The inevitable question hangs tough today, demanding an answer. Millions want to know, “If God is (real), how could He allow such evil? Yesterday, twenty innocent (in the eye of God) little people entered Heaven, never to feel pain again and we, like Job, are left to work this over, trying to wrap our heads around this evil. In the first book of the Bible, we find Gen. 1:26 and we see that God made man in His Image. God is a Spirit being and in no manor human at the point of Creation and that is important to remember here. And in the Bible, we learn that God created all that has been created for “His” pleasure... God has free will and because we are created in the image of God, we have free will. In the first chapters of Genesis we see that free will has good and evil options to work with ad sometimes from. We find early on that God, the Creator, walked with Adam in the cool of the evening. Adam and God both longed for fellowship and both chose to enjoy the other. And in the second chapter, we see God finds that Adam is without a help mate and God removes one of Adam's ribs and creates the most beautiful, perfect vision of a woman and rings her to Adam to wed. God's free will is always perfect and His actions are always time just right. Adam was alone just long enough to know that he was incomplete, just long enough to develop the need for his mate. If God had created Eve at the same time He did Adam it is quite possible that Adam might never have realized his deep need need of the fellowship she brought to his life. If Adam had never had the opportunity to realize his need for companionship, he and we might never have had the opportunity to realize that his need was a picture of the free will love God feels for us. (The first three chapters of Genesis cannot be exhaustively taught from the pulpit in a year, maybe two.) The other side of free will is evil! But, you see, without the ability to exercise free will, there can be no love and love is the good every one of us needs. Love is not the product Hollywood pushes onto our children when we fail to live the truth in front of them. What Hollywood is selling is a soft side of evil. No! I did not just call the coupling of a man and his wife evil. However, what is ignored in the church today, the back seat activities of teens and the married but not to each other activities, promoted by Hollywood and Broadway is evil... soft, wanted but evil! And I assure you that you need to study the Book of Job until you can see the love of God that I see there. As bad as it appears, God knew Job's breaking point and He never allowed Satan to push Job that hard. When Job's trial was over and he had learned how strong his faith was, he ws completely restored and he was blessed wit hthe knowledge he would never have gained. The moms and dads are mentally collapsed today and the journey back is very, very hard to travel. When my very best friend took an eighty-one mm in the chest, I was the first to find him and I remember nothing of the following three months other than what I was told I did. The parents of these missing babies do not have an ever present enemy and they are not supplied with a never ending supply of munitions, praise God. They need our tears and our prayers and no, they will not be healed in ninety days and they will not be healed in twenty years. These fellow parents, grandparents, classmates, brothers and sisters are hurt and incomplete until the day they, I pray, go home to Heaven. Please, cease not to pray.
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
The inevitable question hangs tough today, demanding an answer. Millions want to know, “If God is (real), how could He allow such evil? Yesterday, twenty innocent (in the eye of God) little people entered Heaven, never to feel pain again and we, like Job, are left to work this over, trying to wrap our heads around this evil. In the first book of the Bible, we find Gen. 1:26 and we see that God made man in His Image. God is a Spirit being and in no manor human at the point of Creation and that is important to remember here. And in the Bible, we learn that God created all that has been created for “His” pleasure... God has free will and because we are created in the image of God, we have free will. In the first chapters of Genesis we see that free will has good and evil options to work with ad sometimes from. We find early on that God, the Creator, walked with Adam in the cool of the evening. Adam and God both longed for fellowship and both chose to enjoy the other. And in the second chapter, we see God finds that Adam is without a help mate and God removes one of Adam's ribs and creates the most beautiful, perfect vision of a woman and rings her to Adam to wed. God's free will is always perfect and His actions are always time just right. Adam was alone just long enough to know that he was incomplete, just long enough to develop the need for his mate. If God had created Eve at the same time He did Adam it is quite possible that Adam might never have realized his deep need need of the fellowship she brought to his life. If Adam had never had the opportunity to realize his need for companionship, he and we might never have had the opportunity to realize that his need was a picture of the free will love God feels for us. (The first three chapters of Genesis cannot be exhaustively taught from the pulpit in a year, maybe two.) The other side of free will is evil! But, you see, without the ability to exercise free will, there can be no love and love is the good every one of us needs. Love is not the product Hollywood pushes onto our children when we fail to live the truth in front of them. What Hollywood is selling is a soft side of evil. No! I did not just call the coupling of a man and his wife evil. However, what is ignored in the church today, the back seat activities of teens and the married but not to each other activities, promoted by Hollywood and Broadway is evil... soft, wanted but evil! And I assure you that you need to study the Book of Job until you can see the love of God that I see there. As bad as it appears, God knew Job's breaking point and He never allowed Satan to push Job that hard. When Job's trial was over and he had learned how strong his faith was, he ws completely restored and he was blessed wit hthe knowledge he would never have gained. The moms and dads are mentally collapsed today and the journey back is very, very hard to travel. When my very best friend took an eighty-one mm in the chest, I was the first to find him and I remember nothing of the following three months other than what I was told I did. The parents of these missing babies do not have an ever present enemy and they are not supplied with a never ending supply of munitions, praise God. They need our tears and our prayers and no, they will not be healed in ninety days and they will not be healed in twenty years. These fellow parents, grandparents, classmates, brothers and sisters are hurt and incomplete until the day they, I pray, go home to Heaven. Please, cease not to pray.
Where in the world to begin? Today the people of Newtown had a visit from Evil. I have a firend with the screen name, Major. Major and I knew Evil and lived with him for a long time. I suspect that, like myself, Major has had his heart ripped out of his chest, once more. Evil murdered 20 children, at least some of them and possibly all of them, Kindergärtners. And to add to the carnage, he murdered 6 adults.
I have a number of dreams that refuse to leave me alone and have often awakened my wife with screams for her to get in the damned hole before they kill her. For three tours I lived, ate, drank and slept with Evil and I now live to warn people that they never want to know what I and Major know. You see, as close as we lived to evil for as long as we did, we do not know the horror of the Evil these babes now hold in their precious hearts and it brings tears to my eyes to know it.
It is a sad thing but as they gather all the knowledge and as they do all the interviews and as they publish it for us to know, you must understand, neither they, the officials and reporters, nor any of us will ever know the permanent damage done to these babies. Some of the victims will not even become aware of the damage done to them for Decades yet, themselves.
My doctors accuse me of being hyper-vigilant because I need to know who is behind me and what they are doing. Some of the Little People will now have this same need and they are to darned young to know the Face of Death and his brother, Evil, these are Small Americans! My call is to prayer. (2Chro. 7:14) I'm not crazy, these evil deeds were never known in this land before I became a man and joined the military. I spent seven years, ten months in the service to my country and when I returned home, it was common to have weekend Sex Parties with fifty people or more attending... pure evil!
Our nation and these babies need the prayers of God's people. If you are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit, I, neither, expect you to understand this need nor should you fall on your face and pray, God will not listen to you! On the other hand, there is a small group that, like myself, live with the guiding hand of the Spirit of God, and now is the time for us to pray for the hand of God to be on these babes, their parents, the teachers, the police and our nation, please pray without ceasing.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Acts 1:1-5
Act 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
There are a rather odd assortment of teachings today that, simply put, defy the very Word of God. More and more, these days, I find myself having reason to teach elementary school basics to young adults due to the true State of the Union. There is no story nor any written record that can be, properly, used without the lost art of comprehension. The above text is one, such, example.
The Book of The Acts of the Apostles is not well taught in churches these days and it is easily overlooked due to the lack of the proper name being used as the title, thereof. When we read the least read part of the Bible, the Index, and we read Acts, it has no real impact. And yet, herein, lies the recorded History of the Early Church, after the Genesis, a major foundation block for the building of Grounded Christianity.
Often, I have been reminded of my years as a soldier and as a carpenter. In Basic Training, Boot Camp to the Marines, we were taught the foundation a successful soldier builds his life on. As a carpenter before I could ever erect the first wall I needed a solid foundation to build on or all my work would fail. As a soldier, if my machine-gun failed because I was to drunk to clean it before I laid down to rest I would not have been successful the next day when the enemy sought to bring my chopper to the ground. The same is true of the Christian, with no foundation, nothing can be built that can endure.
Saint Luke begins this historical record with mention of it´s intended recipient, Theophilus. The name is oft defined as the Lover of God and it is a popular belief that he was Luke´s benefactor and reason for his education as a doctor. Both this record and the Book of Luke are addressed to him and look to be for his Spiritual Profit.
In verse 2 we learn that, to the horror and disdain of the, Self Proclaimed, New Testament Christian, that Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, left His Apostles and therefore, His Followers with commandments! This is a touchy subject among a rebellious people and that is just what these Modern Day ?Converts? are, rebellious.
If a man, any man will revere God so much as to hunger for His Word, he or she will read it... from beginning to end. The remarkable thing that is discovered by such a reader that has prayed and submitted themselves to the perfect Will of God is that the context of the scriptures is one, from Genesis 1:1 through the very last Amen of The Revelation of Jesus, the Christ. The message, throughout is the message of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
On one forum I am presently about to reply with the reasoning behind my rebuke for his heretical offering that Salvation is offered through faith but can be earned by good works. The saddest point of this is that this gent is not alone in this belief. If a person does not read the scriptures in their context they are without a foundation to stand on and if you do not swtand on the truth, you will fall for anything.
In verse three it is important to note that the record of Jesus´ death and resurrection is verified and particularly that He taught for forty consecutive days after His death and burial. And in verses four and five comes the heart of the matter for this lesson, all followers of the Christ are indwelt (baptized) with or by the Holy Spirit of God, the Father and God, the Son.
We are commanded not to quench the Spirit (1Thes. 5:19) so it is possible to be a saved man and still be Carnal. That being said, the single, most important thing any man can ever do is a Spiritual Inventory. This is a matter that needs to be cared for over and over, the more often the better. No-one can do it for you and you cannot do it for yourself without an honest Prayer Life. You must, prayerfully submit yourself to the will of God for your life!
This, inventory, is best accomplished by the person that has devoted their life to the study of the Word of God. This Does Not Require A Degree In Biblical Studies! A degree can be a hindrance. There are teachers in seminaries, around the world, that teach against the Word of God being infallible. Couple bad information, teaching, with the truth that the mind, like the computer, is only as good as the information it contains.
If you can fall on your face and submit to God, He is able and He will accomplish the work He has begun in you. May God bless you and yours.
Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
There are a rather odd assortment of teachings today that, simply put, defy the very Word of God. More and more, these days, I find myself having reason to teach elementary school basics to young adults due to the true State of the Union. There is no story nor any written record that can be, properly, used without the lost art of comprehension. The above text is one, such, example.
The Book of The Acts of the Apostles is not well taught in churches these days and it is easily overlooked due to the lack of the proper name being used as the title, thereof. When we read the least read part of the Bible, the Index, and we read Acts, it has no real impact. And yet, herein, lies the recorded History of the Early Church, after the Genesis, a major foundation block for the building of Grounded Christianity.
Often, I have been reminded of my years as a soldier and as a carpenter. In Basic Training, Boot Camp to the Marines, we were taught the foundation a successful soldier builds his life on. As a carpenter before I could ever erect the first wall I needed a solid foundation to build on or all my work would fail. As a soldier, if my machine-gun failed because I was to drunk to clean it before I laid down to rest I would not have been successful the next day when the enemy sought to bring my chopper to the ground. The same is true of the Christian, with no foundation, nothing can be built that can endure.
Saint Luke begins this historical record with mention of it´s intended recipient, Theophilus. The name is oft defined as the Lover of God and it is a popular belief that he was Luke´s benefactor and reason for his education as a doctor. Both this record and the Book of Luke are addressed to him and look to be for his Spiritual Profit.
In verse 2 we learn that, to the horror and disdain of the, Self Proclaimed, New Testament Christian, that Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, left His Apostles and therefore, His Followers with commandments! This is a touchy subject among a rebellious people and that is just what these Modern Day ?Converts? are, rebellious.
If a man, any man will revere God so much as to hunger for His Word, he or she will read it... from beginning to end. The remarkable thing that is discovered by such a reader that has prayed and submitted themselves to the perfect Will of God is that the context of the scriptures is one, from Genesis 1:1 through the very last Amen of The Revelation of Jesus, the Christ. The message, throughout is the message of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
On one forum I am presently about to reply with the reasoning behind my rebuke for his heretical offering that Salvation is offered through faith but can be earned by good works. The saddest point of this is that this gent is not alone in this belief. If a person does not read the scriptures in their context they are without a foundation to stand on and if you do not swtand on the truth, you will fall for anything.
In verse three it is important to note that the record of Jesus´ death and resurrection is verified and particularly that He taught for forty consecutive days after His death and burial. And in verses four and five comes the heart of the matter for this lesson, all followers of the Christ are indwelt (baptized) with or by the Holy Spirit of God, the Father and God, the Son.
We are commanded not to quench the Spirit (1Thes. 5:19) so it is possible to be a saved man and still be Carnal. That being said, the single, most important thing any man can ever do is a Spiritual Inventory. This is a matter that needs to be cared for over and over, the more often the better. No-one can do it for you and you cannot do it for yourself without an honest Prayer Life. You must, prayerfully submit yourself to the will of God for your life!
This, inventory, is best accomplished by the person that has devoted their life to the study of the Word of God. This Does Not Require A Degree In Biblical Studies! A degree can be a hindrance. There are teachers in seminaries, around the world, that teach against the Word of God being infallible. Couple bad information, teaching, with the truth that the mind, like the computer, is only as good as the information it contains.
If you can fall on your face and submit to God, He is able and He will accomplish the work He has begun in you. May God bless you and yours.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Revelation 20
Revelation 20:1:
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation 20:2:
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:3:
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Most people, lost and saved, alike, have heard enough of the truth of the scriptures that they know of the Millennial Reign of the Christ. Today, however, most folks have the idea of the Devil being a cartoon character with a long tail and wearing a red pajama suit. These folks, some of them calling themselves Christian, tend not to believe in the second coming of Jesus nor in the truth of Satan. But the truth is that Jesus is returning and the Devil will be contained during His reign.
Revelation 20:4:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5:
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
These two verses and the next three require a man to think and that is not a popular past time these days. Some today have taken verses 4 and 5 to prove the rule of Christ does not include the members of the Bride but that, in their opinion. It is, however worthy and necessary to note the next three verses before deciding such a thing.
Revelation 20:6:
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:7:
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Revelation 20:8:
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Here is the truth of the whole situation and it looks to me as though the martyrs, if not part of the Bride, are at least their equals. During that thousand years we shall rule together, under the guidance of Jesus, the Christ. Then, after one thousand years of peace, in an agrarian world, the lost will, once more, be deceived by him and gather to do battle with God.
Revelation 20:9:
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Revelation 20:10:
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Here is the portion that, just, baffles me. Satan has had two thousand years to read and to understand the prophecy in this book of the Bible and some of these people will have lived six, seven or even nine hundred years of life, lived under the rule of Jesus and yet they team up to overthrow Jesus and the Saints.
Revelation 20:11:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14:
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15:
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is the End of the world! The Earth has been destroyed by fire and all life here has ceased to be and the Second Resurrection has occurred. It is a popular teaching today that all people of all faiths will go to Heaven (Universalism) and in a manor they are correct. I do see the Great White Throne being in Heaven but anybody that is not I the First Resurrection will not be in Heaven for very long. I am, because of my Spirit and prayer filled studies, of the opinion that when one is shown that one´s name is not in the Book of Life, that then the books containing their deeds will be opened and the degree of their punishment will be shown to them and applied. I do believe that many will be cast, along side Satan, into the Abyss, forever. From my studies I have determined that not all in the Second
Resurrection will suffer equally, just as all in the First are rewarded equally.
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation 20:2:
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:3:
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Most people, lost and saved, alike, have heard enough of the truth of the scriptures that they know of the Millennial Reign of the Christ. Today, however, most folks have the idea of the Devil being a cartoon character with a long tail and wearing a red pajama suit. These folks, some of them calling themselves Christian, tend not to believe in the second coming of Jesus nor in the truth of Satan. But the truth is that Jesus is returning and the Devil will be contained during His reign.
Revelation 20:4:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5:
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
These two verses and the next three require a man to think and that is not a popular past time these days. Some today have taken verses 4 and 5 to prove the rule of Christ does not include the members of the Bride but that, in their opinion. It is, however worthy and necessary to note the next three verses before deciding such a thing.
Revelation 20:6:
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:7:
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Revelation 20:8:
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Here is the truth of the whole situation and it looks to me as though the martyrs, if not part of the Bride, are at least their equals. During that thousand years we shall rule together, under the guidance of Jesus, the Christ. Then, after one thousand years of peace, in an agrarian world, the lost will, once more, be deceived by him and gather to do battle with God.
Revelation 20:9:
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Revelation 20:10:
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Here is the portion that, just, baffles me. Satan has had two thousand years to read and to understand the prophecy in this book of the Bible and some of these people will have lived six, seven or even nine hundred years of life, lived under the rule of Jesus and yet they team up to overthrow Jesus and the Saints.
Revelation 20:11:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14:
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15:
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This is the End of the world! The Earth has been destroyed by fire and all life here has ceased to be and the Second Resurrection has occurred. It is a popular teaching today that all people of all faiths will go to Heaven (Universalism) and in a manor they are correct. I do see the Great White Throne being in Heaven but anybody that is not I the First Resurrection will not be in Heaven for very long. I am, because of my Spirit and prayer filled studies, of the opinion that when one is shown that one´s name is not in the Book of Life, that then the books containing their deeds will be opened and the degree of their punishment will be shown to them and applied. I do believe that many will be cast, along side Satan, into the Abyss, forever. From my studies I have determined that not all in the Second
Resurrection will suffer equally, just as all in the First are rewarded equally.
Revelation 19
Revelation 19:1:
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Revelation 19:2:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Revelation 19:3:
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:4
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Father God has sent down His righteous judgment on the Great Whore, Babylon, and His judgment is forever. One thing we must all remember is that the Lost Man will know this truth for the first time but God has known the outcome since before time was created and the Christian that has studied to show himself approved has known since a short time after his or her conversion. So it is that we, like the twenty-four elders, the four beasts and all the angels in Heaven willingly fall at the feet oif God in worship.
Revelation 19:5:
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:6:
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
One of the difficult to understand truths of scripture is illustrated here, there are more humans in Heaven than those that comprise the Bride of Christ. The best explanation of this picture here is found in Matthew 22:2-14 where the parable of the Wedding Feast is began with, ¨The kingdom of heaven is like unto,¨ and goes on to explain that there will be guests at the Wedding Feast in Heaven.
Revelation 19:7:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Revelation 19:8:
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 19:9:
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
All that are found at this Heavenly event, the Bride, as well as the guests, will remain in Heaven throughout Eternity.
Revelation 19:10:
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:11:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Revelation 19:12:
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:13:
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Here we find the reason for one of my pet peeves. There is an element inside the Church Family today that is concentrating on teaching heresy. One of the, apparent, key points in the New Testament Theology is that God changed. In the Old Testament, these people teach that God was the God of wrath but that when He was born of Mary as a man child He took on a new nature and is no longer the God of wrath. Here we find, in the New Testament, that this is not the case!
Not only does God judge and send sinners to an Eternity in the Fiery Abyss but He also does what they themselves find impossible and makes war. We will never begin to grasp the truths of the New
Testament without the study of the Old because all that occurs in the New is referenced from the Old Testament.
Revelation 19:14:
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:15:
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 19:16:
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
I grew up knowing that life can be and often is tough. It is a lesson that every American needs to come to grips with as has the rest of the world. God/Jesus is not fooled by a soft word from a dictator with the atomic bomb at his disposal and when He leads the Bride, His Army, back here He will come as the concurring King of the worlod.
Revelation 19:17:
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Revelation 19:18:
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Revelation 19:19:
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Revelation 19:20:
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:21:
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
We must take notice of one thing here, God does all of the fighting! Yes, the Army of God is there, following Him, but God, Himself, does all of the fighting.
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Revelation 19:2:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Revelation 19:3:
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:4
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Father God has sent down His righteous judgment on the Great Whore, Babylon, and His judgment is forever. One thing we must all remember is that the Lost Man will know this truth for the first time but God has known the outcome since before time was created and the Christian that has studied to show himself approved has known since a short time after his or her conversion. So it is that we, like the twenty-four elders, the four beasts and all the angels in Heaven willingly fall at the feet oif God in worship.
Revelation 19:5:
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:6:
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
One of the difficult to understand truths of scripture is illustrated here, there are more humans in Heaven than those that comprise the Bride of Christ. The best explanation of this picture here is found in Matthew 22:2-14 where the parable of the Wedding Feast is began with, ¨The kingdom of heaven is like unto,¨ and goes on to explain that there will be guests at the Wedding Feast in Heaven.
Revelation 19:7:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Revelation 19:8:
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 19:9:
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
All that are found at this Heavenly event, the Bride, as well as the guests, will remain in Heaven throughout Eternity.
Revelation 19:10:
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:11:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Revelation 19:12:
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:13:
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Here we find the reason for one of my pet peeves. There is an element inside the Church Family today that is concentrating on teaching heresy. One of the, apparent, key points in the New Testament Theology is that God changed. In the Old Testament, these people teach that God was the God of wrath but that when He was born of Mary as a man child He took on a new nature and is no longer the God of wrath. Here we find, in the New Testament, that this is not the case!
Not only does God judge and send sinners to an Eternity in the Fiery Abyss but He also does what they themselves find impossible and makes war. We will never begin to grasp the truths of the New
Testament without the study of the Old because all that occurs in the New is referenced from the Old Testament.
Revelation 19:14:
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:15:
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 19:16:
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
I grew up knowing that life can be and often is tough. It is a lesson that every American needs to come to grips with as has the rest of the world. God/Jesus is not fooled by a soft word from a dictator with the atomic bomb at his disposal and when He leads the Bride, His Army, back here He will come as the concurring King of the worlod.
Revelation 19:17:
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Revelation 19:18:
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Revelation 19:19:
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Revelation 19:20:
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:21:
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
We must take notice of one thing here, God does all of the fighting! Yes, the Army of God is there, following Him, but God, Himself, does all of the fighting.
Revelation 18
Revelation 18:1:
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Revelation 18:2:
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Revelation 18:3:
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Another angel from heaven proclaims the fall of mystical Babylon. MHCC
In chapter 17 we saw the righteous Judgment of the Great Whore that ¨sitteth on many waters¨ a.k.a. Many peoples and nations and here we find mystical Babylon going down with her. There are many faces of this proclamation for possible examination and not many of them should be dogmatically taught. This being said we must, however, never be willing to compromise what the text proclaims and we do see, here, that everything evil has manifested itself through Babylon and the nations of the world have embraced it. We see that the merchants have become rich because of her and merchants do not wax rich without the people participating. All of the earth has bought into mystery Babylon.
Revelation 18:4:
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:5:
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Revelation 18:6:
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Revelation 18:7:
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Revelation 18:8:
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
A voice from heaven admonishes the people of God, lest they partake of her plagues. MHCC
When we look at these passages it must always be remembered that John is recording events that will occur in the natural realm as they are affected by the Spiritual realm. John is seeing one angel speak when an unseen voice interjects. This is God calling all that will hear Him, He states ¨my people,¨ proving, to my satisfaction that it is Father God. In verse 5 we see that God has not been slumbering, no, God knows everything.
Verse 6 requires prayer and care when considering the meaning of what is said. In verse 4 God is speaking to His people and the Rapture has already taken place, indicating that, without the presence of the Holy Spirit Some have Spiritually awakened and are seeking to follow God. And so it is that God say, ¨reward her even as she has rewarded you.¨ Remember that we learn that evil devils have filled Babylon with evil.
Many have misused Matt. 7:1 by drawing it out of context to shut the mouth of the Christian to keep themselves from being judged righteously but the context makes a lie of that as does this passage where the future Christ Follower is called upon to judge evil. In verse 7 they are even called to rise up in rebellion, it appears to me, to prepare mystery Babylon for the soon falling righteous judgment of God, described in verse 8.
Revelation 18:9:
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Revelation 18:10:
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Revelation 18:11:
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Revelation 18:12:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Revelation 18:13:
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Revelation 18:14:
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Revelation 18:15:
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Revelation 18:16:
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Revelation 18:17:
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Revelation 18:18:
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 18:19:
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
The lamentations over her. MHCC
What we have here is a list that needs close scrutiny for if we are careful to consider, a good deal of what we enjoy partaking in today is going to be lost here. In verse 13 we learn that even the souls of men have been traded or sold. And I will tell you that such is being done right now! In my years of work I worked with Christians, Lost Men and men that had sold their souls to Satan for certain kinds of success. One such young man was so indwelt, or possessed, that he just reeked of evil. He laughed at all the wrong things, lied, stole, swindled and did all manor of evil... he was solod out to mystery Babylon, Satan!
When God judges this world there will be a great change and I do not see many that will be willing to live without their ¨comforts¨ and live a simple but fulfilling life. No, it is very much as the Matthew Henry out line suggests, they will sorrow deeply.
Revelation 18:20:
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Revelation 18:21:
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Revelation 18:22
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Revelation 18:23:
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Revelation 18:24:
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The church called upon to rejoice in her utter ruin. MHCC
This is, among men, a very controversial passage. My understanding, perhaps wrong, is that all the Christ Following Converts have been beheaded. In verse 21 we see a stone like a great millstone cast into the sea and in 22 we see the sound of the millstone, industry, will be heard no more. Then, in verse 23, it looks to me like like the Light and Power companies also fail. When we read the Genesis, the beginning, account, we were an agrarian people that had very, very little industry. It is my perception that the Earth will, under the reign of Jesus, by of that nature once more. We worship our autos, electric drills, TVs and even the computers, like the one I type this message on but I tell you we will have no need of the Internet then.
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Revelation 18:2:
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Revelation 18:3:
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
Another angel from heaven proclaims the fall of mystical Babylon. MHCC
In chapter 17 we saw the righteous Judgment of the Great Whore that ¨sitteth on many waters¨ a.k.a. Many peoples and nations and here we find mystical Babylon going down with her. There are many faces of this proclamation for possible examination and not many of them should be dogmatically taught. This being said we must, however, never be willing to compromise what the text proclaims and we do see, here, that everything evil has manifested itself through Babylon and the nations of the world have embraced it. We see that the merchants have become rich because of her and merchants do not wax rich without the people participating. All of the earth has bought into mystery Babylon.
Revelation 18:4:
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:5:
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Revelation 18:6:
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Revelation 18:7:
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Revelation 18:8:
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
A voice from heaven admonishes the people of God, lest they partake of her plagues. MHCC
When we look at these passages it must always be remembered that John is recording events that will occur in the natural realm as they are affected by the Spiritual realm. John is seeing one angel speak when an unseen voice interjects. This is God calling all that will hear Him, He states ¨my people,¨ proving, to my satisfaction that it is Father God. In verse 5 we see that God has not been slumbering, no, God knows everything.
Verse 6 requires prayer and care when considering the meaning of what is said. In verse 4 God is speaking to His people and the Rapture has already taken place, indicating that, without the presence of the Holy Spirit Some have Spiritually awakened and are seeking to follow God. And so it is that God say, ¨reward her even as she has rewarded you.¨ Remember that we learn that evil devils have filled Babylon with evil.
Many have misused Matt. 7:1 by drawing it out of context to shut the mouth of the Christian to keep themselves from being judged righteously but the context makes a lie of that as does this passage where the future Christ Follower is called upon to judge evil. In verse 7 they are even called to rise up in rebellion, it appears to me, to prepare mystery Babylon for the soon falling righteous judgment of God, described in verse 8.
Revelation 18:9:
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Revelation 18:10:
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Revelation 18:11:
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Revelation 18:12:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Revelation 18:13:
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Revelation 18:14:
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Revelation 18:15:
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Revelation 18:16:
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Revelation 18:17:
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Revelation 18:18:
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 18:19:
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
The lamentations over her. MHCC
What we have here is a list that needs close scrutiny for if we are careful to consider, a good deal of what we enjoy partaking in today is going to be lost here. In verse 13 we learn that even the souls of men have been traded or sold. And I will tell you that such is being done right now! In my years of work I worked with Christians, Lost Men and men that had sold their souls to Satan for certain kinds of success. One such young man was so indwelt, or possessed, that he just reeked of evil. He laughed at all the wrong things, lied, stole, swindled and did all manor of evil... he was solod out to mystery Babylon, Satan!
When God judges this world there will be a great change and I do not see many that will be willing to live without their ¨comforts¨ and live a simple but fulfilling life. No, it is very much as the Matthew Henry out line suggests, they will sorrow deeply.
Revelation 18:20:
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Revelation 18:21:
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Revelation 18:22
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Revelation 18:23:
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Revelation 18:24:
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
The church called upon to rejoice in her utter ruin. MHCC
This is, among men, a very controversial passage. My understanding, perhaps wrong, is that all the Christ Following Converts have been beheaded. In verse 21 we see a stone like a great millstone cast into the sea and in 22 we see the sound of the millstone, industry, will be heard no more. Then, in verse 23, it looks to me like like the Light and Power companies also fail. When we read the Genesis, the beginning, account, we were an agrarian people that had very, very little industry. It is my perception that the Earth will, under the reign of Jesus, by of that nature once more. We worship our autos, electric drills, TVs and even the computers, like the one I type this message on but I tell you we will have no need of the Internet then.
Revelation 17
Revelation 17:1:
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Revelation 17:2:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:3:
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
One of the single most important points to remember and yet the most difficult to grasp is the illustration given in scripture that there is no relevance to earth time in Heaven. (2Pet. 3:8, Psa. 90:4) For this reason we can nad should understand, in my opinion, that John saw these things happening, first hand. I know that it is difficult to support but it is my position that the Glorified Body that Jesus now has and we will have is not at all like the body we now have in composition.
If we can get past the natural (what we are familiar with) arguments and learn to accept the teaching of the Holy Spirit, on it's face value, it is easier to grasp what is told here. This angel did not, again, in my opinion, deliver a vision to John but rather, with the consent of God, allowed John the use of one of the normal functions of the Glorified Body and John, in this passage, is actually viewing the judgment of Babylon.
Revelation 17:4:
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Revelation 17:5:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
So it is that here we find one of the passages, that without the Holy Spirit's input, can be extremely confusing. Remembering that we take the Bible in the Literal manor, here is a metaphor. We know from the archaeologists that Babylon is not some fable dreamed of but rather is a historical fact and if we are up on current affairs, we know that Saddam Hussein was busy rebuilding that old city again. Now we find it here in the pages of this prophecy, some 2,000 years old, represented by a whore. It is a matter worthy of prayer for understanding, meditation and study.
Revelation 17:6:
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 17:7:
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
It would seem certain that John was just as normal as the rest of us, he was impressed by what he saw. The angel, much like the Holy Spirit, in us, corrects and begins to instruct however.
Revelation 17:8:
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:9:
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation 17:10:
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Revelation of John 17:11:
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation of John 17:12:
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation of John 17:13:
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Revelation of John 17:14:
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills on which Rome stands; and seven kings, seven sorts of government. Five were gone by when this prophecy was written; one was then in being; the other was yet to come. This beast, directed by the papacy, makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again. It had ten horns, which are said to be ten kings who had as yet no kingdoms; they should not rise up till the Roman empire was broken; but should for a time be very zealous in her interest. Christ must reign till all enemies be put under his feet. The reason of the victory is, that he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He has supreme dominion and power over all things; all the powers of earth and hell are subject to his control. His followers are called to this warfare, are fitted for it, and will be faithful in it.(MHCC)
Revelation of John 17:15:
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation of John 17:16:
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation of John 17:17:
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Revelation of John 17:18:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
These last four verses give us the playbook to work from when dealing with this chapter so that we can take the meaning of this chapter and some others as literal. The Book of the Revelation is recorded in the same manor and style as the Bible, the books now called the Old Testament. The first thing we learn is that warters, plural, is often used to represent peoples of different nations and tongues or languages.
Here, we also learn that God does exercise His sovereign will to the point that even the lost and going to Hell will do His will. This is one of the points that the Five Point Calvinist loves to use to prove their erroneous theory of Predestination. Predestination is a fact because it is taught in the Revealed Word of God. The problem enters when men take the Bible out of context.
When we allow the scriptures to interpret themselves, the way Father God intended it becomes imperative to, as scripture teaches, understand that the wisdom of God is limitless. Then we must learn one very vital lesson from the Bible, there is no relationship with time in Heaven! (2Pet. 3:8 and Psa. 90:4) It is my opinion from the study I did, some years ago, that God is. To explain; As demonstrated by these scriptures and a book I read recently, ¨Heaven Is For Real,¨ God is, simultaneously in the present, the past and the future. So it is that God knows the future.
I´m not saying that God that God will not, has not nor that He will not force His will on the lost. Clearly, He has and from the prophetic readings, he will. But, before He created the universes, He knew the names in the Book of Life. From our reading, meditating and praying over the scriptures, we know that our God is not a cruel God, He is Just! It is the Calvinist´s view that God creates a few to go to Heaven and all the rest to spend eternity in Hell, NOT! If a man has read the scriptures, he or she knows that God loves all of His creation but He is also a Just God and will serve justice.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Revelation 17:2:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:3:
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
One of the single most important points to remember and yet the most difficult to grasp is the illustration given in scripture that there is no relevance to earth time in Heaven. (2Pet. 3:8, Psa. 90:4) For this reason we can nad should understand, in my opinion, that John saw these things happening, first hand. I know that it is difficult to support but it is my position that the Glorified Body that Jesus now has and we will have is not at all like the body we now have in composition.
If we can get past the natural (what we are familiar with) arguments and learn to accept the teaching of the Holy Spirit, on it's face value, it is easier to grasp what is told here. This angel did not, again, in my opinion, deliver a vision to John but rather, with the consent of God, allowed John the use of one of the normal functions of the Glorified Body and John, in this passage, is actually viewing the judgment of Babylon.
Revelation 17:4:
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Revelation 17:5:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
So it is that here we find one of the passages, that without the Holy Spirit's input, can be extremely confusing. Remembering that we take the Bible in the Literal manor, here is a metaphor. We know from the archaeologists that Babylon is not some fable dreamed of but rather is a historical fact and if we are up on current affairs, we know that Saddam Hussein was busy rebuilding that old city again. Now we find it here in the pages of this prophecy, some 2,000 years old, represented by a whore. It is a matter worthy of prayer for understanding, meditation and study.
Revelation 17:6:
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 17:7:
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
It would seem certain that John was just as normal as the rest of us, he was impressed by what he saw. The angel, much like the Holy Spirit, in us, corrects and begins to instruct however.
Revelation 17:8:
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:9:
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation 17:10:
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Revelation of John 17:11:
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation of John 17:12:
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation of John 17:13:
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Revelation of John 17:14:
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills on which Rome stands; and seven kings, seven sorts of government. Five were gone by when this prophecy was written; one was then in being; the other was yet to come. This beast, directed by the papacy, makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again. It had ten horns, which are said to be ten kings who had as yet no kingdoms; they should not rise up till the Roman empire was broken; but should for a time be very zealous in her interest. Christ must reign till all enemies be put under his feet. The reason of the victory is, that he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He has supreme dominion and power over all things; all the powers of earth and hell are subject to his control. His followers are called to this warfare, are fitted for it, and will be faithful in it.(MHCC)
Revelation of John 17:15:
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation of John 17:16:
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation of John 17:17:
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Revelation of John 17:18:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
These last four verses give us the playbook to work from when dealing with this chapter so that we can take the meaning of this chapter and some others as literal. The Book of the Revelation is recorded in the same manor and style as the Bible, the books now called the Old Testament. The first thing we learn is that warters, plural, is often used to represent peoples of different nations and tongues or languages.
Here, we also learn that God does exercise His sovereign will to the point that even the lost and going to Hell will do His will. This is one of the points that the Five Point Calvinist loves to use to prove their erroneous theory of Predestination. Predestination is a fact because it is taught in the Revealed Word of God. The problem enters when men take the Bible out of context.
When we allow the scriptures to interpret themselves, the way Father God intended it becomes imperative to, as scripture teaches, understand that the wisdom of God is limitless. Then we must learn one very vital lesson from the Bible, there is no relationship with time in Heaven! (2Pet. 3:8 and Psa. 90:4) It is my opinion from the study I did, some years ago, that God is. To explain; As demonstrated by these scriptures and a book I read recently, ¨Heaven Is For Real,¨ God is, simultaneously in the present, the past and the future. So it is that God knows the future.
I´m not saying that God that God will not, has not nor that He will not force His will on the lost. Clearly, He has and from the prophetic readings, he will. But, before He created the universes, He knew the names in the Book of Life. From our reading, meditating and praying over the scriptures, we know that our God is not a cruel God, He is Just! It is the Calvinist´s view that God creates a few to go to Heaven and all the rest to spend eternity in Hell, NOT! If a man has read the scriptures, he or she knows that God loves all of His creation but He is also a Just God and will serve justice.
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