Finally, I understand Daniel 7:26, the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away.

Posted on 06/28/2021 by remso

A momentary detour.

In working through chapter nine of the Revelation, I came to a place where the antichrist needed a bit of clarification, and that led me to Daniel 7. Daniel is one of those books that carries multiple definitions of the antichrist.

Daniel 7:8 refers to him as the little horn; this is only the first of twelve titles given to the antichrist.

Little horn: The first of twelve titles given to the power commonly known as “the antichrist“.

Other titles:

1. “the king of Babylon” (Isaiah 14:4);

2. “the Assyrian” (Isaiah 14:25);

3. Lucifer, son of the morning,” in opposition to “the bright and morning star” (Isaiah 14:12);

4. “the Prince that shall come” (Daniel 9:26);

5. “the king of fierce countenance” (Daniel 8:23);

6. “the vile person” (Daniel 11:21);

7. “the willful king” (Daniel 11:36);

8. “the man of sin” (2 Thessalonians 2:3);

9. “the son of perdition” (2 Thessalonians 2:3);

10. “that wicked (or lawless) one” (2 Thessalonians 2:3; Revelation 13:18);

11. “the beast with ten horns” (Revelation 13:1);

12. “the little horn” (Daniel 8:8)

In spite of all these titles, his dominion or empire will be taken away.

Daniel 7:26 NASB ‘But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever.

It was not until today, that I finally understood this passage (06//25/2021.) Any confusion that I encountered had more to do with years of false teachings. Trust me, false teachings are everywhere.

  • Court is the English transliteration of a Chaldean word that means judgment.

Reading 7:26 as “the judgment will sit for judgment doesn’t make sense.” The continuation of thought is that this “court,” an assumptive ruling body, will sit in judgment over the antichrist. Our English bibles tend to put this phrase “for judgment” in italics, as it is assumed.

  • “his dominion will be taken away.”

I remind you, that this is speaking of the antichrist. This word dominion can be exchanged with empire, and can just as easily be read, “his empire will be taken away.”

When I think about the variety of world leaders that religion has verbally placed into the role of antichrist, it is hard to sort out who this person will be. I happen to believe that he will be a Muslim. The reasons why I believe that he will be a Muslim primarily comes out of Daniel 7:25.

Look at what Daniel 7:25 says.

‘He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.” Daniel 7:25 NASB

We know that the antichrist is alleged to rule the earth for 7 years.

Where do we get the idea that he will reign for the full seven years?

From the fact that he makes a seven-year peace treaty with many, which he breaks.

Consider what Revelation 13:5 tells us.

Revelation 13:5 NET. The beast was given a mouth speaking proud words and blasphemies and he was permitted to exercise ruling authority for forty-two months.

Forty-two months is three and one-half years.

He is permitted to exercise his ruling authority for 42 months. But then goes where? 

Just because it says that his dominion or empire will be taken away does not mean the antichrist will go away, but someone else will step forward as the ruling authority. We call him the false prophet, while Islam calls him the enforcer of Sharia.

Interestingly, Iran just voted in a new president, and he happens to be called, the executioner.

When you see these words, “he will intend to make alterations in times and in law,” where does your thought process go?

What you should be seeing is Israel, but why stop there? Why not bring your influence to the EU and the USA, as both of these nations are on the verge of being crushed by the Muslims.

The times are God’s Jewish holidays and the law, and therefore, the impact is directed at Israel and God’s people. Mind you, all this is happening during the time of wrath, which is directed at Israel, for their unbelief, and, at the nations for their evil actions and unbelief.

This is where you need to look at another translation.

Daniel 7:26 CJB But when the court goes into session, he will be stripped of his rulership, which will be consumed and completely destroyed.

It occurs to me that Daniel 7:26 could be taken to mean the time when Jesus comes back as the warring Messiah; this, of course, is at the end of the seven years of wrath. Certainly, the antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire. The antichrist and the false prophet will be completely destroyed, and we will never hear from them again. Satan, on the other hand, will be brought back at the end of the thousand years for one last attempt at deception, after which he, and those who followed him in that deception, will be forever eliminated.

Someone who has stepped up, and been handed the authority, over what seems like the world, will not acquire this position unless he does so by force, coercion, or convincing words. You would think that for any of those things to happen, that he would be working his magic on people as we speak; and, he may be doing just that. However, there is an alternative school of thought, and that would be that the world is merely blinded by Satan, and they (in general) will see this fool as the answer to their calls for a global world leader.

Were you aware that many world leaders are literally praying for someone just like this?

Some, for a few moments, were thinking that Emanuel Macron could or would be just such a man.

Again, I happen to think that this world leader will be a Muslim. Think about those, like Principe Erdoğan, a man who is trying to reinstate the Ottoman Empire upon the world, and set himself up as the Mahdi. No one, in the current environment, will be able to demand such worship, unless they can appear to be moderate. The new president of Iran is not such a man, and neither is Erdoğan. It hardly seems possible but Barack Obama has displayed such characteristics, on many occasions.

Even though the antichrist gains power, it will be short-lived. Look again at the Complete Jewish Bible translation, which says, “when the court goes into session, he will be stripped of his rulership, which will be consumed and completely destroyed.”

What will be destroyed?

This man’s plans, because they are not radical enough.

Posted in antichrist, Antichrist, Assyrians, bible study, Daniel, gentiles, Jews, judgment, the king of fierce countenance, the little horn, the prince that shall come, the willful king | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In the Revelation, what have those, who are suffering under God’s wrath, seen so far?

Posted on 06/26/2021 by remso

Revelation 9:12 NASB The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

What have those, who is suffering under God’s wrath, seen so far?

  1. The entrance of the antichrist.

    Revelation 6:2 NASB I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

    If you merely read Revelation 6:2 you will not get the full picture of what this person will quickly do.

  2. Peace is taken from the earth.

    Wow, this is generic, but the general idea is that violence will increase exponentially.

    Revelation 6:4 NASB And another, a red horse went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.

  3. The price of things, (I say things because here in America the price of lumber has gone up 400%,) will go up, but most specifically, food.

    Revelation 6:5-6 NASB When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come.” I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. (6) And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”

  4. The fourth seal brings about death again, by famine, sword, pestilence (diseases), and by wild beasts.

    Revelation 6:7-8 NASB When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come.” (8) I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.

  5. When the Lamb (Jesus) broke the fifth seal John sees the first, countable number, of dead “believers.”

    These people were not a part of the church and have come to know, or understand who God is, since the rapture of the church, evidenced because of the Word of God and because of their testimony. Testimony is not a tightly defined and can mean judicial evidence.

    Revelation 6:9-11 NASB When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; … and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.

  6. With the sixth seal there is a great earthquake, the sun became black as sackcloth, and the whole moon became like blood, the stars of the sky fell to earth, the sky rolled up like a scroll, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

Page one.

Revelation 6:12-14 NET. “Then I looked when the Lamb opened the sixth seal, and a huge earthquake took place; the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became blood red; and the stars in the sky fell to the earth like a fig tree dropping its unripe figs when shaken by a fierce wind. The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.”

This earthquake has to be severely damaging, perhaps of the magnitude which causes the continents to reconnect. As for the sun becoming black as sackcloth and the moon blood-red, we have that to some degree now. China has areas where the smog is so bad that you cannot see the sun. But consider that when Mt St. Helens erupted, midday turned to night because of the ash. And the smog that most of us deal with causes the moon to glow blood red.

Consider this idea of the stars falling to earth. The sun is a star, and one of the smallest. If the sun fell to earth the earth would be destroyed; and yet, there are stars falling. This tends to move this conversation over to stars being representative of something else.

Since scripture tends to interpret scripture, is there anything else, that we have recently encountered, which might explain these stars? 

The answer is yes.

Look at Revelation 9:1 NASB “Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” This is clearly Satan because we know that Jesus took the keys to hell and the grave, which is what this is referring to, and the Holy Spirit saw fit to call him a star. This train of thought opens a very scary can of worms because the number of fallen angels that this may entail is vast and dangerous.

The writer of Hebrews backs up my assertion that it was Satan controlling hell along with the associated fear. Jesus took those keys and freed us from the fear of death.

Hebrews 2:14 NASB … through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,

Isaiah 14 distinctly calls Satan, the star of the morning.

Isaiah 14:12 NASB “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

Job 38 tells us that there were many “stars” of the morning.

Job 38:7 NASB When the morning stars sang together And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Revelation 12 speaks of a past war that took place in the heavens.

Revelation 12:7-9 NASB And there was war in heaven, … The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, … the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, … and his angels were thrown down with him.

Revelation 12 also speaks of the tail of the dragon – Satan, and how his tail drew a third of the stars to earth with him. Since we established that stars and angels are the same things, then we know that Satan pulled them to earth with him.

Page two.

  1. I have no way of understanding what the sky rolling up like a scroll looks like, or the effects of such an event.

    I do know that all things will be made new and perhaps this is part of that process. We should by now, understand that prophecy to a Jew is pattern and repetition, therefore, this reference to stars has to have a witness, and it does.

    Isaiah 34:4 NASB And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; …

    While the next reference is from the Revelation, and it is in Greek, it still expresses the same thing.

    Revelation 6:14 NASB The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, …

  2. The four winds of the earth will cease to blow.

    Revelation 7:1 NASB After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.

    Stopping the wind, in the bigger picture, means that everything will die.

  3. John sees the dead in the Lord, for a second time, but this time is different as they are uncountable.

    Revelation 7:9 NASB After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and palm branches were in their hands;

    What does this mean? It means that the slaughter of those who follow after Christ continues rapidly.

  4. The seal judgments end with a censer of fire being thrown to the earth. This is the announcement of the trumpet (shofar) judgments.

    With the first trumpet blast fire was thrown to earth, mixed with blood; and, a third of the earth was burned up, along with the trees, and the grass.

    Revelation 8:7 NASB The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

  5. At the second trumpet blast, something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea.

    Revelation 8:8-9 NASB The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood, (9) and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

    This sounds like a massive meteorite. The result is that: a third of the sea becomes blood; a third of the sea creatures die, and a third of the ships are destroyed.

Page three.

Because of the third trumpet blast, something like a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.

  1. Revelation 8:10-11 NASB (10) The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. (11) The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

    This is the only place in the Bible that the word wormwood shows up. The word means bitterness. So when it says that the waters became wormwood, it is telling us that the waters were made bitter. The verse tells us that many died from the water.

  2. At the sound of the fourth blast the sun, moon, and stars were diminished by a third.

    Revelation 8:12 NASB The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

    The short answer, from https://public.wmo.int/en/sun%E2%80%99s-impact-earth is this: “average surface temperature would be an inhospitable -18°C (0°F) instead of the 14°C (59°F) we experience today.”

  3. The fifth angel sounds and God initiates a history lesson about a fallen angel, a star, Satan; who is the lord of the abyss.

    We learn that Satan obtained the keys to hell and death, and therefore controlled people through fear. Out of this abyss come some hellish locusts that have stingers like scorpions. They sting humans and they want to die because of the pain, but cannot.

    This takes up a large portion of chapter 9, and therefore I will only give you the reference. Revelation 9:1-11.

This is how far we have advanced in the Revelation.

Revelation 9:12 NASB The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

Note how the verse says, the first woe is past, along with all the other stuff. The first woe came in two parts. The first part is that this fallen star, a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. Revelation 9:2 tells us that this “star” opened the bottomless pit – hell, and the smoke of a great furnace comes out of the pit.

Can a star, hold a key, and open the door to a pit? 

The logical response is NO.

If a star, even a small one, was to be thrown against the earth, would the earth survive?

Again, the logical response is NO. So, if you have been paying attention, then you know that the Holy Spirit has, on multiple occasions, referred to Satan and his followers as stars.

What is coming out of this smoke?

A locust horde like you would not believe; however, these locusts are not interested in eating your crops and every other living plant. They are coming to sting any human not protected by the mark from God.

Page four.

Who is protected?

The arrogant would immediately assume it’s them; it is NOT, it is 144,000 young Jewish men, whom God has picked out, because – as we are told, they are virgins. Our broken nature always leans to the fleshly side of the equation when the term virgin is used, but consider that the Jewish council concocted over 600 additional rules and laws for the purpose of controlling the masses. What if their virgin status, in God’s eyes, reflects their separation from Jewish law and more on their dependence on God’s law?

And, although nothing is said about it, the other two who may have avoided these crazed locusts could be God’s two witnesses. Since we see no mention of witnesses when we hear of the locusts, then it is possible that they have come and gone already; that would put these two witnesses arriving at the beginning of the seven-years, and the locusts arriving after the 42 months. They preach, if you will, for 42 months, and then the Father allows them to be killed. They lie in the streets of Jerusalem for three days (Wow, that is significant,) and then they are taken up to heaven. If we can see the fact that God’s judgments are poured out on everyone on earth, including those who have chosen to follow Jesus, you can begin to understand the gravity when followers of Christ tell you, accept Jesus now, because you don’t want to be here.

Pause here for a moment and consider that the Apostle John saw the martyred saints in heaven, twice.

How did they get into heaven, before the throne?

They were killed, here on earth, by people and those who found them in opposition to their religious ideology or governmental/presidential orders, for their testimony and the Word of God. Let’s take a moment to ponder what I just said. Islam/Boko Haran/ and a few others with the same purpose but different names, make it their goal to slaughter anyone who is NOT a Muslim. This is a generalized statement, but I am also aware that the Quran does not allow for leeway on this, although some refuse to adhere tightly to the Quran.

What, outside of God’s intervention (and we know from scripture that God does intervene or “they” would kill everyone,) keeps those who are currently NOT in compliance, from mentally snapping and start trying to kill everyone who is a Jew or a non-Muslim?

It is certainly NOT the laws of the land, as those have gone right out the window lately. It is ONLY God’s mercy.

If much of the martyrdom is associated with the false prophet, then what is the timing of these locusts? 

Just asking. First allow me to point out that Jesus, in Matthew 24, is giving the disciples a chronological briefing, which, for the sake of brevity and context, will start at Matthew 24:15. Here, the false prophet/antichrist has set up that abomination in the temple. This is where the mark of the beast comes into play, for you have to worship the beast (let’s assume that the beast is Allah, worship the image of the beast, and take his mark.) So far, NO ONE has done that.

I forgot to add the fact that in our study of the Revelation we have made to Revelation 9:15.

Revelation 9:14-15 NASB (14) one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” (15) And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year were released so that they would kill a third of mankind.

One angel killed all the unprotected in Egypt, in one night, what kind of damage will these do?

Posted in Abaddon, antichrist, Antichrist, Apollyon, bible study, destruction, Egypt, fallen angels, false prophet, Hell, Jerusalem, Jews, judgment, Prophetic, Revelation, scorpions, stingers, Thoughts, wrath. | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Release the four angels who are bound. Rev 9: 12-14

Posted on 06/21/2021 by remso

We ended the last post with descriptives of locusts, which have stingers in their tails; they act like scorpions; and, they are led by a fallen angel, named Abaddon and Apollyon, which just happen to be the names for Sheol/hell. The clues that we are given are so obvious, that I suspect John wanted us to figure out who it is. We are told in Revelation 9:1, that this fallen angel had obtained the keys to death and hell.

Wow, first off, why would anyone give this loser the keys to hell?

The answer lies in Adam’s actions, or lack thereof, in the garden. It was an act that was sealed when Adam bit into that fruit. In a sense, this is one of those great mysteries spoken of in scripture, but it is only a mystery to those who do not wish to understand.

Consider that Satan told Jesus, all these kingdoms of the world, are mine to give.

The question is, how did Satan obtain such power and authority?

And again, we are back to Adam. God had given the man complete authority over the earth, and he relinquished that authority to Satan. God had to honor the man’s actions, no matter how destructive. That seems like a no-win situation, but Jesus, as Pastor JD Farag consistently says. So God had a plan, and the garden was the opening volleys that would put Satan away permanently, and sort out those who would choose to love and follow Him.

Does Satan still have these keys and therefore the power of fear over hell?

In the first chapter of the Revelation, John describes hearing a voice. When he turned to see who was speaking, he sees Jesus. It is the description of Jesus that is mind-blowing.

Revelation 1:13-18 DRB And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. (14) And his head and his hairs were white as white wool and as snow. And his eyes were as a flame of fire: (15) And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. And his voice as the sound of many waters. (16) And he had in his right hand seven stars. And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword. And his face was as the sun shines in his power. (17) And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying: Fear not. I am the First and the Last, (18) And alive, and was dead. And behold I am living forever and ever and have the keys of death and of hell.

In the process of His death and resurrection, Jesus stripped those keys out of Satan’s hand.

Back to the locusts.

The sting is so severe that the victims will want to die, but they cannot.

Doesn’t it seem odd that John would describe something as mundane as a locust with such detail?

I have never seen a locust much larger than about four inches, and yet, these have extensive details such as:

  • A gold-tone crown on their heads.
  • Bronze breastplates.
  • Human-looking faces.
  • Hair like a woman.
  • And, there is that stinger, which does not belong on a locust.

End of page one.

The locusts seem to form militaristic squadrons as they attack humans with their lion-like teeth. The finale to this horror is the fact that these locusts have stingers in their tails. Imagine a locust curling its tail over its head and stinging you.

One woe is past:

Since Revelation chapter six began there has been an onslaught of woes. 

How does it get worse?

Revelation 9:12 DRB One woe is past: and behold there come yet two woes more hereafter.

How much time has passed at this point?

We have no known references to a calendar, and therefore cannot say. Nothing tells us that God’s fury is being poured out in deliberate, five-month segments. We do know that the effects of the stingers cause the victims to suffer for five months; they will want to die, but they cannot.

When the wrath of God begins to be poured out in Revelation six, verse two, one of the first things we see is the entrance of the antichrist persona. Based upon this, all I can tell you is that if you, the reader is experiencing these things, then you are in the seven years of God’s wrath.

Revelation 9:13-14 NASB (13) Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (14) one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

In Revelation 8:1, we are introduced to the trumpet judgments (it is really a shofar blast, but that only makes sense to a Jew, and so our Bible translations like to call it a trumpet blast.)

We are currently on the sixth trumpet blast.

“Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

Are you kidding me; it only took one angel to kill all the unprotected first-born in Egypt that night.

What are these angry and most likely fallen angels, going to do?

Jude 1:6 NASB And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

Pay attention to the way the words are laid out. I could interpret this to be saying that these angels are being held so that they can help to bring God’s judgment on the great day. The terminology forces you to understand that judgment will come, and that the phrase “the great day” is referring to, NOT just one day, but the time we understand as the seven-year period in which God’s wrath is poured out in judgment.

Has God used a variety of methods to bring about judgment?

The answer is a decisive yes. For example, He used Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire to judge Israel for ignoring the Sabbath years in which they should have given the land rest.

How can we define this great day?

Joel 2:30-31 NASB “I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, Blood, fire and columns of smoke. (31) “The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

End of page two.

1 Corinthians explains that we, who are confirmed in Christ, are not lacking as we await our redemption, because Christ will find us blameless in the day of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:6-8 NASB (6) even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you, (7) so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, (8) who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, that is good news, but why?

It is good because judgment, which is wrath, is not meant for the body of Christ, and that means believers.

2 Peter speaks of the day of the Lord, but here it is described with blunt honesty. We are told that the heavens will pass away and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, all while people continue to try to survive on the earth.

2 Peter 3:9-10 NASB The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

The Revelation itself gives us something that may explain what these angels will do, but we have to jump forward in this saga, momentarily.

Revelation 12:1-4 NASB A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; (2) and she was with child; and she *cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. (3) Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. (4) And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.

When we get to Revelation chapter 12, it is best to understand this as a history lesson.

  • The woman clothed with the sun, is Jesus, giving birth to, not only Israel, but to Jesus as well.

    This is not meant to push you into astrology, as that is the demonic version of astronomy, but we have a well-defined reason to understand the stars – astronomy, if you wish.

    • Isaiah 7:14 NASB “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

      The Hebrew word for sign is ‘ôth and means a signal, a flag, a beacon, or a mark. The language the Holy Spirit chose to use was common, and so those who heard these words understood what a virgin was; they also comprehended the process of birth, but these words would not come to pass, in a physical sense, during any of their lifetimes. This means that they were to look at the stars and their alignments, for they were well aware of the patterns and the meanings. Remember that I said we are looking at Astronomy, not astrology, as astrology is demonic.

End of page three

What do some of these scriptural examples look like?

For most, reading this paragraph immediately pulls them into the Zodiac, all of which is a perversion of what God designed to be prophetic beacons in the heavens.

It is evident that the purpose of the signs is multifaceted. 

A touch of honesty, when someone explains a relationship between scripture and the associated astronomical signs, I find it fascinating, for at least a moment, and then I forget what I heard.

When Jesus was born, is this when God, the Father, began pointing out the signs?

The answer is NO, and we have the Magi, who followed the signal that led them to Jesus, to confront such a question, as a portion of our evidence. Read Matthew 2:1-16.

Did the Magi hit the timing exactly and arrive at the moment of Jesus birth?

NO, but God did time it so that what the Jews deemed the lowest of humans, the shepherds, would be the first to see Him. The IVP Bible Background Commentary suggests this “Due to the proximity to Jerusalem, some scholars have suggested that the flocks here are the temple flocks raised for sacrifice. This narrative would have challenged the values of many religious people, who despised shepherds.”

The Magi, on the other hand, arrived at a time when Jesus was about two years old. We know this because, Herod, after interviewing the Magi, had all boys two years and younger, in the region of Bethlehem, killed.

      • Genesis 1:14 NASB Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

        The stars and their alignments, as I have already stated, are for signals.

One of the tremendous events, alluded to by Revelation 12 and these star signs were Israel and the birth of a nation.

      • Isaiah 66:7-8 NASB “Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. (8) “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.

This star alignment was recently brought forth, as Virgo had the sun in the area of her womb just as Revelation 12 spelled out.

Revelation 6:15-17 shows the kings, the rich, and the strong, who are hiding in their luxury, underground, caves, as they cry out hide us from the great day of the Lord. And in Revelation 16:14 the description includes a war associated with the day of the Lord.

End of page four.

Posted in Abaddon, Abyss, angels, antichrist, Apollyon, Assyrians, Babylon, bible study, destruction, End times, fallen angels, Hades, Hell, judgment, Prophetic, Revelation, scorpions, Thoughts on scripture, war, wrath. | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

They have as king over them, Abaddon. Revelation 9:7-11.

Posted on 06/16/2021 by remso

We ended Revelation 9:6 with people wanting to die, but could not, thanks to locusts that sting like a scorpion. I have never been stung; don’t want to. I suspect, it would incapacitate me. With the premise that I would be running for my life, do you think I would really care what their agitated little faces look like? I learned of the killer hornets from the Discovery channel, several years ago. I have never had any desire to look one of those in the eyes either. Let’s see how it goes.

So, I am torn, to paint a verbal picture of their faces as John did, or merely slide past it to something more poignant.

Revelation 9:7-11 NASB “The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle, and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. (8) They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. (9) They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. (10) They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. (11) They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”

  1. “ The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle;”

    I might take this to mean that they fly in battle rank and order. Already, I am intimidated.

  2. “ on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men.”

    Something that seems to be, and “they had gold crowns” are two entirely different things. What I do know, is that Jesus wears a crown of gold, and this little demon horde also seems to wear a crown of gold. Bright and shiny it may be, but we really know nothing more.

  3. “They had hair like the hair of women,”

    This is beginning to come off like some horror movie. The mere fact that they had hair like the hair of a woman makes you think that there would be some attractiveness to them. I don’t think so.

  4. “and their teeth were like the teeth of lions.”

    Locusts have no need for teeth like a lion’s; unless, the full intent is to send humans into a depressing delusion. Just knowing that they have sharp cutting and tearing teeth opens the door to other nightmares.

  5. “They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle.”

    You will be able to hear them coming.

  6. “They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months.”

    This nightmarish aspect is not what most would like to hear, because we see humans crying out to die and cannot.

“They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”

A king? This is the Greek word basileus and means a sovereign – a foundation of power.

Ask yourself, who is the angel that has the power over Sheol/hell, although he is lacking the keys anymore?

The answer is Lucifer, the day star. We now call him Satan. There is no doubt in my mind that someone will try to start an argument because scripture tells us his name, in Hebrew, is Abaddon.

Good luck defending your argument, as the only place you will find this reference in the KJV is in Revelation 9:11. Unfortunately, you are sadly lacking the appropriate amount of witnesses if you stay with the KJV, what many think is the only valid Bible translation. Fortunately, it is also found in Job and Proverbs if you can find it in your heart to switch to the NASB.

It is evident, to me, that John, spoke at least two languages, and may have understood Aramaic. The logical assumption is that John heard the rabbinical teachers referring to Abaddon, and Apollyon as the ruler over Sheol; and, therefore throws it into the setting as part of his explanation.

By the way, even though I have not knowingly mentioned it in the last several posts, John was writing to a community of Jewish believers.

How can I know that?

For one, there is his reference, here in Revelation 9, to a subject that is explained in both Greek and Hebrew. Some might try to point out that under Roman rule, it was mandatory to speak Greek and the fact that Jewish language and writings were illegal. Add this understanding to the descriptions within the Revelation, that we have already seen, that point back to the Old Testament, books not familiar to most Gentile populations. Secondly, in the first three chapters of the Revelation the conversation is directed at the early and historic church bodies. One of those church bodies is described as worshiping at the synagogue of Satan;

Revelation 2:9 NASB ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Revelation 3:9 NASB ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.

– this is a conversation that means little to someone with no knowledge of Jewish synagogues. All this plays into our understanding of this angel that has power over Sheol – a Jewish word and concept.

The Greek for Abaddon is Ἀβαδδών and means a destroying angel, or, as Mounce’s commentary tells us, the angel who rules in hell.

Does that help you?

Yeah, me neither. And so I have to take someone’s word for it or spend hours searching for an answer.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us that Abaddon is a transliteration from the Hebrew. Transliteration by definition, is to write or print (a letter or word) using the closest corresponding letters of a different alphabet or script.

Abaddon, according to Strong’s concordance, designates this place as the abode of unbelievers following death and is synonymous with She’ōl (H7585) which is expressed by destruction and loss.

How can it be the name of the fallen angel and a place at the same time?

The answer to that question lies in the fact it was named after the entity that held the keys. While the name may not have changed, this fallen angel, Lucifer/Satan, no longer holds the keys. I give you the entirety of the passage as it demonstrates the magnificence of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 1:12-18 NASB (12) “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; (13) and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. (14) His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. (15) His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. (16) In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.“

Hades is the place of the dead.

So all these demonic entities, coming out of the smoke, are responding to the commands of the deceiver, Satan.

Abyss grk – abussos: is the bottomless pit; place or abode of the dead.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us it occurs only twice outside the book of Revelation (Romans 10:7, simply the abode of the dead; Luke 8:31, the prison destined for evil spirits.)

Effectively, Abaddon and the Abyss are the same place.

Luke 8:26-31 AMPC “Then they came to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. (27) Now when Jesus stepped out on land, there met Him a certain man out of the town who had [was possessed by] demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he lived not in a house but in the tombs. (28) And when he saw Jesus, he raised a deep (terrible) cry [from the depths of his throat] and fell down before Him [in terror] and shouted loudly, What have You [to do] with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? [What have we in common?] I beg You, do not torment me! (29) For Jesus was already commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many times it had snatched and held him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilderness (desert). (30) Jesus then asked him, What is your name? And he answered, Legion; for many demons had entered him. (31) And they begged [Jesus] not to command them to depart into the Abyss (bottomless pit).”

Answer me this, how is it that these demons knew of this abyss and that they did not want to go there?

Posted in angels, armies, bible study, death, death, desires, fallen angels, gentiles, Hades, Hell, Jews, locusts, Revelation, the nations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

You cannot lose your salvation because you are sealed. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Posted on 06/11/2021 by remso

Contrary to the religion I grew up in, many have been talking about NOT being able to lose your salvation. The context of this conversation should be obvious, what do you believe, and does it line up with the Word of God? If your beliefs, no matter where they came from, such as the faith movement, do not line up with the Word of God, dump them! While the terminology may not be precise, the idea that we are eternally saved is found in multiple locations throughout the Bible. Here is one of those places.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NASB (21) Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, (22) who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Here, Paul is doing the talking, and he is referring to a “He”, who establishes us, (“us” here has to be referring to those with Paul and the early church body in Corinth.

To Establish is to confirm, render constant, strengthen, make firm, ratify, or establish by arguments or proofs.

Paul goes on to say, that this “He,” has anointed the believers, the church body.

Anointed, according to the Word Study Dictionary, tells us that “Anointing had the significance of dedication to God;” “Priests were set apart by anointing;” “Kings were designated by anointing, and we see this with David and Saul;” and, “This act was accompanied by the gift of the Spirit. So when David was anointed, the Spirit descended on him and departed from Saul.”

Jumping forward to 2 Corinthians 5, we get this.

2 Corinthians 5:1-6 NASB (1) For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2) For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, (3) inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. (4) For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. (5) Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. (6) Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord–

The bottom line is that this “He” is God. Never forget that God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, is one. But pay attention to the fact that God gave us the Spirit as a pledge.

But a pledge of what?

The context of this secondary conversation shows you a conversation about how we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. Notice verse four as it says, while dwelling in these mortal bodies we feel unclothed and long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; while we feel unclothed, we can KNOW that these mortal bodies will eventually, be swallowed up by life – God is life. And finally, God, gave us the Holy Spirit as a pledge. For those who fear as Christians, not knowing where their home is, I give you verse six.

“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord–“

Come back to 2 Corinthians 1:22 for a moment.

2 Corinthians 1:22 NASB (22) who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Sealed is the Greek word sphragizo which means to seal, or stamp with a seal for the purpose of finalizing or to close up a transaction.

According to the Word Study Dictionary sealed also implies:

  • to mark distinctively as invested with a certain character, John 6:27;

    Whose character are we talking about, Paul’s? Not hardly; we are talking about God’s character.

  • to set one’s own mark upon, to seal as one’s own, a mark of acceptance, 2Corinthians 1:22;

    God has accepted us, sealed us, and marked us as His own.

  • to deliver over safely to someone, Romans 15:28;

    And it is the Holy Spirit that will deliver us over, safely to the Father; this is a logical action considering that He paid for us.

Jesus made the final payment on our behalf and God closed the books, indicating ownership when we accepted that Jesus died and rose again for us. At this point, God sealed us, and He did it with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is that mark upon our lives.

And note how 2 Corinthians 1:22 tells us that the Holy Spirit is in our hearts as a mark of God’s pledge.

When did that happen?

On the day you accepted Him.

  • Romans 16:25 says that you were established according to Paul’s gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ.

  • 1 Peter 5:10 tells us that He is always working to perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

  • King David, in Psalm 37:23-24, states that we won’t be hurled headlong because the LORD is the One who holds your hand.

  • Psalms 89:4 says, that He will establish your seed forever.

  • And in Isaiah 9:7 We are told that it is the zeal of the LORD of hosts which will accomplish this in us.

How do you come to Jesus?

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB (1) Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

That Gospel is simply this. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. He was buried, dead, and raised again, to life, on the third day by the Father. Romans 1:16-17 tells us that this gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. And that we continue to live in this salvation through faith.

Perhaps this might help.

Jesus, I admit that I am broken and I need a savior. I understand that you died for me so that I could live eternally, with the Father, in heaven. I have nothing to offer you but my life and so I give that to you now. Thank you for forgiving my sins and accepting me into your kingdom.

Posted in 2 Corinthians, anointed, established, Faith, forgive, forgiven, God's character, In Christ, marked, mercy, redemption, sealed | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Locusts came out of the pit and stung like scorpions. Rev 9:1-6.

Posted on 06/09/2021 by remso

Assuming that you just stumbled onto this blog, we are studying the Revelation.

Why?

Because a great majority of the church has no idea what is in this book; and, even if you did manage to read it, do you have any idea who is the rider on the white horse, that we see in Revelation 6? We have already covered the answer to that question in a previous post, and it is fairly well identified so that you can go back and study that subject.

If you choose to understand, not only the Revelation, but any book of the Bible, you would do well to understand that the Bible is a Jewish-centered book. In the case of the Revelation, you can see evidence of that in Revelation 2:9 and again in Revelation 3:9. In both of those cases, the church bodies are referred to as the synagogue of Satan. I, in reading one day, noticed this and thought, most, among the nations (as a Gentile – non-Jew,) may not have a clue as to what a synagogue is, however, the Jewish reader has an immediate understanding. Inferences to God’s chosen people, the Jewish people, and the nation of Israel are in virtually every book in the Bible. If this bothers you, then you better repent of your racism quickly and get used to change.

Quickly:

  • Chapters 1-3 are a historic and spiritual description of the church as it has gone through the ages. Many of these churches were gone by the time John saw this vision, but in almost every way, these descriptions speak to some of us today.

  • Revelation chapter four opens with these words, “After these things,” indicating an end of the church age and the migration into the time of God’s judgment of Israel and the nations.

  • Revelation chapter five seems as if it is going to be filled with grief, as, according to John, there is no one worthy to open the seals. Knowing what is to be revealed by the seals, it is hard to understand why anyone would be anticipating what is to come unless you have an expectancy of Christ’s return for His bride. One of the elders comes to John and tells him, not to worry for the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy. Having that piece of information you would think that the next thing John sees would be something like Aslan of the Narnia chronicles, but what he sees is Jesus as the slaughtered lamb. Because of this disclosure chapter, five is one of the most glorious of the chapters.

  • Revelation chapter six covers the beginning of God’s wrath as represented by the opening of the six seals, which includes the introduction of the antichrist character.

    The seventh instrument of judgment, in this case, the sixth seal, is typically the announcement of the next phase of wrath, or, the final judgment, as we will see with the bowl judgments.

    Most importantly, you need to know that the wrath of God, was not and is not meant for those who are in Christ. That being said, it does not mean that you will not go through tribulation while you are on this alive on this earth, Jesus, so to speak, guaranteed that aspect. I will show you a verse, but first, let me say that most translated that as tribulations.

    John 16:33 NLT I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

    How anyone survives the seal judgments is beyond me, and yet there are two more.

End of page one.

  • Revelation chapter seven gives you details of what has been happening behind the scenes during the seal judgments; and, it points out that a mass slaughter of people who have come to an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah, during this time of horror has happened. This redemption process continues throughout the time of wrath, to the point that the dead, because of their testimony, become uncountable. Praise God for that.

    We are also told, here in chapter seven, that God has the destruction stopped for a moment as they mark/seal 144,000 Jewish young men who have not been tainted by the world’s desires – they are referred to as virgins. By the way, we, who have accepted Christ, have been sealed by the Holy Spirit.

    With the opening of the seventh seal, there is a half-hour of silence. One would get the impression that it has been very noisy so far, and the first shofar has yet to sound.

  • Revelation chapter eight shows us the seventh seal, which portrays, the prayers of the saints, being mixed with burning incense, in one of the heavenly censers; it is then thrown to the earth. What follows is: peals of thunder, sounds, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. The seven trumpets or shofars begin to sound their judgments.

    The first shofar sounds.

        • Revelation 8:7 NASB The first angel sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

        • Revelation 8:8-9 NASB The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, (9) and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

        • Revelation 8:10-11 NASB (10) The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. (11) The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters because they were made bitter.

        • Revelation 8:12 NASB The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

    Revelation eight ends with an eagle, flying in mid-heaven and crying out with a loud voice, saying, woe woe woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpet blasts that are about to come.

    We ended our last post with this verse.

  • Revelation 9:1 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

    Pay attention to the choice of words. Scripture does not, as yet, put this angel into the bottomless pit, that comes at the end of the time of wrath and the beginning of the millennial reign.

End of page two.

The fallen angel, does, however, have the keys to Sheol, another name for the bottomless pit, and it should be known that the possessor of the keys controls the fear factor associated with the pit.

So, who is this fallen angel?

Because Jesus tells us that He saw Lucifer, the day-star, thrown to earth, then we are talking about Satan.

Does Satan still have the keys?

Without question, NO!

Revelation 1:17-18 NASB (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Because of that statement, we should no longer have any fear of Sheol.

With that introduction, let’s continue on with the fifth shofar.

Revelation 9:1-6 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. (2) He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. (3) Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (5) And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

I feel confident that this star that had fallen is Satan.

Things to make note of:

  • “The key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”

    To understand this you have to grasp how much authority Adam had, and how he gave all of it over to Satan, along with the keys, one of which opened the bottomless pit.

  • “He (Satan,) opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, …; and the sun and air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”

    But notice in verse 9:2 that it says it is “like the smoke of a huge furnace.” Since we can understand that there is a fire that burns forever, then there must be fire.

It is wise to either do your background homework or, not add or interject thoughts into the mix.

  • “the sun was darkened, and the sky too, by the smoke from the shaft.”

    The word used for Sun is hēlios and means the rays or light. We can often understand this by relating this to an overcast day. Can we see? Mostly, but if I used the aftermath of Mount St. Helens and the ash storm that overtook the city, it turned the day into night and people had to turn on their headlights at midday.

End of page three.

Darkened is the Greek word skotóō and also means to cover with darkness. In Revelation 16:10 it is symbolic of distress, calamity, destruction.

Based upon these translations I can understand this two ways, one being a situation where the light is definitely muted but filled with distress, calamity, and destruction.

  • “ out of the smoke came locusts”

    As annoying and destructive as locusts can be, these are a horror unto themselves.

  • “ and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”

    What? In what way are scorpions like locusts? Locusts are eating machines, but they limit their eating to plants. The scorpion on the other hand is a hunter; they sting victims that resist their crushing claws, paralyze and eat them. Scorpions don’t eat people, they defend themselves from people with the same toxic venom; that could kill someone like me.

  • “ They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

    Here again, is another wordplay scenario. What did we just discuss? The fact that these LOCUSTS were given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. Revelation 9:4 tells us that they are not here to eat plants, but to attack any human that DOES NOT have the seal of God on their foreheads.

    So, how many people have this seal on their foreheads?

    144,000 Jews.

    If you are a Jehovah’s Witness and believe that your “prophets” are a part of this marked crowd, you will have a rude awakening, for unless these high ranking people among your cult religion have a practical, working relationship with Jesus Christ, they are, in all likelihood, going into Sheol.

    Is it possible that some would argue that the antichrist has marked people and therefore, be confused with those that God has marked and therefore, be bypassed by these hellish locusts?

    A question like this is entrenched with fear and twisted logic. Oh sure, you can argue, but you are not going to change God’s plan and direction; and, you must remember that these “stinging locusts” are a part of God’s wrath. (Yes, there will be a point in time, in which God will pour out His wrath, contrary to some people’s opinion.)

    So ask yourself, are you a part of the family of God – one who has accepted that Jesus died for you, or, are you still conjoined with the nations/Gentiles?

    If your answer is the Gentiles, then there is the possibility that you were never a part of the church anyway and, therefore, subject to God’s wrath.

    Satan has always mocked and copied aspects of God’s ways. We see this with the marking that the antichrist dispenses, however, there is nothing, that I see, in scripture that indicates anything like this happens.

End of page four.

  • “And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. (6) And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”

    These things have a mandate to “hurt” the people of the earth.

    Who are they hurting?

    Anyone they can sink their teeth or stinger into, this includes those who will, in time, get martyred for their testimony, and it includes those who think their money can protect them. For some reason, I can see these things crawling through cracks and door openings as they hunt you.

    They ARE NOT permitted to kill anyone. I could be killed by a bee sting simply by going into Anaphylactic shock, and yet these things will NOT kill but merely bring a dreadful torment.

    “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”.

    Think about this, for five months it would appear that no one can die, merely suffer dreadfully.

Have you ever heard fools say, when it snows in hell I’ll ski there too. You are either so blind, or foolish, to think that God’s wrath and the ensuing hell is something to toy with; obviously, it is not.

It feels that the entirety of my reasons for trying to make the Revelation clear is to keep people from having to endure the wrath that is to come. It seems rather obvious that if you could bypass God’s wrath, that you would bypass hell; and, since followers of Christ are to be caught up to heaven, then, we would be in heaven, with the Father.

An interesting parable is the one about the ten virgins. All of them got an invitation to the marriage supper, and yet, if you know how this story goes, you know that half of them did not take extra oil. I have heard the oil referred to several things, one of which would be the Holy Spirit. But there is a more practical side of this, and that would be, the callous attitude that those without sufficient oil demonstrated to the others. Those without the oil did not humble themselves, nor ask if they could follow after those who had plenty; they demanded that the other give them of what they had.

Since this life, we have in Christ, is, as so many expect, based upon the idea of what would Jesus do, we can assume that He would have had enough, or, at the least, allowed for others to follow Him. If you know the story, then you know that none of those without thought to ask that question.

What did they do?

They went about the dark community scrounging. I suspect that this did not go so well for them.

When they returned, after chasing around the village looking for oil they could buy, were they able to gain entry to the event they had been invited to? The answer is NO.

Why would you take that chance? Fill your tanks now by accepting Christ into your life.

Posted in bible study, death, destruction, End times, fire, gentiles, Hades, Hell, judgment, judgment, Prophetic, Revelation, the nations, Thoughts on scripture, wrath. | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Watch “When the Times of the Gentiles Expires – Amir Tsarfati” on YouTube

Posted on 06/04/2021 by remso

Posted in antichrist, apostasy, bible study, Cult teachings, doctrines of demons, End times, enemies, false teaching, forsaken, God's character, household of God, Israel, Jerusalem, mystery, Prophetic, rapture, redemption, strange doctrines, straying from the truth, teaching a different doctrine, the nations, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A third of them will be darkened. Revelation 8:12-9:1

Posted on 06/03/2021 by remso

As I write this, the wife and I have an entire extra family living with us, another family coming in from out of state, and just this morning had another who is having relationship issues, call to say she needs to stay here for a couple of days. Why do I tell you this? Because, as Jesus informed us, “all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” ( Matthew 24:8 NASB)

You need to understand that Jesus’ return for His church is imminent. Because of that, the enemy is pouring it on and turning up the heat; and though many will tell you that Satan is aiming at the Christian, I will tell you something, all of us were made in God’s image. Unfortunately, because of Adam’s treasonous actions, we are all broken. The best way to think of this is to picture yourself as genetically damaged, and that this damage drives your lust. Lust is the strong desire to do what you please, ignoring God’s voice. Jesus put Himself on that cross, much as Isaac did when his father, Abraham, pushed to make a sacrifice to God. That action by Jesus brought about redemption and salvation for everyone’s sin, past, present, and future. This redemption belongs to anyone who accepts this action by Jesus as being for them. When you do this you have applied faith and all that God asks is that we believe.

Everything we are studying in the Revelation, at this point, is God’s wrath upon Israel and the nations, for their unbelief, and the horrors they have performed upon the world. Since the body of Christ is comprised of believers, they are excluded from the punishment that is coming. That information should be good news to most.

With that, we begin.

Revelation 8:12 NASB The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

  • a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck.

    From the Word Study Dictionary: Struck can be plḗssō, or plḗttō; future. plḗxō. To strike. In the NT, equivalent to plague, to smite, or to afflict with disease, calamity, evil.

    The word third is exactly what they say, a third. But what is being struck?

    • The Sun

    • The Moon

    • The Stars

I went to Google and asked, what would happen if the sunlight was reduced by a third? I got an obvious answer from National Geographic, and it goes like this:

“The sun has extremely important influences on our planet: It drives weather, ocean currents, seasons, and climate, and makes plant life possible through photosynthesis. Without the sun’s heat and light, life on Earth would not exist.”

I really don’t think I need to pursue this any further, but I will point out that our skies, here in Southern California, have been grayed out by chemtrails. Add to this how Bill Gates emphasized that we need to have the earth cooled and how he intends to do that by spraying stuff in the sky to obscure the Sun heat. If you obscure the sky with nanoparticles of aluminum chaff, wouldn’t that same chaff block out the moon and stars?

End of page one.

It would, so perhaps the answer to this question lies in the proliferation of chemtrails. Without the “twisted wisdom” of Bill Gates, I would have a hard time trying to figure out how God will go about making this happen. The method God chooses is not my concern as I am a part of the bride of Christ – the church,  and will not be here when it happens.

I think it is important to point out that we haven’t even hit the halfway point in the seven years of God’s wrath. Some might say, in rebuttal, we haven’t seen the antichrist in scripture as yet; ah, but we have, and we witnessed his entrance in Revelation 6:2 under the first, seal.

Revelation 6:2 NASB I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

So the antichrist was represented as the rider on the white horse, carrying a bow, conquering, and to conquer. Daniel’s prophecies help to explain this even further, however, here in Daniel 8, he is called the insolent king.

Daniel 8:23-24 NASB “In the latter period of their rule, When the transgressors have run their course, A king will arise, Insolent and skilled in intrigue. (24) “His power will be mighty, but not by his own power, And he will destroy to an extraordinary degree And prosper and perform his will; He will destroy mighty men and the holy people.

The word intrigue is the Hebrew word chı̂ydâh. It means riddle, difficult question, parable, enigmatic saying or question, perplexing sayings or questions.

Enigmatic means relating to or containing a riddle; obscure; darkly expressed; ambiguous. Obscurely conceived or apprehended.

Considering these definitions, one should be wondering how this person could possibly rise to power.

Moving on.

Revelation 8:13 NASB Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

You would not know an eagle was flying in the sky unless you looked up or heard it screech. This eagle, however, speaks with a loud voice and says,

  • “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Anytime words are repeated, it is to: get your attention and to sound an alarm. It is evident that this eagle is warning us of the remaining blasts from the shofar, a sound, by the way, that will be heard around the globe.

At this point, there have been seven seals broken, and now four blasts from the shofar; and, aside from the arrival of the antichrist in Revelation six, we have nothing that prescribes exactly when these events will happen.

The fifth trumpet and an aspect of the horror the eagle spoke of.

Revelation 9:1 NASB Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth, and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.

End of page two

Consider what we have already seen, as they relate to “celestial” bodies.

Revelation 8:8-9 told us that at the blast of the second shofar,

“what looked like an enormous blazing mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

This could very well be a massive asteroid, but I wouldn’t want to exclude things like the Fukushima power plant explosions after the tsunami, and the eventual dumping of radioactive wastewater into the ocean. 

Fukushima power plant after the tsunami. What you don’t see are the thousands of barrels of radioactive wastewater.

Revelation 8:10-11 CJB The third angel sounded his shofar;

“and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky onto a third of the rivers and onto the springs of water. (11) The name of the star was “Bitterness,” and a third of the water became bitter, and many people died from the water that had been turned bitter.”

Revelation 9:1 tells us that, once again, a star falls from heaven. What is the defining aspect of this verse? The fact that this “star” has already fallen to the earth, and he has the key to the bottomless pit.

I feel the need to define Bitterness once again. The Greek word is apsinthos and also means calamity or bitter poison.

The wording of Revelation 9:1 has a familiar ring to it.

Isaiah also described Lucifer, the day-star, why he lost his position, and why he will be thrust down to Sheol.

Isaiah 14:12-15 NASB “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! (13) “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. (14) ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ (15) “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Is there any doubt as to who it is that has fallen to the earth? If so, consider the words of Jesus.

Luke 10:18 NET. So he (Jesus) said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

So, if this is Satan, what is he doing with the keys?

End of page three.

This is a long story; the short version is that Adam relinquished ALL rights to the earth, along with those keys, when he bit into that fruit. If you don’t believe that consider the conversation between Satan and Jesus when Satan tempted Jesus. Please pay attention to the wording in Luke’s gospel and then compare it to Matthew’s account, found in chapter four. Matthew tells us it was a high mountain but left off the details about the fact that the kingdoms were Satan’s to give.

Luke 4:5-8 NASB And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (7) “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” (8) Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”

In either case, there were no wasted words nor heated arguments over who had control over the earth, for Jesus knew very well what Adam had done and the extent of the damage. I already used Luke 10:18 to point out that Jesus was there watching when Satan was cast to earth.

At some point, you have to get real and believe. The Apostle John finally got it and told us in the opening lines of his account of Jesus’ life with the disciples.

John 1:1-4 NASB In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. (4) In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

We are still looking at Revelation 9:1.

“Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.” NASB

Moses knew of this pit.

Numbers 16:28-31 NASB Moses said, “By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these deeds; for this is not my doing. (29) “If these men die the death of all men or if they suffer the fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. (30) “But if the LORD brings about an entirely new thing and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that is theirs, and they descend alive into Sheol, then you will understand that these men have spurned the LORD.” (31) As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split open;

King David also spoke of the pit.

Psalms 71:20 NASB You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

The Prophet Isaiah detailed how Sheol will swallow Jerusalem’s splendor.

Isaiah 5:12-14 NASB Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. (13) Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst. (14) Therefore Sheol has enlarged its throat and opened its mouth without measure; And Jerusalem’s splendor, her multitude, her din of revelry and the jubilant within her, descend into it.

End of page four.

I would not want to leave you without hope, for scripture tells us that Jesus stripped Satan of power and took the keys to Sheol away from him.

Jesus, in His opening statements to John, reveals that He has those keys.

Revelation 1:17-18 NASB (17) When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (18) and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

How then, did Jesus get those keys?

He had to go there, to Sheol. Having listened to Hank Hannegraf on the radio, I heard that man angrily say that it was impossible for the Son of God to touch such corruption. The Psalmist says otherwise.

“Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted. Be gracious to me, O LORD; See my affliction from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death,” (Psalms 9:11-13 NASB)

The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury tells us that the keys symbolized authority to control whatever they opened,

In the Old Testament (Psalm 9:13; Psalm 107:18) and Jewish literature, “the gates of Hades” referred to the realm of the dead and thus to the power of death; one who held the keys to these realms thus ruled over them. (Whoever held the keys in a royal house held a position of great authority in that house, as in Isaiah 22:21-22;

Keys symbolized authority to control whatever they opened, and Jewish texts spoke of God dispensing keys to rain, etc.) Jewish literature said that God had authority over death and the gates of Hades (Wisdom of Solomon 16:13). And, Christ’s power over death, as the one who had risen, would encourage his followers now facing possible death.

I have been asked, over the years, and, I have asked the question myself if Satan fell like lightning, then why do we see him in the garden with Eve; see him with the sons of God in the heavenlies, and perpetually accusing the saints before God on His throne?

That is because his appointed time has not yet come.

Once again, here is a portion of Revelation 9:1, which says, “a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”

Just because he was thrown out of heaven obviously does not exclude him from God, nor does it put him in Sheol. Fortunately, a day is coming when he will go into Sheol for a thousand years. At the end of that 1000 years, he will be released for a short period when he will be allowed to attempt to deceive the nations. In a sense, Satan will help to purge all those who have still chosen to ignore the Father’s love and authority. After this, he and his minions will be permanently put away; but that time has not come yet.

As we just read, the keys symbolize authority to control, and since Sheol or hades are associated with fear, then Satan controlled the realm of fear. Because of Jesus Sheol has been conquered, the keys have been returned to their rightful owner and the fear associated with death should never play a role in our lives again because we are in Him.

Posted in death, End times, enemies, fire, gentiles, Hades, hell, Israel, judgment, Millennium, Revelation, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A third of the waters became wormwood. Revelation 8:10, 11.

Posted on 05/28/2021 by remso

We made it through the seal judgments and we have migrated in our study of the Revelation to chapter 8, where Israel and the nations are coming under the trumpet judgments.

Revelation 8:10-11 NASB (10) The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. (11) The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

Didn’t we just read about a major astronomical catastrophe, in that something like a mountain was thrown into the sea?

Revelation 8:8-9 NASB The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, (9) and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

We have evidence of asteroid impacts.

These asteroids may have been the size of a Volkswagen beetle, if you can remember those, when they struck the earth. And yet it gets worse.

  • “a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.”

Mounce’s Concise Greek-English Dictionary tells us that the Greek word astēr, which is defined by most translators as a star, can be defined as a luminous body that looks like a star. You see, it’s a matter of perspective as stars, from our point of view, are mere specks of light.

Stars are exponentially larger. Our Sun is a star. Google tells us that “the smallest known star right now is OGLE-TR-122b, a red dwarf star that’s part of a binary stellar system. This red dwarf the smallest star to ever have its radius accurately measured; 0.12 solar radii. This works out to be 167,000 km. That’s only 20% larger than Jupiter.”

End of page one.

If it were a star that struck the earth, it would consume the earth on impact, simply by its size, so we can rule out the idea that a star will strike the planet.

Notice how, in Revelation 8:8-9, that one third of the shipping is destroyed. If an asteroid the size of a small car impacted the ocean, the resulting tidal wave, which would immediately be traveling outbound in all directions, would be massive.

Now consider that this shinning object, which will be on fire as it enters the earth’s atmosphere, takes out a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. It poisons a third of ALL water supplies.

Since the United States is one of the major purveyors of fresh water, where do we get the majority of our water from?

The website: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/where-does-most-of-the-drinking-water-in-the-us-come-from.html gives us this information.

Surface Water Sources

The country has over 100,000 lakes and more than 250,000 rivers as well as hundreds of reservoirs which are primary sources of freshwater in the cities they are located in. Before the water is dispatched into households, it must meet federal and municipal standards of purity. Some cities rely 100% on rivers and lakes for their freshwater needs such as Chicago (Lake Michigan), Detroit (Detroit River), Washington, D.C. (Potomac River), New Orleans (Mississippi River), St Louis on (Mississippi/Missouri River), Cleveland (Lake Erie), and Seattle (Cedar River/South Fork Tolt River Watershed).

Among the reasons why reservoirs are constructed include water storage for subsequent supply to households. The cities of Boston and San Francisco get 100% of their drinking water from Quabbin Reservoir and Hetch Hetchy Reservoir respectively. Less than 50% of Baltimore’s drinking water is sourced from the Liberty Reservoir. Other cities get a percentage of their drinking water from rivers and lakes including Las Vegas from Lake Mead (90%); Phoenix from Salt River-Verde River (50%); Los Angeles from Owens River/Mono River (50%); San Diego from Northern California/Colorado River; Atlanta from Chattahoochee River (70%); Philadelphia from Delaware River (60%).

Underground Water Sources

Underground water is used to supply US households alongside surface water sources. The Biscayne aquifer fulfills less than 50% of Miami’s drinking water needs. New York depends on the Catskill/Delaware Aqueduct for 90% of its drinking water.

If this “star” were to strike the lakes across the East coast, that would do the damage this is calling for, but there is problem as these water sources are global, and many are underground. The obvious assessment is that this, in some way, seems to be representative of man-made damage, like a nuclear war.

To further cloud the issue, I give you the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 14:7-12 NASB “The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy. (8) “Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’ (9) “Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones. (10) “They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us. (11) ‘Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.’ (12) “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!

End of page two.

I give you the entirety of the passage to settle the idea that Satan/Lucifer was looked upon as a star. If we can apply this type of thinking to Revelation 8, then perhaps we can comprehend that this star falling upon the earth is a fallen angel; an entity other than Satan.

Revelation 8:11 NASB The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

  • The name of the star is called Wormwood;

Revelation 8:11 is the only place in the New Testament we find this word apsinthos.

The Word Study Dictionary defines Wormwood as “the emblem of poisonous bitterness (Rev_8:11; where as the name of the star, it is the masc. ho Ápsinthos). In the Septuagint (Pro_5:4) it is the word cholḗ (G5521), and means gall or bile. The figure of waters converted into bitter poison in this way is perhaps drawn from Jer_9:15; Jer_23:15; Lam_3:15, Lam_3:19 (cf. Exo_15:23; Deu_29:18; Heb_12:15).

It strikes me odd this single usage, but I suppose it should not, as God always has a prophetic pattern; so, when we look at Jeremiah 9:13-15 we can see that pattern clearly.

Jeremiah 9:13-15 NASB The LORD said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice nor walked according to it, (14) but have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them,” (15) therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.

Notice how verse eleven explains that a third of the waters became wormwood. If, a “star” called wormwood, which can be seen an emblem of poisonous bitterness can turn the waters, across the globe into wormwood, then it is easy to perceive that the waters now represent God’s anger toward Israel and the nations. 

This idea is enforced by Jeremiah 23:15.

Jeremiah 23:15-16 NASB “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, ‘Behold, I am going to feed them wormwood And make them drink poisonous water, For from the prophets of Jerusalem Pollution has gone forth into all the land.'” (16) Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD.

Jeremiah practically explains his own words when he says,

“for from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone forth into all the land.”

Pollution has come to be seen as trash on the streets or garbage in the ocean waters: however, if you look up the word pollution you find the Hebrew word ḥanuppāh: It is a feminine noun meaning filthiness, pollution, profaneness, or godlessness.

Keep in mind that this godlessness is coming from the false prophets.

Deuteronomy 29:16-18 NASB (16) (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; (17) moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them); (18) so that there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood.

End of page three.

Israel lived in Egypt as Egyptians. They followed after their gods. To prove my point, I turn to Stephen in Acts 7.

Acts 7:42-43 NASB “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? (43) ‘YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.’

Moloch was an Egyptian god.

Jeremiah continues speaking from the Lord, as he says,

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets… they are leading you into futility; they speak a vision of their own imagination, and not from the LORD.”

Futility is the Hebrew word hāḇal: It is a verb indicating “to fill with false hopes, to become vain, empty, void.” Are we being led into futility today? Absolutely.

Romans 1:21 NASB For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Ask yourself, to what people group is the “they” referring?

It could easily be Israel, but an honest answer requires that you understand the context. Earlier in Romans chapter one, Paul said, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians.” There is, however, a shift in the conversation as states in verse 16, “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Doesn’t this move the conversation toward the Jews?

I think it does. We already saw how Stephen pointed out to the Jewish council that Israel had given themselves over to idolatry, and the Moloch incident proves that; but this could also be speaking to Gentiles because we have seen portions (Rev 1:18) in action – “men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” At every turn, the truth, as Jesus pointed out, is truth, and truth is being suppressed.

Again, we are confronted by a word that forces us to make a determination, who is this “they” to which the passage refers?

2 Timothy 4:3-4 NASB “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, (4) and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

The word, and therefore the answer could apply to both the Jewish converts or the Gentile believer.

2 Timothy 2:24 NASB The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

This is fascinating, but I am not so sure we Gentile converts can understand the bond-servant relationship from 2 Timothy alone, which, by the way, is one in which you have NO say in the direction your path is meant to go on. 2 Timothy chapter three speaks toward those whom, while holding to a form of godliness, captivate weak women and are always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Paul then compares this long description, which I have shortened, to Jannes and Jambres who opposed Moses.

End of page four.

2 Timothy 3:8-9 NASB “Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. (9) But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all, just as Jannes’s and Jambres’s folly was also.”

Now, how would I, a Gentile, have had any knowledge of Jannes and Jambres? I would not and would have needed an explanation. Perhaps the education which brings the Gentiles into the conversation happened in the background or as part of any teaching which Paul delivered.

These next two verses seem to say it all.

2 Timothy 3:14-15 NASB “You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, (15) and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

Note how it says “continue in the things you have learned … from childhood you have known the sacred writings which were able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Effectively no one had the scriptures as it was too expensive, time consuming, and considered sacred – worthy of protecting; therefore, the only places you would have found the scriptures was in their memories and the synagogues.

In short, John’s retelling of the Revelation is directed primarily, at the Jewish believers. We Gentiles use that understanding to assist us in grasping the imagery of the Revelation, and we do it by looking at comparative segments of the Old Testament.

Everything we are seeing in Revelation chapter eight is focused on God’s wrath and judgment against the Jews, for their abandonment of God’s ways and their pollution of Israel with their idol worship. It is also a judgment of the nations. Some would say, how can God judge the nations as they did not know Him? Ah, but scripture tells us that the laws of God are written upon every heart, and that includes all those your bleeding hearts try to protect merely because they don’t have a written Bible. If you consider that the Jewish leadership has the Law and Prophets (the Old Testament) and they are comfortable enough to direct the congregants to ignore chapters like Isaiah 53 and all of Daniel, perhaps then all whining about whether God has the right to do as He wishes should cease.

In light that last statement, I need you to know that Christ Jesus is coming back, and sooner than you ever thought possible. There is nothing left, prophetically, that holds Him back as He comes for His bride, the Church.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NASB)

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How COVID-19 ‘Vaccines’ May Destroy the Lives of Millions

Posted on 05/23/2021 by remso

Rather eye opening information. You may save a life, your own.

Nia Pure Nature's avatarNia Pure Nature

Dr. Mercola Interviews the Experts

This article is part of a weekly series in which Dr. Mercola interviews various experts on a variety of health issues. To see more expert interviews, click here.

In April 2020, I interviewed Judy Mikovits, Ph.D., about the potential role played by human gammaretroviruses in COVID-19. Mikovits is a molecular biologist1 and researcher, and was the founding research director of the Whittemore Peterson Institute in Nevada.

Her book, “Plague of Corruption,” ended up being a No. 1 best seller on the lists of The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal in 2020. Her new book, “Ending Plague: A Scholar’s Obligation in an Age of Corruption,” will hopefully do just as well. It’s available for preorder on Amazon.

ending plague

She may be one of the most censored researchers on the planet at this point, thanks in no…

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