Tag Archives: Jesus

Revelation

Revelation 11

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Now that we have seen the first half of the tribulation detailed somewhat, and then entered into the second half of the tribulation in chapter 9, and we were introduced to the seven thunders in chapter 10, we will now be told about antichrist and the two witnesses. We are still in the second half of the tribulation, as we were in the two previous chapters, but this will give us a clearer picture of the signs and prophecies we will want to know at that time.

(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.

John was given a scepter, or rod, to see how things measure up with the state of the “Temple of God,” and those on the Temple Mount who profess the name of Christ.

In these end days, just as it has been throughout Christian history, there are those who sincerely have accepted Christ, and there are those who claim to be Christians, but have not truly made that change in their hearts.

As we are in the second half of the tribulation, antichrist will sit on the throne and those around him will be worshiping him as if he was God. By this point, the Temple Mount will have been covertly put under the control of heathen, specifically the kenites, claiming to be the children of God and the children of Israel. Many Christians will therefore be led away from Christ, and they will unknowingly commit apostasy by following another christ, a false one.

(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 outer parts of the temple are given over to the gentiles, and just as they were allowed to enter into it, regardless of their faith, in the Old Testament times, this outer court is filled with people who are Christians in name only, but who are not sincere in their profession of faith. These people put other things before and above Christ. But the inner court is only for the spiritual children of Israel, who are wholly dedicated to serving Christ. However, in the second half of the tribulation, satan will take over this inner sanctuary as antichrist, claiming to be Christ, and many of those who had been dedicated to Christ will commit apostasy, or fall away from their professed faith, because they will be deceived. This is where we are told judgment will first occur, at the pulpit. And, this is where John is told to measure, observe, with this rod.

(2Th 2:2-4) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Before the return of Jesus Christ, the son of perdition, satan, must take the supposed throne of God on the Temple Mount, claiming to be God. This must, and will, take place before we ever see the Second Coming of Jesus. Those who claim to be here on behalf of God, but lie, will be judged harshly.

(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.

Two of God’s most trusted servants will be given miraculous power right at the beginning of the second half of the tribulation, just after the 6th Trumpet, probably about 5-6 days before satan appears as antichrist (we will explain that calculation at a later time). They will be humbly, but boldly, preaching the truth of God, and of the deception of satan, day and night, to urge people to repent and refuse to bow to antichrist.

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

This is not the first we’ve been told of the two witnesses, but we will now be given much more clarification of their roles, in this chapter of Revelation.

(Zec 4:2-4) And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord?

(Zec 4:11-14) 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? And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.

The two witnesses have stood with God unfailingly throughout time, and would never waiver in their service, which is why God trusts them to do this very vital and honorable job. In this vision, they are represented by two olive trees because of the oil they produce within their berries, and this golden oil is representative of God’s Holy Spirit. They will be charged with allowing the golden oil to flow to God’s elect, in the form of the deepest knowledge and understanding (gold) of what God wants His faithful servants to know.

The seven lamps held on the golden candlestick in the vision of Zechariah in chapter 4, are the 7000 elect (and anyone else who will continue to stand only with Christ), and they are fed the golden oil by the two olive trees, which also appear in John’s vision. These seven lamps are to let their light of God’s truth shine all over the earth. 

The disciples of Christ are instructed not to hide their light of God’s truth underneath a bushel, but to project it everywhere they can.

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

Now, in the vision in Revelation 1, which also was given to John, there are seven candlesticks, and they each represent one of the seven churches (Rev 2 & 3) of Christianity in the end times.

(Rev 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.

The two witnesses lead two of these candlesticks, meaning that they represent the two churches approved by Jesus, Smyrna and Philadelphia. Smyrna and Philadelphia contain all of God’s elect, both the 7000 and the 144,000 (as well as the kings of the ethnos, who are those sealed, but that are not of the tribes of Israel). In other words, those two churches contain all of God’s faithful servants who will be sealed and will serve only Him. These two churches stand united as one under Christ (the single golden candlestick).

(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.

Because they will be speaking against the church of the one world religion under satan, whom the world believes to be Christ, they will see only evil in the eyes of the two witnesses. They really don’t know that the two witnesses are true ambassadors of  God. But the people of the world will be so dedicated to their messiah that they will hate anyone who would dare speak a word against him.

To anyone who has the gumption to attack these two men in any way, the witnesses will project the consuming fire of God by the words of their mouths, and this would cause those people a spiritual death. Spiritual death means that a person is liable to die in the lake of fire at the end of the Millennium, unless he straightens up his act before that time. God is loving, but His patience can only go so far.

(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.

During this second half of the tribulation, there will be a famine for hearing the word of God.

(Amo 8:11-13) 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: 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. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.

In the last days, understanding of the Word of God will be shut off for anyone who has not been sealed and who has not made the effort to know Christ through His Word. They will thirst because they will no longer be able to partake in the Water of Life that comes through salvation by the acceptance of Jesus Christ. Therefore, they will wander from person to person, group to group, trying to find this truth (Remember the 5 unwise virgins in the Parable of the Ten Virgins), and they will believe they have gotten it when antichrist arrives, but sadly they will not have anything of the sort. Because they will not be able to quench this thirst, they will fail.

Well, we are told of the latter rain in Joel, and this is the knowledge and understanding, through the Holy Spirit, that comes in the second half of the tribulation:

(Joe 2:23) Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

The true servants of God are given moderate understanding in the last generation leading into the tribulation, but the latter rain, which allows for the blossoming of the fruit of God, will come in the spring. This is when God’s elect will be at their best, and will be showing what they are made of. But, when the two witnesses are in place, they will be able to shut off God’s understanding from anyone who is not worthy of it, through their own doing, and ultimately for their own good.

(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.

As we will find our in chapter 13, this beast, which is the second beast of revelation (the fourth beast of Daniel 7), is none other than satan the antichrist. He is the one who comes out of the bottomless pit in Revelation 9, and unleashes all hell. He will finally have enough of God’s two right-hand men and will literally kill them, which tells us that the two witnesses are in flesh bodies at this time. This is a big no-no as satan and his angels have been instructed not to harm any of God’s servants, which includes the two witnesses.

(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.

They will lie there on the ground in the middle of Jerusalem, right where they are killed. This city, having been overrun by heathen serving satan, is spiritually equated with Sodom (of Sodom and Gomorrah fame) and Egypt, which has seen its share of heathenism as well, but is reminiscent of the oppressive system of ancient Egypt in which Moses lived. Just as most of the Hebrews fleeing Egypt in the Exodus wished to go back to their captors out of fear, the people of the world will wish to remain enslaved by the world system of antichrist because they don’t even realize how horrible it is.

(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.

No one will even bother to give these two bodies the respect normally associated with the corpses of the dead. They don’t even care, and they are even glad that the witnesses are dead. But, as most Christians are aware, their souls will no longer be within those broken clay vessels.

(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.

Not only is the world glad to hear of the deaths of these two, but they rejoice and even give gifts to one-another. The way they see it, these two horrible people would not leave them alone and constantly attacked the god that they love.

(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.

However, something unexpected is about to happen to these bodies as they lie in the streets, and it will throw the world for a loop. After all, God is all powerful and should have control over his enemies, and He does, but this false messiah, antichrist, is not truly God on earth yet. Suddenly, after three and a half days lying dead of flesh, the spirits of the two witnesses will re-enter into their flesh bodies and they will rise up, alive. This is going to be a shocking site. Is antichrist about to begin to lose control? Will people begin to doubt his power? They should, but at least most won’t.

(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.

Almost as soon as they are reanimated, the two witnesses are called up into Heaven, and are translated into the spirit just as Enoch and Elijah were, long before. The world can only watch in wonderment.

(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.

Just as soon as the two witnesses are witnessed heading to Heaven, there is a massive earthquake, in which 7000 men, the evil counterpart to God’s 7000 predestinated elect, are killed. These are the satan’s most trusted confidants. Because of this destruction and death, suddenly those remaining ecstatic followers of antichrist have a change of tone. However, the Remnant of God may be startled, but their faith is affirmed with all these recent events, and they continue giving glory to God for it.

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

If you remember, we’ve already discussed the first two woes, the first half of the tribulation (5th trump) and the second half of the tribulation (6th trump). Each woe is progressively worse for those who do not reside in the Ark of Truth. We will now enter into the third, and final woe, the 7th Trumpet.

(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.

The reign of satan is coming to an end, and Jesus is about to return to earth to take His rightful place upon the throne of God on Mount Zion. He will never leave this place as our sovereign King.

As Jesus returns, He will send His consuming fire to burn away all that offends Him from the earth, and this fire of God will consume all the flesh that remains in order to cleanse the earth of evil imperfection.

(2Pe 3:5-7) For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

You can read a very detailed account of His return in the entire chapter of Zechariah 14.

(Rev 11:16) And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

We see again the twenty four elders, mentioned earlier in Revelation, sitting on thrones before God as patriarchs. Just as all of God’s faithful do, they rejoice that the flesh age is finally at an end, and we can move into the final stage of the test to determine who is loyal to God and who is not, the Millennium.

(Rev 11:17) Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

(Rev 11:18) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Everyone who has been faithful is praising God and His plan because it is for the good of everyone that it be completed, but there is still one more phase that will last one thousand years.

(Rev 11:19) And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

This is the final destruction of the flesh age on earth and the cleansing of the land, so that we can finally live according to God’s pure ways. The earth will be renewed and clean and purified and we will have complete memory of what happened before man was placed on earth in these flesh bodies.

Those who have passed the prior tests, which God has given us, will be safe for eternity, but those who failed both times will have one last chance, and will be in danger of being blotted out of the Book of Life in the lake of fire. Which category would you prefer?

God bless.

John

The Religious Response John 11:46-57

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In the last segment, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead, which is the seventh sign in the book of John. Many of the people who saw it believed upon him. Now it’s time to check in on the ones who didn’t.

John 11:46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done. (47) Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. (48) If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

Let’s understand what they are saying here. The belief was that the Messiah would come and re-establish the kingdom like it was under king David. So what we have here is a worry that everyone will follow Jesus, that Jesus will rise up to claim He is the Messiah and try to take Jerusalem from Rome, and that He will fail.

One the surface, their worry isn’t misplaced. Ever since Judah had been placed under Roman rule, “messiahs” had been popping up and rallying the people to rise up. Rome would then kill these “messiahs,” along with many of their main supporters, and the people would return to the daily grind of oppression and high taxes. But if we take a closer look at what they said, we will see that there is more to this tale. Look at verse 48 again, and see what their first concern is: That the Romans will take away THEIR PLACE.

Under the Romans, the “chief priests and the Pharisees” had a pretty cushy existence. They had money and power, and people with money and power do not like to see anything that will upset the status quo.  I mean, consider the flip side. Jesus rises up, claims He is the Messiah, defeats Rome, and establishes a Davidic kingdom. Would Jesus, a man who has openly opposed them since the beginning of His ministry, keep them around in their same positions?

John 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, (50) Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. (51) And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; (52) And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

To prophesy means to speak the future, or to speak the words of God. That doesn’t mean the speaker always understands what he or she is saying. Here, God is honoring the position of high priest and making his words come to pass, but clearly for Caiaphas, he means that if Jesus is taken out of the way, then the nation doesn’t need to suffer at the hands of the Romans.

John 11:53 Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Naturally! What else are good religious folk supposed to do with their day?

John 11:54 Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.

On most bible maps, you will find Ephraim just northeast of Jerusalem, but the true location of the city/village today is unknown.

John 11:55 And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

This was a custom/law, to go to Jerusalem every year for the Passover.

2 Chronicles 30:5 So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.

John 11:56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast? (57) Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

The seventh sign, bringing Lazarus from the dead, leaves Jesus as the enemy of the state. Only the most wicked of men would seek murder for a solution to their problems and concerns. This just adds to their status as the sons of satan.

Thus we see that the seventh sign, bringing Lazarus from the dead, leaves Jesus as an enemy of the state, or more accurately an enemy of the religious community. It’s very easy for us today to sit back and say that we are not like the Pharisees and Sadducees and that we wouldn’t wish Jesus dead, that we would instantly recognize a work of God. Perhaps that is true, but in closing I would ask you to stop and ponder a work before you condemn it. Pause to at least ask yourself (or better yet ask God) if this is just another person or movement out for itself and its own glory, or if it is of God, and you simply do not yet understand. Look at the fruit of that work before you label it, because even the disciples struggled to keep up at times.

God Bless

Topic Discussions

Christ, Our Passover

The time is coming for the holiday in which we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Did you know that this event had been foreshadowed by God within the Bible for centuries, and even millennia before His birth?

God often teaches us about spiritual things in the Kingdom of God by using the physical things we experience in our lives within this physical world as metaphors, especially events that have taken place throughout history. This is an illustration of the multiple levels on which the Word of God teaches simultaneously.

Have you ever wondered why most Christians celebrate the eggs, and chocolate, and baby animals, and spring flowers, and a giant rabbit on a day we are supposed to be celebrating the greatest act of Jesus Christ, which allows for our salvation and eternal life? Do those actually have anything to do with Christianity? What about the day on which people traditionally celebrate those things, Easter, is this celebration really biblical? You may be surprised at the  answer to those questions.

Let’s start at the beginning, long before Jesus was on earth. To set the scene, Moses, a descendant of Levi, son of Jacob, is about to lead the Israelites, all descendants of Jacob as well, out of their enslavement within Egypt. God commands Moses to establish the observance of an ordinance among His people before they leave:

(Exo 12:1) And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

(Exo 12:2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

This first month month on the Hebrew calendar, Aviv or Nisan, is based on the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, which occurs in March, generally on the twentieth or twenty-first day of the month. Through biblical study, we find that the first day of Aviv is supposed to begin on the first day after the equinox event, contrary to how man has come up with his own traditons of the Hebrew New Year. This is the month in which the barley crop becomes ready for harvest, and the Hebrew name, Aviv, indicates this fact.

(Exo 12:3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: (4) And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

These are very specific procedures God spelled out that were to be followed to prepare for the next stage of this ordinance. Now remember that all these things that happened before Christ were given to us as examples of how to be proper Christians, especially into the final generation.

(1Co 10:11) Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Something to keep in mind is that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. This may help you to begin to see where this is going.

(Joh 1:32-36) And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. (33) And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  (34) And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (35) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; (36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

(Exo 12:6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. (7) And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. (8) And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. (10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. (11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.

This lamb was to be readied in order to  be eaten during the celebration that was to take place on the fourteenth day of the month, which would be known as Passover.  Let’s find out why it’s called the Passover.

(Exo 12:12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. (13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Forever. These instructions are supposed to be followed until the end of time by God’s people. God is sparing those households that are obedient to Him from certain death, and that death would pass over all those who were faithful to God in this. Those who have not received these instructions or who choose not to follow them will suffer.

This is the message throughout the Bible: that, if we trust God and have faith in Him over anything or anyone else, He will always take care of us. Sometimes we may not understand why He would have us do certain things, or why we would even have to go through trials in our lives, but it is always for our benefit in the end.

(Exo 12:15) Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

In the Old Testament times, the focus was on the physical aspect of religion. God expected everyone to follow tangible rules to show their obedience. There was to be no leavened bread in your home at the time of this celebration if you were a faithful Israelite.

Today, as we read above, we are to continue observing what we see here, but instead, we are now to follow it in a spiritual manner.

(Exo 12:16) And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. (17) And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. (18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. (19) Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. (20) Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

You can begin to see just how seriously He takes this leavened and unleavened bread. With as much emphasis He puts on this subject, I wouldn’t recommend dismissing it.

Now, as I mentioned a little bit earlier, we are now to observe ordinances on a spiritual level, rather than physically, though we are ordered to observe Passover forever. So how does this work?

Let’s start by looking at the leavened bread:

(Mat 16:5-12) And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?  Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

So, what is the leaven we are to beware of today? It is the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees and Sadducees are known to have added a lot of fluff and junk into the Israelite religion, and Jesus is warning the apostles, and us today, to stay away from those things that have nothing to do with God, and to stick with His Word. It is even worse if that leaven is related to pagan religions. So during this Passover week, it would certainly be a bad thing for us to have in our homes items related to celebrations in pagan religions. Even more importantly, as the term house represents our heart and where our focus is, we are not to be partaking in rituals and pastimes that are against God during this time.

Research the origins of the rituals related to the celebration of the goddess Ishtar (Ashteroth), which have been carried over to the modern celebration of Easter. They are not at all innocent; in fact they are very evil.

But since we are now to observe ordinances of God on a spiritual level, how do we apply the rest of God’s commands?

(1Co 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

So now we begin to see the whole picture. Paul tells us here that Christ is our Passover, and that we are to continue to keep the feast of unleavened bread, and to purge the leaven out of our lives, and to celebrate with unleavened–the truth of God, with nothing added in to fluff it up. But, if Christ is the Passover, does that still mean we are to slay a lamb for the feast? Well, what did we read a little earlier?

(Joh 1:35) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. (36) And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

Jesus is that unblemished Lamb and He has already been sacrificed for us, once and for all times! And He rose from the grave, death having passed Him over to show us what would await the faithful after our bodies were done. But what about the feast? Jesus instructed us about this shortly before His crucifixion.

(Mar 14:22) And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. (23) And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. (24) And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

(1Co 10:16) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (17) For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

When we take communion, as Christians, we are partaking of that feast of the unleavened bread that God mandated in Exodus 12, but we now observe it under the new covenant.

I might also suggest that, in place of Lamb’s blood, you can anoint your home, and your family and self with olive oil, which is elaya in Greek (in Hebrew, El and Ya are two names of God). And, with your families, you should read about our Passover in the Bible, just as we are told to do in Exodus, but then make the connection with the Lord, Jesus Christ.

(Joh 6:47) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (48) I am that bread of life. (49) Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. (50) This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. (51) I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

So, we are to believe in Jesus Christ and know that He is our Lord and Savior, Who died for our sins. We are to participate in the feast of communion to demonstrate our faith in obedience to the ordinance God demanded us to observe. As a result, we will have everlasting life and we will not perish with those who are not living according to God. When we do this, we become spiritual Israelites, whether we were of the family of Jacob (Israel) or not. If you are a spiritual Israelite, you are one of God’s people, and the ordinance of Passover applies to you. And after all, if you are one of God’s people, you want to make God happy, don’t you?

Of course you want to please God. And the way to do that is to study His Word, which will bring you closer with Jesus, and learn how to live by His ways. This is what He has wanted us to do all along. It doesn’t matter how badly you think you’ve messed up, it’s not to late to turn around and repent and come back to God!

God Bless!

 

 

 

 

Zechariah

Zechariah 3

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In the first two chapters of Zechariah, we have learned about the last generation, and we’ve learned about the beginning of the Millennium. In this chapter, let’s look at what else Zechariah has to say about the end times.

(Zec 3:1) And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

The story of Joshua, in the history of the Israelites, was intended by God to be a parallel to what Jesus would do here on earth after the tribulation. Just as Joshua led God’s people into the Holy Land, Jesus will lead God’s people, after antichrist is defeated, into the Holy Land as well.

The name, Joshua, is actually the Anglicization of Jesus’ name in Hebrew. Joshua, in Hebrew, is Yeshua, as the Hebrew letter, yod, is often given a hard J sound when transliterated to English. The name, Yeshua, in Greek is Iesous–the Y, in Yeshua, is changed to an I, as that has the same sound in Greek, and Greek names generally end in as, es, or us. So, the ua ending, in Yeshua, is changed to ous. Thus, we have Yeshua changing to Iesous, when going from Hebrew to Greek. When the Greek name, Iesous, is changed to English, the I sound is also changed to a hard J, and the ous ending is changed simply to a us ending, and thus, we get the name Jesus.

You may hear lots of stories about how the name Jesus came about, but truly, the names were changed in each language because they didn’t have the ability either to pronounce the name or spell the name in the other languages (because the alphabets are different in each language), and therefore, they had to change, or be transliterated, to accommodate the speakers of different languages.

So, the story of Joshua was actually prophecy of Jesus Christ Himself, and He is our High Priest, after the order of Melchizedek, and He is standing in front of the angel of the Lord (which is the Lord Himself) to remind us of this parallel. And satan, as he always does, is opposing Him.

(Zec 3:2) And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

God is chastising satan and, as we know, He chose Jerusalem as His city surrounding His favorite place on earth. This is mentioned just in case there is any question which God we are reading about here–it is the one and only true God.

Joshua is being referred to as a brand plucked out of the fire, which means he is one of God’s elect, as His elect are persecuted on earth, and they withstand the fire of this persecution and the tribulation itself, just to prod satan in the process.

(Zec 3:3) Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

These filthy garments used to clothe Joshua in this vision represent the sins of true Christians, which Jesus willingly bears. As He bears our sins, we are clothed in white linen robes that are washed clean with His blood. He will be wearing white linen robes too but, for the purposes of this vision, the fact that He bears our sins is being pointed out.

(Zec 3:4) And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

Now just as we have our sins taken from us, as Christians, and are given pure white robes, this is happening to Joshua, but also, Jesus will be wearing gleaming white clothing. So this sin, or iniquity, is being taken away as if it had never happened.

(Zec 3:5) And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by.

A mitre is a head dress. In the Gospel Armor, given to us in Ephesians 6, the helmet is salvation through Jesus Christ. Salvation is not only represented by a helmet, but hair, or any other headwear. In this verse, it is called a mitre. So, Joshua receives this head dress or crown of salvation, and his pure white linens washed clean of sin.

(Zec 3:6) And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua, saying,

(Zec 3:7) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

We know the Lord sits on the Great White Throne of Judgment, at the end of the Millennium, but His elect are also given the role of judges during the Millennium, and they will live with Him in His inner sanctuary.

For more information, check out Ezekiel 44.

(Zec 3:8) Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

The world will be in awe over Jesus and His elect, during the Millennium, but that is what Jesus intended to provoke everyone else to be jealous and want to correct their ways. Those who are true and faithful to Him will be branches on His olive tree, so to speak, and those who have not been faithful will either be broken off, or will have never been branches at all (Romans 11).

(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.

The stone with seven eyes, before Joshua, represents Jesus’ 7000 watchmen, who are here on earth during the last generation, through the tribulation. And when Jesus returns, He will consume all sin and all that offends Him, immediately, with His consuming fire. It will all be burned up (2 Peter 3).

(Zec 3:10) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.

On the Day of the Lord, we will be entering a new age, and everyone will be either in the presence of the Lord, with Him as His closest confidants, or they will be striving to earn that place for a thousand years. There will be one main purpose on earth and everyone will be living for the Lord, or they will perish in the lake of fire after the Great White Throne Judgment.

Do you want to be a good fig or a bad fig? Anyone can be a branch on Jesus’ olive tree, but you better make that choice very soon.

God bless!

Zechariah

Zechariah 1

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The book of Zechariah, though he is considered a minor prophet, is a very major book with very major prophecy. The chapters of this book are focused on the last generation, especially the tribulation itself. With that in mind, let’s get started!

(Zec 1:1) In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

The time period we are given for this first chapter is during the reign of Darius the Mede, of Persia. These visions given to the prophet Zechariah are roughly contemporary with the book of Daniel (just after Daniel 9 & 11, for this chapter, in the 5th century BC), which itself spans the reign of many foreign rulers over the land of Judah.

(Zec 1:2) The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

Since the early times of the people of Israel, there has been a strong history of idolatry and going astray from God. This is the whole reason that the people of Israel and Judah have gone into captivity–God has divorced them as His people. For more information on the history of the Israelites, read the books of Joshua through Nehemiah. God warned the people of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah long before that if they did not change their ways and come back to Him, that they would be taken captive. Now, in the book of Zechariah, we are in this captivity.

(Zec 1:3) Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

God wants Zechariah to speak to His people and implore them that they turn back to Him so that they can, once again, be His people.

(Zec 1:4) Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.

No matter how much warning the prophets gave to these stubborn people, they refused to live according to God’s ways. They would much rather have done the things that felt good to them at that moment, instant gratification, than to do the things that would be better for them in the long run and that would please God. Does that sound familiar? Isn’t that the same thing that we see in the world today? You know it is. The message is the same and that’s why it applies to the end times just as well as history. Just as the God’s people were led into captivity before Christ, they are going into another captivity in the end times, but it is a captivity that encompasses the whole world, and only those who stay strong in Christ will be immune.

(Zec 1:5) Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

The people throughout the history of Israel and Judah practiced these humanist ways, doing whatever pleased them, and how did they end up? Are they still enjoying it? Life on earth in these old flesh bodies doesn’t last long, and once it is done, then you have to answer to God. Do you want to have to explain to Him why you decided to rebel against Him, or do you want to hear that you were His good and faithful servant? If you are in constant rebellion to God, do you think you will live forever? If you do, you’ve got another thing coming.

(Zec 1:6) But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

God’s Word always comes to pass exactly as written, without exception. If you doubt this, you are in for a rude awakening.

(2Pe 3:2-11) That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

(Zec 1:7) Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying,

(Zec 1:8) I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

This man is one of God’s scouts that roams the earth monitoring its condition. Notice that he is standing among myrtle trees, which is an indication that this vision is taking place during the festivities of the Feast of Tabernacles (which includes myrtle trees). Keep that in the back of your mind when considering what we will be told.

The man himself is on a red horse, which in Revelation 6 represents the political dynasty of the kenites, but it also represents mobilization for war (which is political in nature). He is on a war horse, and though he is not at war at the moment, he is prepared for battle at the right time. The scout also had with him other red horses, and speckled horses that are bay horses with speckles, and white horses, prepared for an army of scouts of God.

This vision takes place right at the end of the tribulation, just before the return of Jesus and the start of the Millennium. What is the significance of the myrtle trees and the Feast of Tabernacles? That is the time period in which Jesus will return, and the feast itself corresponds with the Supper of the Lamb. But before this feast will begin, Jesus is going to clean up the trash that has littered the world–of course, I mean the sin that runs rampant.

(Neh 8:13-17) And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

(Zec 1:9) Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.

(Zec 1:10) And the man that stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, These are they whom the LORD hath sent to walk to and fro through the earth.

(Zec 1:11) And they answered the angel of the LORD that stood among the myrtle trees, and said, We have walked to and fro through the earth, and, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest.

At this point in the vision, we are at the end of the tribulation, which is the last segment of the captivity of the last generation, and the world is at rest because they believe they are living in a worldwide utopia. Antichrist is on earth and they believe him to be their savior, but very few know his true identity. They see the supposed peace brought to the world by antichrist and think they can take a break and rest because there is nothing to worry about, but in fact, there is a spiritual war brewing like none other ever seen.

(Zec 1:12) Then the angel of the LORD answered and said, O LORD of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years?

(Zec 1:13) And the LORD answered the angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words.

It has been 70 (threescore [3×20] and ten) years since the captivity began, and this is the same as what will be during the captivity of the end times, the generation of the fig tree, which we are currently in. The scout comforted Zechariah because it was the end of the captivity–that’s the only thing that would comfort him. We are being told a major bit of information about the last generation.

(Zec 1:14) So the angel that communed with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.

God is jealous for the people in Jerusalem because they are falling for the Mystery Babylon system, which has taken over and, in effect, replaced Him. They are worshiping satan instead of worshiping Him. That is a breach of the most important commandment. There should be no god before the one true God.

(Zec 1:15) And I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease: for I was but a little displeased, and they helped forward the affliction.

Because they believe the world is the way it should be, and are following whom they believe to be God, the people are no longer following God Himself, except the few who have the Seal of God and know better. The rest of the world, without the Seal, He is disgusted with and they will get a huge surprise when they find out that the true Jesus has yet to return, and will be doing so with the wrath of God. Maybe they wouldn’t be so laid back if they did know.

(Zec 1:16) Therefore thus saith the LORD; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies: my house shall be built in it, saith the LORD of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem.

Though all of this sin is taking place worldwide, it will not stop God from having mercy on those who have remained faithful to Him. His faithful, upright elect will reside in His house, the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem, after the return of Jesus, from where Jesus will rule on earth, and everything will be made right and just.

(Zec 1:17) Cry yet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; My cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad; and the LORD shall yet comfort Zion, and shall yet choose Jerusalem.

Even though Jerusalem has become a place of sin and idolatry and heathenism, God will make it right and return to His favorite place on earth.

(Zec 1:18) Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns.

Zechariah is opening up his eyes to see the deeper truth in God’s Word, and what he sees are four horns, which are the power wielded by the four hidden dynasties, religion,  politics, economy, and education, over the entire world. These four hidden dynasties paved the way for the one world government of the tribulation, and for its leader antichrist, satan himself.

(Zec 1:19) And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.

The four hidden dynasties have brainwashed the world into believing the lies that would lead people away from God. God’s people, the descendants of Israel, have no clue they are even of Israel, and they have mostly gone astray from Him, along with the rest of the world. Israel has mixed in with the world population and believe they themselves are gentiles. In the Millennium, God’s people will be rejoined once again and will be disciplined and taught how to live according to God’s ways, and will learn to revere Him one way or another.

(Eze 37:15-28) The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying, Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

(Zec 1:20) And the LORD shewed me four carpenters.

(Zec 1:21) Then said I, What come these to do? And he spake, saying, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, so that no man did lift up his head: but these are come to fray them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it.

The four carpenters are those who put a stop to the one world system at the return of Jesus. They are the ones who are responsible for the reestablishment of God’s temple in Jerusalem, which we will read about later in Zechariah. Those who were not sealed by God did not have the desire or the ability to know what was going on in the world, and therefore could not lift up their heads to see because of what the four hidden dynasties did to scatter them among the heathen.

In this one chapter of Zechariah, we have actually been given a whole lot of information about the end times, however it is not apparent to most people. Do you have eyes to see?

God bless!

Topic Discussions

The Ark of Truth

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You may have heard or even read the story of Noah’s flood, but have you given thought to what the events of this flood are teaching us for the end times? As we know, everything in the Bible has not only the basic lesson taught on the surface, but also a deeper lesson we are to gain from it, three levels in fact.

The deepest levels of knowledge in the Bible always apply to the last generation in particular, the generation of the fig tree. The story of Noah is no exception to that rule.

We are told in Matthew 24 and Luke 17 that the end days will be as in the days of Noah.

(Mat 24:37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

(Mat 24:38) For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

(Mat 24:39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The story of Noah picks up when angels were coming down from heaven, at which point they became fallen angels not only because they came down from heaven, but that they also decided to contradict God’s natural plan for us.

(Gen 6:1) And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

(Gen 6:2) That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

(Gen 6:3) And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

(Gen 6:4) There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God (nephilim) came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men (gibborem) which were of old, men of renown.

(Gen 6:5) And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

These fallen angels, nephilim in the Hebrew (fallen ones), came to earth and saw those souls who had been born as women and decided they would like to take advantage of them. As a result, offspring were born and these offspring were mighty men, called gibborem in the Hebrew, many of whom were giants in stature, as well as giants of intellect, strength and so on. The Bible uses the term giant and we know that is true much of the time because, later on, Goliath and many other biblical giants of stature were born, but this doesn’t mean that all gibborem were giants in terms of height, as the term gibbor simply means ‘mighty man’.

These gibborem were literal offspring of the sons of God, the angels who came down to earth refusing to be born as flesh babies without recollection of the world that was, and, just as the nephilim had no respect for God or His plan for us, neither did they.

(Gen 6:6) And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Both these nephilim and these gibborem brought nothing but wickedness to the earth and to us as mankind. They had intermingled with almost everyone, and God was disgusted by it, to the point that He deeply regretted that He had to place us in these corruptible, weak flesh bodies. But He also knew that was the way it had to be because that is what He had predetermined as the best course of action after satan’s rebellion.

(Gen 6:7) And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

God was going to send this flood to destroy all of the fallen angels, and those who had mixed with them and their offspring.  All those who did not follow in God’s ways would be wiped off the map.

(Gen 6:8) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

(Gen 6:9) These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Although God saw nothing but utter wickedness, there was one man and his family that had stayed true to God, and had not intermixed with these sons of God, and that man was Noah.

Generation, in this verse, is ‘dor’ in the Hebrew, which means posterity or lineage. This simply meant that Noah’s pedigree remained pure because he didn’t mate with the sons of God.

Noah was a representation, for the end times, of God’s elect, including the 144,000, because he was righteous. Just as in the days of Noah, the end times currently has an influx of another group of fallen angels, which has long preceded the flood just like in Noah’s time (This is the third influx. The first would be destroyed in Noah’s flood, and the second is the origin of Goliath and his contemporaries).

The end times has its own flood, however God told us He would never again destroy the land with a flood of water. The flood of the end times is the flood of lies from satan’s mouth, which is so deceptive and convincing that it will sweep away anyone without an excellent understanding of God’s Word. This flood occurs during the Tribulation by way of antichrist and his lieutenants.

(Rev 12:15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

 

(Luk 17:26) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

(Luk 17:27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Those who do not care enough for the Lord to study and understand His message to us will be taken and swept away in this flood and will become spiritually dead, until they receive a chance to fix it in the Millennium.

(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.

(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:

(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.

God will allow these people to be deceived because they do not truly care for Him enough to take what He says seriously. They will learn from the deception and delusion they receive by being swept away by the flood during the tribulation, but it will be a long, hard road for them get into God’s good graces.

(Mat 24:39) And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

(Mat 24:40) Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

(Mat 24:41) Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

The ones who are not swept away by this flood will remain working in God’s field and grinding at His mill until the end at the return of Jesus.

(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.

(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.

(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.

We are to remain strong to the end and not be swept away by this flood that will be coming from antichrist and through his henchmen dressed as godly servants. But how are we to do this when we are told that the entire world will be deceived? Well how did Noah remain safe through his flood?

God told him to build an ark.

(Gen 6:11) The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

(Gen 6:12) And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

(Gen 6:13) And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

(Gen 6:14) Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

(Gen 6:15) And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

(Gen 6:16) A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

(Gen 6:17) And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

(Gen 6:18) But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.

This ark is our Ark of Truth, and it will keep us afloat during the tribulation. It will keep us floating above the ways of the world, which are represented by the seas throughout the Bible. It is pitched, or sealed, with God’s Word.

Do you remember when Jesus walked on water, and when the disciples saw Him, He called out and Peter stepped out of their boat to walk on the water himself? This is also part of this lesson. This ark will keep us above the ways of the world and the filth it contains in the end times, but even if we step out and into the world, if we keep our eyes on Jesus, we will not sink into those disgusting ways. What happened when Peter took his eyes off Jesus? He sunk right down.

So, we must build this ark and board it too. We must keep our eyes on Jesus, and we will be able to come to Him at His return with a clean conscience and a white robe.

Of course there is much more to this lesson for the end times, but we can discuss that in future articles.

God Bless

John

Jesus vs the Pharisee Bullies John 8:45-59

We pick up on this beautiful day with Christ still speaking to these Jews, whom He said are not the seed of Abraham, but are of their father the devil and just as darkness doesn’t understand light, the children of Satan do not understand the Son of man.

John 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. (46) Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Convince Him of sin? There are two types of people that try and convince you of sin. The first ones are the ones that are honestly thinking that they are doing what is right, and the other are those that purposely try to lead someone astray. We recently did an article on the former that you may want to check out. I believe most people fall into this category because most people do not understand God’s law. They have grown up and understand the ways of the world, but not the ways of our Father. The other category is Satan and his children. They know what is right, but love sin. Satan knows who God is yet still tried to tempt Christ in the wilderness.

John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Some will make the case that the Israelites just can’t understand because God divorced them (Jeremiah 3:8). And they will go on to use Paul to back up their claim that Israel has a spirit of slumber (Romans 11:8) because he was persecuting Christians until he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). The problem with that thought process is that it misses the point of Jesus ministry, and that, unlike Paul,  most of these Pharisees weren’t actually Israelites.

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As the above verse says, Jesus was here specifically for Israel, before salvation was opened to the gentiles. Those who  believe that God will not allow these Pharisees to understand Jesus, though they want to, miss the fact that when Israel heard the truth they came out in droves to the Jordan to be baptized. The fact is that if you love God and seek after Him and put aside your pride or prejudice you can hear His word no matter if you were born Israelite or Gentile. Doesn’t matter–we are all God’s children and there is but one vine to which you can be attached and receive everlasting life, and that is Christ.

John 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

What the Pharisees said here is so dumb it makes me laugh! It’s like they realized they are caught and are now just going to start tossing whatever they can to make them look better. Do you remember in school when someone makes the bully look dumb and he starts coming at that person with everything he can to try and make it stick?

John 8:49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

Bullies don’t like it when someone stands up to them. Most people in this day and age couldn’t read, thus they relied on the priests to tell them the laws and commandments of God. So these holy rollers were not used to someone who could stand toe to toe with them and question their authority. Truth be told, most people today cannot stand toe to toe with Satan’s own which is sad. That’s how Satan operates folks. He uses scripture and he will twist it into a thousand directions if you let him. That is why you need to know what God’s plan is and how our Father operates.

Think on this: if someone came to you and said your mother baked you these chocolate chip cookies, I bet you could look at them and know if she did or not, and if not by sight you would know the moment you tasted them. Now I know that some of you out there don’t have moms that bake chocolate chip cookies, but I’m sure you understand the principal. Whether it was good or bad, you know your mom’s cooking and I doubt anyone could copy it. How many wives out there wish they could? How many wives have had better cooking than their mother-in-laws and have to suffer because their husbands know and love the cooking of their parents? Our Father’s Word isn’t any different. If you delve into it and get familiar with Him and His Word, and understand how He works, then even when you are dealing with a bad translation, you know something isn’t right. If you can’t, I don’t say this to shame you. I say it to encourage you to get into your Father’s Word and start to talk with Him. He created us for His pleasure.

John 8:50-51 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. (51) Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

That begs the question: whose glory are you after? Whose glory do you seek? If Jesus the Christ did not come to seek His own glory, who should you be glorifying? I hope you know the answer to that. I hope that you check yourself frequently because we all have pride and we all struggle with ego to one degree or another.

John 8:52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

Clearly these turkeys don’t know their Father’s word. “Oh but they didn’t have the New Testament and they didn’t know about life after death.” Oh really? David knew it. In second Samuel what did he say right after his first child with Bathsheba died?

2 Samuel 12:23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

You see David knew where he was going and what about this:

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

We came from God and we return to God. End of story. Jesus came from God too, just as Abraham did before he came to earth.

Naturally, we could talk about the Angel of the Lord that came to visit Abraham not to mention Melchizedek, but I wont at this time.

John 8:53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

Maybe they would have more respect for Abraham and Moses if they realized that they were with the Father.

John 8:54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: (55) Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

These guys are running around wanting to kill anyone who doesn’t do and say exactly what they want, and Christ is running around healing the sick and proclaiming the year of the Lord. You know it’s so easy to get caught up in chasing around false teachers and wanting to tear down their false houses, and I know that looking at them can make you sick, but that isn’t what Jesus did. Jesus went out and taught. He let those jokers come to Him and we need to follow that example. Get in God’s ark, keep the bow pointed toward the fixed point in the heavens, God, and put the throttle down. Don’t worry about the wake that the others are making; run over it. Let them worry about our wake.

John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

Of course he saw it. Christ came to him and promised him a son. He received a son (Isaac), and through him we got The Son. And he did see it because to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? (58) Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Again He uses the sacred name because He was there. In the beginning was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, (John 1:1).

John 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

They started the chapter wanting to stone a woman, with no regard for the law, as that would require the man to be there as well. Now they want to stone Him, and to do it in the temple of all places. I told you in the beginning that this chapter is giving us a glimpse of the Millennium. Take what you will from that, for when Christ returns, every knee will bow and He will be in the temple, and by the end of the Millennium, many will fall away. I pray that wont be you. Stay in His Word and follow Him. Create your own wake and SHOW the world that you honor God. Words mean little next to deeds. Until next time, may God keep you and Bless you. Amen

Reference Notes

Mark of the Beast

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The Mark of the Beast is often misunderstood as a physical mark (or chip) placed on people, during the time antichrist is on earth, for those who worship antichrist and his system. However, that is an assumption based on misunderstanding of scripture.

The Mark of the Beast will be dealt to most of the people on earth (Mat 24:24, Rev 7:3-4, 12:9-15, 13:11-16) while antichrist is here because they will have been deceived into worshiping him and his system (Rev 14:9), and they will have served him because they will believe he is the Messiah. This mark is not a physical mark because it is based on what people feel in their hearts; and therefore it goes much deeper than a physical trait. No one can hold us down and force us to feel something in our hearts and therefore a physical mark cannot change our minds. God cares more about where our loyalties lie, than what someone has made us do to ourselves physically.

This mark is in one’s forehead and in one’s right hand (Rev 13:16), and these terms are symbolic. The mark that is in people’s foreheads is in their brains, and it is those people’s belief that antichrist is the Messiah or God, which he will claim to be. This is the mark of deception that is brought forth in the flood of lies from satan’s mouth (Rev 12:15). The mark in the right hand represents someone’s works in serving the system of antichrist, and doing his will. The right hand in biblical times was always symbolic of power or work.

The Mark of the Beast is mutually exclusive with the Seal of God, meaning that everyone on earth will have either the mark or the seal. The Seal of God is protection against the torment that those with the Mark of the Beast will suffer (Rev 7:3, 9:1-11, 14:9-11,16:1-4, 8-14, 17-21). Those with the Mark of the Beast will continue to be plagued through the tribulation unless they wake up and repent, and turn against antichrist (Mar 3:28-29, Luk 21-12-19, 1Jo 1:9, Rev 16:1-4, 8-14, 17-21) before Jesus returns.

Those without the Mark of the Beast will not be allowed to buy or sell (Rev 13:17), and that can be accomplished by many ways even though the mark is not a physical mark. One such way as there may be a card issued to those who have proven their loyalty to antichrist when they have worshipped him, but that card would not be the mark. God’s people will be provided-for none-the-less because they will remain faithful to Jesus Christ and not fall for antichrist.

The only way to avoid receiving the Mark of the Beast is to read, study, and understand the Bible (2Th 7-12, 2Ti 2:15, Rev 7:1-4), as even many professing Christians will be deceived, along with the rest of the world (Mat 24:22-24, Mar 13:20-23, Rev 12:9-15, 13:11-14), because they don’t care enough for Jesus to pick up God’s Word and read it. Those people who will be sealed by the Holy Spirit as protection are those who know and love Jesus Christ and His Word (2Ti 2:15, Rev 7:3-4), as He is the Living Word, and this sealing will be accomplished before antichrist arrives (Rev 7, 9:1-12).

The receiving of the Mark of the Beast does not condemn someone to die in the Lake of Fire, however, they will be in danger of this sentence (Rev 20:4-6, 11-15) if they do not repent and turn back to and serve Jesus Christ once they realize what they have done. Those who do not do so by the time Jesus Christ returns will have a chance in the Millennium Kingdom to be taught and disciplined to learn the ways of God and forsake their selfish ways (Eze 44, Rev 20:1-6). During this time, they will be considered spiritually dead (Eze 44:23:25, Rev 20:4-6, 12-13), and at the end of the Millennium, they will be tested one last time (Rev 20:7-9), and if they fail this test, after the Great White Throne Judgment, they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11-15). If they instead pass and are found in the Book of Life, they will be granted eternal life at that time (Rev 20:5, 21, 22).

If someone is truly saved by Jesus Christ, though they may be deceived when antichrist is here, they will overcome in the Millennium, or perhaps before, because they love Jesus Christ and they will do what it takes to make it right (Rom 1:16, 11:23-27, 1Ti 2:10). The only way to salvation is to accept it through Jesus Christ (Joh 14:6-7, 1Th 5:9, 1Ti 2:10, 3:15), and our lives will reflect that salvation if we are truly saved (Tit 2:7-15, 3:1-8, 14-15, Jam 2:14-26, Rev 2:4-5, 20:11-13).

For more information check out the article, RFID Chips Short Circuit Salvation???

John

Can Flesh Understand Christ? John 8:21-8:32

Today when you speak to someone about Jesus or God they have a lot of preconceived ideas about what you believe and are going to say which can make it hard for someone come to Christianity with an open mind. Some of this has to do with how our liberal television shows, movies, news, radio and schools cast unfavorable lights upon Christians as a whole. Some has to do with the money grabbing, or the worthless excuses for shepherds we have parading about on those same televisions and radios thumping their bibles and saying some of the most ridiculous things you have ever heard.

The Pharisees here are no different. They have preconceived ideas about who the Messiah will be, what His mission is, and how He will accomplish it. Truth be told, some believed the Messiah would be a woman, or so I have heard. Fighting preconceptions can be extremely difficult, and oft times people can believe that if they had just said the right thing or did it just a little bit differently that they would’ve gotten someone to “see.” Don’t worry about that; God has a plan for everyone, and it isn’t for us to judge when that someone’s time to “see” is. Remember that this chapter of John started out with Christ on the Mount of Olives, which means this chapter gives us a look at what will happen when He returns.

John 8:21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

This verse calls to mind: Matthew 7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It also makes me think if the Millennial Temple where only the overcomers can go into Him.

John 8:22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

Without the Holy Spirit, the only thing they can see is the flesh, and their minds work in the flesh. Be patient with those that think this way.

John 8:23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

Heaven isn’t in the sky, and hell isn’t in the dirt, yet that was how people of they day thought about and/or visualized heaven. What He is talking about is the same thing that Paul told us here:

1 Corinthians 15:47-48 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. (48) As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

John 8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

Flesh man cannot understand the heavenly, but they can believe upon it and thereby transform themselves into spiritual beings that can.

John 8:25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

He began (in the last section) by saying that He is the light of the world and His story hasn’t changed.

John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. (27) They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

Again, many wont understand, but it is not understanding that is required, it is belief. The belief and faith of a mustard seed.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. (29) And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

He is speaking of both advents here, His crucifixion and His return. Many believed upon Him after the first crucifixion, however every knee shall bow at His ultimate return, and everyone will KNOW who He is.

John 8:30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

Think about this as it pertains to both advents.

John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

A disciple is a disciplined student. Remember what the Parable of the Sower taught us:

Matthew 13:18-22 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. (19) When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. (20) But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; (21) Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Many people will take this verse and run with it, but it is only half the sentence. It starts with “If ye continue in my word.” To know anything it takes time. God doesn’t use magic to give us full understanding. The seed needs to grow and we must strive to set down roots. Sitting upon a seedling cannot give you the same view as sitting upon a hundred year old oak. Continue in His word, ponder it, and you will know Christ.

Topic Discussions

Was Jesus a Jew?

These days, there appears to be a lot of confusion about whether or not Jesus was a Jew. While I believe that most people do not question whether or not He was born of the tribe of Judah, we will cover it anyway before we go further into the meaning of the word, Jew.

Turning to Matthew chapter 1 will bring us to a long genealogy. This genealogy brings us from Abraham to Judas, who is the father of all the members of the tribe of Judas, then continues on all the way to Joseph, the husband of Mary.

Joseph as many of you know, didn’t have anything to do with Jesus’ conception, making his genealogy moot. Mary’s genealogy is a bit more hidden, but can be found in the pages of Luke.

Luke begins his gospel, not with Jesus, but with “a certain priest named Zacharias.”

Luke 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

We are told here that Elisabeth is of the daughters of Aaron, which means she is from the tribe of Levi. Later in the chapter we learn that Elisabeth is Mary’s cousin:

Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

Thus making Mary at least half Levite. Why only half Levite? Let’s back up to when the angel told Mary she was to conceive as a virgin.

Luke 1:30-33 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. (31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. (32) He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: (33) And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

So let’s answer the question, why only half Levite? Because we see that in verse 32 it tells us He will be given the throne of His father David, who we all know was a member of the tribe of Judah.

Why then is there a lot of confusion about whether or not Jesus is a Jew? It is because of the word Jew itself, not only what it means, but who calls themselves Jews.

Jew (n.)

late 12c. (in plural, giwis), from Anglo-French iuw, Old French giu, from Latin Iudaeum (nominative Iudaeus), from Greek Ioudaios, from Aramaic jehudhai (Hebrewy’hudi) “Jew,” from Y’hudah “Judah,” literally “celebrated,” name of Jacob’s fourth son and of the tribe descended from him. Replaced Old English Iudeas “the Jews.” Originally, “Hebrew of the kingdom of Judah.”

Clearly the word doesn’t go back as far as the tribe of Judah itself, but has come to be the word we use in English to describe those who are descended from Judah himself along with those from the southern kingdom called Judah, which mainly included not only members of the tribe of Judah, but Levi and Benjamin as well.

This is why Paul called himself a Jew despite being of the tribe of Benjamin

Acts 21:39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

Romans 11:1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

Jesus himself had no problem being called a Jew despite the fact He was a Galilean.

John 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.

So what on earth is the cause of the problem? The problem lies with the kenite.

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.

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.

Personally I am not a huge fan of the word Jew. I much prefer to use the word Judah because among other things, it is more precise, however the rest of the world uses the word Jew to describe what they believe to be the tribe of Judah, and all of Israel, and it is our job, as Christians, to go out and preach the Word of God, not to confuse others.

Remember that when the Holy Spirit descended upon Peter and company on Pentecost day they did not try to change the way people understood their language. For the Holy Spirit will use your language to make itself understood.

Acts 2:5-8 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (6) Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. (7) And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? (8) And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

If you speak in a language or a vocabulary that no one understands, then it is certainly not from God.

1 Corinthians 14:9-11 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. (10) There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification. (11) Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

Many of you out there know who the synagogue of Satan is and that they, the kenites, call themselves Jews, but that doesn’t change the meaning of the word and it certainly wont change what the world believes the word means. So why would we argue and fight about the meaning of the word when the wise already understand who the synagogue of Satan is, but it confuses and turns away the young in Christ? Despite how difficult it can be sometimes we have to remember that Christ told us in Matthew 13 that the reapers are the angels and that we are not to gather up the tares lest we root up some wheat as well.