Now after Noah was five hundred years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 5:32.
Noah: The Hebrew word for Noah is “Noach”, which means “Rest”. (The Ark came to rest on a mountain); a patriarch who survived the flood. (God had given Noah his name before the flood. This was preordained to happen. I.e., God planned this and knew of this before mankind became manifestly corrupt. THIS WAS GOD’S PLAN ALL ALONG!)
His sons were named Shem = Memorial; Ham = Hot; Japheth = Opened. They were given these names BEFORE the flood. THIS WAS GOD’S PLAN ALL ALONG!
(A rainbow was given as a memorial (Shem); They landed in a place warmed by the sun (Ham); The doors of the ark were opened (Japheth).
How is it possible that God planned for mankind’s corruption and destruction from the beginning? God created mankind (men and women) with a deliberate flaw in their character and nature.
In the midst of His creation work, an odd thing occurs. This is an event, an occurrence in the creation of mankind, which is completely overlooked by the vast majority, if not all, Bible teachers. This is a bit technical, but please pay particular attention, as this is a game-changer.
Genesis 1, Verse 27. So, God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
The wording of this verse, as it was written in the original Hebrew language, would be aligned as such:
Verse 27. “So created God, man in His own image, in the image of God, He created him, male and female, He created them.”
So created = bara’ = to shape, create, a formative process, to make fat.
God = Elohim = God; very great, mighty; Plural of ‘elowahh; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used in the plural. Signifying, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
man = adam = from ‘adam’; man, mankind. ruddy, i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind.
In Him own image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.
In the image = tselem = an image; a mere, empty, image, semblance; image, vain show, from an unused root meaning to shade; a phantom, i.e., an illusion, a resemblance; hence, a representative figure, especially an idol, an image, a vain shew, of dubious character.
What we see:
God, used in plural, representing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, created, shaped and formed mankind.
God created mankind ‘in His Own image’ but, as a mere image of Himself; a vain show, just a shadow of the Original; an image, in icon, a phantom pattern, an illusion, a mere resemblance; a being of dubious nature. (God has deliberately made man and woman with a flaw, destined them to fail.)
God, has always existed and He is eternal.
He is the creator of life.
He creates with purpose and on purpose.
This creation has all the imagery of childbirth: ruddy, squeezed, passionate, violent, painful, raw and costly.
A being of passion with a wild nature and base appetites is created. Mankind is created with flaws, destined to fail, condemned to death and separation of God.
Then God provided a Savior – Jesus Christ, to redeem all who would believe on His Name.
Genesis tells us of
The corruption of humankind
The destruction of humankind
The salvation of humankind
A time which is coming when all the heavens and earth will be judged for humankind’s corruption and those who have not called on the name of Jesus will perish, but those who call in the name of Jesus will be saved.
THE PATTERN
The corruption
The judgement
The salvation of believers
The destruction of non-believers
The creation of a new heaven and a new earth
Matthew 24:36–47, “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left”
Be Ready for His Coming
“Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.
“But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
“For this reason, you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.
“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”
Give your life to Jesus. The day of His return and the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord is near.
Get your family ready.
Be found doing what God has instructed when that day comes and inherit His blessing.
We can actually DO this for our benefit – and for God’s glory!
Psalms 103:1-4, (A Psalm of David)
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with loving kindness and compassion;
So, what exactly is THE PIT, God rescues us from?
The Bible defines “THE PIT” as
corruption,
destruction,
a ditch and
a grave.
It is also referred to as a “pit of hell”.
This definition is from the Hebrew language and comes from a root word or meaning
“to sink down,
be bowed down,
be humbled;
depression of the mind.
(taken from Psalms 103:4)
What is the PIT we can fall into which become our corruption, our destruction, a ditch a grave and a “pit of hell”? What are these PITS which cause us to sink down, to be bowed down, humbled and depressed in our mind? Here are a few:
The PIT of fear.
The PIT of anger.
The PIT of poverty.
The PIT of hatred.
The PIT of anxiety.
The PIT of lack and want.
The PIT of revenge.
The PIT of selfishness.
The PIT of resentment.
The PIT of addiction.
The PIT of lust and perversion.
The PIT of self-pity.
The PIT of envy.
The PIT of pride.
The PIT of self.
These and many more can become (or have become) a snare to our soul and mind. They can dictate our every thought and act and lead us into daily captivity of depression, destruction. A living hell. An above ground grave.
ESCAPE THE PIT!
Avoiding the PIT takes discipline and work on our part. We must consciously tell our soul to Bless the LORD. The Bible tells us to “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits”
If we follow this command – in other words, actually DO this – God redeems your life from the pit, and will crown you with loving kindness and compassion
Do it now. You will see, if you DO IT NOW. SAY THESE THINGS, NOW!
“I Bless you LORD with my soul,
“I Bless you LORD with my mind, will and emotions.
“My soul says ” I Bless you LORD for you have rescued me, and You give me Your peace.
“You give me Your Joy.
“Today, I am full of Your Peace and Your Joy.
“Today, I am redeemed.
“Today, You have given me a strong and sound mind. I Bless you LORD for You are my redemption.”
I AM FREE
I am FREE of fear.
I am FREE of anger.
I am FREE of poverty.
I am FREE of hatred.
I am FREE of anxiety.
I am FREE of lack and want.
I am FREE of revenge.
I am FREE of selfishness.
I am FREE of resentment.
I am FREE of addiction.
I am FREE of lust and perversion.
I am FREE of self-pity.
I am FREE of envy.
I AM CROWNED
I am crowned with the courage of God.
I am crowned with the peace of Jesus.
I am crowned with all of God’s provisions of plenty.
I am crowned with God’s Love.
I am crowned with the confidence with comes from knowing God.
I am crowned with all the riches of Christ Jesus.
I am crowned with God’s reconciliation.
I am crowned with freedom in from the flesh.
I am crowned with God’s contentment.
I am crowned with a pure heart and a clean mind.
I am crowned with God’s satisfaction in my soul.
I am crowned with the gift of giving.
Bless the LORD, Oh my soul, and all that is within me. Bless His Holy Name!
I don’t know exactly how to explain what I experienced yesterday. So, I will just guess at how to say it. (And I hope this finds a listening ear).
Call me crazy.
Call it an ‘epiphany’.
Call it a vision (I really don’t like that description, but…)
I was simply sitting on our lanai (that’s a screened patio area, for you who are not familiar with Florida patio names) drinking a cup of coffee, taking in the scenery across our pond and thoughts or visions began to flash across my mind. They were so vivid that they almost seemed visible (notice, I said ALMOST).
These images were reminiscent of scenes from “The Lord of the Rings” movies. The images were not of the ugly distorted creatures or monstrous figures like in the movies, but they were people with hatred and anger distorting their expressions. They were charging across a landscape, destroying everything in their path.
But, this was not a movie. I thought, perhaps these are just images from the news media of the recent riots which my mind is recalling. Maybe it was as simple as that.
But, I couldn’t shake the realism. And, it was easy to relate what I was “seeing” to what is happening in our world. I kept thinking, “How could the people of our nation go from law-abiding citizens to domestic terrorists in such a short time?
How could almost half the population, in the year 2020, endorse a political party espousing godless Socialism and Communist style rule? How could so many people endorse desecrating our religious institutions, our history and legacies, going about indiscriminately killing our police and first responders? They are destroying business, killing the owners, looting, stealing and rioting saying it is for justice? How could the Democrat Senators, Governors, mayors and public officials allow and even encourage this anarchy? Have they lost their minds? As I pondered on the thought “Have they lost their minds?”, I wondered, “Or, is something more sinister occurring?”
I asked myself, “What would cause so many people to begin to call what been considered as ‘good’, for centuries, now call it ‘evil’ and call evil as being good?
They murder babies for body parts, kill our police out of anger, disparage and attack those who don’t agree with their points of view. These people loot, steal, threaten, murder for no real reason or for any reason. Dishonesty is rampant is all areas of society. Immorality, perversion and pornography is so prevalent and pervasive that one cannot escape it.
I’ll spare the continuing long-winded review of this upside-down world-wide phenomenon, but the one thought that struck me: “Something is going on that is just not right. It is not of this world.”
That’s when the lights came on in my head. “It is not of this world”.
Read Ephesians 6:11-12:
(verse 11) “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. (verse 12) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
OUR STRUGGLE IS AGAINST
THE RULERS AND POWERS AND WORLD FORCES OF DARKNESS,
AGAINST SPIRITUAL FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES.
Genesis 6:5-6 tells us what was going on in the days of Noah. “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”
We read in Genesis 6:11 that “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Pick up the newspaper, and you will see the hostility that fills the earth.
This is URGENT, dear friends. If you have come this far in this letter, thank you! Now, please click and read the links. We must be ready. Please, call, email or text me if you want to talk further. Let’s join together and get this word out. Christ is our BEST and ONLY HOPE! Your Brother and Friend in Christ,
Today I was to begin a personal Bible study time in the book of Hebrews (please, no jokes about coffee here 😉)
And, as often happens, I don’t get very far because of the depth of hidden oracles of God’s Word cause me to stop and wonder in awe.
For example, Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…
1. “He is the radiance of His glory”. Think on this. Let it sink in.
Jesus needs no introduction, no external explanation, there is none other and nothing in existence to compare to Him. “He is the radiance of His glory”.
2. “and the exact representation of His nature…” Meditate on this.
There is no doubt, no ‘shadow of turning’, no second guessing:
He is dependable, He is faithful, He is merciful, He is long suffering, He is All Powerful, He is compassionate, He is Loving, He is forgiving, He is gentle, He is humble, He is courageous, He is Holy, He is pure He is all wise He is … “the exact representation of His Nature”.
3. “He upholds all things by the word of His power…” Dwell on this.
(Note: These dependable versions of the Bible say “…by the word of His power: ESV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, Aramaic Bible in plain English, ERV.)
(Note: These ‘easy to read’ versions of the Bible change the meaning to say “…by His powerful word” or “by his powerful command)
These distinctions seem small, but, the change is a huge shift in paradigm.
One version suggests that this is exclusive to Jesus, while One version tells us the power is in His Word and that Word dwells in us.
One tells us that His Power is in His Word = RHEMA, which is the Spoken Word of God (as contrasted to LOGOS)
The Word of God further tells us: “If you abide in Me, and My words (RHEMA) abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7
ASK – according to the Word
SEEK – according to the Word
KNOCK – according to the Word
SPEAK – the Word
Matthew 21:21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen.
22 “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Let’s draw near to God and He will draw near to us, in these days.
Let’s be diligent to present ourselves approved to God as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. THE DAY IS AT HAND
You hear people say things like, “are you in the Christmas spirit yet?” Or, “You need to lift your spirit”. I suppose this refers to one’s attitude or mood or feelings.
The Bible speaks of the Spirit, and although it does have to do with an effect upon one’s spirits, it is much more.
The Bible says this: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25). You might hear some Christian say something like ‘I am moved by the Spirit (emotionally); or, I can feel (or sense) the Spirit, usually in response to a mood, an emotion or feelings. But the Spirit of God is not an attitude, mood or a feeling. The Spirit (of God) is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity of God.
So, what does it mean, live and walk in the Spirit? Is it a metaphor? Is it a simile? Or, is it literal? And if it is literal, what exactly does that mean ? And, how does a person “walk in the Spirit”? And what is the outcome of ‘walking in the Spirit’?
First, Jesus tells us, in John 16: 5–15, about the Spirit of God: “But now I (Jesus) am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
“And He, when He comes,
will convict the world regarding sin,
and righteousness,
and judgment:
regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me;
and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me;
and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them at the present time.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes,
He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own, but whatever He hears, He will speak;
and He will disclose to you what is to come.
He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; this is why I said that He takes from Mine and will disclose it to you.”
Romans 8:9tells us, that if you are truly saved and a Christian, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
And furthermore, 1 Corinthians 6:19tells us, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own…”
Romans 8:11 reminds us one more time, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
We can know by these verses (and a little study in the Greek) that this is literal, with metaphors and similes used to help us understand.
Jesus is literally saying that The Holy Spirit of God is real; that He literally indwells you (your body, heart, mind, soul and spirit).
We are to literally ‘walk by way of the Spirit’, and ‘walk in the Spirit’.
So, I ask, how are we to DO this?
I believe the answer is that ‘we both DO and DO NOT do this’ in and of ourselves.
We DO this in of ourselves by submitting our lives to God through faith in Jesus and by becoming His obedient followers. It is at that point the Holy Spirit comes into us. (see GotQuestions.Org).
On the other hand, we DO NOT do this in and of ourselves, because we are saved and being sanctified by God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christfrom the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. (see 1 Peter 3-4).
Then we listen, submit our will, obey and learn. The Spirit of God will speak to us in various ways and at various times to teach us, to warn us and to guide us; to convict us of sin, and to comfort us. He will also give us words to say at the right time and in the right circumstances.
It is by our obedient submission to Him – minute by minute and day by day – that we walk in and by the Spirit.
What is the outcome of walking in and by the Spirit of God? (The following is taken from GotQuestions.Org):
Apart from God’s saving grace, we could not walk by the Spirit. Indeed, we were spiritually dead and could only “gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16; cf. Ephesians 2:1–3). In this context, the word flesh refers to the sinful state of humanity, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit. This includes things like sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, jealousy, envy, drunkenness, and other sinful behaviors (Galatians 5:19–21). Paul assures us that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (verse 21; cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9–11).
Despite our sinfulness and rebellion, God “made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5). The grace of God completely transformed our lives. We were dead in sin. Now, we are alive in Christ.
As believers, we are to called to walk by the Spirit: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, KJV). The Holy Spirit gave us new life (John 3:6; 6:63), and we must yield to His sovereign control and influence over our lives. In other words, the Holy Spirit should direct all of our thoughts, actions, and decisions (cf. Romans 12:1–2).
In Galatians 5:13–26, Paul contrasts the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh is characterized by selfishness (verses 13–15; verse 26), sin (verses 19–21), and death (verse 21; cf. Romans 6:23), but the Spirit is characterized by love (Galatians 5:13–15, 22), righteousness (cf. Romans 6:22) and life (Galatians 5:25).
Because the flesh and the Spirit are opposed to one other (Galatians 5:17), we cannot live according to both at the same time. We must choose one. If we choose to live according to the flesh, we will experience the consequences of sin, which is death. But if we choose to walk by the Spirit, we will produce godly fruit (verses 22–23).
Unlike the works of the flesh, which lead to sin and destruction, the fruit of the Spirit leads to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here is a breakdown of each fruit and how we can walk by the Spirit:
1. Love: Our lives are characterized by self-sacrificial service to God and others.
2. Joy: We will delight in knowing God and having a personal relationship with Him.
3. Peace: We will be free from anxiety and worry (cf. Philippians 4:6–7).
4. Patience: We will not lose our temper – and if we do, there is a remedy to put us back into the proper state and relationship with God and others.
5. Kindness: We will genuinely consider the needs and concerns of others.
6. Goodness: We will be holy as God is holy (cf. 1 Peter 1:16).
7. Faithfulness: When we endure trials and tribulations, we will not forsake God or turn our backs on Him.
8. Gentleness: We will have a spirit (or attitude) of grace and humility.
9. Self-control: We will not be controlled by sinful impulses (Galatians 5:24).
In short, the fruit of the Spirit is evidence that we belong to Christ and are no longer controlled by sinful impulses; instead, we are led by the Holy Spirit to live according to God’s will (cf. Romans 12:2). We must continue to walk by the Spirit and crucify (or put to death) the desires of the flesh. This is a daily journey that requires consistent effort, but God will complete the work that He began (Philippians 1:6).
(Note: Every Christian, at some time, may find themselves pulled by the desires or passions of the flesh to sin. But 1 John 1:8-10 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. (But) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
These are not a list of ‘religious dos and don’ts’. This is the power of God, His gift to us as Christians, to live and to be as He designed us to be.
One day, at the end of all things, when we are finally at home with God in the new heaven and the new earth, we will be like Him. Until then, live and walk by the Spirit of God and have the attitude which was also in Christ Jesus – and be truly alive!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: The Holy Spirit will never – I say, NEVER – tell you anything that does not conform to the Word of God (The Bible). Beware of false teachers who say otherwise or come up with “a word from God” that is not found in the Word of God.
Israel, during the period of 63 B.C. and 135 A.D. described in the simplest of forms, was ruled over by Rome and ruled internally by the Sanhedrin, which the supreme court of ancient Israel. Both Rome and the Sanhedrin were powerful and influential and dangerous groups to cross.
Rome would use lethal means to rule over Israel if they deemed it necessary, and the Sanhedrin were directly responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples and many thousands of His followers.
Still, one man, without any visible means of financial or political support, stood in the face of Jewish custom, Roman law and the Sanhedrin to proclaim a long prophesied and radical notion that He was the anticipated Messiah. His name is Jesus.
There are many who choose to build grand churches and make millions of dollars to ‘spread the Gospel’.
Stand With The ONE
But “Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.” Matthew 4:23.
Jesus taught His disciples to be like Him and to do like Him.
For example, in Matthew 10:5 tells us that, “These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them, saying, “Do not go on a road to Gentiles, and do not enter a city of Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near. ’Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is deserving of his support.
“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. As you enter the house, give it your greeting. If the house is worthy, see that your blessing of peace comes upon it. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace. And whoever does not receive you nor listen to your words, as you leave that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment, than for that city.
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves. But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you in that hour. For it is not you who are speaking, but it is the Spirit of your Father who is speaking in you.”
“Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
“But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes.”
Grafted into the Olive Tree
Later, after Jesus was crucified, died, then rose to life and ascended to heaven to reside at the Right Hand of the Father, another man named Saul of Tarsus, later renamed as Paul the Apostle, was commissioned by Jesus to take the Good News (The Gospel of Jesus the Christ) to the entire Gentile world.
Now, by God’s grace and through faith in Jesus and His finished work on the cross, those who were not Jewish by birth could be ‘grafted into the Olive Tree’ and be made part of God’s Elect and become disciples, friends and joint heirs with Christ.
The Meaning of Discipleship
Jesus explains, in Matthew 10, that, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he may become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they insult the members of his household!
“So do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are two sparrows not sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows.
“Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before people, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before people, I will also deny him before My Father, who is in heaven.”
Peace on Earth?
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to TURN A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A PERSON’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.
(Note: The idea that Jesus was to bring peace on earth has been lifted from Luke 2:8-14 when the Angels proclaimed at Jesus birth, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” It is for those with whom He is pleased – i.e., those who come to Him through faith in His Son, but a sword for the world at large!)
“The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.
“The one who receives you receives Me, and the one who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. The one who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and the one who receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person shall receive a righteous person’s reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
“When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.”
And Jesus leads by example. We have no excuse if we are His disciples.
Now That You Know
Why, would God send His only Son to a world that had become hostile toward Him, to be killed? So that the world through Him could be saved from eternal damnation and destruction? Is that the whole story? It is true, but it is by no means the whole story.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost SO THEY WOULD
Have the same mind which is in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 2:5)
Do the works that Jesus has done, and even greater works. (John 14:12)
Go into all the world and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:18-21)
Jesus came to earth to do the Works of the Father, show the Wonders of His Kingdom and to send His Workers, His disciples into this world so Him might finish His Works through us.
We are kept weak in our own flesh for this very reason: When we are weak, He is strong!
We are destined to struggle in this world so we do not become self-reliant, but that we remain completely dependent on Him.
We are commanded to endure our present sufferings to the end, so that we might be saved by the word of our testimony and by the blood of the Lamb!
If your experience is ‘greater than this’ in terms of possessions, money, recognition, influence, power or fame, you might ask why. Why did are your methods different from Jesus’ methods? Are you comfortable in your ministry? Why is that? Why is your experience different from His? Are you wiser and greater? Or are you bringing worldly results? And, what does that say?
If you consider yourself a Christian, a follower of Jesus, and have no experience to relate to others, why is that? Are you not engaged in the Spiritual war that rages? Have you not put on the mantle of a disciple of Jesus? And what does that say?
When He returns as the Lion of Judah, the conquering ruler, we will be with Him. But for now, Jesus is the suffering Servant. We are to be likewise. Let’s put aside our pride, ego, the parading of our possession, our wealth and our abilities and serve Him. Anything less is failure.
Scriptures tell us to “test ourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Stand With The One. Be The One.
We are entering and have entered the End of Days and the time is short. Let’s be found doing what He has told us – prepared for His Return.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
PS: Please. Let’s pray for one another. We are living in treacherous and dangerous days. Let’s hold one another up as these days progress.
The news of the day is the heinous attacks on innocents in Israel by the demonic terrorists, Hamas, in Gaza. There is speculation swirling in the smoke and columns of fire from the rocket attacks that this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ as prophesied in scriptures (The Last Days).
The swift, decisive and appropriately violent response by Israel would make it seem that this will at least be the end of Hamas as a terror group, and should send a strong message to Iran and other terrorist states. But if this unprovoked attack and murder of innocent men, women, children and babies spreads, it could begin to look like prophecies regarding Israel and the End of Days are coming to pass.
There are events, however, which must take place to confirm or disprove these kinds of speculations, but this could very well the precursor or harbinger, of things to come.
Revelation 12:1-17
The Woman
“A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was pregnant, and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth.
The “woman” represents Israel. According to Joseph’s dream (Genesis 37:9-11), the sun represented Jacob, the moon represented Joseph’s mother Rachel, and the eleven stars were the sons of Israel which bowed down to Joseph. In this sign with twelve stars, Joseph is now among the other tribes of Israel.
The Child is Jesus. The pain described refers to the travail of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth (under Roman occupation and oppression).
The Red Dragon, Satan
Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven crowns. And his tail *swept away a third of the stars of heaven and hurled them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her Child.
A red dragon “symbolically suggests” an actual person will come to power on earth, with fierce power and a murderous nature. This is a picture of the complete evil with hideous strength.”
The revived Roman Empire is in view, here. The seven heads and ten horns refer to the original ten kingdoms of which three were subdued by the little horn of Daniel 7:8, who is to be identified with the world ruler of the great tribulation who reigns over the revived Roman Empire.”
Seven diadems on his heads: This dragon (person and political power) had great power (seven heads and ten horns) and claimed royal authority (seven diadems). The crowns represent his presumptive claims of royal authority against the true King.
His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven: Many believe this describes one-third of the angelic host in league with Satan (his angels of Revelation 12:9). This army of angelic beings in league with Satan makes up the world of demonic spirits.
The Male Child, Christ
And she gave birth to a Son, a male, who is going to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her Child was caught up to God and to His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there [c]she would be nourished for 1,260 days.
A male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron refers to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. He rules the world with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9 and Revelation 19:15) refers to the triumphant return of Jesus. By stating the starting point and ending point of Jesus’ earthly work, John alluded to all that stood in between.
After a conflict with the Prince of this world (Satan and his evil accomplices), who came and tried Him, but found nothing in Him, the Son of the woman (Jesus the Christ) was taken up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God (Ephesians 1:20). Words can hardly be plainer than these.
“She would be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days” is a reference to a three and one-half year period connects these events with the final seven years of the Daniel 9 prophecy. Since Revelation 12:5 describes the ascension of Jesus, and Revelation 12:6 describes yet-to-occur events in the 70th week of Daniel, between these two verses lies hundreds of years sometimes known as the “Age of Grace” (our current period).
The Angel, Michael
And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time, away from the presence of the serpent. And the serpent hurled water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon had hurled out of his mouth. So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Around the mid-point and concluding near the end of the Great Tribulation period, (from the 7th Tribulation Trumpet to the 7th Tribulation Bowl of Wrath), God will turn the tide against Satan – first in heaven, then on earth. The formation of that battle is already taking place and it will deny Satan access to heaven.
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE – compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:15-28, “So when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge]. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time]. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel]. For at that time there will be a great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [again]. And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there, or, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly]. Wherever the corpse is, there the [e]vultures will flock together.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE as seen in Luke 21
The Return of Christ
Luke 21:25-28, “There will be signs (attesting miracles) in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with [transcendent, overwhelming] power [subduing the nations] and with great glory. Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:29-31, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT PROVIDE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor]. And He will send His angels with A LOUD TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR – THE COMING INVASION OF ISRAEL?
WHO ARE THE ‘PLAYERS’?
When we see this invasion of Israel by the joint forces of Russia, Iran and her proxies, forces from Turkey, the Republic of Georgia, Ethiopia, Libya and Northern Africa, and the Caucuses, we can know this time has come. This is when God will intervene
Luke 21:20 tells us, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her (Israel’s) complete destruction is near.”
We can see who these hostile invading armies are, by readingEzekiel chapter 38:1,
“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Verse 2. “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog(current day Russia),the chief ruler of Meshech(southern Russia and Ukraine and possibly the Republic of Georgia)and Tubal(central Turkey), and prophesy against him,
Verse 3, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal.
Verse 4. I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently clothed in full armor, a great horde with buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, all of them wielding swords;
Verse 5. Persia(Iran), Cush(Ethiopia),and Put(Libya, N. Africa)with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Verse 6.Gomer(southern Russia)and all its troops; Beth-togarmah(the Caucuses region of Armenia and Georgia)from the remote parts of the north and all its troops–many peoples with you.
These are the 10 Nation Confederation to watch, (THE HEADS), of the BEAST Ezekiel 38, of Daniel 7,9 and Revelation 17. All are Islamic, the Center of which is MECCA:
Nation #1. Gog: A Reubenite, son of Shemaiah, the prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and Magog. Gog is identified as a descendant of the prophet Joel, and in Ezekiel 38–39, he is the chief prince of the tribes of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog, the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media (Russia.).
Nation #2. Magog: The 2nd son of Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of several tribes northward from Israel; the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media and habitation of the descendants of Magog, son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. (Russia.)
Nation #3. Rosh: “the Prince of Rosh” is Asiatic Russia receives confirmation from the Imperial Dictionary. “Evidence exists of an ancient people called Rosh, or Rhos, supposed to be the original stem from which the Russia or modern Russians have derived their race and name.” The scholar, Bishop Lowther says: “Rosh, taken as a proper name, in Ezekiel, signifies the inhabitants of Scythia, from whom modern Russians derived their name. We must conclude therefore, that Ezekiel’s “episode of Gog’s invasion” (A. B. Davidson) points irrefutably and undeniably to the Russians.
Nation #4. Meschach: Was a Chaldean. The Chaldeans inhabited the coastal area near the Persian Gulf. About 630 Nabopolassar became king of the Chaldeans and in 626 he forced the Assyrians out of Uruk and crowned himself king of Babylonia. Modern day Turkey.
Nation #5. Tubal: a region in east Asia Minor, perhaps nearly equal to Cappadocia
Nation #6. Persia:Iran
Nation #7. Cush (Ethiopia): located on either side or both sides of the Red Sea. As such, “Cush” is alternately identified in scripture with the Kingdom of Kush or ancient Ethiopia.
Nation #8. Put (Libya): Ancient Libya. In this sense, Libya was the whole known African continent to the west of the Nile Valley and extended south of Egypt. Herodotus described the inhabitants of Libya as two peoples: The Libyans in northern Africa and the Ethiopians in the south.
Nation #9. Gomer: (was the wife of the prophet Hosea (8th century BC), mentioned in the Hebrew Bible‘s Book of Hosea (1:3). Hosea 1:2 refers to her alternatively as a “promiscuous woman” (NIV), a “harlot” (NASB), and a “whore” (KJV) but Hosea is told to marry her according to Divine appointment. She is also described as the daughter of Diblaim.) The Hebrew name Gomer refers to the Cimmerians, who dwelt in what is now southern Russia, “beyond the Caucusus”, and attacked Assyria in the late 7th century BC.
Nation #10. Beth-Togarmah: Togarmah is a city mentioned in Assyrian and Hittite texts. It was north of Carchemish on an Assyrian trade route. It may be related to modern Gurun between the Halys and Euphrates Rivers. (Georgia, Chechnya, Turkey/Armenia.)
Because of the length and complexity of the scriptures regarding the invasion of Israel in the Last Days from the book of The Revelation, I will simply recap these events by linking to the appropriate verses, and a detailed commentary with videos by Zion’s Hope (David Rosenthal) at the end of this page..
Just know that the destruction of the Antichrist, the beast and their invading armies and demonic forces will be thoroughly defeated and cast into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 16 through 20) after the 7th Tribulation Bowl is poured out.
It is also worthy to note that there is some ‘controversy’ or discussion about the “2nd Coming” or the SECOND ADVENT of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:29-31 (and similarly in Luke 21) record these words, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days (it is important to note the words ‘immediately after the tribulation OF THOSE DAYS’), THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” This is clearly Jesus appearing, which will occur after the 5th Tribulation Seal and at the moment of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal and is spoken of in the future tense. By all appearances we are well into the 5th Tribulation Seal and are very near the 6th Seal, so the ‘future tense’ of this verse can easily be considered to be from this day (10/11/2023) until His appearing – which could be immanent.
Then, in Revelation 19:11-16 we read, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Many commentators believe these verses describe the 2nd Advent of Christ. But clearly, taking Matthew 24:29-31 into account, this would be a THIRD advent, which would be incorrect. This is NOT a new advent or a new coming of Christ, but it is Jesus, who has already returned to gather His Elect (Matthew 24:31) and is seen sitting on horse, judging and waging war against the nations!
CONCLUSION – THE LONG VIEW
The events of the “Last Days” began as early as the birth and/or the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus, as reported by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy in or around 2 B.C. through A.D. 95, and found in:
These events will conclude at the end of the pouring out of the Tribulation Bowls at the end of the SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION period, the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord.
We are seeing clear and distinct signs of the final days before His return and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. If you are His disciple, you do not need to be afraid. He is your protector. Your weapons and shield are the words of your testimony and the Blood of the Lamb.
When the time comes, He will give you words of wisdom to say, which no one can resist. Be brave and courageous.
If you have not already, now is the time, now is the day of your salvation. Turn to Jesus in humble submission and exchange your life for His, today – this moment. Find your peace, safety, sanctuary and salvation in Him!
If you have already given yourself and your life to God by His grace and through faith in Jesus, now is the time to complete your calling.
Do not wait for others to do the work of your calling – not the preacher, pastor, deacon, elder or friend. It is your calling and your joy to serve the Living God today.
YOU,“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Jesus, believe in Him, and obey His words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that He has commanded you; and lo, He is with you always [remaining with you perpetually–regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Romans 12:1, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Verse 2. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Amplified Version
Romans 12:1,“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. Verse 2. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].
From the Greek
Verse 1. I exhort therefore you, brothers, through the compassion of God, to present the bodies of you a sacrifice living, holy, to God well pleasing, which is (the) reasonable service of you.
Verse 2. And not be conformed to the age this, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, for to prove by you, what is the will of God, good and well pleasing and perfect.
This exhortation by Paul is not ‘a magic formula’. This ‘transformation’ comes from the Greek word, metamorphóō, which is the root word of the English terms “metamorphosis” and “metamorphize.” It is an irreversible transformation, and it does not come miraculously. It comes by exercising your spiritual disciplines. For examples:
Read Ephesians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, think about these things. Verse 9. As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
ALSO
Read Romans 8:5, “For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Verse 6. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
ALSO
Read Joshua 1:7, “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may achieve success wherever you go. Verse 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success. Verse 9. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Dwelling on, thinking on, meditating on and memorizing scriptures is always a good thing. But strategically studying and dwelling on, thinking on, meditating on and memorizing ‘targeted scriptures’ is highly effective in renewing your mind and thus being transformed in your thinking and behaviors.
What I mean by ‘targeted scriptures’ is scriptures and texts that speak directly to your thoughts and behaviors in life. It is useful, then, to ‘personalize’ those verses from the ‘third party’ to the ‘first person’. For example:
John 8:31says, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
Personalized, I would recite to myself thus, “Because I believe Jesus, and Because I abide in Your word, I am Your disciple indeed.”
Matthew 21:21says, “And Jesus answered them, ’Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”
Personalized, I would recite to myself thus, “And Jesus is telling me, ’Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”
Therefore, “since I have faith and do not doubt, I will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if I say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.”
Personalized, I would recite Joshua 1:7, thus, “I will be strong and very courageous; I will be careful to do according to all the Law which Moses commanded; I will not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that I may achieve success wherever I go. Verse 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart from my mouth, but I shall meditate on it day and night, so that I may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then I will make my way prosperous, and then I will achieve success. Verse 9. Has God not commanded me to be strong and courageous! Not to be terrified nor dismayed? The LORD my God is with me wherever I go.”
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a ‘name it and claim it’ methodology. And please do not be mistaken by thinking it is you who is doing these things – it is God, through you, doing His Works. By following the teachings and methods found in scriptures, you willbe transformedby the renewing (the reprogramming) of your mind, in order to prove to yourself, what is the will of God in and through your daily life!
There is a Crosby, Stills and Nash song by the same name:
You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye
Teach your children well
Their father’s hell did slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by
Don’t you ever ask them, “Why?”
If they told you, you would cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you
And you (Can you hear?) of tender years (And do you care?)
Can’t know the fears (And can you see?)
That your elders grew by (We must be free)
And so, please help (To teach your children)
Them with your youth (What you believe in)
They seek the truth (Make a world)
Before they can die (That we can live in)
And teach your parents well
Their children’s hell will slowly go by
And feed them on your dreams
The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by
Don’t you ever ask them, “Why?
If they told you, you will cry
So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.
The LEFTIST in America have successfully integrated their Marxist, Globalist and perverse woke, LGGTQ+ social ideologies into the American educational systems over the last fifty years. This ‘brainwashing’ and indoctrination of young minds cannot be undone. Even the disastrous outcomes are being justified as acceptable by those now-warped minds, the victims (our now-grownup children) who are now the leaders in industry, business, education and government and even in our religious institutions.
The LEFT has been so successful, that by all accounts approximately 45% of all Americans hold and votes a leftist agenda. About 15% of our population could be considered ‘centrist’ and about 40% hold a more traditional conservative world view. The greatest effect has been felt in our Churches. While about four-in-ten Christians (39%) say the Bible’s text is the word of God and should be taken literally, 36% say it should not be interpreted literally or express another or no opinion. A separate 18% of Christians view the Bible as a book written by men, not God.
Never in modern history, has the Church been more divided and farther from the establishing principles of Christianity.
The Church once a staple of central influence in the family, had the opportunity to teach our children. Now-a-days they have our kids for only about an hour or two each week – that is IF your child even attends church. Compare that to the five to seven hours a day, five days a week the public school system has to teach and indoctrinate your children. Then you have TV time, video games and the media influencing our children non-stop.
So, I ask, if you had just two hours to ‘teach your children well’, how would you do it? Would you leave it up to someone else? And, what would you teach them to counter their immersion in woke ideologies, reverse racism (a.k.a., critical race theory indoctrination), and the non-stop association with an unbelieving and pagan world? A world that values sensuality, materialism and narcissistic self enhancement over Godly principals of self-sacrifice, humility, grace and peace?
Sadly, not every child who starts out in church stays in church according GotQuestions.Org,. In fact, many young people are falling away from the faith and walking away from the church as they grow older. A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group, a leading research organization whose focus is on the relationship of faith and culture, found that less than 1 percent of the young adult population in the United States has a biblical worldview. Even more startling, according GotQuestions.Org, data shows that less than one half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 has a biblical worldview. So, It seems that teaching ‘bible stories’ or having ‘fun activities’ to attract and hold a child’s attention at young ages doesn’t do the job later in adolescence or after the teen years.
There is some good news, however. a Pew Research study shows that parents who regularly attend church and practice their faith, have a profound effect on their children and their children’s choice to remain in the faith and to attend church after high school and college. (Pew Research).
I would like to suggest that rather than ‘teaching-down’ to the child or an adult, (academically telling them ABOUT the Bible, Jesus and God) in story book fashion, try immersing them in a “true-to-life proposition”.
Let me explain what I mean by “true-to-life proposition”:
I taught a Sunday school class to a group of sixth-graders (ages 10 through 11). On one occasion we studied the event of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel chapter 17.
I divided the class into two groups: the Israelites and the Philistines. I assigned certain boys to the major roles of Saul, David, David’s brothers, the army of the Israelites, the army of the Philistines and Goliath.
We reenacted this event with purpose and passion. These boys actively play-clashed and wrestled, yelled and jeered and cheered. They were an excited, sweaty mess when it was all over.
We discussed how it felt to defeat a deadly enemy of God.
Then we discussed the symbolism of David (God’s chosen), Goliath (the threatening giants that enter and can threaten our lives), the sling (the delivery method of the Gospel), and the five smooth stones (the words we use in spreading the Gospel) and where the ‘stone’ hit Goliath (right between the eyes with the Gospel message).
We closed by reading Ephesians 6:10–17, and comparing the main characters and items from “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; an addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
This can be done with any scripture and in so many ways. The idea is to LIVE OUT the word of God by engaging the mind, the will and emotions. By reaching into one’s soul and heart and working it out with physical and visible actions. All in preparation for the ‘real thing’.
The same can be said for adults of all ages. It is never enough to just know ABOUT scriptures, doctrines and Biblical principles. They must be acted upon – acted out.
Again, rather than ‘teaching’ and adult, have them interact with scriptural teaching by asking situational questions – and let them compare them to what the scriptures say. Or ask the ‘student’ be the ‘teacher’ and the teacher be the facilitator. Then, give a life assignment to be acted upon. Then start the next class with discussion on their real-life experiences. (Just be aware that only true disciples will respond at first.)
Finally, a personal testimony: I was once challenged by a representative of a large insurance company to prove that I had not violated a contractual provision that I had signed. The insurance compliance office had assured me that a verbal consent to run an advertisement using the company’s name would suffice this one time, although the contract required written consent. After the ad had run, the company reneged on the verbal consent and decided to terminate my contract and claim my state assigned territory as their own.
On the way to a resolution meeting, I read Matthew 5:25-26, which says, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
So, at a meeting with the company representative, I said, “Although I had a verbal agreement from the compliance office, I realize that the contract requires a written consent. The compliance office has reversed its decision on this matter without notifying me, but I failed to follow the written agreement. My faith and the Bible instruct me to concede this and I will comply with whatever you decide.”
The company representative sighed, closed his portfolio, got up from his chair, muttered something about not liking my type, and left – never to be heard from again. The matter was dropped – and so was my jaw!
So, yes. “You, who are on the road
Must have a code that you can live by
And so, become yourself
Because the past is just a goodbye.
Teach your children well.”
Even better, let’s immerse ourselves and our children in the words and ways of God. It does not have to be a heavy burden. It can be and should be a great adventure.
For example, read and live out books like Hebrews chapter 11, “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection.”
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
“Now this is the command; the statutes and the judgments (precepts) which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you might do (follow, obey) them in the land which you are crossing over [the Jordan] to possess, so that you and your son and your grandson may fear and worship the LORD your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], to keep [and actively do] all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, so that your days may be prolonged. Therefore listen, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly [in numbers], as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one [the only God]! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and mind and with all your soul and with all your strength [your entire being]. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be [written] on your heart and mind.
You shall teach them diligently to your children [impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths] and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:1-7).
(Links are used in lieu of footnotes or references)
This is for the select who erroneously believe that Israel is an ‘occupier’ of the area now known as Israel. Here is a map that extends back to around 975 B.C., showing Israel’s historic possession of the lands known as Israel.
King David ruled the region around 1000 B.C. His son, who became King Solomon, is credited with building the first holy temple in ancient Jerusalem. In about 931 B.C., the area was divided into two kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. (Let it be stated that Israel is not a current occupier or current inhabitant of this region).
Around 722 B.C., the Assyrians invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel. In 568 B.C., the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the first temple, which was replaced by a second temple in about 516 B.C.
For the next several centuries, the land of modern-day Israel was conquered and ruled by various groups, including the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Fatimids, Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, Egyptians, Mamelukes, Islamists and others
Then, from 1517 to 1917, what is today Israel, along with much of the Middle East, was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.
But World War I dramatically altered the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. In 1917, at the height of the war, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour submitted a letter of intent supporting the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. The British government hoped that the formal declaration—known thereafter as the Balfour Declaration—would encourage support for the Allies in World War I.
When World War I ended in 1918 with an Allied victory, the 400-year Ottoman Empire rule ended, and Great Britain took control over what became known as Palestine (modern-day Israel, Palestine and Jordan).
The Balfour Declaration and the British mandate over Palestine were approved by the League of Nations in 1922. Arabs vehemently opposed the Balfour Declaration, concerned that a Jewish homeland would mean the subjugation of Arab Palestinians.
The British controlled Palestine until Israel, in the years following the end of World War II, became an independent state in 1947.
In 1947, after more than two decades of British rule, the United Nations proposed a plan to partition Palestine into two sections: an independent Jewish state and an independent Arab state. The city of Jerusalem, which was claimed as a capital by both Jews and Palestinian Arabs, was to be an international territory with a special status.
Jewish leaders accepted the plan, but many Palestinian Arabs—some of whom had been actively fighting British and Jewish interests in the region since the 1920s—vehemently opposed it.
Arab groups argued that they represented the majority of the population in certain regions and should be granted more territory. They began to form volunteer armies throughout Palestine. (Taken from History.com)
If one chief theme in the post-1948 pattern was embattled Israel and a second the hostility of its Arab neighbors, a third was the plight of the huge number of Arab refugees. The violent birth of Israel led to a major displacement of the Arab population, who either were driven out by Zionist military forces before May 15, 1948, or by the Israeli army after that date or fled for fear of violence by these forces. Many wealthy merchants and leading urban notables from Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem fled to Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan, while the middle class tended to move to all-Arab towns such as Nablus and Nazareth. The majority of fellahin ended up in refugee camps. More than 400 Arab villages disappeared, and Arab life in the coastal cities (especially Jaffa and Haifa) virtually disintegrated. The center of Palestinian life shifted to the Arab towns of the hilly eastern portion of the region—which was immediately west of the Jordan River and came to be called the West Bank.
Like everything else in the Arab-Israeli conflict, population figures are hotly disputed. Nearly 1,400,000 Arabs lived in Palestine when the war broke out. Estimates of the number of Arabs displaced from their original homes, villages, and neighborhoods during the period from December 1947 to January 1949 range from about 520,000 to about 1,000,000; there is general consensus, however, that the actual number was more than 600,000 and likely exceeded 700,000. Some 276,000 moved to the West Bank; by 1949 more than half the prewar Arab population of Palestine lived in the West Bank (from 400,000 in 1947 to more than 700,000). Between 160,000 and 190,000 fled to the Gaza Strip. More than one-fifth of Palestinian Arabs left Palestine altogether. About 100,000 of these went to Lebanon, 100,000 to Jordan, between 75,000 and 90,000 to Syria, 7,000 to 10,000 to Egypt, and 4,000 to Iraq.
Henceforth, the term Palestinian will be used when referring to the Arabs of the former mandated Palestine, excluding Israel. Although the Arabs of Palestine had been creating and developing a Palestinian identity for about 200 years, the idea that Palestinians form a distinct people is relatively recent. The Arabs living in Palestine had never had a separate state. Until the establishment of Israel, the term Palestinian was used by Jews and foreigners to describe the inhabitants of Palestine and had only begun to be used by the Arabs themselves at the turn of the 20th century. With the Arab world in a period of renaissance popularizing notions of Arab unity and nationalism amid the decline of the Ottoman Empire, most saw themselves as part of the larger Arab or Muslim community. The Arabs of Palestine began widely using the term Palestinian starting in the pre-World War I period to indicate the nationalist concept of a Palestinian people. But after 1948—and even more so after 1967—for Palestinians themselves the term came to signify not only a place of origin but, more importantly, a sense of a shared past and future in the form of a Palestinian state.
In May 1948, less than a year after the Partition Plan for Palestine was introduced, Britain withdrew from Palestine and Israel declared itself an independent state, implying a willingness to implement the Partition Plan.
Almost immediately, neighboring Arab armies moved in to prevent the establishment of the Israeli state. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War that ensued involved Israel and five Arab nations—Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Lebanon. By the war’s end in July 1949, Israel controlled more than two-thirds of the former British Mandate, while Jordan took control of the West Bank and Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip.
The 1948 conflict opened a new chapter in the struggle between Jews and Palestinian Arabs, which now became a regional contest involving nation-states and a tangle of diplomatic, political and economic interests.
The PLO Is Born
In 1964, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was formed for the purpose of establishing a Palestinian Arab state on the land previously administered under the British Mandate, and which the PLO considered to be occupied illegitimately by the State of Israel. (taken from Britannica).
All of this is ‘said and done’ and is recorded in history. Still, there are those who, either by the desire to mislead others or out of ignorance, choose to deny the holocaust ever happened and foolishly say that Israel is an illegitimate occupier of their own lands.
None-the-less, the recent atrocities by the Hamas terrorists which are funded and trained by Iran, are not justified by the desire of the so-called Palestinian-Arabs to establish a homeland.
Nothing can justify the evil and murderous hatred of certain Arabs and peoples, who have publicly stated their desire to destroy Israel and wipe all of her people off the face of the earth. This would be a genocide on an almost unparalleled level – exceeding the evils and horrors of the holocaust perpetrated by Hitler and his Nazis.
So, I want to conclude by saying that if you or anyone you know, and to those who would say that the recent attacks on and the slaughter of innocent Jewish men, women, children and babies by Hamas and Hezbollah and other maniacal murderers in that area are justifiable, YOU ARE EITHER TRAGICALLY MISTAKEN OR ARE FILLED WITH AN EVIL THAT MUST BE ERADICATED.
I will endeavor to make peace with all people, but for those who are filled with lies, rage and the desire to see the destruction of Israel and her people, I will avoid you. I will expose you. I will fight against you.
I pray for the peace of Israel – I stand with Israel.
Michael Young
“And I, God, will bless those who bless you Israel,
And the one who curses you, I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
(Paraphrased from Genesis 12:3)
(Please comment if you agree. A simple “yes” will suffice.)
“God Almighty,’ Who was, and is, and is to come’.” (Revelation 4:8)
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
“The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who live on the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was, and is not, and will come.” (Revelation 17:8)
LINEAR TIME and CHRONOLOGY
This is, at the very least, a difficult concept to understand. In its simplest form, that is in linear time, one could say that something or someone existed in the past, exists in the present and will exist in the future – either continuously, or inexplicably comes into being, disappears (passes from natural existence), reappears in the present time, passes away again, only to reappear at a future time.
Imagine standing on an imaginary static point just outside the timeline (the passing of linear time) watching as time passes. You would see the present become the past as it goes by, and the present become the future as it goes also passes by. So, in reality, you are seeing the past and the future, in the present – but one thing at a time and in a straight line.
Now imagine you are floating above time – that is, far above the timeline. Imagine that you can see ‘all time at once’ from your station. Looking down, you can see the past, the present and the future, all occurring at once – simultaneously, but the past being continuously transformed into the present and the present being continuously transformed into the future. This is the paradox of non-linear time.
When God says “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come,” the Almighty”, we are seeing the Omniscient God, continuously present OUTSIDE of time.
This concept is vitally important when trying to understand Biblical eschatology – more specifically the tribulation period (tribulation seals ONE through FIVE), the Great Tribulation (the final SEVEN years of Great Tribulation), Seals SIX and SEVEN, the SEVEN Tribulation Trumpets and the SEVEN Tribulation Bowls of Wrath.
Tribulation Seals ONE through FIVE, in linear time, according to the testimonies and teachings of Jesus, the Apostles Paul, Peter, Timothy and John, began at or around the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and have continued to occur, intensify and overlap. We are waiting for the breaking of the SIXTH tribulation SEAL (the beginning of the 7 years of Great Tribulation, the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord and the Wrath of The Lamb), in linear time. At this moment in time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other (Matthew 24:30-31).
Following the breaking of the SIXTH Tribulation Judgement Seal, in linear chronological order, we will see the 7th Seal opened, the sealing of the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel and the multitude before the throne of God. Then the 7 tribulation judgement trumpets are blown, and the 7 judgement bowls of wrath are poured out.
At the end of these things, Jesus (has defeated, is defeating and will continue to defeat) Satan, the Beast and their armies, and they all (have already been cast, are being cast and will continue to be cast) into the eternal lake of fire.
But for the believer, the disciple and follower of Jesus, “He, (Jesus), (has showed, is showing and will continue to show) me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; we will see His face, and His name will be on our foreheads. And there will no longer be any night; and we will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate us; and we will (then) reign forever and ever.
And he (has said to me, is saying to me and will say to me), “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
From a heavenly perspective – from God’s View, all of this has already occurred, is occurring and shall occur until its completion. But make no mistake, it is already finished, and we are simply living it out in linear time.
SO WHAT?
We are called – no, commanded – to live as if all things are already determined, because they are already determined! We can be made able to live an expectant life, full of hope for our future – and in fact, our past is forgiven, our present is protected, and our future is secured.
We do this by following and obeying the Word of God. We may struggle, and we may suffer, but it is through obedience that we find our joy, our peace and the success that God has promised.
Finally, perhaps you have heard of the flawed theological concept of “already but not yet”.
It holds that believers are actively taking part in the kingdom of God, although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. We are “already” in the kingdom, but we do “not yet” see it in its glory. The “already but not yet” theology is related to kingdom theology or inaugurated eschatology.
The “already but not yet” paradigm was developed by Princeton theologian Gerhardus Vos early in the 20th century. In the 1950s, George Eldon Ladd, a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, argued that there are two meanings to the kingdom of God: 1) God’s authority and right to rule and 2) the realm in which God exercises His authority. The kingdom, then, is described in Scripture both as a realm presently entered and as one entered the future. Ladd concluded that the kingdom of God is both present and future.
The “already but not yet” theology is popular among the Charismatics, for whom it provides a theological framework for present-day miracles. “Already but not yet” is officially embraced by the Vineyard Church and underpins many of their teachings.
There is a sense in which God’s kingdom is already in force. Hebrews 2:8–9 says, “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death” (ESV). In this passage, we have a “now” (we see Jesus crowned with glory), and we have a “not yet” (not everything has been subjected to Christ). Jesus is the King, but His kingdom is not yet of this world (see John 18:36).
Also, in 1 John 3:2, we read, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be, has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Again, we have a “now” (we are the children of God), and we have a “not yet” (our future state). We are children of the King, but we must wait to see exactly what that entails.
Add to this the facts that Romans 8:30 says we are “glorified” and Ephesians 2:6 says we are seated with Christ “in the heavenly realms” as if these were completed acts. We don’t feel very glorified, most of the time, and our surroundings do not much resemble “heavenly realms.” That’s because the present spiritual reality does not yet match up with the future, physical reality. One day, the two will be in sync.
So, there is a biblical basis for the “already but not yet” system of interpretation. The problem comes when this paradigm is used to justify the prosperity gospel, name-it-claim-it teachings, and other heresies. The idea behind these teachings is that Christ’s kingdom is in full operation and that prayer can make it “break through” into our world. Evangelism is thought to “advance the kingdom.” And people are told they never need be sick or poor because the riches of the kingdom are available to them right now.
The Bible never speaks of “advancing the kingdom,” however. The kingdom will come (Luke 11:2). We must receive the kingdom (Mark 10:15). And the kingdom is currently “not of this world” (John 18:36). Jesus’ parables of the kingdom picture it as yeast in dough and a tree growing. In other words, the kingdom is slowly working toward an ultimate fulfillment. It is not sporadically “breaking through” to bring us comfort in this world. (the foregoing paragraphs in italics are from GotQuestion.Org).
NOW, BEWARE:Matthew 5:19, instructs us, “Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Revelation 22:18-19, also warns, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
Our is to trust and obey – there is, simply, no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!
(Notice: there are 3 seperate audio clips on this page.)
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
“HAMAS”
“HAMAS”
The news of the day is the heinous attacks on innocents in Israel by the demonic terrorists, Hamas in Gaza. There is speculation swirling in the smoke and columns of fire from the rocket attacks that this could be the ‘beginning of the end’ as prophesied in scriptures (The Last Days).
The swift, decisive and appropriatley violent response by Israel would make it seem that this will at least be the end of Hamas as a terror group, and should send a strong message to Iran and other terrorist states. But if this unprovoked attack and murder of innocent men, women, children and babies spreads, it could begin to look like prophecies regarding Israel and the End of Days are coming to pass.
There are events, however, which must take place to confirm of disprove these kinds of speculations, but this could very well the precursor or harbinger, of things to come.
Comparing the correlating verses from Luke chapter 21 and Matthew chapter 24 we can get a clearer view of prophesied events of the Last Days, specifically targeting similar events in the Middle East and Israel.
Luke chapter 21 and Matthew chapter 24 give us a look at the events leading up to the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, which is the beginning of the SEVEN YEARS of the Great Tribulation – also known as Daniel’s Seventieth Week – The Great and Terrible Day of The Lord.
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as seen in Luke 21
Luke 21:5-9, (Amplified Bible Version – annotated), “As some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and consecrated offerings [of magnificent gifts of gold which were displayed on the walls and hung in the porticoes], He said, “As for all these things which you see, the time will come when there will not be one stone left on another that will not be torn down.”
They asked Him, (Jesus), “Teacher, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to happen?” He said, “Be careful and see to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name (acting as if they are Me or pretending to act on my behalf as leaders of religious organizations calling themselves ‘The Church’), [appropriating for themselves the name (and the authority of) Messiah which belongs to Me alone], saying, ‘I am He,’ (thereby implying and acting in a way that says ‘I have the authority of Jesus as given by His Father’) and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and disturbances [civil unrest, revolts, uprisings], do not panic; for these things must take place first, but the end will not come immediately.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:1-5, (Amplified Bible Version – annotated): “Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to Him to call His attention to the [magnificent and massive] buildings of the temple. And He said to them, “Do you see all these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, not one stone here will be left on another, which will not be torn down.”
While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?”
Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in My name (acting as if they are Me or pretending to act on my behalf as leaders of religious organizations calling themselves ‘The Church’), [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ (thereby implying and acting in a way that says ‘I have the authority of Jesus as given by His Father’), and they will mislead many .”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as seen in Luke 21
Things to Come
Luke 21:10-11,“Then Jesus told them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be violent earthquakes, and in various places famines and [deadly and devastating] pestilences (plagues, epidemics); and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.
(Note: Jesus spoke these prophetic words in the future tense in or around A.D. 30. So, although there have always been wars, conflicts, earthquakes, famines, plagues and epidemics, they will greatly increase in their frequency and intensity and Ezekiel 38 describes the crescendo of these events.
Jesus pinpoints the season of these events as He links them with the words, “and there will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven” which is a direct link to the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, which is the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb – marking the 70th Week of Daniel and the beginning of the final SEVEN YEARS of THE TRIBULATION: THE SIXTH and SEVENTH SEAL of The Great Tribulation, The SEVEN TRUMPET JUDGEMENTS and The SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATH.)
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as seen in Luke 21
Luke 21:12-19, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, and bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake (which is the amplifying and intensifying of the breaking of the FIFTH TRIBULATION SEAL). This will be a time and an opportunity for you to testify [about Me]. So, make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you [skillful] words and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. But you will be betrayed and handed over even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continually hated by everyone because of [your association with] My name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your [patient] endurance [empowered by the Holy Spirit] you will gain your souls.
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:6-14, “You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].
“Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come.“
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as seen in Luke 21
Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her (Israel’s) complete destruction is near. At that time, those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city (Jerusalem) must get out, and those who are [out] in the country must not enter the city; for these are days of vengeance [of rendering full justice or satisfaction], so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those women who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For great trouble and anguish will be on the land, and wrath and retribution on this people [Israel]. And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles (a race of people, the nations of the heathen world, Gentiles, joined by practicing pagan and heathen customs and common culture; unbelieving Gentiles (non-Jews)), are fulfilled (completed).
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:15-28, “So when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains [for refuge]. Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things that are in his house [because there will not be enough time]. Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his coat. And woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! Pray that your flight [from persecution and suffering] will not be in winter, or on a Sabbath [when Jewish laws prohibit travel]. For at that time there will be a great tribulation (pressure, distress, oppression), such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will [again]. And if those days [of tribulation] had not been cut short, no human life would be saved; but for the sake of the elect (God’s chosen ones) those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you [during the great tribulation], ‘Look! Here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Listen carefully, I have told you in advance. So if they say to you, ‘Look! He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there, or, ‘Look! He is in the inner rooms [of a house],’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming [in glory] of the Son of Man [everyone will see Him clearly]. Wherever the corpse is, there the [e]vultures will flock together.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as seen in Luke 21
The Return of Christ
Luke 21:25-28, “There will be signs (attesting miracles)in the sun and moon and stars; and on the earth [there will be] distress and anguish among nations, in perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea and the waves, people fainting from fear and expectation of the [dreadful] things coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with [transcendent, overwhelming] power [subduing the nations] and with great glory. Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.”
THE RETURN OF JESUS & THE END OF THE AGE
as compared to Matthew 24
Matthew 24:29-31, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT PROVIDE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor]. And He will send His angels with A LOUD TRUMPET and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
WARS AND RUMORS OF WAR – THE COMING INVASION OF ISRAEL?
WHO ARE THE ‘PLAYERS’?
When we see this invasion of Israel by the joint forces of Russia, Iran and her proxies, forces from Turkey, the Republic of Georgia, Ethiopia, Libya and Northern Africa, and the Caucuses, we can know this time has come. This is when God will intervene
Luke 21:20 tells us, “when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her (Israel’s) complete destruction is near.”
We can see who these hostile invading armies are, by readingEzekiel chapter 38:1,
“And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Verse 2. “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog(current day Russia),the chief ruler of Meshech (southern Russia and Ukraine and possibly the Republic of Georgia) and Tubal (central Turkey), and prophesy against him,
Verse 3, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal.
Verse 4. I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently clothed in full armor, a great horde with buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, all of them wielding swords;
Verse 5. Persia (Iran), Cush(Ethiopia),and Put(Libya, N. Africa)with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Verse 6. Gomer(southern Russia) and all its troops; Beth-togarmah(the Caucuses region of Armenia and Georgia)from the remote parts of the north and all its troops–many peoples with you.
These are the 10 Nation Confederation to watch, (THE HEADS), of the BEAST Ezekiel 38, of Daniel 7,9 and Revelation 17. All are Islamic, the Center of which is MECCA:
Nation #1. Gog: A Reubenite, son of Shemaiah, the prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and Magog. Gog is identified as a descendant of the prophet Joel, and in Ezekiel 38–39, he is the chief prince of the tribes of Meshech and Tubal in the land of Magog, the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media (Russia.).
Nation #2. Magog: The 2nd son of Japheth, grandson of Noah, and progenitor of several tribes northward from Israel; the mountainous region between Cappadocia and Media and habitation of the descendants of Magog, son of Japheth and grandson of Noah. (Russia.)
Nation #3. Rosh: “the Prince of Rosh” is Asiatic Russia receives confirmation from the Imperial Dictionary. “Evidence exists of an ancient people called Rosh, or Rhos, supposed to be the original stem from which the Russia or modern Russians have derived their race and name.” The scholar, Bishop Lowther says: “Rosh, taken as a proper name, in Ezekiel, signifies the inhabitants of Scythia, from whom modern Russians derived their name. We must conclude therefore, that Ezekiel’s “episode of Gog’s invasion” (A. B. Davidson) points irrefutably and undeniably to the Russians.
Nation #4. Meschach: Was a Chaldean. The Chaldeans inhabited the coastal area near the Persian Gulf. About 630 Nabopolassar became king of the Chaldeans and in 626 he forced the Assyrians out of Uruk and crowned himself king of Babylonia. Modern day Turkey.
Nation #5. Tubal: a region in east Asia Minor, perhaps nearly equal to Cappadocia
Nation #6. Persia:Iran
Nation #7. Cush(Ethiopia): located on either side or both sides of the Red Sea. As such, “Cush” is alternately identified in scripture with the Kingdom of Kush or ancient Ethiopia.
Nation #8. Put (Libya): Ancient Libya. In this sense, Libya was the whole known African continent to the west of the Nile Valley and extended south of Egypt. Herodotus described the inhabitants of Libya as two peoples: The Libyans in northern Africa and the Ethiopians in the south.
Nation #9. Gomer: (was the wife of the prophet Hosea (8th century BC), mentioned in the Hebrew Bible‘s Book of Hosea (1:3). Hosea 1:2 refers to her alternatively as a “promiscuous woman” (NIV), a “harlot” (NASB), and a “whore” (KJV) but Hosea is told to marry her according to Divine appointment. She is also described as the daughter of Diblaim.) The Hebrew name Gomer refers to the Cimmerians, who dwelt in what is now southern Russia, “beyond the Caucusus”, and attacked Assyria in the late 7th century BC.
Nation #10. Beth-Togarmah: Togarmah is a city mentioned in Assyrian and Hittite texts. It was north of Carchemish on an Assyrian trade route. It may be related to modern Gurun between the Halys and Euphrates Rivers. (Georgia, Chechnya, Turkey/Armenia.)
Because of the length and complexity of the scriptures regarding the invasion of Israel in the Last Days from the book of The Revelation, I will simply recap these events by linking to the appropriate verses, and a detailed commentary with videos by Zion’s Hope (David Rosenthal) at the end of this page..
Just know that the destruction of the Antichrist, the beast and their invading armies and demonic forces will be thoroughly defeated and cast into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 16 through 20) after the 7th Tribulation Bowl is poured out.
It is also worthy to note that there is some ‘controversy’ or discussion about the “2nd Coming” or the SECOND ADVENT of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:29-31 (and similarly in Luke 21) record these words, “But immediately after the tribulation of those days (it is important to note the words ‘immediately after the tribulation OF THOSE DAYS’), THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” This is clearly Jesus appearing, which will occur after the 5th Tribulation Seal and at the moment of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal and is spoken of in the future tense. By all appearances we are well into the 5th Tribulation Seal and are very near the 6th Seal, so the ‘future tense’ of this verse can easily be considered to be from this day (10/11/2023) until His appearing – which could be immanent.
Then, in Revelation 19:11-16 we read, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Many commentators believe these verses describe the 2nd Advent of Christ. But clearly, taking Matthew 24:29-31 into account, this would be a THIRD advent, which would be incorrect. This is NOT a new advent or a new coming of Christ, but it is Jesus, who has already returned to gather His Elect (Matthew 24:31) and is seen sitting on horse, judging and waging war against the nations!
CONCLUSION – THE LONG VIEW
The events of the “Last Days” began as early as the birth and/or the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus, as reported by Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy in or around 2 B.C. through A.D. 95, and found in:
These events will conclude at the end of the pouring out of the Tribulation Bowls at the end of the SEVEN YEAR TRIBULATION period, the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord.
We are seeing clear and distinct signs of the final days before His return and the beginning of the Great Tribulation. If you are His disciple, you do not need to be afraid. He is your protector. Your weapons and shield are the words of your testimony and the Blood of the Lamb.
When the time comes, He will give you words of wisdom to say, which no one can resist. Be brave and courageous.
If you have not already, now is the time, now is the day of your salvation. Turn to Jesus in humble submission and exchange your life for His, today – this moment. Find your peace, safety, sanctuary and salvation in Him!
If you have already given yourself and your life to God by His grace and through faith in Jesus, now is the time to complete your calling.
Do not wait for others to do the work of your calling – not the preacher, pastor, deacon, elder or friend. It is your calling and your joy to serve the Living God today.
YOU,“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Jesus, believe in Him, and obey His words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that He has commanded you; and lo, He is with you always [remaining with you perpetually–regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 24, Verse 10. (Seal #5), And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24, Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Revelation 6, Verse9. (Seal #5) When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; Verse 10. and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?” Verse 11. And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also.
2 Timothy 3:3, “But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear].
The things described in these verses seem to be recognizable and occurring, especially in our day-and-time. But these things have been occurring since the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, not only have the continued to occur but they have been increasing in frequency and in their intensity. (see “Is This The End?”).
The foregoing prophetic statements referring to the “last days” fit perfectly with the words of Jesus and the Apostles Paul, Peter and Timothy as they describe the events and times of the “last days”, which were written around A.D. 30, and are found in :
The progression and timing of the breaking of the Tribulation Seals in Matthew 24 and Revelation chapters 6,7 and 8 can be seen in this short outline (below, with links) which compare Jesus’ account of the Tribulation period both in the Book of Revelation and in theBook of Matthew:
Multitude from the tribulation before the Throne of God).
WARNING: Prior to the SIXTH TRIBULATION SEAL, scriptures tell us that God will send a ‘deluding influence so people will believe a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness”.
This malaise and apostasy has infected Christian Churches across the globe and nowhere is it more evident that in the western world and in America. You can visit just about any church and find an ‘entertainment-oriented’ production, dedicated to move the emotions of the visitor, practitioner and adherent to moments of emotional ecstasy. The ‘sermons’ can better be described as intellectually fulfilling – a religious sales pitch about how things should be. . The ‘congregation has become an audience attending a play’ in large part.
The sense of ‘Church is like family’ has become a social affair. Cliques have taken the place of the Body. The day of lamenting one’s sins, brokenness and repentance at the altar are gone. (See “I Will Build My Church”).
This transformation, this apostasy has been developing over the decades and centuries. It was subtle at first. Now it is in full bloom and is unrecognized by the perpetrators – church-goers and Christians.
A more complete description of the attitudes and behaviors of people in these ‘last days, which are precursors to the Great Apostasy (the great falling away from the Gospel and the teachings of Jesus) and the Great Martyrdom and persecution of Christians, (the fifth Tribulation Seal) are found in 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Verse 1, For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, verse 3, [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, verse 4, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God,
Verse 5, holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith].
Avoid such people and keep far away from them.
Verse 6. For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women weighed down by [the burden of their] sins, easily swayed by various impulses,
The term “morally weak and spiritually-dwarfed women” as it is used here, may seem to be specifically aimed at women and to the exclusion of men. That is incorrect. This description is anachronistic. It must be understood in the social context of that day. Women, in general were considered to be second class members of society when these verses were written. Women’s lives and value were defined almost solely in relation to men: their fathers and husbands. This description is being used contemptuously to define anyone, and specifically a man who would be considered to behave in such a way. (It could be said, in a contemporary and derogatory way, “he acts just like a silly old women” or “he is such a Nancy”.)
Always learning and listening to anybody who will teach them, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
Is this not what is occurring in our churches? People lament, “I am not being fed”. So, they are relieved of their own duty to ‘get off the milk of the word’ and feed themselves the meat of the word by doing the Word of God.
Too many churches and pastors placate ‘the sheep’, who by now should be pastors, teachers, deacons, elders, ambassadors for Christ, by substituting the ‘Work of the Gospel’ with always learning and listeningand never actually ‘going into the fields which are ripe for harvesting’.
Just as Jannes and Jambres, [men, in the court magicians in the court of the Pharaohs Egypt] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, unqualified and worthless [as teachers] in regard to the faith. But they will not get very far, for their meaningless nonsense and ignorance will become obvious to everyone, as was that of Jannes and Jambres.
Finally, the importance of recognizing the intent of this letter by Timothy and the placement of the breaking of the 5th Tribulation Seal is that the first FIVE TRIBULATION SEALS are, accoring to Jesus, ‘the birth pangs’ – forerunners of the Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of The Lord, which begins with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal.
You and I must be the ‘salt and the light’. We must be the initiators, the ambassadors, the martyrs for Christ. We must demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] by our love [unselfish concern for others], by our joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], by our kindness, by our goodness, by our faithfulness, by our gentleness, by our self-control.
Against these things there is no law. And those of us who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.
If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:22-26)
We have now been warned against false teachers, false teachings, false prophets and our ominous proximity to the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal.
We have now been instructed how we are to engage this fallen world as the Day of The Lord draws near.
We have now been instructed about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and about living and walking by the Spirit with personal integrity, Godly character and moral courage, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The day and the hour of the SIXTH TRIBULATION SEAL is near. It will initiate the 7 years of Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. A time when the world will see a God’s judgements, tribulation and devastation as it has never seen and will never see again.
Prepare yourself and your household and know that at that time,“Immediately after the tribulation of these daysthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not provide its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.And at that time the sign of the Son of Man [coming in His glory] will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth [and especially Israel] will mourn [regretting their rebellion and rejection of the Messiah], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory [in brilliance and splendor]. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather together His elect (God’s chosen ones) from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”(Matthew 24:29-31).
Matthew 3:10, says, “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Verse 11. “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
Verse 12. “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Olive Tree, specifically, comes to mind when talking about prophecy and about Israel. It is mentioned frequently in the Bible with regard to fruitfulness, health, and blessings. It is one of the seven species with which the land was blessed.
Jewish people associate it with the concept of “putting down roots” in the Holy Land. As such, olive trees appear in the emblems of both the State of Israel, as well as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The olive tree has also been used as a motif in many works of art and in Jewish culture throughout history.
Here are some specific examples of ways the symbolism of the olive tree is represented in the Jewish faith:
Peace: The olive tree has become a consistent symbol of peace over the years, thanks to the story of Noah’s Ark and the dove that brings back an olive branch as a way to inform Noah that the rain had subsided. Olive branches even became used as a means of showing peace to other leaders/nations.
Love and celebration: Olive branches were used to make wreaths for the heads of young people on their wedding days, and at festivals in biblical times. The pilgrims who brought their first fruits to Jerusalem decorated the horns of the bull that led the procession with olive branches.
Life and vitality: Throughout the Bible, there are consistent references to olive trees as symbols of life and vitality. For example, the people of Israel are referred to as “a green olive tree, beautiful with goodly fruit” in the book of Jeremiah. When King Solomon dies, the trees of the garden mourn, shedding their leaves.
“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees”. Verse 10 is saying judgment is now at hand. The prophesied Messiah is here. Your salvation is at hand. You cannot depend on your traditions, rituals, good works, heritage or lineage to be saved from the coming wrath. It is time to repent and bear fruit of Righteousness which is in Jesus the Christ, for your salvation, or you will perish.
Matthew 3:11, “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John is pointing the way to Jesus. He baptizes with water for repentance which requires that you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, so you will be saved and escape the coming wrath; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”
Interestingly, and important to this prophetic word, is that it is binding. Jesus has told us that whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
Baptism is a form of binding. Once complete, it is irreversible. We may fail to remember our oaths or to take them seriously, but God never forgets. God will remember the oath, and He will keep His Word. You and I are bound. The following words from the book of Matthew and the account of John the Baptist and of Jesus are a binding oath.
READER BEWARE:
Matthew 3:12, “His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
THERE ARE FIVE POINTS GIVEN IN VERSE 12. THEY ENCAPSULATE THE ENTIRE TRIBULATION PERIOD, BEGINNING WITH THE BREAKING OF THE TRIBULATION SEALS, CONTINUING THROUGH THE TRUMPET AND BOWL JUDGMENTS, INCLUDING THE WHITE THRONE Judgment AND CULMINATING WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF THE 1ST HEAVEN AND THE FIRST EARTH WITH INTENSE HEAT. THEY ARE A BINDING OATH AND PROPHECY.
Jesus has told us that His coming will it be just like in the days of Noah. The days before the Great Flood people were eating and drinking, marrying, unconcerned about the warning of the coming wrath, that is until the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not understand the accuracy and the gravity of the warnings until the flood came and took them all away; so it will be with the return of Jesus.
So, what can you do with what you now know? Stay with me in this teaching and I will show you from scriptures how you not only can, but must, endure to the end of these days of trouble, and actually OVERCOME them. Stay with me on this, it’s important and could be lifesaving!
CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15).
The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.
First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.
Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as loving God, keeping His commandments, doing His Works and glorifying the Father.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15).
IN CONTEXT
“Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, sothattheFathermaybeglorifiedintheSon. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:12-15).
REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:
“If I love You, I will keep Your commandments.” (John 14:15).
This statement, by Jesus, may at first seem out of place here. Why would He go from telling us that if we believe in Him, we will do the works He does, and that because He is going to the Father He will do anything we ask – to suddenly telling us that if I love Him, I will keep His commandments?
It is because these statements are inextricably connected. Everything that Jesus tells us, the ‘promises’ He makes in the preceding verses are predicated on this: If you love Me, keep My commandments. This could be considered the litmus test of your love for Him.
If your love for Jesus is not absolute, true and complete, these promises are not for you. If you are not fully committed and submitted to Jesus as His disciple, these promises are not for you. If you are not willing to follow Him in all He says and does, these promises are not for you.
‘Naming it and claiming it’ just won’t work here. This is for the disciple, the friend and brother of Jesus. This issothattheFathermaybeglorifiedintheSon – The Father is not glorified in you or me. He is glorified in the Son!
If you want anything to be done, believe in Him, prove your love for Him and keep His commandments, and this He will do, so the Father will be glorified in the Son.
I don’t know exactly how to explain what I experienced yesterday. So, I will just guess at how to say it. (And I hope this finds a listening ear).
1. Love: Our lives are characterized by self-sacrificial service to God and others.
The Red Dragon, Satan
The Angel, Michael
Now imagine you are floating above time – that is, far above the timeline. Imagine that you can see ‘all time at once’ from your station. Looking down, you can see the past, the present and the future, all occurring at once – simultaneously, but the past being continuously transformed into the present and the present being continuously transformed into the future. This is the paradox of non-linear time.
Is this not what is occurring in our churches? People lament, “I am not being fed”. So, they are relieved of their own duty to ‘get off the milk of the word’ and feed themselves the meat of the word by doing the Word of God.
