Tag Archives: Elect

Reference Notes

Seal of God

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The Sealing is the placing of the Seal of God, by the Holy Spirit, in one’s forehead, or mind. This seal is given as a guard against deception by satan and a protection from receiving the mark of the beast. Once a person is sealed, they cannot be led astray from God and cannot be deceived into worshipping antichrist and his system (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21). This sealing is a part of the Gospel Armor, the belt of truth, and all sealing will be complete before the arrival of antichrist (Revelation 7).

In the end times, this seal is not only given to ensure someone does not receive the mark of the beast, but also it protects them from being tormented by the fallen angels who will be returning to earth with satan during the tribulation (Rev 7:1-3, 9:1-5).

When God seals one of His elect with the Holy Spirit, He reveals His mysteries to that servant of God so that the person’s understanding of His Word can be complete (Matthew 4:10-12, 13:10-17, Luke 8:9-10, Romans 16:25-27, 1 Corinthians 4:1, 13:2, Ephesians 1:3-9, 3:1-6, 6:18-20, Colossians 1:23-29). Once someone has this understanding, and his spiritual eyes are opened, it is his responsibility to share this light of truth with others and not hide it from view. He must plant seeds of truth so that it may benefit others and allow them to be sealed if they are meant to have this truth as well.

With this sealing, and refusing to bow to antichrist, comes also a risk of being delivered up to testify as to why you refuse (Matthew 10:17-24, Mark 13:9-13, Luke 21:12-15, Revelation 2:10), and God knows that not everyone can handle this pressure because of how they performed in the first earth age (Romans 8:28-34, 11:1-14). For this reason, most people of the world are blinded from this deeper understanding of His truth, and God will not allow them to understand no matter how intelligent they may be. This is meant as a protection for them, because if they were allowed to see these truths and were delivered up to testify, they would buckle under the pressure and would cave in and bow to antichrist knowing full well that he is not Jesus, the true Messiah. This would be a grave sin. Because God loves them, and because they are not dedicated enough to studying the Bible, and standing against satan, and his power and deception, He allows them to be deceived (Romans 11:7-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12) so they may learn a lesson they can take with them into the Millennium, with hopes they will make the right decisions at that time.

This sealing is an awesome blessing and an awesome responsibility at the same time.

Reference Notes

One World Government

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The One World Government, or First Beast, outlined in Revelation 13,  is a political system that will be in place over the entire world during the Tribulation. This governing body will have 7 world nations roughly based on continental boundaries, and there will be 10 officials (10 kings) that head this system (Rev 13:1). This system has been in the process of being set up for centuries, but a big step was taken in 1945 with the establishment of the United Nations.

The One World Government, or New World Order, will be a communistic system that controls its citizens through the Four Hidden Dynasties (religion, politics, economy and education) which have been gaining strength in the world over centuries (Daniel 7:6, 8:8, Zech 1:18-19).

The leader of this One World Government is known as the Raiser of Taxes (Dan 11:20), and he will give way to the antichrist halfway through the tribulation (Dan 7:7-8, 8:13-14, 9:27, 11:21-45, 12:6-7, Rev 11:1-2, 13:11-18). When the antichrist arrives on earth in that midpoint, the One World Political System (Dan 7:7, Rev 13:1-10) will become a One World Religious System with the antichrist himself as its leader (Dan 7:8, Rev 13:11-18). Antichrist and his system, in the second half of the Tribulation, is known as the Second Beast, and it will force everyone of the world to worship the beast (Rev 12:9, 13:13-14), and everyone who does will receive the Mark of the Beast (Rev 14:9-11). The world will want to worship him because he will seem to be a benevolent messianic figure (2 Thess 2-3). Most Christians will believe he is Jesus. Those of other religions will believe he is also their respective messiahs, and he will claim that really all messiahs are actually one being, and it is he who is that being.

There will, however, be a small group of people, God’s elect, who will recognize antichrist and the beast and will refuse to bow to him (Matt 24:24). These people are the only ones in the world who will not be deceived by this system because they are sealed by the Holy Spirit with the Seal of God (Romans 11:4, Rev 7). Because the elect will not bow to antichrist, they will be delivered up to testify as to why they will not (Matt 10:17-24, Mark 13:9-13, Luke 12:11-12, 21:12-15, Rev 2:10). At this time, the Holy Spirit will speak through their  mouths and say things that no one will be able to deny (Luke 12:12, 21:14-15).

It is imperative to know and be able to recognize the First and Second Beasts before we enter the tribulation.

Reference Notes

Elect

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The predestinated elect are people who have been chosen by God for a specific purpose to serve Him here on earth and ensure that His plan is carried out exactly as written (Jer 1:4-5, Rom 8:28-30). These sanctified, or set aside, ones have been selected because of their performance and loyalty to God during the rebellion of satan in the first earth age (Rom 11:4-5).

God knows He can count on His saints to remain loyal and never be deceived by satan (Matt 24:24, Rev 20:4-5). For this reason, this flesh age is not a test for these people–because they have already proven themselves and been justified (Rom 8:28-39) –and this means that they do not need to be allowed complete free will (Rom 8:26-27). God often will place His elect in the right place at the right time so that His will is fulfilled.

Elect have been born throughout the ages and called by God to be His prophets and apostles and any other roles that needed to be filled. But also, in the end times, there are currently 7000 of these servants that are predestinated (Rom 11:4-5), and He uses His elect as teachers who will share the pure, unadulterated truth with the rest of His children with the hopes that many of them, 144,000, will wake up and become dedicated enough to be chosen to have a role in the end times as well (Rev 7).

The 7000 (the predestination), as well as the 144,000, will be sealed with the knowledge of the Holy Spirit, and this will guarantee that they will not bow down and worship antichrist and receive his mark of the beast (Rev 14:1-5). They will not be deceived by him, nor believe that he is Jesus returned, as Jesus will return after the tribulation (Matt 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27).

In the second half of the tribulation, the elect will be delivered up to councils to testify as to why they will not bow to antichrist. When delivered up, they should not premeditate what they will say at that time, but instead the Holy Spirit will literally speak through their mouths (Matt 10:17-24, Mark 13:9-13, Luke 12:11-12, 21:12-15, Rev 2:10).

The predestinated elect and the 144,000 are the only people in the world (Matt 24:24), aside from some of God’s servants that are dispersed throughout the gentile population, who will not be deceived by antichrist and his one world religious system (Rev 12:9, 13:13-14).

During the Millennium, the elect, called the zadok levites, will serve Jesus as teachers (Eze 44:23), priests (Eze 44:15, 44:27-31), kings (Rev 20:4) and judges (Eze 44:24), as well as they will directly serve Jesus in His inner court (Eze 44:15-16, 44:27). These are the people that God knows He can always count on.

John

Christ speaks, but few Understand 7:16-30

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Chapter 7 started out with Christ saying He was not going to the Feast of Tabernacles, but then shows up there in secret and teaches in the temple. We spoke last time about how the Feast of Tabernacles is the only Sabbath that isn’t complete and how it corresponds with the seven year tribulation and we ended in the middle of the feast with Christ standing up in the temple and people marveling over his ability to use letters having never learned.

Those of you who have studied the tribulation will know that Christ shortened it, (See Matthew 24:22) but seven years or not, shortened or not, the script on how it plays out hasn’t changed. So we pick it up with him still speaking in the “midst of the feast.”

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Christ is showing us the way. You know when you speak the words of God, it isn’t your doctrine. It isn’t Paul’s, Peter’s or the Pope’s. It is God’s doctrine. It is the words of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and when you share it you are His emissary. Holy means set apart and His words are holy royal decrees that ought to be treated with the respect they deserve.

 

John 7:17If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, orwhetherI speak of myself.

In this day and age you don’t need to go very far to hear some pretty peculiar things about God’s word. If you google anything from the bible you will get a million plus hits with the same number of interpretations, but that needn’t worry you for John 10 tells us:

John 10:1-4Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.(2)But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.(3)To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.(4)And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

If you are a child of God you will know His voice when you hear it. If you hear something that distresses you, go to His word and seek out the answers. Pray about it. God wont let you down, but he also might not answer right away. If God doesn’t give you an answer right away just put it in the back of your mind and chew on it. Take it out from time to time, talk about it. God’s word is simple so please do not misunderstand, but usually the more precious a truth is the harder it is for us in the flesh to see it.

On a different level this is speaking of the time when the elect speak. About how they will not speak of themselves or have their own doctrine. It will be the voice of the Ancient of Days coming out and when those that He has blinded (See Romans 11) are suddenly given sight.

John 7:18He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Christ didn’t come preaching a bunch of new stuff. He simply showed us the way and explained the Old Testament. Here He is reading. Reading what? There wasn’t a new testament at this time. He simply used stories and parables to explain what we should have already known and when the elect speak, it isn’t going to be some new thing either. It will be new to some, but there is nothing new under the sun.

John 7:19Did not Moses give you the law, andyetnone of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Remember the beginning of the chapter? They want to kill him. Not only is that breaking the sixth commandment it’s breaking the first because He is God.

For the deeper level, think about the two witnesses and what they did to them as soon as their testimony is finished.

Revelation 11:7-8 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. (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.

John 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Who indeed. We will find out a little bit more about who precisely it is that wants to kill him.

John 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

What work is he talking about? Remember chapter 5 when He went to Jerusalem and healed the man who had been lame for 38 years? Christ is bringing this up for a reason, He wants to call it back to your mind. Who did the man represent? Israel in the wilderness. What did Christ take him away from? The angel at the well, who we discussed earlier was a symbol of Satan or Antichrist. And where are we now in this chapter? Christ just spoke in the temple as an example of when the Holy Spirit speaks through the elect half way through the tribulation.

John 7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

The circumcision wasn’t Moses, it was God’s and Moses wasn’t even the first one to do it. Abraham was.

John 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? (24)Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

Circumcision was a work that was more important to be done on the eight day than to postpone it till after the sabbath. Why? It was the physical example of our covenant with God and it was done on the eighth day because eight is new beginnings biblical numerics. Christ is saying that healing a person is of far greater importance than observing sabbath; physically as well as spiritually because when you spiritually heal a person you bring them back into covenant with God, thus circumcising their heart, which is all God cares about in the first place.

John 7:25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

Back in verse 20 they didn’t know who wanted to kill him, but no doubt his healing on the sabbath day has gotten around town and they knew the story.

John 7:26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

Do they know He is The Anointed One? Do they know He is Messiah?

Relate this to after the elect speak. Isn’t one of the main reasons God has the elect speak is to make the people question the lies and deceptions that are flooding the land?

John 7:27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

They were expecting Messiah to come from Bethlehem (imagine that) and the He would be hid (again, imagine that).

John 7:28 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

Jesus wasn’t hiding and He is doing the works and speaking the words of God. Had they been His sheep they would have listened.

John 7:29 But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

John 7:30 Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

It wasn’t time, nor will they take the elect until it’s time and only when their testimony is finished will they lay hands on the two witnesses.

There’s nothing new under the sun and Christ is showing us exactly what is going to happen at the end if you have the eyes to see it.

Mark 13:23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

John

The Holy Spirit Speaks John 7:1-16

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The seventh chapter of John brings us to the Feast of Tabernacles. Most Christians today haven’t even heard of the Feast of Tabernacles, which is quite sad. Deuteronomy 16 tell us that the Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three high Sabbaths of the year with Passover and The Feast of Weeks being the other two. (If you want a complete list of the Sabbaths you can read Leviticus 23). But isn’t that just some old Jewish stuff?

God said in Leviticus 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Remember God doesn’t change. He didn’t suddenly say, “I’ll give you my son and we can forget everything that came before.” No and neither did Christ. Christ tells us in Matthew 5:17Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

When Christ died on the cross He became our Passover lamb. His blood is the blood that causes the Angel of Death to passover us. It is the firstborn that are protected by his blood because only the firstborn that are born in the spirit here. The feast of weeks is 7 weeks and a day after Passover. 7 x 7 is 49 and a day makes 50. Fifty is the biblical number for the Holy Spirit and it is fifty days after the crucifixion (Passover) that we received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost day. Thus, the feast of weeks was complete, but what about the Feast of Tabernacles? And why is it a high Sabbath?

The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven day feast to remind us of the time Israel wandered in the desert. Does that mean anything to us today? To answer that let’s back up to Passover.

We become Christian by accepting the Savior, we put His blood on the door post and just as we are told in Exodus, “that selfsame day the children of Israel left Egypt,” we too leave the bondage of sin and the bondage of this world. What Christians seldom realize is they don’t want to let you go and they will come after you when you leave.

Once we are born from above and receive the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of God is within us, but we still have to wait to go into the promised land. Our promised land is the kingdom of God on earth. That is the Lord’s prayer after all and the Children of Israel didn’t get to go to the promised land until Joshua came and took them over the river Jordan. So too then we cannot get to that promised land until Jesus returns. Remember Jesus and Joshua are the same name in Hebrew.

Thus, on one level, if you are a Christian you are, spiritually speaking, wandering in the wilderness waiting to go into the promised land. That is why Passover is in the first month and the Feast of Tabernacles is in the seventh. You begin your journey in the first month and it doesn’t end until the seventh, which is spiritual completeness. That seventh month also shows us the feast points specifically to the time right before Christ returns or more specifically, the seven year tribulation. Perhaps the deepest level, and one we are not going to deal with much here, is that it points to the millennium.

So with all that in mind let’s dig in:

John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

“Jewry” is the southern portion of the nation in and around Jerusalem. Remember Galilee is in the north past Samaria.

After what things? After He fed the five thousand and the people sought Him out, but after finding Him, left. They wanted Christ, meaning they proclaimed his name, but their problem was they didn’t put him in their boat, ie heart so before the end they fall away, just like Paul tells us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. You have to have the Holy Spirit inside of you else you wont make it. Look at the five foolish virgins in Matthew 25.

John 7:2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.

Again this pointing to that period of time right before the end.

John 7:3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

This is His actual family saying this, James being among them. For his disciples to see His works is only part of it. The other part is Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

 

John 7:4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. (7:5) For neither did his brethren believe in him.

Remember Luke 2:19, Mary kept a lot of what she knew to herself and it is hard for a family to see you as one of God’s chosen. Remember back in chapter 4 verse 44: For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.

But why isn’t he showing himself to the world? Because as He said it wasn’t time. Christ will show himself to the world when He rides into Jerusalem riding an ass and again when He returns to establish His kingdom here.

John 7:6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

Just as we can, they could can accept Christ at any time.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 are the chapters that lay out the tribulation. This Feast of Tabernacles here is, in a sense, going to follow the same format.

Matthew 24:9, we will be hated because of HIS name’s sake.

John 7:8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

As the law commanded.

John 7:9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. (7:10) But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

Though He said He wasn’t going to go He still followed the law. A person recently mentioned to me that he didn’t think Christ was secretive. Well here is another example of that, but the question we should be asking is why didn’t he let them know he was going? Because it wasn’t time yet.

John 7:11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? (12) And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (12) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.

This showing what what it will be like at the end. Look at people today. Some say He didn’t exist, some say He isn’t God, but a good example to follow and others say He was just a prophet. This shouldn’t be a surprise and it is going to get worse.

Do you think the truth was being taught in the temple at that time? The Romans appointed the head priests and they gave it to the highest bidder. Do you think they cared about giving out truth? He turned over their money tables and said it was to be a house of prayer, but they only held murder in their hearts.

It’s going to happen again. It’s happening now. Before even if someone didn’t believe in God they said that Christians and the like were at least moral. Now they call us bigots and haters.

John 7:13 Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

Remember Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

John 7:14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

We are half way through this seven day feast. Thats three and half days.

Christ is in the temple. Remember: 1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

Here is our physical example of Mark 13:10-11And the gospel must first be published among all nations.(11)But when they shall leadyou,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.

John 7:15 And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

Acts chapter 2 lays out how it will be when the Holy Spirit speaks through us and the people responded in much the same way there as they do here.

Acts 2:11-19 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (12) And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (13) Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. (14) But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: (15) For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. (16) But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; (17) And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (18) And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: (19) And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

John 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (17)If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, orwhetherI speak of myself.

The same as when the elect speak. It will not be them, but the Holy Spirit that speaks.

You might not have the scripture memorized, but if you have the Spirit of the Living God inside of you, you will know if what is being presented to you is in sync with God’s Spirit.

John 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Why does God do it this way? Because many believed after Peter and company spoke.

Acts 2:37-38 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (38) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Call on HIS name. Put the Father’s word inside of you and not just on your lips. Be a temple of God and not a temple of hot air.

We will pause here for today. Thus far we have the falling away (chapter 6), and the Holy Spirit speaking. When we pick this up we will how things will continue before He touches the Mount of Olives in chapter 8 because when he touches the Mount of Olives, it’s all over friends.