Jesus has returned from the wilderness… Matthew 4:13-18.

Posted on 06/28/2023 by remso

 When we last saw Jesus, He had been taken, by Satan, up onto an exceedingly high mountain.

You might ask yourself, why does this guy get so elaborate?

That is because my understanding of scripture is still, to some degree, segmented and broken. This has much to do with the traditional methods with which I was taught when I was young and the fact that the gospel writers told somewhat similar versions of these narratives but inadvertently changed the order of the details or unwittingly left details out.

Is this segmentation I speak of life-changing?

No, but I have an inquiring mind and need to know, so you are going along on my journey, and I hope my digging for answers answers some of your own questions as well.
Seeing as I cannot simply stay glued to Matthew, we will be bringing in the other gospel writers at times to hopefully fill in the blanks or add color commentary.

Several days into this, my wife reminded me that I have Chronological Bible that might be helpful. I looked at it, and it has already done what I am doing with you all. Sorry, bear with me.

On that note, here is a little about the gospel writer, Mark: We have NO record of him interacting with the disciples or Jesus until Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss on the Mount Of Olives. John Mark is the one writing this gospel. 

Adam Clarke’s commentary conveys this about John Mark, “John Mark, …was the son of a pious woman called Mary, who dwelt at Jerusalem: she was an early believer, and the disciples used to meet at her house. Peter, having been delivered out of prison by an angel, came to the house of Mary, mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying, Act_12:12. This very first mention of John Mark assures us of Peter’s intimacy in that family: it is almost universally allowed that Mark, mentioned by Peter, 1Pe_5:13, is this evangelist, and that he is the same with him who is called sister’s son to Barnabas, Col_4:10, and is supposed to have been converted by Peter to the Christian faith.”

Since John Mark most likely picked Peter’s brain, and Peter was “competing” with John, the disciple, for Jesus’ attention. I would assume that Peter would have told this family friend and young evangelist everything he could think of.

We will also use bits of Luke’s gospel and the Apostle John’s.

We cannot assume that Dr. Luke saw any of these events first-hand and, therefore, had to glean as much information as possible from the others.

I might add that the Apostle Paul was also known as the “Pharisee Saul” in his younger days and may have had first-hand information concerning the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. I doubt Brother Paul would have spoken about events like that with any pride.

I am still in my introduction, and since our last look at Jesus showed Satan, tempting Him with all the world’s kingdoms. It evokes a question.

What is the highest mountain in Israel?

Mount Hermon, which is on the Northernmost border with Syria and Lebanon. A place where war tensions are mounting. It is also the closest mountain to Capernaum, where Jesus established a base camp, at least for a while.

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
Matthew 4:8 NKJV)

But who are we to limit where Satan would have taken Him.

There is a massive clue that we need to consider: The context of the narrative( that makes up the majority of our biblical readings) is the Holy Land. That knowledge does not limit Satan’s actions or methods because there is always God. 

I am implying that this high mountain was within the boundaries of the Holy Land; therefore, I don’t have to speculate how he might have taken Jesus to the top of Mt. Everest, even though Satan did show Him all the kingdoms of the world.

I am barely getting started on this portion of the trek through Matthew’s gospel. As I compare how others, such as Dr. Luke, give you their understanding of the details, I am immediately aware that the order in which these events happen is different. 

Is that a problem?

Only if you do something as I did, and speculate on how convenient it was for Satan, who has been moving Jesus around, has, according to Matthew’s account, left Jesus sitting on a pinnacle of the temple. Putting the discomfort aside, he has placed Jesus, who is starving, in the City of Jerusalem, where there is the potential to obtain something to eat. This doesn’t work so well if the last stop is a high mountain.

Today’s date is 06/23/23, and yesterday I watched a short video where a police investigator shared how when there are multiple witnesses of the same event, most will see things differently.

Much of how we see things has to do with perspective, and we know that Dr. Luke was not among the group of disciples until the end, at best. Luke, therefore, was working off second-hand information and may have inadvertently changed the order of events, which you can see in Luke chapter four.

I am not telling you these things to diminish your perspective of the gospels but to use your brain and logic and trust the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart as you study.

Having been left, by Satan, on a high peak of the temple or on a high mountain, Jesus, who is literally starving, has migrated back to the area where John the Baptizer was operating. We know this because Jesus made passes by John’s location on at least two consecutive days after the wilderness experience. You will not get that information out of Matthew.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:29-34 NKJV)

So much for an introduction. Now onward through the gospel, for the most part.

As you read John’s gospel, are you aware that he is sharing information he could only get by being an eyewitness to the event?

This very thing enforces the belief that John was the other disciple that witnessed Jesus being baptized. When John the Baptizer tells us that he witnessed the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on Him, he talks in the past tense. This past tense has an impact on this next piece of information.

“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “Where are You staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
John 1:35-40 NKJV)

Merely saying the words “Again, the next day,” means that Jesus has made it back, at least, to the area where John has been baptizing. It may be that the entirety of this visit is to gather two specific disciples. However, John the Baptist announces to anyone who will hear that Jesus is: “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Try to imagine how this statement sounded to the Jews who were merely gawking. Look at this conversation between Issac and Abraham.

“But Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Genesis 22:7 NKJV)

Isaac knew that they had come to this place to sacrifice, but since lambs were not merely bought in those days, nor were they simply bounding about, waiting to be caught. Something was not right, or Issac was about to be the sacrifice. Abraham responded.

“Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.”
Genesis 22:8 WEBA)

For years I missed the enormity of this passage. God provided himself as the Lamb. Look at those words from the Baptizer once again; Jesus is: “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

So the hostile accusations are made, you put Jesus on that cross, when the reality is that He put Himself on that cross.

What did the writer of the letter to the Hebrews (Jewish believers) say?

“looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2 WEBA)

Jesus comes off the 40 days; what happened next?

He comes back by His cousin.

“The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “Where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”
John 1:37-40 WEBA)

Andrew went and found Peter. Jesus then found Philip, and Philip found Nathanael.

“On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 1:43-45 WEBA)

Notice that John’s account doesn’t explain the reason for the rapid migration to Galilee, where He found Philip, but Matthew’s does.

“Now when Jesus heard that John (the baptizer) was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee.”
Matthew 4:12 WEBA)

Herod took John the Baptizer, Jesus’ cousin, captive. One of the main reasons Herod had this done was because John refused to keep his mouth shut concerning Herod, and he called him out (the half-Jew/Roman tetrarch of Galilee) for his sin of taking his brother’s wife as his own.

I had often wondered why Jesus told so many people to say nothing about whatever miracle He had just performed. This unusual policy rarely stopped people who were previously lame or blind from saying anything. Many have indicated that His admonishment had more to do with staying below the radar of those who might prematurely kill Him.

Consider this. If my pastor, Jack Hibbs, can say, “You are immortal and cannot be killed until it is your time,” how different was my Jesus?

Jesus had this to say to Pilate.

“…. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
John 19:8-11 ESV)

Mark’s perspective on going to Galilee. 

“Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,” Mark 1:14 NKJV)

Matthew at least took Him to Nazareth first. Why Nazareth? That was where His mother was.

“And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,” Matthew 4:13 ESV)

We saw Jesus, close to John the Baptizer, before the forty days in the wilderness and after, and though it was a slow start, two of the Baptizer’s disciples began to follow after Jesus.

A situation arose that could have shut most people down. Herod took John, Jesus’ cousin, prisoner. This happened for a couple of reasons:

  1. God had a course of action that was uncomfortable for us. If you think of this in light of Joseph, who was sold into slavery and then sent to prison when he was innocent, all to get God’s people into Egypt – to save their lives during a coming time of starvation.
  2. John the Baptizer, having done his job, was now meant to fade away, which appropriately puts the focus on Jesus, the Lamb of God.

We had already seen John the Baptizer south of Jerusalem because there was water available to baptize, and we logically assume this is the region from which John was taken. It is understood that John refused to restrain himself as he called out Herod (the half-Jew/Roman tetrarch of Galilee).

“Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Matthew 3:5-6 ESV)

But then there is this.

“John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized.”
John 3:23 ESV)

The Bible maps place this location in Samaria or on the border of Decapolis, about halfway between Jerusalem and Galilee. Walking from the southernmost area near Jerusalem to Nazareth in a day does not seem practical. And then the fact that Herod’s rule was in the region of Galilee.

As you can see, not everything is so clear.

Mark’s gospel tells us that He came from Nazareth to be baptized by John.

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” Mark 1:9 ESV)

According to Mark’s gospel, He has NOT started His public ministry, nor has He begun to gather disciples. Look at this statement from the Apostle John’s point of view, and by the way, he was, most likely, one of the disciples that chose to follow Jesus.

“One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
John 1:40-45 ESV)

We have no record of anyone following Jesus in the moments after His baptism, and we have no narrative of anyone attesting to the fact that he merely disappeared as Philip did later on, nor did anyone tell us that He just walked off into the wilderness. If you read the account above, you saw this “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah.””

The speaker, whom we assume is John, the disciple, is telling you what happened, but he does not inform you when it occurred. If this was before the wilderness, it is absurd for Jesus to invite Andrew and Simon to see the rock on which he was laying His head at night. So it is clear that there is a large gap between these moments in time.

John first describes this.

“And John (the Baptizer) bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” John 1:32-40 ESV)

If John can say “the next day,” as he did, then it is clear that Jesus has returned from the wilderness and that they already saw Him the day before, excluding the baptismal. This scenario seems to be spelled out because “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).”

With little effort, He already has a small following: Andrew, Simon, John?; Philip; and Nathanael. And He has yet to gather disciples.

“and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF NAPHTALI, BY THE WAY OF THE SEA, BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE GENTILES–“THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED.” From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” “
Matthew 4:13-17 NASB)

“ From that time, Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Repent is the Greek word metanoeō means to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction): – repent.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, repent means to:

1. To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for something done or spoken; as to repent that we have lost much time in idleness or sensual pleasure; to repent that we have injured or wounded the feelings of a friend. A person repents only of what he himself has done or said.

2. To express sorrow for something past.

Other translations proclaim this statement differently.

– The BBE says, “Let your hearts be turned from sin.”

– The CEV, which I am not particularly fond of, conveys that Jesus told His audience to “Turn back to God! The kingdom of heaven will soon be here.”

– The Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB) tells the reader to do penance.

Penance applies to The suffering, labor, or pain to which a person voluntarily subjects himself or which is imposed on him by authority as a punishment for his faults or as an expression of penitence, such as fasting, flagellation, or wearing chains that injure and, therefore, remind you of your faults and the need for perpetual repentance.

As a side note, the DRB comes off as works and leans toward ancient Roman Catholic methods of bringing about change.

– The ERV states, “Change your hearts and lives because God’s kingdom is now very near.”

The problem is that none of us can change ourselves. We needed a savior, and He put himself on the cross, suffered, and died because we could not and would not do that.

– The GNB tells us to “Turn away from your sins.”

There are some things in your life, like lust, which are so magnetic; the best advice I could give you is to sprint away from those things. 

– The God’s Word translation (GW), “Turn to God and change the way you think and act.”

This is in opposition to the idea of simply turning away from sin because you have to displace the “sin” with something. The only reasonable thing is God and His Word. If you choose to turn to God, you have to figure out what turning to God means. I can tell you it is not like taking up a new hobby that you do occasionally. If fly fishing was your new hobby, sometimes pulling out the rod to practice casting will not help you much. A few snags later, and you will give it up.

Can you remember the last time you threw your whole heart into something?

The Father longs for you to turn wholeheartedly to Him.

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What, then, did dominion mean to Adam? Matthew 4:1-11.

Posted on 06/22/2023 by remso

Almost as if it was moments later, Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness.

WadiZin031412 _ httpswoostergeologists.scotblogs.wooster.edufiles201203WadiZin031412.

Illustration 1: The Wilderness of Zin, The Wooster Geologists.

If I told you nothing else, could you picture what this place looks like and what He would be doing there?

Perhaps this will help a little.

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1 NKJV)

Then is such a simple word, and most of the time, it needs no definition, but look at this.

“Then” is the Greek word tóte, “an adverb indicative of time.” It conveys the idea of “at that time.” It is correlated to the Greek word hóte (G3753), at which (thing) too, that is, when: – after (that), as soon as.

I could read Matthew 4:1 in this manner. As soon as He came up out of the water and answered the reasonable responses that were immediately thrown at Him. 

Responses; questions? You know, What did you hear Or, what did He say? 

Those standing around when Jesus was baptized heard something that sounded like thunder. If all they heard was thunder, they have no idea if He heard anything; their only internal imagery about hearing God’s voice is primarily the oral history of God talking with Moses on Mt. Sinai and the interactions with the prophets, such as Samuel. Add to this the fact that God has been silent for 400 years. 

Imagine John the Baptizer. Nothing clearly tells us that he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We merely make that assumption. Mind you, it is a good one but purely conjecture. The implications are that Elizabeth, John’s mother, was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Sitting here, writing this to you, I am so used to the Holy Spirit being a part of my life that unless He takes my breath away, I am unaware of His presence, but I hear His voice frequently throughout the day.

Sadly, we are forced into speculation as those who captured the details left a few out when they wrote.

For example. We assume, and I did just that with Matthew 4:1 when I elaborated on the simple word “then.” While Jesus may have stood around for a few minutes, when you put all the puzzle pieces on the table, it becomes clear that the next big thing in Jesus’s life was to be forced into the wilderness. (Forced is such a harsh word considering that Jesus gladly volunteered to do all this for us,) We are told He did the inconceivable because He had no food or water. Consider the nation of Israel only days after leaving Egypt, and Moses also does the unthinkable by going onto Mt Sinai for 40 days with no food or water. No wonder they presumed him to be dead, but since they had such a strong role model in Aaron (Not), I struggle to understand why they so quickly returned to the bondage of idol worship and the roasting of their children on the altar of Moloch. John chapter one tells us that John, the baptizer, was testifying or crying out about Him – Jesus. 

“John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me.” [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me because He is my Chief.] John 1:15 AMP)

Based upon the terminology, “He Who comes after me” makes me think that this moment is before Jesus is baptized. When the Apostle John gets to 1:19, he talks about the Baptizer responding, “When the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?”

John the Baptist responded. “ 

“He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John 1:23 ESV)

It is evident that the need for baptisms in water puzzled these Jewish leaders as well. 

“They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
John 1:25 ESV)

Much of this was said to establish where John the Baptist was, baptizing in the Jordan, where this narrative started. 

“These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”
John 1:28 ESV)

Now watch how the conversation turns. 

“The next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose, I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
John 1:29-31 ESV)

See, I pointed out how Matthew’s gospel gives us the impression that Jesus immediately grabbed John and Andrew and started His ministry and team building. Not so. Jesus is returning from the 40 days of fasting and being tested by Satan in the wilderness, and He is passing by John the Baptist again. This passing by goes on for two days. 

“The next day, again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
John 1:35-36 ESV)

Let me be perfectly honest. I still cannot fully grasp this statement’s depth when John says, “Behold the Lamb of God!” We know Jesus’ cousin John the Baptizer, was there, but who else witnessed what happened the day that Jesus got baptized? 

Two of John’s disciples. 

Andrew, Peter’s brother. The presumption that the evangelist John was the other disciple who witnessed what transpired with Jesus is based upon the fact that John does not refer to himself in his gospel and Revelation.

“The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Yeshua. Yeshua turned around and saw them following. He said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), “Where are you staying?” “Come and see,” Yeshua tells them. So they came and saw where He was staying, and they spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John speak and followed Yeshua.”
John 1:37-40 TLV)

Have you ever pondered this question, “What are you looking for?” Another translation puts it this way, “What do you seek?” 

Was it riches?

Because that did not happen. Since many of these men had homes and families, we know that those needs somehow got handled. The Apostle John is the one who, with hostility in his voice, told about Judas Iscariot, the team accountant, and how he took money from the bag. If it was that obvious, how come no one else mentioned it? Interesting, to say the least.

What about personal fame? 

Maybe if you consider being spit on fame, but that was clearly not what they sought. All, except for John, died brutal deaths as followers of Christ. 

They heard the baptizer’s words, especially that statement “behold the Lamb of God,” which must have had a tremendous impact on them. They witnessed Jesus having God speak to Him, and then the Holy Spirit came upon Him. It is probably true that they had to ask questions to figure that all out, but Jesus began to live an irresistible lifestyle before them.

Matthew chapter four is essential as it gives you tremendous clues as to what Jesus used as ammunition against Satan and a grasp of why Satan is such a valid threat in this life on earth.

Watch what happens.

“Then Jesus was carried up into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted of the devil: Matthew 4:1 Darby)

What was the last thing that Matthew showed us in Chapter Three? Remember that the origins of the Bibles that so many of us carry did not have chapters and verses.

“and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.” Matthew 3:17 Darby)

So, at this point, there were several witnesses. Two of them were John the Baptist’s disciples, who would eventually become disciples of Jesus. 

Did the Holy Spirit merely grab Him up, make Him disappear, and drop Jesus down in the wilderness? 

The Holy Spirit could have, but we don’t see any witnesses testifying that it happened in this manner.
The most practical method would have been transporting Jesus after walking off into obscurity. Consider the Holy Spirit had made a monumental impact on the hearts of those He affected. They now needed to think about what they saw and decide what they would do about it. If this troubles you, read on.
In the book of Acts, we see Philip, the evangelist, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

“But the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Rise up and go southward on the way which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: the same is desert. And he rose up and went. And lo, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a man in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to worship at Jerusalem, was returning and sitting in his chariot: and he was reading the prophet Esaias (Isaiah). And the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot. And Philip, running up, heard him reading the prophet Esaias, and said, Dost thou then know what thou art reading of? And he said, How should I then be able unless some one guide me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him. And the passage of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in presence of him that shears him, thus he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation his judgment has been taken away, and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answering Philip said, I pray thee, concerning whom does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other? And Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from that scripture, announced the glad tidings of Jesus to him. And as they went along the way, they came upon a certain water, and the eunuch says, Behold water; what hinders my being baptised? And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they went down both to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptised him. But when they came up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no longer, for he went on his way rejoicing. And Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he announced the glad tidings to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.”
Acts 8:26-40 Darby)

We do not know, because we are not told, how the Spirit made Philip disappear and reappear at Azotus, nor how this transpired with Jesus “shortly” after the baptism.

I want to show you something spectacular. 

If someone says the word rapture is not found in scripture! Ask them their perception of the rapture; I suspect that most would tell you it is the rapid removal of the entirety of Christ’s followers.

The word used to describe how Philip was removed from one location to another is the Greek word harpazō. It means to seize (in various applications): – catch (away, up), pluck, pull, take (by force). This word plays a massive role in our hope, eternal salvation, peace, and life with the Father.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NKJV)

So Jesus has been in the wilderness for forty days. 

On the website Quora, the question was asked, “Is it possible for a human being to fast for 40 days?” One response, dated Jul 14, 2018 —stated, “Prolonged fasting can lead to severe malnutrition, muscle wasting, organ damage, electrolyte imbalances, and other serious health complications.”

This tells me that it was time for Jesus, the human, to start eating again – if he had any food available. I say it like that because we assume Jesus had pocket change and could get to the corner fast food market.

“And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. “
Matthew 4:2 NASB)

I understand that at this point, the body begins to turn on itself for food and is now consuming you from the inside out. Sorry, that was gross. Realistically, Jesus indeed must have started to head back home, where ever that is.

“And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.””
Matthew 4:3 NASB)

Considering what we just read in verse two, this is unfair. I have stated, in previous posts, that God doesn’t ask questions because He needs your answer. He is trying to get you to communicate with Him.

On that note, could Jesus have turned stones into bread?

Absolutely, but giving into what Satan was trying to do would have been to diminish the power and authority of God in future events. For example, down the road you will see Jesus take authority over the wind and the waves. If you have ever been in rough waters, then you know that the wind is moving the water, but the water, minus the wind, still takes several minutes to go quiet. In the narrative where this happens, that is not what we see, for the water went quiet almost immediately, and the disciples, who thought they were going to die, noticed.

Pay attention to how a starving man responds to temptation.

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'”
Matthew 4:4 NASB)

  1. Food is important. After all, we are human and have a need to eat. But, because He used all caps, most of us know He is shouting, which means this information is crucial. Feeding the spirit within, with the Word of God, is vital.
  2. You can stand against the trials and tests of Satan and his demons, but as Jesus showed us, using the Word of God is crucial. 

Look, the reality, for me, is that I do not remember specific scriptures. (If you are 70+ and do, congratulations. I am proud of you.) I remember Word pictures and themes. An aspect that I think is important is that I hold fast to the knowledge that God is in Control and will send angels to come to my aid. While thinking about it, another thing that is pushed upon as guilt is that we should put on the armor of God daily. So, if you take it off when you go to bed and you get that late-night phone call from someone who needs your strength, are you unable to cope or help them because you can’t find the belt that holds your armor on? I have a suggestion, learn to live in the armor. If I had made you a knight of my round table, I would expect you to be battle ready at a moment’s notice. Considering this rapidly changing world, this is just something to entertain.

Moving on. Jesus was starving, but He held His composure and withstood the test. So, this time, Satan carries Him to the high pinnacle of the temple. 

“Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU’; and ‘ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’” Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.’”
Matthew 4:5-7 NASB)

May I be blunt? 

Satan tried to get Him to commit suicide. 

Would God have sent the angels to catch Him?

Perhaps. At this point, we may never know for sure. Religion will tell you that God will NOT get involved in such an atrocious sin – committing self-murder is portrayed as unforgivable. Okay, stop here a moment. 

When did Jesus bring about the forgiveness of ALL sins? 

You would be correct if you said somewhere between the cross and the throne. 

“and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
Colossians 1:20 NLT)

God reconciled everything back to Himself. 

Give me a moment as I wipe the tears from my eyes. What a vast word everything is, and it is ALL because of the blood.

What else did He do? 

He died. 

“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,” Hebrews 2:14 NASB  

If I say I might do something, you have no confidence that I will or won’t. Well, that doesn’t help much. So, in this case, it is a poor word choice for the translators.

Look at how the NLT translators worded 2:14. 

“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.”
Hebrews 2:14 NLT)

This is easily readable and makes all the sense in the world. Jesus became a human and remained a human. He died as both a human and a sacrifice. He paid the redemptive price to regain us all if we would choose to come, and, in so doing, He broke the power of death the devil held over us.

The third temptation, and then Satan left Him alone for some time. Again the devil took Jesus, but this time to a very high mountain. Pay attention to what the devil says to Jesus.

“Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'”
Matthew 4:8-10 NLT)

He showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the World and their glory.

Strangely, the word glory is the Greek word dóxa and means, among other things, splendor, light, and rewards. 

The Word Study Dictionary tells us: A look at the root word of dóxa, i.e., dokéō (G1380), to think or suppose, is necessary. Etymologically, the word primarily means thought or opinion, especially favorable human opinion, and thus in a secondary sense, reputation, praise, honor (true and false), splendor, light, perfection, and rewards (temporal and eternal). Thus the dóxa of man is human opinion and is shifty, uncertain, and often based on error, and its pursuit for its own safety is unworthy. But there is a glory of God which must be absolutely true and changeless. God’s opinion marks the true value of things as they appear to the eternal mind, and God’s favorable opinion is true glory. This contrast is well seen in Joh_5:44 as the Lord speaks of the glory that the people were receiving among themselves and the only glory that comes from God (see Joh_12:43). Glory, therefore, is the true apprehension of God or things. The glory of God must mean His unchanging essence. Giving glory to God is ascribing to Him His full recognition. The true glory of man, on the other hand, is the ideal condition in which God created man. This condition was lost in the fall and is recovered through Christ and exists as a real fact in the divine mind. The believer waits for this complete restoration. The glory of God is what He is essentially; the glory of created things, including man, is what they are meant by God to be, though not yet perfectly attained.

“And he (Satan) said to Him (Jesus), “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 

How and where did Satan obtain these possessions?

Here is the short answer.

“The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment….” Genesis 3:6-7 NLT)

The longer answer lies in deception and the fact that the man, who knew what was happening, stood there and said nothing. Chapter three tells us that the woman was deceived; however, the man just stood there watching. He could have exercised his dominion and stopped this downward spiral; instead, he gave up the command he possessed to Satan. 

Some will read this and say I don’t believe that; prove it.

Far too many pastors will try to preach about what transpired and apply emotions to the scene instead of logic.

  1. How quickly we forget that even though cloned, Eve was first made in God’s image. She is a genius, and playing the emotional game with her is foolish and wrong. 

    1. Genesis chapter one tells us about a stage in the creation of humanity.

      “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:26-29 NKJV)

What is God’s image? 

He is a spirit.

What, then, was dominion to Adam? 

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 NKJV)

Some translated this word as rule. The term is radah, and both options work.

radah (921d); “a prim. root; means to have dominion, rule, dominate: — dominated (1), had dominion (1), have dominion (1), prevailed (1), rule (12), ruled (4), ruling (1), subdued (1), subdues (1).”

Adam, made in God’s image, was in complete control or charge of the earth. 

What does Webster’s dictionary have to tell us?

DOMINION, n. 1. Sovereign or supreme authority; the power of governing and controlling. 2. Power to direct, control, use and dispose of at pleasure; right of possession and use without being accountable; as the private dominion of individuals.

How did we lose our grasp of understanding who Adam was? 

That answer lies in religious tradition and wretched teaching.

I have expounded on the origins of deception, but there is always someone new to the blog. So here goes again. 

Before having bodies, humanity was made exclusively in God’s image. Before you get carried away with deception, there was only, aside from God: the Father, the Son – the Word, and the Holy Spirit. So the image carried an understanding and characteristics of God, as I just defined them. Man was made and referred to as “ish and isha.”

“So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 NKJV)

Everything that moved on earth was a vegetarian, at least for a time.

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you, it shall be for food.” Genesis 1:28-29 NKJV)

God laid out the order of operations for His creation, including everything that moved on the earth. To His creation, it was stated: “have dominion.”

But God was not done yet.

“And God looked upon all that He had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31 BSB)

If you must be a purist, then know this, there was no night or day until the fifth day. Since there wasn’t a light cycle to govern or advance time for four days, what does that do to your six-day creation of the world and all that is in it?

So, by the seventh day, He (God) finished His work. Really, where is man?

“And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.” Genesis 2:2 BSB)

And yet watch what happens on the eighth day.

“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7 BSB)

If, as we saw in Genesis 1:7, God created man, what is He doing here?

And then this question arises.

If Eve, under the title “isha” – woman, existed at the same time as the man, then what role did she play in giving the dominance of the earth over to Satan?

Perhaps my question is merely rhetorical, but if Eve played no role, then all the instructions about how they were to run the earth came through Adam’s mouth.

They only had one “law” they had to follow, stay away from that tree, and it came through Adam’s mouth, who made it clear that these instructions came from the Father, God.

Adam, it seems, saw God, but a logical premise is that Eve never did. It is probable that Adam dealt with the human representation of God, Jesus. The terminology typically related to what I just said is that this is another of those pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus.

As you may have noticed in Genesis 2:2, there was no Eve, and we do not see Eve until we get to verses 21 and 22.

“So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he slept, He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the area with flesh. And from the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man, He made a woman and brought her to him.“ Genesis 2:21-22 BSB)

Now, fast forward past an untold number of years to the garden and that tree that Adam said God told us NOT to eat from. Read Genesis 2: 15-17, and you will see that Adam’s job was to cultivate the “garden”, but to not eat from that tree.

If Eve has only heard these instructions from Adam’s mouth, then the serpent’s deception was aimed at creating doubt in God, God’s Word, and Adam’s possible desire to control Eve, and the words or instructions were invalid. 

What a destructive morass.

Satan worked to deceive both Eve and then Adam, just as he worked to deceive Jesus. Having withstood the test, we are told this.

“Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
Matthew 4:11 NKJV)

A thought. Since Satan has moved Jesus twice, and Jesus is starving, perhaps it is fortunate that Jesus has conveniently placed Him in Jerusalem, where the temple is. Food is so much more available here than in the wilderness.

Since Jesus had no money and there were no fast food restaurants available back then, it is good that the angels came and ministered to Him.

What does it mean to be ministered to?

It is the Greek word diakoneō and means to be a servant or attendant, to supply food and necessities of life.

The angels fulfilled these roles in Jesus’ life.

Do we have any other examples where something like this happened?

“And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the LORD, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.”
1 Kings 17:1-7 NKJV)

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And behold, the heavens were open to Him. Matthew 3:16

Posted on 06/14/2023 by remso

When I ended my look into Matthew’s gospel, Jesus had come to John (who was baptizing in the Jordan) so that John would baptize Him.

“But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
Matthew 3:14 NLT)

How long did that conversation last?

We may never know, nor will we know what arguments John was trying to use against Jesus being baptized. It seems rather obvious that John recognized that the Holy Spirit and the “fire” associated with that baptism had more value. Pay attention to Jesus’ response.

“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
Matthew 3:15 BSB)

Here is what we typically see.

“… Allow it now, for it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness…” MKJV

I searched, in multiple ways, for any law that would impose full immersion baptism; I found none. The Jews had ceremonial washings that were associated with the law, but none of those required a full immersion. Mikvehs were NOT required but carried the idea of a rebirth and were completely thought of as a ceremonial event. To participate in a Mikveh cleansing, the person would get naked, squat in the pool so that they were completely underwater and stay there for a couple of seconds, and then arise and get out. At this point, you are considered reborn. This is NOT what Jesus was here to do.

And there was Moses washing Aaron and his sons in preparation for temple service.

Exodus 29:1-4 BSB  “Now this is what you are to do to consecrate Aaron and his sons to serve Me as priests: Take a young bull and two rams without blemish,  2)  along with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil. Make them out of fine wheat flour,  3)  put them in a basket, and present them in the basket, along with the bull and the two rams.  4)  Then, present Aaron and his sons at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

With no real answers, we will move on.

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”
Matthew 3:16 NKJV)

“ Jesus came up immediately from the water,”

Coming up out of the water is what anyone would do. What is my thought and motivation for centering on this statement? Many years ago, there was a push in a recovery group I was associated with to go to attend a weekend retreat/convention with an organization called Cleansing Streams. One of the men from our group, who was enamored with himself, was one of the first to stand up when the opportunity arose to get publicly baptized in the hotel pool. Well, they dunked him and seconds later he emerged from the water as though he exploded and he was shouting “Praise God” and “Hallelujah.” while swinging his arms above his head in some forced act of praise. Nothing changed in his life as he continued in his normal egotistical patterns. Is this what we see with Jesus?

No, but He went up straightway.

STRAIGHTWAY, adv. [straight and way.] Immediately, without loss of time, without delay.

There was no flashy show, but He was a man determined.

“…as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.” Matthew 3:16 NLT)

Opened is the Greek word anoigō. This word was used in John 1:51, where Jesus, who had responded to Nathaniel’s sarcastic remark as though He was right there when he said it, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

“…Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
John 1:51 NKJV)

We can look into a sky filled with clouds and, in a moment’s time, witness them part exposing the heavens. At that moment, you are seeing the heavens open.

Did you see the angels ascending and descending?

Tell the truth, you did not. And yet, we all sense that this simple phrase implies something more, something that I cannot explain.

“… and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.”

Through this opening in the heavens, the Spirit of God descended gently, almost without notice, much like doves do.

Did anyone else, like John the Baptizer, see this opening?

Apparently not.

Then how do we know the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him? 

Upon questioning by the disciples, I can only assume that Jesus told them what happened. 

Fast forward a bit, and we will see the disciples, under instructions from Jesus, meeting in “the upper room.” There were at least 120 regulars at this time, and I do not think they saw the heavens open as they gathered there. Still, enough of them saw the Holy Spirit, the thing they were waiting for, lite upon them all like large flickers of a candle, and enough of them witnessed this to validate what transpired.

Then how do we know the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him? 

Upon questioning by the disciples, I can only assume that Jesus told them what happened. 

Fast forward a bit, and we will see the disciples, under instructions from Jesus, meeting in “the upper room.” There were at least 120 regulars, and I do not think they saw the heavens open as they gathered there. Still, enough of them saw the Holy Spirit, the thing they were waiting for, lite upon them all like large flickers of a candle, and enough of them witnessed this to validate what transpired.

How else do we know that something had changed the lives of the disciples after that moment in time? 

Evidence; power; boldness; speaking in other tongues – fortunately, some spoke unfamiliar languages, and others heard the sounds outside on the street.

Scriptural examples:

Timothy 3:16 BSB “By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.

The question is, what method did He choose to appear in the flesh.

John 1:14 NKJV  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John’s gospel merely says that the Word became flesh. Again we are not told how that came to be.

Hebrews 2:9 NASB “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

And the writer of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that He was made. It is hard to read those words without seeing that decision forced upon Jesus, which it was not.

“And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” 1 Peter 1:17-23 NLT)

I have, with purpose, read through the entire Bible. I have also listened to the Bible at least five times over the last few years. That being said, I have read and understood that Jesus voluntarily submitted Himself to be a man, pay the price for us, and now sits at the Father’s right hand as our high priest and as a man, our mediator. All the passages I posted here speak to these things, but not as directly as I said. Because I read it at some point, I know it’s there in the Bible and have every confidence in my statements about Him voluntarily doing this for us. I also have confidence in the fact that Jesus chose to remain human.

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An acquaintance of mine threw a question/challenge out to the public in the hope of a response. No one seemed to respond, so I took a couple of days to put together a response, and this is it.

Posted on 06/11/2023 by remso

You asked general but widespread questions. I separated what you wrote into assertions and questions, and this is my response.

“… does anyone else see some resemblance in the description of the rapture and the events at the crucifixion?”

I briefly saw that one of my end times teachers was talking about something like this, but I didn’t pay attention and moved on. However, we must understand why Jesus went to the cross and, in both events, there is a catching away. 

This ONLY happened because He went into the heavenly temple and poured out His blood as a sacrifice for us to fulfill the demands of the law, to bring salvation by repurchasing humanity back from Satan, and to bestow righteousness upon all who would accept this salvation.

“Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits and graves opened.”

No doubt, Jesus went into hell, but was “catching up the unredeemed spirits” the only reason He went there? 

Hardly, but then you should have known that. 

Ephesians 4:8-10 NKJV “Therefore He says: “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE, AND GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9) (Now this, “HE ASCENDED”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10) He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”

If I may speak freely, this wording, “ WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE,” makes no sense. It implies that Jesus took these captives from one captivity to another, which He did NOT. Several versions read just like this, but that does not make it correct. 

The Good News Bible tells us, “When He went up to the very heights, He took many captives with Him.” In a sense, these alternate translations are more explainable. The usage of the word many indicates that some chose not to go. What kind of foolishness would motivate a response like that?

Look at what Hebrews tells us. 

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.”
Hebrews 2:9 NKJV

While we must all taste death, the fear is supposed to be gone. If you are having fears about death, I must tell you that this fear is a demon working off of a known weakness, and fear is a big problem for most of us.

Where did go to suffer death? 

Hell. The book of Revelation shows us that Jesus took the keys from Satan. I am sure that most perceive Jesus as struggling with Satan, but having God stand before you, would you fight?

My wife’s father did forward communications in Europe during WW2. He came home with a German trench knife. Since they did not hand these collectibles out to the enemy, that tells me that her father had to take it from at least one of them; that realization gave me a greater appreciation for such a quiet man.

“I am He who lives and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”
Revelation 1:18 NKJV

Note how the NKJV translation uses the terms Hades and Death. 

Death is the Greek word thanatos and means death both literally and figuratively.

Since we never really die, is it possible that death implies something else, like an eternal separation from God.?

It is possible. 

While there are indeed souls lying in Hades, I contend that there is NO ONE in hell as yet. Ecclesiastes tells us that the dead lie in silence until the final judgment; 

“For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5 NKJV 

and that only happens at the great white throne; and NO, not everyone before that throne goes to hell. Read about the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.

Hades, on the other hand, is “the place (state) of departed souls: – grave.” Strong’s

Some will sharply argue that there is a separation even today. In an effort to respond to this aggressiveness about the usage of the word hell, I give you Matthew 5:22, which says, “Whoever says, ‘You fool,‘ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” The CEV translation says, “And if you say that someone is worthless, you will be in danger of the fires of hell.” 

Doesn’t all this smell of road rage? 

And if it is a crime in God’s eyes, then we are all guilty.

So the word you did not see here in the Revelation, and a relatively common word that the Bible translators used, is hell. 

Hell, is the Greek word geenna, pronounced gehenna. 

“Gehenna, the basis for the word hell, was a place just outside the walls of Jerusalem, the valley of Hinnom. This valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch, 2Ki_16:3; 2Ch_28:3. In that worship, the ancient Jewish writers inform us, the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended as if to embrace anyone. When they offered children to him they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol.” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.) The place became a trash dump, burning constantly and smelling horrible.

The name Gehenna or the word hell are both indicative of everlasting punishment. 

And everlasting punishment is also eternal separation from God, which we see when people are finally cast into the lake of fire, which burns forever.

However, since one event changed everything – Jesus and the cross, “hell” also changed. 

What changed in hell that day?

Remember the rich man and Lazarus – the poor Jewish beggar. Both died, and we find that the rich man was now in torment and Lazarus, the former beggar, was being comforted in Abraham’s bosom. 

This story is important because Jewish tradition would put the rich man in Abraham’s bosom merely because righteousness and riches went together. 

Jesus, by His words and actions, undid that tradition.  

He took the keys of death, hell, and the grave. In so doing, He removed Satan’s control and effectively removed the fear of death. 

He also eliminated this split system that we see in the Lazarus narrative. 

Why did that happen? 

Because Jesus became the serpent upon the pole that we are to look upon and live. 

Numbers 21:5-9 NKJV “And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6)  So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7) Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8) Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten when he looks at it, shall live.” 9) So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

The effect is that when someone dies now, having already looked upon Jesus, they are either in the arms of Jesus or merely asleep and know nothing. 

All time changed at this event, and the potential for all to have life in Him became available that day. 

Death is no longer to be feared.

So these levels or separations that people see in hell were removed. Mind you, much of this so-called understanding about hell came from the author Dante Alighieri and his book The Inferno, where he, as the author, created stages and levels in hell, where he put corrupt politicians and leaders from the Catholic church.

“Jesus ascended into hell to catch up the unredeemed spirits…” 

I am sure you mean to say descended, but that is irrelevant. Since Jesus preached to the captives, one might assume that everyone there was a captive, but we cannot yet make the assumption that anyone there was redeemed. 

I came to this understanding because there was no one in Christ, seeing as He had not gone up to the Father yet, and the Holy Spirit had not come. And though it seems too simplistic, I will say it, there was no church to make converts.

 So, does the rich man, who was now in torment, fall under the category of unredeemed? 

The answer to this question must have driven the Jewish audience crazy. I suspect that was a part of Jesus’ intent. If someone fell under the category of redeemed, I would imagine the beggar Lazarus was your man. 

But what about King David? 

You should not be able to give him the righteous award as he was quite the scoundrel when it came to Bathsheba. 

How about King Saul? 

This man had the Spirit of God on him and lost not only it but his mind as well. 

I suppose the point here is our inability to determine who is righteous and deserving of God’s redeeming grace and who should remain under punishment; this is precisely why the forgiveness of sin is extended to everyone, including Saul and Judas (Yes, I said Judas. I threw him into the mix because I do see repentance in his words and actions toward the end. Now to say that someone has unforgivably condemned themselves to hell, 1) prematurely judges that person, and 2) moves us into the category of being a judge, and that is NOT our jobs, as all judgment has been given unto the Son, NOT YOU. Read John 5:22.) 

Imagine what Jesus must have preached to these “captives.” 

Could there have been some who turned Him down? 

Any answers we have to this question are pure conjecture on our part, seeing as we have no definitive answer.

“People previously dead were alive and walking among the living.”

“The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Matthew 27:52-53 BSB

Who were these people?

Perhaps the answer as to who these people, coming out of their entombments, is this: 

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” John 11:25 NKJV

We do NOT know the answer to this question, but what did Jesus preach to these “captives” who were lying in silence? 

The good news – is that life, freedom, hope, and eternity with the Father are available, and you can have all that if you will follow me. If it was life, it would appear that many believed and, therefore, came to life and emerged from their grave sites.

The first thing we deal with is the number of people who emerged from their entombments.

The Greek word translated as many is polys, which means great in magnitude or quantity. 

 It is difficult to even imagine, as Jerusalem suddenly became inundated by people who had previously been dead. (I also assume it was a localized event, but we have NOTHING to tell us that it only happened in Jerusalem.) 

To make this a bit more interesting, let’s discuss Lazarus, Jesus’ friend who died. (Read John chapter 11.) So many struggle to explain why Jesus waited four days to come and raise him up. The reason lies in the Jewish tradition says the soul finally leaves the body after three days. Jesus waited that long to ensure that these religious zealots could not say that what Jesus did was easy because Lazarus’ soul was still in his body. As the faith teacher Kenneth Copeland once said, if you think it’s so easy, then why don’t you get a freshly dead person and try it.” 

“Recently…, hearing the (“dead in Christ will rise first“), I immediately thought we who are born again are not dead in Christ even after we die in flesh.”

Born. gennao. Meaning: to be begotten. Metaphorically of God making Christ the center of your life. Regenerated. 

Again:  It is the Greek word anōthen and means from above, anew. A second time, once more.

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, talks about this transition that we, as corruptible mortals, must go through. We don’t talk about this transition because it is death, and death makes people squirm because they fear death. As I have pointed out, we no longer have to fear death, so let’s dive in. 

Becoming “born again” does NOT kill the flesh or make sin disappear. It is like pushing the reset button on your spirit, but you cannot eliminate that one flawed processing chip. If you could go and buy another, you would find that they all used that one faulty chip; therefore, the machine will eventually fail in a similar manner.

So, assuming that you realize that you were born from above, and are made in the image of the Father, then you know that this all happens independent of death. 

Look at 1 Corinthians 15:50-54, and you will see things like flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

Well, guess what? 

If you are reading this, you are flesh and blood. It would certainly seem as though these air-breathing bodies cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

So what’s the workaround? 

These bodies have to die, and No, that is NOT your job; it is God’s, and this is part of the MYSTERY that Paul speaks of. As you can see above, we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. Surprise, you will most likely shed this corrupted, mortal body as you migrate upward. Those dead people, believers, will have already gone through this and will pass us by momentarily as we put on our immortality. 

I keep thinking about the guy who died but came back to life. One of the dominant things he could remember was that he felt a good site better while he was in heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 NKJV “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54) So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP IN VICTORY.””

Our being in Christ Jesus is a product of our simplistic faith in Jesus Christ, and we will never become separated from this life that we have in Christ, even if it involves death. 

Here are a few verses to help strengthen your knowledge of Him.

Rom_6:11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Gal_3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Col_1:28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

 Put something like the Blue Letter Bible app on your phone and then do a search for “in Christ Jesus,” you will find a vast number of passages that may help to assist you in your understanding, and that will help you hold on to the truth that you, because of your belief are in Christ, never to be separated.

“… Who might qualify as dead in Christ?” 

Anyone who has come to a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ and died. 

Before the cross, no one could come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. However, two people in the New Testament challenge my understanding of how we know Jesus Christ: Simeon – the old but devout and holy man, that was led by the Spirit to come to the temple at the exact moment that Joseph and Mary brought Jesus for His bris – circumcision. The other person was Anna – the elderly prophetess. These two spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. Now, consider that Jesus lived for 33 more years. 

Did Simeon and Anna die and go to the Father or Hades, the place of departed souls? 

We can only assume, but it would be a good one. Therefore, until Jesus came and took the keys from Satan, Hades may have been the holding place for Anna and Simeon, not to mention a few others that God pronounced as righteous in the Old Testament. On the day Jesus showed up in Hades, all that changed as He offered them a one-way ticket into the Father’s arms by preaching to the captives. 

Consider, if they were righteous, as Jesus was, then Satan holding them there in Hades would have been an illegal move on his part. If Satan held them, they were captives until Jesus set them free. At that moment in time, they became the dead in Christ.

In the statements above, I focused on qualifications. Now let’s define what it is to be “dead in Christ.”

Search for the term dead in Christ; it only comes up once, 1 Thessalonians 4:16. 

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16 NKJV

Dead is the Greek word nekros and means corpse (literally dead.) The Word Study Dictionary takes it further and defines it as a deceased person. 

Although I am not dead now, it is apparent that death is required. Seeing as life is vital for the work of God. (I am scratching my head as I say that.) I suspect that even God sees a purpose for our being born, as it allows for our gifts and free choice to Worship the creator – God. 

But flesh carries with it a problem, as the Apostle Paul told us that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God. 

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” 1 Corinthians 15:50 NKJV 

This air-breathing body is corrupted because this body carries a broken genome that drives our selfish impulses – the impulse to sin. (I say it this way because it is the only thing that makes sense.) and Heaven has no corruption in it, which is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So, we, in these bodies, cannot enter into heaven. 

Obviously, something will change, and we will shed these earth suits. But until then, Jesus gives us the right to consider ourselves dead to sin. I get to practice that one daily. 

“I surmise that those pre-crucifixion believers had not been redeemed until that day.”

It is often difficult to see some of these characters as righteous. Samson is called righteous, but he did many things outside of what we would think was God’s will. Turns out it was God’s will, but we could barely see it until the last page of the narrative. Lot was willing to give his daughters to those pond scum pounding on his door, and then the angels had to drag Lot and his family out of town to safety. And what about the guy I consider the biker of the Bible, Jephthah. God called them all righteous. 

When we use the word redeemed, there is a mountain of religious rules and regulations attached to it, and there is the assumption that we will walk away from the situation with a bright shiny face. I can tell you that I walked away from a few things while dragging my exhausted behind out of there, and my face was NOT shining. I can look back now and see how God called me righteous, but few may have picked up on God’s plan and hope for me. 

“They were the dead in Christ that rose first.” 

As I pointed out above, it would seem that people God called righteous were illegally held captive against their will. Since Christ preached to the captives, He may have changed their status to being in Christ. Thank God they were already dead because they got to rise first. I have nothing more than what I have proposed here to prove that, but what a great story. 

“Where does that leave us? …”

You sound so depressed. If your life is hidden in Christ, then, at the moment, you are ALIVE in Christ and living inside an earth suit, and you get to deal with a thousand different feelings, most of which were a gift from God. Obviously, Satan managed to corrupt those feelings, but soon, we will shed those suits, put on our new robes, and spend eternity with the Father. 

“The end will see a battle in which God destroys all his enemies…”

Revelation 19 shows us one of the last great battles, where Jesus comes riding back with a sword coming out of His mouth, and He is followed by the saints of heaven. This sword is the Word of God. But notice something; you never see Him swing it, nor do you see the armies of heaven engaged in battle. That Word does all the killing and kills all who choose to fight against Him in seconds.

If He kills all infidels, who would be left to rule over? 

Think about this. After killing the combatants, we are told that He rules over the nations for a thousand years. 

“And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.”
Revelation 21:24 NKJV)

The New Testament has the Old as its foundation, so here is a passage from the Old.

“Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD.” Isaiah 2:2-5 NKJV)

He and those slaughtered saints from the seven years will sit on thrones in judgment during the 1000 years. How appropriate. 

“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4 NLT)

Okay, that battle is over, and who is thrown into the lake of fire? 

Satan – for 1000 years, and the only two humans there, the antichrist and the false prophet; that’s it. 

“And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” Revelation 19:20 NLT)

“and binds them a thousand years.”

No one human is bound by God.

Remember, all sins were forgiven on the cross, so NO ONE is being judged for sin. Now, there will be a time of judgment, but that judgment is based upon what you did with Jesus, and that happens at the great white throne. This is the only place and time this will happen. 

Fast forward a thousand years. What happens next?

Satan is released and once again deceives the nations. Those poor fools, many of them, will attempt to surround the Holy City with the hope of killing us, Jesus and God. God, on the other hand, kills all who join in this stunt. Those dead people join all the other dead from the beginning of time who have not gone up in the rapture (this is where Matthew 25 kicks in), and some are shown mercy. Those not afforded mercy are then judged and thrown into the lake of fire, where they are forgotten and permanently separated from God.

And all the rest of us join Jesus and the Father in eternity, never to be troubled again.

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The Near And Sudden Appearing of Jesus Christ. Part two. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, and a few others.

Posted on 06/06/2023 by remso

This is a continuation of part one, a previous post based upon Pastor Jack’s sermon notes from his message Signs Of The Coming Anti-Christ – Part 3 – 8:00 AM, 4/30/2023

If you understand what Pastor Jack asks when he says, “On what Authority do we base this “Blessed Hope”? 

Then you probably do as I do and frequently remind yourself of all He has done to give me this blessed hope and salvation. I do not do this because I doubt God’s word, but having had enough verbal mud slung at me, I sometimes get tired and stagger. I ask myself, is this life I have chosen to live true. While my challenges and questions may seem simplistic, they are still genuine, as I, and others like me, rehearse things like Jesus’words where He told the disciples what He would do and then did it.

In the previous post, I ended by quoting Pastor Jack as he pointed out, through the scriptures, how men, like the Apostle John, Paul, and Christ Himself, declared why their word carried the authority and confidence to sustain our hope. 

Assuming that you have bold confidence in your salvation, the next question is,

What are we supposed to be doing in the meantime?

“and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
(Hebrews 10:24-25 NASB)

Keywords in verses 24 and 25 are: stimulate, assemble, and encourage.

Although the phrase “as you see the day” is not characterized as “the Day of Christ,” it still means the same thing. Other ways this is addressed in scripture are  “The Day of Christ Jesus,” “The Day of Jesus Christ,” and “The Day of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

(I searched for the specific phrase “The Day of Christ,” which only shows up 3x; they are all in the letter Paul wrote to the church in Philippi – Philippians.) Other New Testament passages allude to The Day of Christ, but this sentence structure is unique to the Apostles John & Paul and Jesus Christ Himself.

What is this day that is drawing near?

It depends on what side of the fence you are on.

 If you are a follower of Christ, then you should be looking for Him to return in the clouds for those who are His own, and you will meet Him there. 

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV)

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,” (Titus 2:11-13 NKJV)

If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, that puts you on the wrong side of the fence. You, then, fall under the category of those who do not know Him and, therefore, be subject to His wrath.

To add to your confusion, “The Day of the Lord” also has a sinister side, as it refers to the seven years of God’s wrath that will come immediately after the church is removed from the earth. Whether you felt like you did not deserve wrath or not will be irrelevant on that day because you obviously did not have a relationship with Him.

2 Peter 3:10-12 NKJV  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  (11)  Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,  (12)  looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

An example in which God saved the righteous and destroyed those who did not believe.

Jude 1:5-7 NKJV  But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  (6)  And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;  (7)  as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

What can we understand about the DAY of Jesus Christ? 

For those who do not believe, this day or time will not come with an announcement; it will come as a thief in the night. Since you were not looking for Christ to come for His church, you certainly will not see or expect this. 

It is a time of wrath.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”
(Romans 1:18 NKJV)

“… At His wrath the earth will tremble, And the nations will not be able to endure His indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10 NKJV)

“But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
(Romans 2:5-6 BSB)

Should you need to read all the details about this time of wrath, I suggest reading Revelation chapters 6 through 19. In chapter 19, Jesus comes on a white horse, followed by the saints of heaven. This crowd is those who went up in the catching away of the church, and He has a sword coming out of His mouth. This sword is the Word of God.

Another aspect of “This Day of Jesus Christ” is a moment in time when – either by death or rapture – our redemption is made complete.

Why would I make a distinction?

Because the dead in Christ will rise first.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 BSB)

Think about the fact that the dead “in Christ” begins to rise, and then those of us who have been waiting for Him to call us home. 

Do you think He merely leaves us in our current conditions (both the physically dead and those who are dead in their sins)?

Having pondered this repeatedly, I cannot see us, those of us alive, being able to take these bodies that carry the damaged genome that motivates us to sin into the presence of Jesus.
Because they are dead, they will have already shed the housing we call a body and its damaged genome. So this is NOT an issue for them. 

You do know that we followers of Christ must stand before the Bema seat, right? Of course, it’s NOT something you need to worry about, as it is a time of rewards, but what if it is also the place where we get to shed this (in my case) fat, damaged body?

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth, seems to be discussing this very thing.

“For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
(1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NASB)

To make a dramatic point, I tell the guys that if they idolize their Gucci underwear, perhaps now would be a good time to buy something like Fruit-of-the-Loom, and then maybe you won’t be standing there naked before the Lord. But what a perfect time to rid ourselves of this sin-damaged body. I am with you; just thinking about losing this body gives me mental anguish. It and I have been close for a long time, and there have been moments when I thought I looked good. But those days are long gone.

I want to show you something from the Revelation. In a sense, it applies to the followers of Christ as we ascend to meet Jesus in the air. In Revelation 21 (remember that the Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ), we see Jesus talking about the nations during the 1000-year reign of Christ and the city of God, the New Jerusalem.

“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
(Revelation 21:27 NKJV)

If we did not, in some way, shed this body with its built-in damage, then how would we get in?

We would not, and this adds to the idea that this body must die, and the best place is that Bema seat.

It is also a time when God avenges Himself.

Jeremiah 46:10 NKJV  “For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, A day of vengeance, That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries. The sword shall devour; It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood; For the Lord GOD of hosts has a sacrifice In the north country by the River Euphrates.”

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and full of wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on His foes and reserves wrath for His enemies.” (Nahum 1:2 BSB)

The seven years will come to an end when Jesus physically returns to the earth; this, of course, is after He slaughters all those who chose to fight with Him. The Jews have been looking for the Messiah to physically return to the earth. Well, this is when He does just that. Although scripture tells me that many of them will mourn as they realize that this is one they previously rejected, they will repent and turn to Him.

What I am pointing to comes from Revelation 19. 

Revelation 19:11-16 Weymouth  “Then I saw a door open in Heaven, and a white horse appeared. Its rider was named “Faithful and True” –being One who in righteousness acts as Judge, and makes war.  (12)  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many kingly crowns; and He has a name written upon Him which no one but He Himself knows.  (13)  The outer garment in which He is clad has been dipped in blood and His name is THE WORD OF GOD.  (14)  The armies in Heaven followed Him–mounted on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and spotless.  (15)  From His mouth there comes a sharp sword with which He will smite the nations; and He will Himself be their Shepherd, ruling them with a scepter of iron; and it is His work to tread the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Ruler of all.  (16)  And on His outer garment and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Only moments later, we see the birds being called to the great supper of God. Note who has been laid to rest.

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice, he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
(Revelation 19:17-18 ESV)

This great supper consists of The flesh of:

– kings,

– captains,

– mighty men,

– horses and their riders,

Up to this point, they have all been people who have chosen to fight against the Lord. However, the following line creates a small problem, as it could include those who merely hate – “and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, small and great.“

If I only read Revelation 19:15, I would see what appears to be God smiting the nations and, therefore, killing off anyone who is not a “Christian.” I say it this way because I was surprised to find that there are people who believe that theory. This is ridiculous because an aspect of this paragraph tells us that He then goes on to rule the nations with a scepter of iron. Well, what is it, total destruction, or are there survivors from the nations that enter the millennial reign?

Survivors.

Only moments later, we see the birds being called to the great supper of God. Note who has been laid to rest.

“Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice, he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”
(Revelation 19:17-18 ESV)

This great supper consists of The flesh of:

– kings,

– captains,

– mighty men,

– horses and their riders,

Up to this point, they have all been people who have chosen to fight against the Lord.

The following line creates a small problem, as it could include those who merely hate – and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, small and great. However, it shows us that among those fighting against God, there is a wide variety, not merely elites and the poor.

In these days, prior to Jesus’ return for His church, we have two opportunities that we should be taking advantage of.

One, take the opportunity whenever possible, and preach the gospel. This is exactly what I am doing and fits well into the game plan God seemed to have for my life.

The second is to live as pure, holy, blameless, and faultless as possible.

Philippians 1:3-6 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, 5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until The Day of Jesus Christ;”

1 John 3:2-3 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in The Day of Christ.”

1 Corinthians 1:6-8 “Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the Day of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Stay focused, time is short, and Jesus is coming back soon. Today would be a great day for Christ to return for His church.

One last thing.

Why the church cannot be on earth during the 7 years, and therefore, excluded from God’s wrath.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, In Great Contrast is The Day of The Lord. Beginning with the Rapture of the Church, (The Day of Christ) only then can The Day of The Lord begin – a time of God’s wrath and judgment to be poured out upon a hostile, rebellious, Christ-rejecting world. The Day of The Lord is a period of time that follows after the Rapture and is carried out through the entire 7 years of the Tribulation Period and continues on out until the end of the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:9 is NOT the only verse that convinces me that the church is NOT here during the seven years, the time of God’s wrath. Genesis 19, where we find the narrative about Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah, is one of those instances where the angel said, “for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” The implications for Lot were safety, away from God’s wrath. In Exodus 9-11, we see the plagues upon Pharaoh and Egypt. All the plagues impacted everywhere in Egypt except in Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. The final plague kept those who were covered by the blood safe from death – as they put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts. This would have worked for anyone who followed those specific instructions or came under the shelter of a house with the blood.

Since we only need two witnesses, I will stop with this one.

John 5:24 NASB “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.)

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Who are these people, because I see them everywhere in scripture?

Posted on 05/30/2023 by remso

Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams. His spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. So the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans(?) to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream.” (Daniel 2:1-3 NKJV)

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.” The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.” (Daniel 2:4-6 NKJV)

Where is Daniel while all this is going on? 

Obviously, Daniel was not a part of any of these groups. Because of their attempts to save their lives, as they did not have answers for the king, everyone, including Daniel and the three other Hebrews with him, is under a death threat from a king that has demonstrated how serious he is about his decrees.

Daniel goes before the king, buys a little time, and comes back with the dream and what it means.

 Daniel answered the king, saying: “The mystery about which the king inquired is such that neither wise men, astrologers, magicians, or sorcerers can disclose it to the king. But, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar the things that will happen in the latter days. The dream and the visions that went through your head as you lay on your bed are these.” (Daniel 2:27-28 TLV)

 Daniel tells the king what the dream was.

“You looked, O king, and behold, there before you stood a huge statue—an enormous and dazzling image whose appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was of pure gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, and its feet partly iron and partly clay. While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together and became like chaff from summer threshing floors that the wind blows away. Not a trace of them could be found. Then the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” (Daniel 2:31-35 TLV)

 “Wherever mankind, beasts of the field, and fowls of the heaven dwell, He has given them into your hand and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold. “Now, after you, another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over all the earth. Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron shatters and breaks everything—and just as iron smashes everything, so will it shatter and crush all the others. Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly potter’s clay and partly iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of the iron, for you saw the iron mixed with clay. As the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle.” (Daniel 2:38-42 TLV)

“You are the head of gold.” The first kingdom in the equation. The head of gold is Babylon under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar.

  • Now, after you, another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. The second kingdom in this equation is The empire of the Medes and Persians, whose union was denoted by the breast and two arms of silver, and which was established on the ruins of that of the Chaldeans on the capture of Babylon by Cyrus, B.C. 538.
  • The third kingdom. The kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. The UCRT dictionary tells us that “The empire of the Macedonians, or “brazen-coated Greeks,” aptly denoted by the belly and thighs of brass, founded by Alexander the Great, who terminated the Persian monarchy by the overthrow of  Darius Codomanus at Arbela, B.C. 331″ To put this plainly, the Grecian Empire. This is not a quiz, but do you know who the remaining two generals were and what regions they controlled? Seleucid in the North and Ptolemy in the South.
  • The fourth and what seems to be the final kingdom, represented as iron, which many believe to be the Roman Empire, does not show up until almost 255 years after the remains of the Grecian Empire. Considering the closeness of all the others in terms of time, bringing the Roman Empire into this dream seems odd at best. Biblically we are told about the Babylonian, the Medo-Persians, and finally, the Macedonians or Grecians, but nothing is said about the Roman Empire. Do you know what Empire causes the most grief and plays a role in affecting both the Seleucid and Ptolemaic Empires?  The Assyrians. Do you realize that one of the names of the Antichrist is the Assyrian? Yeah, we seem to ignore that aspect when we are ranting about how the Roman Empire will rise up again in the last moments of time. And, since the Assyrians have been so influenced by Islam, we ignore their potential through Jihad, of bringing as many as possible under the influence of Islam; hence, a global religion.
  • Note: there is no mention of who makes up these toes of iron and clay, but it is obvious that there is an attempt at integration, which clearly fails. Do Sunnis and Shiites get along? Have paid attention to what Isis, coming from Afghanistan, is preparing to do to Iran as of 5/29/2023? They have threatened war over water, and they are backing it up with army tanks and heavy equipment.

Let’s focus on what Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 2:43 KJV And whereas thou saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

Notice how “they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men.“

Mingle means to mix or combine. The word mingle, and the word mixed are the same Aramaic (Strong’s concordance calls this language the Chaldean) word ărab. H6151 ‛ărab, enunciation: ar-ab’. (Chaldee); corresponding to H6148; to commingle: – mingle (self), mix. Total KJV occurrences: 4.

Seed: – zera‛: An Aramaic noun meaning seed or offspring. This word is used only once in Dan_2:43 in the idiomatic phrase “with the seed of men” (KJV).

The question is, offspring of whom?

The Word Study Dictionary tells you this

“This mixing of people with the seed of men is a reference to other people groups joining a community or nation.”

The implication is that in the statement above, they are trying to join themselves to Israel, but that is not the case, and we see it going all the way back to Ishmael and Esau. Just a short heritage listing from Ishmael begins to show you the beginnings of the nations.

Isn’t it fascinating that Abraham was able to produce nations of Gentiles and then Jews?

Just for the fun of it, here are the names of the twelve princes that came from Ishmael. Many have associated regions to go along with their names.

“These were the sons of Ishmael and these were their names, by their towns and their settlements, twelve princes according to their nations.” (Genesis 25:13-16 NKJV)

The firstborn of Ishmael,

Nebajoth and or Nebaioth. From Nebajoth sprang the Nabatheans, who inhabited Arabia Petraea (Petra.)

Kedar. From Kedar, the Cedreans, who dwelt near the Nabatheans. The name means darkness or dark-skinned.

Adbeel, Disciplined of God.

Mibsam, A fragrant, sweet odor.

Mishma, A report, a hearing.

Dumah, Silence. A town of Judah ten miles southwest of Hebron.

Massa, Gift; burden, a prophecy; enduring.

Hadar. More than 300 Manuscripts and printed editions read Hadad, as in 1 Chronicles 1:30.

Tema, South desert; Southerner.

Jetur. An enclosure; defense. The Itureans, who inhabited a small tract of country east of Jordan, which afterwards belonged to Manasseh

Naphish, Refreshed; recreation; taking breath. :Note: These are evidently the same people mentioned in 1Ch_5:19, who, with the Itureans, assisted the Hagarenes against the Israelites, but were overcome by the two tribes of Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.” 1Ch_1:31; 1Ch_5:19. The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury

Kedemah. Eastward.

“But they shall not cleave to each other.”

Cleave is the Aramaic verb meaning to cling to, stay together, to adhere together.

As you can see from the Amplified version below, they will not hold together.

“And as you saw the iron mixed with miry and earthen clay, so they shall mingle themselves in the seed of men [in marriage bonds]; but they will not hold together [for two such elements or ideologies can never harmonize], even as iron does not mingle itself with clay.” (Daniel 2:43 AMP)

As you can see, the Amplified Bible implied that their mingling could be seen in marriages. This idea of marriage should have a familiar ring to it, as Balaam told Balak, the king of Moab, how to defeat Israel. Dr. J Vernon McGee points out that Balaam is mentioned three times in the NT.

“Balaam is mentioned three times in the closing books of the New Testament. In 2 Peter it is the way of Balaam. In Jude it is the error of Balaam. And it is the doctrine of Balaam in the Book of Revelation.”

The Old Testament also helps to define what Balaam did.

“And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive? Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the incident of Peor…” (Numbers 31:15-16 NKJV)

In spite of God’s clear admonition that Balaam should NOT speak a word against Israel, he did so by telling Balak how to destroy them subtly by introducing foreign women, and they would cause the children of Israel to collapse from the inside out by their demands for compliance with their foreign gods and shrines.

In relation to these people who mingle with the great sea of people are words from Ecclesiastes.

“And I discovered (something) more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.” (Ecclesiastes 7:26 NASB)

This takes us back to Daniel, where the mixed have but one intention, to destroy from the inside out. What does that mean to us? They start with small demands, then they get themselves voted onto your governing bodies – like school boards and city councils. They then begin to change the rules and laws to suit their ideological teachings. Some call this a religion. All of this is Jihad to the group of people I refer to, the Islamic religion.

Did you know that, under the guise of the Ottoman Empire, they almost overtook the world?

Thankfully, the British were able to squelch and, in a sense, deliver a mortal wound to the Ottoman Empire in 1924 by forcing them to disband and making the empire illegal by international agreement. While the “civilized” world began rebuilding after WW1 and enjoying the Roaring 20’s, the Ottoman Empire, shortly thereafter, began reorganizing under the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Did you not notice that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey has, on several occasions, espoused that he would resurrect the Ottoman Empire?

(AMP) “And as you saw the iron mixed with miry and earthen clay, so they shall mingle themselves in the seed of men [in marriage bonds]; but they will not hold together [for two such elements or ideologies can never harmonize], even as iron does not mingle itself with clay.”

All this should have a familiar ring to it if you have read about God’s promise to Abram/Abraham. Abraham, in an attempt to move God’s plan along, at the prodding of his wife, produces a child, Ishmael.

“ And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.” Genesis 17:20

Does anybody want to venture a guess as to who that nation is?
If you said the Arab nation(s) are descendants of Ishmael, then you would be right.

I can hear the religious as they say, how dare you speak in that manner?

Look at what the Strong’s concordance says about the simple word “nation.”

Nation is the Hebrew word gôy or gôyim. It is a masculine noun meaning nation, people, Gentiles. a foreign nation; hence a Gentile. This noun is also used to describe anyone other than Israel, whether they be pagan, Gentile, or heathen.

The term Goiim, to my understanding, is a very negative word applied to outsiders.

My thoughts.

Daniel was given the interpretation and perhaps the understanding; that alone should move the context into an Israeli, or at the least a Middle Eastern one. Regardless, you should never read the Bible without considering the context of God’s people and the promised land.

Some may say that the dream was meant for Nebuchadnezzar exclusively and, therefore, should be seen as one that is primarily a Babylonian context. The problem with that thinking is how quickly the story moves off Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians and onto the Medo-Persian Empires and then the Grecian, and that the Babylonian empire, though a conquering one, was also one that protected and helped to develop God’s people.

In trying to convince you that the narrative is about global rule, many have tried to argue that the statue shows us the Roman Empire. In pushing that argument, they ignore that the Grecian empire, during the time in which they conquered the Holy Land, was under the command of Alexander (one man) the Great. Sadly, he died, and the kingdom was divided four ways (between four Generals). That did not last long and ended with two Generals ruling a somewhat divided kingdom, with Seleucid in the North and Ptolemy in the South (Egypt.) I can easily see then how the thighs and legs of bronze would continue to represent the Grecian empire to a degree.

But what happens when I get to the feet of this statue?

Historians tell us that the two remaining Grecian generals clashed with each other for control. In the North, the Assyrians were integrating into Seleucid Empire – this is the same violent people group that gave us the Ninevehites that Jonah was sent to with a message of destruction. The Assyrians, also known as Chaldeans, were part of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires; they also joined with the Egyptians in the South to fight against Israel. The Assyrians, descendants of Ishmael and Esau, are an integral part of the events we are seeing in the Middle East and news related to Israel today.

See how that sort of ended there, and it worked without including the Roman Empire, which also had two branches or legs to it. If you must insist that the Roman Empire is glued to Daniel’s explanation of the statue because of Daniel 9:26, then I suggest that you pay attention to the role that recorded history plays in this belief.

Josephus, (the Jewish historian that worked for the Romans), told us that Assyrian conscript troops, with an open and violent hatred of the Jews, even though they knew that their punishment would probably mean their death, disregarded commands from Titus to cease their actions and destroyed Herod’s temple primarily to obtain the gold that was melting and running between the cracks. They did not know that they were fulfilling prophecy and showing us what was to come.

But what do we do?

We follow religious traditions and loudmouth teachers who tell us that because Daniel 9:26 was fulfilled in 70 A.D., while Jerusalem was under the control of Roman soldiers, that this tells us that, “the people of the prince that is come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” will be a part of the Roman empire, once again. These teachers will convey to you that they don’t need to pay attention to Josephus or Tacitus (a Roman historian) because these “people” were doing all this damage under the Roman flag, and the coming actions of the followers of the Antichrist can be blindly attributed to the Roman Empire and, therefore, indicative of the Antichrist and the followers of his global religion.

I added global religion as the scripture tells us that they “worship” the beast – the antichrist; and, because of this term “worship,” that there will be a global, unifying religion.

Worship means nothing close to my grateful, heartfelt love for the Father because of what He has done for me through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Thayer’s concordance gives us this.

Worship is to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence. Among the Orientals, especially the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence. And in the NT (worship is shown) by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication. And finally, it is used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank.

In many of these instances, the alternative is often death for non-compliance.

The understanding that I apply to the Roman empire, unlike the others, is that it is NEVER specifically mentioned in the narrative about the giant statue, and this is a narrative that effectively takes us all the way out to the catching away of the church and the entrance of the antichrist – a leader that will have an influence on the Islamic nations.

“Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly potter’s clay and partly iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of the iron, for you saw the iron mixed with clay.” (Daniel 2:41 TLV)

“A kingdom, undefined by previous pattern. The word kingdom in the Hebrew is malku and means a rule or dominion.” Word Study Dictionary

What do we have that looks like that?

Islam. They have had, in the past, a caliphate; a central leadership – ruling authority, and many are desperately trying to reestablish the caliphate that rules over the world with Sharia law.

So, you may have picked up on a problem. 

We have two groups of people trying to control the world; the filthy rich and followers of Islam.

Seeing as the rich have already demonstrated their desire and ability to control and kill off much of humanity, you might think that they will win. Not quite so fast. It is obvious, from scripture, that they will quickly kill off 1/4 of humanity with their vaccines and contagions, but at the three-and-one-half-year mark, the false prophet will switch teams and align himself with Islam, the beast, and Sharia law. Jesus told us, about this time, that the killing will be so great that if God does not stop it, no one will be alive on earth.

I hope you can understand that the best time to pledge your allegiance to Christ is now, before the catching away of the Church. Scripture tells us that the antichrist will be revealed very shortly after the church is gone. If you are here at this point, you can still come to Jesus. Just know that just about everyone not on your side will be trying to kill you.

Posted in Assyrians, bible study, Daniel, dreams, empire, gentiles, Islam, Nebuchadnezzar's statue, the fourth kingdom, the nations, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This blog originated from Pastor Jack Hibbs’ Sunday Morning message dated 4/30/2023. The coming of the antichrist. Can we see that he is coming?

Posted on 05/16/2023 by remso

This blog is based upon Pastor Jack Hibbs’ Sunday Morning message dated 4/30/2023. It is NOT meant to disrespect the Pastor, but I, too, have been challenged by people telling me that the rapture is not in the Bible, while others ask me who will be the antichrist, even though they have their own ideas of who this man will be.

For several years I have struggled to remember specific scriptures that would decisively answer what seems like the simplest of questions, but then, I have been studying these things for many years. As I write this, I am aware of how I used to talk to people when I was involved with the Faith movement. Don’t get me wrong, I think faith is an essential part of our lives as believers. Accosting people for their lack of faith does not represent God and is abusive. Teaching people to act this way is false teaching and should be avoided.

So, being put on the spot to define where we can find this removal of the church from the earth and when we might see the antichrist, I have, at times, struggled to define passages that clearly demonstrate Jesus coming back for His bride. (If you are willing to look at things that do not specifically say “rapture,” then you will find extensive references that speak of the harpazo, our catching away, and statements that Jesus made about coming back for His own.) It is obvious to me that our removal from the earth unleashes: the antichrist, God’s wrath for seven years, a time of tribulation that will be more deadly and destructive than your imagination could come up with and will culminate with Jesus returning as the warring Messiah that the Jews have been looking for. Do not be misled; God’s wrath continues up to and including the great white throne.

I will have to break this up into 3 or 4 posts as it is currently 15 pages long. If you want to see Pastor Jack’s notes for the purposes of assisting you in your study, they are available at https://calvarycch.org/wp-content/uploads/JHX566-Signs-Of-The-AntiChrist-Part3.pdf.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12  Is one the most definitive sections of scripture that speak about Jesus’ return for His bride, the church, and then the entrance of the Antichrist.

I am NOT looking for the antichrist, for I have come to understand that as a follower of Christ, I will not be here when he comes, and neither will anyone else who belongs to Jesus. The reason that I have this expectation is my knowledge that the antichrist cannot come until the church – the bride, is lifted out of here.

If this puzzles you, consider Lot and Noah. In both cases, the devastation was coming; however, both were removed prior to the destruction.

This next statement, “In Light of Signs of The Coming Antichrist and The Imminent Rapture of The Church,” is one that Pastor Jack made as an introduction to his sermon.

I find it uncomfortable to read as I have never been looking for the antichrist, as church gave me a healthy fear of this guy. I have, however, been looking for the prophetic signs that we are in the last days of the church on this earth.

Do you want a major sign that we are in those last days?

Then consider Israel becoming a nation in a day.

“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 at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.” (Isaiah 66:8 TLV)

Well, this is what happened with Israel.

“At midnight on May 14, 1948, the Provisional Government of Israel proclaimed a new State of Israel.”

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/us-israel#:~:text=At%20midnight%20on%20May%2014,on%20January%2031%2C%201949).

Prior to that moment in time, Israel was never thought of as a nation. Oh sure, for a time, there was Israel, the “Northern “kingdom” and, in time, the two kingdoms – Judah and Israel, were eventually unified, but it was, as always, a monarchical kingdom, most of which was evil. Both the Northern and Southern kingdoms were sent into 70+ years of Babylonian captivity but eventually returned to become a unified kingdom.

“And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a mighty nation; and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from thenceforth even for ever.” (Micah 4:7 JPS)

If you cannot accept Israel as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, then what other signs or prophecies do we have?

Occasionally, I choose alternate translations of the Bible because they, in my mind, portray what the Holy Spirit is saying. The Literal Standard Version leans toward a 1500s translation that holds to one of the earliest and correct translations of the Greek word apostasia. The Geneva Bible, published in 1587, was in usage for almost 172 years before the King James Bible, which was demanded by the State Church of England at the compulsion of the Catholic Church, with the agreement of King James as the corrections made by church leadership reflected how the church felt about people leaving for Protestantism.

In my opinion, the King James Bible’s usage of the word apostasy is unclear and leaves one thinking, at what point is this “leaving” deemed enough. The terminology departure, one of the word choices that could have been used, conveys the departure of the church from this earth. This event can be summed up in a word, the rapture. The unfortunate thing about the word rapture is how foolish people constantly want to tell you that the word rapture is not in the Bible. When the unlearned try to use this argument, they demonstrate how little they understand about this event, and they express their lack of desire to learn, for the word, Harpazo means the same thing. The word rapture is a transliteration of the Latin term rapio or rapturo; both point to the catching away of the church – a departure.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 reflects one of the clearest of those changes demanded by the early Catholic church.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 LSV  “And we ask you, brothers, in regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together to Him,  (2)  that you are not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the Day of the LORD has arrived;  (3)  do not let anyone deceive you in any way, because if the departure may (does) not come first, the man of lawlessness may (will) not be revealed—the son of destruction,  (4)  who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called god or worshiped, so as for him to have sat down in the temple of God, proclaiming that he is God.  (5)  Do you not remember that, yet being with you, I said these things to you?  (6)  And now, you have known what is restraining, for his being revealed in his own time,  (7)  for the secret of lawlessness already works, only the One now restraining will do so until He may come out of the midst,  (8)  and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the LORD will consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and will nullify at the appearance of His coming,  (9)  whose coming is according to the working of Satan, in all power, and signs, and lying wonders,  (10)  and in all deceitfulness of the unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth for their being saved,  (11)  and because of this God will send to them a working of delusion, for their believing the lie,  (12)  that they may be judged—all who did not believe the truth, but were well pleased in the unrighteousness.”

Verse 3, from the NASB, reads like this.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

If I use the NASB, it also conveys that “it” – the antichrist, will not come unless one or the other takes place. It is unfortunate that the NASB pushes us to be looking for the churches, in general, to fall away; ah, but from what?

The assumption is that the churches and there are a number of denominations involved in this falling away are falling away from some moral or denominational standards.

So, if we find, as we study the scriptures, that we should be focused on the departure of the church from Earth instead of the church turning its back on Jesus and morality, then we are looking for Jesus to return to collect His bride, the church. If you are still waiting for a greater number of churches to fall away, then you need to know that we have adequately surpassed that adequate number.

If your church is letting you know that they are going to have a transgender entertainment night, your church has thrown off its moral boundaries and accepted lawlessness as its standard. Wisdom, if nothing else, is telling you that it is time to find another church. The one that I currently attend teaches the Bible in almost every service, in a line-by-line, word-by-word manner.

This verse above, prompting us to await for what we already see, makes no sense, that is, until you get to verses seven and eight. So let me give you those verses from the ESV.

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 ESV  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.  (8)  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

What can we gather from verses 7-8?

That the spiritual entity that we call the mystery of lawlessness is already at work.

So the logical assumption here is that there is NO NEED to wait for a total and complete apostasy – a falling away of the church; as it is, the apostasy, along with an exponential rise in lawlessness, is already at work.

Based on scripture, we know that something is restraining that mystery of lawlessness.

The scriptures imply that the spiritual entity will enter a human once again.

(The Bible has been telling us that this demonic entity has been entering men throughout the course of human history, almost as if Satan, under the guise of the beast or dragon, has been testing the waters to see if the time was right. Well, it wasn’t then, but it is now.)

If saying that Satan has only placed this beastly demon in men bothers you, then you need to study your Bible. You need to go back to the beginnings of the narrative, Genesis, where you not only see God giving man dominion over the earth (who in turn gives it away,) but you also see God admonishing Eve and telling her that a descendant (only in terms of a baby being brought into the earth) will be a man. If Satan is looking for someone specific to eliminate, then it has to be a man. If Satan is going to mimic God, then it makes sense for it to be through a man, also as God’s redemptive plan for humanity comes through a man, Jesus.

“I will make you and the woman hostile toward each other. I will make your descendants and her descendant hostile toward each other. He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 GW)

The only thing resisting Satan’s plans and the unleashing of the antichrist in full force has been Holy Spirit-led followers of Christ, who not only prayed but took action, which for some meant death.

This restraining action continues until “he” who now restrains is taken out of the way.

The “he” in Genesis 3:15 is not only the church but Jesus Christ.

Considering that we are in Christ, it is relatively easy to understand how the church, a rather large number, can be thought of as a solitary unit.

How is it that we (the church) will be taken out of the way?

The world is trying to sell you the idea that aliens, which they claim are already here, will be the thing that removes the church. That is NOT the case, as Jesus will return to collect His bride. So this leads to one of the loudest questions/challenges.

Does the Holy Spirit leave the earth along with the church?

The simple answer is NO, as the Holy Spirit remains and continues to lead and guide others into the truth. Obviously, the church is gone, but an untold number of people will continue to come into a relationship with Jesus. Since the age of Grace is over, then these people will enter the kingdom through, in many cases, a violent death – martyrdom.

Once the restrainer is removed, then the one who receives his power from the dragon (Satan) will emerge in full force and will be identified.

We seem to plead; tell us who this antichrist is?

The problem is, no one can tell you with authority who this will be, but I can assure you there are many front-runners, and they have, albeit unwittingly, been interviewed.

Why should we study what the Bible has to say about a coming world leader – the Anti-Christ, if he has no immediate impact on the church?

The primary answer to the question is that no one with qualifications, as this man will have, would be thrown into the fight without training (If you think that Barack Obama slipped off quietly into the night, you are wrong, as he is still discretely dominant in American “politics” as well as having a global influence.) Whoever this man is, he has already been trained. His power(s) will be given to him by Satan, the serpent, and evil people.

The secondary answer to the question is that this drive for such a world leader leads to the full onslaught associated with the antichrist, a time that will be filled with death and torment. If you are sitting comfortably at a hamburger stand, sipping your morning coffee with your “friends,” while thinking, what is this guy talking about? My life is relatively good, then consider yourself fortunate that you were raised in America and not Nigeria.

I can almost assure you that the actor Jamie Foxx felt the same way, but as of 6/02/23, we have learned that his recent medical emergency had everything to do with a movie production company insisting that he get vaccinated, which he did under protest. The vaccination, in short order, created a blood clot in his brain, and he is now paralyzed and blind.

For a long time, we have been protected from having fire bombs thrown at us as we tried to go to church, and we, in America, have yet to go full digital currency, as Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have.

Nigeria, which only recently transitioned to full digital currency, had warned the people to turn in their old paper cash as it would become illegal when the switch took place. Those that did not believe or listen began violently rioting after the cutoff date – to no avail.

CryptoSlate, an online “news” source about the progress of CBDCs, says this on their website.

“Since October 2021, 99.5% of Nigerians have refused to use the central bank’s digital currency, the so-called e-Naira, preferring to continue using cash. So what did the central bank do? It doubled down. “Drawing parallels with what happened in India in 2016, in which high-value bills were demonetized, Corbishley pointed out that Nigerian officials ruled a similar move in December 2022. “The goal is to make it much more difficult for Nigerians to use cash. And it’s working like a dream/nightmare.” This policy has culminated in a severe cash shortage triggering anger and disruption as businesses refuse to accept old denominations. Incidentally, a general election is set to occur on Feb. 25 of 2023. CBDC global expansion is on the way

Corbishley said concerning Nigeria, “people would die, as they did in India, and businesses will close, turning daily life on its head in the country.” However, according to Corbishley, “the Nigerian government and central bank “say the pain is worth it.”

Nigeria’s CBDC program called ‘a very dark experiment’

It will help if we have some definition as to who he (this antichrist person) is and what he tries to accomplish.

Let me be very clear, the Anti-Christ can only be revealed after the Holy Spirit has removed the church, the Bride of Christ, that is us, the church. So I am not sure the antichrist should be at the forefront of our thinking, but the very point of writing something like this should demonstrate the similarities associated with the removal of the church and the wrath that is coming.

My wife and I recently were having lunch with a “Christian couple” when his wife says to my mine, I don’t want to talk speak about the rapture, as we have been looking for this event for over 2000 years, and He is NOT coming back anytime soon. Obviously, this woman has no hope and may soon be looking down the barrel of God’s wrath. I am not saying this just to prove how harshly I can speak but that it appears that He is only coming back for those who are waiting for Him.

Is this what scripture tells us to do? Look for the antichrist?

No, for we have an admonition to remember that we are to be always “looking for” and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jesus Christ – not the Anti-Christ.

Titus 2:11-13 NASB “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, (12) instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, (13) looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,”

When you are new to this thing called Christianity, it is wise to build a firm foundation.

You do that by investing time in reading the scriptures but don’t just do it casually, read and study like your life depended upon it. To do that, you may have to read slowly, learning to take apart even the simplest of words by looking at a concordance like the Strong’s, where you frequently find alternate words that make more sense. If you don’t know by now, the Bible many of us use was heavily influenced by the motives of the Catholic church – the state church, and the politics of 15th-century England. Another good reason to read the Bible is that you might say something to your unbelieving friends, only to have your words angrily thrown back in your face. If you have spent time studying the Word, then you won’t be so challenged in your flesh and spirit; and, worse, give up.

Run-ins like this evoke another question, and that is,

“Can We Trust The Bible?”

One of the primary validations, proving that we can trust the Bible, is the Word of God itself. This is also addressed as The Authority of the Scriptures.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;” (2 Timothy 3:16a NASB)

That’s great, but who did you convince when you started angrily spewing scriptures at them?

So learning specifics in which Jesus told His own disciples things like I will be put on a cross, die and rise again. Again, this did not mean much until the events happened to Him, just as He said. They all knew He died, and many watched this with their own eyes.

“And He (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man (Jesus) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” (Mark 8:31 NASB)

“As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way, He said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.” (Matthew 20:17-19 NASB)

Peter, a disciple himself, later writes that the Holy Spirit is to be trusted as well.

“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:19-21 NASB)

This gets brought up frequently in religious circles, and that is the fact that we have hope.

Ah, but hope in what and why do we have it?

On the Authority of:

Jesus Christ.

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:1-3 NASB)

Keep in mind what we just covered, Jesus said and then did exactly what He said. He established credibility.

The Apostle Paul said.

“When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4 NASB)

And,

“For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” (Galatians 5:5 NASB)

The Apostle John.

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3 NASB)

The end of part one.

What is going to happen after the church is gone will make anything we have experienced look like a board game. I strongly suggest that you turn to the Lord now while you can.

If I did not tell you, let me do so now. Jesus is coming, and it could be today. If you read this blog, then you know full well that today is a perfectly good day for the rapture, but, He is only coming for those who are looking for Him.

Is that you?

His name is Jesus, call upon Him, and He will hear you.

Posted in 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, antichrist, Antichrist, Apocalypse, apostasia, apostasy, bible study, Daniel, departure, Geneva Bible, overtake, Revelation, Satan, the little horn, the prince that shall come, the willful king, thief, Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. Matthew 311-13.

Posted on 05/06/2023 by remso

I ask this question as I think about the thief on the cross. How many baptisms are we supposed to endure?

That came off rather pessimistically and I have experienced far too much religious tradition, but it’s a rhetorical question anyway and I am not expecting an answer. Undoubtedly, we will likely find out.

This next section in Matthew’s gospel is entitled

“The Baptism of Jesus.”

John, the Baptizer, had effectively told the religious Jews that the Messiah was here and that He would clean house, something that none of them would like.

“I indeed am baptizing you in water on a profession of repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I: His sandals I am not worthy to carry for a moment; He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. His winnowing-shovel is in His hand, and He will make a thorough clearance of His threshing-floor, gathering His wheat into the storehouse, but burning up the chaff in unquenchable fire.”
(Matthew 3:11-12 Weymouth)

John said that his baptisms, in water, were for the profession of repentance, but He (Jesus), who is coming after me, will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire. Those are two completely different baptisms, and it appears that John’s method would be set aside once Jesus took over, and He did.

“Just at that time Jesus, coming from Galilee to the Jordan, presents Himself to John to be baptized by him.”
(Matthew 3:13 Weymouth)

“ Just at that time.” What time was that?

At the time that John was there (conveniently placed there by God because God had arranged an appointment), either at the river Jordan or another water source within the Jordan Valley. Considering that Jesus had been up by Galilee, He could have been as much as 70 miles north. With no good way of communicating or setting up this appointment, Jesus begins walking south at a precise time in order to have John baptize Him.  

Notice that the verse tells us that Jesus presented Himself to John to be immersed by him.

Having looked intently, trying to find the commandment that instructs someone to baptize people, and not finding it, it occurs to me that there may have been additional reasons on Jesus’ mind, such as having John witness the Holy Spirit coming upon Him, or for John to acknowledge Him and pronounce that there should be a public acceptance of Jesus’ ministry.

This may help you to understand where I am coming from.

This makes me think of church, where someone is publicly ordained (Do you know what that word ordained means in religious circles? The connotations are decreed, appointed, consecrated, and dedicated – before you, the audience.) The psychological effect on the audience is to give the person being ordained a obligated and automatic level of acceptance, something that may not happen to the “stranger, even though they have been part of the church for a while. It took me a long time to figure out my calling. You might ask why I would even tell you that, well, there is a tremendous amount of manipulation involved with organized religion, as the church leadership will try to convince you to be a missionary in Zambia or a street evangelist on skid row in Los Angeles, Ca. (I can tell you that none of that appealed to me.)

As a young man, a few years before I got married for the first time, I had a very vivid dream / vision. I say it that way because of how real it seemed. Jesus stood at the end of my bed (although I could not see His face) and told me, with precision, my entire life. When He was finished, I thought, I need to write this down. I did not, because I was thinking while He was talking that I would remember every word and I could write it down later; I merely went back to sleep (I had been asleep, but in the dream, I was wide awake and thinking). When I awoke that morning, I knew Jesus had been there, but all I could remember was being filled with great joy at how the account ended. Having lived my life, I can tell you it has been far from joyous. I suppose that means that there is an unending joy yet to come.

Sometime later, I was doing some Bible reading and came across this bit of information, Moses had a sister.

Why is that important?

Because his mother put him in a thatched basket and set him in the river, hoping that someone kind would find this new male baby alive and provide for his well-being. That person was Pharaoh’s daughter. The sister of Moses, quite possibly Miriam, watched until the baby was pulled from the water and then offered Pharaoh’s daughter a “woman” that could nurse the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed with the understanding that she would come and collect the baby back to herself once he was weaned.

(If you feel that you must challenge me on what I have just said, then I suggest that go back and reread Exodus chapter two. The Amplified Bible adds the name Miriam in italics as a proper name is merely a logical assumption.)

There is some argument about how long this weaning period lasted, as some women continue to breastfeed their children well beyond a couple of years. 

Why are we even talking about this?

Because forty years later, we are told that Moses, who had been educated in Pharaoh’s courts, suddenly seems to realize that he has a non-Egyptian ancestry (although, at this point, they are known as the Hebrews.) No, the Bible does not give us all that detail; instead, the narrative moves Moses from the basket in the water to a life of royalty, privilege, education, and celebrity to the point where he kills an Egyptian on behalf of a Hebrew, one of his kinfolk. 

“Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
(Exodus 2:11-12 NASB)

The book of Acts tells us that Moses, at age forty, flees for his life and spends 40 years in the wilderness working as a shepherd with Jethro and living with Zipporah, his wife.

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.”
(Exodus 2:16-21 NASB)

What eventually happens is that Moses is told by God that all those who wanted him dead for the murder of the Egyptian are now dead.

At this point Moses is now 80 and there is NO mention of children or of Miriam.

“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. “So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me,’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”‘” Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”
(Exodus 4:22-25 NASB)

If this is all we get (“Now it came about at the night’s resting place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death”) as an explanation for why Zipporah cut off the foreskin, there is a severe lack of communication. By the way, I always thought Moses cut off his child’s foreskin. But, unfortunately, it seems Zipporah went on a verbal rampage, at the least, after she circumcised Gershom, the first son, who may have been a young man by this time.  

After this incident, we NEVER see Zipporah again. 

Why is that? 

I have struggled to understand the answer to that question, but it is evident that women had no rights.The Ten Commandments with Moses Facing the possibility that Moses took action against her changes the imagery that Cecil B. DeMille helped to create when he made the movie The Ten Commandments. 

What we do see down the road is Jethro, Zipporah’s father, coming to give Moses some wisdom about managing his time and all the demands being placed upon him. 

Moses demands that the new Pharaoh let God’s people go. Once the people gained their freedom from Egypt, Moses, under God’s mandate, ruled God’s people for 40 more years. In a relatively short time after their liberation from Egypt, Miriam reappears and does so as a prophetess.

Exodus 15:20  “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.”

Who pronounced her a prophetess, I don’t know. But watch this mutiny that suddenly ensues.

“Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married (for he had married a Cushite woman); and they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?” And the LORD heard it.” (Numbers 12:1-2 NASB)

I don’t know if this played a role in the conversation, but I have been told that the Cushites were very dark-skinned. I do not suggest that you allow your racism to run rampant here or anywhere else, as God looks upon the heart, and He can also see your heart. What might have played a role is that Moses already had a wife.

God had a response for Aaron and Miriam when they started bad-mouthing Moses.

Numbers 12:4-15 NASB

(4) Suddenly, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron and to Miriam, “You three come out to the tent of meeting.” So the three of them came out.

(There will be several of these short thought insertions.) The fact that they were inside the tent tends to mean that this was a private shouting match.

(5) Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the doorway of the tent, and He called Aaron and Miriam. When they had both come forward,

Just pointing out that they had eventually come forward demonstrates a hesitancy on the part of Aaron and Miriam, perhaps to own their “sin.”

(6) He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream.

Ah, and now we are back to the dream I had. If that dream made me a prophet, what am I supposed to do with this calling? 

I am a tremendous fan of Biblical men like the prophets Samuel (who hacked up King Agag) and Elijah (who boldly called down fire from heaven on multiple occasions. Of course, things like this make for great action movies, but causing a widow’s food supply to never end, or bringing a woman’s son back to life, an act which restored her financial security and provided for her future care in an age where social security did not exist; those are positive life-changing events and also done at the hands of prophets.

(7,8) “Not so, with My servant Moses, He is faithful in all My household; With him I speak mouth to mouth, Even openly, and not in dark sayings, And he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant, against Moses?”

Many will tell you that God is not bringing justice to evil people during this time of grace. The question you have to ask yourself is, does God change? The answer is no, but He has, as in the case of Jonah’s declared judgment against Nineveh, that God asked him to deliver; God relented (or postponed) in carrying out that announced judgment. Jonah whined about God’s decision and never got to see how that worked out for Nineveh, and we may not either when it comes to dealing with the disgusting swamp of a government we have, both locally and nationally. Oh, and by the way, God frequently uses people (sometimes radically insane people) to carry out his judgment. Some of us can see this as handing people over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh to preserve their souls. Read 1 Corinthians 5:5 to know how the Apostle Paul handled this.

(9,10) So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous.

This shows the immediacy with which it attached to her. It is obvious  to me that God was angry at both of them, but only Miriam got the leprocy on her. I honestly don’t understand that.

(11,12) Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. “Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!”

(13) Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!”

(14, 15) But the LORD said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not bear her shame for seven days? Let her be shut up for seven days outside the camp, and afterward she may be received again.” So Miriam was shut up outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until Miriam was received again.

How does any of this relate to baptism?

I do not see a necessity for anyone to get water baptized, and having a baby sprinkled does nothing except give you some internal comfort, which buys you nothing. If you, as an adult, wanted to demonstrate the serious nature of your commitment to Christ, perhaps getting baptized is the thing for you to do, but I must tell you that I know several people who shed tears and got water baptized and then lived for the devil. Obviously, this is not the way with everyone.

Then which baptism is the one that we, as believers, should be pursuing? 

The baptism that Jesus encouraged, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with fire. It seems odd to use the word encouraged as what He said came across more like a command. In Luke 24, some of the disciples, unnamed except for one we are not familiar with and a disciple named Cleopas, had been walking on the road to Emmaus when Jesus appeared to them and walked with them. During this walk, Jesus directed them to gather in Jerusalem and stay put until the Holy Spirit and the fire from God came upon them. 

“And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But remain in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
(Luke 24:49 BSB)

Clothed is intriguing as very few translation dictionaries direct you to the Greek word enduō. The NASEC and Mounce’s dictionaries are the only resources I have that address the word clothed.

Does that make clothed an improper choice?

Hardly, as the word enduō give us the idea of being “clothed with (in the sense of sinking into a garment.).” The King James Version expresses it this way “but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” It’s the same Greek word, but suddenly the resources are many. One I like to use is the Word Study Dictionary; it conveys this definition “To put on as a garment, to cause to get into a garment, to clothe, dress in, to be clothed; to clothe oneself.”

At Jesus’ command the disciples (now equaling about 120) began gathering in Jerusalem and in the upper room.

“And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
(Acts 1:4-5 MKJV)

Were they waiting for the infilling of the Holy Spirit or for Jesus to leave and the Holy Spirit to come?

I seriously doubt they understood what was happening, but having lost Jesus once they did not want to lose Him again. The wisest thing they could do was to follow His instructions.

What were they waiting for?

  • Power from on high.

  • Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

  • Fire, but what did mean.

  • “And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” Acts 2:3 

___________

The Holy Spirit was not a foreign subject to the disciples, but thanks to King David, it was an accepted and integral part of their lives that they did not think about. For the disciples, it was wisdom.

  • Jesus tried to explain that the Holy Spirit was no less a part of God than He was.

  • He told them that Holy Spirit would comfort them in ways that I still don’t fully understand.

  • And the Holy Spirit would teach them, lead and guide them into all truth.

    This speaks to me about all the voices (preachers, pastors, evangelists, Bible teachers, and internet “personalities” that all think you have to listen to them). To be honest, listening to all these talking heads can get your head to spinning. I have 55 Bibles, and about 40 commentaries on my computer; some are fairly solid resources and some are just bizarre. I can use information from a variety to convey what needs to be said, but it is the Holy Spirit that is guiding what I write to you, not the collection of talking heads that created the translation or transliteration of the Bible you are looking at. All of them have issues, so don’t let some bully tell you that you can only use the King James version.

    While we are on this earth, and especially in these last moments that we have on earth, you have to learn to trust and follow the Holy Spirit.

Jesus led by example; in that regard, they saw the Holy Spirit in action daily.

Jesus knew things about people and situations, and that is one of the ways that the Holy Spirit works.

If you watch the series The Chosen, watch the faces of the disciples as they try to figure out how He knew certain pieces of information, especially when no one said anything about what was coming next.

I tried to share this with my wife and she asked me a question, What is the fire?

If it was something that would painfully burn us to ashes, well then, I don’t think I want that at all. Thankfully, we saw that the fire was LIKE cloven tongues of fire. If it is my tongue on fire, then praying in the Holy Spirit helps to define this fire for me.

Example: One Sunday morning, in the little church, the worship music was awesome. I judge awesome based upon how it moves my spirit into spiritual warfare mode. This particular week, the pastor that I could not stand to be around chose to sit on the front row, directly in front of me. I believe that he values the Holy Spirit and he had joined in dancing before the Lord on occasions. It seems like the song had the words “let it rain, open the windows of heaven.” I just poured my spirit out before the Lord and began praying down the rains of warfare as I prayed in tongues. I could not tell you what I was praying about but I know this, God was splitting the heavens on my behalf. That pastor turned around and stared at me for several seconds. I was not in the mood and I kept it up for the length of the song.

That morning was fire for me.

Posted in baptize, bible study, Holy spirit, Matthew's gospel, winnowing fork | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase, “as it was in the days of Noah.”

Posted on 04/24/2023 by remso

One of the frequent discussions I hear centers on this phrase,

“as it was in the days of Noah.”

This comes from Luke 17:26, where it says, “And [just] as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the time of the Son of Man. (AMP)” 

Those that speak on this subject talk about how people just went about their business, getting married and having birthday parties, as though everything was good for their level of advancement (instead of merely banging two rocks together.)

What I just brought up doesn’t even come close to assessing how bad the world was at this time. So let’s start in Genesis 6:1-2 and see where this takes us.

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” (Genesis 6:1-2 ESV)

  • “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them,”

    It is not the multiplying part that creates the problem; there was plenty of land. It was this next aspect that God was paying close attention to.

  • “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Who were the sons of God?

They were angelic beings, and though there are both righteous and fallen angels our focus is on the fallen ones. Jesus in trying to explain a twisted and unusual question to some Jews, spoke of the angels that did not fall, when He said,

“… For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” Matthew 22:29-30 NKJV)

What can I make of this? 

That the angels, that remained subject to God and heavens laws, do not participate in sexual activity.

One of our primary pieces of evidence that these were fallen angels comes from an interaction between God and Satan, found in the book of Job.

“Now there was a day when the sons of God (the righteous ones) came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?”
(Job 1:6-9 ESV)

Some obvious things you might have picked up on, as Satan – who the Revelation describes as being thrown out of heaven, is meandering about in the heavenlies with the angels that did not fall, is that he is there and nothing no one is doing much to challenge him. 

Satan doesn’t seem to care if he is welcome or not, and so what do we see? 

Satan shoves himself right up near the throne to get God’s attention.

God asks Satan a question.

Does God ask questions because He is lacking answers?

Never, and so we can think of these inquiries as forensic – as He is studying the words you say and the manner in which you respond. You cannot lie to God.

How did Satan respond to God’s question, Have you considered my servant Job?

Well, of course, he had, and it was probably the basis for his being there in heaven, among the sons of God, of which he was still considered to be one. Consider the response of the disciples after being sent out. (This sending happened on two occasions: In Mark 6:7, it was only the twelve, but in Luke 10, the number being sent out was seventy. On both occasions, they were sent in pairs.)

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”
(Luke 10:17-18 ESV)

Satan didn’t just trip and fall out of heaven, he was thrown out.

“A war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels were fighting against the dragon and its angels. But the dragon lost the battle. It and its angels were forced out of their places in heaven and were thrown down to the earth. Yes, that old snake and his angels were thrown out of heaven! That snake, who fools everyone on earth, is known as the devil and Satan. Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, “Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come! God’s own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out! Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives. The heavens should rejoice, together with everyone who lives there. But pity the earth and the sea because the devil was thrown down to the earth. He knows his time is short, and he is very angry.” When the dragon realized that it had been thrown down to the earth, it tried to make trouble for the woman who had given birth to a son. But the woman was given two wings like those of a huge eagle, so that she could fly into the desert. There she would escape from the snake and be taken care of for a time, two times, and half a time. The snake then spewed out water like a river to sweep the woman away. But the earth helped her and swallowed the water that had come from the dragon’s mouth. This made the dragon terribly angry with the woman. So it started a war against the rest of her children. They are the people who obey God and are faithful to what Jesus did and taught. The dragon stood on the beach beside the sea.” (Revelation 12:7-18 CEV)

So the life-changing question that people ask is, When did Satan get thrown out of heaven?

Logic would tell you that this happened somewhere between Genesis 1:1 and the serpent showing up in the garden.

Genesis 2:2 indicates that God felt everything was done and good, but it was good once before and then not. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God made it perfect, to begin with.

“For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
(Isaiah 45:18 ESV)

So when I read a verse like Genesis 1:2, I can see that something cataclysmic happened.

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
(Genesis 1:2 ESV)

Well, Genesis 1:2 may have been the result of Satan’s being tossed to earth.

Were there any people other than Adam and Eve on earth?

The answer is a strong maybe. Look, you put a young, naked man and woman in the most spectacular of settings, and they will find a multitude of things to explore ( if you get my hint.) Didn’t you ever notice that God said to Eve, after the fall, now you will have pain in childbirth?

Why would He say that if she had never had children?

Give me a break; they had many. And, if all they knew was what Adam, their papa, said and acted like, then they, too, were Godlike. I know this opens a large “can-o-worms,” but try not to let your mind melt over this.

Then why didn’t the serpent – Satan go after one of the others?

Because, in the long run, Satan was going specifically after “God’s” creation,  those who had been given dominion over the earth, Adam and subordinately, Eve.

“And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of heaven and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that crawls upon the earth.””
(Genesis 1:26 AFV)

Dominion is the Hebrew word râdâh and means to tread down, subjugate, have dominion over, prevail against, and most importantly, have rule over.

Adam had been given command over this planet, and just like Jesus, he only did what the Father told him, except for that moment in the garden.

In that brief moment of time, he handed the entirety of the planet over to Satan by following his wife’s lead.

Now, if you read Genesis 1:26 attentively, you noticed that there is a plurality inferred, and you would be right, but God does not put a body on the man until Genesis 2:7, and then He only formed one of the two; so conversations about making humanity was all in the spiritual mode until He put flesh on them. All the instructions pertaining to this dominion were given specifically to the man, who, in time, informed Eve once she had been made.

If you can understand what I have just told you, then you will better understand what took place when the Serpent said to Eve, did God really say that?

Satan was trying to put a rift between God and Adam, Adam and Eve, and eventually all humanity that could never be repaired. In that masterful move, Satan sowed seeds of doubt, deceit, lying, and an unending heap of trust issues.

Oh, about that rift that could never be repaired. 

The laws that make this universe run are moral laws created and put in place by God himself. Therefore, the only one who could pay the price that justice demanded was God himself, and He did so by sending His Son, Jesus. He also bypassed an inherent problem we have had since the garden, and that is our built-in sin mode. Jesus did not have that, as He was not a creation of either man or woman and was, therefore, sinless. Jesus, being sinless, is the thing that Satan did not count on. So this irreparable rift was not too big of a problem as long as you have a sinless God-man to take your place, and Jesus did just that.

Back to this paragraph,

“the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.”

Having established that these “sons of God” were fallen angels that fell when they followed Satan in his folly, then they were taking the daughters of men, anybody at any time, as they chose. And I don’t think they cared about looks (even though the passage, as though the writer had interviewed them, says they noted the attractiveness of women) as they were trying to manipulate the human genome even further. Hold that thought for a moment. 

We live in a day when science is consistently modifying or attempting to modify the human genome. The American Department Of Defense (under the guise of DARPA) has been doing it for years as they try to create super soldiers. 

Since the ingesting of that fruit changed the human genome and instilled a propensity within us to sin, it permanently damaged the DNA strain that was the base origin of humanity. Every human from that moment forward has that same damaged marker. If that be the case, then when science began looking at DNA, they saw a commonality in every human strand compared. This damaged marker, for which they cannot find a purpose, becomes an expected marker in all of humanity.

I know most translations are using delicate wording so that you cannot easily pick up on the offense of the word “took.” Perhaps we could say they were merely grabbing these women, or shall I say abducting, whomever, whenever, they wanted. These fallen angels may not have copulated with their victims in the manner to which we are accustomed, but the scriptures tell us that they did it.

Do we have anything bizarre like this happening today?

Unfortunately, yes, we do. If you are into the paranormal, a Christian brother named LA. Marzulli writes books and speaks at conferences about demonic abductions. By the way, those that have withstood these encounters have only done so because they possessed ownership of the name of Jesus Christ because they had accepted Christ into their lives at some point, and they used it against what was happening to them.

LA Marzulli, along with others, like Brian Forester, have pursued unexplainable oddities, such as elongated skulls – that have had their DNA tested, and, though in this case found in Paracas, Peru, had parentage leading the researchers back to the Middle East and NO known earthly being.

Let’s assume that you don’t believe me at this point. Let me ask you a question;

Can you accept the Bible as non-challengeable?

I am not talking about known errors or translation disputations, of which there are many, but I know that God’s unchanging moral authority runs through the entirety of scripture. I also know that there is nothing of note in the New Testament that cannot be validated by prophetic words in the Old Testament. Our standard for proving this comes from the Law.

“One witness shall not rise against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin which he sins. At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses a thing shall be raised up to judgment.”
(Deuteronomy 19:15 LITV)

So, no matter whether it is a law matter or the validation of God’s Word, it can and should be validated by scriptural witnesses.

I brought up the possibility that Adam and Eve had other children. How do you explain that?

  1. Time, as we understand it, began that day in the garden. If you wish to say the earth is only ten thousand years old, basing the presumption of time from the garden event makes all the sense in the world. Sin, death, and rebellion in the lives of humans all came out of the garden and the eating of that fruit.

  2. What else happened that day? If you foolishly said that the plan of redemption began that day. To a degree, you would be right, but do you seriously think that God was caught off guard and had to come up with a plan now that the two people you have been close to for an untold amount of time will come to an end. Knowing that Satan would rebel and, in a way, take out God’s man, Adam, the plan to recover His creation and entirely eliminate Satan came into being long before we were a thought – and based upon what King David said, you knew me before time began.

  3. So children born outside of the garden do not fall under the category of sin, as sin, it would seem, became a genetic issue. The logical course would follow the change that began as the parents damaged their genetics and then passed that along to any children that followed.

    If they were outside of sin through genetics, then why would they have to be “judged” alongside everybody else?

    Good question, and maybe they are not. Consider that the fallen angels are given no recourse for their mutiny; perhaps those children which were not affected by tainted genetics sustained damage, just as the creation did and cries out for the day of their redemption.

    “All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so. Yet there was the hope that creation itself would one day be set free from its slavery to decay and would share the glorious freedom of the children of God. For we know that up to the present time all of creation groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth. But it is not just creation alone which groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us his children and set our whole being free.” (Romans 8:19-23 GNB)

So, anyone born outside of the garden was still affected by what happened there, just as the entirety of the earth was. 

Some would say, how would those born outside of the garden know about salvation? 

Well, first off, who was their daddy? Yep, Adam. Adam told Eve, and he also told them as well.

I told you that the garden and its sin were the basis of the world we live in. That moment in the garden initiated the prophetic insertion of Jesus into humanity and the plan of redemption’s calendar.

Did you, as you read, pick up on the fact that the method of momentary relief from sin came through appropriate sacrifice?

God, on the same day as the conversation in which He told Eve that one of her seed would crush the serpent’s head, killed animals – adequate enough to make appropriate coverings, and He showed Adam how to make sacrifice using those same animals. Do not assume that Adam had been stripped of his title; therefore, he was still meant to take dominion.

“for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29 NASB)

Testimony from the Old Testament.

“God is not a man who lies, or a son of man who changes his mind! Does He speak and then not do it, or promise and not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19 TLV)

That meant he was still in the chain of command for the redistribution of information. Since we DO NOT see any mention of those born outside of the garden, the most logical assumption is that they fell and went out of fellowship with God, as Cain did. 

If you can’t handle the idea that there were others born outside the garden and wish to hold to a chronological reading of the scriptures, then where did Cain get the idea that there were others, as violent as he, waiting to kill him?

“Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!”” (Genesis 4:14 TLV)

Another bizarre anomaly also follows Cain as he went to a city (?) and found a wife (?). Keep in mind that we are trying to follow a chronological pattern. So, Cain, then, would have to wait for Mom and Dad to produce a daughter that he could have. 

But who was next to be born? 

Seth, a “righteous” son. Try to imagine how long you might have to wait before a sister was born that you could have for a wife. A bizarre train of thought, but so is the logic.

Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden. Cain was intimate with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
(Genesis 4:16-17 TLV)

Assuming that we have eliminated the possibility that children born outside of the garden could have been called the sons of God, then the only beings left, as we have pointed out when we looked at Job, are the fallen angels.

One of the boisterous arguments against the angels procreating with humans is that angels have no male organs and, therefore, have no sex. This is based on this passage, where the Pharisees, who were always trying to trap Jesus, brought up a scenario in which a woman is passed through the family members, much like a sex slave, to produce children with the family name.

“In the resurrection, when they (these family members who each had her) rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
(Mark 12:23-25 ESV)

Luke’s gospel conveys this theme.

“In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
(Luke 20:33-36 ESV)

At the moment, we live in the age of grace; this age will come to an end with the removal of the church. At that point in time, those of us in heaven become a part of a term that I have come to despise, that “new age,” where we will be married to Christ, the groom. We will be like the angels in that they are eternal. We will be the Sons and Daughters of God that we were designed to be. Stop here. Our spirits are already eternal as we have been made in the image of God – an eternal spirit, and as such, we will merely go on living with our Father. Our relationship with Jesus moves us into what we call the body of Christ. So, in a sense, we are already married to the Lamb. The angels, who also have free will, for the most part, know their duties and place – and it does not include sex. Satan, his name was Lucifer, decided to supplant God, an act that exceeded the limits of his position. He managed to convince a third of the uncountable number of angels to follow him in this rebellion.

Did their spirits die?

No. Many of them were locked up in chains, as they, in their rebellion, became very dangerous. They will be cast into outer darkness, along with Satan and those who choose to follow him, to the place where there is gnashing of teeth, fire, and perpetual anguish.

The scripture leaves no one out, and the flooding killed everything that walked on land and breathed air, that includes half-breed angels, referred to as Nephilim. The giants died, but scripture tells us that they came back after the flood. 

“The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” (Genesis 6:4 NASB)

This can be attested to by Joshua and Caleb’s testimony upon their foray into Canaan and David’s killing of Goliath. Because we have very few records of Titans upon the earth, anymore, then I would suggest that the fallen angels changed their techniques and game plan.

So, the question is, who will you willingly be married to?

There are only two options, Jesus or Satan.

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Things that puzzle and provoke me. Matthew 3:9-12.

Posted on 04/16/2023 by remso

In the previous post on Matthew 3, we touched on verses 9 – 12, but as I look at these verses again, I see things that provoke and puzzle me. For example:

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
(Matthew 3:9 BSB)

If you are unaware, one of the primary purposes of the seven years of God’s wrath is to drive Israel to God and bring about their repentance.

When you read a statement such as “I tell you that out of these stones, God can raise up children for Abraham,” at the least, it sounds like a threat, as though God is telling the Jewish listener, don’t be so sure of yourselves. If you don’t know God’s capabilities, this thing with the rocks is doable. (Think about it, He -Jesus, created it all and made man from dirt. Dirt is a combination of many things, and one of them is rock.) I cannot begin to imagine what raising up stones as His children would look like, but it would be easy for God to do a substitution. Suddenly, this Gentile, who was graciously adopted into the family, feels very small.

Now look at what Jesus has to say.

“The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
(Matthew 3:10 BSB)

Who is He referring to when He says trees?

The Children of Abraham.

“And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.”
(Romans 11:16 NLT)

Many will try to tell you that the Gentile church replaced Israel. NOT by a long shot. The Apostle Paul begins to explain.

“Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.”
(Romans 11:11-12 NLT)

I can’t help but think about the implications where “the axe lies ready at the roots of the trees.”

  • If you cut even a single, large root, you will severely damage the tree and possibly kill the tree; death, in this case, is slow. Some of the effects from such damage may have played a role in several tall trees falling due to rain, wind, and who knows what else. Fortunately, no one was struck by the trees.

  • Cut all the roots, and you will cut off the water and nutrient supply. Death will come quickly, anywhere from days to weeks.

If you are a farmer and your life is dependent upon the crops you produce, you only buy the best. A tree represented as top quality should not produce bad fruit; if it does, then you have insect damage or soil nutrient issues, which you should have checked. 

But what does Jesus say?

Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

I think about my life, where I was raised in the church. Whether I understood what I was doing or not seems irrelevant because I have been able to look back upon these detrimental events and know that God has always been a part of my life. Undoubtedly, I turned my back on God several times as I soaked in my shame, but God NEVER turned His back on me.

This would be an excellent place to throw in my two cents.

First, many have said God cannot look upon sin. Most recently, in my hearing, Pastor Greg Laurie once again made this assertion. The implications are that God must turn His back on you, effectively cutting you off from His active grace and mercy.

Is that true?

No, How can it be? 

Adam and Eve did not only sin (they missed the mark and blew it up for all of us) in the garden, but some feel it is appropriate to say that Adam committed high treason. 

So what did God do in response to their actions?

Turn His back on them?

No, He comes down, as usual, and walks in the cool of the garden, as He always did. Yes, He spelled out what the sin had done and what would continue to happen. But have hope, as Eve’s seed would eventually crush the Serpent’s head.

And while a rant like this could go on for volumes, let me repeat what the Apostle John told us.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”
(John 3:16-17 BSB)

Not only did He NOT turn His back on us, but He put Himself on the cross for us. Just the opposite of turning His back.

Did God cut me down and throw me into the fire?

This statement certainly sounds permanent, much like Gehenna/hell, and in a recent conversation with my wife, I think I realized that God had brought the fire into my life to purge and purify me. The circumstances drove me into the Word, where, as one dear lady puts it, it made me a Bible Nerd.
Look at what John the Baptizer has to say in the very next verse,

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
(Matthew 3:11 NLT)

There is that word fire again.

I understand baptism with the Holy Spirit because of statements that Jesus made to explain it. Still, there were the cloven tongues that appeared like fire upon the disciples, equaling about 120 persons. There was obvious evidence of speaking with other tongues and power, which for many equated to boldness.

Jesus had to go so that the Holy Spirit – the comforter, could come, and He did, but along with comfort comes boldness.

“But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.”
(John 16:7 NLT)

People are always willing to fight over terminology, especially if you did not say the correct word by their standards. So let me show you the Amplified translation, as they give more than enough supplementary words to define.

However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
(John 16:7 AMP)

The Holy Spirit, acting on God’s behalf and doing only what the Father says, as Jesus did, strengthens our hearts about Jesus.

“But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”
(John 15:26 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will abide with you forever. Doesn’t this speak of a God that will not let you go?

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.”
(John 14:16 NLT)

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

If you live under a rock and put your faith in Him, the comforter will teach you what you need to know and help you understand. Now, mind you, Jesus was referring to the things the disciples had been told at a time when there were no Bibles, and absorbing the Word of God could only come through repeated hearing from the Torah scrolls – typically kept in the synagogues.

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
(John 14:26 NLT)

I tried to run this past the wife, where John the baptist says, “ He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire,” and she had to ask me what the fire is supposed to be in our lives. Well, to be honest, I don’t know, in spite of the fact that many have tried to explain what they think this is.

Elijah called fire down from heaven upon troops that would take him, prisoner. And when you consider the two witnesses that show up on the streets of Jerusalem after the church has been removed, they are adeptly spewing literal fire upon anyone who tries to harm them.

Here is the drawback to thinking regarding the physical spewing of fire.

James and John exclaimed at one point,

“Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” (Luke 9:54 NLT)

They had no lack of faith that this could be done, but you won’t see their potential motivation if you use one of the simplistic translations. So instead, the Amplified expands the verse appropriately and gives you the backreference.

“But [the people] would not welcome or receive or accept Him, because His face was [set as if He was] going to Jerusalem. And when His disciples James and John observed this, they said, Lord, do You wish us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did ?” [II Kings 1:9-16.] (Luke 9:53-54 AMP)

Some things to notice here in this narrative about Elijah. It’s an amazing narrative; perhaps you should read it.

  • Because at least these two disciples had paid attention that day in synagogue school, James and John had a strong faith that they, too, could call fire down. Paying attention and having Jesus perform miracles on many levels could have built their confidence to the point where they felt they could call down fire on people. It’s a fantastic narrative; perhaps you should read it. 

    The context begins in 2 Kings 1:2.

    “One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover.” (2 Kings 1:2 NLT)

  • So instead of turning to the Lord, he turns to Baalzebub, the god of Ekron. On their way to the temple of Baalzebub, the king’s messenger meet Elijah.

    “But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are on your way to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?’ Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” So Elijah departed.” (2 Kings 1:3-4 BSB)

    Of course, there is a God in Israel, but it is so easy to forget, and secondly, no one wants to hear that they are going to die and the messengers return to Ahaziah.

    “When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you returned?” They replied, “A man came up to meet us and said, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him that this is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending these men to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.’” (2 Kings 1:5-6 BSB)

    If you send someone on a mission knowing how long it should take, and they are back within 30 minutes when it should have taken a couple of hours, you know there is a problem. Having had experiences with Elijah, the King asks:

    “The king asked them, “What sort of man came up to meet you and spoke these words to you?” “He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.” (2 Kings 1:7-8 BSB)

    I am the king; go get him.

    “Then King Ahaziah sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. So the captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king declares, ‘Come down!’” (2 Kings 1:9 BSB)

    The response from Elijah to this command.

    “Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” And fire came down from heaven and consumed the captain and his fifty men.” (2 Kings 1:10 BSB)

    This happened three times, but the third captain was wiser and could see the results of the previous two attempts.

    “So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. And the third captain went up, fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, “Man of God, may my life and the lives of these fifty servants please be precious in your sight. Behold, fire has come down from heaven and consumed the first two captains of fifty, with all their men. But now, may my life be precious in your sight.” (2 Kings 1:13-14 BSB)

    This response also pleased the Lord, so God gave Elijah the green light to go with the captain. 

    “Then the angel of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Do not be afraid of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king. And Elijah said to King Ahaziah, “This is what the LORD says: Is there really no God in Israel for you to inquire of His word? Is that why you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not get up from the bed on which you are lying. You will surely die.” So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken. And since he had no son, Jehoram succeeded him in the second year of the reign of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat over Judah.” (2 Kings 1:15-17 BSB)

    Setting aside the fire momentarily, God carried out His word, and Ahaziah died. There is an intriguing phrase within this paragraph: “So Ahaziah died according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken.” Wow, I am sure that Elijah merely said what the Lord had told him to say. Perhaps there is a relationship thing that we are missing when we skim over something like this. 

  • Jesus didn’t denounce the two disciples. The Bible tells us, depending upon the translation, that He reprimanded them.

    The word that the majority of translations use is rebuked.

I’m not too fond of that word because, as a child, I was rebuked savagely, and let’s leave it at that.

The word rebuke is the Greek word epitimaō, and the meanings read like this:

REBU’KED, pp. Reproved; reprehended; checked; restrained; punished for faults.

REPROVED, pp. Blamed; reprehended; convinced of a fault.

CHECKED, pp. Stopped; restrained; repressed; curbed; moderated; controlled; reprimanded.

RESTRAINED, pp. Held back from advancing or wandering; withheld; repressed; suppressed; abridged; confined.

Did Jesus control, hold back, curb, restrain, and convince of a fault, these two disciples?

Most certainly, and He did it without rage. He did NOT tell them that what they were proposing was stupid and impossible because it wasn’t, but they were learning that they were living in the age of grace. So the instructions that Jesus had repeatedly given them were to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.

Alright, the last verse for this post.

“His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into thewinnowing fork in action barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
(Matthew 3:12 ESV)

The idea behind a fork like this is that the lightweight, unwanted portion gets caught by the breeze and moves away, forming a pile of debris while the wheat falls at your feet. 

Eugene Peterson’s The Message tells us that “He (God) is going to clean house” soon. He goes on to say, “He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

The seemingly simplistic word burn is the Greek word katakaiō and means to burn down (to the ground), that is, consume wholly.

The King James Concordance tells us that the word katakaiō was used 13x in the New Testament. Revelation 18 is one of those places where the term katakaiō is used and is used concerning Babylon. Many seem to think that Babylon, the physical place, is to be rebuilt.

How about NOT. About a year ago, a Christian archaeologist went to the site of former Babylon and demonstrated how much it matches the description in Isaiah 13.

“And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation; Nor will the Arab pitch his tent there, Nor will shepherds make their flocks lie down there. But desert creatures will lie down there, And their houses will be full of owls; Ostriches also will live there, and shaggy goats will frolic there. Hyenas will howl in their fortified towers And jackals in their luxurious palaces. Her fateful time also will soon come And her days will not be prolonged.” (Isaiah 13:19-22 NASB)

So Babylon is a demonic spiritual entity; watch what happens to it.

“To the degree that she glorified herself and lived sensuously, to the same degree give her torment and mourning; for she says in her heart, ‘I SIT as A QUEEN AND I AM NOT A WIDOW, and will never see mourning.’ “For this reason, in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour, your judgment has come.’ “And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes any more –” (Revelation 18:7-11 NASB)

And it goes on.

“The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls; for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!’ And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What city is like the great city?’ “And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’” (Revelation 18:15-19 NASB)

One more passage where the word katakaiō is used.

“The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”
(Revelation 8:7 ESV)

When you start with Revelation chapter six, you see the beginning of God’s wrath being poured out upon Israel and the nations in the seals. Then, as the seals end, God moves into the “trumpet” judgments that begin in Revelation eight. Remember that the word katakaiō implies a complete burning where nothing is left.

I began this look at Matthew 3:11, where John the baptizer discussed how Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire. I focused on fire and pointed out what it was not. What fire does is purify, so I cannot exclude God from bringing fire into our lives. If it needs to bring that idol you have set up to the ground, let it, as God is purifying you.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”
(2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV)

We will be tested with fire as part of the judgment seat. This is NOT a trying to see if you pass the admission test, but removing those things NOT allowed into the Holy City.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
(1 Peter 1:6-7 ESV)

Fire brings warmth and comfort, so I hope you can see yourselves as someone who brings these aspects into the lives of others. 

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