Part 4 Daniel and Revelation. The Longest Time Prophecy

June 26, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

Then I heard a holy one speaking;…“How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Daniel 8:13-14

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Recap from the last study

In Daniel’s vision, he saw a vicious battle between a ram and a goat. The two animals are easily identified as the kingdoms of Media-Persia and Greece:

The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king.

Daniel 8:20-21

So, there can be no doubt who these animals represent. History has proved the succession of these nations to be absolutely correct. The large horn of the kingdom of Greece is the first king who history has shown to be Alexander the Great.

As the prophecy predicted, Alexander’s great kingdom of Greece was divided into “four notable” generals: Ptolemy Lysimachus, Cassander, and Seleucus.

Then “from out of one of them came a little horn.” This little horn power represented pagan Rome, the next kingdom in the succession of conquering kingdoms. This power corresponded to the iron legs in the metal image of Daniel 2 and the “dreadful beast” of Daniel 7.

These prophecies of Daniel 2, 7, and 9 are clearly interpreted from God’s own word within each chapter and further confirmed by the historians looking back on that time period.

This little horn now becomes the center of attention of Daniel. He understood the rise and fall of the nations, but his main focus is on the little horn power and the destructive events at its hand.

The battles and events have been on a horizontal plane up to this point, but now it turns vertical and a spiritual war against the host of heaven.

And it grew up to the host of heaven, and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host, and by him, the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered

Daniel 8: 10-12

This little horn power that “grew up” greatly concerned Daniel. At this point in his vision, Daniel heard a conversation between the two attending angels:

Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”

And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”

Daniel 8: 13-14

Even the attending angels wanted to know how long this little horn power would rule and wage its war against God’s people and even Jesus Himself (Prince of the host). The chapter ends leaving us in suspense because even though the question about “how long” has been answered as “two thousand three hundred days” we have no idea as to the starting point. Daniel is so troubled by this little horn power that he faints and becomes sick. This time period is the only part of this prophecy not interpreted….at least at this point.

And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward, I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.

Daniel 8:27

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Daniel’s Prayer

Chapter 8 ends with the words “no one understood it.” The ram, the goat, the horns were all explained and everyone understood this part, because the angel interpreted the beasts to represent coming kingdoms that would rise and fall. But the little horn and its time of rule remained mysterious.

Chapter 9 opens with Daniel studying another prophet-Jeremiah. We must remember that Daniel and the Jews were in captivity, but Daniel understood from the book of Jeremiah that their captivity would last 70 years and those 70 years were coming to a close:

“I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

Daniel 9: 2

Starting in verse 3, Daniel begins to pray to God in a state of great humility and confession for himself and his people (Jews) who have sinned against God. Because of this, they did not enjoy the benefits, mercy, and protection God offers to those who keep His covenant and obey His commandments. They were in captivity!

Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,..”

Daniel 9: 3-4

(Note: God’s covenant can be either conditional or unconditional based on the context. In the previous passage, we see that those who love Him and keep His commandments are recipients of His covenant of mercy.)

“As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.

Daniel 9: 13

Such a great truth! When we separate ourselves from Him and fail to follow His will, disaster is sure to come. But, through connecting back with this merciful God through prayer and turning from “our iniquities” we can find the path of righteousness and protection for our souls!

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As Daniel is praying, Gabriel appears. He was the angel who interpreted the dream in Chapter 8. This messenger of God has returned to continue the explanation of the part of the prophecy that concerned Daniel in Chapter 8.

Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.

Daniel 9: 20-22

The context of the following time prophecy is with the 2,300 days until the sanctuary will be cleansed. (Daniel 8:14). Gabriel has come to help him understand the vision. What vision? It was the mysterious part of Chapter 8. All of it was explained except for the little horn that concerned Daniel and the time part of the vision i.e. 2,300 days. We know this to be true because this is what Gabriel explains.

(Note: In our previous study, we determined through comparing Bible passages about time prophecy that a day represents a year. (e.g Numbers 14:34, etc). So we are talking about 2,300 years.

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God’s Mercy – Daniel’s People Given Time

“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.”

Daniel 9: 24

Th Greek word chathak word is translated “determined” which means “cut-off” or “marked out” Out of the 2,300 years, 70 weeks are cut-off or marked out for Daniel’s people (Jews). Using the day-year principle of interpretation, The 70 weeks are 490 years (70 X 7). So out of the 2,300 years, 490 are given to the Jews to complete their purpose as God’s chosen people. Their purpose was to follow and believe God. To obey His laws within their heart rather than through legalism. Equally important was to bring in everlasting righteousness and end the vision and prophecy via anointing the Most Holy (Jesus)

But when was the time period to start? When did the 2,300 days begin as well as these 70 weeks (490 years)? The answer is found in the next verse:

“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street^[shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.”

Daniel 9:29

Here is our starting point for the 2,300 days. A portion of this time period is allotted or “marked out” for Daniel’s people the Jewish nation.

The starting point is the “command to restore and build Jerusalem.” This was a command still future to Daniel, but we can easily find the time and date of this command from the Bible and history!

This command to restore and build Jerusalem can be found in Ezra Chapter 7 when Artaxerxes gave the commandment in 457 BC. (See the notes at the end)

The Arrival Time of Jesus the Messiah Predicted

Starting with this date, the prophecy is unlocked. From 457 BC until “Messiah the Prince” would be 69 weeks. There are 483 days in 69 weeks, but using the day/year principal, we discover that 483 years after 457 BC brings us to 27 AD. This was the date Jesus was baptized and began his ministry. The Messiah had arrived right on time! He was “anointed” by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove.

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. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3: 16-17

Jesus also announced at the beginning of His ministry this message:

“Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Mark 1: 14, 15

The time of Daniel’s prophecy had been fulfilled. The Messiah the prince came right on schedule…483 years after the commandment to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem.”

This time prophecy is further confirmed by the words of Paul (A great student of God’s word):

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son

Galatians 4: 4

But the prophecy continues

Jesus Ministry Confirms the Covenant

Jesus’ direct ministry would cover the space of 3 1/2 years. That is half of 7 years or the midst of the week. in 31 AD Jesus died on a cruel cross for us and not for Himself, but Jesus’ indirect ministry would continue through His disciples for an additional 3 1/2 years.

And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself…

…Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.

Daniel 9: 26

Jesus’ message was primarily to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” first and foremost. There are many parables and direct statements of Jesus. He was “confirming the covenant” as predicted in this Daniel 9 prophecy. Here is one example:

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 15: 24

To continue with the confirmation of the covenant God made with “Daniel’s people” (Israel) even after the “Messiah the Prince” had been “cut off,” Jesus gave specific instruction to His disciples before they “preached the gospel in all the world“

These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel

Matthew 10: 5,6

They obeyed the resurrected and ascended Christ by doing this very thing for an additional 3 1/2 years to complete the prophecy to “confirm the covenant for one week” (7 years).

In 34 AD, Stephen was stoned marking the end of the 70 weeks (490 years) cut off from the 2,300 years before the sanctuary would be cleansed.

After that point, the gospel burden went to the Gentiles and those who accepted Christ as the Messiah became the new Israel. Listen to the words of Paul confirming this understanding of the mission of Christ and the fulfillment of the 70-week prophecy:

Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Acts 13:46

Paul would go on to describe the real nation of Israel and how it is identified:

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3: 29

but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

Romans 2:29

Let’s review the 70 weeks (490 years) through this simple chart:

Here are the important dates:

457 BC-The commandment by Artaxerxes (Ezra 7: 12-26) to “restore and rebuild Jerusalem
483 years later, “Messiah the Prince” appeared right on time. This was in 27 AD when Jesus was anointed and began his ministry primarily to the nation of Israel
In 31 AD, Jesus was crucified (3 1/2 years after his ministry to the house of Israel began)
34 AD marked the end of the 70 weeks (490 years) allotted to the nation of Israel to turn to their God. In this year, Stephen was stoned and the disciples began to be persecuted. Shortly after, Paul would begin his ministry to the Gentiles. He called himself a preacher to the Gentiles:

I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles

2 Timothy 1:11

70 weeks (490 years) of the 2300 days (years) are used in this section of the prophecy. 1810 years remains.

1810 years from 34 AD leads us to the year 1844. Daniel was told in the longest time prophecy that at the end of the 2300 days (years) the sanctuary would be “cleansed.” What doe this mean? We will let the bible interpreted itself in our next study, but here is a short introduction.

The sanctuary services were instituted by God Himself. The pattern was given to Moses. This design is a copy of the heavenly sanctuary. Some might think there is nothing applicable to the Christian since these services ended when Jesus was “cut off” and,

“(brought) an end to sacrifice and offering.

Daniel 9:27

But, as we shall understand next time, Paul dedicated a whole book to the study of the sanctuary and its comparison to the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary. It is the book of Hebrews. If the earthly sanctuary and its services are a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary, then it must foreshadow the work of Jesus there in heaven. He has gone to “prepare a place for us.” Does this mean He is a carpenter and building mansions or is He a priest doing a service of preparation for His people?

The old sanctuary service of “cleansing” is a type of resolution and end of the sin issue. By studying closely the sanctuary services, we will see a picture of what God has planned for the return of Jesus and an end of sin which includes the conquering of the last enemy, death.

Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 8:5

And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15

Until next time, may the Lord bless and keep you and your family.

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Notes on the Ezra dates:

*Notes about the dates described above:

Ezra has three decrees with different dates that could be used. Nehemiah has a date also. But the decision as to which one to use, you must keep in mind the key words of the prophecy: “the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.”The four decrees are :
The decree of Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4)
The decree of Darius I (Ezra 6:1-12)
The decree of Artaxerxes I (Longimanuus) (Ezra 7: 12-26)
The decree of Artaxerxes (Nehemiah Chapters 1 and 2) Let’s eliminate some of the dates based on the guiding verse of Daniel 9:25 Ezra 1-gave instruction only for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Said nothing about the whole city. We can eliminate this date. Ezra 6-simply the endorsement by Darius of the decree of Cyrus. Only mentions the building of the “house of God.” We can eliminate this date. Ezra 7 makes provision for complete restoration of the Jewish state, including the right to appoint magistrates and judges, hold trials, and pass and execute sentence upon violators of the own national laws. This is the date that fits the idea of “restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2-Wording has not been preserved but was simply a reinstatement of Artaxerxes original authorization to Ezra recorded in Ezra chapter 7. Determination of the date of the decree: It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes’ reign (Ezra 7:7,8) Biblical evidence for the 457 BC start date: The dates for Artaxerxes reign are well documented in the ancient sources: Greek historians, Ptolemy’s Canon
The Babylonian business tablets
Elephantine papyri from Egypt
From the above documents, we know that Xerxes was killed in late December of 465 B.C. and the reign of Artaxerxes began at the time.

Artaxerxes Reign	Fall to Fall
First year	464/463 B.C.
Second year	463/462 B.C.
Third year	462/461 B.C.
Fourth year	461/460 B.C.
Fifth year	460/459 B.C.
Sixth year	459/458 B.C.
Seventh year	458/457 B.C.

Therefore, the seventh year of Artaxerxes, according to Jewish reckoning, extended from the fall of 458 to the fall of 457 B. C.

Daniel and Revelation

Daniel and Revelation Part 3-Little Horn Power

June 8, 2019 Eddie 3 Comments

One of the reasons I know the Bible is true and that its writers are honest. They do not try to sugarcoat the bad stuff. The writers could have skipped over the evil, terror, killings and replaced it with anything that would not hurt peoples’ feelings. We live in a world where the bad stuff is often kept secret or suppressed. Feelings are often more important than truth.

The mindset of those on our campuses is “We condemn freedom of speech that hurt other peoples’ feelings.” On the opposite end of thought on freedom of speech. Benjamin Franklin said, “Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.”

Being politically correct is no longer an option. It is a requirement in our society. But, in the Bible, God tells it like it is; it is not a politically correct book. Those who would quote the words, even in a caring loving manner, are considered hateful and maybe even a bigot. Many people don’t like what they hear from God’s word, but that does not change what is true.

The truth is not always found on the main highway but lies along the narrow path. It is not on the lips of the majority but in the hearts of a few who seek it with all their heart. Jesus told his disciples, they might not be ready to hear more of his words,

That said, let’s jump in…

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Daniel saw some things that disturbed him greatly and it caused him to be sick. I can identify with him. Truth is not always comfortable, but it will always bring peace that passes understanding. The truth will increase your faith and trust in the God who made you and all creation.

“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

Daniel 7: 19 – 20

Daniel seems to be clear about the three beasts of this chapter and what they represented, because his only interest after his vision was to know about the 4th beast and particularly the strange looking little horn that came up out of the 4th beast.

Shouldn’t we want to know the truth about the fourth beast and the horn? Can we know the truth? Yes, we can! How do we know? Because the angel comes back and explains them to Daniel.

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

Daniel 7:16

While much of the vision is yet future for Daniel, we can see his future in the interpretation and it will help us understand the basis for interpreting our future!

This 4th beast was different from the others. What does that mean? First of all, this beast is so odd that Daniel could not find anything in nature such as the lion, the bear, and the leopard to represent its appearance nor its character.

If one thinks about it, Daniel could easily understand how the Lion with two wings and the Bear with three ribs could represent Babylon and the Medes/Persian empire because he lived during the fall and rise of Babylon. He also lived to see the Medes and Persians begin to become a world power. But Greece was yet to appear as was the 4th kingdom of Rome and the little horn power.

Fulfilled prophecy is more clearly understood as one looks back . Wouldn’t you agree? The fulfillment of prophecies past is the basis for the principles involved in interpreting those parts of the prophecy yet future. The fulfilled prophecies of Daniel were so accurate that many attempt to put Daniel’s vision at a later point so it becomes history rather than the divine hand of God moving among the powers of the earth. This is impossible when you consider the time span covered in the prophecy.

Through archaeological discoveries, historians catch up with the word of God and validate its accuracy. Truly, Daniel saw these visions of 4 great Monarchs before they happened. He was there personally at the rise and fall of Babylon and the rise of Persia. But, he was not there for the other powers that were to arise nor the time of judgement and the 2nd coming of Christ as this vision depicts.

Daniel is careful to describe the times of his visions for those in the future who would doubt.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon

Daniel 7:1

This time in the 6th century BC was before the events yet to occur as described in the picture below.

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Daniel 2 and 7 Comparison:

The imagery of the ferocious 4th beast and the cunning and power of the little horn, made Daniel sick. I am sure if we were given a look into the future to see how it all ends, we would be troubled greatly too! This is what will happen to many who read Daniel and Revelation. The scripture unfolds the identity of the 4th beast and the little horn power. It also gives us a picture of heavenly things.

“This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept the matter in my heart.”

Daniel 7:28

As we saw from the previous study, the fourth kingdom to appear on the world scene was the iron monarchy of Rome.

At this point, let’s see the comparison of Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 regarding those powers during Daniel’s time and those yet future. (Daniel 8 will also add to this chart, but we will fill it in when we study that chapter next.)

ChartsGraphs-5060-Comparing-Statue-and-Beasts-Daniel

Daniel 2 was a simple straight forward prophecy of 4 major kingdoms rising and falling. The prophecy was a time line that spoke to the diminishing value of the metals and therefore the value of its countries, particularly in a spiritual sense.. It is finally a mixture of strong and weak as demonstrated by the combining of iron and clay in the feet and 10 toes.

Daniel 7 repeats Daniel 2, but begins to layer in detail and some facts that are difficult to accept. Daniel 7 fills in some elements of time, but even more obvious is its attention to the power ruling just before God sets up His kingdom.

Daniel 7 does not stop at the 10 divisions (10 horns of the 4th beast), but goes further into Daniel’s future and we will see even more detail of the worlds future events when we compare it with Revelation!

New Detail of Daniel 7:

The new detail about the 4th power (legs of iron with 10 toes or the 4th beast with 10 horns ) is that three of the 10 divisions are uprooted by the little horn that speaks great things and persecutes others after it comes up among the 10 horns.

“I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things”

Daniel 7:8

The interpretation of this is clear:

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Daniel 7:24

The horns represent ten kings that shall arise and the little horn is a different type of king that shall subdue three kings.

Since the symbols (metal and animals) are demonstrating a time line of succession, we have the basis to identify the king that arose during the 10 divisions of Rome.

There are some identifying marks in this chapter that helps us determine who was or is the little horn power.

1.) It will come up among the divided kingdom of Rome between the time of 350-500 A.D. (Verse 8)

2. It would be a little Kingdom. As noted by the little horn (Verse 8)

3 . It would have a man speak at the head of it. (Verse 8)

4. It would be “diverse” or different from the other 10 Kingdoms. [(Verse 24)

5. It would “pluck up” or “subdue” 3 of the 10 divisions. (Verse 8, 24)

6. It would speak great words against God. (Verse 25)

7. It would emerge from Pagan Rom (Verse 7, 8

8. It would wear out the Saints for “time, times, and dividing a time” (Verse 25)

9. It would “THINK” to change times and laws(Verse 25)

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What power in history fits all nine traits? What power came on the scene as Rome was being divided into the modern countries of Europe today?

It is Papal Rome. No other power on earth fits all the features of the little horn.

Let’s revisited the 9 identifying markers and see if the papacy fits:

1. (Origin) Comes up among the divided Kingdom (Verse 8)

The Papacy came up in Rome Italy, the heart of the divided Kingdom in 538 AD.

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2. (Size) It would be a little Kingdom. As noted by little Horn. (Verse 8)

Rome is now known as the smallest country in the world.

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3. (Communication) It would have a man speak at the head of it. (Verse 8)

The Papacy does have a head. He is known as the Pope.

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4. (Comparative Characteristic) It would be “diverse” or different from the other 10 Kingdoms. (Verse 24)

The Papacy is diverse in that it is a “Religious” power. as compared to the other 10 kingdoms which were “Secular” Powers.

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5. (Origin actions) It would “Pluck up” or “subdue” 3 of the 10 divisions. (Verse 8, 24)

The emperors of Western Europe were largely Catholic and supported the papacy in its growth and authority.

Three Arian kingdoms, however, did not support the papacy–the Vandals, Heruli, and Ostrogoths. So the Catholic emperors decided they must be subdued or destroyed.

Here is how Dr. Mervyn Maxwell, a theologian and historian, described the results in volume 1, page 129, of his book God Cares: “The Catholic emperor Zeno (474-491) arranged a treaty with the Ostrogoths in 487 which resulted in the eradication of the kingdom of the Arian Heruls in 493. And the Catholic emperor Justinian (527-565) exterminated the Arian Vandals in 534 and significantly broke the power of the Arian Ostrogoths in 538.

Thus were Daniel’s three horns –the Heruls, the Vandals, and the Ostrogoths–‘plucked up by the roots.’ ” It is not difficult to recognize that the papacy fits this point.

It is interesting that the Vatican, home of the pope, sits near what is called the 7 hills of Rome.

Map of the seven hills of Rome.Source: Wikimedia Commons — 7 Hills of Rome

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6. (In the place of God) It would speak great words against God. (Verse 25).

Just as the term anti-Christ does not mean against Christ, but rather in place of Christ, the phrase “speak great words against God is better translated “speak great words concerning God.. The Hebrew word for “against” (tsad) is only used 1 other time and it is in the previous chapter of Daniel!:

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning (or against) the kingdom;

Daniel 6:4

One of the names of the Pope is “Vicar of Christ.” The term “vicar” comes from the Latin word vicarius, which means “instead of.” Calling the pope the “Vicar of Christ” implies that he has the same power and authority that Christ had over the church

The Papacy claims to be the voice of God on earth. When the Pope makes a judgement on doctrine, his pronouncements are infallible:

“An infallible pronouncement—whether made by the pope alone or by an ecumenical council—usually is made only when some doctrine has been called into question. Most doctrines have never been doubted by the large majority of Catholics. “

From Catholic Answers website

“The Pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned. Every bishop, every priest, every member of the Church is subject to him.” Quoted in the New York CatechismThe Catholic book, “My Catholic Faith” which is based on the Baltimore Catechism, on page 251

Further evidence of Roman Catholicism replacing God and His word is in the tradition of seeking a priest to forgive sins. Only Jesus can forgive sins. He has attained that right through his sinless life, death, and resurrection. To think another man can forgive sins is operating “instead” of Christ and is blasphemous.

The Bible defines blasphemy as man claiming to forgive sins

When He saw their faith, He said to him,

“Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Luke 5:21

The papacy has set up a non-biblical confessional for people to get there sins forgiven.

The Bible tells us we have direct access to Jesus:

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

Jesus said, our confession for the forgiveness of sins is tied directly to God and not another

“If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”

1 John 1:9.

The priest and the one confessing truly belief that sins are being forgiven through the priest:

“Does the Priest truly forgive the sins, or does he only declare that they are remitted? The Priest does really and truly forgive the sins in virtue of the power given to him by Christ.”

Joseph Deharbe, S.J., A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion (New York: Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss, 1924), p. 279.

And he also claims to be God………….

“We [the popes] hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty.”

Christopher Marcellus, Oration in the Fifth Lateran Council, Session IV (1512), manuscript SC, Vol. 32, col. 761 (Latin).

“Thou art another God on earth.”

Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter “The Reunion of Christendom,” dated June 20, 1894, trans. in The Great Encyclical letters of Pope Leo XIII (New York:
Benziger, 1903), p. 304.

“The pope is not only the representative of Jesus Christ, but he is Jesus Christ, Himself, hidden under the veil of flesh.”

Catholic National, July 1895.

Truly the little horn (the papacy) speaks great words “in place” of God himself.

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7. (Roots in paganism & its practices) It would emerge from Pagan Rome (Verse, 8)

There is little doubt here, but to let Rome answer for themselves.

“The mighty Catholic Church was little more than the Roman Empire baptised … The very capital of the old Roman Empire became the capital of the Christian empire. The office of Pontifex Maximus was continued in that of the pope.”

Alexander Clarence Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, pp. 148, 149.

“Whatever Roman elements the barbarians and Arians left … [came] under the protection of the Bishop of Rome, who was the chief person there after the emperor’s disappearance. The Roman Church in this way privily pushed itself into the place of the Roman World-Empire, of which it is the actual continuation.”

Adolf Harnack, What is Christianity? (New York: Putnam, second edition, revised, 1901), pp. 269, 270.

So again we see the Papacy fits the point.

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8. (Activity and time span) It would wear out the Saints for “times, time, and dividing a time” (Verse 25)

I am going to save this time prophecy until next time so I can spend more dedicated time on confirming its accuracy. We will see that the rule of the papacy started from 538 AD (the last opposing power against the papacy is conquered) and ended in 1798 (The pope is taken into captivity and dies). A period of 1, 260 years as predicted by God’s word. The Bible says after this time that the “wound would be healed” and this is the time we now live in. The time of the healed papacy that is daily ascending in power and recognition. The news and internet confirms this.

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9. (Attempts to change God’s word) It would “THINK” to change times and laws (Verse 25)

The papacy has made several changes to the Holy Scripture, but most importantly to the eternal law contained in the ten commandments. More specifically, the 2nd commandment has been eliminated, the 4th commandment changed, and the 10th commandment divided into two commandments.

This is despite warnings from Jesus and many of the writers of the Bible. Here are just a couple of verses:

From Jesus (the law giver)

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 18-19

Even the smallest punctuation mark cannot be changed. Whoever teaches anything different is in danger. How can the Pope have authority to change anything regarding the eternal law of God?

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Romans 7:12

The Roman Catholic church may “think” to change God’s law, but His law is still the same. It is still a sin to transgress even the smallest of its precepts.

To demonstrate this attempted change, I have listed the 10 commandments (in summary) as described in the Catechism. This is the official book of the Catholics to teach new converts:

I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
Honor your father and your mother.
You shall not kill.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Now, compare the 10 commandments as found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5:

You shall have no other gods before Me.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it, you shall do no work. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

A careful comparative review will show that the Roman Catholic church leaders eliminated the 2nd commandment completely and divided the last commandment into two. Why?

Part of the Roman Catholic worship is to pray to the”saints” and little figurines that represent them. While this may seem harmless, it is a direct breaking of the 2nd commandment as given directly to mankind through Moses. It is also against the spirit of worship of praying directly to the Father through the Holy Spirit. If the practice of praying to saints in front of their image is harmless, then let the Pope reinstate the 2nd commandment

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They have also changed the 4th Commandment as proof of the church’s authority to do so:

If you were to convert to Catholicism, you would be taught the following….not from the Bible, but from the church’s commentary on the Bible:

In the Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, we read:
Q. Which is the Sabbath day?

A. Saturday is the Sabbath day.
Q. Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday?
A. We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church, in the Council of Laodicea, (AD 336) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday….
Q. Why did the Catholic Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday, because Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday, and the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles on a Sunday.
Q. By what authority did the Church substitute Sunday for Saturday?
A. The Church substituted Sunday for Saturday by the plenitude of that divine power which Jesus Christ bestowed upon her!
—Rev. Peter Geiermann, C.SS.R., (1946), p. 50.

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My Friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ. The little horn power has done more than change a jot (a period) and a title (comma), which Jesus said was forbidden. It has taken a harsh chisel to the immutable law of God.

But, those who would go by God’s word alone (sola Scriptura) are clearly identified as those who oppose the work of the little horn and honor every word of God’s unchanging law. It is out of love for God and fellow man that they respect the word of God over any power who would speak great things “in place” of God:

And the dragon (Satan) was enraged with the woman (church), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:17

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Revelation 14:12

The final conflict between the little horn (Papacy) and those who oppose its work, will be those who honor every word of God’s commandments

‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

It is a sad commentary that many protestant churches today wonder after and follow the little horn power by minimizing the law of God and looking for another power to be the little horn power. For a more complete study on God’s law, please go to the category “God’s Will For Us.”

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In the next study, we will layer in more detail concerning the time prophecy found in Daniel 7 and then look at Daniel Chapter 8. We will then bring in the companion verses of Revelation. The key to unlocking the prophecies of Revelation are found in Daniel. As we will see, John saw many of the same things as Daniel.

Blessings my friend! Make it a God day!

Daniel and Revelation

Daniel and Revelation Part 2-Strange Beasts

May 31, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

The image of Daniel 2 unlocks the Prophecy of Daniel 7 & Revelation 13

“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:

Daniel 7: 15:16

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Daniel 2 Review:

In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that he did not understand and it troubled him greatly. None of the wise men, I call the “Fakers,” could help the King! But, God worked through Daniel and his three companions to remind the king of his dream and also give him the interpretation.

This interpretation comes straight from God to Daniel and needs “no private interpretation.”

Quite simply, Daniel told the king that four (4) great powers would arise. He identified the first two in scripture as Babylon, then the dual kingdom of the Medes and Persians. After Daniel’s time, the other two powers appear on the scene as history tells us: Greece (Belly and thighs of brass) and finally Rome (Legs of iron).

Rome was the ruling power when Jesus was on the earth teaching and dying for our sins. It was a Roman decree and a Roman cross upon which our Lord died. Rome continued to rule as the disciples went forth with the power of the Holy Spirit and built up the church.

Also, during this time, the church began to receive persecution as we will see later.

The king’s dream does not stop here. The legs of iron were followed by the feet and toes of iron and clay. These symbols identifie the fall of Rome and breaking into 10 divisions. Some of these countries are strong and some are weak just as clay is weak and iron is strong. Three countries (powers) were annihilated and there are no current countries that have roots in these three tribes: The Heruli, Vandals, and Ostrogoths were the 3 countries (tribes) eliminated by Rome.

The prophecy ends with these startling words:

And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

And in the days of these kings (The divisions of Rome or what we now call Europe) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Daniel 2: 43-45

Never again will the old divisions of Rome (Europe) be joined together. Many have tried and failed, either through wars or marriage.

Over and over, the Bible talks of the 2nd coming as a time of destruction from the Lord. More specifically, it is described as a time of surprise to the lost and utter destruction to planet earth.

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.

2 Peter 3:10

It also includes the unsaved. Their fate is symbolized by what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah.:

…turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

2 Peter 2:6

“For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.

Malachi 4:1

So when all the kingdoms of the earth are destroyed, God will create a new heaven and a new earth. The”Rock” and God’s kingdom will fill the whole earth. God will be our God and we will be his people.

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”

Isaiah 65:17

And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Revelation 21: 3

“The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.” History has proved the dream is “certain” and we can rest in the knowledge the interpretation is correct.

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Daniel 7-Introduction

In Daniel 7, another dream or vision is given. But, this time, it is given directly to Daniel. Like king Nebuchadnezzar, the dream troubles Daniel and he does not know what it means. This time, it is interpreted by the attending angels.

Like Daniel 2, we will let the Bible interpret itself and then we will check it out through history.

In this vision of Daniel, we will see that God has a way of revealing the truth and the future in a way as to prepare the heart to receive it.

In Daniel 7 God uses the principle of repeating and expanding about the meaning of the prophecies. We will see the same four powers of Daniel 2, but with more detail about the nature of the beast powers and we will see the addition of a terrible and strong entity arise that comes up (not from the sea) but from one of the powers described in Daniel 2. It does not get its power from conquering wars over people and multitudes (illustrated by the symbol of the sea)

This vision of Daniel 7 is like meat and not milk. It will be new to many who read this and you might not be ready to receive it or digest it. But, the words are certain and are supported by the Bible and history. As we begin, let’s pray for the Spirit of Truth and let the story reveal itself to us. Truth from God’s word is always meant for good, for life, and for comfort. Keep in mind, we have a loving and forgiving Savior who desires us to find peace and assurance in Him and his revelation.

OK? Let’s begin.

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Daniel 7-Part 1

The book of Daniel 7 is about 4 animals (kingdoms) that give fear and wonder to Daniel. Daniel 2 was about four metals (kingdoms). But, in Daniel 7, Daniel is particularly interested in the fourth beast and the little horn power. This is the first time we see this “little horn power” in scripture. The interpretation is given to Daniel and it goes far beyond the time he is living even until the coming judgment of planet earth.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling the main facts.

Daniel 7:1

This first verse is important because it gives the time and Daniel’s dream. The first year of Belshazzar would be 540 BC.

Here is what Daniel saw that year:

“I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.”

Verse 2 and 3

As the beasts are described, they look something like below. Very strange! Wouldn’t you agree? They are animals with something unusual about each.

When we read and study the Bible, we should read it as literal unless there is some overall reason to apply symbolism. Here we have good reason to apply the rule of symbolism because of the unusual and unimaginable description of the beasts. Even more compelling is the fact that there is an interpretation of the beasts given by the attending angels. To think in literal terms would lose the message God is giving. Is that a fair statement? I will explain as we go along.

To help us with the beginning of this prophecy, let’s look at some passages that unlock the symbolic meaning of this prophecy and others. In Daniel’s vision, he is seeing “the four winds stir up the Great Sea.”

What does the four winds and the Great Sea represent? We can get our answer from Revelation where these same beasts appear. Daniel explains Revelation and vice versa. Perhaps, this is why the book of Daniel ends with these words,

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end.”

Daniel 12: 4

The book of Revelation had to be written and its message understood in the light of Daniel and history before these books could be “opened”

Revelation describes the four winds in this passage:

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree…”Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Revelation 7:1, 3

Here is a picture of 4 angels symbolically holding back winds that would harm the earth, sea, or trees. What does that sound like? Revelation does not leave any doubt

From this passage in Revelation, we can see that the 4 winds represent turmoil, strife, war, and destruction. Another passage supports this interpretation:

Thus says the Lord of hosts:

“Behold, disaster shall go forth
From nation to nation,
And a great whirlwind shall be raised up
From the farthest parts of the earth.”

Jeremiah 25:32

Even more important is the self-interpretation from this chapter about the beasts. In its interpretation we can see that logically the winds and sea would indeed represent nations arising out of turmoil and wars:

What are the four beasts? Let’s let the angel of Daniel 7 tell us:

“Those great beasts, which are four, are four kings which arise out of the earth.”

Daniel 7:17

If four kings or kingdoms arise, where do they come from? The sea of people and the winds of war.

So early in this prophecy, we can conclude that Daniel is seeing four kingdoms arise from the many people and the results of conquering wars. King Nebuchadnezzar also saw these four kingdoms: Babylon, Medes/Persia, Greece, and Rome. Then Rome is divided into 10 kingdoms (toes in Daniel 2 and heads in Daniel 7). It is in the days of these 10 kingdoms (countries) that our Lord returns. Never in history could mankind see how close the 2nd coming is until these books were opened.

Image result for Comparison of Daniel 2 and daniel 7

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Daniel 7 goes on to describe the four beasts in more detail. They correspond to the four metals of Daniel 2, but God is adding more detail and explanation.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

Daniel 7: 4

The wings on the lion represent the rapidity by which Babylon conquered its foes under king Nebuchadnezzar. But, the wings are plucked and a man’s heart is given to it. The boldness of the Lion wanes as it comes to a close of its earthly domination. The man’s heart compared to the Lion illustrates the weakness that came about as it lay dormant and exposed caused by wealth and luxury.

Image result for images of ancient babylon and the lion

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It is now a perfect target for the next power to arise and take its place. This power is the dual kingdom of the Medes and the Persians and is represented by the bear that raised itself up on one side and had three ribs between its teeth.

And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

Daniel 7:5

Eventually, the Persians dominated the kingdom and became stronger than the Medes. Like a bear putting his weight on his strong side, the Persians came up “last” as we will see in the prophecy in the 8th Chapter. The Persians also become the dominant power. The command to devour much flesh was obeyed and it left nothing but three bones. These represent the three conquests of the Medes and Persians: Babylon, Lydia, and Egypt

This power represented by the bear ruled from the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus in 538 BC to the battle of Arbela in 331 BC. A time span of 207 years. It fell to the next kingdom represented by the four-headed leopard with four wings of a fowl,

After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

Daniel 7:6

If two wings represent speed, then 4 wings on the quick-footed leopard must represent an extremely rapid course of conquests for the next kingdom of Greece under Alexander the Great. This corresponds with the Daniel 2 prophecy and history.

Alexander has no parallel in historical annals for suddenness and rapidity.

Rollin, Ancient History, b.15, sec.2, gives the following brief synopsis of Alexander’s marches:-

“From Macedonia to the Ganges, which river Alexander nearly approached, is computed at least eleven hundred leagues. Add to this the various turnings in Alexander’s marches; first, from the extremity of Cilicia, where the battle of Issus was fought, to the temple of Jupiter Ammon in Libya; and his returning from thence to Tyre, a journey of three hundred leagues at least, and as much space at least for the windings of his route in different places; we shall find that Alexander, in less then eight years, marched his army upward of seventeen hundred leagues [or more than fifty-one hundred miles], without including his return to Babylon”

Alexander the Great succeeded his father Philip II at age 20 and lived to reign only about 11 1/2 years more. He died at age 32. His life spent in the fast lane of wars and debauchery.

The four heads of the leopard represent the division of Alexander’s empire among his four leading generals:

Cassander (Macedon and Greece in the west)

Lysimachus (Thrace and parts of Asia on the Hellespont and Bosphorus in the North

Ptolemy (Egypt, Lydia, Arabia, Palestine, and Coele Syria in the south)

Seleucus (Syria and all the rest of Alexander’s dominions in the east.)

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Next to arise on the world scene is Rome illustrated as the “dreadful” and terrible beast.” It was different from the other powers in a way that is more than mere appearances.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

Daniel 7: 7

There is not a beast in nature that Daniel can use to describe this fourth beast and how “dreadful and terrible” it is. It’s great teeth devour and “brakes” to pieces the other countries. It has 10 horns that correspond to the 10 toes of part iron and part clay of Daniel 2.

The nature of Rome was cruel. They perfected the tortuous death of crucifixion believed to have been invented by the Persians. Death by crucifixion could last up to 6 days! Rome merciless stamped on and conquered all that would oppose it.

It was on a cruel Roman cross that Jesus took the shamefulness of our sins upon himself. This act by the Creator was the ultimate demonstration of the sacrificial love for His creation. It was part of the good news. But, the fact that Jesus arose a victor over the death of the cross that the good news message is most nearly complete. The other part of the good news is that Jesus will one day return to change us and to rescue us forever from the pull and presence of sin. The good news cannot be captured by a list of events in the life of Jesus. it is an experience initiated and propelled by the Lord and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Like Daniel, let’s turn our attention to the little horn that arose:

And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Daniel 7:20

Who was this power that captured the attention of Daniel? This horn had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things and was more stout than the others.

This horn displaces three horns and speaks great things. Like the 10 toes of Daniel’s image, it is in the day’s of these kings, that God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed. His kingdom will consume the entire earth. This is the second coming of Jesus!

Revelation 13 is a composite of the beasts found in Daniel 7:

Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.

Revelation 13: 1,2

This little horn power that speaks great things exists today! It will bring the final deception of many people on this earth. It is the beast of Revelation 13. In the next post, we will discover the identity of the little horn and how it is described in Revelation 13 as the Beast that the “whole world wonders after.”

Despite the little horn’s power, we can trust in the One who is greater. Terrible times will come, but we can find peace in our Lord both day and night.

“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.”

Psalm 42:8

Daniel and Revelation

DANIEL & REVELATION-PART 1

May 16, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

“When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Ezekiel 33:33

AUTHOR NOTE: THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS REVELATION STARTS IN DANIEL. TO OPEN THE BOOK OF REVELATION WITHOUT READING DANIEL PUTS THE READER AT A DISADVANTAGE. THIS IS WHY WE START IN THE GREAT BOOK WRITTEN CENTURIES BEFORE THE BOOK OF REVELATION

Have you ever had a dream you could not remember? Did you feel that the dream was very important, but you just could not remember it?

This is exactly what happened to an ancient king. His name was King Nebuchadnezzar. In his second year as king he “had dreams” which troubled him so much that he could not sleep. His story is found in Daniel 2.

The Fakers

He needed help in remembering his dream so he sent for the people who claimed to know about dreams and spiritual matters:

Then 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: 2-3

These wise men tried to impress the king so they spoke in his language “Aramaic” and made a simple request,

“Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation.”

Daniel 2:4

Here is the first sign, these guys were fakes. If they were so knowledgeable of matters of the spirit, etc., why did they not know ahead of time that the king did not remember the dream? They were not even good listeners because the king was anxious to “know the dream.” This meant he couldn’t remember the dream!

They were anxious to give an interpretation and get back to whatever they were doing, but they did not realize that the true God of heaven would soon separate the true prophets from the false prophets.

These men had something new thrown at them. The king had never before asked them to tell him the dream. Usually, he would tell them a dream and they would interpret. Interpretation is easy. You can make it up so it sounds plausible. But reading the mind of someone else is something altogether different. Only God has that ability.

“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 2:5-6

They couldn’t believe what they were hearing so they requested again that the king would tell them the dream,

“Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”

Daniel 2:7

But the king was wise to their tricks and he said,

“I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”

Daniel 2:8-9

The fakers then informed the king that his request was not fair. But, unwittingly they said a couple of things that were true:

“There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean.”

Verse 10

Truth #1-There IS no man “on earth” who can help the king. Only the Omnipotent God of heaven has answers about the future.

“…there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

Verse 11

Truth #2 -The “gods” do not dwell with flesh. Why? Because they are not real. They are not alive. They are dumb idols, but the Creator Himself would one day become flesh and dwell among flesh. In fact, He would come in the flesh:

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 1:14

None of this mattered to the king. He was extremely angry. He was furious and made a decree to have all the wise men killed. In the king’s mind, he knew they were all fake, they would attempt to deceive him and therefore they were useless to him.

For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men;

Verse 12-13

In today’s world, there are many who claim to know more than they really do and surprisingly there are many who know the true God who are given wisdom by Him. They are confident and humble in their knowledge and wisdom. Daniel was such a man.

True Prophets

Daniel asked the king for more time, which was obviously granted even though the fakers wanted time too, but I think the king had heard of the God of Daniel and gave them extra time expecting they would deliver.

Daniel went back to his three friends and they had a prayer session and sought God.

“Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”

Verse 17-19

These four men, asked for mercies regarding the secret. The secret was revealed to Daniel. His first action? “Bless the God of heaven.” May we never be in such a haste that we fail to stop to thank our Creator for His mercies. There is a blessing for us when we take time to thank God.

Daniel’s prayer of blessing to the God of heaven is below. In his blessing, he describes God’s abilities.

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.
And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.
He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

“I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s demand.”

Verses 20-23

Notice the things Daniel confirms about God:

1.) Wisdom belongs to God

2.) He changes “times” and “seasons”

3.) He sets up kings and removes kings

4.) He gives wisdom to the wise (Notice who gets the wisdom. It is the wise! Who gets the knowledge? Those who have understanding!)

5.) He reveals secret things (This fits with our opening verse from Amos 3:17-He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets.)

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The Prophets Work

Next, Daniel intercedes for the wise men, even the fakers! He could have just saved himself and his three friends, but the character trait of the person who knows the true God of heaven is to save life, not destroy it, even if the “wise men” are fakers.

Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wisemen of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; take me before the king, and I will tell the king the interpretation.”

Verse 24

Daniel is taken in before king Nebuchadnezzar. The king asks,

“Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

Verse 26

Before Daniel answers the king, he demonstrates, with power, the comparison between the fakers and the true God in heaven.

“The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.”

Verse 27

Daniel has a mini-sermon before he starts to reveal to the king what he wants to know. The mini-sermon is this: There is a God in heaven (He is real). He reveals secrets or things that man on earth would not know. These secrets are given to man through God’s servants the prophets. It is not only for the prophets benefit, but also it is for the benefit of the ones who are hearing the message from God through His prophets.

I can image the king on the edge of his seat. He can sense through Daniel’s confidence that what he is about to hear is the truth and there is no guile (falsehood or fakery) from the mouth of this prophet of God. It is one man (Daniel) and his God (Jehovah) in comparison to the many astrologers, magicians, and soothsayers.

Truth does not come through the majority. It comes from the God of heaven and His prophets. It has always been a testimony to the power of God, that one with God is stronger than the majority.

Daniel begins to explain the dream:

Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals secrets has made known to you what will be. But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.

Verse 28-30

The dream is for the benefit of both the prophet (who makes known the interpretation) and the one who is receiving the interpretation so that the thoughts of the heart may be revealed. Notice the phrase:

“for OUR sakes…”

What a wise and powerful Creator! Daniel is telling the king that God’s revealing of the dream and God’s secrets are for both the speaker and the hearer!

When I read Bible prophecy, it has a strange effect of letting me know where my heart stands with God. The effect can be fearful or it can be comforting. All people have the invitation to move from fearful (lost) to comforting (saved from the penalty of sin i.e., eternal death)

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Daniel tells they king the topic of the dream. It is about

“….what will be in the latter days.”

“The term “latter days” is simple to understand in the context of the dream. Since this dream will be about the “latter days” of the kingdom of Babylon and its kings we can use it in that context. But, it is also about the end of all kingdoms as well. So the “latter days” can also refer to the end of time and this earth as we know it.

The Dream Revealed

To the amazement of the King, Daniel begins to recount the dream for him. As he talks, the king starts to remember and cold chills run throughout his body:

“You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and its form was awesome. This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs[ of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.[ You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.”

“This is the dream.”

Verses 31-36

An artist’s idea of the image the king saw:

The king must have been amazed as he recalled each detail. Before the king could say anything, Daniel began the interpretation. We will let Daniel interpret for us. Then we will look back at history to see if it was true. Finally, we will look into the future using the foundation of the interpretation.

Here is how Daniel interpreted the king’s dream as God showed it to him:

“Now we will tell the interpretation of it before the king. You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory; and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all—you are this head of gold.”

Verses 36-38

So what does the head of Gold represent? Daniel said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “you are this head of gold.”

Nebuchadnezzar and the kingdom of Babylon are represented in both time and space as the “head of gold.” Could there be any other interpretation with something so plainly spoken?

The King must have been proud as he thought, even if just for a moment, that he was the top and the most valuable metal in the image. But, he was soon to be disappointed. Daniel continues with the interpretation of the great image,

The Interpretation

But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth.

Verse 39

As great and wonderful as was King Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon, it would fall to another. Not just another, but an inferior kingdom. Just as silver is of less value and strength as gold, the next kingdom was to be inferior.

The Second Kingdom

Does the Bible tell us who this next kingdom was to be? Yes! The story can be found in Daniel 5. It is an interesting story about Belshazzar (The son of Nebuchadnezzar and the then current king of Babylon) The king and his subjects were having a feast with debauchery, and disrespect for things God had made holy. During the drunken sacrilegious feast, a man’s finger appears and writes a message on the wall.

This supernatural act made the king’s “countenance” change. Like his father Nebuchadnezzar, he was troubled as to what it meant so he called for the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Remember them? They are the fakers. Just as they could not see Nebuchadnezzar’ s dream. They were unable to read the writing and make an interpretation. Sound familiar?

Fortunately for the king, the queen remembered Daniel. She told the king,

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans,and soothsayers. Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

Daniel 5:11-12

Daniel’s interpretation confirms what he had told King Nebuchadnezzar with the image of God falling to an inferior kingdom,

And this is the inscription that was written:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Daniel 5:26-28

The king was slain and Babylon fell to the dual kingdom of the Medes and Persians led by Cyrus and Darius.

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Daniel 5: 30-31

The Medes and the Persians were represented by the arms and shoulders of silver. (Two arms-two kingdoms)

It is interesting and shows the foreknowledge of God as to how Babylon fell and the way the enemy was able to get into the walled city.

Also, before Cyrus was born, God called him by name as the conqueror of Babylon

Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut…

Isaiah 45:1

So how were Cyrus and Darius able to get into the walled city of Babylon?

*They dried up the river Euphrates (a familiar prophetic term in Revelation! )! This diverted the river that ran under the walls and through the city. Along the river within the city was another set of walls with gates. The citizens were protected should someone swim in under the outer walls. The enemy swimmers would then need to get through the second set of gates. But on the night of Babylon’s fall, the gates had been left open due to drunken feast! So the Medes and Persians were able to walk under the walls and up the banks through the leaved gates and into the city!

God is so amazing! He knows the end from the beginning!

* See pages 265, 266 of Volume 1 of the book The Great Events by Famous Historians in the chapter on “Conquests by Cyrus The Great B.C. 538,” by George Grote. — University Edition, copyrighted 1905, by The National Alumni.
See also The Golden Age, as of June 7, 1922. page 572.

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Third Kingdom

But, there was to arise yet a third kingdom represented by the belly and thigh of brass.

“And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.”

Verse 39

The deciding point in the fall of the Persians
was
reached on the field of Arbela, B.C. 331, in which the Grecians, were entirely victorious; and Alexander
became absolute lord of the Persian empire.

More could be said on this third kingdom, but let’s move on. We will talk more about each kingdom as we study the prophecies that provide more detail.

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The Fourth Kingdom

The events really pick up when the powerful fourth kingdom comes on the scene,

And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.

Verse 40

History tells us that this fourth power of legs of iron is none other than the “iron monarchy” of Rome. Rome became the world power after it crushed the third kingdom of Greece.

Rome was in power during the life of Christ on earth and continued on for hundreds of years afterward.

4th Kingdom-Forever Division

But the prophecy does not stop there, there was to be a time when this iron would mix with clay (partly strong and partly weak substances)

It is interesting that Rome eventually was divided into 10 divisions by the invading nomadic tribes. These divisions became the modern day countries of Europe. Three of these 10 divisions were eventually annihilated so that there was only 7, but even those events are part of the prophecy were will study later in Daniel and Revelation. Those divisions of Rome are as follows:

10 Toes or Divisions of Rome

Heruli

Ostrogoths

Vandals

Franks

Visigoths

Burgundians

Lombards

Anglo Saxons

Alamanni

Seuvi

Daniel continues on and informs the king of something that stands to this day. These divisions of Rome would attempt to unite, but as iron does not mix with clay, they would never unite:

Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.

Verses 41-43

This 4th kingdom would be divided and would never reunite. Throughout recent history, there have been attempts to reunite the old divisions of Europe, but it has always failed and it always will because the God of Heaven has spoken. Those who have tried were:

Charlamagne, 8th Century;

Charles V l6th Century;

Louis XIV l5th Century;

Napoleon, l9th Century;

Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler, 20th Century.

All of these men invested enormous
resources and countless lives in their efforts to unite Europe, but each one failed. Even today the leaders
of Europe are trying to unite as one, but God says this will never happen!

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Our Day-The Soon Coming Eternal Kingdom

Daniel ends the interpretation of the dream with a dramatic ending!

You watched while a stone was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Verse 34, 35

Jesus is the Rock that was cut out without hands.

For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.

I Corinthians 10:4

Daniel takes the king and the reader of this chapter to a time when God would set up his kingdom that would never end:

And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Verse 44

My Friends, we are living in the “days of these kings.” The old divisions of Rome!

When Jesus returns the earth is melted and no trace of anything left on this earth will be found. Then He will make a new heaven and a new earth.

About 500 years before Jesus came to this earth the first time as a lamb to pay for the sins of a planet in rebellion, we see a prophecy concerning his second coming when he comes to “break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms.” It will stand forever!

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Matthew 24:30

When Jesus returns the earth passes away.

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Matthew 24:35

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

II Peter 3:10

And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Mark 4: 62

When God destroys the earth, he creates a new heaven and a new earth that will last forever:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Isaiah 65:17

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Daniel tells the king,

“The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.”

Verse 45

After hearing Daniels recalling of the king’s forgotten dream and the interpretation, there wells up in the heart of this heathen king both fear and joy!

Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before Daniel

Verse 46

This is what each of us should do as we see that God is in control of the history of planet earth and of our own lives. He knows the exact number of hairs on your head. He is all-powerful but most important, He loves each one of us so much as to send His son to pay for the sin we have committed.

His law, that can never be changed, shows we are sinners and deserve to die for eternity, but God makes a substitutionary sacrifice (atonement) for us so that we might live and enjoy the greatest gift he could have given us: Life to the uttermost!

The king understood that there is a God in Heaven who reveals secrets

The king answered Daniel, and said, “Truly your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.”

Verse 47

I hope you have been blessed by this study. Next, we will look at a vision given to Daniel that repeats this dream but expands it. He will receive other visions that will demonstrate that God knows the end from the beginning.

Faith

REAL FAITH PART – Failure to Launch

March 22, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation 1 Peter 2:2 NIV.

Perhaps you saw Failure to Launch, a 2006 American romantic comedy film starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. The film focuses on a 35-year-old man who lives in the home of his parents and shows no interest in leaving the comfortable life his parents, especially his mother, have made for him there. It grossed over $128 million at the box office.

Sadly, the story of sons and daughters staying at home longer is now an official growing phenomenon of our modern society.

PEW Research Center shows some interesting figures regarding this fact:

As of 2016, 15% of 25 to 35-year-old Millennials were living in their parents’ homes. This is five percentage points higher than the share of Generation Xers who lived in their parents’ home in 2000 when they were the same age (10%), and nearly double the share of the Silent Generation who lived at home in 1964 (8%).

The idea of failing to launch or grow up and take on life’s responsibilities is also real in the Christian experience. Often, in scripture, the Christian is encouraged to grow up and progress in their journey with Jesus. The followers of Jesus can get comfortable in their experience…comfortable in their regular pew and programs at church. They can get comfortable in their lives; they don’t want any inconveniences, including progressing in their experience with Christ, because it might crimp their style of living. Their environment and knowledge of Christ are considered sufficient, and “they have need of nothing.” (See Revelation 3:17)

Milk is Not a Long Term Diet for Babies

This morning, my wife and I watched funny baptisms on Facebook. It provided us with a burst of early-morning laughter! The really funny clips were of children who said and did unexpected things while standing in the baptistry. For example, one cute little 4-year-old couldn’t wait for the pastor to finish his pre-baptism speech. All of a sudden, he said, “Let’s do this.” Then he proceeded to baptize himself by holding his nose and dunking under the water! As cute as this was, I am tempted to mention why many ministers/pastors are uncomfortable with the baptism (or sprinkling) of infants or small children before they become aware of its meaning and purpose. At an early age, they have not experienced the burden of sin and guilt, repentance, and walking in the newness of life under the power of the Spirit of God.

The symbol of baptism is one of new beginnings, i.e., death, burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4

Baptism is not another item to check on the list of requirements for salvation. Like all works, baptism is evidence of salvation…a public display of a changed heart…not a method of salvation. We will save that discussion for another time.

The verse today talks about babies in spiritual terms. When we come to Christ, our Jesus Journey has just begun, and we are directed to “grow up in your salvation.” Like a hungry baby, we should desire pure spiritual milk. It is this milk of God’s word that is the elementary beginnings of the Christian walk. It is the simple teachings that start us on our Jesus Journey. If the baby stays on milk alone, eventually, growth will be stunted, and they will fail to launch.

The Lord made the requirements for salvation so simple that even a child can understand it. It is milk. But we are to “move on” in our Christian experience.

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection. Hebrews 6:1

Failure to Grow Will Result in Death or, at the least, Stunted Mediocracy.

Our experience and understanding of God’s deep word should accelerate growth and prepare us for employment in the work of God and handling the tough things of life. Failure to grow results can be the death of the Christian experience. The analogy of a baby and its milk can be compared to the soil of Jesus parable (See Matthew 13: 18-23), where growth stops due to the challenges of the world and the stunted person produces nothing. But, the person who grows in God and His word produces fruit in their life and the lives of others.

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” Matthew 13: 19-23

Notice that all (but one) of the “hearers of the word of the kingdom”, failed to launch or grow up into a stable-rooted citizen of God’s kingdom. Their experience died or was stunted without “growing up into salvation” and “bearing fruit.” Don’t miss the importance of the words of Jesus! He is warning us about what stunts the growth of a Christian. Here is a list of their problems and counsel:

Hearer #1 is not pursuing understanding. An enemy snatches it away. Satan can work through people to argue away what they have learned. Counsel: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed .2 Timothy 2:15 …always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear 1 Peter 3:15. Become a student of the Bible. Keep notes and evidence of what you learn.

Hearer #2 receives it with joy! This person lives off emotional song services and emotional sermons. Spiritual life is only about weekly service and their own religion. They have no roots and stumble. Counsel: “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up. James 4: 9-10 Learn and embrace the other emotions of the Bible, such as being humble and caring. Study and practice God’s word to build up roots. When trouble comes your way, fall at the feet of Jesus and give Him a chance to resolve things. Operate on faith and not feelings. Become a servant to others! Find your joy in community service.

Hearer #3 simply hears the word, but there is no evidence of faith. They hear God’s promises but don’t have faith to believe. They focus on the problems of his life rather than the Problem Solver. Counsel: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11: 29 and do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34. Take a few promises, understand their conditions (if any), and put your full weight upon them. More word of God equals more faith.

Hearer #4 hears, understands, grows, produces. These people are doers of the word…not just hearers. They trust God and His word alone. Their relationship is with God and not just with the church. This person can defend their faith. They put themselves where they can be blessed and useful. They understand their gifts and uses them to produce fruit in their own life and the lives of others. God’s word is supreme over all things in this follower’s life.

Let God Do His Perfect Work in You

Paul scolded the Hebrew believers for not growing up, not eating stronger food, and not going on to become mature in the Lord for service to others.

“…By this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!” Hebrews 5:12

Let us never think we can reach a certain point in our walk with God and remain as a baby dependent on simple milk. We should never assume we have received all the truth we could possibly receive and there is nothing more to learn or do. We should constantly be learning, walking, and working for the Lord so that we might be useful and strong citizens of the kingdom of God.

If we humbly allow God to work in our lives by placing ourselves each day, where he can bless our experience, we will grow, and God will do His perfect work in us:

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138: 8

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:4

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

The Christian Experience must be progressive and not stagnant. The follower of Jesus must put forth an effort (under the Lord’s guidance and power) and not become spiritually lazy. Every day is a new day to learn something more about God and His ways. No plans or thoughts should be made unless first seeking the Lord.

While we are not to remain babies in our walk with God, we are to become like little children in trust in Him. As we learn how to trust in Him, we will grow up in our salvation and take on the qualities that both please Him and make us productive for the kingdom of God.

“….for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things, you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1: 5-11

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me, and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning, consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus, day by day, you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus, your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.”

” Steps to Christ, p. 70

Faith, Reasons to Believe

Real Faith Part 2-What is the New Testament Church?

March 7, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

There are Christian jargons, we often use, which sound good to many church members but are confusing to non-religious folks. These religious catch-phrases can sometimes imply something confusing and misleading. The phrase “New Testament Church” is one of those. What does it mean?

Bible.org provides 5 characteristics of a New Testament Church. The very first characteristic is, ” A New Testament church is a church which derives its doctrine from the New Testament.” Is this true? New Testament Church sounds right, but a closer look at the Bible teaching on the church reveals where the doctrines of the church originated.

The church foundation of Jesus is a radical change from the Israelite system of worship and mission. The church of the New Testament was raised up by the Apostles and disciples under the guidance of the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ ascension to the Father and the Spirit descending on the day of Pentecost. In today’s language, they were “Church Planters.” To say this church-planting program was successful is an understatement! But, there has been division about doctrine and teachings throughout the centuries.

The 13 inspired writers of the New Testament wrote about their experience with Jesus and provided direction and instruction for the creation and administration of the new church plants (As found primarily in the book of Acts and the writings of Paul). The question we want to clarify is this: Was the doctrine of the “New Testament churches” different than the writers of the Old Testament as expressed by Bible.org? Did the Apostles direct that the Old Testament teachings (doctrines) be ignored in favor of the new teachings? As we will see, the answer to this question is No. However, there were some elements of the Old Testament services that have little application since the cross but are valuable to study because of their significance to the original people of God. But, be careful, there many who confuse this premise and may throw out the baby with the bath water!

Doctrine and the Church

When Paul wrote a letter to Timothy, he encouraged his young protege to follow the Holy Scripture he had known since he was a child:

“..and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15

Young Timothy was raised up from childhood on the writings of the Tanakh, which is the Old Testament. Timothy did not have a New Testament pocket Bible, but rather the writings of Moses, the major and minor Prophets, and the Psalms. The entire Old Testament can be grouped under one of these headings. All of these were able, according to Paul to make Timothy and any reader “wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”So, Timothy could be wise from the Tanakh about salvation and Jesus Christ. Many would consider this primarily a New Testament teaching, but make no mistake, it is found throughout scripture.

Paul then tells Timothy that these scriptures of the Tanakh were good for teaching including doctrine:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

Don’t miss this! The reference Paul makes to “All Scripture” refers to what we Gentile Christians call the Old Testament! Timothy, as did Paul, got their doctrine from the Old Testament! In fact, The New Testament church members got their doctrine from the Old Testament, but connected Jesus with it as the Apostles began to preach about Jesus! Many who ignore the teachings of the Old Testament create a handicap in their experience because those divenly inspired books teach about Jesus, righteousness, and salvation from the start in Genesis all the way to Malachi. It is the basis for the beliefs of the New Testament writers and followers of Jesus.

All the writers of the New Testament taught from the Tanakh or the Old Testament. Why? Because the New Testament writings would not be written and canonized for many years after Jesus ascended to God the Father. The earliest texts were written sometime after 50 AD, some 20 years after the cross and the beginning of the original church plantings. The oldest New Testament letters came from Paul’s epistles including the two letters to young Timothy. The New Testament with its 27 books was not brought together and canonized until decades later, after the new churches were up and running. The earliest estimate is around 120 AD. Almost 100 years after the resurrection of Jesus!

When Jesus taught His disciples, he used the Tanakh only. That was all that was available. His explanation about His ministry and prophecies about Him are found in the Tanakh. It was the words of these books Jesus used to open the eyes of the disappointed and fearful disciples walking away from Jerusalem and the horrible scenes of the crucifixion to Emmaus and those who stayed behind cowered behind locked doors prior to His appearing to them. Look closely at this amazing story found in the book of Luke 24. Here are a few highlights:

Jesus and the two disciples leaving Jerusalem and the site of the crucifixion:

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:27

Jesus and the many disciples hiding in the room fearful for their lives on the First Day of the week:

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for FEAR of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. John 20:19

The disciples were not assembled to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, they were together afraid they would be killed by the Jews or the Romans. At this point, they didn’t believe Jesus was resurrected, It would take Thomas eight days after the following event to convince him that Jesus was alive.

” Then He said to them (the disciples in the locked room), “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Luke 24: 44-45

Jesus and Doubting Thomas:

And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. John 20: 26-28

Jesus referred His disciples to the Tanakh about the prophecies and elements of faith in Him i.e. His life, death, resurrection, His ministry in the heavenly sanctuary as well as His ascension, judgment, and His 2nd coming. All of this is in the books of the Old Testament. Often Christians ignore these books in favor of the easier to read and understand New Testament! But, the basis for belief and faith is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. As Paul told Timothy, the scripture (Tanakh) is good and profitable for righteousness to make us complete in God and equipped to do the will of God.

To ignore the words of the Tanakh is to restrict the Christian experience. It is like trying to build a house on 1/3 of the instructions!

New Testament and Old Testament -The Two Witnesses

Please do not be confused. All of th discussion thus far is not to minimize or say that the New Testament is less than the teachings of the Old Testament. On the contrary! Both were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament writers wrote what they saw and what they learned through Jesus. As we have seen, Jesus threw light on the writing on the Tanakh to reveal himself and to claify things made confusing by the religious leaders of that day. He also gave them the Holy Spirit to write about their experience with Jesus. In fact, Peter referred to Paul’s writing as Scripture:

… as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 2 Peter 3: 15-16

Untaught and unstable people will make general statements about the Old Testament and the New Testament such as:

“Oh, the Old Testament has been done away with. I only go by the New Testament.” OR

“The law of God (10 commandments) were nailed to the cross. We don’t go by them anymore. We live by faith.”

To further confuse things, verses like the following will be used as evidence that the Tanakh is null and void:

For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. Hebrews 9:16

Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 2 Corinthians 3:6

There was a change after Jesus came, but it was not an elimination of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. They all are made clearer under Jesus. There is a prophecy in the Old Testament regarding the Messiah or the Lord’s Servant which states Jesus will magnify (expound or make larger and clearer) the law.

…he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. Isaiah 42:21

Jesus did this very thing…clarifying, but also adding honor to the law. These clarifications cut across the traditions and authority of the religious leaders of the day and have the same effect today. For example regarding the 10 commandments, He enlarged the law so we could see it better when He said,

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5: 27-28

The religious leaders and the people now saw clearer the spirit of the law i.e. a sinful heart that desires to commit adultery. But this does not make the actual act permissible. The breaking of this law literally begins with a sinful heart. The spiritual application does not eliminate the literal application. If it did, our spouses would have a hard time dealing with our breaking of the literal law. Wouldn’t you agree?

To try to obtain righteousness and salvation by the letter of the law is destined for failure, but a changed heart that obeys God from within will also obey the letter…not for salvation purposes, but because it is the fruit of salvation.

Jesus was quick to tell His disciples that He did not come to destroy the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill. Some would say that fulfill means He kept the 10 commandments and we don’t have to any more. How absurd is this! We can now lie, cheat, and steal because Jesus “fulfilled” the Law?! Listen closely to the words of Jesus Himself.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5: 17-20

Jesus told us we are not even to think He came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. Both of these he fulfilled in doing the law and being the fulfillment of the prophecies! He emphasizes that not even the smallest stroke of the pen in the law will change until heaven and earth passes away which is the final fulfillment of prophecies found in both the Old and New Testaments. The heavens and earth have not passed away yet, so I would say, the law is still valid. Christ does not minimize the law rather He minimizes those who don’t teach and do them!

Now comes the big ending. Our righteousness has to exceed the scribes and Pharisees who often bragged about the meticulous keeping of the law! If we fail here, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven! So I would say the law of God as contained in the 10 Commandments is very important. But keep in mind, the only righteousness we can obtain is found in Christ alone, not by works or even an attempt to keep the law with a sinful heart. The righteousness that exceeds the scribes and Pharisees is Christ working in us to will and do His good pleasure from a renewed and sincere heart.

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Righteousness does not exclude obedience. The topic of righteousness by faith we will explore at another time, but the main idea is that without Jesus we can do nothing, including obedience to His law, but through Him we can do everything.

What Ended at the Cross?

Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. Galatians 3: 24,25

The laws in the Bible are grouped as Sacrificial, Ceremonial, Moral, Health laws, and sometimes all of the writings of the Old Testament. So, what was ended at the cross that we don’t have to follow? It was not the moral law! But it was the sacrificial laws and ceremonies!

Why would the moral law end? Is it still not a sin to lie cheat, steal, kill, covet, have other gods, etc? Of course, the definition of sin has never changed, “Sin is the transgression of the law.” 1 John 3:4

The laws regarding diet were meant to keep the Israelites healthy. Why would they end? They had no religious meaning. They were never given as a requirement for salvation, but to rather what the great Creator knew would make them healthy. If they followed God’s command, He promised to keep them free from diseases:

I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. Exodus 15:6

Do not confuse the unclean foods from foods that were actually unclean. Food sacrificed to idols was considered unclean, but were not necessarily unclean animals. Paul stated he had no problem eating foods sacrificed to idols, but he respected those who wished not to do so and would not weaken someone’s faith because of what He ate.

Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world and that there is no other God but one… However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled…
Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble. ” 1 Corinthians 8: 4, 7, 13

Peter never ate unclean meat even when he was told in a vision three times to eat them. He understood later that the purpose of the vision was to show that the Gentiles were not to be considered unclean

But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean…
But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean Acts 10: 14,28

My digestive system and body is no different from those who received these health laws. I can benefit from abstaining from unclean food just as did the disciples. Science has caught up with God’s word. These unclean foods as described in Leviticus are not healthy to eat.

The optimal diet is found in the garden of Eden before sin entered into the world. It is a plant-based diet. Since there will be no death in heave and the new heaven and the new earth that the Lord will make, animals will not be slaughtered for food. Our diet will return to a plant based diet.

Nailed to the Cross

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2: 13-14

No doubt, something was “nailed to the cross” and “taken out of the way.” Is it the 10 commandments? Is it the health laws meant to keep Israel and any other person from the diseases? Was it all of the Old Testament?

There are two key words that tell us what was nailed to the cross: 1.) handwriting 2.) ordinances. These ordinances written by Moses’ own hand were against us and contrary to us. What was against us and contrary to us? How could the moral law, written by the finger of God, to document in stone how we are to relate to God and our neighbor be against us? The context of this chapter has to do with legalism and circumcision and the dreadful duty of sacrifices. Doing these things were contrary to our nature and burdens to the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice. They would be difficult to maintain with the conversion of the Gentiles and the spreading of the gospel.

Image result for images of comparison of ceremonial sabbaths

These ordinances (ceremonial and sacrificial laws) had their purpose. God initiated them for the nation of Israel as a “School Master” to teach them about Jesus and His coming sacrifice for our sins. But the blood of bulls and goats and lambs did not save anyone. Each participant in the daily sacrifices looked forward, by faith, to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus. Just as today, we look backward in faith to the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for salvation. The cross is the central meeting point for both systems of worship and teaching.

This chart will help demonstrate the difference between God’s 10 commandments and the ordinances that were against us.

Image result for images of comparison of law of god and ordinances

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Galatians 3: 24-25

The ceremonial laws taught about the plan of salvation in Christ and were the shadows that pointed forward to the Cross.

Let no man, therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” Colossians 2: 16, 17

There were meat and drink offerings under the sacrificial system and special days for them to celebrate that were “shadows” Their substance was found in the “body of Christ” There were special celebration Sabbaths that had nothing to do with the weekly Sabbath. These Sabbaths were sometimes counted from days different than the first day of the week.

The Sabbath of the 10 Commandments was from the beginning and was not a shadow like the feast days and sacrifices. It is a commandment for all mankind initiated on the 7th day of Creation. It was a day to remember because of God’s creative and redemptive powers. He is Lord of the Sabbath which makes it the Lord’s day.

So, the sacrificial and ceremonial laws were nailed to the cross. We no longer need to sacrifice lambs in faith because it was only a shadow and figure of the true Lamb of God. When Jesus died on the Cross, type (sacrificial law) had met Antitype (Jesus). The system of priests, sacrifices, and feast days all ended. They were blotted out as demonstrated by what happened in the temple on the day Jesus died:

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom Matthew 27: 50, 51

This large veil in the temple split open and the Most Holy place, allowed to be seen by a priest once a year, was now open for all to see signifying that we had direct access to the throne room of God through Jesus.

Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Image result for images of the veil being torn in two

Those services performed by earthly priests every day were but a shadow of the heavenly sanctuary and its services that are conducted now by Jesus as our one and only high priest.

For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. Hebrews 8: 4-5

The New Testament Church

There have never been two methods of salvation i.e. works VS Grace. God’s people from the Old Testament days knew of grace and faith as well as the people of God in New Testament. Both are saved by faith through the blood of Jesus alone and not by any amount of works. Good works originate from God and are evidence of salvation and a new birth experience not as a method of salvation.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Hebrew 10: 4

To imply the Old Covenant was a method of salvation of works and the New Testament is by Grace alone shows a lack of knowledge of the plan of salvation. Man sinned. Death passed upon all men for all have sinned and have an ancestry of sinners. Jesus paid for the penalty of sins (eternal death) and He will resurrect them to eternal life when He returns. Man is saved by Grace alone through faith and not of works. It has always been that way. But our works or obedience demonstrates real faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2: 8-9

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2: 18

The New Testament Church, therefore, includes the teachings of the Old Testament, but the ceremonial laws and sacrificial laws ended at the cross of Jesus. They met their significance in the body of Jesus. But the prophecies and the moral laws continue today. Pick any of the 10 commandments. It was a sin back then to break it and it is a sin today.

Want to be healthy? Follow the health laws God gave to the children of Israel.

The New Testament Church received its instructions from Jesus and the Holy Spirit for organization, leadership, and the work of taking the good news of Jesus to the world. This is found in Acts and the letters of the Apostles to the growing Christian churches. However, It is supported by the willing giving of tithes (10%) and free-will offerings (An Old Testament teaching).

The moral law uplifts the principals of love to God and to our neighbors as demonstrated by the 10 commandments. These laws are divided into two tables and written by the finger of God. Each commandment lines up under one of the two loves: Love to God and Love to our neighbor.

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Mathew 22: 27-30

The New Testament Church upholds the entire word of God knowing that the gospel is not limited to only 27 letters.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16

The sacrifices and ceremonies of the Old Testament were taken out of the way by the death of Jesus. He replaced them with only two ceremonies: Baptism and the Ordinance of Humility (The washing of feet and followed by the Lord’s Supper.

Conclusion:

The church after the death, resurrection, and ascension is built on the rock of Jesus who is revealed throughout the Old Testament. The administration and structure are clearly described in the New Testament. The church’s members and workers include not just Jews, but everyone else without the respect of persons if they are “in Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Without a doubt, God’s marching orders are communicated through 27 letters of the New Testament to church members and leaders. But, its teachings and clarifications are founded on Jesus’s teachings who never once indicated that the Old Testament writers (also inspired by God) were to be ignored. On the contrary, the Tanakh is considered “Scripture” providing the backbone and depth of understanding to the New Testament church. its teachings provide a deeper understanding of Jesus, and the things yet to come…

The phrase, New Testament church can be misleading. The more Biblical pronouncement should be: “We are all members of the body of Christ.” “We base our doctrine on All Scripture.”

so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Romans 12:5

Faith

Real Faith-A Missing Experience- Part 1

February 7, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

“…without faith it is impossible to please Him. Hebrews 11:6

The objective of these studies:

What can be done in our own experience to “increase our faith”? Jesus said,

“Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

If this is possible, why do we fall apart at the least sign of trouble? There is something missing in our experience if our faith is thinner than tissue paper.

What are we missing when we raise our children in the church, but they easily forsake their “faith” after high school?

Recently, I read the story of a young man (Luke) who was raised in the church and attended church schools; his father a pastor and mother a volunteer missionary. But, through a series of events and random thoughts, he turned to atheism fueled by reading material of unbelievers. In his own words:

“I went to church, Bible study, and other church functions every week. I prayed often and earnestly. For 12 years I attended a Christian school that taught Bible classes and creation science. I played in worship bands. As a teenager I made trips to China and England to tell the atheists over there about Jesus.”

His downfall began (as does many youth) around college age. He wrote on his little-visited blog the following:

“*Around age 19 I got depressed, probably because I did nothing but work at Wal-Mart, download music, and watch internet porn. But one day I saw a leaf twirling in the wind and it was so beautiful – like the twirling plastic bag in the movie American Beauty. I had an epiphany. I realized that everything in nature was a gift from God to me. Grass, lakes, trees, sunsets – all these were gifts of beauty from my Savior to me. I thought of this every time I [saw something beautiful, and God delivered me from my depression (and my porn addiction).”

While this sounds like a very good epiphany (i.e. the contemplation of God’s goodness and creation can deliver someone from depression), it would not stick for Luke. He goes on to talk about his doubt and dislike of “church structure” and “petty doctrinal disputes.” Soon, he was reading books to discover the historical Jesus and picked up books that brought confusion and lies. He was “shocked” by these “Christian Scholars.” For example, the author of these books reported “The gospels were written decades after Jesus’ death, by non-eyewitnesses.” Of course the gospels were written “decades after Jesus’ death.” They were busy taking the “gospel to the world.” But, how are the “Christian Scholars’” claims verified against the gospel writers’ assurance, that they were eyewitness of Jesus:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” 1 Peter 1:16

“Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,” Luke 1:1,2

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—“ 1 John 1:1

Despite Luke’s upbringing, he had some things going against him. One is taking the word of others without investigation and use of common sense. Based on Luke’s experience and others, there are some elements in the failure of faith.

Enemies of Faith:

Situations or condition of the life:

Depression.
Need for constant entertainment or being busy.
Sexual pressure and fantasies about doing anything your flesh and imagination desires.
Peer Pressure.
Not desiring or asking for faith.
Disasters and death.

Social and Dogmatic Religion:

A religious faith based on feelings alone.
Minimal knowledge of the Bible and experience to defend one’s faith in Jesus.
Confusion created by unbelievers.
Indulgent reading of non-believer writings. This puts the reader on the enemy’s ground similar to Eve wandering into the area God had forbidden. They become easy targets. it is in the “higher learning” environments which become a breeding ground for confusion on spiritual matters. University can talk religion with negative terms, but positive terms and evidence are not allowed in a majority of cases.
Relying on the faith of parents/relatives and pastoral teachings, but failing to grow in personal experience.
Denominationalism.
Human reasoning.
Inconsistencies and hypocrisies of Christians

Drop Out Kids

Christianity Today ( How Many Are Really Dropping Out?) reports:

“Church attendance among teens and young adults follows some important patterns. There are always some coming and some going. Yet something significant happens between the ages of 17 and 19 that accounts for the vast majority of those who leave. At age 17, the twice-monthly attendance of our study sample drops as follows”:

16–17, drop 10%
17–18, drop 14%
18–19, drop 13%

“Between 17 and 19 is where the drop takes place. Our study was of those who attended regularly for at least a year in high school—so our sample is not representative of all teens and young adults, but clearly something is happening in that age range.”

A Similar Personal Experience:

I have also, like many others, had similar experiences as a young person. After good influences through high school, but a minimal religious experience, I turned to atheism in college encouraged by one particular middle-eastern professor who proudly proclaimed that religion was a man-made experience. This is an easy claim to make without any proof. It didn’t take much to turn me to atheism with all the so-called scientific claims about origins and the unpopularity of Christians on campus. Anyway, I wanted to live it up without any moral restrictions.

If you take out an intelligent Creator, you are left to the random chance of evolution. The thought or your origins and ancestors being lower life forms leave little meaning and purpose to life. Your self-value is reduced to a parasite passing through the eons of time to awake in life and die shortly thereafter. Life had little meaning to me as an atheist and evolutionist.

Then at age 25, my Christian wife dared me to study the Bible to prove her wrong. For almost 3 months, I studied intently the claims of the Bible writers, particularly about Jesus. I was surprised at what I found. My own private studies blew up my pre-conceived ideas about Jesus and the inspired writers of the old and new testaments. Soon I followed the urging of the writers to allow Jesus to come into my life. I discovered faith (trust) in God’s word by simply reading it. Soon, I was coming to my wife to proclaim my conversion and was baptized. I immediately began the work of an evangelist through prison ministry, radio ministry, writing, teaching and expounding to anyone who had an ear to hear. Later, I will tell you the story about my failure-of-faith experience and how God brought me back to where I am today. This experience taught me about real faith and attacks that can occur to weaken faith.

Luke went from “believer” to “unbeliever.” I, like many others, did the opposite i.e. unbeliever to believer. But the believing experience followed by faith is almost impossible without the word of God and the good news contained in the plan of salvation.

“…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17

This faith journey is challenged from every angle.

Jesus told a parable to a vast multitude, which was explained to his disciples about how people react to God’s word. In the story of the seeds and where they fell (See Luke 8: 5-15), Jesus tells the story of what happens to faith that does not sprout and the one that produces an abundance of fruit. This parable provides insight to the enemies of faith. This we will study later. For now, we need a clear understanding of the word faith.

What is Faith:

Faith is the core of Christian experience and also of the human experience whether you believe in the Bible or Jesus at all. Faith is exercised by every person every day.

The word faith is used 391 times in both the old and new testaments (NKJV). The bible writers had 6 words for faith (3 in Hebrew and 3 Greek). In modern life, the definition of faith in the English language has two internet definitions:

Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Merriam-Webster ads a typical understanding of how we use faith in the terms of religion:

Something that is believed especially with strong conviction: a system of religious beliefs

The idea that faith requires “spiritual apprehension rather than proof” is what people often term “blind faith.” But the Bible writers taught, for the most part, a faith that is precisely the opposite of blind faith. The writer of Hebrews defines faith as something that has substance and evidence.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11 goes on to describe those who exercised faith. All of them are based on “substance and evidence.” What are the “things not seen”? This we will review later. As we study, we will see that the better definition for Christians is #1 above: “Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” I would add that this trust is based on evidence, experience, and something you can observe.”

Faith is something every human being that has ever lived (including atheists) has used…whether on a human or spiritual level. Everyone has put their trust in something and served it. Like that great prophet Bob Dylan wrote:

You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin’ in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may be somebody’s mistress, may be somebody’s heir

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

Songwriters: Bob Dylan

Gotta Serve Somebody lyrics © Audiam, Inc

[i] Commonsenseatheism.com

Reasons to Believe

The Fate of The Lost (Part 3)-Difficult Verses

February 1, 2019 Eddie Leave a comment

Some Difficult Texts Explained

We have studied the topic of hell and the error of teaching that the God of John 3:16 tortures the lost non-stop without mercy for eternity. A few verses misapplied weave the terrible story of wrath so horrendous that it cannot be satisfied. The story paints a picture of people you and I have known for a lifetime have no way to escape the terrible agony of frying in the pan of a burning hell.

So far, we have seen this horrific misconception falls under the weight of a multitude of Bible passages that says clearly, the lost will die with no hope of eternal life and happiness (aka the second death). We have discovered using a systematic approach that it is not true that Jesus taught more about hell than heaven:

Did Jesus Really Teach More About Hell Than Heaven?

The parable of Jesus about the Rich Man and Lazarus is not a story of literal events, but a parable with a different objective than scaring people into a saving relationship with Jesus. (Check out this link for the complete study)

https://www.answersfromscriptureonline.com/2019/01/19/the-bibles-teaching-on-the-fate-of-the-lost-part-1/

This time, we look closely at verses seemingly supportive of the idea of eternal torture. We will view comparable verses to get clarity.

1.) “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:28

Jesus clearly teaches in this text that the soul is not naturally immortal. It can and will be destroyed in hell. But what does He mean about killing the body, but not the soul? Is it possible for the soul to exist apart from the body? Some say it is, but the Bible indicates otherwise.

The Hebrew word “psuche” has been translated “soul” in this text, but in forty other texts it has been translated “life.” For example, Jesus said,

“Whosoever will lose his life [psuche] for my sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:25.

Obviously, “psuche” could not mean soul in this instance, or people could be said to lose their soul for Christ’s sake. It is properly translated “life.”

But what of Matthew 10:28? Put in the word “life” instead of “soul” and the text makes perfect sense in its consistency with the rest of the Bible. The contrast is between one who can take the physical life, and He who can take away eternal life. Here is proof in the words of Jesus:

“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell.”

Luke 12:4, 5.

In other words, the word “soul” here means not only life, but also eternal life. Notice that Luke says everything just like Matthew except that he does not say “kills the soul.” Instead, he says, “cast into hell.” They mean the same thing. Men can only kill the body and take away the physical life. God will cast into hell and take away eternal life. Not only will their bodies be destroyed in that fire, but also their lives will be snuffed out for all eternity.

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Matthew 25:46:

It is well to notice that Jesus did not say that the wicked would suffer “everlasting punishing.” He said “everlasting punishment.” What is the punishment for sin? The punishment is destruction, and it is of eternal duration

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

(2 Thessalonians 1:9).

In other words, it is a destruction which never ends, because there will be no resurrection from that destruction.

Paul says,

“the wages of sin is death.”

Romans 6:23.

John describes that death as “

the second death”

Revelation 21:8.

That death or destruction will be eternal.

2.) “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Mark 9:43, 44:

In this verse, the word “hell” is translated from the Greek word “Gehenna,” which is another name for the Valley of Hinnom just outside the walls of Jerusalem.There the refuse and bodies of animals were cast into an ever-smoldering fire to be consumed. Maggots that fed on the dead bodies were constantly destroying what might escape the flames. Gehenna symbolized a place of total destruction.

Jesus taught in this verse that the fire of hell could not be quenched or put out by anyone. Isaiah said,

“They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame.”

Isaiah 47:14.

Yet, he hastened to say in the same verse,

“There shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before it.”

So the unquenchable fire will go out after it has finished its work. Jerusalem burned with unquenchable fire

….then swill I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

(Jeremiah 17:27)

yet it was totally destroyed

And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

(2 Chronicles 36:19-21).

The flames and worms of Gehenna represented the total annihilation and obliteration of sin and sinners. With the fires of Gehenna burning before their eyes, Jesus could not have spoken a more graphic word to the Pharisees to describe the final total destruction of sinners.

Ask a fireman if they have seen an “unquenchable fire.” They will tell you it is a fire they cannot put out, but eventually, it will go out once it has consumed the fuel it is burning. It does not continue to burn with no end.

Those who cite this text to support their doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul are thrown into a real dilemma. Why? Because the fire and worms are working, not upon disembodied souls, but bodies! Christ said, the

“whole body” would be cast into hell.”

Matthew 5:30

In Isaiah 66:24, the same Gehenna picture of hell is presented with the unquenchable flame and the destroying worms. But in this case, the word “carcasses” is used, revealing the fact that the fire consumes dead bodies, not disembodied souls.

And they shall go forth, and look

Upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me:

For their worm shall not die,

Neither shall their fire be quenched;

And they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

Isaiah 66:24

3.) “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:43:

Some have assumed from this verse that souls go to their reward immediately after death, contrary to scores of other Bible texts. But notice two things wrong with this assumption. First, even though Jesus told the thief,

“Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,”

Yet, three days later, He told Mary that He had not yet ascended to His Father.

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father:

John 20: 17

His Father is in Paradise. Here is the evidence Revelation 2:7 says the tree of life

“is in the midst of the paradise of God,”

and Revelation 22:1, 2 describes the tree of life by the side of the river of life, which flows, in turn, from the throne of God.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

So there is no question about Paradise being where the Father’s throne is located. The question is: How could Jesus tell the thief that he would be with Him in Paradise that day when He did not go there until three days later?

The apparent contradictions clear up when we consider that the punctuation of Luke 23:43 was added by uninspired men when our English Bible was translated. They placed a comma before the word “today,” when in reality, it should have been placed after “today.” Then the verse would correctly read,

“Verily I say unto thee today; thou shalt be with me in paradise.”

In other words, Jesus was saying, “I give you the assurance today when it seems I can save no man; today when my own disciples have forsaken me and I’m dying as a criminal dies—yet I assure you of salvation right now.”

Please notice that the thief did not ask to be taken to Paradise then. He asked,

“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

That’s exactly when he will be remembered and taken into that Kingdom.

4.) “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: … We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

2 Corinthians 5:6, 8:

In verses 1-8, Paul contrasts the present mortal state with the future immortal life in heaven. Notice the expressions he uses for the two conditions:

Mortal	Immortal
earthly house	building of God
this tabernacle	house not made with hands
mortality	our house from heaven
in the body	absent from the body
absent from the Lord	present with the Lord

He also speaks of being clothed with “our house which is from heaven” (verse 2), and again, he longs “that mortality might be swallowed up of life.” Verse 4.

But the key to the entire discourse lies in the description of a third condition. After desiring to be clothed upon with immortality, Paul states that “being clothed we shall not be found naked.” Verse 3. Putting it yet another way, he said,

“not for that we would be unclothed.”

Verse 4.

Clearly, the naked or unclothed state was neither mortality nor immortality, but death and the grave. Paul realized that one did not pass instantly from being clothed with this tabernacle into being clothed with our house from heaven. Death and the grave came in between, and he referred to it as being unclothed and naked.

In another text, Paul spelled out exactly when that change from mortality would take place. In 1 Corinthians 15:52, 53, he wrote,

“The trumpet shall sound and this mortal must put on immortality.”

That will be when Jesus comes.

5.) “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

1 Peter 3:18-20:

There has been considerable misunderstanding of these verses of Scripture. It has been preached that Christ actually descended into the lower regions of the earth and preached to lost souls that were imprisoned in some purgatory or limbo.

This is very far from what the text actually says. Let’s look at it closely now and get the real message of these verses. It says that Christ suffered once for sin so that He might bring us to God by being put to death in the flesh. But He was quickened by the Spirit by which also He went and preached.

First of all, notice how Christ preached to those spirits in prison. He did it by the Spirit, and that word is capitalized in your Bible. It actually refers to the Holy Spirit. So whatever Christ did in preaching during this period of time, He did it through or by the Holy Spirit.

With that in view, let’s ask this: When was the preaching done? The answer is plainly given in verse 20,

“When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing.”

So, the preaching was actually done while the ark was being built—during the preaching of Noah to that antediluvian world. Now, one more question: To whom was the preaching done? The text says here “to the spirits in prison.”

Throughout the Bible, we find this terminology used in describing those who are bound in the prison house of sin. David prayed,

“Bring my soul out of prison.”

Psalm 142:7.

Paul spoke of his experience in these words:

“bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.”

Romans 7:23.

What Peter is telling us here is simply that Christ, through the Holy Spirit, was present while Noah preached; Christ was there through the Holy Spirit to speak conviction to their hearts and appeal to them to come into the ark. There is absolutely nothing here that indicates that Jesus departed from the body during the time He was dead to go to any subterranean place to minister to wicked spirits. The three questions are clearly answered in the text itself that He preached by the Holy Spirit, He did it while the ark was being prepared, and He did it to the spirits in prison or to those individuals whose sinful lives were bound in the prison house of sin.

6.) “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

Revelation 14:10, 11:

The words “for ever” do not necessarily mean “without end.” In fact, the Bible uses the term 56 times (“for ever” can be found in your biblical concordance under “ever”) in connection with the things that have already ended.

In Exodus 21:1-6 the Hebrew servant was to serve his master “for ever,” but it was obviously only as long as he lived. Hannah took her son Samuel to God’s house to abide “for ever,” but she plainly limited that time to “as long as he liveth.” 1 Samuel 1:22, 28.

The term is very clearly defined in Psalm 48:14,

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”

The desolation of Edom was to continue “for ever and ever.” Isaiah 34:10. Christ is called “a priest for ever” (Hebrews 5:6), yet after sin is blotted out Christ’s work as a priest will end. The Bible states, “The wicked … shall be destroyed for ever.” Psalm 92:7.

1 Samuel 28:14:

“And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.”

This spiritualistic séance has been cited as evidence for life after death. However, here are points to the contrary:

Wizards had been sentenced to death and banned from the land (verse 3; Leviticus 20:27).
God had left Saul and would not communicate with him (verse 15).
Samuel was supposedly “brought up.” Other expressions: “ascending out of the earth,” “Cometh up,” and “Bring … up.” Is this where the righteous dead are—down in the earth? Not according to those who believe in the immortal soul. 4. Samuel is described as “an old man covered with a mantle.” Is this the way immortal souls appear? And where did the soul get the body? They’re supposed to be disembodied. Was there a resurrection? Did God obey the beck and call of the witch, and raise up Samuel? If not, can Satan raise the dead?
The apparition of Samuel told Saul, “Tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me.” Saul committed suicide on the battlefield the next day. Where did Samuel dwell, if the wicked Saul was to go to the same place?
The record never says that Saul saw Samuel. He received his information as second hand from the witch, and only concluded it was Samuel from her description. The truth is that the devil deceived the dissolute old woman, and she deceived Saul. It was nothing more than a devil-generated séance.
The enormity of Saul’s sin is revealed in these words, “So Saul died for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it; And inquired not of the Lord: therefore he slew him.” 1 Chronicles 10:13, 14.

A careful study of these difficult passages show that they line up with the true fate of the lost. It is not a non-ending torture chamber but a fate of eternal death and destruction. It will be as if they had never been. Because of this, when we arrive in heaven, there will be tears for them knowing they have passed away forever. These tears will be wiped away by a loving and understanding Savior who guarantees no more pain, sorrow, crying, or pain.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 21:4

If there were some space in the universe where uncle Bob was roasting in agony, would that be heaven for you? Would those tears ever go away?

NO! God loves His creation so much that He sent His only Son to die for us so that we don’t have to die forever. We will not perish like the lost but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

“Perish” is the second death, where the destruction of the fire from God destroys or devours the wicked. The saved are rescued from the fires of eternal death. The word “perish” is the Greek word apollymi . It means to destroy.

And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them….” Revelation 20:9

Destruction of death, the grave, and the lost will wipe the universe of the effects of sin. Then God creates a new heaven and a new earth where dwells righteousness.

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

2 Peter 3:13

“The great controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation, from Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.“

The Great Controversy, Chapter 42 (last page)

Hell, What is God Like?

The Bible’s teaching on the Fate of the lost (Part 1)

January 19, 2019 Eddie 2 Comments

The Rich Man and Lazarus

Luke 16: 19-31 (NIV)

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

Much argument has taken place over whether the words of Jesus in Luke 16:19-31 were intended to be understood literally or as a parable. Some Christians feel that in this story, Jesus was offering His hearers a glimpse of what existence in the afterlife is like.

Others, citing numerous passages of Scripture that seem to contradict the portrayal of heaven and hell contained in this passage, feel that Jesus was teaching an altogether different kind of lesson. Unfortunately, many modern religious teachers have isolated the story from its original context and used it as a device for scaring people. Religious “conversions” resulting from a fear of hell as it is depicted in this passage have indeed occurred, but are based on a foundation sorely in need of the strength that comes only from a genuine appreciation of God’s character and a proper understanding of Scripture. To begin this study, we’ll take a closer look at just what a parable really is, and then examine the setting in which Jesus told this story. Perhaps then we will better understand what lessons there are for us in the story of the rich man and Lazarus.

The Random House College Dictionary describes a parable as “a short, allegorical story designed to convey a truth or moral lesson.” Cruden’s Complete Concordance further expands this concept, saying that parables in the Bible were used “more generally than elsewhere.” We know that the Bible writers used situations both imaginary—as in the trees asking the bramble to be king over them (Judges 9:8-15)—and realistic in parables. Whatever form the parable took, it was only a vehicle for the moral lesson being taught.

Jesus recognized the value of parables in teaching the people. He desired to stimulate their deepest thought and contemplation, and He knew that if He spoke too literally, certain of His hearers would quickly forget His words. Not only that, but others, for whom certain of His parables contained stern rebuke, would be so angered by straight speaking that they would attempt to silence Him by violence. Wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove, Jesus recalled the words of Isaiah 6:9 and told His disciples,

“Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.”

Luke 8:10.

Cruden’s Concordance explains: “Our Saviour in the gospels often speaks to the people in parables. He made use of them to veil the truth from those who were not willing to see it. Those who really desired to know would not rest till they had found out the meaning.”

It was Jesus custom to talk to the people with parables.

It is appropriate here to ask to whom Jesus was speaking in Luke 16:19-31. Which category of people was He dealing with? The last verse before Jesus’ voice begins in this passage tells us.

“And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.”

Luke 16: 14

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees, a class of men who were notorious all through the Gospels for their refusal to deal honestly with Him and the truths He taught.

We can be sure that of all the people Jesus taught, none were handled more guardedly than the wily Pharisees. They dealt in deception and subterfuge, but Jesus dealt with them wisely and truthfully. The safest way for Him to do this was by parable and allegory. Evidence that they did not understand many of His teachings can be found in Jesus’ prayer:

“I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them unto babes.”

Luke 10:21,

Mark 4:33, 34 clearly shows that Jesus’ lessons were almost invariably couched in parables:

“And with many such parables spake he the word unto them: as they were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not unto them; and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”

Mark 4: 33, 34

The rich man and Lazarus is at the end of a long list of parables that start in Luke chapter 14:7 before he turns to the disciples and begins to speak to them plainly.

Now we are ready to examine the story of the rich man and Lazarus itself, and try to ascertain the real message Jesus was seeking to convey through it.

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.”

Luke 16:19-21.

Who was the symbolic rich man? The Jews had been blessed above measure by a knowledge of God and his plan of salvation for all mankind. They had received

“the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.”

Romans 9:4.

Only a Jew would pray to “Father Abraham,” as we find the rich man doing later in the story. The Jewish nation was clearly represented by this character.

By contrast, Lazarus symbolized all those people in spiritual poverty—the Gentiles—with whom the Israelites were to share their heritage. The words of Isaiah were well known to the Jews.

“I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”

Isaiah 49:6.

Unfortunately, the Jews had not shared their spiritual wealth with the Gentiles at all. Instead, they considered them as “dogs” that would have to be satisfied with the spiritual crumbs falling from their masters’ tables. The metaphor was known. Jesus had used it before in testing the faith of the Canaanite woman.

“It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” She responded accordingly: “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ tables.”

Matthew 15:26, 27.

The rich Jews had hoarded the truth, and in so doing, they had corrupted themselves. Only moments before relating this parable, Jesus had rebuked the Pharisees for their spiritual conceit.

“Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

Luke 16:15.

What was to be the result of this terrible conceit?

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.”

Luke 16:22-26.

The Jews had enjoyed “the good life” while on earth but had done nothing to bless or enrich their neighbors. No further reward was due.

“Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger.”

Luke 6:24, 25.

Conversely, the poor in spirit, symbolized by Lazarus, would inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Gentiles who hungered and thirsted after righteousness would be filled. The “dogs” and sinners, so despised by the self-righteous Pharisees, would enter heaven before they would.

“Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.”

Matthew 21:31.

The parable concludes with the rich man begging for his brethren to be warned against sharing his fate. Asking Abraham to send Lazarus on this mission, he alleges

“if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.” Abraham replies,

Luke 16:30.

“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

Verse 31.

Jesus thus rebuked the Pharisees for their disregard of the Scriptures, foreseeing that even a supernatural event would not change the hearts of those who persistently rejected the teachings of “Moses and the prophets.”

The miracle of raising the real-life Lazarus from the dead soon afterward confirmed the accuracy of Jesus’ conclusion. One did rise from the dead, yet the brothers of the “rich man” did not repent. In fact, the Pharisees even plotted to kill Lazarus after his resurrection. His very life was a reminder to them of their own hypocrisy.

Today many Christians believe that the story of the rich man and Lazarus is a historical account of two individuals’ literal experiences in the afterlife. Based on this belief, some people teach that those who are consigned to the fiery torments of hell will never stop burning throughout all eternity. As with the parable of the trees and the bramble (Judges 9:8-15), however, serious problems arise with a literal interpretation of the story elements.

Can we believe that all the saints are even now gathered in Abraham’s bosom? If they are, in whose bosom does Abraham rest? And if there is really a great gulf fixed between heaven and hell, how could the rich man possibly have been heard by Abraham? Perhaps more disturbing, how could the saints enjoy the comforts of heaven while enduring the cries of the wicked being tormented?

Another dilemma that arises with a literal interpretation of this story could be called “the mystery of the empty graves.” If this is taken literally, apparently neither of the two leading characters spent very long in the grave—both being whisked away rather quickly to their respective places of reward. Their bodies obviously came along, for we find the rich man lifting up his eyes, and desiring to have his tongue cooled by a drop of water from the finger of Lazarus who was resting, as we have seen, in Abraham’s bosom. Enough graves have been exhumed in recent years to know that the bodies of the deceased are carried neither to heaven or hell after burial. They finally turn to dust and await the resurrection.

From these few examples, we begin to see that in this parable, Jesus was not trying to explain the physical realities of the afterlife. Instead, He was referring to the unfaithfulness of the Jews regarding their assigned responsibility. As stewards of the special message of truth, they utterly failed to share it with the Gentiles, who were eager to hear it. In fact, the entire chapter of Luke 16 is devoted to the subject of stewardship.

Beginning in verse one, Christ gave another parable about stewardship of money or property. “There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.” After dealing with the principle of being entrusted with material goods, Jesus opened up the issue of being entrusted with the truth. By the parable of another rich man, He graphically illustrated how they had proven just as unfaithful with spiritual riches as the steward had been unfaithful with physical wealth.

To attempt to stretch the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to cover the doctrine of hellfire is to miss the point Jesus intended to convey. The Bible speaks with unmistakable clarity on the subject of hell in many other places. Nowhere do the Scriptures teach that the wicked will continue to suffer in the fires of hell through the ceaseless ages of eternity. Rather, they will be utterly destroyed. Jesus never would have compromised the integrity of the Holy Scriptures by teaching a doctrine contrary to its own overwhelming testimony on the subject.

The truth about hell may be ascertained by examining even a few of the many Bible texts that speak directly on the subject. Before examining these, however, we must remember that

“the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.”

Romans 6:23.

There are only two alternatives for every soul. Those who accept Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice will live forever; those who do not accept Jesus will die. If the wicked suffered without end, eternal life—however painful—would be theirs. But we know that eternal life is available only to those who accept Jesus.

Consider these clear texts of Scripture that speak of the reward of the wicked:

“But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.”

Psalm 37:20.

“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”

Malachi 4:1.

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 4:3.

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Matthew 10:28.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

2 Peter 3:10.

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8.

Many other texts could be cited, but these clearly illustrate that the ultimate fate of the wicked is death. Notice that the Scriptures choose the strongest possible words to describe the complete annihilation of the wicked. In no way should these clear words be misunderstood by one who honestly desires to know truth. There is a fire reserved for the wicked, but a fire so hot it will utterly destroy all who are engulfed by it. When the fire has done its work, it will go out. Eternally burning fire is not taught anywhere in the Bible—not even in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. (Some people have wondered what the expression “for ever” means in the usage of Revelation 20:10. Other similar passages demonstrate this merely to mean as long as a person lives. See Exodus 21:6; 1 Samuel 1:22; Jonah 2:6, etc. Also, the expression “eternal fire” may be understood in terms of consequences rather than duration, as in the example of Sodom and Gomorrha in Jude 7).

(We will talk more about this next time.)

It would be tragic to miss the actual point of the parable by removing it from the setting in which Jesus gave it. Let’s accept the lesson He was trying to teach and apply it to our own lives. Are we doing all we can to spread the message of salvation to others? Do we have a genuine love for those around us, and have we invited them to share our spiritual inheritance? If we hoard our riches, like the Jews of old, we will become self-righteous and corrupt. In contrast, by active, loving service, our relationship with Christ as well as with others will become stronger and more meaningful.

Let us not make scary stories the basis of our Christian experience. Instead, let us understand that

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:16.

_________________________________________________

After all of this, the pivotal question must be asked,

Do you know God enough to know that He is a God of mercy and not a God who tortures his creation for rejecting Jesus? …even though He gave man the freedom to choose.

Choose this day whom you will follow.

Joshua 24:15

Sin comes with its own penalty….eternal and non-ending death. This is in itself mercy. The sinner gives in to the carnal nature and chooses a life of pleasurable sin and its ultimate penalty of death rather than a born-again life of service in Christ that brings satisfaction and real joy. The rebel to God’s Spirit will one day cease to exist in the lake of fire. They choose this world and its temporary pleasures rather than Jesus and His eternal riches of life and discovery.

It is not what your choose, but rather who. If you choose Jesus, then eternal life is yours. Will you choose Him today?

I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

Deuteronomy 30:19

Much thanks to Doug Batchelor with Amazing Facts

Essential Christian Beliefs, Hell, The Truth About The Fate of The Lost

Were Adam and Eve Immortal?

January 2, 2019 Eddie 4 Comments

The Plan of God From the Beginning

The plan for mankind can be found at the beginning of the Bible (Genesis). Often Jesus would refer back to the beginning when explaining the original desire of God for His creation. For example, in the area of divorce, Jesus illustrates God’s accommodation for it, but this was not in the desire of God nor His original plan; it was because of our hard hearts:

He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered (allowed) you to put away your wives: but from the beginning, it was not so.

Matthew 19:8

God’s original will and His clarity on certain topics can be found by going back to the time before mankind sinned and fell from God’s desire for His creation. For example, the debate over gender designation; the ceremony of marriage; God’s law; and even the purpose of the Sabbath can be clearly understood by studying mankind’s beginnings. Even death is made clear by going back to the beginning.

In the beginning, God made man upright; He gave him noble traits of character, with no desire for evil. He endowed him with high intellectual powers and presented before him the strongest possible inducements to be true to his allegiance. Obedience, perfect and perpetual, was the condition of eternal happiness. On this condition, he was to have access to the tree of life.

Patriarchs and Prophets p. 49

This was the desire of God. His will was to give only happiness and the ability for satisfying production of life to the beings created in His image, but it was conditional on the law of God’s government. The law of love and trust. Mankind would remain safe and free from death by listening to and believing His words. Originally there was only one literal law designed to protect the holy pair from the wiles of the enemy of God (Satan). This singular prohibition would give Adam and Eve the ability to continue in happiness. The law was quite simple:

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you^[f] shall surely die.”

Genesis 2: 16-17

Death Passes Upon All

But, Eve left the side of her husband and began to converse with a disguised Satan made to look beautiful and intriguing. Soon, Eve gave way and disobeyed God because she relied on her own sight and her own reasoning rather than exercising faith (trust) in God’s word…which contained a promise of death for disobedience.

In the garden of Eden, Satan tells the first lie that continues to this day,

Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3: 4-5

Even to this day, it is proclaimed in man’s teaching or imagination that man does not die at death; He has an immortal soul that will live through eternity. Or, the dearly departed returns in a different form, body, or person (reincarnation). Even the leaders of the Christian church tell the bereaved that the person’s “immortal soul” continues to live in the bliss in heaven or the pits of hell. Or, the dead person is now an angel that guards their loved ones.

The Bible has a different take on what happens to someone who dies. As death is understood from God’s word, it will give comfort to the saved or distress to the lost.

Death From The Beginning

What happens at death and after death has been a mystery to both believers and non-believers. The images and ideas on this depressing subject have been influenced and shaped by superstitious pagans, unbelieving scientists, and sadly, the church itself (In its well-meaning effort to comfort the bereaved.) The Pagans point to tradition and made up scenarios to bring fear and control. Some patients in the hospital can point to examples of people “dying” and being brought back to life after seeing a bright light. Even the preachers/teachers paint a picture of life after death often not supported by clear scripture. Lastly, the atheist or unbeliever simply says you die and that’s it…Nothing beyond…only death, dirt, and eternal meaninglessness. Who is right?

What is the most reliable source on this topic? Is it personal experience? Tradition? Can you trust other people’s opinions?

There have been “saved” people as recorded in the Bible who had been dead for more than three days and returned to life (Lazarus, Jesus, and the saints resurrected when Christ died. See-Matt 27: 51-53). None described heaven or bliss after death.

If Lazarus had been in heaven for four days and then jerked back down to earth, one would think there would be a book of Lazarus telling us about the beautiful places he visited for a few days.

The Only Reliable Source To Explain Being Dead:

The Bible is clear. It is supported from multiple inspired writers in both the old and new testament. God’s word cuts across tradition and popular, but erroneous, teachings… But, an understanding of this often taboo subject includes not only God’s word but the common sense to understand it. It is all made clear in the light of scripture and the character of God who desires all to repent and to keep all from “perishing”

The Bible discloses a loving God who would not have us be ignorant on this topic. Once understood, it will reveal what we have to gain and what we have to lose. Most importantly, the love of God as demonstrated in the plan of salvation gives us hope of something more than a mere grain of sand in time.

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

The Walking Dead

I have always been amazed by the title of the TV series, The Walking Dead. The title contradicts itself. Walking indicates life and the action of the brain telling the legs to move forward. Dead means….well dead. Being dead means, you no longer have these abilities. No desires, no feelings…

The wise man Solomon said,

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.
Also, their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;
Nevermore will they have a share
In anything done under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9: 5,6

The Bible describes the elements of life and the reversal of these elements to produce death. The formula for the creation of life has never changed from the beginning except when God gave mankind, through a man and a woman the ability to procreate. Originally, God took elements/chemicals from the earth and made it come alive in the form of man:

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:7

This is a simple mathematical formula:

Dust of the Ground (Elements) + the breath of life (from God) = Living Soul. Notice man did not already have a soul, he was given life and he became a living soul. The soul is the combination of the body and the life-giving breath of God (Spirit). Man does not possess a soul separate from his body, rather he is a soul because of the combination of the two critical elements for life.

At death, the elements of life are reversed as explained by God to Adam and Eve after the fall and repeated by men inspired by the Spirit of God.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face because of hard work until you return to the ground because you were taken from the ground. You are dust, and you will return to dust.”

Genesis 3:19

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

Ecclesiastes 12:7

You hide Your face, they are troubled;
You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

Psalm 104:29

Here is the mathematical formula for death, which is understandably the opposite from the formula above:

Dust (body) minus God’s spirit (His breath) = Death. There is nothing indicating the soul continues to live on or is “immortal”. In fact, it is the opposite for sinful man,

The soul who sins shall die.

Ezekiel 18:4

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

(Note: the term hell here is the Greek word geenna. Jesus refers to a place that was originally the valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the filth and dead animals of the city were cast out and burned. But, also noticed the keyword i.e. destroy. The future of the lost is destruction, not life. More on that in other studies. )

How the Bible Describe The Condition of Death

If a soul can die, is it immortal? No! Death is just what it is, death where man is not living or aware of anything done here or anywhere. They no longer participate in anything under the sun.

But man dies and is laid away;
Indeed he breathes his last
And where is he?…His sons come to honor, and he does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it

Job 14:21

How God Describes the State of Death

In both the Old Testament and New Testament, the condition of the dead person is compared to unconsciousness. A dreamless sleep, where the passage of time is a mere micro-second for the redeemed. At a point in the future, the dead in Christ are awakened to see the Coming of Jesus where they then receive immortality. The lost are resurrected after 1,000 years later to meet their fate (Revelation 20:5).

Let’s start looking at a few Old Testament references beginning with the oldest book of the Bible. Job’s “friends” have a multitude of words about God to make sure Job is correct in his understanding of God and why Job has all his problems. But, only Job spoke the truth about God. Job 42;7

Job understood death and end-time events. In Chapter 14, he begins to talk about the mortality of man and what would take place when he would receive eternal life (Chapter 19). His description matches Paul and Peter’s description in the New Testament:

Job:

“Mortals, born of woman,
are of few days and full of trouble.
They spring up like flowers and wither away;
like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.

Job 14: 1,2

Only God has immortality. As humans, we are mortals subject to death. Adam and Even had conditional immortality. It was subject to a law meant to protect them from sin. The tree of life perpetuated eternal life and immortality.

But a man dies and is laid low;
he breathes his last and is no more.

Job 14:10

When a person dies, it is like they are no more, but Job knew there is a time when his mind and body would be renewed (restored)

If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes.

Job 14: 14

I know that my redeemer^[lives,
    and that in the end, he will stand on the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet in my flesh, I will see God;
I myself will see him
    with my own eyes—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns within me!

Job 19: 25-27

Is this not clear that Job understands that man dies, his body returns to dust, he waits and then is resurrected, even “after [their] skin has been destroyed”?

That great prophet Daniel also understood that man’s hope and future is in the resurrection that occurs when Jesus returns:

Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Daniel 12:2

Job and Daniel’s statements were understood by the New Testament writers and believers. Paul’s statement is echoed in his letter to the Thessalonians;

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

Did you catch the last part of this verse? We are to comfort one another with the words he just spoke, which is Jesus is coming back to resurrect those who died “in Christ.” What a glorious family reunion day that will be! The righteous dead of all the ages will meet at the same time, in the air, for a trip back to where Jesus is! Father, sons, daughters, mothers, children, friends all come together for a family trip to heaven. Jesus promised to come back and take us to where He is now (heaven).

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions (dwellings); if it were not so, ^[b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 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

The false comforts from the pulpit and vain philosophies ignore or minimize the truth of the coming of Jesus and the joyous events around the resurrection. Instead, they make up words like,

“Uncle George is now looking down on us and enjoying hunting with his favorite dog.”

At one funeral I actually heard a pastor say, a deceased person was likely playing cards (his favorite past time) with Saint Peter.

The best comfort we can know is that the deceased person is resting from the pains of this mortal world (for a moment) before the Lord returns. This is how Paul told us to look upon death.

Jesus refers to His resurrection as the hope of all those who died knowing Him when he resurrected Lazarus.

Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11: 21-26

What confuses people is the fact that there is a second death that is eternal, while the first death (the one that passes upon all men) is a death because of sin that started in the garden of Eden. But, immortality will be a gift at the 2nd coming of Christ. The second death is eternal.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 5:12

All of us die, but if we don’t trust and live in God, we won’t be part of the first resurrection and we will “perish”

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20: 14, 15

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Often overlooked in this well-known passage is the truth about the penalty of unbelief in God i.e. They perish.

It does not say, they have an eternal life of torture in fire called hell. Only those who “have the Son” have life. All others do not. When the lost are thrown into the lake of fire, it is a death, not a life of toruture.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

1 John 5:12

Adam and Eve did not have unconditional immortality, neither do we. They could have maintained access to the tree of life which has elements to perpetuate life. After they sinned, this tree was guarded by angels so they could not eat of it and live.

So He drove out the man, and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:24

The Bible opens up with the Tree of Life and it being taken away, but the Bible closes with the redeemed having access to it once again.

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Revelation 22: 14

Summary Points:

Mankind is under the penalty of sin i.e death. It began in the garden of Eden.
Mankind is not immortal nor do they have an immortal soul.
The good news (gospel) is that Jesus paid the penalty for sin i.e death, but was resurrected the third day to become the first fruits of the resurrection.

But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 1 Corinthians 15: 20

Death is exactly what the word means. There is no life, no thoughts, no feelings. It is often referred to as sleep.
Our comfort at funerals, particularly if we know the deceased is a follower of Christ, is that they are in a very short sleep of peace from the sin of this world awaiting the return of Christ to bring the dust of their decayed bodies back to life and give them immortality.
The tree of life has a very practical application of perpetuating life and the healing of nations:

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

We end on the clearest verse regarding the return of Christ and when we receive immortality.

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

1 Corinthians 15: 51-54

Only when Jesus returns can it be said: “death has been swallowed up in victory.” The victory is the redeemed are brought back to life. At the second coming, we are “clothed in immortality”….not before!

If you don’t have the assurance of eternal life with Jesus, please let us know and we will help you, through God’s word, to find a saving relationship with Him and faith to live happy while you await His coming.

For a more entertaining view on this topic, please watch this short video:

Recap from the last study

Daniel’s Prayer

God’s Mercy – Daniel’s People Given Time

The Arrival Time of Jesus the Messiah Predicted

Jesus Ministry Confirms the Covenant

Here are the important dates:

Notes on the Ezra dates:

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The image of Daniel 2 unlocks the Prophecy of Daniel 7 & Revelation 13

____________________________________

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The Fakers

True Prophets

The Prophets Work

The Interpretation

The Second Kingdom

Third Kingdom

The Fourth Kingdom

4th Kingdom-Forever Division

Our Day-The Soon Coming Eternal Kingdom

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Milk is Not a Long Term Diet for Babies

Failure to Grow Will Result in Death or, at the least, Stunted Mediocracy.

Let God Do His Perfect Work in You

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Doctrine and the Church

Jesus and the two disciples leaving Jerusalem and the site of the crucifixion:

Jesus and the many disciples hiding in the room fearful for their lives on the First Day of the week:

Jesus and Doubting Thomas:

New Testament and Old Testament -The Two Witnesses

What Ended at the Cross?

Nailed to the Cross

The New Testament Church

Conclusion:

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Some Difficult Texts Explained

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Death Passes Upon All

Death From The Beginning

The Only Reliable Source To Explain Being Dead:

The Walking Dead

How the Bible Describe The Condition of Death

How God Describes the State of Death

Job:

Summary Points:

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"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. Colossians 1:28