughest meat in God’s Word.

To further illustrate this point, here are some verses about Paul’s teaching on all three levels. The building in which Paul was teaching had three levels and these obviously represent the three levels of God’s teaching, and we will see what happens when one of the students falls asleep which represent a spirit of slumber just as we are told about in Romans 11.

(Act 20:7) And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

(Act 20:8) And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.

(Act 20:9) And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

(Act 20:10) And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

Paul is teaching literally to all three levels at the same time, but one young man (emphasizing that he was not an elder in the Word, but rather one of those on the second level) and he could not handle the length and the depth of Paul’s teaching so he fell asleep and dropped right from that third level and was feared to be dead (this is referring to the state of being spiritually dead that those who do not have the deepest understanding, the understanding of the spiritual truths, are in until the spiritually wake up). Paul went down to the young man and was relieved to find out Eutychus had not been killed, so he would still have a chance to mature further into the Word.

So what does this all mean? We are told to study God’s Word diligently to show ourselves approved to receive this deepest understanding of God, the mysteries of God. Only those who can handle the truth will receive it from God, but if you truly want it and prove to God you can handle it, He will give it to you. The first step is to actually pick up the Bible and read it, and to know there is more than meets the eye. Do you care enough to read this letter that God wrote to us?

Take the initiative, and God bless

(Hos 4:6) 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.

Revelation

Revelation 3

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In the last chapter, Revelation 2, we discussed the first four churches that Jesus told John to address, and now we will look at the final three. Jesus didn’t address these seven churches for His own health, it was for our health individually, our spiritual health. Pay attention as He spells out what He is looking for in a Christian.

 

(Revelation 3:1) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He (Christ) that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Jesus is not happy with these people and does not even like their works. These people are physically alive, and call themselves Christians, but are spiritually dead. If they do not make some serious changes and overcome, before Jesus Christ returns, they will be in danger of dying the second death, the death of their soul at the end of the Millennium period, the period in which Jesus will be here on earth ruling for one thousand years before the Great White Throne Judgment. They will have this Millennium period to correct their ways, but they will be on thin ice.

 

(Revelation 3:2) Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

Jesus is telling them that their works are not good in the eyes of God. He warns them to be mindful of what is written here and the rest of the Bible and to heed the words and warnings. He is telling them to strengthen what little dedication to Him they have left or else their soul will be close to death. They will face the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of the Millennium and if they fall short, they will have never even existed. This isn’t to say that not all true Christians are saved, but if someone truly accepts Christ and their acts don’t support that they are saved Christians, and Jesus determines they have fallen short, they will have to wait until the end of the Millennium to pass the last test and receive their eternal spiritual bodies.

 

(Revelation 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.

These people are Christians and they need to remember that they are Christians and they need to turn back to serving our Lord and repent for all of the things they have do and not done that offend the Lord. If these people (or anyone else) do not study the Bible and know the signs of the times, Jesus will return like a thief in the night and they will not be expecting Him. If they do watch the signs they will know what to look for and when His time draws near and they will even know 3 and a half days prior, exactly when He will return. If they do not watch, not only will Jesus come on them as a thief, but the thief himself (satan) who will have already come as antichrist will have stolen their loyalty through his deception. Pray that this does not happen. One way to ensure that this does not happen is to study the Word and know the signs to look for and not only that, but study the rest of the Bible to put on your spiritual armor to protect yourself from satan’s deception.

 

(Revelation 3:4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

There are a few of these people that will in fact overcome before the 7th trump and serve Christ during the Millennium. Because they have loved Jesus enough to spend time with Him by studying His Word, they will not fall to the deception of satan during the tribulation.

 

(Revelation 3:5) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

These people who do overcome, will be justified and not be liable to die the second death. We will all be clothed in white garments made up of our righteous acts. However, if you have no righteous acts, then you will have no white garments and everyone will be able to see your shame. These white garments mean that all their sins have been wiped clean, as they will have already earned their eternal lives by the time Jesus returns.

 

(Revelation 3:6) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

If any of this makes sense to you then heed this warning.

 

(Revelation 3:7) And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

The Key of David is a key that gives understanding to all of the mysteries in the Bible that Paul speaks about. It is the key that links all of our history in the Bible together with the teachings and prophecy of Jesus. Without this key, one cannot truly understand what is written in the Bible at its deepest levels. With this key, one can never be deceived by the confusion that comes from satan or his angels. When this door to understanding is opened with the Key of David, it can never be shut. And when a door is shut and locked with the Key of David, it can never be opened. Only God opens and shuts these doors to understanding with the key of David. This is a great mystery to most and Romans 11 is a good place to start, if you want to know the reasoning behind this. One cannot have this key without first accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. (God came in the flesh to us as Jesus Christ)

 

(Revelation 3:8) I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

The Church of Philadelphia is made up of God’s elect, as well as is the Church of Smyrna. We now are in the age of grace and anyone can choose salvation through Jesus Christ because of their faith in Christ, for which we are given grace by God. However, some were chosen before birth by their works they had done before that time (Romans 9) during the rebellion of satan against God in the first earth age. The door of understanding for those who are predestinated elect are automatically opened by God with the Key to David and no man can shut it meaning that these cannot be deceived about the truth. This is emphasized in Matt 24 and Mark 13. Those of the Church of Philadelphia will never deny Christ and will always teach truth about His Word. And they will always serve and do the works of God.

 

(Revelation 3:9) Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

Jesus is very pleased with the Church of Philadelphia (as well as He is with the Church of Smyrna). These elect who always keep the truth of God, will in the Millennium Age, serve as kings, priests, teachers and judges under Christ (Ezekiel 44 and Rev 20). Those who are the deceivers that say they are Jews (that they are of the tribe of Judah) but are liars, do satan’s work and they will not be allowed access to Christ in the Millennium. They, as well as all those who have not overcome before the return of Christ, will be forced to worship Christ in front of God’s elect (the Zadok Levites) during the Millennium. They will not be allowed direct contact with Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 44) until after the Millennium if they are then granted eternal life (Revelation 20-22).

 

(Revelation 3:10) Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Because these of Philadelphia have remained faithful always, even during satan’s rebellion, they will be protected (kept) by God from the temptation that will occur during the Tribulation (the hour of temptation). The entire world will fall to the temptation, except God’s elect. This is a trial to see what everyone will do with their free will when given this temptation. God’s predestinated elect will not be tried during this time because they have already passed the test during satan’s rebellion (per Romans 8 and 11).

 

(Revelation 3:11) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Jesus is encouraging those of Philadelphia here to persist and remain steady in what they do until He returns at the 7th trumpet.

 

(Revelation 3:12) Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

If you overcome in this in this age, you will be made a pillar in the Millennium Temple of God described in Ezekiel 40-43. This means that these people will uphold this temple and the principles of God and will never be in danger of falling from this and suffering the second death. The name of Christ will be written in their minds for all eternity. And they will be guaranteed to be part of New Jerusalem when it descends to earth from heaven at the beginning of the eternity after the last day of the Millennium.

 

(Revelation 3:13) He that hat him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Anyone who understands what is written should listen to what is said here.

 

(Revelation 3:14) And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God (Jesus);

Jesus is establishing His credentials as to Who is dictating this letter.

 

(Revelation 3:15) I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Jesus is not pleased with these people. They don’t really care one way or another about following Christ. They are not dedicated to serving God (hot), nor do they make a stand against Him (cold). They just live in the world and focus on themselves .

 

(Revelation 3:16) So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

When these people come to Jesus at His return at the 7th trump and call His name, He will tell them to get away because He never knew them, and they never really knew Him.

 

(Revelation 3:17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

They are focused solely on success in the world and doing what makes them feel good. Though, on the surface, they appear to have it all together, inside, their real selves are in bad shape. They have no righteous acts, which are the linens that would clothe them in the Millennium. Instead they will be naked and bear their shame in the open. They have no eyes to see the spiritual things in the world–the things of God. They are both spiritually blind and spiritually dead.

 

(Revelation 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.

Jesus is telling these people to forget the gold that they strive for in the world and buy His gold which is more valuable than anything in this world. It is the truth and purity and is worth much more than its weight in earthly gold. And He is telling them to perform righteous acts so that they will be clothed in white linen that is made up of that righteousness in the Millennium, rather than being naked and shamed. He wants them to clear their eyes of the things of the world and see the things of the spirit, the things that truly matter. If you overcome before the return of Christ at the 7th trump, you will receive an inheritance from Him that will put anything else to shame. You will inherit Him and he owns everything. You will inherit eternal life from that moment.

 

(Revelation 3:19) As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

God loves all of His children and only rebukes them because He loves them and it is His wish that all would come to Him in repentance.

 

(Revelation 3:20) Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Jesus is knocking on your door, and is calling your name. Will you open the door and invite Him in? Will you be part of the Supper of the Lamb?

 

(Revelation 3:21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Those who overcome this in the flesh age will sit with Christ in the Millennium Kingdom and will be with Him forever.

 

(Revelation 3:22) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

If you are able to understand the things said here, then heed this warning.

 

After these last two chapters of Revelation, to which church would you choose to belong? Take a good long look at what Jesus has said and think very sincerely about the path you are taking. I hope you will make the right choice and be with Jesus when He returns.

God bless

Revelation

Revelation 2

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Last chapter, we were told what to expect in the rest of the Book of Revelation, which is the book of the last things that Jesus would reveal to us through John the apostle. In this chapter and the next chapter, we have letters that Jesus told John to write to the angels (or messengers, or pastors) of the seven churches in Asia Minor as warnings to those in those churches of the things to come for each. These messages would apply to us today depending on which Christian mindsets we fall into individually. There are only two particular churches, or mindsets, that Jesus approves of at this time, in this generation as we head into the tribulation. Which one are you? And what does Jesus have to say to you?

(Revelation 2:1) Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

This is Christ speaking, and the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the fact that they are in His right hand signifies Christ’s power over those angels.

The seven candlesticks are the seven churches, and the flame of the candles is the truth that they have access to that they are charged to shine across the world.

(Revelation 2:2) I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Christ always first tells the things with which He is pleased for each church first. The first thing He mentions with this church is their works. These works are their good deeds. This patience is their patience to withstand the persecution of the Christian church. These members of this church are against the evil of those who are not truly Christian and are not living according to the laws and statutes of God, and they are aware of the false Christian teachers in the world, who claim to be sent by God, and know that these are not in fact sent by God at all.

(Revelation 2:3) And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Those in Thyatira also have put up with a lot just because they are Christians. The world today is not very hospitable to Christians, yet we are to endure and not crumble under the pressure of this hostility, but continue to do good.

Those were the things that Jesus likes about this type of Christian. Now He will tell them what they need to change about their practices if they want His blessings and to overcome in the flesh, rather than failing this second test.

(Revelation 2:4) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Their first love should be Christ [God], however, they have strayed from their love and dedication to serving Him first and foremost. They have put the things of the world before serving Him. These things of the world can become idols without someone even realizing it. It is alright to enjoy some of the things of the world but we should never put them before God. When we make them more important to us than He is, those things become idols.

(Revelation 2:5) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first work; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Jesus is telling them to go back to their first love and serve God. If they do this, they’ll still have time for all the little things in life that are fun also, as long as they aren’t against God’s laws. This way they will remain in God’s good graces and remain blessed. However if they do not, they will pay because they aren’t living up to what a Christian is supposed to be. Whenever we fall short of what God wants, as Christians, we can sincerely repent and our sins will be forgiven and forgotten. Then we must do our best not to stray, although straying is inevitable sometimes because we are only human. That is why we have forgiveness.

(Revelation 2:6) But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

The Nicolaitans were heathens that were, and are, in the churches and they allow those who pervert the teaching of God, and live according to their own desires and do not even feel bad for it, to be part of their church. This broadly weakens the church and causes individuals to go astray who may have otherwise remained dedicated because they are exposed to these ungodly practices which are allowed by the church leaders.

(Revelation 2:7) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Jesus, here, is calling on those who have been given understanding from the Holy Spirit to listen to these words and beware. Those who are in this group, yet heed these words and correct these mistakes will receive everlasting Life through Christ, the Tree of Life, and will forever be part of the Kingdom of God, through the Millennium and into the Eternal Kingdom.

Though this church is doomed the way it is run, individuals in this church can still make the choice to overcome and get back on the right path, and even be in good standing with Christ. If this is speaking about you, repent and move forward on the right path.

(Revelation 2:8) And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Smyrna is the name of a city and a Christian church in Asia Minor, which in the Greek language means myrrh. But Smyrna is also a type of fig, and this indicates the good figs, which alludes to the parable of the fig tree throughout the Bible.

This is one of the two churches that are to be considered by God to be good figs. This letter is dictated by the One who is considered the Firstfruit because He was resurrected into glory, and thus made eternal life possible for those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

(Revelation 2:9) I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

These false jews are those people who claim to be jews (those who are from the tribe of Judah) and of Israel, but are not even of the line of Adam. They are called kenites and were assimilated into the tribes of Israel very early on. Some of them do so purposely and are deceptive, and some don’t even realize that they are not of Israel, but believe that they are as they are told all of their lives. However, remember that anyone, even gentiles, can be grafted into the Olive Tree of Israel  and be saved if they become true Christians.

Obviously, those of the synagogue of satan are those who are evil, and are servants to him, but often it isn’t obvious to the observer. They have been adding leaven into God’s truth for thousands of years, and turned our faith into a religion of traditions and perversion. Jesus told us to beware of these people. Anything that contradicts the Bible and what was taught to us by Jesus, but teaches a different doctrine, we are to stay away from their teachings, and we are to know the difference. Anyone can choose to be saved, even these gentiles, or any others, and become servants to God through Jesus Christ. But these of the synagogue of satan, in particular, have chosen satan over God.

Those who are of Smyrna know how to tell who these people are from their fruits and from the Key of David, and will not fall for their deception.

 

(Revelation 2:10) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

This is during the time  of the tribulation that God’s elect will be delivered up to testify for not falling to the deception of satan and worshipping him when he is here as antichrist. Satan wants to know why these people refuse to bow to him and to test them to find who God’s elect are.

During this time of being delivered up to testify, we are not to even contemplate what we will say because the Holy Spirit will give us what to say at that very time. The Holy Spirit will speak through us, and what It says will be very convincing to anyone who is not a gainsayer of satan. You are to not fear death even though they will use that to try to scare you into submitting. It is written that not a hair on your head will be harmed and it is also written that satan and the fallen angels are not to harm anyone with the Seal of God in them (Rev 7). If you have the Seal of God you have nothing to worry about. If you don’t know what the Seal of God is, you should find out as soon as possible if you are feeling and urge to prepare for this.

 

(Revelation 2:11) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Jesus is calling on those who have been given understanding by Him to listen and understand what is being said here.

The first death is the end of your life in the flesh, and the second death is being thrown into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed and blotted out from existence (this is the death of your soul and is permanent). Those who overcome in the flesh will not even have the chance of being found deserving of the Lake of Fire, because will have been already justified by God. Otherwise, I pray you will be allowed a chance to be taught and disciplined in the Millennium. At that time, for those people, there will be one last test at the end of the thousand years in which satan will be released to deceive anyone who will allow it, and you will have complete ability to understand the severity of all of this and make a well-informed decision of what you would like your final outcome to be. God will have made sure that those who suffer the second death will thoroughly deserve it, because He is not willing to let any perish unless they have earned it. It is better though to overcome in the flesh before the return of Jesus, which is at 7th trump and pass the test sooner than later.

Do you belong to this church? If not, would you like to? There is still time to prepare and make the right choices, if you care enough to.

 

 (Revelation 2:12) And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

The Word of God is a two-edged Sword–it cuts in both directions. It can be used for both offense and defense. Not only does Jesus have the two edge sword of God’s Word, but He is God’s Word (and He is God). Jesus is on the right hand of the Father, and this means that He is the One that performs the actions that our Father dictates. He fills the role that interacts directly with us both in the flesh and in the spirit.

 

(Revelation 2:13) I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

These people take the name of Christ and call themselves Christians and profess their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Satan’s seat, before he arrives as antichrist, is a position of authority in Christianity in which people are told what to believe and what the scriptures mean, which comes between Christians and God, instead of people going directly to God for understanding of scripture and instead of repenting and confessing sins directly to God in the name of Jesus Christ. This throne and the person on it becomes and idol therefore. When antichrist arrives, this will be his seat as he is satan and he will deceive the entire world except God’s elect.

Though these people allow a person to sit on this throne and come between them and God, because they have been taught and deceived that this is what is right and correct, they stand by their faith in Christ and are even willing to die for their faith.

 

(Revelation 2:14) But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Balaam was a priest of God for money and he caused many to go astray from God and commit spiritual fornication (following after pagan idols and things that come from those idols) and did so in the name of our one true God. Today there is much of paganism added right into Christianity and people have no clue why they follow these rituals and that they have nothing to do with serving God at all. Jesus warned us about the leaven (traditions of men that are added into our faith to plump it up, yet it has nothing to do with God and is an insult to Him) added into our faith. Balaam had no understanding because he was not ordained by God because his heart was not into what he was doing. He did it for gain. When a ministry teaches the truth, it will be blessed and it will not have to beg for money. The people will willingly tithe (give one tenth of income) right to the church without the church needing to beg.

 

(Revelation 2:15) So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Some people in this church or thought process even follow the ways of the heathens. They will go to church one day and live like the world the rest of the week.

 

(Revelation 2:16) Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth (the Word of God).

Jesus is asking these people to repent and get back to serving Him (their first love) or else there will be major consequences.

 

(Revelation 2:17) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Those who overcome this teaching and thought process, while in the flesh, will receive eternal life of their soul and will belong to God and receive His inheritance. That is much better than the death of their soul. Anyone who has an ear to hear must heed this warning.

 

(Revelation 2:18) And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

 This is what Christ told John to write to Thyatira.

 

(Revelation 2:19) I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

 The last will truly be more than the first because the first one to come claiming to be Christ is in fact antichrist at the 6th trump. Christ will be returning to end this flesh part of this earth age at the 7th (last) trump and will lead us into the Promised Land of the Millennium Kingdom just as Joshua (Yahshua–the Hebrew name for Jesus, Iesous and Joshua) led the Israelites in the Promised Land. The One who comes last claiming to be Christ, because He is Christ, is the Firstfruit, Jesus.

 

(Revelation 2:20) Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest (listen to) that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

This Jezebel of the end times that calls herself a prophetess is those who listen to people who claim to have some sort of divine knowledge, yet this knowledge is in direct contradiction to the Word of the Bible. Any divine knowledge, even if it is from an angel or God Himself, will never contradict the Bible as it was originally written. These people lead others astray, away from God, and begin to draw people even to new age thought processes sometimes. This fornication or idolatry refers to idolatry as whoredom, and is a physical representation of going after other gods or idols. God is the same now as he ever was since the beginning and ever will be in the future to come, and nothing true about God will ever be revealed in these new age followings.

 

(Revelation 2:21) And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

 The people who listen to these false prophets and new age thinkers and listen to these “new” ideas are gradually led away from God and even when, and if, they realize how they have been led away, they do not repent to God or come back to Him. It is God’s desire that all of His children would come back to Him, and He gives them a chance to come back to Him, many chances, but He knows many will not.

 

(Revelation 2:22) Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Because of their willingness to follow these false ideas and because these people do not love the truth enough to study it and learn it, God will send them strong delusion that they would believe a lie. He will allow them to fawn over antichrist when he arrives, thinking he is Christ, and they will not be the wiser. And unless they repent for these fornications, they will not overcome in the flesh.

 

(Revelation 2:23) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

 Anyone who does not overcome in the flesh will be spiritually dead. This means they do not yet have an eternal soul, a living soul. Their soul is liable to die the second death unless they overcome satan’s deception at the end of the Millennium. The second death is the death of your soul when it is thrown into the Lake of Fire and your existence, and all memory of it, is blotted out. You will have never existed. It is difficult to wrap your mind around concepts like this. It is different than anything you know in the flesh. The important thing is that you would not allow this to be your fate.

 

(Revelation 2:24) But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

 These who have not this doctrine of Thyatira, are those who have overcome in the flesh before the return Of Jesus Christ. You will not suffer the burdens that befall those who have not overcome.

 

(Revelation 2:25) But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

 Those who stand for Christ and hold on to His name, as a Christian, continue to do so until it is He that returns. Do not fall short by mistakenly following after antichrist, but remain faithful to Jesus.

 

(Revelation 2:26) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

 (Revelation 2:27) And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

 Those who overcome in this age will serve in the Millennium Temple. Those who have not strayed from Christ will be His kings, and priests, teachers and judges and will serve Him personally in the Temple (Ezekiel 44).

 

(Revelation 2:28) And I will give him the morning star.

 These who overcome will receive Christ as their inheritance (Ezekiel 44) and He owns it all. He is the true morning star, while satan (lucifer) is the false morning star.

 

(Revelation 2:29) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 If you understand everything said here, then heed this warning.

 

Jesus gives us these warnings for a reason: it is written in the Bible not to be overlooked, but to be taken seriously. Will you take them seriously and learn what Jesus wants?

The next chapter will give us three more churches of which to be aware.

Topic Discussions

The Parable of the Midnight Request

Have you ever asked someone, maybe a friend, to help you from a bind in the middle of the night when you had nowhere else to turn? How did that friend or acquaintance respond? How would you respond to a friend who needed your help? Let’s take a look at what Jesus would have to say about such a predicament.

 

(Luk 11:5) And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

How many friends do you have that you can count on at any time of day or night to come to your aid when you’re in need? I would guess that most people do not have many friends they can count on at any time of day that will drop what they are doing at the time and rush to assist them. But there is One Whom we can count on.

 

(Luk 11:6) For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

This particular man is making a request from a friend and neighbor of his for some bread in the middle of the night that he would like to be able to offer to this late-night visitor. Now we can kind of get the picture as to what is going on here: this friend feels that what he has to offer to his visitor is inadequate as he wasn’t prepared for the visit. We could take this at face value, and we could apply this to our daily live in that we need to both be a good hospitable host to our guests, and we should help our neighbors as good Christians, but there is more going on here as there is a deeper lesson God would like us to learn aside from what is on the surface.

 

(Luk 11:7) And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

Now, the answer you would expect to hear from your neighbor, if you knock on his door in the middle of the night, is that he would tell you to go away and come back when everyone is awake, like a normal person. This is what the person would ordinarily be thinking in such a situation at such a time of day, but if the person is a very good friend and they genuinely like to help people, the results may be different.

 

(Luk 11:8) I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Because this man came to his friend’s door practically begging for his help, and the neighbor could see his friend’s desperation, he decided to help, even though it would seem that this was such an inconsiderate request. This is a true friend and neighbor.

In the Word of God, the bread symbolically represents Jesus Christ, Who is the Living Word; it is the Word of God Itself. The night represents the tribulation prophetically, and this one man is going to his friend in at midnight, which represents the halfway point of the tribulation (the time at which antichrist arrives) symbolically through the Bible, and he is asking his friend for the Word, or rather understanding of the Word of God through Jesus Christ. You can even surmise that the visitor that has arrived is antichrist and this man wants to be prepared with the Word of God before the antichrist arrives. Who would you think this friend is that is so willing to help his neighbor?

 

(Luk 11:9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

You guessed it! It is our Father in Heaven. He is telling us here that if you pray to Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, and ask for His help in understanding, and you seek it in His Word which we get from the Bible, all you need to do is knock, at any time, and He will open the door to understanding His Word.

Now, this may even be during the tribulation itself through to the halfway point. Understanding of God’s Word will be closed during the second half of the tribulation (see the Parable of the Ten Virgins), as those who have not prepared will be deceived by antichrist, and they will not even know the difference between him and Jesus Christ, but the seal of God of His understanding will be given by the Holy Spirit right up until just before antichrist arrives for the 6th trump. Those who haven’t sought to understand God’s Word will not even know what is missing from their lives until they see Jesus Christ finally come at the 7th trump. But this is all part of God’s plan as He loves all His children and does not wish that any should perish. That is why we will have the Millennium, which begins as Jesus returns to earth.

 

(Luk 11:10) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

However, if you would desire to have a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, and want to know Him, spend time with Him; and you do that through His Word, for He is the Living Word. All you have to do, after accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, is to pray to our Father through Jesus’ name, and ask God to give you the understanding that His Word has to offer, and then actually pick the Bible up and He will open the door to your understanding. It is a simple task, but how many will actually do it? I don’t know…is it important to you to not go astray from Him just because you allowed yourself to be deceived by satan and his lies, rather than learn from this letter He gave us? I would hope so and I would expect so. The Bible was written to us by God through some of His servants, and God never wastes His time or energy. It is an operator’s manual for our lives. And by all means, don’t wait until the last minute to ask for this gift.

 

(Luk 11:11) If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Do you think that if one of our Father’s children comes to him desperately and sincerely to ask Him for understanding of the Bible, that He would not give it? He doesn’t wish that any of His children would perish, but that all of them would return to Him. If you ask our Father for Jesus (Fish), would He give you satan (serpent)? No, or Father will keep you from going astray toward antichrist and his deception.

 

(Luk 11:12) Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If you ask Him for seeds of truth (egg) that He will water and grow inside of you, would He give you lies or deception (the scorpions, such as in Revelation 9, devour their pray from the inside out by dissolving and turning to mush everything you are inside through deception so that you willingly follow after a lie. These scorpions are the fallen angels)?

 

(Luk 11:13) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

People are not worthy to receive grace or eternal life because they continually fall short, but God wants us to turn to Him and live eternally with Him. It is not possible for us to be saved on our own merits, as really we have none that are good enough to earn salvation. But for God, everything is possible, and through Jesus Christ, we may receive this eternal life. So as evil as we are as people, even then, we still know how to give good gifts to our own children. So considering this, don’t you think that our Father, being infinitely better than us and infinitely good, knows how to give good gifts to His children, especially if they earnestly ask for those gifts? No sin is too big for Him to forgive as long as you repent and ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And no matter how bad you think you are if you repent and then ask for the gift of understanding honestly in Jesus’ name He will give it so that you can stay on the right path, the path or Jesus Christ.

Though, through accepting Jesus Christ, we receive salvation through grace, this does not mean that our journey is over at that point, there is still a rough road ahead. If you would like to rejoice at the return of Jesus with Jesus (which I know any Christian would), rather than having to wait one thousand years to come close to Him as you are disciplined because you have gone astray from your first love, Jesus Christ, then you will want to read what He has to say to you in this book called the Bible.

If you haven’t done this yet, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and then begin to seek Him by digging more deeply into His Word.

 

(Heb 5:12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

(Heb 5:13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

(Heb 5:14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Be prepared for the midnight visitor! God Bless

Topic Discussions

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.